Dinner involved large amounts of lasagna and mostaccioli, followed by cannoli and tiramisu (Ron had some of both), at an Italian restaurant on Charing Cross Road in Muggle London. After dinner, the three friends took a leisurely stroll to the Leaky Cauldron, where they had several rounds of butterbeer. Eventually Harry and Ron went from drinking butterbeer to doing Wizarding boilermakers, following each butterbeer with a shot of Old Ogden's. After three hours of chatting and drinking, Hermione stifled a yawn.
"Well, it's not the weekend yet, and I've got some papers to catch up on before I go to bed, so I think I'll go home now," Hermione said. As she reached behind Harry to get her cloak, it fell behind his chair and he automatically turned in his seat to pick it up.
"Let me get that for you," Harry said. "I'm leaving too." As he handed Hermione's cloak to her, her hand accidentally brushed his cheek. At least Harry thought it was accidental, but her cheeks seemed a bit pink in the torchlight inside the Leaky Cauldron, almost as though she were embarrassed. He tried to brush aside the thoughts that started filling his mind. They were the same thoughts that had crept into his brain practically every Thursday for the past three years. But it didn't do him any good to think those thoughts, because no matter how pink her cheeks might seem in the torchlight, he was sure Hermione would never think of him the same way he thought of her - as someone he wished could be more than his best friend.
"Walk you home?" he asked hopefully, trying to keep his voice level. She smiled, nodding, and the two of them watched as Ron disapparated back to the Burrow, then found their way back out to Charing Cross Road.
The air outside the tavern was thick with mist as a typically heavy London fog rolled in off the Thames River. Harry and Hermione walked along in companionable silence, just as they'd done so many times during the past ten years. This time, though, Harry thought he felt something different pass between them. It's probably just static electricity from the rain clouds gathering overhead, he thought as his stomach did flip-flops that made him hope it was something more.
All too soon, they reached the front stoop of Hermione's flat. Harry walked her up to the door and waited as she rummaged through her bag for her keys.
"Well, I guess I should go in now," she sighed, her brown eyes seeming to search his face.
"Yeah, I guess you should. It feels like it's going to rain really soon."
She sighed again.
"Harry… do you really want me to go in now? I mean, right this minute?"
Deep in her eyes Harry thought he saw something he hadn't seen before…something that looked like what he felt toward her.
"No. I don't want you to go in just yet." He moved up one step until he was standing next to her. As he placed his hand gently on her shoulder, he felt several large raindrops splatter on his hair.
"Harry, it's raining. We're getting wet," she objected weakly.
"Are we?" he whispered. "Does that bother you?"
"Not really," she whispered back, her lips just inches from his.
"Me neither," he sighed, his lips approaching hers in slow motion as the rain began to fall more heavily.
"If you're going to kiss me, please do it before we drown," Hermione smiled.
As raindrops kept falling on their heads, Harry lifted her chin with his finger and leaned down until his lips met hers. Hermione's lips were soft and silky and tasted of the apple lipgloss she liked to buy at the apothecary in Diagon Alley. Harry and Hermione stood in front of her door for several long moments, their lips touching ever so lightly, as if they were both holding back for fear of going any further.
As they finally ended the kiss, Harry leaned his forehead against Hermione's and sighed. "So."
"So."
"What do we do now?"
"I'll go up to my flat and you'll go home. And I'll see you really soon." She tilted her face toward his and pecked him on the lips.
"Promise?"
"You can take that to Gringott's," she smiled.
Just as they pulled apart, the rain began to come down in sheets. "Go home and dry off, Harry!" she chided as she opened the door and let herself in.
"I will," he replied, waving to her as he reached the curb. "See you soon, Hermione."
Harry pulled the hood of his cloak up over his hair and shuffled down the street, a goofy grin spreading across his face. By the time he reached the corner, he realized he'd been skipping down the street. His smile growing wider, he jumped in a puddle and started tap-dancing in a big, lazy circle. A downed tree-branch caught his eye and with a flick of his wand, Harry turned the branch into an umbrella. He knew he could have apparated home, but the joy of finally kissing Hermione made his heart want to burst. Umbrella held over his head, he tap-danced his way home, just dancing and singing in the rain.
<3 <3 <3
Inspired by SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Written by Arthur Freed & Nacio Herb Brown
Performed by Gene Kelly
Don Lockwood:
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo...
I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain
Dancin' in the rain
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
I'm happy again!
I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!
I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain...