Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

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Author's greeting: Here we go again. Yay!

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Potions ended and the rest of the day was rather uneventful. Ron's despondent mood continued throughout the morning and the first part of the afternoon. But by midday, he had resigned himself to detention and stopped moping.

Hermione found that she had a few moments of privacy and quiet before dinner.

After her last class she had met up with Ron. Harry was with him. They had walked back to Gryffindor tower together.

Once there they had sat down in a corner of the common room, taking advantage of the free time to tackle some homework.

Ron and Harry of course weren't as productive as they could have been, being more apt to talk than diligently work.

Hermione found she needed her Ancient Runes book.

"I'm going up to my room to get my Ancient Runes book." Hermione stated, more for Ron's sake than Harry's.

Ron glanced over the table and seeing that the book wasn't there said, "Ok."

Hermione went through the door to the girl's dormitories and up the stairs.

Once in the dormitory, she went to her trunk and retrieved the book. She also slipped the note from Draco into her pocket.

She knew it was terribly risky. Ron could get angry and hit her causing it to fall out of her pocket, or it might fall out on its own. But knowing the note was there, and feeling it crackle around in her pocket, was very appealing.

Hermione wondered what she would say in her reply. She also wondered about how she should give it to him. She was sure Crookshanks would deliver it; he was almost like an ally! Maybe she would follow Crookshanks.

Hermione quickly went back downstairs. She mustn't take more than a minute or two. Ron's attitude was already hanging precariously over a cliff; she didn't want to push it over the edge.

Thankfully, Ron and Harry were still in conversation when Hermione got back down to the common room.

Hermione sat down, very aware of the note in her pocket. She hoped Ron wouldn't pick up on any change in her. She studiously opened her book and started intently reading.

Half and hour later, it was time to go down to dinner. Harry and Ron, having gotten through very little of their homework, stood up.

"Are you coming to dinner Hermione?" Harry asked.

Hermione gave a little jump. She had been very absorbed in what she was doing.

"Yes of course I'm coming. I was just concentrating very hard."

Hermione reorganized her notes and books.

The three of them walked down to the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was loud and bustling with people. Everyone was talking and jostling around trying to find a seat.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way over to the Gryffindor table. Ron and Harry sat down and Hermione found a seat across the table from them facing the front of the hall.

"What do you reckon Snape will have me do?" Ron asked Harry as he slid a pork chop onto his plate.

"I don't know. Probably something nasty. I remember when I had him for detention a few years ago…"

Hermione floated away from their conversation into her own thoughts. She thought of the note in her pocket and it gave her a little thrill to think of it. She inadvertently smiled, then blinked and looked up at Ron.

Good, he was still discussing possible detention tasks.

Hermione turned back to her plate. Then she looked around the hall. Her eyes slid over the Ravenclaws, the Hufflepuffs, and finally the Slytherins. Her eyes lingered for a slight moment on Draco. He was talking with a brown haired boy she didn't know.

She turned back to her plate. A slight shiver went through her that had nothing to do with being cold.

Neither of them had known beforehand what would happen that night in the workroom. Neither of them had any idea. What strange results that happen because of the choices we make Hermione thought.

After dinner, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back up to the Gryffindor common room. They had a lot of homework ahead of them and had no choice but to get down to it.

Hermione really had to knuckle under since she had to patrol tonight as well as finish her homework.

3 hours later

Finally, the trio had gotten through a sizeable amount of homework and could go to bed. Ron and Harry at least. Although Ron wouldn't be going to bed yet. He was going to stay up and wait for Hermione, lest she deviate from him.

Hermione quickly put her things away up in the dormitory (after telling Ron of course) and headed back downstairs.

Ron walked with her down several stories to Professor McGonnagall's office. Hermione was nervous. She hadn't directly encountered Draco since they were last in the workroom. Her heart was madly bouncing around.

"I'll see you at midnight." Ron said and left.

Hermione knocked on the office door. Professor McGonnagall opened it and Hermione walked in.

"Good evening Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy hasn't arrived yet so please take a seat. The mention of Draco's name caused Hermione's madly bouncing heart to bounce ever higher.

Hermione sat down near the warm fireplace and waited.