Author's Note---Starts off kinda in Hermione's POV. Now, for a bit of fun ridiculing of a particularly stupid flamer. Here's what a person identifying themselves as Claire Bear wrote:
Get a grip on your self. In the real books Harry and Ron are only friends with Hermione because she is smart.
Get Harry with Cho and I'll like it. Luna ia an idiot. Ron should not be with her. The yule ball is a Triwizard
Tournament Event not a yearly thing. You could at least change the name. Quiddich needs to be more gory. You also have
had only one class and it sounded retarded. Make it much more funny! And Spike Jordan? Give me a
break! I am only eight and I could write twice as good as you. Though that could be because I've skipped a grade
and get staight a+. I f you can't tell I really wouldn't advize you to be an author.
Sincerly,
Claire
This is what I have to say to you, Claire Bear: First, if you're stupid enough to think that Harry and Ron are only friends with Hermione because of her brains, there's nothing I really need to say to you. I advise everyone reading this just to sit back and laugh for a good five or six minutes. Now, that you're done laughing, let's continue with the analyzing of your pathetic flame. Hmmm…Harry/Cho, did you read the fifth book? Harry would rather defend Hermione than make amends with his own girlfriend? Maybe that teaches you something? And, of course, there's also the small matter of JKR saying that Harry would move on and that it was just a short-term relationship. So you think Luna's an idiot? That's okay with me, but maybe it'd be better if you gave a reason. Plus, if you have complaints with Luna's characterization, why don't you talk to JKR? I thought about changing the name of the Yule Ball, but why not keep it? Familiarity is always good in authorship; plus, Yule just means 'Christmas' and that's what the ball is, isn't it? Unless you want to be politically correct and call it a Winter Ball. But in any case…let's move on. Quidditch needs to be more gory? (By the way, spell Quidditch properly, you numbskull.) Yeah, Harry gets roughed up in the books, but there's nothing that says that guts need to be spilled all over the place. Your later-on revelation that you're only eight makes me even more sad for the state of today's youth. You're eight and you want more gore! Grow up, for God's sake. And what's wrong with using, 'Spike Jordan'? Give me a specific complaint about the name and I'll tell you what's wrong with your argument, as I'm sure it'll be pathetic.
So you say you've skipped a grade and get straight A+'s? If you were so smart I think you'd be able to spell, 'sincerely,' 'advise,' and 'straight.' After all, you're a bloody genius, aren't you? You get straight A+'s! Yawn…I'm so impressed by your false claims. And even if they were true, that really impresses me…except for the fact that I've gotten Straight A+'s before, and I am one of the smartest freshman in my school, if not the smartest. (I'm the only freshman on our Knowledge Bowl team and I won the state competition for us by answering the last three questions to put us ahead by one point, so don't even think about challenging that claim.)
Lastly, you say that you're only eight and could write a better story than me? Fine, go out and prove it, Claire Bear. I'd love to read it. I'm sure it'd be pathetic, misspelled, and just a bloody waste of my time.
As for the rest of my fans, I hope you enjoyed that…and keep reviewing! I take all of your sane points seriously. By no means am I one of the best writers in the fandom, probably not even in the top 100. Thanks for reviewing me so much, it really warms my heart. And lastly, if you want to flame…go ahead. But do it in nice long sentences, so I can tear you apart in my next chapter. And I'm sorry for taking so long…Now…on with the story (rather short chapter, sorry!)!
Chapter Eight---Acceptance
Hermione stared at Harry, unable to believe the question that had come out of his lips. He wanted her to go to the Yule Ball with him? Harry James Potter? The boy she had known and befriended from age eleven?
She looked into his sharp, emerald eyes and saw a thousand images running through them…walking bossily into a train compartment and announcing that there was no way that what Ron was doing was a real spell…Harry running into the girls' bathroom, intent on saving her from a troll, for a reason she still did not understand…hugging him in the Potions Chamber, a few feet from the Sorcerer's Stone, knowing that it just might be the last time she would ever see him again…telling him of what was more important than books and cleverness----"friendship and bravery----", leaving out the last one, 'love,' for fear of it being too nonsensical for an eleven year old girl to be talking about to her male best friend…running down the steps of Gringotts, seeing him again after an anxious summer…waking up after the petrification; coming into the Great Hall and running into his arms, the Heir of Slytherin finally being caught…Harry giving her a disarming grin in Honeydukes, making her unable to even threaten to report him…saving Sirius from the dementors and watching Harry stare as his last chance of escaping from the Dursleys' flying away into the moonlight…the shock when she heard his name being called from the Goblet of Fire…the pain on his face when Ron had deserted him…the Third Task…forming the D.A. with him…the painful experience in the Department of Mysteries…all these memories were the core of their friendship for the last five-going-on-six years. Did she want to change that? Did she want something more?
Hermione looked at those eyes again, remembered those subconscious feelings that had started last year, and knew that she had her answer.
"Yes, Harry."
To say that Harry had jumped up and down would have been a lie. Instead, his face broke out into a smile. An honest, genuine smile of happiness. Before he knew what he was doing, he hugged his best friend eagerly.
"I see that he asked you," Ron commented dryly.
"Shut up, Ron," Harry said.
Ron smirked, "Whatever…all I can say is, 'About bloody time.'"
Harry and Hermione blushed, their eyes still lingering on one another.
"Yeah, yeah, ignore me," Ron said in a pretend-hurt voice, "I'll just go and sulk in a corner."
The other two members of the trio laughed and quickly focused once again on celebrating Gryffindor's victory over Slytherin, began drinking their butterbeers in a triumphant fashion.
***
The planned Ministry elections of October had been postponed when Cornelius Fudge had caught a viral flu and had been unable to campaign for three weeks. They were scheduled for next week, and Ron was decidedly nervous about his dad's chances.
"Don't worry, Ron, it's not the end of the world if he doesn't win," Harry said, taking one of Hermione's bishops. They were playing wizard's chess after a long day of classes, but Ron was merely sitting on the couch, staring off into space.
"Yeah, but still…" Ron trailed off. "I just want him to win. Not only would he be good for the job, we'd get a much nicer house."
Hermione laughed, "Ron, that's probably the least of your worries right now."
"That's probably true," Ron agreed, remembering the omnipresent threat of Voldemort.
"Remember that day at Grimmauld Place where your mom wouldn't tell us what your dad was doing and only six Order members know about it?" Harry asked. "I keep forgetting to ask you about that."
Hermione screwed up her eyes, trying to remember that day and it soon came back to her.
"Yeah, it seemed kind of odd," she said, "d'you think they're guarding something like the prophecy last year?"
"What's there to guard?" Ron asked, walking over to the chess board and making a move for Hermione that resulted in a fork of Harry's king and queen.
"Damn it, Ron, what was that for?" Harry asked angrily, while Hermione only beamed at him. Ron smirked.
"Anyway," Hermione said, sweetly taking Harry's queen after he had moved his king, "do you think it has anything to do with the prophecy?"
Harry shook his head, "No, there was only one crystal ball about it and that's gone. Only Dumbledore and I know all the words of the prophecy, so I don't think there's anything to guard against."
"Maybe something new that we don't know about," Ron said. "Like a weapon."
"That's what we were thinking last year," Hermione pointed out, "and that was really wrong."
Harry shrugged. They really had no way of knowing, unless Dumbledore or one of the others told them. It seemed to be too compartmentalized.
"How are your Occlumency lessons going?"
"Snape's being as bad as ever, but it's all right," Harry said. Just yesterday, he had been forced to hide the memory of Hermione saying yes to him from Snape. He had done it well and Snape had even grunted in acknowledgment.
"Good," Hermione said, taking another one of Ron's hints and skewering a rook and a bishop.
"Ron, you've got to stop doing that!" Harry complained.
Unfortunately, the next move was all Hermione's, but it was a checkmate.
"Yes! That's the first time I've beaten you!" Hermione exclaimed happily.
Harry was about to protest that Ron had helped her, but he stopped himself. He could only smile at her grinning/smirking eyes.
***
Harry couldn't really believe how normal he was acting around Hermione. Considering he had asked her to the Yule Ball a few days ago, their friendship had remained the same; no pauses of awkwardness or fumbling glances. But he supposed that would probably change as they got closer and closer to the Yule Ball. Most people still didn't know that Harry and Hermione were together for the dance, but it wouldn't take them long.
"What class do we have first today?"
"Honestly, you'd think after two months, you'd know your own schedules," Hermione rolled her eyes, "you both have only one class today, Charms. I've got Ancient Runes after lunch."
"D.A. lesson tonight," Ron added.
The D.A. had been going great this year. Mostly they were brushing up on already-known skills, but it was still fun for everybody and they had had a few occasional guest teachings by Kingsley.
"What're we doing tonight?"
"Working on the Patronus Charm," Harry said. They had started work on that again. Hermione was the only one who could do it continually. Ron seemed to be getting closer, the wisps getting more and more corporeal, but he was probably at least a few lessons away from doing it properly. The rest of the class was in varying stages on it, the best being Ernie Macmillan who would probably get it done today and the worst being Parvati, who still hadn't managed a wisp of smoke.
Charms was a rather interesting lesson where they learned how to personify teacups. Harry's had a rather macho attitude and by the time they got out of the class, Harry was extremely tired of hearing, "Oh yeah? Want a piece of me? Come and get it."
"Your teacup was awesome," Ron said as they walked to lunch.
"The first few times it was pretty cool," Harry admitted, "but afterwards, it just got tiresome. Your teacup was kind of lame."
Ron's had been the opposite of Harry's, very shy and refusing to talk to Ron. This had frustrated the redhead to no end, but the teacup had only said two words by the end of the class.
"Mine was quite interesting," Hermione said, in a superior tone, "it really was very intelligent."
Unsurprisingly, Hermione's teacup had had a smart, biting perspective on life and even Harry found himself listening to what the little thing had to say. It had definitely seemed like it knew what it was talking about.
"Rest of the afternoon off, what do you want to do, Harry?" Ron asked, shoveling steak-and-kidney pie into his mouth.
"Let's do some flying," Harry said, eyeing the windy weather outside, "we're gonna have to get used to conditions like those. It isn't going to be any better in February, when we play Hufflepuff."
***
The Room of Requirement was full of D.A. students as usual and Harry quickly gave them instructions again. They were to continue to try and produce corporeal Patronuses.
"Remember----pick a really happy memory," he said. "Think of what the best moment in your life was and then try the Charm."
Shouts of "Expecto Patronum!" resounded through the classroom and wisps of smoke began forming throughout the room.
"Hey, Hermione, want to help me supervise?" Harry asked.
Hermione smiled at him, and Harry felt himself blushing.
"No problem, Harry."
Harry moved over to help some of the further behind students, helping Parvati Patil with her grip of the wand. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione helping Lavender with her motion.
"Keep trying, Parvati!"
"Expecto Patronum!"
A jet of smoke shot out of her wand. Harry smiled at her.
"That's a great start, Parvati. Just keep doing what you're doing."
He moved over to where Ron was standing.
"Hey, Ron. How's it going?"
"I'm almost there," he said through gritted teeth.
Harry nodded. Ron didn't need his help. Several minutes later, Ernie Macmillan joined Harry and Hermione as the only two students to be able to consistently produce a Patronus.
"Good job, Ernie," Harry shook his hand.
"Thanks, Harry."
"All right, guys, time to clean up," he ordered, "got to get back before it's past our curfew."
Everyone began cleaning up the room, picking up the scattered books and straightening the shelves. The classroom began to get empty and before Harry realized it, only he and Hermione were left in the room.
He turned around and saw her looking at him almost like she was interested in what he was going to do. Her hair was in long brown ringlets and she was wearing a cute blue sweater. Her skirt came down to her knees.
"So…" Harry said, his voice choking up.
Hermione smiled at him and stepped closer.
"Well, this is a rather empty room…"
Hermione continued stepping closer, the smile never leaving her face.
"You know, I think----"
His voice was cut off by Hermione leaning her face up and her lips touching his. Harry was surprised, but his surprise soon turned to realization. He began kissing her back. His hands slipped down around her waist and her arms came around his neck.
"Oh, Harry…" she moaned.
Harry kissed her a little bit harder, their lips crashing and swelling against one another. When they finally broke apart, smiles were on both of their faces.
"That was fun…"
Harry grinned at her, "Maybe we should do it again."
Author's Note: I know that in Book 5, it said Cho could produce a corporeal Patronus, but I really found that hard to believe. I mean she said earlier in the book that she hadn't been able to Stun anything before, but now she can do Patronuses? A bad attempt by JKR to make Cho seem somewhat worthy of Harry----so I kicked that out. No offense to JKR, but it was just fake. I believe this is one of the top-five most reviewed fics on Portkey, so keep them coming! Please review!