Saint Agnes Eve

seleene_paris

Rating: PG13
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 21/07/2005
Last Updated: 21/07/2005
Status: completed

Inspired by the poem by John Keats, Hermione prepares for the eve of Saint Agnes and performs the rituals accustomed to it. Warning the fluff in this story is as fluffy as cotton candy.

Chapters

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1. untitled

Saint Agnes Eve

By: S’Eleene Paris seleene_paris@yahoo.com

Rated: PG-13 (just to be safe) (Sexual situations)

Pairing: Harry Potter/ Hermione Granger

Synopsis: Inspired by the poem by John Keats, Hermione prepares for the eve of Saint Agnes

and performs the rituals accustomed to it. Warning the fluff in this story is as fluffy as cotton candy.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling, the Warner Brothers, etcetera (obviously not me) owns the rights to

Harry Potter and company. John Keats owns The Eve of St. Agnes. I own the idea to this story.

Please keep the disclaimer, my name, and the title attached when archiving. Thanks.

Author’s notes: St. Agnes, martyred ca. 303 A.D. at the age of 13, is the patron saint of virgins.

Legend has it that if a virgin performs the proper ritual, she will dream of her future husband on

the evening before Saint Agnes’ Day, which falls on January 21. For further details on this

particular legend, please read The Eve of St. Agnes by John Keats. As for the details of the proper

rituals involved, I was not sure so I made something up. If this story seems a little predictable, I must

congratulate you because if you know anything about writing at all you will know its all the same

story lines, just a different way of telling it.

BTW, I am not going to comment about a certain book just released by J.K. Rowling. Especially since mugglenet seems to think we’re all delusional since we’re Harry/Hermione shippers. Not to mention, they’re sorry excuse to “Apologize” to us who do like the pairing. I am personally boycotting the site, myself. Not that this will do any real good, but I prefer portkey any day.

Author’s Acknowledgements: Thanks goes to my beta reader Weathertracker who gave me

some ideas to get this story off the back burner.

Dedication: To the thousands of girls around the world who feel they do not fit their societies’

definition of “beautiful” because they actually fit the definition better than those who are claimed

to be whether they believe it or not.

Saint Agnes’ Eve

A fire burned in the Gryffindor common room hearth as the blizzard forming outside of

the tower blew harsh winds against the windows of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and

Wizardry. Most of the students of the Gryffindor house had already claimed their beds for the

evening as meal inside their stomachs had begun to digest from a great feast a few hours before

and most of the common room was completely empty except for Hogwarts’ Head boy and girl.

Hermione Granger, dressed in her pajamas, folded herself on one of the armchairs next to

the fire deeply engrossed in her homework, as was her companion who claimed a space on the

floor rug between the couch and the coffee table. His glasses, reflecting the light from the fire,

distracted Hermione for a moment as she looked up at him. She had never seen him too engrossed

with his schoolwork before this year, but with the strains of wanting to become an Auror, he diligently

cracked down after Professor McGonagall suggested he do so. When Harry slammed his book

suddenly shut, it took Hermione out of her trance and back to the present. “I’m done.” He declared

as he began shoving his books into his bag. “Anymore studying and my brain will be fried.”

“Are you going to bed then?” Hermione asked as she shut her book as well.

“Yeah, I think so.” Harry smiled at her. “Going to be down here much longer?”

“Not too much longer. I have that meeting with Professor McGonagall this evening. She said

it was rather important. I cannot believe she needed to see me this late at night. I don’t think it could

be any real emergency because she asked me to come a few days ago.”

“But why just you? Why not with me? I am head boy, after all.”

“I don’t know. She just asked for me.” Hermione looked at her watch and exclaimed. “I’d

better see what she wants.” Hermione quickly stood and headed out of the common room via the

portrait hole.

Harry watched as his best female friend exited the dormitory to head to their house head’s

office to discuss the matter of importance. The nagging feeling from his stomach told him his friend

was keeping something from him. “Yeah, not like you’re keeping anything from her.” He

thought as he headed up the stairs toward the boys dormitory. “Like your feelings for her

for example.”

“But I can’t tell her.” His other half fought.

“And bloody why not? She is your best friend. Its not like she’s a complete stranger.”

“That is exactly why I have to keep these feelings from her.” He thought inwardly

as he opened the dormitory door and headed to his bed to slide in the covers. “She’s too close

to me as is. Only keeping her away from me will keep her safe from Voldermort and

his followers.”

“Come off it, Harry.”

“Besides, she doesn’t return them so why bother?” Harry sighed as he closed his

eyes to try to fall asleep.

*****

Hermione felt bad lying to her best friend of seven years, but Professor McGonagall

warned her against telling anyone of the contents of the meeting required and from the moment

Hermione had stepped in Minerva McGonagall’s office she had an idea of what it was about.

A Saint Agnes Eve ritual at Hogwarts often went unmentioned because most of the female

population was sworn to secrecy of what and why they were doing what they were doing. Most

of the male population never even known what was going on except one night of the year four

female virgins (one from each of the four houses at Hogwarts) would meet with their head of

house and perform the ritual of Saint Agnes. It was an honor to be chosen and to perform the

ritual for the ritual ended with the revealing of their future husband. Since Hermione was head

girl, it was her duty to inform the virgins to go to their head of house to take part in the ritual.

Professor McGonagall led the celebrations as custom for a female deputy headmistress or

headmistress to do so and was the only other person who knew all the names of the

participants other than the other heads of the houses and the head girl.

Hermione knocked on the door to Professor McGonagall’s office and after

a moment the woman called for the seventeen year old to step inside. “I assume you

know why you are here.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Well, then, let us get the celebration underway. Please inform the following

to report to their heads of houses. From Ravenclaw: Luna Lovegood, From Hufflepuff:

Susan Bones, and from Slytherin: Pansy Parkinson.”

“Pansy’s a virgin! I thought she would have had gotten it off by now, the big

cow!” Hermione almost laughed, but when she saw the look Professor McGonagall

was giving her, she stopped. “But what about Gryffindor?”

“I thought it would be rather obvious.”

“Me?”

“No, Ginny Weasley, of course you! Who else were you thinking? You are

the only one in the Gryffindor tower who has a great appreciation for traditions such

as this.” Professor McGonagall opened the door to her office. “Now get going or we

might miss the celebration.”

*****

Harry James Potter lay awake in his bed, not as tired as what he claimed a

few hours before to his best female friend in the common room. It was not like he

lied to her; he had after all had his legitimacy lessons earlier in the evening and it left

his body utterly exhausted let alone his mind. Keeping others out of his mind was the

easy part, now he was learning to master doing what he had been trying to prevent

others from doing to him and now it was something he decided was very useful; especially

with the thoughts running a hundred miles an hour and the cause of his state of insomnia.

“Why can’t I tell her about this? She is my best friend! This is insane!” Harry sighed

and banged his head against his feather pillow. “This is not how it’s suppose to be! These

feelings cannot be normal! Hermione’s practically like the sister I never had!”

He wanted to scream out in rage, but restrained himself as Ron walked into the

dormitory with his Quidditch robes and a windswept look. His Quidditch Captain pin

glinted in what little light was coming from fire. “I thought you were in bed.” Harry

whispered to keep the other boys from waking up.

Startled, Ron swerved around to where Harry had sat up in his bed. “Bloody

hell, Harry! I thought you were asleep!”

“No, I have a lot on my mind.” Harry admitted. “Long practice?”

“Yeah. We have that big match with Slytherin coming up and I do not want a

repeat of what happened with Hufflepuff.” Ron rolled his eyes and Harry remembered

the pathetic display of performance against the badger team. “You and Hermione

finished studying then?”

“No, I just got tired.”

“But you couldn’t sleep.”

“Yeah.”

For a moment, Ron looked as if he was calculating something in his head,

but then he asked. “Where is Hermione? Is she in her dormitory because I didn’t

see her downstairs.”

“She went to see Professor McGonagall.” Harry offered as Ron began to

strip off his uniform. “Something about a meeting.”

“That’s odd. Doesn’t McGonagall usually want to see the both of you?”

“That is what I thought too, but Hermione said she only wanted to see her.”

Harry said as Ron put on his pajama pants. “You don’t think she’s seeing someone

in secret do you.”

“Come off it, Harry.” Ron scoffed. “We would know if Hermione was dating

someone. She would have told us. You know, its probably just about Saint Agnes Eve,

it is after all tonight you know.”

“Really, Saint Agnes Eve? Come off it, Ron. She didn’t exactly tell us about

Victor Krum now did she?” The longer Harry thought about it, the more he was sure

he was right about Hermione and for some reason the more enraged he became. When

he could no longer bare the thought of it any longer, Harry grabbed his invisibility cloak,

his broomstick, and the Marauder’s Map and left a very confused Ron in his wake.

*****

After performing several parts of the ritual of Saint Agnes Eve, Hermione blushed

madly as she headed back to her dormitory. As the last part of the ritual, the virgins involved

had to sleep in the nude to ensure the spirits of her purity. The very thought of one of her

roommates catching her sleeping as such would lead to many uncomfortable questions and

secretary was among the most important aspects of this particular tradition. Only four girls every

year were chosen for this honor and Hermione smiled as she recalled Professor McGonagall and

herself recalled all the names of the other Gryffindor females who had performed this ritual before

her. Hermione was only moderately surprised to find out Harry’s mother was not only a head girl,

but had performed the ritual herself. “I wonder if she really did see Harry’s father.” Hermione

wondered as she wandered back toward the Gryffindor common room.

Once back in her room, she was relieved to find the other girls were asleep. Quickly

Hermione stripped down to the bare form, but before she climbed into her bed, she took a good

look at herself in the full-length mirror. Just as she suspected, the image in front of her mirrored

her form. “I don’t know why Professor McGonagall decided on me to take part of this

ritual. Its not like I am going to get married. No wizard here at Hogwarts thinks of me

in that way and even if he does, I do not see what would attract him to me. I am not

pretty at all. Look at my hair! It’s too bushy!” Hermione sighed as she crawled into her

bed to go to sleep.

Harry Potter wanted to fly past the window of the Gryffindor Girls dormitory to see if

Hermione had come back to her room. Thankfully, the blizzard like conditions had already

begun to subside, allowing him to fly like he had hoped, but his cheeks still turned red in the

coldness of the air and he felt frozen against his broomstick.

As Harry flew past the Gryffindor Dormitory, he saw a weak light come on a few

hours later as he landed on the balcony of the seventh year girls’ dorm to investigate. His

eyes went wide as he caught a glimpse of Hermione though the dorm window. In one swift

motion, she slid her vest and shirt off to reveal her milky white skin. Never in a million years

would he have ever thought Hermione would sleep in nothing. He continued to watch her as

she gazed into the full-length mirror just off her bed. In the moonlight that had chosen this

particular moment to peak out from behind the clouds, her well-formed curves could be seen

and her paled soft skin tempted Harry to enter the room to touch it. She twirled her curls of

her head and Harry could tell she was deep in thought.

Suddenly, she turned to turn down her bed and slid amongst the crimson sheets.

Somewhere deep inside of him, as he quickly turned to hide next to the outcropping of the

window so she could not see him watching her, Harry knew he had to go and be with her.

He quietly opened the French doors and crept inside to her bed. Hermione’s hair littered her

pillows and her breathing was slower indicating she was indeed a sleep. Harry quickly

stripped off his shirt (full knowing he would not be comfortable if he slipped into her bed

with it on) and silently slipped into the bed next to her, but not before closing her bed

curtains. “If one of her roommates woke up and saw…” He propped his head up with

one of his arms as he watched her serenely sleep as he now knew he was safe out of site.

The feelings she often stirred inside of him returned to him with much vigor he did not

even really notice his hand reaching out to lie on her stomach.

“Harry,” She whispered and somewhere in the pit of his stomach, he knew he was

caught. He gulped in sheer terror and she smiled contently as she rolled over on to her other

side to face away from him.

“She’s still sleeping! Thank Merlin!” His heart began to slow from when it had

been beating a thousand times a minute a few moments ago. Harry let out the breath he had

not realize he had been holding and decided he had to touch her. He leaned closer to her body,

deciding her hair would be the one thing he could touch with out waking her up. Her scent was

a mixture of vanilla, that he could identify, but what it was mixed with he was not sure. It

smelled sort of like apple pie.

Suddenly, Hermione rolled back over on to her back and Harry was now mere inches

away from her lips. Yielding to the temptation, Harry leaned down and kissed her gently. Her lips

were soft and parted to allow him to taste deep inside her mouth. He obliged her and while he

did so, he felt her soft skin with his hands as he was so longing to do a few moments prior. “Harry,”

Hermione mumbled in her sleep, again, “we can’t do this. Professor McGonagall trusts us.”

“You’re right as usual.” Harry decided to play along with her dream and he rolled over

off her on to his side. He laid an arm around her waist and kissed her hand. “You think she’d mind

too much if I slept here with you.”

“Probably.” Hermione sighed as she rolled over on to her side to allow him to wrap

himself around her. “Too bad, huh?”

Harry chuckled as he set his alarm on his watch to wake him in a few hours time. Any

longer and he could risk someone catching him amongst her sheets. Once he set the alarm, he

laid his head on the pillow next to hers and fell asleep.

*****

The sun began to rise over the horizon and several birds began their calls, not waking

the students of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Hermione Granger, the Head

Girl, rubbed her sleep filled eyes while she tried to figure out what had woken her from her sleep.

She caught a glimpse of Harry putting on his pajama top and grabbed his invisibility cloak, his

broom, and the Marauder’s map that had fallen on the floor. He kicked off and flew out the

window, clutching his broomstick close.

Hermione grinned knowingly. Harry had thought she had been a sleep when he had

entered and in truth, she had only begun falling asleep. She had said those things to him full

knowing he did not know she was awake and feeling the same way he had both physically

and emotionally.

The Head Girl covered her mouth and thought back on what had just happened in

her bed. She had just spent the night sharing the bed with her best male friend and the most

eligible bachelor at Hogwarts. Hermione tried to suppress a giggle. Not only had she dreamed

of her future husband, she unconsciously called him to be with her. Hermione grabbed her

bathrobe and tied it around her waist. She went over to the bay window and opened it to step

out on to the balcony. She watched as the tail of Harry’s broom flew into the window of the

seventh year boys’ dormitory window.

She knew she had to tell Harry about last night as much as she did not want to. He

could deny the whole thing, but knowing Harry, he probably would not. Harry was not like

most wizards she had met. Hermione sighed, trying to figure out when exactly to tell Harry

what she knew. “Maybe after the D.A. meeting tonight.” Hermione thought as she turned

around to head back into the room to dress for the day. As it was a school day, her school

robes were mandatory for the proper attire for the day.

Once she climbed down the stairs to the common room, she heard Ron’s voice.

He did not seem too happy with whom ever he was yelling at. Hermione stopped walking

down the stairs to listen in to whom he was yelling at. “Bloody hell, Harry. You come in at

an obscene bedtime then you leave to go somewhere and do not tell me where you went

when you get mad at me for saying some things about Hermione. I thought we were best

mates. I thought we were friends.”

“We are friends.” Harry corrected and Hermione risked a glance around the

corner of the spiraling stairwell. “I just needed to get some fresh air that’s all.”

“Yeah, long enough to come back inside the castle early in the morning with a

guilty look on your face. If you had been outside all night last night you would probably be too

sick to stand up straight because of the storm and you would have caught yourself a cold.

From the looks of it, your cheeks weren’t pink from the cold when you came in. ”

“The cold doesn’t cause sickness, Ron, viruses do and its called a warming charm.”

Harry rolled his eyes as his gaze fell back on to his textbook and parchment. “Now if you’ll

excuse me I have to finish this report for Professor McGonagall.”

Then realization hit Ron. “You were with her then?” Harry sighed, but continued

to look down at his work. His silence was all it took for Ron to assume the truth. “Wow,

Harry. So did you guys…you know…”

Harry chortled. “No, we didn’t do anything.”

“You were in Hermione’s bed for like most of the evening. How can you not tell

me you two didn’t do anything?”

“Very easily because we didn’t do anything.” Harry sighed and Hermione thought

best to interrupt them at this moment in time.

“Who didn’t do anything?” Hermione asked innocently as she walked into the room

carrying her books. Her tidy attire and combed look did not give any evidence of any time

spent in Harry’s arms.

Harry gave Ron a distinct look to tell him not to say anything to her about what they

were actually talking about. “Ron seems to think I fancy a witch he saw me talking with last

night after dinner.”

“Really, who?”

“Um…” Harry searched for a name amongst the many familiar to him and blurted the

first one that came to mind, “Luna Lovegood.”

“Well.”

“Well, what?”

“Well, do you like her? I am quite sure she likes someone else,” with out thinking,

Hermione’s glanced at Ron for a moment as if to silently point out who Luna actually liked,

“but I think she wouldn’t mind if the great Harry Potter fancied her.” Hermione smiled at him

and Harry was unable to read the look she was giving him. The look she gave him she had not

used before and for some reason it was toxic to his senses.

“Can we just go to breakfast already?” Ron asked, irritated his stomach was empty.

“I’m starving!”

Harry continued keeping Hermione’s gaze, trying to figure out what to say next to her.

When nothing came, he coolly agreed with his best male friend. “I am famished too. Let’s go.”

Harry led the way out of the Gryffindor common room and down to the Great Hall.

Once in the Great Hall, the room was fluttering with noise of students who had the night

before were hastened to the large room to await for an announcement to be made the next day

by the Headmaster. The professors, not usually around for breakfast all at the same time (most of

the professors took this moment to prepare for their classes), chose this moment to appear behind

the teacher’s table in anticipation of the announcement their headmaster was going to make.

When the elderly man entered the room, the room went silent. He went to the largest seat

at the head table, but instead of sitting he stood to make his announcement. Harry, Ron, and

Hermione’s attention went straight to their headmaster and head of their student section of the

Order of the Phoenix. “I will make this short because due to certain information I was hoping

not to be true has come to past and members of the student population’s lives could be

endangered.” Gasps of horror filled the room Due to the on going attacks of the Death Eaters,

which for those of you are too young to remember will take note these wizards and witches are

those of Lord Voldermort’s inner circle (several students shrieked and quivered in fear at the

mention of the Dark Lord’s name.), I am afraid our students of muggleborn heritage are in

greater danger than ever. Unfortunately since most of the teachers are thin compared to the

student population, I am formally requesting the members of “Dumbledore’s Army” or the

D.A. as they liked to be called to assist in the matter of protecting the students as they see

fit. Whether be assisting the professors in upping the patrols in the corridors, or what ever

the need is. I will be discussing the matter in whole with your leaders; however, I feel it is a

great need to allow the students to know who exactly is in this group, so when I call your

Names please stand up.” The Headmaster took a moment to withdrawal the list of students

who were among those involved in the group.

Hermione’s eyes went wide and she stood up to yell at the Headmaster. “Professor!

Don’t! There are several jinxes on the paper…”

The headmaster smiled and the student population gasped at the revelation of

one of the members being one of those whose life was endangered. “It’s alright, Miss

Granger. I had Professor Flitwick remove any spells that were placed upon it that may

hinder its reading to reveal its members. He said he was rather impressed with your

hexes and jinxes,” Hermione blushed at the complement, “and said he found the

combination used would have been quite humorous for those not under the curses at

the moment. He told me to reward 20 points to Gryffindor for your charms work.”

The Head girl sat back down as applause rang from the Gryffindor table and the

headmaster began to read the list. “Other than Miss Granger, our Head boy is also a member

of the group and infact the voted leader, or so I am told.” Harry stood up and then turned to

Hermione to gesture for her to stand back up. “ Mister and Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood,

Mister Longbottom…” and the list continued until every member of the D.A. was read. “These

students which now are standing will continue their efforts in the defense against the dark arts.

For now, allow us to join our meal for afterward, after the D.A. has had a chance to eat, I

must adjourn with them and watch their training excursions of which will be held tonight.”

*****

After the meeting the training, the D.A. was ready to adjourn to their common

rooms for the night. The headmaster had not said a word while Harry nervously trained his

fellow students in advanced forms of defense against the dark arts. It was only once

everyone left the Room of requirement, that Hermione said something to Harry. It was at

the moment Harry decided to turn and leave the room she said. “Harry, about last night.”

Harry stopped dead in his tracks to turn to face her. “What do you mean “About

last night.” ?”

“Oh, Harry quit playing innocent. You know very well what happened last night in

my bedroom.”

“Oh, that.” Harry nervously ran his hand through his thick, black, messy hair. “I

didn’t realize you were aware it was me.”

“Harry,” Hermione sighed, “only you smell like that.”

“So you knew it was me by the way I smelled?”

Hermione chucked. “Girls have a more heightened sense of smell then boys do.

You always smell like that after you have been out flying. I am assuming that is how you

got into the girls dormitory since you can’t come up the stairs to the girls dormitory.”

Harry chuckled. “Yeah.”

Hermione looked at her feet and said. “I didn’t realize you really felt that way

for me. I always thought you thought of me as a sister of sorts.”

“I did, but somehow, that thinking changed.” Harry smiled at her and took his

finger and placed it under her chin. “I don’t know how, Mione, but it did.”

“So where do we go from here?” Hermione asked. “I don’t think we really can go

back to being just friends, again, can we?”

Harry smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. “Here.” He breathed against her lips before

he devoured them with his own.

*****

End.