Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Oh, well, there's not much to say about this chapter, maybe I could tell you that I like the end of it… I couldn't stop laughing while I wrote the last scene, okay, maybe it's not funny at all, but I liked it! Eh eh, anyway, enjoy the chapter!

To Halo of Darkness: Thanks a lot for all the work that you are doing, you are really quick and above all you are really nice. I appreciate it a lot, thanks again!

Friday

"I can't believe it," said Ginny angrily, sitting down next to Hermione and slamming her books on the Gryffindor table.

"Yeah, I know, my hair curled back tonight, but I don't really know-"

"Oh, yeah," said Ginny, looking at Hermione for the first time, "What a pity – but I wasn't talking about that," she said, helping herself to some scrambled eggs.

"No?"

"No, I was talking about Harry," she said, glaring at the eggs.

"What did he do?"

"He planned Quidditch training for tomorrow afternoon. I won't be able to go to Hogsmeade and I was planning a long visit to Honeydukes," she said, miserably.

"You are not coming to Hogsmeade tomorrow?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah, Ron, Harry and I are not coming. Don't you think that it's awful?" she asked Hermione.

Hermione suppressed a giggle. That was wonderful. None of her friends would have seen her with Crabbe. Well, if she would have been able to ask Crabbe on a date.

"Oh, yes," she said after a while, "Awful."

"Yeah, but Harry really wants to do that, I mean, he really likes to play Quidditch and I think he needs to do something he loves in these times with You-Know-Who on his track," said Ginny sighing.

"Yeah, you are right, and it's better if he doesn't come to Hogsmeade. After all, Hogwarts is safer for him," said Hermione, thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but I would have really wished that I could have gone. I also wanted to know what Malfoy would do with Luna."

"Don't worry, Ginny, I'll tell you everything," said Hermione, smiling.

"Thank you, Hermione, you are a real friend," she said, smiling back.

"Ginny! Ginny!" Luna hurried towards them, "Oh, hi, Hermione," she said when she saw her.

"Hi, Luna," said Hermione and Ginny in unison.

"Hermione, you will never guess who-"

"Malfoy?"

"How do you know?"

"I told her, Luna," said Ginny, grinning.

"Oh, well, I won't have to explain, then," Luna replied, smiling.

"Yeah," answered Hermione, "And how do you feel?"

"Actually, a little bit excited. That is very strange. I can't remember the last time that I've been really excited. Maybe when Harry asked me to go to Slughorn's Christmas party last year," she said, contemplatively.

"Excited?" asked Hermione, feebly. That was bad, very bad.

"Yes, pretty excited at the moment, but maybe tomorrow, my excitement will be out," she said, dreamily.

"I really hope so," muttered Hermione.

"What?"

"Nothing, I was thinking that you will surely have a great date tomorrow," said Hermione, quickly.

"Date? I don't know if I would call it a 'date.' It's just that we're going there together, but we won't be alone," said Luna, smiling.

"What? You won't be alone?" asked Hermione, suddenly interested.

"No, I asked a couple of friends if they wanted to come with us. Padma Patil, for example, is coming."

Hermione started to giggle, while Ginny looked at Luna as if she was from another planet.

"And I wanted to ask you, Ginny, too. What do you think?"

"Oh, Luna, I'm really sorry," she lied, "But I have a Quidditch practise tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, what about you, Hermione?"

Hermione choked at the pumpkin juice that she was sipping, "Well, I don't think that I'll be able to come – I mean, I will come but – well it's hard to explain -"

"Ok, I understand, you already have somebody to go with," said Luna.

"Precisely," she answered, smiling.

"Ok, never mind," said Luna shrugging her shoulders, " See you later, Ginny, Hermione."

"See you, Luna," said Ginny, then she turned towards Hermione, "Now, I'm pretty happy that I've Quidditch practise tomorrow. I don't think that Draco will be very happy to hang out with all the Ravenclaws that still attend this school, but Hermione that was a fat lie. You'll have to find somebody to go with to Hogsmeade, although Luna will understand that you said it just so you wouldn't have to go with her and Draco."

"Yeah," said Hermione, smiling, "I think that I will have to find somebody."

"Oh, well, I can ask if somebody wants to come with you and-"

"Thank you very much, Ginny, but I already have an idea about who I'll ask," said Hermione, still grinning.

"And?"

"And what?"

"And who is he?"

"Sorry, but that's private stuff," said Hermione, beaming.

"What? But I'm your best friend, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are."

"And then you should tell me," protested Ginny.

"Maybe one day I'll tell you," she said, sitting up. Ginny snorted. "See you later, Ginny," Hermione called, heading for the door.

"See you," said Ginny, following her with her eyes.

Hermione exited the Great Hall. She only had one day left before Hogsmeade. She had to ask Crabbe out that very day.

"Good morning, Miss. Head Girl," said a scornful voice, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts.

Hermione slowly turned her head towards the boy who spoke. "Malfoy," she said, lazily, "What an unpleasant surprise."

Draco stepped towards her. "That means that you already know about my little date with Miss. Lovegood, don't you?"

"Oh, yes, I know. But if I were you, I wouldn't call it 'little'," said Hermione. suppressing a smile.

"Yeah, you are right, it will be a great date – but never mind that, what about you? Are you going to Hogsmeade with someone in particular?" he asked, sneering.

"I will go with someone, don't worry about that. And we will be alone," she said stressing the word 'alone' in an unusual way.

Draco didn't notice, though. "When you think you are going to ask him?"

"Pretty soon, actually," she said, climbing down the stairs. Draco looked at her and shook his head. She would never succeed at inviting Crabbe; he was sure. Hermione, on the other hand, was confident that she would be going with Crabbe to Hogsmeade. She placed a hand in her pocket and touched the small sphere in it. Hermione had wrapped it accurately in lots of pieces of parchment; she didn't want to stink for the whole day.

When the Gryffindor reached the Slytherin Common Room, she hid behind the corner and was just in time to see Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Goyle and Crabbe exiting.

'Having breakfast at dawn has been really useful,' she thought, unwrapping the small sphere that she hid in her pocket. Being very carefully not to touch it, she threw the Dungbomb in their direction.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Blaise Zabini, with a hand over his face.

"What is it?" Pansy asked, taking a step back.

"A Dungbomb," Hermione replied, stepping in front of them, "Which are banished from this school." She was looking at them severely, exactly as Professor McGonagall would have done herself.

"Oh, well, we know that," answered Blaise, "It's not us who threw it."

"Really?" Hermione looked at them intently, "If I have to tell you the truth, I saw one of you throw it."

"You are lying," said Pansy, "Why would one of us have thrown it in here? There's nobody but Slytherins. No Gryffindors to bother," she added, smirking.

"I don't know why one of you should have thrown a Dungbomb here, but I'm Head Girl and I have to do something," she said, firmly.

"For example? Giving us detentions?" asked Blaise, laughing.

"Exactly."

"You can't," said Goyle, with something like fear in his voice.

"Try me." All the laughter faded away and the Slytherins looked at each other. "Not so brave without, Malfoy, are you?" Hermione asked.

"Stop it, Granger. You said that you saw who threw the Dungbomb, right?"

"Right."

"Then give him alone a detention."

Hermione seemed to think about Blaise's words, but she was thinking that she was really a genius. "Ok, then," she said, slowly, "Crabbe, follow me, please."

"What? Why?" he asked, surprised.

"Because I saw you. There's no need to lie."

"I didn't throw it."

"You did."

"Didn't."

"Did."

"Didn't-"

"Oh, stop it," screamed Blaise, "Crabbe, follow her."

"But I didn't-"

"She said that you did."

"It's not true."

"But she is Head Girl."

"And then?"

"It doesn't count for anything? Maybe I should report it to Malfoy – who do you prefer, Crabbe? Malfoy or me?" asked Hermione, with her hands on her hips. Crabbe gulped. "Very well, follow me." Goyle pulled Crabbe towards Hermione. She turned her back towards the Slytherins and started to walk with a big grin on her face.

"Where are we going?" asked Crabbe, as they climbed the stairs.

"To a quiet place where nobody can find us."

"W-why?" asked Crabbe; he was almost sure that she wanted to curse him.

"Because I don't want to be heard as I talk to you, ok? Or you would prefer to let the whole school know that I am giving you a punishment?"

"No, no," he answered. He didn't want to let everybody know that Mudblood Granger gave him a detention.

Hermione climbed another staircase. A group of Ravenclaws looked at them as they passed by. "Here," she said opening a door.

Crabbe looked horrified. "But it's a bathroom – a girls' bathroom."

"I know," she said calmly, "It's Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. There will be nobody here." Crabbe followed her, reluctantly. "Myrtle?" called Hermione, "Are you here?" Nobody answered. Evidently, she was having a little trip to the lake. "What you did was terrible," Hermione said, leaning against a hand basin and crossing her arms on her chest.

"Was it?" asked Crabbe.

"Of course it was, throwing a Dungbomb in a corridor. Where do you think you are?"

"I-I don't know."

"It doesn't surprise me," she snapped, "What are you going to tell me?"

"T-that it wasn't me," he said, quite afraid.

"Stop it, I saw you."

"Then I must be guilty," said Crabbe, thoughtfully.

"You are," Hermione nodded.

"W-what are you going to do to me?"

Hermione smirked. "Well, there are lots of thing I would like to do to you," she said. Crabbe gulped again. "But," she said with sweeter tone of voice.

"But?"

"But, I can close an eye on what I saw, if you…" she paused for effect.

"If I?" asked Crabbe, gulping again.

Hermione stepped towards him. "If you'll come to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow." Crabbe looked at her as if he was waiting for something else. "So?" she asked after a while.

"Why do you want to go with me?" he asked, suspiciously.

"Because I think that we will have lots of fun together," her voice softer.

"Really?"

"Of course," she smiled.

"It looks almost like blackmail to me," he said with his eyebrows raised.

Hermione looked at him, surprised, "I didn't know you knew the word 'blackmail'; it's a really long word – anyway, if you think that I'm blackmailing you, never mind, but it's a pity because I was planning to buy you everything you wanted at Honeydukes," she said, starting to walk towards the door.

"What?" he jumped between Hermione and the door.

Hermione smiled. "Yes?"

"Well, after all it's not blackmail if I come voluntarily, is it?"

"No, it's not," she smiled, "So, are you coming?"

"Yeah, ok, but remember that you said that you will buy everything I want at Honeydukes," he said, seriously.

"Ok, but you can't tell anybody that you are going with me, understand?"

"Oh please, I would never say that to anybody. If Malfoy discovered it, he would laugh at me."

Hermione smiled. "See you tomorrow, then. I'll be waiting for you near the gate at exactly 3 p.m., get it?"

Crabbe nodded. "Now, can I go and have breakfast?" Hermione nodded and Crabbe disappeared outside the door without a further word. Hermione looked rather pleased with herself. Now she was ready to attend a couple of hours of Potions with Malfoy.

She walked down the stairs and reached the dungeons again. It was still early and there was nobody outside waiting for Slughorn. Hermione decided to wait inside. She opened the door and walked in the dark classroom. "I was waiting for you," said Draco from a desk in the back of the classroom. Hermione jumped and some of the books that she had in her arms fell on the floor. Draco laughed.

"Can you not make noise, please?" she asked him, kneeling down and picking up the books.

"No, I like to scare you."

"You didn't scare me," she answered, sitting at the first desk and giving him a view of her back.

"Did you ask Crabbe out?"

"No comment."

"You didn't?"

"No comment."

"Oh, well, you still have some time before-"

"Malfoy, will you please mind your own business?"

"Are you a little bit nervous today?"

"No, on the contrary, I'm calm."

"I wouldn't say that."

"It's you that makes me nervous."

"I know," he said smiling, "I always have this effect on girls."

"Oh please, I meant that you get on my nerves," she said, waving her hand.

"Sure, but if you-"

The door burst open and Harry and Ron entered the classroom.

"Hermione, we looked for you everywhere. What are you doing here – with Malfoy?" asked Ron, horrified.

"Nothing," she said, quickly.

"Are you sure?" asked Harry.

"No, Potty, we were having sex, can't you see that?" asked Malfoy.

"How dare you?" asked Harry.

"Harry, Malfoy, stop it," said Hermione, glaring at both them, "Harry, we weren't doing anything but talking, ok?"

"How can you talk to him?" Luckily Hermione didn't have to answer because Slughorn entered the classroom and silence fell upon them.