Disclaimer: This story is based on characters, settings, and situations created and owned by J. K. Rowling as published by, including and not limited, to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. The use of these characters and settings is for entertainment purposes only; no infringement is intended or should be inferred.
Chapter 1: A new love and new friends
For a moment Harry stared at his one time enemy turned friend, and then at the others in the room. Suddenly, an evil thought struck him and he winked at Draco. Leaping to his feet Harry drew his wand in a smooth motion pointing it straight at Draco whose own wand was pointed at him. "Defend yourself Malfoy!" he yelled.
Draco gave his trademark sneer before replying, "Bring it Potter!" Harry and Draco glanced around to check everyone's expressions. Mr. Weasley a man with thinning, fiery red hair had dropped his paper, his jaw going hanging open; Remus looked ready to intervene, Ginny Wealsey's eyes went wide, and her brother Ron's face was caught between a smirk and grimace. The others in the room, Severus Snape, Mrs. Weasley, and Minerva McGonagall, all looked thunderstruck. The only unaffected person in the room was Luna Lovegood who was found, as usual, reading the Quibbler upside down. Hermione was conspicuously absent from the room. Harry and Draco dropped their wands to their sides doubling up in laughter.
"They fell for it," they quipped in unison on the ground laughing. Ginny, the first to recover, walked between to the two of them and smacked them on the back of their heads.
"Harry I'd thank you not to curse my boyfriend!" Ginny was glaring and him as were most of those in the room. Ron and Luna being the exceptions, Ron was glaring at Draco and Luna was still reading. Suddenly she grinned and hugged Harry saying, "Welcome back." Harry smiled in return and then stood and received hand shakes and a bone crushing hug from Mrs. Weasley. Harry then turned back to see Draco with his arm around Ginny and smiled again thinking that this was definitely a pleasant change.
Draco had changed sides during their sixth year. It seems that he received a rude awakening in how Voldemort went about his quest for power. This led him to question his allegiance to this "man" who had broken so many families and ruined so many more lives. He then made the choice to do what Snape had and go to Professor Dumbledore. He had been accepted by the kind, elderly wizard, and then he had found his redemption in the heart, and loving arms, of one Ginny Weasley. Draco had chosen not to go back as a spy, for his defection had been rather public. He had instead remained at number twelve for the holidays.
Harry continued to look around spotting Mr. Weasley, the latest Minister for Magic, and previous head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department. Arthur had been elected to replace Cornelius Fudge as minister. The reasons were quite obvious. First he was he was not greedy or power hungry for he would never have remained in his ministry position had he been. Another reason was his unflagging support of Dumbledore when the last minister would not. Harry had been ecstatic when he had heard the news; for he respected the Weasleys, and loved it when they received the recognition that was long overdue.
As Harry continued to glance around before spotting something that put his earlier worries about Ron's reaction to rest. Ron had reached over to Luna's magazine and gently pulled it down leaning in for a kiss. At first Harry was shocked, next confused, then amused, and finally relieved. Then, another thought struck him. Where was Hermione?
As if in answer to his thoughts the front door opened and in walked Hermione holding a few shopping bags followed by Tonks. The moment she spotted Harry her face lit up and she screamed "Harry," dropped her bags which Tonks promptly tripped over, and ran full tilt to Harry wrapping him in a firm embrace. Instead of reacting like he usually did, shocked, he wrapped his arms protectively around her enjoying the simple pleasure of holding the woman he loved.
Harry looked over the lovely young woman in his arms. Her once untamed brown locks fell in gentle curls, and the Muggle clothing she wore showed off her amazing figure. Harry rested his chin upon her head and drew in her lovely sent; a strong scent of strawberries causing him to feel almost lightheaded. How long he held her he couldn't ever tell except that it was not long enough.
The two of them were just standing there as if in a trance when Ron asked, "Are you two going to stand there all day?" Hermione broke away, a brilliant shade of red coloring her features, but to everyone's surprise Harry just smiled. His smile grew wider as Hermione's blush deepened and everyone looked at Harry in shock. This was not the same young man whose emotion ran rampant, or the person who would blush when he made eye contact with a beautiful woman.
Suddenly the awkward situation dissolved as an owl appeared in the room. It dropped six letters on the floor before disappearing. Harry used the opportunity to relieve some of the embarrassment and grabbed the letters. They were the Hogwarts letters to Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Draco, and Ginny. Tossing the letters to each of his friends Harry sat down on a couch flipping the letter over in his hands. Suddenly, Hermione let a less than dignified squeal after opening her letter. Harry knew what had happened and looked down at her hand spotting the head girl badge; reacting on instinct he enveloped her in another hug offering his congratulations.
She smiled at him and he turned back to his letter finally opening it, and into his palm fell a head boy's badge. "It looks like we're a matched set." Harry said to Hermione who had gone back to her letter; she, throwing her arms about him, let loose with another of those squeals that had endeared her to him. Ron and Draco looked at each other smirking at the two in front of them.
After many congratulations Harry and Hermione turned back to their letters. Then, Harry let out a gasp as he read that there would be another ball for just the seventh years, and their dates of course. Oh god how do I ask her about this? (A/N: The graduation ball will be held just after the winter holiday. It is something fun for just before the cram sessions began)
…
A day had passed since the students had received the letters. When the twins arrived they had torn into Harry about how "disappointed" they were in his being appointed Head Boy. Harry had just ignored their comments, keeping his badge on his person in order to prevent tampering.
His stomach tightened as he thought of what he was going to do about the ball. Just ask her Potter! You can't loose your chance like you did fourth year!
Gathering up his infamous Gryffindor courage he walked over to Hermione. "Uh, 'Mione may I speak with you?" She turned to him gave him a suspicious look and then nodded. "Um, in private," he added noting the curious looks their friends were shooting him. She gave him another penetrating look before gesturing for him to lead on. He slowly lead her to Sirius's, his now, old room. Buckbeak the hippogriff had moved out and back to Hogwarts after their fifth year, having been on the run like Harry's godfather.
Harry drew in a deep breath looked into her eyes and then asked, "Hermione will you go to the graduation ball with me?" Her eyes grew wide in shock as this was the last, well not quite last, thing she had expected.
"Harry, why do you want to go with me?" She asked hoping beyond hope for what his answer would be. Harry chuckled and she looked at him with a bemused expression more fitting for Ron than her.
"You haven't figured it out Hermione?" he asked her with an intense gaze that sped up her heart. She shook her head and then gestured for him to continue.
"OK, my reasons are this: first off you are a beautiful, yes 'Mione beautiful," he insisted as she shook her head, "woman. Second, you are my best friend. Third, you have always been there for me. You never judged me, unless it was my homework. You stood by my side when others turned their backs on me and then believed what I told you. You helped me when I needed it and even when I was being a prat. Most of all though Hermione it is because…" he paused and again wondered why it was so hard to tell her this.
An encouraging smile from her allowed him to continue, "Most of all Hermione I asked you because I…love…you!" There he had got it out. Hermione could barely believe it; she had longed to hear him say those words to her and now she felt as though she were walking on air. Still she couldn't shake the feeling that this was to good to be true.
Harry, spotting this, shook his head slightly and then enfolded his arms around her, and pulled her closer to him. Leaning forward he captured her lips with his own. For a moment she just stood there stunned and then she leaned into the kiss herself, and their tongues began explore the others mouth. Eventually they both came up for air and Harry asked, "Does that tell you that I'm speaking from my heart? That I love you with the entire depth of my heart and soul?" She could only nod numbly and then she looked back into those lovely emerald eyes getting her answer yet again from him.
"Yes," she said after a couple minutes.
"Pardon?" he asked her a little mystified.
"Yes I'll go to the graduation ball with you." The largest smile she had ever seen from Harry was now plastered on his face, and she had to say it was the best thing she had seen in a long time.
…
After a few more minutes of talking, and snogging, the two made their way back to the living room for dinner. Surprisingly enough Harry shooed Molly and the others out of the kitchen and began to gather food, placing it on the counter. Ron blanched as he thought of what Harry would be doing to what had promised to be a good meal. Hermione seeing his face couldn't help but giggle at his expression.
It was then that Ron rounded on her, "What did you do to him?" She just shrugged and Ron continued, "He's gone mental Hermione." At that statement she just broke down and started laughing as he stared at her bemused.
…
After a couple of hours Harry emerged saying that dinner was ready and led them back into the kitchen. Ron gave him a dejected look before following him in. The smell in the kitchen that greeted them surprised everyone including an utterly shocked Molly Weasley. The air was filled with the delicious aroma of chicken, beef, and something sweet but not easily identifiable. Harry looked at the expressions before him in amused silence before gesturing toward the table. It was covered with an assortment of different foods.
Harry again, impatiently, gestured for them to sit down and then he pulled out a chair for Hermione gaining more strange looks from those gathered, but he just ignored them and sat down next to her. At first the meal went rather tensely as everyone poked at the food. Then, Hermione just began to dig in, impatiently, and from the semi-surprised look on her face the others began to eat more like usual. They soon found that the meal was quite good.
After the main course had been eaten Harry went to the oven and removed two pies and began apologizing that they were store bought. He was silenced by the looks thrown at him and soon the pies were little more than a memory.
"Harry where did you learn to cook like that?" asked Mrs. Weasley and Hermione in tandem.
"That's one of the good things that the Dursleys did for me without realizing, and something I've learned to enjoy." Harry replied sheepishly. Then he offered his hand to Hermione in a very gentlemanly way.
"What's with you two," Ron eloquently (Sarcasm lots of Sarcasm) quipped. Instantly, the two separated and Harry did something that he hadn't done since sixth year, he blushed a red any Weasley would have been proud of. Hermione only looked taken aback for a moment before giving Ron her patented glare of death as his girlfriend smacked the back of his head.
Harry, following Hermione's lead, overcame his embarrassment and placed an arm on her shoulder. He leaned in and asked her, "Should we tell them, or should we show them?" His eyebrow arched suggestively; she in turn smiled shyly raising two fingers.
Harry immediately wrapped his arms around her and captured her lips in another passionate kiss. Those around the table sat there thunderstruck as the two fell into their own world, oblivious to those staring at them. Then Draco and Remus spoke nearly at the same time.
"It didn't take you long to tell her, now did it, Harry."
"It's about bloody time Potter!"
Harry and Hermione were still off somewhere that was all their own, ignoring those around them. Finally, Harry released her lips and just held her close. He had just said, "I love Hermione," when the realization of where they were returned to them. The two turned to see the others grinning and a teary eyed Mrs. Weasley.
(A/N): I know that the first chapter has a lot of fluff but it will eventually become a mixture of action, angst, and of course fluff. The next chapter will deal with Harry's birthday among other things including shopping in Diagon Alley. The title's precedence will make itself known soon; probably by chapter four.