All right, well, my disclaimer was long and cool last time but this one's gonna be nice and short! Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Just the plot! 

Chapter Three: Grab Your Dancing Shoes

Author's POV with Hermione's thoughts and insight

"Please have your essays out and ready to be collected. That is, if you weren't thick enough not to complete them," Professor Snape hissed, briefly glancing at an embarrassed looking Neville.

Friday's Potions lesson eventually came along, and Hermione mentally thanked herself for finishing her essay. She has a lot on her mind and homework was at the back of it, for the time being. Hermione was wondering about Ginny's unusual behavior, Ron's relationship, and, as always, Harry's whereabouts.

Ginny hadn't been that talkative in the new semester. Most students were beginning to appear cheerful, as spring was approaching fast, but Ginny kept to herself and was quiet most of the time.

She has a boyfriend and keeps her grades up so there's nothing to really worry about, Hermione mentally told herself. She could easily be stressed or even missing Harry; she always did fancy him. Maybe I should go talk to her sometime, Hermione added as an afterthought.

Her thoughts then traveled to Ron's relationship. Over the past couple of days, Ron had gone back to complaining about how he and Lavender "never got to spend enough time together."

Time to snog her more, Hermione thought with immediate guilt.

Hermione knew very well that Ron cared about Lavender more than snogging, even if it was on his mind half the time. Their relationship obviously meant something to Ron, and Hermione felt pained to think of Lavender hurting him in any way.

As all these miscellaneous thoughts floated around in her head, Hermione felt a stab of concern as she thought of Harry. Her eyes stared blankly ahead at the blackboard as his smile and eyes filled her mind. She smiled as she thought of Harry getting lost from all this new work that had to be done in their seventh year. He would then, of course, ask for her help…

"Miss Granger, do you find my class humorous in the slightest?" Professor Snape inquired, glaring at Hermione with his heartless black eyes.

"Er, no, sir, I, uh," she stammered, suddenly embarrassed to find herself grinning in the middle of a Potion's lesson that clearly no one found entertaining.

"I'm sorry," Hermione finished meekly.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor" Snape said with a small smirk of triumph.

Ron groaned in frustration as his potion turned a sickly green and purple swirl, spitting out yellow sparks all the while.

"Snape's a git, you know that don't you? And a foul one at that, too," said Ron, as he comforted Hermione with a scowl of dislike as he remembered the professor taking points from their house. The upsetting Potions lesson had finally ended, and the two friends were discussing the class as they walked across the Hogwart's grounds.

"Thanks, Ron, but I really should have had my mind on the lesson and not… other things," Hermione said, avoided Ron's questioning eyes.

As he opened his mouth to discuss the subject further, he was distracted by a squeal they all knew too well. As Lavender pranced up to Ron, a grin spread across his freckled face.

"Er, see you in Charms, Hermione," Ron called behind him as he walked away with Lavender.

"See you," Hermione replied glumly as she trudged off to her next lesson, hoping her thoughts wouldn't land her in trouble again.

Ginny hurried up the numerous staircases and twisting hallways to her Transfiguration lesson that afternoon. Her mind was on her upcoming class and the essay that she somewhat completed. As she walked around a corner, on the verge of being tardy, something bumped her shoulder, knocking her sideways. The hallway seemed to be deserted, but as Ginny whipped her head around she saw that it was someone that had hit her.

Draco Malfoy was on his back on the floor; the hit obviously had more impact on him than Ginny. Surprisingly, he had no jaunting so-called 'friends' with him that afternoon. He was alone and looking a bit miserable on the ground.

Ginny hastened over to his side on the floor to see if he was severely hurt.

"Are you all right?" she asked, true concern filling her green eyes.

This concern from a Gryffindor, let alone a Weasley, shocked Draco greatly.

He responded with, "Yes, I'll be fine."

It was now Ginny's turn to be surprised. There were no harsh insults in his words. Am I actually having a normal conversation with a Malfoy? Ginny wondered mentally.

She reached out her hand to help him up, which Draco took. Once he was on his feet again, Ginny was the first to speak.

"Well, I should be getting to class, I'm probably late, which McGonagall will surely notice, and…"

Her good-bye and departure was interrupted when Draco questioned, "Why did you help me?"

Her eyes twinkled for a moment before she answered, "Because we all need a friend sometime."

Ginny smiled before turning around and headed to her classroom. Detention would surely be the answer for her lateness and amusingly, Ginny didn't mind.

She then turned her head around one last time to find Draco still standing there with a confused and slightly pleased look on his pale face. He too smiled as they both went off to their separate destinations.

Friday's exhausting lessons eventually ended and Hermione was happily finishing up her Charms homework in the Gryffindor common room while looking forward to the weekend. Luckily, Potions was the only embarrassing incident that happened to Hermione that day. Her Charms class was actually slightly comical that day. The Gryffindors were reviewing the past charms they'd learned and it was a relief to laugh at Ron' mistakes. Accidentally, he turned a goblet into a purple chicken that tap-danced, which certainly brightened up Hermione's afternoon. Even Ginny seemed a little happier that day, but that didn't distract Hermione from talking to her.

She put down her quill and looked over her completed Charms work as she prepared herself to go and talk to Ginny. Satisfied with her work, Hermione lifted herself off the armchair and walked over to Ginny.

She was quietly reading a novel when Hermione came over. Ginny peered over her book to look at Hermione. She looked fairly worried about something. Maybe it's about her schoolwork or books, Ginny thought.

Before Hermione could say any kind of greeting Ginny began, "Are you all right?"

A grin spread across Hermione's face, much to Ginny's shock.

"That's what I came over here to ask you," she said with some amusement. At that she sat down opposite of Ginny. Ginny placed her book down on a nearby table and thought about Hermione's question.

"Well," she began slowly, "I'm okay. I've just got some things distracting me right now."

"Oh, I know how that feels," Hermione said with a reminiscing look in her eyes.

"Really?" Ginny questioned with amusement.

On that note, the two girls starting talking about their classes, piers, and families. The chatted for a while until it grew dark and they both knew it was time to sleep.

Hermione went to sleep with the reassuring thought that Ginny was fine and just lonely most of the time. She finally dozed off with mixed dreams of bubbling potions, Harry, and tap dancing chickens.

Over in Ginny's bed she too was remembering her day inside her head. Her mind always wandered back to that afternoon with Draco. She was sure she had really felt something for Draco, but was still unsure if he would ever feel the same way for her.

Then there was the possibility of anyone finding out about her thinking about Draco in any other way than hate. Hermione was the least of Ginny's worries. Suddenly, Ginny had a visual of Seamus pop inside her head. She had almost forgotten she had a boyfriend. If he, or even Ron, ever found out, their temper would be a terrible thing to witness.

But Ron would never understand, Ginny thought. Hermione may find out sooner or later, but for now I'll keep it to myself.

After those last thoughts, she drifted off to sleep, dreaming about Draco, enchanted teapots, and Ron's temper.

The next morning Hermione woke up from a dream were Harry was about to be killed by a chicken that transformed into Lord Voldemort. Rubbing her, eyes Hermione looked outside the dormitory window and saw sunlight streaming through. Most of the girls had left their beds that morning. She stretched and got out of her bed. As she washed her face and dressed for breakfast she felt soft fur brush past her leg. Hermione glanced down to find her cat, Crookshanks, purring at her feet. She smiled as she remembered what trouble he had caused the trio in the past.

Eventually giving up the attempt to manage her bushy hair she climbed down the staircase to go find Ron in the common room. As Hermione looked around for a while she decided Ron was nowhere in the room.

I didn't see him at all last night after dinner, she reflected to herself. Could he have already gone down to the Great Hall to eat? I could have easily slept in and just missed him.

As she wondered about Ron's whereabouts, her answer appeared out of the boy's dormitory.

Ron was walking down to the common room with a sulky look on his face. As he neared the center of the room he caught sight of Hermione standing over in the corner. As he walked over she waved in greeting.

"Ron, I was wondering were you'd run off too! I suppose I wasn't the only one who slept in today," she said with a smile.

Ron grumbled a reply that Hermione couldn't make out. Once he noticed Hermione's confused expression he muttered, "I'm staved."

As they walked alongside each other, making their way to the Great Hall, Hermione questioned Ron's behavior.

"Are you okay, Ron? You seem a bit down today. Is something bothering you?"

There was a moment's silence before Ron exploded with what seemed to be what he'd been keeping inside him all morning.

"It's Lavender!" anger ringing in his voice, "She expects me to be alright with her going off with her friends all the time, while she could easily be snogging other guys and not even telling me!

"It wouldn't surprise me! She doesn't tell me a damn thing anymore!" he was ranting now, "And then she takes our relationship for granted!"

Once he paused for breath, Hermione cut in.

"Ron, I think you're overreacting," Hermione said in a comforting tone, "She may just want some more time alone. Lavender certainly likes you a lot Ron, that's why she's staying together with you."

At that statement they reached the Great Hall and many students were already eating alarming amounts of food.

As they made their way to the middle of the Gryffindor table were Ginny sat not too far from Lavender, Ron sighed, "I guess you're right."

After they had begun eating Ron certainly had brightened up. As Hermione started to eat her scrambled eggs a hush fell over the hundreds of students. She looked up to find Professor McGonagall, or Headmistress as Dumbledore was now dead, standing up. She looked around waiting for the noise to settle before she spoke.

"Now that we are all well fed, I have an announcement to make. There will be a new annual spring ball held on the seventh of April to help renew friendly bonds between all of the houses. This dance will be held for any student sixteen or older."

Many groans escaped the younger students as they realized they could not go to the ball.

"I do hope all who can attend, will attend. So, as parting words, I advise all of you… to grab your dancing shoes," the Headmistress said with a slight wink and a twinkle in her eyes.

Murmurs increased in volume as every student began talking about the upcoming dance. Yet, Hermione was the only one silent.

If only Harry were here to escort me, she thought.

Hermione shook herself out of her approaching daydream and continued to eat her eggs silently as she listened to what other people had to say about the ball.

Ginny seemed to be lost in her own thoughts as well.

There's no chance that Draco would ask me, but if only he would... After all, McGonagall said the dance was supposed to create friendly ties with the houses, Ginny thought longingly.

Sitting beside Hermione was Ron, who was thinking over the dance and Lavender in his head. If I ask her then we'll become closer and maybe restart our relationship all over again. Ron grinned as he faced Lavender preparing to ask her to the ball.

Dean was talking while Lavender was vaguely listening. Ron watched and waited patiently for Dean to finish their conversation. Moments later, just as Ron was about to interrupt Dean, Lavender started to gag and cough.

Dean immediately began yelling, "Help!" as he watched the situation with confusion.

Ron's mind went blank and all thoughts of asking Lavender to the spring dance left his mind as he watched her gasping for air. He was shocked at the scenario taking place before him and couldn't think of anything to do to save her.

A/N: Oooh, didn't see that coming, did you? I like to end with slight cliffhangers to keep you guys guessing! Please review! I know how many hits I get on this story and it's CRAZY! If you guys just review I will be one happy person! All the questions are being thrown at you and repeated in the story right now but all of them WILL be answered! You've just gotta review! wink

3 -- ant