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Author's note: Hiya! I'm back! Sorry about the delay. Thanks to all who reviewed me I love you forever! Thanks to eternity to my beta reader, she is amazing! Well I won't delay you any more, here is chapter 3!

Chapter 3

Hermione groped around her dressing table for some indication of the time. 6:30 in the morning, she still had another half hour to sleep, but she knew that certain thoughts would haunt her, like it did in her dreams. It had been three days since the mysterious present was given and seventy-one hours in total that she had been thinking about it, pondering about it, frustrating over it, going nearly out of her mind about it. The other hour was spent chatting with Ron. Hermione continued groping, she finally found her glass and got up from her comforting bed, drew the curtains and walked up to the windowsill, and poured a glass of water for herself.

Hermione cast her eyes around the dorm, while sipping lovingly upon her water. Her eyes glanced over the bed in the far corner; Sarah Jones was curled up in her sheets like a little baby in her cot. Parvati was murmuring something about chocolate and Lavender continued snoozing, unaware of any of the continually buzzing thoughts in Hermione's head. Then, almost by instinct, Hermione's eyes betrayed her intentions and whizzed over to under her bed, where the box was hidden. No one knew except Ginny about the gift she had received. Hermione felt urged to look at it for a few moments everyday, once before breakfast and one after dinner, no wonder she had subconscious thoughts about it. Her thoughts were indeed overtaking her, when, on the rare occurrence she was concentrating on school, a fuzzy figure holding out a box would suddenly appear in her head. It was traumatizing.

Three hours later, Hermione was in Transfiguration, trying with all her might to concentrate. She even forgot where she was when McGonagall asked her if she was all right, seeing that she was simply staring at the kitten intended to be transformed into a rat.

It was far, far too much, Hermione needed a distraction, a huge one... thinking for a while she decided that going to the kitchens to visit Dobby wouldn't be a bad thing. Unfortunately, she remembered that most of the Elves thought her rather unpleasant, owing to some unpleasantly at the beginning of the year. She thought some more, but a fuzzy figure started to appear.

'LIBRARY' yelled Hermione spontaneously while walking in the Corridor after lesson with Ron and Harry.

'What?' asked Harry weakly, fearing that Hermione just had a fit or something, considering that she was not listening to anything he or Ron had just said.

'You are obsessed, Hermione' said Ron admiringly. Hermione neither heard, nor cared, she had just passed the Library unaware of her remedy. Without a single word to Ron or Harry she sprinted to the dormitory and stuffed her bag with books, parchment, and for some strange and inexplicable reason, placed the Box delicately into her bag along with all of the other books. She sprinted back to the Library and seeing as she had a free lesson, began to study, unaware of anyone around her, it was a half hour of total bliss, she was no longer thinking of 'anonymous' but studying hard and deeply. But the higher you fly the steeper you fall, and in Hermione's case it was a vivid imitation, no sooner had she reached the core of all of her textbook material had she the irresistible urge to inspect her gift. She took it hesitatingly out of her bag, and glided her finger over it's edges and beaded flower pattern, she was holding it and was lost in an abyss of thoughts, 'who could it be?' 'Why?' was the constant question.

'Hello' said a strong voice behind Hermione somewhere, it was too late to try and hide the box.

'Hello' said Hermione trying to sound nonchalant.

'Is this seat reserved?' he asked politely, it was Alan, the same Alan she had met three days ago.

'No, sit down if you like' she said in an equally polite tone, trying to discreetly put away her gift.

'You are doing quite a bit of work.' he said, kindly.

'Er... well it looks that way but I haven't done much, actually'

'You probably know it, already' he said and then looked absolutely ashamed of himself, Hermione just blushed and said nothing.

'That's a pretty box' he said, pointing in the direction of the delicate box, Hermione began to panic.

'Uh.. yes, it is' she said fondly, but on guard.

'Is it a birthday present?'

'No, my birthday was three months ago.'

'So who gave it to you?'

'Um... my… er...my mother' lied Hermione, trying to avoid awkward questions, he just looked at her as though he could see straight through her and at the books behind her.

'Oh' he said.

'Yes, well if you excuse me, I have to meet someone'

'You don't want me to leave do you? I'll be glad to, if you want me to' he said politely, rising from his chair in a very gentlemanly-like manner.

'Oh...' she said wondering why he was doing this 'no it's okay, I have to do some stuff anyway' lied Hermione, she only had to do her homework and she was doing that presently in the library.

'Well, goodbye' he said shyly. Hermione said nothing but practically bolted from the library, not even hearing his gesture of parting.

Making her way to her dormitory for the remainder of her free lesson, she started to nock into more things, not knowing where she was or who she was around. Once she reached the Common room finally there she flopped onto a sofa and there right beside her was Neville sitting as quietly as a mouse and staring fixedly at the opposite armchair with the most absolute disdain.

'Are you alright, Neville?' asked Hermione concernedly.

'I was, but now I am not quite so sure,' he said, his eyes unblinking.

'I don't think I can live like this,' said Hermione exasperatingly more to herself than Neville while completely ignoring Neville's state of anger.

'What makes you say that?'

'Let's just say that I have something totally obsessing over my mind, and I can't take it any more. It's not healthy!' she breathed. Neville just grinned. This annoyed Hermione.

'Is this something to do with Ron?' Hermione eyes widened.

'What?' she said rudely.

'Has this something to do with Ron?' repeated Neville in a very calm tone.

'Of course not!' said Hermione outraged. 'Why on earth should my frustration be centered on Ron?' she said skeptically.

'Because you fancy him.' said Neville now turning to his book that was lying on the coffee table. Hermione was too shocked to talk.

'Big time' added Neville reading his book and not even lifting his eyes to see Hermione's reaction, his past feelings of anger vanishing with the troubles of Hermione being so entertaining. Hermione didn't say anything for a few minutes of total shock, the truth was that she didn't really know what to make of Neville's direct and blatant way of telling her that she... well, she just didn't know what to make of it, it couldn't be possible, Ron was her friend it was like saying she was in love with Dean Thomas... Urgh!

'No Neville' she said weakly after a while, Neville abandoned his book seeing as he wasn't really reading it, the book just giving him an excuse to look cunning and clever.

'Yes Hermione, you really do fan-'

'Don't say that!' interrupted Hermione urgently.

Neville just looked at Hermione knowingly, something that everyone seemed to be doing lately, and sank back into the armchair deep in thought after a few more minutes he suddenly said, 'I guess you never know do you?' said Neville to the armchair, staring fixedly at it.

'What do you mean?'

'Partners, girlfriends, are all pretty unpredictable, right? I mean, you just don't know, do you?' he said, still not looking at Hermione.

'No, I guess not' said Hermione, thinking again about who the mysterious gift giver could be.

'It might be anybody.'

'Yes.'

'With any sort of personality, even a horrible one.'

'Yes,' said Hermione mechanically, not knowing what she was doing or saying. They both lapsed into silence until the bell rung, and Hermione left quickly for her Charms lesson.

Charms went by rather quickly, indeed it went by so quickly that she didn't remember anything from when she stepped into the classroom to when she stepped out of it. Remembering that she had to finish her homework she headed towards the library. She chucked her bag on the desk took out her books and started solitary, it wasn't long when Hermione's peripheral vision caught a red tinge of some sort, she looked up and Ron was standing there looking desperately tired.

'Hi,' he said cheerfully, however groggily.

'Hello,' said Hermione promptly, not forgetting what Neville had said and determinedly looking down instead of at his hair, or his face or at his big capable hands.

'Watcha doin?' he asked gruffly.

'Homework, I have a mountain of it' she replied still looking at her book but not really reading it.

'So do I, but I don't think I'll do it until the weekend'

'Didn't you learn your lesson last year?' she asked, still more promptly, with no indication of awkwardness, which was growing quite rapidly, while Neville's words etched into the book she was looking at.

'Well not really, I think I should do something now anyway.'

'Where's Harry?' asked Hermione suddenly.

'At lunch.'

'Why aren't you at lunch?'

Ron looked nervous for a single fleeting moment. 'Oh, I thought I should do some homework'

'You said you weren't going to do any.' Ron was seriously looking like he got caught in a rather deep ditch.

'Uh, yeah, which I am going to do now!' he said quickly, grinning. Hermione's heart leapt, just a little, and she didn't quite know why. They sat for about a quarter of an hour, Hermione trying with all her might to reach the next word, let alone the next sentence, Ron seemed peaceful enough, and they sat in silence, neither of them doing anything but trying to do their homework. Neither seemed willing to break the unusual pleasant silence between them. Suddenly a distraction, which ended up causing much friction between the two, arrived at the table.

'He- uh, hello' said Alan, his face darkening at the site of Ron, and lightening again at the sight of Hermione.

'Oh… Hello Alan, why aren't you at lunch?'

'Wasn't hungry, what about you?' he said while putting his hands on the table near Hermione's bag.

'Too much homework, and I don't have much of an appetite anyway'

'Well, goodbye' said Alan, with a glance at Ron and a hesitant smile at Hermione, the moment he left Ron went as pale as the parchment next to him.

'Who the hell is he?' interrogated Ron.

'Alan.' Said Hermione simply, returning to her book.

'Alan bloody who?' said Ron, his face growing pink.

'Alan the guy at the Library' Ron couldn't speak. Hermione proffered it that way, and so did she make her sentiments known to him, his speech was too incoherent to understand and so without further ado, giving up entirely on the library, She made a run for the Common room to finish off there.

Sadly, as the day had gone by, Hermione became more and more clumsy, not knowing what she put her feet onto as she walked, not knowing what she bumped into as she paced. She actually had quite a few bumps with various people and suddenly the fuzzy figure started to appear in her mind, she bumped into quite a few boys, and they didn't look half bad either, Hermione never noticed, She even bumped into Draco Malfoy.

'Watch where you're walking, Mudblood.'

'Oh just shut up'

'Oh just shut up' mimicked Malfoy and his usual gang stated laughing like a bunch of overgrown hyenas.

'Don't you have anything better to do than looking like a blond monkey, Malfoy?' She said dangerously.

'I dunno, maybe you can show me darling' he said smoothly, his gang started laughing and cat calling.

'Piss Off.' She stated, and she stalked off feeling triumphant and guilty, she had rarely sworn before, or said any 'bad' words as her mother called them. Perhaps she should have said something stronger, but as time is never stopping it did thankfully wear on, and as Hermione reached the common room with no one there but some second years, she opened her bag, and gasped.

Author's note: well? What did you think? I can't wait to post up chapter 4, Sorry about the cliffhanger, any way, here are my thank yous.

Emma barrow: I am so sorry this is late, I do not intend to let my story go into the abyss of lostness, I hope you enjoyed this story and they will definitely be continuing.

Piratingspiderelf: Hermione is just really clumsy because a) I make her so, b) She has an extremely occupied mind and it effects her balance and awarness, that's all, but still there are other reasons… Hope you enjoyed the Chappy, I ma working on chapter 4 at the moment.

Melvianna GC: How good it is to hear from you again! I hope you like the chapter, And I think aswell that king Harold has put herself up to quite a difficult task to endure my burning chapters. I would absolutely love to visit Sintura and your goblin (I can't spell his name right), maybe one day I will be an author, but till then, I am sticking with school.

Ayeteh; How dare you insult my beta's work! But I forgive you, Because, well…I am just like that, hopefully, right., now I ma getting confused, the point is, I hope you enjoyed my chapter.

Once again, incredibly sorry this is so overdue.