I really apologize for the huge amount of time it took me to update. I have been very busy. Me sorry. So, voila! Enjoy..........

The next night, while Harry was at Quidditch practice, Ron decided to have a little chat with Hermione. He found her in the common room. He sat down across from her. "Hermione, could I have a word?"

Hermione looked up from the crossword puzzle she was doing in the Daily Prophet. "Sure. What's up?"

"You know Harry likes you."

Hermione let out a huge sigh. "Ron, why are you going along with Parvati and Lavender's little jokes? I already know Harry does not like me- that they thought it was some cute joke! I asked Neville and he told me that Harry does not like me. And now they are all laughing because they got me to start liking Harry!" Hermione could not believe what she had just told Ron.

"You mean you really do like Harry?"

"Yeah," said Hermione, hanging her head.

"But Hermione! You don't get it! Harry does like you! He told me. It started out that he didn't but now he does!"

"Stop it, I know it's a lie. It's Parvati's and Lavender's idea of a joke."

"No, Hermione, listen! Harry does like you! I should know, I'm his best friend! He told me. He would ask you out, it's just he's afraid you would say no."

Hermione stared at Ron. "You're being serious?" she said unbelievingly.

"Yes! I am! So if Harry were to ask you out, would you say yes?"

"Is that a question, or a command?" Hermione asked with a smile.

"Both," Ron replied.

The next morning, Parvati and Lavender came up to Hermione all giggly. Harry's going to ask you out," said Parvati.

"Isn't that what you two have been saying all along?" replied Hermione.

"No," said Lavender, "we've been saying he likes you."

"Right, so when exactly is he going to then?"

"Soon, I dunno when, but soon."

During Transfiguration when Professor Mc Gonagall was handing back the past few homework's, (which Hermione got O's on all of, so she received many sneers from surrounding classmates) she noticed Ron and Harry talking. Hermione wondered what they were talking about, and tried to listen in, but Mc Gonagall told them to be quiet.

After Transfiguration was lunch. Hermione wanted some time to study for the test she had coming up in Ancient Runes, so she left the Great Hall a little earlier than usual and went up to the Gryffindor Common Room. Once she had settled down in her favorite armchair, the portrait hole opened and none other than Harry walked in. Why did he follow me up here? Hermione thought to herself. But then he couldn't have followed me, unless he got lost, because I've been gone nearly 15 minutes. (It had taken her longer than she thought to get up to the common room.) Just then, Hermione realized that they were the only ones around….

This is it, thought Harry, just do it. He took a seat near Hermione. "Hey."

"Hi."

"Whatcha doing?"

"Studying for Ancient Runes."

"Looks really complicated," Harry said, glancing at the rune symbols on the page Hermione was opened to.

"It actually isn't at all. Some are kind of obvious at what they mean, and then some don't make sense at all. But over time you get it." Hermione noticed that Harry's eyes were still staring down at her opened textbook. As she saw this, she could here the faint ring of the bell signaling the end of lunch. Harry then looked up at her, and Hermione thought that he was making such a cute face.

"Hermione, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me."

She could not believe what she had just heard. It caught her completely off guard. Harry Potter had just asked her out. "I'd love to," Hermione said with a smile.

"Great," Harry answered. He looked deeply relieved, probably that she had accepted to go out with him.

"When?" Hermione piped up, curiously.

"How about the next Hogsmeade trip?"

"That would be wonderful," she responded, gathering up her things and standing up. Just then, Ginny came through the portrait hole.

"Wotcher, Hermione. Get much studying done?" Ginny questioned.

"No," Hermione said quickly as she left the common room to go to History of Magic. With wide eyes, Ginny looked at Harry and said, "I'm not asking."

"Good," Harry said with a big smile, "because you don't want to know."