Oh my God it's Hermione's handwriting

Oh my God it's Hermione's handwriting! Harry thought, why would Hermione have a list...and why does it look so similar to mine...did Ginny ask Hermione to make a list, just like Ron asked of me...and if so, who is it about? Harry continued to ponder these thoughts while he started to look over the list. But before he could get anywhere interesting...

"Time for presents!" Mrs. Weasley placed her hand on top of Harry's shoulder and started to lead him to the presents that were balanced by the wall behind them.

"Open mine first!" Ginny held red-wrapped gift in front of Harry's face. So in order to see, he took the gift from Ginny's hands and started to un-wrap it. Underneath all of the wrapping paper and the card board box, he found a new pair of water-proof Quidditch goggles.

"Thanks Gin, I needed a new pair of these"

Ginny blushed, and was happy to feel Harry's arms around her in a friendly hug. It wasn't the longest he could have held it, but she was content with it nonetheless.

Twenty minutes later, Harry had a pile up to his knees with newly un-wrapped gifts. They included: New products from Weasley Wizard Wheezes from Fred and George, a Quidditch handbook from Ron, new dragon-hyde Quidditch gloves from Charlie, dress robes from Flur and Bill, home-made sweets from Mrs. Weasley, and his official Apparation license from Mr. Weasley.

The only present that hadn't been opened was the one he noticed earlier, the green present that had a certain jene se qua, a certain golden glow, and that wasn't just because of the snitches that decorated it. Strangely enough, the only person's gift that hadn't been received was Hermione's. Of course it's Hermione's Harry thought, before Hermione came up to Harry and handed him the infamous gift.

"Here you go Harry, I hope you like it" she said.

"I'm sure I will" Harry said with a smile.

Harry started opening the gift slowly, he wanted to savior the moment.

"HURRY UP!" Ron exclaimed, fairly annoyed with how slow his mate was opening Hermione's present.

Harry continued to open his present as if Ron hadn't said a word. He came upon a black, leather box, about the size of a golden snitch. Curious... Harry thought. When he lifted the top of the box, he came to find a snitch, oddly enough, signed by all of the players that played on the Chudley Cannons.

"Oh my gosh, Hermione, it's awesome! Thank-you!"

Harry then gave Hermione a long-lingering hug, just like the ones she described on her list. This feels so right they both thought. Little did they know that a scarlet and gold aura was surrounding them.

Everyone dropped their conversations and started to stare at the bright aura reflecting off of the two "friends". Soon, silence enveloped the whole room. Harry and Hermione noticed this, and quickly pulled apart.

An awkward silence filled the room when they pulled apart.

"So...who wants cake?" Mrs. Weasley said, breaking the silence.

"I DO!" the room echoed.

Everyone in the room then piled into the kitchen, leaving a confused Harry and Hermione behind.

"What just happened?" Harry asked Hermione.

"I...don't know, I am just as confused as you." Hermione answered, in the same tone.

"You mean, you two didn't feel anything?" asked Ron.

"No" Harry and Hermione chorused.

"Well…what happened?" Hermione asked.

"You guys sorta..." Ron couldn't finish his thorough explanation of what occurred between the two of them, because the chanting of "WE WANT CAKE" from the kitchen interrupted him. "I'll tell you guy's later...I want cake too."

Harry and Hermione both rolled their eyes and followed Ron into the packed kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry to the cake in the middle of the room. "Go on and...make a wish...or whatever muggle's do these days."

Harry smiled at Mrs. Weasley's request. He knew what he should wish for, what everyone was expecting him to wish for, to defeat Voldermort. But his heart wanted something different...something he never thought he would wish for, but when he thought about it, it made all the sense in the world...he wanted to wish for Hermione's love. But is that what I should wish for? Harry thought to himself.

After what seemed like eternity, but was really only a few minutes, Harry blew out the candles with a smile on his face. He was content with what he wished for, he wished for something that had the best odds of coming true, something that made him all happy inside and out. He wished for...

Hermione was sitting beside Harry the whole time, and observing him. He looks so confused...surely his wish would be to defeat Voldermort...right? Hermione thought, yes, what else would he wish for Hermione's logical conscience retorted.

Hermione decided to push these thoughts out of her head when she saw Harry blow out his seventeen candles with a cheeky smile on his face. He looks so damn good when he smiles like that, it means that he is truly happy with himself.

The rest of the party went by in a blur for both Harry and Hermione. It was just a montage of socializing and more dancing, which they were cautious of, since they didn't want to lose the lists they kept in their pockets. Only when they both remembered what Ron was supposed to explain to them did they snap out of it.

"Ron?" Harry asked.

"Yeah?" Ron was on his fifth piece of cake, and was currently chewing when he answered.

"Gross..." Hermione said.

"Sorry Herms" Ron said with a sheepish grin.

Hermione still had a disgusted look on her face, not because of Ron's lack of manners, but because she HATED that nickname, but she never said anything. That just wasn't what "Hermione Granger" would do, she wouldn't blow up over a stupid nickname, she would blow up for more important reasons...like if Harry or Ron forgot to do their homework or something.

"Anyway, Ron, what were you going to explain to us earlier?" Harry continued.

"Oh, yeah...that" Ron said, swallowing the cake in his mouth. "Let's talk somewhere else." he said, leading them upstairs to his bedroom.

"Ron, why are we up here? It can't be that serious...can it?" Hermione inquired, looking at Harry for support.

Harry returned her look for a moment, and then turned back to Ron, to prevent from blushing. Snap out of it He thought. this is 'Mione. "Ron...what exactly happened?" Harry asked.

"Well...when you two hugged" Ron said, "You both gave off this weird light...gold and red light, I think it was."

"I've...never heard of such a thing." Hermione said, gaining surprising glances from both Ron and Harry.

"You...Hermione Granger...don't know something?" Ron said, smirking at the thought of "Know-It-All-Hermione having not heard of something.

"Shut up Ronald!" Hermione snapped, glaring daggers at him.

"Alright, sorry..." Ron said, gaining an interest in the wooden floorboards of his room.

Harry glanced at Hermione, then Ron, trying to figure out what to say next. "Well...I'm parched, I'm off to bed." he finally said, getting up and heading towards his bed at the other side of the room.

"Yeah, me too" Hermione said, also getting up from her spot on Ron's queen-sized bed, and heading out the door.

"Yeah...alright, 'night Herms" Ron said, pulling the covers onto himself, and finding a comfortable position to lay.

"'Night 'Mione" Harry said, getting up and giving Hermione a peck on the cheek. He always did before be, but this time felt different, this time they both felt something...something that felt like...love. They shrugged it off of course, and headed to bed. "Goodnight Harry...Ron" Hermione said, glancing over at a now snoring figure.

Hermione rolled her eyes and closed the door and headed to her room that she shared with Ginny. She was relieved to see Ginny sleeping as well, must be a Weasley trait she thought. Hermione changed into a green baby-doll nightdress and tucked into her bed, rubbing the spot where Harry had just kissed her goodnight. It was just a brotherly gesture she thought, then why did he linger...a voice in the back of her head said.

Hermione thought about it until she fell into a dreamless slumber.

Harry, on the other hand, didn't have such an easy time falling asleep. He was still thinking about what Ron had said earlier, and about the piece of parchment that lie on his bedside table. Open it...you know you want to. A voice said in the back of is head, no, I don't... his logical side retorted. It couldn't help to look...
Harry started to reach for the note, but stopped. He decide it would be best to read it in the morning, it would give him something to look forward too. Harry slept with a smile on his face, that is until he started to dream...

Harry's Dream◊

"Hermione...Hermione?!" Harry screamed up at the girl's dormitory, earning a few "Go to sleep" and "Shut Up Potter" comments thrown back at him.
He and Hermione were supposed to meet in the Gryffindor Common Room at eight thirty that night to do their homework. It was now eight forty-five. Hermione was never late, especially to do homework; she would always come fifteen minutes earlier to get a head start.

Harry was starting to get worried and thought that maybe she was on patrol with Ron...but thought nothing of it, since Ron was sound asleep, snoring away, in the boy's dormitory. Harry then assumed she was in the library, getting a few extra books to study from, it seemed like a logical reason, so he left it at that and made his way into his dormitory to get an extra quill. He figured if she was is the library then he would need one.

When he opened the door, he wasn't welcomed in by Ron's loud snores...but complete and total silence. When he looked around, he didn't see the faces or Seamus, Dean, Ron, Neville, or any of is dorm mates, but by un-disturbed canopy's.
When he came to his bed, he noticed a piece of parchment, folded up and placed at the center or his scarlet bedspread. He picked it up and read it thoroughly a few times. It only had three words inscribed into it:

"Think About Dark"

When he looked up from the parchment, he was surrounded by a swirl of blue gas. He then did the logical thing and went to open the window to let the gas escape out and never return, but when he got closer to the ledge he tripped over something...or rather...someone.
"Hermione" His voice was a vague whisper.
He noticed that she wasn't moving, so he checked her pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he could feel one beneath his fingertips, but when he placed his fingers there, her skin felt as cold as ice. Her skin did not have the same golden glow that he came so well to know, it was pale and lifeless. Her expression wasn't warm either, but cold and distant. Only one thing came to mind when he saw he like this...she had been tortured...by the Cruciatus curse no doubt. He shivered with the thought of Hermione being treated in such a way...but why...why was she tortured like this?

"You can't help her Harry" said a familiar naisley voice. Although Harry could not make out to who the voice belonged to, so he turned around; only to come face-to-face to a cloaked figure standing on the opposite side of the room. Harry's scar burned like a thousand knives jabbing into it. He started to scream in agony and pain.

This only brought pleasure to the cloaked figure, as he began to laugh. Harry then started to see darkness all around him, as his vision started to black out. The blue gas and the pain were both getting to far into his system; there was only so much a boy could take, even if he was the-boy-who-lived.

He then heard the figure speak once more, but his voice was barely audible, "You and your mudblood lover will pay Potter, in blood next time" Harry then blacked out complexly and felt like the world was shaking all over...but came to realize that it was Ron...Ron!?

◊End Harry's Dream◊

"HARRY, MATE, WAKE UP!" Ron's voice was scared and, very loud.

"S-Snape..." Harry whispered, before his vision once again fell into complete and total darkness.