Knuckles turned white as Hermione gripped the Daily Prophet in her hands. Her hair bristled with energy. Even Ron, as oblivious as he was, was a little afraid of what was going on.

"Hermione?" Neville asked. "Are you okay?"

She crumpled up the paper before casting a spell and leaving the newspaper in a smoldering heap on the table. It wasn't quite enough to express her anger, but it would have to do.

"No. I'm going to kill her." Hermione was speaking through gritted teeth, obviously doing her best not to shout.

"Kill who?" Ron asked.

"Rita Skeeter."

Harry paled. Neville shrunk a tad. Ron looked curious.

"Who's she?" he asked.

"Only the most vile creature to ever walk the earth," Hermione huffed. "I can't believe that she would write such things."

Harry grabbed a copy of the prophet from one of the other students. The three boys crowded around the paper, looking for what had made Hermione so angry.

"No!" Harry cried. "How could she have found that out?"

On the page Rita had described Hagrid as a man who was dangerous. She called him a half giant, which was true, and her hurtful words were going to get around the wizarding community. And Hagrid would have to weather the backlash.

Hermione was tearing through her notebook, trying to figure out how best to stop the woman in her tracks. She was furious, however, and that clouded her mind.

"Hermione," Ron said softly. "I know this isn't my area of expertise, but maybe you should calm down."

She took a deep breath. She didn't want to admit. She really didn't want to admit it, but she knew that he was right. She had to calm down. It wouldn't do to let herself get so angry that she couldn't do anything.

"Thanks Ron."

She gathered up her things and walked straight into Cedric Diggory. Stumbling a few steps, she dusted herself off and turned to apologize to the seventh year.

"Hello there, Granger," Diggory said. "Didn't see you there."

"Diggory, I'm sorry." She blushed. "I have a bad habit of running into people."

"Don't worry." He winked at her. "Your secret is safe with me."

Hermione let out a laugh. It was deep, silly sounding, and strangely beautiful. Cedric found himself wanting to laugh alongside her.

"Thanks. I needed a laugh. I'll see you around."

She turned to leave while Cedric found Harry and told him to put the egg underwater. Hermione shook her head. She had to be hearing things.

Hermione climbed the stairs to the library, stepping out of the way of one Luna Lovegood. She had radishes hanging from her ears and some sort of weird glasses on. Hermione couldn't understand Luna, and she guessed that was part of the reason she hadn't been sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Hey Hermione," Padma said one floor up. "You off to the library?"

"Where else would I be going? We only have a week left before classes start. I have to go over my holiday homework. Where are you off to?"

"Same place as you," Padma said. "For almost the same reason. If you want, I could go over yours. But only if you go over mine."

"Deal."

They shared what looked like a conspiratorial smile. They weren't going to get in trouble. But they now both had someone they trusted to proofread their homework. They felt invincible.

In the library, Hermione finished her work first. She was reading Padma's charms essay when she felt someone looking at her. She shook her head, and focused back on the essay.

She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. After reading the same sentence for the fifth time, when nothing was wrong with it, she turned around.

Sitting there was Viktor, looking at her while he wrote or doodled absentmindedly on a piece of parchment. He caught her eye and winked at her. She blushed, looking back at the essay.

"What's going on?" Padma asked. She looked around and saw Viktor. A knowing smile formed on her face. "Ahh."

Hermione looked at her with an expression that conveyed a twinge of annoyance. "Do you really have to do that?"

"Do what?" Padma looked at her with her most innocent expression.

Hermione rolled her eyes and scoffed. But she turned her attention back to the essay in front of her.

"You know you can go talk to him," Padma said.

Hermione kept her eyes on the paper. If she looked at him, it was incredibly likely that she would cave. "I don't think that would be the best use of my time."

"Why ever not?" Padma pouted.

There was a peal of giggles from behind the shelves, and Hermione just pointed at the fangirls hiding and stalking Viktor. She really didn't like them, but she knew that there wasn't much she could do about them. And she didn't feel like getting harassed by them at that moment.

"Oh."

Hello darling, Viktor wrote.

Hermione looked at him, a mock serious expression on her face. You need to keep from distracting me.

He winked at her and she went back to her paper. She finished quickly, gathering up her stuff.

"You're going already?" Padma asked.

"I can't think here," she said. "Too many people. And one very distracting individual."

Meet me down by the lake, she scribbled on her arm.

"Do you want me to come?" Padma asked.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't think that will be necessary," she said. "After all, I think the fan girls might disappear soon."

"Are you…"

Hermione nodded and headed out of the room. She climbed down the stairs and headed out towards the lake. She felt the cold wind circle around her, and relished in the feeling of it.

She stared at the water for a few minutes before she heard footsteps coming toward her.

"There you are," Viktor said.

"Here I am," she said as she threw her arms around him. "How are you?"

"Am better now that fangirls are inside and I am not. And even better to be vith such a beautiful vitch." He kissed her nose.

She sat down next to him and pulled out her homework. It was much easier to work with him sitting next to her, rather than in a library where everyone was watching to see what she would do. And it helped that Viktor would point out any flaws in her work.

But once she was satisfied with her work, the conversation quickly devolved into what would have sounded like absurdity to anyone visiting.

"I'm serious," she said. "He turned purple. And that was the first instance I can remember using magic."

Viktor laughed along with her, his face slightly red. He hadn't laughed so much in a long time.

"Certainly more interesting than mine."

"I still think it's odd that being around magic all the time makes you forget that some things just aren't normal," Hermione said.

"You only say that because you think flying isn't normal." Viktor winked at her.

His first act of magic had been to levitate himself a few inches so he could reach the cookies his mother had put up high. He'd climbed up a chair and onto the countertop, but still couldn't reach. So he tried jumping. To his mother's surprise, it worked and he didn't fall or even descend the few inches back to the countertop until she pulled him to the ground.

"It isn't normal," Hermione persisted. "Broomsticks aren't supposed to fly. People aren't supposed to fly. If we were meant to fly, we would have been born with wings."

"Not all dragons have vings," Viktor said.

"You know what I mean," she said.

He smiled cheekily. The look was enough for Hermione to laugh. It was such a delightful sound, Viktor found himself joining in.