Disclaimer: Shockingly, a fanfic writer does not own the rights to Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form. Oh, and in case you have never had the pleasure of seeing it, Sleepless in Seattle is about a man - Tom Hanks - who loses his wife to cancer and calls in to a radio show to talk about how much he misses her. Several hundred women hear the segment and write to him, but one in particular - Meg Ryan - stands out, and even though they're miles apart, they start to fall in love.

Chapter 28

"New Seeker gloves?"

"Do you need new Seeker gloves?"

"Well, no, not really. And it's not a Nimbus Two Thousand and One?"

"Do you really think I'd gift you anything that would make you more like Malfoy?"

"Fair enough." Harry sighed. "But you will tell me if I guess correctly?"

"Oh, totally."

Harry paused, narrowing his eyes at his bushy-haired friend. "You're being sarcastic."

"I don't understand how anyone could ever call you dense with intuition like that."

"You're still being sarcastic."

"Well spotted." Hermione rolled her eyes, turning away from Harry and towards the glittering blue pond in front of them. "If you guess your birthday present correctly, I might tell you. I haven't decided yet." She said, smugly crossing her arms.

"You're torturing me." Harry groaned, turning to face the pond before them, along with the rest of Sapphire Park.

The pair were currently on a park bench, after enjoying the sunshine and the fresh air by walking along the footpath before they'd elected to sit down. Harry had been pestering Hermione for the better part of an hour, listing off all kinds of Quidditch-related gifts in hopes of cracking his best friend's impenetrable façade of secrecy.

"Can we talk about something besides your birthday?" Hermione sighed, turning back to Harry. "How about those ridiculous books Hagrid sent us?"

Harry snorted as he recalled how he'd woken up that morning. He'd opened his eyes at the sound of an incessant tapping at the window, and he'd eagerly run over, expecting a letter from one of his Hogwarts friends. What he didn't expect, however, was a pair of tawny owls each carrying parcels the size of textbooks.

Even more unexpected was the growl that came from inside the two boxes. Anxious at their contents, Harry banged on Hermione's door until she emerged, bleary-eyed and frizzy-haired. She didn't look fully awake until Harry dragged her into his room and pointed at the packages. Uneasily, they opened them to find that they were in fact books – The Monster Book of Monsters. Nothing seemed particularly threatening about them until they began scuttling around like bizarre crabs.

"Do you reckon Hagrid's trying to off us?" Harry smirked, recalling how his book had tried snapping at his hand every time he tried to pick it up.

"Well, I doubt that." Hermione rolled her eyes, but a small smile pulled at her lips. "I was going to ask if you think it means anything that Hagrid sent us schoolbooks about magical creatures."

"Well, Hagrid likes magical creatures. A lot." Harry offered, not sure what his best friend was getting at. She stared at him expectantly for a moment until it hit him. "Oh! He's looking out for us, figuring we can read ahead for Care of Magical Creatures."

"And?"

"What?" Harry asked, surprised at that response. "How can there be more? Hagrid's our friend, he's helping us out."

"Do you suppose Hagrid might be teaching Care of Magical Creatures next year?" Hermione raised an eyebrow. Harry turned the question over a few times in his head before he opened his mouth in a silent 'ah' of realization.

"Blimey, Hermione, you're too clever, you know that?" Harry shook his head in disbelief. Hermione's cheeks flushed red before she turned back to the pond hurriedly.

"It's just speculation."

"No, I reckon you're right."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because I can count on one hand how many times you've been wrong about anything." Harry grinned, turning to see Hermione's blush deepen. At that moment, a familiar musical jingle echoed across the park. "Fancy an ice cream cone?" He grinned.

"I'll never say no to mint chip." Hermione returned the smile, leaping to her feet and grabbing Harry by the hand. He had barely stood up before he was being dragged along the footpath at full speed, dodging other park-goers as they sprinted along, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hermione, do you ever consider just walking?" Harry panted after a minute of full-speed running.

"Oh, hush!" Hermione answered, tugging him along with even more ferocity than before. Harry shrugged, still smiling wide.

Just like every other time he and Hermione ran hand-in-hand, grinning like idiots in the park like two normal kids, many bystanders offered wistful smiles and often commented to whomever they were with.

"They're so cute, aren't they?" Harry heard a woman ask her husband as he and Hermione raced past them. Feeling his face heat up, he tried to focus on literally anything else, which wasn't easy when he heard the next few comments.

"How adorable!" A pair of women cooed as they ran through a pavilion.

"Were we as happy as them?" An elderly woman asked her husband asked they passed a cluster of picnic tables.

"Oh, we were." The older man sighed, chuckling as he made eye contact with a now flustered Harry.

"Here we are!" Hermione exclaimed triumphantly, coming to a sudden halt as they joined the line at the ice cream truck. "Same as usual?" She asked, turning eagerly to Harry.

"Erm, yeah." Harry managed to gasp out, grateful that his red face and shortness of breath could be attributed to their recent sprint. "Maybe a bottle of water." He panted, and Hermione giggled in agreement.

Harry was eager to pay for today's purchases. Towards the end of the Hogwarts term, he had written to Gringotts bank and repeated his query about converting some of his magical fortune to Muggle currency. He received a response the next day, explaining how the goblins of the bank were originally miffed at the great Harry Potter, thinking he had ghosted them during the previous summer. However, they actually found the story of Dobby's interference rather amusing, and were more than happy to help the boy wizard make some withdrawals.

Now, Harry was triumphantly handing a tenner to the ice cream truck vendor and marching off before the chipper driver could make change.

"You know you don't have to pay for me." Hermione said sheepishly as Harry handed her a mint chip ice cream cone and a bottle of water.

"I want to." Harry insisted. "It's only fair after everything you and your parents have done."

"Harry, you do remember paying for all of my school supplies last year, right?"

"No, I'm having trouble remembering." Harry mused. "Maybe I should do it again, see if that jogs my memory." He smirked.

Hermione kicked him in the shin under the table and glared at him, but eventually broke out into a burst of laughter, quickly accompanied by Harry. Eventually, the two finished their sweet treats and drinks and resumed their peaceful meander around the park.

The weather was almost perfect – the cloudless sky above them made the pond look that much bluer, that much more vivid. The sunshine glimmered on the surface, entrancing Harry every time he stared at the million little sparkles. But the one thing that kept the day from being perfect was the temperature.

The heat was almost suffocating, and after a few minutes of roaming the Sapphire Park's grounds and paths, Harry and Hermione agreed to go back to the wonderful world of air conditioning in the Granger residence.

"Welcome back, you two." Mrs. Granger beamed as the pair entered through the front door. She'd been reading a novel on one of the living room's armchairs when they left over an hour ago and it appeared that she hadn't budged. "Is it really that hot out there?" She asked amusedly, gesturing to a very sweaty Harry and Hermione.

"It must be thirty-five degrees. Maybe more" Hermione groaned, wiping her forehead as she traipsed further inside. "Where's dad?"

"One of his clients requires an emergency root canal. He's just headed into the office to prep everything, and I'll need to join him soon." Mrs. Granger slowly got to her feet, placing her book on the chair behind her.

"Why didn't you go with him?" Hermione asked.

"Because he and I had a great idea of how the two of you could spend the rest of the afternoon in this miserable heat. Not only will it be plenty of fun, but the air conditioning is no joke." The woman grinned, brandishing two small pieces of paper from her pocket.

"What are those?" Harry raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Tickets." Mrs. Granger's smile widened.

"Tickets?"

"Tickets for the cinema." The dentist thrust the tickets into Hermione's hand.

"I love it!" Hermione beamed, waving the papers in front of Harry's face eagerly. "What movie are we seeing?"

"Well, there's a new one that came out just a few weeks ago we thought you two might enjoy. Everyone seems to be saying it's brilliant." Mrs. Granger grabbed her car keys and began shepherding the pair towards the door.

"What's it called?" Harry asked, intrigued. Since he and Hermione had sat down to watch A Few Good Men, he'd been enchanted by the world of movies, finding any excuse to badger Hermione into popping a new VHS into the Grangers' television.

"Sleepless in Seattle." Mrs. Granger winked.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry and Hermione had been dropped off just outside the entrance to the cinema.

"Do we just walk in?" Harry asked nervously.

"Yes, just waltz on in." Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "You're going to love it, Harry. Really." Harry felt a bit of his uncertainty dissipate at that. "Now, let's get out of this heat before we start frying like eggs."

Harry chuckled and happily followed his best friend to the door, making a point of opening it for her.

"Quite the gentleman." She said sheepishly, and Harry felt a blush creep up on his cheeks. Hermione let him stand and admire the gigantic lobby they had just entered. The entire room was bustling with activity, with all kinds of sights and sounds Harry had never seen nor heard, but now found fascinating. He darted his eyes to the right to see an arcade – something he'd only seen on television before. For a moment he felt drawn towards it, but then he looked to the other side of the atrium and spotted the concessions stand.

"Hermione, I don't think I've seen this much candy in my life!" He gasped in surprise as he practically bounded over to the display case.

"Well, not for a lack of trying. Every time that trolley comes around on the Hogwarts Express you buy enough sweets to feed a village." She snorted. "I think you should dedicate your attention to something other than candy, though." She added with a smile.

"What then?"

"You, Harry Potter, are about to discover the pure euphoria that comes with eating movie theater popcorn." Hermione grinned, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him to the front of the concessions counter. "Are you alright with water?"

Harry nodded, and Hermione beamed before turning to the cashier. After Harry insisted on paying for their large popcorn and two bottles of water, they began to wandering towards their theater.

"Do you think you'd prefer to sit in the front or the back?" Hermione asked as they pushed through the door and surveyed the almost entirely empty theater in front of them. "If you want my advice – "

"Always appreciated." Harry smirked before taking a swig from his water bottle.

"Well, sitting towards the front isn't great for your neck. Or your eyes. I personally prefer the back." She offered, turning to him expectantly.

"Back row it is." Harry nodded before ascending the stairs towards the very last row. The pair scooted along towards the middle and plopped down contentedly. "Your mum was right about the air conditioning." Harry smiled. After the unbearably high temperatures of the outdoors, the gusts of cool air inside the dark movie theater was almost heavenly.

"Have you tried the popcorn yet?" Hermione asked, popping a few pieces into her mouth. "Don't tell my parents we got a large, by the way. They'll make us brush our teeth for an hour."

"Hermione Granger, defying her parents?" Harry raised an eyebrow as he gingerly plucked a piece of popcorn from their bucket. "Oh, never mind. I get why." He grinned as he began chowing down on a handful of popcorn. "This stuff is amazing."

"I'm glad." Hermione gave a warm smile. "Want to play a game?"

"Are there a lot of games one can play in a movie theater?" Harry asked quizzically.

"Try and catch this in your mouth. You keep track of how many you catch, I'll keep track of how many I catch." Hermione grinned before lobbing a piece of popcorn into the air. Harry instinctively leaned his head back and opened his mouth, snaring the buttery piece in between his teeth. Triumphantly, he turned to face Hermione and crunched down with a wink.

The two of them took turns chucking popcorn into the air and either applauding or cackling, depending on if the other caught it or not. Gradually, many other patrons made their way through the doors and into their seats, but the duo paid little attention to them. They were too absorbed in their intense game of edible catch. Harry found himself laughing particularly hard after Hermione had a piece bounce off her eyebrow, earning him an unamused glare.

"Sorry, sorry. I'm sure I'll bungle this one, anyway." He winked, eliciting an eye-roll from Hermione, who promptly flicked a piece straight into his face. "Hey!" He hissed as it ricocheted off his glasses, and it was Hermione's turn to titter.

Harry opted to snatch a few pieces of popcorn and launch them at Hermione in quick succession. She was only able to catch one, with a couple bouncing off her face as she struggled to move her head that quickly. It didn't help that she was still laughing hysterically.

One piece, however, got caught in her mane of bushy brown hair, trapped by her locks just above her forehead. Harry began openly guffawing at the sight, but made a point of not looking at it.

"Are you laughing at my reflexes?" Hermione pouted once she managed to stop laughing. "Not everyone can be the best Seeker at Hogwarts."

'She really thinks I'm the best Seeker at Hogwarts?'

"Sorry, sorry." He snorted, curious as to how long she'd go without noticing. Hermione rolled her eyes once again and turned to watch the previews. Harry found himself shaking with barely-suppressed laughter but didn't give away the piece of popcorn trapped in a few of his friend's frizzy strands.

It was almost five minutes later when Hermione distractedly let out a sharp exhale, inadvertently fluttering some of her hair and allowing the popcorn to tumble into her lap. She stared for a moment, perplexed, before whirling on Harry.

"Just when were you going to tell me about that?" She growled, thrusting the popcorn below Harry's nose.

"Ma'am, please be quiet, I'm trying to watch a movie." Harry replied without taking his eyes off the screen. Hermione groaned, throwing him a not-so-playful elbow before turning back to the previews.

"So do you know what kind of movie this is?" Harry asked after a few minutes. "Because I really liked the mystery in Murder on the Orient Express, I wouldn't mind watching another one of those."

Hermione just giggled, and Harry raised an eyebrow.

"It's called a rom-com. A romantic comedy."

"Romantic?" Harry asked in disbelief. "I'm about to watch a romance movie?"

"Honestly, Harry!" Hermione sighed in exasperation. "Your precious A Few Good Men has romance in it."

"Yeah, but that's not the allure of the entire play. Or the movie."

"I think you should give it a chance. I watched a fair amount of movies like these growing up, and they've always been at least enjoyable." Harry shrugged at that. "Plus, it's loads better than being out in the heat."

"Fine."

"I think you'll enjoy it. Have you ever seen a rom-com before?"

Harry shook his head, and Hermione giggled. "I'm glad I'm here for your first one." She smirked before turning back to the now-starting movie.

Harry sighed as the movie began. He couldn't deny that he had very little expectations for Sleepless in Seattle. He didn't strike himself as the type to end up heavily invested in the romantic lives of a few fictional characters. He'd practically tuned out the romance in A Few Good Men in favor of the brilliant dialogue and premise.

Harry Potter planned to laugh at the jokes, enjoy most of the dialogue, and disregard the romantic elements entirely.

But the best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry, don't they?

It started with an early quote from Tom Hanks's character, Sam Baldwin: "It was a million tiny little things that, when you added them all up, they meant we were supposed to be together, and I knew it. I knew it the first time I touched her. It was like coming home, only to no home I'd ever known."

Harry suddenly found it very difficult to think about anything except how at peace he felt whenever he and Hermione touched. Holding hands, hugs, pecks on the cheek, brushing knees under desks, bumping elbows at the Great Hall, all kinds of memories came racing through his head at warp speed.

A few minutes later, it was Meg Ryan's character who had Harry thinking about a certain someone: "You make a million decisions that mean nothing, and then one day you order take-out and it changes your life."

'You make a million decisions that mean nothing, and then one day you pull out Hogwarts: A History and it changes your life.' Harry didn't even know where the thought had come from, it was like his brain had formulated it on pure instinct. Even with the cold air being blasted throughout the theater, he suddenly felt very hot.

"And then he held my hand. At one point I looked down and I couldn't tell which fingers were his and which were mine. And I knew…"

Visions of his fingers laced with Hermione's began bombarding Harry's brain, and he felt his pulse quicken.

"I just want somebody I can have a decent conversation with over dinner."

Who else possibly compared to Hermione when it came to just chatting away? Over dinner, over breakfast, over anything, having a decent conversation with Hermione Granger was as easy as breathing. Speaking of breathing, Harry Potter was suddenly breathing rather heavily.

"It was like…magic."

'Magic.' Harry silently repeated to himself. He glanced over at Hermione, who was watching the movie with rapt interest. He stared for a moment at how the light of the screen reflected off of her eyes – eyes he'd found himself lost in many times in the past but couldn't explain why. He was just drawn to them as if they were…magic. He couldn't think of a better descriptor as he gazed in amazement at his bushy-haired friend.

One of the characters made a joke, and several audience members laughed, including Hermione. Harry barely heard anything going on in front of him, instead captivated by Hermione's radiant smile and the accompanying giggles. The stunning sight paired with the undeniably delightful sound was like watching a sunset while listening to Mozart. For a blissful moment, his mind went completely and utterly blank.

Then, a single thought rattled around his brain with such a profound intensity that Harry suddenly felt compelled to lie down.

'I have a crush on Hermione Granger.'

A/N: *Gasp*