Amoura Magnifico
Author: CleverWitch
Disclaimer: I hope to someday have even an IOTA of the
talent, fame and goodness of J.K.Rowling--but not by pilfering
her stories. Instead I shall borrow the characters, setting
and delightful british slang for my own (and hopefully your)
personal amusement.
Author's Note: The following is very silly.
Rated: G
In the beginning there was eavesdropping and a desire for mayhem:
It is hard to say in retrospect, whether the Weasley twins did what they
did for the good of Hermione or simply for their own amusement because
one of them overheard the following coversation while the other did not
and they both came up with the idea at the same moment.
You see, the one holiday dreaded by nearly every Hogwarts student was
fast approaching at the time--a holiday that Fred and George were quite
determined to get a few laughs out of. And that holiday was: Valentine's
Day. It struck more fear into the hearts of boys at Hogwarts than either
Professor Snape's famed Potions exams OR the strange, unnameable sauce
that always accompanied beef dinners--the one that whistled muggle
television jingles and no one was brave enough to try.
Harry in particular was willing to eat 10 gallons of the whistling
sauce if he could erase Valentine's Day off the Calander. He had been
publicly privy to several humiliations thanks to the wretched day (and
in part to his involuntary fame which puberty was turning rather cruelly
against him he thought). But I digress.
The conversation Fred Weasley overheard was this:
Hermione was walking the long corridor from Arithmancy to the
staircase leading to Griffindor's common room with several other
girls. Ginny Weasley, Parvati Patil and Lavander Brown to be
precise.
Fred was already hidden for dastardly reasons of his own and
upon realizing the personal nature of their conversation felt a
pang of regret--that George was not with him to hear it too.
"Valentine's is coming up!" Parvati had giggled excitedly.
Hermione and Ginny had both groaned. Ginny still died a hundred
deaths of shame in remembrance of the valentine she had once sent
Harry--though it had been some time ago now.
"Maybe there'll be a ball!" Lavender had enthused.
Hermione suddenly stiffened as her own disastrous memories of
the Yule Ball returned to her, "Honestly, what a stupid holiday."
She snapped.
"Stupid?" Parvati had gaped but Lavender had smiled knowingly.
"I agree." Ginny had muttered. She planned to spend
valentine's very very quietly.
"Don't mind them Parvati. They're just bitter because
the boys they like are clueless prats."
"They are NOT!" Ginny had raged, then turned very red and
shut her mouth at her confession.
"I'm sure we don't know what you mean." Hermione had said
calmly, pretending Ginny hadn't spoken and defending her.
"Course not." Lavender had rolled her eyes, "What COULD we
mean--eh Parvati?"
Parvati had caught on and mimicked Lavender's face
and voice with uncanny accuracy,"Who COULD we be
talking about?"
Fred had been ready to strangle them. How was HE
supposed to know who they were talking about?
Lavender and Parvati had gone down another hallway
then and Fred had just about given up when Hermione
and Ginny had kept talking.
"You don't think there'll be a ball do you?" Hermione
had asked anxiously.
"No, there's only ever a Yule Ball--and even that's
not every year."
Pause.
"Ruddy Valentine's." Ginny had muttered darkly.
"Agreed."
"It's not like I'm in a hurry for him to realize...
....I'm not."
"Me either." Said Hermione.
"But..."
"But..."
"A big fat reminder of what a thickheaded prat
he is, and in front of the other girls too...it's
just..."
"Grossly unfair."
"You still feel bad about the ball Hermione?"
A long sigh, "Yeah. That row I had with Ron
afterwards...I shouldn't have said what I did,
it admitted too much. What if he'd put it
together? You can't hurry things like this along."
Ginny had chuckled, "You certaintly can't hurry Ron along."
And to Fred's great surprise, Hermione had laughed too.
"He is rather hopeless."
"But worth it?" Ginny had teased.
"Definitely worth it."
And Fred had suddenly realized something about
Hermione that he never would have guessed otherwise.
She fancied his brother!
There was another pause and then Hermione had
said rather sadly, "Still, I won't be getting
a Valentine this year."
It was later on, as Fred related this dialogue to George
in real delight, that the two twins terrible scheme was
born.
"Say Fred..."
"I think I know what you are going to say George..."
"How delightful. And look, it solves two problems at
once."
"Hermione deserves a happy Valentine's Day."
"And so do we."
"Everybody wins."
And so Fred and George had spent many joyful hours
concocting a valentine's potion.
"Snape would be proud."
"Add a bit of red I think Fred, to be festive!"
"Right excellent idea George, hand me that
food colouring."
"A little cinnamon I think--nice aroma that!"
"What shall we put it in?"
"Little spray bottles?"
"Too obvious. Something secret, innocent..."
"Could we bake it into cookies?"
"Brilliant!"
"Heart shaped cookies!"
"With icing!"
"Excellent." They said together.
"What a very romantic Valentine's Day this shall
be!"
"Be sure to keep a special cookie aside for Ron!"
"Would I forget that?"
But it was not Ron who be the first to eat one of the Valentine's
Cookies. Fred and George would make a handsome profit selling them
to nearly every Griffyndor girl, most of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff
and even some Slyterin's("Here's hoping she uses it on Malfoy!"Fred
had chuckled gleefully)
Ron's cookie sat on his pillow as he slept late.
Fred and George stood proudly over him, "Just look..."
"A masterpiece...."
"A kissing cookie....George, we are geniuses!"
"Agreed. Now let's hurry, I have a special batch
made for the Professor's Staff Lounge!"
"Brilliant!"
Indeed. What girl did NOT want a delicious cinnamon
cookie to give to her unsuspecting crush knowing he
would kiss her straightaway! It was the most successful
invention the Weasley twins had produced yet. And at
first it seemed to work like a charm.
At first...
Harry and Ron were sitting at lunch, openly gawking at the
largest display of kissing they had ever seen.
"What on earth's gotten into everyone?" Ron gaped.
"Dunno." Harry muttered, a little afraid. This was just
plain unnatural. Though the girls looked awfully happy...
Hmph! He thought bitterly. He remembered HIS experience
kissing. Not terribly pleasant. Romance was highly
overrated. Frankly, it involved far too much crying.
Lavender had just finished kissing a very handsome looking
Ravenclaw boy when she bounced over to them, giggling and
giddy. She took in their expressions and laughed, "Why boys,
hasn't anyone given you a cookie yet?"
"Cookie?" Harry frowned, "What kind of cookie?"
"A special, valentine's cookie!" She trilled happily.
Fred and George entered the Hall then, laughing so hard
they were completely incoherant.
"Bloody brillant!"
"The best!"
"I'll never forget!"
"His face--!!!"
They sat down across from Harry and Ron, wiping the
tears from their eyes.
"You'll never guess what we just saw!"
"NOt in a million years!"
At the confused expressions of Harry and Ron they
collected themselves and explained, "The cookies--you've
heard of them by now, surely?"
Harry nodded. Ron was eyeing them suspiciously.
"They're laced with a delightful potion we came up
with just a few nights ago, in honour of Valentine's
Day."
"Amoura Magnifico!"
"It's a kissing potion."
"K-kissing?" Ron choked.
"Indeed. Eat a cookie, kiss the girl. It's very
simple, and very effective."
Harry looked a little amused by it. Ron however,
looked horrified.
"So we've sold these cookies to everyone."
"But we made a special batch for the Professor's
staffroom."
Ron momentarily forgot his horror and leaned closer.
Fred and George were laughing again.
"What?! What did you see?!" Harry urged.
"Professor Trelawny! She ate a cookie!"
"And then....and then Snape came in!"
"Seems the cookies work on girls too!"
"His face! I'll never forget it as long
as I live!"
"She just grabbed him against the wall and
kissed him senseless!"
Ron and Harry's mouths hung open a moment before
they burst out laughing with the twins. It was
too hilarious!
"Brilliant!" Ron cheered.
But then Fred and George gave him calculating
smiles, "So Ron..."
"Did you get our present on your pillow this
morning."
"Did you eat your cookie?"
Ron paled again, "That wasn't...you didn't give
me one...?"
"Oh but we did."
Ron had thought it a Valentine from a girl.
And he'd eaten it straightaway.
Harry looked confused, "But if he ate it this
morning--why hasn't he kissed anyone?"
"Harry, give us more credit than that!" George
admonished.
"The potion is very particular." Explained Fred.
"If a girl gives it to you--or a boy (they both
laughed again at Snape)--you'll kiss them, no
questions asked. But if you take it alone you'll
only kiss one person." George continued.
"The person you truly fancy." Fred finished, looking
at Ron with satisfaction.
"B-but, there's no one I truly fancy at the moment." Ron
stammered helplessly, "Not that I know of anyway."
"So is he safe?" Harry asked, giving Ron a sympathetic
look. He wouldn't want to be the one finding out he
had taken it. He had no idea who he fancied either!
What if he tried to kiss Cho again? Or what if he kissed
a total stranger that he would have fancied in the future?
But George and Fred were very smug, "Oh, we think you DO
know Ron."
"Or you will, very soon. The urge is completely overwhelming."
"You won't be able to help yourself."
Ron looked utterly terrified.
"obviously you haven't seen her all day." George teased.
"Seen who?" Ron croaked.
And at that moment Hermione and Ginny walked in together.
They looked as bewildered by all the kissing as Harry and Ron
had. They spotted the two boys, and the twins, smiled and
started over.
Harry was relieved. They were both so...sensible. They
wouldn't have eaten any cookies. He was sure of it.
Ron however, leapt up suddenly, his eyes wide, his pupils
dilating unnaturally. He pointed at Hermione and gasped
out in horror, "Oh no! NO no no! Harry, keep her away
from me--whatever you do! Keep her away!"
Then he threw himself over the table--struggling against
himself it seemed--and ran out of the hall as though the
devil himself were at his heels.
Fred and George watched him go with no little amusement.
"Determined isn't he?"
"He's got some strength, to fight it like that."
"More magic in him then we've given him credit for I think."
"Must remember to make our potions twice as potent for him in future."
"Agreed."
Ginny sat across from them with a calculating expression. Hermione was
still watching Ron's sudden departure with confusion.
"Is he all right?" She asked.
Fred and George chuckled.
"We were trying to help you out Hermione."
"But it seems we've failed."
"Up to you now I reckon."
"Yeah, you're choice."
"What on EARTH are you two talking about?" She asked
sharply.
Ginny looked about her at all the kissing and back to them,
"I can only ASSUME you two have something to do with this?"
"We helped to recognize the immense marketing possibilities
of Valentine's Day."
"And to further the romantic cause!"
"And how exactly did you do that?" Ginny asked patiently.
"With a kissing potion ofcourse."
"Baked into heart-shaped cookies."
"With icing."
"Yes, with icing."
Ginny looked at them in horror. Harry was glad to see it.
"Want to buy one?" George asked her, winking wickedly.
"Certainly NOT!" Ginny raged. Suddenly she grew suspicious, and
turned on Harry, "You haven't given Harry one have you?"
Harry shook his head. Ginny looked relieved. But suddenly she looked
over at the Hufflepuff table at a blonde haired boy.
"Relax." Said Fred.
"The effects are short. If someone's given him a cookie he's already
kissed them and the potion's worn off."
But the blonde haired boy looked a little groggy and met her eyes
with interest, rising and starting over. She'd had a little trouble
with him before...but now!
Ginny gave a shriek and an, "Oh no!" And bolted.
"Hmm...perhaps the effects are longer lasting than we thought."
"Could be." Replied George with little concern.
Hermione was eyeing them, finally piecing it together, "You
didn't...you wouldn't....did you give Ron a cookie?"
Fred and George smiled.
"I overheard you talking to Ginny." Fred explained and
Hermione blushed terribly as Harry suddenly regarded her with
interest.
"So we left one on his pillow." George finished.
"But now he's run off, terrified."
"Up to you if you want to go after him. He'll
snog you senseless if you do!"
"Against his own WILL!" Hermione huffed angrily,
"Honestly you two!"
She glared at them a moment before another thought
came to her, "When does the potion wear off?"
"Right after a kiss."
Hermione looked around at the rampant kissing, "Doesn't
really appear that way to me."
George shrugged, "Perhaps..."
"How long until it's effects have left the body?" Hermione
asked practically.
"Until the cookie is digested I reckon." Fred laughed.
"Should be sooner than that. And honestly, the potion
shouldn't last longer than the kiss." George added.
They were looking about them and growing a little uncomfortable.
"Er...let's be on our way, eh George?"
"Right behind you Fred...."
But by mid afternoon it was apparent that the effects were more than
a little lasting. Boys who had eaten the cookies weren't stopping at
just kissing the person who gave it to them. Later they would suddenly
drop everything and seek out the person they really fancied....others
would kiss any girl near them.
Professor McGonagal had to separate the boys from the girls in her
Transfiguration class and put a spell between them.
"Honestly..." Harry heard her mutter, "Ridiculous cookies..."
Cookies were being confiscated and destroyed all over the school.
Anyone caught with one was given detention.
By potions things were completely out of hand. Harry had learned
some uncanny acrobatics dodging kisses from several girls
unfortunate enough to eat cookies themselves.
Professor Snape had divided the class into girls and boys and
put a dividing spell down the middle as McGonagal had. Much to
Ron's relief. He had shown up late and wouldn't dare LOOK at Hermione.
Snape was in a horrible mood. Ron and Harry muffled their laughter
as they remembered why...
"Anyone caught with one of those ridiculous cookies will lose their
house 100 points." He threatened, "Now, today we will be brewing
sleeping potions. Pair up--keep your eyes to your side of the
room--if I catch you straying to the wrong side of the room I will
hex you immediately."
Ron's eyes widened in horror. He stared even more determinedly at
his cauldron.
They mixed their ingredients. Hermione cut up her roots sadly.
The hallways were filled with kissing. But no one had even TRIED
to kiss her. And the one boy she wanted to, the one boy who
actually WOULD because of the potion, had runaway rather than
face her. She shook herself. She was being silly. Ron would
come around in his own time. At least now she knew he fancied
her in some way. What did it matter if he kissed her today? It
didn't. Yes, tomorrow this whole fiasco would be over and things
would return to normal.
Snape was circling the room like a hawk, wand at the ready for
anyone who attempted to even WALK towards a member of the
opposite sex. He was also systematically searching through students
bags for cookies.
Lavender--who had probably purchased the MOST cookies of anyone--realized
this with some horror. She looked wildly around the room, then at her
partner--Hermione. Hermione was looking over at Harry and Ron. Lavender
seized her golden opportunity and dumped her cookies into the potion.
No harm done, she thought.
Hermione never knew.
Professor Snape walked over and searched their bags. He turned to
Hermione with a terrible smile, "Miss Granger. We shall test your sleeping
potion--on you. I will not test the rest of you--I do not know what
complications might arise from the....cookies you have eaten."
He spoke the word "cookie" as though it were poison.
Hermione couldn't believe it--it almost seemed like he was complimenting her.
But his next words ruined it.
"You are the only one Miss Granger, whom I can be CERTAIN has not received one."
Hermione looked as though someone had stunned her. Even Lavender noticed the hurt
look on her face. But it did not inspire her to confess her folly of dumping
the cookies into the potion.
Instead Lavender watched as Hermione shakily poured herself a small vile of
their potion and drank it. She looked over to Harry and Ron and the last
thing she saw was Ron's face pinched with longing as his eyes met hers. He
wanted to kiss her...Her eyes fluttered close and she slumped over.
Snape caught her easily and laid her on the floor.
"A simple spell counters the effects of this potion." He told the class. He
pointed his wand at her and spoke the words. But she did not wake.
He tried again and his brow suddenly creased in worry, "Lavender, I watched
Miss Granger make this potion correctly. Did YOU tamper with it in any way?"
Lavender shook her head, looking terrified.
Snape tried a variety of spells on Hermione before hollaring to someone to
alert Madame Pomfrey he was bringing Miss Granger to the Infirmary straightaway.
Ron took off like a shot. He was horrified that he could not run to her. So he
did the next best thing he could. He ran for help.
Professor Snape turned back on Lavender, fixing her with a truly frightening
expression, "What did you do to that potion?" He asked in a deadly voice.
Lavender quailed, her bottom lip trembling, "I-I threw in all my cookies...I
didn't want to get caught..."
For a very quick moment Snape looked horrified and even a bit afraid, then
he turned angry and controlled again, "Someone find me whoever made those
infernal cookies! I need to know what's in them--immediately!"
Now Harry took off like a shot. He needed to find Fred and George!
Snape carried the limp form of Hermione out of the classroom to the
Infirmary.
Harry ran blindly through the halls and into the Gryffindor common room
shouting for Fred and George. He pushed his way through the crowds of
couples kissing and people ducking unwanted kisses in panic.
"Fred! George! You must come quick!" He cried. He bolted up the
stairs to their room and found them sitting calmly on their beds.
They stood as they saw the look on his face.
"What is it?"
"It's Hermione! She's in the Infirmary! They need to know
what it's your potion!"
Fred and George said nothing--they simply ran together from the room.
Harry was right behind them and made it halfway across the Common
Room when he heard a familiar shriek. Ginny.
"Get away!" She was screaming as three tall boys closed in on her.
Harry froze, looking from her to the rapidly disappearing Weasley
twins and back. Finally he hurried over and pulled Ginny away.
But the boys followed and were now accompanied by several girls
intent on Harry.
Suddenly the room seemed very small, the door very faraway and
the corner they stood in very crowded.
Ginny was clinging to Harry now, in terror, "What do we do?"
She whispered, her eyes darting about for some kind of magical
escape route. But they were cornered.
"There's nothing we can do." Harry said desperately, "They're
all going to snog us senseless!"
He met Ginny's wide eyes, "Unless...." He breathed, unable to
believe what he was thinking.
"Unless what?" Ginny whispered, eager for a solution.
"Unless we snog each other...." Harry turned extremely red. What
was he thinking? Hermione was in the hospital wing! But the zombies
were closing in--they really looked like zombies!
"Look," He said hastily, "We're friends. I'd rather kiss YOU
then all these gits! If we start kissing they'll leave us
alone I think!"
Ginny's eyes were very wide but she nodded, "Right. Agreed."
She shut her eyes and leaned in. Harry took a deep breath and
met her halfway. And he was absolutely surprised to find the
sensation far from unpleasant. This was....actually nice! For a
moment he shut his eyes and just enjoyed it. Then reality crashed in!
Idiot! His mind screamed. Hermione's in trouble! You need to get
out of here--and help Ginny out of here too! Not snog her senseless!
He opened his eyes, Ginny did too, and while still kissing they
looked to see the zombie-like girls and boys around them wander away.
"They're leaving..." Ginny muttered against his mouth.
"Let's head for the door..." He mumbled.
"Don't break contact!" Ginny warned.
And he felt guilty at how eager he was to comply. Ginny was
his friend. She didn't like him that way anymore! Not
that it mattered if she did! He was horrified at the direction
of his thoughts!
They stumbled out slowly, still snogging-- a little madly. And
once out in the hall it was a long moment before they pulled away.
Ginny still had her arms about his neck, her cheek pressed to his.
"Are they following us?"
"I don't think so."
Awkward pause.
"Well...."
"We should go! Hermione's in the Hospital Wing! Lavender
dropped all her cookies into her sleeping potion and now
she won't wake up!"
Ginny gaped in horror, "Let's go!"
"Fred and George are already on their way!"
They ran, hands clinging to each other.
"Thanks for...er...saving me Harry!"
"You'd have done the same for me!" He puffed. He turned
to look at her and found himself confessing, "Y-You're a
really good kisser Ginny."
She turned red, "Thanks. So are you. Not that I've kissed
a lot of people."
"Me either."
"But you were..."
Really awkward pause.
Fortunately they reached the Infirmary and burst in.
Hermione lay motionless, Madame Pomfrey bustling
about her. Professor Snape was bent over Ron who
sat in a nearby chair. And the headmaster himself
stood talking to Fred and George Weasley.
"Oh! They'll be expelled for sure!" Said Ginny in horror.
But Albus Dumbledore did not seem distressed. He held
a long piece of parchment which they realized was the
list of ingredients in the potion.
Dumbledore looked over to Snape, "Did it work Severus?"
Snape frowned and pulled away from Ron. He looked a little
dazed but walked calmly over to Hermione and showed no
symptoms of the cookie.
"It seems it has Headmaster. I will distribute these
capsules to the students immediately."
Dumbledore smiled and stopped him, "Just a moment."
He tapped the bowl of capsules with his wand, "Red
I think...in the spirit of things."
Snape did not look impressed. After studying the
ingredients of the kissing potion he had come up
with an antidote. One that needed to be chewed
and swallowed.
Dumbledore explained this patiently to Harry, Ginny
and Ron. Harry and Ron would later laugh very
heartily at the image of Professor Snape giving out
red candies on Valentine's Day. But at that moment
it was far from their minds.
"But what about Hermione?" Ron asked with worry, "Why
won't she wake up?"
Fred and George looked rather worried themselves.
But Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling, "Ah, yes, well..."
He cleared his throat, unsure of where to begin,"Have
any of you read the muggle Faerytale 'Sleeping Beauty'?"
Perhaps, Harry reflected with irony, Hermione might have,
but none of them had.
"I see." Dumbledore replied to their nods in the negative,
"Well, the solution to Hermione's predicament is actually
quite simple." He looked to the list of ingredients again,
"Ingenius potion really. I've seen it attempted many times
before--but this surpasses all of them."
Ron was beginning to look a little desperate. Harry and Ginny
waited patiently.
"You see, Hermione is unable to chew and swallow the antidote
and she has consumed rather a lot of the potion--and a sleeping
potion. Combined they have put her into an enchanted sleep."
He looked directly at Ron then and the twinkle was back in his
eyes, "Only one thing will wake her."
He pulled Ron away from the others and leaned down to speak
very quietly to him.
Ron's eyes widened considerably and then he let out a pitiful
moan, "B-but...I couldn't....I...you have to let me have
another cookie then!"
Dumbledore chuckled, "Oh no. No more of those unfortunately.
You will have to do this on your own. And it must be you."
He leaned closer and whispered, "You're the one she really
fancies you see."
Harry and Ginny had finally put it together and found it
quite amusing--much to Ron's disgruntled dismay.
"We shall leave you to do what must be done Mr. Weasley."
Dumbledore announced.
He led the others out of the room and put a hand on each
of the Weasley twins shoulders, "I must speak with you
privately I think."
Ginny and Harry looked sympathetically at them as they
were taken away. They looked truly afraid for the first
time. Filch was one thing. Dumbledore was another.
Harry and Ginny, left to their own devices, decided
to spy.
"So Ron has to kiss Hermione to wake her up! Brilliant!"
"And he has to do it without kissing potion!"
"Hey, if WE could do it, HE can do it!"
They pressed their faces to the door and watched.
Inside the room, Ron stood over Hermione. He looked
more uncomfortable then Harry could ever recall seeing him.
"Bloody hell..." Harry heard him mutter as he moved closer
then stepped back again.
He shuffled back and forth a lot before finally shutting
his eyes a moment--as though gathering strength. He
stepped up to her bedside and looked down at her a long
moment, "Forgive me..." He whispered and leaned over
to kiss her.
He only meant it to be a quick kiss. Just a press of
mouth to mouth. He didn't want her to hex him to bits
when she woke up and realized. Kissing her while
she was unconcious was just plain taking advantage! But his
good intentions flew the coup at the delightful sensations
that fired through him at the contact. Who knew it would
feel like this? And with Hermione!
He remembered his horror when she had walked into the
Hall and he had realized....the potion didn't lie...all
this time he'd fancied her without knowing! He was a
daft git! And after how angry he'd been about the Yule
Ball.....Blimey he thought....I was jealous!
Hermione woke slowly, her eyes drifting open to find
the unbelievable image of Ron--kissing her! She shut
her eyes again quickly. If this was a dream she
intended to soak it up! But it felt so real. She'd
never been kissed before....it was wonderful! She
leaned into the kiss and for one, short, fierce moment
they were kissing each other and her heart felt like
it was on fire. But at her movement Ron's eyes opened
to find her awake. He pulled back with a shock and
looked terrified.
She hadn't really taken in her surroundings yet. The
last thing she remembered was the look of longing
on Ron's face due to the effects of the cookie. The
cookie! That was the only reason he'd kissed her!
Her heart sank. Moment's ago she'd been ready to
leap over the moon at the thought that he was kissing
her because he fancied her, and wanted to, and felt
ready!
"Oh Ron..." She said in a disappointed voice.
Ron hung his head.
"You only kissed me because of the cookie didn't you?"
Ron looked back up in shock and opened his mouth to
defend himself when she looked around her and realized
where she was.
"Why am I in the Infirmary? How did I get here?"
Ron gave a hasty explanation of the potion, the cookies,
the antidote and the remedy necessary for her.
Then he seemed to catch up with what she said, "Hang on,
do you mean you actually....wanted me to kiss you?"
"Only if you wanted to." She said quickly.
"But you wanted me to?"
"Well....yes..." She said carefully, "But Ron,
I don't want to rush you. I wanted you to come
round on your own."
But Ron wasn't really listening. A funny smile
turned up his mouth. He hadn't really let
himself consider Hermione liking him in return.
"You...you fancy me?" He asked in such a hopeful
voice that Hermione's heart grabbed.
She smiled, grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him
closer, "I fancy you Ron."
Ginny was practically dancing on the spot, "So romantic!"
She whispered. Even Harry was grinning.
"I think I fancy you too." He admitted happily, "And you're
a fantastic kisser!"
"Ron, I was unconscious!"
"Well then, just imagine how great you'll be awake!"
And with that, he leaned in again to find out.
Harry and Ginny left them to it and walked very quietly
back to the Gryffindor common room. Harry was deep
in thought. Ginny was his friend. They laughed and
talked easily now. And kissing her had felt great. A
strange series of conclusions were fitting together
in his mind. What a strange...strange day, he thought.
And yet...
When she turned to go up the girls stairs he stopped her,
"Say, Ginny?"
She turned. He blushed.
"Next Hogsmeade Visit....do you wanna maybe go together?"
For a moment she didn't react. She simply stared at him
and his stomach sank. Then her face broke into a beautiful
smile.
"Sure! I'd love to!"
Relief rushed through him, and a funny excitement swam
around in his head. It felt....right. He went to bed,
grinning like an idiot.
Next morning he was still sporting the grin and found
Ginny, Ron and Hermione all wearing matching smiles.
It was a strong contrast to the cringes of regret
and horror gracing most of the faces in the great hall.
"Morning!" Harry greeted, giddy with happiness.
"Morning!" Ron and Hermione said together.
Ron took a closer look at Harry's face, "Hang on.
I know that look. You snogged someone! You
snogged someone and really liked it!"
Harry paled, then turned red. Ron's eyes shifted to
Ginny who smiled very wide and winked at him.
"You snogged my sister!" He hollared and only
Hermione kept him in his seat.
Harry held up his hands, "Yes, but it was only
in self-defense!"
"We would have been gang snogged otherwise
Ron!"
"It just turned out we rather liked it."
"We did didn't we?" She grinned cheekily.
He grinned back and Ron tried very hard to calm down.
Fred and George came in then and sat down across from
them. They all turned very serious.
"What did Professor Dumbledore say?" Ginny asked fearfully.
"Are you going to be expelled?" Ron asked.
Fred and George exchanged a glance, "Well....no. We will
have to serve a great deal of detention...we think."
"Truth is, it was hard to understand him."
"He was laughing so hard."
"Said he'll never forget the sight of Professor Trelawny
and Snape--has never seen anything equal to it."
"Said our potion will make it into next year's
text for sure!"
"Said no harm done really."
"And that Madame Pomfrey was an even better kisser
than he remembered!"
They all stared at George in shock.
"He didn't..."
"He did."
"I don't believe it."
Then they all burst out laughing.
the end! ;)
