The reality soap opera picked up mid-March. Ron had maintained his low-key status, as did Hermione. Letters came everyday for Hermione, and it was evident in Ron's expression that he knew who had sent them. One day, however, Ron received his own letter.

"Who's it from?" James asked. He was trying to get closer to Kit, much to her dismay, and Ron was one of the people he was using to get to her.

Ron was quiet for a moment before he looked up at his friends.

"Who?" Harry asked urgently.

"The Ministry," he replied simply.

Silence fell on the group.

"Why?" Kit asked after a moment.

"I can take the test on the weekend."

"What test?" Adrien asked over her eggs.

"Apparation."

Another silence fell on the friends as Ron went back to his breakfast. Harry glanced at Kit, who gave him a look full of mischief.

"When is your birthday?" Kit asked innocently.

"The twenty-second," Ron answered, not looking up.

"Isn't that this Sunday?" James asked, directing the question to Kit.

"Yes," Ron said distractedly, standing up. "Are you coming to Divination?"

"Yeah," Harry said, picking up his bag. "See you in Potions," he added to Kit, squeezing her hand as he left the table.

The two boys walked in silence together, leading towards the North Tower.

"We're doing bird entrails now," Ron said at last. "And now that you're here, it'll be your death that she –"

"She's not going to marry him," Harry whispered, causing Ron to stop in his tracks.

"What?"

"You heard me," Harry said, soft enough so that his voice would not carry down the corridor.

"She told you?"

Harry looked at Ron with something like pity in his eyes. "You two are both in love."

"But Krum –?"

"Doesn't have a chance with her as long as you're alive."

"But the prophesy –?"

"Must be a dud."

"That doesn't make any sense," Ron said, a look of confusion on his freckled face. "Prophesies don't lie."

Harry was silent for a moment pondering this.

"Maybe," he began slowly, "Hermione is Krum's true love, but Krum –"

"Isn't hers," Ron finished.

"Exactly."

"Then I really do have a chance with her," Ron whispered, continuing to class, lost in his thoughts.

The next week passed in a blur of party planning and homework. Kit and Harry had taken it upon themselves to plan Ron's seventeenth birthday party. It was a shock when Hermione asked the morning before his birthday if she could help with anything.

"Well, I have to sneak into Hogsmeade to get his present," Harry told her, "and if you wanted to come and –"

"Sure," she said, smiling at him.

"Good," he said, finishing off his toast. "We'll go tonight during dinner."

Hermione nodded as Ron came over to grab some toast.

"I'll meet you in class," Hermione said after a couple moments of uncomfortable silence.

"Okay," Kit replied. "See you in a few."

Hermione waved as she left the Great Hall. Ron stared after her, and only rejoined the conversation when Harry said his name.

"What?"

Kit sighed exasperatedly. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"Oh. I don't know."

"Come on," Harry said, getting up, "you must want something."

Ron shrugged. "Save me a seat in Charms, will you?"

"Sure," Kit said, taking Harry's hand.

Harry waved as Kit dragged him out of the hall. As soon as the couple had disappeared, another flock of owls flew into the hall. One barn owl, looking confused, landed in front of Ron.

"Who're you after?" he asked the owl, looking at the letter. It was addressed to Hermione, and Ron recognized the writing immediately. "I'll take it for her," he told the owl, offering it his bacon rinds as he left the hall, ripping open the letter as he went.

Harry and Kit were sitting near the fire of the Gryffindor Common Room when Ron walked through the Portrait hole. He was holding a piece of parchment and looked mildly surprised.

"How did it go?" Harry asked as Ron dropped onto the couch next to them.

"Okay, I guess," he replied, shrugging.

Kit snatched the piece of parchment from his hand. While her eyes quickly travelled down the paper, her expression lit up.

"Congratulations!" she cried, flinging her arms around his neck, hugging him. "That's brilliant! And you worked so hard! You totally deserve it!"

"Good on you, mate," Harry said, patting him on the shoulder, beaming.

"Yeah, thanks," Ron said, finally smiling himself. "No more time alone in Number Four this summer!"

They all laughed, drawing the attention of Hermione, who was working on the far side of the room. Slowly, she came over to the other couch where the other three were celebrating.

"What happened?" she asked, smiling slightly.

"Ronny passed his apparation test!" Harry said.

"Oh!" she said, her smile growing wider. "Congratulations, Ron!"

"Thanks," he said, smiling at her.

"We'll go nick some food," Kit said, pulling Harry out of the common room.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked as Kit pulled him higher up into the castle, well away from the kitchens.

"Taking you away," she panted, pulling open a classroom door and pushing him inside.

"But Ron and Herm–"

"Are smiling, happy, and hopefully talking," Kit finished, locking the door and kicking off her shoes.

"Then why are we –?"

"Here? Because it's been a while since we've been alone."

"Oh, I see," Harry rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck.

"Harry Potter," she teased, backing him up into a desk, "what do you have in mind?"

"A lot of things," he breathed, running his hands up the back of her shirt, kissing up her neck.

"That makes two of us," she said, beginning to pull off his shirt.

"Aren't we going a little fast?" he asked as his shirt flew across the room, and Kit tackled his belt.

"Haven't we been here before?" she retorted, and Harry began unbuttoning her shirt as his pants fell to the floor.

"Up here," he said, flinging her shirt behind him and jumping up onto the desk. "I'm not doing anything on the floor."

"Neither am I," she said, flattening him to the table and kissing him passionately. She ground herself into him, causing him to gasp in pleasure, and he pushed up into her. A moan escaped her lips, and they moved together, their breathing becoming heavier, their moans becoming louder. Before long, Kit was at breaking point.

"Oh, Harry!" she shrieked, losing control.

Harry stopped moving abruptly.

"What are you doing?" she moaned helplessly.

"Listen," he whispered, covering her mouth with his hand.

Her eyes clouded with confusion and anger, but it quickly cleared when the sound of footsteps reached their ears. As her eyes widened, Harry pushed her off and summoned their clothes to them.

"Are we allowed to be out?" she asked in an urgent whisper, hastily buttoning her shirt.

Harry glanced at his watch, while trying to zip up his fly.

"Yeah," he whispered. "We have half an hour before we have to be back in common room."

"Good," she said, running to and back from the bookcase with a text in her hands. "Sit down and study."

Voices were now on the other side of the door. Casting a pleading glance at Kit, he flipped to a marked page and began explaining the topic.

"I'm sure I have a book about that in my office," McGonagall was saying, turning the handle of the door.

"See, werewolves have these certain traits, so when you see a werewolf next to a real wolf, the differences become –"

"Oh, Mr. Potter, Miss Ravencraft," McGonagall said, entering the room with Remus behind him.

"Professor McGonagall, Professor Lupin," Kit said, nodding at them. "We were just clarifying something for the test tomorrow."

"And you didn't want to do it – er – study in the Gryffindor common room?" Remus asked, eyeing Kit's tousled hair.

"It's a little too crowded in there at the moment," Harry explained.

"I see," McGonagall said suspiciously, pulling a book of her own off the shelf. "And what are you looking up?"

"A different view on werewolves," Kit said hastily.

"But –" Remus began.

"A different angle to look at them," Harry followed up.

"I see," McGonagall said again, still eyeing them shrewdly. "Well, just remember your curfew. Remus?"

"I just need a word with Harry."

As McGonagall closed the door behind her, Remus turned to the blushing couple.

"Look closer at the map next time you want to get away. I won't cover your arses next time."

Harry and Kit nodded, too embarrassed to say anything.

As Remus closed the door behind him, Kit's head hit the desk.

"That was so embarrassing," she moaned.

"I know," Harry sighed, shutting the book with a snap, "but we don't have much time now."

"For what?" Kit asked as Harry held the door open for her.

"You know," he said exasperatedly as they exited the classroom.

"Oh," she breathed, quickening her pace. "Do you think Hermione will have –?"

"We can count on her," Harry grinned, kissing her on the cheek as they went their separate ways.