Knocking Sense into Harry

Disclaimer: I do own Harry Potter. It is Mine! All Mine! What are you doing? Get away from me with those flamethrowers! Arrrgggghhhh…all right, all right, I recant. I do not own Harry Potter. Now bring me a new set of skin.

Knocking Sense into Harry

Summary: Harry gets some sense knocked into him…Literally.

It started out, as these incidents tend to do, on what appeared to be a completely normal day. As normal as days ever get for Harry Potter, that is. However, normalcy lasted only until halfway through breakfast, when Ron tried to talk about the upcoming quidditch match with a mouth that was already dealing with his meal.

“Honestly, Ron, don't talk with your mouthful. It's disgusting” Hermione lectured Ron, looking as if she was going to be sick.

“You have to remember, Hermione, that he is Ron.” Harry said with a smirk.

“True, very true” a thoroughly amused Hermione replied.

Ron, after swallowing, responded. “I'm surprised at you, Harry. Normally you don't help Hermione slander me. I'd be insulted, but because I am enjoying the most perfect meal of the morning, I can't be bothered.”

Harry laughed uproariously at this.

Hermione glared at Harry and uttered one word. “Boys”

Harry, still very entertained, asked “Why are you mad at me? Ron's the one making a fool of himself.”

“You're being childish. You should not encourage him to be more of an idiot than he has to be.”

“Hey!” Ron protested.

“You're hopeless Ron. But I thought you would have learned by now, Harry.”

“Learned what, Hermione?” Harry questioned, now thoroughly confused.

“I would've thought that was obvious.”

“Well then, perhaps you could teach me whatever it is that I apparently have not learned”

“This can't be learned,” Hermione said as she stood up from the Gryffindor table. You need to have some sense knocked into you, Harry. Now we better get to class if we don't want to be late.”

“Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something?” Harry asked of no one in particular.

Harry stood up to follow her, while Ron wolfed down his remaining food to join them in their trek to the dungeons, and their most favorite class of potions.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

At lunch, Harry asked Hermione once again to tell him what it was that he was missing. It was Ginny who answered him this time, as she came to join the trio.

“It's obvious”

Harry was now thoroughly exasperated. “You know too. If it is as obvious as you two are making it seem, why do I not understand what it is?”

“Girls” Ron said, promptly earning him hurt shoulder, courtesy of Ginny.

“You're lucky I'm letting you off so easy Ron,” Ginny warned.

“C'mon Ginny, you know you're my favorite sister.”

“I'm your only sister, you idiot. Unless you thought Percy was a girl too.”

Everyone was dumbstruck silent for twenty-nine and a half seconds before finally chortling at Ginny's absurdity. (A/N: I finally used the word chortling. The world is now mine /A/N)

The group had an enjoyable lunch, as the pumpkin juice and laughter flowed freely. However, Harry had still not gotten the answer he'd been hoping to get from Hermione. Now though, he knew it had to do with the fact that Hermione was a girl, thanks to Ginny also saying it was obvious. As to what it actually was, Harry didn't have a clue.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Hermione was in the library, working on the potions essay that they had just been assigned that day. Harry and Ron were at quidditch practice, doing their best not to get killed, as Hermione was inclined to think of it. She finished writing her paragraph and realized that she had just gone over length requirement that Professor Snape had set. Hermione sighed in frustration, acknowledging that she'd have to go and get another book so that she could complete the essay in true Hermionean fashion. She left her table and went back amongst the shelves, searching for another book on the uses of harpy hair in potions making.

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron had just gotten out of quidditch practice. After cleaning up, Harry went down to the common room and saw that she wasn't there. Guessing that she was in the library, a very demanding guess indeed, he headed out of the portrait hole, taking some of his schoolwork with him. Madam Pince shot Harry her customary warning glare as he walked in. Like very other student, Harry paid no attention and began searching for Hermione. Spotting her bag at a table, Harry went over to set his stuff down before looking for Hermione amongst the books.

After turning a corner at the end of the third row he searched, he saw Hermione, but it was too late. Hermione hadn't noticed him, reading the book she held at waist level, and kept walking, straight into Harry, hitting his head with hers. Harry fell backwards, until he was firmly attached to the floor. Hermione stumbled back, nearly dropping her book. After seeing what happened, Hermione kneeled down beside Harry, and set her book down next to her.

“I'm sorry, Harry. Are you alright?”

Harry lifted his head at the sound of her voice. What he saw stunned him, and it stunned him more than the bump on the head did. He saw brown hair, an angelic face, and beautiful brown eyes. Harry couldn't look away from her, and he realized that he didn't want to either. For Harry had found out that he did indeed love Hermione.

“Beautiful” Harry murmured.

“What?” Hermione asked, color filling her cheeks, hoping that she had heard correctly.

Harry didn't panic knowing that she had heard him. Instead, he continued on with his newfound revelation.

“You're beautiful Hermione”

After hearing Harry say she was beautiful, Hermione's fall was compete. She couldn't hold back her love any longer, a love she'd been hiding since fourth year.

“I love you Harry,” Hermione said, her cheeks reddening even more, if it was even possible.

“I love you Hermione”

And then they kissed.

It was a slow, hesitant kiss, as Harry and Hermione were still unsure of themselves. Their lips broke apart as they pulled back to look into each other's eyes, vibrant green meeting soft brown.

“So” Harry began. “Does this make you my girlfriend?”

“It most assuredly does. I told you that you needed some sense knocked into you.”

“I most assuredly did” Harry replied with the same tone Hermione used. Grinning madly, Harry leaned in to snare her lips once more.

This kiss immediately felt perfect to both of them, and it quickly became passionate as the two held onto each other, homework forgotten. No more words needed to be said as the couple kissed amidst the stacks of books that Hermione loved not quite as much as she loved Harry.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Ron had been sleeping in the Gryffindor common room. Startled awake, Ron sat up, trying to figure out what had awoken him when he heard it. Somebody was giggling. Ron turned around to see Hermione giggling, while Harry held her with a sloppy grin on his face.

Eyebrows raised at them, Ron asked, “What in the bloody name of Merlin have you two been up to?”

“Just some homework, that's all” Harry replied quickly.

What with Hermione's giggling, and Harry's grinning, it so patently wasn't all.

“Really,” Ron said, “last time I checked, homework didn't cause Hermione to giggle, and you to look like you just set Malfoy up with a date with the giant squid.

“To tell the truth Ron, Harry and I are dating now,” Hermione answered.

“And, if I may be so bold to ask, how did this come about in the Library? Ron questioned.

“Really simple actually,” Harry said with the grin still plastered on his face. “Hermione knocked some sense into me.”

This sent both Harry and Hermione into gales of laughter. They both had to hold onto each other just to remain standing.

Ron shook his head slowly as everything became crystal clear to him. However, he was only able to speak his revelation to himself as Harry and Hermione had disappeared again. “Mental. My best friends are bloody mental”

It Ends Now

A/N: Hoped you liked it. Please review, as that would be key. And thanks to everybody who put up with my default randomness in this fic.

-->