DISCLAIMER: Still belongs to JKR.
A/N: Loosely based on a scene from the Walt Disney movie, Aladdin. The song is, A Whole New World, and it comes from the same scene.
Harry takes Hermione's hand and together they take a leap of faith.
……………………………………
Magic Carpet Ride
"Harry, what are we…" Hermione paused, struck dumb by the sight that met her when she stepped out onto the balcony of the astronomy tower and looked up into the nighttime sky. The stars were bright and the full moon shone down, spilling its light across the grounds of Hogwarts. It was, for lack of a better word…magical. "It's beautiful," she sighed. "It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the view is from up here."
Harry stood, mesmerized by the sight of her. He stared at her in silent wonder as her eyes continued to rove the moonlit, starry night. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the view is from up here. Her words registered a moment after she said them and Harry nodded. "You have no idea," he said as continued to watch her.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hermione asked. Her hands immediately went to smooth down her hair in a self-conscious, nervous gesture.
Harry smiled and looked away. He stepped toward the narrow wall that surrounded the balcony. Carefully he climbed up and stood atop it. He looked behind him before turning back to face her. "Do you trust me, Hermione?"
Hermione stared at him, her eyes wide with fear. "Harry, what are you doing?"
He held his hand out to her. "Asking if you trust me," he said. "Do you?"
Hermione stepped forward cautiously. "You know I do, Harry," she said. "Come down now, please. You're scaring me."
Harry shook his head and lowered his hand to her. "Take my hand."
Slowly, and without conscious thought, Hermione instinctively reached for his hand. "Harry, what-"
Harry gently tugged on her hand. "Join me." His words were more a command than a request.
"Harry, it's a hundred feet down," she said, leaning forward to look over the ledge, "at least."
"Hermione, do you trust me?" he asked again.
She looked up at him wearily before she acquiesced and allowed him to pull her up. They wobbled slightly when she put her second foot on the narrow ledge and she clung to him. "Yes, Harry," she said, her voice quivering in fear.
Gently he pushed her back, holding her away from him until he could see her face. "Look at me," he said. Hermione turned and met his eyes. "You know I'd never hurt you."
Hermione nodded and straightened her stance. "Yes. I know."
"That's my girl," he said as he slowly turned her until she was facing away from the school and toward the grounds of Hogwarts. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked, his voice sounding as though it was coming from some far-off place.
Hermione stared at him and nodded. "Yes," she agreed. "Beautiful."
"What would you say if I asked you to fly with me?"
Hermione looked around for his broom. Her eyes widened in trepidation when she followed his gaze out into the darkness. "I'd say I'm scared to fly," she said weakly.
"What if I asked you to fall?" he said as he looked down over the edge.
Hermione swallowed and closed her eyes. "I'd say I've been doing that for years."
Harry looked at her sharply. "So you'd rather fall than fly?"
"No," she stated. "That's not what I said at all."
"So what are you saying?"
Hermione sighed. "I'm saying that I'm scared to fly with you but I've been falling for you for years," she said, turning her head away.
Harry put his fingers to her chin and turned her head. "It's time you learned to fly, Hermione," he said simply. He released her chin and grasped her hand firmly in his.
"Harry, I'm scared."
"Trust me. I'll be there to catch you."
She looked at him and grinned. "But that's my job…to catch you."
"Well, isn't it time someone caught you then? Besides, we're flying, remember? You catch me when I fall, I'll hold you when we fly."
Hermione held tightly to his hand and watched him closely until she saw him raise his foot as if to step off the ledge. She closed her eyes tightly, "Is…this a test?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly.
"No, it's a promise. No more falling, Hermione. It's time we learn to fly and then land…together." She opened her eyes to find him watching her and she met his gaze unwaveringly. He tightened his grip on her hand and together they stepped over the ledge.
Hermione's scream was short-lived as she felt herself rising into the air only moments after they took the step. She opened her eyes in surprise. "What-"
"Flying carpet," Harry said in answer to her question.
"Harry how-" Hermione looked up at the stars as they rose higher and higher. "This is amazing." She looked over the edge and withdrew quickly as the ground got further and further away.
"It's okay, Hermione," Harry said as he took her hand in his. "You could stand up and dance on this thing and not fall off. The ground is far away, but like I said, there will be no more falling." He strengthened the grip on her hand and pulled her nearer until she was sitting between his legs, her back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. "I love the way your hair smells," he said against her ear.
Hermione shivered and tilted her head toward him, giggling softly. She closed her eyes when he kissed just below her ear. "Dance with me?" he asked on a whisper.
"There's no music," she said, turning her head until she could look at him.
Harry brushed his lips beside her mouth and then grabbed his wand. Music drifted softly up and around them.
I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide?
"This is from Aladdin," she said, recognizing the music at once.
I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride
"It's from the moment Jasmine first realized she was in love with Aladdin," Harry said. "And I think it was the first time he let his guard down enough in front of her so that she could recognize the truth."
A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming
Hermione's heart began beating in triple-time and slowly she stood on trembling legs. She turned and offered him her hand. His eyes held hers as he stood. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she drew him in closer as her arms wrapped around his neck. "What are you saying, Harry?" she asked as they slowly began to dance.
A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here
It's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you
Now I'm in a whole new world with you
He stopped circling her and loosened his hold so he could step back to look at her. "I'm saying that I'm ready to let down my guard."
Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky
"And?"
His lips brushed gently against hers and Hermione closed her eyes, willing back the tears that were brought on by his show of tenderness. "Look at me, Hermione," he said softly. She opened her tear-filled eyes and looked into his.
A whole new world
Don't you dare close your eyes
A hundred thousand things to see
Hold your breath - it gets better
I'm like a shooting star
I've come so far
I can't go back to where I used to be
"And…" he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers, "admit that I'm in love with you."
A whole new world
Every turn a surprise
With new horizons to pursue
Every moment red-letter
I'll chase them anywhere
There's time to spare
Let me share this whole new world with you
Hermione's knees weakened and she stumbled slightly forward. A gasp escaped her lips and her hand went immediately to cover her mouth. Harry held her tight and when she regained her balance she gazed into his eyes. "Do you mean that?" she asked as she searched his eyes and face expectantly.
He placed his hand on her chin and she closed her eyes. He gently caressed upward along her cheek with his thumb, his eyes studying the path it took as it trailed up along her jaw, her cheekbone, and then across her eyebrow. "I've never meant anything more in my entire life," he said, his eyes lovingly caressing her face. "I love you, Hermione."
A whole new world
That's where we'll be
A thrilling chase
A wondrous place
For you and me
Hermione opened her eyes and smiled as she turned to kiss the inside of his palm. "I thought I'd never hear you say that anywhere but in my dreams."
He wrapped his arms around her waist and slowly began to turn her in circles as the song started playing once again. "You're hearing it now, and it is very much a reality."
Hermione's arms tightened around him and she turned her head, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "I love you, too," she whispered.
Suddenly she felt lighter than she ever had. The carpet seemed to sense the way she felt and it rose abruptly into the air and then very slowly starting spinning in circles beneath them. They danced in silence with the light of the full moon and a million stars as their backdrop.
Reluctantly, she pulled away from the comfort of his embrace until she could look into his eyes. "Thank you for this."
"Thank you for trusting me enough to take that leap."
Hermione leaned forward and kissed him. "To the death, Harry," she said against his lips. She again pulled back to look into his eyes. "I'd take that leap with you into the fires of Hades if you asked me to. I love you and wherever you go, I'll follow."
"Well, let's keep hoping we won't have to take a leap into hell," he said, smiling as he raised his hand to her cheek. "And Hermione?"
"Yes?" she said, nestling her face in his palm.
"Don't ever follow me anywhere."
She looked up at him in surprise. "But Harry, I-"
He placed his finger over her lips and smiled. "Stand beside me," he said gently. "Always, beside me."
…………………………………………………………………………
The night was magical. All around the grounds of Hogwarts couples, new and old, were walking together, lying together, talking, kissing….
Ron and Luna looked up at the same time. "What do you suppose that is?" Ron asked as he pointed up into the sky.
Luna smiled. "It's a flying carpet," she said dreamily.
Ron looked at her dubiously. "What would a flying carpet be doing here at Hogwarts?" he scoffed. He shook his head in mild exasperation.
She closed her eyes, her face pointed skyward. "Maybe there's a man up there declaring his undying love to the woman of his dreams," she replied as a vision of her and Ronald filled her mind.
"No man is that corny," he muttered. He continued to stare derisively up at the object in the sky.
"Well there goes that fantasy," Luna sighed as she opened her eyes and rolled them at Ronald. "You're just mad because you didn't think of it first," she gently chastised as they once again began to walk.
"Well, you don't even know what it is really, now do you?" Ron fussed. "For all we know, it's a giant bat."
Luna stopped walking and pulled him to her. "But that's the beauty of it, Ronald. It can be anything we want it to be. I think a flying carpet would be so…" she looked around as she tried to find the best word to describe her thoughts, "magical."
………………………………
Hannah and Neville had barely been dating a week and Neville was still nervous about taking her hand as they walked outside and into the moonlit night. "It's so beautiful out here," she said, looking up at the full moon. She gasped and reached for his hand. "What do you suppose…?" she said, pointing up to the sky.
"It looks like a giant bat," Neville replied. He was thinking more about the way her hand felt in his then about the object in the sky.
Hannah shrugged. "Maybe," she said as she continued to stare up at it curiously.
Neville watched her in silence as she stared up into the sky. "Beautiful," he said softly.
Hannah stared for a second longer, "I don't know that it's beau-" she stopped, completely forgetting what she was saying the moment she realized that he was talking about her. She turned to face him fully, their hands still clasped tightly together.
"Can I kiss you?" his eyes silently questioned and Hannah nodded lightly as she moved toward him. Neville met her halfway and his hands flew up to cup her face. Her hands went to his waist and together they pulled each other closer. They kissed slowly, tenderly, hesitantly until they both seemed to let go of their inhibitions and opened themselves up to one another for the first time.
When they reluctantly broke apart they both looked skyward. Neville broke the silence first, "Whatever it is, it's…"
"…magical," they said together.
………………………………
Draco and Ginny were lying on the ground alternately kissing, laughing, and talking softly when Ginny turned to look up at the stars. Her brow furrowed as she stopped talking mid-sentence and stared at the object in the sky.
"What?" Draco asked when the sudden silence met his ears.
"What do you think that is?" Ginny asked, pointing upward.
Draco looked up and scoffed. "It's a UFO," he stated without hesitation.
Ginny looked at him curiously. "A UFO?"
Draco looked at her before looking up into the sky and then back to her again. His nostrils flared in annoyance at the thing that disturbed his time with her and he smirked. "Yes, Red, a UFO," he stated again.
"Draco-"
Draco sighed dramatically. "An Unidentified Fucking Object!"
Ginny shook her head and laughed. "What?" she said incredulously.
"Do I have to break it down for you?" Ginny nodded and bit back a cheeky grin. "Fine, very well," he drawled as he rolled his eyes at her. "It's a fucking object that you can't identify. Thus," he said, gesturing dramatically with his hands, "you have a UFO."
Ginny rolled her over until she was laying half on top of him. "Only you, Malfoy," she said, laughing as she kissed first his cheek and then his lips. She looked up once more and shook her head before she turned her attention back to him. "A UFO it is then," she said, shrugging her shoulders and kissing him again.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
For Harry and Hermione the dance had ended. They now lay, side by side, on their backs, staring up into the vast expanse of starry sky. Hermione turned to him and smiled, "I have a confession to make," she said before turning her attention back up to the sky.
"Really? What's that?" he asked as he turned his head to look at her.
She rolled over onto her side and propped her head up on her hand, stubbornly refusing to allow herself to look away. "I love to fly," she admitted as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him. She rolled them both over until he was laying halfway on top of her and then she pulled him down into a kiss. "Flying with you beats simply falling for you," she said, kissing him again, much more passionately this time, "no question about it," she whispered, grinning breathlessly against his lips.
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They floated in the sky for a long time, lost in their own `shining, shimmering, splendid' world, totally unaware of the `magical' effect their flying carpet and professions of love were having on the all the young couples below.
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