A/N: Really really sorry for the late update! I was really sick all week, and I had to deal with a lot of deadlines due to it.

Now, on with the show…

Chapter 19

Hermione was trying to talk to Harry.

"Harry."

"What's got his goat?" Ron wanted to know. "It's not because I've been a bit chummy with Seamus and Dean lately, is it? Oh no, it is!"

Hermione shook her head. "It's not that, Ron. It's…me."

"He didn't catch Malfoy snogging you in the corridor, did he? Because I'd kill you myself."

"No."

"Happen to be on the receiving end of one of your hour-long lectures on proper school behavior?"

"No."

"You killed Hedwig with his Firebolt and then threw it at the Whomping Willow!" Ron brightened. "That's it!"

"Ron." Hermione wanted to chuckle, but things were still a little too serious for that.

"What I want to know," Harry finally growled from his spot in an armchair before the common room's roaring fire, "is how could you not have told me."

"Told him what?" Ron was puzzled. Then it dawned, and his face reddened. He began to edge away from Harry.

"Harry, you know exactly why we didn't! Because you would react this way!" Hermione tried to be as placating as she possibly could, but she could not stop her voice from rising.

Harry rose abruptly from his armchair and stalked out of the room.

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Ginny was sitting in the snow when Harry came out. Feeling a bit foolish to be caught there playing in the white slush like a child, Ginny contemplated how she was going to slip past him without being seen.

As she moved closer, she realized that she needn't have worried. Harry appeared to be oblivious to her existence.

"Harry?"

He kicked at the snow lying at his feet. "Oh. Hey, Gin."

His voice was so sullen, Ginny noted. "Is something wrong?"

He didn't speak for a moment. Then, "Hermione."

"What about Hermione?"

It all came spilling out: the bodyguarding, Draco, arriving at an amusement park and seeing Hermione with tears in her eyes as she and Draco stared at each other.

Ginny was surprised, and pleasantly so. "So you…like Hermione." Even as she said it, she felt absolutely crushed.

"…and then she actually raised her voice at me," Harry prattled on. "Honestly, that girl…I'm sorry, you were saying, Gin?"

Ginny tried to speak around the huge lump in her throat.

"Are you OK? You look a bit peaky."

Ginny forced a small smile. "I'm fine, Harry."

"Anyway, sorry you had to endure me. You're a really good listener." Harry gave her a quick hug. "I guess I'll go apologize to Hermione. I was a bit silly…"

Ginny nodded. "You do that."

Harry jumped to his feet and ran for the castle.

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Draco edged into the library that evening. He had a mission this night.

She was sitting at a table. Piles of books crowded her as she copied feverishly onto a piece of parchment.

"Yiiii!" she yelped when Draco dropped his books onto the table with a great bang.

"Is that for Potions?" he asked with interest.

Hermione scowled.

Draco flung himself onto the chair opposite her and grasped her hand. "So, where do you think we should move after Frodo's born? Italy? France?"

"You're not going to let up, are you?"

"Nope," Draco chirped. "I tell you, that comment's going down in the annals of history, love."

She snatched her hand away. "Shut up. And stop calling me love because I am not your love."

"Don't worry—no one's here. There's no need to keep your feelings hidden."

She raised a single eyebrow. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"My homework. Duh."

Hermione returned to the big thick book she was perusing, trying to find something about the magical uses of lavender flowers.

Draco leaned over to skim her essay. "Oh, lavender? They're normally used in…"

Hermione stared at him.

"Why aren't you copying?"

"Oh." Hermione fumbled for her quill.

"The Slytherins pulled a prank and checked out all the books concerning lavenders," Draco explained. "Needless to say, Madam Pince was so shocked, she had to go lie down with a cool cloth for a while."

"So it was you! You—"

"It was Pansy!" he cried.

Hermione tried to smother a smile as Draco threw his hands up in front of his face as if protecting himself.

"I thought you might need help, so I came by," he finished, calming down.

"Oh." Hermione resumed writing. "Won't they beat you to a bloody pulp for ruining their little joke?"

"I'd like to see them try."

"They might."

"I'll be ready. A couple of Scorching Sweets'll fix them."

"Weasley products, Malfoy? Have you sunk to a new low?"

"Whatever it takes."

"You are a traitor to your cause, you know."

"So what?"

Hermione had to admit she was impressed. "What have you been hooked on? With the kind of words you're saying, one would almost think you've converted to Gryffindorism."

"Yech. Blech." Draco pretended to gag.

Hermione tsk-tsked. "So sad to know."

"I am a Slytherin, miss, and proud of it."

They eventually broke off the conversation to return to their homework. Amidst the scratching of their quills, Hermione found herself peeking at the blond haired boy every so often…

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A/N: THANKS BE TO GOD!

And to:

Cold-eyes-for-you, tru, sllug92, Red and Gold, Flavagurl, American Deer Hunter 73, Cow as White as Milk, Tinaton aka Blat, rose, Sacagawea, Tinka Shimmer Belle, kurisu- Thanks:)

Badbunny- No, I didn't mean it like that. Cold-eyes-for-you is just one of my reviewers. :D Thanks:)

Crimson Girl- Thanks! No, I'm not Cantonese, but I saw the movie on a Chinese movie channel, Star Mandarin. :)

Goodybad- Well, to each his own, right? Anyway, Frodo, Sam , Merry, and Pippin are four big characters in LOTR, and since Draco had just revealed that he read that LOTR book he stole from Hermione… Well, no matter what, Lucius is still a dad who loves his son. :)

Future movie maker- Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin are four major characters in LOTR. :)

Next on: The professor's past…and a big fight…