Irresistible, he is!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or HBP would have been really different if I did.

A/N: This is my answer to the challenge “Harry becomes irresistible” by Cherry. I include the requirements here, so that you all can see what it is about. If you read, please leave a review, it takes you moments and makes me happy!

Challenge Requirements:

Setting: Sixth/Seventh year, you decide.
Pairings: H/Hr
Rating: G to Pg-13
Plot: Well, it's normal day and the trio is having charms. They're learning [insert difficult charm here] and it's going okay. Hermione is having no troubles at all, but Harry and Ron are both struggling. Suddenly it all goes very wrong. Ron pronounces the spell wrong (ala Levi-o-saah) in mockery and has his wand pointing at Harry. A spell shots out and hits Harry.
Harry isn't hurt, and nothing seems to be wrong. it isn't until later the symptoms of the spell are seen...

- The symptoms are very simple. If you're attracted to Harry, then he's suddenly all irresistible.
- Hermione, who haven't thought about Harry in any other way than brotherly (or so she thinks) suddenly finds him all irresistible. She just can't stop thinking about him, and when he's close she get this urge that to snog him senseless.
- You can decide whether or not you want other girls to crush after Harry.
- If you do have other girls, make them corner him. He has no way to escape until a very angry and jealous Hermione comes by...
- Harry, after a while, starts to wonder why Hermione is behaving so strangely...
- After a while, Hermione loses it and kisses him...
- Must obviously end H/Hr

Irresistible, He Is!

Harry Potter woke up in his Head Boy room, as every morning. He and his best friends were to attend classes like every other day, so he went to have a quick shower, and as his usual routine, he shaved, and then dressed. Then, stepping into the Heads common room, he went to softly knock on the door of the Head Girl, no one else than his female best friend, Hermione Granger.

It had been a quiet year till that moment, and for once Harry was able to behave like a normal teenager. He had vanquished Lord Voldemort few months before, and now his only worry was to pass his N.E.W.T.s and start the Auror career.

“Good morning Mione” he said, when she opened the door. He had to admit she had grown to be a fine woman, in the years he had known her.

“Good morning Harry” she replied smiling, stopping just a moment to fix her ponytail, and then grabbing her books. “Shall we go to call Ron?”

“Yes” he said. They entered the Gryffindor common room, and Harry went up the stairs to the seventh year dorm to call their friend.

“OY! Ron, we are here, come down you lazy git!” Harry called playfully.

“Really humorous, Harry” the redhead said, coming out of the room.

So, the trio headed down to the Great Hall to have breakfast, as usual. Hermione ate reading her copy of the “Daily Prophet”, Ron kept stuffing sausages in his mouth, earning himself a reproving glare from the brown haired witch, and Harry filled his plate with a few of everything, and prepared himself for another heavy day of lessons.

Little did he know that his day was not going to be exactly like all the others.

When they were done, they headed to the dungeons for their first lesson of the day. The dreaded Potions, with Severus Snape as Professor.

They sat together, steeling themselves for any scathing remark the greasy man would throw their way.

“Today” the Professor started, “you are going to brew a difficult potion, able to delay death. It is called “Prolonged Youth Draught”. The ingredients you need are in the closet, and the instructions on the board. Start to work”

The trio did their best, and thanks to Hermione's skills, and Harry's improved ones, they managed to brew it correctly. Even Snape did not find anything wrong in it, although during the lesson he did take twenty points from them because Harry had thrown back to Malfoy some dragon scales that the blonde boy had thrown to them first.

Now, although not completely unfair, because Harry did throw it back, the punishment was at least severe, since they had been provoked first. But, the trio and all the Gryffindors were used to Snape punishing them for silly reasons and ignoring his house students when they did something wrong, so they simply shrugged and moved to the Charms classroom.

Professor Flitwick was waiting for them as usual standing on a pile of old books as he was incredibly small.

“Good morning” he greeted them with his cheerful manner they were all used to.

“Good Morning Professor” the crowd of students greeted him back taking their seats. Harry sat in between his two friends.

“Now, today we are going to practice a very complex spell. It comes particularly handy for healers, so who wants to follow that career has better pay extra attention, but the Aurors-to-be have to do that too, because at times it is used in first aid healing when a wizard is hit with some particular curses”

Both Harry and Hermione straightened, as she wanted to be an Healer and he an Auror. Ron simply kept toying with his wand.

“It is a spell that works on your hormones, regulating them” the little Professor kept explaining, “when you suffer of some dysfunction of sorts related to them. It is called, in fact, “Hormonal Regulation Charm””

Ron looked at his right, and saw Hermione and Harry both scribbling furiously. He shook his head. Since the start of the year Harry had buried himself more and more into study, although he still was Quidditch Captain, and a brilliant one too.

However, Ron felt his raven haired friend was becoming more and more like Hermione.

His thoughts were interrupted by Harry elbowing him.

“Ron, listen. This is important, and complex” he reprimanded his redhead mate, at which Ron rolled his eyes and started scribbling notes too.

“Now, the wand movement for the spell is this one” the Professor said, showing it with his own wand. “You've to swish your wrist really quick, and then place a well aimed flick at the person, or living being, you want to use this spell onto. I recommend maximum attention with the incantation, because it is really easy to pronounce it with the wrong accentuation. It is “Regula Hormoniòsa”. You'll practice it on these rats, if the spell is well done, a golden glow should engulf them”.

The class started working, every one with their rat in front of them, but very few were able to perform it correctly.

Hermione, of course, was between these few, and she was the first to get it right, earning Gryffindor the twenty points they had lost in Potions. For most of the time, instead, Harry and Ron struggled, obtaining a yellowish glow at their best attempts, although Harry did manage to get it right toward the end of the lesson.

Hermione nodded at him with pride, and he smiled, blushing just the tiniest bit.

Ron rolled his eyes, both in frustration because he couldn't do it, and at the new bond his friends shared, since now both seemed to enjoy schoolwork.

Few minutes later, Harry had mustered it perfectly, and he seemed to be able to do it right every time he tried it now.

Ron was still trying to get it right, and suddenly he huffed in anger.

“This spell is impossible! And it is useless for one who does not want to be an Healer, too!”

“Oh, come on, Ron! Don't be such a baby!” Harry scolded him playfully.

The redhead turned toward him, and playfully pronounced the spell with the wrong accentuation.

“Regula Hormoniosà ”

Only, he did not notice his wand was now pointed on Harry, and a bluish light erupted from his wand engulfing his best friend.

Horror crept on his face, while Hermione seemed pretty worried too.

However, as soon as the light faded, they breathed their relief. Harry was perfectly fine, and smiling.

“Nice trick, Ron. Seems you managed to get right a spell, after all” Harry joked, “although it was not the one we were practicing”

The redhead stuck his tongue at him the very moment that the bell rang. Professor Flitwick never noticed what had happened, or he would have told them it was not good.

They collected their things and went to have lunch. Harry sat in front of Hermione, and Ron on his left side.

During the meal, Hermione sensed something coming off Harry in strong waves, and felt herself compelled to look at him.

Properly, she checked him out, and licked her lips appreciatively.

Now, she had never thought of Harry that way. He had always been her best friend, to her, and nothing more, so why was she feeling like that?

She looked up to find his green eyes looking at her questioningly.

Oh, those eyes. She could drown in them…

Suddenly she shook herself. She was not going to think of her best friend that way.

“Hermione, what is wrong? Do I have something on my face?” Harry asked.

She blushed deeply. “No, no-nothing is wrong, Harry” she stammered before resuming her meal.

Ron didn't even notice the exchange, since he was too engrossed in stuffing food in his mouth.

When they left, most of the girls in the Hall glued their eyes on Harry's retreating form, some sighing loudly, some others looking at him dreamily.

No one of the trio noticed, as Hermione was too busy controlling herself, Harry was wondering what was wrong with his best friend, and Ron was still munching on some sweets.

They headed to Care of Magical Creatures, and Hagrid showed them a Chimera and how to tend to it, then divided the students in couples. Harry and Hermione were paired up, while Ron was put with Lavender. However, he had to do the whole work, as the girl kept staring adoringly at Harry.

Hermione felt butterflies in her stomach every time he would brush her hand casually, and when he spoke to her she would fix her attention on his lips.

“I bet they are really soft. If only I could taste them…I'm sure he's a skilled kisser” she thought, while unconsciously rubbing his hand.

“Hem…Hermione? Why are you rubbing my hand?” he asked, puzzled.

“What?” she said, retiring her own hand like it was burning, and blushing. “Come on, Harry, we're supposed to prepare the meal for the Chimera” she said, changing the subject abruptly, an walking where other teams were working on chopping meat to feed the beast.

Harry stared after her, and wondered what the hell was going on with her.

After the lesson, Harry and Ron rushed to Gryffindor Tower to change and head to Quidditch practice. Hermione, instead, walked around the lake, trying to figure out what was happening to her.

“It is clear it has been Ron's spell. I did not think like that of him before” she reasoned. Then, she sprinted to the library to check her intuition.

In the meantime, on the Quidditch pitch, Captain Potter was explaining his new tactics to the squad. Only, Ginny Weasley and Eleanor Fritcher, a new Chaser, did not listen, simply ogled at him.

“Ginny, will you pay attention, please?” he scolded the redhead girl. “You too, Eleanor”

So they focused on what he was saying, but just for few minutes.

Then, they were off appreciating how his now muscled body was exalted by Quidditch robes, and how they would love to take them off of him after practice.

Two hours later, Harry was knackered, but happy. The team had learned the new moves perfectly, although Ginny and Eleanor kept getting distracted.

He turned on the shower, and hot water poured on him, relaxing his aching muscles.

He moaned softly, oblivious to a girl listening to him outside the showers room, and dreaming to be the one to make him moan like that.

Moments before he exited the shower room, Eleanor ran back to the castle to avoid to be discovered.

Hermione, in the meantime was still reading in the library, but what she found out did not please her.

“Here it says the spell Ron used on Harry makes him be irresistible for the girls who are already crushing on him, or in love with him. But it can't be, I've never liked him more than friendly. Did I?”

She pondered the answer for some time, and missed dinner. When she entered the common room, hours later, only Harry was there, working on an essay for McGonagall.

“Hi, Mione. Where have you been all night, snogging some secret boyfriend?” he teased her, motioning for her to join him in front of the fire.

“If only you knew how much I want to snog you right now…” she thought, sitting near him.

She looked into the fire to not risk to glance at him, not trusting herself to be able to resist the urge to taste his mouth.

He stopped writing, and looked at her.

She was really beautiful, the light from the fire gave her a golden glow that made her even more enticing.

Harry had come to admit lately that he was in love with her, but he never spoke his feelings, knowing what they had was far more important than a possible romance. In the years they had built trust, and deep respect for the other, and the ability to finish each other thoughts at times. They were perfectly tuned, and more than once he wondered how would it be to be with her. But, he never acted on it.

So, now he simply tucked a loose tendril of her hair behind her ear, although he wanted to hold her in his arms.

That simple gesture, however, sent chills down her spine, and she found herself leaning slightly into his touch.

She shook herself and stood up.

“Well, I better go to sleep. You should too, Harry. Tomorrow will be stressing, with double Potions”

He nodded, collected his things and they walked to their quarters.

Once there, she walked toward the stairs to her room.

“Mione, wait”

She turned, and he walked toward her smiling.

“Good night” he said, before kissing her on the corner of her mouth.

When she was into her room, she dressed for the night, now and then touching the spot he had kissed her onto, smiling.

Sighing contentedly, she entered her bed, and soon a sleep filled with dreams about a certain raven haired wizard took her.

Little did she know that the wizard she was dreaming of was in his room doing the exact same thing about her.

Next day, wherever they went, or better, wherever Harry went, a tail of giggling girls much like the one chasing Krum in fourth year followed them around.

At one point, Harry got tired of it.

“Bloody Hell, can't you leave me alone? Do not you have something better to do with your life? Or should I take points from your houses?” he bellowed at them. He had never used his status of Head Boy to frighten or menace students before, but his patience was growing thin already.

Then, when they vanished, actually just hiding behind a corner, he turned to Ron.

“What's up with them anyhow?”

“Hem…it may be my fault…” Ron said.

Harry glared at him. “What have you told them, Ron?”

“Nothing, but you remember that spell that hit you in Charms yesterday, don't you?” the redhead said in a small voice. “Well, yesterday night I asked Luna if she knew something about it, as I felt like it was strange it had no whatsoever effect on you, and she went researching all night. This morning she told me the results. Seems like the spell has made you irresistible for all the girls that already fancied you”

Harry said nothing, simply kept walking toward the Transfiguration classroom, thinking.

“So, may this be why Hermione was so strange yesterday? Could it be that she fancies me?” he thought. However, he discarded the idea.

“How could such a bright girl like her, and so beautiful too, be interested in me? Yes, I'm the Boy-Who-Won, but I know she doesn't care for that, and that is the only special thing about me”

However, he kept noticing she would glance at him when he wasn't looking, or at least she thought he wasn't, and blushing whenever he would catch her at that.

Hermione, on her side, had come to admit that she had in fact, fancied Harry already. She had been in denial, but thinking back to the events of the previous years, and knowing what the effect of the spell was, led her to the realization that she was, indeed, in love with her best friend. That led her to be not attentive in class, thus losing five points, a rarity for her outside potions, especially in Transfiguration.

At dinner, Harry, now aware of the spell effect, noticed most of the girls looking at him and rolled his eyes.

“Ron, has Luna told you how long this will last?” he whispered to his friend.

“She says it will wear off only when you hook up with your true love”

“What?” Harry said, shocked. “But that could take years to find out!”

Ron nodded. “I know. I'm sorry, mate”

Actually, Harry knew who his true love was, but from that, to hook up with her, the step was huge. He sighed, pushing his food around his plate, not really hungry anymore.

That night, he and Hermione went for rounds together.

It was a chilly night, they were at the end of October by now, and gusts of wind would now and then come from open windows, or from the openings in the towers.

Harry noticed Hermione shiver, so he put his cloak on her shoulders.

“There. You should be better now” he said, smiling at her. She smiled nervously in return, blushing a bit.

“You now, you're really cute when you blush like that” Harry said, which in turn made her blush even more.

He chuckled, and she smiled warmly at him, butterflies once again fluttering in her stomach when she swatted him lightly on the arm.

“Git”

He laughed some more, wondering if she was flirting with him maybe, then he impulsively took her hand in his own.

She looked at him in surprise, but did not take her hand away, instead she entwined their fingers together.

They kept walking that way till they returned to their quarters. There, Harry wished her good night, and started walking to his room.

She pulled him back, and feeling bold leaned in to kiss him, but at the last moment chickened out and moved her aim to the corner of his mouth, like he had done the previous night.

“Good night, Harry” she said lightly before disappearing into her room, feeling all giddy for the long walk hand in hand they had just done.

A sigh escaped her lips, and she giggled madly, something really un-Hermione like.

A couple weeks later, things started to get really crazy.

The first Quidditch match came, and when the Gryffindor team exited the tunnel, Harry noticed several gold and red banners reading things like “Harry shag me”, or “Harry I love you”, or “Please kiss me”.

He rolled his eyes, and then when the match started he noticed Hermione Accioing the banners to her and setting them on fire.

He managed, in the crazy flying of the game, to fly near her and smile her gratefully, which made many girls scowl at the “bookworm” as they kept calling her, and made the brown haired witch blush.

In the next days, more than once Hermione had to speak her mind to the giggling girls following him around, and she did that both as friend and as a jealous girl keeping competition away, thus being really frightening.

However, some older girls, Eleanor Fritcher and some from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, were determined to not give up. Their leader was a sixth year Slytherin, Helena Swinterburn, who reunited them in an empty classroom to explain them her plan to get him.

A couple days later, Harry was walking back to Gryffindor Tower after a long Quidditch practice. He had let the team go to rest, while he remained on the pitch to practice some more a couple new moves he had read about.

Eleanor ran to alert the other girls, and they hid, ready to strike.

When he was passing in front of a dark corridor, the sun had set long ago as he had took a long shower after the prolonged training, he suddenly saw three different beams of blue light aimed at him, and found himself pinned to the opposite wall, arms and legs wide.

Then, from the shadows a couple more spells hit him with their silver light, and he found himself stripped to his boxers.

At that point, the girls left the shadows, and with him unable to defend himself, they started touching him all over his body, some more daring even slipped an hand into his boxers.

Helena kissed him hard on the mouth, forcefully slipping her tongue in and searching his own.

He did not kiss back, but, being a teenager, the attention they were giving him provoked a reaction in hi southern regions.

He growled at their touch, while Helena kept pressing herself, and her chest, on him, trying to get him to kiss her back.

Too wrapped up in ravishing him, and preparing themselves to take the attack to the next level, the girls never noticed steps approaching.

A fuming and extremely jealous Hermione Granger took in the scene, and pointed her wand at the group.

“Stupefy!” she cried over and over, till all the girls were unconscious on the ground. Then, the jealous girl in love that was in her took charge. One by one she hexed them, causing pus-filled bubbles to erupt on their whole bodies, then she made a small writing appear on their hands. “Do not touch Harry Potter”, in red, could be read there.

Harry smiled at her. “Remind me to not come on the business end of your wand, Mione”

“Cover yourself, Potter” she said coldly, releasing him from the spell and walking away, tears pooling in her eyes.

He cringed. She rarely used his last name, and only if she was extremely pissed at him. He dressed hastily and followed her.

“Hey Mione, why are you angry at me? I did nothing to them, it was all their doing!”

She swung around quickly.

“You did seem to enjoy it quite well though. Maybe next time I'll simply leave you to them” she spat, before running away, now crying freely.

Harry stood there, dazed, wondering what the hell was that about.

For days she avoided him, and he wondered why she was acting that way. After all, it was not like they were together or something, and he did not do a thing to those girls, not even kissed back…

Then, at the end of November, Professor Dumbledore announced that as a celebration for Voldemort's demise, at Christmas a Ball would be held.

Harry finally decided, and the insistence of Ron helped, it was time to make his move, so he planned to ask Hermione to go with him, although she still avoided him.

He would do something really romantic to ask her, he just needed to think what.

Time passed, and Christmas grew near. Harry was nervous, he did not want to risk someone else taking Hermione in his place, he did not want another flop like in fourth year with Cho, but he couldn't imagine a good enough way to ask her.

He was sitting in their little common room, thinking about it, when the door opened. Hermione entered, and although still pissed at him for that episode, she noticed he was worried.

Her best friend instinct took over, and she rushed to his side.

“Harry, what is troubling you?” she asked softly.

He looked at her, and smiled.

“Nothing important, just trying to figure out a sweet way to invite a girl to the Ball”

Hermione was stung from his words. Obviously he fancied someone else.

“I see” she said dejectedly. “Well, Harry, just do it, or she will be taken. The Ball is just ten days away”

“I know” he said smiling, patting the spot next to him.

She sat there tensely. It had been a lot since she was that close to him, even in class she sat on the opposite side of the room to avoid him.

He then wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and kept her close.

“I've missed you these days, Hermione. I'm sorry if that incident upset you, but really, I didn't do anything” he said, looking directly in her eyes.

She stared into those green orbs, and knew he was sincere. Of course she had known it was not his fault since that night, but the thought of so stunningly looking girls throwing themselves at him made her blood boil, and she lashed her anger on him.

“I know, Harry. I'm sorry for being a stupid ugly girl” she said, lowering her gaze. She did not trust herself around him, again she felt like snogging him senseless.

He put an hand under her chin and raised her face, to look in his eyes again.

“You're not stupid, Mione. Nor you are ugly” he said, emotion in his eyes, one that she could not put her finger onto.

However, she felt drawn to him like iron to a magnet, and leaned in, finally placing her lips on his own.

They were soft as she had imagined, maybe even softer.

She stayed there a moment, then suddenly ran away into her room, disengaging herself from his arm, and locked the door.

Harry stood there, unable to process what had happened. One moment she was there, kissing him, the next she was in her room, locking herself in.

Puzzled, he went to bed, and just before he fell asleep the perfect idea to ask her out came to his mind. Smiling, he drifted to sleep, in a world where he could snog and hold her as long as he wanted.

Next day, he woke early. After showering, he dressed and left hastily, running to the Owlery.

There, he found Hedwig.

“Hey, girl” he greeted her. “Sorry, I can't use you for this deliver, she knows you too well” he said, picking one of the school owls.

His owl picked angrily on his hand, leaving him a small gash, and flew away angrily.

“I'll make it up to her later” he thought, healing himself and starting to write his note.

Then, he instructed the owl, and ran back to Gryffindor Tower.

The day passed quietly, and Harry kept glancing at Hermione now and then. She never spoke about the kiss, in fact she did not speak to him at all. Again.

He sighed.

That night, while she was reading locked in her room to not have to face him, she felt someone tapping on her window.

Noticing a brown owl, she opened, and it flied to her desk, leaving a single red rose and a carefully folded note, then left.

Curious, she picked up the rose, and closed her eyes in delight at its wonderful fresh perfume.

Then, she opened the note.

“Dearest Hermione,

I would love to go with you

To the Ball. There's no need to

Reply, just meet me in front of

The Great Hall that night if you

Intend to accept.

Love, Harry”

She couldn't believe her eyes, and started rereading the note over and over, before going to bed with an huge smile on her lips, and the note carefully hid under her pillow.

The last days before the Ball Hermione was extremely bright and cheerful, and Harry smiled to himself. He was not a new Casanova, that was for sure, but it was clear she had liked his gesture and was going to accept.

So, when the night came, he showered and then put on his best robes, he had recently bought them.

They were dark blue, elegant, in velvet. He completed his attire with a white shirt and trying to tame his hair, but to no avail.

“You should simply give up” the mirror said him. The boy glared at it.

“Thanks, you're supporting” he snapped sarcastically.

“My duty is to be truthful, not supporting”

“Whatever” Harry said, walking out of his room and going to meet Ron.

“So, mate, who are you taking to the Ball?” the redhead said, when he saw his friend. “From the way you're dolled up, you must care a lot for her” he teased his friend.

“It's Hermione. I'm not sure she will be coming, I asked her to meet me in front of the Great Hall if she was to accept”

Ron beamed at him. “It was bloody time that one of you two made a move. I'm sure she will be already there, you'll see”

“What are you talking about, Ron?”

“Mate, she fancies you back too. Everyone sees it here. Finally you stopped dancing around each other”

Harry said nothing, hoping his best friend was right.

They spotted Luna, in a silver dress that was not too sexy, but made it clear her body had nothing to envy to some more popular girls.

“You look lovely” Harry complimented her, while Ron was unable to speak, as he was too busy drooling and opening and closing his mouth, trying to speak but failing.

She blushed. “You're quite good-looking yourself, Harry” she said, before giggling at Ron's reaction.

“Come on, mate, stop acting like a fish and bring your girlfriend inside” Harry nudged him.

The redhead nodded, taking her hand in his own, and complimenting her while they entered. Harry chuckled, looking at them, but then it faded.

There was no sign of Hermione.

Fear of rejection started to pass through him.

“Searching for an hot date, Harry?” Katherine Graffer, a fifth year Ravenclaw asked him flirtatiously, entwining her arms around his neck and pushing her as much into him as she could, and hoping her revealing dress would raise his interest.

“No, thanks” he said, gently pushing her off of him and walking away.

Just then he looked up the stairs and saw her coming down.

She was wearing a golden dress that had spaghetti straps keeping it in place on her shoulders, a deep V-neck that exalted her cleavage, and the back was covered just in part. It clutched to her figure perfectly, and many turned to ogle at her, but she was looking straight to him, his mouth hanging open while she walked.

Finally he gulped, and managed to speak.

“You are absolutely gorgeous, milady” he said, kissing the back of her hand chivalrously.

She giggled. “You're pretty handsome yourself, milord”.

Then they linked arms and entered the Hall.

As they entered, guys kept ogling at her, and girls scowled seeing her with Harry. They did not care, and joined their friends at the table.

“Hey, Hermione, you look smashing” Ron managed to say in a rare moment his mouth was not full of food.

“Thanks Ron. You're good-looking too. And you, Luna, are so beautiful!” she said, hugging both of them.

They then sat and ate something from the buffet.

Soon, however, soft music started playing, and couples started crowding the floor.

Harry stood up, then bowed to her. “Would you like to dance with me?” he asked.

“Of course” she agreed, taking his outstretched hand.

They started moving to the slow rhythm, and she rested her head on his chest, sighing in contentment.

It felt so right to be in his arms, and she could not believe it was really happening. In fact, she feared she would soon wake up to find it had been a dream.

But, it was reality. He kept swinging her around the dance floor, managing to not step on her toes, for long.

They danced now looking each other in the eyes, and Harry carefully manoeuvred them to end under some of the mistletoe that adorned the Hall.

“You know we are under the mistletoe now, don't you?” he asked her, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

“And what would that lead us to?” she asked, feigning innocence and hoping he would do what she thought.

“To this” he said, before capturing her lips with his own. After giving her a moment to back out from the kiss, since she didn't he ran his tongue on her lower lip, asking for entrance. She eagerly complied, lacing her arms around his neck and deepening the kiss, still swaying on the spot.

They forgot of everything else, where they were, who was there, the only thing that mattered was that they had found themselves.

It was like a ton of fireworks had exploded behind both of their eyelids, and they kept coming for more, till lack of air started to become a serious problem.

“Wow” Harry whispered, resting his forehead on hers, when they finally parted.

“Yes, wow” she nodded, feeling her lips swollen for the kiss, and not caring at all about that.

Ron and Luna watched them walk away hand in hand, outside the Hall.

“And with this I guess their permanence at the Ball is ended” Ron said, grinning. “I'm so glad they both opened their eyes, finally. And, I can't help to think that maybe my misplaced spell did help, after all”

“Sure it did” Luna said dreamily, resting her head on his shoulder.

Outside, many other couples had had their idea, and the bushes were almost all occupied.

Harry grinned, and put his hand in his pocket, taking a little thing from there. Then, with his wand, he restored it to its normal dimensions.

“Harry, what are you doing with your broom here?” she asked, curious.

“That's for me to know, and for you to find out, if you will come with me on a short flight”

She was uncertain, after all she had always been afraid of heights. In the end, however, she accepted. He had never let get hurt if he could avoid it.

So, he took them to a secluded clearing in the forest.

“I found this spot few days ago, and you must admit it makes a much better place than those bushes for some quality time with your girlfriend”

“Girlfriend?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Well, that is, if you want to be my girlfriend, because if you don't…” he started rambling, passing his hand in his air nervously.

She made him go on for some time, she had always thought he was lovely when he rambled, then she silenced him placing her lips on his own. A most pleasurable way, that is, to silence someone.

From there, some serious snogging ensued, and his desire for her was burning so much that he would have taken their relationship to the next level already, but he left to her the choice.

“I want you to know whatever you choose is fine with me, Hermione. Do not feel pressed to do anything. I love you, that is all that matters”

“I love you too, Harry. But, as much as I want this too, maybe it is better if we take things slowly”

He nodded, and pulled her close. They sat there star-gazing for long, and eventually she fell asleep.

He smiled, stroking her hair lovingly. Then, he placed her on his broom and slowly flew them back to the castle.

Time passed, and as Ron had said, once he and Hermione had hooked up the spell broke, thus no more following in hallways or sudden ambushes happened. Of course, it could have been because now they would have had to deal with an angry girlfriend, no one else than the brightest witch Hogwarts had seen in ages, Hermione Granger. That would have been a good enough deterrent even if the spell were to last.

The two of them were rarely seen apart, and at Hogsmeade weekends they often double dated with Ron and Luna, going for walks or shopping, or simply for having a Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks.

Often Harry would surprise her with romantic gestures, like leaving roses on her bed with little romantic messages, or taking her for dinner in some special place, for which the hard youth he had lived helped lots in gaining the permit from the Headmaster, or gifts.

He outdid himself on Valentine's Day, though. It was a Sunday, so she decided to sleep in, then they would go to Hogsmeade.

When she woke up, it was with a good smell of fresh croissants and tea. She looked around her room, and found the whole floor covered in red rose petals, a bouquet of them standing in a vase on her table, and a tray with her favourite choice of breakfast near it.

She smiled and stirred, then knocked on the door connecting their rooms.

“Harry, since you did all this for me, would you like to have breakfast together?”

One moment later, the door opened to show an already well awaken Harry, smiling at her.

They sat at her table and ate quietly.

“Really, you shouldn't have done all of this” she said, while offering him a cherry.

“I wanted to make this day special for you” he said, moving to take it. Only, she retreated her hand, and put the cherry in her mouth, with a challenging look.

First, he was shocked, then he smirked. “So this is how you like it. Well, two can play this game, Ms. Granger” he said, picking her up, placing her on the bed, and passionately kissing her, then sucking the cherry from her mouth once she was light-headed from the kiss.

He then sat with a smug expression, looking at her. She simply kissed him again, and a full swing snogging started.

“Harry, we should stop before we are not able to” she panted soon later.

As much as he wanted to continue, he nodded, and got up from the bed.

“Well, I leave you to get dressed, so we can head to the village” he said, going back to his room, and grinning to himself.

After closing the door, he leaned on the wall of his room, waiting.

As soon as he had left, the lights in Hermione's room dimmed, to her surprise, and from a drawer in her table a box came out, hovering in the center of the room, invested by a spotlight.

Then it opened to reveal a gold heart-shaped locket, with a small sapphire and a small ruby, their birthstones.

Inside, there was a picture of them at the Ball that Colin had given him, and on the back was engraved “Harry and Hermione Forever”

Harry heard her squeal, and chuckled to himself, while straightening his clothes.

She quickly dressed, putting the locket on, and then met him in their private common room.

“Harry, this is wonderful!” she said, flinging herself at him, and holding him tightly. “I love you!”

He kissed the top of her head. “I love you too, Hermione”

They then headed to the village. Although his previous experience there had not been pleasant, Harry brought her to Madam Puddifoot's, and this time all was perfect. They shared an hot chocolate, and like all the other couples there, they kissed.

On their way out, they spotted Ginny and Draco sitting with her head resting on his shoulder, and Hermione couldn't help to giggle.

“If Ron sees them...” she said, while they walked to do some window-shopping.

“I think they are perfect for each other” Harry commented, “but you're right, Ron will not like it”

Time to head back to the castle came, and they walked back hand in hand.

As months kept passing, Graduation neared. Hermione started getting a temper as she always did when exams were approaching, and the time she spent with Harry was cut short.

While they used to spend every night together in their common room, now she stayed till the wee hours in the library.

Harry, although he did expect that, was growing frustrated. They had not shared a moment for themselves in more than a month, and that had been the last time they snogged.

However, he had a plan for Graduation Day, and her temper was not going to make him delay it.

The exams came, and both Harry and Hermione did brilliantly, while Ron did a bit worse, but still quite good. The redhead was satisfied, even more so because he and Luna had never ceased meeting at night for some good snogging, so he had been far les stressed than his friends lately.

Finally, their last night had Hogwarts arrived. That was the night of the Graduation Ball.

Again, Harry wore his dark blue robes, and waited for Hermione in their common room.

She came down the few steps from her room, and Harry swore he had never seen someone more beautiful. If he thought after seeing her at Christmas nothing could surprise him, he was sorely mistaken.

She had smoothed her hair, and pinned it in an elegant chignon, leaving just few tendrils to adorn her face. She had used just a little of make up, a touch of blush and lip gloss, but her beauty was something natural, so she did not need lots of them.

Then, there was the dress. It was a dark red satin one. It underlined her curves, leaving the back bare, and plunging deep on the front. It fluttered with each movement, revealing a split that allowed him now and then a glimpse of her leg.

“My…you're simply breathtaking” he said, then he kissed her, not able to wait.

She smiled against his mouth, knowing she was the one able to make him react that way.

Then, they went down to the Great Hall, and sat with their friends waiting to know their results.

After Dumbledore finished giving them their letters, they opened them, and Hermione grinned. As everyone expected, she had top marks in all the exams she had taken.

Harry was almost at her same level, just Potions was a bit less than the maximum, but for once Snape had been pretty fair with him. Ron gained his five N.E.W.T.s with good marks, nothing exceptional but a good result nonetheless.

Then, food appeared on the buffet table, and a queue started, with soft music in the background.

Later, after they ate, Harry took Hermione to dance. As soon as they started moving they lost themselves in each other eyes, and slowly but continuously they leaned in, till their lips met in the sweetest of kisses.

Soon they heard catcalls and clapping of hands as they were the last couple dancing, and they had kept swaying even if the music of the slow song had faded minutes ago.

Harry knew she was the woman for him, and so he had planned something special for the night. Later, when many had retreated to sleep or to snog, and some to do naughtier things, he pulled a broken quill from his pocket.

“Hermione, grab this” he said.

She looked at him questioningly, but he said nothing, simply held it out for her. So she grabbed it and felt the usual tug at her navel.

They soon landed on a small island in the Caribbean Sea.

“Harry, this is beautiful” she said, taking in the scenery. He smiled softly, and led her to a blanket with Champagne in an icebox that he had set there in the afternoon, with Dobby's help.

After she sat there, he took a small box from his pocket and went on one knee.

“Hermione Jane Granger, will you marry me?” he said, opening the box to reveal a golden band with a single big diamond in the middle, two small H carved on it in platinum.

She looked at him speechless. Her mouth moved, but no sound came.

Then, tears fell freely on her cheeks, and she started sobbing.

Harry's heart broke.

“Hermione, I'm sorry. I did not mean to make you cry, if you do not want me…” he started, just to be knocked on the white sand by her hugging him, and kissing him as hard as she could, her tongue probing his mouth wildly, searching for his own, needing the contact.

And he kissed her back, as hungrily, pulling her close.

“Those were not tears of sadness, but of pure joy, silly” she said, then, resting her head on his shoulder.

“So I take this is a yes” he chuckled.

“Yes, Harry, I'll marry you” she said, before kissing him again, which led to a night of passionate love-making.

They were both ready to take the next step in their relationship now, and to build what Harry had always dreamed to have.

A Potter family would soon be created again in the Wizarding World.

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