The Cost of Being Hesitant
Harry couldn't sleep. He just couldn't get comfortable. After tossing and turning for a few hours, he gave up trying, got up, and pulled on a dressing gown. He then descended the stairs to the Common room.
He was surprised to find that he was not alone. Hermione was curled up on the couch, hugging her knees and staring absent-mindedly into the dying fire. Harry sat down next to her, taking in the worried look etched onto his friend's face.
"What's up?"
Hermione jumped; she hadn't noticed him come down the stairs.
No-nothing, Harry… why are you awake?" Harry noted that she sounded preoccupied.
"Couldn't sleep, you?"
"Me neither."
There was a moment of silence.
"What's on your mind?" Harry asked. He wasn't used to seeing Hermione like this.
"It's silly, you wouldn't be able to help, it's just…" Hermione trailed off fretfully.
"Just?" Harry prompted.
"Well…promise you won't laugh?" She asked cautiously.
"I can't promise that, but I'll do my best."
Hermione, seeing that this was the best response she would get, sighed, "Well… it's Ron."
"What did he do this time?" Harry sympathized. He could only assume that the two had rowed again, seeing as this was a common occurrence.
"Well… I really, really like him." Harry was taken aback. He had expected this to happen at one time or another, but he really wasn't expecting Hermione to be the one initiating this conversation with him. He was a guy; he was bad at these girly talks.
"Okay…?" Harry said, having no idea what to say otherwise.
"And I think he likes me." Hermione continued warily, blushing.
"Oh! He does, Hermione, he really does," Harry said confidently, finally realizing what Hermione was getting at. "I'm sure he has for ages, he's just too thick to realize it yet."
"You think so?" Hermione asked, brightening considerably.
"I do." Harry grinned. "So this was all just angst? Here I thought something bad had happened to you."
"Well… that's not it," Hermione sighed. "I've been trying to ask him out for ages…but I can't. It seems I should have been a Ravenclaw after all, I'm not brave with this kind of thing."
"That's not true!" Harry said, shocked. "You're the bravest witch I know! You're just…just…" he tried to find a word.
"A teenager?" Hermione supplied, laughing slightly. "Yes, I know. But… I just don't want him to say no. Even though I know he won't."
Harry did not know what made him say it. It must have been the insomnia. But he told Hermione his idea.
She grinned. "You'd do that for me?"
Harry shrugged. "Sure."
She smiled and leaned over to hug him. "Thanks. I'm gonna go sleep now."
"Night," Harry called to her, wondering what he had just gotten himself into.
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"Hermione, I don't think I like this idea anymore," Harry said, biting his lip as he looked at the bubbling phial in his hand.
"Please," she wheedled, handing him a strand of her hair.
"I'm not really doing this…" he sighed as he dropped the hair into the phial. It turned a dark green, looking not quite as malicious as it had when Harry had changed himself into Goyle.
"Cheers," he said gloomily as he downed the little phial. After a weird bubbling sensation, Harry opened his eyes again, feeling considerably taller and considerably… heavier in the chest.
"Good God, Hermione, I have breasts!" he said loudly, his newly effeminate voice cracking. This caused the real Hermione to fall to the floor laughing. He merely walked over to the bathroom sink, taking in his new features.
"Jeez, Hermione, how do you think with this much hair on your head?" Harry sighed, tugging at his newly bushy brown hair.
"I'd never noticed it before," she grinned, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "You look spectacular."
"I feel like half a man," Harry moaned. "Now let's get out of here before Myrtle sees." The real Hermione donned the invisibility cloak and followed Harry out the door of the bathroom.
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Finding Ron was not that hard. All Harry had to do was linger in the library and pretend to be reading, when Ron came up to him and told him that class was starting soon, so they'd better go.
"By the way, where's Harry?" he asked concernedly.
"Not sure," Harry shrugged, still not used to his tighter vocal chords. "But Ron, can I talk to you for a moment?"
Harry pulled Ron by the sleeve into a nearby aisle of bookshelves where there was no one within a ten-foot radius.
"Ron, I… I really like you," Harry started cautiously. He had no idea how a girl would usually go about doing this, but that evidently wasn't it, because he heard Hermione sigh exasperatedly the next row over.
"I…um…I really like you too, H-hermione…" Ron grinned lopsidedly, the tips of his ears burning.
"So… um… would you like to… you know… go out with me?" Harry felt himself blushing. He could not believe that he was doing this. This was so humiliating.
"Yes," Ron said blankly. And before Harry could stop him, Ron leaned down and kissed him on the lips.
It took all of Harry's composure not to blubber and push Ron off him, keeping in mind that he was Hermione and not Harry.
Ron pulled back and looked expectantly.
"That was… wow…" Harry said, flushing furiously.
"Great, let's go to class," Ron grinned, beckoning Harry to follow him.
"Hang on, I'll meet you there… bathroom," Harry squeaked.
Ron shrugged and hugged her – him – before leaving for class. Harry could feel the potion wearing off, so he ducked into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Hermione, under the invisibility cloak, followed him.
"That wasn't fair!" Hermione cried as she threw off the cloak. "If I had known that was going to happen, I would have done it myself!"
Harry made a face and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. The weight on his chest and head was receding quickly, and he felt a prickling on his forehead as his scar came back.
"Hermione, believe me, if I had known that was going to happen, I wouldn't have suggested it," Harry assured her.
Hermione hmph-ed and waited for him to change into his own clothing.
"Let's go to class and find your boyfriend," Harry sighed. "Oh, and can we not tell him this happened?"
"Yeah, let's never speak of this incident ever again."
"Hang on," Harry said. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Hermione's forehead.
"Harry, what are you-"
"Obliviate!" Harry said. Hermione looked blank for a second, before regaining her smile.
"Okay, Hermione, let's go find Ron," Harry grinned.
"Why would we do that? You don't look like me yet." Hermione asked. She could remember her plan with Harry, but they hadn't put it into action yet. So why were they going to find Ron?
"I've decided that we don't need it. He's already told me that he's going to make you his girlfriend today, so you might as well just act like it." Harry improvised wildly.
"But the Polyjuice potion-"
"I got rid of it, just in case we were caught," Harry grinned. "Now, let's go!"
Wow... crackfic much. Guess that's what Hermione gets for being hesitant!