Hi there everyone. I'm really glad because apparently loads of people are reading this, and though not everybody reviews I'm chufffed anyways. So, I was going to make this into one chapter at first but that would be a very, very long chapter. And I really needed to add my little bit with Claire at the end. So, hope you like it, part 2 is on it's way.

Ch. 21 Hermione's Secret part 1

POV LEXIE JONES:

"Shocking business… shocking… miracle none of them died… never heard the like… by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape…"

"Thank you, Minister."

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say. First Class, if I can wangle it!"

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister."

"Nasty cut you've got there… Black's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Gibbs , Jones, and Granger, Minister…"

"No!"

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behaviour. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape… They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single-handed. They've got away with a great deal before now… I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves… and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster —"

"Ah, well, Snape… Harry Potter, you know… we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned."

"And yet — is it good for him to be given so much special treatment? Personally, I try and treat him like any other student. And any other student would be suspended — at the very least — for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister — against all school rules — after all the precautions put in place for his protection — out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer — and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too —"

"Well, well… we shall see, Snape, we shall see… The boy has undoubtedly been foolish…"

I lay listening with my eyes tight shut. I was the only person with no visible injuries, but Madam Pomfrey had insisted I lay here with the rest. So they thought we were all Confunded.

"What amazes me most is the behavior of the Dementors… you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"

"No, Minister… by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances…"

"Extraordinary. And yet Black, and Harry, and the girls —"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."

There was a pause. Someone chased the Dementors away? But- who could have done it?

I opened my eyes. I was lying in the dark hospital wing. At the very end of the ward, I could make out Madam Pomfrey with her back to him, bending over a bed. Ron's red hair was visible beneath Madam Pomfrey's arm.

I moved my head over on the pillow. In the bed to my right lay Hermione. Moonlight was falling across her bed. Her eyes were open too. The door was ajar, and the voices of Cornelius Fudge and Snape were coming through it from the corridor outside.

Madam Pomfrey now came walking up the dark ward to Harry's bed. She was carrying the largest block of chocolate I had ever seen in my life. It looked like a small boulder.

"Ah, you're awake!" she said briskly.

She placed the chocolate on Harry's bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.

"How's Ron? And the others?" said Harry.

"He'll live," said Madam Pomfrey grimly. "Miss Diggory is still out cold, but when she wakes she'll be fine. Misses Gibbs and McLaggen, however, are doing far worse. They got here just in time. As for you three, you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're — Potter, what do you think you're doing?"

Harry was sitting up, putting his glasses back on, and picking up his wand.

"I need to see the headmaster," he said.

"Potter," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The Dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now —"

"WHAT?"

Harry jumped up out of bed; Hermione and I had done the same. But his shout had been heard in the corridor outside; next second, Cornelius Fudge and Snape had entered the ward.

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" said Fudge, looking agitated. "You should be in bed — has he had any chocolate?"

"Minister, listen!" Harry said. "Sirius Black's innocent! Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the Dementors do that thing to Sirius, he's —"

But Fudge was shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

"Harry, Harry, you're very confused, you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control…"

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!"

"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said; she had hurried to Harry's side and was gazing imploringly into Fudge's face. "I saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and —"

"You see, Minister?" said Snape. "Confunded, all of them… Black's done a very good job on them…"

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry roared.

"Minister! Professor!" said Madam Pomfrey angrily. "I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient, and he should not be distressed!"

"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry said furiously. "If they'd just listen —"

But Madam Pomfrey suddenly stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into Harry"s mouth; he choked, and she seized the opportunity to force him back onto the bed.

"Now, please, Minister, these children need care. Please leave."

The door opened again. It was Dumbledore. Harry swallowed his mouthful of chocolate with great difficulty and got up again.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black —"

"For heaven's sake!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist —"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger, ah, and Miss Jones too, since she's awake as well," said Dumbledore calmly. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black —"

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" spat Snape. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive —"

"That, indeed, is Black's story," said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" snarled Snape. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."

"That was because you were knocked out, Professor!" said Hermione earnestly. "You didn't arrive in time to hear."

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"

"Now, Snape," said Fudge, startled, "the young lady is disturbed in her mind, we must make allowances —"

"I would like to speak to Harry, Lexie and Hermione alone," said Dumbledore abruptly. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy — please leave us."

"Headmaster!" sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "They need treatment, they need rest —"

"This cannot wait," said Dumbledore. "I must insist."

Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office at the end of the ward, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted the large gold pocket watch dangling from his waistcoat.

"The Dementors should have arrived by now," he said. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs."

He crossed to the door and held it open for Snape, but Snape hadn't moved.

"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape whispered, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore's face.

"I wish to speak to Harry, Lexie and Hermione alone," Dumbledore repeated.

Snape took a step toward Dumbledore.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly.

Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to Harry, Hermione and me. We all burst into speech at the same time.

"Professor, Black's telling the truth — we saw Pettigrew — he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf —"

"— he's a rat —"

"— Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off —"

"— Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius —"

But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations.

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word — and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

"Professor Lupin can tell you —" Harry said, unable to stop himself.

"Professor Lupin is currently out cold, like Miss Diggory, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is awake again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends —"

"But —"

"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours."

"He hates Sirius," Hermione said desperately. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him-"

"It's just like Lupin said, sir," I pleaded. "He's putting an innocent man back in Azkaban for a schoolboy grudge. Can't you try and talk to him, make him see sense-"

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady — entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife — without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"But you believe us."

"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic…"

I stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath him were falling sharply away. I had grown used to the idea that Dumbledore could solve anything. Stupid, really, but I had expected Dumbledore to pull some amazing solution out of the air.

"What we need," said Dumbledore slowly, and his light blue eyes moved from Harry, to me, to Hermione, "is more time."

"But —" Hermione began.

And then her eyes became very round. "OH!"

I looked at her curiously.

"Now, pay attention," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you: you must not be seen. Miss Granger, you know the law — you know what is at stake… You — must — not — be —seen."

Harry didn't have a clue what was going on, and my face was frowning all over with concentration. Dumbledore had turned on his heel and looked back as he reached the door.

"I am going to lock you in. It is —" he consulted his watch, "five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

"Good luck?" Harry repeated as the door closed behind Dumbledore. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?"

But Hermione was fumbling with the neck of her robes, pulling from beneath them a very long, very fine gold chain.

"Harry, Lexie, come here," she said urgently. "Quick!"

Harry and I moved toward her, Harry completely bewildered. She was holding the chain out, a tiny, sparkling hourglass hanging from it.

"Here —"

She had thrown the chain around our necks too.

"Ready?" she said breathlessly.

"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.

Then it got me.

"Merlin, are we really-?"

"Really what?" Harry whispered.

I didn't reply. What if I was wrong? I'd look like a complete idiot.

Hermione turned the hourglass over three times. The dark ward dissolved. I had the sensation that he was flying very fast, backward. A blur of colours and shapes rushed past him, ears pounding, Harry yelled, clearly unaware of how ridiculous he sounded—

And then I felt solid ground beneath my feet, and everything came into focus again — I was standing next to Hermione in the deserted entrance hall and a stream of golden sunlight was falling across the paved floor from the open front doors. Harry looked wildly around at Hermione and me, the chain of the hourglass cutting into our necks.

"Hermione, what —?"

"In here!"

Hermione seized our arms and dragged us across the hall to the door of a broom closet; she opened it, pushed us inside among the buckets and mops, then slammed the door behind us.

"What — how — Hermione, what happened?"

"We've gone back in time," Hermione whispered. "Three hours back…"

Harry found his own leg and gave it a very hard pinch. It hurt a lot, which seemed to rule out the possibility that he was having a very bizarre dream. I raised an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me like that," he snarled. "You always look like you're cool with everything, you know everything, but I just bet that you are slightly disorientated as well-"

"Do you really want to have this conversation right now?" I sighed.

Hermione shushed us.

"But —"

"Shh! Listen! Someone's coming! I think — I think it might be us!" Hermione had her ear pressed against the cupboard door. "Footsteps across the hall… yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!"

"Are you telling me," Harry whispered, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?"

"Yes," said Hermione, her ear still glued to the cupboard door. "I'm sure it's us. It sounds like about seven people… and you're walking slowly because you're under the Invisibility Cloak-"

She broke off, still listening intently.

"Do we still want to go or not?" Claire's voice whispered from outside.

"Well, that's definitely us," I muttered. "We've gone down the front steps…"

Hermione sat down on an upturned bucket, looking desperately anxious, but Harry wanted a few questions answered. When you're starting to think he's clever he disappoints you like this.

"Where did you get that hourglass thing?"

"It's called a Time-Turner," Hermione whispered, "and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back."

"That's how you got to all your lessons," I smiled. "Brilliant. I can't be in two places at once, boohoo, - brilliant."

"Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone. She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one. She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies… I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?"

"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," he said slowly. "What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago…"

"Going to Beaky's execution!" I said cheerfully.

"Why do you sound so happy about it?" asked Harry. "You were so upset about it I actually believed you were a human being- for as long as it lasted."

"Wow, you're really well on track!" I said. "But you're forgetting one thing, ordinary, simple-minded, dearest human being, it doesn't have to happen this time. We can stop it from happening."

Harry looked half angry and half impressed, while Hermione wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel.

"But — how will that help Sirius?"

Now Golden Boy decided to have a think.

"Dumbledore said — he just told us where the window is — the window of Flitwick's office! Where they've got Sirius locked up! We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius! Sirius can escape on Buckbeak — they can escape together!"

From what I could see of Hermione's face, she looked terrified.

"If we manage that without being seen, it'll be a miracle!"

"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" said Harry.

He stood up and pressed his ear against the door.

"Doesn't sound like anyone's there… Come on, let's go."

"Golden boy and Grangerbrain off to the rescue," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Ice Queen's coming too this time," Harry answered back.

My lips spread in a grin.

"Hmmm- quite like the sound of that- like our own little Loser Force Three-"

Harry pushed open the closet door. As quietly and quickly as we could, we darted out of the closet and down the stone steps.

"If anyone's looking out of the window —" Hermione squeaked, looking up at the castle behind them.

"We'll run for it," said Harry determinedly. "Straight into the forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout —"

Safe in the shadows of the trees, Harry turned around; seconds later, Hermione and I arrived beside him, panting.

"Right," Hermione gasped. "We need to sneak over to Hagrid's… Keep out of sight, you two…"

Hagrid had appeared in his doorway, shaking and white, looking around to see who had knocked. I heard Harry's voice, and saw him as clear as the one next to me. Odd.

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered.

He stood back, then shut the door quickly.

"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Harry said fervently.

"So far," I whispered, "so far only, darling."

"Let's move along a bit," Hermione whispered. "We need to get nearer to Buckbeak!"

We crept through the trees until they saw the nervous Hippogriff, tethered to the fence around Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

"Now?" Harry whispered.

"No!" said Hermione. "If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside!"

"That's going to give us about sixty seconds," said Harry.

I groaned. This was starting to seem impossible. At that moment, there was a crash of breaking china from inside Hagrid's cabin.

"That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug," Hermione whispered. "I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment —"

Sure enough, a few minutes later, I heard Hermione's shriek of surprise.

"Hermione," said Harry suddenly, "what if we — we just run in there and grab Pettigrew —"

"No!" said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Dumbledore, if we're seen —"

"We'd only be seen by ourselves and Hagrid!"

"Harry, what do you think you'd do if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid's house?" said Hermione.

"I'd — I'd think I'd gone mad," said Harry, "or I'd think there was some Dark Magic going on —"

"Exactly! You wouldn't understand, you might even attack yourself! Don't you see? Professor McGonagall told me what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time… Loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves by mistake!"

"Well, that's unhelpful," I huffed.

"Okay!" said Harry. "It was just an idea, I just thought —"

But Hermione nudged him and pointed toward the castle. I moved my head a few inches to get a clear view of the distant front doors. Dumbledore, Fudge, the old Committee member, and Macnair the executioner were coming down the steps.

"We're about to come out!" Hermione breathed.

POV CLAIRE GIBBS:

You're nothing, nothing, you little fool. Your nothing but a fat, ugly, piece of misery. That it took you twelve years of your life to realize that, you stupid girl. You're an idiot. Your naïve little brain makes you think you're smart, but Hermione and Lexie outsmarten you in their sleep.

Yet you keep drowning yourself with books, fooling yourself… or perhaps the studying is just an obsession, or a distraction? To keep you from the things that actually bother you? Your father knew how worthless you were. And when he'd had so much faith in you…

You were a disappointment. Probably the last disappointment he could take. That's all your fault. He lost the last thing he had faith in. You disappointed him. Especially stupid of you, he was the least difficult of them all to disappoint.

All he wanted you to become was a successful business woman, like you always said as a little girl. Mummy can have her spells, you said, even if it were to just to make him proud. You were always good with numbers.

He was very proud of you, you could get the education he never had, you could get the job he'd always wanted. He could be proud of you because he made you like you were. Or as he thought you were. Oh yes, he was so proud. But then again, should you really be proud if your daughter is better with numbers than with people?

He was only proud of the person he thought you were, not the person you are. You let him down, even though he was so easy to please. By far the easiest.

Your mother was not too difficult as well, all she wanted was a sweet, polite, cheerful child. But you are blunt, stubborn, grumpy. Not really good company. Your friends know that as well.

Harry, Bella, Ron, Janice, Lexie, Hermione, You're none of their favourites.

Lexie and Bella are diving at each other's throats constantly but they still prefer each other over you. Ron and Janice share no common ground and they'd rather spend time with each other than wit you. Hermione and Bella, they're almost like the sun and the moon sometimes, but it's not hard to guess whose company they prefer. And you even helped Harry, with something he really wanted, he hardly even thanked you for it. He still doesn't want to hang with you at other times.

Even they can see you're desperate. Secretly you crave attention, you want nothing but to be praised. You don't get it that much. Figures. But the most pathetic example has not yet been said.

Cedric Diggory. What exactly were you thinking. Can't believe you thought for a second he could actually be interested in you. You, fatty, plain-faced, bushy-haired, grumpy Claire Gibbs? Thought you could sink no lower.

YOU BLOODY FOOL.

I screamed. I'd never felt so weak and miserable in my entire life. It took what felt like ages to even get used to the light. What little light there was. When I had finally managed to visualize the outlines of the darkened ward I lay in, I wanted to get up straight away.

But when I just worked myself up in sitting position, the room started spinning so badly I decided to remain abed for a little while longer.

"Oh, you're awake," said Madam Pomfrey's soft voice beside me. "I've been very worried about you. it seems that not only the Dementors got you really bad, but you are extremely undernourished as well. Why do I have to keep telling you girls that not eating is not the way-"

"I've just got a very good digestive system, Madam Pomfrey," I said casually. "Nothing to worry abou- OH!"

I nearly choked. The nurse had shoved a huge chunk of chocolate up my throat. The sweet taste of it filled my mouth, but I couldn't get myself to like it, while images of my fat body floated before my eyes.

"Good girl," said the nurse approvingly.

Whatever, I thought, I'll dispose of it later in the bathroom, like always. The chocolate did give me a bit more energy, and the blurred outlines in the room turned into vivid images.

I almost wished I had stayed half-blind. I had seen Bella's wounds before, when they were still fresh, but new blood was coming through her bandages and she looked unnaturally pale. I swear, if I hadn't seen her breathing softly, I'd be sure she was dead.

There were other beds, Lexie, Hermione and Harry were sleeping in three of them, since they only had minor injuries. Ron was trying to sleep next to it, but his face was contorting with pain every once in a while. The last two beds were blocked with curtains, probably with Janice and Professor Lupin behind them.

Madam Pomfrey shoved another piece of chocolate in my mouth and then hustled off. I made myself comfortable and closed my eyes, but I couldn't get myself to fall asleep. Then, the door of the hospital wing opened, and I checked, expecting Madam Pomfrey to come in again.

But it was a boy. A tall boy. A broad, curly-haired boy. I swallowed.

"You're awake!" he whispered.

"Cedric, what are you doing here?" I hissed.

"Coming to check up on you, of course!" he said. "And Janice," he added as an afterthought.

"Of course?" I huffed. "We haven't spoken in months and the last time I checked you were too busy with Cho Chang. So sod off- I want to get some sleep."

"I won't be in long," he said. "I just wanted to check if you were all right. So, are you? All right?"

"Me? Oh, of course I'm all right!" I snarled. "Perfect! Marvellous! Never been better, thanks for asking!"

Then, out of the blue, I broke down in soft, but violent sobbing. My shoulders shook so heavily that for a second I thought I was going to fall out of the bed and wake everyone. Two gentle hands grasped them and held me uptight.

"There's way more to you than meets the eye, isn't it?" Cedric started slowly. "You'd like everyone to think you don't care about their opinion but it actually tears you down slowly. You're insecure, like every girl, but you won't allow yourself to be. You're so scared of disappointing everyone you're just making yourself miserable. You keep others away because you don't want anyone to get past that thick wall you've built around you. you're scared of getting hurt, especially now you've experienced such sudden loss."

I wanted to respond to him, half of me wanting to thank him for his sweet words, other half wanting to shout he's wrong, and lie myself. I opened my mouth but it just resulted in more sobbing.

"Don't speak, just listen," said Cedric. "I can't speak for Janice or any of your other friends, but I can speak for myself. I won't make excuses. I've been horrible to you. I suspected what was wrong, but never than it went this deep. I haven't helped. I've probably only made it worse. Look, I don't know how much I've caused this, I don't want to know. I just to say I'll be there for you from now on. If you need me, come to me and I'll do it if it's within my power. Now, if you still want me to leave I will."

Old tears were still flowing from my cheeks, but new ones weren't joining them. I just gaped at him.

"Do you want me to leave?" he repeated.

I shook my head slowly.

"Okay," he said. "Is there anything you want of me specifically, or shall I just sit here, hold your hand an get you through the night?"

Again I was lost for words. He spent the past few months not talking to me and now he's suggesting to hold and my hand and wait till it's dawn together. It sounds too good to be true. He saw my troubled face.

"I don't have to hold your hand-" he started quickly but I broke him off.

"It's fine, I just don't understand."

Cedric smiled shyly and sat down on the bed, grabbing my hand with two of his.

"I don't know if you've noticed, Claire, but I really like you and I'm bad at coming out for my feelings. I used to be scared you didn't like me back, but now I think you do and I feel sorry for sending to mixed messages. I hope you can forgive me and we can start over."

This was starting to make less and less sense. I pinched my arm.

"I'm not dreaming," I blurted out.

Cedric blushed even more and his fingers squeezed my tiny hand.

"You like me?" I said, trying to gain control of my tongue a little more.

"You thought I wouldn't like you?" Cedric giggled nervously. "I thought you were way too serious for a guy like me. I was afraid you'd see me as this typical popular guy, which I'm not, or at least, I'm trying not to be him."

"I was afraid I wasn't pretty enough for you," I said, feeling more confident now he was confessing as well.

"Why would you say that about yourself?" he said. "You're b-"

"Please, don't lie to my face. It's fine, if you like me for my personality somehow. But just don't lie. I'm sorry. I'm not Cho Chang."

"No, you're not," said Cedric, smiling and moving closer.

I could see his dark eyes really closely now, all the darker and lighter grey speckles in them. I could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"You're not Cho Chang," he repeated. "That's why I like you. You're not a classic beauty, more of the unconventional kind. It works. At least, it works for me."

My lips formed into a genuine smile and a nervous laugh escaped my mouth. Cedric seemed to get more nervous as well, especially now we were so close to each other. But neither of us wanted any more distance between us.

Cedric fake-coughed to break the tension.

"Good God- I'm really bad at this- er- Can I finally kiss you now?"

I nodded and felt his lips softly touch mine, then press harder into a deeper kiss.

Tadaahh! So Cedric and Claire are finally together! OTP/SHIP/NOTP? You love/like/hate them?

By the way, what about Harry's and Lexie's thing in this chapter? Did you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it? I hope you did.