A/N:
Part 2! Hehe... more stuff happens. Ron and Hermione get into a *tight* situation. I don't
know who Hermi's math teacher is so I just used Professor Flitwick even though I know he's the
Charm's teacher. (Does ne1 know?)

Usual disclaimers apply.

When Opposites Attract- Part 2
By Iris Marie


"You're making so much noise!" Hermione complained as Ron and her opened the door to her
room. He was trying to keep up with her, while at the same time, keep his body underneath the
cloak.

"If you weren't walking so fast," he hissed, "maybe then I could keep up and avoid the
objects that are in my way!"

As Hermione opened the door to her room, a loud hiss resounded from her bed. Hermione
fell backwards as Ron wouldn't take another step. Only one word came forth from his mouth,
"Crookshanks."

Hermione saw the outline of her cat and felt like smacking herself. How did she
forget about Crookshanks? "C'mon here, Crooky," she whispered, kneeling down. The cat, looking
towards her side, right at Ron, didn't move. "What's wrong, Crooky? C'mon here."

"Who's there?" A light flickered open and Lavender Brown sat on her bed, yawning.
"Hermione? Is that you?"

Hermi stood up fast and as she did, she saw a foot materialize as Ron fell backwards.
Lavender looked at the foot, her brows furrowed, but shook her head as she began to rub her eyes
again. The foot went back underneath the cloak and she heard a few mumbled curses under Ron's
breath. Crookshanks was still pacing the bed, her nose in the air, her claws retracted. "Yeah,
it's just me."

"Why are you up so early?" she asked, glancing towards her clock. "Geez, Hermi, it's 3
o'clock in the morning!"

"Turn off that light!" Parvati Patil complained, turning around and groping for the switch
that laid on Lavender's night table. Before she reached it, she stopped as she glanced towards
Hermione with a raised brow. "Hermi? Why are you awake? Why are you dressed up?"

"Dressed up?" Hermione asked, her hand behind her head. "I'm just in my robes. I felt a
chill..."

Lavender and Parvati looked at each other, something twinkling in their eyes. "Uh-huh,"
Lavender said, now standing. Hermione backed towards a wall, making Ron go behind her. It
wouldn't look right if Lavender all of a sudden bumped into something she couldn't see. "Do you
expect us to believe that, Hermi?"

Parvati was standing as well. "You have a scent... of a BOY on you, Hermione!"

Hermi stared towards her roommate wondering how you can 'smell' a boy. Despite the
confusion of the thought, she began to panic. What if they found out? "Well, spending time with
Harry and Ron all day, their smell does linger on you..."

"Only if you hug them, stay extremely near them to the point of touching, does it linger,"
Lavender said, her nose a few feet from Hermione's neck. "And I smell just a recent scent of a
boy... Now, let's see. I know that smell! Pleasant, but a bit spicy..."

Ron felt his face flush. 'Pleasant, but spicy?'

"Yeah, it does smell really familiar!" Parvati said also. She took a good sniff. "Hmm...
it really does have a pleasant scent to it. The kind that you would want to cuddle into all day."

Ron flushed even more, wanting more then ever to be deaf. His ears were burning up and
he was sure his face must have been worse. And then, out of no where, Parvati began to jump, her
hands clasped together on her chest. While jumping, she exclaimed, "I know! I know!"

Hermione's back went tense as Lavender got Parvati to quiet down and spill. Parvati said,
"I should know that smell. He does sit right behind me in Professor Trelawny's class!"

"Right behind you in Divination class?" Lavender Brown's face was confused at first, but
then her eyes bugged out of her face and her jaw literally hit the ground. "RON WEASLEY!?!?! You
and RON WEASLEY!?!?"

Hermi, about to protest, silenced herself. If she and Ron were magnetized together, they
did need an excuse as to why they had to be so near each other. So, she kept her lower lip
clenched in-between her teeth.

Lavender and Parvati were still exclaiming, but then Lavender gave Hermi the two thumbs-up.
"Not bad taste," Lavender said. "He really has a way of getting your attention. With his red hair
and everything..." Lavender sighed.

Parvati nodded in agreement. "And I really do mean it about his scent. It really is
pleasant. Unlike some other boys who reek when they put on so much cologne."

Ron, who thought his face could not turn redder, just surprised himself at the comments
the two girls were giving about him. 'Just kill me now,' he thought as he leaned against the wall,
only to have Hermione's body fall with him.

Hermi gave a little cry as her body was forced to tilt backwards and Parvati and Lavender
jumped as they both clutched their hearts. "Are you okay?!"

"Yeah... just tired," Hermione quickly lied as she sent a small kick behind her. She heard
a small groan, but then she smiled as Lavender and Parvati was still sending her worried glances.
"Could one of you get Crookshanks off my bed and out of this room?"

"Why?"

"He tends to claw when he's asleep," Hermione said. It wasn't much of a lie. She had the
scratches on her legs to prove it. Lavender nodded as she easily picked up the cat and gently
pushed him out of the room. Closing the door, she looked back towards Hermione.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah."

"All right then. I think it'll be better if we go back to sleep now."

"Yeah," Parvati agreed. "Don't we have that Arithmancy test tomorrow, Hermi?"

Hermione nodded as each girl climbed into bed and turned over. Hermione went towards her
bed and, trying to see where Ron was, gingerly climbed on it. Ron, whose face was still hidden
behind the cloak, felt his face flush again. He climbed on, but the bed being only twin-sized, he
had to put his arm around her so she could nuzzle against his chest. His body went rigid as she
placed her head on his chest and he tried, with all his might, to control his breathing.

The feeling was new, actually having a girl in his arms. He would never have thought that
it would be Hermi, but right then, just then, he felt something in him stir. Something deep
inside as he saw her close her eyes and fall asleep... actually in his arms. And, despite the
fact that he was too nervous to actually relax, he was able to close his eyes and feel....
content.
--------

"Oh my GOD!" Parvati whispered sharply. Lavender was next to her, her own eyes practically
popping out of her head. Parvati was still chanting 'Oh my God' as Lavender simply stayed quiet,
looking at the two people who stayed in each other's arms.

"I didn't hear him come in," Lavender then said, breaking the chanting. "I would have
heard if he came in... I didn't hear anybody open that door once we all fell asleep."

Parvati just shook her head still staring at Hermione's bed. It was truly the classic,
romantic scene that you would see in the movies. The girl, wrapped in the boy's arms, her head
on his chest, they're breathing synchronized. "Oh my God," she said instead, also wondering why
there was a silver cloak laying on the floor on the other side of the bed.

"Will you stop saying that!" Lavender snapped, walking nimbly towards them, trying to
make sure that the boy was really Ron Weasley. Well, that and to make sure that it wasn't just
a figment of her imagination. It was hard to picture self-assured Hermione Granger get together
with self-conscious Ron Weasley. They always fought, sometimes their arguments coming to the
point of them not speaking for ages. They were both so stubborn!

Lavender, now towering above the duo, lightly poked her finger on Ron's arm. He groaned
as he tightened his hold on Hermi, this time his lips on her brown, bushy hair. Parvati stopped
chanting 'Oh my God' to say, "Ohh! How C-UTE!"

When she said that, Ron jerked awake, glancing wildly around. Both Lavender and Parvati
were both surprised when Hermione didn't fall off his chest when he bolted up. What surprised
them more was the fact that instead of her head falling off, it seemed to be stuck to his chest.
"Oww! Ron, get back down!"

Parvati and Lavender exchanged looks. "R-ON!" Hermione screamed as he instead began to
get off the bed. Her head still stayed on his chest, still on sideways and, before she kicked
him, paused as she saw the two spectators.

"Uhh..."

"We can explain," Ron said, his whole face bright red.

Before either of them could talk any further, Lavender raised her hands, her head shaking.
"No need," she said, pulling Parvati on the arm. They were both clothed anyway, and breakfast
already started. "We understand. We'll be at breakfast."

Before they were totally out of the room, Parvati yanked her arm out of Lavender's grasp
and said, "If, that is, you decide to come down."

Hermione and Ron both looked away, their ears burning. As the door closed, they heard a
smack and a moan, each clearly seeing Lavender smack Parvati over the head.

"What happened to the cloak?" Hermione asked, carefully beginning to inch her head
towards his shoulder. "Damn candy. I can't get my head off you!"

Ron actually began to laugh. "Here," he said, placing his hands upon her head to push
her head off him. Instead, his hands got stuck and her face was pushed down towards his stomach.
She had to bend to avoid neck ache. "Oy!"

"What now?"

"My hands... I can't get them off your head."

"What?!"

"I-" He was cut short as the door opened to reveal Harry. If Lavender's eyes were popping
out of her head, his was worse. His face was at first shocked, then embarrassed as he quickly
turned around to exit the room. "I didn't know you guys were busy.." he stammered. It IS, you
know, a shocker to find your two best friends in that position. Ron's hands in Hermione's hair...
Her face on Ron's lower stomach, bending, about to do WHO knew what!

"HARRY!" Hermione screeched. "How could you possibly THINK that!?"

"Think what?" Ron asked. Hermione stared up at him, nudged him towards the mirror to
look what they looked like. Immediately his lips were pressed together, staring at anything
else then Hermi or Harry. Hermione wasn't sure if he turned any redder since his face already
was as red as a tomato.

Harry chuckled slightly, inching back into the room. He stared at them and asked, "Can't
you guys at least fix yourselves? It's very uncomfortable in seeing you two... like THAT!"

Ron stayed quiet, to Hermione's surprise. "If it's so uncomfortable for you, Harry," she
began to nag, "then why don't you HELP us!"

Harry grimaced at her as he silently walked over and began to remove Ron's hands from
her head. It was a bit of a struggle, but then Ron's hands returned to his sides. Then, Harry
took Hermione and began to nudge her away. Of course, he was unsuccessful, but then he took both
their hands and placed them together. With their help, he was capable of separating them so only
their hands stayed together.

When everything was done, Harry's forehead was sparkling with sweat and he was grinning.
"The perfect couple," he joked.

Ron no longer stayed quiet, his face annoyed. "How would you feel if you were stuck to
her?"

"Oh, thanks," Hermione muttered.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Ron said. "What I meant was that I have to go to the
bathroom!" When he said that, it was Hermione's turn to blush scarlet.

Harry, picking up the invisibility cloak, was grinning from ear to ear. "I think,
Hermione, you will need this."
--------

"Will you cover your eyes at least?" Ron asked Hermione as they stood in front of the
toilet. She was draped in the invisibility cloak and the fact that he couldn't exactly see if
she was looking or not was making him extremely uncomfortable.

"How can I do that when I'm covering my EARS!?" he heard her hiss back. "And why would
I want to look anyway? I'm not like you boys sneaking into the girl's dormitories-"

"What? Who's done that?"

Hermione paused. "Well... Crabbe and Goyle did once."

"Well, they're idiots."

"And you're not?" Hermi asked, but instantly shushed as Ron began to unlace his robe.
Immediately she turned around, her hand twisting slightly, but she didn't care. Her face was
burning as Ron paused and nudged her.

"Umm... Hermi... uhh... I have to use my hand and... ummm...."

Hermione, half shocked and a quarter embarrassed, was shocked to realize that she
felt somewhat amused about the situation. She began to laugh, first a small chuckle, but then
roaring with it. She also saw the boys who entered the bathroom pause at the stall that she
and Ron occupied.

When she heard a flush, she jumped as she stared at Ron who was clothed and staring
towards her general direction and something was sparkling in his eyes. "Never thought you'd
start laughing with something like this," he said softly and Hermione realized how close he
was when he turned around. He grinned, in a way she never saw him (well, at least not directed
towards her) do before.

Ron, on the other hand, wanted to laugh along with her. It had been a while since he
heard her laugh. When did she ever laugh? It was so rare of her, Hermione the serious one. And
to hear it, it warmed him somehow. He shook himself. The only reason why he felt so warm was
because she was so close to him. And, what could anyone expect. He was a male, and she a female.
And during the time he was going through... it was expected.

When he unlatched the lock and swung the door open, Dean and Seamus were
looking at him. They brushed past him, Hermione running to Ron's back to make sure
they didn't smack into her.

"I KNOW I heard a girl!" Dean complained. "And she was laughing!"

"Yeah," Seamus agreed. "Well, I've heard about your," Seamus paused as he coughed and
smirked, "girlfriend."

Hermione saw Ron blush, hoping that he won't deny it since they needed an alibi. To
her relief, Ron simply shrugged and nodded. "She is different from other girls in this school,"
he replied instead. Hermione looked at him in shock. His eyes were slightly glazed and with
his tone, he seemed to be... boasting? "I mean, she doesn't go around gossiping and wearing
all that make-up and stuff. She's unique, ya know? And, you have to admit. When she scrunches
her face up when she's confused and pondering over a question..." he paused as he trailed off,
a dreamy look in his eyes. "You know she's cute when she does that."

Hermione was staring in shock at the tall boy who she was magnetized to. Did she
hear right? Her heart felt light at the words he said, despite the fact that she
felt her face burning. 'He's only saying it so we can pretend to be going out,' a voice said
deep inside and she felt that odd sense of... what was it?... disappear. 'He's only making
it up, anyway,' she thought this time to herself, her head sinking to the floor. 'What did
you expect?'

Dean and Seamus were grinning. "Is Ron in love?" Dean asked, his hands
forward to try to squeeze Ron's cheeks.

Ron, blushing, fell back as he tried to get out of George's reach. He wondered how
Hermione was reacting to what he said. He didn't even know why he said it. A simple agreement
like a yes would have done fine. Despite it all, however, he did mean it when he said Hermi
looked cute whenever she was confused.

Ron shook himself again. 'Just the effects of staying with a girl for so long,' he
reasoned out. He glanced behind him, the warmth of the hand that stayed magnetized to his.
'Is it?' he asked himself. He groaned, getting more annoyed at the thoughts that were coming.
'This is Hermione! Hermi... best friend! Bossy Hermione Granger who has bushy brown hair,
large front teeth, an incredible laugh-' He smacked himself this time, trying to get himself
out of those thoughts. Dean and Seamus looked at him with raised brows.

"Well, c'mon," Seamus said nervously, looking at Ron with a slight uneasiness at
the sudden smack that Ron did to himself. "Breakfast already started."

"I'll be there."

"All right." With that, the two left. As they did, Hermione took off the cloak, her
face still beet red.

"Umm..."

"You know why I said what I said, right?" Ron asked, his eyes looking at her, trying
with all his might to find the flaws. Despite it, he remembered the feel of her in his arms,
that laugh... 'God, what's WRONG with me?'

Hermione looked down and Ron was confused as to why she all of a sudden looked
downcast. She wouldn't have wanted him to think things like that towards her, would she?
"Of course I know why," she replied as they exited the bathroom. "So we can have an alibi."

Ron nodded. "Yeah... to stick with the alibi," he agreed, somewhat half-heartedly.
-------

"We have to do this," Hermione muttered beneath her breath, their hands still
magnetized together, their faces still staring at the door that would lead them to breakfast.
"I mean, we have no excuse into missing breakfast every day until summer break! And that's...
that's not till a few more months!"

"We only have April, May, and June to pass by," Ron replied, picturing what would
happen if he walked in the hall, hand-to-hand with Hermione. Malfoy's sneer; all the jeering
and jokes. He shivered, glancing towards Hermione's direction.

Hermione was flushing though, her eyes looking somewhat downcast. She was fingering
her bushy brown hair, as if she seemed to want it to be flat for a change. Catching Ron's
confused eye, her face turned pinker, her eyes not daring to get into contact with his. "I
can understand why you wouldn't... want me to be seen like this... together with you," she
said in a low whisper, her eyes becoming more downcast then ever. "But, we only have to wait
till after my math class and then we can go to Hogsmeade and ask Honeyduke's how to reverse
this and-" She rambled off, feeling Ron's gaze still towards her, his brown eyes rather large
with surprise.

"Hermi.."

Hermione just began to try to get Ron's attention back towards the task at hand. But,
before she could get another gesture or word out, Ron was now firmly gripping her hand. "I
won't be humiliated in having the other boys in Hogwarts thinking that I've chosen you to go
out with," Ron was saying softly, his brown eyes now unusually soft and doe-like. "I just mean
facing Malfoy... You know him. You'd have to restrain me to not jab him, which would be
extremely unfortunate since you are magnetized to my right hand."

Hermione turned even redder. "Thanks, Ron," she said instead.

"There you two LOVEBIRDS are!" A voice cried out. Malfoy was staring at Ron and then
at Hermione, and lastly towards their enjoined hands. "Ohh... so the rumors ARE true!"

Crabbe and Goyle weren't with him, Ron thinking them as already in the breakfast room
wolfing down their food. "And to think, Hermione," Malfoy was continuing, "that you couldn't
go any lower then being a simple Mudblood. You had to lower yourself even further in going
out with a Weasley!"

Ron was flaring again, his face red with anger, but Hermione was holding him back. It
didn't take much strength since if she didn't move an inch forward, neither could Ron. "And to
think, Malfoy," she began, her eyes twinkling dangerously, "that you couldn't just be a
complete asshole. No... you also had to be a.. what was it your mother called after you when
we went onto the train? Now, you know how good my memory is. Wasn't it D-"

"ALL RIGHT!" Malfoy screeched, his face horrified. He was backing towards the door,
his skin oddly a mixture of humiliation and anger. "I'll stop... just.. Don't. Say. That. Name."

"Is that an order, D-"

"NO! Of COURSE NOT!" Malfoy exploded again. "Please, Hermione." He said it so quickly
that it seemed more like he was spitting out bile.

"OH? I'm not a Mudblood, anymore?"

Malfoy's cheeks were now turning red, his ears as bright as Ron's hair. "I-I.."

"Get away from me," Hermi simply muttered and Malfoy already swung the door open and
ran to his seat, in-between Crabbe and Goyle. Ron was looking at Hermione with appraisal.

"What does Malfoy's mum call him?"

Hermione shrugged, her hand still clutching on Ron's, the magnetism in-between their
hands actually becoming stronger. "To tell you the truth, I have absolutely no idea."

Ron's eyes were now twinkling, his mind no longer registering to the fact that they
had entered the hall. Like expected, people from every table was hooting and asking questions
like, "Have you two kissed?" and the considerable amount of jeering. The Slytherin table
remained quiet, Malfoy's cheeks still pink even from its distance to the Gryffindor table.

Harry and Ginny were sitting down, two reserved seats in front of them. Ron and Hermione
happily sat down. Ginny glanced towards the enjoined hands and squealed. "I knew you two would
get together!" she exclaimed, standing up and hugging her bro and Hermione. "When are you two
going for your date? Are you going on a date?"

Ron chuckled nervously, watching as Fred and George rushed to their sides, Parvati and
Lavender giggling on the end of the table. "Is it true?" Fred asked, nudging his brother. "Is
that why Harry covered for you?"

"Huh? What?" Ginny asked.

"Ronniekins sneaked into the girl's dormitory!" George exclaimed. "And sneaked into
Hermione's bed!"

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Parvati and Lavender are gushing about it down the table," George replied. Ron groaned,
watching as all the Gryfinndor boys were giving him thumbs up.

"Look-"

"Don't worry, everyone will try to keep it from the teachers. Heavens know what mum
would do if she knows her baby is sneaking into a girls bedroom." George began laughing with
Fred, and if on cue, the Owl Post came bursting through the windows. And, to everyone's complete
surprise, a Howler dropped on Ron's lap. Fred and George backed away as the room fell silent.
Ron, groaning even more, opened it.

"RON WEASLEY!?!! WHAT IS IT THAT I'M HEARING OF YOU... *YOU* SNEAKING INTO THE GIRL'S
DORMITORIES AT NIGHT!?!?!" The Slytherin students began cracking up and Ron began sinking into
his chair. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR FATHER HAD GONE THROUGH!?! REPORTERS ASKING WHETHER IT WAS
TRUE OR NOT THAT HIS SON WENT INTO A BED WITH ANOTHER GIRL! HAS IT GONE THAT FAR, RON WEASLEY!?!
AND WHO IS THIS GIRL!?!?!" At the latter comment, Hermione began sinking in her chair. "IF I
HEAR ANYMORE REPORTS OF YOU SNEAKING ANYWHERE WITH ANY GIRL AGAIN, START PACKING YOUR BAGS AND
I'LL HAVE YOU LOCKED IN YOUR ROOM TILL... TILL...!!" And then it ended.

Fred and George once more began cracking up, watching as the teacher's faces were
either amused or disappointed. Dumbledore's face, however, was amused. Standing up, he began
the morning speech. "Now as the ::ahem:: situation is put to light, I don't think I have to
reprimand any boy from sneaking into any girl's dormitory anymore nights, do I?"

Ron sunk into his chair deeper as all the eyes were turned on him. Dumbledore continued
with his speech and once it was done, everyone began filing out. Hermione and Ron stayed in the
hallway and then Harry appeared, the silver cloak happily in his hands. "Ron, can you make
sure that this time it doesn't fall off?" Harry asked, and Ron glared at him. "I'll just tell
Professor Trelawny that you fell into a pit full of alligators and the world's ending. That
should get you out of her class." And then, with a smile and a wave, he ran up the steps for
Divination.

Hermione sighed, making sure Ron was covered with the cloak. "You ready?"

Ron snorted as they continued to walk up the steps. They entered the room and Mr. Flitwick
nodded Hermione towards a seat. Hermione sat down and took out her quill. Ron, however, was
forced to sit Indian-style on the floor.

"Today's test is as follows," Professor Flitcwick said, explaining the rules and then
magically giving each a parchment. "You have 40 minutes. Begin."

It was needless to say that that period went on and on for Ron, whose back by then was
already aching. It was also needless to say that numerous times he had to run for cover when
Professor Flitwick would come strolling down the aisle to see how everyone was doing. But, Ron
was also rather interested. He stared at the paper across from Hermi and looked at a sixth year
Ravenclaw's paper.

"Hey, Hermi, the answer for number ten is 3.29871."

Hermione, her arm being forced to stay in a very uncomfortable position since it was
magnetized, chose to ignore him. She felt a cloth sweep her cheek and she could consciously
feel Ron looking at her answers and to the sixth year Ravenclaw's. "Hey, he has a different
answer for number twenty," Ron said, picking up the quill and scratching away Hermione's
answer. Hermi, temper rising, grabbed the quill back and wrote down what she originally
got. "Ron, sit back down and leave me alone!"

"All right, all right... geez..." She sighed as she went back to her work, but then
he continued to whisper. "Maybe you should re-check. You do know that he's in 'Ravenclaw'.
They're the smart and clever ones."

Hermione, not able to resist, gave out a kick and heard a hiss. "Shut up," she whispered,
a deadly undertone in her voice that made Ron gulped. It was also needless to say that he
shut up.
-----

Finally, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the library, the silver cloak tucked tightly
in Harry's school bag. Ron's arm, however, was now stuck around Hermione's shoulder. Madame Pince,
the librarian of Hogwarts, looked towards them with a shake of her head. But they sat down
at the farthest table and got the books (however noisily) and skimmed through the pages.

"All right... what exactly are we looking for?" Harry asked, watching with an amused
smile as Ron was forced to work with his left hand.

"Well, maybe a charm or something?" Hermione replied, already having a thick book called,
"Charms and it's Cures" in front of her. "Or maybe they call this a hex? A curse?"

"That's nice to hear," Ron muttered, picking up a book that had in thick letters, "Hexes."
"What I'm wondering is why Honeydukes would have candy that *magnetizes* people together."

"Well, we get to ask that question by the end of the day," Harry said.

"What question?" Lee asked, taking a seat next to Harry. Fred and George followed suite,
but their eyes were transfixed at Ron's arm that was around Hermione. "So... Ron... how you two
doing?"

Hermione frowned, picking up the book and staring hard at its pages. She didn't notice
as the quill she had been using fell from the table. Ron, staring at it, sighed. Reaching down
with his free hand, he was capable of picking it up. However, when he tried to raise his hand
back up was the problem. The Magnet Beans must have came back double time for now, despite his
will to it to stay, his hand smacked right onto the side of Hermione's butt.

Hermione screamed, standing up and staring at Ron with shock. Fred and George, with Lee,
were staring with dumbfounded eyes at the duo. Hermione, raising her hand, slapped Ron on the
back of his head, but that action caused her to fall backwards with her hand stuck on his head.
When they fell however, is when the magnet beans took their toll. Ron's head, being leveled up
from Hermione's, was being forcefully pushed downwards.

Hermione, seeing what was happening, tried to get her head away, but it was fruitless
and in a moment's time, their lips were pulled together. And that was when Madame Pince and a
few Slytherins came in to look at what all the commotion was.

to be continued...

Ne good? R/R please! ^_-