Self Analyzation

My jaw dropped about 4 inches. "Whoa-what did you say?"

"I asked if you knew what I could get Ron for our anniversary that's coming up. Where you even listening to me?" She gave me a quizzical look. I was definitely hearing things.

"Sorry 'Mione, my mind was just...uh...a little pre-occupied...that's it. You know we got that big match against Slytherin coming up." I prayed that she would believe me. All I needed was another person messing with my mind.

"Harry? The match isn't for another two months. Well anyways what do you think I should get him? I was thinking about getting him a new broom. I know it's expensive but I know he is worth it," she got a glowing grin on her face. I loved that grin. It was so angelic, and yet it was topped with a hint of devil-mysteriousness in it. I was so dumb-struck by that smile that I just nodded and didn't trust what would come out of my mouth.

I didn't talk much through the duration of breakfast. I just stabbed my plate rather hardly with my fork, picturing Ron and Hermione kissing in the dead center of it. Whenever I looked up, I saw love. Dean and Ginny were hugging, and Lee and Alicia were making disgusting googly eyes at each other. I felt like I was going to spew the small amount of food I had eaten. After living through what seemed like hell during lunch, I was forced into the dungeons for double potions with the Slytherins. This, of course, filled my day with ponies, sunshine and lots of smiles. I'm joking. To put it simply, this made my day about 10 times worse.

If having to be partnered up with Goyle wasn't bad enough, then you obviously don't know what we were making. When I found out what we were brewing, my life had hit an all-time low. We were making the Per Cadere Nell'Amore Potion. In other words, we were brewing Love Potion. You may find this as freakishly coincidental then I do, but Dumbledore had decided that as fifth years we were to make this illegal potion. Snape was of course furious about this. All through the class he had a look on his face as if he smelled a rotting deer carcass in the next room.

*_*_*_*_*

For the next few weeks, my life was hell. Everywhere I looked there was a couple, if I turned the other way from one of these disturbing displays of love, I would find at least three more. Usually, one of these three couples was Ron and Hermione. If you're thinking that I fell in love with Hermione and started fawning over her day and night, you would be wrong. I was worse then that. Every time I saw her my heart beet faster and my palms became grossly sweaty. I needed to do something about it before I exploded.

I could have told her, I could have told Ron, god I could have even told Dumbledore, but I didn't. No, I had to take the suave way about this. I could have slipped her a note, sent her an owl, I could have done anything, but I didn't. I think I picked the worse possible thing to do; nothing. I did nothing. I KNEW I had to tell someone. I'm sure it was written all over my face, everyone knows I wear me heart on my sleeve and suck a But I did nothing. I had been about 6 weeks since I fell on her. It had been 2 weeks, 3 hours and 47 minutes since I knew I was in love with her. I finally got up the courage to do something, anything would have been sufficient.

She was alone in the common room; it had been a Hogsmeade weekend so most students were sleeping. It was even quite late for Hermione to be up. Her hair was a lovely and bushy as ever, but I wouldn't change it for all the Galleons in the world. She put down her book when she saw that I had entered the common room.

"Hey Harry, what brings you down here at this hour?"

"Well besides the fact that it's only eight o'clock--" Her face flushed immediately.

"Oh, I guess I just had some stuff on my mind," she looked down sheepishly as if she were hiding something.

"We need to talk...oh....you go first...ok me....no you" we both said at the same time. After laughing for quite a while I started again, "Hermione I need to tell you something. This isn't easy for me. In fact I don't know how exactly to put it. So I'll just say it. Hermione I," I stopped and stared into her eyes, this was going to be more difficult then I expected it to be. "Hermione..." oh bloody hell, why does this have to be so hard? "Hermione," I started again (they say third times the charm) "Hermione..."

"Yes I'm quite clear that that's my name, would you like to move on with it then?"

"I love you." She dropped her book which landed on my toe. It wasn't until then that I noticed how close we were standing together. My breath caught in my throat as she leaned in closer and closer. Finally her lips grazed over mine. It was excruciatingly tantalizing. She drew her mouth away and her lips slowly traveled down my neck. I felt a million jolts go through my body. She slowly drew her head away from mine. She looked more beautiful then I had ever seen her.

"Harry Potter, you are the most thick, annoying, dense prat I know." This confused me to no end. "I have loved you since third year. I asked Ron out in hopes that you would notice my existence. After 2 years of complete torture, watching the rest of the class 'hook up' and you stay alone, I still love you. I always will." Now that's more like it. "But we can't be together," for what seemed like the 6^th time this story, my jaw hit the floor, "At least not yet. Don't look at me like that; it's not going to be forever, just until I can break things off with Ron." I repeat: Now that's more like it.

She picked up her book and grazed past me, her eyes never leaving mine. She walked seductively up the stairs and out of sight. As I walked up to bed, I knew things would be all right. When I reached the 5^th year boys dormitories, I turned my head as if waiting for her to run up and scream 'just joking' but she didn't and I opened the door and fell strait asleep.