As One

Author’s note: This fic is in response to the challenge given by Muddgutts on the Portkey forums. I saw his wonderful drawing and had to try my shot at coming up with a story to match.

Disclaimer: The usual applies. These characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

As One

Hermione Granger was livid. "If that's the way you want it, Harry Potter, then fine! Have it your way!”

She turned on her heel and stalked up the stairs to the girls' dormitories leaving Harry alone in the common room. He sank down on the sofa and buried his head in his hands, looking very much like a beaten man. This had been one of the worst arguments of he had ever had with Hermione. The bad thing is it wasn’t a new argument. They had been down this road many times.

The two had been dating since the summer, but had agreed to keep their relationship a secret. Harry had been afraid that if Voldemort found out, Hermione would be a target. Hermione had agreed for the time being, but stated that she eventually wanted to tell the world how she felt about him. He had said nothing, but she had taken his silence for acceptance.

Only three people at Hogwarts knew about the couple’s relationship: Ron Weasley, their best friend; Ginny, his sister; and Luna Lovegood, his girlfriend. If it hadn’t been for those three and their covering up for the pair, Hermione would have gone crazy long ago. As it was, she was beginning to get extremely irritated at having to keep the secret.

This night, Hermione had confronted Harry in the common room after everyone else had gone to bed. It was nearing the end of the year, and she was tired of hiding her feelings for him. She wanted the whole world to know. Harry had countered that it still wasn’t safe for them yet. He promised her that if she would just be patient, he would let everyone know when the time was right. Their confrontation quickly deteriorated to a shouting match, or rather a whispering match, as they tried to keep their voices down. Eventually, Hermione had had enough and stormed off to bed.

Harry didn’t know how long he sat there. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours. At any rate, he didn’t hear Ron as he came down the stairs.

“Harry? Do you know what time it is?”

Harry jumped at the sound of his best friend’s voice. He turned to see the red head standing there in his pajamas with his hair sticking out at odd angles.

“Sorry Ron, I don’t.”

“It’s two-bloody-thirty in the morning! We’ve got that game against Ravenclaw later today, remember?”

“I know, Ron,” Harry sighed. “You don’t have to remind me.”

“Then do I need to remind you that this is for the Quidditch Cup?”

Harry didn’t answer but just sighed and shook his head.

“What are you doing up at this hour, anyway?” Ron asked.

“Guess,” Harry answered flatly.

“Wait! Don’t tell me!” Ron squinted his eyes and held a finger to his temple, looking very much like a sideshow psychic trying to glean the fortune of an unsuspecting patron. “You and Hermione had another fight about announcing your relationship!”

“Right in one.”

Ron sat down on the couch and placed a comforting hand on Harry’s shoulder. “I know you’re worried about her, but you can’t protect her forever.”

Harry turned to look at him. “Watch me.”

Ron sighed. “Look, Harry. If you’re not careful, you’ll only end up driving her away.”

“At least she’ll be safe,” Harry murmured.

“Yeah, but will you be happy?”

Harry stared at him. “Of course not! But I’ll feel better know she’s okay.”

“But you’ll only make yourselves miserable.”

“Better miserable than dead.”

Ron sighed and began pacing in front of the fire. This line of conversation was getting them nowhere. He decided to try a different approach.

“Who’s the smartest witch you know?” he asked facing Harry.

“Hermione,” Harry said without a pause.

“Apart from you and the faculty, who at this school knows more about Defense Against the Dark Arts?”

“Hermione.”

“Who has stood by your side and faced a mountain troll, a Whomping Willow tree, dementors, and Death Eaters, not to mention the tests and traps set by the teachers to get to the Sorcerer’s Stone?”

“You,” Harry said with a grin.

Ron made a face. “Aaaannd . . . ?”

“Hermione,” Harry sighed.

“Do you see where I’m going with this?”

Harry stood and faced his friend. “I know Ron, but Voldemort . . .”

“Oh, to hell with Voldemort!” It was a testament to how upset Ron really was that he used the dark wizard’s name. Normally he shushed anyone who didn’t call the man “You-Know-Who” or “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”.

“Harry,” he continued. “Do you honestly think Hermione didn’t think about V-v-v . . . him, before deciding to start dating you? You said it yourself that she is the smartest witch you know. Did you really think she didn’t ponder all the consequences before making her decision?”

Harry thought for a moment. Ron had a point, yet . . .

“What about the media?” Harry asked quickly.

“What about them?”

“By dating me, Hermione puts herself in the limelight. She’ll have no private life, whatsoever.”

“Now you’re just making excuses,” Ron said.

“Am I? You remember how hard she took Rita Skeeter’s article about her in our fourth year. Do you really want her to go through all that again?”

“She won’t have to.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because,” Ron flashed a wicked grin. “That article in fourth year was false. This time, you two have the truth on your side. Anyone who sees the two of you together can tell you’re madly in love with each other.”

Harry playfully swatted Ron on the arm. “You prat!”

“And proud of it!” Ron puffed his chest out. “But seriously, it’s like I said before, Hermione can take care of herself.”

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re right. Though I still worry about her, I would rather have her by my side, than try to live my life without her.”

“You need to tell her that.”

“I will,” Harry agreed. “But tomorrow. I’m tired and we’ve got a game to play later.”

“About bloody time!” Ron cried.

The two friends climbed the stairs to their dormitory. Harry clapped Ron on the back as they entered their room.

“Thanks, Ron,” Harry whispered.

“Don’t mention it,” the red head smiled. “Just pay me back by making sure you catch that snitch!”

“Deal!”

With a much lighter heart, Harry got ready for bed. Tomorrow, he would tell the world he was in love with Hermione Granger. And he knew just how to do it, too!

* * * * *

When Harry reached the common room later that morning, he found that Hermione had already gone to breakfast without him. He groaned inwardly. She must really be upset! Even if they never announced they were officially dating, they had always gone to breakfast together. It had become almost a ritual with them. No one thought anything about it. After all, they were best friends. The fact that she had gone on without him told Harry how mad she was. Breakfast was one of the few times they could be together, even if it wasn’t alone.

Harry raced down to the Great Hall, hoping to catch her before she left. He was greeted by the sight of Hermione and Ginny sitting across from Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, of all people. It wasn’t like Hermione never talked to her dormmates outside of Gryffindor Tower, it’s just that they had never been close enough to share a meal before. He didn’t know what was going on, but he intended to find out. The four girls were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t notice his approach.

“You’ll really like him,” Lavender said. “He’s smart, he’s funny . . .”

“I told you already, I’m not interested.” Hermione’s voice bordered on exasperation. Harry wondered how many times she had told Lavender “no” by now.

“But Hermione, you need to experience life!,” Parvati added. “You’re not going to do that unless you get out of that musty old library!”

“Who’s to say she’s not experiencing life now?” All heads turned to Ginny. Harry was standing directly behind Lavender and Parvati now, and he silently begging Ginny to keep her mouth shut. “How do you know she doesn’t already have a boyfriend?”

“Really?” Lavender’s eyes grew wide and she stared at Hermione. “What’s his name? Does he go here?”

Parvati picked up where Lavender left off. “How long have you known each other? What does he look like? Is he cute?”

Hermione quickly glanced up to see Harry standing there, as did Ginny. The other two Gryffindor girls were oblivious to this, however.

“I can’t tell you,” Hermione answered weakly.

“What?” Lavender exclaimed. “Why not?”

“It’s . . . complicated,” Hermione said.

“How is it complicated?” Parvati asked.

Hermione struggled for an answer, but it was Harry who stepped in to her rescue. He quickly surveyed the Great Hall then grinned.

“Ginny,” Harry said. “I ran into Justin outside. He said he wanted to talk to you before the game today.”

Harry shook his head slightly and Ginny looked puzzled. Lavender and Parvati, however didn’t see the gesture, as both girls were busy gathering their things together. It was well known among the Gryffindors that both girls fancied the Hufflepuff boy. It was just a question of who would get to him first.

“Um, we’ll finish this later, Hermione,” Parvati said, rising.

“Oh, yes, we’re late for . . . um, something,” Lavender added.

Both girls nearly sprinted out the Great Hall to the main hallway beyond. Harry chuckled to himself and took the seat across from Hermione.

“Does Justin really want to see me?” Ginny asked.

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him for a couple of days.

“That was really mean, Harry,” Hermione scolded him, then her voice softened. “But thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” he said. “Besides, I needed to talk to you.” Hermione didn’t look at him. Instead she sat there eating her oatmeal. “I wanted to apologize for getting upset last night. I said some things I shouldn’t have, and I’m sorry.”

“Does that mean . . . ?” Hermione started. She looked up with the beginnings of a smile on her face.

“When the time is right,” Harry said, “everyone will know.”

Hermione’s face fell and she slumped in her seat. Ginny reached over and patted her friend’s hand. She knew how hard this was for Hermione. The red head glanced at Harry, silently pleading with him to change his mind. Harry just shook his head.

A moment later Hermione rose. “I’m going to the library to study,” she said sadly.

“You are coming to the game later, aren’t you?” Harry asked.

“Of course, Harry. You know I’m always there for you.” She left with her head down, and he heard her sniffing as she walked away.

“Harry . . .” Ginny began.

“Don’t start, Ginny,” he warned. “I know what I’m doing.” At least I hope I do, he thought to himself as he watched his girlfriend walking away. “Come on. We need to get ready for the game.”

* * * * *

Hermione sat quietly in the stands overlooking the Quidditch field. Parvati and Lavender sat next to her mumbling every now and then about not being able to find Justin Finch-Fletchly outside the Great Hall. Colin Creevey sat in the front row with his camera snapping pictures every few seconds, taking “action shots” as he called them. As for Hermione, she was paying very little attention to the game being played in front of her. Truth be told, she cared very little for the sport itself. The only reason she came was to watch Harry, even though some of the things he did in his attempts to catch the snitch frightened her to death. Still she came because she loved him.

She understood Harry’s arguments. They were all valid, and she had gone along with them in the beginning. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she was in no further danger than she had been by just being Harry’s friend. Voldemort would still target her because she was Muggleborn, and there was nothing Harry could do to stop that. Plus she had been working on her Defense Against the Dark Arts spells extra hard since her fifth year. She wasn’t as good at them as Harry, but she was better than most. She felt she could take care of herself.

The problem was that Harry was just being stubborn, and they both knew it. She loved him dearly, but he could be as hard headed as a statue when he wanted to be.

She sighed and tried to pay more attention to the game. Ravenclaw was ahead by the score of 70-40. The way the standings were right now, Gryffindor and Slytherin were tied in the win/loss column. However, Slytherin was ahead in points by 200. If Gryffindor was to win the Quidditch Cup, they needed to have a score today of 210, which meant they needed to score another 20 and Harry had to catch the snitch. This was a feat easier said than done.

Hermione watched Harry and noticed as a certain look passed across his face. It was a look she knew all too well; he was getting agitated. He had already spotted the golden snitch four times now. She recognized the tense movements in his shoulders, a tell-tale sign that he was about to take off after the flying golden orb. Yet he was forced to hold back as his teammates had not scored enough points.

Her attention had been so entirely focused on Harry, that she was surprised to see Ginny had scored. Ron blocked the next two Ravenclaw attempts at a goal, and Luna Lovegood’s applause was loud enough to be heard in the entire stadium, earning her glares from her Ravenclaw housemates. Ginny had the quaffle and was weaving her way down the field. She pulled up about thirty feet from the Ravenclaw goals and feinted a throw to her left. Ravenclaw’s keeper took the bait and flew in that direction. Ginny then reversed her throw and fired the quaffle through the rightmost goal post.

Hermione shifted her attention back to Harry. She was able to see his shoulders tense just before he flew away. Harry zigged and zagged around the field and his teammates as he sought out the golden ball. The Ravenclaw seeker on his Nimbus 2001 was no match for Harry and his Firebolt. Hermione gasped as the snitch took a nose dive to the field below with Harry right behind it. With each passing breath, Harry inched closer to the snitch. The problem was that the distance between him and the ground was closing fast, and Hermione knew he would run out of room before he was able to catch the flying orb. Harry must have realized this as well, for he leaned forward and laid himself out flat on his broomstick. This gave him just enough added reach for his fingers to close around the snitch. He immediately sat back on his broom and leveled out with mere inches to spare.

Hermione released the breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Harry had done it! He had caught the snitch and won the Quidditch Cup. As angry as she was at him, she couldn’t help but swell with pride. She loved him so much.

Even though she was still mad, she decided to go down and congratulate him on the game. As she started to head for the stairs, Hermione saw several heads swiveling to follow the movements of a lone flyer. She followed their gazes and frowned in confusion as she saw Harry flying her way. What is he doing? she wondered. He always celebrates with his teammates after capturing the snitch. Besides, Dumbledore is waiting to award him the Quidditch Cup.

All eyes in the stadium were on him now, and the air buzzed with their questions. Puzzled, Hermione watched him draw closer. She gasped as he neared. She had been with him for nearly a year now, and she knew the look he wore now just as she knew the agitated look he had worn only minutes earlier. This was a look he reserved only for her. It was the look of desire he showed whenever he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her passionately. It was the look that made her go weak in her knees.

Without knowing quite how, Hermione made her way to the front rail of the seating area. Harry was there waiting for her, his emerald gaze burning into her soul. She leaned over the rail as far as she safely could until their faces were inches apart. Harry brought the broom closer and their lips met. Even though their positions were awkward, the kiss was not. Instead, it was fueled with the same passion they had fought with the night before.

Hermione heard squeals coming from somewhere and vaguely remembered Lavender and Parvati sitting behind her, but she didn’t care. What mattered now is that Harry Potter loved her, and he wanted the world to know! Reluctantly, she pulled away from the kiss. There was a flash, and she glanced over to see Colin Creevey, his camera around his neck, smiling from ear to ear. Hermione turned back to look at Harry, afraid he would be upset, but he only grinned at her.

“Come fly with me,” he said, and Hermione heard her two dormmates squeal again.

Stunned, Hermione started to shake her head no. But one look into his eyes changed her mind. She knew he would never let any harm come to her. She knew this with all her heart. Besides, if he wanted the whole school to know about them, who was she to argue?

She carefully climbed over the rail and let him help her onto his broom. Settling her in front of him, he wrapped one arm protectively around her.

“I love you,” Harry said.

“I love you, too,” she replied.

With a grin she would die for, Harry started to fly around the stadium. Applause followed the couple as they passed, and Hermione leaned into his shoulder. She was truly happy, and one look at his face told her that Harry was too. She sighed and settled in for the ride. Voldemort was still out there and Harry still had to face him, but now she knew they would do it as one.