SUMMARY: "I think it had happened the very second I laid eyes on him... But, for once, my brain didn't immediately process the information into a logical explanation. At least, not for a few years. It took me around three years to figure out exactly what was wrong with me... but when I did, boy was it a shock." written pre-HBP

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing except the plot

Prologue:

I never meant to fall for him. Honestly. It kind of just... happened.

Really, I think it had happened the very second I laid eyes on him... But, for once, my brain didn't immediately process the information into a logical explanation...at least, not for a few years. It took me around three years to figure out exactly what was wrong with me... but when I did, boy was it a shock.

So I had been sitting behind him in class and instead of writing notes, I had been daydreaming. DAYDREAMING!

That should have been the first sign that something wasn't quite right with me. I mean, this is me we're talking about. For me not to pay attention was like... Professor McGonagall openly pranking the Slytherins or Dumbledore shaving his beard off.

It was possible, but most definitely not remotely probable... The sort of thing that would only happen in another dimension.

But, it's true. I did not listen to a single word Binns said that day... And the worst thing? Not only was I daydreaming instead of learning, but I was daydreaming about him. About one of my best friends, who I never would have thought could be anything more. That's right. I had been daydreaming about none other than Ronald Weasley.

When I first realized what I had been doing, I can honestly tell you my mind and body both short-circuited. Suddenly, I was sitting on the floor with no recollection on how I got there and a very sore behind. I was grateful this was History of Magic- not only did Binns himself not notice my little fall, but neither did anyone else. Everyone was either sleeping or too busy to notice.

As quietly as I could, I slid back into my seat. Lifting my eyes a bit from the amazingly interesting desk surface, I could see Ron had turned my way. Oh, goody. His eyes flashed with amusement and he smiled at me, lightly teasing yet good-natured. Suddenly, I could feel my face heating up.

Wait a second.

Was I blushing? No...no way.. I was.. it was... of course! It was because of the absolutely suffocating atmosphere in the room- I mean, come on, how could anyone possibly stay cool and comfortable in such a blisteringly hot room?

That's when it hit me. It wasn't me! It HAD to have been because I was so deathly warm and uncomfortable in that room. The heat was frying up my brain! It was the only explanation to why I hadn't been paying attention to anything but what was directly in front of me... which had just happened to be Ron's head. My mind was just playing tricks on me... that had to be the reason! Relieved, I silently cursed the stifling heat of the room for confusing me so and smiled back at Ron. He turned back around and I saw him lean over his desk a bit...almost as if he were ...writing notes!

THAT is when the little alarm in my head went crazy, when I realized RONALD WEASLEY was listening to Binns and I wasn't. It was like some weird, alternate reality where everything was backwards. I knew something was very, very, very wrong if HE was able to pay attention and I wasn't. Maybe something had happened to my head when I fell, I reasoned. I mean, come on, Ron didn't pay attention to Binns under even the best of conditions, why would he when the room felt so claustrophobically tight and stuffy?

It didn't really matter WHY he was, but really it was the mere fact that he was being a more responsible student and I just couldn't deal with that. So, I pushed myself into gear and attempted to take notes. It was no use. The moment I willed myself to pay attention, my eyes wandered and I began to daydream a bit again. It was just random little scenes in my head, but suddenly I realized something that was very important...

It was December.

Meaning... the room was not warm at all. In fact, not one person was without some kind of jacket, including myself.

That was very, very bad. It was then I knew something was very, very wrong with me, I just didn't know what it was. My eyes scanned the room, then stopped when the reached Ron. My heart skipped a beat. Uh Oh. Not a good sign. I began to stare again, drifting away into some kind of stupor, with my head rested on my hand. I watched as he took notes and ran his fingers through his hair. My own suddenly itched to do the same.

This was not something one best friend felt for the other... and neither were the butterflies I had suddenly noticed in my stomach.

Now, my mind being the logical thing it is, began to wonder why the boy I had known for three years was suddenly making my stomach all a-flutter. The answer was not one I had been expecting.

I finally figured out what was wrong with me, why everything was so messed up inside my head all of a sudden. It took a few moments, but my brain finally finished what it had been chewing on for the past three years and spit out an answer:

I fancied him.

And that was when I knew I had officially lost my mind.