Chapter 1
Quidditch practice had just finished, on a horrible rainy day, and Harry and Ron were very muddy. Ron and Harry raced across the pitch pushing at each other, trying to make the other fall over into the mud. Ron gave Harry a shove and he toppled almost falling over. Harry pushed Ron harder, making him fall back into the mud, but as he fell, Ron grabbed Harry's ankle and pulled him down too. They were both sat in the mud rolling around and laughing histerically until they noticed someone standing over them. They looked up, stopped laughing then smiled.
"Hey Hermione, had fun watching us in the rain?" Ron chuckled.
"Yeah you were great today I was just wondering if you were free at the weekend to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Hermione looked very nervous, and was blushing.
He smiled, sitting up in the mud "Sure, this weekend? I'm sure Harry can last one day with out us." They both turned to look at Harry.
Ron stood up, laughing at Harry wriggling on the floor, trying and failing to brush off some of the mud on his clothes. Harry gave up and waved his wand making his robes look almost brand new.
Ron held out his arms and laughed, walking towards Hermione.
"Hug~?"
"Urrgh! Not when you’re covered like that, make sure you wash yourself for the weekend" She smiled! She had liked him for so long, but had just been to shy to say, and now that she had said something to him, she wondered why she had been so scared all along! He was just Ron. Just the guy who she had known for ages. The guy with the red hair and stupid grin. Just the guy who was one of her best friends.
"Aw, you want one really!" he grinned, wrapping his arms around her tightly, planting a muddy kiss on her forehead. He looked over her shoulder and saw Harry staring at them both.
"Eww look what you've done to me," Hermione said in disgust although she had secretly enjoyed it!
Her grin widened and she decided that she may as well sit with them seeing as now she was equally covered in mud! Ron smiled. "Sorry, you just looked like you needed a hug" He linked his arm through hers, turning to kick Harry playfully.
"What are you doing rolling in the mud, Harry? What is your problem?" They laughed and Ron helped him to stand.
"Let's go get cleaned up" Ron said, and the three slowly walked together arm in arm, as the castle slowly loomed in the distance.
"Meet me back here in 5 minutes while I just get changed,” she said and kissed him on the cheek.
He raised his eyebrows, turning to Harry who had the same expression on his face, of shock. Ron shrugged and they both walked up to the common room to wash and dry. Hermione hurried quickly up the stairs not wanting to keep him waiting. She wasn't looking where she was going and bumped into several people on the way to her dorm.
"Good," she thought to herself, "it's empty." She got changed quickly although putting on her favourite top. She looked in the mirror at her bushy hair and tried to brush it although it still didn't go down. In the end she tied it up and ran all the way back to the entrance to find Ron standing with that cute smile on his face that he always had. His smile widened as he saw her, taking her hand.
"You have a little mud just there..." Ron said, brushing the mud off her cheek with his free hand. "Sorry about that by the way," he grinned sheepishly. She was glad that Harry was gone because it was weird with him around, but now that they were alone she could talk to him normally like she always wanted to. Just the two of them. He raised his eyebrows, lifting their hand and smiling.
"Where are you taking me?" he asked.
"I'm not exactly sure," she replied. "Wherever my heart takes me."
She didn't really care they could go where ever as long as she was with him.
"As long as it doesn't walk us into the frozen lake that sounds fine" He smiled his thumb stroking small, soothing circles on the back of her hand. He didn't know what she was doing, or why he was going along with it, but he thought whatever it was, that he might like it.
"Look Ron, the thing is ..." she started before they became swarmed by a group of his mates. He was forced to pull his hand away, loosing her in the crowd of people from the Quidditch team asking him about the practice that they had just had.
Hermione was used to it. Ron and Harry always had loads of friends where as, she usually sat alone in the library. There hands seperated as Ron was pulled across the field by them, but managed to lose them just as they went back into the castle saying that he thought he had left something down at the stands. He ran back out into the cold evening, scanning the grounds.
"Hermione!!" He called out, his voice echoing off the trees. He ran down to the edge of the lake, cursing under his breath. Where had she gone?
A tear rolled down her cheek. He was gone and probably wouldn't come back. Whether he would still go with her to Hogsmeade she wasn't sure. The day had been going so perfectly and now something else had got in the way of her being with him. She wasn't paying any attention to where she was going and didn't realise she was walking beside the frozen lake. Suddenly, out of the water came a tentacle from the giant squid. It wrapped itself around her ankle dragging her in. She screamed ... He whirled round,
"HERMIONE!" He sprinted to the edge of the Lake, scanning the banks.
He saw her on the other side, the squid pulling her toward the waters edge.
