"Okay." Cho said. "Are you okay, Harry?"

Harry didn't answer.

"Um, we'll just leave you two alone," said Ron. He pulled Hermione with him. Cho and Harry were left alone in the hallway.

"So, the dance is coming up in two weeks," Cho said, smiling. Harry had to admit, she was looking very beautiful. But something that was once there was now missing. Something Harry saw in Hermione.

Wait. Hermione? Hermione was his best friend, and he had never thought of her as more.

"Yeah," he finally said.

Cho gave him a confused look. "Are you thinking of taking a certain someone?" She asked, obviously meaning herself.

"Well, no," he started to say, then he saw Cho's surprised, hurt expression. "I mean no I'm not thinking of taking just a certain someone."

Cho raised her eyebrows, waiting for more.

Harry silently sighed and prayed that something would happen so he would not have to ask Cho.

"Would you like to go with me?" he finally said, regretting it.

"Sure!" she said happily.

Harry gritted his teeth and walked away.

"Um, Harry, where are you going?" Cho asked.

"To Divination, of course."

"Okay. I just thought you might want to walk me to my class first."

All of a sudden, Cho just seemed like a needy, clingy girl with a pretty face. The thought faded away from Harry.

"Um, if I'm late, Professor Trelawny will really get angry, I'm sorry. I'll see you later," he said.

Cho looked slightly disappointed but waved and walked away.

"Today," Professor Trelawny said dramatically. "We will be learning about the signs of death."

"Oh no, not again," muttered Ron.

"We cannot predict death easily," she said, sighing. "It is very difficult. And for me to teach you would be difficult. We will learn the signs of death!"

She rambled on and on, with almost nobody listening to her except Parvarti Patil and Lavender Brown.

"Ron?" Harry said.

"Yup?"

"I think I don't like Cho anymore," he said truthfully.

Ron acted like it was a shock. "Cho? But she was your crush for. for quite a while."

"I know. But all she's been doing is wanting to be around me, and it drives me crazy."

Ron shrugged. "I thought you wanted that."

"Are you kidding me?"

Ron gave him another surprised look. "Well, is that the only reason why you don't like her anymore?"

Harry hesitated. "Well, I'm not sure. I think I like somebody else, but then again, I'm not very positive."

Ron immediately knew he was referring to Hermione. And then he thought of the eight-legged spiders Hermione threatened if he told anybody about her plan. His teeth chattered.

"Ron Weasley!" Professor Trelawny shouted. "Look at his teeth! It means he is experiencing a cold, cold moment."

Ron's teeth stopped moving. "Wha?"

"Is it true that a relative of yours passed away recently?" she asked, her eyes bulging.

"No."

"A pet?"

"Well, our owl is really sick, but no he hasn't died."

The professor stared at him for a moment. Then she went back to teaching. Ron snickered.

"So who is this other person?" Ron asked Harry.

Harry shrugged. "Someone you know."

"It's working!" Ron whispered to Hermione after dinner. "Your plan is working!"

"Did I not tell you to not speak about it?"

"He likes you. He won't admit it, but I think he definitely likes you. He even said that he's starting to not like Cho as much."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Oh, well, that's cool. What's wrong with Cho?"

"I don't know. He said that she's too needy or something."

"But she's really nice."

Ron laughed. "What's your problem? I thought you were destined to have Harry break up with Cho."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I do, but."

"But what?"

"I don't know. I think Harry should be able to pick who he wants to be with."

Ron shook his head and sat down. "Then why don't you just stop things with Draco Malfoy?"

"Well, we're still doing that plan thingy."

"Hermione! You are so confusing, just forget it. Just never talk to me about this again!" he said. He stood up and walked to the boys' dormitories. "I don't get it with girls," he muttered. "They change their mind too much."

Hermione sat down. Why hadn't she broken up things with Draco? I mean, he was a nice guy. Maybe they could just be friends. But she liked spending so much time with Draco. He was so sweet.

She opened up her book to take her mind off of Harry and Draco. It was all too much.

Meanwhile.

"Hey Draco," said Kathryn. She flipped her long, sandy brown hair and smiled.

Draco glanced at her. "Oh, hi Kathryn. You're speaking to me now?"

"I just might," she said, getting closer to him. Draco sat down on a couch in the Slytherin Common Room. She sat down beside him.

"Don't you have something to do?" he asked, feeling irritated.

"Not really."

"Don't you need to be with Sean?" Draco emphasized the word Sean.

"What is up with you?" she demanded. "It's like you're always hanging around with that Granger girl." She paused and then continued. "What about me?"

"You? You dumped me!" Draco said, his face feeling hot.

"Go ahead. See if I care," Kathryn snapped, her face turning red. She left Draco alone.

He sighed with relief. "Finally she left," he said. He bit his lip. Wasn't Kathryn the one that he had always wanted to be with? Now all he cared was to have her out of his way.

He stood up, strolled over to the portrait, which swung open, allowing him to step outside. He walked through the corridors. Hermione's face was everywhere. He still remembered when she still had that bushy hair of hers. Did he like her then? Well, not really, after all, he did call her a Mudblood. And he had hated Potter too. But now, he didn't care much for Potter or Weasley.

Draco sighed. Hermione was right. He was just shallow. He was probably only falling for Hermione because she was pretty now. She wasn't bad before, just. just not as attractive.

Why did he even bother? It wasn't like he was actually falling for Hermione, was he? It was fake. All part of the plan.

"The plan," he whispered to himself.

"Yeah, the plan," somebody else said. He turned around and faced Hermione.

Hermione felt her heart leap. Seeing Draco made her feel so warm inside.

"You came down here too?" Draco asked, opening the door to go outside.

"Yeah," she said.

Silence. The sky had turned purple and pink. Hermione sat down on a bench outdoors. Draco sat down with her.

"I have something to tell you," said Draco.

"Really?" replied Hermione. "I have something to say to you also."

"I think." both of them started but then stopped.

iI think I don't like Harry anymore /I was what Hermione wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

i I think I like you, Hermione /I was what Draco was meaning to tell her, but he couldn't make his lips move.

"I think we're going to have a blast at the dance," Hermione blurted out.

"Yeah, Harry will be real jealous once he sees you with me," Draco said quickly, feeling his heart sink.

Hermione laughed. "Don't be so sure of yourself!"

The sun sank down lower and lower, and the sky turned darker and darker, into a bluish purple color.

"We'd better go," Draco said. "It's getting late."

"Yeah," Hermione said in a disappointed tone.

"Well, um, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," she repeated.

"So, er, bye Hermione."

"Bye. Draco."

Draco opened the door for Hermione. She stepped in. They both looked at each other for a moment. Hermione quickly walked away.