A/N: Yey, thanks for the great reviews!

Finally, the day of the Seventh Year Ball had come. The students had crowded around a stage for that night's performance. The singer was supposed to arrive any minute.

Harry, Hermione, and Ashley all were dancing with their fellow Gryffindors in a big group.

Meanwhile backstage, Professor Scarlet had to endure a horrible shock.

"She's not coming?!" she yelled at Snape, "How can the singer not come?! Every year this school has someone come and now, when the 'new teacher' has been assigned the job, I screw it all up!"

"Professor Scarlet," Snape said, "There is a curfew in her housing area and she can't leave. Now what do we do?"

Soon, all of the students had gotten restless and started chanting for the singer to come out on stage. "We want music! We want music!"

"Professor Snape," she said, "Let me think....Oh! I have an idea!"

"Idea?"

"Yes!"

"No," Hermione and Harry said after they had been explained as to what Professor Scarlet's idea was. She wanted them two to go on stage and sing.

"You both have to do this or you'll both fail," Snape said.

"But sir," Hermione tried to reason, "How can we sing? We don't know anything."

"You know these students!" Harry said, "They'll skin us alive!"

"Don't worry," Scarlet said, "Nothing will happen to you. See, the lady that was supposed to sing today has left a recorded tape of her rehearsals. I'll just play that tape and Hermione can mouth her lines and Harry can be in the background pretending to make the music."

"It won't work," Harry said flatly.

"What do you mean it won't work?" Scarlet said, "Of course it'll work."

"No," Harry said.

"Come on, Harry," Hermione said.

"Okay," he said.

Professor Scarlet and Professor Snape walked off very happy.

Hermione turned to Ashley. "Come on, Ashley. You come with us!"

"Me? No, it's okay."

"Come on—" she said as Harry interrupted her.

"No, leave her alone. She's too chicken! Let's go." He took Hermione's hand and dragged her on stage.

Ashley stood there giving Harry the I'll-show-you-who's-chicken look. He knew she would too, otherwise he wouldn't have said it.

The stage curtains opened. Hermione and Harry stood there, Hermione with a microphone and Harry with a guitar.

"Press play, Snape!" Scarlet yelled.

Snape pressed play, but it wasn't the right song.

I see trees of green, red roses too,

I see them bloom for me and you,

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world...

"Snape! That's the wrong song!"

"I know, I know. The other tape isn't here. There's been a mix-up!"

Harry didn't know the words to the song and neither did Hermione. And SHE was the one who was supposed to be singing. People knew she acted like a guy, but suddenly sounding like one on stage didn't quite cut it for them. They knew immediately that it was a fake, and started yelled for them to get off stage while throwing things at them.

Harry and Hermione ducked for cover under a guitar set.

"I knew this was a bad idea," Harry said.

"Joe!" Scarlet yelled at the technical manager, "Music off! Lights off!"

Everything went silent, except for the noisy crowd up front.

All of a sudden, everyone heard high heels tapping across the stage. It was Ashley. She took the microphone and started to sing. The music was so beautiful that it seemed the world quieted down just to here it. She was singing Barbara Streisand's "I've Finally Found Someone".

I finally found someone

That knocks me off my feet

I finally found the one

That makes me feel complete

It started over coffee

We started out as friends

Its funny how from simple things

The best things begin

This time it's different

And it's all because of you

It's better then it's ever been

'Cause we can talk it through

She was staring at Harry the whole time, who was staring at her. Hermione, on the other hand, was staring at the floor, knowing that if she looked up, she wouldn't like what she would see.

I can't believe I thought he loved me, she thought to herself, I mean, it was Ashley all along. But do I still love him? Nah, I don't.

But then she made the mistake of looking up. There they were arm in arm, dancing to the music that was being played; and inch from each other's face. She knew it was true, no matter how much she tried to deny it. She did love him. She left the ball early to return to her dormitory crying.

That night Hermione sat on her bed thinking about how her life was so bad. All of a sudden, Susan walked in.

"Hermione!" she exclaimed after seeing her tear-stained face, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know why, but I am missing my mom today," she half-lied.

"How can you say that when I am here for you?" Hermione hugged her. "Hermione, tears don't solve anything."

The next day, Harry was running laps around the Quidditch field in preparation for the season. Hermione sat on the sidelines cheering Harry and the rest of his teammates on.

Ashley walked up to her and sat down, wearing a very skimpy dress. "Hey," she said as she crossed her legs.

"Hey," Hermione replied. She was sitting with her legs open wide, just as a guy would sit. "Harry!" she yelled, "Do want anything to drink?"

But he wasn't paying any attention to her. He was too busy winking and smiling at Ashley who sat there giggling.

Hermione looked at Ashley's legs and then back to her own. She tried to imitate her by crossing her legs as well.

"Hermione," Ashley said, "How long have you known Harry?"

"Oh!" she said, getting excited, and letting her legs go loose again, "Since the first day at Hogwarts! You know what happened? He and my friend Ron saved me from a mountain troll on Halloween and ever since then, we've been best friends."

"Who's Ron?"

"My other best friend. He died in 6th year." Hermione's face went into a glazed sort of look.

"What happened?"

"Voldemort killed him," she answered blankly.

"How?"

"I don't know," she said, obviously lying. Ashley could see that and didn't press the topic any further.

"Harry is your best friend, isn't he," Ashley said, changing the subject.

"Nope," she said, "I am Harry's best friend." She smiled playfully at Ashley who smiled back.

Hermione went back to trying to get Harry's attention. "Harry! Are you sure you're not thirsty—" Ashley interrupted her.

"Are you in love with him?"

Hermione looked wide-eyed at Ashley. But before she could answer, Harry came to meet them.

"Hey," he said, "Should I go?"

"Where?" Ashley asked.

"Today's Sunday..." he replied before Hermione finished the rest of the sentence for him.

"Oh yeah," she said with enthusiasm, as if what Ashley just asked her had never occurred, "Harry goes to meet some of his old friends down in Hogsmeade every Sunday."

"But," Harry said looking at Ashley, "I'll stay if you want."

"No, Harry," Hermione said, practically pushing him away, "Go or you'll get late."

"I have some time—"

"No, Harry," Hermione pressed on, "You'll be late. Go! Go! Bye!"

Harry walked away, but stopped to turn around and look at Ashley once more. She giggled.

Later on that day, Ashley went to a church in Hogsmeade. As she was praying she felt somebody come and sit next to her. She turned to see who it was, and lo and behold, there was Harry.

"God, please make sure I do well on these years' exams," he was muttering, "I am a bit weak in Transfiguration so you take care of it." He opened his eyes and saw Ashley sitting right next to him.

"Hi," she said.

Harry laughed nervously. Then they both started to laugh.

"Hey," he said, "Look at Him, not me."

When Ashley turned around and closed her eyes, Harry took his opportunity to rush out of the church. But Ashley caught up with him.

"Harry!" she said.

Harry looked as thought he hadn't seen her all day.

"Hey!"

"So your 'friends' live here?"

"No, not here...over there...and there," he said, pointing at random shops and houses. But he knew he couldn't keep his lie up any longer so he gave up and laughed.

Ashley laughed. "Okay, so Harry Potter comes to church every Sunday."

"Yeah..."

"How sweet!"

Harry laughed nervously.

"Why did you lie at school then?"

"Well, you see. The guys don't come to church so that's why..."

"But you do."

"Yeah."

"You come every week?"

"Yeah."

"How sweet!"

"Don't call me sweet," he said, acting offended.

Ashley laughed.

Meanwhile, Hermione was in her dormitory fumbling with her jewelry. She tried putting on some earrings but was startled when Susan walked in, and tried to hide them.

"Wear them!" Susan said, "You'll look 'cool' as you put it."

"I was just trying them on. I don't know how these girls can put them on."

"There's nothing wrong in looking girlish once in a while," she said, as she handed Hermione an envelope and a small pile of clothes, "Here, your mother sent you a letter. You were missing her, weren't you? And take this too."

"What's this?" Hermione said, holding up the clothes.

"A present."

Hermione hugged Susan with all her might.

A/N: Whew...hope that was long enough! And the lyrics were taken without permission.