Chapter Eight – Snogging

Humming, Luna walked outside to the school grounds. It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, the sky was full of white puffy clouds, and the birds were singing up in the trees. Halfway across the grounds, she spotted Hermione sitting by the lake. She looked very sad as she stared at the lake gloomily. Hoping to cheer her up, Luna joined her.

"Hello Hermione," she said as she took a seat beside her. "Are you okay?"

Hermione looked at her and smiled faintly. "Yeah, I'm okay. What're you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same question. You aren't… By any chance about what happened with you and Harry are you?"

Hermione sighed. "Of course I am… I miss him an awful lot you know. Part of me wants to apologize, but seeing as I didn't really do anything, there isn't any need for me to apologize."

Luna nodded as if she understood. "You know, he's very sorry. He's been trying to apologize to you, but he says you won't give him the time of day."

"Well…"

"Maybe, you should go see him. I know for sure he's up in the common room sulking as usual."

Hermione's face lit up. "Really?" her face fell. "What if he doesn't want to talk to me?"

Luna smiled. "Believe me, he wants to talk to you."

Hermione, smiling, stood up and took off for the castle. She rushed past Ginny who was walking towards Luna as if bearing some news. Ginny looked back at Hermione.

"Where's she going?" she asked.

"Harry's going to thank me! I've just gone and fixed his problems!" Luna said cheerily. "Hermione's on her way to let him apologize."

Ginny looked horrified. She knew perfectly well that they'd been told to report to Harry if they saw Hermione heading up to the Gryffindor tower so he could commence a snogging session with Romilda in front of her.

"Luna! No!" she said. She dug in her pockets for her enchanted coin but it was nowhere to be seen. How could she warn anyone to tell Harry not to go on with the snogging session? "Ooh… Damn it. Luna, you've gone and made a disaster!" she muttered still looking for her coin. "Do you have your enchanted coin?"

Luna dug in her pocket, shook her head and said, "No, I must've gone and left it up in the tower."

Ginny grabbed her arm. "Come on, we've got to stop them."

XxXxXxX

"Harry? Harry? This is Neville, I just saw Hermione running for the tower, she should be there soon."

Harry looked at Romilda who was seated on the sofa looking rather cheerful. He gestured for her to come close, which she did without any hesitation.

This better work, he thought. He looked at Romilda. "Okay, she should be here any minute so… I guess we'd better erm… Start."

Without replying, Romilda jumped up on him and plastered her lips onto his.

XxXxXxX

Her heart pounding her chest, Hermione ran up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower. She couldn't wait to see Harry. She couldn't wait to be with him again. She got to the fat lady and said the password. Trying to look calm, she stepped through the portrait hole.

XxXxXxX

"Abort, abort! Harry! Abort abort! Don't commence the plan!" Ron said desperately, but Harry's coin had been tossed aside and he couldn't hear a thing. "Harry! Harry! Don't go through with the plan!" he looked at Ginny and Luna.

"Why didn't you stop her!" Ginny glared at him.

"I didn't know!" Ron snapped. He tried again. "Harry! Hermione's on her way up to let you apologize! Damn it you git! He's going to kill us you know."

"Oh this is all my fault," Luna cried. She took off sobbing. Ron looked at Ginny. She looked grave.

"This bad… " Muttered Ron. "Very bad."

Ginny hung her head. "No kidding," she replied solemnly.

XxXxXxX

Hermione was frozen in her spot. She couldn't believe her eyes. There was Harry with a girl five years younger than him. Anger began to boil inside her.

I don't believe this! She thought angrily as she glared at them. I run all the way up here to let him apologize only to find he's snogging a girl FIVE years younger! Ooh I could wring his neck right about now.

Unexpectedly, Neville and Seamus burst through the portrait hole, slamming into Hermione, causing all of them to fall to the floor.

"Harry," Neville groaned. "Harry…"

Hermione pushed them off and stood up. She gave Harry (who was now Romilda free) a death glare before walking away. Harry stared after her, than Neville and Seamus. Romilda tried for another kiss but Harry pushed her away. Sticking her nose in the air, she stormed off. Harry hurried over to Neville and Seamus to help them up.

"What's going on," he asked.

"We're so sorry Harry!" Seamus said.

"We didn't know she was coming up here to let you apologize!" Neville added.

"Luna told us a little too late!"

"We're so sorry!"

Harry stared at them. "What?" they told him the whole story and once again he felt like a complete fool. Which he kind of was. Now what? He was sure she hated him more than ever. Or, if she didn't hate him before, she hated him now.

"Well… That's it then boys, I've blown it," Harry muttered. "I've blown it all to hell." And with that, he walked away.

Neville looked at Seamus who seemed to be thinking. "We're really horrible you know. I mean, instead of helping him, we've screwed it up for him."

Smiling Seamus turned to him. "I've got it Neville! I've got it!"

"What?"

"I've got the perfect plan!"

Neville's eyes widened with excitement. "What is it?"

"Fred and George!"

Neville frowned. "Fred and George? What about them?"

"You'll see." Seamus said as he headed for the door.

"But Seamus—"

"Come on then!" Seamus said grabbing Neville's robes and dragged him out of the common room.