A/N: I am so sorry, I am terrible at updating gets hit with bricks Ow! But it is now officially summer so expect updates left and right. Thanks for sticking with me this long and of course... enjoy.

Disclaimer: If I really owned Harry Potter, do you really think I'd spend my time writing fanfics?

Chapter Three

Hermione had just sent both the letters when Ron burst through the door of the Owlry. "Hermione?"

Startled, she turned to face him looking confused, "Ron, what's wrong?"

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be alone!" He said grabbing her hand and tugging her through the door and down the corridors.

"Ron! What is with you all, honestly." Tugging her hand from his grasp she put her hands on her hips.

"Hermione, don't you realize? That guy who attacked Yuriko could be after you too." Ron was now glaring at her, how thick could she get?

"Please Ron, Hogwarts is perfectly safe-"

"Oh yeah? What about what happened to Yuriko the other night? You're not going out after dark alone." His tone was firm as he grabbed her hand again and tugged her along.

Hermione bit her lip. "Ron... why are you being so protective of me?"

He looked back and she could see the tips of his ears redden. "Someone has to,"

Hermione felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips. "You came all the way to the Owlry to bring me back?"

He didn't look back. "Yeah,"

Now she jogged slightly to keep up with him. "That's really sweet of you Ron."

His face turned crimson. "Forget it, oh..." They reached the Fat Lady's portrait and he stopped and whispered to her, "What do you think of Harry and Yuriko...? Something there maybe?"

Hermione smiled. "You read my mind. Yuriko is a sweet girl, and not some girly girl. She'd be good for him."

"You planning a set up?" Ron grinned.

"Hmm... I'm not sure, maybe they'll work it out on their own..."

"Are you two going to stand there whispering all night?" The Fat Lady demanded and they quickly said the password.

blackjadebeads

Hermione tossed and turned in her bed, nightmares plaguing her. With a great gasp she sat up and put a trembling hand to her chest. 'Get a grip,' She snapped at herself, 'It was just a nightmare.' Sitting up she glanced around and noticed that Yuriko had closed her bed curtains. 'She remembered I guess...'

Climbing out her bed she padded along the floor silently to the door. Making her way down to the common room she noticed that one of the windows was ajar. Raising an eyebrow she closed it, shutting out the chilly air instantly. 'Why did I even come down here...?' Shaking her head she climbed back up the stairs and was ready to get into bed when she stopped.

'That window... it was closed when we all went up to bed... I'd better check on Yuriko.' As quietly as she could she yanked back the curtains around Yuriko's bed to find...

"Empty!" Hermione gasped. Running down the stairs now she quickly climbed up the boy's staircase and went into the 6th year's room. Rushing to Ron's bed she jumped in and put a silence charm on the curtains.

"Mph! Hermione! What are you doing-" He whispered sitting up.

"Ron! Yuriko's gone! And one of the window's in the common room was open!" Hermione said urgently and Ron looked taken back.

"Gone...? Let's get Harry, then we'll look for her, calm down all right..." They silently slipped from his bed and yanked a half awake Harry out of his own and down into the common room.

"What do you mean gone? Where could she be, it's 2 o'clock in the morning!" Harry demanded furiously.

"I don't know! But... did you hear that? Shh!" Hermione quickly distinguished the lights and they crouched on the floor behind the sofa.

A figure dressed in all black stepped silently into the dark common room from a window that must've been 15 stories from the ground! It silently closed the window and started up the girl's dormitory steps when it stopped. From it's back it drew a deadly looking sword and faced the sofa.

Stealthily creeping towards it the figure squeezed the hilt tight and snuck behind the sofa. Seeing the three crouched low it rolled it's eyes and put away it's sword.

"You know, you three almost gave me a heart attack." Yuriko whispered snatching the hood off of her head and revealing her relieved face.

"Yuriko!" Hermione whispered fiercely. "I thought you'd been kidnapped for goodness sakes!"

Harry exchanged a brief relieved look with Ron before he light the fireplace with his wand. "You had us worried Yuriko, where did you go?"

She now slipped out of her long cloak and sat on the edge of the sofa. "Out for a moment... if I'd have known you were awake I'd have left a note. I'm terribly sorry to have worried you, Hermione." Yuriko did indeed look very sorry and Hermione simply smiled at her.

"It's okay Yuriko, I'm just glad your all right." Hermione patted her on the hand.

Ron exchanged glances with Harry. "Wait a minute, how'd you get through that window? It's almost twenty stories high!"

Yuriko looked surprised. "It wasn't that difficult, nice climb that's all." Ron's jaw dropped and Harry cleared his throat.

"Look Yuriko, we're not allowed out at night, especially not out on the grounds. And you shouldn't have gone out even if we were, not after that guy-" Harry lectured, sounding a bit like Hermione.

"I know Harry, I shouldn't have." Yuriko interrupted him. "But I just felt like I had to get out for a minute, and I took my sword with me. I won't do it again."

Hermione beamed at her while Ron was looking at Harry with a strange expression he couldn't place. "We better get back to bed, c'mon Yuriko." She tugged her up the stairs leaving the two boys alone.

"You were really worried..." He said looking at Harry with a grin.

Harry eyed him, "Yeah, weren't you?"

"Well yeah but... not like you." Ron said looking at him.

"What are you suggesting?"

"You fancy her, don't you?" He said with a big smile.

"What... no I don't." Harry said dumbly, his mind sort of hazy suddenly, Yuriko?

"Hm, right mate." Now Ron was smiling knowingly and Harry frowned.

"Oh yeah? What about Hermione, Ron?" That wiped the smile off of his face.

"...Shut up Harry."

b-l-a-c-k-j-a-d-e-b-e-a-d-s

The next morning the four were in Herbology working on dangerous flowers.

"Do," Harry whispered.

"You do!" Ron whispered back.

"You,"

"You,"

"You,"

"Both of you! Do you mind?!" Hermione whispered fiercely, "What on Earth could the two of you be going on about?"

"Nothing!"

"Nothing!"

Hermione and Yuriko exchanged looks before turning back to listen to Professor Sprout continue to lecture about death roses.

"Just admit it, you fancy her." Ron whispered more quietly this time.

"I'll admit it when you admit you how madly in love you are with Hermione." Harry snapped, watching with satisfaction as the tips of Ron's ears reddened.

"...We'll just let it go then,"

"I thought so." Harry smiled smugly. To be fair to Ron, he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about Yuriko. Okay, so he was near panic when she disappeared and when she got hurt. And whenever she was too close he felt his stomach do flip-flops. Then to make matters worse when she smiled at him his head felt light.

Oh gods, he did fancy her! He turned to look at her from the side. Her braid was over her shoulder and she was listening with rapt attention.

"Mr. Potter! If you wouldn't mind, stop staring at her and look at me." Professor Sprout said loudly and Harry's eyes snapped to her as he felt his face flame red.

Ron stuffed his fist in his mouth to stop him from laughing as his shoulders shook silently. Harry was extremely relieved when the period ended and they all begun to pack up their things. Hermione slid up next to him and spoke quietly out of the corner of her mouth, "Harry, the next time you decide to stare at her during class, try to be a bit more discreet."

He was about to comment when Yuriko herself came before him. "Care to walk to the Great Hall together Harry?" Nodding they started their walk and Yuriko tugged on her beads. "So, I was thinking alone in Hogsmade in a cute little store. What do you think?"

Yuriko waited patiently for his response while he stared at her. Before he finally cleared his throat. "Hogsmade... us, together?"

She blinked. "Harry, I was talking about Ron and Hermione. Remember our plan to get them together?"

"Oh, right. That's what I meant." He said quickly and she looked at him from the corner of her eyes.

"Of course... so, good plan?"

"Sounds good to me."

They talked about different things until they reached the Great Hall when he noticed that she kept tugging at her beads. She looked as if she had a lot on her mind so he stayed silent.

The duo sat down across from Hermione and Ron. As soon as they sat down Ron and Hermione instantly stopped talking but only Harry raised his eyebrows. Yuriko's head was cocked to the side, as if she was listening to something only she could hear.

Hermione looked at her concerned then looked to the teachers' table to find a man she'd never seen before sitting there stiff as a board. "Oh my goodness! That's right, we forgot all about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

He was attractive, with long black hair like Bill Weasley's, and blazing blue eyes. In fact, Hermione looked from Yuriko to the man in bewilderment. "Yuriko, you don't have a brother do you?"

Ron looked at Hermione oddly then looked at the man and gaped. "Blimey! He looks just like you, Yuriko!"

It was true, their features were amazingly similar, and had the man not been at least seven years older than her they could have passed for twins. In fact, he was staring at Yuriko, fixing her with an intense look and she felt forced to look away.

"I... do not think so. I'm sure Grandfather would have told me if I did." But their striking resemblance unnerved her and she stared at her hand and tugged at her jade beads.

Dumbledore stood and beamed at them all. "I'd like for you all to give a warm welcome to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor... Yuy." There was a loud burst off applause from the girls because he was so attractive, and from the guys because he was young and bound to be cool.

"We have him first! Right after lunch," Hermione said happily and Yuriko groaned inwardly.

They ate in a hurry before picking up their bags and hurrying to the class to find that Professor Yuy stood outside the door, waiting for them. He opened the door and ushered them in as Yuriko sat down on Harry's right while Hermione sat on his left and then Ron thumped down next to her.

Professor Yuy walked the font of the class and put his hands behind his back. "Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts, this class is of special interest to me." is eyes rested on Yuriko causing her to tense and look down at the tabletop. "I don't think I need to say that I expect nothing but the best from my students. We will begin immediately. Wands out."

Harry and Ron grinned at each other, this class would prove to be interesting.

An hour and a half later they emerged from Yuy's dark classroom in good spirits. He'd let them practice an utterly difficult spell that was supposed to make the victim speak only the truth. He'd ended the class with a small smirk and said, "So, I will of course be testing it on you lot," Half of the class had visibly paled and Ron looked as if he would pass out after giving the back of Hermione's head a stricken glance and then looking at Harry.

Hermione was the only one who had laughed or rather realized that it was a joke, the spell was illegal to use on anyone.

As soon as they were a good distance from his room Hermione turned to Yuriko. "He is very handsome, don't you agree?" Ron stiffened on her right and Harry smirked but Yuriko avoided her eyes.

"I wouldn't say so... he looks so much like me, he unnerves me." Ron looked as if she was a brilliant scholar and Hermione slowly frowned.

"You know, I did notice he was looking at you through out class, I wonder why..."

"Maybe he's just as amazed at the resemblance as Yuriko is. It is uncanny." Ron suggested and Harry shook his head.

"But he's looking at her as if she was... well I don't know, but it's like he's trying to probe her mind." Harry said frustrated he wasn't able to explain it better.

Ron shrugged and they just kept on walking towards the common room. Until that is, Malfoy appeared in front of them.

"Yuriko, may I speak to you for a moment..." He looked at the three, barely hiding his distaste. "Alone?"

Harry stiffened and clutched her arm. "I wouldn't trust you with a toothpick let alone a girl, Malfoy."

Hermione shot him a look but he ignored it and continued to glare at him but Yuriko smiled at Malfoy. "Harry's being silly. Of course you can Draco." She started towards him but Harry didn't let go.

Hermione gave him a long look before grasping Yuriko's arm as well. "Sorry Draco, but we do have homework to do, we'll see you at dinner, you can talk to her then." And then she did something that made Ron's jaw drop. She smiled at him, and he smiled back at her!

"I'll see you then, good bye Yuriko, Hermione." He left quickly and Ron grabbed Hermione's arm.

"What on earth are you doing? Your helping Malfoy!" Ron said in disbelief. "Next you'll be telling me you're in love with him!"

Hermione glared at him. "You know what Ron? I didn't want to tell you, but your right, I do love him!" Then turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Hermione!" Yuriko yelled and ran to catch up with her. "You shouldn't have done that, he looked like he was going to have a heart attack!"

Hermione snorted. "I don't care! He deserved it, and he deserves it even more if he believes that rubbish!"

Meanwhile, Ron stood shock still in the exact same spot where Hermione had told him off.