A/N: Ok, this is everyone else I could think of. They're written in different times and different POVs. I decided to just make one big chapter out of all of them. Next up is the future chapter that tells how everything worked out for Harry and Hermione. It was one of the few originals that were posted the first time.
Also, great minds think alike, keakealani. I had this chapter written before you wrote that review! (You'll see what I mean on the last story)
****Lily and James Potter****
From a fluffy cloud in the Heavens, Lily and James Potter stood, watching another feast in the Great Hall.
"Look how gloomy he looks," Lily said.
"Yeah. Poor kid," James replied. "You'd think he'd be happy. He defeated a basilisk!"
"He's waiting for her, you know."
"Who?"
"Her. His soul mate," Lily said.
"And who's that?" James asked.
"The girl he's always with. Hermione."
"Well, you would know better than I would, sweetie," James said, wrapping an arm around his wife.
"There she is! Oh, he's seen her," Lily whispered, smiling. "Look how happy he looks!"
"Look at her running for him!"
"Twelve years old and hugging like they're married," Lily sighed.
"They look a lot like us."
"They sure do."
"Should I get used to this?" James asked.
"Yeah. I think so. Take a look at your future daughter-in-law. Of course, that Weasley kid's gonna be a problem later; look, he won't hug her. But Harry and Hermione will work it out. I know it."
"Just like we always did," James said, squeezing his wife.
"Well, yeah."
"Good luck, kids," James called to the pair.
"We love you so much!" Lily said as they continued to watch over their son and his future love.
****The Gryffindor Quidditch team****
Once school started back after the year of the Chamber of Secrets, it was time for Quidditch again.
The Gryffindor team was gathered in the locker rooms before their first meeting. All were there except Harry Potter.
"Late again," Oliver Wood sighed.
"Maybe he's busy," Alicia Spinnet suggested.
"Yeah, with Hermione," George Weasley laughed.
"Oh, come on, George! Be nice!" Alicia said as she slapped George's arm.
"He is being nice!" Fred Weasley said, defending his brother. "You saw the hug!"
"They've got a point, Alicia," Angelina Johnson spoke up. "I mean, how can you miss what happened!"
"Yeah, I saw it," Alicia sighed. "And I saw what everyone else saw too. It just seems strange. Our little Harry in love."
"Well, don't call it love yet," Oliver interjected. "I mean, he's only 12."
"13 now," Fred corrected.
"Sorry. 13. For now, it's just a little crush," Oliver finished.
"I'll give you that, Wood. But come on. Even Fred and I think there's something there," George said.
"And you're basing this on what?" Wood asked.
"What everyone is! That hug from last year!" Katie Bell answered. "I'm sure there's love blossoming there."
"Did you see the way he smiled when he saw her?" Fred asked dramatically.
"Or how quickly she ran to him?" George continued, sounding more dramatic than his twin.
"How tightly he held her?" Fred added.
"How they didn't seem to want to let go?"
"How they kept holding hands afterwards?"
"Or how he was always visiting her in the hospital?" Fred ended with a swoon.
"Ok! Ok! I get the point," Oliver said. "I definitely agree that something's there. It's weird. It's like everyone feels it."
"Exactly! Did you notice that Neville only told Harry that Hermione was back? Our ickle Ronniekins hangs out with her, too, but Neville said nothing to him," Fred said.
"Hmm, good point," Alicia said. "So in other words, the entire school is pulling for these third years? And they don't even know it?"
"Basically," George said, nodding his head.
"Anyone want to bet on when they're going to get together?" Fred said.
"Come on!" Angelina scolded. "We can't bet on someone's love life!"
"Like hell we can't!" George replied. "I say sixth year. 10 galleons on sixth year, any time."
"That long, huh? Well, give me 10 galleons on fifth year," Fred replied.
"I'll put five on sixth year. I mean, they're both shy," Alicia said.
"Not that shy!" Angelina said. "Give me 5 on fifth year."
"Well, bloody hell. If everyone else is doing it. Give me 5 on fifth year, too," Oliver said
"Well, I say, 'go, go, Gryffindor!' If they're gonna be a famous couple, at least they're from our house!" Fred added.
"Who's from our house?" Harry asked as he finally entered the locker room.
"Um, Dumbledore and …" Fred began.
"McGonagall!" George finished.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "I guess I never thought of them together. But if it makes them happy." He shrugged.
"Ok, team. If we're done gossiping about others, then we can get to practicing. I've got a whole new program for this year," Oliver said as he led his team onto the pitch.
When they got out there, they noticed Hermione sitting in the stands with a book.
"Harry, why is Hermione here?" Alicia asked as innocently as possible.
"She said she wanted to come to practice. She's going to study while she watches." Harry shrugged again. "She says she worries about me." And with that, he took off behind Oliver.
"I'll bet she does," Katie said as she shared a look with the rest of the team and took off as well.
****Percy****
Ah, my sixth year. The year the Chamber of Secrets was opened. Thank Merlin for Harry. Saved my girlfriend, saved my little sister and saved the whole school.
Though, I was slightly appalled at all the rules broken along the way.
Yet, for most people, the Chamber of Secrets comes in second to the other event of the year … Harry and Hermione's hug.
They were only 12 and yet there was just something so perfect about the moment. I'm no Romeo (though Penelope might say otherwise), but I saw such love when that hug took place. It made me happy just to see it.
Now, I can't say any of the events that happened before the hug; I wasn't seated by them. But I do know that she ran to him and he held her like they were glued together. It was magic to see.
I know Harry and I haven't always seen eye to eye, but I know what I saw then. It was the very beginning of love. A love that has become almost as famous as that scar on Harry's forehead. Bedtime stories about the boy-who-lived have been replaced by stories about the hug. It's a modern day, wizarding world fairy tale. My kids love to hear it!
I wish I could have seen more of what happened during dinner that night. It does my heart good to know that the future Head Boy and Head Girl would get together. Though it does turn my stomach to know how many rules got broken along the way.
And to think my own brother was a part of all that rule breaking.
I believe I've gotten off subject a bit. Regardless, it's amazing how one seemingly insignificant event can change so much. It brought friends closer together, it became the foundation for a beautiful love, it gave Harry the strength to defeat one of the world's greatest evils and it brought two wonderful children into the world.
I'd like to think that Penelope and I have a perfect love, and we do. I couldn't love her anymore if I tried. But we pale in comparison to Harry and Hermione. Their love goes beyond perfect. There's no word to describe it.
Most people only dream of a love like that. Harry and Hermione are the only two I know who achieved it.
****Remus Lupin****
I knew Harry and Hermione from their third year. Met them on the train to Hogwarts and even then I knew there was something there.
She was so worried when he passed out. She became so hysterical that I was afraid I'd have to revive her as well.
I wish I could have seen the hug. I have heard that it was very "Lily and James." I would have loved to have seen another Lily and James moment.
And I'm sad that I didn't know Harry and Hermione then. Yeah, I can see Harry and Hermione anytime now. They're married with their two babies and I visit frequently. But that was the moment that started it all.
The hug.
That hug will live on and on at Hogwarts. And why not? It was the great Harry Potter and the great Hermione Granger.
I see the way Harry glances at Hermione now, and try to picture how it looked when he first saw her. It's hard to imagine a smile that big.
Then I watch the way she hugs him, and attempt to see how she would have held him that night. It's hard to picture anyone hugging like they were holding on for dear life.
In my mind, that moment is what perfection looks like.
I see Lily and James almost every time I see Hermione and Harry. I watch Hermione holding baby James and it's like time reversed itself and there's Lily and baby Harry.
And Harry? Well, that's obvious. He might as well be James if not for the eyes.
But Lily and James never had a moment like that hug. That hug stopped time in the Great Hall that night. From what I hear, no one moved while they embraced in front of everyone.
Maybe that magic spark thing that Sirius talks about is true. But even if it's not, there's no denying how beautiful Harry and Hermione's love is. What more can anyone ask for? Not a thing as far as I'm concerned.
And with love as perfect and as pure as theirs, anyone should consider themselves lucky to be apart of it. And I'll tell you this - I am.
****The Gryffindor Dorm Mates****
10 years after graduation, the Gryffindor graduating class of 1998 reunited. Some slides were being shown of their years at Hogwarts.
One of those slides was a picture taken by Colin Creevy. It was of the now infamous "Harry and Hermione hug."
Some catcalls were heard. Harry and Hermione instantly blushed.
Parvati Finnegan leaned over to Lavender Weasley.
"You know, I bet you 10 sickles they'd get together. You never paid!" she whispered.
"I forgot we even made that stupid bet," Lavender replied.
"Oh we did and you still owe me 10 sickles!"
"Come on. We made that bet in fourth year."
"Yeah but -"
"No buts, Parvati Finnegan. I knew there was something there with Harry and Hermione. I just couldn't identify it back then. I mean, like in second year before they hugged. The way she smiled at him …"
"The way he held her…"
"The embarrassment of it all."
"Yeah, it should have been much easier to see," said Parvati.
"But in our defense, we were only 12!" Lavender defended.
"Yeah, but with the love that they have? We should have seen it in our first year!"
"True. I remember being so jealous of Hermione. I didn't really have a huge crush on Harry. You know, besides the standard issue "oh Merlin, it's Harry Potter!" crush all Hogwarts girls had. But I just thought how lucky she was and she never even knew it," Parvati sighed.
"How could she not?"
"I know. The way he'd look at her in class …"
"The casual hand touches …"
"The walks around the lake …" Parvati added
"Those deep conversations …"
"The way she'd always defend him …"
"The way he'd always defend her …"
"We really were stupid to miss it."
"Yeah, but not as stupid as they were. I mean, everyone in the school noticed something between them after that hug."
"Except your husband," Parvati teased.
Lavender stuck her tongue out. "Yeah, Ron had it bad for Hermione. But, it all worked out in the end."
"Very true."
"Hey! What are you two whispering about?" Harry asked from across the large round table.
"You and how blind you were," Lavender admitted.
"Fine, fine. We'll never live it down, will we?" Hermione asked.
"Merlin, no," Parvati laughed.
"Come on, Potter. Even the guys saw it," Seamus said.
"Thanks, Finnegan," Harry muttered.
"Ok, ok. Leave the Potters alone," Ron piped up. "It's almost our table's turn to go eat."
"My husband the garbage disposal," Lavender sighed.
"Seriously, you two. Did you honestly not know you loved each other till sixth year?" Parvati asked.
"I knew since third year," Hermione said. "But there was no way I was going to tell. Not when I was living with the gossip twins," she added with a glance to Parvati and Lavender.
"I knew since fourth year when she kissed me on the Platform," Harry admitted.
"So what took so long?" Seamus asked.
"Fear," Harry and Hermione both replied.
"I couldn't lose her, so I didn't get close to her," Harry said.
"I never thought he could love me like that," Hermione added.
"Well, thank Merlin for small favors that it all worked out," Dean Thomas piped up from the other table.
"To think, I was the first to notice it," Neville said from Dean's table.
"So true, Neville. Good work," Harry said as his table rose to get food.
"Yeah, honey. Good work!" Ginny Longbottom said as she grabbed her husband's hand.
"Thanks, sweetie," Neville replied and placed a kiss on her forehead.
Everyone let out a collective "awww."
"Hey! Who do you two think you are? Harry and Hermione?" Dean joked.
Hermione playfully smacked Dean's arm.
"And it all began with that one simple hug," Parvati said sweetly.
"Yes it did," Harry said as he proudly put his arm around his wife and continued chatting with his friends.
Hermione could only smile as she thought about how lucky she was.