Accidentally In Love

“Just one day! One day! That's all I ask, Ronald!” snapped Hermione Granger, glaring ferociously at her boyfriend, Ron Weasley.

“It's not my fault that you flirt with every blooming man you see!” he retorted.

They were in the Gryffindor common room, having their usual daily argument.

“I do not!” Hermione screeched.

“Oh yeah? Then what happened between you and Neville this morning?” challenged Ron.

Hermione groaned and flung herself down on a nearby chair. She and Ron had been dating for almost a year now but she couldn't get over how possessive he was over. He treated her like she was his property.

“That was nothing. They were just talking about Herbology,” said Harry Potter quietly. He had been watching Ron attacking poor Hermione for long enough and decided to do something about it.

“You stay out of this! Go off with Ginny or something!” yelled Ron.

Hermione frowned. She felt sudden loyalty to Harry and anger and frustration at Ron.

“Leave him alone! He was only trying to help!” she cried defensively, her cheeks flushing as she glanced up to see Harry's reaction. He determinedly avoided her eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

Ron saw this and looked furious.

“There you go again! Flirting, flirting, flirting!” he hissed.

Hermione really couldn't take any more of this. Ron was always going on at her, treating her like his toy doll, never letting her even smile at boys he didn't like the look of, even if she was just being polite. It was so annoying. She couldn't help it. She snapped.

“RON! WILL YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?” she began to sob.

Ron began to interrupt her, but she stopped him in mid sentence.

“I don't want to fight anymore. I'm too tired,” she whispered.

She turned and ran up the stairs to the girl's dormitories, tears dripping down her cheeks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry looked over at Ron who was still staring at the place where Hermione had been standing just a few moments ago. He was breathing heavily. Then, he turned to Harry.

“If you dare so much as pat her on the hand, you'll wish you never had so much as befriended her in the first place. You hear me?” he snarled.

Harry didn't say anything. He hated the way Ron controlled Hermione. Before they started dating, Ron used to be so likeable. But ever since Ron confessed his feelings for her, he had changed. He was greedy and often bad tempered.

“Speak!” cried Ron.

“I can't agree to that. Hermione's my friend - when she's sad, I'll need to pat her on the hand sympathetically,” he replied.

“I'll do that! You can comfort Ginny!”

“Comfort me about what?”

Harry and Ron whirled around to find Harry's girlfriend and Ron's sibling, Ginny Weasley, facing them. They looked at each other.

“Nothing,” said Ron quickly.

Ginny watched Harry closely for his reaction to what her brother had just said. He nodded and gave her a nervous smile.

“Well,” Ron coughed authoritatively, “I guess I'll leave you two alone to, um, say goodnight.”

He vanished up the stairs which led to the boys dormitories.

“What's wrong?” Ginny said exasperatedly.

“Ron's being possessive over Hermione again,” sighed Harry.

“Oh.”

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

“So…do you want to go to bed?”

“What?”

“Go to bed. You know - sleep. In your room. Like you do every night.”

“Oh! Yes, I think I will. I thought you meant…well, it doesn't matter. Good night, Harry.”

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and tiptoed up the stairs that Hermione had run up a few minutes before.

Harry looked into the ever blazing fire and shut his eyes. He couldn't stop thinking about the way that Ron had treated Hermione.

All of a sudden, Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn't dare turn around, for fear it was a Death Eater.

“Who is that?” he croaked nervously.

“Do you really need to know?” was the reply.

“Yes!”

“I need to thank you for protecting me…”

“When did I protect you?”

“…so I decided to kiss you at midnight - now.”

“I want to know who I'm kissing!”

“Guess.”

Harry kept his eyes closed as this mysterious person turned him round to face them. Their lips met and they began to kiss passionately.

Harry opened his eyes and found himself face to face with Hermione.

“HERMIONE! Get off me!” he shouted.

“Why?” asked Hermione coyly.

“Ron…he'll be livid, he'll make your life living hell…” Harry gasped.

“He already makes my life living hell. Anyway, I was just thanking you. Nothing romantic in it,” she purred.

A silence crept stealthily between them.

“Hermione?” gulped Harry.

“Yes?” said Hermione.

“Do you love Ron?” he asked. He didn't know why he was so curious nor why he wanted the answer to be no.

“As a friend,” informed Hermione.

“What about me?”

“As a lover.”

Hermione stared at Harry, as she waited for his reaction. He seemed too shocked to speak. Then, he took hold of her by the waist, brought her close to him and kissed her. Hermione happily returned this kiss. Their lips stayed locked like this for about five minutes.

“Now,” panted Harry afterwards, “that kiss was romantic.”

Hermione giggled. She was so amazingly happy and afraid at the same time. She loved Harry, he loved her - but what about Ron and Ginny? Harry was right, Ron would be livid if he found out that she and Harry had been kissing. Hermione also had a hunch that Ginny wouldn't be too pleased either.

Harry was thinking along the same lines as Hermione.

“If Ron and Ginny find out we're in love, we'll both lose two great friends,” he began.

“But I'm prepared to take that risk!” interjected Hermione.

“Yes, so am I, I'm just checking, that's all. We have to meet in secret whenever is best for us both. We must never tell anyone about what's going on between us.”

The next morning, Ron decided to go downstairs for an early breakfast. He found Hermione already there. She looked happy and flushed but she didn't even glance up at him as he sat down opposite her.

Ron kept on trying to smile at her but she just ignored him. Her eyes reflected cold anger with him, but she seemed to be giving off happy vibes.

A few minutes later, Harry joined them. He sat down next to Hermione. She gave him a mischievous smile and picked up her book. Eventually, Ron got tired of the silence.

“Hermione, look, I'm really sorry about last night,” he sighed.

Hermione shrugged, not taking her eyes off the pages in her book. Ron reached out and took her hand. He didn't notice Harry's scowl as he began to stroke it.

“I just love you so much and I don't want you to be unfaithful to me,” whispered Ron.

He didn't notice that Hermione's cheeks had begun to colour as soon as he had begun the word, “unfaithful”. He leaned in to kiss her but stopped abruptly after hearing a loud crash. Harry had knocked the milk jug on the ground.

Hermione bent down to help Harry pick up the mess. Their hands touched as they reached forward to get the handle of the milk jug. Both of them determinedly avoided each other's eyes as this happened.

Ginny, who was watching them from further along the Gryffindor, bit her lip. The way Harry and Hermione's hand had touched, the way they both tried desperately hard not to look at each other all pointed towards one thing…

Harry, Ron and Hermione were making their way to their Potions class. Ron was standing in between them, forever cracking jokes. If he wasn't holding Hermione's hand, thought Harry, it would be like old times again.

Hermione couldn't help but keep looking over at Harry. Ever since she had first met Harry, she had been crazy about him. Now, in her sixth year, she had finally kissed him - but she couldn't tell anyone because of her relationship with Ron. Urgh! Ron! She hated him at the moment, for always treating her like a possession, not an actual human being. And now, without knowing it, Ron was irritating her even more by just being there because it stopped her from running up to Harry and kissing him straight on the lips.

“Hermione?”

Hermione whirled around to see none other than Luna Lovegood staring up at her, smiling her weird smile. She groaned inwardly. She was not in the mood for a conversation with Luna.

“What is it, Luna?” she said exasperatedly.

“Well, it's just, I know your secret!” giggled Luna.

Hermione's heart began to pound in her chest. Surely Luna couldn't have seen her and Harry in the common room last night.

Ron was eyeing her suspiciously.

“Hermione hasn't got any secrets - have you, Hermione?” he glared.

“No, no, of course not!” Hermione gabbled. She gave Harry a worried look. He seemed to be keeping his cool, apart from the fact that there were little beads of sweat trickling down his forehead.

“Luna, just go away, none of us have any secrets,” he sighed.

“It's your secret too, Harry!” cried Luna.

Harry swore under his breath. Why was Luna so bloody annoying all the time?

Ron was still looking very suspiciously at Hermione.

“Are you cheating on me?” he asked.

Hermione swallowed.

“No. It's just…Harry and I…we…” she trailed off.

Harry gave her a warning look and prayed she wouldn't tell Ron the truth.

“…we were planning your Valentine's Day surprise,” murmured Hermione.

Ron laughed. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He was, however, still annoyed. He had been hoping to spend a little time with Hermione on Valentine's Day.

“Go away, Loony!” he sniggered.

“Don't be rude!” snapped Ron. He grinned at Luna who blushed and then ran off.

Hermione was the only one of the trio that noticed this. A mischievous smile crept on to her face. She got the impression from Luna's blush that she had a HUGE crush on Ron, and from the way Ron didn't like Harry being rude to Luna, he returned her feelings.

Perhaps, with a little help from Harry, she could set them up.

“Today we will be concocting a special form of the love potion,” announced Snape at the beginning of class.

“But Professor, love potions are banned here,” said Seamus Finnigan.

Snape shot him an angry look.

“Five points from Gryffindor for calling out, Mr. Finnigan. In the sixth year, the Headmaster does permit you to learn how to make a love potion. Does anyone apart from Miss-Know-It-All-Granger know how a love potion is used?”

Hermione looked much taken aback at this comment from Snape. Harry shook his head angrily. Snape had no right to talk about Hermione in that way.

“No one? Well, this particular love potion causes the drinker to fall in love with the first person they see - unless they are already in love with that person,” said Snape.

“So…I will pair you up. Potter, you go with Granger and -”

He was interrupted by Harry, who knew what was going to happen if he and Hermione were paired together.

“Professor! Wouldn't it be more suitable if Hermione went with her boyfriend?” Harry protested.

“I am the teacher in this class, Potter, not you. So I suggest you be quiet. You will go with Granger and that is that,” retorted Snape.

After they had finished making the potion, Hermione offered Harry a sip. He refused but Hermione insisted upon it, so they could see the reaction. They both took some. Nothing happened.

Hermione smiled. She longed to slip her hands in Harry's and kiss him. Harry smiled back at her. He looked around to see if anyone was watching them, and then quickly squeezed her hand.

“Are you all finished?” called Snape.

The whole classed chorused, “Yes, professor”.

“Then we can test them. Potter and Granger go first,” said Snape.

Harry gulped. He looked over at Hermione who was mouthing something frantically at him. Unfortunately, Harry couldn't lip read. Hermione seized him by the shoulders and turned him to face her. He managed to read one word that she mouthed this time.

IMPROVISATION.