Author's Note: I felt like writing another Harry Potter fiction. So sue me! No, wait, what am I saying? Don't sue me! I don't own these people! *smacks self* What a stupid, stupid thing to say! *lawyers throw themselves at her* (Oh, this was originally a songfic to a song by "Bauhaus" but I decided to do a chapters-thing…)

Chapter One

A Dance

Hermione stared at the poster hanging in the main hall.

It was gigantic, showing a couple spinning around on a ballroom floor, smiling happily. Their joy was so touching, the loving look in their eyes so honest and true. She read the words on the poster – Turnabout Dance. Girls Ask Boys This Time!

Hermione hated to be a pessimist, but she whispered to herself: " Yeah, too bad that the dance is nothing like this picture. All the boys end up dancing with one or two girls, the ones that are less intimidating to ask.

But this time, it's up to the girls to ask boys. And for once, she knew she was stuck. She only had three candidates – Ron, Harry, and Neville. Neville was in a Potions accident though, and Ron was going with Lavender. So that left Harry.

Harry, though?

She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. It would certainly be difficult to ask Harry to the dance. He was starry-eyed over Cho, and she was nervous whether any move towards him would be shaken off or not.

" What are you looking at?"

She spun around and saw that Harry was right there, dressed in his Quidditch uniform, his broom dragging behind him.

" Oh," She said quickly, "Just the bulletin board. Ever since they put one in, I've been checking on it. They've got a little Lost and Found section."

" Did you lose anything?" He prompted, smiling.

She could feel herself blushing and she shrugged quickly, brushing her hair towards her face a bit. " No, I didn't, but I find things all the time."

" Did you find a date for the dance?" He wondered.

Hermione bit her lower lip. Was this an advancement on Harry's part or just a simple question? She shook her head in reply. " No I didn't," and then continued, seeing his surprised expression, " I don't think I'm going."

" Everyone will be there," Harry said, finally, " Cho's going with some seventh year, a really nice guy."

" That's too bad for you," Hermione said uneasily.

He nodded to himself.

" How was Quidditch practice?" She asked.

" It was okay. The Slytherin team came out and forced us off the field though. They never, ever follow the rules. They're supposed to sign up on the big board in the locker room in order to have the field. We signed for today, but they haven't a clue about rules, as always," Harry seethed out.

" That's awful," Hermione said, " Isn't there anything you can do?"

" There is no reasoning with Draco. He's such a git sometimes!" Harry muttered.

" Maybe you can talk to Professor McGonagall about enforcing the rule?" Hermione said meekly, unsure of what else to say.

" That wouldn't work," Harry said dejectedly, " I have to get going, so see ya around."

Hermione was left standing there, her eyes misting with tears. She could never get the courage up to ask Harry to the dance. He thought of her solely as a friend, and she thought of him solely as a friend too. It would be far too awkward. Suddenly, she realized how unpopular and how isolated she truly was; how unwanted and single she had been for so long.

*

" Honestly, Harry!"

Harry looked up and saw Ron standing in the door of the common room, his speckled face bright with a gigantic smile.

" What's so funny?" Harry demanded.

" I hear you still haven't found a date. You could at least be nice enough to consider Ginny," Ron said darkly, " Instead of opting to go solo. I mean, you must be the most popular boy in school."

" I was sort of thinking Hermione would ask me," Harry admitted, " It certainly felt like she would; the way she flirted with me."

" Flirted with you?" Ron frowned. " Harry, I don't think Hermione has ever flirted with anyone, or anything for that matter."

" Maybe she's just afraid of me," Harry began, "And she won't approach me. What do you think?"

" I think you're wasting your time. I mean – Hermione? She's our best friend, Harry. That would be like me and you, almost!" Ron grimaced at the very idea. He sat down on the bed across from where Harry was sitting and looked at Harry critically. " Can't you take Ginny? She's been waiting for ages to go on a date with you."

Harry blushed. " I – I can't go with someone I have no interest in!" Harry protested. " That would be unfair to Ginny!"

" Whatever you say, Harry," Ron replied, rolling his eyes, " But Ginny will be real upset if you go by yourself instead of asking her. That's like a stab in the heart for a girl, you know."

" How come you're the genius when it comes to girls, all of a sudden?" Harry demanded.

" Lavender and her friends tell me more than I could ever want to know."

" I see."

" They abuse the fact that I'm a good listener," Ron stood up, " I should get going, alright?"

" Go ahead," Harry said, " Check on Hermione for me. See if she'd like to go with me."

" I will," Ron told him.

*

Hermione pushed her fork through the food on her plate, stopped, and then lifted it, twirling it around in circles before placing it in her mouth lazily. She looked around the table. Harry and Ron were missing and it was almost dinnertime! A worried feeling filled her stomach, maybe Harry is with Cho. The feeling left quickly as she shrugged it away with another thought – it's not like its bad, or anything.

" Hi!"

She spun around and saw Ron plop himself down on the bench beside her.

" Hey, Ron. Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

" He went out to practice Quidditch again," Ron replied, " Seems like it's his goal in life – to prosper in Quidditch."

" Oh."

" Are you going to the dance, by any chance?" Ron asked her.

" No. I don't have a date," Hermione explained.

" Would you want to go with Harry?"

" Is he asking?" Hermione asked excitedly, her eyes lighting up suddenly.

" Well, no," Ron replied, " I was just curious, really. I don't knnow if he'll ask you or not."

" I wouldn't mind going with Harry," Hermione admitted, then realized she sounded very silly. She had to have some sort of alibi, to show that she had other plans – that Harry wasn't her priority. She added, instantly, " I was planning to study in the library that night though. Snape's essay will be hell to write."

" I see," Ron said thoughtfully and then frowned, " You know what, Hermione? You feel the same for Harry as he does for Ginny, don't you?"

Hermione blushed. She had always figured Harry didn't really feel much for Ginny; but suddenly she was filled with doubt. She really liked Harry, and Ron must have been able of telling. And now he had found a way to let her know, in a subtle way, that Harry had feelings for Ginny. Hermione's smile wavered nervously, " Don't tell Harry, okay?"

Ron thought, Oh, I won't tell Harry that you're not interested in him. Ginny should get a chance with Harry. I just knew Hermione wasn't into dances. She's so ahead of herself sometimes; no time for friends.

Hermione smiled, " I don't want to ruin my friendship with Harry over something like this."

" I won't tell him," Ron sighed, " But in all honesty, you should eventually tell him yourself, so as not to make him think that you.. .er…" He flushed.

" I understand," Hermione said, thinking, I need to tell Harry I have feelings for him eventually; I would hate if he figured it out on his own and held it against me.

Ron, meanwhile, thought to himself, Well, I guess that's that then. Hermione will have to tell Harry that she has no feelings for him, and he can finally get over her a bit… now to convince Harry to give Ginny a chance…

See You In Chapter Two!

(Evil Grin)

Author's Note:

Mwa ha ha! I am the master of human misinterpretation of one another's words and signals! I have used this technique before in fiction to give it awful plot twists! Now, review, or I will go and turn this into… er… Hermione/Hagrid, or something. Ooh! Harry/Filch! Hurry and review, and hope that I don't stray from Hermione/Harry goodness… he he he!