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At dinner Hermione kept an eye on Draco. He wasn't sitting next to her, Professor Sinistra was. The professor kept asking her about boring arithmancy stuff. 'How did I ever find this interesting?' Hermione found herself asking. She quickly excused herself and went to go take a walk. On her way out the Great Front Doors, Hermione saw Draco down by the lake. She chose to ignore him and walked away from him, towards Hagrid's hut. She hadn't seen Hagrid at all yet. Maybe he was away on vacation.

The trees cast an eerie glow around the forest. The start lit up the sky beautifully, and the moon was full. She found herself thinking about Remus Lupin, that led to Sirius's death, and that led to Harry and Ron. She wondered if the two were together, if they were at The Burrow, or 12 Grimmauld Place. She thought about writing a letter to them.

Suddenly someone tapped her left shoulder. She turned on her heel to face Malfoy. His hair was slicked back and looked better then she had ever seen it. Shinier maybe. He had the bluest eyes she had ever seen, and he smiled at her. "Why are you smiling Malfoy?" She asked.

"Look, we're going to be spending practically a whole month together, and I think we should learn to get along. It's not like I ever hated you, I just couldn't tell anyone because of my father and all. But now I'm free as a bird to do what I want with non-pure bloods. I have a feeling we might actually be friends." Hermione snorted with laughter.

"Friends with you?" She asked.

"Look, let's just try and make the best of our summers. Let's start over. My name is Draco." He said and waved hello.

"Whatever, my name is Hermione." She waved hi back.

"Would you like to join me on a walk?" 'Draco' asked.

"I would love to - Draco - but I can't, I have to go write a letter." Hermione said and briskly walked away so nothing more could be said. She shivered from the cold that was snapping at her ankles. When she reached the doors, she pulled one open and had to use all her might to push it against the wind.

Once safely inside, she went right to her desk in her room. She got out a quill and hastily wrote the same message twice, except for the name.

Harry and Ron,
I am at Hogwarts. I'll tell you why when you get here. Where are you and what are you doing?
Love from,
Hermione

She went to the owlrey, picked out a grey barn owl and sent the two messages on their way.

Hermione then had no idea what to do for the rest of the evening. It was only seven o' clock and she couldn't go to bed now. She decided she would do some over the summer homework, so she made her way to the library, quills and parchment in hand.

Madame Pince wasn't at the library when she got there, but Hermione browsed the books anyway. She sat at a table and spread all her stuff out. She picked out two books from the shelves; Herbs and Fungi For The Advanced Reader, and Potions, an Advanced Guide. She wrote rolls and rolls of parchment, and finished both her herbology essay and potions essay. When it was nearly eleven, she decided to call it a night. She put the books back and rolled up her parchment. As she was walking down the hallway with her ink, quills, and essays, someone came from around a corner and made Hermione spill the ink all over the floor.

"Professor," Hermione said staring into Dumbledore's half moon spectacles.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said. "Doing some late night studying?" He asked her politely.

"Yes," Hermione said. She bent over about to wipe away the ink with her wand.

"Don't worry about it, I'll have Argus Filch clean it up." Dumbledore said. "At least it will give him something to do. Ever since Peeves left-"

"Left?" Hermione questioned.

"He actually didn't leave, I banished him. He wrecked the Mirror Of Erised."

"That's a horrible thing to do," Hermione said remembering Harry's encounter with it six long years ago.

"Yes, it was. I must be off to bed now Miss Granger, and you should do the same." Dumbledore nodded at Hermione and then walked past her and the ink. Hermione looked down at the strewn parchments on the floor and various quills.

"Assio parchment, assio quills," Hermione said and they all landed neatly in her hands. Then she thought of something to ask Dumbledore. Quickly she ran the way he had gone, and caught up to him.

"Professor ... Dumbledore," Hermione said out of breath. She put her hands on her knees to support her. "I'd like to ask you ... a question." Dumbledore waited for her. "Can Harry and Ron come ... to Hogwarts early to be with me?" She asked with a hopeful expression.

"I'm sorry, that's not possible Miss Granger. I have spoken with the Weasleys already, and they seem to want Ron and Harry around, what with Voldemort being back and all."

Hermione shuddered at the name. "Oh, thank you Professor." Hermione said and walked back to her dorm.

The next night Hermione was in her common room with a cup of hot chocolate roosting by the warm fire when she heard a knock on the door or rather portrait. "Who is it?" She asked.

"Draco," Was her reply. She groaned not loud enough to be heard by him and set her mug down.

She climbed out of the portrait to face Draco, with his new shiny hair and his smile plastered on his face. "What?" She asked annoyed at being interrupted.

"I was wondering if we could have a walk, the one you so fiercely denied me of last night."

"Well," Hermione said considering her options. She could either say no and go back to what she was doing (Hot drink and fire), which didn't appeal to her much as she had been doing that all day, she could go to the library and do her last essay, or she could go with Malf-Draco. She decided to go with him since her other options were dull and boring. "I'll come," Hermione said. "Just let me go change." Hermione said remembering that she was in a bathrobe. She embarrassedly went up to her room to change. When she came back down she was wearing white capris and a light green tank top that contrasted beautifully with her eyes. Draco was stunned to see her looking so beautiful.

He escorted her out to the lake, and then he started talking to her. He told her about his mother's death, and she told him about her parent's death. He told her about finally realizing this his father was wrong, and she listened intently to every word. Draco was actually a very good person. 'He didn't look to bad either.' Hermione thought. 'Wait no, what am I thinking? Draco doesn't look hot, he doesn't.' Hermione kept telling herself.

Eventually they started talking about other things. Hermione told Draco about her new friend she had met in the summer, Ava, the sweet girl who lived next door and was coming to Hogwarts this year. Draco told Hermione about his cousin's best friend, Axia, who was now becoming his friend and also would start attending Hogwarts this year. They talked and talked, and Hermione found it easy to talk to him. He seemed like he really wanted to hear what she had to say, and she couldn't complain with what things he told.

"And then their is this girl who has a crush on me, Amy, she lives a couple houses down. She lived in America before, but she's transferring this year. She bugs the hell out of me, but she's cool as a friend." Draco said. Hermione laughed.

"Yeah I know, lately Viktor's being the same way." Hermione found herself telling him. 'He doesn't need to know about my personal life,' she told herself, but he just seemed so trustworthy all of the sudden.

"Oh god, you're still going out with that hook nosed monster?" Draco said. To his surprise Hermione laughed out right.

"No, more like he's trying to go out with me. He broke up with me last year, and now he said he's been longing for me and he wants to get back together, but I told him no, and now he writes me a letter about five times a day!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Why did you say no?" Draco asked.

"Oh, I found someone else at Hogwarts." Hermione said, thinking of Harry. The image of Harry's messy black hair came to her mind, and then flashed away in an instant.

"Who?" Draco asked. They had stopped walking and he was looking right into her eyes. The moon was right above Draco's head.

"Why are you so interested?" She asked trying to sound like his question didn't make her get butterflies inside. 'No, I like Harry!' She thought. Aloud she said, "Who do you like?"

"I have my heart set on someone who will never love me. At least I don't think she will." Draco suddenly got a strange look on his face as they continued to walk. "I just remembered! I made head boy! You're head girl right? We'll be working together, and I guess sharing a dorm." Hermione groaned so loud that birds flew away from them. "Come on, it'll be fun!" Draco cried.

"What has gotten into you?"

"I just feel differently towards people of all different bloods. That's all." Draco said blushing furiously.

"No, their is something else." Hermione said detecting a hint of a lie in his voice.

"I just feel differently towards people of all different bloods. That's all." Draco said blushing furiously.

"No, their is something else." Hermione said detecting a hint of a lie in his voice.

He blushed again. "Well, I guess, it's just, I feel bad about all the times I was mean to you, and now I'm trying to make up for it." He didn't know how she was going to take this, but he certainly didn't expect the response she made.

"Oh, so I'm just wiping away your guilty conscience, right? I'm just making you feel better about yourself?" She stormed away mad and angry.

He sighed and ran after her. "No Hermione, that's not how I meant it. You do make me feel better about myself." He said. She huffed and started walking faster. "Not in the way you're thinking of. Come here and let me explain." He shouted as he got farther and farther away from him.

Suddenly Hermione became the snitch, and he was the seeker. He was trying to catch the snitch, he leaned forward on his broom stick and went as fast as he could. She was within grabbing distance... and then he grasped her arms that were flailing around madly. She turned to look at him. "You dare grab my wrist after what you just said? Go away MALFOY! I never ever want to see your face again. I'm going to Dumbledore first thing in the morning to resign from the Head Girl position. Their is no way I'm spending the whole year with you." She angrily walked away and didn't look back.

Meanwhile inside Hermione's head she was mad and angry. How could Malfoy say such a thing? She had thought that he actually wanted to be her friend, but no, he was using her. She screamed the password at the Fat Lady and went straight upstairs to bed. Tears came down her face, and that reminded her of her parents, so she sobbed even more. She looked at the picture on her bedside table and saw her parents, in each other's embrace, looking at her with smiles and glints in their eyes. She kissed them both and then said good night.

Draco however still stood rooted to the spot where Hermione had left him. She had called him Malfoy again, and that hurt. The girl who somehow made his day brighter had hurt him. He knew he had made a mistake, but he never thought she would hurt him. He decided that standing in the same place forever wouldn't help things so instead he went to Dumbledore's office where he, predictably, found Dumbledore. He knocked on the door. "Come in," Came Dumbledore's strong voice.

Draco entered and looked at the old and frail professor behind the half moon spectacles. He sighed and began telling the story of what had just happened. Then he took a seat in front of the professor's desk. He looked at Dumbledore and made his request. "Please, please, don't let her resign. I'll make her listen to me, and we'll solve our problems. I promise, just please don't let her resign."

Dumbledore looked at the boy with curiosity. He had known for a fact that young Mr. Malfoy had always hated non pure bloods. Now, he was suddenly so interested in the girl that he was begging himself, Albus Dumbledore to keep the girl within his reach? Albus laughed. If he didn't know better, he would have thought that Mr. Malfoy had feelings for Miss Granger, which was impossible! No one could go from bad, the worst, to being completely in love with a non pure blood. Albus laughed to himself.

"I will try to persuade her Mr. Malfoy, but I cannot promise anything." Draco knew the conversation was finished here. Now all he could do was go back to his bed and hope.

The next morning, two days before the other students arrived, as promised, Hermione went to Professor Dumbledore's office right after breakfast. She had avoided eye contact with Malfoy, and she planned to keep it up. She knocked on his door, and the same sight greeted her as it had Draco.

Dumbledore had been expecting this, the visit that Mr. Malfoy had told him about. He told her to sit down and she resigned from her post. She held out her badge to him. He took it, but placed it inbetween the two of them. "Look at that badge Hermione. That holds your future, your pride, and the way I know you, you've been hoping and dreaming about the day you'd get that badge since you started here at Hogwarts. Now, do you really want to throw all that away because of an argument between you and Mr. Malfoy? Does being heads mean that you will have to talk to each other a lot? No, it does not mean that Miss Granger."

"How do you know that this is about Malfoy?" Hermione asked.

"He came to see me last night. He likes you, Miss Granger. He wants to keep you as a friend. I do not believe he is using you, as you suggested to him. I think," he said pushing the badge towards her, "that you may want to hold on to this badge."

Hermione saw that Dumbledore's thiking was correct, and that she should keep the badge and fulfill her destiny. She grabbed the badge. "Thank you professor."

"It was my pleasure Miss Granger."

Hermione left the office all smiles, until she got outside to the gargoyle entrance. Malfoy was waiting there for her. She put her hand up in front of his face.

"But Hermione-"

"No, I'm not talking to you Malfoy."

She had done it again. She had called him Malfoy again. He stopped as he physically felt a stab of pain going right through his heart. He found it difficult to breathe. And then the knife lifted out of his chest and he felt normal again, but he had collapsed to the ground.

Hermione, hearing him behind her, looked back and saw him clutching his chest and sunken on the ground. She rushed over to him. "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

Her expression and tone of voice made him happy to know that she really did care. "I'm fine, really," He said getting up.

"You sure?" She asked.

"Yeah, but now that were on speaking terms, can we talk?" She laughed but walked away from him briskly so he could not catch up.

The next day was the day before the pupils all came back to school, which was rather late, but it was still the day before they came. Hermione was rushing in the library to finish her charms essay. She had wrote about five scrolls more then the maximum, and now she was writing it in teeny tiny writing. When she had finished she still needed to get rid of one more scroll, so she went back and took out excess information, then rewrote the whole thing, again. Just as she was packing things up, Hermione heard the door open and then close. She looked up but saw no one.

"Odd," She said aloud. Suddenly someone was covering her mouth with their hand and wrapped their arm around her waist, but she only felt this, she could see nothing. She tried to scream, but as the person was covering her mouth, she just made a muffled sort of sound.

"I've caught you here alone, and the doors are locked, their is no way out, because I hold the only wand that can open them." The person said taking her wand from her pocket. She was defenseless against someone who she didn't know. Then, the hand that was grabbing her mouth and wrapped around her waist became visible. She turned around (still in the person's arms) to see Draco Malfoy, holding an invisibility cloak.

"Malfoy," She tried to say, but the she just made the muffled sound again. She laughed. This was getting funny, and their was no longer any way to stay mad at him. But the more she tried to talk, the more he just laughed at her. So, to shut him up, and to make him let go of her, she gave him her pleading eyes, the ones he was staring right into. His oceany blue eyes were staring right at her.

"Alright, you win. Those eyes are just to sad for me." He said and let go of her.

"Thank you! What I was trying to say was that I forgive you." Hermione said with a sigh of relief that she could breathe through her mouth again.

"Good. Look, I just want to be friends with you. Is that okay?" Draco asked.

Hermione hesitated with her response. She was afraid that once he was with Crabbe and Goyle that he would make fun of her again, or that she would become embarrassed when Harry and Ron made threats on Draco when he talked to her. "I'll be you're friend," Hermione said, "if you promise to treat me like one."

"But of course." Draco said grabbing her hand and kissing it.

"No flirting!" Hermione said in a playful way.

"With you Hermione? I don't think so," Though she did still detect something in his voice.

"I have to go to bed now, as our fellow pupils will arrive. Do you know if Crabbe and Goyle are coming on the Hogwarts Express?" Hermione asked.

"Crabbe and Goyle are long gone." Draco said. "It turned out that my father had hired them to be my friends and sort of protect me. After I left my father, he killed them because they failed him." Draco said calmly.

"Oh," Hermione said with an expression that looked like she was thinking deeply.

"It's okay, I didn't ever think of them as friends. So now I can hang out with the two girls I mentioned earlier, Axia and Amy, and I can hang out with you, Harry, and Ron."

"Well, that might be a bit of a problem, but we'll worry about that when the time comes."

Draco took hold of her hands. "I'm not worrying, believe me."

Hermione left the library with her bag thinking that Draco had come offly close to her.

The very next day Hermione put on her low rise jeans that were her favorite, she had a pink shirt with the number 00 on it, and she had her wizard robe over top. She went down to breakfast to find that Draco had pushed two chairs far away from the others, and that he was sitting in one. As soon as he saw her enter he got up from his chair and stood behind the other one. She walked over to him.

"Chair Madame?" He asked. She sat down on the chair and he pushed her in. Then he sat down in his own chair.

"Thank you kind sir." Hermione said.

"Ah, but the pleasure is mine." Draco said.

"So, back to normal talk, when do you think they'll get here?" Hermione asked referring to the students.

"Who?" Draco asked.

"The students. They come today." Hermione said. Then she remembered why she was at Hogwarts early, because of her parents. Tears started to well up in her eyes, and Draco immediately saw them. He wiped them away with an unused napkin.

"I'm sorry about your parents." Draco said.

"It's not your fault." Hermione said. Then she left to go outside for a breath of fresh air. She had been outside for several minutes, when she decided to go back inside. Then she realized she wasn't hungry so she just went back up to her dormitory. Almost as soon as she had sat down in an armchair someone knocked at the portrait. She didn't feel like talking to Draco. So she just didn't get up.

"Miss Granger, please come outside so we may talk about your living arrangements." It was Dumbledore. She hurriedly swung open the portrait and saw Dumbledore looking up at her with patience in his eyes. He smiled at her. "Would you please get your things as you will be moving to your new home now?" Dumbledore said. Hermione tried to remember.

"Oh right! I'm living in the head department now!" Hermione said excitedly. She went upstairs and packed all her things back up in her trunk and wheeled it down to Dumbledore. He helped her get it out of the portrait, and then he led her down the hall and up a set of stairs in front of a painting that had a moon on it.

"Your password is eternal bliss." Dumbledore said. Hermione noticed that a small hole was in the very middle of the painting, and growing larger every second until it became wide and tall enough for them to climb into. As soon as they got in Hermione oohed and ahhed with delight. Inside was a small living room with a brick fireplace. It had two sofas and two chairs and a love seat. One sofa and one chair was red trimmed with gold while the other chair and sofa were green with silver trim. The loveseat was read and had silver trim and silver pillows. Hermione laughed and clapped her hands.

"Well, I see this suits you. You'll see two staircases, the one to the left is the one that leads to your bedroom. Straight ahead is your bedroom, and to the right is a bathroom that you and Mr. Malfoy share. The right staircase is Mr. Malfoy's bedroom and to the left is the bathroom. I hope you have fun with Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger. I hope you two will enjoy spending time with each other." He was about to go out of the hole when he turned around on his heel to face her. "Two more things Miss Granger, when you first enter, to close up the hole you just have to say close. The other thing, you have patrol duty every Monday and Thursday night with Mr. Malfoy. He is up in his room unpacking." Then Dumbledore left.

Hermione went up the right staircase to see Draco. For some reason she felt compelled to go there. When she knocked on his door he opened it almost immediately. "Hermione!" He said and hugged her. "We're living together! This is going to be so exciting!"

"You sound like a little girl going to an amusement park." Hermione said laughing.

"Oh, before I forget, after you left breakfast this morning, a letter came for you. I think it's from your grandma." He handed her a letter with a brownish looking tint. She knew that was from her grandmother from the brownish tint.

"Thanks Draco." Hermione said, and left.

Hermione ran to her room. She knew what this letter was, and it took her a long time to finally get up the courage to open it. It was an invitation, but not the kinds that you get for parties, it was a funeral invitation. Two funerals actually. Hermione grabbed a tissue off her nightstand and sobbed hysterically.

~Mr. & Mrs. Granger
1950 - 2004 / 1956 - 2004.
Please mourn the loss of our daughter and her husband, Teresa and David Granger at 11:00 AM at Bradley's Funeral Home on the 7th of September.
~Judith Johnson

(Mother of Teresa Granger)

Hermione had another good cry, without anyone or anything interrupting her. Then she went to Dumbledore with the letter. She asked if she could go, since it was on a school day, and he said yes. The rest of the day was the most normal and boring school day ever. Mostly all the professors asked her to stand up and show off her badge. She only caught one second year doing magic in the hallways, and she told him off. The second year obeyed almost immediately. Hermione smiled, this stuff wouldn't be so bad.

A couple of days later, it was Saturday, and Hermione realized she hadn't talked to Harry or Ron since last year! She decided to go to their table at breakfast (she sat with the teachers) and see how they were. As soon as they got there Harry gave her the best smile and Ron tugged at her shoulder.

"Where have you been?" Ron asked.

"I'm head girl, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot about you two!" Hermione said, then realized that might have been a mistake.

But Ron and Harry took it well. "It's okay, I bet everything's so hard with all that work you have." Harry said. "Come on, let's go see about Hagrid. Or have you talked to him and not us?" Hermione gave a nervous laugh and told them no. She loved the way Harry's hair fell over his eyes and the way her heart fluttered every time she saw him.

They walked down to Hagrid's hut, Ron bumping into Hermione every couple of seconds. When they got there, Hagrid was outside his cabin looking around on the ground.

"Hagrid, what are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"Lookin' for mushrooms." Hagrid said not looking at them.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Cuz it's for O-Limp. She loves 'em." Then Hagrid looked up and closed his hand over his mouth. "I've said to much." He said.

"Madame Maxiene? You guys still talk?" Harry asked.

"Oh, it's you three! Hello." Hagrid said obviousily trying to change the subject.

"Hagrid..." Hermione said in a we-know-what-you're-up-to voice.

"Alright, well, we saw each other over the summer at this convention of the teachers, and, I asked her how she was. We've been sendin' each other letters ever since and I thought I'd send her some mushrooms, since they're her favorite." Hermione, Ron, and Harry snickered into their hands.

They spent that afternoon with Hagrid and Fang in Hagrid's cabin. They were told how things were with Dumbledore, and how the new minister was more on his side, ever since Fudge had taken a very long trip to South Africa and had never come back. Hagrid told everyone about his new pets that he kept out back in the forest, called, hinkledinkles, which they would learn about in their next lesson.

Hermione didn't see Draco at all that day.

So the next day, Sunday, Hermione walked around the grounds after finishing her homework, and saw Ron under a tree. She went over to him.

"Hey Ron, what are you doing out here? Where is Harry?" Hermione asked. She sat down under the tree next to him, sitting against the bark.

"I'm out here because I needed to think, and I don't know where Harry is." Ron said sort of miserably.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"What's with all the questions?" Ron said. They both looked into each other's eyes and then burst out laughing. Suddenly a sharp breeze rushed towards them. "Come on, let's get inside." Ron said grabbing her arm and leading her towards the castle.

Once inside, they didn't know where to go, and Ron didn't feel like finding Harry, so instead they went to the empty Great Hall. The tables were all gone, and candles were lit. The stars above them shone brightly, and it turned dark very suddenly. They sat down on the floor by some candles.

"So," Hermione said, breaking the awkward silence.

"So." Ron replied. They burst out laughing again. Another silence followed. Hermione was looking down at her feet, and she felt Ron's eyes upon her.

Ron came a little closer to her. "Are you warm?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Hermione lied. The wind seemed to have come inside with them. Ron brushed against her leg and felt how cold she was.

"You're not fine." He said wrapping his cloak around his shoulders and hers.

"Thanks." Hermione said. They were very close. Hermione tried to say something, but the words got caught in her throat and didn't come out. Hermione felt weird for the first time in her life around Ron. Then it looked like he purposefully made the cloak fall off his shoulder. He put it back around the two of them, this time even closer to her. Their shoulders were touching, their sides were touching, and even part of their legs.

Hermione wanted to run out of the hall right now and into Harry's arms, but she didn't. Ron started to say something, but then he stopped.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"I -" Their was a pause.

"Yes," Hermione said prompting him.

"Well, I honestly, I want to go out with you."

"Well, uh," Hermione trailed off. She couldn't think of anything to say. She hadn't been expecting this at all.

"I've had a crush on you since second year. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Ron said. He pushed her hair behind her ear. She looked up into his face. His smile warmed her heart.

"I can't Ron." Hermione said abruptly.

Ron looked crushed. He got up. "Well, I'll see you around then. I hope this doesn't hurt our friendship."

He left. Hermione ran to Gryffindor Tower, hoping that Ron hadn't gone there, to talk to her best friend Ava.

Ava was sitting by the fire when Hermione stormed in. "HERMIONE!" Ava cried and flung her arms around her.

"Is Ron here?" Hermione asked bewildered.

"No, I haven't seen him since..."

"Good, we need to talk. Let's go up to the dorms." Hermione said.

"But Corona is up there." Ava said. Hermione's heart stopped beating as she looked at Ava.

"Who?" Hermione asked.

"Harry's girlfriend. Haven't you heard? She transferred here." Hermione stopped breathing. Harry's girlfriend? Hermione's crush had a girlfriend now? Hermione couldn't breathe. "Hermione, are you okay?" Hermione started to fan herself.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go to my dormitory." She led Ava down the hall to her dorm, said the password, and climbed through the hole.

"Ava..." Hermione said trying to find words for what had just happened.

"Wow, nice place."

Hermione was annoyed that Ava wasn't listening. Ava had dark brown curly hair, blue eyes, was very pretty, tall, and tan. "Ava, can you please listen to what I'm trying to say? Ron asked me out." Hermione said.

Ava looked up at Hermione with a new expression in her face. "Ron?" Hermione nodded. "Ron?" Ava asked again, apparently not registering this information. Hermione nodded again. Then Hermione remembered, Ava had a crush on Ron. She tried to comfort Ava, but Ava resisted. "It's okay, this is your problem, not mine. What'd you say?" Ava asked.

"I said no." Hermione told her.

"Why?" Ava asked, plopping down on the couch. Hermione sat next to her. She didn't know why. Maybe it was because of Harry, but deep inside Hermione knew that wasn't it.

"I don't know." Hermione said truthfully.

Just then Draco and Axia (Draco's friend) walked in. Axia had dark brown hair, green eyes, and was Italian. They were talking happily and then stopped when they saw Ava and Hermione. Hermione just led Ava back out of the hole into the library.

Hermione told Ava all the details, but every time Ava asked why Hermione had said no to Ron, Hermione couldn't find a truthful answer.

The next day was the fifteenth, the day of her mother and father's funeral. Hermione got up early and put on a black dress, tights, and black shoes. She styled her hair the way she did for the Yule Ball three years ago. Hermione wrapped a cloak around her shoulders. Then she went to see Dumbledore. By floo powder he sent her to the funeral.

When she got there Hermione was in a lobby. Their was appetizers out on silver plates, but no one was eating. Hermione saw countless friends of her parents, and also her friends. Everyone was in black, and most people were crying. Suddenly Hermione felt herself wishing that Harry and Ron could be here. Almost instantly, green flames appeared and Harry stepped out of the fire. Ron followed behind him.

"Harry, Ron!" Hermione said flinging her arms around both of them in turn.

"Hermione." Harry said. They held each other's embrace. "Dumbledore sent us so that we could be here for you." Hermione took a second to look at their clothes. Both were wearing black suits.

"You've just been notified of the funeral?" Hermione asked suspiciously. Then noticing she was still in Harry's arms she broke away.

"No, we've known for quite some time." Ron confessed. "But we didn't know if you'd want us here."

"Of course I do," Hermione said forgetting what had happened between the two of them. Ron gave her a meaningful glance. Hermione, he said, and ran up and kissed her.

Harry stood back, watching the two. When they finally stopped, "What just happened?" Harry asked.

But Hermione was happy again. That had been her first ever kiss. Ron's lips had come so forcefully upon hers. His lips were firm, but soft at the same time. A glow that started in her mouth and journeyed throughout her body made her happy. She closed her eyes. He moved his hands around her neck. She savored the kiss that he had just given her. Harry, still confused.

"Ron..." Hermione said gasping for breath.

"I couldn't help it Hermione." Ron said.

"WHAT AM I MISSING?" Harry asked stomping his feet.
"Of course I do," Hermione said forgetting what had happened between the two of them.

Ron gave her a meaningful glance. "Hermione," he said, and ran up and kissed her.
"You're missing nothing Harry. That never happened." Hermione said and walked into the viewing area. She saw two coffins in the front, and her grandmother sitting in the front row. She ran to her grandmother, almost tripping in her fancy shoes.

"Nana," Hermione cried out and flung her arms around her grandmother.

"Hermione." Nana said looking at Hermione's tear-filled eyes. Hermione noticed that Nana's eyes were full of tears too. They just hugged for a while, both trying to forget the terrible tradgey that had happened that fateful day in August, but alas, it wouldn't disappear.

"I love you Nana." Hermione said and clutched Nana ever harder.

"I love you too Hermione." After they both had a good cry Hermione sat down next to Nana. She heard a person clearing their throat and looked up to see Harry and Ron looking down at her.

"Oh, sorry. Nana, this is Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, my two best friends." Hermione said. 'And Ava' She added silently. Nana said hello and the boys sat down.

The seating went like this, Nana, Hermione, Ron, Harry. Hermione didn't look at Ron all through the service.

Hermione's uncle, her mother's brother, got up to talk about what his sister meant to him. Hermione cried. When he called Hermione up to talk, Hermione was caught off guard. She hadn't prepared a speech or anything. But she got up anyway and grasped the ends of the podium with her sweating hands.

"Dear friends, we gather here today to mourn the loss of my parents, friends and relatives of you." Hermione started. "They were both happy people, always watching out for me, but letting me find out things on my own." Hermione glanced at the crowd. In the very back a man, who was not fully grown, looked vaguely familiar, but Hermione couldn't see in this light. "I loved my parents dearly, they helped me learn the lessons of childhood. When the fire ended and I learned of their deaths, I couldn't register it at first. Then I slowly accepted their deaths at Hogwarts, and I cried a lot during the process. I am now ready to move on in my life, after this day, and I will look back often, but never go back." Hermione ended her speech and sat down.

Harry put in a good word about it, and Ron tapped her shoulder. Nana just looked at Hermione with pride.

After the end of the service, much crying, and many pats on the shoulder from Harry and Ron, Hermione got up to go eat, she was hungry. On her way out, she past the familiar looking blonde-haired man, but he was reading a newspaper that was in front of his face, so she couldn't see who it was. She decided not to hold a conversation with the man and try to see who it was, so she just past by him carelessly. Next to the man was a girl, Hermione couldn't tell who she was either, but Hermione knew her from somewhere. She stopped to stare at the girl and the man but Ron pushed her gently forwards, "Keep going Herm." He said comfortingly.

Hermione kept walking, and didn't get a chance to see or confront the man or the girl.

Hermione kept an eye on her grandmother the whole time. When it was time to return to school, Hermione kissed her Nana good-bye while Ron transported by floo powder, back to Hogwarts. "See you on the other side." Harry said and went through the flames.

Just then Hermione felt someone touch her back and turned around to see Draco Malfoy on the ground, obviousily just have fallen. "DRACO!" Hermione said angered. He had been the man with blonde hair! "What are you doing here? Are you following me?" Hermione shouted at him.

Then a girl, the girl Hermione had seen, helped him up. It was Axia. "Hi Hermione." Axia said. Now, Hermione didn't have a problem with Axia, don't get her wrong, but Hemrione didn't like the fact that Draco had come to her parent's funeral, let alone bring a friend. So Hermione threw the floo powder in the flames, walked into it, and said "Hogwarts,".

Hermione found herself cold and alone almost at once. She was in the Hogwarts dungeons. Hermione's short black dress wasn't helping things much. "It feels like a dementor is in here." Hermione said. True, their was a fire, but it was about to die, so it provided not much warmth at all. To top it all off, it was so dark, Hermione couldn't see anything, let alone a door.

"How do I get out of here?" She asked herself trying to find the walls with her hands.

"I don't know," Came another voice, Draco's voice.

"Draco, now is not the time." Hermione said. Suddenly a beam of light came from to her left, Hermione turned to see it came from Draco's wand, in his hand.

"Look Hermione, I'm sorry I followed you. I wanted to be there to help you grieve, but when Harry and Ron showed up I thought it best to sit in the back, please forgive me." Draco said. Even in the little light his wand provided Hermione could see his puppy dog blue eyes.

"Alright, I forgive you, but let's find a way out of here." Hermione said, finally finding a wall.

Draco's wand's light went out. "What'd you do that for?" Hermione asked him.

"I think I'd like it better if we stayed in here together," Draco said, and Hermione could sense that a sly grin was slapped on his face.

"Draco, no," Hermione said, with a bit of a chuckle, "We have to get out of here."

"No, I'm staying here with you. Why did you decline Ron's invitation to his heart? I asked myself this many times. And I believe it was because you love another." Draco said. He moved closer, but she couldn't see anything.

"Draco, this isn't funny, get away." She said trying to push his body away, but she couldn't find it. She felt arms slip around her waist. "Get away." Hermione repeated firmly.

"I don't think I will." Draco said, and then closed in on her. He touched her face, her cheek, with his strong muscular hands.

"Draco..." She said. She knew she couldn't say get away, because it wasn't what she wanted.

"Hermione, I - I think I'm falling in love with you."

Hermione's emotions were at an all time high. Her heart was pumping, her stomach was fluttering with butterflies, and if Draco didn't have his arms around her waist, Hermione would have fell with weak knees. "Whoa there." Draco said, holding tighter to her.

"But, you hated me so much, for so long." Hermione said.

"No, I never hated you. I just couldn't tell you that I wanted to be your friend. Over the summer my feelings increased from friends to more, and I wanted us to be together."

Draco was talking softly and his smooth, silky voice made her tingle. He pushed a bang out of her eyes, and his hand stayed on her face, the other one still wrapped tightly around her waist. "Draco-" He put his finger to her lips. Then he moved in so that his face was a centimeter from hers. She knew what was going to happen. He looked at her, with such deep, meaningful eyes, and then he moved closer.

A second before their lips touched, the door burst open filling the room with light. They both shaded their eyes to see Harry standing the door way.

Draco quickly let go of Hermione and she stumbled backwards a couple of steps into Harry. "Whoa Hermione, you okay?" Harry asked catching her.

"Yes, I'm fine Harry."

"We were looking for you two. You guys are so lucky, Ron and I had to go to Potions for half n hour while Dumbledore was looking for you two. Potions just ended a minute ago."

"Oh," Hermione said, Draco still silent. 'I was so close' Draco thought, still smelling the strawberry scent in her hair.

"Well, I wanted to tell you, Ron got a new girlfriend, just a moment ago, her name is Delancie, she's in Gryffindor too.

Hermione staggered back, into Harry again. "R-Ron's got a girl-girlfriend?" Hermione asked stuttering. Hadn't it been just today that he had kissed her?

"Yup," Harry said. "I gotta go Hermione, it's time for charms homework!" Harry exclaimed.

"I'll come help you," Hermione said eying Draco. She didn't want anything else to happen, at least, not right now. She followed Harry up to the Gryffindor common room, where she saw Ron snuggled on a love seat with a girl. The girl was pale, had blond hair with golden highlights, midnight blue eyes, and was 5'5. When Ron saw Hermione, he whispered something in Delancie's ear, and then went over to Hermione.

"Hey Hermione," He said.

'As if this isn't awkward enough' Hermione thought, but said aloud, "Hello Ron."

"I just wanted to make sure that you don't like me. Because if you do, then I will break up with what's her face right now for you." Ron said.

Hermione couldn't help but smile. "Thanks Ron, but I'm sure I don't like you." Ron grinned at her.

"Okay, I guess we're just friends then."

"Yup," Hermione said. Harry who had been standing next to Hermione the whole time, made her explain. She told him everything, excluding Draco. When he was satisfied she helped him with the transfiguration stuff.

Hermione collapsed on her bed that night, as tired as physically possible.

The next couple of days flew by, and Hermione didn't even look at Draco. She wasn't mad at him, just, embarassed. She turned red whenever she saw him and walked past him without a glance. When they went to sleep in the same dormitory, Hermione just listened to his loud music instead of insisting that he turn it down.

Meanwhile Draco had been trying to catch Hermione. He had turned up his music extra loud at night so she would have to come in, so far, no luck. He stared at her during Potions and Care Of Magical Creatures classes.

Ron and Delancie were having great luck in their relationship. They had already shown everyone they were together by walking around the school hand in hand. Hermione liked Delancie, she was kind and nice to her. Hermione didn't think that Delancie knew about Ron's former feelings for Hermione.

Harry and his girlfriend, Aylen (I think that was the nickname you wanted) were also getting along greatly. They hadn't been seen kissing yet, but every time Hermione saw them they were getting closer and closer.

Ava and Hermione were turning out to have more and more common interests. Hermione loved the way Ava said her c's, she kind of spat a little when she said them, but it was beautiful to listen to. Hermione spent a lot of time with Ava.

Amy Davenport, a girl that Hermione learned had a crush on Draco was also becoming Hermione's good friend, even though she was in Slytherin. It all started one day when Hermione got to class late, and the only empty seat was next to Amy. Amy had been very kind about Hermione being forced to sit there, and even helped Hermione when she forgot to add 1/4 cup of moonbeam powder. Ever since, the two had become quite close.

Another good Slytherin friend that Hermione had made was Axia, Draco's other friend. Apparently, Draco had sent Axia to Hermione to find out why she wasn't talking to him. The two ended up chatting the night away, and Hermione related to her very well, considering that both of their mothers had died horrible deaths.

(This was sort of like a summary of all friendships and relationships that need to be mentioned.)

Their was just one problem in Hermione's life of friendships. Despite the fact that she was the prettiest girl in seventh year, Hermione didn't have a boyfriend. She knew that any boy would go out with her, but she couldn't bring herself to ask one out. She was getting tired of Harry always going around with Aylen and Ron going with Delancie.

When the first Hogsmeade weekend came up, both Harry and Ron completely passed Hermione and rushed to their girlfriends. Hermione felt so neglected it wasn't funny. She went to her dormitory to sulk. Draco was there reading the Hogsmeade notice. Hermione ignored him and sat down on the loveseat directly in front of the fire. She needed to feel better.

"Hermione, can we, er, talk?" Draco asked sitting next to her.

"Yeah, I think we should." Hermione said.

"Look, I'm really sorry about the dungeon thing, I just, I don't know." Draco said.

"It's okay." Hermione said. Hermione thought about Harry and Ron and their girlfriends. A frown started to form on her face and the two didn't talk for a long time.

"Everything is okay, right?" Draco asked.

"Yes. No. No, somethings wrong." Hermione said.

"What?" Draco asked sounding like he really wanted to know the answer.

"I really want a boyfriend." Hermione said. "Harry and Ron ignore me now, not intentionally, but they do, because they're so occupied with their girlfriends. I was just thinking how nice it would be to have a boyfriend. The letter from Viktor two nights ago didn't help much. I want someone that I can hug and kiss anytime I want, and not just over the summer. Do you know what I'm talking about?" Hermione asked suddenly remembering that she wasn't just talking to herself.

"Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I really want a girlfriend. I think that Axia and Amy would both say yes if I asked them, but, I don't like either of them." Hermione knew very well who he liked, she had figured it out long before the dungeon scene. She stayed silent. "You do know who I like, don't you?" Draco asked her. He looked deep into her eyes.

"Yes," Hermione said quietly.

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