here's the next chappie

ENJOY!

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Chapter 12: It Wasn't A Dream

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Harry fell asleep, hoping it hadn't been a dream, no of course not. It couldn't. It was real. And he loved every second of it.

Hermione opened her eyes slowly. She was still in Harry's arms, and she smiled. He looked so peaceful and beautiful sleeping next to her. He was gorgeous. And she loved him.

"Wake up." She whispered smiling at him. Harry remembered that this was exactly the way he wanted to wake up everyday for the rest of his life. Then he remembered of back in the beginning of the year when she woke him up by pounding on his door. He laughed softly.

"What?" She asked smiling still.

"Nothing, you're beautiful." She laughed softly at him. She didn't think she was beautiful in the least but if Harry did, that was all that mattered.

"I love you Harry," she said.

"I love you, Hermione." He said.

Harry and Hermione were happier than they had been in a very long time, maybe ever. At least Harry couldn't remember the last time he was this happy.

Everywhere they went, he felt the need to be with her and protect her for always. He felt the urge to kiss her and constantly be with her. This didn't bother Hermione, she loved being by him, always having him near, nothing, no one could ever hurt her, ever. And she loved him for always. There was no words to describe it. The word love seemed so small, meaningless to how they felt.

As the Spring Grand Ball came nearer, people were in a rush. They liked the idea of the Ball. Actually the girls loved it, they were obsessed, always constantly talking about what they would wear, who they would date, even some guys were behaving strangely like this, though definitely more discretely.

Hermione sat by the lake one day with her friends, who begged her to spill the details on her night with Harry.

"Come on, Hermione tell us. You were with him 3 weeks ago." Exclaimed Ginny, while holding up her hand, signaling three fingers in Hermione's face.

"Fine!" She said smiling at the eager girls.

"About time." Said Padma, she was also eager, and smiled playfully at her.

"Ok..." Hermione said, making them wait

"Yeah!..." the rest of the girls said in unison.

"Well..." She whispered, but even she couldn't hold it any longer. "Oh! He was perfect!" She laughed and squeaked a bit. The rest of the girls laughed themselves all over the floor, as their friend sounded so silly. "He was sooo gentle, it was brilliant and beautiful, what any girl would want for her first time." She said as the other girls gathered themselves and sighed.

"Oh, it's so romantic." Squealed Lavender stupidly.

"Yeah." Ginny agreed. "When I did it with Neville, it was the same. Normally he's so clumsy and a bit insecure, but he's so collected when we're together. Like he always just knows what to do, or how to make it right."

"I did it with Ron, over Christmas," confessed Luna.

"What!" Squealed the rest in surprise.

"Why didn't you ever tell us, Luna," said Padma incredulously.

"I don't know, hey Hermione also kept it a secret–."

"Hey! Not as long." Hermione said defensibly. "How was it?"

"It was pretty good. Ron was a bit shy, though, but other than that, it was good. We were together when I went to the Burrow to see him and Harry. I stayed there for a few days, and we did it." She finished off with her signature dreamy look.

Surprisingly, well not really, it seemed that the rest of the girls hadn't been virgins for a long time. Hermione was the last to give up.

The girls stayed by the lake for a good three more hours, soaking their feet, laughing and confessing more bad deeds as they giggled themselves sick.

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"Hey, mate. What you suppose they're talking about?" Asked Ron. He rubbed his sweaty forehead with his muddy hand as they were on their way back up the castle after Quidditch practice.

"I dunno...us I suppose." Harry said as he watched his beautiful Hermione laugh along side Ginny.

"What d'you mean us?" He said looking a bit bewildered.

"I mean they're probably talking about us, as boyfriends, or something..." Harry answered him, pondering himself what the girls talked about...

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The day of the Spring Grand Ball

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Harry and company ate their lunch happily, as they discussed, the later coming event. Hermione was the most quiet out of all of them. She quietly sat by Harry and Ron, as she thought to herself what Harry would think of when he saw her in her Ball attire. Hermione was very fond of the outfit she had picked out from Madam Malkin, and hoped that Harry liked it too. She gleamed at her thought.

"Hermione!" Ginny said waving her hand in front of her.

"What?"

"Say something, these goof balls," she said gesturing with her hands at Harry, Ron, and Neville. "Here keep blabbing about the stupidest things." They all just laughed. Coming out of her reverie, Hermione did too.

"Hermione, Luna. What'd you guys say we get out of here already?" Asked Ginny, growing tired of the boys.

"Sure"

"Yeah."

"Let's go, then." Ginny finished. And with that the three girls left.

"Don't tell me they're going to go get ready, now." Said Neville picking up why the girls had left.

"Ready? For what?" Asked Ron. Harry playfully punched him in the arm.

"For the Ball, you idiot." Reasoned Harry.

"Oh," said Ron, as comprehension dawned on him.

"Oh! Hermione, it's gorgeous!" Exclaimed Ginny, looking at Hermione's gown.

"It's soooo pretty. Come on, put it on." Said Luna.

"Yeah." Ginny agreed.

"Ok." Hermione went to her elite bathroom, to put on her dress.

And when she came out. The girls were speechless.

"So you guys like it," she said shyly. Hermione was never big on these girly things, and never knew what to say, when she wore something like this, or other girls asked for her opinion on clothes and makeup, so she felt a bit odd.

"Like it? Are you crazy?" Said a wide-eyed Luna. Hermione was starting to panic, thinking she had made a mistake with the dress her smiled vanished. "It's perfect, wherever did you find the best dress out of practically the whole school?" Hermione looked a little confused.

"What? I'm sure this isn't the best dress out of the whole school. Why d–?" She began

"Yes it is...trust me we know. Me and Luna practically know what everyone's wearing, even the Slytherins!" Said Ginny interrupting her

"Ok. How do you guys know that?" Asked Hermione skeptically.

"Padma and Lavender, where else." Said Luna and Ginny in unison. The girls laughed at their response.

"The point is, Hermione we want to know where you got it from." Said Ginny eagerly.

"Madam Malkin's."

"What! Wait a minute, did she take you into the back room, one in back of the platform and the mirror?" Asked Luna.

"Yeah. She said she knew exactly what would be perfect on me, that I would love it, and she took me to the room in back of the platform." Explained Hermione. "Wait...why?"

"Because she did the same thing to my mum, when she went to pick a dress for her and dad's wedding...she told me, before she died, that Madam Malkin only did that, to, apparently, the people she thought most worthy of the garments. Dad says she did it for mum, because she can tell who's pure at heart, and body, sometimes. And well you were a virgin when you bought it, so that might explain why you were the only girl in seventh year she took back there. She also just knows what makes you more beautiful, or brings your beauty about most." Finished Luna. Hermione didn't believe one word of it, she was sure a lot of girls were taken to that same room.

"It's true, because now that I think about it, she did the same for my mum. And well my mum was a virgin when she married my dad." Said Ginny.

"Well, what do you guys say you go bring your clothes and come up here, and we'll get ready here."

Ginny and Luna nodded in agreement to Hermione's offer. "I'll take the dress off, because I want to bathe first."

"Great. I think we should have just enough time to get ready." Said Ginny thoughtfully.

"Yeah. It's almost 1pm. The Ball doesn't start until 8 pm." Nodded Luna. And they left after Hermione gave them the password, so they could get back in. Hermione took off her dress and went to bathe herself, before the girls could, or came back.

After they came back, the girls bathed and started to do their nails while their hair dried a bit. Later they heard voices down from the common room.

"I bet that's Harry coming to get ready." Said Ginny, "what a guy, at 7:15 pm."

"Yeah, imagine, he'll probably shower in like two minutes and then get dressed in a rush. He probably won't even do his hair," said Luna, rolling her eyes.

"Like it will help." Giggled Ginny. But Hermione didn't need Harry to bathe or anything, she just wanted him to be there to have fun with her.

Someone knocked on the door. "Oi! All you girls in there? We can hear you all laughing," complained Ron.

"Yeah." The girls said.

"Well would you hurry up. We're getting lonely here. Luna come out."

"No. We're not done." Answered Luna.

"What!" said Ron incredulously. "You've been in there since lunch."

"Go away! We'll be out when we're ready." Shouted Ginny. They all just laughed.

The girls finished putting on their last touch ups. Before going downstairs.

"Ginny, Luna, you guys go ahead. I still have to put on my shoes." Hermione said as she sat on her bed putting on her strappy clear heels, watching the girls leave. She laughed softly at her shoes thinking of Cinderella, they were her favorite, 1 inch 'glass slippers,' though they were more like sandals.

As she was going down the stairs she saw no one but Harry's back facing her. He was looking at the back of a book. She saw he was wearing a dark green velvet robe. He slowly turned around when he heard footsteps. His jaw dropped all the way to the floor when he saw her and he stayed still not moving at all. Hermione could not help but laugh quietly at his expression. When she was reaching the bottom he walked (slowly) to her (with jelly legs.)

"Wow!" He whispered. Then a little more loudly he said, "you look amazing, stunning, brilliant, beautiful." He finished with a whispered, "gorgeous." He couldn't take his eyes off his beautiful Hermione. "You look like an angel..." And she did.

She wore a strapless white dress that barely scrapped the floor. It looked like it was specifically made for her, in height, waist and chest, he noticed, but being the gentleman he was, tried (hard) not to notice her creamy alabaster breasts; and the tiny cleavage barely peeking through. (It made him wander about her beautifully sculpted body, then her remembered that she was and looked perfect when she was his.) The dress was delicate and looked iridescent. Slight colors of lavender, pink, and silver shone in the different angles, with the fire light shining on it, and her. She wore silver robes over herself. And looked even more stunning, if it were even possible. But this is Hermione, of course it was possible, Harry thought. The top half of her hair was pinned up, but some wisps of her hair came out. Her curls bounced down softly. They made her face look even more gentle and angelic looking.

He put his hand around her petite waist and the other around her neck. He brought her close and kissed her passionately. He ran his hand through her neck and then down to her bare shoulder. He felt himself stiffen slightly, at the touch of her smooth soft skin, but quickly managed himself. He wished the Ball would be over already, so she wouldn't need the dress on anymore. And Harry would help her off it, while running his fingers around her delicate skin.

They were still kissing, until they both pulled apart at the same time.

"Well, shall we go then?" He said nonchalantly as his eyes shone brilliantly green at her, and she beamed and smiled, at his visible sweetness, nodding

Harry took her hand and looped it around his like a gentleman. They happily went to the Great Hall, and when they opened the door, there were students everywhere already, both seated and dancing, apparently having the time of their lives, laughing. Everyone beamed.

Some noticed that Harry and Hermione came in, all the girls that saw her, dropped their jaws in stunned jealousy. And Hermione beamed. Was that the most intelligent girl at Hogwarts, the bookworm?

The Great Hall was decorated beautifully. There were about a hundred small round tables dressed in shimmery table cloths. Some of white, pink, blue, green, and purple. They were colorful in honor of Spring. The tables were to the right, and on the left there was the dance floor and stage; some wizard band played excitedly.

They made their way to a table were Ron, Luna, Neville, and Ginny were sitting at. They all beamed at the beautiful couple standing before their table.

"You two look brilliant." Said Ginny excitedly. They all laughed.

"Let's have a drink first and then we'll go dance. How's that sound everyone?" Said Luna enthusiastically. They all nodded and began to drink butterbeers and laugh at each other's jokes. Ron's were hilarious. He may not be graceful, but he could definitely make you laugh, no wonder Luna loved him.

A half an hour later they all got up and danced with their boy/girl friends. Harry took Hermione's hand gently and led her to the dance floor. He was quite nervous, not liking dancing too much, and she knew, directing him where to go. This made Harry relax a bit. They looked at each other, lovingly. Harry could not get over how extremely gorgeous she looked. She looked like an angel from the elite heaven. She looked so fragile and surreal, like she was there but at the same time she wasn't. Like she could be gone in any given second.

They've been dancing for 10 minutes.

"What?" She asked laughing at his stupid expression.

"Nothing." Harry said grinning himself. "What do you say we go out into the gardens out there?" He said mildly pointing outside. Hermione agreed and they walked out casually.

The gardens were beautiful. The night sky shone brightly under the silver moon. There were red and silver fairies shining in the bushes. The fountains poured twinkling water. Harry just wanted to stay there on that spot kissing Hermione, having her safely wrapped in his arms as they enjoyed the cool night. They could hear the music and laughing of the people coming from the Great Hall.

"Why are you laughing!" She said smiling herself.

"I'm not laughing." Said Harry, obviously trying to hide his grin.

"Yes you are!" She said pointing at Harry's laughing face.

"Ok...ok...it's just ...you look, absolutely gorgeous." He finished with the smile that completely melted Hermione. She was speechless, so she did the only thing she wanted to do at that moment. She kissed him. He gladly kissed her back.

They admired the moon, wrapping themselves in each other's arms. And laughing sometimes at each other's comments.

"You want to go back and dance?" Asked Harry.

"Yes, though I know that you hate dancing." She said smiling.

"Yes, I do, but I want to have fun tonight with you." He whispered grinning at her.

"You know you're not a bad dancer. You're pretty good." She complimented him as they walked back to the Great Hall. Harry smiled warmly at her.

"Hey guys!" Said Neville over the noise. "Are you all going to dance?"

"Yeah." They both answered at the same time.

"Go ahead, me and Neville are sitting for now. We've been dancing the whole time." Said Ginny. They smiled at each other. Hermione and Harry made their way to the dance floor and began to dance, just as the slow song finished a faster, more upbeat one came on, and they laughed and danced. They had a blast. Everyone did.

Everyone headed, laughing, to their rightful dormitories, some accompanied by their partners. They were going to have fun tonight as they opened the doors to their dormitories.

Harry and Hermione said 'goodnight' to all their friends, and then headed towards their common room. As Hermione said their password, she walked into the common room, and without a single warning Harry lifted her in his arms. She squealed in surprise.

"Harry, put me down! Now!" She was laughing and so was Harry. "Harry-James-Potter I mean it!"

Harry didn't let her down, instead he carried her all the way up to his bedroom. Then he put her down and silently pulled her closer to him and began to kiss her. Hermione instinctively took her shoes off, and gasped, breaking their kiss. She wiggled her toes.

"Harry, you always surprise me in one way or another." She beamed as she looked all around the room; there were red flower petals everywhere. They completely littered the floor. And Hermione wiggled her toes to feel the soft petals around her feet. Harry smiled a genuine smile at her. God he wanted to take her dress off!

Hermione put her arms around his neck and kissed him. Their tongues entwined and Hermione's hands went down to his robe and undid the fastenings and pushed it off down his shoulders. Harry's hands went to her back and he slid them up and down. Hermione unbuttoned his shirt and also slid it down his arms. Harry couldn't take it anymore, Hermione was sliding her hands up and down his naked chest. He bent his head forward and kissed her bare shoulder and nibbled at her neck. She moaned slightly. Harry unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. He couldn't take it anymore. He was fighting the urge to rip the dress off of Hermione. Apparently she was thinking along the same lines because she bent her arms to her back to unzip her gown. Harry helped her and he pushed the zipper down with one hand and brushed his other hand down her bare back.

He hastily took off his pants and carried Hermione to his bed. He settled on top of her. He began to leave his trail of kisses, from her mouth, chin, neck, shoulder, until he came to rest on her breast. He nibbled on it making Hermione gasp. She ran her hands all around his back and hair. He closed his mouth and kissed her breast, blowing his warm breath on it, while his hands rested on her hips and sides, he made Hermione moan out loud, as he did the same thing to her other breast. Harry was having a feast out of them. She was so gorgeous. Her delicate, smooth, creamy, ivory skin smelled and tasted so sweet to him, just like he always remembered. Hermione had had enough.

She wrapped her arms around him and hoisted him under her. He smiled at her swift movement, making her grin devilishly at him as he laid beneath her. She bent her head down and kissed his neck and nibbled his ear. God, he liked it when she did that. She put her legs on each side of Harry. She put her hand on Harry's cheek and her other hand rested on his bicep, as she ran her mouth and tongue down his neck.

Harry began to kiss her now, and none of them could take it anymore. Hermione shifted herself on top of him, so he could enter her. And with one swift movement, Harry grabbed her by the waist and pulled her under him. He loved the fact that she could so easily take charge, but he felt that now he needed to be in control. Hermione moaned, the movement in change of position, while they were intimately connected made her squirm in delight. Harry thrust himself halfway in her. Then as fast as he almost pulled himself out, he went back in, causing Hermione to moan out loud again.

"Oh...Harry." She called his name. He had been waiting to thrust himself in and out of her freely. She was tight, soft, and warm, and he loved it. God he would give his perfect Hermione all the stars, even buy her the moon, if he could. She was that perfect, and definitely worth the universe itself.

He started to move fast and hard, in and out of her. He came out almost all the way and swiftly went back in all the way again. Hermione squirmed in delight while Harry groaned in her neck. He lifted his face to look into her eyes. She looked at him, never wanting him to look away. Fiery brown met brilliant green. They clashed and it was the most wonderful feeling. Harry felt on top of the world.

He was ready to give up, but Hermione once again moved to be on top of him, and Harry thought it was the best thing she could do at that moment, it only made him hold back longer and climax better. They moaned in the agony of waiting, but it was worth it. They were tired as hell, and Hermione collapsed on top of him, tired and sweaty. Harry caressed her back and Hermione nestled in his arms.

"God, I love you Hermione." He said huskily.

"I love you too, Harry." She said back at him smiling. Together they drifted on into a beautiful slumber...The stars can fall and the sky may too, and they'd be unaware of it at all.

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