A/N: Ok guys I feel like I owe you an apology. I am so so so so so so so so sorry that I haven't updated in forever, but I got really bad writers block and my GCSE exams came around and everything just got on top of me. But I hope this extra long chapter makes up for it. For those of you that took time to write reviews: Thank you so much for writing the reviews they are what inspired me to push through my block and start writing again. I hope you all enjoy. Thanks, Abbie x.

Fred woke up to a sunny Saturday morning feeling somewhat refreshed and cheerful and as he dressed he realised he had a new goal- Hermione would be his by the end of the day… actually by the end of tomorrow because Snape was currently expecting him for a day long detention.

He loped casually through the castle heading towards Snape's dungeon classroom and he couldn't help but plan how he would make it up to Hermione; how he would ask her if she would be his. His mind ran away with him in a joyous (and maybe slightly raunchy) montage of imaginary future moments of his life with Hermione. That montage however, was obliterated violently when he walked around the corner to see the Goldstein kid 'what's his name Arnold? Wait no Anthony… BAH who cares! Why is he talking to Hermione?' Fred hopped into the nearest doorway and strained to listen to the conversation.

"…go to the Halloween ball with me." there was a pause during which Fred imagined Hermione shattering the Ravenclaw's hope with a straight NO but to his utter devastation he heard Hermione's shy whispered reply

"Um… yeah ok Anthony… yeah. I have to go to the library now but I'll catch you later ok?" Fred's good day became suddenly dark. 'I have some time before I need to be with Snape' he thought malevolently.

He skulked in the doorway waiting for Goldstein to pass and when he did Fred shot a body bind curse at him and dragged him into the empty classroom behind them. Fred locked the door then lifted the curse on Anthony.

"What are you playing at Weasley? Is this another prank, because it isn't very funny so far!" Goldstein immediately began to rant until Fred shot him a dark look.

"This is not a prank Goldstein," Fred spat "You tell Hermione you can't go to the ball anymore because of homework or something. Then you tell anybody else you know has their eye on her to back off. She is mine. Fred Weasley's you understand? And anyone who is questioning how dangerous I am is underestimating how possessive I can be!" he finished, unlocked the door and acted as if nothing happened cheerfully waving goodbye as he sauntered off toward detention knowing that he left a shaking, shell-shocked Anthony Goldstein behind him.

Fred arrived back in the common room late. The fire was barely glowing and no one was left to greet him on his return. Or at least he thought that until he noticed soft, steady breathing coming for the dark corner of the room.

"Hermione?"

POVCHANGEPOVCHANGEPOVCHANGE

Hermione woke up on Saturday morning when she heard Lavender squeal something about her new lip-gloss. Hermione groaned and rolled out of bed, drowsily scooping out a t-shirt and jeans from the trunk at the bottom of her bed. Hermione dressed groggily then made her way down to the common room, where the bright sunlight streaming through the open window woke her up a bit more. She located her pile of books in her corner of the room and decided to take them back to the library and pick up some new material.

Books secured against her chest by her folded arms, Hermione began to make her way down the hallways of Hogwarts with her happy bouncy step causing her wild hair to bob around her shoulders. She turned a corner at the end of a hallway and bumped into Anthony Goldstein. Her books tumbled from her grasp and thumped heavily around them on the floor; both Anthony and herself winced as each tome crashed to the flagstone floor.

"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry!" Anthony exclaimed "Here let me help you." He stooped down beside the already crouching Hermione and started to stack up the books in her outstretched arms.

"Thank you Anthony." Hermione nodded graciously and smiled "But don't let me keep you if you need to be somewhere. You seemed to be in quite a hurry." Anthony's face flushed with embarrassment.

"Why are you blushing like that?" Hermione questioned, feeling quite amused by the interesting shade of blotchy pink the Ravenclaw had become.

"well um you see I was going to see Susan Bones; you know from Hufflepuff?" Hermione nodded and he continued "And well um… HEY! You can help me!"

"Um… Help you with what exactly?" Hermione was very confused.

"Oh of course sorry! Would you help me figure out how to ask Susan if she would you know…? Go to the Halloween Ball with me."

"Um… yeah ok Anthony… yeah. I have to go to the library now but I'll catch you later ok?" Anthony nodded enthusiastically and Hermione grinned at him before rushing off towards the library again.

After her rather strange encounter with Anthony, Hermione's day proceeded to get weirder and weirder. She spent the majority of her morning in the library then, at 12:30 decided to head to the great hall for some lunch because Harry and Ron should have been in there eating before quidditch practice. And as expected, when she walked in through the huge double doors Ron was sat hunched over a mountain of sausages she assumed was hiding a plate and Harry opposite him nibbling on a piece of toast. She waved and began to walk between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables towards them. Ernie Macmillan stood up and waved goodbye to his friends but when he turned and saw Hermione walking his way his eyes bugged out of his head and he fearfully scanned the Gryffindor table before gluing his eyes to the ground and hurrying past Hermione whimpering slightly. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows at his behaviour but decided to shrug it off and go eat lunch. The rest of her day was uneventful but ultimately very confusing because every boy she passed would start shaking, avert their eyes and rush past her as quickly as they could without sprinting. When Hermione saw Dean Thomas in the hall and waved she thought he was going to start crying-or pass out- from fear.

'What in Merlin's name is going on today?' Hermione pondered as she stared unseeing at page 394 of her book on ancient wizard lore. She shook her head and let sleep take over. Her book slipped off of her lap and nobody noticed that Hermione was asleep, curled up in the armchair in the corner of the common room… or at least until Fred came back.

"Hermione?"