Title: Calendar Boys
Pairing: Harry/Ron, but it is mostly the story of the people in the committee at first.
Author: Ann Leony

Summary: Telling the candidates
A/N: This was inspired by a picture of Draco Malfoy leaning on a stone wall during Care of Magical Creatures. The list, I tried to make it all man, but I have to include girls because I don't know that many characters, and you could only use original character that much. Have to do more homework and Cedric is not Dead cause he's too beautiful to die.

By the way, if they are any mistakes in name or spelling of something's, I apologizes beforehand. I'm at college and I don't have any of the books for reference. I'm living of other fictions.

Chapter Five

Prof McGonnagall approved the list that Hermione showed to her. Judging by the expressions on her face when she was perusing the list, Hermione can only imagine what was going on in her mind. Faint show of disgust (must be Snape), nodding profusely, Hermione stands on her toes to take a peak, (Ewwwww, Malfoy) and turned bright red, a little bit of fanning, a cough to cover a sigh, (Hermione didn't know who, but she was sure the professor was on the Griffindors page.).

The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff doesn't have a problem in getting their candidates to agree. Apparently they ask them first before the names were submitted. That didn't occurred in the Griffindors and Slytherins brains till after they submitted the names. And that's when the situation starts to get unattractive, oh well, it might as well just be ugly. There might also be things flying, students jumping from the balconies, dangerous potions splashed purposely and foul words being thrown around in abandoned. All in all, it wasn't too bad.

Hermione of course have to tell Harry, a task she dread and didn't realize how much until she was standing in front of The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-Helped-With-Homework. The whining will come next.' Oh god, I would rather face Ronald, at least I can bully Ron into doing it.'

" Hermione, can I borrow your Transfiguration essay? I have at least half a parchment left to go and I think I've written everything," he said all that without even looking up, while Hermione keep moving her mouth like a codfish breathing for air. " and did you finish that essay about the Vanishing Potion? I have overwritten at least two inches, which is why I'm sure I'm written it wrong. Hermione? " And then he looked up.

Hermione smiled sweetly at Harry, which seemed to shock the poor boy by it's proximity and brightness (she did get her teeth straightened after all, Really!) that he toppled right off his chair. Hermione helped him back into his chair, a bruise forming on his left cheek and took a deep breath.

"Harry, I have something to tell you and I hope you won't get mad. Promise me you won't get mad, okay." while Harry was looking at her with that look, you know, the You-Look-Barmy or You-Want-Something look. Harry just shrugged and Hermione just blurted it out.

"You know about the calendar that Prof McGonnagall ask us to do, right? Well, we've chose the representatives for Griffindors." Harry's eyes first squint in confusion, staring at his overwritten essay, and then as comprehension dawning, his eyes flew up and search in Hermione's eyes for denial. His eyes actually grew bigger and he looks as if he wants to cry. He was terrified. Hermione could have laugh if she did not feel so sorry for dragging Harry into this.

He turned around, 'God, he's such a drama queen sometimes.' as if hiding his eyes from Hermione, and keep muttering "No, Nonononono..." and shaking his head.

"Oh Harry come on, It's not as if I'm asking you to go naked in front of the camera," Harry's face twisted with what could be shame or anger, she couldn't really tell. This was actually caused by the Daily Prophet getting Harry's after showers pictures and with only a towel wrapped around Harry's slender waist, that was the fastest selling issue, with reprinting the day after. Harry was mortified for days, he keeps getting lewd glances and whistles from both the girls and the boys. But that will be told in detail later.

"Why did you have to drag me into this in the first place, " his face turn red, and Damn, he still look like he a fallen angel. Hermione almost forgot herself for a minute." and another publicity stunt. You know perfectly well how I feel about this."

"Harry. It's not that bad, besides your not doing it alone, Ron and Parvati will be there too. And I promise you nobody will have to be indecently dressed." She really have to work at getting to Harry, but she could see that he is thawing under her pleas. His expressions, however, change after she mentions Ron. Hmmm, peculiar.

"R..Ron, Ron is se...selected too?" The tremor in his voice was accompanied with the most becoming blush on his cheeks. He licked his lips, making them moist and redder, as if he was the model for one of those lipstick commercials. Harry seems to be lost in space, staring hard at Hermione's chest, as if she had mustard on her shirt with a kind of dreamy look in his eyes. The staring part, would have Hermione raring like a bull and smack Harry on the back of his head in a normal circumstance but the look on his face definitely say that that he was not exactly thinking about her womanly assets. She didn't know if she should be worried or insulted, but the look on his face definitely sets her mind on a very inappropriate path that one should not go about one's best friend that one think was like one's brother.

"Yes, he is in too. But please don't tell him yet. It is suppose to be Seamus's job to tell him. Why, what's wrong with him? You think he shouldn't be in?" She knows it's kind of a risky to ask this questions, but if she wants to know the meaning of the looks on Harry's face, she have to prod a little deeper.

"No, No. He would be perfect. I mean I would understand why people would want him in the calendar." He blushed a little bit more and seemed to be avoiding Hermione's gaze. To the extend of actually collecting his books as if he's to busy to talk to her. 'The nerve of the boy, treating her like that. But he is so cute.'

Hermione actually answered back in her most incredulous tone, that always work when she wants to make someone spill.

" You do? Well, I certainly don't. I mean, sure, his hair color is nice and his eyes are a nice blue, but all the Weasleys have that. He's not really that special, is he?" when she saw the look on Harry's face when she said that, indignant on Ron's behalf, she knew she had the Boy-Who-Lived in her ingenious hands.

"Are you joshing?" his eyebrows was nearing his hairline. He actually looked quite comical." He's special in his own way, not like all the Weasleys, like...like, the..the way he has that innocence that Fred and George lack but still be as funny and mischievous as the both of them put together. Like the way he could be most adorably stupid in things and have the greatest intuition on me that could cover all of Percy's intelligence in one swoop. Or he could be an annoying git, and still be the most gentle person, someone Ginny couldn't hope to achieve in a million years." He was loosing breath at the speed and volume of his explanation.

Hermione took the pause and quickly inserted her own assumption, " and that he have the body of a god, perfectly muscled, not like Charlie's over bulkiness?"

" Yesssssss!" Harry screamed without knowing what he was agreeing to. Happy that he's finally getting through to Hermione about the uniqueness of Ron. But then, he saw the smirked on Hermione's face and knew that he had irreparably dug his own grave and lay in it perfectly still without fuss so that Hermione could bury him and plant the headstone. He ended all that with a groan, both in his head and out of his mouth.

Hermione, noted for her intelligence, not for no reason, knew the next question would be, " Does he know?"

" Know what?" Harry still praying he could get out of this without getting an inquiry of his feelings, those feelings 'Nonexistent, thank you very much!' other than his brotherly love towards Ron and have an emotional scar that needed him to go into therapy.

Hermione, although known for her brilliance, was not exactly known for her patience. She wondered why he was using a diversionary tactic with her when he knows she know everything.

" You know what, for heaven sakes Harry. You have been as I would call it a bear with a sore paw when anybody who confronts you with this kind of issue. I mean, I know for sure you never talk to Ron about Cho Chang when you fancy yourself in love with her, and he is your best friend. You must have been confused, poor boy, and you didn't talk to anybody about it." Harry opened his mouth to say that he did talk to someone.

" Oh, and talking to yourself in your head is not considered talking to somebody, " He shut his mouth at that." and if that was what you tried to say, then you should be worried about your mental faculties Harry Potter."

"How long have you been feeling like this Harry? I mean you never acted any different, but I see you smiling a bit more recently." She notice that more in these few months, but couldn't place the exact time when Harry had started feeling happy again.

" Well, if you already know, It was after the second task really. I mean sure, I love Ron a lot, I would get in front of a bullet for him in a second, and I don't really know why. I mean, I know he means everything to me, but not with that much force or feeling, you know. I tell myself it's because he was my first friend. I met him on the platform. His mother was so nice, showing me how to get on to the platform and the way she mentions Ron was so loving that I really didn't mind when he sat in my compartment later. He was of course all about the scar and the Harry Potter thing, but not for long. I think he notice I was just like him. I mean we were kids and didn't know all about that. He hated Malfoy more than me and I have found a kindred spirit. I absolutely love him since then. I just didn't notice how much it had grown from being accepted to well, you know," Hermione shakes her head, for once not understanding the extend of Harry's feelings towards Ron," to I want to jumped him and shag his bones off."

" You said it happens during the second task, I mean, that is a long way from the first meeting in the compartment, Harry. What had changed?" Hermione seems really wanted to know the reasons for his change of heart.

" Seeing him floating lifeless at the bottom of the lake can do things to you. He was so pale, all of you were, sure, Dobby told me I'd be losing my Wheezy, but as soon as I was there I only see him. His cloak billowing around him. His face was too calm. You know he has expressions when he sleeps. He never really have that peaceful face. And when you see it, I was afraid something is wrong. I was afraid that I would lose him. The sole thought in my head was getting him out of there and getting him on dry land. But as much as I feel like drowning at the sight of him like that, I know I couldn't leave you guys, so I waited it out."

The pity on Hermione's face was what he couldn't stand.

" I've been berating myself that I gambled his life when I waited for all of you to be rescued. I mean, what if he won't wake up after the hour is up. I know you were supposed to be rescued by others, but he was mine and I didn't even consider his life when I was acting all hero at the time. I didn't forgive myself, and I don't know why he should either."

A tear trickle down his cheek and Hermione hugged him, trying to sooth his feelings by whispering that it was alright.

"Harry, Ron's knows you. Probably more than me, and that is saying something. He understood afterwards, didn't he? He knows and he never even thinks of putting you in that position. You have to tell him how you feel, Harry. He needed to understand the extend of your feelings for him."

Hermione produce a handkerchief and wipe his face. Harry had stopped sobbing and have a determined look on his face.

" But what if he doesn't like me like that, I won't be sacrificing our friendship like that. I would rather keep it all inside if I can only have this with him." He was afraid and Hermione understood, but in the back of her mind she would say that Harry won't have anything to worry about at all.

" So back to the matter at hand, you would be in the calendar, yes?" She might as well get it over with. Besides, Harry fragile emotional state might prove useful.

" Alright, but I still don't understand why you would want me in. I mean, Ron is gorgeous, but I am nothing near. All I have that is of any interest is my scar." he seemed to be seriously puzzled at the purpose of him being named.

Hermione huffed and dragged him to the nearest mirror she spotted and pushed him in front of it.

"Harry, if you look closely, you actually have grown out of that scrawny, underfed and malnourished look you have been going for when you first came here from the Dursleys. You have grown up and apparently, your mom and dad famous good looks, which you can ask anybody or look at their portraits at the Head Girl and Head Boy gallery on the fourth floor, have been showing up on you as well. The Potters have always been known for their great looks, and your mom was one of the most popular girls of Gryffindor. Where do you think all that good looks would go, if not to you."

Harry looked into the mirror tentatively. He moved his head from left to right, then turn to the side, left to right. Sure, he was healthy looking. Yes sir, no unsightly bulge here, thank you, but so does Neville. So, he keep turning to see if he has what it takes to be in a poster calendar. He was still unsure, but turn to Hermione, nodding his head once to show his acceptance to be in the calendar. If she said he got it, then who was he to argue.

Hermione seems to let out a huge amount of air that she seemed to have hold for the entire conversation. " Great Harry. I know you won't let me down. I need to do a few makeovers on you, maybe a haircut or a new wardrobe. You don't mind, do you?" Harry shake his head at that and seemed to be amiable to Hermione's suggestions.

" And I think that someone will appreciate your looks enough that he might just be made to realize his feelings for you himself." Hermione finishes with a grin and a wink.

Harry smiled and blushed, apparently he got the message and seemed to agree with her on that account. Harry Potter is going to seduce Ron Weasley with his looks. 'Hah, what would James and Lily Potter would say to that?' Harry ask himself with a smile.

TBC

A/N: This is the longest chapter and the longest time I took on a chapter but I have to make it in details or it won't be the same. I feel it in my heart that this is where I want the story to go.