A/N: Thanks, Hermione30. I'm not, so I need all the help I can get. Hope this chapter is better. I'm also trying to describe Daisy, as that's what figure8 wants. DON'T FORGET, I'm changing this to PG-13, because of the last chapter, and chapters to come.

Disclaimer: I'm too tired to think of anything to say but I don't own anybody but Daisy, and don't sue me. (It's 1:30 in the morning, and I got, like, 3 hrs of sleep last night. (Lots of candy = no sleep.) If this chapter is in too much detail, sorry, but that's one thing I've always been terrible at, and I can't think straight, because I'm so tired, so it's probably too detailed, but I really wanted to get another chapter out.)

Chapter 9: Taking it Slow

Hermione had a restless sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about what'd happened, and the more she thought about it, the worse she seemed to feel. She really did like Ron, but everything was happening *way* too fast. She decided to talk to him about it today.

Then, as she was rousing from her slumber, she remembered Daisy, and looked over at her bed. The long, scarlet curtains hung around the four-poster bed, so Hermione couldn't see her.

She looked at the clock. Yikes!! It was 7:50, and she had class in 10 minutes! Hermione looked around the dorm. No one was there except her and Daisy. Hermione pulled the curtains around Daisy's bed, and promptly woke her up. With a quick thank-you from Daisy, the girls hurriedly changed.

Hermione and Daisy walked down to their first class, Charms, and as they paced, they talked. Hermione discovered that Daisy grew up in a little town called Starview, Maryland, in the States. That was also where her school was, located in one of the many gigantic woods. They were big on astronomy there, mainly because many stars were visible, hence the name, Starview. Her parents' names were Barbara and Patrick Larkes, and she grew up being Daisy Larkes, as she was adopted. When she was eleven, and got her letter to Hogwarts, her "parents" were very surprised. They didn't know she was a witch, and refused to enroll her into a school so far away until she was 15. Daisy attended Jimilas School of Magic, in Starview, and finally persuaded Barbara and Patrick to let her go to Hogwarts a year early. That was when she discovered she was not adopted, like her "parents" pretended. She was indeed a Potter.

"It was a big shock when Professor Dumbledore told me, and it still is," she said to Hermione. "Just imagine yourself in my shoes. You just found out you were Harry Potter's SISTER. How would you feel?"

Hermione pondered this. "That must be awfully bizarre," she said aloud.

Daisy and Hermione walked into charms 10 minutes late, but since Daisy was new, they weren't punished.

Ron and Harry caught up with them as they were leaving Flitwick's class, and Ron exclaimed, "Bloody hell! You walk in 10 minutes late, and don't even get punished! Next time I'm late, I'm having you come in with me, so I won't get detention!"

Daisy giggled.

At lunch, Hermione said, "Ron, do you want to go for a walk around the lake? I need to talk to you."

Ron followed Hermione out, and once they were outside, he put his arm around her.

"Ron," Hermione sighed, "I like you a lot. You know that. But I think what happened last night was much too forward. We need to take it slow. *Very* slow. You're one of my best friends, and I don't want to lose that special friendship."

"Okay. Whatever you want. We'll take it *s l o w*, if that's what you want."

Hermione was very surprised. She didn't expect it to be that easy.

"Look," said Ron, seeing her shocked face, "I like you, and I'm willing to do what you want. In all honesty, I think it was too forward too."

"Good. I'm glad you understand." Hermione gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and returned to lunch, leaving Ron with his thoughts for company.

"Well, maybe she's right," he considered. "We *are* very close, and that shouldn't be risked. I'm glad she said something."

Ron returned to his dormitory, because he had to finish his potions homework, as he had potions next period.