A/N: Don't own anything, bladdy bladdy blah, all belongs to the great and wonderful J.K. Rowling and all that jazz. Honestly, I ought to be doing other things with my time, but this idea was too brilliant to pass up for Atlas Shrugged.

"Hermione, what's wrong with me?" Ginny asked as soon as they say down in the library.

"What do you mean, Gin-gin?"

"I meeeeeeeaaaannnnn ... Am I some sort of intellectual threat to the boys in our classes? What sets them off? Am I doing something wrong?"

"Ladies, this is a library, please keep it down," Madam Prince hushed them from her desk.

Both girls blushed and went back to their reading, but Hermione soon began whispering.

"Older boys are bound to be just a bit more mature, even Malfoy compliments your talents in potions..."

"He compliments you too, but..."

"Don't interrupt, what I mean to say is that they're not threatened, maybe you should just let them know you're interested?"

"So you're telling me that not one of those boys thinks I'm too smart for my own good and feel in some possible way threatened by my intellect? Merlin's beard, it's advanced potions, I'm the only 5th year in there, and the only girl besides you."

"*SIGH* oh Ginny, let's just study for now, ok? Love will come knocking on your door before long, I promise."

"Ok," Ginny said, pouting and huffing out air.

Draco walked back and forth in his room, wondering what in Merlin's name was wrong with him or worse, what would his father think if he ever knew?

"Crabbe, Goyle, you two swear never to tell him?"

Both confused boys sat in their daze and nodded out of habit, they didn't know what he was talking about anyways so who would they tell? And... wait... what exactly were they even gonna tell? Tell who... they were confused and Draco just kept pacing.

He thought he was immune to these childish crushes, sure he encouraged some girls and had some fun but he lost interest so quickly, they lost their novelty, too easy. So he sent them on their not-so-merry way, but hey they were lucky enough to have been touched by Draco Malfoy, for Merlin's sakes.

But the way she walks... her hair is so unique... the way she works on her potions so diligently with her little delicate hands, so doll-like... Her laugh is so bubbly and ...

NO, bad Draco, bad Draco, he could not be thinking that way about her, Pansy and his mom would kill him, she'd be a threat to the imminent engagement *blegh*

He could, he suppose, ask her to the dance and see if there was any danger to his passing fancy. That's what it was, a passing fancy, just the newest little idea that popped into his head. This was just a stupid Gryffindor, just a Gryffindor, and she meant nothing.

This is not serious, not at all, so he could... theoretically speaking... just ask her out for Hogsmeade and that's all it would be, just butterbeer or something romantic and flirty and...

"Hermione, I'm bo-oooooooored, can we do something else?"

"Ginny, just go find another book to read, something interesting."

Ginny humphed and walked to the bookshelves, she perused and laughed in delight when she found the book she like, a nice not-so-little Potions textbook, and sauntered back to sit down opposite Hermione.

"Hey, I read that book, it was good."

"Of course you read it, now go on, back to your diary, I mean, uh, essay."

"Ginnerva Weasley, are you accusing me of lying to you? I swear we're doing homework!"

"Ladies, do I have to say this again? This is a library, hush."

The girls looked down instantly, giggling softly.

"So, Mione, I have to ask, why Malfoy? I mean, what drove you to this unbridled and possible unrequited passion you hold for the Prince of Slytherin?"

"I don't know, Gin, one day he didn't come to class and I noticed it. I... I felt silly for missing him, his presence, I wondered if he was ok and soon I um, I sorta found myself wishing I could touch his perfect hair and those, oh Ginny those intense grey eyes..."

"Alright, alright, I think I get it, he is rather handsome."

"It's not just that, he notices me for my intellect and he's a challenge everytime and I don't have to dumb myself down when we talk. Well, when we did, he hasn't spoken to me recently, and that pug-faced Pansy has been practically stalking him for the past few weeks. I don't like it."

"All this because he missed class one day?"

"I told you, it's not just that, it was just ... just that day made me notice he was gone and no one insulted me. Humph," Hermione pouted.

"Mmmhhmm, ok then."

No, he couldn't possibly ask her, it was not to happen, so he paced back and forth, back and forth, possibly making a trench, while Crabbe and Goyle watched from their beds.

Oh curse it all to hell, he would just go find her and ask her out. That would be that and he would stop liking her and it would be over. Ta-da. That simple.

"Boys, I'm off to do this. No, don't talk me out of it, because you can't. Don't try to hex me out of it, I have all my wits about me, I can ... I can do this..."

Crabbe and Goyle watched in confusion as their boss-man strutted out of the room like an over-stuffed swaggering peacock.

Draco walked to the Great Hall to find the end of lunch and no sight of her. Maybe she'd be in the kitchens, he hoped as his confidence faltered at not finding her immediately.

No such luck, maybe she'd be out on the fields, but it was raining. The Astronomy Tower? Not there either. Maybe she wandered to the owlery?

He so desperately hoped she was there. But as he walked in all he saw was a whirl of feathers and excrement, and owls angry with him for not bringing treats.

But... where could she be? Oh how stupid could he be, she might be in the Gryffindor common room, sitting in front of the fire and reading some potions textbook or one of those girly magazine.

Reading... reading... oh Merlin, he could be a Hufflepuff for being so stupid, reading! She was in the library. Oh how he hoped she was alone...

Please let her be alone, Merlin knows how hard it is to talk to girls, let alone when they're surrounded by their friends. Please, Merlin, let her be alone.