Hermione led Harry to the Owlery, chewing her lower lip nervously. She couldn't believe she was actually about to do this. They reached the top of the steps and Hermione peeked into the room, relieved to see no one around. She ushered him inside and locked the door behind them, turning to face her best friend.
Harry was giving her a very strange look, almost nervous, though he was hiding it under amusement. "Okay, so d'you plan on telling me why you've snuck me off and locked me in the Owlery?" He tutted playfully. "People are going to talk, you know."
Hermione blushed, punching his arm. "Shut up, Harry. This is serious, and needs to stay between you and me." She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to summon up some of her Gryffindor courage. Her plan suddenly seemed completely impossible and far too daunting to ever work.
"Can you promise you won't be mad?" she asked weakly.
Harry gave her an easy shrug. "I'm sure whatever you have to say isn't that bad, 'Mione."
Hermione drew a breath, then forced herself to open her mouth. "I'm... Harry, I like girls."
He looked surprised, but shrugged again and tossed her a grin. "Is that supposed to change anything? It's fine by me, Hermione. So long as you're happy."
Hermione let her shoulders sag with relief. "Really?"
The young man nodded reassuringly. "Definitely."
"Thanks, Harry," she murmured, grabbing him in a hug.
He seemed surprised, but returned the embrace warmly. "No problem. I'd find a better way to tell Ron if I was you, though."
"Oh?" Hermione asked, slightly distracted as she reached up and brushed her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.
An uneasy laugh escaped him. "Yeah. I think he fancies you a bit. He's been asking about you recently."
Surprise filled Hermione as they broke apart. She raised an eyebrow, not sure how to respond.
Harry rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you, but I guess it'll work itself out." He glanced at his watch. "Uh, not to ruin the moment or anything, but I've got Quidditch practice in thirty minutes."
"Oh! Sorry," Hermione stammered, aiming her wand at the door and unlocking it. "Go on, I don't want you to be late."
A grateful look appeared on his face. "Thanks, 'Mione." He headed for the door, waving at her.
"Thanks again, Harry," she called after him, hearing his reply echo up the staircase. Once he was out of earshot, she sighed, feeling both relieved and ashamed. Hermione carefully opened her clenched fist, revealing a few strands of Harry's hair. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
She pulled a vial out of her bag and slipped the hairs into it, careful not to drop any. Hermione corked the vial tightly, returning it to her bag before leaving the Owlery. As she hurried down the steps, Hermione tried to convince herself she wasn't doing anything wrong... yet.
She hadn't lied about the coming out, that much was real. Hermione had just not mentioned that she was head-over-heels in love with Ginny, who just so happened to be head-over-heels for (not to mention dating) Harry. The brunette had tried forgetting about Ginny and all manner of ways of getting over her, but none of them worked. In the midst of a long night in the library, the perfect idea had occurred to her. If she could spend just a few hours with Ginny as more than friends, she'd cherish that for the rest of her life and never try anything that would ruin their friendship. Her mind had gone back to her second year, and despite a little voice in the back of her mind telling her that it was a terrible idea, Hermione had taken it and run with it.
The brunette made her way back to her room quickly, as though Harry's hair might disappear if she took too long. She entered her dormitory and closed the door behind her, very grateful to McGonagall for making her a Prefect. The bonus of having her own room made her plan immeasurably easier to pull off.
After carefully setting her bag down, Hermione removed the vial and walked over to her closet, opening it and setting the vial on a shelf inside. Content that the vial was in a safe place, she knelt and checked the thick, bubbly contents of her cauldron. It was almost ready. Now all she had to do was wait for the perfect time.
#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#
With her Polyjuice potion stored safely in her closet, Hermione went through the next few days carefully, watching and listening for cues that would signal the perfect time to enact her plan. It seemed as though she would be disappointed; every time she thought a good moment was drawing near, Harry and Ginny would plan something together or Ron would insist on making the day into a Quidditch day. While the other three enjoyed those days, Hermione was left to watch from the stands grumpily, her eyes on the girl she'd never have.
Her problem was, she realized, that she needed a time that Harry was off doing something without Ginny, but the couple seemed to be glued together at the hip.
A week passed, and Hermione began worrying that she'd have to brew a new potion, delaying her plan for at least another two months. Of course, she thought bitterly, I'll never get my chance, so it's not like I'll have the need to brew a new potion.
The brunette had nearly given up on getting a day alone with Ginny when, as luck would have it, the perfect opportunity arose.
She had seen Harry and Ron with the Marauder's Map and asked them what they were planning on breaking into. Harry had laughed while Ron had turned red and glanced at her shyly, but they confided in her that they were planning on sneaking out of the castle and going to Hogsmeade.
The brunette ignored Ron's obvious attempts to catch her eye and silly smiles every time she glanced his way, cringing inwardly when she realized Harry had been right; apparently, Ron did like her as more than just a friend. Rather than respond (or even think about) that, she pressed them for information, the Prefect in her wanting to heckle them a little.
They danced around telling her what they were planning on doing in the village, but Hermione didn't particularly care, her mind suddenly filling with images of a romantic evening alone with Ginny. All thoughts of scolding them flew from her brain and she just nodded and agreed, shocked at the turn of events.
"Keep Gin busy, will you?" Harry asked while Ron nodded emphatically, his eyes locked on Hermione and his ears still slightly red. "We haven't told her we're planning on leaving, so just tell her we're playing Quidditch or something."
Hermione nodded, watching silently as the boys finished their plotting and got up to leave. Ron cast her another smitten look as Harry whipped the cloak out of his pocket. The dark haired boy waved at Hermione before he tossed the cloak over their heads. The boys disappeared from view and presumably left the common room.
Hermione was stunned. After all her waiting, the time was finally right. She glanced at the clock on the wall, noting that Ginny still had class for another hour. The brunette retreated to her room and sat in front of her closet as if in a trance, watching the time carefully.
When the clock showed Ginny was getting out of her class, Hermione practically dove into her closet. She pulled out the clothes she'd transfigured to look like some of Harry's, then retrieved a goblet and filled it with her sludgy-looking Polyjuice potion. With shaking hands, she retrieved the vial containing Harry's hair, uncorking it and dumping the hair into the goblet. The potion bubbled and began to smoke, and Hermione sat back on her heels to wait.
After a moment, she decided to change into her Harry clothes, getting a nervous thrill out of her reflection in the mirror. The brunette studied her new attire for a few moments, finally dragging her eyes over to the goblet of Polyjuice potion, knowing it was time for her to drink it.
As Hermione went over and took the drink in her hands, her heart pounding in her ears. She stared into the muddy contents of the cup, realizing (not for the first time) how many people she could end up hurting. Was she really willing to risk everything for a few minutes with Ginny?
"Bugger it," she mumbled, lifting the goblet to her lips. She had to know what it was like...
The familiar nausea washed over her, accompanied by the alien feeling of her body transforming. Hermione curled up on the floor, taking shallow breaths as she waited the transformation out. Just when she thought she couldn't keep the contents of her stomach down any longer, the strange feelings stopped.
She was almost convinced that it hadn't worked, but when she opened her eyes, the world was blurry. Hermione waved her wand to summon her copy of Harry's glasses, putting them on and being very glad to see the room come into focus.
Hermione sat up carefully, unsure of her movements, and gaped at her reflection in the mirror. She looked exactly like Harry, right down to his cowlick and scar. After her disastrous attempt at using Polyjuice potion in her second year, she was amazed that it had worked so well.
"Merlin's beard," she mumbled, jumping a little at the deeper timbre of her new voice. A grin spread across her face, reflected back at her as Harry's crooked smile.
She got to her feet, testing out her temporary body. After a few moments, she felt comfortable enough to head down to the common room and greet Ginny. Her heart quickened nervously at the thought of actually meeting the redhead and being able to hold her, and for a moment she considered hiding in her room and calling off the whole plan.
Hermione scoffed at herself a second later; she'd already taken the potion, so there was no point in not carrying through with it. She'd never forgive herself if she didn't take the chance.
She left her room, walking down to the common room and standing around somewhat awkwardly for a few moments. Sensing curious gazes on her, Hermione walked over to a window and pretended to be observing the grounds.
A few people called out a "Hey, Harry!" and Hermione had to remind herself to respond to her friend's name. The common room filled with the sounds of students returning from class, and Hermione strained her ears to hear the familiar steps of the girl she loved.
The commotion quieted down after a few minutes, and Hermione panicked; what if she'd missed Ginny, or Ginny hadn't seen her? She couldn't exactly go up to the dorms looking for the redhead, so she would be stuck. Hermione frowned, partly to express her concern and partly to keep the glasses from sliding down her nose.
"Harry?"
Hermione wheeled around at the sound, her eyes coming to rest on Ginny. The disguised girl couldn't keep a smile off her face at the sight of the redhead. "Hi," she responded softly, Harry's voice cracking a little.
Ginny's face was the picture of confusion. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with, er, Ron?"
"Uh..." Hermione's mind went blank and she scrambled for a decent excuse. Harry's words came back to her after an almost too-long pause. "He decided to go out and practice some Quidditch." She pushed the glasses back up her nose; they'd slid down despite her efforts.
"Did Hermione go with him?"
Hermione swore inwardly. "No, she's um... H-Hermione's up in her room, studying for her Arithmancy exam." She stumbled over her own name, barely able to hide her cringe.
Ginny nodded understandingly, casting a glance at the stairs to Hermione's dormitory. She was apparently over her embarrassment, because she turned her gaze back on the girl disguised as her boyfriend. "So, Ron went to practice by himself? You didn't want to tag along?"
"I wanted to stay here and spend some time with you," Hermione responded, thanking whatever deity was listening that she didn't stammer again. Realizing that what had been asked of her was about Quidditch, Hermione wanted to fade into the wall; Ginny would sense something was amiss if she botched the answer. "Besides, he said, er... I mean, he said something about wanting to practice for, uh, tryouts?"
Ginny grinned, an almost giddy look in her eyes. "Nice of you," she said, trying to sound dismissive. A moment later she shook her head, laughing a little. "My brother is bloody mad, Harry. He's still got until next year to practice for tryouts!" She shot her boyfriend a concerned glance a moment later. "Are you feeling all right? You're stammering."
Hermione managed a laugh, desperate to steer the conversation away from Quidditch lest she make a fool of herself and expose everything. "Yeah." She smacked herself inwardly. Is that the best you can come up with? 'Yeah?' Merlin's beard, Granger! Get it together! "I guess we've got the afternoon to ourselves."
"I guess so. What did you want to do, then?" Ginny asked, still looking worried, but putting a sweet smile on her face.
Hermione shrugged, pushing Harry's glasses back up her nose irritatedly. How does he stand wearing these? "I'm not really sure. I thought we could, er, cuddle?" At the look on Ginny's face, Hermione wanted to slam her face into the nearest wall until she was unconscious. How stupid can you get, Granger? This is HARRY you're impersonating!
Ginny regarded "Harry" strangely for a moment, but shrugged. "Uh, sure, whatever you want, Harry."
Hermione allowed Ginny to take her hand and pull her over to one of the couches by the fireplace. She sat, Ginny plopping beside her somewhat clumsily. The redhead glanced at her uncertainly, offering her pseudo-boyfriend a grin that made Hermione's heart melt.
"Sorry I'm so awkward about it," Ginny apologized. "You've, um, just never come right out and offered it up as a suggestion before."
Hermione felt her (Harry's, she reminded herself) cheeks warm with a blush. "Sorry."
Ginny shrugged, reaching over and grabbing Hermione's hand and giving it a squeeze. "It's all right, you just caught me by surprise." She kissed Hermione on the cheek lightly, shifting closer and curling up into Hermione's side a little awkwardly.
Hermione was in a daze. Ginny was warm and soft and smelled amazing. The disguised brunette draped an arm around Ginny's shoulders tentatively, allowing a smile to grow on her face. She'd imagined what holding Ginny would be like, but the real thing blew her fantasies out of the water.
"How was your day?" she murmured into the redhead's ear, snuggling a little closer to Ginny.
"All right," Ginny answered quietly, sighing contentedly. After a moment, she told Hermione stories from her classes, unknowingly making Hermione's heart swell with emotion at the absurdly normal, yet altogether wonderful moment. The brunette could easily imagine spending the rest of her days snuggled up with Ginny, just talking, and the thought made her nearly delirious with happiness.
When Ginny asked about Harry's day, Hermione did her best to remember a few stories from the classes she'd had with Harry, trying to tell them from Harry's point of view. She was rewarded with soft laughter and happy grins, and Hermione couldn't stop her heart from fluttering in her chest.
After their hushed conversation had trailed off, Hermione was relishing in holding the redhead, doing her best to burn the moment into her memory forever. She knew that soon, she'd have to think up an excuse and leave so she could transform back into herself, but she hadn't even thought about how to pull it off. Admit it, Granger. You don't want to think about it because you never want this moment to end.
Before she could think of anything else, Ginny's hand reached up and cupped her cheek, turning Hermione's head toward her. Ginny pressed a kiss to what she thought were Harry's lips.
Hermione gave a surprised little jump, startled at the jolt that ran through her body.
The redhead pulled away, giving her a concerned look.
Hermione shook her head to wave away Ginny's concern and moved back to capture the redhead's lips again, suppressing shivers of pleasure. She'd never even hoped for the opportunity to kiss Ginny, barely even allowing herself to imagine it for fear she lost her common sense and acted on the idea. Now that she'd felt one of Ginny's kisses, she was hooked.
Ginny shifted and made her way onto the disguised girl's lap, lavishing Hermione with affectionate kisses. Tongues battled for dominance and hands began to wander, stopping shyly before they made any real progress. The redhead was the only thing in Hermione's world.
They broke apart for air a few minutes later, and Hermione cracked open an eye to see Ginny still sitting with her eyes closed, a happy smile on the redhead's face.
Hermione couldn't stop a smile of her own at the sight, wishing she could spend the rest of her life like this with Ginny. "I love you, Gin," she murmured, Harry's voice cracking to an abnormally high tone.
A frown passed over Ginny's face at the sound, and she opened an eye. The redhead froze in shock a split second later.
Oh, bugger, Hermione thought, suddenly uncomfortable under the younger girl's gaze. I bet they haven't said that to each other yet. Then a curly brown lock of what was unmistakably her own hair fell into her face. Hermione's blood ran cold. The potion had worn off.
Before either girl could react, familiar voices came from the portrait hole. Ron and Harry came into view a moment later, laughing about their latest escapade.
"What the bloody hell..." Ron had seen them first, Harry following his gaze a second later.
"What's going on?" Harry's eyes fell on the intimate position of the two girls. "What the hell?" he bellowed, moving toward the girls.
Harry's voice seemed to snap Ginny out of her shock and she scrambled backward, away from Hermione, and ended up falling on her rear on the floor. She got to her feet, a hand to her mouth as she pressed back against the wall.
Harry stopped between the girls, glancing at each of them in turn. "Hermione," he said, his voice tight. "What the bloody hell is going on here? Why does it look like you were just snogging my girlfriend?" He looked a little surprised when he realized what she was wearing. "And why are you wearing my clothes?"
Hermione opened and closed her mouth several times, her eyes locked on Ginny. Everything had gone wrong. Her supposedly perfect plan had ruined everything. Tears burned in her eyes and it was all she could do to not start sobbing.
"Answer me!" Harry cried, taking a step toward her.
The brunette cowered into the couch, knowing she deserved his anger. "Harry, I-I couldn't... I had to! I'm sorry!" Her eyes flicked to the still-mortified redhead. "I'm so sorry! I just had to see."
The common room went dangerously silent.
Harry shot a severe look at the other occupants of the room and they fled, leaving the four of them alone.
Hermione couldn't look up, not wanting to see the anger or betrayal on her friends' faces.
"Out with it," Ron announced coldly, obviously upset at finding someone snogging his sister and hurting his best friend at the same time. There was a trace of jealousy in his voice that didn't go unnoticed.
Hermione didn't know how she was going to manage it, and considered flinging herself out of a window to escape the situation. She lifted her gaze and caught Ginny's eye guiltily, and words came tumbling out before she could stop them. "I don't know when it happened, or why, or how, but I... I'm in love with Ginny." Ignoring startled noises from the boys, the brunette blazed on, knowing she had nothing left to lose. "I never planned to act on it. It's obvious you and Harry are made for each other, Gin." Her voice shook slightly. "I was fine with just being your friend forever, but I had an idea... I could use a Polyjuice potion and pretend to be Harry, just for a few hours, and go back to being your friend and living off the memories. I wasn't... I got..." A sob escaped her as she realized just how much she'd lost, echoing off the common room walls. "I'm so sorry."
The boys were stunned into silence, staring at Hermione with open mouths.
"You were just using me that day in the Owlery," Harry realized slowly. "Blimey, Hermione! I trusted you! And then I find you stabbing me in the back!"
Ron had gone beet red, and surprisingly, his eyes were shining with tears. "And with my sister!" His voice broke a little on the last word. He turned his glare on Ginny. "How could you? You know what we said!"
Ginny shook her head frantically, signalling Ron to be quiet.
Ron seemed to hesitate, then turned back to the brunette on the sofa. "If you were anyone else, Hermione..." He shook his head, stomping away before he could do any real harm or let anyone see him cry.
Harry gave the brunette a disgusted look, turning his gaze on Ginny. "And you! You looked like you were enjoying it!"
"I-I thought she was you," Ginny yelped. "I didn't know, Harry! Honestly!"
Hermione buried her face in her hands, trying to block out everything else. Her chest felt so tight with misery that she wondered how she was able to breathe.
"I can't believe this," Harry fumed. He rounded on Hermione once more, clenching and unclenching his fists. "How could you? How dare you! You know what I go through at the Dursley's, and yet you want to take away my only shot at love? Bloody hell, Hermione!" He swore violently, running a hand through his hair roughly. Finally, seeming unable to say more, he turned and left the common room.
Hermione was openly crying, never having received such a violent lecture. Looking up, she met Ginny's gaze once more, almost surprised to see her still there.
The redhead returned Hermione's gaze for just a second before bolting out of the common room as well, following Ron.
Hermione watched her go, then sagged into the couch and bawled. She knew that she'd just lost her friends, the girl she loved, and any hope of ever getting things back to normal.