Disclaimer: It's all the property of J.K. Rowling, and I'm just borrowing it for my own non-profit amusement.

He loved her hair, Ron thought reflectively as he absentmindedly chewed on the end of his quill during History of Magic. He knew she always complained about it, but Ron thought her hair was absolutely perfect for her, and was secretly disappointed when she sleeked it down for the Yule Ball fourth year.

Hermione's hair was impossibly tangled, exactly like the thoughts that were constantly spinning around in her know-it-all brain. They were frazzled and at times disorganized, but they always came out in impossibly silky smooth chestnut strands. Yes, he definitely loved her hair.

"Ron, what are you thinking so hard on?" Harry hissed, interrupting his thoughts. "You're drooling all over your textbook!"

"Theo," Blaise started pensively as he lay in his bed in the dormitory, "have you ever been in love?"

Theodore Nott rolled his eyes and flipped a page of his Arithmancy textbook. "Of course not," he snapped. "And judging by the way you've been switching out girls all year, you haven't either."

The dark-haired Slytherin wasn't satisfied. "Why do you say 'Of course not' in that superior tone? Haven't you ever even thought about it?"

"Zabini, I would have thought you'd have learned this lesson from your mother by now. True love doesn't exist. Love is a word of convenience to good money, a good pure marriage, sex, what have you. Now be quiet so I can study."

That shut Blaise up, but only for a little while. Theo may have a point, but Blaise also knew he had never cared about anyone nearly as much as he cared about Theo. Besides, he still hadn't asked him to see if Daphne Greengrass might like a date…

Pansy let her eyes linger on Draco's strong jaw and smooth neck as he carefully polished his broom for the Slytherin-Gryffindor game tomorrow. She knew he would smirk and tease her if he caught her staring, but she didn't care. That's just what girlfriends did—they appreciated their boyfriend's good looks. Though it didn't appear that boyfriends cared to do the same, sometimes.

"Draco, you think I'm beautiful, don't you?" she whined.

"Of course I do, Pansy," he sighed. "I wouldn't call an ugly girl mine, would I? Now come give me some luck for the game tomorrow," he ordered smoothly, unbuttoning his jeans.

Pansy only hesitated for a moment before smiling and crawling over to him on the bed. She was beautiful, she belonged to Draco Malfoy, and she was happy.

"But mother, he loves me!" Andromeda cried in protest against her mother's endless criticisms and threats.

"What do you know about love?" Druella Black sneered. "You're barely even sixteen! Your father and I will choose the perfect match for you, don't you worry."

"But mother—"

"Hush, girl," her mother hissed. "It's not your duty to follow your heart or any of that Gryffindor nonsense. Your task in life is to better your family. Besides, it's not like a filthy mudblood like that awful Ted Tonks is capable of such a complex feeling of love anyway—everyone who's anyone knows that mudbloods are barely more than animals!" She spat on the floor in disgust. "Now be quiet!" she ordered. "I don't want to hear anymore about it!"

It was that night that Andromeda Black knew she would elope with Ted Tonks before too much longer, consequences be damned.

Author's Note: I haven't written in so long, and I'm trying to take baby steps back into the Fanfiction world. I found this on my computer and decided to post it. I probably won't continue it any further than this. Any feedback is welcome.