Hermione's All That

Hermione stretched her hands above her head in an effort to awaken her aching muscles. She hadn't really been able to get a good night's sleep this entire week. Her thoughts were filled with Harry and the date that was tonight.

"Oh God!" Hermione said, covering her face with her hands. Her stomach was filled with butterflies and she was just sure she was going to be sick. How did it come up so soon? I can't believe I have to go out with him tonight. Relax Hermione, it's not a date, it's just an outing with a friend.

She almost gasped at the thought. Her and Harry Potter friends?! She didn't think she would ever see the day. It almost felt like her life was turning around. Harry Potter was paying attention to her and he wanted to hang out with her, how great!? She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs or dance around the halls at Hogwarts in her excitement.

I wonder what we are going to be doing. What if he hates me? What if I'm boring? Calm down Hermione, take a deep breathe.

She threw her legs out from under her clothes, and stepped out of bed. She considered canceling, maybe she could claim she was sick or had a lot of work to catch up on, but then another voice would enter her mind. Why pass up this opportunity. You're almost seventeen years old, get a grip, it's time to have a little fun.

Hermione decided that she needed to take a long shower and relax. She went into her bathroom and showered using her peaches and oranges shampoo. She loved the way it smelled and the aroma was intoxicating. She was glad that the scent tended to stay with her throughout the day.

Washing her hair, she rinsed and stepped out. She wrapped a towel around her and walked back into her room.

She threw on a casual top and jeans; she didn't have to wear her Hogwarts uniform since it was Saturday.

She dried her hair quickly and clipped half of it up. She noticed she had a few more minutes before breakfast, so she pulled out her journal that she used when she was frustrated. It was filled with poems, quotes, or just random thoughts that entered her mind.

Opening it to the first unused page, she began to write what she was feeling. After about five minutes, she had written a nice poem; at least she thought it was rather good.

What do I think with these new changes?

What am I to feel?

Life is hectic, nothing is fair,

So is this actually real?

Not once have you said,

Anything to me in the last seven years,

So why now is it ok,

That I can tell you my fears?

Why do I feel so comfortable?

When I am in your presence,

When before that thought of you,

Or just thinking of your essence,

Was enough to send me running;

Enough to make me hide?

Why is it now,

That I am feeling all this inside?

She reread the poem and was pleased with the outcome. She closed the book, putting it back in her drawer. As she stuck it inside it wouldn't go in all the way. Something was blocking it. She opened the drawer wider and noticed the small box in the back. She pulled it out, and shivered a bit at what she knew was inside.

She placed it on her desk and slowly opened the lid. Inside were the broken pieces and shredded remains of her beloved picture. She didn't even notice the few tears that escaped from her eyes; she was too busy staring at the image in front of her. She was happy to see that one part wasn't completely ruined. It was the biggest piece of the picture left, and it had her and her parent's faces in it. Their smiles were intact and Hermione smiled, even though the memories drew pain from deep within.

She grabbed the box, and in her frustration, threw it to the ground. The box opened and all the pieces escaped, scattering on the floor.

Hermione didn't care, nor did she bother picking it up. She just walked to the window and stared out at the Hogwarts grounds. She saw a few students out on the lawn, but not too many. Most students slept in, and she would have, but she just couldn't sleep at all.

She imagined all of them with their families, people to go home to for Christmas and Easter, to look forward to their summer vacations. Hermione didn't have that luxury, at least not anymore. She pushed away the thoughts and turned away from the window.

She took out her wand and muttered a cleaning charm. Instantly all the pieces gathered up, went back into the box, and shot back up on her desk.

She wiped her eyes quickly and headed for the door. She had to leave the seclusion of her room. It was breakfast anyway, so she decided to head down to the great hall.

She stepped in and noticed that Neville was again, sitting at his place, staring off into space. Hermione sat in front of him and it jolted Neville out of his reverie.

"Hello Hermione," Neville said, eating a spoonful of oatmeal.

"Good morning Neville," Hermione said as nice as possible. She wasn't in a good mood and not up to talking.

"I have a question," Neville said and Hermione looked up to him. He had this weird look in his eye, but Hermione rid the thought from her mind. When doesn't Neville look weird?

"Yes?" Hermione asked politely.

"Well, how about today we go to the library and study. We can work on our Potions essay that is due next week. How about we meet at about five tonight, sound good to you?" Neville said and Hermione felt bad, but for some reason she was glad she could now say no to studying because she was going to have fun, she was going to Hogsmeade with Harry Potter!

"Um, Neville, I can't tonight," Hermione said and Neville looked shocked. Hermione figured this was because she never said no to studying before.

"Why not?" Neville asked.

"Because I'm going to Hogsmeade," Hermione replied.

"Hogsmeade? What do you need to get now? School has just begun, surely you haven't run out of your materials yet," Neville said.

"No, I'm not going to get supplies. I'm going with a friend, just to have a night out," Hermione smiled as she said this. She couldn't believe how good it was to say that.

"Who are you going with?" Neville asked and Hermione met his gaze.

"Harry Potter," Hermione almost shouted, but kept her voice low. Man, does this feel great or what?

Neville's jaw dropped from Hermione's comment. "Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?" Neville asked and Hermione nodded her head. "The boy-who-lived? The same Harry Potter who has beaten Voldemort more times then anyone else put together?" Hermione nodded. "The youngest seeker in the history of Hogwarts?" Hermione nodded again. "You mean to tell me that you are going to Hogsmeade with the most popular boy in school?" Hermione nodded again.

"Is it that hard to believe?" Hermione asked. She felt a bit embarrassed. She knew how she would react if Neville suddenly told him he was going on a date with Cho Chang. She wouldn't believe him.

"Honestly Hermione, yes. How can you go with him? He is not even worth it. All he does is make fun of people like you and me. He's a jerk," Neville said not taking his eyes from Hermione's.

"Now wait a second. I may not know Harry that well, but we spent last Tuesday night together and he was nothing but nice. He offered to show me a fun time in Hogsmeade for tutoring him in Astronomy, that's all. I think it will be fun, and it's not like anyone else will go with me!" Hermione admitted and Neville shook his head.

"He probably just wants to shag you or prove something to his buddies," Neville commented.

Hermione was taken aback. She knew that Harry normally would never talk to her, let alone ask her to accompany him for the night, but Neville could at least give her some credit. She would never do that anyway, plus why wouldn't anyone be interested in being her friend. Sure, he never was before, but that was because they had never spoken properly. "Neville, how can you say that? You don't even know him!" Hermione rebutted.

"And neither do you!" Neville added. He went back to eating his food and Hermione decided to ignore him. She didn't feel like talking to him anyway.

People began filing into the Great Hall as breakfast went on. Hermione didn't even notice when Harry walked in, but for some reason, something made her look down the table and she saw him looking in her direction. He gave her a broad smile, which she returned. Neville's wrong. Harry likes me and he wants to be my friend.

She heard the loud screech of the owls and realized it was time for the mail. She didn't look up. She hadn't received one piece of mail since her parents died. She felt a bit odd and sad when she saw others opening letters from family or friends back home. She even envied the ones who got Howlers from their parents. She just wanted someone to love her and she missed her parents so much. They seemed to be the only ones in her life that actually cared for her.

She was too lost in her thoughts to see the snowy owl hover above her, but she was brought back to reality when a letter fell onto her plate. She looked up stunned. Who would send me mail?

She turned it over, but noticed there was no return address or anything. It just simply read: "Hermione". She tore it open eagerly and pulled out the paper that was stuffed inside.

Dear Hermione,

How are you doing this morning? I enjoyed our tutoring session last Tuesday and am actually looking forward to our next one. Funny, isn't it, me actually wanting to study. I would never hear the end of it from Ron if he heard me say that! Well anyway, I decided to write you a letter just in case I wasn't able to talk to you this morning. You know how it is on Saturday's; Quidditch practice and all. Good thing the games don't start for another two weeks, we sure have a lot to work on. Anyway, I'm rambling; let me get to the point. I wrote this to tell you about tonight. I still hope we're on, I'm really looking forward to it. I figured that we would head down to Hogsmeade around sevenish. How about we go for dinner at The Golden Snitch? I heard it's a new restaurant that's supposed to be fairly good. After that, we can head over to the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer. My friends may come down and hang out; I hope that won't be a problem. You are going to have a surprise visitor knock at your door at five, so make sure that you are there waiting. Can't wait for tonight!

Love,

Harry

Hermione smiled as she read the letter. Hmm, I wonder who the surprise visitor will be? I can't wait! She was now even more exciting. I can't believe that Harry wrote me a letter. She turned her head to look at him and he was laughing with his friends. He turned toward her and gave her a wink. Hermione blushed and looked down at her plate. She reread the letter once more before getting up from the table. She was in a very good mood now and didn't feel like being in Neville's company. He wouldn't stop going on about how she shouldn't go.

She left the great hall and almost skipped back to her room. She grabbed her books and decided to finish off the rest of her homework to kill time.

She trotted down the corridors and entered the library. This was almost like her second home, well seeing as how she considered Hogwarts to really be her first home. The house she lived in back with her grandmother was just that, a house. It wasn't a home and it hadn't felt like a home for a year.

She went to her usual table, pulling out all her materials and set to work. Before she knew it, time had escaped her. She noticed that it was already ten till five and she had to hurry back to her room to await her visitor.

Who could it be? She really had no clue. She rushed back to her room and was glad to see that no one was waiting outside her door. She put her books away and sat down on the bed. Her leg was bobbing up and down from anxiety and her fingers were twirling in anticipation. She jumped a little at the sound of knocking on her door.

She walked over and pulled open the door and was shocked at who was at it. Standing there was Harry and beside him was a red-haired girl. Hermione immediately recognized the girl. She was a year younger than her and Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny Weasley.

"Hello Hermione," Harry said and Hermione smiled.

"Hi," she replied back. Ok, what are they here for?

"Hermione, this is Ginny Weasley, she is my best friend's younger sister," Harry said as he moved aside so Ginny could step forward.

She extended her hand and Hermione shook it. "Pleased to meet you, Hermione," Ginny replied, giving Hermione a smile.

"Same to you," Hermione replied. She stepped back so they could both enter her room. They did and Hermione shut it behind them.

"You're probably wondering why we're here, right?" Harry asked Hermione and she nodded her head. "Well, I know that this isn't your usual scene and everything so Ginny has agreed to help out. She's going to help with your make-up and clothes and everything else you need," Harry said.

Hermione again, felt a little embarrassed. She knew she probably looked bad, but she wasn't going to change herself for Harry. She did, however, want to look nice tonight and the thought didn't even cross her mind about how she was going to do it.

Harry seemed to notice her expression because he added, "I didn't mean it like that. I mean, you look fine how you are, but I just thought you might need…I mean, well in case you wanted to…uh," Harry sighed in frustration.

Hermione couldn't help but think how adorable Harry looked at that moment as he tried to explain to her his intentions. Hermione smiled, knowing Harry meant nothing of it, and stopped Harry's rant.

"Harry, it's ok. I understand perfectly. And yes, I do need help, and thanks Ginny for helping me," Hermione said. Harry smiled.

"Alright, well let's get started," Ginny said and she turned toward Harry.

"What?" Harry asked throwing up his hands.

"You," Ginny said pointing toward Harry, moving closer towards him, "Have to leave."

"Why?" Harry asked as he looked over at Hermione and winked.

"Wait for us outside," Ginny said as she gave Harry a nice push towards the door.

"Ok, ok, I'm going. No need to push and shove," Harry said as he opened the door and stepped out.

Hermione smiled at the show and watched Harry leave. As the door closed she turned back toward Ginny. "Let's start Hermione; we have a lot of work to do!"

What have I got myself into? She smiled as she followed Ginny into the bathroom, ready to begin the transition.

Harry walked down to the common room and took a seat beside the fire. He smiled at what was going on in Hermione's room. She was getting a well-deserved makeover. He was glad that Ginny had agreed.

Harry leaned back and thought about this week. For some reason, he wasn't able to fully rid himself of thoughts of Hermione. He had a strong urge to be around her and he didn't know why. He played it off, just thinking it was male hormones, but deep down he truly thought something was different about her, he just didn't know what.

His plan was in motion and he was happy that he would be getting Hermione out and into his crowd soon. Soon, he would have the word out that Hermione is the one to vote for, not Cho. The thoughts of her and what she did to him still made him angry. He pushed the thoughts aside and eyed the closed door.

He remembered at breakfast how he had watched to see her reaction to his letter. He was very surprised to see how her face seemed to illuminate as she was reading his it. He couldn't believe that just a simple note could make someone smile like that. It had made him feel very warm inside when he saw her smile and something in his body seemed to jolt. He didn't think much on it, but was happy to know that he made Hermione smile.

He was actually looking forward to their "friendly outing" tonight. He was excited to see where the night's events would lead. He had a nice dinner planned, and then he would be able to introduce her to all over his friends at the Three Broomsticks.

His head seemed to fall back as he closed his eyes, picturing Hermione's smiling face. Why he was, he didn't know, but it made him grin.

He must have dozed off, because the next thing he knew he felt a tapping on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Ginny's face in front of him. She was smiling.

He sat up quickly and wondered what time it was. He looked down at his watch and noticed that it was fifteen till seven.

"Harry, you awake?" Ginny asked and Harry nodded. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and stood up abruptly.

"Is she ready?" Harry asked and Ginny nodded. "She's just putting on a few last minute touches. You probably have enough time to hurry and get yourself cleaned up also."

Harry nodded. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but he did, so no reason dwelling on it now. He walked to his room and shut the door. He jumped in the shower and was in and out in five minutes.

He threw on some dark jeans and a button down shirt. He ran a hand through his hair, knowing that nothing was going to be done with it and threw on his shoes.

He stepped out and turned to Hermione's door. It was still shut. He knocked on it softly and Ginny opened it just a crack.

"Ready to go?" he said and Ginny shook her head.

"Go wait down in the common room; she'll be out in just a second."

Harry nodded and took off down the stairs. He sat on the couch that was facing the fire and waited for Ginny and Hermione to come down.

"Alright," Ginny's voice said from the stairs and Harry turned around to see Ginny standing at the end of the room. Harry stood up and walked a little closer. He couldn't see Hermione around. "I now present to you the new and improved Hermione Granger!" Ginny moved her hands towards the stairs, but no Hermione. She smiled and said it again, still nothing. "Hermione, get down here now!" she finally shouted and Harry finally saw a foot emerge from the stairs. It was clad in a cute, yellow sandal.

Harry waited until the whole form of Hermione emerged and when she did, Harry felt as if the entire air in his lungs was knocked out of him. Hermione looked beautiful, beyond beautiful. He almost felt like he had to question whether it was her or just an imposter.

She was dressed in a simple yellow sundress with flowers on it. It was a spaghetti strap and showed off her slender arms and wonderful shoulders. Her hair was curled down her back. It was long and flowing and came to rest about two inches above her waist. It was pulled up slightly in a cute clip and she had little ringlets that framed her face.

She had cute, silver hoop earrings. She had make-up on, but not too much. A little eye shadow that gave her eyes definition, mascara that helped elongate her eyelashes, a little blush that accentuated her cheeks and a hint of lip gloss that added to her lushes' lips.

Harry was sure his jaw was hitting the floor. She looked like an angel.

"Harry?" Hermione asked him. He shook his head a little to pull himself from the daze and looked up into her face. "Do I look that bad?"

"No, Hermione, why would you say that?" Harry asked as he made his way over to her and she stepped down the stairs.

"Because you weren't saying anything and you were staring," Hermione said as she stepped up in front of him.

"Hermione, I was staring because you look great!" Harry said and Hermione blushed. Harry thought she looked adorable at that moment.

"You look great too," Hermione complimented back.

"Thanks," Harry replied.

Harry held his arm out for Hermione to loop hers through. She did and he smiled at her. "Ready to go milady?" Harry asked her.

"Yes, I think I am," Hermione said, still smiling brightly. Harry noticed that she really had a nice smile. Her teeth were very white.

"Well, you better be, because you are going to have the time of your life!" Harry said and Hermione giggled.

Harry looked over his shoulder and waved to Ginny. Hermione turned and said, "Thank you Ginny!"

She smiled back and replied, "Go have fun! I'll see you tonight at the Three Broomsticks!"

Harry nodded and he opened the portrait hole for her. She stepped out and Harry walked out behind her.

"Well, look at you two. What a perfect couple! How darling," the fat lady on the portrait hole said to them.

Hermione blushed and opened her mouth. Harry saw this and decided to comment first. "Thanks!"

Harry smiled at Hermione when she gave him a look, but then she blushed again. She looped her arm through his and they continued on their way to the carriages.

Harry didn't know why exactly he didn't correct the fat lady when she had made that comment, but at the time it felt right. Something about this night so far felt more right then Harry had ever felt in his entire life.

He smiled to himself and looked over at the beauty that stood beside him. His thoughts turned to the bet and his smile vanished. Maybe this is going to be a lot harder than I thought!