Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own it. HP is property of JK Rowling.

Summary: My take on the Challenge "Harry's broken broom", hope you'll enjoy. The requirements are here. Please, if you read leave me a comment, good, bad, what you think of it. I need to improve.

Hermione has a crush on Mickey Tulip - a 7th year muggle-born Ravenclaw. Problem is he doesn't know she's alive but Hermione is determined for him to notice her so she asks Luna Lovegood to find out what his interests are. Luna finds out Mickey likes comic books, owns an ant farm and loves flying and has always fantasised about riding the most fastest broom in the Wizarding world - a Firebolt. Inspiration strikes and Hermione borrows Harry's broom - without permission - knowing her best friend allows no-one to touch his precious baby. Everything is going well for Hermione until the boy crashes and the Firebolt breaks in half...uh-oh.

Must:
- Takes place in 7th year.
- Voldemort has been defeated.
- Hermione is Head Girl and Neville Longbottom is Head Boy.
- When Hermione tries to sneak the Firebolt out of Harry's room, she has to do it in the middle of the night while...er...Harry's busy entertaining a girl.
- Luna's investigation of Mickey Tulip must be funny and well...Loony style.
- Hermione is seriously freaking after the broom breaks, (invent crazy situations and close calls when she's trying to hide and fix the broom).
- Hermione has to give Harry and Ron detention.
- Make fun of the name Mickey Tulip.
- Harry must be on a rampage and is swearing bloody murder to whomever has stolen his broom.
- After all the drama and fun Hermione has fixed the broom and has returned it with Harry being none the wiser and feeling damn proud of that fact. But Mickey discovers on his own that it was the famous Potter broom he broke and is scared for his life but ends up confessing all to Harry in the Great Hall and is willing to pay for a replacement not knowing that Harry has just reunited with his baby.
- Hermione is sitting opposite Harry when Mickey brings everything out in the open. Hermione must be slowly inching under the table as Mickey confesses and realisation slowly dawns on Harry. Harry must chase Hermione on hands and knees around the Great Hall with both of them ending up underneath the teacher's table snogging.

Of Love and Broken Firebolts

Hermione Granger was a bright witch. The brightest at Hogwarts in a century or so, in fact. She prided herself to be able to solve anything, thanks to her precious books, and more than once she had saved her best friends' lives with them and what was written there.

In fact, it had been hers the suggestion, taken from an ancient magic book in the Restricted section of Hogwarts Library, that helped Harry Potter, one of her best friends, to defeat once and for all Voldemort.

The brown haired witch had discovered that there was a way to focus your ability to love in one single spell, it was risky of course, and no one had tried it for centuries, exactly since Merlin had died. But, she was sure if someone was going to be able to do it, it was Harry, and she was right. The piercing white light flooded through Voldemort's body annihilating him.

Now, in her seventh year at Hogwarts, the pretty Head Girl was troubled with one problem that had not a solution written on books.

Yes, Hermione Granger fancied someone. A fellow seventh year Ravenclaw, Mickey Tulip, who sadly didn't even know she existed. Well, maybe he knew she existed, but didn't show it. At all.

So now Hermione was dreamily looking across the Transfiguration classroom at the boy, who was working hard in taking notes.

"My, he's really handsome. I wish I were the quill he's holding in his hand now, just to be touched by him…" she thought sucking on her own quill.

"Miss Granger, I would appreciate if you, as Head Girl, were an example for the other students in class, instead of thinking about who knows what" Professor McGonagall sternly said to her.

She blushed madly and started taking notes, simply shrugging to Harry who was looking her quizzically. It was something rare that she got distracted in class, especially in Transfiguration.

"Damn Mickey Tulip. Why has he to be so charming, and yet so innocent?" she thought, but then fought the urge to think about him and focused on the lesson for the time being.

As soon as the lesson ended, Harry and Ron were on her sides, while they were walking toward Charms.

"So, what were you thinking about in there?" Harry asked, grinning at her. "It's not everyday you see Head Girl Hermione Granger get distracted in class"

She flushed, but said nothing.

"So, who is the lucky guy who has caught the eye of our dear, sweet Hermione?" Ron teased her. "He does know that if he hurts you we will beat him into a pulp, doesn't he?"

"Oh, come on, for once that I got sidetracked in class it has to be that I fancy someone?" Hermione said with a nervous laugh. The last thing she needed was the two of them knowing who it was that she fancied. She would never hear the end of it.

Charms passed rather smoothly, well, Mickey wasn't there to distract her, and she managed to stay focused, although Harry and Ron kept teasing her about it.

But lunch was a real torture. She couldn't help to sneak a glance at his table now and then, so Harry, who was the brighter of her friends, picked it up.

"Ha! I knew it! You fancy a Ravenclaw!" he said smugly.

Hermione looked at him in shock, then looked down blushing.

"Well, I guess judging from the house he is in he should be smarter enough to know not to mess with you. Or us" the raven haired wizard commented while taking more roasted potatoes.

"Although, Ravenclaws can be strange too" Ron commented, seeing as Luna Lovegood was coming their way.

"Oh, come on Ronniekins, she's a fine girl" Harry teased his friend, and Hermione was relieved to see they were aiming somewhere else than her love life.

But she was wrong. Because while Ron was engrossed with Luna, trying to not be rude with her but not giving in to her too, Harry was free to keep his interrogation up.

"So, when did you start fancying him?" he asked casually.

"I…I don't really know, I mean, it happened" she stammered.

"Care to tell me his name?"

"No way!" she said glaring at him, who gave her his puppy dog eyes, and she was immediately calm again.

Smiling, she spoke. "Really, Harry, I won't tell you, so if you don't want to make me angry just stop asking me. And no, your puppy dog eyes won't work on this"

Then she stood up.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked her.

"In the library. I need to check something" she lied. The only reason she was going there was because Harry and Ron would not dare follow her there, not when they had a free afternoon.

"They'll probably go flying or playing chess, and by dinner time both of then will have forgotten about trying to get me tell them who I fancy" she sighed on her way up to the second floor.

However, being there wasn't exactly a smart move. Because see, Mickey Tulip, as we said, was a Ravenclaw, and he came there too. Actually, he came her way.

"Sorry to bother you, can I sit here?" he politely asked.

"O-Of course" she said awkwardly.

They stayed that way most of the afternoon, both reading, although the brown haired girl wasn't really concentrating on the book in front of her, and kept sneaking glances at the boy.

"Sorry, you're in seventh year too, right?" he asked her then.

"Yes, I am" she said, more confidently that she felt.

"Well, then, could you help me with this? I can't solve it" he said, showing her an Arithmancy note.

She grinned. "Sure" and then she moved to sit on his right side.

Explaining that to him took the stress off of her, as Arithmancy was her favourite subject with Transfiguration, and she felt at ease talking about that.

However, when he left after thanking her profusely, she knew she had to plan something to get him. She couldn't simply stay there and sigh every time she met the boy, for Merlin's sake! And Hermione also knew the right person to help her.

Although she hadn't liked her back in fifth year, Hermione had come to admit Luna was a good girl.

Deadly useful in battle, her dreaminess always gave her an expression of innocence, but although she believed in strange animals and creatures, she wasn't as Loony as they depicted her. In fact, Hermione thought she would be perfect for Ron.

So, she went to search for the younger girl, and found her in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The Ravenclaw girl had developed an affection for the ghost, one of her few friends apart the trio, Ginny and Neville.

"Luna, I need your help" Hermione said.

"What for?" the other girl asked, turning toward her.

"I kind of fancy a boy who is in your house…" Hermione started, and Myrtle giggled.

"Please, can we take this outside of here?" the brown haired witch whispered then, when the ghost was far from them.

Luna nodded, so both of them said hello to Myrtle, and went to Hermione's Head Girl room.

"So, you said you fancy someone in Ravenclaw?" Luna asked quietly.

"Yes, it's Mickey Tulip. What do you know about him? I need to know his interests"

"Well, I don't know him well. But I can ask him, if you want"

Hermione was a bit reluctant. "Ok, but don't tell him why you're asking him that" she said then. The last thing she needed was Mickey knowing from Luna that she fancied him.

The blonde nodded. "I'll be subtle"

Hermione grinned. "Very well then. It's settled. And since I own you a favour now…" she winked.

"What's that for?" Luna asked.

"It's for me to know and for you to find out" she smiled, a lovely idea forming in her head.

Luna smiled at her, then left. "Don't worry Hermione, your secret is safe with me" she said, walking toward the Ravenclaw common room.

Entering in there, she didn't bother hearing the comments they used to do on her, she didn't care normally, but today she cared even less. She had a mission to accomplish, and her target was right there.

Mustering her most dreamy smile, she sat near Mickey.

"Hi, Mickey" she started.

"H-hi" he said her, wondering what it was about. It wasn't like he despised Luna, but let's put it this way, she wasn't exactly his kind of girl.

"So, would you like to have a little chat with me?" Luna asked him, taking out a Wizarding recorder like the ones her father used at the Quibbler for interviews.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing. My father asked me if I could ask some boys their preferences about girls, for an article he's going to publish on the Quibbler, so I thought better start from some seventh year in my own house" she said, dreamily. "Now, if you were so kind to tell me what you like in girls…"

"O-ok. Well, they should surely be pretty, but that's not all. I like them to have a brain too, so that I can have a conversation with them if I want. They must like Muggle things, because that is my origin, so I kind of like Muggle devices like TV and so on…" he said, pausing to think.

"Then I prefer them to like Quidditch, because I think it is a thrilling sport" he said smiling. "Is this enough for you?"

Luna nodded absently. "Just a couple more questions. What do you like in general, I mean, what are your hobbies?"

"Oh, I absolutely love reading comics, you know, those little magazines the Muggles do, they're really funny" he said. "And of course flying. If only I could ride a Firebolt once in my life…" he said, now dreamy himself.

Luna nodded, then switched the recorder off. "Thank you very much, Mickey" she said, then stood up and retreated to her dorm, where she prepared a list for Hermione. She would give it to her next day.

"Oh, boy" Mickey said to himself in the common room. "That Luna sure is strange"

In the meantime, Hermione was closed in her Head Girl room, forming plans for her little idea to thank Luna.

She heard a soft knock on the door that separated her room from the Head Boy's one. "Come in, Neville" she said, putting away her parchments.

"Hi, Hermione. Sorry to disturb you, but I need help with this Transfiguration essay, but if you're busy…"

"No, come, I'll be glad to help you" and so she passed the evening with him, explaining things and helping him with his work.

Next morning at breakfast, she was sipping her orange juice when Luna came to their table. Sitting near Ron, she handed Hermione the list she had compiled from Mickey's "interview".

"This is what you'd asked me, Hermione" she said dreamily. Only, Harry was smart, and guessed it was his chance to know who was that Hermione fancied, so he snatched it from Luna's hand before Hermione could, and opened it. The title read "What Mickey Tulip likes" so he knew all what he needed to. Before he could read more, though, an extremely embarrassed Hermione took the sheet from him.

He grinned at her. "Mickey Tulip?" he said wriggling his eyebrows.

Ron snickered. "Isn't he a bit too "floral"?" he said, then exchanged a look with Harry and both erupted in laughter.

"Mate, he sure doesn't seem very manly, if you think of it" Harry added, amusement in his green orbs. Hermione didn't know if get angry at them, or drown in that green pools that at times seemed magnetic. In the end, however, she snapped at them.

"He's far more manly that the both of you put together" she said to them, and with that she left.

"Merlin, she's taken it bad" Ron commented.

"She'll get over it. I would be upset too if someone made fun of you, Ronald" Luna said dreamily, smiling at him.

That made Harry erupt in laughter once more, seeing Ron's bewildered face.

Closed in the safety of the library, Hermione read the list.

"So he likes the Firebolt, uh?" she thought. "Well, I can't really gift him one…"

Thinking, a great idea came to her. "Harry has a Firebolt. If I manage to sneak it out of his room, then I'll return it and Mickey will have his fly on the broom, I'll make a great impression on him, and Harry will not know it"

She grinned to herself.

"But I need to plan this very well. Harry loves that broom more than anything else, and he doesn't allow even Ron to use it without his permission, I can't very well ask him to give it to me, as I hate flying and he knows it. I'll need to find a moment to snatch it from his room without him noticing me"

That day, both Harry and Ron kept wondering why Hermione was still pissed at them. After all, they had said nothing really offensive. Little did they know it was a façade, so that she could be more free to plan how to take the broom.

She would need to wait the right occasion, and it presented itself next day.

Everywhere Harry would go, a pretty blonde fifth year Gryffindor would follow him.

"Bloody hell, Constance, why are you following me?" Harry finally snapped at her.

"Well, I would think it was pretty obvious" she said flirting with him. "I need you to help me with my Defense work, as you're the best of the school in the subject"

Harry softened. "Ok, but I'm pretty busy today" he said, scratching his head.

"Well, we could meet tonight then" she suggested.

Harry looked at Ron, who shrugged.

"Ok, then. Meet me in my room at ten" he finally relented.

Hermione managed to eavesdrop the conversation from behind a corner.

"I hope that girl does something to distract him" she sighed, then walked to her next lesson, Arithmancy. There, she sat near Mickey, and kept blushing every time they would brush hands, or he would talk to her.

"You know, Hermione, that assignment you helped me with was perfect" he said her while they were packing their things after the lesson.

She blushed. "I'm glad I helped" she said, lowering her gaze.

"So, have you plans for the weekend?" he asked her, they were heading the same way as it was dinner time.

"Not really. I guess I'll hang around with Harry and Ron as usual" she said, thinking it was a bit banal. She would never raise his interest that way.

"Oh, I see. It has to be cool to be one of the best friends of Harry Potter. He flies like a God too"

"Do you like flying?" she asked, very well knowing he did.

"Of course. You should try it too, it's fun. Maybe sometime we could got together, what do you think?"

She paled. "Well, I dunno. I mean, I don't even have a broom…"

"Neither do I" he said, sighing. "If only I could have a Firebolt…"

She kept walking near him silent. Then, she gathered her courage, and spoke. "One of my friends has one. I may ask him if he will lend it to you so that you can try it"

His eyes lit up. "That would be fantastic! Will you do this for me?" he said, taking her hands in his own in excitement.

She blushed, and nodded, unable to speak.

During dinner, Hermione kept sneaking glances at Mickey, thinking she was going to risk her friendship with Harry tonight for him. But she believed it was worth the risk.

So, later, she walked nervously toward the boy's dormitory. She knew no one apart for Harry and that girl would be there, because Ron was out with Luna, and the other guys were busy with their girlfriends too. The only one who was still single was Harry.

Breathing deeper to try and calm down, she used a charm she'd casually discovered on a book to spy into the room. The spell allowed her to see inside as well as if she was in there.

Suddenly, she got angry.

"Helping her with Defense uh?" she thought, while inside the room the girl was straddling Harry on his bed.

They were fully clothed, but she thought it would be matter of time that things got heated.

"Last thing I need to see is Harry shagging a random girl" she thought, and quietly opened the door. Slipping inside the room, she kept looking at the bed to see if Harry would look her way. The girl didn't worry her, even if she would spot Hermione, the Head Girl was frightening enough to make her stay silent.

Then, Hermione reasoned the only way to take the broom was to sneak under the other beds, till she would reach Harry's one.

First, she passed under Dean's. It was quite tidy under there, so she quietly passed under it, and moved under Seamus' one. There, she crinkled her nose in disgust, coming just inches from a stack of used underwear and socks.

"Ugh! I just wish all of this is worth the sacrifice…" she thought, quickly moving away from there, and under Ron's bed.

She could hear Harry protesting with the girl, and then she was trapped under the redhead's bed when Harry got angry at the other girl and stood up. He yelled, and stomped to open the door.

"What the hell were you thinking about?"

Hermione cringed. How could she finish her mission if Harry was looking exactly toward the beds? He would notice if she moved from where she stood. Using that charm again, she checked the situation.

He was pacing the room, while the other girl was looking down, ashamed.

"Harry, I'm sorry. I got a bit carried away…"

"A bit uh?" he said sarcastically. Then she stood up, and walked toward him.

"Really, I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise. But please, don't kick me out of here, I really need to finish that essay…" Constance pleaded. Hermione saw him soften again.

"I swear, that big heart of his is going to push him into trouble someday" she thought, but that was the occasion she needed.

With Harry turned toward the table, she quickly passed under his bed, grabbing the Firebolt. Then, checking the situation once again, she saw the two of the kissing, and full of rage, and not really knowing the reason for that, she changed a sock in a Portkey and vanished to her room.

Once there, she relaxed.

Hiding the Firebolt into her trunk, after having shrunken it, she lied on the bed, the images of Harry and Constance kissing still burning in her mind. Little did she know that he had gently pushed the girl away at the same moment while she vanished from his room.

"I guess this serves him right" she thought angrily before falling asleep, still clothed.

Next day, Hermione was moody. She felt guilty for taking Harry's broom, happy because she would be impressing Mickey when she would have him fly that, and worried that something could go wrong, ruining her friendship with Harry. Those mixed feeling turned her into a bomb ready to explode.

And it happened just outside the Transfiguration classroom, when while heading to lunch Ron made fun of Mickey again.

"So, you going to take some Tulip later today?" he joked on his last name. Harry chuckled, while Hermione glared at both of them.

"I guess today is a pretty calm day to go taking flowers" Harry added. That did the trick.

"Detention!" Hermione shouted. "Tonight, with Snape" she added then, glaring at both of them, and going to inform the Potion Master of that.

Ron and Harry stayed there, bewildered.

After some moments, Harry spoke. "Merlin, she's got it bad for him. She has never given us a detention, and now she gives one with Snape, of all the teachers…"

Ron shook his head. "It will be a long and eventful night"

Never truer words were spoken…

That afternoon, Hermione informed Mickey she had "convinced" her friend to lend him the broom.

"Fantastic!" he said, kissing her on the cheek while they were going to study together in the library. "So, when can I fly it?"

"Tonight, meet me at the Quidditch Pitch after dinner" she said, feeling content, and not a bit remorseful about giving her best friends detention with Snape.

"They practically asked for it" she thought, and for the whole afternoon was particularly bright.

Then, as soon as she finished her dinner she sprinted to her room, took the shrunken Firebolt, and put it in her pocket. Then, she proceeded to try and smooth her hair a bit.

"You should give up, dear" the mirror said her.

"Thanks" she glared at it, then raced to the Quidditch Pitch. On her way down, she met lots of students who looked at her like she was mad, or had grown a second head. Then, she saw the only two people she didn't want to see. Not at that moment.

"Hi, Hermione" Harry said. "Where are you going at this hour?" he asked curious. He wanted to ask her if she was going to meet Tulip, but bit back the question, fearing her wrath. Ron wisely chose to remain silent, although he was thinking the same question.

"Nothing that you two would be interested about" she lied, knowing very well that Harry would definitely be interested in seeing someone else fly on his precious broom.

Then she ran away, and met with Mickey were they had decided.

As soon as she arrived, she restored the broom to its normal size.

"Wow" Mickey said, seeing it. "A real Firebolt! And I can fly it!" he shrieked enthusiastically.

Hermione just hoped everything would be ok, and smiled at him.

The boy looked at the broom in his hands for some minutes, then mounted it, and kicking the ground took off. He started slowly, and Hermione relaxed.

But it was too soon to do so.

Mickey got enthusiastic about the broom, which was extremely manoeuvrable, and thought his flying skills were really good. So, he accelerated lots, and Hermione paled.

"What is the git doing?" she thought, seeing him point skywards, and soon later dive directly toward the ground.

"No" she thought. "Not the Wronski Feint" she suddenly called to him, but it was too late.

The boy crashed on the ground, and Hermione rushed to help him. Once he was standing up, and even if still a bit shocked was fine, and walked toward the castle, Hermione went to retrieve the Firebolt.

Her heart stopped when she saw it broken in half, lying on the ground.

She fell on her knees, tears filling her eyes.

"What the hell was I thinking taking Harry's broom?" she sighed, catching the two broken parts of it. "This is the end of a wonderful friendship. And for what? What the hell did I ever see in Mickey Tulip?"

After some minutes berating herself and crying in despair, Hermione regained her composure.

"I'll fix it, should it be the last thing I do in my whole life" she said, determined. Then went to shrink the pieces of the broom, so that she could bring them to her room without anyone seeing her.

But the pieces didn't respond to her spell. Many times she tried, but to no avail. Seemed that only an object that was whole responded to the charm.

Sighing, she pointed her wand at the broom again. "Reparo!" she cried.

Nothing happened, apart a faint glow around the broom, that however didn't produce results.

Hermione understood then that fixing Harry's broom would be far more complicated than she expected. Picking up the pieces, she hid them under her clothes the best she could, hoping to not meet the two boys on her way into the castle.

She was just entered in the building that she spotted Harry coming out of the dungeons. Clearly, he ahd just finished his detention.

She cursed herself for giving them that in the first place. If she hadn't, they would have been in the common room, and she could have used the other secret corridors to reach her room without passing from there, thus being unnoticed.

However, she showed quick reflexes because before he could spot her, she dove behind a corner.

Releasing her breath, she waited for him to be gone before moving. On her way up the stairs, however, she was greeted by Ms. Norris, Filch's cat.

Knowing the Squib was near there, she entered one of the special corridors, and made her way safely to Gryffindor Tower. Feeling safe, she resumed the normal route, but froze when felt someone touching her shoulder.

She spun quickly, just to find herself face to face with Ron.

"Hi, Hermione. Just come back from a meeting with Tulip are you? Guess he has brought you to special heights uh?" he teased her.

"Why should he have brought me up in the air? He doesn't even have a broom, and I hate flying" she rambled, discreetly trying to adjust the pieces of the Firebolt to not show them..

"Whoa, Hermione, calm down! I was just joking, plus I wasn't referring to a flight on a broom…" he said, wriggling his eyebrows, and grinning at her. "Well, goodnight. Snape tired us out, he couldn't pass such an occasion to have fun, could he?" he added then, entering the common room.

Hermione sighed in relief, and entered the Heads quarters. Luckily, Neville was nowhere to be seen, and she went in her room.

Finally safe, she took the broken broom from under her clothes, and put it under the bed. Then, she lay on the bed, closing her eyes.

"I hope I'll be able to fix it" she thought before drifting to sleep.

Next day, Harry discovered his broom was missing when in the afternoon wanted to have a flight on it. His shouts could be heard in the whole Gryffindor Tower, and Hermione, who was studying in the common room a way to fix it, cringed.

"I'm sorry, Harry" she thought, while reading the book she had charmed so that's he could see the real content but to the others it would seem a Potions book.

Hours of reading didn't give her ideas, so when she retreated to her room with Ginny she felt a bit depressed. It wasn't something she could hide forever, and if she wasn't able to repair it, she would have to tell Harry the truth.

Ginny sat on her bed, and started chatting but Hermione wasn't really listening to her. The only thing that registered in her brain was when the younger girl said she was going to search under her bed if a bracelet of hers had by chance fallen there.

"No!" Hermione shouted, stopping the redhead and pushing her back on the bed.

"What's the matter, Hermione? I just want to have a look if I find my bracelet…"

"It's not here" Hermione insisted. Ginny thought her behaviour strange, but didn't push it.

Soon, the other girl left, and Hermione was again alone with her problem.

In the next days Harry was growing more and more upset about his broom missing. The match with Slytherin was coming up, and he faced Malfoy, accusing him of having stolen it. Hermione closed her eyes.

"Spill it, Malfoy. Where have you put my broom?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Scarhead" the blonde answered. "But it's clear hanging out with Weasel and the Mudblood has friend your brain"

So now Harry ahd another reason to start a fight with him.

"Do.Not.Call.Hermione.A.Mudblood" he hissed menacingly. Then slammed the other boy into the wall and left with his friends.

The girl was going crazy. There wasn't a way to fix the broom, it seemed. However, she would not give up.

She now kept the pieces in her bag, so that no one entering her room, not even the house elves, could find them.

But this had some contraindications too. For example, just that morning she had tripped with her bag on their way to Transfiguration, and the content of it spilled. It was mere luck she managed to cover the bag, and the pieces of the Firebolt in it, with her own body before Harry turned to help her.

"Hermione, here" he said, giving her a book. She took it still hovering on her bag, covering its secrets with her body.

Harry looked at her quizzically, but she shrugged and resumed their walk to the classroom.

That night, she missed dinner, as she had found some books in the Restricted Section that could be useful.

She was trying some of the spells contained in them on the broken Firebolt when Harry entered the library.

"Hermione" he called her, and turned the corner she was behind just a moment after she ahd hid the pieces behind her .

"So here you are" he smiled at her. "Care to make me company while I search something for that Charms essay?"

"I can't Harry" she said.

"Why is that?" he looked at her suspicious.

"I…have something to do" she lied.

He tried insisting, but when she threatened him with another detention with Snape, he grumbled something and left.

She looked at his retreating back with sadness. She missed hanging around with him, but she would have to grow used to it if she wasn't able to fix the broom. Resuming her work, she prepared herself to a night of no sleep.

The important match with Slytherin, that would have decided the Quidditch Cup was just a couple days away now, and Harry was swearing he would kill who took his broom. He was always moody, and ready to lash out at anyone who would speak to him.

Ron had already been accused three times of having taken it, but him being questioned by Harry led to nothing. After all, this time the redhead was really innocent.

Hermione wasn't even suspected, because Harry knew she hated flying, so why should she have taken it? That gave her some more freedom, and finally at late night the day before the match she found a spell that promised miracles.

Sighing, she raised her wand over the broken broom, and said the incantation.

"Reparium Gloriosa"

She heard a sharp noise, and snapped her eyes open. Then she grinned.

The Firebolt was in front of her in its full glory.

Hermione couldn't help to start dancing and singing in joy, but in the library that was not an allowed behaviour, so Madam Pince provided to kick her out of there.

She didn't care, she was ecstatic. Humming to herself, she went toward her room, and almost collided with a fuming Harry Potter.

Her reflexes saved once more, as she stopped herself, remaining with the hand holding the broom behind the corner.

"Sorry Harry" she said.

He grumbled something not understandable, and went away.

Hermione took her chance, and snuck into his room, placing the broom into his trunk after shrinking it.

Next morning, at breakfast, Harry was muttering how he would have to play on a school broom, so Hermione spoke.

"Harry, let's go check your room again, ok?"

"Hermione, don't you think I've searched it all?" Harry snapped at her.

"Just one more time" she insisted, and it's known that you can't win an argument with Hermione Granger, so he conceded her that.

Looking into his trunk, she feigned surprise.

"Harry, look here! Isn't it your broom?" she pointed to the tiny Firebolt.

"Bloody Hell, it is! Great, Hermione, you're a life saver!" he said, restoring its normal dimension and running to the Quidditch Pitch, after kissing her on the cheek. "I really need someone to help me even with little things like this" he commented a bit upset, before leaving.

"Sorry Harry" she muttered to herself. "I feel bad about making you look like a fool, but keeping your friendship is the most important thing right now"

Then she joined everyone else on the stands to see the match. Harry was flying like a real God, and there wasn't chance for Malfoy. With a perfect Wronski Feint, that gave Hermione bad memories, he made the Slytherin crash on the ground, than proceeded to grab the Snitch that was hovering on the opposite side of the Stadium.

Everyone cheered him, as that gave Gryffindor the Cup, and everyone preferred them to Slytherin. Only one person didn't cheer for Harry, and it was Mickey Tulip, who hadn't seen the match.

He was buried in his room, trying to compose a speech. He had heard Harry Potter had lost his Firebolt, and it wasn't hard for him to guess which one he had crashed, so he was now searching the words to go and ask for his forgiveness, even suggesting he would buy him another one.

At dinner, the Ravenclaw boy did exactly that. Rising from his table, he walked, gulping nervously, toward Harry, sitting at the Gryffindor one.

When he arrived there, she met Hermione's eyes, but he was determined to not let anyone or anything distract him from his mission.

He touched Harry's shoulder. "S-sorry to bother you" he started.

Harry turned, quite cheerful because he ahd his Firebolt again, and had won the match, so he smiled at him.

"Oh, hi Mickey. Would you like to sit? I bet Hermione will be happy for that" he said, winking at her.

"No, not really. I just wanted to beg for your forgiveness" he said.

Harry looked at him quizzically, while Hermione froze.

"No! Don't tell him!" she thought, but before she could do something, Mickey had already spilled the beans.

"Because I broke your Firebolt, so please, forgive me, I'm willing to buy you another, it will take me a little while to raise the needed money, but I'll do it…" the Ravenclaw boy said.

Harry turned from looking at him to looking at Hermione, who was quietly sliding under the table.

He didn't need much to understand who had taken his broom and given it to Mickey.

"Oh, no, you don't" he hissed menacingly at her, and if looks could kill, Hermione Granger would be no more.

Then, he followed her under the table, and started chasing her.

Hermione kept running away from him, but he wasn't a Seeker for nothing, if he could catch a Snitch he could catch her too, and in fact he was coming closer and closer, till he managed to grab her ankle with a sudden sprint.

"Harry, leave me!" she said at him, glaring. He was overreacting, really, it was just a broom, and she ahd fixed it already!

"No way" he said, and when she prepared to shout, he silenced her crashing his lips on hers.

Hermione tensed for a moment, then relaxed. It felt wonderful to be kissed by him, so she laced her arms around his neck, and deepened the kiss. Their tongues started battling madly in each other mouths, till they saw two feet coming in front of them, and one moment later the face of an angry Minerva McGonagall.

"Detention, both of you! I would have expected a better behaviour from two of our best students, especially you who are Head Girl, Miss Granger" she said angrily. "I can't believe you gave such a show at the whole Great Hall, kissing under the staff table!"

That was the moment both Harry and Hermione realized where they had ended during their chase.

Everyone was staring at them, Ron probably was the most bewildered of them all, while Ginny was squealing with joy.

"Now, for your detention…" the Deputy Headmistress continued, but she was interrupted.

"Oh, come on, Minerva. I don't think love should be punished, after all we have all been teenagers and in love in our time too, and we have done our fair share of foolish things because of that" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

"But…" the professor started, just to be stopped again by a signal of the Headmaster. She sighed in defeat, glaring at her students and resuming her place at the table.

Harry and Hermione were blushing madly when they stood up shrugging the dust from their clothes.

Dumbledore smiled at them, signalling they were dismissed, and so they walked away hand in hand, leaving the room.

Harry led her outside, near the lake. They had things to talk about.

Once there, he sat, patting the spot near him, and she did too. Then he pulled her closer. "This changes everything, doesn't it?" he said.

"Yes" she said.

Then he turned her face so that she was looking directly in his eyes. "Hermione, if you regret that kiss…" he started, but she cut him placing a finger on his lips.

"Harry, if I didn't want to kiss you, I wouldn't have responded in such way" she said, smiling.

"So, where's your liking Tulip gone?" he asked, grinning. She giggled. "I guess it was just me trying to deny my feelings for you. As soon as he crashed the broom I knew he was an asshole and I didn't really want to date him, and I was lost because I knew you would never forgive me, and I also knew I couldn't live without you"

He kissed her again. "Nor can I. I love you, Hermione"

"I love you too, Harry"

Soon they returned in the common room, and although Hermione hadn't gotten with tulip, she thought Luna deserved her reward all the same. After all, it wasn't the girl's fault if he was a git, and thanks to the whole ordeal now Harry and her were together.

So, as soon as she spotted Ron, Hermione mustered a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Ron, would you come over hear a moment?" she said.

He looked at her worried, while Harry whispered in her ear, "What, replacing me already?"

She smiled at him, and mouthed, "Wait here" then she took Ron's hand and while he gulped nervously led him in her room.

There, she sat him on the bed.

"Come on, spill it. What have I done this time?" he asked her.

She laughed. "No, it's not something you did. Rather, it is something you did not"

He looked at her puzzled.

She sighed. "Oh, Ron. How can you be so blind?"

"What the Hell are you talking about, Hermione?" he asked her

"Hear me. I and Harry hooked up, I guess you saw that, don't you?"

"Of course I did, how could I not?" Ron grinned. "But what has this to do with me?"

"I was thinking, it would be lovely if this Saturday we double dated"

"We who? I don't have a girlfriend" Ron said. Hermione smiled at him.

"I know that, but I happen to think Luna Lovegood would be perfect for you" she said.

Ron stared at her like she ahd grown a second head. "What? Loony?"

But he regretted calling her that the second he finished. Hermione had her hands on her hips, and that was never a good sign. "Sorry, I mean Luna" he sheepishly added.

"Ronald Billius Weasley, Luna Lovegood is a wonderful girl, and although I admit it took me sometime to realize it, your personalities match perfectly. Plus, she likes you lots, so will you give it a try?"

Ron sighed. He would never win an argument with her, so he just had to surrender. "Ok, I'll take her out so we can double date"

Hermione grinned, then they left her room, and she went to Harry.

"What was all that about?" he asked her.

"I played matchmaker for Luna" she whispered him, and Harry grinned. "You're bloody brilliant, witch" he said her before placing a kiss on her lips.

So, that Saturday came.

Harry woke up first, and found Ron still snoring loudly.

Shaking him lightly, he called him. "Ron, you lazy pig, we're gonna be late" he said him while going to take a shower.

Half an hour later, both of them were in Gryffindor common room, waiting for Hermione. She came few moments later, stepping out of the portrait from the Heads quarters, wearing a fitting pair of jeans, a silk shirt only half buttoned and with a knot on the lower loose ends, which showed a fair bit of her cleavage and belly, and was fixing her ponytail.

"Good morning, sexy" Harry greeted her with a kiss, making her blush, while Ron feigned to gag.

"Good morning Harry" she replied when they parted.

"Guys, please, could you try and not do that too much today? Because if we're going to go out together, and you do that all the time, well, let me say it is not a show I need to see" Ron said, while they walked down to the Entrance Hall where Luna was waiting for them.

When Hermione had told her the news, for once she lost her dreamy look and was truly happy, and hugged Hermione thanking her.

When they arrived there, Ron gulped, and although a bit reluctantly, walked toward Luna.

"Hi" he nervously said. Then complimented her. "You're cute today"

Hermione rolled her eyes, while Harry snickered. Luna however blushed a bit. "Thanks" she replied softly.

They walked toward the village, and minute after minute Ron and Luna were more at ease with each other. Mostly, it was Ron who was more at ease with her.

Hermione whispered something to Harry, so as soon as they reached the village, with an excuse they left the other couple, and hiding behind a corner they put on Harry's Invisibility Cloak.

Under it, they followed Ron and Luna, who were now walking hand in hand. They could se she giggling to something he said, although they couldn't hear what it was.

"He's going to kiss her before the end of the day" Hermione said.

"Nah, I don't think so"

"Wanna bet?"

"Ok, two Galleons" Harry said. They shook hands, and resumed following the other couple.

At lunch they all met at the Three Broomsticks, but after that Harry and Hermione resumed their stalking.

However, when Ron bought her a sundae, and they sat at a table. Harry started to think he may lose the bet. As much as he knew, Ron had never bought a sundae to a girl, before that.

He had to admit they were really sweet together, and then Luna got some dirt on her cheek. Harry knew if it were him and Hermione, he would have brushed it away, but didn't know if Ron would do that.

He did, lingering with his hand on her cheek. When they were finished, he was the one who took Luna by the hand, and led her through the village, window-shopping.

At a certain point, she told him something, and he looked her way. It seemed to Harry that his best friend was almost mesmerized, because he couldn't tear his gaze away from her even if they were in front of Honeydukes. He had never been able to make Ron listen to him in front of that shop.

Then the redhead leaned slowly but continuously in, till his lips met Luna's.

Hermione elbowed him lightly, and gave him a smug look. Harry nodded, and gave her the two Galleons of the bet.

But he was happy to have lost. He was happy Ron ahd understood what a great girl Luna truly was, and that she was right for him.

That night, he and Hermione met in the Astronomy Tower.

"Harry, do you understand that if we get caught, this time McGonagall is not going to let us go without detention, right?" she scolded him.

He gave her a boyish grin. "I know"

"So why couldn't we meet in my room, or in the Heads common room?" she asked, a bit upset.

"Because I can't leave Hogwarts without a good snog in the Astronomy Tower" he said, giving her his puppy dog eyes.

She melted, and smiled.

"I swear, you're going to be the death of me" she said, placing her arms around his neck.

"And you're going to like it, right?" he said cheekily.

"Right. Because I love you" she said.

"I love you too, Hermione" Harry replied before giving her the sweetest of kisses.

-->