A/C: To answer some questions I got in reviews, fall seasons are cold where I am. Also, I imagine it gets cold in Scotland in fall so I just made it cold. There's no research behind it but hey, ITS FAN FICTION! Thanks to all the reviews I got just in one weekend!! I was amazed and pleasantly surprised. Don't worry. There are many more chapters to come. I won't leave you all hanging.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter. ( Do I have to do this every chapter??)
Chapter 2: The Acceptance
Walking back up to the castle, Hermione had never felt better. One of her best friends was now her boyfriend. Holding Harry's hand, she quietly smiled to herself, not believing her good fortune. As they entered the castle, people finishing up lunch and walking out of the Great Hall stopped in their tracks. Harry and Hermione walked into the Hall and towards Ron, sitting at the end of the Gryffindor table. It seemed as though all eyes were on the two of them.
" About time!" Angelina shouted as they passed her
" Way to go Harry!" George yelled
Lavender and Parvati looked dumbstruck as they stared, mouths hanging open. Harry and Hermione sat down quickly next to Ron, who beamed happily at them.
" I'll take it that things went well, Harry?" Ron laughed.
"No… what made you think that?" Harry said, grinning and blushing, shrugging his shoulders.
"So anyway, did you do the Divination homework?" Ron asked, looking back down to his food.
"Yeah, I did. Using our special technique!" Harry laughed
" You guys should really try in that class. Even if it is a hoax and the professor doesn't know anything. But you signed up for it." Hermione scolded, her face showing disapprovement.
" I guess your right…," Harry said," but it's kind of hard to take it seriously when your professor predicts your death every day."
Hermione laughed, then started to eat her food when she heard a cold voice behind her, making her flinch.
" What have we here?" Draco Malfoy drawled lazily, looking at Harry and Hermione and smiled cruelly." It seems that the mudblood and the lucky idiot have teamed up and joined forces."
" Hey…Don't.." Hermione started quietly.
" Shut up Malfoy. I actually have someone who likes me for who I am unlike your "wonder" group back at your table who like, or pretend to like you, just for your money and knowledge of dark magic. Now get away from my table and stop dirtying it up with your filthy mouth." Harry hissed as he stood up and walked in front of Hermione, blocking her and Ron from view.
" You had better watch your tongue or something bad might happen to your pauper and half-breed." Draco spat as he backed up, nodding to behind Harry before walking back to his table.
Ron stared at Harry, somewhat surprised but generally satisfied. Harry sat back down, slightly red in the face but none the less triumphant. Hermione kept her eyes on him. As he turned to look at her, she smiled and mouthed the words 'Thank You' as his eyes met hers.
He smiled and stared to eat again. Just before the bell rang ending lunch, Dumbledore stood.
" Please quiet down now." Dumbledore spoke calmly." I have an announcement to make. As you all know, it is now fall. The staff and I have decided to award you for an excellent beginning of the year. We are going to have a Fall Ball in honour of it. Now, this will take place a week from now, Sunday night. This gives you all time to get dresses and suits, or you may wear your dress robes. Thank you for your attention."
The bell rang for the next class a few minutes later. Harry, Ron and Hermione stood and stared for class. Hermione, having to go down while Harry and Ron went up, gave Harry a quick kiss and waved good bye to the boys. Harry and Ron continued up the stairs and finally reached the very top, walked down the hallway and saw the trap door in the ceiling. Starting up the ladder, Harry could already feel the heat on his face and smell the overpowering aroma of potpourri and candle wax. He emerged in a small attic-like room full of poufs and small tables. Sitting at their regular table in the back, the boys watched the rest of the students file in and sit, Lavender and Parvati up front, as usual.
" Good afternoon, my students." A misty voice sounded from the back of the room.
Looking back, Professor Trelawney(SP) emerged and started to walk up the rows to the front of the room. As she passed Harry, she shook her head sympathetically and continued her trek up. Harry frowned and looked at his crystal ball in front of him, watching the swirling mist inside. The overpowering heat and aroma made Harry very sleepy and the crystal ball was somewhat relaxing. Harry blinked hard and, to prevent falling asleep, forced himself to look at his Professor, her huge glasses magnifying her eyes and setting them out of proportion with the rest of her slim face.
" While crystal gazing last night, I came upon the most horrific thing. One of my students is in danger." She trilled.
Immediately, all eyes went on Harry.
"What?!?!" Harry cried, throwing his hands up.
Harry scowled and looked at Ron.
"Number one.." he said under his breath.
The rest of the class went on like this. Many times, Harry's fate was changed and then changed again, making Harry more and more aggravated. When Harry asked why his new fate contradicted the last, Professor Trelawney claimed that she did not have anything to do with it. 'Blame it on the stars' she said.
Finally, the bell rang around 3:45 and as Harry and Ron were leaving, they were stopped by Parvati and Lavender.
" What happened at lunch?" Parvati asked, obviously annoyed.
" What do you mean?" Harry said, smirking.
"What do I mean… You and Hermione HOLDING hands. Ring a bell?" Parvati growled.
:Ohhh! That! Well, she and I are going out now." Harry smiled.
"You and Hermione?" Lavender frowned.
" Yeah, you got a problem?" Ron said, now annoyed.
Lavender smiled briskly and shoved Parvati forward.
"Were going now." She said as they walked away.
Harry laughed and they continued down to the Gryffindor tower. By the time they reached the Fat Lady, 10 other people had confronted Harry and Ron about lunch. They were starting to get angry.
" It seems to have made its way around school fast, considering most of them were in the Great Hall when you guys walked in." Ron said, smiling.
They said the password and climbed into the common room, spotted Hermione on a couch by the fire and walked over.
"hey." Hermione said coyly when they reached her, and pulled Harry down next to her. He gave her a kiss, putting an arm around her shoulders as she leaned into him, snuggling her head into his chest.
Ron, looking slightly embarrassed, said," Looks like you guys have an audience!"
They looked around the room, seeing people staring and pointing and some boys Harry knew, giving him thumbs up. They also caught a few glares directed at Hermione from girls who had crushes on Harry. Hermione just smiled and wrapped her arms around Harry's waist. Ron pulled out his homework and started to work on it. Hermione smiled at Ron and settled in. Eventually, she sat up, grabbed her parchment and books, and started her homework as well. They were all sitting there doing work when Fred and George walked up, with ducked shaped pastries on a platter around 8:00.
"Hey guys. We went to the kitchen and got some food. Want some?" Fred smiled deviously.
Harry knew better than to take anything form the twins but Ron seemed not to notice their smiles and trusted them at that moment. Or he was just hungry because dinner was 2 hours ago. He took a pastry they offered and bit into it. Nothing happened.
" Yum! These are pretty good!" Ron said, through a mouth of crumbs as he grabbed a few more.
"Enjoy!" George smiled as they walked away.
Harry shrugged at Hermione and continued with his homework. A few minutes later, though, the silence was interrupted by Ron, who had started to spit up purple daisies. The twins, who had been watching from the other side of the common room, strolled up, trying not to double over laughing.
"You like it?" Fred laughed, a gleeful look on his face.
" We call them Daisy Ducks." George grinned.
Ron was about to say something but instead, spit daisies all over the floor. But he still managed to glare at them and they walked away, looking for more victims.
"Oh, Ron! Leave it to you to be so gullible." Hermione scolded, as she bent to pick up the daisies.
About 5 minutes later, the daisies had slowed to a minimum and he only hiccoughed up a few at a time.
" I'm going up to our room Harry, before I hex something!" Ron said to him, staring at the twins who were now trying to convince Seamus to eat one. Ron stood and walked toward the stairs, leaving a small trail of daisies behind him.
" At last, We can be alone!" Harry smiled as he raised his eyebrows.
Hermione giggled and set down the daisies she had been gathering. Harry came over and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close, so they were almost nose to nose.
" You are so beautiful!" Harry whispered as he looked into her eyes.
Hermione blushed and set her head on his shoulder, putting her arms around his neck as he stroked her hair. He started to sing, just above a whisper, in her ear.
" Your just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off of you. You'd be like heaven to touch. I want to hold you so much…" he sang in a low voice as he started to dance with her." At long last love has arrived and I thank God I'm alive. You're just too good to be true. Can't take my eyes off of you."
They spun slowly on the spot and even though there wasn't any music, they had a song in their head, playing for them as they forgot about everything else and just held onto eachother. And for that moment, everything was perfect. And they just danced.