"Harry, I apologize for the interruption, but we have a potentially tenuous issue to address. Will you please come to my office after dinner?"
Harry looked up as the headmaster's thought popped into his mind while they made their way to their normal spot at the Gryffindor table. He sent back a general feeling of agreement and then also sent the memory of the headmaster's words to Hermione through their connection.
The connection was easier to access when they were touching, and he was very much enjoying the feeling of her hand in his. Which wasn't really anything to get so excited about, since they held hands all the time.
Except now he didn't need an excuse. Or maybe he had the best excuse?
Regardless, Luna looked happy. "Harry! Your wrackspurts grew up exceedingly quickly; normally it takes far longer for them to mature."
Harry just chuckled as they settled in, and Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes, Hermione did an excellent job of taking care of those for me. On a related note, are you going to the ball, Luna?"
"Oh yes! It sounds like good fun, and I do like the Weird Sisters."
"That's… wait, who are you going with?"
"Nobody! I'm afraid that you've ruined me for other men, Harry."
Hermione and Harry both choked on their first bites of food as a couple of the surrounding people glanced their way with raised eyebrows. Neville just shook his head.
"I… you can't just say things like that, Luna. And I don't even know what you mean."
"I-"
"No, never mind, don't answer that. So how are you going to the ball if you don't have a date from fourth year?"
"They can't stop me."
Harry paused. That was a very good point. Hermione looked vaguely disapproving but also smiled at Luna's teenage rebellion.
"You've been spending too much time with Harry. We can't just break any school rules that we want."
"Harry went to space, and I think that's technically against several rules."
"Wait, you went to space?"
"I was running away from my feelings, and it felt appropriately dramatic at the time."
…
Harry flew through the castle towards the headmaster's office, invisible and intangible in the Dark. He wondered what Dumbledore had found. Maybe a Horcrux, or one of the fragments? Or maybe it was just information about the second task. He hadn't gotten around to messing with the egg yet. He knocked on the office door.
"Please come in, Harry."
Harry made his way over to the familiar chair across from the headmaster. Dumbledore looked a bit resigned, although he maintained his ever-present twinkle.
"Good evening, Albus. What's on the agenda for tonight?"
"The second task." Albus leaned back and took off his half-moon glasses, "The ministry, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that the second task will be to retrieve a hostage from the bottom of the Black Lake. They intend to get permission from family members and friends of the champions to be utilized as said hostages but will try to convince the champions that their loved ones will be killed if they are not rescued."
Harry whistled. "They really don't do anything by halves, do they? That's… really messed up, if I'm honest. I get the gladiatorial blood sport, but convincing a bunch of teenagers that their friends will drown if they don't save them is… quite a few steps removed from that. Did they just think that the audience would be cool with this too? Are they going to try and convince everyone that the hostages are in legitimate danger and didn't agree to this, and just expect everyone to be on board?"
"That… appears to be the current plan, yes."
"Right. Remind me why you haven't overthrown the ministry yet?"
"Do not ascribe to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence."
"When it's the ministry, it's definitely both."
Albus let out a tired chuckle. "I can understand the sentiment. I have been unable to dissuade them from this course of action, which leads us to our dilemma. Who would you like to use as a false hostage, keeping in mind that they should not be in any significant danger?"
Harry closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "I don't want to use Hermione or Luna, for multiple reasons. The least of which is that it just won't work properly. Their magic is too powerful and aware to be easily restrained, and it will resist mightily if they are put to sleep or in stasis or whatever the plan is. Plus, I'm not letting the ministry knock them unconscious and chain them at the bottom of the lake, regardless."
"Those were my thoughts as well, including your protectiveness of them. This leaves Mr Longbottom as the most feasible option."
"Hmmmm…" Harry hummed while he thought, "Augusta isn't going to like it. I'm not even sure if she likes you or not."
"That makes two of us. If you would speak to Mr Longbottom, I will speak to Augusta. I am hoping that this solution will be palatable to the ministry, even though they will complain about losing out on the drama of kidnapping your Queen."
Harry's eye twitched. Was Albus… teasing him?
Harry narrowed his eyes. "I'm sure they will. Best of luck explaining all that to Augusta. I can't just give Neville a portkey timed to pop him back to the surface as soon as the task starts?"
"There will be wards in place to prevent all feasible types of teleportation."
"Drat. And they won't be in any danger from the giant squids?"
"Squids, plural?"
"Never mind."
…
Hermione cuddled into his side as they sat on one of the plush couches in front of the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Harry did his best to keep the stupid grin off his face, even though just having her resting against him while she read some giant tome, or another was giving him a pleasantly warm feeling in his chest. He stared into the dancing flames as he tried to catch any errant thoughts that he hadn't processed yet.
"Hermione…"
"Hmmm?"
"Do you know how to dance?"
"Not in the slightest."
"Me neither. Should we maybe work on that?"
"Probably. Worst case scenario, I'll trip you and make it seem like it was all your fault."
"As much fun as that sounds, we do have the whole magical reflexes and balance thing going on, so we should be able to manage a few turns around the dance floor without any disasters."
"You're awfully confident for someone who can't dance."
"I just-"
"I'm joking, Harry. Yes, we'll do some dance practice. At least I can heal quickly if you step on my toes."
"You can't dance either!"
She smiled and leaned back to kiss him, and he decided that everything else could wait for a while.
…
"Nev, how do you feel about finally getting to play a role in one of mine and Albus' grand plots?
"Gran already let me know. I'm going swimming?"
"More like scuba diving, but essentially yes."
"What's scuba diving?"
"What… oh right. I momentarily forgot that purebloods exist, sorry."
…
Harry and Hermione were flopped on the grass leaning against a tree in their clearing. Harry looked out over the lake while Hermione let her head fall on his shoulder and Luna threw scraps of meat to the Thestrals nearby. Their magic kept the air and ground around them warm as the snow fell.
"You know, Ice Queen, you're really tough to buy Christmas presents for."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "I've been telling you that for years. What do you get for someone who has everything?"
"Do you want to just get each other socks this year?"
"You conjure all of your socks. When was the last time that you actually bought anything that wasn't butterbeer?"
"I owl-ordered my books for school this year."
"So maybe books then?"
"You're on. Interesting books for Christmas it is."
"That's why I buy people chickens," Luna chimed in. "Once you get someone a chicken once, they don't complain if your present isn't very good the next year."
…
Harry came downstairs to the common room on Christmas morning and was surprised to find it fairly crowded. He had forgotten that a lot more students stayed for the Yule Ball. Hermione had managed to snag their couch by the fire, though. He smiled and his stomach tightened; she looked pretty in her pajamas and her hair messy from sleep.
She smiled back as he sat down. "Happy Christmas," she said as she leaned in to kiss him good morning. Kissing her always sent an electric shock through him and he hoped that it never stopped. Also, no stress about morning breath, because magic! Even if Hermione still made fun of him for doing everything with magic.
"Happy Christmas!" He pulled his shrunken gift out of his pocket. "I may have cheated a little bit. Your present is still technically books, but…"
He unshrunk the brightly wrapped package and the now oversized box landed on the floor in front of them with a dull thud.
"...I may have gotten you more than one."
Hermione just laughed and ripped open the paper, revealing a large traveling trunk.
"The salesman called it a Library Trunk; it's expanded on the inside and apparently has a built-in sorting system? I'll leave you to work out the details, but I got a selection of interesting looking titles at Flourish and Blotts and-"
She was kissing him again, and Harry couldn't think of anything else as she ran her hand across his cheek and through his hair. She pulled back and smiled at his most likely silly expression, her eyes sparkling, and her cheeks flushed.
She was so beautiful.
"I love it! And now I can bring all my books from home!"
Harry just grinned as she handed over his present, a book called Bamboozling Battle Magic which promised to confuse and confound your opponents. He always needed more tricks to try on Moody, even if he didn't really use traditional spells.
She apparently felt the need to justify her second present before she gave it to him.
"Okay, so, this is going to sound stupid, but since I know that you conjure all of your clothes and you are, by all accounts, a utilitarian curmudgeon and won't make any changes on your own even if you are also somehow ridiculously dramatic, so…"
It was a men's fashion collection. Harry couldn't help but laugh.
"No, no, I like it. I guess I could occasionally wear something different."
"I'm not complaining, but you have worn the same outfit every day since we met. Like, literal years. I know that you had multiple sets of the same shirt and slacks before you just started conjuring everything, but most people do change it up occasionally."
"We'll see. I'm a creature of habit. I might have to take a trip to space to think it over."
"You're such a drama queen."
"You like it."
"I like you, a lot."
He leaned over to kiss her again.
…
Standing in front of the mirror in the dorm room, Harry did something he had never done before.
He thought about his hair.
Did he actually like this shoulder length haircut?
He didn't remember ever consciously deciding one way or another. It just kind of happened.
He thought that it might be time for a change of pace. He focused and let his power shift and infuse his hair.
His hair shifted to a cut that was short on the sides a bit longer on top, but still quite a departure from his previous look. Still, he wanted to look put together for the ball, and Hermione seemed to like threading her fingers through the roots of his hair, which would be easier if it was shorter.
Satisfied with his hair, he also transfigured his current conjured clothes into his outfit for the ball. As Hermione had pointed out, he was something of a creature of habit, so he kept the white button-down shirt and black slacks but made a vest with green accents and embroidery on it as well as a black jacket, over which he conjured his half cloak. He also added some decoration to that. It was far more work than he had ever put into his appearance, but he supposed that was kind of the point of a ball.
He nodded to himself and then entered the Dark and flew down to the common room.
…
He lounged by the fire until he felt Hermione's spark approaching, standing up as she arrived at the top of the stairs.
She was stunning.
She had used some type of magic or potion to smooth out her hair completely, twisting it into an elegant knot with a few artfully arranged ringlets falling loose. She wore an ice blue gown that shimmered and fell like a waterfall down her figure and Harry was definitely gawking at this point.
At least she laughed at his expression as she made her way down to him.
"Hermione… Ice Queen, you look amazing. I mean, you always look amazing but…wow."
She smiled wider and leaned in for a quick kiss before pulling back and looking him over.
"You clean up nicely as well. I like the new hair!" She reached up and ran her hand through it appreciably.
"I thought it was time to switch it up. Besides, short hair is more utilitarian," he grinned at her.
"You're nothing if not practical," she said in a faux serious voice.
He laughed and offered her his arm. "Ready to be the center of attention?"
"I suppose. I did kind of sign up for it."
"You really did. I was definitely planning to wallow in my indecision until eventually just telling Albus I wasn't going to the ball."
"Well, I hope that you appreciate the pain and suffering I went through to take the first step. Even if I did cheat, just a little bit."
"Wait, what?"
"Luna may or may not have told me some things."
"I knew it. Betrayed for my own benefit. How dare she."
Hermione laughed as they arrived at the entrance hall. The decorations were extravagant, and he was sure that the Great Hall was no different. He spotted McGonagall standing with the other champions and their dates and headed towards them. The stern professor wore slightly nicer robes than usual, but otherwise looked like her normal, severe self.
"Good evening, professor."
"To you as well, Mr Potter. I'm glad to see that you and Miss Granger have stopped waffling about. Now, I do remember telling you to be appropriately attired, which usually means dress robes."
"I can't fight in dress robes."
"I certainly don't think that-"
"What if Slytherin had a second Basilisk that was attracted specifically to the Weird Sisters? Or Moody decides to do an impromptu training exercise during the opening dance? Constant vigilance and all that."
Professor McGonagall sighed and apparently decided that it wasn't worth the argument. "I suppose that your attire is formal enough. The ball will start with dinner, followed by the opening dance. You will be announced and walk in when the doors open, and you will be sitting at the high table at the end of the hall. Do you have any questions?" She directed her instructions to all of the champions.
Cedric looked dashing as ever with Cho Chang by his side, both of them smiling and chatting amongst themselves as McGonagall left. Fleur had brought some Ravenclaw seventh year that Harry didn't know, and Krum had brought a blonde Slytherin that Harry didn't know either. He grinned at them even though they didn't say anything to him. They were all a bit unsure of how to act around him after he supposedly snuck into the tournament. And told them about the dragons. And then scruffed his dragon like a kitten instead of fighting it. Throwing people off their rhythm never got old.
The doors opened and he led the way in with Hermione, grinning widely at being able to show her off even if neither of them particularly enjoyed being the center of attention. Still, that was the whole point of the ball. Besides, if you've got it, flaunt it.
And his Ice Queen definitely had it.
He pulled a chair out for her when they reached the high table with the judges, the school heads and Bagman smiling at them as they sat down.
The rest of the champions sat down and after a few minutes of idle conversation, Albus demonstrated how to order by declaring "Pork chops!" In his plate's general direction, and they appeared instantly. Neat.
"I wonder if that's more work for the house elves," Harry mused.
"Probably. We still need to figure out what we're going to do about them."
"I'm still pulling for just freeing all of them at once and then see what happens. The ones that go back, go back, and the ones that want to do their own thing have the opportunity to do so."
"It's not that simple."
"It could be!"
"My apologies for interrupting your date, Harry, Miss Granger, but I have an update on the second task for you."
Harry tried not to look at the headmaster. The old man was having a side conversation with Bagman that he clearly wasn't devoting his full attention to.
"The good news is that I was able to convince the ministry to use Mr Longbottom as your hostage for the second task."
Harry sent back a general feeling of acceptance as he ate his steak and potatoes.
"The inconvenient news is that in order to do so, I did have to convince the ministry that your relationship with Miss Granger is a front to hide your sordid love affair with Mr Longbottom."
Harry and Hermione both simultaneously choked on their entrees. Luckily neither of them spilled anything on their fancy clothes.
"ALBUS! Augusta is in the Wizengamot! And the ministry is an information sieve, there will be a Witch Weekly article out yesterday, and-"
"I was being facetious, Harry. Just lightening the mood a little bit for you, as you so often do for me. Chaos is the spice of life, after all."
Hermione looked like she was working very hard on resisting the urge to cackle.
"I'm facing mutiny from all sides," Harry muttered. "Oh look, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions."
Hermione lost her battle to control her laughter as the other champions looked at them reprovingly.
…
Harry tried to quash any remaining nervousness as they took their places on the dance floor. They just had to not mess up terribly for the next three minutes, and it would be fine. And even if they did, it didn't matter. It was just dancing.
His worries disappeared on their own when he put his hand on the silky fabric of the dress at Hermione's waist and pulled her against him. She smiled widely and met his awed gaze as she took his other hand in hers.
The rest of the crowd melted away as the music started. They may have both been cheating slightly, channeling magic into their bodies and minds to make it easy to move together, easy to flow to the music as the song and their power swelled around them. Harry couldn't help but smile as he kept his eyes fixed on hers, falling into their golden depths as they moved around the dance floor and the other champions. He had been smiling a lot, lately.
The first song began to wind down as the other students moved onto the dance floor, starting to crowd them even as a more upbeat song started to play.
Hermione's face lit up as they started to spin faster, moving between the other couples and twirling together as their souls danced and sang.
…
Harry's face was flushed when they finally stopped to grab some drinks. He and Hermione made their way over to the punch bowl and found a familiar face.
"How's it going, Angel?"
"Great! I'm having lots of fun. I danced with Ginny and Mr. Bagman owes exorbitant gambling debts to the goblins."
"Interesting. How's Ginny doing? I haven't talked to her since the whole Chamber thing."
"She's psychologically damaged but otherwise doing well. She came to the ball with Neville, in case you forgot to take an interest in your friends' lives again. Bagman has also bet a ridiculous sum on you winning the tournament."
"Wow, that's... Did you ask him about it?"
"Yes, he looked very concerned, which is understandable given the situation."
"I'm sure he did. Well, that just makes it more likely that my plan to follow Voldemort's plan will succeed. Which may or may not be a good thing."
"The web spins ever outward."
"It does indeed. Hermione, do you mind if I dance with Luna for the next song? And Angel, do you want to dance?"
"Yes! Hermione should join us though; I like this song!"
The Weird Sisters had just struck up a fast-paced rock song with a heavy bass. Of course, Luna liked this kind of music, because why not.
Luna grabbed his hand and bounced off, forcing him to grab Hermione's hand and run to avoid being dragged across the hall. His Ice Queen squeaked as she tried to put her drink down while following along.
He couldn't help but smile again.
…
Harry's breath caught as Hermione's lips claimed his hungrily in the cold night air under the stars. They made their way through the gardens that had been grown in the courtyards for the ball, alternating between kissing and holding hands as they danced between the fairy lights.
Harry pulled back for air and spotted a bench near one of the braziers. He pulled Hermione over and collapsed onto it. He definitely felt like his feet would have been killing him, if not for the whole autonomous healing factor thing.
She sat down beside him and leaned her head back, smiling at the stars.
"So, what did Luna tell you, anyway?"
Hermione's eyes widened and she looked a bit unsure for a moment. She leaned over and kissed him again, her lips soft and sweet as they move against his own and he didn't really care about the answer to his question now and-
"She told me that you loved me."
His breath caught again, and his stomach clenched. He pulled back and stared into her golden eyes as she looked back apprehensively, her hands still running through his hair even as he pulled her closer to him and…
"I do. Love you, I mean. I love you, Ice Queen."
She was kissing him again, demanding and joyous as she moved to sit on his lap.
"I love you too."
His heart soared and he felt lightheaded, and his stomach knotted all at once. His magic swirled around him as he kissed her again, needing more, and-
That was an unusually magical beetle on the bush behind their heads.
Either he was wrong and Hermione would be slightly irritated at the interruption. Or he was right…
"Hermione, do you happen to remember what Luna said about turning Rita into a beetle?"
She just looked at him with a confused expression, her lips swollen and her eyes wild.
Harry sent a tendril of magic to pull a certain large, green beetle out of the bush and into his hand. It felt quite magical for such a small insect.
Like Scabbers. Except without the explanation of being a magical pet.
"Hello there, Rita. Enjoying the show?"
…