A/N:Hello.... I am back FINALLY!!!! I know that I have been gone for quite awhile and everything but I'm back now lol. Anyway.... we are jumping ahead some in the part...mainly up to about a week before Christmas.... you'll see why when you read it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hermione woke up that morning, earlier than usual. She rubbed her eyes trying to figure out what it was that had awakened her. Glancing around she noticed the window was open. A gust of wind blew in and Hermione shivered. That was why...she was cold. Hermione went up and closed the window, shaking her head at Lavender who mostly likely had been the one who opened it. Hermione looked at the clock, 6:20. Ah well she thought no use in going back to sleep now tha t I'm so awake, maybe I'll go down and read by the fire for awhile. And that's what she did. Seating herself in her favorite chair Hermione opened up yet another muggle story, Anne of the Island. She loved this story especially the end.... where Gilbert, the main male character proposes to Anne the main female character...she accepts of course, and then.... he kisses her. Hermione sighed. She really did wonder what it was liked to be kissed. A million times she thought about what would have happened if she had let Victor kiss her. Then at least she would know what it was like...but her mother had always said, "Your first kiss is special, something you remember all your life." And Hermione, for some reason, really didn't want to remember kissing Victor for her whole life . If it were someone else maybe...someone she liked... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Mione?" Hermione gasped and looked up, "Oh Ron! You startled me!" "Apparently." He said, "What are you doing up so early?" "What are you doing up so early?" Hermione asked him instead. "I...I was going to play Chess." Ron answered. "Against yourself?" Hermione questioned laughing. "Well...I...no, but since you're here wanna play?" "Sure Ron, why not." They played a game, which Hermione lost terribly...her poor queen was still knocked out after the blows Ron's rook had given it. "Ha! You can not defeat thy chess master of Hogwarts!" He said in a triumphant voice. "That's right," she said, "I can't." Ron looked at her sharply for a moment then said with a smile on his face, "Guess what?" "What?" asked looking at him. "It's snowing." "Really?" Hermione squealed running for the window. She pulled open the drapes and stood there, watching the small flakes fall and mingle with the already frosted over grounds. "Ron?" She asked turning to him, "How did you know?" Ron seemed taken aback for a moment by her breathless face and happy smile, he had never seen her look like that before.... "Magic." He said simply. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Later that morning in the Great Hall as Ron sat fighting with Fred over yet another Qudditch match and Ginny was laughing with Katie Bell, and Hermione was trying to go over Potions with Harry, Dumbledore stood up to make a speech. "Students! I have an important announcement to make!" He waited while the Great Hall quieted down, and then he continued, "Today you will be having your first and only Hogsmead trip," He paused as groans filled the air, "Sorry students but I am taking NO Precautions! What with all these rumors flying and articles and whatnot...you will have one trip and that's final." He said and sat back down. "But Professor...why are we having this trip then?" A Ravenclaw asked. "Well I wouldn't deny you the chance of shopping for Christmas presents now would I?" Fred smiled and George nodded his head, "Good call Headmaster." "Yes Master Weasley thank you.... thank you very much." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "YES! Only one class to go before the Hogsmead trip!" Ron said punching his fist in the air as they left Charms. "Yea.... Transfiguration." Harry said. "Oh yea I forgot that part." Ron said his face falling. "Oh please you two...you act like its torture or something to be in that class." Hermione said in a lofty tone. "IT IS!" They said together, making Hermione laugh. They made it in about two seconds before the bell, causing Mcgonagall to give them a stern stare. "Now that we are all here," She said fixing her gaze on the trio at the back of the room, "Let's get started shall we? We will partner up and work again on our cross species switches. Don't worry Mr. Weasley...no spiders." She said catching sight of Ron's now pale face. Ron turned a faint red as some people snickered, but he said nothing. "Let's see...Miss Patil you work with.... Mr. Potter! Yes.... change is good you know. Let's see Lavendar and Neville, Dean and Seamus you may work together, " She said. Lavendar was looking horrified and Dean was giving Seamus a high five, Harry walked up to Parvati's table but she didn't notice since she was absorbed in writing a letter to that Beaxbauton boy she had met last year. "And who are we missing?" Professor Mcgonagall was going on, "Ah yes! Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley...you may work together." "That's a surprise." Lavendar muttered. Hermione shot her a very annoyed look and Ron glanced at Hermione quickly, his eyes slightly surprised. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "So Mione," He questioned as he failed again to change his mouse into a rat, "What are you buying me for Christmas?" "Ron! I'm not going to tell you!" She said, as she successfully changed her mouse into a rat. "Well fine then.... but I'm getting you a book, since you love them so much." "Oh...well thank you Ron." Hermione said, her voice a little dejected. She forced a smile anyway. "Ah..." Ron floundered at the look on her face. Hermione loved books...why wouldn't she be happy to get another one..."Your welcome." The bell rang and Hermione left without a word, leaving a very confused Ron behind. "What's up with her?" Harry asked walking out with him. "I really don't know." Ron said shrugging, "Well come on lunch is starting." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hermione didn't go to lunch; she went to the Common Room instead. She wasn't hungry anyway. Flopping down into a chair Hermione stared into the fire thinking. A book. Another book. That was all she ever got from her friends...from Ron. No thought.... no consideration, Hermione sighed; she didn't want another book. She wanted something different, something...girlish for a change. Something nice.... Something Lavendar would get for Christmas. And Lavendar would definitely not get a book. Hermione sighed again and went to the window, looking out onto the grounds. It was still snowing, lighter now. The grounds looked romantic and beautiful...too romantic and beautiful thought Hermione. It was ironic to be thinking like this.... to be.... wishing like this. Ironic for Hermione that is. Ironic for the brain, the know it all, the top of the class Prefect. But Hermione wanted to be beautiful and romantic, even just a little. She couldn't help it really. She was fifteen and a gir l besides. Hermione wanted to be treated like a girl, like she was... "God!" Hermione spun around her train of lonely thoughts finally broken, "RON! Don't.... don't do that!" "Sorry Mione! But jeez...where were you! I was looking everywhere and couldn't find you. I thought you were sick or something because you didn't go to lunch and..." "Ron...I'm fine. Really I am." Hermione said hurriedly. "You're sure?" He asked her. "Yes...positive." She couldn't believe how anxious Ron had sounded over her. She was fine, and what did he care anyway? "Well come on then.... we're going to be late for Hogsmead!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron Hermione and Harry walked around Hogsmeand for hours, each going into various shops and coming out with items they refused to reveal. They were about to go into the Three Broomsticks when Hermione stopped suddenly. "Hermione?" Harry asked. "Oh...you guys go on...I, I want to go in this store for a moment." "Uh...ok do you want anything Hermione?" Ron asked her, a quizzical expression on his face. "Yea.... a Butterbeer please." "Ok." they said and went inside. Hermione looked in the window of the store and sighed. On display were pieces of jewelry and Hermione really liked the necklace they had. It was a delicate silver heart on an equally delicate silver chain. The heart glistened and shone in the twilight...just like the snow on the ground. Hermione loved it. She was so absorbed in her wanting of the necklace that she failed to notice Ginny walk past and slip into the Three Broomsticks with Colin at her side. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ginny walked into the Three Broomsticks and spotting Ron went to go sit with them Colin following her. "Hey guys!" She said collapsing into the seat, out of breath and smiling. "Hi Gin." Ron said simply his eyes fastened to the door. "Hey Ginny...cold?" Harry asked her quietly. "A little." She said, completely ignoring poor Colin. "Drink this." He said pushing a mug of butterbeer toward her. "Thanks Harry." She said reaching for it. "Hey! That's Hermione's!" Ron said, a little louder than necessary. "Oh...sorry Ron I didn't..." Ginny started to say, but Harry cut her off. "Oh come on Ron...she's not coming in, it's been twenty minutes already. Calm down will you." "Alright...alright. Sorry Ginny.... uh did you see Hermione outside by any chance?" "Yea...she was looking in some store window, right outside of here." "Ok thanks.... Harry I'm gonna go see her, be right back." "K...Oh...hey there Colin." Harry said noticing him for the first time, "What are you doing here?" "Well I'm uh...with Ginny." He squeaked. Harry choked slightly on his butterbeer, "You're wha-- I mean uh...oh. That's nice." He said clearing his throat. "Yea, I suppose," Colin said sitting down beside Ginny. Ginny said nothing but rolled her eyes toward the ceiling instead. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ron walked outside looking for Hermione. He had gone two feet when he spotted her, looking in some window. She seemed to be whispering to herself and Ron didn't want her to see him . He walked silently over to a nearby tree and watched her. He couldn't see what she was looking at, but he could hear her talking. "Wow.... I would really love to receive something like that for Christmas..." She was whispering to herself. Ron just watched as Hermione sighed at the thing in the window, and then gasped suddenly, "Oh! Ron...and Harry I forgot to go to the Three Broomsticks! They probably left already; I was out here so long. I wonder why they didn't come and get me?" She said frowning a little as she walked off toward the Hogsmeand gates. A second later she was gone. Ron waited for a moment and then walked up to the window. Looking in he realized that it was a jewelry store. Ron stood and looked for what it could have been that Hermione had wanted. A ring...no definitely not. That chain bracelet thing...no. How about that necklace? Yes! Of course! Hermione probably wanted that, although Ron wasn't all too sure why. Sure Ginny loved things like that but this was Hermione. Smart, brainy, bookworm Hermione. Still...maybe she wanted something different.... something that wasn't a book… Amazed at himself for figuring this out, Ron went in and bought the necklace, deciding that Ginny should get the book this year. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: Well...what a part for Hermione! Ron is the best isn't he? I love him.... sigh.... well ok ...next time...well....you'll have to wait till next time to find out what it is!! HAHA!! Sorry.... just R&R!!!