Along the walk back to Gryffindor Tower, Hermione's smile was replaced by a worried expression.

Fuming, Hermione hit the palm of her hand to her forehead. She'd just entered the Gryffindor common room after that little escapade with Malfy.

'How stupid! How could I forget my wand?' She thought to herself.

The common room was still quite empty except for a dozing fifth year in an armchair. Hermione went up to her dormitory to grab her book bag – and wand.

"Lavender, Parvati – wake up!" Honestly, she was not their personal alarm clock. She moved over towards her neatly made bed.

"Ergh!" Came the voices of her dormitory occupants. Hermione rolled her eyes before finally getting all of her books together. She turned around quickly and spotted something odd.

There was something on the floor.

Something dark and almost fluffy. Squinting her eyes in confusion, Hermione bent down and picked up the long damp thing.

Suddenly, she realised what it could only be. She let in a short intake of breath as she recognised her own hair. It wasn't the little pieces you find in a brush either. It was a clump of hair.

She had lost a clump of hair!

Hermione immediately dropped her book bag and rushed over to Parvati's bedside table to grab her mirror.

Parvati was still half asleep and didn't notice anyhting.

"Oh, Merlin," Hermione whispered. She stared at her reflection. Her normally long, thick brown hair was looking much shorter and thinner than usual. It almost looked flat!

Hermione combed her fingers through her damp hair and gasped as she came out holding damp pieces of hair.

"What's wrong Hermione?" Lavender yawned, rubbing her eyes.

"Er, nothing!" Hermione squeaked, "I think I want to wear a hat today!"

Lavender shrugged. Hermione could wear what she wanted, all Lavender needed was some coffee.

Hermione dug through her dresses, finally pulling out a black beret she'd bought from her holiday in France all those years ago.

Thankfully, it fit her perfectly.

Hermione carefully pulled each strand of hair up onto her head before placing the beret down firmly – holding all of her hair underneathe it. She would find a way to reverse this spell.

She'd spend all of Breakfast and all of Lunch in the library – and even all night if she had to!

With a sinking feeling Hermione just realised what day tomorrow would be. Tomorrow would be Friday. She'd find out who her husband would be – she didn't want to be bald for that.

"I'm going to kill that ferret!" Hermione hissed through gritted teeth. She would find the most humiliating spell while she was in the library and then use it on him. Malfoy would pay.

Looking back into the mirror, her wide eyes examined the beret and she nodded. She looked like one of those trendy muggle writers who spend their days in downtown coffee shops wearing black clothes.

x x x

"Nice hat, Hermione," said Ginny, nodding appreciatively. Hermione rolled her eyes before pulling Ginny into the corner of the common room and telling her the story.

Ginny shook her head at Hermion'e stupidity and then gasped at Malfoy's work.

"I'll owl Mum and see if she knows a counter-curse," Ginny said narrowing her eyes, "In the mean time, you need to get to the library! I'll go to the owlery first and then meet you! You can not get married with no hair!"

Hermione smiled with relief at Ginny's strong planning. She left for the library as Harry and Ron stumbled down the stairs into the common room. Ginny would tell them that Hermione was working in the library and she was going to keep her company.

Hermione hurried along the corridors, her book bag swinging on her arm. She made it to the library in record time. Thankfully it was empty at this time of morning – even Madam Pince was nowhere to be seen. Making sure her beret was on tightly she walked towards the restricted section. She set her book down on one of the small wooden tables and got to work.

She pulled out a rather dusty volume of spells. The picture on the front depicted a man half way through having his arms transformed into what looked like vines. His facial expression was one of anguish.

"No," Hermione said to herself, rolling her eyes as she replaced the book. She might loathe the very existance of Malfoy but she truthfully couldn't handle being the cause of someone else's agony.

A relatively clean book caught Hermione's eyes as she walked between the tall bookshelves. It was a light pink-grey colour and had curvy crimson writing along its spine. Hermione reached up and pulled the book into her hands, admiring its well-kept condition. The title of the book was "A Witch's Ally". A picture of a young witch cackling to herself was on the front cover. Something about the way the witch's long blond hair twirled with each laugh gave Hermione a creepy feeling in her stomach.

Hermione quickly glanced around before tucking the book under her arms. Something told her she'd find the perfect spell to use on Malfoy within that book and she wanted to search for another one to help her reverse this curse. She bit her lip as she felt for her hat sitting in place.

Hermione spent all of breakfast combing the books of the restricted section. She'd come across some weird ones but none with any mention of how to stop hair loss. As her first class had drawn closer, her panic had steadily grown. She had Transfiguration first up – what if McGonagall decided on suddenly enforcing a No Hats rule? What if Neville accidentally transfigured her hat into a glove?!

Sighing with defeat, Hermione looked at the numerous books she'd piled onto the small wooden table. She picked them up, deciding to return them all to their places on the shelves. Before exiting the library she made sure she had "The Witch's Ally" with her.

The corridors were no longer quiet. Students sped past Hermione from every direction. A pair of small first year Gryffindors were standing at the end of a hallway intending to wait for the busy corridor to clear a little before continuing into it. Smart students.

Hermione pushed through the corridors keeping one arm free incase her hat should start to fall. She breathed a sigh of relief as she descended a staircase to a much quieter floor.

"Why Granger, what a lovely hat you're wearing today,"

Hermione stopped in her tracks and slowly turned around.

She found Draco Malfoy leaning against a pillar with an amused expression gracing his features.

"Yes," she said shifting her bookbag to her left arm, "it is lovely, isn't it?"

Draco smiled to himself slightly, knowing full well the reason Hermione was wearing the hat.

"You can't reverse it, Granger. No matter how smart you think you are,"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "I will reverse it Malfoy, and you will pay."

Draco's lips curled into a smirk. The bookworm was quite an interesting character to watch. He was almost looking forward to her rebuttal.

"Ah Granger. I doubt you'll make me pay. See I happen to be a very skilled wizard, with incredibly fast refexes - "

BANG!

There was a choked yell as Malfoy found himself hanging upside down in mid-air, he robes billowing down to reveal an impeccable pair of black jeans.

"Wow, I never thought of you as the jeans-wearing type, Malfoy," Hermione said, chuckling as Draco's wand fell from a pocket in his robes.

"Now what were you saying about those reflexes, Ferret?" Hermione picked up Draco's wand and stood a couple feet from his hanging figure.

"I was distracted!" Draco yelled, his pale face colouring with every second. "I'll get you back for this Granger! Mark my words!"

Hermione smiled up at his pale grey eyes and contemplated letting him drop on his head.

After a few seconds she sighed, slowly letting him down until it was safe to just drop him on the floor.

"That was just a taste Malfoy. Only a taste," with those words, she threw his wand down the corridor and left the opposite way, her stomach sinking as she realised she'd missed the first four minutes of her Transfiguration lesson.

And Malfoy still had her Transfiguration book.

x x x

"How'd the library go this morning?" Ginny asked Hermione as the two girls exited the common room before lunch.

"Ugh, I didn't find any counter-curses Ginny, but I did find a book that may help me with my own revenge," Hermione smiled and she decided to retell her story of making Malfoy hang upside down in mid-air,

"Ah, I knew you'd end up like 'Levicorpus' Hermione," Harry suddenly appeared, wrapping his arm around Ginny. He'd heard the end of their conversation apaprently.

"What has Malfoy done this time?" Harry's green eyes sparkled with interest,

"Well," Hermione began, wondering of the best way to tell your friend you were going bald a day before you found out you life partner due to an evil, pale little ferret who had nothing better to do!

"Malfoy's cast a spell on her that makes her hair fal out," Ginny said bluntly, waving her hand towards Hermione's hat.

"What? Do we know the counter-curse?" Harry's brow furrowed and his eyes lit up with worry.

"Clearly I haven't," Hermione said, "Otherwise I wouldn't be wearing this hat!"

"We need to go to the library then," said Harry, "Or maybe ask Professor Flitwick? We have Charms next.."

"That's a good idea, Harry," Ginny siad thoughtfully,

"I'm going to go to the library now. You two go eat some lunch. I'm sure I'll find something before Charmsn anyway.."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked as the three stood, now in a fourth floor hallway, about to part ways.

"Yes I'm sure. Now go eat!"

With that, Harry and Ginny left for the Great Hall and Hermione made her way to the library.

x x x

"Where's Hermione?" Harry and Ginny had just sat down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Ginny looked over to answer Ron who had a spoonful of yogurt hanging a few inches from his mouth.

"She's in the library," Ginny said rolling her eyes at her brother before choosing some soup to eat.

Ron accepted Ginny's answer and finished off the spoonful of yogurt.

"Quidditch practice Sunday morning okay?" Harry asked Ron and Ginny. He'd post the training schedule in the common room later on.

"Sho iz!" Ron exclaimed after taking a bite of a sandwich.

"I can't wait for our first game!" Ginny said, her brown eyes gleaming as the sun shone down through the enchanted ceiling.

"It's not for a few weeks though," Dean Thomas suddenly turned around in his place to engage in the Quidditch talk, "I think we're versing Ravenclaw first."

Ginny nodded eagerly, "They're new seeker's got nothing on Harry though."

Harry grinned and Ginny kissed him on the cheek.

Ron rolled his eyes and nodded over to the Ravenclaw table where Luna Lovegood was smiling at them.

x x x

This time as Hermione entered the library she found it rather busier than it had been that morning. Madam Pince was sorting out different books with her wand and students dotted the various tables.

Hermione found a secluded table in the back corner, the candlelight washing over the desk made Hermione feel it was night time. She began searching through the hundreds of books along the back of the library, pouring through the contents of each one. She'd thought she'd easily find the counter-curse! It can't have been that complicated of a spell – afterall this was Malfoy.

She sighed grudgingly as she realised she'd miss her next class if she stayed any longer.

Maybe Ginny's owl to Mrs Weasley had had more luck.

x x x

"She sent a spell Hermione!"

Hermione's heart leapt with Ginny's voice. Hermione had been sitting by the common room fire with Harry and Ron, attacking the hefty load of homework they'd received. By this point Ron knew the story too.

"She did?" Hermione asked, her face lighting up. Ginny had just entered the common room.

"Yes! Apparently it's not exactly going to give you the hair you lost though. It'll give you the hair you will have in six months. It's quite confusing to explain – you can read the letter yourself." Ginny sighed, throwing a piece of parchment to Hermione. Ginny sat down on one of the chintz armchairs as Hermione began to read:

Ginny and Hermione,

I don't know an exact counter-curse to what the Malfoy boy has done. I do, however, have this spell I've used before to increase the speed of hair growth. I' had to use it numerous times back when Fred and George started to get their magic and would use it against each other!

I hope this helps Hermione, I do love your hair dear. I expect to see both you and Harry for Christmas – maybe your future finace' would like to visit over the holidays?

Study hard, girls. Send my love to the boys,

Love, Mum.

Below Mrs Weasley's neat, curvy writing was an incantation – a splell Hermione would try out once the common room cleared.

"Ahh, I really hope my fiance' is nice," Hermione said. Mrs Weasley had reminded her that tomorrow was the day.

"Of course he'll be nice Hermione because you're nice," Ron said looking to Hermione.

"You might get the best looking boy in your year," Ginny said, grinning as Ron narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I don't want a partner for their looks," Hermione said with a sigh, "I want someone intelligent or witty – with a nice sense of humour."

"Yeah, sense of humour is a must," Harry said seriously. Ginny poked her tongue out at him and hopped off her armchair to sit on the floor by the fire, leaning against Harry's legs.

Hermione looked out over the comon room. Neville waved at her from the window where he was in the middle of a chess game with Seamus. Maybe she'd get a Gryffindor boy?

Maybe.

x x x

Ohhhhh my gosh. I am so sorry to all my amazing readers who've waited almost A YEAR – A YEAR for this story to continue! I've just finished year 11, it was hectic! Like a hell at some points! And next year's my final year...not looking forward to it. I really REALLY hope this lived up to any expectations. I made it longer for you guys! Took me two days! I will continue this, I want you guys to get updates much quicker. I have holidays for a while now so more writing time! :)

Thank you for reading my story! Xxo

PS: any typos?? I don't want to read over it all again after it took so long to write, it's exhausted me!