Disclaimer: All this magical stuff belong JKR, if anyone didn't know? Now you do.

Author's Note: Hi everyone! Happy New Year! 2005, here I come… LoL. However, you might have noticed that I changed the name of this fic and the prequel as well a little. Guess why…?

(dramatic drumroll)

It'll be a trilogy. I got a perfect idea for a third and finishing part in the series. So I changed a little in the end of this and wrote a plan for the second sequel (which I haven't stared writing yet so it might take a while though). I think it's innovative D

Author's Note January 1st 2005 – Corrected grammar mistakes )

Reviewer's Corner:

Monkeystarz – Well of course she feels something for him. Don't worry!

LiLbLueangel, BiggerstaffStalker, Avadne, Gywnn-Potter, ViviBlack, I love you too…

Chapter 8 – Lovely

Hermione noticed that Harry seemed to have gotten somewhat happier after he had… er, crashed into his father. She guessed they might have talked or something during their infirmary visit and there somehow connected.Over all, life was going quite smooth for a while. Ron and Harry got comfortable hanging out with the Marauders, and Hermione loved hanging out with Lily, Amy and the rest of the girls. Seeing as she wasn't exactly close to the girls in her own time (except for Ginny, perhaps), she found it a nice change.

Minutes passed – minutes that came to be hours, days and weeks. Suddenly they could face the fact that two whole weeks had passed by – and that meant probably half of their stay.

"Hi Harry", Hermione said when they were heading for their Astronomy class. She hadn't really spoken to him for a while, actually this was the first time in over a week – since the seeker duel, to be more exact – that she had managed to get him on his own.

"Hi 'Mione", he said. "It feels like ages since I actually talked to you – what's up?"

"Nothing, really", she replied. "Life is going smooth."

He chuckled.

"How are you?" she asked.

"I'm quite okay", he answered. "I'm getting used to this… kind of. If it's possible to get used to it, of course."

She smiled. "That's great."

"Do you think I could stay here then?" he suddenly asked. "What would happen if I refused to go back?"

"Um…", she began uncertainly, "but Harry you know that you can't-"

"Hey I was just joking!"

"Oh", she said blushing.

She didn't have to worry about Harry anymore, that's for sure. She could just relax and wait for the potion to be ready.

"Ladies first", Harry said and stepped aside to let Hermione climb up the stairs to their astronomy classroom.

"Since when would you be such a gentleman?" she muttered but quietly so that Harry wouldn't hear.

When they got into the tower, Harry headed off to sit with Ron, who had arrived with the Marauders earlier. Hermione therefore sat down next to Lily. The professor arrived almost immediately so there was no time for chatting.

"Good evening class", the Professor spoke. "Just as I told you before; today I will introduce our new Astronomy. You will work in pairs. Every pair will choose a constellation, and I will expect an extensive report at the date written on the blackboards (which was a couple of days after Hermione and her friends were to leave). When you have gotten to work, a list on what should be included in your reports will be handed out. Your partner, I shall now choose."

The Professor walked slowly around in the classroom. Hermione thanked her lucky star that they were just Gryffindors and Ravenclaws – if it had been Slytherins, she might have been paired up with Snape…

She chuckled to herself on the thought of working with her Potions Professor on this project.

"Ah", the Professor said, "Evans and Carlson." Lily smiled at the dark-haired Ravenclaw girl. To Hermione, she reminded her slightly of Harry's former crush Cho Chang.

"Mr Johnson (A/N Harry, remember? His fake name.) and… Mr Pettigrew." Harry swallowed and stared down into the table. He had absolutely no idea how he was supposed to get through this.

"Garcia" – at first Ron didn't react upon hearing his fake name, but Harry nudged him in the side so he got it finally – "and Lupin." Ron seemed quite relieved.

"Black and Barrette." 'Barrette' appeared to be a little Ravenclaw girl sitting in a corner, blushing furiously.

And so the Professor turned to Hermione. "Miss Martin and Mr Potter."

Hermione's heart fell downwards and ended up in her stomach. Don't be silly, she thought. We'll do well – James is a very talented student.

So why did she feel so bad about it?

Don't worry now. There's nothing between us anymore. He has Lily and I have… well, I don't have anyone but I don't need anyone. It's just a school project, for God's sake!

So why did James keep staring into the table?

Lily looked between the Hermione (who she knew as Alyssa) and James. Why were they acting so strange? Of course she knew that they had been a couple when Alyssa first had arrived, but that was long ago. They had broken up. It was Lily and James now. They were meant to be together. Alyssa had her fiancé.

Stop worrying, Lily thought. There's no reason to worry.

"So that's it", the Professor said. "You may now sit in your pairs and plan your work."

Lily got up, grabbed her book and walked over to join Marcia Carlson – the Ravenclaw girl whom she had been set to work with.

"Okay", Hermione said slowly after about fifteen minutes of staring into the table and avoiding looking at each other. "We should get to work."

"You're right."

"So which constellation do you want to study?" she asked.

"You choose one."

"Great Bear?" she suggested.

"Yeah, sure."

"Great."

"Wonderful."

"Lovely."

"Yes you are", he said suddenly.

(A/N: Sorry, I stole the line from another fic called WTF Just Happened? It's kind of cool so you might want to check it out. However, all credits to Sugarcult Babe for that line. P)

"Um… thanks", she said awkwardly.

Why is he flirting with me?! she thought desperately. He can't flirt with me! Doesn't he understand…?

Silence fell again. Say something, Hermione thought. Or… I mean something about the project. No flirting, It's too dangerous.

Did she still love him? I don't know, she thought, and that was true. She honestly did not know. Of course, she had still got some feelings for him – otherwise it shouldn't have felt this weird. It was okay when they were more people; but she couldn't really handle being on her own with him.

And she had no idea of what he felt. James is with Lily, she repeated to herself. There's nothing between us now. Nothing.

James say something.

"So how do you want to do the report?" he asked.

"You decide."

Lily looked at her boyfriend and her best friend. They were talking – assumingly discussing their project, but it was the weirdest conversation Lily had ever seen. Neither of them actually looked at each other – like you normally do in a conversation. No, it seemed like they were avoiding eye contact.

That's only because they were going out last year, Lily thought. It's always kind of weird hanging out with your old boyfriend. There's nothing between them now, she repeated over and over again.

Nothing.

It was a couple of days later and Hermione entered the Gryffindor common room after having had an Arithmancy class. She spotted Harry and Ron in the opposite side of the room playing Wizard's Chess and, decided to join them, she headed over there.

"Hi you guys", she said.

"Hey", Harry replied.

"Knight to A4", Ron said. "Hi", he added to Hermione while watching his knight marching over to square B4, breaking one of Harry's pawns and barbarically throwing it aside.

"How was your class?" Harry asked. "Queen to D2", he added, after which his queen started moving.

"Fascinating", Hermione said. "Very interesting indeed." She sighed while watching Ron's knight being broken by Harry's queen and thereafter thrown out of the chessboard. "You boys", she said. "You really have to play violent games, do you? Wizards chess where the pieces break each other. Exploding Snap."

"Oh shut it Hermione", Ron said while scanning the chessboard closely to come up with an intelligent move, but then he seemed to forget about the chess and did instead lift his gaze to meet Hermione's. "And I don't understand what would be so fascinating with Arithmancy. You said it yourself; it's like Divination through numbers. And you despise Divination."

"Ron you got it totally wrong! It's not like Divination, because Arithmancy is logical. Divination is just nonsense."

"If so, Arithmancy is nonsense too. Right, Harry?"

Harry looked between his two best friends. He could smell another one of their infamous fights; something that he would prefer to avoid. So he decided to change the subject.

"How are your Astronomy projects going?" he asked.

"Excellent", Ron said and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. "Queen to E4."

This time Hermione didn't care about Ron's queen breaking another one of Harry's pieces – his queen, to be more exact, although Hermione did not notice that. "That's because you got Remus to do all the work, didn't you?"

"That's so not true!" Ron exclaimed. "I did my fair share!"

"Yeah right", Hermione muttered.

"You really think I'm that unintelligent and not ambitious at all?!" Ron said, sounding offended. "I said I did half of it. And we're a half way through too", he added proudly. "Harry, it's your turn."

"Ron I know-", Hermione started but Harry interrupted her.

"How is it going for you and Ja- I mean da- whatever, for you and… your partner?" he finished. "Castle to A1", he added upon feeling Ron's impatient gazes.

"Stupid move", Ron muttered but neither Harry nor Hermione cared.

"It's going… okay", Hermione answered Harry's question. "We haven't really gotten very far but we decided to meet at midnight (A/N That's so they should be able to see the stars properly. Not any weird fluff or whatever.). I've already done some research."

"Typically you", Ron muttered.

"Ron, shut up", Hermione snapped.

"You started it!"

"Guys!" Harry said. "Calm down. Stop arguing. Shake hands."

Both Hermione and Ron sighed but followed his instructions. Ah, Harry thought. Welcome back, peace.

"How is it going for you and… Peter?" Hermione asked Harry.

"Due to the circumstances", Harry said slowly, "it's going quite well. I thought about beating him up or even better – cursing him, but I haven't yet."

"That's good", she said. "That you haven't attacked him."

"But if you ever do", Ron filled in, "tell me first. I would love helping you. Or at least watching."