Disclaimer: This is the first chapter I've written on my new laptop, and not to be dramatic but AAAAHHHHHHH this is amazing. So, I officially own a new laptop! But I don't own Harry Potter :/

Chapter 56

"So," Ron grinned as he sat on Harry's left while Hermione slid in on his right. The other five members of the Gryffindor Gang took up the rest of the seats at the table they had managed to find in the Three Broomsticks. "Time to play our favorite game…why is Harry Potter in a bad mood today?"

"I'm not in a bad mood," Harry grumbled, knowing his scowl betrayed him.

"Raise your hand if you think it's the dragons," Ron pressed on, grinning. He and Seamus raised their hands. "Now, raise your hand if you think it's Rita Skeeter." Lavender, Parvati, Dean, and Neville raised their hands while giving Harry sympathetic looks. "Seriously? You all think he's more upset over some hag at the Prophet than he is about facing a fire-breathing death monster?"

"The dragon isn't causing people to ridicule Hermione," Lavender said plainly. "Rita Skeeter is. Come on, Ron, you practically have to hold Harry back whenever some Slytherin makes a snide comment about Hermione's appearance."

"Suppose you're right," Ron tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Who would have thought that someone writing that Hermione was 'stunningly pretty' would be the catalyst for getting people to insult her."

"Ron…" Harry warned, every muscle in his body tensing. "Can we not talk about Skeeter? Or dragons?"

Hermione placed a comforting hand on his arm and some of his anger evaporated. He turned and she gave him a reassuring smile, something she'd been doing an awful lot lately when Harry was looking close to exploding. Whether it was because it had been a week and he had yet to find a suitable approach to facing a dragon, or because his schoolmates had taken Rita Skeeter's blatantly slanderous article as a chance to insult him and Hermione every time they walked the halls, he hadn't been in the best of moods as of late. Every time he came close to losing it, however, Hermione had been there to calm him down almost instantly.

Madam Rosmerta's arrival at their table ripped him away from his thoughts. She had her wand out and was levitating a tray of nine Butterbeers next to her. With a flick of her wrist, each member of the Gryffindor Gang had a bottle zoom into their hand, and Harry was surprised to have a second hover towards him.

"On the house, Mister Potter," The blonde woman whispered with a sly smile. "And I'll have you know that Rita Skeeter is permanently banned from this establishment, so you can stay here as long as you need."

Harry gave a grateful smile and happily sipped away at his beverage while he and his friends talked about anything except the Triwizard Tournament.

"How was your detention with Snape?" Dean asked Harry.

"I will gladly suffer through three hours of pickling rat brains as punishment for hexing Malfoy," Harry snorted, as did most of his friends. Hermione just rolled her eyes and mumbled something about rules, but Harry just nudged her knee with his and gave her a playful smile. "You know Sirius wrote me the other day and said he was proud of me for what I did."

"He was proud that you landed yourself in detention?" Hermione seemed horrified.

"He was proud that I defended you from a bigoted piece of human garbage. Apparently hexing blood-supremacists was one of his and my dad's favorite pastimes," Harry smirked. "He said my dad would be proud, even if it landed me in detention."

Hermione's features softened considerably at that. "Oh, well …thank you for sticking up for me, I guess. Even if it did give Snape an excuse to torment you."

"Happy to do it," Harry grinned. He turned back to the rest of his friends and saw a few of the boys staring open-mouthed at a nearby table. He glanced over and saw Fleur Delacour sitting with a few of her Beauxbatons friends, all looking repulsed by their cramped surroundings. Sighing, he elbowed Ron sharply in the ribs. "You know, if you guys never work up the Gryffindor courage to talk to girls you fancy, I'm going to be the only one in this group with a girlfriend for a long time."

"Oh, shut up," Ron muttered before returning his attention to Fleur. "I don't really fancy her, she's just nice to look at. Like a pretty painting."

"You're ridiculous," Lavender scowled, taking a sip of her beverage. Harry heard a loud BANG and whipped his head towards the sound just in time to see Rita Skeeter fly backwards from the open door of the pub. He caught sight of her landing on her back in the street just before the door slammed shut and he grinned.

"You know, Sirius wrote to Dumbledore about her," He turned to the rest of his friends, who listened eagerly. "He told me that he asked him to ban her from the castle and the grounds."

"Can he do that?" Parvati tilted her head.

"He can," Hermione answered for Harry. "Any Headmaster or Headmistress reserves the right to banish any individual from the castle. I read about it in – "

"Hogwarts: A History," Harry sighed, nonchalantly examining his fingernails as he did so. Hermione crossed her arms irritably and slumped in her seat, glaring at him. Harry responded by leaning over and pecking her on the cheek, grinning as her irritated demeanor instantly gave way to flusterment. She blushed furiously and ducked her head, unsuccessfully trying to hide her giddy smile. He nudged her knee with his under the table before turning back to the rest of his friends, who were either gazing at them with rapt interest or pretending to vomit into their drinks. "You guys need to grow up."

"You guys need to get a room," Ron fired back with a wry smile. "Seriously, we won't be offended if you two go off somewhere to snog. Believe it or not, I'd really prefer it if you did it somewhere other than right in front of me."

"You're insufferable," Hermione glared at him before brightening instantly as she turned to the other side of the restaurant. "Oh, it's Hagrid! And Professor Moody!"

Harry turned and saw that his two favorite professors were indeed making their way over. Hagrid was beaming at them while Moody was glowering, his magical eye whizzing back and forth as he surveyed the restaurant as he limped towards them.

"Afternoon, you lot," Hagrid greeted them. "Was hopin' I'd find yeh here, Harry."

"Need something, Hagrid?" Harry asked, surprised. "Hello, Professor Moody," He greeted his other professor, who just grunted in response.

"Yeah…well, I don't know if I should tell yeh in front of everyone…" The half-giant warily eyed the rest of the Gryffindors. "Just, er…come down to me hut around midnight tonight."

"What?" Harry just blinked in surprise. "Why? And why can't you tell – oh…" He suddenly recalled Hagrid's passion for dragons and realized what his friend wanted to tell him. "I already know that…er, Norbert's friends are going to be at the task."

"Yeh do?" Hagrid looked incredulous. "Well…blimey, alright. Good for yeh. Then, I guess, er, enjoy your Hogsmeade trip," He gave another enormous smile and waved to the rest of the Gryffindor Gang before strolling off, his gigantic footsteps making the nearby tables bounce.

"Wait, Hagrid!" Harry called out instinctively. The gamekeeper returned, a quizzical expression on his face. "Do the others know? The other champions?"

"Oh…well," Hagrid glanced around before leaning down and whispering. "Karkaroff has been campin' out near where Norbert's friends are kept ever since they got here. And I suspect Madame Maxine will be there tonight as well."

"What about Cedric?" Harry asked, his brow creasing. He had originally been fine with being the only champion that knew about the dragons, since he hadn't willingly entered the tournament and he was three years younger than the rest of the participants. Now, though, it didn't seem fair to leave Cedric with such a blatant disadvantage, especially since he was one of roughly a dozen people in the castle that believed him about not putting his name in there.

"I don't think Cedric knows, no," Hagrid shook his head. "I should go. Enjoy the day," He waved farewell once again and departed.

"Don't tell me Harry Potter is cheating in the Triwizard Tournament?" Moody whispered once Hagrid had left. He hadn't budged from his spot next to the table.

"I didn't cheat," Harry fired back defensively. "I wasn't allowed to get help from a teacher, and I didn't get help from a teacher. I'm resourceful."

"You know what you're going to do, then?" Moody leaned towards him. "For the task?"

"I'm not allowed to discuss that with teachers," Harry said cautiously.

"I'm taking that as a no," Moody cracked a smile, which looked more frightening than anything with his jagged teeth. "A word of advice, play to your strengths, Potter."

"My strengths?" Harry repeated. "What strengths?"

"Defense," Parvati offered. "You're the best in our year in that, right Professor?"

"There are absolutely zero defensive spells that will get Potter past a dragon," Moody growled. "What other strengths have you got?"

"You're damn good at Charms," Seamus grinned. "You and Hermione were the only ones in our class who mastered the Summoning Charm on the first day we learned it."

"Warmer…" Moody whispered, winking at Harry with his good eye. "Come on, Potter. What are you best at?"

"Quidditch," He said automatically. "But it's not like I can fly around on a broom down there."

"Why not?" Moody had a triumphant twinkle in his eye.

"Because I'm only allowed to bring my wand, nothing else," Harry said dubiously.

"Oh, my apologies," The ex-Auror was starting to look annoyed. "Didn't realize there was nothing you could do to…get what you need."

With that, he began lumbering off in the direction Hagrid had gone. His walking stick and wooden leg clunked in unison with every step, leaving Harry to piece together what he'd just been told.

"Told you," Ron sighed. "The man is batshit crazy. Telling you that you could bring a broom down with you…unbelievable."

But Harry was barely registering the redhead's griping. What could Harry do to get what he needed? And why had he whispered 'warmer' when Seamus didn't say anything about flying? All he'd mentioned were…

"I know what to do," Harry suddenly grinned.

Harry and Hermione decided to go straight back to the castle, not wanting to waste any time that could be spent practicing ahead of the task. Their friends had understood and wished him luck, as well as instructing Hermione not to berate him excessively. She had rolled her eyes at that, but before long she was dragging him towards the door.

They had just exited the pub when they caught sight of Rita Skeeter not ten meters away. She was facing the opposite direction, but it looked like she was about to turn around at any second, her acid-green quill levitating menacingly in the air. Harry's stomach plummeted at the thought of he and Hermione being accosted by the woman.

Hermione suddenly whirled around to face him and snatched his glasses off his face. He let out an incoherent cry of surprise, but she shushed him and yanked off her green beanie that she had gotten at the Quidditch World Cup and jammed it onto his head, covering as much of his hair as possible.

"What are you doing?" He hissed, hating how blurry everything had suddenly become.

"Making you less recognizable!" She whispered frantically. "Oh,no, she's about to spot us…kiss me!"

"What?"

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable."

"Yes, they do," Harry said automatically, but Hermione didn't want to hear it. She crashed her lips into his, cupping his cheeks with her hands, no doubt to shield more of his face from Skeeter's eyes. Harry instinctively placed his hands just above her hips and turned a bit so his back was to where he had last seen the sentient enema that called herself a journalist. For the first time in his life, Harry was hoping he and Hermione looked like Percy Weasley and Penelope Clearwater – snogging so publicly and so nauseatingly that everyone within a fifty-meter radius wanted to hit themselves with the Killing Curse.

Despite the bizarre circumstances, Harry found himself melting into the kiss, and Hermione gently moaning into his mouth told him she felt something similar. She pulled herself closer to him and he felt her lips curve into a smile as they attacked his. As much as he despised Skeeter for the lies she had published about him and the green light she had given all of Hogwarts to mock his girlfriend, he was grateful that she had enabled such a fervent kiss like the one they were sharing now.

After a few blissful seconds, Hermione broke away and surreptitiously glanced over his shoulder. "She's walking away. Come on." Despite how pleased she looked following the kiss, her voice was as steely as ever. She grabbed his hand and tugged him along down the High Street towards where the horseless carriages were waiting.

Half an hour later, Harry and Hermione were standing on a secluded section of the Hogwarts grounds, roughly ten feet away from his Firebolt, which lay motionless on the grass. Hermione took Harry's free hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze before letting go. He nodded, bracing himself before flicking his wand. "Accio Firebolt!"

Sure enough, the fastest broom in the world zipped towards him, and Harry deftly caught it with a grin.

"Brilliant!" Hermione smiled encouragingly at him. She leaned up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. "Now do it from a bit further away." Harry obeyed, walking about fifteen feet away before gently placing his broom on the grass and returning to Hermione's side. He repeated the incantation, and once again the Firebolt rocketed towards him. Hermione squealed in delight before turning and giving Harry another kiss on the lips, this one lasting a couple seconds longer than the first.

"You're awfully affectionate for a Summoning Charm," Harry grinned sheepishly, feeling a bit giddy from the kiss.

"It's a simple incentive," Hermione said matter-of-factly despite her cheeky smile. "The longer the distance, the longer the kiss."

"Oh," Harry's shy smile turned impish. "I wonder why Flitwick never bothered with that strategy, I bet I would have learned this much quicker…"

"Oh, shut up," Hermione giggled, half-heartedly swatting him on the arm. Harry smirked and repeated the process of summoning his Firebolt. Sure enough, Hermione cupped his chin and pulled him into a tender kiss. Harry wanted to try and count out the seconds, but his brain had shut down from the moment her velvety lips had found his and made that impossible.

Summon. Catch. Kiss. Summon. Catch. Kiss. It was a rhythm that Harry was more than happy to get used to. At one point Hermione hadn't even waited for him to catch the broom; once the Firebolt was a meter or two away she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him with such an intensity he thought he was going to pass out.

"You know," He grinned as he jogged towards Hermione just under an hour into their practice session, his broom lying almost sixty meters away, "is this really the most efficient strategy?"

"Are you referring to the fact that we're opting to waste valuable time by kissing instead of practicing?" Hermione teased, fluttering her eyelashes coquettishly.

"You think kissing me is a waste of time?" Harry said rather dejectedly. "Fine, if that's how you feel…"

"Harry!" She protested, looking terrified. "You know I don't mean that!" He turned, his pout vanishing as he winked at her. "You…you little prat!" She punched him in the arm. Repeatedly. "You prat! You don't get to have a go at me like that!"

"Why not?" He stuck his tongue out at her, still grinning from ear to ear.

"Because…" She spluttered, halting her assault on his arm. "You're such a prat!" She resumed punching him, but her blows grew feebler. "Go summon your precious Firebolt, prat."

"You sure you don't want to call me prat one more time?"

"Just do it," She huffed, crossing her arms. Harry leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek and smirked as she involuntarily let out a blissful sigh, her features instantly softening. She resumed her glare once he pulled away, but her eyes were twinkling with delight now.

"You're adorable," Harry whispered before turning back towards his broom. He heard her squeak in response but he opted to focus on the task at hand. Taking a deep breath, he flicked his wand confidently: "Accio Firebolt!"

Three seconds later, his Firebolt was in his hand once again. He gripped the handle triumphantly, taking a moment to examine it to make sure it was still the same broom he knew and loved. He turned to Hermione, who looked nothing short of ecstatic, with her hands clapped together and her dazzling smile lighting up her entire face.

"Harry, I really think you've got it!" She said delightedly. He returned her smile, her words and his success causing a swooping sensation of relief to wash over his entire body. He let out a happy exhale and took another look at his broom and holstered his wand.

"As long as it works on Tuesday, right?"

"As long as you're concentrating, you're going to do great," Hermione reassured him, taking his free hand. "But, if you ever start to feel worried, I'm more than willing to help you practice. Whenever you need it."

"Thanks," His smile widened. He felt like the world's heaviest anvil had been lifted from his shoulders, and as he gazed in admiration at the witch in front of him he realized just how grateful he was. "Thank you, for helping me with this. For being here for me. For…for everything, I guess." He winced at himself. "Sorry, that was rubbish. I just, I really want to let you know that I do appreciate you. I know being around me can probably be exhausting, and I know you put a lot of effort in for me." He paused, not entirely sure where all of this was coming from. Everything he was saying was just spilling out of his mouth now, like water from a faucet. "I don't take you for granted, Hermione. I never will. You have my word."

Hermione looked stunned, with one of her hands over her heart and her eyes as wide as saucers. She opened her mouth once or twice, but it seemed like the words died in her throat every time. After a silence that was slightly uncomfortable for Harry, she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him and burrowing her face into his shoulder.

"Oh, Harry!" Her words was muffled, but he still sensed the emotion in her voice and squeezed her tight. "Harry, that's so kind of you…I sort of figured you don't take me for granted like that."

"Yeah, but – "

"But it was sweet of you to say so, anyways," She pulled her head back so she was facing him. Her eyes were glistening with tears, but she was beaming at him like he'd never seen before, and his heart fluttered at the sight. "So, so sweet of you," She echoed, planting a quick kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Just wanted to let you know…" He said bashfully. "Er…do you think we should head back to the castle? It's rather chilly, don't you think?"

"Good idea," Hermione nodded. Harry realized they had quite the uphill walk ahead of them and glanced at his broom. "Oh, don't even think about it!" She hissed before Harry could even ask the question. Sighing, he placed the Firebolt on his shoulder and slipped his free hand into hers. "Much better," She giggled, walking side by side with him towards the castle.

"Sorry we had to leave Hogsmeade early," Harry sighed as they walked along, feeling a bit guilty that he hadn't realized he had done so until just then. "I know it was going to be our first date since my birthday and – "

"Harry, given the choice between helping to make sure you don't die and spending the day walking around in some shops, I'll gladly lend you a hand. Every single time." She gave him another one of those reassuring smiles that made him feel better instantly. "Plus, it's not like I didn't get to kiss you several times."

"Fair point," He grinned, laughing along with her as they reached the entrance. "Can I interest you in reading by the fire in the common room until our friends get back?"

"I'd love that," She gave his hand an affectionate squeeze as they entered the castle. They made their way through the mostly empty castle, chatting casually about all manner of things not related to dragons or vile journalists. After giving the password to the Fat Lady, Harry was pleased to see that the common room was deserted. He turned to Hermione, who had taken off her beanie and was shaking her head from side to side, her brown tresses flying wildly about. She caught his eye and gave him one of her trademark radiant smiles. Her perfectly white teeth gleamed in the sunlight that pored through the windows, and her lips – a bit swollen from her ingenious practice strategy – looked as kissable as ever. So kissable, in fact, that he found himself smirking as an idea popped into his head.

"You know," he drawled as he squeezed her hand and led her over to their usual couch, "I bet Rita Skeeter might come looking for us in here. We should probably do something to make sure she doesn't try and approach us."

"What?" She tilted her head in confusion. "Why? How would she even get in without the password?"

"Don't know," Harry barely fended off the urge to roll his eyes and sat down on the couch, patting the space next to him. Hermione plopped down by his side and he slid as close to her as he could. "But it's possible. I think we should do everything we can to make sure she doesn't come near us. And I think you had a pretty good idea earlier today."

"I don't see why you're worrying so much," Hermione scrunched her eyebrows together, looking completely oblivious to Harry's words. "I really doubt anyone would be stupid enough to give her the password, but even if she did get in here you – " She stopped as Harry unsubtly darted his tongue out to wet his lips. "Oh, I see…"

"Do you?" Harry teased, reaching up and brushing a few of her curls behind her ears. "I was worried I was being too subtle, compared to your brazen and shameless double entendres."

The moment those last two words left his mouth, Harry was forcefully shoved onto his back. He grinned as he felt a familiar slim frame crawl on top of him, and the rest of the afternoon passed by in a blissful blur.

A/N: Hello, everybody! This chapter took a lot out of me. I had planned the second act ages ago (the kissing incentive) but everything else took a lot of trial and error and several deleted documents for me to reach something that I enjoyed writing. So, hopefully you all enjoyed reading it.

I'm pretty sure I only put one reference in here, and it's the "public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable" sequence. It hails from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, arguably the best Marvel film. Anyway, thank you to everyone who has shown their support through follows and favorites and reviews, you guys keep me going! Thank you all, and stay safe!