Chapter 3

The next morning, Hermione was busy with many questions about what happened the night before. Her excuse for her tears was that a very old dog (nonexistent) died and she was very close to the aged animal. Her friends comforted her in the dinning hall at breakfast, telling her stories about their dead pets, Hermione hanging on every word making the story she made more real.

"Darn!," shouted Ron when he came back from receiving the three's schedules. "We have Potions first period with our best buds, the Slytherins!"

"Well this day just keeps getting better and better," said Hermione, repeating the sarcasm in Ron's voice.

"I'm sorry, Herms," said Harry. "I hate to see you like this, sad and overloaded. I'm sorry."

Hermione felt like she would die. She would have given anything in the world than having to lie to Harry, but she knew she had to. Tears welled up in her eyes, making Harry hug her and comfort her all he knew how.

"No," whispered Hermione into Harry's ear as they embraced. "I'm sorry."

Leaving Harry confused at her comment, Hermione got up and walked with Lavender to get their books for their next classes.

"Harry?" asked Ron, noticing the look on Harry's face.

"Oh," Harry said as he lightly shaked himself, making his face return to normal, but he was still thinking about what Hermione just said and why she would apologize to him. "Yea," he said. "I'm ok."

"Well, we better go get our books for Professor Pain in the Patokie's potion's class," replied Ron, still not reassured but Harry's delayed answer.

The two friends walked down the hall after Hermione and Lavender, Harry saying silently to himself that he wouldn't ask Hermione about what she said.

In the friend's worst class, Ron was fussing over his rotting rat's tails, slicing them and trying to hold his nose at the same time from the stench. Harry and Hermione were talking about their summers softly while the class worked on their pop quizzes.

"Lavender," growled Professor Snape as he looked at the girl as if she was something foul growing under his nose. "Yes sir?" asked Lavender quietly as the class lowered their voices to hear Snape's first criticized remark for the year. "Your rat tails look hideous!" "Well see, sir, these are the ones you gave me, even though they were disintegrating and fouling up the air." "No, you silly girl, look at the way you're cutting them. It's awful!" "That's the best I could do with ingredients in poor condition, sir." "Are you saying that I'm a bad teacher and gave you poor ingredients on purpose?!" "No, sir.." "10 points from Gryffindor for Miss Lavender's complaints," interrupted Snape.

The students all looked at each other in shock. "The best first year argument I've ever heard!," cried a student in the back who on the Hogwart's paper staff. The young boy started writing furiously on a notepad, his potion's partner whispering stuff in his ear, the two boy's eyes opening with enjoyment.

Professor Snape didn't notice (amazingly because the boys made do much ruckus) and went back to his desk.

Lavender limply went back to her rotting rat tails and began to cut once again.

"What are you doing, Miss Lavender?" asked Snape without looking up from his desk work. "You've already received a zero on this quiz for interrupting the class."

Shocked and angry, Lavender threw her things in her cauldron, causing a loud *Bonk* to echo throughout the room.

"Another 10 points Lavender. Keep it up and you might succeed into getting a detention.", remarked Snape.

Everyone was quiet in his class that point forward, even Harry and Hermione wouldn't look at each other, for they were afraid that they would start talking to them without thinking.
The rest of the day went on fine. All of the classes were great.

Harry got to fly his broom for the first time since school let out the year before. The Weasley twins had to drag him from his broom to get him off of it, or otherwise he would have stayed on it for the rest of the night.

While walking back from the flying spree, Harry and Hermione talked constantly. They couldn't believe how much they liked talking to each other.

"And then, Dudley ran out of the house screaming that his butt was on fire and it was just a spark!", Harry said, laughing.

Hermione was laughing, too, when Harry grew silent, looked around to make sure no one was about and slowly put his arms around Hermione's waist.

She smiled and placed her arms around Harry's neck and broad shoulders.

Then, they kissed. It was long and felt great. It was the best thing Hermione had felt that whole day. She enjoyed every second of it.

They went into a dark corner and smooched some more, hoping that the teachers wouldn't catch them.

A loud *Meow* pulled the two apart. Mr. Filch's cat came up beside the pair, meowing as loud as his aged voice could allow him to.

Harry and Hermione grabbed each other's hands and took off at a run, all the way to the common room.

No one was in the common room either, so they happily took the couch and rubbed up together by the fire.

"I love you, Hermione," Harry whispered softly into her ear. He kissed her cheek lightly and leaned back.

"I love you, Harry," she replied, grinning sheepishly, preparing herself for another kiss. Instead, it never came. She looked up to find herself and Harry looking at Ron, Lavender, and Ginny. Ginny started to cry, and she ran up to her dormitory. Lavender was smiling, happy that her two friends had such a great relationship. Ron, Hermione noticed, was angry looking. But he quickly replaced it with a look of disgust. "Why did you have to do it in the common room. Ewwwww!,"exclaimed Ron, like a small girl.

He and Lavender left the room, leaving the couple alone once more.

"well, I'm heading to bed," said Hermione, standing up. "Do you have to?" said Harry, pulling her back onto the couch. " I want to talk to you about what you said this morning, when you apologized to me. Why did you do it?"

Hermione tensed up, thinking of a good answer to his question. Harry felt her go tense and opened his mouth to speak.

"Hermione, you better get up here. Your new cat is going haywire!," exclaimed Lavender. Reminding herself mentally to thank Lavender later, she kissed Harry on the cheek and climbed the stairs to bed.