Hello everyone! I am at my friend's house writing this b/c my stupid brother keeps telling my parents that everything I do on the computer gives it viruses! But nothing could keep me from continuing my fanfics! So let's let the creative juices flow!

Lily Crane

Chapter 4: Surprised?

Journal

September 14th

Hermione Granger

I woke up this morning the same way I usually wake up. I was in my bed in my pajamas. I looked around. This was definitely still my dorm. I changed into my robes. I headed down to breakfast. The Common Room looked the same. I climbed through the Portrait Hole. I looked behind me. Yep, still the Fat Lady. I decided to just go down to breakfast and stop worrying about what Professor Dumbledore was going to do. I sat with Harry and Ron as usual. We talked for while as we ate. Eventually we noticed that all conversation had stopped. We glanced around the Great Hall sheepishly.

"Thank you for including us in your conversation about Potions class," Dumbledore said. "Now as I was going to say, Hogwarts is to soon hold a dance." Cheers went up from every table. "But wait, my dear students, you do not know the catch!" The cheers ended. People gazed at Professor Dumbledore sadly. A catch? WHY? "You must ask someone whose name begins with the same letter as yours, first preferably. If not, then last. You cannot attend the dance without your date having the same letter as you. If there are a few left out, we will invite someone of the opposite sex from another Wizarding School. You have a fortnight to find your date and outfits. The attire should be formal. Thank you."

As he stepped down and walked out of the Great Hall, he winked at me. I knew what I had to do. I just wasn't ready. How could I be? I mean, I know who I would ask if I went. I ran up to Professor Dumbledore's office. I uttered the password. The stone gargoyle moved aside so that I could hop onto the moving staircase. When I reached the top of the stairs, I knocked on Professor Dumbledore's office door.

"I know you're in there, sir!" I yelled. I added the "sir" so I wouldn't be disrespecting the headmaster. "Please let me in! It's important!"

"Come in, Miss Granger. By all means, sit down," Dumbledore acted as though he hadn't done anything strange at breakfast.

"I will sit down when I am damn wellready!" I yelled, my temper growing. "What was that Professor? I mean a dance is nothing! HE will only ask me because our names start with the same letter! He won't ask me because he likes me, which incidentally, I have no clue whether he does or not!"

"Miss Granger, if you do not lower your voice, I am afraid I will have to ask you to leave." I calmed slightly. Only enough so that I wouldn't yell. I was still angry. "Now then, if you play your cards right at this dance, which you by all means will attend with Mr. Potter, you might find that what was once just friendship has grown to something more. For both of you."

"Is attendance mandatory?" I asked. Maybe I just wouldn't go.

"Considering that I set this dance up solely for YOU, I would believe that you will come. I shall send out an announcement stating that attendance is mandatory for everyone. Now then, go out and enjoy your weekend, Miss Granger."

That was an interesting conversation. I can't believe that I have to come to this stupid dance. With Harry, no less. I didn't quite imagine the time for him to tell me that he loved me being at some silly dance. Oh well, I figure since I have to come, I will just wait to be asked. Well, you can't honestly expect me to ask him. Anyway, here are some interesting quotes from Muggle books and things my Muggle friends have said before.

"Come back when you have something important to say. For now, shut up."

"She had brown hair and eyes." ((Oh my God! She had eyes! Ok, got that outta my system.))

" He pulled her close in a loving embrace. Just as he was about to kiss her, she tried to say something. ' I- I', she started. 'You what?' he asked her. 'I- am' Once again she couldn't finish her sentence. He told her that he was completely in love with her. And as she couldn't turn away, she sneezed in his face." ((Nothing sets the mood like a sneeze in the face.))

Journal

September 16th

Harry Potter

Hello, journal. I have returned. I am completely stressed. Dumbledore must have been on the wonky cloud the other day. He told us that we are going to have a dance, and we have to invite someone whose name starts with the same letter as ours. I would have invited Hermione anyway. But now that I have the perfect reason to invite her, other than thinking she is perfect, I am nervous. I decided to ask Ron.

"Ron?" I said. "Can I ask for some help with something?"

"Why don't you ask Dumbledore?" he said when I explained the problem.

"What's he gonna do? Give me some kind of potion that will give me the courage to ask her?"

"Just ask him."

Ron is so helpful. I figured I should go ask Dumbledore for help. I hurriedly went through the Common Room and out the Portrait Hole. I ran to the stone gargoyle. I was in a hurry so I ran up the stairs too. When I reached his office, he told me to come in before I even knocked. He was sitting behind his desk, staring at me over half-moon spectacles. He gestured to a chair and I sat.

"Professor, I need your help."

"Indeed. You truly do," he said. I normally would have gone to Sirius but since he's dead now, it's kinda of um… I don't know… Impossible. "Did Mr. Weasley tell you to come?"

"Yes sir. He said that you could help." I feel a little strange asking him for help with girls. "It's about…"

"I already know what it's about. But how do you think I can help?"

"Well, sir, you could give me advice?" Harry knew that this was awkward but he desperately wanted help.

"Ron has been told to help you. Just as….", Professor Dumbledore caught himself before he could finish. "Anyway, just walk around the lake with her near sunset. Go to the Eastern Shore. Watch the sunset. Tell her that you would really like it if she would go to the dance with you."

"But what if she just says yes because our names start with the same letter?", I asked. "What if she doesn't really like me? What do I do? Because I like her more than I have ever liked anyone else, Professor."

"Ask her if she'll join you for dinner some time," he said. "If she says yes, come and let me know. I know the perfect place."

"Thank you Professor," I said. I wanted to hug him but that would be awkward. So I left his office. I went back to my dorm. I told Ron about what Dumbledore said. He told me to lay a rose on my bed. "What for?"

"So that when she says yes, you can summon it at give it to her," he says it as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"I think I'll carry one in my cloak instead," I said.

After I finished my conversation with Ron, I look for Hermione. I find her in the library. I ask her if she would join me for a walk around the grounds. She says that it would be fun and we walk towards the front of the school.

Journal

September 16th

Neville Longbottom

I am writing this from the window in our dorm that overlooks the grounds. I am watching Harry and Hermione. They are walking around the lake. He stops, she stops. He says something and rubs the back of his neck. She thinks about what he says. He shifts back and forth from one foot to the other. He OBVIOUSLY just asked her to the dance. She says something back. They walk again. There is a little more spring in each of their steps. Hermione is just ecstatic. You can tell by looking that she is about to burst with joy! She is holding something. I can't tell what from here. They both look kinda relieved that they got that out of the way. It took guts to ask her. I am probably going with A girl named Natascha Addams ((hehehe)) as friends. She knows I'm into blokes. We are going to go just to have fun. Besides, I heard that attendance is mandatory. I would ask Draco but then I'd be picked on even more. Draco isn't into blokes from what I've heard. Well, he could be into both. That would be ok. At least then I'd have a chance with him. Wait, are students allowed to ask teachers to dances? If we are, watch out Professor Allensburg.

We'd be married in the spring. One of us would wear a white tux, the other a black. Hermione would be Maid of Honor. And Luna and Ginny could be the other bridesmaids. They would be wearing pale yellow. Draco could have anyone he wanted for Best Man. We would go on a honeymoon to France. We would be married a long time and use or sperm to impregnate women artificially so we could have kids. Well, a guy can dream. Anyway, back to Hermione and Harry. Ron and I are supposed to help them realize that they both like each other. So far I'd say we're doing pretty good. I am happy for them. Now when they have dates, I can help Hermione pick her outfits and do her makeup and hair. She will be fabulous! Ok I'm better now. I think I will wear a black suit with a pink tie to the dance. I'm trying to decide what color shirt to wear. I have the best idea for Hermione's dress. She would be wearing pale blue. Her hair would be up and she would let her naturally curly brown hair curl instead of straightening it. Her corsage, I will tell Ron this, needs to be light blue or white. This is just like American Muggle "proms" according to Jennifer. The talk of the school is mainly of who's going with who. I'm glad I have a date. I would hate to be one of the people who didn't. Well, I don't know. It would depend on whom they brought from a different school. But it's good to know what your date looks like before hand. Well, I'd better go. The sun has set and I hear Hermione. Gotta go congratulate her.

Neville

Journal

September 19th

Draco Malfoy

I don't have much time to write this. I told Dominique I would mmet her for dinner in the Great Hall. We are going to sit away from everyone else. And then I am going to walk around the lake with her. I really wish my parents had named me something that starts with an "H". But it's no use anyway. Hermione is going to the dance with Potter. Oh well. I really wish I was going with her. But no, Potter gets her and I get Dominique. Dominique is pretty but she's about as smart as the troll that Professor Quirrel let in during our first year. Well, can't be too picky. I think someone around this castle likes me a lot. I keep getting notes from someone. The scary part is that it's a guy's handwriting. I am weird but not that weird. I hate to disappoint whoever it is though. I wish I could make it up to him without leading him on. I hate it when people do that. I also hate fakeness. That's one reason I dislike Potter. He is arrogant but when you stop and think about it, he was just lucky his friends were there all those times to stop him. I wish Hermione would notice me. I try to talk more in class and answer questions so she'll notice that I'm trying. But she seems to just ignore me. Maybe she thinks I'm a showoff.

I am worried that Potter doesn't really like her. Hermione doesn't deserve to have her heart broken. But wait! Oh great idea! If Potter breaks her heart, I can ask her out while she is sad to "cheer her up". Yeah, that's what I'll say. Maybe if I make the Unbreakable Vow to be on their side she will realize that I have changed. I don't know. These thoughts are not new to me but they never stop being stressful. I need to just think for a while.

Draco

Thnx for the reviews for both my fanfics! I am touched! Anyway, I usually don't write stories where people fall in love and all so I'm not used to this... Anyway, these stories come from the fa rcorner of my personality. The side most people will never see. Everyone has a romantic side. I didn't want this story to be awkward so I used a little humor. And dialogue... Dialogue is good! Also, if I shift tense a lot, I'm sorry. people are either writing what's going on right then or something that has already happened. It's confusing to write. Well, I'm goona go so I can think up the next chappie! This was my longest chappie so far! yay a pony!

Lily-Crane