Hermione's footsteps echoed loudly as she walked down the corridor. She was supposed to be meeting Ginny by the lake thirty minutes ago, but she had gotten so caught up in studying in the library.

As she walked quickly she worried about the consequences of her tardiness. Was Ginny still waiting for her? Will she understand?

Her thoughts were interrupted by another red-head.

"Howdy Hermione, what brings you 'round these parts?" Fred said with a smirk

"Fred-"

"-I'm George-"

"-No you're not-"

"-How-"

"-Shh," she clutched her heart as she walked, still quite startled by his sudden appearance. She had no time for his games if she wanted to maintain a friendship.

She continued on her journey, and he trailed after her, still attempting to tease her.

"Where's the fire Hermione?"

"Where's George?" she asked, still ignoring him.

"You do realize we are two separate people, right?" he spoke slowly, as if he were taking to a child.

"Yes, I just didn't realize you had your own personal agenda without George."

"What do you mean," he walked backwards ahead of her

"I mean that you're here bothering me. I thought that bothering people was something you two liked to do together."

"Oh Hermione," he clutched his heart in fain betrayal, "You wound me,"

She smirked and continued her attempt to walk around him.

"You know what I think?"

"You're going to tell me anyway so sur-"

"-I think that you mask your true feelings for me with sarcasm and dismissal."

She scoffed, but she could feel her face start to turn pink. "I do not,"

"You can deny it all you want, I know I'm irresistible," He grinned at her.

She was quite impressed with his backwards walking ability, and the faith he had that he knew the hall quite well, but it had to end eventually. His foot caught on the corner where the hallway turned and he fell onto his back.

"Fred," she kneeled beside him, her hands running through his red hair, feeling for any bumps or wounds. "Are you okay?"

He smiled up at her, and she quickly realized that he may have planned this whole thing. He does know the hallways really well. You have to, for the amount of time he spent in them when he should be in class.

"You know, if this was a cheesy movie you would have fallen with me," He smirked, looking slightly dopey.

"Where did you hit your head?" She continued her inspection, ignoring his words.

"Hey Hermione?"

"What," she said, finally looking him in the eye.

His eyes were intently looking at her, making her stomach flip, but she noticed the mischievous aspect there too. He was up to something, she started to dread what he had to say-

"I think I've fallen for you," he kept a straight face, his mouth pushed in a straight line to hold back his laughter.

"That's terrible," She laughed, finally realizing that she is still sitting in the hallway with Fred's head in her lap. She shuddered to think what this looked like.

She started to get up, helping Fred get up carefully too.

"Go out with me," he said seriously once again.

She looked him in the eye skeptically for a second, resisting her urge to say yes and let herself fall for him too. Instead, she remembered Ginny, probably sitting alone still at the lake.

"Pass," She turned on her heel swiftly and exited the hall, heading out onto the lawn.

"Hermione," she heard him yell behind her, stumbling to catch up. Maybe he really did hit his head, she worried suddenly.

As she approached where she say Ginny sitting beneath a tree beside the lake, she paused. The golden, evening sun lit the scene before her. It appeared to her that Ginny had found other company.

Harry and Ginny sat on a blanket, both laughing at some unheard joke. She watched the scene like a scene from a movie with a smile. Ginny leaned into Harry while she laughed, and even Hermione could detect the fresh spark of a blossoming romance.

She was happy for her friends, but at the same time she felt a longing for a spark of her own.

"Hermione!"

Her stomach flipped once again.

"Hermione, hey." He jogged up, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey," she said quietly.

He looked at her face quickly and noticed the change in expression. "Are you okay?" His hand cupped her arm reassuringly and she pulled back slightly when she felt the spark.

This is so cheesy Hermione. You are a logical, calculating girl. You do not get entangled in romantic or emotional interactions.

"I'm fine," she turned back to him, finally smiling at him.

His returning smile was as warm as the April sun that had started to tuck behind the horizon.

Fred seemed to have notice his sister and Harry now. "When did that-"

He started to walk towards them but Hermione held his arm. "Leave them,"

"But-"

"-Fred."

He turned back to her, noticing how the golden beams illuminated her warm brown eyes.

She looked away, blushing at the grass and pushing some hair behind her ear.

"Go out with me," he said once more.

She looked back up to him with a smile. She wanted to but she wasn't promising anything. "Maybe."

He simply smiled in response. He understood.