She was just walking in the hallway when it happened. She had probably been walking to the library; she couldn't remember. But she was aware of her bushy hair around her face like a lion's mane and she was aware of her robes with a sauce stain decorating the front in an unpleasant manner.

Why was she aware of such frivolous things at that present moment?

It was because the silhouette that had been approaching her now was recognisable. And it belonged to the one person she didn't want to see but couldn't wait to. The person that haunted her thoughts yet the person that she thought she was indifferent too. The one person she thought she'd never feel anything for, yet she felt feelings for him she never thought she'd feel for anyone, strange thoughts that kept her awake at night and occupied her thoughts when her friends talked of sports or her teachers talked of things she already knew.

Life was one big paradox, wasn't it?

There had been a time when she had thought that she was better than him. She had thought she was too good for him. She had thought he was below her.

Why couldn't she still think like that?

She did, in some ways. But not in others. Her other thoughts contradicted them in so many ways that if she thought of it too long, she would become muddled and confused – something that she always hated. She was supposed to be clear headed, practical, brave and strong. Where was that girl she had once known? What had happened to her? Had she changed so much… just because of this one boy?

Did she even like him?

Now, he was coming towards her. What was wrong with her? It was like something out of a book or movie or something. Time seemed to go too slowly, dragging on like someone had pressed the pause button on a secret video machine. But time also went too fast, speeding past her so she wasn't really aware of anything.

How could time be too slow and too fast? She did not know nor did she care at that exact moment.

She didn't care for much at that moment, not while he was walking by. She didn't care that he was her best friends' enemy and she didn't care that he could, nor would, never offer her any happiness of any kind.

No, all she was aware of was that she was hot. She felt strange, dizzy and suspended on air. She felt like she was fluttering. Like a butterfly that couldn't get off the ground because it had an injured wing. That was how she felt.

A couple of scenarios jumped into her head. What would happen if she said 'Hello' to him? What would happen if she jumped into his arms and kissed him, hugged him, or did anything even remotely intimate? What if she just blurted out her feelings for him, right there on the spot?

She knew him, and she knew herself well enough, to know that she would never do any of those things. The moment was nearly gone. He was nearly past her.

Call me a Mudblood. Insult me. Do anything. Just show me that you see me.

And then, he glanced down at her. Just one glance. His eyes barely moved from his fixed place in the wall ahead of him, but he did. He glanced down at her. Their eyes locked for one moment, her still experiencing the fluttering feeling although it had increased drastically.

Then he walked on by; his eyes ahead of him, looking into some unknown foreign distance.

It was just a glance. A glance you would give anybody passing you. It said nothing, offered nothing to the person walking by. You were simply glancing at them, to see who they were or were they of any interest.

It was just a glance.

But it swelled and broke Hermione's heart.

Just a little something that had been paying in my mind. It sort of has to do with me but I just needed to get it now. It's not a great masterpiece or anything, I know, but I like it 'cause it's real and I'm sure a couple of people relate with it.

Thanks and reviews are appreciated.

Just revised, and only two typos fixed, and a couple of misplaced commas corrected. I forgot how much I like this story.

Thanks to:

Catchy Pen Name – who's pretty review made me revise this story today. No, I've never heard of Brain James before in my life? Is he any good? Feel free to copy the idea – it's hardly all that original, and I'd love to read your view of it.

Dynobunny, LittleBlackAngel, johnnys-my-hottie, Draco-Malfoy-Severus-Luva (Where are you these days?), JJ, SUN-BURN-SUN-FLOWER, Lil Bode (Isn't that Bitch song by Meredith Brooks, no?), Crazy-White-Rabbit, Syraoransangel (Yep, I'm sure you've figured out that, yes, it's just a one shot, two years later.) snowyangel89, burgundyred, Demon of Fear, Ptrst (Yep, Draco/Hermione, defiantly, although I wanted to make it general enough that other people could relate to it! LIKE ME! Haha) PinkTribeChick, ghypscee, HappiGoLucki616 and Darcicy.