Hey guys! Sorry it took me quite awhile to post up the new chapter up. I've just been a lazy bum. Anyway enjoy!

Disclaimer: Like I said before: phshaw.

Hermione ran into the castle panting. She hadn't recalled ever running so fast before. So many

feelings began running through her head. She was confused, frustrated, terrified and yet strangely

happy, and all because she realized she liked Ron.

She stopped running to take a breath. The clock began to chime loudly. 11 o clock.

I left hour early.

Hermione began to think.

Something hit her. She just didn't start having feelings for Ron tonight. She had always had

them. Ever since....

She started thinking about her first year, the year she met Ron.

Well I hated him, then we became friends. Did I like him then?

No. She didn't. They were just friends back then.

She thought of her second year.

Well I didn't really have time for having a crush on him. Besides, people were being

petrified, some maniac was running around the school writing notes on the wall...No I

couldn't have liked him then.

Third year.

We fought a lot then. I was always so frustrated with him. But then after he offered to

help me with Buckbeak...I don't know....

Hermione slumped to the ground. She had liked him since the end of third year. Almost 3 years

of liking one of her best friends and she only realized it now.

Boy, for being at the top of my year, I'm not as smart as everyone thought.

She began to laugh and she looked at the clock again. 11:10. The ball was going to be over in

40 minutes and people would go back to their dormitories. It wouldn't be very good if Parvati

and Lavender found her in a white ball gown with makeup on.

She ran to the Gryffindor tower.

"Moonbeam." she said panting.

The fat lady looked at her.

"Why don't you look pretty." she said.

"Thank you. But can I please get in?"

"Why are you here early?"

"Never mind. Just let me in." Hermione said in a slightly frustrated tone. The fat lady looked

highly offended but let her in anyway.

"People these days..."

Hermione took her mask off and threw it down: she was sweating. She made her way over to

the staircase to go up to her dormitory.

"What are you doing here?" came a voice.

Hermione froze. Who was here early? And why did that voice sound way too familiar? She

turned around slowly.

"Harry?" she said.

He gaped at her like he did the first time he saw her.

Hermione realized: her mask was off.

"Hermione? It was you?"

She was about to deny everything. That she had ever come to the ball, that she had met him,

that she danced with Ron, that she like Ron...

"I...I...yes." she said with a sigh. "It was me." She sat down on the couch next to Harry.

He gave her a funny look.

"I'm trying to see how I could have realized it was you, but I don't think I could have. You

were just so—"

"Different? Yeah. Big surprise there." Hermione said glumly.

"Well...I mean...Alright this is just too...weird. I'm confused. Why were you there and how on

earth did you...you know..."

"Look and act totally and completely different?"

"Yeah." Harry said still with an awed look on his face.

She sighed again.

"It's a long story." she said.

"I'm not tired."

Hermione looked at him. He was her best friend and he deserved to know the whole truth.

"Alright. See, awhile back Parvati and Lavender came up and just...well they made me feel just

like some know-it-all. And the worst part was that Ron agreed with them. I felt so awful, but I

decided that I would show them all that I wasn't just a busy haired bookworm. That I could be

more then just at the top of the class, that I could be...well more. So I went to Ginny and we

came up with this plan. I would go to the ball in disguise, wow everyone, and then show who I

was."

She paused to see if Harry understood her. A dawning look of comprehension came to his face.

"Anyway so we went to Hogsmeade bought all this stuff--"

"So, you did lie to me and Ron."

Hermione gave a sheepish grin.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. Anyway,"she said continuing with the story, "we bought all this stuff for

the ball. So this morning Ginny put on my makeup, did my hair, and well once my dress was put

on I became...you know..."

"A different person."

She gave a small smile.

"Pretty much."

Harry smiled.

"But I don't get a few things." he said.

"What don't you get?"

"Well at the ball tonight, you acted so differently. I mean you insulted Malfoy, you danced

beautifully, and you were just...different. How were you able to do those things? Your acting

was...well...very good."

Hermione thought hard. How was she able to act like that. She was taught how to dance but not

how to act.

"Because...I wasn't acting." she said slowly.

"What?" Harry asked confusedly.

"I wasn't acting. I just brought out a side of me that I never let out. That was really me out there.

I wasn't someone else. I was just me." She smiled broadly.

"So you do have a...different side to you then." Harry said grinning.

"Apparently so. I'm not just a bushy haired bookworm after all."

Harry laughed.

"But there's still one thing I don't understand." he said thinking. "Why did you leave early? I

mean I left because...well apparently me and Luna aren't such great dancers. She sprained her

ankle after I knocked her into a table."

Hermione laughed.

"So why did you leave early?" he asked.

She sighed. Could she tell him? It was very personal. No she wouldn't. She couldn't.

"Because...because...because me and Ron started dancing and then somehow I leaned on him

and just fell into a really weird trance and then I awoke from the really weird trance and then

realized that I like him but I knew he knew that I well not me but whoever his date was liked

him but he didn't like me you know me Hermione and that if he ever found out that it was me

you know the girl in white our friendship would be ruined because he doesn't like me or the girl

in white well I don't know about her but he doesn't like me and if he finds out that I like him it

would be awful and so Malfoy was going to take off my mask but he ended up taking Ron's

and I slapped him and ran." She said in a rush and began to cry.

Harry didn't hear all of what she said but he got the gist of it. And to be quite frank, he was

stunned. His best friend liking his other best friend? This was insane.

But he began to think of all the times he, Ron, and Hermione were together. Was there any sign

of chemistry?

None in first year, none in second year, none in third year, but a whole lot in fourth and

fifth year. Wait back it up a second. How can you just like someone all of a sudden?

Unless in third year. The Scabbers incident, the hug with the awkward patting...Since third year?

"Bloody hell. How daft can I be?" he said shaking his head.

"You must be furious." Hermione said sniffing.

"No. More like confused. So your saying you found out you liked Ron after you danced with

him?" Hermione nodded.

"And you realized you couldn't be together because...it would ruin your friendship?"

She nodded again sniffing.

"And Malfoy came and tried...to take off Ron's pants?"

"No. He tried to take off my mask. I insulted him again and he was mad so he wanted to get

even with me, but he didn't know who I was. So he tried to take off my mask but I dodged him

and he ended up taking Ron's."

"And then you slapped him."

"Yes."

"Again?"

She nodded.

"Cool." he said grinning.

"Thanks." She gave another sniff.

"And so you ran and here we are." Harry sat back in his seat.

"Talk about hormone overdrive." he muttered. Hermione gave a small laugh then hiccupped.

"So you can't be with Ron...why?"

"Because he doesn't like me and if he knew I liked him it would ruin our friendship. Not to

mention it would put you in an awkward position."

"Geez I wonder what its like to be in an awkward position."

Hermione gave a teary smile.

"Please don't tell Ron." she pleaded.

"I won't. I'll leave that to you." Harry said.

"But I'm not going to tell him!" she said, shocked.

"Listen, you like him, he's one of your best friends. You owe it to him."

"But what if he doesn't like me back?"

"And Ron just despises Krum because he has a big nose right?"

She laughed.

"Well I'll think about it. Thanks Harry."

"No problem." He said giving her a hug.

An odd smell came into the air.

"What is that?" he asked.

Hermione stopped and smelled it too. She realized it was her makeup. She felt her neck for the

necklace and found that it was gone.

"Oh no! It must have fell while I was running." she said.

"Is that you?" Harry asked casting her an odd look.

"Yes. I'm sorry. I'll remember to steal Lavender's perfume and spray the room before I go to

bed."

"You do that." Harry said laughing.

She stood up and started for the stairs.

"Harry," she said turning around to look at him.

"Please don't tell him."

"I won't." he said.

"Promise?"

"Swear it." He said grinning.

She smiled and went off to bed. Harry stood up

and found her mask on the ground. He picked

it up and put it in his pocket.

"No one ever said about hinting..."

And he went to bed.

You're all smart people to realize that NOTHING WAS GOING ON BETWEEN HARRY AND HERMIONE. IT WAS JUST A SWEET BEST PLATONIC FRIEND MOMENT THERE. You're also smart enough to know that I like reviews wink wink.