Hermione couldn't react to Edmund's confession, she was both stunned and speechless. They were just dancing and it just hit her all of the sudden that he truly did have feelings for her. That it wasn't a harmless crush that he had.

She had known that he liked her but she didn't think it was serious. They were only in their third year back then. He never spoke about it ever again after and she thought it had passed, maybe it even was a little joke.

That kind of joke was made countless times before where she lived. The boys at her school used to run up to her to tell her that they liked him and to meet her at the swing. Instead, they would all show up and laugh at her.

Hermione solved the riddle and the eagle let her through into the common room. Viktor had left after she had insisted that she'll be fine going up the spiral staircase on her own. There was no room for conversation on such a staircase.

She was one of the last people to arrive in the Ravenclaw common room. "Oh." She breathed out as she was faced with two of her closest friends in Ravenclaw. "Padma, Cho, you two are still up."

Padma and Hermione were going through a rough patch. Especially after Hermione had taken Edmund outside to the tea shop in Hogsmeade. She hadn't been thinking clearly, she was so green with jealousy she didn't see that Edmund still liked her.

It was such a sensitive time to even think about acting like that too, after his first task in the tournament. Her Ravenclaw classmate was so unwilling to partner up with her but did because Edmund, Neville and Susan were all in one group already.

"We're just talking about the Yule Ball." Padma said quietly, trying to not wake anyone up. She had already woken everyone up thrice this month because she was squealing about something. "Cedric asked Cho to the ball in the most romantic way."

"Padma forced Carmichael to go with her." Cho giggled. "He looked like he had a fun time though."

Padma smiled proudly, "What can I say, I'm the life of the party." She shrugged and looked over at Hermione in her dress. "How was Krum?" She asked.

"He was," Hermione failed to come up with an attractive quality and instead told Padma and Cho what she really knew. "He was a good listener." She sat down and sighed. Her mind was occupied with the confession that Edmund made.

Cho just nodded knowingly. "Cedric and I were one of the last people at the ball." She said to Padma, "Ron started a fight with Hermione because she was Krum's date, Edmund had to step in." Padma cringed slightly.

"He confessed that he might even love me." Hermione said from the couch and the two girls gasped. Padma hadn't expected it and neither did Cho. "He didn't tell you anything about loving me, Padma? He didn't tell anything to Cedric, Cho?" She wondered.

"Cedric is a good friend." Cho said with a soft blush on her cheeks. "He doesn't tell me anything about Edmund except for his good actions. He did tell me about when Lockhart was a professor here, about the dwarves."

"I only got one back then." Hermione had a small smile on her face.

"From Edmund." Cho said, "Cedric told me, last week. We were talking about Valentines and he told me about his flowers that he had sent, along with a dwarf."

"Edmund sent me a dwarf?" Hermione blinked a few times and Padma looked confused, she hadn't heard about it either.

"He did."

It was the first time someone had ever sent her something for Valentines. "Why don't you understand that Edmund likes you?" Padma asked quietly. "There used to be a time where I was just happy with being his friend, just because I used to like him."

Hermione leant back to let Crookshanks lay down on her lap, purring, generally being happy to be petted after being left alone for such a long time. Her smile faltered when Padma asked the question. "I don't know why I do this to myself." She started. "I used to like both Edmund and Ron, you know." The two girls nodded. "But I just thought Ron was a better choice, nobody really liked him like everyone likes Edmund and he was around more than Edmund." She said quietly.

"But Ron treats you so badly." Cho said, "Everytime you hang out with him and Harry, you just cry."

"He has his comments." Hermione said. "He forgets that I am a muggle-born some days and says some stuff that hurts my feelings."

"Edmund never does that," Padma spoke up, quietly. "He always considers you whenever he says something. Even with his actions with Fleur, he makes sure to look for you first before flirting with her."

"He really tried to get over you, Hermione." Cho added. "He even went on a date with Katie Bell, and took Fleur out to the Ball."

"That was because before Edmund could ask her Krum did." Padma said, "I was in the library then too. Fleur asked him right after you said yes to Krum."

Hermione let out a breath and laid back on the couch. "It's just weird to think that someone like Edmund would like me, even love me." She said quietly. "Everyone just likes him, the younger ones look up to him and even the Slytherins can't say anything bad about him." She rambled. "I can't believe that he is even friends with me."

"Barely." Padma said, "He couldn't even look your way after what you did to him in that tea shop."

Hermione wanted to defend herself but no words could come out of her mouth because the only things that she would say were excuses. "I regret that." She said quietly. "I regret a lot of things when it comes to Edmund." Padma had a small smile on her face, sympathising with her. "Some days Edmund feels like someone I could love."

"Why don't you?" Cho asked, looking curiously at Hermione. All three of them were still dressed in their outfit that they wore to the Yule Ball.

"He has so many secrets." Hermione frowned, "I didn't know that Sirius Black was his father and it was only now that I found out that he's Dumbledore's apprentice, I didn't even know that Dumbledore could take one. Dumbledore was the reason why he disappeared every Friday and Saturday, I didn't know. "

"Why is that so important?" Padma asked.

"It used to be important because what if he's meeting some other girl every Friday and Saturday in some corridor? He could be doing so many things but he never tells me." Padma and Cho looked at each other and hesitantly nodded. It was true, Edmund still disappears every Friday and Saturday and it was only because of the Tournament that it is revealed what he's doing. If he doesn't trust her with that secret, what can he trust her with?

"We also didn't know about his father for ages." Hermione pointed out, "And his uncle is a werewolf? There is so much he doesn't tell us, suddenly he is cousins with Harry? I didn't know that his mother was dead and married to Sirius Black until the end of my second year?"

The girls hummed their agreement. "But you like Ron?" Cho asked, "Why Ron when there is Edmund?" Padma nodded, agreeing with Cho. It was no secret that the Indian girl used to have a crush on Edmund. Even though her crush had passed, no-one could deny that the Black is handsome.

"Ron has his moments." Hermione sighed, "Have you seen how he jumped up to comfort Lavender? He even jumped into the Chambers of Secrets for his little sister."

"He really looks at you like you're everything to him." Padma said, quietly after Hermione sighed. "I used to envy you for that."

Hermione and Cho looked over at the South-Asian girl. "What is everything when I don't know anything about him?" Hermione said softly. "He knows of all these things in the Ministry that no-one should know, he is family-friends with the Malfoy's before even coming to Hogwarts? Who even is Edmund? What more don't we know about him?"

Cho just looked at Hermione. "He's Edmund." She simply stated, "He is the boy who helped tie first-years their ties, give them extra lessons and explanations. He also jumped down the Chamber of Secrets for Harry and the Weasley siblings, he took a poisonous fang for his cousin and he has liked you for ages."

"I would give it a chance, Hermione." Padma said as she stood up and dusted her dress,, "Take a leap of faith, knowing him, he'd protect you from anything." Padma helped Cho up and the two moved to go to sleep in their dorm.

"I refused to kiss Krum." Hermione said quietly before the two left the room, "After Edmund danced with me, Krum asked if he could kiss me."

"And?" Padma asked.

"I said no." Hermione replied.

–––

"I got your letter." Susan said as she stepped into the abandoned room in the highest point of the tower. "What was so urgent that I had to cancel my plans?" She questioned as she sat down on a desk.

Draco smiled at her, "What happened with Ron and Hermione?" He questioned. "I heard there was an argument."

"That was three days ago, Draco." Susan crossed her arms as she looked at him. "Why ask me now."

"Because I only have time now."

"You think that I had the time to meet you?" Susan frowned. "I'm behind on homework and I really need to pass divination."

"Divination is useless. That teacher of yours is just a case of too much smoke and moonshine in her tea," Draco said. "What happened to Ron and Hermione?"

"Ron was pissy because Lavender broke up with him. He then took it all out on Hermione because she was Krum's date to the Yule Ball." Susan answered. "I saw that you took Pansy to the Yule Ball." She said dryly.

"I did." Draco nodded and gulped. "I didn't ask you."

"You didn't." Susan said softly and stood back up. "I'm going to study." She said and before she left the room, Draco grabbed her wrist.

"You know I-"

"You couldn't because I'm a Hufflepuff and my family are blood-traitors." Susan ripped his arm away from his grasp. "I know, Draco. You remind me of it everytime I look at you."

–––

"Fleur." Edmund greeted her as she sat down across from him in the library. He looked at her curiously. "Did you have a nice evening?" He asked. Mainly because he hadn't seen her after she had disappeared with her friend.

"I did." Fleur nodded. "My friend quickly stopped crying when her boyfriend ran back over to her to apologise, saying that he was just angry." She took in a breath, "I suppose that I should apologise as well." She said and Edmund knew that it took a lot of her pride to apologise to him.

"It's fine-" He was cut off by her.

"No it's not." Fleur said. "I flirt with you, talk with you and then I run because you're only fifteen." She said, "Regardless of your age, you still remain my friend. I hope that you'll forgive me for leaving you so abruptly."

Edmund smiled at her. "I accept your apology, just know that I am fine with you abandoning ship so early. It gave me time to spend with my friends."

"I went back to apologise then too." Fleur said with a smile on her face. "I found you dancing with Hermione Granger."

Edmund let out an amused breath and smiled bashfully. "I was dancing with her, indeed." He nodded. "I confessed, again."

"What is different about this confession?" Fleur inquired.

"The difference is that I told her that I might love her." Fleur's eyes widened and she nodded slowly.

"I can see how that is different. Mon dieu." She blinked. "You have my respect, Edmund. It isn't everyday that a guy realises his true feelings for someone so early on."

Edmund let out a soft chuckle. "I just don't know what to do now."

Fleur leant over and stopped herself from reaching out to hold his hand. Instead, she laid a hand on his wrist. "You should let her do the next step. The ball is in her yard." The French girl said.

A/N: Good Hermione reasoning?

Good Susan and Draco angst?

Good Edmund and Fleur friendship?