It's all J.K. Rowling's. Please don't sue.

"I can't believe it's already time to do this potions attempt in class today. This semester has really flown by. I wish Harry and Ron would understand about Draco, but I'm sure they never will. Especially if they ever learn about that potion... I guess I'll just have to never tell them. At least Ginny didn't take it too badly, but I guess we'll just see with all of that anyway."

"Hey there," she heard the familiar voice call.

She turned to greet him, and he wrapped her in a hug. "Ready?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she responded, kissing him.

"Good," he replied. "So, what's the entry for the day?" He reached for her journal, and she quickly thrust it behind her back.

"No way," she laughed.

"Okay, then tell me," he said teasingly. He looked at her expectantly, hand poised and threatening to try for the journal again.

"Okay, okay," she caved. "I just talk about how I can't believe how far we are into the semester and how my friends will react to this."

He dropped his hand, then ran the other one through his hair. "Yeah..." he said distractedly.

"They'll flip," she said.

"I know."

The first tense moment since they had taken the potion passed between them.

"Well," Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders. "They'll have to find out eventually."

"Right," he responded, taking her hand. "Let's go."

Hermione laughed and wriggled her fingers out of her grip. "They'll have to find out," she said pleasantly, "but maybe not quite yet."

"Right."

Instead of holding her hand, then, he walked close beside her as they made their way to Potions.

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"Today's the day," Snape barked, whipping his head around to glare at the students. "I do hope you're all adequately prepared."

Each student in the class shrunk just a little lower in the chairs.

"Begin," he said simply, waving a hand at them.

"Okay," Draco said, turning to Hermione. "We've done this."

"Right," she replied. "No problem."

He gathered the ingredients, and she organized the work area.

"Placebase," he said, handing it to her. Hermione placed each ingredient in a specified location so they couldn't get themselves confused. "Tetrakyst," he said, handing her the next one. She placed it near the Placebase. Lyrograss was next, and she placed it in between the previous two. They continued organizing their ingredients until their work area looked perfect.

"Finished," Hermione announced. "Now, if you take the list, I'll add the ingredients."

Draco picked up the list. "Lyrograss," he read, and Hermione added it. "Cretalite."

Each ingredient he read, Hermione added. They followed the directions just as precisely as they had on the first attempt.

Their potion turned the familiar pink and let off the familiar rose-like scent.

"Perfect," Hermione breathed.

"Nice work, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger," Snape said gruffly, coming up behind them. "Now we test to see if it works."

"And how do we do that, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"Usually with a human subject," he snapped.

"But how so in this case?" Draco asked.

"Well, since I'm under strict regulations to not give these potions to children at Hogwarts," Snape began, a disgusted sneer on his face, "I suppose I'll be forced to use a different form of test."

He aimed his wand at the potion. The pair saw a bright green spark fly from his wand. On contact, the potion turned a deep fuschia. "Nicely done," Snape muttered. Waving a hand at them to signal he was through with them, he added, "You passed." Then he continued on to the next group.

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At dinner that night, Ron and Harry avoided Hermione's eyes. Instead, they occasionally exchanged furtive glances and emersed themselves in their food. Ginny was also strangely quiet.

Finally, Harry broke the silence.

"Hermione, we know you took the potion with Malfoy."

Hermione's eyes first widened, then narrowed quickly in Ginny's direction.

"No, Ginny didn't tell us," Harry said. "I'm not stupid, you know."

Hermione shrugged. "What of it, Harry?" she asked.

"It's the Ferret!" Ron snarled, his nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Hermione, we're just looking out for you," Harry said.

"You can't really like that git, can you, 'Mione?" Ron pleaded.

"In fact, Ronald," Hermione responded, "I do." This earned her disgusted looks from both boys. "And I know for a fact that he likes me, too."

"Do you really?" Ron asked, his ears turning red and his voice loud. "And how do you know that?"

"He says so," she responded simply.

"Really?" Ron snapped. "Does he stay awake at night thinking of you and only you? Does he wait in the halls when he knows you'll be there, just because he might get that one chance to say 'hello' to you?" Ron's voice became louder the more he spoke. "Does he pine for you, waiting for the moment when you just might happen to give him a second glance? Does he pour over every moment of every day, hoping you just might feel the same way?" Hermione looked at Ron uncertainly. She'd never heard him quite like this. "Does he love you, 'Mione? Does he really, truly love you?" He was shouting his, entire face red. Then, his voice became intensely quiet, as his blue eyes bore into her. "Does he love you, 'Mione?" he near-whispered. Bringing his voice even lower, he whispered, "Does he love you like I love you?"

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A shocked Hermione sought out Ginny after dinner.

"What was that about?" she demanded.

"I don't know," Ginny snapped. "Maybe Ron's finally gotten up the courage to get off his arse and tell you what you should've known all along!"

Hermione shrunk in response to Ginny's words.

"I really hurt him, didn't I?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes, Hermione, that you did," Ginny responded coldly.

"Ginny, can we talk?" Harry asked, interrupting their conversation.

Ginny looked from Hermione to Harry, then nodded. "Think about it," she said once more to Hermione.

Then she walked off with Harry, leaving an even more stunned Hermione in her wake.

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A/N: Hey all, let me know what you think. Thanks!

PS- I'm so sorry updates are taking so long. I just got back to school, and I'm student teaching this year. It's a little hectic trying to find time when I don't want to just collapse and forget the world exists...