Okay this was a tad later than I had in mind but it's here finally. I realize the story is progressing slowly, but most good ones do and there is a reason for it. I had to establish new characters and tie up certain loose ends (not all) and so on and so forth. But after this chapter things will speed up. The next will take place at Harry's birthday party and right now it's basically the beginning of July. Warning: there is mushiness at the end of this chapter. It had to be done. Suck it up Matthew and read it! LOL. Lots of thanks to my reviewers. Writing this helps me retain my sanity (mostly) and I love getting feedback.
Sweetkey: Sorry, but I believe that Xander had gotten over Buffy a long time ago and now just loves her like a sister. I'm not even sure I'm putting Buffy with anyone. I may just keep her single in this story, but in the sequel she may get with someone. And there will be no Draco love triangle with Dawn and Harry sorry about that. There will, however, be a lot more Dawn/Harry next chapter and she will of course be very gifted with the magic.
dancetdplc: Hmmmm. Well I hope you understand it now, but if you don't just know that Hastemire didn't bother drugging the demons to counteract the truth-spell affects, but the Scoobies don't know that. And yeah I was going for a creepy effect glad it worked out. Also glad you liked the Wolfram and Hart comments.
Tiger Tiger2: Well I think there are petitions online you can sign to keep it on the air. I'm not sure where though, but don't lose hope entirely.
Felicia Neko: Yeah they're my favorite kind too. The kind you love to hate.
becks89: Yeah Willow could definitely kick his ass, but he's got a few tricks up his sleeve that might throw her.
benny2000: You rock! Thanks for defending me and my story, but I hate to tell you the dude guess didn't mean it. It was only Matthew messing with me cuz he got bored. But it is the thought that counts so kudos to you! BTW you're free to yell at bill all you want.
ScruffyWes: Wesley and the Angel gang will show next chapter. I'm making Wesley a watcher again cuz I think he would be an awesome watcher now (unlike his first time around). So we'll see more of him and possibly of Fred (hint hint). Omg that last episode of Angel was incredible. Fred makes a pretty demon but poor Wesley! Needless to say you will have to chuck everything that's happened in Angel this season.
Oh and to that anonymous reviewer named bill. Let me just start out by saying that you sir are extremely rude. I am well aware that Buffy is the leader of this army, but who do you think she's fighting for? I'll give you a hint in case you're a little slow, his name starts with Dumble and ends with dore. I am sorry to say that (well actually I'm not) that you've only succeeded in making a total ass of yourself and it is not I that is the moron, but you. Adieu!
Also thanks to Silver Warrior and WiccaGod-Triquetrawarrior for reviewing.
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The rain beat hard against the windows of Hogwarts on Friday morning. Professor Dumbledore sat in his office writing on a long piece of parchment. Fawkes was perched on the edge of Dumbledore's desk crooning softly. Dumbledore's head snapped up when a person dressed in faded blue robes came out of the fireplace. He smiled when he saw the witch and rose to greet her.
She was of average height with black hair and pale skin. Even though she was only in her mid-twenties she seemed to be far older. Her face was pinched and haggard with the familiar look of one who has forever been living in fear and never slept for more than four or five hours a night. She carried two black bags with her which she clutched to herself tightly as if they were in danger of being ripped out of her grasp.
"Miss Malfoy I am so glad you made it. Sit down," Dumbledore said taking her by the arm.
The young woman nodded gratefully and sat down in a chair that appeared at her side. After sitting down she ran her hand through her hair and laughed softly.
"You have any idea how long it's been since someone called me by that name?" she whispered.
"A long time I should hope. For you are still thought to be dead," Dumbledore replied as he waved his wand and produced a steaming cup of tea which he handed to the witch.
"I was practically doing bloody jumping jacks when I heard my father had been taken to Azkaban. May the dementors suck the bloody life out of that evil bastard," she said before taking a sip.
Under different circumstances Dumbledore would have reprimanded the woman for speaking so harshly of the one who half contributed to her existence. But in the case of Senna Malfoy she was justified. When she had first started school at Hogwarts she had been just like her younger brother Draco; haughty, cruel, and a tormentor of Muggle-borns and Muggle sympathizers. Lucius Malfoy had been somewhat disappointed when his firstborn child had been female, but he still molded her to his liking and was readying her for receiving the dark mark when she graduated from Hogwarts. Her seventh year at Hogwarts changed things; drastically. She rejected her father's ways and sought to expose him for the evil wizard that he was. Rather then risk exposure he attempted to silence her; permanently. He thought he had succeeded. Surprisingly, the Malfoys' House elf, Dobby, had saved the young witch and helped conceal her. One would think Senna could have exposed her father for sure, but she lacked proof and she knew that if she were to try to go out in the open he would have her killed one way or another. Lucius Malfoy was a very popular and powerful wizard and she was much too afraid for her life to try and expose him again. At least not without help, but Dumbledore could no more get actual proof than she could. But he did help her keep up the pretense that she was dead until her time came.
"So, you sure it's 'my time' yet? Cuz there are still a couple of my father's close friends that would be less than happy to see me alive," she said.
"Senna, you must understand that it could have been your time a year ago. But it was all up to you and if you could summon the courage to come out of hiding," the old professor told her.
Senna didn't answer but looked down in apparent shame. She had kept herself hidden all these years because she was too damn afraid of what her father or his friends would do to her. But when she heard about Voldemort arising again and her father being sent to Azkaban she decided it was time to reacquaint herself with her old school. She sniffed and brushed some dark hair out of her eyes.
"I can't even remember what I used to look like. I changed everything," she murmured as she stared at the dark locks caught between her fingers.
"You can revert back to who you were. Severus would gladly make you the necessary potions to reverse the changes," Dumbledore said kindly.
Senna vigorously shook her head. The last thing she wanted to see was the face that so resembled the man she most hated. The same blonde hair, the same porcelain facial features, the same icy blue eyes. She didn't understand why she had such a problem looking at her face when Draco looked more like their father than she did. She had changed her facial features using various potions, colored her hair, and put in contacts to cover her icy blue eyes. Her eyes were now a bluish-green.
"Are you ready to see your rooms and prepare for your first classes?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't know if I can stand seeing him, but not being able to tell him..." she trailed off sadly.
"As I said again you may still recover who you once were and reunite with your brother," Dumbledore replied.
"No, he'll hate me," Senna said.
"He might for a little while, but young Mr. Malfoy loved you dearly and I am sure he still misses you very much," he said.
"I'm not ready to be Senna Malfoy again. For now Melissa Pennison will do and maybe...I'll stop being such a pathetic coward and face him and the others I left behind," Senna looked at Dumbledore with hopeful eyes as she stood.
"Very well, you will be doing tutoring all throughout the summer to two new students of ours from America. One is Dawn Summers, a Muggle-born from Sunnydale, California," he informed her.
"She's from the Hellmouth? So I guess she's starting from scratch. Who's the other?" Senna asked.
"There are two others, but only one needs tutoring. Jordan and Aidan Firewell are twins from Katsmorn, Montana and they attended Cristallon in Washington State. Miss Firewell missed four months of school due to circumstances pertaining to the destruction of the Hellmouth in Sunnydale," Dumbledore said.
Senna froze in front of the door to Dumbledore's office and her grip on her bags tightened. She stopped breathing for a second and her face became a deathly white.
"Firewell? There are Firewells now attending this school?" her voice wavered ever so slightly when she mentioned the name.
"Yes, is there a problem with that?" Dumbledore was confused by her reaction.
"Erm...no...it's just they're the children of Aurors and I am the daughter of a Death Eater," she replied.
"I assure you they will not know that and if they did I am sure they would not care," Dumbledore laid a hand on her shoulder as he spoke.
"Well, let us go down to breakfast and you can meet them. There are many things we will have to explain to you and some of them could do it better than I," he said.
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"I'm starting Defense Against the Dark Arts today. I guess the teacher got here this morning," Dawn remarked as she looked at her summer schedule.
Harry stirred his porridge around absentmindedly. He had barely gotten any sleep last night. Constant flashbacks of that dreadful night at the Ministry and Sirius falling through the veil invaded his dreams. That wasn't the only thing he dreamt. He dreamt of Sirius being trapped in some awful dark, cold place full of everything you've ever feared in life and then some. He heard Sirius crying out to him for help; crying out to deliver him out of that darkness. Harry had awoken clutching his sheets and with hat, salty tears sliding down his cheeks. Those dreams hardened his determination to bring him back. Then if he could bring Sirius back he could bring back his parents.
"Harry?" Dawn's voice broke this his thoughts.
"What?" he replied.
"Are you okay? You seem kinda tired," she remarked.
"Um, I'm fine. Just didn't get much sleep last night, but that's not unusual," he said dryly.
"Oh. Bad dreams?" Dawn asked softly.
Harry nodded wearily.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" she asked.
"Not really. They were just bad dreams. Nothing serious," Harry assured her putting on a smile.
Dawn was about to say more when Jordan came jogging to the table. She had been running on Hogwarts grounds since five in the morning and her clothes were soaked. Her hair dripped icy rain water down her front and back. But it didn't seem to phase her. Dawn stared at her in horror.
"Aren't you cold?!" she exclaimed.
"What?" Jordan looked down at herself confusedly. "Oh. I grew up in the mountains of Montana Dawn, it gets pretty damn cold there so I'm used to it. Besides I like the rain; it's refreshing. Oh muffins!" she grabbed one and stuffed it into her mouth while taking a seat.
"Where's Aidan?" Dawn asked for she rarely saw one twin without the other lately unless Jordan was in classes.
"Sleeping. Unlike yours truly he is not a morning person. He would probably sleep until one in the afternoon if no one woke him," Jordan said between mouthfuls of breakfast
"So, got any idea who's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Dawn asked Harry.
"Not a clue. Bloke named Quirrell taught us in my first year and he turned out to be evil. Then we get a complete prat named Gilderoy Lockhart for my second year and he obliviated himself so now he's at St. Mungo's," Harry ticked the past DADA teachers he had had off on his fingers not noticing Dawn's blank expression.
"Memory wipe; Aurors do that all the time to Muggles and stuff," she told her. "You had Gilderoy Lockhart for a teacher?" she stared at Harry skeptically.
"Yeah, and a right lousy one at that. He erased the memories of all those people that did all those things and took credit for their work just so his books would sell better. When Ron and I found out he tried to erase our memories, but Ron's wand was broken so it backfired and hit him instead," Harry explained.
"I knew it! I read his books and I just knew he couldn't have done all that stuff! My friend, Tatem, called me a nutcase cuz she's in love with him. Heh I can't wait to tell her this," Jordan clapped her hands together in glee and smiled maliciously.
Hermione and Ron joined them at the table and their plates instantly filled with food.
"Morning. I hear the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is here today," she greeted and then she frowned when she noticed Jordan's appearance. "What on earth? Were you out there in the rain?"
Jordan nodded. "Since five, but it wasn't raining then. I always like to take jogs in the morning. I used to do it all the time at home and the area around Hogwarts looks a lot like our land. I think I'll like it here."
"In the words of my mum, 'you'll catch your death out there,'" Ron gibed. "Harry I was thinking that while all the slayers trained we could get Aidan to train you and me. I know we can't actually train with the slayers cuz they'd probably accidentally kill us. Can't let the girls have all the fun now can we?"
Ron, of course, didn't care about learning to fight as much as watching the slayers train, or more specifically one slayer train in spandex. He had some rather pleasant dreams of Hermione in her blue training outfit last night.
Harry scratched his chin thoughtfully. There were so many things he wanted to accomplish before school started back up, which was in less than two months. He still had to ask McGonagall if he could be let back onto the Quidditch team, figure out the situation with his Occlumency lessons, and he also wanted to research a bit more on Wiccan magic and bringing people back from the dead. He was nowhere near the point of having enough courage to ask Willow about it.
"How about this evening we do it? I'll talk to Buffy. Don't worry, she's used to having to train with people who lack the super strength and all that. But I can help train you guys," Dawn suggested.
"I'm in," Harry said instantly picturing Dawn in a training suit.
He caught Jordan's eyes which were gleaming with mirth and she didn't even try to mask the smirk on her face. She pantomimed firing an arrow from a longbow directed at Dawn and winked. Harry's face soon rivaled that of Ron's when he was embarrassed. Luckily everyone's attention was turned to Dumbledore who had just entered the hall flanked by a weary-looking young woman.
"Who's that?" Dawn asked.
"Must be the new DADA professor," Ron replied.
The two adults came directly to their table. The frail woman hugged herself as she walked towards the teens. It was plain to see she was more than a little nervous.
"Good Morning Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Summers, Miss Granger, and Miss Firewell. I would like for you to meet your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Pennison," he smiled and nudged the woman forward.
Hermione smiled warmly at her seeing that this new teacher of theirs was a bit on the shy side. Professor Pennison's whole body wreaked of tension and anxiety it seemed to the clever Gryffindor that she might have a panic attack at any moment. I do hope this is only first day nervousness. The Slytherins would eat the poor lady alive.
"Hello, I'm Hermione. This is Ron and Harry, although I'm quite sure you know who he is already. That's Dawn and Jordan from the U.S.A. Ron's sister, Ginny, and Jordan's brother, Aidan, are here too, but they're still in the dorms," Hermione said to her.
"Hello. It's nice to meet you all," Professor Pennison said quietly.
Am I going crazy or is she purposely trying not to look at Jordan? Hermione noticed that whenever the woman's gaze would turn towards where Jordan sat she would instantly divert her eyes or look past the girl. Her slayer eyes seemed to catch every little insignificant detail now and Hermione was already very detail-oriented. Her thoughts were interrupted by Buffy's cheery greeting.
"Hey guys. Hermione you all ready for another fun-filled day of stabbing, punching, kicking, and.....?" Buffy and Faith had just entered the dining hall for breakfast and walked over to say good morning. They hadn't noticed that Dumbledore had a newcomer with him.
Professor Pennison's face switched from anxious to confused and she looked at Professor Dumbledore for answers.
"I told you I would have it all explained. Melissa, this is Buffy Summers and Faith. They are the Slayers," he replied.
Pennison's eyes widened considerably. "Slayers? As in Vampire Slayers?"
"Yep, only we don't just slay vamps right B? We just laid the smackdown supreme on one of the biggest bads of them all, which is why there's more than just us two now," Faith said.
"More than just the two of you? Are you saying there are more slayers now?" Pennison asked.
"Yeah, it's a long story. We shoulda just tape-recorded the first explanation cuz it's getting kinda irritating to tell it over and over," Buffy sighed in resignation.
"Well, I'll just let you take the reigns B cuz you're way better at explaining than me. I'll get the girls rounded up. Coming Hermione?" Faith tapped Hermione's shoulder.
"I suppose," Hermione replied reluctantly. It wasn't that she didn't like training, but she still was very unsure of herself and her abilities.
"Um, Faith? May I come too? I've got pretty much nothing else to do and I thought it might be interesting to see more slayers fight," Ron asked hopefully.
Harry and Dawn rolled their eyes. Jordan was shaking with silent laughter. Faith crossed her arms and her eyes darted from the tall redhead to Buffy who just shrugged.
The dark-haired slayer grinned. "Sure kid, but if you get kicked in the balls or thrown out a window cuz they think you've been staring at their asses don't blame me. You watch at your own risk."
Ron gulped and the tips of his ears reddened, but he followed the two slayers nonetheless. Harry had a slight desire to follow, but the memory of his dream quelled it. He had more important things to do today.
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"Hey girls, this is Ron Weasley. He's goin to watch us do our stuff today and go easy on him if his eyes linger cuz he's a guy, you know," Faith announced to the group of slayers.
A lot of them giggled and whispered to each other as they looked towards the handsome redhead. Hermione felt flame of jealousy, but quickly doused it when she realized she couldn't blame them. Ron had really become quite the looker.
"Oh thank God. I thought I was going to be the only guy in here," Xander said as he sat down the numerous sparring weapons and came over to sit by Ron.
"What are you doing in here?" Ron asked.
"Nothing much else to do. Will and I are leaving tomorrow with Giles to go find more slayers. Giles would be in here since he is an official watcher and all, but he's in LA at Wolfram and Hart going over watcher stuff with Wesley. He's going to be joining us. It's really weird seeing Wes all non-Wesley or at least the way I remember him," Xander said thoughtfully not noticing that Ron had no idea what he was talking about.
Ron just nodded politely and then he noticed that Xander had an eye patch. He had noticed it before it just never crossed his mind at the moment to ask about it.
"What happened to your eye?" the young wizard asked.
"Well, a psycho-preacher dude who was an agent of the First stuck his thumb in it and when I mean stuck it I really mean stuck it. So now I'm basically a cyclops," Xander replied casually.
"Oh, um that Caleb bloke. Jordan told us about him. She called him the First's Bitch," Ron said.
"Pretty much," Xander nodded in agreement.
Silence followed on the two males's part as they watched the slayers train. Faith mostly worked with Hermione since the other girls had been training for a while and knew the drill. Ron didn't even notice any of the other girls because his eyes were completely fastened to his best friend as she performed complicated, but extremely graceful moves. She looked especially pretty with her thick, curly, brown hair pulled up into a messy ponytail while strands that had come loose spilled over her face and brushed against her eyes. Hermione kept brushing them away to no avail. Ron was fighting the urge to walk over and brush them away himself.
"She your girlfriend?" Xander asked when it came to his attention that this teenage boy had not bothered to give all the other scantily-clad girls a stare.
"What? Oh no, she's just my friend," Ron said quickly wishing very much that it was otherwise.
"Okay, but you do know that the way you were staring at her was anything but the normal friendly way?" Xander said.
Ron would have retorted, but he couldn't think of anything to say mostly because his thoughts revolved around Hermione. Was he really that obvious? And if he was how come Hermione didn't say anything? She tended to notice everything.
"Does she know how you feel?" Xander asked.
"No, or I don't think so. She's really smart," Ron looked at Hermione again wistfully.
"Then why don't you just tell her?" Xander inquired.
"Cuz she's my friend and what if she doesn't feel the same way? What if it ruins our friendship? What if she still likes Krum?" Ron rambled on and on with excuses until Xander put a hand on his shoulder.
He sighed and Ron detected faint sadness behind it. "Listen Ron, I'm gonna give you some good advice. If you really feel about her the way don't waste any time. Believe me, I had a chance to marry the most wonderful and unique woman I ever knew, but I chickened out. Now I'll never get the chance to marry her like I wanted."
"Why not?" Ron asked.
"She was killed in that battle at the Hellmouth. She died saving someone else's life so she died a hero, but it doesn't change the fact that she's gone. And now I'm left here grieving what could have been, but never will be. It's...the worst pain I've ever felt. But what hurts most is thinking that maybe if we had gotten married things would have been different, like she would be alive right now somehow. It's awful man and I'd hate to see someone else go through it. God knows I've seen enough of it to last me like three lifetimes. I didn't seize the moment man and now I'm paying the price. So don't make the same mistake I did," Xander's eye started to tear up a bit so he wiped it with his sleeve.
Ron didn't reply, but looked down at his lap as he pondered over Xander's words. Then he looked up with a look of determination in his face.
"You're right. I'm going to talk to her at lunch," he said to Xander.
Xander clapped the boy on the back and smiled. "Good man." He sat back and put his hands behind his head. "Well, my good deed is done for the day."
Buffy arrived about an hour after the slayers had started their training and soon Faith called for a lunch break. This was Ron's cue to approach Hermione, but his feet suddenly became nailed to the floor and he stayed right where he was. A lot of the girls filed out of the room chattering away and following Buffy and Faith to the dining hall. Hermione was talking to two other girls in a corner. Xander saw that the boy was getting cold feet so he hoisted Ron to his feet and nudged him towards the girls' direction with encouraging words.
"Seize the moment."
Ron repeated that over and over in his mind as he walked towards the three girls. Hermione noticed him and smiled as she beckoned him over.
"Ron, this is Vi and Rona," she gestured to the pale redhead and the black girl.
"Erm...hello," he croaked in reply finding his voice had temporarily deserted him and left him to his own devices.
"Hey. So you're a wizard? How's that working our for ya?" the black girl, Rona, asked.
"Er...alright I guess," he said uncertainly.
Vi, however, seemed to notice that the boy came over for Hermione and Hermione only so she grabbed Rona's arm and led her towards the doorway.
"We'll see you later Hermione. Nice meetin ya Ron," she said over her shoulder.
"So I presume you enjoyed the training session?" Hermione asked with her eyebrows raised ever so slightly.
"Hm?" was Ron's response and then he shook his head. "Oh, yes you were incredible."
Hermione's face reddened at that. She had felt his presence the entire time and it gave a good explanation for numerous shivers that invaded her spine and the goosebumps that had popped up everywhere.
"Thanks. To lunch then?" she asked.
"Uh....I actually wanted to talk to you. Alone," he said nervously.
Hermione's brown eyes widened as a dozen theories zinged through her mind. "What for?"
"Not here. How about we go to the Common Room? I'm not really that hungry," he laughed nervously.
"Alright," she said breathlessly.
They quickly walked to the Common Room and when they entered both were equally disappointed to hear laughter coming from it. They found Aidan and Ginny sitting on the couch. Ginny was doubled over in laughter and Aidan was also laughing quite a bit.
"And she wouldn't come to another class until they were finished the unit on flobberworms. I don't care for them too much myself, only it's because to me they're really boring. I'd much rather study dragons, but the professor said they were too dangerous," Aidan told her.
"My brother Charlie works with dragons in Romania. He's always been fascinated with them," Ginny replied after she finally stopped laughing.
"Gin? Aidan? Why aren't you guys at lunch?" Ron asked irritably.
"Oh hi! Aidan and I have been talking all morning. Is it lunchtime already?" Ginny turned to look at the grandfather clock in the room and sure enough the big hand pointed to the word lunch.
"Gee time flies. I should probably see if Jordan managed to survive another Transfiguration class," Aidan stretched as he stood up.
"Yeah and I am a bit hungry," Ginny said.
"Yes, you should go and eat lunch. What would Mum think if I let you go without lunch?" Ron came forward and pushed his sister towards the entrance.
"Alright Ron I'm going. Don't be so pushy!" she retorted.
After Ginny and Aidan left Hermione smiled at Ron.
"They seemed rather chummy," she remarked.
Ron frowned. "Were they flirting?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly Ron! Ginny's fifteen and she's already going with Dean anyway."
Ron scowled at the mention of his sister's boyfriend's name. It wasn't that he didn't like Dean it was more the fact that he was sort of obligated to dislike any boy that dated his sister. But Ginny's love life was not the thing he wanted to discuss with Hermione at the moment.
"Erm...Hermione I've been thinking a lot lately," Ron began while pacing in front of the couch where Hermione sat.
"About?" she asked.
"Well, we've been friends ever since school began," he said.
"I wouldn't go so far as that. We didn't actually become friends until later in our first year," Hermione recalled.
"Well, if you want to get technical," Ron said slightly annoyed that she brought that up.
"I'm sorry. Go on," she encouraged.
"Oh bloody hell here it comes," he muttered running his hands through his hair and he turned to Hermione (and he was grateful that she didn't scold him for swearing). "I think...no, I know...I'm falling in love with you."
He said it so fast that Hermione wasn't quite sure she heard all of it. But she could have sword Ron had just told her he was in love with her.
"Come again?" she whispered just loud enough for Ron to hear not trusting her voice entirely.
Ron repeated it again only more slower and more confidently. "I love you. As more than just a friend Hermione."
Her heart palpitated and she closed her eyes to hide the tears of joy that were about to fall. This couldn't be happening. This was much too good to be true.
Ron sat down beside her and put his arm around her.
"It's alright if you don't feel the same way. I just needed to tell you," he said softly.
Hermione sniffed and looked at him through wet eyes. "Oh Ron! You're such an idiot!" she laughed and pulled him forward to kiss him.
This maneuver was so completely unexpected; so unlike the Hermione he knew that he actually pulled away. He then slapped himself in the forehead for doing it.
"So, you do feel the same way?" he asked hopefully.
"Of course. I love you Ron," she said her eyes shining with joy.
"What about Krum?" he asked.
"Who? Oh Victor, well we were never more than just friends Ron. He may have wanted more, but my heart belonged to someone else," she put her hand to his cheek and smiled contentedly.
"Oh. So do I have to fight with him for your affections too?" Ron joked.
"I think you just might have to. But not right now," she said slyly before pulling him forward to kiss him again.
They never went to lunch.
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Before you get any ideas know that Hermione is much too sensible to go further than making out just yet. Ron, I'm not so sure lol. They just make out! I feel I should say that before I get flamed for it. I'm not sure on how my writing on this sort of stuff is. So forgive me if it's not that great.