Harry flopped down into the squishy armchair across from Hermione's study area in the Gryffindor common room. He sighed heavily, watching her. She ignored him. He sighed again. She barely glanced his way.

"Mione…" Harry's voice had managed to perfect its tones of whininess.

"What? Harry – I have a paper due tomorrow for runes! What!" Hermione snapped, causing him to sit up frightened in his chair.

"I have a problem."

"So do we all. What, Harry?"

"I'm in love."

"Oh my god! Just ask her out already – girls hate whiny idiots that can't muster up the courage to ask them out when it's so obvious that you like them." Her gaze was fixed on Ron, who was snoring in front of the fire.

Harry leaned forward and grinned at her, "Or, you could ask him." She glared at him, releasing an indignant "Hmph!"

"Whatever – it's not Cho."

Hermione's insanely fast scribbling came to a screeching halt, leaving a thick black line of ink running down the centre of her parchment. "Shit – look what you made me do! Now, what? Have you been drinking?"

Harry peered at her. "You didn't hear Peeves?"

"Like I have time to listen to Peeves!" She poked her parchment with her wand, erasing the line perfectly.

"Oh, well… It's you, Hermione. I love you. I haven't had the courage to tell you, but I've been meaning to tell you for a while now." Harry smiled warmly at her, his eyes sparkling with the firelight.

Her eyes became as wide as saucers as she again came to a stop though this time her quill left a large ink blob as she had forgotten to lift it from her paper. "Harry… Oh, I can't believe… How can we…" Her voice trailed in and out, leaving Harry almost unable to stifle his laughter. "Harry – I… Wait, you're kidding, right?"

"No, Mione!" He rolled over in the chair, his laughter absorbed by the foam in his chair.

"Harry!" She chucked her Arithmancy text at him, hitting him in the shoulder. Still laughing, Harry tossed the book toward the still snoring Ron, who woke with a, "But Mum, I can't eat more potatoes!" causing Harry to fall off his chair in another fit of laughter.

"Grow up!" Hermione, furiously red at this point, packed her things and ran up to the girls' dorm, of course not before screaming, "I hate you both!"

---

"Hermione!" Marietta stood in front of the now confused bushy-haired girl, who was trying to pass.

"Marietta?" Marietta's face burned red with some emotion Hermione could not discern.

"Do you…" Marietta stood, tongue tied.

"What? Make it quick. I'll be late for class." Yet still she stood, fuming.

"Do you like Harry?" Marietta finally blurted out.

"What? What's that mean?" Hermione was more bewildered than ever. Her face now burned red too – for a different reason from Marietta's, however.

"Well, it doesn't matter. Just turn your eyes to someone else, because I – I mean, Cho – likes him. A lot." Marietta turned on her heel and left in a huff. Harry walked up from behind Hermione.

"What's going on? You okay, Mione?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She began to stalk off, but turned. "You know, if you like that Edgecomb girl, it's fine with me. Just don't sic her on me." Her eyes filled with tears. She then continued her angry walk, not turning around to look at Harry.

"Hermione!" Harry ran after her, catching her wrist. She tried to shake his grip, but he held firm.

"Let go of me!" She said struggling. Suddenly, Harry pulled her to him and held her close.

"I'm sorry, Hermione… I do like her… But I don't want whatever happens to drive us apart."

"Then don't let it," she cried quietly into Harry's chest.

Little did they know, but poor Marietta was watching, just out of hearing range.

---

Marietta trudged to her house's study period, and, as per usual, she arrived late. ("Five points from Ravenclaw, Miss Edgecomb.") Cho and Padma noticed the look on her face, and demanded she tell them what happened.

"I can't… I can't tell you, Cho."

"Marietta! I'm your best friend – you can tell me anything!" Cho tried to decode the look on Marietta's face, but she kept her head turned to prevent Cho from seeing the pain in her eyes.

"If you can't tell Cho, then tell me." Padma smiled sweetly, almost pleadingly, at Marietta.

"It's nothing. Really." Marietta managed a smile, and once Cho went back to her work, she scribbled, "Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are going out" on a piece of paper and slid it toward Padma, who read it and gasped, "I knew it!"

Cho looked up, "What?"

"Oh, goblins killed the Bloody Baron's great uncle."

"How is that important?"

"I don't know." Padma shook her head, the Bloody Baron has relatives? What was I thinking? Whatever – this is too good! I have to tell Paro! She ran off to "use the lavatory" and found Parvati who was sitting with Lavender in front of the entrance to the kitchens.

"You will not believe this! Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are going out!" Padma squealed excitedly.

"What? But doesn't she like Ron Weasley?"

"I guess not – Marietta Edgecomb told me. She said that she saw them cuddling in the hallway."

"Then what was Peeves saying yesterday? About Harry and Marietta?"

"God knows what goes on in Peeves' head but still. This is huge!"

"I know! Ohhh, I have to tell Seamus!" Lavender stood up, bubbling over with excitement. She ran off, leaving the twins giggling as Dobby handed them each a bottle of butterbeer, pondering what he had just heard.