----
Chapter 15 – Panky!
----
Hermione left the two professors to their dancing and stormed off to the punch bowl. She filled a glass and promptly drained it, then filled another. George approached her, under the guise of filling his glass as well.
"Terrific punch."
"Sure."
"Is something wrong?"
"I hate men."
"Is that so?"
"You're all horrible."
"Thank you for lumping us all together. Two hours ago you were singing my praises. What brought this on?"
"Snape's a spineless cad."
"And this is new to you?"
"No, but I thought he at least thought with his brain. The one up top, not between his legs."
"No. All men do. It's a scientific fact that men don't have enough blood to share between the both of their brains. Ron's a prime example."
"Why Ron?"
"He's had a crush on you ever since he bailed you out of the girls' loo. Probably struck some macho chord with him. Anyway, he's just been too chicken to ever say something to you."
"Wow. That's… wow. That's like, 5 years. I had no idea."
"Well, surprise! But Ron's a prat. If he couldn't say anything by now, he doesn't deserve you."
"I could never date him anyway. We're too good of friends and I don't have the heart to complicate matters. Maybe I'll crawl under a rock and become a hermit. Snape's too stupid, Ron's too thick. Where does that leave me?"
"Hermione, listen to me." He took her punch glass from her and placed it on the table beside his, then took her hands in his. "You are beautiful, intelligent, and a really amazing woman. Any man would be damn lucky to have you."
"Next you'll tell me I'm nice."
"I didn't say that. Every moron knows that's the kiss of death. But I can name at least six Weasleys who absolutely love and adore you."
Hermione tutted her denial.
"Now give me a chance here." He held up a pair of their entwined hands and counted Weasleys on his fingers. "Mum and Dad love you because whenever you come over in the summer, you beat us kids into submission so they don't have to. Mum's really grateful for that. Fred is indebted to you for the transfigurations tutoring. Our business would be nothing without the trick wands that he's made since then." He grinned, then glanced over at Fred, who was viciously snogging Angelina in the opposite corner. "Disgusting. Anyway, Ginny loves you because it's hell growing up with six brothers. She likes having someone to talk to. I imagine she'll need you more than ever now, what with Charlie being gone." She gave George's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Ron loves you for the obvious reasons. I'd rather not go into those."
"That's five."
George pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it.
"And I love you."
Suddenly, everything came together and a look of recognition washed across her features. George seemed to have mistaken it for horror. He rushed to explain.
"Hermione, you are the strongest woman I know. You're intelligent, independent, you've got a brilliant sense of humor. You know how to take situations in stride. I'm sure Harry would have been dead ages ago if it weren't for you. Sure, most guys find your strength intimidating, which explains why Ron turns into a quivering mass of goo whenever he's around you, but I think your strength is your most attractive attribute. Hermione, I think an intelligent girl is the biggest turn-on. You're so smart it's frighteningly sexy."
"Wow, George. I really don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything. It's alright for the know-it-all of Gryffindor to be speechless once in a while." He used their conjoined hands for leverage and pulled Hermione closer to himself. Running his hands up her arms and to her shoulders, he pulled her upper body to his. With one hand at the back of her head and the other tracing the outline of her cheek, he tilted her chin up and met her with warm, soft, and sure lips.
----
"Glad we're not the only ones having fun," Angelina said, half out of breath, after finally breaking her kiss with Fred.
"Took him bloody long enough."
"How's that?"
"George's been crazy about her since she spent the summer at the Burrow a few years ago. He's always bitched that if Ron didn't get his act together, he'd make his move. I wouldn't be too worried about ickle Ronnykins tonight though," he tilted his head toward the balcony.
----
"Merlin, Sephera. Where did you learn to do that… that thing with your tongue!" Ron's eyes nearly shot out of his head in surprise.
"What, this?" She popped another cherry stem into her mouth, and seconds later, pulled it out in a perfect knot.
"Yes! That's incredible!"
"You know what they say about being able to do that, right?"
"No… what do they say?"
Sephera giggled and wrapped her hands around Ron's neck, pulling him in for their third kiss of the evening. They had somehow managed to keep the first two sweet, but this one was something entirely different.
They finally broke for air, and Ron blushed six shades of red. "Oh, is that what they say?" He rested his forehead on hers and looked utterly content. Sephera twisted her eyes and looked to her left, off to the other end of the balcony. Ron followed her gaze.
"Your friend over there seems to have some talents of his own going…"
Ron laughed and shook his head. "Oi, Neville! The night is young, and the tongue was cleverly designed to serve higher purposes! Save some of your strength!"
----
Neville broke the lengthy snog he had just been sharing with Tonks and blushed something like a tomato-red. Tonks nestled her head into his shoulder, bright pink hair rivaling his bright pink face. He averted his gaze to look out over Godric's Hollow.
"Heh, that Ron… he's really something, really… funny. Likes toying with me…" maybe keeping up the nervous giggle would make Tonks forget why he was blushing.
"Oh Neville, you're so cute when you do that."
"Oh Merlin, what did I do this time?" He glanced around nervously, wondering if there were any cauldrons around to spill. Bad enough he was in the dreaded potions master's house.
"No, silly. I mean when you blush like that. It's so endearing."
"Oh, right." His pink went pinker.
"Why didn't I ever see it before? There you were, all those years, pining away for me. That summer after your fourth year when you came home from Hogwarts, I thought my eyes were going to bug out of my skull. It was really amazing what one year did for you. Oh will you quit blushing already?"
"I'm sorry. Just… no one's ever…"
"No one's ever told you how attractive you are?"
"Well… yeah."
"Well get used to it, love. You really have gotten to be a stunning piece of work, Neville Longbottom."
"Tonks, you flatter me."
"I thought I told you to stop blushing!"
"I can't help it! You're just so… cute! I never thought I'd ever find anyone like you. I mean, that's not to say I've been completely without dates this past year. Lavender talked a fifth year Hufflepuff into asking me out, but it didn't work out. I think it was more a pity date than anything else."
"Oh Nev, that's so horrible." She clung to him tighter, keeping her head tucked under his chin. He took a deep breath and faintly smelled something like a cross between peppermint and jasmine. "You know, Tonks, I don't think I've ever seen you in your true form."
"Yes, well… I don't like to…"
"Come on. Weren't you the one who told me earlier that it's all in the personality anyway?"
"I suppose…" She scrunched up her face, and the pink hair and pointy features melted into a long, straight brunette ponytail, button nose, and pouty lips. Her hazel eyes were graced with long, thick eyelashes, with a teeny mole hidden under her left eyelid.
"Oh Merlin! That's something I never wanted to see!"
"EXCUSE ME?!" she squeaked, tears already forming in her eyes.
"No! Oh Tonks, I'm so sorry! No, you're absolutely breathtaking!" He sealed his statement with a chaste kiss. "But I could have died happy without seeing that!" He poked his thumb toward the other end of the room.
"Ugh, I see what you mean."
Chapter 15 – Panky!
----
Hermione left the two professors to their dancing and stormed off to the punch bowl. She filled a glass and promptly drained it, then filled another. George approached her, under the guise of filling his glass as well.
"Terrific punch."
"Sure."
"Is something wrong?"
"I hate men."
"Is that so?"
"You're all horrible."
"Thank you for lumping us all together. Two hours ago you were singing my praises. What brought this on?"
"Snape's a spineless cad."
"And this is new to you?"
"No, but I thought he at least thought with his brain. The one up top, not between his legs."
"No. All men do. It's a scientific fact that men don't have enough blood to share between the both of their brains. Ron's a prime example."
"Why Ron?"
"He's had a crush on you ever since he bailed you out of the girls' loo. Probably struck some macho chord with him. Anyway, he's just been too chicken to ever say something to you."
"Wow. That's… wow. That's like, 5 years. I had no idea."
"Well, surprise! But Ron's a prat. If he couldn't say anything by now, he doesn't deserve you."
"I could never date him anyway. We're too good of friends and I don't have the heart to complicate matters. Maybe I'll crawl under a rock and become a hermit. Snape's too stupid, Ron's too thick. Where does that leave me?"
"Hermione, listen to me." He took her punch glass from her and placed it on the table beside his, then took her hands in his. "You are beautiful, intelligent, and a really amazing woman. Any man would be damn lucky to have you."
"Next you'll tell me I'm nice."
"I didn't say that. Every moron knows that's the kiss of death. But I can name at least six Weasleys who absolutely love and adore you."
Hermione tutted her denial.
"Now give me a chance here." He held up a pair of their entwined hands and counted Weasleys on his fingers. "Mum and Dad love you because whenever you come over in the summer, you beat us kids into submission so they don't have to. Mum's really grateful for that. Fred is indebted to you for the transfigurations tutoring. Our business would be nothing without the trick wands that he's made since then." He grinned, then glanced over at Fred, who was viciously snogging Angelina in the opposite corner. "Disgusting. Anyway, Ginny loves you because it's hell growing up with six brothers. She likes having someone to talk to. I imagine she'll need you more than ever now, what with Charlie being gone." She gave George's hand a reassuring squeeze. "Ron loves you for the obvious reasons. I'd rather not go into those."
"That's five."
George pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it.
"And I love you."
Suddenly, everything came together and a look of recognition washed across her features. George seemed to have mistaken it for horror. He rushed to explain.
"Hermione, you are the strongest woman I know. You're intelligent, independent, you've got a brilliant sense of humor. You know how to take situations in stride. I'm sure Harry would have been dead ages ago if it weren't for you. Sure, most guys find your strength intimidating, which explains why Ron turns into a quivering mass of goo whenever he's around you, but I think your strength is your most attractive attribute. Hermione, I think an intelligent girl is the biggest turn-on. You're so smart it's frighteningly sexy."
"Wow, George. I really don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything. It's alright for the know-it-all of Gryffindor to be speechless once in a while." He used their conjoined hands for leverage and pulled Hermione closer to himself. Running his hands up her arms and to her shoulders, he pulled her upper body to his. With one hand at the back of her head and the other tracing the outline of her cheek, he tilted her chin up and met her with warm, soft, and sure lips.
----
"Glad we're not the only ones having fun," Angelina said, half out of breath, after finally breaking her kiss with Fred.
"Took him bloody long enough."
"How's that?"
"George's been crazy about her since she spent the summer at the Burrow a few years ago. He's always bitched that if Ron didn't get his act together, he'd make his move. I wouldn't be too worried about ickle Ronnykins tonight though," he tilted his head toward the balcony.
----
"Merlin, Sephera. Where did you learn to do that… that thing with your tongue!" Ron's eyes nearly shot out of his head in surprise.
"What, this?" She popped another cherry stem into her mouth, and seconds later, pulled it out in a perfect knot.
"Yes! That's incredible!"
"You know what they say about being able to do that, right?"
"No… what do they say?"
Sephera giggled and wrapped her hands around Ron's neck, pulling him in for their third kiss of the evening. They had somehow managed to keep the first two sweet, but this one was something entirely different.
They finally broke for air, and Ron blushed six shades of red. "Oh, is that what they say?" He rested his forehead on hers and looked utterly content. Sephera twisted her eyes and looked to her left, off to the other end of the balcony. Ron followed her gaze.
"Your friend over there seems to have some talents of his own going…"
Ron laughed and shook his head. "Oi, Neville! The night is young, and the tongue was cleverly designed to serve higher purposes! Save some of your strength!"
----
Neville broke the lengthy snog he had just been sharing with Tonks and blushed something like a tomato-red. Tonks nestled her head into his shoulder, bright pink hair rivaling his bright pink face. He averted his gaze to look out over Godric's Hollow.
"Heh, that Ron… he's really something, really… funny. Likes toying with me…" maybe keeping up the nervous giggle would make Tonks forget why he was blushing.
"Oh Neville, you're so cute when you do that."
"Oh Merlin, what did I do this time?" He glanced around nervously, wondering if there were any cauldrons around to spill. Bad enough he was in the dreaded potions master's house.
"No, silly. I mean when you blush like that. It's so endearing."
"Oh, right." His pink went pinker.
"Why didn't I ever see it before? There you were, all those years, pining away for me. That summer after your fourth year when you came home from Hogwarts, I thought my eyes were going to bug out of my skull. It was really amazing what one year did for you. Oh will you quit blushing already?"
"I'm sorry. Just… no one's ever…"
"No one's ever told you how attractive you are?"
"Well… yeah."
"Well get used to it, love. You really have gotten to be a stunning piece of work, Neville Longbottom."
"Tonks, you flatter me."
"I thought I told you to stop blushing!"
"I can't help it! You're just so… cute! I never thought I'd ever find anyone like you. I mean, that's not to say I've been completely without dates this past year. Lavender talked a fifth year Hufflepuff into asking me out, but it didn't work out. I think it was more a pity date than anything else."
"Oh Nev, that's so horrible." She clung to him tighter, keeping her head tucked under his chin. He took a deep breath and faintly smelled something like a cross between peppermint and jasmine. "You know, Tonks, I don't think I've ever seen you in your true form."
"Yes, well… I don't like to…"
"Come on. Weren't you the one who told me earlier that it's all in the personality anyway?"
"I suppose…" She scrunched up her face, and the pink hair and pointy features melted into a long, straight brunette ponytail, button nose, and pouty lips. Her hazel eyes were graced with long, thick eyelashes, with a teeny mole hidden under her left eyelid.
"Oh Merlin! That's something I never wanted to see!"
"EXCUSE ME?!" she squeaked, tears already forming in her eyes.
"No! Oh Tonks, I'm so sorry! No, you're absolutely breathtaking!" He sealed his statement with a chaste kiss. "But I could have died happy without seeing that!" He poked his thumb toward the other end of the room.
"Ugh, I see what you mean."