The Fire Within

A/N: Here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I am not making any money off of this.

I woke with a start, as Blaise bellowed "Draco!" I shot up out of my bed, and had instinctively grabbed my wand. Clenching it firmly in my fist, I turned to my chuckling asshole friend, and scowled at him.

"What is wrong with you?" I demanded, crossing my arms and glaring down at him.

"You were talking in your sleep mate," he said grinning mischievously.

I cringed and sat back down on my bed. I plopped into the pillows and let out a dramatic sigh. This surely would be embarrassing. "What did I say?" I grumbled, preparing myself for some jabs and insults.

His grin grew even larger, "You kept saying: "Hermione! No, wait! Come back!" What was that about mate?" I groaned and stuffed my pillow against my face.

"I thought You didn't like her?" He continued, looking at me quizzically.

"It was just a weird dream," I mumbled from underneath the pillow.

"Well, it sounded to me like you were harboring a secret crush on that brunette bookworm," he wiggled his eyebrows and chuckled. I rolled my eyes under the pillow and sat up to look at him.

"Oh Merlin's beard, you do don't you?" His eyes grew wide, no longer joking around.

"What? Uh no, it really was just a weird dream," I blurted quickly. He looked at me with his head tilted and an expression that said he was not at all convinced.

"Then why did you rush out of potions yesterday after she left?" He kept pushing, trying to break me down. How could I lie to him? He was my best mate after all. We've known each other as long as I can remember, due to our families. To be honest, he knew me as good as I knew myself.

I let out a sigh and a small smile danced across my lips.

"I knew it!" He shouted triumphantly. Goyle stirred on the bed to the right of me so I put a finger to my lips to quiet Blaise. He nodded and tried to contain his gleeful expression. His brown eyes twinkled with glee over learning this new piece of information.

"It's a Hogsmeade weekend you know," Blaise continued with a drawl. "Why don't you ask her to go with you?"

"Wait wait wait. Granger and I are not an item or anything like that. I only asked her to the ball last night- oh you sly dog!" I stuttered. His grin grew even wider which frankly seemed impossible. "You can't tell anyone, got it Zabini?" I snarled, giving him a hard glare.

"Alright, alright," He held up his hands in surrender. "But what would your parents say about this?"

I shifted in my seat. The plan was for them to actually never find out. I know my father would react for harshly if he ever did. I knew I could trust Zabini not to say a word, but in three weeks when everyone saw us go in together, I knew it would get to my father somehow...

Gryffindor Common Room-10:00pm, last night

"What took you so long Hermione?" Ron demanded as soon as she walked in. Him and Harry were still sitting in front of the dying fire, with Ron spread across the couch and Harry draped in an armchair.

"I told you I was going out for a walk," Hermione replied evenly. Walking towards the spiral staircase as she spoke.

"For an hour?" Harry inquired, raising an eyebrow quizzically. He shifted up in his seat and looked at the witch, trying to gauge anything else from her.