Disclaimer: All HP characters are J.K.Rowling's. I am only writing because I enjoy it immensely, and I don't gain anything from the story.
A/N: This chapter is quite long, I guess...nvm, I have about 3 months totally nothing to do and so I guess I will just write long chapters and update frequently! And once I started writing I can't stop! I spent my every waking moment thinking about the story! So...please read it and review! And, er, I found it very hard to think up good chappie name and I don't have a beta reader to do that for me...:p so I guess I will stick to Ch.1 Ch.2 and so on!
She-who-must-not-be-named: Thank you thank you thank you! *in tears* You can't imagine how much your first review meant to me!!!! I am so HAPPY when I saw someone actually reviewing!! As for the colon thingie, I know how frustrating it must be to see those!! I am using a Chinese computer thatz why. Hopefully I fixed it this time! Thx once again!! o^^o
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The Great Hall was almost full when Hermione, Harry and Ron arrived. The sky today was bright blue with fluffy clouds. Today looks like a very fine day, thought Hermione while the three of them sat down between Ginny and Lavender.
"Rummy, thhish ish gooosh," said Ron with his mouth full of strawberry pancakes.
"Yeah," Harry agreed. He was not talking gibberish, neither was he dropping crumbs out of the corner of his mouth, but he was tucking into the waffles and pancakes just as hungrily.
Hermione didn't know whether to help clean up Ron's mess or to make some remarks about their table manners first, so at the end, she decided she would just eat her breakfast. She was having her second waffle (with maple syrup) when Dumbledore clinked his empty glass. The noises in the Great Hall slowly died down. However, Dumbledore continued clinking his glass with the fork and looked like he was about to clink other professors' glass when Professor McGonagall coughed pointedly.
"Oh...got lost in the clink of glasses again, haven't I? I got lost every single time, love the chime of glasses, I do...Where was I?" Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes in a way that said You had gone nowhere and bent over to say something in his ears.
"Ahem, yeah, I was making an announcement," said Dumbledore, and stood up. "This year we are organizing a ball like last year, and only third years or above can attend-" There was a loud groan from the first and second years, but a cheer from thirdyears who aren't allowed to go to the Yule Ball last year. "-sorry. As I was saying-"
But he was being interrupted again.
"Why are we having a ball again?" Fred called out.
"Surely the Be-ugh-bacon and Dungstruck aren't coming this year?" George muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
"No, no," smiled Dumbledore. "We don't have the honor to host the students from the two very best school of the continent this year. We are arranging the ball because it is such great fun! I enjoyed dancing with Minerva totally of course... but, eh, that's not important...what is important is that this year instead of The Weird Sisters we are inviting Jason Pereira." He said dramatically, and half of the witches in the Great Hall went, "NO!" and the other half went, "GOD!" Some boys looked frustrated, but most wore a "Come again?" look.
"Yes," Dumbledore assured them with a patent twinkle in his eyes. "Jason Pereira is coming. That's why I am announcing this so early. To give you girls some time to prepare." He sat down. As soon as he did this, the Great Hall erupted into excited talks.
"Who is this Jason guy?" Asked Harry.
"You are not serious, Harry," replied Lavender, whose mouth was still agape. "Jason Pereira! Winner of Cutest-Wizard-Walked-On-Earth-Ever Award six times in a row! In fact, no one else had won the award after he started his career!"
"That, and the fact that he has such nice voice," squeaked Parvati. "Haven't you heard of his kissing on a winged horse? He has this deep, sexy voice."
"And his eyes are like deep whirlpools that when he look at you you feel you are being dragged in, and you won't care," said Lavender dreamily.
"And his lips," Parvati licked her lips.
"His brows,"
"And his ability to make girls talk on and on and on about him?" asked Ron.
The girls agreed in unison. Ron saw that even Ginny nodded, blushing. He looked at Hermione, and asked, "You are not into him, right?" The fact that Hermione was so quiet after Dumbledore's announcement convinced him so.
"Oh, the reason why I am saying nothing is because I am busy planning what to wear on the ball so Jason will notice me," answered Hermione absently. With this the girls left the table together.
Ron gaped at them as they left. Harry turned to Ron and said, "I hate him."
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After a disastrous double Care of Magical Creatures- this year Hagrid had decided that they would raise Muuksaides, a creature that resembles a puddle of gray mud. All they do is slide across the floor, and merge together, which Hagrid pointed out was not wise to let them, because they would eventually became a puddle so big that was impossible to clean up. The Griffindors and Hufflepuffs had spent the entire lesson stopping them finding their mates- the now filthy and reek-of-dead-fish Griffindors headed towards the dungeons where they were to have Potions with the Slytherins ("AGAIN?!" said Ron).
As Hermione, Harry and Ron arrived the top of the staircase that would lead to the dungeons, they saw a girl with long wavy blonde hair and Professor Snape at the bottom of the staircase. Snape was leaning against the moist wall, his arms folded. The girl was pushing a pink box to him.
"Professor, please. You know how long I've been working on these." The girl purred softly. Her tongue curled at every syllable, so when she said 'professor' it didn't sound like 'professor', but prrrrofesssssor.
Ron's jaws dropped a second time that day. He whispered, "You see what she is doing?"
Harry nodded, "She is flirting with Snape. Flirting."
Hermione gasped incredulously, "I think I am going to be sick." Oh, the last thing she wanted to see was a scenario like this. God, I can't believe someone would fancy a mouldy slimy git like Snape. Not to mention rude. And ugly. Ok, so he was not THAT ugly, he actually had very round black eyes... STOP!! That's SO not what I should be thinking! Hermione mentally berated herself, and got back to her senses, only to find that Snape was now glaring at them, and the girl was blushing furiously. She thrusted the pink box into Snape's hands and ran off.
"Twenty points from Griffindor for can't keep their eyes to themselves and spying on a teacher," said Snape easily, he was so used to taking points away he needn't think twice for a reason.
Harry and Ron growled, but dare not say another word. The three of them entered the dungeon with Snape right behind them. He placed the pink box causally on his desk, took up the scattered notes, and started teaching.
Today they were going to brew an Alleviate Potion that can ease most pains. Of course Hermione, being Hermione, knew all about it already. She slowly drifted away from the lesson, which was really rare. Her quill slipped from her hand, as she comfortably rested her head on her arm and parchment( much to Ron's annoyance because he had to keep brushing off her hair from his parchment). She stared at the pink box, then at Snape, who was now deeply absorbed in teaching and torturing his students. He spoke with so much authority, grasping every student's attention (except Hermione's). Like he own the place... Ok so maybe he do own the place, but he don't own us. We don't want to be sitting here. What she just saw kept replaying in her head, and she couldn't help staring the pink box again. What's in there? Oh, Moody's magical eye would come in handy now...
"-so now we start to brew the potion," said Snape cynically, like he didn't trust any of them to successfully brew the potion. Everyone stood up and went over to their cauldrons. Except Hermione. Ron and Harry noticed that she was not with them, and turned to see she was still sitting by the table, like she was copying notes. Only she was not. She was obviously daydreaming. Harry dashed forward, but it was too late.
"Well well well." Snape walked over to Hermione, and towered over her. "Our know-it-all is daydreaming today. What a surprise."
The Slytherins sniggered. The Griffindors had to agree... they had never seen Hermione daydream and got caught before. What was more surprising was that with all this noise and a big shadow casting over her, she had not come round. It was not until Snape gave her a not-very-gentle tap on her shoulder that she jerked up, "Wha- What the-?"
"Ten points from Griffindor for not paying attention, and five more points for making me touch you," hissed Snape malevolently. Hermione stood up quickly, knocking her chair over, which cost Griffindor another five points, and herself, a detention next week. Hermione was so embarrassed that she was very near to bury her head into her cauldron whole lesson.
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"I can't believe how many homework we have. It's only the-"
"- second week. Of a very very important year, we are taking our OWLs, remember? Now Ron if you can't study quietly, I beg you to leave me alone." With this Hermione buried herself into the thick Defense Against the Dark Arts reference book.
Ron looked somewhat taken aback but didn't move. He only murmured something like, 'I am not going anywhere, and no need to beg, I can study quietly'.
Just when Hermione thought she could finally start reading about this extremely difficult Topsy-Turvy Spell, she heard a large bang. Looking up reluctantly, she saw Neville lying on the floor. Behind him was Ginny, who clumsily climbed through the portrait hole and helped Neville to his feet. Not only this, but she actually kneeled down and dusted his robes. Neville went crimson and said goodbye to Ginny, then walked up to his dorm.
"Neville-?" Hermione was getting tired of surprises. "Ginny- ?"
Ginny sat down beside Hermione. Her cheeks were pink, and there was a big grin plastered on her face.
"When exactly," demanded Ron. "had you start going out with Neville?"
"Ron!" Ginny cried, her face getting significantly redder." Everyone would hear!"
But Ron didn't care. He repeated his question in a dangerous tone, and threatened to inform Mrs. Weasley if she don't tell him. Ginny threw her hands into the air and gave her brother an eye, but she nevertheless told them about her first date.
"He walked up to me and asked me out last Sunday night. Said he had been planning for months, and only managed to ask me after mustering courage over the whole summer vacation...I have to admit, one reason why I am going out with him is because he is so helpless...like he can't do anything without someone beside him... "
"Then why are you still going out with that, that pathetic Neville? He hardly had any magic in him!" bellowed Ron, getting into his over-protective mode.
Ginny shot up at that, and glared at Ron indignantly. "For your information, Neville is nothing near pathetic. I had a very happy evening with him."
"Oh really? I think the only reason for you to go out with him is because you have nowhere to let out your, your motherly love!"
"The only reason why I am going out with him is that I am sick of being the smallest and have to put up with you! When I am with him I feel needed! That's all I want!" Ginny then stormed upstairs in tears.
"Oh Ron that is so- so Malfoy of you to say!" Hermione dropped her book and followed Ginny upstairs hastily.
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When Hermione entered the room Ginny had already stopped crying, much to Hermione's relief, though her eyes were still wet and red. Lavender was sitting beside and holding her, speaking comforting words to her. Hermione walked over and joined them.
"He is just over protective," Hermione heard Lavender said, "He didn't mean it."
"Yeah, I know, I just don't want him to talk about my- my-" Ginny stammered.
"Boyfriend," Hermione offered.
"Anyway I just don't want him to talk about Neville like that. Not after we had our first date. And I actually enjoyed it," Ginny said with a smile.
"You know, no offence, but it, er, surprise me that you two are going out." Hermione said bewildered. "Of course, you are already a fourth-year, and it's about time, but I...well, let's just say I, a fifth-year, has yet to have a boyfriend. Shouldn't you concentrate on study-"
"Don't listen to her, Gin, it is perfectly normal for you to concentrate on having a boyfriend," interrupted Lavender jokingly. "Especially a cute, er, chubby boyfriend like Neville."
"Well, Hermione, now that you mention it, I think it is about time for you to have a boyfriend," Parvati called from her bed. She was lying there reading romance novels, though it was obvious that she had followed the conversation very closely.
"Yeah, you know, a boyfriend is useful in many ways," Lavender said in a serious tone. She was going out with Dean.
"Like what." Hermione asked flatly. She was suddenly painfully aware of the fact that she was the only one in the room yet to have a boyfriend.
"Oh, come on Hermione there is nothing to be ashamed of," said Ginny gently, reading her mind. "For one thing, you need not worry about who to go with to the ball. You can also study with your boyfriend and both of you can improve..."
"Haha, I doubt that highly, cause Hermione needs no one to study with, she is doing very well on her own," said Parvati with an unnoticeable tint of sour in her voice.
"Think about it Herm, if you don't need anyone to study with, you can study him, oh I don't mean it that way," added Lavender seeing their faces. "I mean, come off it, nobody is perfect- not even you Herm. Won't you sometimes don't understand what are in the books? You see, that's what I do with Dean..." she trailed off. Hermione and Ginny looked at her expectantly.
Lavender cleared her throat, "Well, I tried every new spell or potion I learnt on him. And I predict his fate, everyday."
"What, you hex him everyday? And he let you?" Ginny asked widening her eyes.
"Yeah." Lavender said with an apologetical grin. "And it is very useful. I remember every spell since I can see their effects..."
Hermione thought about the Topsy-Turvy Spell. It would be nice to see how it works. She had been thinking about what to try it on.
"Now Hermione I have to warn you not to find a boyfriend just to hex him," said Lavender. "A boyfriend is an outlet for you to unleash your passion, your love, your feelings lying deep down in your soul... am I right Ginny?"
"I didn't unleash anything," replied Ginny blushing again. "We just ate something and walked a little-"
Hermione got off Ginny's bed and said 'goodnight' while the other two hadn't heard her because they were now deeply in conversation about every single detail of Ginny's first date. She brushed her teeth and got on her bed, listening to the small whispers and giggles coming from the next. She laid there staring at the ceiling, lost in thoughts.
Is it true that I need a boyfriend? If so, who then?
Finally, Hermione fell asleep after a long day.
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