What worried him most was fourth period, which would be the first time he'd be face-to-face with Jenny since their whole "piggy-back gym experience", as Hermione liked to call it. He didn't know how he was supposed to bring up what he wanted to ask her, which would've been an easy task if she wasn't so damned popular. She had to be friends with at least fifty people from each house in all different years, for she was seldom seen alone and if she was it was because she was doing homework. And Harry, knowing Hermione, knew to never bother someone who enjoyed homework.

Even now, as Harry walked down to breakfast alone, having grown impatient with Ron, he saw her in the corridor, chatting merrily with Ashley, two other third year Gryffindors, one fourth year Hufflepuff, and a sixth year Ravenclaw.

"Hi Harry!" she called as he passed. She stood on her tip-toes to see over the heads of her friends so she could wave at him. He smiled and waved back. What he really wanted to do was actually go and talk to her, but that was physically impossible at the moment.

Turning into the entrance hall, something heavy plowed him in the back, making him fall forwards.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Jenny said. She was obviously a fast walker. "I'm accident-prone, if it wasn't already obvious." She was oblivious of who she was talking to until she actually looked at Harry and when she did, she blushed crimson.

"Oh, sorry, Harry, I didn't know it was you," she muttered.

"Does it matter who you bump into, then?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes and slapped his arm playfully and said, "Shut up." She walked past him and into the Great Hall. He was about to follow her when Ashley, Alex and Luna came trotting behind her.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he said in frustration. Actually, he said this a little loud, making a couple passing first years stare at him awkwardly.

"What?" he snapped. They jumped and ran off crying, because they were immature and midgets…at least, that's what Ron said.

Harry entered the hall and walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Ron (who at the time was stuffing his face full of blueberry pancakes) even though he left before Ron, and Ron never passed him in the hall.

"Whassamattawithyou?" he asked with warm pancakes and butter spewing from his mouth. Hermione was right; he was mildly disgusting.

"Hermione was right. You are mildly disgusting," Harry replied, pulling a face and nearly barfing.

Ron swallowed his food and got wide-eyed. "You're doing it, too?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Define 'it.'"

"Saying things that sound oddly familiar. It's creepy and it seems that I'm the only one realizing it!"

"Whatever you say, mate."

Second period passed with extreme ease. Probably because in canon, Jo usually skips lessons when nothing exciting happens, though says the lesson happened anyways, so that's what I'll do.

Anyhoo, second period passed with ease. No tests, no quizzes, and no owls hooting at the window and all beat up because they got intercepted made the walk down to the dungeons a bit less uncomfortable.

Key words: a bit.

"What do you think smellyol' Snivelly is going to make us do today?" Ron asked, fiddling with a strap on his book bag that was slung over one shoulder (one shoulder because he's cool like that).

"Dunno," Harry replied, shrugging. "I just hope that…" He trailed off as he saw a group of third year Gryffindors walk past him. His eyes caught sight the head of a blonde-ish, brown hair that was walking next to a girl with two different socks on.

"Harry? Oh honestly, Harry it's tacky to space out twice in one chapter!" Hermione said.

"What chapter? What story? What aren't you telling me? Is there something wrong with me?" Ron asked sounding terrified.

"Ron," Hermione said slowly and placed a hand on his shoulder, which was difficult, considering he was always freakishly tall compared to her and Harry, "there are a lot of things wrong with you, but that's ok, because in the end not matter how or what you are, the ones you love will always be there for you no matter what." She smiled at him.

Ron raised his eyebrows at her. "When did you become a shrink?"

Hermione pulled her hand off his shoulder as if she had been burned and turned her smile into an evil glare. "Well, if you don't want me to become a shrink then why even be friends with me!"

"That's not what I-"

"Just stay out of my shiznit, a'ight? Word." She stomped off to catch up with Jenny, Ashley, and their crew, leaving Harry and Ron in the very thick layer of dust her footsteps covered them in.

Ron and Harry exchanged looks.

"What in the bloody hell did she just say?" Ron asked as his eyebrows in danger of disappearing into his hairline.

"No clue whatsoever," Harry replied. "C'mon, let's catch up with her so we can, um, get, um, good seats. Yeah, good seats." Harry sped up to get "good seats" and Ron stared blankly after him.

"What is wrong with this world?" he asked, staring up at the ceiling, looking completely distressed, and followed him.

Five minutes later they were heading into the classroom, only today was different: Snape was already there and it smelled like cheese.

"It smells like cheese," Ron whispered to Harry, and Harry wrinkled his nose.

"Class," Snape drawled, for that was the only way he could speak, "we are doing something different this year. You will have assigned seats for a three week period and will be with that same partner for that three week period. Each time you change partners, you will change desks. Is that simple enough for most of you?" He looked distinctly at Neville, who looked distinctly terrified he would be partnered with a certain blonde-haired, shagadelic, Slytherin.

The class remained silent with exception for a murmured, "Yes, Professor."

"Good, now I'm going to start with the front row and work my way back and from left to right, so pay attention." He again fixed his gaze on Neville. Turning his gaze back to the desks, he cleared his throat and moved to the left side of the classroom. On each name he placed a hand on one desk, motioning for that person to sit there.

"Crabbe and Cave, Vellucci and Goyle, and Patil and Brown on this side- Don't move yet," he hissed as the students called started to move. Snape moved to the other side of the classroom and began ticking off names. "On this side will be Wiggin and Potter, Weasley and Malfoy, and Granger and Sousa. Personally, I think you could learn something from Mr. Malfoy, Weasley." He smirked at his comment, as though it we clever. "Now you can move." The names that had been called moved to their new assigned seats and sat down, most of them talking to their new partners.

Harry sat down next to Jenny, which made his stomach do flip-flops. She hadn't looked at him yet, for she was bent over sideways (facing Harry) digging into her back-pack. Harry opened his mouth to say something, until he looked down to look at her face but all he noticed was how when she was bent over, he could see down her shirt. He immediately faced forward, praying to God she wouldn't see how red his face was. He tried to focus his attention on something else, such as the way Malfoy and Ron were glaring at each other unblinkingly. Harry thought they were probably having a mental showdown about who was sexier.

"You ok, Harry?" Jenny asked, tucking a strand of hair behind one ear. She always only tucked it behind one ear, never both.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. It's just always a little hot in here for me, you know?" he lied, turning his gaze back to her, but willing himself not to lets his eyes leave hers.

"Oh yeah, I know. Snape needs to get air-conditioning for this place or something," she replied, unaware of what Harry had seen.

They didn't talk much after that, just watched as Snape paired up pairs. This took up the almost the entire period since some people had the guts to speak out about who they were partnered with. But, instead of resulting with a new partner, it resulted in ten points from Gryffindor, fifteen points from Slytherin and four detentions.

Snape had just begun to talk about the lesson when the bell rang. He closed his eyes, as though daring the Gods to try his patience.

"I hate this schedule," he hissed through clenched teeth. "You are dismissed."

"Well, I'll see you around, Harry," said Jenny, standing up to leave.

"No, Jen wait!" he called after her, but she didn't hear him. She was long gone.

He gaped after her, or tried to at least, for all he could see was her shoes, for she was obscured by her gang of girlfriends again. Seriously, did she have a permanent-sticking charm on them?

"You have got to be kidding me!" he said in frustration for the second time that day.

"Hasn't this been the longest week ever?" Hermione said later that day at dinner.

"Yeah, it has. Ever since our totally, completely, horrible, super, evil, mean gym teachers arrived," Ron said. He had taken to not talk with his mouth full which satisfied Hermione to the fullest.

Harry wasn't listening to their conversation. He was busy looking down the table at Jenny who was laughing with her friends, He had taken to notice how she threw her head forward a little when she laughed softly and how she threw her heads back when she laughed hard.

"Harry, are you staring at her again?" Hermione asked.

"What are you talking about? Staring at who?" Harry replied, though he couldn't hide the blush that was creeping onto his cheeks like spiders that wanted him to tap dance.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Harry, it is totally obvious you're head-over-heels for Jenny."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Am I that obvious?"

Both she and Ron nodded.

"If it was a joke, even Percy could have recognized it!" said Ron, who was eyeing a plateful of mashed potatoes. "And that itself is saying something.

Harry groaned and slammed his head on the table.

"Harry, if you like her so much then why don't you ask her to the Yule Ball? I mean, it's in two weeks and neither of you have dates," Hermione said. "I mean, even I've got a date. I mean, it's ok for a girl to go alone, but for a bloke it's just sad."

"You know, I'm starting to agree with Ron on this 'oddly familiar' stuff," Harry said.

"Whatever, all I'm saying is to ask her out."

Harry groaned again. "I've been trying to do that all week, but every time get near her – attempt to get near her – about five other people crowd around her and they walk off. I swear it's physically impossible."

"That's why you ask her out in class, smart one. And I thought Ron was supposed to be the thick one."

Harry looked up at her. "What do you mean 'ask her out in class'? We have no classes together except for potions and that's only on even period days."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What class do we all have tomorrow?"

Suddenly, gym seemed like it couldn't come soon enough.