Hogsmeade weekends are Hermione's favorite times of the month. This one is no different, except for one thing. She has a date! It's her first date ever, to be precise. No longer does she have to listen to Lavender and Parvati drone on and on about how wonderful their dates are and feel like something is missing. Now, Hermione gets to live it herself.

Marcus Flint is not someone on the girl's radars at Hogwarts. Truthfully Hermione didn't expect to like the guy either, much less go on a date with him. But then, the best things in life are usually unexpected, like double rainbows, winning the lotto, Professor Snape being sick, and understanding the creatures, Luna talks about. What a pleasant plot twist the older Slytherin is to her life.

As the petite Gryffindor rifled through her clothes, more thoughts about Marcus entered her mind. For one thing, he's older than her. That's actually good, considering she's always had a thing for older men, particularly hairy ones. Not sure why, but hairy guys are just alluring, and Marcus is both furry and desirable. She can't help but wonder what he would look like with a beard. That could be something to aim for.

Then there's Marcus's smile. When the smile is genuine, it's to die for, along with those remarkable, intense eyes. Hermione never thought the guy would be such a soft teddy bear, but he truly is. In fact, he's better than a teddy bear because he's the real thing. All along, Hermione had him pegged for a brute, which the fit Slytherin turns into when riled up. However, he also has a different side, one that not many people get to see. It's the side that he keeps buried because they either aren't interested, or they flat out don't care. But oh, how she cares!

Besides his good looks and athletic ability, the curly-haired witch enjoys anything Marcus does pertaining to animals. One day, not too long ago, Crookshanks wasn't feeling good. The animal-loving Slytherin noticed how unsettled she was acting and wanted to know if he could do anything to help ease the trouble. That's when he learned about her pet kneazle, and Marcus made a request to go get the creature.

At first, Hermione thought it was an odd request, but she retrieved the persnickety old feline. Marcus whipped out his wand and ran diagnostics the minute the animal was placed in his care. Come to find out, Crooks had arthritis, and it was inflamed, which is why the kneazle had been acting mopy and grumpier than usual. So, after ingesting an animal arthritis potion, Hermione's familiar is the older Slytherin's new best friend. On top of that, Marcus brewed a potion batch just for Crooks. He told her, "Make sure you give this to him at the beginning of every week. It's made to last weekly. If you forget, don't sweat it; restart when you remember."

Hermione thought that was the sweetest thing anyone had done for her in a long time. The guy continues to impress with his kindness, talents, humor, and general manners overall. However, the thing that gives way to any trepidation is the fact that he's a pureblood. In the past, he's ridiculed her for being below him like Malfoy always does.

Sure Marcus has apologized, though Hermione can't help but wonder if being seen together is something he'd get reprimanded for with his parents. That's concerning because his horrible father already berates him for other things less intense. If it were found out, the Slytherin was disciplined for being out with someone non-pureblooded, that would hurt her heart. Not only for herself but more so for Marcus. She'll have to ask him later about that.

Pulling out a pair of jeans, Hermione quickly put them back. No. The outfit needs to have a little more panache. The next item of clothing to appear happened to be a denim skirt with buttons down the front. Perfect! Now for the top. Sweater after sweater flew around the room until a black and white long-sleeve shirt was found. The striped shirt can be tucked into the skirt and worn with black tights and tall black boots. It's a fine outfit for a chilly November day.

Feeling good about those clothing choices, Hermione's thoughts turned to her hair. Her luscious locks have calmed down a lot since the first two years. Thank goodness! The only time it frizzes now is when she's upset or brewing potions. Wanting to actually look attractive to Marcus, the nervous Gryffindor ran down the stairs to the common room. It's there she found Ron's sister Ginny watching the twins play a game of wizarding chess. Ignoring Ron and Harry, she asked her favorite girlfriend, "Will you help me? I need assistance with my hair and maybe some makeup."

Making his opinion known, Ron blurted out, "Oi! Why do you need that rubbish? You don't have to impress Harry and me."

Rolling her eyes at her brother, Ginny explained, "Hermione's a girl, you dolt. Maybe she wants to look nice, or maybe she's going to Hogsmeade with someone."

That set Ron off. He spluttered and stammered around his words. "Going with someone?! Oh, I see. It's Krum. The article was right then. I never thought I'd be betrayed by my two best friends, but I am sitting here betrayed." He crossed his arms, looking upset, making him look petulant instead. Harry started laughing at that, which made Ron more irritable.

However, those words of Ron's made Hermione perturbed. In a huff, the girl declared, "Not everything is about you, Ronald."

Getting Hermione out of there before her idiot brother could make matters worse, Ginny took her hand, and the pair walked off to the girl's dorm room. Luckily Hermione's two roommates were not there, so her best girlfriend asked, "OK, what gives? You've never wanted to do hair and makeup for Hogsmeade before. Not that I'm opposed to it, because hair and makeup are two of my favorite things." She began going through Hermione's beauty product basket, taking out jumbo curlers.

Hermione debated on whether or not to tell her friend about Marcus. It's a tough decision because what if Ginny thinks liking him is insane? In the end, being able to discuss guy things and the possibility of a boyfriend won out. So sitting on her trunk, as Ginny began putting in the curlers around her hair, she recounted the time spent with Marcus Flint. It ended with her saying, "Then, Thursday evening, he asked me to Hogsmeade with him."

With a huge smile, Ginny let out a little squeal. "Oh, Hermione! That's so sweet. Who knew the big guy had it in him? I sure didn't. I'm glad he's apologized for past times and that he seems to have found a bit of contentment with you. I know people call him a troll, especially my git of a brother, but I think the guy isn't horrible looking. Most girls don't."

That made Hermione wonder, "Then why do they say it to his face? Why do the girls call him a troll if they don't actually mean it? Because that's hurtful."

Ginny shrugged her shoulders, unsure. "I have no idea, but maybe because he's so intimidating. Maybe they think calling him names takes the edge off, and if a guy has been beaten down enough, some girls believe it would give them an advantage. Emotional manipulation, I think it's called."

That disgusted her curly-haired friend, who declared, "That is so wrong, yet I know it happens. Little do they know, Marcus is more intelligent than that. Girls are mean."

Agreeing, Ginny added, "So are boys."

The two traded stories about their week, the stupid article Skeeter wrote, and the first task of the tournament. Then Ginny set Hermione's hair with a can of Hot Hair hairspray and heat from her wand. When the curlers came out, she instructed her friend to bend over and shake her hair, whereby Ginny sprayed more Hot Hair- a lot more. Upon looking in the mirror, Ginny giggled, and Hermione freaked out.

Her hair is huge! "It's huge! My hair is huge," she said! But her red-haired girlfriend had a solution. Taking a dollop of Sleekeazy's, she ran it through Hermione's full locks.

Smiling, Ginny said, "Presto! My masterpiece is finished." And it was. Hermione's hair, no longer enormous, rested in perfectly sleek waves with just the right amount of volume. Then her feminine friend applied mascara to Hermione's eyelashes and curled them too. She handed her a tube of red kissing potion and declared, "Put this on your lips. That's all you need."

Hermione did as told and admired herself in the mirror. "Wow! Who am I? I actually look pretty," she stated. Her eyes followed her head as it turned this way and that at different angles.

However, Ginny disagrees with that statement. "Hermione, everything has beauty. Not everyone sees it. You've always been pretty. This is just the manifestation of your inward beauty radiating outward. Obviously, Marcus is a genius because he's the one who saw it before anyone else."

Then the youngest Weasley caught herself and remembered, "Plus, if you think you look good now, just wait until the Yule Ball. Oh, you will knock his socks off. I'll make sure of it." Ginny gave her a conspiratorial wink, which made Hermione giggle.

After putting the complete outfit on, as well as the black boots, Ginny gave her a spritz of Witch's Brew 53 (a perfume that smells divine with the essence of peach, cherry, forbidden apple, night blooming jasmine, and musk). Hermione twirled around and asked, "How do I look?"

Giving a thumbs up, Ginny said sincerely, "Gorgeous. Now let's go." The two girls walked out together after Hermione grabbed her tan leather crossbody bag.

In the common room, everyone stopped talking, and the Weasley twins whistled. Harry wore a smile and gave a thumbs up, the same as Ginny had, but Ron did not. He grumped. Giving her friend a hug, the Weasley sister wished her well. Before Hermione exited, she whispered, "Just in case things don't go as hoped, I'll be with Luna in Gladrags, Honeydukes, and Three Broomsticks."

Hermione thanked her for that information and left Gryffindor Tower to the whining of Ron's voice. "I can't believe she's dressed like that."

And Harry saying, "Ron, get over it."

Ignoring him, for the millionth time, the fresh-faced girl walked down the corridors and the stairs to meet Marcus at the entrance. Her nerves sprang to life the closer she got. With every little step taken, her stomach filled with knots and butterflies. What if he doesn't like how she looks? But then what if he does like how she looks? Both present equally opposite terrifying results.

Luckily Hermione noticed him before he noticed her. Wearing a dressed-down style of khaki pants and a blue long-sleeve button-down, left untucked, Marcus leaned on the wall near the entrance door. His brown leather dragonhide boots completed the ensemble. And she wondered if he smells as good as he always does- unmistakably masculine.

Hermione can tell he's nervous by the shifting feet and the downturn of his head. Plus, he's picking at something on his coat. Her heart sped up, and a bright smile lit her face. Their eyes met, and she greeted, "Hi, Marcus."

It was as if he had been hit by a golden snidget. Marcus could not believe his eyes. This gorgeous creature standing before him could not possibly be his date. No one ever puts that much effort into anything for him. His voice suddenly turned wobbly and somehow croaked out the word, "Hi." He quietly continued to look her over as she smiled.

Encouraged by his response, Hermione asked, "Are you ready?"

Looking at her, he said, "Yeah." Apparently, he's been hit by some spell because all thoughts and words have disappeared. But he did remember to open the door and let her exit first. Thank Merlin for small mercies. The two walked side by side to the waiting carriages, to which he also was a perfect gentleman.

Once they were seated together, Hermione began talking. First, she complimented his wardrobe. "You look nice. I like this on you. It's different from the black or green outfits most Slytherins like to wear. I had no idea you owned pants of a different color or shirts outside of white."

Marcus chuckled and finally found his voice. "You have no idea, my little witch. Zabini alone would blow your mind away. The guy has pants of every color, no joke. Do you realize how embarrassing it is to be seen with someone wearing bright orange pants?"

Hermione turned herself to see him better. Surely he's joking? "Are you serious? Orange pants?"

Nodding, Marcus said, "Yeah." Then he elevated his chin, beamed, and told her, "Thank you for saying I look nice. I may just look nice, but you look incredible. You didn't have to go to all the trouble, it's just me, but I'm glad you did."

Fiddling with the zipper on her bag, Hermione wore a shy smile. She commented, "I went to all the trouble because it is you." Not having the nerve to look at him, she feared what she might see. Her Gryffindor courage seemed to disappear.

But she didn't need it because Marcus scooted closer to her side. Draping an arm around her shoulders, he held her hand. Neither has been that close to any one of the opposite sex before. It leaves them a bit discombobulated. It's not a bad thing, just different and pleasant. Somehow they're finding their way through bashful smiles, butterflies, and a whole bunch of tingly feelings.

When the carriage stopped, Marcus got out and helped Hermione down so she wouldn't slip. "Are you cold? You can have my coat if you want," he suggested.

She responded by telling him, "I'm good." And she is because being near her Slytherin heats everything up. But all the same, Marcus tied his scarf around her neck, which she proudly wore (despite it being Slytherin).

Not feeling at all shy, he took her hand and asked, "Where to first?"

Hermione's face lit up at the prospect of going to "Scrivenshaft's. I need a new quill because mine broke the other day when I bore down too hard. I was angry at something Lavendar said that morning. Plus, I heard they have a fresh supply of pastel parchment. Then can we go to J. Pippin's, Honeydukes, and Spintwitches?"

Raising an eyebrow, Marcus inquired about "Spintwitches? Why do you want to go to a sporting store?"

Moving closer to his side, his Gryffindor smiled a cheery smile and replied, "Because I thought you might want to go."

That was unexpected but appreciated. Marcus laced their fingers and said, "Lead on, Minnie."

Hermione stopped and stared at him. "Minnie," she questioned?

Staring back at her, he explained, "Yes. You're tiny and petite, which I think is cute. It makes me feel like I can protect you, even though you can probably do a better job protecting us both. I don't like the name Mione because everyone close to you calls you that. So you're my Minnie- my little witch. It kind of sounds like your name too."

Continuing their walk, Hermione thought about what her date had said. He's right her close friends call her Mione, thanks to Ron talking with his mouth full. Sometimes she gets tired of hearing it and would like something different. The fact Marcus put enough thought into this is a whole other story, so, "I like it. I like the idea of being your Minnie. So, does that mean I can call you Mark?"

He shook his head in the negative. "No. I like the way you say my name, Marcus. You say it as if it's not something dirty or disgusting."

Interesting. That never crossed Hermione's mind. "So, I'll call you Mark when I'm upset with you. For the record, I think you could protect me just fine."

Grinning from ear to ear and holding hands, the pair walked into Scrivenshaft's. Marcus's Minnie spent who knows how long deciding between quills. She couldn't make up her mind between the golden peacock quill or the peach one from the cinnamon bird. So Marcus chose for her and bought both of them along with a stack of pastel parchment.

Hermione determined that she would repay the gesture by purchasing him something from the sports store. And she did. When the pair entered Spintwitches, Marcus led them straight to the quidditch gear. Like a kid in Honeydukes, he grew giddy at the sight of everything. So much so that the quidditch chaser failed to notice Hermione sneaking off to speak with the cashier. Up and down the aisles, he strolled, browsing over the merchandise.

Until a new type of glove and knee pads caught his eye. The makers of the old ones had redesigned them with updated materials. The knee pads are now made from the scales of the lindworm, which are very difficult to come by. The lindworm is wingless with a serpentine body, dragon's head, scaled skin, and two clawed forelimbs. It's a unique creature which makes for some extraordinary knee pads.

The gloves are made from the hide of the bonnacon. This is perfect because the bonnacon is a particular bison known for self-defense. Although, Marcus thinks the way it defends itself is disgusting. He remembers Hagrid talking about that one day in class. For a guy who doesn't get grossed out, he almost threw up in his mouth.

Turning to Hermione, he told her, "This new redesign is terrific! The old gear has been made from dragon hide for ages. If I got these, it might help give me an edge over competitors trying out with the teams this summer." He picked up a pair of both items in his size.

Hermione smiled at the radiant glee on Marcus's face. She motioned with her hand and asked, "Is there anything else you like?"

Pivoting on his feet, the athlete scanned the store and looked back at her. "Yes. I like many things here, like that new lightning bolt racing broom. Please remind me to add that to my Yule list for Gram. She always has me make a wish list."

Hermione liked that some things are the same in the wizarding world as in the muggle one. Christmas lists are one of those things. She made a mental note about the broom but noticed Marcus grew quiet and contemplative. She would have been worried if he hadn't spoken.

Fixing his eyes from looking at a jersey rack, Marcus eyed Hermione. His voice was soft but clear. "There are many things I like in this store, but you are the one I like the most. I like you, Hermione."

Those words are so much better than being awarded house points or receiving an outstanding on a paper. Her heart threatened to thump away, and the butterflies grew exponentially. There are so many things she wants to say in response. However, the thoughts of him being reprimanded for being seen with her outweighed any of it. So, Hermione took his hand and pulled Marcus to the checkout.

The older Slytherin's face fell to the floor because it's like she completely dismissed his words. And that stung. But what's even more confusing than that is her pulling him to the cashier. He went to pay for the items, and the guy told him, "Your girl already took care of it."

Running a hand through his short hair, he took the bag the guy gave him. Then what further confused him was Hermione taking his arm and leading him into Magic Neep grocers. The store was not busy, and they were the only students inside it. Marcus opened his mouth to talk but was cut off.

Casting a notice me not and a muffliato, Hermione prefaced what she wanted to say with, "Marcus, I like you too. I didn't want to say anything until we were out of the sports store."

Not understanding, her Slytherin asked, "Why?" He stood staring at her for answers.

Taking his hand, she explained, "I worry that you being seen with me would get you into trouble. And I really don't want that to happen to you, especially with your father."

That made a lot of sense to Marcus. It did, but "I've had a lot of time to think about that. Believe me, I've thought about it. My parents are blood purists, but my grandmother is not. You would like her. Anyway, it's true my father, more than my mother, would be against this." He pointed between the two of them.

Then, taking both of Hermione's hands, Marcus clarified further, "It's also true that in the past, I've been blind to my father's stance about blood purity. However, my Gram's thoughts on the subject started seeping into my thick head last summer. Another thing that helped change my mind is how I've been treated by pureblood girls. They've treated me like crap, yet my father expects me to somehow put all of that aside to marry one. I don't have a betrothal contract, but it's still expected."

His thumbs ran over the tops of her hands, caressing them. It shot tingly feelings through Hermione, and she hung on his every word. He continued by saying, "I can't do that. I can't marry someone, much less love somebody who doesn't respect me- who calls me names. But then you came along with your light and goodness. You treated me with kindness, compassion, and care- like I'm special. Totally opposite of those other girls, who are pureblood, and who I never taunted. You had every reason to treat me poorly or call me a troll, but you never did."

His heart sped up, and he grew hot under the collar because everything he says is true. He shuffled his feet because to be rejected now would be the worst blow ever. "So I've thought about you. I've thought about being seen with you and what my parents would say. The thing is, I don't care. I'm eighteen, and I'm not my father's heir. I'm the spare. There's freedom in that. If I lose my inheritance, big deal. Money is money; if I'm given a quidditch position, I'll earn it back. Besides, my parents don't know I'm my grandmother's heir. But don't tell. That's my secret."

They both chuckled, and Marcus concluded by telling her, "If you're open to it and if you're up for it, take a chance on me. Take a chance on us, Hermione."

This guy, who is so very unexpected, has given the stunned Gryffindor much to think about. There's one thing she knows for sure, and that's, "You are my favorite Slytherin. I could not be prouder that you have had a change of heart and can see things for what they truly are. I'm thankful for your grandmother and her impact on your life. And more than anything, I want a chance with you."

With those words, this witch caught Marcus Flint unaware. Hermione flung herself into his arms. He was totally and emotionally off guard.

Being used to being irrelevant and suddenly matter to someone is the best. But Marcus figures that's the way it is with matters of the heart. It leaves you off balance with things you've never faced before. It's like learning how to race in new air space. Even though it's scary, it's wonderful.

The new couple wore sweet smiles only for each other. They held hands, shared jokes, and traded childhood stories. Both knew this was the start of something special. Magic is beautiful, but what's shared between two people who are attracted to each other is even better. Because the magic of new beginnings is everything.