I know this chapter is really short and I am pretty sure the next will be longer. But it just made sense to stop here with this chapter. It seemed to me that it would leave you wanting more.

Almost two months had passed since I met Alexander. The schedules had just been posted for the first Hogsmeade visit. Harry was receiving tutoring from the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and wasn't able to go and Ron was going with Loony Luna Lovegood. I really wanted to go with Alexander but I still hadn't had the courage to ask him.

It was the day before Halloween, which was the day scheduled for our first Hogsmeade visit. Well, okay, it was more the night before.

Currently, I was sitting at my favorite table in the library across from Alexander surrounded by Arithmancy books for our project. We had decided to combine it with a bit of Astronomy and try to test the feasibility of time travel. It was our goal to travel twenty years into the past.

"Hermione, come over here and look at this."

I stood and stretched my arms as I walked around the table. I peered over Alexander's shoulders and was about to place my hands on them when I remembered his reaction the last time we'd touched. I hadn't touched him since. He had clearly been unnerved and revolted by the whole ordeal. All happiness faded away. He didn't like me. Why would he? People only saw me as a walking, talking magical encyclopedia. He seemed to be a male version of myself with a personality problem, though. He was generally unwilling to help others. But I would hear him give backward hints so that they could figure things out on their own. It seemed he was already trying to be a teacher.

"WOW!" This was incredible. Alexander had just found an account of people who had traveled through time. "This is great."

"The library closes in five minutes," came the stern voice of Madam Pince to us.

"Yes Madam Pince," we responded together.

We gathered up our stuff and left together to return to out common room.

All right Hermione. It is now or never. If you want to go with Alexander to Hogsmeade this weekend, you need to ask now. You know you have been crushing on him for almost eight weeks. You can do this. You are a Gryffindor! You helped Dumbledore's Army break into the Department of Mysteries. This should be a walk in the park. Courage Hermione. Courage.

"Alexander."

He turned and looked her directly in the eye. What handsome, wonderful black eyes. True, they weren't warm eyes like Hagrid's but they did shine especially when he was reading or even when, and I know it is wrong, at the first Quidditch match of the year -Hufflepuff and Gryffindor-, one of the Hufflepuffs fell off their broom and hit their head on the way down. I couldn't tell if it was amusement that caused his eyes to light or the thoughts of what potion would be best to brew in this situation.

"Yes," he said in his soft baritone.

I registered the movement of his lips but not the words that came from them.

"Do you really think that we can find a time portal?"

Great Hermione, I berated myself. Just terrific! Courage fails once again. I'm pathetic. More than two dozen times, over the past few weeks I had tried to ask Alexander to go with me. Each time had ended in miserable, agonizing failure.

All right. I just want to go with someone and he has not even mentioned the whole weekend at all, and I know he looked at the chart and saw it was scheduled. I just want to go with someone, and he does not even seem to want to go. I give up. The next guy who asks me I will go with.

"Hermione..."

I turned. Anthony Goldstein was walking with long, purposeful strides toward me.

"Anthony," I said stopping in the middle of the corridor.

Alexander stopped behind me.

"May I speak to you alone a moment?" he asked, shooting a nervous look at Alexander.

Alexander glared at him, sizing him up, before turning and walking away down the hallway.

"Yes. What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, shifting my bag so it rested more comfortably on my shoulder.

"Would you care to accompany me to Hogsmeade tomorrow?"

Shocked. Well, I said I would go with the next person who asked me. But he isn't your type, my mind argued. Physically, my mind was one hundred percent correct. Blonde hair and blue eyes aren't really my thing. Once they were but the whole Lockhart episode, I sort of lost my taste for it. But he is smart and sweet and funny. I should at least give him a chance.

"Sure," I answered. I will just keep an open mind about this. An open mind, though I do not really want to go to Hogsmeade with Anthony.

"Thank you," he said and sprinted down the hall in the direction he had come from.

I do not want to go with him and now I was obligated. I felt ill.

I turned and walked down the hallway. I rounded the corner that would lead to the Gryffindor common room to see a slump shouldered Alexander climbing up into the common room entrance.

Had he been eavesdropping?

- Alexander Snape -

I was crushed. This sucks. I mean, I'd never thought she could like me. But lately she seemed to be flirting with me. She wasn't touching me, but I suppose I had discouraged that with my behavior the first time. Perhaps I would have to be the one to re-establish physical contact.

Maybe I shouldn't have assumed we would go together.

Well, I will just stay here tomorrow. No point in going without anyone. I had never really gone in the past. No point in going where I would clearly be unwanted.

Do me a favor and send me a review. I would really like it. I would find it wonderful.