There were SO MUCH people wanting the beta job, I had to chose one person and that was very difficult, but I wanted to thank everyone that offered me to do this:
Sunshine Cammie, KDarkMaiden, Talio, FEAngel258, animegrl1984, Angle1, Snape'sbbwlover, Alleycatfish, Belinda Ellinor Took, lord Snape's lady, Cailet, Alexiel Elizabeth Granger, Monique, DodgerMcClure.aka.Drama-Queen, ROTCGirl;

Thank you so much, as well as:
curlylein, Tanya, Alaskatiger, someone28, snickerdoodle, Sara D, CrazySwimmer27, FieryWildChild, Evil Crazy Willow, Tiffie101, Severia, no one, Lazy, kathryn, Queen Li, jessica garcia, Zila KAimi, theophania, SilentSoul, Ariana Althena Evergreen - who reviewed my last chapter!

Thank you Lisa, my beta-reader, for editing all the "but's", hyphen, and commas ;-) [and of course for the rest of grammar editing!]

N/A: The title says everything: History of Magic = boring, means that the chapter is also boring. but next one's better, promise.

-§-- 7. History of Magic --§-

Hermione came late to class. They had History of Magic, and Binns just smiled at her mildly and continued to talk about the wizard-revolution of the 12th century.

She hurried to her desk next to Harry and took out a quill and a parchment. Just when she began to write, Harry, who had slept some time, noticed her next to him and began to scribble some words on the parchment.

'What did Snape want?'

Hermione just shook her head and ignored the words.

'Hermione?!'

"Leave it," she whispered and turned her attention again to Binns.

'Since when does the greasy git officially talk to Gryffindors without giving them detention?'

"Why don't you talk? Do you think anyone would mind?"

'…too tired. So, what was it?'

"I do not think that I HAVE to tell you that, do I?"

'You do. The way you walked in here demands an answer.'

"What do you mean?"

"Have you been crying?" he whispered, so that only she could hear him.

Hermione looked at him startled. She didn't think that anyone would have noticed. Yes, she had been crying. Why did everything have to be so difficult? Where were the times when she thought that books had the answers to everything, when the most important things were to quarrel with Ron and save his and Harry's asses?

"Don't look so bewildered, I've known you quite some time now. When you've cried there are some crinkles around your eyes, and they look totally different from those that appear when you're laughing. Plus, you always twitch your ear every 5 seconds or so. Care to tell me?"

"No," Hermione turned her back to him, but he grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face him.

"Hermione, what's up with you lately? Why are you so different?"

"It's nothing, Harry, I'm just worn out, ok? Snape has nothing to do with it."

/Not entirely true, but close enough./

"So, what did he want, anyway?"

"You don't need to know everything, Golden boy!" she stated.

"Having a love affair with our potions master?" Harry smirked.

Hermione thought just how ironical it was that they seemed to rather imagine her having a thing with Snape than Smith doing anything to her. She just rolled with her eyes and mumbled something under her breath. Harry could only hear the words "boys", "always" and "sex."

"Of course, Harry, it would make SO much sense, he's the most handsome, most intelligent and kindest person I've ever met."

"'Mione, are you being sarcastic right now? Because it really didn't sound like it." Again, Harry covered his face with an awful broad grin, and Hermione felt the urgent need to slam her fist in those beautiful white teeth.

"Who's being a git right now, huh?"

Suddenly they heard someone mumble behind them.

"Git? Oi, 'Mione, you're here too?" mumbled a sleepy Ron before he drifted back to sleep again. Hermione giggled.

"What did you guys do last night, that you're in that… mood?" she asked, choosing her words carefully.

"Oh, Ron and I were visiting …er… the library?"

"Do I believe that the two of you even KNOW where it IS? No."

"We were just hanging around until late at night?"

"The reason of that would be…?"

"There has to be a reason for hanging around?" Harry asked in astonishment.

"So where have you been tonight between … lets say 11 o'clock and…," after a considering look at Ron, "5 o'clock?"

"You see, Hermione, I think you don't want to know that… You're a prefect you know, and maybe it would not be too good…"

"Ok. Ok. You were in the girls dormitories?"

Harry looked uncomfortable. "Er… yes."

"I trust you have not done something indecent?"

"Hermione, what is indecent for you?"

"One of the three S's."

"The WHAT?"

"Stealing, spying, shagging," Hermione explained.

Harry breathed out, obviously relieved.

"No, unless you would have count the 's' from snogging also to the three S's."

Hermione grinned. "My, my, so, who were the poor girls? I'd say no one from our grade, they're far too awake. I'd say Ginn's for you, but who was Ron's?"

Harry blushed a little, but answered nevertheless. "It's one of Ginny's grade, Anna something, I can't remember surnames."

Even though Hermione should have been disappointed by Ron snogging another girl, she wasn't. Ron was her friend, therefore she was happy for him if only he was happy. It had broken her heart when she had to break up with him, and she was relieved that it hadn't had too much influence to their friendship. After all, she thought, it might have really been only friendship she felt towards him.

"Ron didn't mind you snogging his little sister? Are you serious?" she asked, a curious grin over her face.

"Well, to put it bluntly, I don't think he even recognized his sister while he was busy with Anna."

Hermione smiled. "Well, hope you were gentlemen all the time, weren't you?"

"Sure," Harry grinned again, and then the school bell rang.

While going outside Hermione mumbled something about that being the first lesson in which she hadn't spent any attention to Binns. She sighed.

/Still it was the best hour since start of term./

She had not been thinking about the DADA teacher for nearly the whole lesson.

Then she looked at her schedule, and her good mood was blown away immediately.

"Defence Against the Dark Arts" stood there in her own neat handwriting.

-§-

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