Love at Hogwarts

Hermione groaned. "But I don't have anyone..." she trailed off. "Well," she started again, "there's this one guy that I really like." She glanced over at Harry and she thought that she could see a glint of disappointment on his face. 'No, I'm just imagining it,' she thought to herself. "I don't really wanna talk about this right now," she said. "I'm going up to my room." Ginny and Lavender looked at each other and Lavender raised her eyebrows as if to ask Ginny if she knew who the "Mystery Guy" was. Ginny shook her head back and forth slightly. They looked back at Hermione, but she was already on her way up the stairs to the girls dormitory.

They looked down at Harry, who was still sitting on the couch. "Do you know who it is?" asked Lavender. "No," replied Harry quietly, a little twinge of disappointment in his tone.

"Well, we're gonna go find out," exclaimed Lavender. She grabbed Ginny's wrist and pulled her up the stairs to the girls dormitory.

******************

Hermione was sitting on her bed with the curtains drawn so no body could see her, writing in her diary.

Oh Diary!

There's going to be a formal dance! A formal dance! We don't have to wear our formal robes for it though, we can actually wear those Muggle type prom dresses! I am soo excited, but yet I'm dreading it because we have to bring a date, and I don't have anyone to bring. But there is this one really cute guy that I've liked ever since third year, but I don't think he shares my feelings.

I've never admitted this to anyone but I really wish that I could go with Harry. He's just so sweet and not to mention, he's grown up soo much. There's just something about his face that draws me to him. And don't even get me started on that body of his! Oh My Goodness! He has the body of a god! I just wish that somehow, he liked me as much as I like him. His personality too, it's just the greatest. He would make an exquisite boyfriend.

Oh my gosh, I would be so extremely embarrassed if anyone read this entry. Thank goodness for locking charms! Well Diary, I think I'm going to go to sleep now.

Good Night Diary

Hermione closed her diary and murmured the locking charm and slipped the it underneath her mattress. She looked around the dormitory, sighed, blew out the candle that was sitting on her night stand and laid down under her soft comforter. She had just started drifting off to sleep when the dormitory door flew open, making Hermione jump with fright only to see Lavender and Ginny run in.

"Good grief you two!" Hermione shouted. "You scared the living daylights out of me."

"Oh, sorry about that Mione," said Ginny. "We just came up here to try and find out who your "Mystery Guy" is. I know you want to tell us," she said with a hint of a teasing tone in her voice.

Hermione could feel her face flush and get warm. "I can't tell you, because if I do, I know that you'll start blabbing it to him, which would be an easy thing to do because he's in the same hou..." she caught herself just as she realized what she was saying.

Lavender and Ginny's eyes widened and then both ran over to Hermione's bed and plopped down. "Were you going to say that he was in the same house as us?!" asked Lavender excitedly.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed, almost too quickly. Her face was turning redder by the second.

"Oh, but I think you were," said Ginny, grinning. "Alright, let's play a game, shall we," she continued. "Lavender and I will start naming off all the boys in our house, and you tell us if we're getting hot or cold." Lavender's face lit up and she nodded her head, agreeing with Ginny.

"Whadaya say?" asked Ginny.

Hermione blushed. She really wanted to tell someone about her little crush on Harry, but she was afraid to let anyone know for fear that Harry might find out and think she was totally psycho. "Ooooooh..." she started. Ginny and Lavender looked at her hopefully. "Fine!" she exclaimed. "I'll play your little game, but when you do find out who it is that I like you have to swear on our friendship that you will not say one word to ANYONE! If you do, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you," she said jokingly.

Both girls promised not to say anything to anyone when they found out who it was that Hermione was being so secretive about.

Ginny started. "Ron?"

"Nope," Hermione giggled.

"Seamus?" Lavender asked.

Hermione gave her a get real would ya glance and said "No, be serious."

Ginny thought for a moment and then said "Neville?"

Hermione laughed. "He's a real sweet guy, but no, I don't think I could ever see Neville like...that"

All three girls laughed and agreed.

Then all of a sudden Lavender got a very serious look on her face and said "Oh my gosh! I know who it is! We should have known this all along, how could we be so damn blind?!"

Ginny was looking at Lavender with bewilderment. "Well then," she started, "who is it that you have in mind Lavender?"

Lavender smiled and whispered something in Ginny's ear. A smile was beginning to form in the corners of her mouth.

"Hey you guys, secrets don't make friends," exclaimed Hermione.

"Alright Hermione, when we say this person, you have to swear that you'll answer truthfully. Okay?" said Ginny.

Hermione was hesitant. "Erm...okay, I guess."

Lavender stared Hermione right in the face and said, "It's Harry, isn't it?"

Hermione's face turned redder than Ron's hair. The girls squealed. "Oh my gosh it is Harry!" exclaimed Ginny.

"Remember, you guys promised not to say anything," remarked Hermione pleadingly.

Ginny and Lavender looked at her. "Oh, don't worry hun, we wont say anything, unless you really want us to," replied Ginny.

"No, I don't want you to say anything. But thanks for respecting my wishes."

"No problemo," said Lavender.

"Well guys, I'm really tired and I think I need to be getting to bed now. I'll talk to both of you in the morning. Good night."

"Night Mione," said Lavender.

"Good night Hermione," said Ginny. And with that, they walked out of the dorm and down the stairs to the common room.

********************

Harry was sitting down in the common room when Ron came back in through the portrait hole.

"Where did you go off to Ron?" asked Harry.

"Well," he began, "I was going to look for Lavender and ask her before I lost the courage to, but I couldn't find her anywhere," he said, disappointed.

"Oh, sorry mate. I'm sure you'll work up the courage to ask her again next year," said Harry teasingly.

"Oh shut it! I'll ask her before the formal, I swear."

Harry looked amused. "Okay Ron, I believe you."

"Thank you," said Ron.

"Uh huh," replied Harry.

Then Ron asked, "Harry, who are you gonna take to the formal?"

Harry looked up. "I don't know for sure, I don't even know if I'm gonna go."

Ron didn't look convinced. "Oh there has to be someone that you like, that you would enjoy going with."

Harry looked thoughtful. "Well actually, there is this one girl that I wouldn't mind going with, but she likes someone already."

"Well how do you know that?" asked Ron.

"Because I heard her say it."

"Oh, that's a bummer," started Ron, then he continued, "How do you know that it's actually you that she likes? Eh, ever thought of that?"

"No, actually I hadn't. But knowing my luck, that wouldn't happen," said Harry glumly.

"Well, tell me who it is that you like, and I'll be the judge of that," remarked Ron.

Harry blushed. "I'll give you some hints," he said.

"Alright, bring 'em on," Ron said.

Harry thought for a few minutes and then said, "She's in Gryffindor, and she..." he didn't get any further than that before Ron's mouth dropped open. "What?" Harry asked.

"I KNEW it!" Ron exclaimed. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

Harry looked slightly annoyed. "Oh bloody hell Ron, what did you know?"

Ron turned to him and said very matter-of-factly, "That you like Hermione."

Harry's face turned red. "Okay, so you caught me, but how could I not like her? She's just so...so perfect." Then he looked at Ron seriously. "Don't you dare say anything to her or anyone about this, do you hear me?"

"Yeah, yeah, I wont say anything Harry, I promise."

"Thank you," said Harry, slightly less alarmed than before.

Just then Lavender and Ginny came down the stairs from the girls dormitories. Harry chuckled and said "Well Ron, there she is, it's now or never mate." Ron nodded and walked over to Lavender. "Um Lavender," he said shyly, "could I, um...talk to you for a moment?"

Lavender smiled at him. "Sure Ron."

Ron took Lavender by the hand and led her over to a private part of the common room. He looked at her hopefully. "Um, I was just...well, I was sort of wondering...what I want to say is...willyougototheformalwithme?"

She looked at him for a mintue trying to comprehend what he said. A smile formed across her lips and she replied, "Of course I'll go to the formal with you Ron. I'm so glad you asked me. Besides, I wouldn't have gone with anyone else but you." Ron breathed a long sigh of relief as he hugged her tightly. They walk back over to where Harry and Ginny were sitting. Harry looked up at them. "So I trust everything went as planned."

Ron grinned from ear to ear, which was enough proof for Harry and Ginny that things went smoothly. "Now all you have to do is ask Her...I mean, that girl that you like to the formal," stammered Ron. Ginny and Lavender snapped their heads up so fast they were seeing stars. "Wha...what were you going to say Ron." Lavender asked seriously. Ron's face turned redder than his hair as he tried to think of some excuse to say. "I wasn't going to say anything!" he tried. He looked at Harry helplessly only to see a very angry face staring back at him.

"I...I gotta go," Ron stammered as he ran up the stairs to the boys dormitories, Harry following close behind.