Hey-lo! Well, I think I'm just about obsessed with writing this fic. I haven't gotten any reviews since... well, like an hour ago, but thanks to everyone who HAS reviewed. (Ahemmm... more reviews are SOOO very much appreciated!)

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Chapter 4-

~Draco POV~

I saw her shocked face. At first, she looked a little flustered, and then she turned beet red. Soon, she composed herself, and walked up to me, with a mischievous look in her eyes.

"Alone? Together? Now, now. That's not good. Who knows what could happen?" she whispered saucily in my ear. She stroked my hair all the while. Ah, thank goodness she had finally come to her senses and realized what a hot, steamy hunk I was. I smirked at her, closed my eyes, and puckered up teasingly. I didn't feel anything pressing against my lips, so I opened one eye a teensy bit. I saw her smiling flirtily with me. I knew this was it- she'd kiss me.

But, instead, the next thing I knew, I was being slapped across the face. With that, she turned around and promptly left the compartment with me standing there gaping at this girl- no, woman- who had me all flustered myself.

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Later, sitting at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall, I poked at my food and glanced over at the Gryffindor table. I saw Hermione chatting animatedly with Potter- I caught something about house elves as I walked by- and Weasley staring at Hermione. I squinted- making the scene a bit clearer. He was looking at her like he was in love. Then, it hit me.

Ron- the Weasel- liked my beautiful angel. Of course, she wasn't MINE... yet. I wished she was mine- instead of Pansy, who was clinging onto my arm as she ate her food. Crabbe and Goyle had their heads a few inches above their plates- so the food would have the shortest route possible to their mouths. I rolled my eyes.

~Hermione POV~

"We should start thinking about new ways to free the house elves this year. The hat idea is getting old, and Ginny told me that only Dobby is the only house elf cleaning the common room now. So that means that an already- freed elf is taking all the hats!" I was saying to Harry. He actually seemed interested, and gave me a few ideas on how to free the elves. He was, however, bright red. Ginny hadn't told me- I already knew that he knew that the elves weren't getting the hats. I'm not stupid, but I just wanted Harry to tell me on his own time. He was, however, taking all the time in the world.

I paused to take a bite of my food, and glanced over at the Slytherin table. I saw Malfoy staring at us with his eyes narrowed. Well, if he wanted to be my friend- maybe even more than a friend- he'd have to put a stop to his childish antics. He suddenly looked embarrassed and turned away. That awful girl Pansy was clinging to him like shrink wrap. How he could STAND her was beyond me. I couldn't stomach either of them.

Harry got up suddenly, and asked, "Hermione, would you like to take a walk around the castle with me?" That was odd. What about Ron? I didn't think it'd be very fair to go off without Ron, but he was in the middle of a heated conversation about Quidditch with Ginny, Seamus and Dean. Dean was talking about Muggle soccer, Ginny about how the uniforms should be updated to something more fashionable, and Seamus was on about referees. So the whole conversation was entirely confusing.

"Um, alright then," I responded carefully. I didn't want to sound confused or anything. Harry and I walked out of the Hall, and into...well, the hall. We walked for a bit in silence, until I asked, "So, er, Harry. Why did you want to take a walk?"

He was quiet for a bit, until he turned around, facing me. "Well, there's something I need to tell you," he murmured. Oh, no. What was wrong? Please, dear God, don't let him like me. Yes, I loved him- but platonically. He was my BEST friend, aside from Ron. It'd be too weird to go out with him. "Hermione- I have something REALLY important to tell you- but you're going to freak out and think I'm just the weirdest person in the world."

Merlin's beard. He DID like me. He wanted to catch me alone and tell me in person, without having people like Malfoy interrupt us and then take the mickey out of us. Smart thinking, Harry.

"Yes, Harry?" I asked gingerly. He was a bit red, but he finally fixed his celery-green eyes on me. I looked directly into them, and he managed to let out,

"I-I think that, er, I, eh... like y-.." That was until Malfoy sauntered over to us (He's been doing that a lot lately, eh?) with his two cronies.

"Aww, look what we have here! Potty's expressing his love for Granger. How sweeeeeeeet," he laughed, dragging out the last word. That was it. I couldn't STAND Malfoy much longer. For the second time that day, I walked over to Malfoy and slapped him. He looked stunned, and I pulled out my wand.

"If you don't leave RIGHT now, I'll hex you into oblivion," I said through gritted teeth. Malfoy looked at Crabbe, then Goyle, and muttered, "Let's go." I turned around to Harry. He was really red now. "Go on, Harry. I'm listening," I said. Urgh- I really didn't want to hear him express his undying love for me right now, but at least we were alone without interruptions.

"Well, as I was saying, I think I really like..." he said, until Ron came rushing up.

"Hey, guys! Why'd you leave the table? I was sitting there listening to Dean, and I turned around to talk to you guys, and you weren't there," he said. "Honestly, I think that Dean's a bit crazy over that stupid Muggle sopper," he added as an afterthought.

"It's SOCCER, Ron. And do you mind leaving us alone for a little bit? We need to discuss something!" I cried.

"Why are you leaving me out of it? Are you two- *SNORT*- dating behind my back?" Ron screamed with laughter. I felt my face grow hot.

"No, we're not dating- but we need to... uh, discuss what we're getting you for Christmas. Your present is going to be really great this year!" Harry yelled. Phew- thank God. Ron stopped laughing and muttered, "Fine," and walked away. Harry turned to me.

"Hermione- let me spit this out. I'm in love with a girl, and I'm not sure how to tell her that I love her," he exclaimed. Ahhh, the sneaky route. He was going to ask how he could tell me that he loved me, and then do so.

"I'd just tell her straight away- no dilly dallying," I said. Harry looked relieved.

"Ok- I'll do that. Thanks, Hermione!" he exclaimed. Wait a moment. If he was going to do that, why wasn't he saying it to me?

"Harry- who are you in love with?" I called. He turned around, and yelled, "It's..."

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Oh, I just re-read the chappie, and Hermione sounds really conceited at the end. Sorry about that. She's not conceited. Yet. LOL, just kidding.

3NewSecretRose