A/N: Hey guys! Okay, I'm really sorry this took so long to update, but I couldn't, for the life of me, get any ideas for this chapter whatsoever! So finally, I got it done, and here it is…if it's awkward in places, that's cause I had trouble earlier today, and then later I really got into it and it got better, but I didn't get to go back to some places and rewrite them, so…yeah, okay then! Overall, I think it should be all right. If not, I apologize profusely! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this one! It's a little bit sweet, a little bit sappy, a little bit sad, and a little bit happy…but not particularly in that order. Btw, I didn't make that rhyme on purpose, sorry about that. It just happened that way! Well guys, enjoy, and make sure to review!!!

Lauren

Disclaimer: If I were JK, I'd seriously be plotting to take over the world right now, instead of writing this crap, all right? I'd have so much else to be doing with my time than sitting here on my floor, writing on a little black laptop!!

Chapter Fourteen

Birthday Blues

Hermione raised her arms over her head, stretching them out above her headboard and yawning graciously. It was about two thirty in the morning, and she was working out the remains of a Transfiguration report and looking through Potions notes, planning out the first lesson she would give Daniel. It turned out he needed more help than any Remedial Potions class could ever give him, and so Hermione had taken it into her hands to do all she could, including re-teaching him specific lessons. After looking at the clock, she reluctantly shut her books and rolled up her parchment, and placed them on the table next to her bed. She began to reach over to blow out her candle when something occurred to her. Something rather important, that somehow she hadn't really noticed before that moment…

"Oh wow, today's my birthday," she spoke aloud, in awe.

She looked around the room, as though seeing it for the first time, and in a way, she was, for she was seeing it for the first time at seventeen. After a second, she shook herself out of her little trance. She thought for a moment. She didn't exactly feel any older, or look any older, or think any older, so who was to say she had really gotten any older? She pondered this for a while before letting her tired eyelids get the best of her and, after making a small birthday wish on the flame, blew out the candle and shut her eyes.

Ron sat on his bed, tending to a small package sitting in front of his crossed legs. After a few quick flicks of his wrists, he looked proudly down upon a perfectly tied bow. He gave it a small grin, and then, having noticed the time on the clock, stuffed it in his bag and flung it over his shoulder. He then stood up and proceeded making his way downstairs, checking himself in the mirror quickly and shutting the door behind him.

Downstairs, he met Hermione, Harry, and Ginny sitting on one of the couches, and it appeared that Hermione had a lap full of presents. Harry looked up as Ron entered.

"Morning Ron," he said, moving over so that Ron could sit.

"Hey Hermione, happy birthday!" he shouted, ignoring Harry and walking over to her. Harry rolled his eyes as Hermione stood up and threw her arms around his neck.

"Thanks Ron…"

"Sorry Harry, you understand. It's not everyday your best friend turns seventeen!" he said, laughing. Hermione grinned broadly, knowing what was coming next.

"Oh! Well, I never! I see how it is, Ron. Fine. Humph," Harry said, mock hurt in his voice.

Ron held his arm out, and Hermione smiled, placing her arm through his. The foursome headed out the portrait hole and continued down to the great hall, chatting happily. Inside, they took their usual spots at the Gryffindor table and began eating.

"Oh, well look at this…Mudblood's all grown up, is she?"

Harry and Ron turned around to face Malfoy, who had somehow made the trip over without the help and company of his two lame cronies.

"Sorry Malfoy, but have you lost your way? Slytherin, I think, is still over there on the other side of the hall," came Ron's cold voice.

Malfoy gave him a menacing sneer. He opened his mouth to retort when Hermione suddenly turned around in her seat and faced him. The look on her face was one he had never seen used in his presence before, and that surprise was enough to shut him up.

"Hmm. Malfoy, do you think I could have a word with you…in private?" she asked calmly. Malfoy raised an eyebrow.

"In private? Well, um," he said, chuckling slightly, "what would I possibly want to discuss with you? Tips on becoming a real wizard, instead of just a phony mudblood?"

"I have a proposition that may be of some interest to you, that's all," she replied, slowly (and overtly) looking him up and down and stressing the word interest. Malfoy choked a little, noticing a brief glint in her eye. After readjusting his tie, he cleared his throat.

"Um, well, fine. But you'd better not be wasting my time," he said, covering up, and he began walking away.

Hermione winked furtively at Ron, then stood up and followed Malfoy out of the great hall. Ron and Harry exchanged curious glances, and Harry returned to his breakfast while Ron's eyes lingered on the hall exit where they turned the corner.

Ten minutes later, Hermione returned, a bit of a smug grin on her face, and took her seat next to Ron. Without a word, she resumed eating her breakfast, unable to get rid of her smile. Looking back at the entrance to the great hall, Harry could see Malfoy walking back to his table, the same smug grin on his face as well. The others looked over at her, waiting, pressing her to explain, but this notion went unnoticed…for a few moments anyway.

"Yes?" she asked, looking up at them finally.

"Well, go on then, what was that all about?" Ron asked, half amused and half peeved. Hermione smiled again, reaching for the pumpkin juice.

"Oh, that. Nothing, really, just having a chat with Malfoy, that's all."

"About what?" Ginny pressed, speaking for the first time that morning.

"Nothing important, I promise! We were just planning a secret rendezvous for later tonight, that's all." She immediately hid her grin behind her glass of pumpkin juice.

Hermione could tell the reactions by looking at their faces: Ginny could barely suppress her giggles, even after she'd buried her face in her hands; Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his mass of black, disheveled hair; Ron's face looked as though someone stuck a large block of ice down his back and was holding it there, never to be released. After a moment, she composed herself and continued eating normally, as though she were discussing the weather, and everyone else remained completely motionless. Well, except Ginny, who was rocking back and forth in laughter.

"Hermione, tell me you're joking," Harry said, finally speaking up.

"No, actually, I'm not," she said honestly.

"What do you mean, you're not joking?" Ron cried. "What exactly is supposed to be happening during this, erm, rendezvous?" he asked, choking on that last word.

"Well, see, there's an interesting question, because there are two different answers, depending on who you ask. I will give you quite a different answer than he would give you," she said, nodding in Malfoy's direction. Ginny looked at her quizzically.

"Look, are you going to tell us what happened or not? Any longer, and Ron may explode," Ginny said, amused. "Or turn into a tomato, and then explode. Maybe we should keep watching and find out." Ron would have scowled at her had his mouth not been hanging open in shock.

"Alright, alright. Well, Malfoy and I arranged to meet later to um, get to know each other better, I suppose you could say," Hermione said, blushing the instant the words left her mouth. Ron and Harry's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets.

"Look, nothing's going to happen, keep your pants on," she said, suddenly harsh. "He's just going to get something he's had coming a very, very long time," she said, and Ron saw some kind of determination he'd never seen in her before, and he felt very, very afraid.

"Well, I guess we should stay on your good side then, shouldn't we Ron?" Harry said, chuckling, though even part of him was terrified of her.

"Oh, speaking of good sides, we should probably head upstairs and get our things for Potions," Hermione noted. Attempting to get Ron to close his mouth, she stuck one last bite of toast in his mouth and got to her feet. Ron stood up and, as though feeling it's presence for the first time, began moving his mouth up and down, rediscovering the wonderful benefits of chewing. He followed after Hermione, still in shock, but at least able to move his legs, which was more than he could say for past experiences. Harry followed after Ron, leaving Ginny in their wake, who was doing all she could to fight back continuous laughter.

Eventually, they all went back to normal, and were able to hold normal conversation while they walked to the common room, retrieved their bags, and headed back down to class. They said goodbye to Ginny at the third floor staircase and continued leisurely down to the dungeons. It was just as they were about to descend the last staircase that someone spoke from behind them, calling out Hermione's name. She turned around quickly, and when she did, she smiled, slightly taken aback. Someone was standing at the end of the hall, carrying a rather large bunch of flowers.

"Daniel! Hi, um, what are you doing here?" she asked, noticing immediately a strange awkwardness in the situation. This was only made worse by Ron clearing his throat rather loudly, but she chose to ignore this.

"Oh, um, I heard that you had potions first period, and so I thought I'd surprise you and give you your present," he said, approaching her. As he drew nearer, he held out the bouquet in front of him.

"I picked them from one of the greenhouses. We've been working on them in Herbology, and I thought you might like some of mine," he said as she reached out and took them. From far away, they had appeared to be normal roses, but as she observed them closely she realized that they were each a different color, and most were colors she had never seen on a rose before: violet, navy, lime green, powder blue…they were breathtaking.

"Um, Daniel, you didn't have to do this, you know," she said.

"Oh, I know, but I figured since you were going out of your way to help me and being so nice that you might like them, so…"

Ron rolled his eyes, but thankfully, Daniel didn't notice. Probably because he was looking so hopefully into Hermione's face.

"Oh, um, this is Ron, and that's Harry," she said, filling in the odd silence. They silently shook hands, Ron trying not to squeeze Daniel's too hard.

"Well, thank you Daniel, that's really sweet of you. These are beautiful, really, thank you," she said, lowering her face a little to smell them. Daniel beamed.

"You're welcome. I'll see you later then?"

"Right, later, in the library." She smiled gratefully and, after Daniel waved goodbye and took off, ran a finger along the petal of one of the roses. Harry would have bet ten galleons on what was going to happen next, but he stayed silent, watching the floor steadily.

"So, uh, who's he?" Ron asked, obviously working hard to control himself.

"Oh, Daniel? He's just a seventh year Hufflepuff I met in the library the other night," she said turning back around and continuing the walk to class. "He uh, asked me to help him with Potions, so…" she trailed off.

"Oh, I see. Well, that's nice," he said, as he and Harry caught up with her. "So he uh, knew it was your birthday then? That's pretty good for having just met him."

"Yes, that is interesting, isn't it? I don't recall mentioning anything to him about it. That is a bit strange…oh well. They are pretty, aren't they?" she asked, handing them over to Ron. He took them stiffly and rolled his eyes again.

"Oh yes, simply marvelous," he said, dropping his hands to his sides. They reached the end of the hallway and, one by one, headed through the door and continued to the back of the noisy, occupied room. They set down their things and Ron, not knowing what else to do, laid the roses out on the desk in front of him, stealing glances at them every few seconds.

A great hush fell over the room as Snape entered, as sullen and bitter as ever. Dumping his belongings onto his desk, he took a look at the room around him, and just as his eyes roamed over the back of the room, they were caught by something rather interesting. A small, almost evil grin played on his lips as he took a little walk over to the back.

"Mr. Weasley, I see you've gotten so desperate as to start selling roses at school, hoping to earn a bit of pocket money…" he said cuttingly. Ron felt his face grow hot, but stared fixedly at the microscopic dents in the desk, no doubt made from the countless errors experienced while creating potions.

"Or maybe they're from a special someone?" he asked skeptically. "Hmm, well, I suppose the mystery of it all would be who on earth would care enough to send you a bouquet of roses." The Slytherins all chuckled appreciatively, making sure to all look at Ron while laughing.

"Well, Mr. Weasley, are your pretty little flowers going to be a distraction during my class, or will I have to throw this lovely display of curious affection in the trash can?"

"No, sir," Ron replied, feeling his ears burning. His lips were turning red from him pressing them together. Hermione caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye and saw the embarrassment hidden in his eyes. She reached under the desk slowly and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. After a second, Ron squeezed back, and for the rest of class, he didn't let go.

After the Malfoy incident, and the Daniel incident, and then the Snape incident, it was quite understandable why Ron was having second thoughts about giving Hermione his gift. It wasn't that she didn't deserve it; in fact, he wanted more than anything to give it to her and to see her reaction. But after today, and with Daniel and the roses, he figured she wouldn't even look twice at his gift, for it would pale horribly in comparison. Sitting on his bed, he twirled the box between two fingers, watching the bow as it blurred from spinning, and recalling the sight of those roses. It was true, they were pretty, and that meant that Daniel obviously cared enough if he went through the trouble of giving her his Herbology assignment. And what's more, they smelled really wonderful. He could imagine Hermione sitting on her bed right that moment, sniffing away and dreaming wistful thoughts of Daniel. It made him sick. He laid his head back and looked up at the ceiling, wondering what was going on through her head, when he heard the knob click and the door swing open.

"Ron, you okay?" came Harry's voice.

"Yeah, my stomach's just acting a bit funny, that's all," Ron said, glad he wasn't looking Harry in the face; it was easier to lie that way.

"Oh, alright then. Does that mean you won't be coming down to dinner? I think, if I heard correctly, Dobby made her a cake…maybe it's just me, but it sounds really rather interesting. I wonder if there's socks in it…" Harry's voice trailed off as he descended the stairs, leaving the door open behind him, and Ron felt he had no choice but to go; it was his best friend's birthday, after all. But would she really even notice if he didn't go? He wondered about this before realizing there was already somebody else at the door.

"Ron, are you all right?"

Ron looked up, and though she may not have noticed it, Hermione's appearance really had changed. It was nothing physical about her that was different; she still had those big, brown eyes and that long, curly hair. It was something more metaphysical than that. Something about the way she moved, the way she breathed, the way she spoke…she nearly glowed just existing. And now she was asking him if he was all right…yeah, he was all right. Of course he was all right.

"Oh, yeah, um…just laying down for a bit, but I'm getting up now."

"Oh, okay. It seemed as though you were going to miss dinner, and since that's a bit of a rare occurrence, I wanted to make sure it wasn't because something was wrong," she said, trying to keep a straight face. Ron felt a smile appear on his lips, as though even if he hadn't wanted to, it would have showed up there anyway. He gave her a mockingly offended look and got up, walking over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, and leading her downstairs.

"Me, miss dinner? Not when I hear there's sock cake on the menu…"

Okay guys, review!! I know you want to!! I hope you all liked this one, I know it was kind of all over the charts, but…oh well, that's life! Please review, or I'll really start making sock cakes and pass them off as real cakes…none of you wants to bite into a sock cake, trust me. Review!!