A/N: well, i wasn't going to update for a couple of days. i am in love with those of you who reviewed. i attempted to fix the "shortness" problem- hopefully it meets your guys' expectations. one more thing- a very clever anonymous reviewer asked that if Harry and Hermione have known each other so long, why don't they recognize the handwriting ? i probably should have pointed it out earlier; the notebook disguises all handwriting. sorry for any confusion i might have caused ! enjoy chapter three. (:
*kisses*
lil_irish_girl
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Previously:
"Hermione? Hun, you need to watch where you're going."
~*~*~*~
"What?" Hermione came back to the present and was slightly shocked to find she was sitting on the floor. "What happened? Why am I on the floor?"
"Well, I didn't see everything," Ginny began. "But from what I can infer, you walked into the library with a dazed look on your face and ran into a wall."
"Did I?" Hermione asked, rubbing her head. "I'm not myself lately."
"You can say that again," Ginny agreed, sitting next to the brunette. "What's the deal?"
"Gin," Hermione said. "I think I'm in love."
"You think you're in love?" Ginny repeated.
"No," said Hermione. "I know I'm in love."
"With who?" Ginny asked, curious. "It better not be with my brother; he's got a girlfriend."
Ron's girlfriend was Lauren- a pretty blonde in Ginny's year; she apparently dug redheads. Ginny had convinced Ron to ask her out and they had been inseparable ever since.
Hermione laughed softly. "No, it's not with Ron."
"With Harry then?" asked Ginny.
"Gin, Harry's like my brother," Hermione lied. She had had a thing for Harry back in fifth or sixth year. She'd been forced to put those feelings on the back burner, though.
"Well then who is it?" Ginny couldn't take the suspense anymore.
"I have no idea," Hermione said, looking directly into her friends' eyes.
"How do you know you're in love with someone if you don't know who he is?" Ginny was incredibly confused.
Turning to her book bag, Hermione took out the notebook.
"Read," she instructed Ginny. "It should explain a lot."
Flipping through it eagerly, Ginny read most of the conversations Hermione and her mystery boy had had.
"Awww!" Ginny suddenly exclaimed, her eyes glued to a page.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"'Thoughts of you fill my every waking moment and every dream I have. I don't know what that's supposed to mean, but I like it.'" Ginny read. "He seems so into you!"
"Does he?" asked Hermione, hope filling her eyes. "God, I want to know who he is. But at the same time, I'm afraid he won't feel the same way."
"Mione," Ginny said, putting an arm around the other girls' shoulders. "You're smart, funny, and gorgeous. Any guy would be out of his mind to not love you back."
"Thanks, Gin," Hermione said, smiling. "Only problem is, I don't know how I might be able to meet him."
"I'm sure you'll find a way," Ginny reassured her. "You always find a way."
The two of them sat on the floor together for a bit longer, listening to the slight rustle of pages.
"Gin?" Hermione suddenly asked.
"Hmm?" Ginny replied.
"Ron told me you had said something about researching something for Herbology. You wouldn't go near anything having to do with Herbology with a ten foot pole. What's the deal?"
"Oh, well, um," Ginny said, blushing slightly. "I'm here because there are a lot of cute blokes who come by the library," she said in a rush. Hermione let out a small bark of laughter, causing Ginny to give her a hurt look.
"I didn't mean that badly, Gin," Hermione said quickly. "I just mean you don't have to go to a library to find a guy. You could walk down the bloody hallway and pick up a guy. You seem to be quite the talk of your year."
Ginny gave her friend a cheesy smile. "Now, who said that?" she asked, giggling and rolling her eyes slightly.
"I'm serious," said Hermione. "Even a few of the Seventh years are noticing you. I saw a certain blonde Slytherin giving you a few looks the other day…"
"Malfoy?" Ginny asked, scrunching up her nose. "Disgusting! He hates me and my family."
"Give him a chance, hun," Hermione said quietly. "The war's changed him quite a bit."
Ginny sighed, smiling. "You're right, you're right," she said. "Maybe I'll give the 'bad boy' a chance."
"I couldn't help but overhear," came a voice from behind the girls. They turned around to see the subject in question; Draco Malfoy.
"Well," Hermione said, slowly getting up. "I have to get going. Have fun you two," smiling, she strode out the door, humming to herself.
Ginny turned her attention back to Draco, surprised to see that his hand was extended- he was offering to help her up. Smiling slightly, she took it and he hoisted her up.
The fact that my hand is tingling doesn't mean anything, Ginny thought before she realized just how close they were: his chest was lightly pressed against hers.
"Thanks, Malfoy," she said once she had regained her breath. For some reason, though, she couldn't move away from him. In fact, it was almost as if she was magnetically charged to him. He was moving closer to her, as well. Their lips were almost touching, and Ginny's eyelids had dropped slightly when she heard him speak.
"You're welcome, Ginevra," Draco whispered, saying her name with such tenderness it startled her. Smiling softly, Since when do Malfoy's smile? flitted through Ginny's mind, he backed up and walked out of the library.
~*~
"Harry, Hermione," Ron said urgently, propping himself up on his elbows- he had been laying on the ground. "We have a very big problem on our hands."
"And what might the problem be, Ronald?" Hermione asked, looking up from her book. Harry, who was sitting at the table with her, turned his attention to Ron.
"My Transfiguration essay is blank," Ron stated, letting his elbows drop as he stared dismally at the piece of parchment.
"Pick up a quill, Ronald," Hermione said, a smile on her face. "And write words. Then it won't be blank."
"But the words I write will most likely have nothing to do with Transfiguration," Ron complained. "I'll probably end up writing total rubbish. Might write a few things about Lauren here and there."
He got a dazed look in his eye; lost in thought about Lauren. Snapping out of it, Ron noticed Harry was lost in another world, too.
"Oi, Harry," he said, sitting upright. "You should see your expression, mate. You look so serious. What are you writing, anyway?"
Hurriedly, Harry shut his notebook.
"Nothing, Ron," Harry said. "I was just jotting down my thoughts and goals. I seem to have a habit of doing that lately."
"How… organized of you, Harry," Hermione commented, staring into his bright green orbs.
"Thanks, Mione," Harry said, looking up at her.
Glancing at the clock, she noticed that it was a little past eleven. Shutting her books, she put them in her book bag and stood up.
"I've got to get some sleep," she lied easily. "I'll see you two tomorrow, alright?"
"Okay," Ron said, now searching everywhere on the floor for a quill. "Night, Mione."
"Night," Harry said, though it was hardly audible.
Smiling at Ron's attempts to find a quill, Hermione turned her attention to him.
"Hey Ron," she said.
"What?" Ron asked, looking up at her. Hermione gently tossed a quill from her book bag at him. He caught it with ease, smiling.
"Thanks, Mione," he said. "Now I can try to write my Transfiguration essay."
"Good," Hermione said softly. With a final wave, she ascended the staircase, up to her dorm.
"She's something, our Hermione," Ron quietly said once he thought she was out of earshot. "Don't you think, Harry?"
Harry didn't answer right away- he seemed transfixed on the paper in front of him. Sitting upright again, Ron tried once more.
"Harry!" he said, causing Harry to jerk and turn in his chair to look at him. "Don't you think Mione's something else?"
"Yeah," Harry agreed. "She's always there to fix our mistakes." Slowly, he turned his attention back to his book, scribbling away like mad.
~*~
Hermione had just opened the door to her dorm. She had, of course, heard the boys' comments. Smiling broadly, she sat on her bed. On the top of the pile of books by her bed was the notebook. Picking it up, she noticed that it was growing warmer. Flipping through the pages, she found the one he was writing in.
JPH: Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping? GHJ? GHJ? Morning bells are ringing, morning bells are ringing, ding ding dong. Ding ding dong.
Hermione smiled, writing a response.
GHJ: The Muggle song. You're Muggle born?
JPH: Hey, there you are! My dad was pureblood, mum a Muggle born witch. I grew up with Muggles, though.
GHJ: What happened to your parents?
JPH: They… died in a car crash. I was very young.
GHJ: I'm so sorry.
JPH: Its fine, no big deal. Where were you all this time? Avoiding me?
GHJ: Of course not. I just had a little work I needed to get done. Then I got caught up with my friends.
JPH: Ah. Sounds better than what I've been doing.
GHJ: What have you been doing?
JPH: Sitting here, trying to think of a way to meet you.
GHJ: You want to meet me?
JPH: Of course. You seem so amazing.
GHJ: But how would we be able to meet?
JPH: I have no idea. That was my dilemma.
GHJ: I see. Maybe we should sleep on it?
JPH: Sleep on what, exactly?
GHJ: I didn't mean it like that! Sleep on the idea of how to meet.
JPH: I know, it's just really fun to give you a hard time. I'll talk to you tomorrow, then?
GHJ: Yeah. Good night, JPH.
JPH: Night, GHJ. Sleep tight-
GHJ: Don't let the bedbugs bite!
JPH: Ick. Bedbugs.
GHJ: Nice. Sleep well.
Shutting the notebook and putting it back on the pile, Hermione changed into her pajamas and slept pleasantly, her dreams filled with meeting her mystery boy.
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there ! hopefully a bit more to go on this time. now a certain reviewer can go off their hunger strike. eat something ! (: if you have time, please write a few words letting me know your thoughts.