A BIG thank you, to everyone still reading, following, and reviewing. I love you all muchly.

There are quite a few perspective shifts in this chapter, but it was fun so I ran with it. We get just a tad bit of closure but the next few chapters are riddled with drama and dramione, so bare with me. I don't want their relationship to get TOO serious this year, because they ARE only fourteen, but I was also a fourteen year old at one point and I remember how it was for me, and the relationship I had at that time.

Rowling owns everything!

I think it makes sense for her to admit that Ron and Hermione wouldn't have worked out clearly. Ron's an asshat and I've never liked him...but I also don't think she would have ended up with Harry. Dramione FOREVER! loljkbutnotreally.

Hermione looked at her reflection with a wrinkled nose. She'd never used this stuff before, but Lavender and the other girls swore by it. She layered some of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion onto her hands anyway, and finger-combed it through her hair. As she pulled the gunk through her hair, she contemplated the day ahead of her.

She was going on a date with Michael, and while he was a smart and funny guy...Hermione still wasn't really convinced that she liked him. Hermione would have felt bad by backing out of the date, and she wanted to stay true to her word because Michael seemed to be looking forward to it...but Hermione wasn't sure what to expect. They hadn't really spoken the past few days-hell no one had really spoken to her. Draco always had something he had to go do, and her fellow Gryffindor's were upset with her for some reason, yet they all refused to explain. While Hermione was aware that they were all trying to avoid her, she didn't let it bother her. She had a lot of homework to do anyway.

Now that all of the potion was in her hair, she let it sit and she watched, with faint surprise, as her hair smoothed out. She combed through it with her brush and nodded faintly in approval at it's sleek appearance. She pinned her fringe to the sides of her face with barrettes and let the rest of it hang down her back. It was pretty cold, but not cold enough for a hat, so she figured she needed to do her hair.

Lavender and Fay had promised to do her make-up, because Hermione didn't own any of it, and they swore up and down that she needed to wear some, because it was a date, and that was just what was done. Hermione didn't really care.

She wore a purple peasant blouse that laced up for the cleavage, and Hermione wore one of her aunt's push up bra's, so she definitely wasn't flat chested. She wore a pair of dark pants and warm sneakers. It was about as much as she was going to try. Lavender and Fay rushed into the room then, and practically fawned over her hair. Lavender put eyeliner on her top lids and then mascara onto her eyelashes-constantly gushing how wonderful Hermione's lashes were already-and Fay put on a pink lip gloss. Hermione thought she looked fake, but the girl's loved it. Hermione pulled on her coat, with her gloves in the pocket, as well as some money in case she wanted to buy something, and then made her way through the castle to meet Michael.

She passed Draco from coming out of the Great Hall. He walked passed her without saying anything, "Well hello to you too!" She snapped at him. He spun around and looked at her, confused. Hermione held out her hands expectantly.

"Hermione!" He seemed to realize. She rolled her eyes. "Gah! I didn't recognize you!" He was about to say something, then clenched his jaw. "Have a good date with Corner." Draco spun around again and marched off. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him as he walked away, but she didn't know why he was upset.

She went outside and stood by the steps to wait for him. When he arrived a few minutes later, he had a few flowers in his hands, that she recognized as growing wild near the Forbidden Forest. She took them with a smile, but honestly, what in the hell was she supposed to do with them all day? Carry them around? Michael took one of them, a purple flower with a white center, and tucked it into her hair.

"You're beautiful." He observe, she smiled again.

"You're handsome, yourself." He smiled and offered her his arm, and the two walked all the way to Hogsmeade, chattering about the homework load they were not doing at the moment.

Hermione still her star chart to map out, and Michael had a Care of Magical Creatures something-or-other he needed to do.

"Where you would like to go first?" Michael asked her once they made it inside Hogsmeade. Hermione looked around and shrugged, she had no idea what to do! They were on a date, and she had no experience or knowledge about that.

"How about we get something to drink and then we decide?" Michael had gestured with his free hand towards Madame Puddifoots Tea Shop, while Hermione had been eyeing Tomes and Scrolls.

"Sure, I haven't been to Three Broomsticks in a while," Hermione said with a nod, she led him towards the pub and Michael cast a glance towards the tea shop but grinned faintly. It seemed as if Hermione didn't like him much.

But then...well...why didn't she? What was wrong with him?

Now frowning, Michael walked behind her into the Three Broomsticks and the two of them got a table.

"What are you doing here?" Fred or maybe George asked Draco. The twins had hold themselves up into the Room of Requirement, the only place where they could safely experiment with new products. Draco had seen them on the map and sought them out after his run in with Hermione.

Draco responded with a shrug. He had seen the twins on the map, walking along the floor and then they disappeared, he had walked through the hallway a few times, wondering where they went, when the door suddenly showed up. Draco found the twins inside, the room was full of tables and benches, cauldrons, shelves of ingredients, and dummies. It was a workshop.

Fred and George had goggles over their eyes as they were putting things into a cauldron, now they set the goggles about their foreheads and turned to look at the blond boy. "I just...uhm...Dunno. You know the both of you disappeared when you came in here from the map. What is this place?"

"Room of Requirement," they both replied. "The room fills with whatever it is you need." Draco nodded and stored that bit of useful bit of information away.

"Why aren't you in Hogsmeade?" George asked, causing Draco to scowl.

"I've got no business there," the boy replied, which caused both of the older boys to laugh.

"Don't want to see Hermione and Michael more like," Fred replied, causing Draco to scoff.

"Whatever they do, is none of my business." Draco scowled and started to look at the different sorts of things the boy's were working on.

"Sure, sure," one said, yet the other leveled a look at him.

"If you're gonna get so worked up about her going on a date with someone that isn't you, don't you think you owe it to her to explain that?" The boy asked, "unless I've got it all wrong and you've got eyes for Corner..." Draco threw whatever it was he had in his hand for inspection at him with a disgusted grunt. Michael was a friend, and that was the end of it. The twin ducked the oncoming object that sailed through open space and hit the floor and started to walked away on little feet, once it was well hidden behind a table it exploded in a loud bang and momentarily filled the room with a blinding light.

"It worked!" The two boys hurrayed simultaneously.

"How long until I can see again?" Draco asked, he blinked several times trying to get the spots out of his eyes caused by the flash.

"Dunno," came the reply. "But you should go to Hogsmeade and tell her. Crash the date! It'll be fun." Draco rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. He still imagined that if Hermione was even slightly aware of his feelings then she wouldn't have gone on the date. She must have real feelings for Michael, and not for Draco. Draco was...well not content with them just being friends, but he also didn't want to lose her friendship. If she didn't like him back, then he would just have to deal with it.

"I'm going to the library." Draco announced, while he started to feel his way back towards the door-he couldn't see a bloody thing.

"Booooo." They replied. When Draco finally managed to reach the door, he slammed it shut behind him, his cheeks red.

"What do you think they are saying?" Ron looked particularly disgusted as he glanced towards the table that sat Michael and Hermione. Harry looked over his shoulder at the two of them and shrugged.

"I dunno, I've never been on a date before."

"They're probably talking about smart people things," Neville input, which received an eyeroll from Ron.

"Disgusting," Ron observed and took a drink of his butterbeer. He wiped the foam on the back of his hand and scowled back at the two of them, who were leaning towards each other with their elbows on the table, staring into each others eyes.

...Meanwhile across the room...

"Do you see it?" Michael asked, opening his eyelids a little more. Hermione leaned in closer, staring into his eyes.

"Oh yeah! You do have bits of brown in your eyes. I've never noticed that before..." She tilted her head aside in thought and then let out a small laugh, "Okay, what do you see in mine?" She asked, opening her eyes. Michael leaned in further and started between her eyes.

"Brown, mostly." He observed, and then with a pointing finger he indicated, "and like a few slivers of gold, or would that be honey colored?" He asked. Hermione shrugged and they both leaned back to their own sides of the table. Their butterbeers were almost empty.

"So, what is the number one thing you miss about the muggle world?" Michael asked her. Hermione tilted her head to the side and thought about it for a moment.

"The phone, I think. Cellphones too, I guess." Michael indicated for her to continue, "It's just faster to communicate, instead of owling. You punch in someone's phone number, and if they are home or have their cell with them, they answer and you can talk to them instantly. Like having a normal conversation with someone like we are right now, but we could be hundreds of miles apart." Hermione explained which caused Michael to whistle lowly.

"That's cool, but owls are cute," he argued. Hermione laughed and nodded.

"Yes, I'd hate to trade Keema in for a black plastic thing." Michael smiled and nodded as he took the last pull from his drink, and Hermione did the same.

"Fancy a walk?" He asked. Hermione shrugged.

"So long as that walk is to Tome and Scrolls."

"I should have known..." He trailed off with an exaggerated eyeroll. Hermione nudged his shoulder as the two stood and left the place. Unknowningly, Ron's eyes followed their exit.

The Library was thankfully barren of students on this Hogsmeade Weekend, so Draco could scowl out the window in peace. He had given up reading after the first paragraph, and has since just been glaring at the perfect weather outside. This just wasn't cool.

He'd only recently decided upon what his feelings were and had come to terms with them, yet when he had brought up enough nerve to ask her on a date, he was totally and utterly denied. Yet Michael, for whatever reason, betrayed him, after all the three of them had been urging him on to say something, 'before someone else does.' And worst still, Hermione had agreed to go on the date with him.

Draco was having a hard time believing that Michael actually liked her, but when Draco had confronted Terry this morning at breakfast, the boy had stammered out that Michael kept his thoughts to himself about a lot of things.

This entire situation sucked! He growled and slammed his book shut.

"It's not the book you are mad at." A light and soft voice told him. He didn't jump, but his head jerked around to stare at the speaker. It was a girl, a third year Ravenclaw. Loony Lovegood. Draco let out a breath.

"Looking for Nargles, are you?" He asked. Loony Luna sat down next to him and shook her head. He watched as her radish earrings swung with her movement.

"I was following the invisible trail of your angry heart, it's left quite a cloudy wake in the corridors." This girl was crazy. "I know it's not the book that's got you all confuddled." She didn't press anymore, which caused Draco to sigh and rub his temples.

"It's my-" Loony Luna pressed her finger against his lips to silence him.

"I'm not the one that needs an explanation, there's not much I can do about it. Unless I have done something, to which I am very sorry." Draco pushed her hand away gently and shook his head, he couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"No, you haven't done anything," He assured her. He smiled at her, then, "Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me? Like right now?" He asked. She tilted her head to the side, as she thought about it.

"Certainly, maybe we can see Nargles on the way there." Draco and Luna then left the Library and walked at a leisurely pace towards Hogsmeade. It was roughly after lunchtime.

After Tomes and Scrolls the awkward fourteen year olds found themselves in Honeydukes-having been under new management these passed few years- the arrangement was slightly more organized than it was under the previous owners, but the establishment was still packed with students ready and willing to spend all of their allowance.

Michael had taken Hermione's hand upon entering, as a precautionary measure against separation (Hermione told herself). Michael led her around, pointing out his favorite candies; Sugar Quills, Fizzing Whizbees, Berty Botts, and Jelly Slugs. Hermione admitted that Cauldron Cakes were her ultimate favorite, with Sugar Quills as a close second. Michael grabbed a few Cauldron Cakes and Sugar Quills for the both of them and paid for them, despite Hermione's protest.

He had this to say, "Hermione, I asked you on this date, so I will buy you things. If you don't like it, then ask me out on a date, where I will let you buy anything you want. Until then, deal with it." He then stuck his tongue out at her. Hermione was made speechless by that, wondering if she did want to ask him out on a second date. Sure, this one wasn't going bad, she was having fun, and Michael was a good person.

With their purchases in tow, they left the shop and started to walk back through Hogsmeade, in the direction of Hogwarts. On the way, Hermione spotted two blond heads; one she thought she knew, but the other she would know anywhere.

"Who is that, that Draco is with?" She asked Michael curiously. Michael followed her eyes and let out a surprised noise.

"Luna Lovegood, also known as..."

"Loony, yes." Hermione nodded, but frowned. "I didn't know they hung out." Michael sensed that she was jealous.

"Would you like to go find out?" He almost seemed eager, but Hermione didn't really notice. She immediately shook her head and cleared her throat.

"Of course not! Why would I want to do that? It's his business who he hangs out with." She seemed to realize how hostile she was sounding, and looked sheepish, "I mean, it's our date, and they seem fine so we should leave them alone. Let's just go for a walk, okay?" She asked, to which Michael nodded. They went off in the other direction, of course, and followed the trail that led to the Shrieking Shack.

They sat down on a rock along the path and Hermione and Michael set into the Sugar Quills. "Where do you think the myth about that place started?" Michael asked her. Hermione glanced towards the house and shrugged. She had had her theories, but after the last two years, she was pretty sure she had it figured out.

"I think someone goes there to keep everyone safe," She admitted. Michael snorted.

"Like who?"

Hermione shrugged again, "someone dangerous, but someone who knew that they were."

"If they were so dangerous, why would they care?" Michael tilted his head to the side.

"Maybe it's a werewolf, that only goes after boys who ask thousands of questions." Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, as she bit at her quill, and he laughed faintly.

"Yes, because werewolves are known to have a type." Michael rolled his eyes, "But that does kind of make sense. Isn't the Wolfsbane potion supposed to help control the beast while the moon is out? I guess if one had the forethought to lock themselves away, they could spend the night just scratching and making all kinds of racket."

"See? Not so crazy, is it?"

"Of course not, Hermione, you're so smart." He smiled at her genuinely and she smiled back, though her face heated considerably. Michael scooted closer to her on the rock, she didn't move away. She didn't do anything really, just finish eating her sugar quill.

"Can I ask you something? And I want you to be honest." Michael said, taking her hand. Hermione looked down at their joined hands and then up at him with a faint nod. "Do you have feelings for Draco? I mean, more-than-friend feelings?" His eyes bore into hers and she couldn't read the expression on his face...determined maybe.

"I-I-uhmmm..." She looked from one of his eyes to the next and then out towards the Shrieking Shack. She bit her lip as she thought about it. As she had never really thought about it before. "I...I don't know. I think? I guess? I mean, we're close and everything." Hermione extricated her hand from his and wiped her palms on her jeans without consciously deciding to do so. Michael touched her chin to turn her to look at him again.

"It's nothing to be ashamed about, Hermione. Feelings are natural, as are being attracted to someone."

"Are you attracted? T-to me?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide and innocent. Suddenly, Michael felt like a douchebag. He took his hand off her chin and then it was his turn to look back out at the Shack. Should he lie? Or tell the truth?

"I haven't lied to you," about anything I have said today, he mentally added, "I do think you are beautiful and very smart, and clever, and fun to be around...but I think we should just be friends. I really liked being around you today, but maybe not in a romantic sense." He looked at her then, to see an oddly blank face, "is that okay?"

Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and let out a laugh. "Yeah, that's okay. I've been so confused this passed week!" She jumped to her feet now and was starting to pace, "Because when you asked me, I was just so surprised! I'd never thought about you like that before, not even a second! I mean, you've handsome yes, and your smile is very nice. You have good teeth. And then Ginny and Harry and Neville had said they had a bet going with how long it was going to take you to ask me out on a date, and it was obvious that you liked me. But I had never seen it, but then Ginny also said it was obvious that I liked you too. I was so confused, because I am usually very good at understanding my thoughts and feelings and things, but what she said floored me, because I had never thought about it, but if the three of them saw this, then who was I to doubt them? I mean they are smart too, so they couldn't just be making it up. But even after I accepted, I still wasn't convinced, so I was trying to logically come to a decision about what was going on, but I couldn't. I got so busy with school work, that I also sort of forgot about it, and no one really spoke to me at all this passed week, Ravenclaw or Gryffindor. I had figured they were mad, but maybe also busy with work like I was, but I couldn't be sure. And then this entire date was nice, but I also had no idea what I was doing, and I was so worried about messing it up and hurting your feelings, because Ginny had just been so convinced that you liked me, I didn't want to ruin anything. And ohmygodIstilldon'tknowwhat'sgoingon."

Michael watched, with an expression of utter disbelief frozen on his face as she paced and talked to herself. Finally he stood and put his hands on his shoulder to make her stop. "Calm down, Hermione. I don't like you like that!" He said first off, "It's DRACO that likes you. Hell, our teachers know it! Everyone knows it! I bet that is who Ginny and Harry and Neville had the bet about. I asked you out because I was sick of watching him stare at you when you weren't looking. I wanted to scare him into facing his feelings and doing something about it!" Michael explained. Hermione's eyebrows were so high on her head, they almost seemed to join her hairline.

"What." It was almost a whisper, "No. That's not true. Draco's out with Luna today, he must like her." Michael threw his hands up in the air in frustration, she watched him and folded her hands across her chest. "You only asked me out, to get Draco to do something? You manipulated me!" She pointed a finger at him as she realized that. He glanced at her and winced.

"Don't hex me," he said. Hermione let out a disgruntled noise and settled for slapping him instead. She had a bit too much pent up aggression in the slap, however, because the clap of impacted echoed around them, and he pitched so far to the side he almost fell over.

"Ohgoddammit that hurts." He had a hand over his face. "But...I guess I deserved that." He righted himself, his hand still covering a very red hand print. Hermione wasn't sorry until she saw the tears prick at his eyes, from the pain.

She let out a small sigh and then hung her head, "I shouldn't have slapped you. I'm sorry. I'm...I'm going back to Hogwarts." She turned then and left, her fists clenched and folded into her elbows as she walked. Michael stayed in the clearing until he was sure the mark was gone and then took their remaining treats back into Hogsmeade. He headed into the Three Broomsticks, where he was sure Terry and Anthony would be.

He wasn't wrong and as soon as they saw him, they both winced. He touched his tender face where Hermione slapped him and joined them, " I guess you told her the truth?" Terry asked, and pulled his hand away to look.

"Never make Hermione mad," Michael implored them, "but I deserved it, I guess."

"Gooooood lordy, I can see her entire hand!" Terry said, proceeding to pointing out her fingers up by his eyes and circling her palm on his cheek. He whistled.

"You think it will bruise?" Michael asked worriedly, Terry shrugged.

"I've never been slapped before."

"I'll get you a butterbeer," Silent Anthony said and left.

"Well I told her about the plan-leaving the two of you out of it. You're welcome. And how Draco likes her and the entire school knows. She went back to the school to think, I guess." Michael replaced his hand over his smarting cheek.

"Draco and Luna just left a bit ago, seems like the two of them were having a good time," Terry informed him.

"Yeah? We saw them walking. I didn't know that had ever even spoken before." Terry shrugged at Michael's words.

"She's a bit crazy. She kept saying I had these invisible things living inside my brain that only she could see."

Anthony returned with a butterbeer. Michael put the cold mug against his face.

Draco and Luna were having a good time. Luna was funny and her perspective was strange, she didn't miss much. She was very good at distracting Draco from everything.

"Oh, I don't think about that," Draco was saying to her opinion that all students should spend a bit of time in the Forbidden Forest during their last school year, as a way to test their survival skills. "That's a bit dangerous, don't you think?"

"Well, how can you know yourself unless you are the only thing keeping you alive? Not the magic of the four founders, or your parents, or the professors? Just yourself and what's in there." Luna tapped his forehead. Draco thought for a moment but then shook his head.

"Still way too dangerous. You know how many people would die every year if that were a thing?"

"You don't either," She observed," you just think so." They had reached the school grounds then.

"I'm going to go feed the Threstrals." She didn't offer anything else in the way of a farewell and literally skipped off. Draco laughed and ruffled his head. He pointed himself in the direction of the castle.

"-so I slapped him." Hermione finished, she blew on the mug of tea and then took a tentative sip. Hagrid's tea had gotten progressively better over the years, thanks to Hermione's small tips and suggestions. His brew was no where near as aggressive as it once was.

"Serves 'im right! He's no matchmaker, goin' around playin' like that," Hagrid said but then let out a small laugh, "But ye're much too young to be gettin' involved with boys," He continued with an eye roll. "Save that for after Hogwarts, 'ermione. You deserve nothing less than full marks, and lettin' some boy into your heart is only gonna spell trouble, yeh mark my words." He pointed a finger at her causing her to raise her hands in surrender.

"I know. I was just so...surprised! I hadn't thought about anything like that...at all. I didn't know what to say, but after what Ginny told me, about them having a bet and seeing it so clearly...I guessed I had just missed it. Which I mean I did miss it, obviously..." Hermione shook her self and sighed, "I do have work I should be doing." She took the last sip of her tea and stood up. The growing of the chair signaled Hagrid standing up as well.

"Yeh best go get it done, then! I'm about late for missing my meeting with Lockhart," Hagrid rolled his eyes.

"'Says he knows why the Unicorns are dyin' in the forest," he said more as a spoken thought, it brought Hermione up short.

"There are unicorns in the forest? And something is killing them?!" Hermione demanded. Hagrid seemed to remember her being there and cleared his throat.

"Shouldn't have said that. Never yeh mind, off with yeh." He all but pushed her out of his cabin. Hermione, thoughtfully, walked up to the castle and to the common room.