Author's Note: Painful as it is for me, I must focus on this story alone---sorry to my The Little White Room readers. I will try working on that after Book 6 comes out, but this story needs to be finished beforehand. I can't wait to get a whole new grasp on everything after I read the book! I'm so excited!

6

The Black and Grey Owl

Hermione woke to a loud tapping at the window outside the girls' dormitories. She opened her eyes and saw a large, black and grey owl perched on the windowsill, rapping on the glass with its pointed beak.

Hermione got out of her bed and walked to the window. She knew the owl must have come for her since she was the only Gryffindor girl that had stayed at Hogwarts over the holidays. She opened the window, and the owl hopped in. There was a note and a flower tied to its leg. The flower looked like a cross between a rose and an iris, and it smelled lovely. The note was sealed with red wax that had stamp of the flower pressed into it. Hermione opened it carefully so as not to break the seal. She pulled out the enclosed parchment, and set the envelope down on her bedside table. She unfolded the letter. It read:

Dear Hermione,

Meet me in the courtyard around five thirty a.m. I will be waiting for you.

-Draco

Hermione looked at the flower Draco had given her. She was growing fond of him, but was she just going to abandon the fact that she fancied Ron? It was obvious that Ron did not feel the way she did toward him, so why did she insist on trying to get him to.

Hermione threw the letter down on her bed and hurried to get ready. She had to meet Draco, even if she still liked Ron.

It was near five when Hermione came down the stairs, expecting the common room to be empty, but Ron was still sleeping near the embers of the flames.

Hermione sighed with impatience at Ron's daftness. She looked at him fondly, hoping that she could sneak out of the room unnoticed.

Much to her misfortune, Ron woke up at that very moment. He blinked, looking around. He spotted Hermione and looked questioningly at her. "What time is it?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

Hermione sighed again and sat down on one of the sofas, realising that Ron would not let her go without an explanation. "It's around five o'clock," she answered, "What are you sleeping down here for?"

"I nodded off."

"Oh."

"What're you doing down here this early?"

"I-I was going to go for a walk."

Ron looked at her as if he expected more of a justification. "Going to see Malfoy?" he asked despondently when she said no more.

Hermione faltered. "Yes," she finally answered. Ron acquiesced solemnly. "Ron," Hermione said, "he's not that bad if you take the time to get to know him." Ron did not say anything. He just looked at the embers of the fire with a dazed countenance. "Ron?" Hermione asked, "Are you all right?"

Ron flinched as though he had forgotten Hermione was there, "What? Oh-oh yeah, I'm fine, feeling great," he said, though his voice was still heavy with grief.

Hermione stood up hesitantly. "Do you mind if I go?" she asked.

"Just go," Ron said, closing his eyes. Hermione headed to the portrait hole. She was getting ready to pull the portrait open when Ron suddenly leapt up. "Wait!" he called, bounding up to her, "I-I-Harry told-" he turned red from embarrassment as he stumbled nervously over the words he was trying to get out, "Harry told me what he said to M-Malfoy last night," he finally blurted.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, remembering how Draco had reacted to Harry's lie, "That's lovely. Why does it matter?"

"I-we were just wondering why you didn't say anything about the second half of what Harry said."

"The-the second half?" Hermione queried as if it had not been on her mind since she had found out that Harry had said it.

"About us-well, not us-but about-"

"Oh, you mean that second half," Hermione said, saving Ron from saying the words that were so detrimental to his psyche, "I did mention them, didn't I?"

"No."

Hermione looked over Ron's shoulder at the clock tower across the courtyard. It was nearly five twenty. "Ron, I really need to go. Draco will be waiting for me," she said.

Ron looked away and nodded solemnly. When he looked back, Hermione had already fled out of the room through the portrait hole.

A/N: There's so much tension in the air, and the anticipation is killing me! Darn you, Alice! You're wasting my life with your stupid dreams! Please please PLEASE review!