AN: I'm positively beaming with amount of reviews I'm getting for this story. I'm glad you all enjoyed it. This is the final chapter however, but I will be back with hopefully more stories soon!
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Harry and Ron stopped applying the wax to their broom handles and gave each other the side-eye, and then glancing again at Hermione doing push-ups in the middle of the floor.
"Uh...Hermione?" said Ron with his mouth slightly open, "why are you doing push-ups?"
"Oh, you know," she said panting,"it's good exercise."
"So I hear," said Ron, his eyes moving up and down following Hermione's head.
Hermione grunted through her last push-up and stood up with a flourish grabbing her books. She avoided eye contact with both of them as she took a chair opposite. She looked extremely worried as she stared at her knees for a brief moment, then opened her books and parchment.
Ron and Harry continued to watch her as she began to write furiously. Exchanging funny looks with each other they continued with their polishing. It was a way of winding down for Harry and Ron. But for Hermione… watching them was pure torture.
Hermione's breathing became shallow as she bit her lip and watched Harry's forearm flex, while trying to remove a rather difficult piece of dirt form the handle. He licked that oh so soft upper lip in concentration and Hermione was slowly pushing her books aside ready to pounce.
"Hermione?"
"NO I WASN'T!" she blurted out as she fumbled with her falling book.
Ron blinked. "Okay...listen Ginny's birthday is coming up soon- any ideas?"
"Um..." she was trying very hard to concentrate, but she was too busy watching Harry take off his jumper. She started bouncing her leg very fast, "b-birthday?"
"Yeah, I was thinking about getting her something from Honeydukes...like a big chocolate thingy."
Harry accidentally dropped his polishing tin on the floor and bent over to pick it up.
Oh God.
Hermione let out a yell of frustration as she bolted from her chair and raced up the stairs to take her fourth cold shower of the day.
"So the chocolate's a bad idea then?" he asked Harry, who shrugged at him.
It was a good twenty minutes before Hermione emerged from the girls dormitories again only to find herself alone with Harry. She clenched her fists and turned around to head back up the stairs when Harry called after her.
"Hermione? can I talk to you?"
She bared he teeth, winced and turned to face him again.
"Er- the- the thing that happened earlier? When you...you know."
Think of something, just anything else, she thought to herself, butterflies...those are fun .
"Is there something you want to tell me?"
You. Me. Broomcloset. NOW.
"Um," she said forcing herself to look at the ground. The butterflies were flying away. "Harry," she finally said, "this isn't going to be easy to understand...you see the thing is I'm-"
"THAT STUPID GREASY HAIRED BRAINLESS GIT!"
Both of then spun around to see Ron slamming the portrait hole shut behind him.
"Snape gave me a detention! There is no justice in this world!"
"What happened?" asked Harry, while Hermione gave a sigh of relief.
"Tell me if this makes sense to you- Malfoy trips me, but I get five points taken away. I try to claim innocence by telling Snape that he was mental and didn't know what he saw-" Harry and Hermione cringed "- then I get a detention."
"Yeah well that sounds about right," said Harry with a sigh.
"I'll have to give you guys my money to pick up a few things for me tomorrow," said Ron, sounding quite sad.
"What?" said Harry and Hermione.
"He didn't make the detention tomorrow?" said Hermione, sounding a little panicked.
Ron nodded. "But if I finish it early, I might still have time to join you guys."
Hermione felt behind her for a chair and sat down. Normally it would be no big deal for her if it was just Harry that came along. But the thought of being alone with him for an entire day made her heart beat faster again. How much longer was this 'Heat' going to last?
She went to bed slightly earlier than usual. Four cold showers and constant push-ups can tire out a girl pretty fast. The only thing that was keeping her awake was the thought of spending an entire day alone with Harry. She tossed and turned and wondered how exactly she would word the phrase "Harry...I'm in heat" without causing him to run for the shrieking shack. The last thing she remembered doing before finally drifting off to sleep was thinking of what it would be like to drop and do push-ups in the middle of Honeydukes.
Morning came soon enough, as Hermione began to stir. She let out a heavy sigh as she turned to open her eyes. Only to see Harry an inch away from her face.
She froze as Ginny pulled the picture of Harry away from her face.
"Feel anything?" Ginny asked.
Hermione put her hand over her heart. "Other than my heart in my throat- no."
"Hmmm," said Ginny looking at the picture of Harry, " spell must be wearing off then- this is the best picture of Harry I have."
The Harry in the picture blushed.
"What are you doing in here?" asked Hermione, sitting up in her bed.
"It's 9:30, Harry's waiting for you down stairs," said Ginny sitting on the edge of Hermione's bed, "Are you going to be able to handle going to Hogsmeade today?"
Hermione was breathing slightly heavier than usual. "Of course I can, once I tell Harry I'm sure he would be help me out."
Ginny's eyes went wide. "You haven't told him?"
"Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is?"
"I can imagine," said Ginny. "Look, Luna an I will be in Hogsmeade as well, so we'll be there to help you if things start going south...however I don't think you would mind if Harry went south-"
"Ginny!" said Hermione, her cheeks turning a brilliant shade of red, "that's disgusting!"
Ginny burst into a fit of giggles. "Come on, get dressed."
Harry sat on the arm of a couch and jingled the bag of coins Ron had given him. He heard footsteps coming towards him and looked up.
"She's almost ready," said Ginny, "did Ron tell you when he'll be finishing his detention?"
"No, it shouldn't be too hard though, he's cleaning out the hospital bedpans again- he's a pro at that."
Hermione had finally made her way downstairs, her hair loosely tied back, and her cloak pulled in tight around her.
"Another cold shower?" asked Ginny.
"Mind went south," she muttered.
"Er, are you ready?" said Harry not really understanding them.
"More ready than I'll ever be," said Hermione feeling a sharp nudge in the ribs from Ginny.
The three of them walked down to the entrance hall where they saw Luna waiting for them.
"Hello," she said dreamily.
"Hello Luna," they chorused.
Joining up with the moving cue of people Filch checked off their names one by one. Harry looked around and caught sight of shiny black hair. Cho was just ahead of them hugging the arm of her boyfriend, but at the snap of Luna's gum he shook his head and looked somewhere else.
As they made there way out of the grounds Harry couldn't help but notice that Hermione was walking extremely close to him.
"Are you cold Hermione?" Harry asked.
Hermione's eyes went wide and she increased the gap between them. Ginny and Luna left to go to the three broomsticks, and Harry and Hermione continued on their own. Compared to the previous day, Hermione thought she was doing rather well, and to her delight, she did not need to do push-ups in Honeydukes.
Pushing the door open for Hermione, they walked into the three broomsticks, where they saw Hagrid at the bar. He raised his glass to them and they waved back. Taking a seat in the corner, Harry has brushed his hand against her leg while trying to remove his cloak. Her leg gave a nervous twitch. Focus, she thought to herself.
"Em- Ron should be here soon shouldn't he?" Hermione struggled.
"Yeah...wanna make out while we wait?"
Hermione turned her head towards Harry. "What?" she said dreamily.
"I-I said I wonder how Ron's making out with Snape...you know his detention?...bedpans?"
"OH...oh er, I-I guess he's doing alright," said Hermione, turning her head to the side and holding her forehead in her hand. At least she wasn't sweating anymore.
The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes watching various students leave. Hermione shifted to sit on her hands.
"Oh, before I forget," said Harry," about yesterday, before Ron cut us off-"
"Harry-"
"No, just let me finish...please? Why did you...you know."
Hermione's brain went into overdrive as she thought about jumping Harry the previous day. She glanced at the floor of the Three Broomsticks- it looked clean enough to do push-ups on...
"Harry," she started, bouncing her leg up and down again, " you remember when Filch tried to jinx Crookshanks?"
"Yeah, it hit Mrs Norris then bounced onto you...what's that got to do with it?"
"Harry, Mrs Norris was in heat."
Harry paused. "Okay…"
"Filch's spell hit Mrs Norris, then bounced onto me..." Hermione looked at Harry's vacant expression, "I'm in heat Harry!" she said in frustration, causing a few people to turn around in their chairs and look at her. "What?!" she snapped at them.
Harry was at a complete loss for words. "In…heat?"
"Yes," she sighed, "and what's worse I can't control it."
" So...so that was Filch's spell that made you do that yesterday?"
"Exactly, I would never act like that!"
Harry's shoulder's slowly started to sink. "Oh...okay...well then that's settled."
Hermione's watched Harry's crestfallen face turn towards the window.
"Harry I didn't mean hurt-"
"Don't be ridiculous," he said with a very fake smile, "it was just a spell after all, right? I'm going to get a butterbeer- did you want one?"
"Alright," she said quietly as Harry got up to leave. Hermione looked at the edge of the table. Maybe she shouldn't have told him. She watched him order his drinks from Madam Rosmerta, and chat idly with Hagrid. It was a couple of seconds before she realized that her leg had stopped bouncing.
"Here you go," said Harry handing over a tankard. But when there fingers touched, Hermione didn't have the usual need to grab Harry and head for the nearest closet. Instead her stomach did a tiny flip. They finished their drinks and left, passing Ginny and Luna, outside.
"Anything?" Ginny asked in passing.
Hermione shook her head and smiled and Ginny gave her a brief thumbs up before turning to walk away. Luna was too busy standing very close to a shop window, staring at her reflection while checking out her new earrings. She didn't seem to notice the people on the other side of the window staring at her.
Just then Harry stopped dead in his tracks, and Hermione bumped into him, causing her stomach to do another tiny back flip. Hermione followed Harry's gaze towards Cho and her boyfriend entering the same pink cozy tea shop Harry and Cho went to awhile back. Before they entered Cho looked back at Harry, giving him a 'this is how it should have been done' look. But fortunately, Hermione saw it too.
Hermione looked at Harry who was kicking a pebble with his shoe, looking rather put out. Looking back towards the tea shop again she reached down and held Harry's hand.
Harry froze and looked at her.
"Come," she said marching them both towards the tea shop.
Harry dug in his heels, kicking up dust behind him, "Hermione we don't have to go in there, really it's okay!"
" No, it's not okay," said Hermione tugging a little harder, " she's been treating you like dirt since the beginning of the year."
"That's alright- I don't mind being treated like dirt, I'm quite use to it!"
Hermione threw open the door to the tea shop, and Harry followed in after her with his head down. Cho looked at Harry, then Hermione, then down at their joined hands. She whipped her head around to stare at a the wall beside her.
They found a table to sit at, but instead of sitting on the opposite side Hermione pulled her chair right next to Harry.
"Anything to drink dears?" said the plump waitress.
"I'll have tea, what about you Harry?''
"Er," Cho had never given him a choice what to have last time he was here, "I'll have tea as well."
Just then Cho had let out a high pitched false laugh, leaving her boyfriend looking rather confused.
"Oh please," said Hermione, " That laugh was so fake."
"Oh look," said Harry picking up a magazine from an empty table, "It's the Quibbler, " Harry started to laugh," Listen to this, Woman's bra snaps open- eleven people injured. "
Harry and Hermione's laughter caused to Cho to look at Hermione in disgust. They sat huddled together looking over various articles, and took turns filling out the crossword puzzle (Hermione filled out most of it). Harry thought that this time around was going much better. Sipping tea and reading about Celestial Warbeck's breast implants with your best friend really wasn't all that bad until-
"Er," said Harry shifting uncomfortably in his chair.
"What's the problem?" asked Hermione, sipping her tea.
Harry nodded towards the other table where Cho sat. She was in a lip lock with her boyfriend, but what was really sad, Hermione noted, was that every couple of seconds Cho would open her eyes to look in their direction. It was as if she was saying "Beat that."
Hermione was more than ready to be up for the challenge.
"Harry," she said beckoning him forward with her finger as she leaned into him.
Harry had closed his eyes, but winced and slowly pulled back, "Hermione...maybe we shouldn't, you know because of the spell."
"Harry," she said with a pause, "this isn't Filch's spell anymore...this is me."
Before Harry had the chance to argue, Hermione leaned into him completely...and kissed him. Hermione's hand left the table and traveled up the side of his face, kissing him harder in turn, causing Harry to lean all the way back in his chair. He kept banging his fist on the table as Hermione's kisses smothered him completely- he needed air.
Hermione pushed herself back gasping for breath- she felt a little light headed, to be honest. Harry just sat there, his hair completely standing up on end, and his glasses halfway down his nose. Cho was furious as she grabbed her boyfriend, causing him to spill tea all down his robes as he was thrust from his chair.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other, and started to laugh watching Cho drag her yelping boyfriend out the door- they stopped however, when they saw Ron standing in the doorway- staring at them with his mouth open and his eyes as wide as tea saucers. Slapping five Sickles on the table, they rushed to get up as Ron slowly turned around and walked outside.
"I don't want to know," he said as they finally caught up to him.
"It's not what you think Ron- Hermione was just helping me out!"
"Cho, was being so nasty to him all-"
"I said I didn't want to know," said Ron putting his fingers in his ears, " I am currently driving that image out of my mind, La, La, La, La, La, La."
"Ron I was in HEAT!" said Hermione, pulling Ron's arm down.
"La- In what?"
"Heat," Harry repeated, " I just got the tail end of it , that's all."
Ron chose not to respond to that comment, but listened instead to what Hermione told him about Filch's spell.
"Oh...is that why you were acting all wonky yesterday?" said Ron with his eyebrow arched.
Hermione nodded.
"Oh...well...I guess that's okay then," Ron nodded, twiching his shoulders in a certain direction," shall we go? I think Honeydukes is still open."
Ron casted one more suspicious glance at them and went ahead. As they continued to walk down the path Harry lowered his voice, " Thank you for the 'date'."
Hermione smiled at her shoes, " Anytime."
Harry considered the trees that were swaying to the breeze, "Good," he said, looking at the ground and trying to control his grin, "because I may take you up on that."
Hermione smiled at him and looked ahead, "Well good...because I just may accept."
As they entered Honeydukes their senses were engulfed with the smell of chocolate and various sweets. Ron immediatley headed for the back where all the chocolate was kept and grabbed a handful of small brown paper bags on the way.
As Ron stopped and hovered over a large barrel of pecan clusters, Harry and Hermione looked over the other various sweets.
"Look at these," he beckoned to Hermione, as he lifted up a small lid.
"What are they?"
"Gummy worms apparently," he said looking at the label, "...and they're moving," Harry wrinkled his nose.
"Can someone hand me a scoop?" Rons' voice echoed- due to the fact that half of his body was inside a barrel.
Harry handed Ron a red scoop from another bin, and wandered to the other bins, with Hermione on his arm.
"That should be good for a few days don't you think?" said Ron emerging from the barrel with two bags full," Harry?" he said looking around, until his eyes fell on his two best friends laughing together, huddled close over a small barrel of fizzing whizzbes. Did Hermione just rest her head on Harry's shoulder?
"Dragon's Dung!" He said pointing at them, "dragon's dung, dragons dung, dragons dung!"
"Ron, I have a feeling something's bothering you," said Harry with his eyebrow arched.
"Heat, my foot! You two have been dating behind my back!"
"Calm down!" Harry pleaded.
"We have not been dating," Hermione hissed.
"Then what's all this then?" said Ron waving his hand madly at them.
"Well...we kinda were on a date today- but not on purpose!" Harry added hastily.
"Oh, so you just happened to stroll into that gigantic pin cushion of a tea shop? You just happened to be holding hands? Did Hermione just happen to trip and FALL ON YOUR MOUTH?"
Hermione crossed her arms, "Don't be such a prat! You know very well that Harry and I would never lie to you! Does it disgust you so much if we were dating?"
"No! But it wouldn't have killed you to tell me."
Harry sighed," Look, Ron- Hermione and I have never once dated behind your back-"
"And I really was in heat! Ask Ginny."
Ron stared at her, "I'm your best friend Hermione! I'm supposed to know these things first!"
"Well it wouldn't kill you to ask her- you don't even know what to get her for her birthday!"
"I'm her brother Hermione, I'm not supposed to know everything about her!" Ron opened his mouth again but stopped to think about what he just said. He looked quite confused.
"Ron," Harry sighed, "I swear...on the Chudley Canons- that Hermione and I have never dated."
" - until today," she added
"-but that just happened."
"And we had every intention of telling you directly what happened," Hermione finished.
Ron shifted his eyes between them. "Honestly?"
"Yes," they said together.
"Are you dating now?"
Harry and Hermione looked at each other.
"Yes," said Harry. Hermione beamed at him.
"Well, just promise me you won't do any of what I saw in that tea shop in front of me," Harry and Hermione nodded," and...we're still a trio?"
"Very much so," said Hermione with a smile.
"Right...well if you'll excuse me, I have a very large chocolate thingy to buy."
Harry and Hermione grinned at him as he walked away.
"He'll be alright," said Hermione," once the initial shock wears off."
"So...what happened in the tea shop...am I going to see that again?"
With one hand folded behind her back, she smiled at him and beckoned Harry forward with her finger.