Love sank its fangs into me, just a few days ago.

I should have listened to the rattle, gambled and fled.

It burns inside me, as my blood turns to lead,

and my body feels so cold...

I look at you, and suddenly everything fades away.

Don't watch me, don't notice me.

You're everything to me - and nothing too.

Only fools say love is pleasant or kind -

Love is the cruelest thing that any man can know.

As Lethe tugs my eyelids down to sleep,

all I see is your eyes burning bright.

All day you're in the corner of my eye,

and now you're stalking me at night!

Hermione almost swore, as she saw the non-descript (was that deliberate?) owl bearing towards her. It was the second in two days - did whoever-it-was expect the boys to not notice? Or did he simply not care? Was this one going to be as horrific as the last one? With such thoughts running through her head, Hermione Granger shot off to her room after dinner like a flash. After she had left, the boys looked around, and shrugging said, "Must have some extra work."

"Maybe it's from Snape?"

Neville looked over at them, and in a grande Hermione impression said, "That's Professor Snape. Show some respect." The boys roared in laughter. Draco stifled a smile so deep that not a muscle moved on his face. Blaise kept his eyes open, and his mouth shut, as was his wont.

Up in her room, Hermione looked at the letter, the Parvati twins looking over her shoulders, one to each. "At least it's not a death threat, this time," Padma said softly. "At least not one towards me" Hermione said acidly, her sarcasm making Padma smirk. Parvati squealed (as usual) and said, "oooh! it's so romantic! He sounds like such the little mooncalf! All lovestruck and heartsick - Hermione, you'd better find him and kiss it alllll better!" Both the other girls rolled their eyes at the notoriously fanciful Patil twin. And then Lavender entered the room, and all intelligent conversation stopped, as Parvati and her best friend's delight and feverish imaginations took up all the audible space in the dormroom.

[a/n: sorry it's a bit shorter than usual, I intend to alternate back between public and private faces.

Read and Review, and I'll write quicker!

Anyone got the reference in the title of the story?

As for me, I love using a rattlesnake bite as a metaphor for love - particularly the coagulant properties of the venom! Yes, I'm a geek, and a bit morbid too. Kinda proud of it, actually!]