A/N: Neville and Luna will not be a couple in this story. In fact, I rather think that them paired together is a little overdone in HHr stories, so I have someone in mind to pair with Neville. Everyone likes reading something different, right? Don't worry, I have Luna together with someone else, but not until like fifth or sixth year, and I'm not too sure if she'll play a big part, because again, I think she's a little overdone. You'll get a little teaser of who Neville is going to be paired with in this chapter.
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.
Chapter 7
The Yule Ball was just about to start and the three champions were lining up outside the hall with their dates. The three champions were very confused, however, and were thinking the same question. 'Where is the fourth champion?'
Fleur Delacour was already annoyed at her date, Roger Davies, who kept staring at her and she wasn't even using her veela allure! He was practically drooling like a baby, not able to hold together a coherent sentence, and oogled her like she was a piece of meat. It made her uncomfortable, just like it did when any other man or woman did it.
Fleur was incredibly proud of her rather unique heritage, but there were some aspects that she didn't like. She was never taken seriously, especially by her classmates at Beauxbatons and any male she came in contact with, which was what prompted her to enter this tournament. To show that she wasn't just a pretty face, that she wasn't just a quarter Veela. She wanted to show them that she was also a formidable and intelligent witch which was the reason she lashed out at first about Harry Potter being in the tournament.
At first, she was a little incensed the 'little boy' as she called Harry Potter when his name came out of the Goblet because she had listened to the talk about him being arrogant, but she saw the look on his face and he looked terrified. It was quite obvious to anyone with a brain that the boy didn't enter. She really wanted to apologize to him during the Ball, but he was no where to be found. She shook away those thoughts and glanced behind her, seeing Diggory and Krum, but no Harry Potter.
Thinking back to her weeks here at Hogwarts, which had been interesting to say the least, she had to respect Harry Potter's defense of the fourth year Ravenclaw named Hermione Granger. After talking to her Housemate, Cho Chang, who called the girl a 'know-it-all muggleborn bookworm', it plummeted the Veela's opinion of the Asian witch to the ground. She understood what it was like to be ostracized because of differences, whether it be circumstances of birth, which they both shared, or personal traits, and it seemed that the other girls at Hogwarts were not as tolerant.
Snarky comments from Marietta Edgecomb and the general agreement from her circle of friends made Fleur think twice about associating herself with them. Fleur deducted that many of the Ravenclaws, despite their intelligence, were snobs who had no disregard for others feelings. Fleur was quite tempted to let her Veela side show and dare them to make fun of her because she was different.
She had made it her new mission to apologize to Harry Potter, possibly befriend him, and Hermione Granger too. Maybe she could help the muggleborn witch understand that she wasn't alone.
Cedric Diggory was ignoring his girlfriend's idle and vapid chatting as he glanced around for any sign of Harry Potter. Since he had given him that clue about the dragons, he planned on repaying the favor and giving him a clue about the egg along with the password to the prefects bathroom.
The Hufflepuff had watched Potter during the first task and was incredibly impressed with the spell that he used to get the egg. When he questioned his father about it, Amos informed Cedric that the spell was incredibly hard to accomplish and took a lot of power to do so.
The Gryffindor had impressed him in the last couple of weeks, keeping his head high through the whispers and name calling, defending the Granger girl from taunts, facing the task head on and finding a bloody brilliant way to complete it. Cedric was sure that at fourteen, he would never had been able to do what Potter did. His respect had gone up many notches for him.
Viktor Krum was wary and also confused about Harry Potter. The aloof seeker was usually good at reading people, just like he could read someone's moves in Quidditch, but this Potter boy seemed to be an enigma to him. He noticed him spending a lot of time together in the library with Hermione Granger, who also intrigued him. She wasn't following him around like an annoying fan girl, she was also in the library reading and from talk around the school she was the best in her year. It also seemed that wherever she was, Potter could be found as well.
He glanced around for any sign of the 'Boy-Who-Lived' but couldn't and wondered where he was. He was already on edge for the past couple of months, everyone at Durmstrang seemed to be waiting for something to happen while his Headmaster seemed jumpy, nervous all the time. He had no idea what was going on, but it unsettled him, just like the clue to the second task did.
He shook his head and glanced down to his beautiful date, Tracey Davis, a rare smile gracing his lips. He had planned on asking Hermione Granger to go the Ball, but overheard that she wasn't going, so he asked the Slytherin.
His attention was directed to the Hogwarts Deputy Headmistress as she called all the champions forward to enter the Great Hall.
-oOo-
As expected, murmurs were already flowing all around the Great Hall turned ballroom when only thee champions entered with their dates. Three champions? Where was the fourth? Where was Harry Potter? Everyone wanted to know where the Boy-Who-Lived was, they kept craning their necks to see him enter while the champions opened with a dance, assuming that maybe he was just late.
It was only when the Headmaster appeared to make an announcement, "Our fourth champion has been excused from the ball and will be away for the rest of the holidays under personal reasons. Thank you and enjoy."
"Bloody course the 'Boy-Who-Lived' gets special treatment," Ron Weasley muttered from his table, his date - who was also his sister after he had failed to achieve the task in getting a date - sat next to him.
Everyone still snickered over his attempt at asking Fleur Delacour to the ball, which was how Roger Davies scored her as his date. The poor Veela was shaken up at someone practically screaming at her an invitation to the Ball, she just nodded to Davies' question. All the fourth year and up witches witnessed that scene and were intent on finding dates since they did not want to go with Ron Weasley.
Ginerva Weasley was looking crestfallen that Harry wasn't here. She had gotten all dressed up in her best, making sure that her mother forewent buying Ron new robes and bought her a new dress. She had Lavender and Parvati pull her hair up and do her makeup. She looked absolutely perfect and this was supposed to be the night that he'd see her not as Ron's little sister, and he'd start to fall in love with her. The whole thing was ruined. She suspected that Hermione Granger had something to do with it and silently fumed from her seat.
It was bad enough she had to have her brother take her as a date, there was no way she was going to dance with him, how embarrassing!
Some of the smarter students put two and two together. Harry wasn't here, neither was Hermione Granger. Could they be somewhere else together? It was obvious how close they were getting, disappearing to unknown whereabouts only to reappear later...still together. Some speculated they were disappearing to broom closets to snog, which angered many pureblood princesses who wished to snatch the 'Boy-Who-Lived' for themselves.
They decided that they needed to get the message through to the muggleborn that Potter was off-limits to her and the rest of kind.
While Harry Potter never drifted far from their minds, The Weird Sisters started playing and the Ball was in full swing. Professor Dumbledore watched from his spot, chatting happily with the staff as they ate and observed the students having a great time.
A pair of icy blue eyes were scanning the Ball. Her date, Theo Nott, had tried to cop of feel through her emerald robes and it was only the threat to practice the severing curse on his family jewels that made him stop. 'Pathetic,' she sneered in her head as he flickered his eyes away from her bust when she glared at him.
Daphne Greengrass, despite her beautiful appearance, had a way to fade into the background and observe. It was a gift, she decided, because she was a wonderful spectator, opting to stay out of any childish rubbish around school, like the immature Harry Potter Stinks badges made by the dolt known as Draco Malfoy.
She perked up when she saw a certain sandy haired wizard, who had intrigued her ever since he and Potter had mended the bridges and become friends again, walk out of the hall. Longbottom seemed to stand taller, with more poise and confidence. He had noticeably lost some of his pudgy weight, especially the baby fat in his face, showing handsome features. She gracefully stood up from her chair, ignoring her ignoramus date asking where she was going and walked out of the Great Hall after him.
-oOo-
Neville Longbottom had a large smile on his face as he strolled through the warmed snowy gardens. He was alone and didn't even care, he was having such a great time at the ball with his date, Katie Bell. Of course, they were only going as friends since Katie played for the other Quidditch team, but he was happy to go with her as she was very nice and funny.
He had decided to get some air and had heard that the gardens were warmed so everyone could take a stroll if they wanted. It didn't even matter that Neville wasn't at the Ball with a romantic date. Everything in his life had been getting better since he apologized to Harry for going along with the crowd and believing that he had entered.
In the back of his mind, he knew that Harry didn't enter, but sometimes it was hard to go against the grain of the popular opinion. He didn't like what everyone was saying about Harry, because he knew that he was nothing like a 'cheat' or a 'liar'. He knew that he needed to stand on his own two feet with his own opinions, or else he'd remain timid and shy.
Ever since he took that step and apologized, he felt so much lighter an a bit more confident with the pride in himself. He knew that his parents would have been proud of him.
"Neville Longbottom," the boy in question turned around to that smooth voice, only for his eyes widen as he saw who it belonged to. "I don't think we've formally met. I'm Daphne Greengrass."
Daphne could be considered the most beautiful witch in the castle with long blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin, and naturally red lips. Some muggleborn or muggle-raised students compared her to Aurora Rose from Sleeping Beauty, but she gave off this aloof vibe that prevented you from approaching her.
Contrary to popular belief based on stereotypes of her appearance, she was very smart, only a couple of places behind Hermione in the rankings of their class.
The Greengrass family, despite being purebloods, were from France did not drink the Voldemort pureblood supremacy kool-aid. This caused for Daphne and her sister, Astoria, to not have many friends in the Slytherin House except each other. She never really minded though, she would rather have her sister as company that people who worshiped a crazy wizard with some serious issues against muggleborns and half-bloods.
"H-How do you do?" the Gryffindor stuttered out, taking Daphne's dainty and offered hand and kissed the back of it in the formal pureblood greeting. He grimaced remembering his grandmother's lessons when he was ten.
"I am well, thank you for asking," Daphne smiled at Neville, which made his heartbeat race. "So, where is Harry Potter? Do you know?"
Neville's rising mood promptly fell to the snow covered ground and inwardly sighed. Of course she was just interested in Harry, no one would be interested in him. Daphne, however, caught the look on his face and smiled, "I was just wondering because he's been the talk of the Ball and I'm naturally curious. You two seem closer than him and the redheaded weasel too."
"I actually don't know. I saw him getting ready, but..." Neville shrugged, his gaze dropping to the floor. He really had no idea how to act as the most beautiful witch in the castle - in his opinion - was talking to him.
"Why don't we take a walk?" she asked and Neville stared at her in shock for a second, trying to comprehend what she just said. She waited patiently before he shyly offered his arm and she smiled, placing her hand in the crook of his elbow.
"I hear that you're the top of our class in Herbology," Daphne started, a blush gracing Neville's cheeks.
"Yes, it's the one class I'm good at."
"Do you think that you can help me?"
Neville stopped walking and blinked, "You...you want me to t-tutor you?"
"Yes," Daphne nodded. "I would really appreciate the help."
Neville's insecurities and self-doubt reared their ugly heads and anger rose in him. "No," she looked over at him in shock, seeing the anger set into his face. "No, I'm not going to tutor you just so you can joke about it to your friends. Or are you just using me to get a better grade? If that's the case, no way."
Daphne was surprised by the anger he was speaking with in his accusations, warranted accusations she understood considering all the shit Draco Malfoy had put him through. She wasn't lying when she said she needed help, despite her ast name being Greengrass, she had no green thumb and was truly rubbish at anything in that general likeness. It was also the perfect opportunity to get to know Neville better.
She was pleasantly shocked by the fire in his words and how he was standing up straighter, sticking up for himself. It made him look even more attractive to the Slytherin.
"Neville," she gently laid a hand on his arm and stopping him from storming away. "I'm being serious. I also don't appreciate being associated with that wanker, Malfoy," Daphne said, before trying the desperation technique with a little poutiness for good measure. "Please, I'm close to failing."
Neville studied her face for a bit, reading if she was serious or not before sighing. "Okay, but I'm not doing your work for you. I'm going to help you," Neville said, the fire still in his eyes and Daphne smiled, nodding her head.
"Of course, I wouldn't expect you to do my work for me. Thank you, Neville. Sincerely."
"Uh, y-yeah, sure," shy-Neville was back and Daphne couldn't help but find this side endearing. Like a little adorable puppy, though she hoped to see the Rottweiler side of him again. The two walked back into the Great Hall where Daphne dragged him over to the dance floor as a slow song came on.
Ignoring all the disbelieving stares and whispers, they danced smoothly together, thanks to pureblood classes on dancing, and had a great time spending the rest of the night together.
Too soon in their opinion, it was close to midnight and the end of the Ball.
"Walk me back to the dungeons?" Daphne asked.
"Sure," Neville said, more confident in her presence as he offered her his arm. He walked her back to the dungeons where she turned to him.
"I had fun tonight," Daphne said before leaning up and kissing Neville's cheek, shocking the boy and turning him red in embarrassment. "Happy Christmas," Daphne said, smiling at Neville before gliding away.
Neville glanced down to his arm and pinched himself, "Nope, not dreaming."
Safe to say the Longbottom scion went to sleep with a large smile on his face.
-oOo-
Harry had a large smile on his face.
He had started out the day, a little unsure of everything. First of all, he was in Hermione's house and though they had spent a lot of alone time together, he just felt a little awkward.
It was all washed away almost immediately. Hermione had shown him the guest room and bathroom the night before after their little dance, the smile on his face starting then when he thought about it. He took a shower and got dressed, smelling bacon and eggs as soon as he walked into the hallway.
When he followed the smell and walked into the kitchen, he saw Emma by the stove cooking while Dan sat at the table with Hermione, chatting happily about something. The scene sparked a bit of jealousy inside of him. It was what he yearned for, a regular family breakfast, not like the Dursleys old stuffy breakfasts where he fed his relatives while the pig-in-a-wig stuffed his fat face.
Their was a warm rapport between the Grangers that he desperately wanted someday with his own family. Hermione laughed at something her father said while Emma looked over with a fond smile. She then caught sight of Harry and smiled at him. "Oh, good morning, Harry," Emma said, filling a plate with bacon, pancakes, and eggs and placing it on the table in the kitchen.
"Morning," he replied, taking the seat she motioned him to. Hermione and Dan gave their good mornings and Harry replied, holding eye contact with Hermione for a bit and seeing her smile secretively at him. There was a faint blush on her cheeks and he grinned back, before dropping his gaze to his plate.
Hermione and Harry were cleaning up breakfast after her parents left for work. She washed, he dried, and they had just finished when she asked him, "So, what do you want to do today?"
"Uhm...we can do whatever you want. It doesn't matter to me," Harry shrugged.
Hermione thought for a couple of minutes, "Well, we could take a walk, or watch movies here, or go to the theatre to see a movie..."
"The last one sounds good," Harry said, putting the last dish in the cabinet.
"There's this small café near the theatre, so we could go get lunch after?"
Harry then thought about it and hesitantly asked, "Hermione, would you consider this...a date?"
Hermione blushed but her analyzing brain needed to process this. "Well, we are going to a meal and a movie so it could be classified as a date..if you want it to be," she added the last part a bit unsure.
'Ask the question! This is the opportune moment, take it!' Harry screwed up his courage and looked Hermione right in her brown eyes. "Hermione, would you go on a date with me?"
She smiled brilliantly, "I'd love to."
-oOo-
The theatre was only ten minutes from Hermione's house and it was sunny out, so the two decided to just walk. They walked side by side, chatting pleasantly about everything and nothing. Harry kept stealing glances over to Hermione, he couldn't keep his eyes off her as she talked a book she was reading. He was listening, but his attention kept getting caught on her appearance.
She wore a dark blue beanie that matched her House color, along with her Ravenclaw scarf. She had a black pea coat on, jeans, and boots. Her cheeks were flushed from the brisk air and her nose was a little red. Her brown eyes sparkled in the reflection of the sun on snow.
He once called her plain, and he couldn't think of a word more wrong to describe Hermione. 'She really is beautiful,' he thought before seeing her turn to him and realized that she had asked him something. "Huh?"
She smiled at him, "I asked you how do you think the ball was?"
"Oh. Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really care. I had a much better time being here," Harry said with a smile, Hermione returning it. He looked at her hand slightly swinging at her side as she walked. Summoning all his courage he reached out and took her hand in his. She looked over to him slightly shocked and he gulped. "Is this okay?"
She smiled and intertwined their fingers, "Now it is."
The two had decided to see 'Mary Shelley's Frankenstein' and sat in the middle of the theatre. A little into the movie, Hermione leaned over, "The guy who plays Frankenstein looks kind of like Professor Lockhart, don't you think?"
Harry grimaced at the thought of their incompetent DADA professor and shook his head. "I don't see it."
Hermione's arm was on the arm rest and Harry's hand itched to take hers. He kept glancing down to it and debated in his head. 'Will she get mad? She didn't when we held hands on the way here? You know what, bugger it,' he thought reaching over and laying his hand over her, his heart beating out of his chest. He felt her hand turn over and intertwined their fingers once more, soothing his nerves.
Though she didn't look over, he saw a smile on her face as she kept her eyes on the screen which might have looked a little odd to others in the theatre since the monster was in the middle of ripping Elizabeth's heart out, but Harry couldn't help but smile too. After the movie, they walked hand in hand to the small cafe, happy that it was almost empty and sat at a corner table. They joked all throughout their meal, their easy rapport ever present.
"Thank you for today, Harry," Hermione said as soon as they arrived back at her house and squeezed his hand which hadn't left hers since they left the cafe.
Harry decided to take a note from Hermione's book and placed a kiss on her cheek. "It was my pleasure, Hermione."
-oOo-
"Harry, we usually go to our friend's New Years Party. Would you be okay with that?" Dan asked at breakfast the day after Harry and Hermione's date.
Harry nodded, "Of course, but I don't think my dress robes would blend in."
"Don't worry, I'll take you out shopping today to get something."
"Oh, okay, but could we stop at Gringotts first so I can get some mon-"
"Don't worry about it, Harry, this is my treat," Dan said, waving him off.
"Oh, you really don-" Harry felt a hand slip into his and glanced over to Hermione, who gave him a look that he could read easily. 'He wants to do this for you, just let him.' It was pretty scary how he and Hermione were able to have silent conversations. "Thank you, Dan, I'd really appreciate that."
Dan drove them to London to go shopping. Hermione and Emma separated from the guys to go shopping for dresses while Dan took Harry to a tailor that he frequented. Harry getting fitted when he asked Dan about this party they were going to.
"Em and I met Pete Lovett at college and we opened up our dental practice together. Hermione usually opts to not go, though."
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because Pete's circle of friends includes kids who she went to school with before Hogwarts. They weren't very nice to her," Dan admitted.
"Why is she going now?" Harry asked. He'd be fine with staying home with Hermione, but she seemed quite excited for the party.
"You," he said simply.
"Me?" Harry asked, confused.
"Yes, she feels safe with you. She also wants to show them that she's not the same little girl that they liked to pick on," Dan said and Harry frowned, determination burning inside of him. The thought of his Housemates ganging up on her in the hallway, Malfoy cursing, and all those tarts that asked him to the Ball badmouthing her flashed through his mind. Dan could even feel the magical energy cackling around him and saw the deadly expression on Harry's face.
Harry realized where he was and close his eyes, taking a couple of breaths to calm himself. "I can assure you, Dan, no one will be picking on Hermione. Not if I have anything to say about it."
"That's why I like you, Harry," Dan said as they walked to the register to pay. "Hermione said that you defended her from a bunch of your Housemates but she snapped at you and as in pain. Her letters following that were very self-deprecating."
"I never blamed her for that. I understood immediately why she snapped at me."
"She thought she was going to lose you as a friend, but said even if that happened, she would find a way to help you with the tournament. She said she would sneak you books that you needed if need be," Dan said with a small smile as they walked out of the store.
Harry couldn't help but smile at that and the words escaped his mouth before he could stop them. "That's why I like your daughter, Dan. Among other things..."
Dan almost laughed at Harry's wide eyes and fish out of water impression, but remained stern. He had to maintain the overprotective father. "That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about, Harry. I'm going to ask the cliché father's question, what are your intentions toward my daughter?"
Harry wanted to shrink into his shell facing down the six-foot-two Dan Granger who was sternly looking at Harry with narrowed brown eyes. Brown eyes. Harry then had a picture of Hermione's smiling face with sparkling brown eyes and it filled him with determination and confidence.
Dan watched impressed as the boy straightened up and met his gaze. He was a fair bit shorter than Dan, probably around five-foot-eight, he was really only a couple of inches taller than Hermione, but he felt like he was meeting him eye to eye. He set his jaw in a defiant like manner, showing that he wasn't backing down from Dan's intimidation technique.
He held the ferocity of a lion as he spoke. "Your daughter, in simple terms, is wonderful. She's kind and caring and intelligent. All of my friends abandoning me this year was the greatest thing to ever happen to me because it led me to Hermione. She's...the most important person in my life."
"Really?" Dan asked, a bit disbelieving, "Not your godfather, or that former teacher of yours?"
"Sirius is my godfather and while I do care about him and he cares about me, he likes to keep his distance. After I went to live with him, I realized that when my parents died, he experienced the loss of his brother in all but blood, and that hurt him. Right after that hurt, he was put in Azkaban for twelve years, isolated. Now, he prefers to keep people at arms length, including me, to avoid that pain. Sometimes I think I'm just a replacement for my father."
Harry naïvely thought after his godfather was proven innocent thanks to Amelia Bones, he was going to have the family he always dreamed of, but it didn't work out that way. Azkaban really messed with Sirius' mind and happiness. He doesn't like to get too close to Harry, and sometimes when he hit the firewhiskey too hard, he'll call him James.
"I've really only known Remus for a little over a year. He, like Sirius, keeps his distance because of his lycanthropy. He's scared of the pain of rejection. I do care for them deeply, but it's different with Hermione. Technically, I've actually known her longer than I've known both of them," Harry said, Dan keeping his eyes on him as Harry's word vomit continued.
"I need Hermione to be happy. If she's not happy, then I need to do something...anything to make her happy. I like hugging her and sometimes I think of kissing her, but I'm scared of her rejecting me. I mean, who would want me with all my baggage, but those feelings get wiped out in a second because Hermione makes me feel important and wanted. She's the first person to ever hug me, did you know that? I can safely say that I've gotten addicted to Hermione Granger's hugs," Harry admitted with a smile, just thinking about her smiling face and the warm feeling that accompanied seeing it.
"Everyone in the wizarding world thinks I'm so bloody great because I'm the 'Boy-Who-Lived' and Hermione doesn't care about that. I'm just another person and as odd as it sounds, I can't tell you how special that makes me feel. Your daughter is not to mention absolutely beautiful, inside and out. I want to protect her from any harm, I won't allow anyone to bully her ever again."
Dan was silent after Harry's little speech, taking it in. "Well, Harry," Dan started in a neutral tone, watching a glimmer of worry enter the boy's green eyes, before Dan smiled wide and clapped Harry on the back. Everything he just said was what a father wants to hear. "I wholeheartedly approve of you. You have my full blessing to date her if that's what you two decide."
Harry smiled broadly as they walked over to where they were going to meet the girls for lunch. Still keeping his gaze straight, Dan added, "You know if you hurt her, there's not a force on this Earth that will stop me from hurting you tenfold."
"Actually, I think you should check me into a psychiatric hospital first, because I would have completely lost my mind if I ever hurt Hermione," Harry said without a second thought, keeping his own gaze straight.
His answer, once again, placed a smile on Dan's face.
-oOo-
Harry was standing in the living room next to an impatient Dan Granger, who was checking his watch every couple of minutes. Both of the men were dressed in their tuxedos for the party which were much more comfortable than the dress robes. "Girls, we don't want to be late," Dan called up the stairs where the girls were getting ready.
"I'm coming, Daniel, hold your horses," Emma grumbled as she walked down the steps, placing an earring in her right ear.
"You look lovely, wife," Dan said as she leaned down to kiss Emma, who giggled. Harry smiled at the affectionate scene, before averting his eyes away. He hoped to have that someday between him and his own wife. The love between the Granger parents was obvious to see and every time Harry imagined him and his own future wife, he couldn't help but notice that she had big brown eyes and curly brown hair.
Shaking his head of those thoughts he turned to Hermione's mum. "You look very nice, Emma."
"Thank you, Harry," she said, smiling as she put on the other earring. "Hermione Jane, let's go."
"I'm coming," Hermione answered, walking down the stairs. Harry's eyes widened and his mouth went dry when he saw Hermione's appearance.
She was wearing a dark blue long-sleeved flowy dress that ended a couple of inches above her knees, black stockings, and a pair of black flats. She had the charm bracelet on her arm along with a pair of diamond studs on her ears. Her hair had been pulled into a low side bun, a couple of curly tendrils framing her face.
Speaking of her face, a light layer of makeup had been added including mascara which brightened her eyes a bit and some blush giving her an angelic appearance in Harry's opinion. She looked breathtaking and Harry didn't even know his jaw had dropped until Dan pushed it back up with an audible snap as teeth hit teeth. Emma was giggling from the side while Hermione was just smiling shyly at Harry.
"Hermione...you look beautiful," Harry said in awe and Hermione's smile brightened.
"Thank you, Harry. You look very handsome."
"Well, let's get going, shall we?" Dan asked, breaking the teens staring contest. Harry formally offered Hermione his arm and they walked out to the Grangers car.
-oOo-
Dan pulled the car down the large driveway to the Lovett's family manor that was a bit smaller than Potter Manor. It was very nice, a lot of land surrounding it and Harry figured they could even put a Quidditch Pitch in the backyard.
As soon as they were inside, Hermione took Harry's hand as the house was crowded with people. Dan and Emma led them through the crowd until Dan's name was called by someone. Harry saw a blond man about the Granger's age and a handsome face shake Dan and Emma's hand. He chatted with them for a bit before catching sight of Harry and Hermione and introducing himself to them.
"Oh, well, look who it is," Hermione heard a voice she hadn't heard for a while and turned around to see two blonde twins standing there with smirks on their faces. Their dresses were scandalously short and tight, showing off their womanly attributes and they eyed Harry like he was a piece of meat. They were the bane of Hemione's existence in primary school.
"Katrina, Irina, nice to see you again," Hermione said politely, feeling Harry squeeze her hand with a hidden message, 'I'm here.'
"Nice to see you too, Hermione, and who is this?" they said in unison, showing off for Harry, who just looked at them indifferently.
"Harry Potter," he said with a nod of his head. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," they purred in unison, giggles following it. "So where did you meet our little Hermione here?"
"We go to the same boarding school. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were kind enough to let me spend the holidays with Hermione," Harry said, smiling over to the brunette girl and squeezing her hand. "Hermione, I'm rather parched. Why don't we go get a drink? Excuse me, ladies."
The twins jaws dropped at Harry's dismissal despite their best attempts to sway him. To make a point, Harry dropped Hermione's hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, leading her away before sending an icy glare to them as he passed. Safe to say the twins were not seen again for the rest of the night. Hermione just smiled at Harry and did nothing to discourage the arm from her waist.
All in all, Harry and Hermione had a wonderful time, even dancing to a couple of slow songs together, their cheeks hurting from all of their smiling. Near midnight, everyone started congregating outside and Harry and Hermione found a spot a little ways from everyone for some privacy. "6...5...4...3...2...1! Happy New Year!"
Auld Lang Syne started playing from inside as they set the fireworks off and New Years kisses were being shared. "Wow," Harry breathed out when the fireworks went off, the different colors filling the cloudless sky.
"Happy New Years, Harry."
He turned to see Hermione smiling at him, her face lighting up from the fireworks in the sky, which wasn't half as pretty as she was. "Happy New Years, Hermione," he replied, both of them holding eye contact. They didn't know who moved first, or if they moved at the same time, but both started leaning toward each other. Hermione trailed her hands up Harry's arms until they rested on his shoulders and his arms were around her waist, the distance between their faces could only be measured by inches.
Their noses bumped and they slightly jumped back, before trying again. Harry could feel her sweet breath on his lips and saw her tongue flick out to wet her bottom lip. He reacted accordingly. 'Gryffindors charge,' he thought determined before pressing his lips to hers softly.
There was no fabled fireworks in the kiss, not including the fireworks in the sky. No, there was warmth and comfort and acceptance and every good emotion the teens had ever felt. The feelings were bouncing back and forth between them in the kiss.
The first kiss was simple, chaste and a little awkward, just to test the waters, but it was the first kiss for either of them and they didn't want it to be the last that they shared with each other. They smiled wide and unabashedly at each other when they pulled back, before Hermione reached up to cup his cheek and pressed her lips against his, testing the waters even more, opening their mouths the tiniest bit.
When they pulled back, Hermione laid her head on his shoulder as they turned to watch the fireworks, Harry wrapping both arms around her and leaning his head on hers, both wearing smiles that could split their faces.
-oOo-
Harry couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, but he couldn't seem to find a comfortable position. They had gotten home from the party two hours ago and Harry was concerned that it was the best night of his life. Kissing Hermione was incredible. Better than finding out he was a wizard, better than catching a snitch, better than anything he had ever experienced before.
But, something was wrong. He had an unsettling feeling in his gut as he stared at the ceiling. He kept seeing bad images flash across his eyes; Hermione crying after Ron insulted her, Hermione sitting by herself in the Great Hall, friendless; Hermione's hands after someone sent her that bubotuber pus; Hermione crying after being ganged up on by his Housemates.
He sat up out of bed and tip-toed out of his room, walking downstairs. He didn't exactly know where his feet were taking him, but he needed to move or else the pictures in his head were going to eat him alive.
A half an hour later, he found himself on the living room couch with his head in his hands. He couldn't stop the images from coming, they were taunting him and he felt like a giant weight was settling on his chest. He couldn't breathe.
"Harry, what is it, sweetheart?" he snapped his head up to see Dan and Emma walking down the stairs.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"
"No. Call it a parents intuition to know when something is wrong with a child," Emma said, taking a seat on Harry's right, Dan on his left.
"Do you want to tell us what's wrong, son?"
That word triggered something in Harry, how they were already treating Harry with such kindness despite meeting him a week before. In order to feel like he deserved their trust, he needed to talk to them. "Did Hermione ever tell you about the troll incident?"
"She told us that Ron Weasley insulted her and that she was in the bathroom crying when the troll came in. She just said that it was wrong place, wrong time," Emma said, laying a hand on Harry's shoulder in concern.
"Well, it could have been prevented. I could have prevented her getting hurt," Harry admitted. There it was, the truth was out in the open.
"Harry, you couldn't have-"
Harry shook his head, the tears falling steadily down his cheeks. He had never cried in front of anyone before, he never liked to show himself crying, especially after Vernon locked him in the cupboard for crying after a particularly bad 'Harry Hunting' session. He couldn't help it as he looked at Hermione's parents, who showed him the acceptance that he never showed their daughter in their years before this one. He was undeserving of it.
How could he have treated Hermione with indifference when everyone made fun of her? How could he have sat back and laughed when Ron imitated her from Charms class? What kind of person was he? He understood what it was like to be bullied with Dudley, why would he allow someone else to be put through the same treatment he was.
"No, Emma, you don't understand. I don't think you'll even want me in your house after what I tell you."
Those words made Dan want to get angry, but knew that he needed an explanation before wanting to crucify this kid, and the look from his wife that said 'shut it or you're sleeping on the couch' cooled his anger a bit.
"It's okay, Harry. You can tell us," Emma soothed him.
Harry took a couple of seconds to compose himself before opening his mouth and letting the words just spill out. "Ron was my first friend. Growing up, and please don't ask for details, I didn't have any friends. My cousin scared them away and I was so appreciative to have a friend, I didn't really care what he did as long as he accepted me. On the train to Hogwarts, Hermione came in looking for my friend, Neville's, toad. She was already helping someone and she helped me too, repairing my broken glasses. Her and Ron immediately clashed and it all built up to Halloween when he said some really mean things about her and I laughed...I laughed!" Harry choked out through the tears, his throat tightening.
"Hermione heard and I saw her run off to the bathroom, crying. We made her cry and I didn't even care," he felt bile rising in his stomach but choked it down. He felt like "I didn't even give her a second thought while I was at the Halloween feast with my friends, enjoying my time and having fun. I didn't give her a second thought when we found out about the troll. I didn't even have any guilt."
Harry shook his head, looking so defeated and disgusted with himself. "I'm a bad person and I don't deserve yours or Hermione's care. She's been so great and I've been nothing but an arse to her all these years. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry..."
"Harry, you were a child and you made mistakes," Dan Granger started, laying a hand on his shoulder. Oh, he was incredibly angry at Harry's actions, or lack thereof before, but he was just a child back then. He was a young man now who was showing true remorse for his actions and it's incredibly mature of him to apologize. He couldn't deny that the boy made his daughter happy and her letters had picked up the last month.
Hermione was born premature, teetering on the edge of living and dying. Later in life, he always joked that it was her impatience and maturity started right out of the womb. Due to the complications in her pregnancy, Emma wasn't able to conceive any more children so both parents devoted everything to their only child.
Dan only wanted the best for Hermione and whatever would make her happy. She was happy with this boy and he knew that Harry would take care of her. Oh, he would assure that he did. Hermione had told them all about the tale of Harry Potter defeating the 'Dark Lord' as a baby, but Dan knew that Lord Voldyshorts or whatever his bloody name was would be no match against Dan Granger if he saw one tear slip down Hermione's cheek that Harry put there.
He was already itching to take a hunting trip for a red weasel. No one hurt Hermione without answering to Dan Granger about it, and he felt better that he could rely on Harry to watch out for her at Hogwarts.
"A person's true character is shown with how they handle the mistakes they make. If they brush it off, or if they show remorse and apologize. If you truly need this, we forgive you, Harry. You've been taking care of our daughter, you've befriended her, all is forgiven." Emma said as she wrapped her arms around the now sobbing boy.
"Why don't you hate me? You should despise me, you should be disgusted to even be ar-"
"I said that we forgive you, Harry, not that we'll ever forget about how you treated our daughter. We'll never forget the pain she was in, but the burden of not forgiving someone who is truly sorry is too much and takes too much energy. Forgiveness is given, but we will never forget," Dan Granger explained, which actually helped Harry feel better, that they weren't just forgiving him and brushing it aside.
Harry cried and cried and cried in Emma's motherly arms, he was letting everything that had bubbled up inside of him out. He was exorcising all the thoughts inside of him and letting them out. He was taking a step in the right direction with showing his feelings. It would only get easier after this.
He felt Emma's arms disappear from around him and he assumed that she came to her senses and hated him. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't, but then he felt arms go around him once more. The familiar feeling of safety and comfort welled up inside of him and he glanced up to meet the tearful brown eyes of Hermione.
She gave him a small, but beautiful, smile and brushed away the tears from his face with the pad of her thumbs. From the look on her face, he realized that she heard everything and felt oddly lighter. He melted into her embrace, burying his face in her neck and just said, "I'm sorry!", over and over again, not able to convey how truly repentant he was for all the shit he had directly and indirectly put her through.
The Grangers knew that the two teens needed alone time so Hermione could help heal Harry, so Emma placed a kiss on Harry's head and Dan squeezed his shoulder, before making their ascent upstairs.
Just like when she apologized for snapping at him, she knew he needed to hear these words. "I forgive you, Harry. I forgive you, so please forgive yourself," Hermione whispered once they were alone before kissing both of his flushed and tearful cheeks. She then placed a sweet kiss on his wet lips. He was so incredibly overwhelmed with her compassion and forgiveness and the affection rising inside of him for her.
His already strong feelings for Hermione had multiplied that night, and he felt something starting to flicker inside of him, like a flame that was getting brighter and brighter. Whatever it was, he wanted to douse it with gas so it would burn even brighter, even hotter.
A/N: I watched Mary Shelley's Frankenstein my senior year of high school in English class and all I could see was Professor Lockhart marrying Bellatrix Lestrange.
I was going to end this chapter right after the kiss, but the admittance to Hermione's parents popped into my head and I decided to write it. How are you liking Fleur? What about the Neville/Daphne dynamic going on?
Feel free to skip reading this, but this is my take on Ronald Weasley. First off, I don't particularly like his character. He's incredibly immature, that's a given, and while I do like reading stories where he's portrayed as evil, I feel as though I can't write him as that. I'll write him as Ron was played in canon, if a little exaggerated. He's jealous, immature, and unrepentant. His mother has coddled him so much, he believes that he can do no wrong. Mutter a little apology, with or without meaning, and all is well. A light sided Draco Malfoy. He'll say something wrong - usually to Hermione - and maybe he'll understand that it was mean, but he never apologizes and no one reprimands him for it except Hermione screaming back which ends with Harry playing peacemaker and usually siding with Ron.
I understand about Harry's background with the Dursleys, but would he really just stand around and let Ron bully Hermione? He offered a half assed apology to Harry after the first task, and Harry forgave him (which prompted me to write this story) and that frustrated me so much. That's just my take on Ron's character and why I do not like him.
It's been my experience that a big part of growing up is recognizing, showing remorse, and apologizing for your mistakes. Kind of like Hermione did after she snapped at Harry, and how Harry was in this chapter.
Next: An important question is asked, new friendships are made, a blossoming romance, and figuring out the clue to the second task.
