A/N - Cross posting this from AO3, this is my first entry into the HMS Harmony Discord's Valentine's Day challenge.
The Prompt was - 'Ron had been removed by his angry brothers yet Hermione still appeared to be fighting tears.
His date nudged him. "Go get your witch, Potter," Parvati said with a sympathetic look.
He stared at her in confusion, then stood as comprehension dawned.
Even years later, he could not recall crossing the room. But he remembered the look of awed wonder when he asked her to dance, and her blinding smile when she said yes.
"I'm pants at this," he warned her as they took the floor. "I don't mind," she whispered shyly.
And that was the beginning of everything.'
Published it kind of a while ago but only just got around to posting it here lol, hope you guys enjoy it too.
I don't own Harry Potter.
Christmas 1994-
He couldn't remember any time his anxiety had been this high. His heart was beating a frenzy in his chest as he watched Fred and George physically shove Ron out of the Great Hall. His best friend had just had a shouting match with his other best friend and Harry knew it was entirely because someone else was her date, let alone the fact that it was Viktor Krum. Now, don't get it twisted, Harry didn't like seeing Hermione with Krum any more than Ron did, in fact seeing his rival getting so close to her and hold her and kiss her hand felt like someone had wrapped a hundred elastic bands around his heart and it was seconds away from exploding with the pressure.
Harry had stopped himself approaching them all night. He had seen her coming down the stairs at the beginning of the night and lost all awareness of anything other than her. He lost the ability to close his jaw when she smiled at him, and he completely lost the delusion that there was anyone he wanted more than her when she linked arms with Krum. He was shallow and he knew it. How had it come to this to make him realise? She had always been the one by his side, particularly this year since Ron had let his jealousy take over, so why hadn't she been the first thought when it came to dates?
Because that was supposed to be your crush, right? And he had a crush on Cho. That's what it was, so why was he bothered so much about Hermione being someone else's date. He thought for a few moments about Cho and realised that he didn't actually have much to think about. He knew virtually nothing about her. She was pretty and she was a great Quidditch player. What else was there? Why had he been so obsessed? Was that it? Was he really that shallow?
There was no other explanation. He had been blind and was now at the Yule Ball with neither his obsession nor the person he should have invited in the first place. It's not like he disliked Parvati. She was nice, pretty and they had fun when they were with the other Gryffindors. But she didn't like Quidditch and… she wasn't Hermione. She hadn't been with him through the things he'd been through with Hermione. She hadn't shown him the utter devotion he'd found in Hermione.
And how did he repay Hermione? He didn't even consider the fact that she was a girl and the perfect person to take as a date. And now, it was obvious. Even when his first friend was being forcibly removed from the hall, his eyes were glued to her. Even though he was gone, Hermione seemed to still be fighting tears. Krum made to grab her arm, gently, but she moved it away when she felt his hand. Harry wasn't great at reading lips, but she seemed to say 'Not right now' and she shuffled away from him through a crowd of people, hiding herself from the view of everyone attending. His eyes never left her though.
Until he felt his date nudge him. He turned to look at her, expecting her to be irritated at his lack of attentiveness and for staring at another girl. He immediately felt guilty. He wasn't doing well that night. However, that's not what her face seemed to say. She was looking at him sympathetically and smiling softly before she spoke.
"Go get your witch, Potter." He stared at her in confusion but stood from his seat when comprehension dawned. She wasn't bitter, she wasn't hurt, and she wasn't jealous. She had known before he had. Behind her, Lavender was giving him the same look, along with Dean, Seamus and Neville, though Ginny stood there confused. They all knew, and they were all there for him. He turned back to find Hermione.
Even years later, he could barely recall crossing the room. All he had was the image of her stood there looking distraught but beautiful. Though, he never forgot her look of awed wonder as he asked to dance, or the blinding, radiant smile as she said yes. It felt like a blur, like a drug as he took her hand and escorted her to the dance floor, unaware of the curious stares and shocked outrage of one young Quidditch star.
"I'm guessing you saw me with Parvati earlier. I'm pants at this." he warned her as they took the floor.
"I don't mind." she whispered shyly, brushing a strand of hair over her ear nervously. They began, tentatively, moving with the music, both pairs of eyes stuck to the other's. He analysed her face for the entire first song and, when it ended and they both awkwardly began to pull away, Harry pulled her back.
"Could we stay for another song?" She smiled immediately and nodded, pulling herself in closer. This song was slower, so they swayed with Harry's cheek pressed against hers, their chests leaning on each other's. "I'm sorry." he murmured in her ear.
"You don't have to be sorry for him. He couldn't handle someone else paying attention to me and…"
"Not for him. I'm not sorry for him. Right now, I don't really care about him. I'm sorry for not paying attention to you myself." She pulled her head back to let him dead in the eyes, her brows scrunched.
"What do you mean?"
"I was…" he sighed. It was now or never. "I was so obsessed with Cho for no reason other than she was pretty and good at Quidditch and then felt lost when she said no that I never even properly looked around me. If I had, I'd have seen you plain as day, as I do now. I hate that it took me seeing you with someone else and Ron losing his nut for me to really understand what you mean to me." Her eyes widened and lips parted as he confessed. "I should have asked you to this blasted ball immediately and I'm so sorry that I didn't."
"No, Harry, It's alright. You've had a lot on your plate and…"
"But that's not fair. Because you've had just as much on your plate by choice. You've chosen to stick by and help me and I've done nothing to deserve it."
"Harry, of course you deserve it." she insisted, meeting his eyes determinedly. "You're one of the best people I know, if not the best. You deserve nothing less than my full devotion and that of everyone here. No-one here understands what you've been through and the fact that this crap keeps coming back to you is unfair. You have no reason to think you owe me anything and there is every reason that you deserve the world. That's what you're worth to me." Harry could feel the tears pooling.
"You're wrong. I owe you everything. I wouldn't have survived first, second or third year without you. But you know what, all I need is you and I'm going to spend everyday trying to prove that I'm worthy of you. Just you. The world doesn't matter to me." He leaned forward, not forgetting about the people watching, namely one Viktor Krum, and kissed her cheek. And that was the beginning of everything. Everything that matters most to this day.
Valentine's Day 1995-
10 days. He had 10 days before the second task, and he still had nothing. He was no closer to figuring out what he was supposed to get from the egg, and he was beginning to lose faith in his ability to get through this tournament. Someone had forced him into this thing so he would die, and he was beginning to think it had been a very good plan.
If it weren't for her, he would have given up already. She kept insisting that he would do well, and he could figure out the egg and she said it all so confidently that he had no choice but to believe her. Ever since his promise on the night of the Yule Ball, they had been basically inseparable. Ron had a little bit of a hard time reconciling that fact but came to peace with her resumed constant presence eventually, though they weren't immune to an awkward moment or two because of him. Ron did seem to be getting suspicious of the two of them, however. But that's beside the point. Hermione was keeping Harry on the path to victory, but she couldn't actually help him with the problem.
He looked up from the egg in his hands that morning when she came down from the girls dorm and looked at her desperately.
"I've still got nothing. I have no idea what this clue is meant to be." She looked at him sympathetically and sat down beside him on the sofa.
"You'll get there. You're brilliant and I have every faith in you. But maybe you need a day's break from stressing out about this." she suggested.
"Really? YOU just suggested taking a day off?" he smirked.
"Yeah, why not?" she shrugged shyly.
"Ok, what did you have in mind?"
"Do you know what day it is?"
"14th. Ten days before the…"
"Stop right there!" she demanded, outraged. "No task talk! 14th of what?" she prompted.
"February." he answered, confused about the point of this.
"And what makes that date special?" she asked, biting on her bottom lip.
"14th February? Nothing, I don't think."
"Seriously Harry?" She looked at him, exasperated and, possibly, a little disappointed.
"What?" She huffed and tilted her head in thought before speaking again.
"Two years ago, 14th February. A very memorable thing happened to you. What was it?" Two years ago was the year of the Chamber of Secrets fiasco. How was anything supposed to be memorable against that?
"Ummm… was that the duelling club? When everyone heard me speak parseltongue for the first time?"
"No! Oh, blimey, you're useless."
"Hey!" he exclaimed indignantly. "Just tell me!"
"You got a visit from a singing dwarf." she prompted once more. Then Harry remembered the trauma.
"Oh! That bloody valentines thing from Ginny." His eyes widened comically as he realised. "Oh! It's Valentine's Day! Why didn't you just tell me that?"
"Because I didn't realise it would be that difficult to get you to figure it out. Honestly, boys."
"That's sexism, you know." he teased. She stared at him, wide eyes and leant back a bit.
"Oh really?" she said ominously.
"Just kidding?"
"I thought so." she smirked triumphantly.
"So, what were you thinking of actually doing…" He gasped when it occurred to him. "Hermione, are you asking me to be your Valentine?"
"Oh, so you got there in the end." she said, attempting to sound confident, though her averted gaze and red cheeks betrayed her shyness.
"Wow, I'm flattered. What about Krum though?" he continued teasingly.
"Shut up. You know there was never anything really there." He shifted closer, gaining a little confidence after hearing that.
"But there is something here?" he asked seriously this time, gesturing between them.
"I…think so." she drawled, still not meeting his eyes. "Do you?" His leg was pressing against hers now and he took her hand.
"Yes. I… I do." he said shakily, his own nervousness revealing itself. She finally looked up at him and their foreheads rested on each other. There were a few short moments, then, in which their eyes were darting between the eyes and lips of the other person. Just as Harry started to angle his mouth towards hers, she detached her forehead from his and straightened herself up. Harry did the same just as Hermione seemed to recognise what he was trying to do and apologised.
"Sorry, I was just going to, you know, get into a better position to…"
"Right, of course, yeah, sorry. I didn't mean to rush or anything…"
"Oh no, you didn't. I absolutely was going to…"
"Oh, you were…?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Right, so… we should just…"
"Absolutely." So, they both began to lean in again. Harry's hands rested on the sofa either side of him, Hermione's doing the same. His left hand and her right were mere millimetres from touching each other and, as they leaned in to kiss, those fingers inched to each other. As their fingers met, so did their lips and Harry felt exhilarated. It felt right. Exactly what he had wanted it to be ever since he had realised what she meant to him back at the Yule Ball. This felt comfortable and dangerous at the same time. It was a risk, but he had never been more confident about such a venture. Cho could never have felt like this because he just didn't know her well enough to be comfortable with her this way. Hermione was beautiful and his best friend. She was perfect. They kissed for several seconds before they broke off and smiled at each other.
"So, what should we actually do then? For Valentine's Day?" Harry asked, grinning stupidly.
"Doesn't the boy usually set up the date?"
"You were the one that asked."
"Fair enough. Alright, how about…" She tilted her head in thought. "…breakfast by the lake? Good place for a, you know, first date?"
"Genius." Harry grinned and off they went hand-in-hand to collect their breakfast for their first date.
Christmas 2021-
The tree was glowing, the fireplace was flickering gently, and his mug of coffee was steaming from the heating charm he had placed on it as they worked. He slumped down onto the sofa, picked up the mug and held it in his hands as he kept warm. He looked up and smiled as his wife wandered in with a tired smile.
"Well then, everyone's asleep with full stockings." she announced satisfactorily.
"Did you manage to fit that whiteboard into Sam's stocking?" Harry asked, talking about 'Santa's' gift for their youngest so he could put reminders for himself next to his bed at Hogwarts.
"Yep." Hermione replied quickly, making him suspicious.
"Did you use an undetectable extension charm?" She turned and grinned sheepishly at him.
"Maybe." He gasped in a mock outraged response.
"I thought you wanted stockings to stay muggle!" he declared teasingly.
"Yes, I know. But I don't want to spoil the surprise for when he opens it."
"Mmhmm." he hummed, smirking.
"Stop it." She admonished. "Did Rose or Beatrice stir at all?"
"No. I'm stealthy, like a cat!" he joked, garnering a laugh from his wife.
"You're ridiculous."
"What about Sam and Duncan?"
"Sam shifted a little. I may have groaned when I decided to use magic." He over-exaggerated a gasp.
"You nearly spoilt Christmas! For our youngest!"
"Harry, he stopped believing in Santa several years ago." she pointed out.
"That's because he's boring!" he joked.
"You said he was more like me the other day!"
"Proving my point."
"Oh really?" she asked ominously, her head leant back with wide eyes. He had a sudden flashback.
"Just kidding?"
"As you always are. You're such a wuss." They laughed together for few moments before they both breathed deeply and sighed.
"I guess it's our turn to turn in, eh?" Harry suggested, turning to look at the love of his life as she sat down next to him. Her eyebrows furrowed.
"Not right now, there's something else I want to do." she announced as she stood back up again.
"And what might that be?" She turned back to him with her phone and speaker in hand.
"I want to dance."
"We can't do that. The music would wake that lot up." he chuckled.
"Oh, right, yeah." She put down the speakers and picked up her headphones. "Just another thing muggles have that wizards don't. Stubborn morons." He laughed at Hermione again as he forced himself up off the sofa and approached her. She plugged in the headphones and clicked a song on her phone before offering Harry one end. He took it, placed in his ear, Hermione doing the same, and took hold of her hand and her waist. It was a slow song and Harry's cheek rested on hers. A moment or two passed before he recognised the song.
"Is this…?"
"Yup. The song from the Yule Ball."
"How the hell did you get that on your phone?" he whispered in her ear.
"Well, as one of the few people of the magical variety that knows how to use muggle tech, I was able to make a digital copy and upload it onto my phone."
"You're incredible. It's belittling." She laughed at him lightly as they swayed.
"Can you believe it's been twenty five years? Twenty five years since that night."
"I know. It feels surreal. Then you take into account our four children and Ron's maturity levels and suddenly twenty five years feels insufficient to have achieved all of that."
"Be serious." she admonished through a laugh. "Do you remember that night?"
"Of course I do. That night changed my life."
"Our lives. Do you remember that promise you made?"
"Absolutely." He declared after a brief hesitation, reminiscing on the intervening years and whether or not he had lived up to it.
"You have by the way. You've proved it tenfold." she assured him, having seemingly read his mind. If he didn't know any better, he would say she had mastered legilimency. But he did no better and knew she refused to try. "There is no-one in the world more worthy of me than you are."
"Modest." he teased. She huffed out an irritated laugh.
"Seriously?"
"Yeah, it's like you think you matter more than the world or something."
"Have you been waiting to make that joke for twenty five years?"
"No. I said it because I meant it." he said seriously. "I only realised the potential for the joke a couple of months later." They laughed together before they soon fell silent again and simply swayed to the music in their ears, the flicker of the dying fire beside them.
As the song drew to a close, they pulled back and looked each other in the eye. They didn't speak, they didn't need to. The looks in their eyes said everything. The adoration, the devotion and the endless love. They tilted their mouths towards each other and melted into the kiss. On the mantelpiece, all three hands hit the twelve. Happy Christmas Mr and Mrs Granger-Potter.
Valentine's Day 2022-/p
"Now that was gorgeous." Hermione moaned in pleasure, leaning back to revel in the aftertaste.
"I know. I'm stuffed though." Harry agreed.
"We should come here more often. That's the nicest food I've had, besides your cooking, that comes in acceptable portions."
"You're not wrong. Cheaper than those crappy posh places too."
"You what? You're a cheap date?"
"Look," he admonished lightly, his palms in the air, "I'm not made of money." Hermione gasped in faux-shock.
"I thought I'd married rich. This is so shocking. You lied to me, and I want a divorce." He laughed at her as she maintained a serious face. His laughter started to die as her expression didn't waver but, as his face started to drop, she lost her façade and burst out cackling.
"Alright, thank you. You can stop laughing at me now."
"Sorry, it's just you actually looked convinced for a second. It was priceless."
"Shut up." he chuckled.
"Sorry. At least this date was your idea though. You've improved over the years."
"Oh, thanks love." he said sarcastically. "At least I've been more creative than you. A picnic? Tut tut."
"Picnics are lovely. And going out for dinner isn't exactly original."
"I worked very hard to find this restaurant thank you very much."
"I know." She softened with a smile. "And I really appreciate it, seriously. Thank you. I love you."
"I love you too." he returned with a matching smile, grasping her hand that was lain on the table.
"But I still think a picnic is a great idea. In fact, I wouldn't be against one right now." Harry looked at her, bewildered.
"Love, it's past eleven at night. Where exactly would you want to have a picnic?" She raised an eyebrow and smirked suggestively.
"Bed." she suggested simply. Harry barely hesitated to catch the waiter's eye.
"Could we have the bill please?"
;)