Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of J.K. Rowling's characters! Geez, if I have to say that one more time---!!!!!!
A/N: I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!! Seriously, I got so many good reviews I've decided to make this the best chapter yet (and if it isn't--well then blah). If it's horrible, please forgive me but since I am only 14 and have yet to be kissed, I have no idea what it feels like.
Harry Potter and the Last Dance
Chapter 6
Harry didn't go up to the dormitories that night. Instead he sat on a couch in the common room, watching the fire blazing in front of him and trying to ignore Fred and George Weasley's taunts.
"Oh Harry, I just love you so much--I think I'll give you a little kiss on the cheek!" Fred batted his eyelashes, speaking in a squeaky impression of Hermione.
Harry knew he was turning red, most likely from embarrassment, though he decided to show them his anger at their remarks. "SHE DID NOT SAY THAT!" he roared at the twins. They took a step back, shocked, and the entire common room fell silent.
It didn't take George long to recover from his suprise, however, and he glanced at Fred, grinning. "Aw, Harry has a little crush!"
Red as a tomato, Harry stepped up to the twins and hissed, "Would you like me to personally shove some Canary Creams down your throat?"
Fred and George didn't take this as a threat--instead, they laughed. "Why George, dear brother," remarked Fred in a superior tone of voice. "I reckon you're correct in your theory--" at this point he became serious, "--so how many Sickles do I owe you?"
Harry's jaw dropped, much to the amusement of the twins, and even as he sat back in front of the fireplace he could still hear their comments ("Oy, Fred! Don't you have enough? It's a scam; I knew you wouldn't pay, just like Bagman!")
Sometime around midnight the twins abandoned the common room, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts (he ignored the group of third years giggling and playing some muggle game called "spin the bottle"). 'Oh God,' he thought at last. 'I have to tell her--I can't keep stalling like this!'
Reluctantly, Harry reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out his wand. Within seconds, he had produced a single red rose out of thin air. Standing up, he spoke to the fireplace, deep in concentration. "Hermione--I-I wanted to--ah, no! That's no good!" he told himself, pacing back and forth. By this time even the third years had given up and gone to bed. "Hermione, I made this for you--no! That's worse!" He looked at the rose in his hands, twirling it around curiously. Suddenly he spoke. "Hermione, this is for you. I wanted to give you something, and--"
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said softly, reaching her hand over his and touching the flower. Harry jumped. 'How can she sneak up on me like that?' he demanded silently.
"Oh--er, here," he stuttered, handing her the rose. "I just--I just thought--"
"It's beautiful, Harry," she whispered, smiling her sweet smile at him. He looked up at her, noticing something odd in her voice. Her eyes held a faraway, almost nervous, look in them, and she kept glancing at the ground.
"Hermione?" he whispered, and as she looked up, he leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers. It was just a quick little kiss, but when Harry pulled away he gave her a sheepish grin and she blushed.
They seemed to stand there, grinning at each other, for the longest time before Hermione spoke. "Well, er, we should probably try to figure out what happened to Sirius." Sirius. At the mention of his name, the joy pounding through Harry's brain seemed to disappear instantly.
"Er, right," Harry said automatically. "Well--Dumbledore isn't telling us something, we know that."
"Not really," Hermione replied. "He could be telling us everything--but I do agree with you. So, do you have any ideas?"
"We could ask Dumbledore again," Harry suggested. "He might be willing to help us now."
Hermione nodded. "That would be a good idea. We need a backup plan, though, because somehow I doubt very much Professor Dumbledore will tell us the whole story."
Harry said nothing for a moment, and when he finally spoke he met her eyes. "We could go to Sirius's cave and see for ourselves what's there--I mean, I could go by myself--"
Hermione put a hand a Harry's arm, and he smiled inwardly. "No, Harry. I'll come with you. I bet even Ron will help, if you just ask."
He grew solemn. "Hermione, Ron's been--well, I think he's been avoiding me lately."
"No he hasn't," said a voice inside the fireplace. Harry gasped--it was Sirius, or rather, Sirius's head.
"Sirius!" Harry and Hermione said at the same time. "What are you doing here?" Harry hissed, angry that Sirius was once again jeopardizing his safety for Harry.
"Same deal as last time, Harry," he said. "I broke into a wizarding house. I don't have much time here."
"But--" Hermione broke in. "We thought you were--"
"Dead?" he questioned. "No, though it was a close call. I used the same spell I am now to make myself appear here--thank God only Ron was up at the time."
"Wait," Harry said. "So the reason Ron's been avoiding me is because he's been helping you?"
"Yes," Sirius replied. "And I might've given him some advice on, er, homework." He emphasized the word "homework" very strongly, and Hermione jumped up.
"Oh, that reminds me! I have to go get my quill to plan this out with," she said, rushing up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Harry looked at Sirius curiously, and Sirius laughed.
"Just like Lily. I knew that would get her out of here!" At his words Harry gave him a hesitant smile.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked.
"Hermione," Siruis stated simply. Harry blushed, looking at the floor. "You really like her, don't you?" he asked, almost like a father would.
Harry nodded. "I think it's more than "like." I mean, it's not like my obsession with Cho. I think--Sirius, I think I love her."
Sirius's face suddenly looked panicked. "Harry, I think the family's coming back. I've got to go."
"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed. "What should I do?"
He met Harry's eyes for a brief second. "Follow your heart." With a small pop, his head disappeared.
Just then, Harry heard Hermione running back into the common room. "Sorry it took so lon--" she cut herself off when she saw the empty fireplace. Harry looked over at her.
"The family came back to their house. He had to leave."
"Oh," said Hermione. "Well at least we know he's safe."
He nodded. "Yes. I think he'll start sending owls again soon. At least, I hope so--he gives good advice."
She looked puzzled. "What do you need advice on?" she asked.
Harry shrugged, grinning a little. "Most everything. Quidditch, school, my parents--and this." Once more, their lips met, but this time the kiss lasted longer, as though each of them were releasing emotions bottled up and hidden for years. 'Of course it's like that,' Harry thought, his heart racing as Hermione put her arms around his neck. 'I've loved her forever.'
When they pulled away, Hermione met his eyes, staring at him uncertainly. "This is Sirius's advice?" she asked, blushing slightly.
"He told me to follow my heart," Harry said softly. "So I did."
A/N: Can you say FLUFF! Honestly, I'm suprised at myself. Sorry if this isn't romantic enough for you guys--I had to fit the plot in somewhere. But at least THEY FINALLY KISSED! Yay! Hope you all liked it--I tried my best. Next chapter will probably be the last. Thanks for reading, and please review!
LUV, ~ME~
A/N: I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!! Seriously, I got so many good reviews I've decided to make this the best chapter yet (and if it isn't--well then blah). If it's horrible, please forgive me but since I am only 14 and have yet to be kissed, I have no idea what it feels like.
Harry Potter and the Last Dance
Chapter 6
Harry didn't go up to the dormitories that night. Instead he sat on a couch in the common room, watching the fire blazing in front of him and trying to ignore Fred and George Weasley's taunts.
"Oh Harry, I just love you so much--I think I'll give you a little kiss on the cheek!" Fred batted his eyelashes, speaking in a squeaky impression of Hermione.
Harry knew he was turning red, most likely from embarrassment, though he decided to show them his anger at their remarks. "SHE DID NOT SAY THAT!" he roared at the twins. They took a step back, shocked, and the entire common room fell silent.
It didn't take George long to recover from his suprise, however, and he glanced at Fred, grinning. "Aw, Harry has a little crush!"
Red as a tomato, Harry stepped up to the twins and hissed, "Would you like me to personally shove some Canary Creams down your throat?"
Fred and George didn't take this as a threat--instead, they laughed. "Why George, dear brother," remarked Fred in a superior tone of voice. "I reckon you're correct in your theory--" at this point he became serious, "--so how many Sickles do I owe you?"
Harry's jaw dropped, much to the amusement of the twins, and even as he sat back in front of the fireplace he could still hear their comments ("Oy, Fred! Don't you have enough? It's a scam; I knew you wouldn't pay, just like Bagman!")
Sometime around midnight the twins abandoned the common room, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts (he ignored the group of third years giggling and playing some muggle game called "spin the bottle"). 'Oh God,' he thought at last. 'I have to tell her--I can't keep stalling like this!'
Reluctantly, Harry reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out his wand. Within seconds, he had produced a single red rose out of thin air. Standing up, he spoke to the fireplace, deep in concentration. "Hermione--I-I wanted to--ah, no! That's no good!" he told himself, pacing back and forth. By this time even the third years had given up and gone to bed. "Hermione, I made this for you--no! That's worse!" He looked at the rose in his hands, twirling it around curiously. Suddenly he spoke. "Hermione, this is for you. I wanted to give you something, and--"
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said softly, reaching her hand over his and touching the flower. Harry jumped. 'How can she sneak up on me like that?' he demanded silently.
"Oh--er, here," he stuttered, handing her the rose. "I just--I just thought--"
"It's beautiful, Harry," she whispered, smiling her sweet smile at him. He looked up at her, noticing something odd in her voice. Her eyes held a faraway, almost nervous, look in them, and she kept glancing at the ground.
"Hermione?" he whispered, and as she looked up, he leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers. It was just a quick little kiss, but when Harry pulled away he gave her a sheepish grin and she blushed.
They seemed to stand there, grinning at each other, for the longest time before Hermione spoke. "Well, er, we should probably try to figure out what happened to Sirius." Sirius. At the mention of his name, the joy pounding through Harry's brain seemed to disappear instantly.
"Er, right," Harry said automatically. "Well--Dumbledore isn't telling us something, we know that."
"Not really," Hermione replied. "He could be telling us everything--but I do agree with you. So, do you have any ideas?"
"We could ask Dumbledore again," Harry suggested. "He might be willing to help us now."
Hermione nodded. "That would be a good idea. We need a backup plan, though, because somehow I doubt very much Professor Dumbledore will tell us the whole story."
Harry said nothing for a moment, and when he finally spoke he met her eyes. "We could go to Sirius's cave and see for ourselves what's there--I mean, I could go by myself--"
Hermione put a hand a Harry's arm, and he smiled inwardly. "No, Harry. I'll come with you. I bet even Ron will help, if you just ask."
He grew solemn. "Hermione, Ron's been--well, I think he's been avoiding me lately."
"No he hasn't," said a voice inside the fireplace. Harry gasped--it was Sirius, or rather, Sirius's head.
"Sirius!" Harry and Hermione said at the same time. "What are you doing here?" Harry hissed, angry that Sirius was once again jeopardizing his safety for Harry.
"Same deal as last time, Harry," he said. "I broke into a wizarding house. I don't have much time here."
"But--" Hermione broke in. "We thought you were--"
"Dead?" he questioned. "No, though it was a close call. I used the same spell I am now to make myself appear here--thank God only Ron was up at the time."
"Wait," Harry said. "So the reason Ron's been avoiding me is because he's been helping you?"
"Yes," Sirius replied. "And I might've given him some advice on, er, homework." He emphasized the word "homework" very strongly, and Hermione jumped up.
"Oh, that reminds me! I have to go get my quill to plan this out with," she said, rushing up the stairs to the girls' dormitories. Harry looked at Sirius curiously, and Sirius laughed.
"Just like Lily. I knew that would get her out of here!" At his words Harry gave him a hesitant smile.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked.
"Hermione," Siruis stated simply. Harry blushed, looking at the floor. "You really like her, don't you?" he asked, almost like a father would.
Harry nodded. "I think it's more than "like." I mean, it's not like my obsession with Cho. I think--Sirius, I think I love her."
Sirius's face suddenly looked panicked. "Harry, I think the family's coming back. I've got to go."
"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed. "What should I do?"
He met Harry's eyes for a brief second. "Follow your heart." With a small pop, his head disappeared.
Just then, Harry heard Hermione running back into the common room. "Sorry it took so lon--" she cut herself off when she saw the empty fireplace. Harry looked over at her.
"The family came back to their house. He had to leave."
"Oh," said Hermione. "Well at least we know he's safe."
He nodded. "Yes. I think he'll start sending owls again soon. At least, I hope so--he gives good advice."
She looked puzzled. "What do you need advice on?" she asked.
Harry shrugged, grinning a little. "Most everything. Quidditch, school, my parents--and this." Once more, their lips met, but this time the kiss lasted longer, as though each of them were releasing emotions bottled up and hidden for years. 'Of course it's like that,' Harry thought, his heart racing as Hermione put her arms around his neck. 'I've loved her forever.'
When they pulled away, Hermione met his eyes, staring at him uncertainly. "This is Sirius's advice?" she asked, blushing slightly.
"He told me to follow my heart," Harry said softly. "So I did."
A/N: Can you say FLUFF! Honestly, I'm suprised at myself. Sorry if this isn't romantic enough for you guys--I had to fit the plot in somewhere. But at least THEY FINALLY KISSED! Yay! Hope you all liked it--I tried my best. Next chapter will probably be the last. Thanks for reading, and please review!
LUV, ~ME~