-Dinner under the Stars-

Hermione sat at the small table that Ron had set up at the top of the astronomy tower, her eyes looking up at the many stars in the night's deep blue sky.

Ron had done such a wonderful job, covering the tower walls with wild flowers and scented candles which got Hermione in a happier mood than she had been when she had first reached the top of the tower.

He had even talked Professor McGonagall into allowing their dinner to be brought from the Great Hall up to the top of the tower, by none other than Dobby the house elf.

At first Hermione objected to the service but when Dobby insisted that it was the least he could do for Harry Potter's noble and caring friends, she gave in and found that she enjoyed the meal a lot better under a moonlit sky then she did in the Great hall surrounded by students.

It had been a great meal and Hermione had made sure to have lots of everything: Roast beef, corn, potatoes, chicken, broccoli and two helpings of rice pudding. Ron had laughed as he watched her eat, and she said embarrassedly, "What? I'm hungry."

She and Ron spent the whole time talking about quidditch, reliving some of their more passionate moments and enjoyed laughing about their many shared adventures with Harry, until of course their laughter died away as they thought about the pain and future that lay ahead for their best friend.

It was that thought that had reminded Hermione that somewhere, right now, Harry was roaming the castle underneath his cloak and carrying the key she had given him, trying to find Hermione's secret admirer.

Hermione stared up at the constellations with out really looking at them; her mind was filled with so many conflicting thoughts. One part of her mind kept wondering about this secret admirer, while another part reminded her about Ron sitting across from her.

I know! It's not like I'm going to dump him…I'm just curious as to what this secret admirer looks like. I mean, what if he is handsome? You mean more handsome then Ron. No I Don't! Ron is truly handsome; I love his ginger hair and that cute devilish smirk that runs across his face… Yet you're thinking about a man you've never met. I'm just curious, and it's not like I canceled this dinner tonight to run after him …

Ron watched Hermione over the table. Her face was contorted in a mixture of expressions, and he could tell that even though she was looking at the stars, her mind was not with them.

He had been sure that he had planned a good night, their conversation went well and she had been holding his hand across the table, so she couldn't be mad at him. But her far off stare bothered him, and he needed to know if there was some way he could help.

"Hermione?" said Ron quietly.

Hermione twitched and then came back to life. She turned to him and smiled, but he wasn't going to be fooled that easily. "What's bothering you?"

"Me? Nothing." Said Hermione plainly, hoping to leave it at that. Ron gave her a disbelieving look. Hermione felt her insides tighten.

"I know something is wrong … but if you really don't want to talk about it …"

Hermione stared into Ron's face, a face full of compassion.

She could easily tell him, she could blurt it out right now. But how would he react when he found out that she had showed Harry the letter before she showed him, or how now she was thinking about a man she didn't know when she should have been kissing him?

"No, really Ron, everything's fine. I was just … missing my family, that's all. You know I haven't really seen them all that much, with school and then spending summers at your house – not that I don't enjoy staying at your house or anything, I'm just a little home sick, that's all."

It wasn't a total lie, but it wasn't the total truth either. But Ron seemed satisfied all the same. He smiled at her in a loving way, and propped himself on the table with his left arm.

They both spent their last twenty minutes on top of the astronomy tower staring up at the stars, both lost in their own thoughts, until McGonagall came to fetch them at exactly ten thirty.

"Are you alright! Did you get caught! What took you so long?" Hermione urgently whispered to the invisible figure which was Harry.

It was already well past midnight and she had been waiting for him ever since Ron had told her that Harry wasn't in bed.

"He's probably snuck off with Luna, don't worry 'Mione." Ron had yawned as he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek before closing the boys dormitory door.

Hermione had walked off to her own dorm, changed into her night gown, and then climbed quietly back down the spiral stairs and sat waiting for over an hour in the common room for Harry.

For the last fifteen minutes her eyes had become almost impossible to hold up, but when she heard the portrait swing open, she had jumped up, alert as ever and ran to the slump which had just sat down in a chair.

Harry pulled the cloak off of his head and stared into Hermione's worried eyes. "I didn't know you were going to wait up for me. I just came back from being with Luna." he apologized.

Hermione pulled back, folded her arms and rolled her eyes. "That's exactly what Ron said – anyways, what happened? Did you find out who it was?"

Harry shook his head and Hermione looked disappointed.

"Yeah I found the room alright. There's some kind of spell on this key," he explained as he pulled it out of his pocket to give to Hermione, "it gets warmer and warmer the closer you get to the room."

Hermione took the key and held it, it again was cold as ice. "Where is this room?"

"Up towards the Ravenclaw tower, it's an empty classroom with a few odd tables and chairs, but other wise pretty bare."

Hermione frowned. "So you didn't see him? You didn't see anyone."

"Well the room was empty. I got there pretty quick too and I stayed for over two hours but no one entered. But Hermione … do you think that maybe it was sent as a trick?" asked Harry.

Hermione looked up from the key to Harry.

"Because on my way there, I had to stay plastered against the walls to avoid bumping into all of the girls that were around." explained Harry "I'm not saying that it wasn't from a guy, it just seemed weird that so many girls would be hanging around in one hall all at once.

"And you know, if one of them had sent you that letter, it wouldn't have mattered if you made it to the room or not, just you walking down that hall on this night would have given them enough to gossip about."

Hermione looked back down at the key. She felt a flood of embarrassment rush over her and she closed the key tightly in her hand.

Of course, why hadn't she thought about that? Here she had been so quick to think that had been some good looking guy, when it had probably been just a couple of immature girls, trying to make Hermione's last year a bit harder…

And here she had fell for it, how embarrassed she was that she could have ever thought that she was liked by someone else…

Harry rose from his seat. "Are you okay?" he asked with a note of concern in his voice.

"Yeah …" lied Hermione, "…but Harry, do you think it's weird that I feel … well the thing is, when I was waiting for you, I started to imagine 'him'. I mean, as weird as that letter was, I felt flattered. Am I stupid for feeling that way?"

Hermione looked up and into Harry's eyes. The second she said it, she wished that she hadn't. But instead of criticizing her, Harry just smiled,

"No, you're not stupid Hermione. To be honest, if I got a letter like that, I would wonder about it too. And I think it's perfectly normal for you to feel flattered, you're a beautiful girl."

As Hermione stared at Harry she felt the weirdest feeling in her heart. It fluttered. The same way it did when she was around Ron.

Standing there, face to face with Harry, she was getting the strangest sensation.

She wanted to kiss him, and she didn't know why.

She had just told him something close to her heart, and he hadn't laughed, he hadn't judged her, he was supporting her. And the urge to kiss him was so strong, it was taking over all of her thoughts, and she could imagine herself doing it, just leaning forward and doing it…but what would he do in return?

As Hermione stood rooted to the spot with her head racing with thoughts, and her body with feelings and emotions, Harry smiled one last quick smile, said good-night and the left up the spiral stairs.

Hermione didn't move. She stayed put until all of her off-beat thoughts were out of her head and her body was clear of primitive feelings and urges. And then her guilt slipped in to take its place.

What the hell is the matter with me? What if I had kissed him? What would happen then? How could I be so stupid! Why was I feeling that way anyways? I don't like him, do I? ... No, no…so why did I want to kiss him so badly? Was it just because he was nice to me, at a time when I was feeling to stupid? Yes, that must be it. I was just at a weak point and Harry happened to be the one who was there to offer a kind word.

Hermione nodded in agreement with her own thoughts, and the quickly climbed the spiral stairs and headed off to bed before she could analyze it anymore.