Author's Note: This was a SCUSA ship activity about a year ago. The challenge was to take a line from canon and turn it into a pumpkin pie moment. The line had to be clearly identified, as well as the additions you were making. These are my results. I had so much fun doing this, I was thinking about doing some for OotP. These have little basis in reality and don't form any sort of coherent story at all. They're just little bits of fluffy goodness. I hope you enjoy reading them!
PoA, US Paperback, ch. 9, pg. 171
"There!" she said, handing them back to Harry. "They'll repel water!"
Wood looked as though he could have kissed her.
But Harry was the one that did.
PoA, ch. 21, pg. 374
"Ready?" she said breathlessly.
"What are we doing?" Harry said, completely lost.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you have to ask, I must be doing it wrong." She grabbed the front of his robes, dragged him into a broom closet, and slammed the door behind her. Harry gave a little yelp as she pushed him suddenly and he fell down to the floor. He felt Hermione settle on top of his prone body and sucked in a breath when she leaned down and put her mouth by his ear.
"Now do you understand what we're doing?" she purred.
Harry understood what they were doing.
GoF, US Paperback, ch. 16, pg. 252
"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" said Ron..."They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!"
"They make then okay at Hogwarts," said Harry, glancing over at Hermione. She caught his look and blushed, then composed herself enough to look severely at Harry.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't refer to me as some object whose entire function in life is to be pretty," she whispered, as Ron continued to stare at the blonde veela.
"You know I only want you for you mind, not your body," Harry replied, grinning.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, honestly!" she huffed. But then she returned Harry's grin. "That's alright. I only use you for the adventuring opportunities. Think of all I've learned!"
Harry gave a sort of sitting bow. "Anything to be of service, miss." The stared at each other a moment before bursting into laughter. She really had a lovely laugh, Harry decided.
GoF, US Paperback, ch. 18, pg. 290
"Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or--"
"That's not funny," said Hermione quietly. "That's not funny at all."
Harry looked over at her stricken face and immediately felt terrible. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," he said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder.
Hermione turned to face him. "Ron doesn't want you hurt any more than I do," she said in that same quiet voice. She looked at him for a moment before suddenly grabbing one of his hands. "Promise me you'll at least try to be safe. I know that can be hard given-" and here she made a vague gesture towards Harry's forehead, "but at least promise to try. Don't do anything too rash or dangerous. And come to me for help--I know that's against the rules, but what do I care for that--or if you just need to talk. Oh, Harry, just promise to be careful!" Hermione finished, urgently and out of breath.
Harry looked at her and then down at the hand she was holding. A warm feeling spread through him. He took her other hand in his and squeezed them. He looked up into Hermione's shining brown eyes. "For you, anything," he promised quietly.
GoF, US Paperback, ch. 19, pg. 316
"Just ignore it, Harry."
But Harry couldn't ignore it. Hermione may not have looked like a model, but she was pretty, and he was damned if anyone, especially a ratfaced Slytherin like Pansy, was going to say otherwise. His anger must have shown on his face because Hermione laid a warning hand on his arm and shook her head. Harry looked over at her. "Why are you stopping me?" he hissed. "You are pretty and I'm not going to stand around--" he stopped as Hermione held up a hand.
"I don't particularly care if the Slytherins find me attractive, Harry. It doesn't affect me one way or the other," Hermione explained patiently as they continued walking. She glanced over at him and blushed. "But thank you for the compliment."
Harry turned an interesting shade of red as he realized what he'd let slip out. "You're welcome," he mumbled.
GoF, US Paperback, ch. 21, pg 365.
"I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too," Harry muttered, so only Hermione could hear him, and she grinned rather guiltily.
"I didn't thing you'd mind," she murmured in his ear. Harry jerked back as her low voice sent a shiver down his spine and her warm breath fanned across his face. He glanced over at her, but Hermione had already turned her attention back to the golden egg.
Harry shook his head. What had that been about?
GoF, US Paperback, ch. 22, pg. 394.
"Oh, I see," Hermione said, bristling. "So basically, you're going to take the best looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?"
"You're saying you wouldn't?" Ron shot back.
"If I wanted to ask someone based solely on looks, I would have asked Harry!"
Harry's head jerked up as a small smile formed on his face. "You would ask me based on my looks?"
Ron looked rather put out.
"If I were vain, shallow, cared only about appearances, and was a little, no, more than a little like Malfoy, yes, I would Harry." Hermione snapped, giving Ron a withering stare. Harry's smiled faded.
"On the other hand," Hermione continued on, in full rant mode, "if I wanted to go with someone I could talk to, have intelligent conversation with, be just as comfortable sitting in silence as dancing, and could have an all around great time with..." Hermione trailed off suddenly.
Ron's face lit up. "What, can't think of anyone?" he asked.
"No," she said in a quiet voice, hesitating slightly, glancing over at Harry. "It's just...I...I would think that I would still ask Harry."
Ron looked rather put out.
Harry looked at Hermione's blushing face and locked eyes with her. The smile appeared on his face again, as he reached out and covered her hand with his.
"Ditto," he said quietly.
GoF, US Paperback, ch. 23, pg. 414--The Yule Ball
"Hi, Harry!" she said.
Harry said nothing, continuing to look on in disbelief. Hermione looked beautiful, but his brain was having a hard time comprehending this sudden shift from 'best friend' to 'best friend who's gorgeous and I never bothered to pay attention.' Hermione's smile faltered and tears came to her eyes. Harry snapped out of his trance when he saw this. "I'm sorry!" he apologized quickly. "You look...you look really nice," he said, completely ignoring Krum and Parvati. He stared at her some more as his brain continued to wrestle with this different version of Hermione. Then suddenly, before Harry could even comprehend what he was doing, he grabbed Hermione's hand and kissed it.
He froze. Hermione froze. Krum froze. The whole room froze. Even Dumbledore seemed rooted to the floor, looking on at this entirely unexpected development.
"Harry!" Hermione whispered, sounding horrified, embarrassed and elated all at once, "what are you doing?"
Harry just looked on helplessly. "Saying hello?" he finally managed.
Cho leaned over to Cedric. "I don't remember you greeting me like that."
GoF, Ch. 23, pg. 417 US paperback edition. Harry is observing Krum and Hermione talking at the Yule Ball.
It occurred to Harry that he had never actually heard Krum speak before, but he was certainly talking now, and very enthusiastically at that. Harry never thought that a Bulgarian accent could be so irritating. But he was now sure that Bulgarian accented English was the most grating sound ever produced since some deviant soul had decided to run a fingernail down a blackboard.
GoF, Ch. 26, pg. 505 US paperback ed. Harry has just completed the second task and Hermione is congratulating him.
Harry had the impression that Krum was her attention back onto himself; perhaps to remind her that he had just rescued her from the lake, but Hermine brushed away the beetle impatiently. Harry smiled triumphantly. "Take that, you uni-browed prat!" he thought.
GoF, Ch 26, pg 507 US paperback ed. Hermione is ignoring Krum again...
Krum didn't look to happy at all. He attempted to engage Hermione in conversation again, but she was too busy cheering Harry to listen. Harry sniggered as the voice inside his head gleefully shouted, "Uni-brow! Uni-brow! Uni-brow!".
GoF, ch. 28, pg 546, US. Paperback ed.
Harry was getting sick of telling people that Hermione wasn't his girlfriend. He wished he could say something else but-
"Hey, are you alright?" Hermione said, breaking into his thoughts. She was looking at him with a worried expression on her face.
Harry looked over at her and smiled. "Sorry, I'm okay. I'm just pining over our breakup. I can't believe you left me!" he said in a pathetic voice.
Hermione looked over at him in surprise then returned his smile. "Well, maybe if you were willing to spend a little more time in the library with me--"
"A little more time!" Harry said, outraged, thoroughly enjoying this moment. "All I've done is spent time in the library!"
"A little more time in the library," Hermione continued on, as if she hadn't been so rudely interrupted, "and a little less time with Quidditch, maybe we could have had a chance."
"Don't try to change me, woman." Harry mock growled.
Hermione raised her eyebrow at that, but decided to let it pass. She tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I can't be with someone who doesn't love the library," she told him sorrowfully.
"Ah, yes, so you decided to go with an internationally renowned Quidditch star," Harry said, nodding sagely. "Impeccable logic as always, Hermione."
Hermione smiled smugly at him. "Perhaps you've forgotten how often we've seen Viktor in the library?"
Harry sobered up at that and felt a growing sense of irritation wash over him. This little conversation (flirtation! a voice in his head screamed) had been immensely fun, but this reminder of Viktor, well, irritated him. What did Krum have that he didn't, besides the Eyebrow-That-Wouldn't-Quit?
GoF, ch. 28, pg. 549, US Paperback ed.
"Don't you want to see what Percy's written?" Harry asked hastily.
Hermione continued to stare morosely at her egg and shook her head. "No, no. I think…I think I want to go outside and walk for a bit," she said, sounding a little depressed. She got up, took her tiny egg and left the common room.
Harry watched her leave with a frustrated look on his face. At that moment, he was very angry with Mrs. Weasley and Rita Skeeter.
"What's wrong with her?" Ron managed to ask around his mouthful of toffee a few minutes later.
Harry looked over at him exasperatedly, then sighed. "Never mind," he said, shaking his head. "I'll go talk to her." He got up and went through the portrait hole.
"Tell her she can have some of mine if she wants!" Ron yelled after him.
Harry shook his head again and made his way outside. He walked over by the lake, some instinct telling him that this is where he would find Hermione. Sure enough, as he approached he saw her sitting near the water, watching the squid's arms wave lazily back and forth.
"Hey," he said, dropping down beside her. He touched her shoulder gently. "Are you okay?"
She glanced over at him and nodded. "I just didn't think that Mrs. Weasley would believe all this, or react this way," she said softly.
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Hermione, I'm really sorry about all this. I wish I could fix all of it."
Hermione shook her head. "It's not your fault, Harry. It's that stupid Rita Skeeter and her awful column! Besides," she said, calming down, "what would you do about her or her stories?"
Harry looked at Hermione and felt a sudden rush of nervousness, excitement, anticipation and fear. "Well…er…well, that is..." he stumbled, hesitating, trying to find the words, " wecouldreallygooutandthathwouldsolvetheproblemwouldn'tit?" he finally finished in a rush. His eyes widened as he realized what he had said and he suddenly became very interested in his shoes. He could feel Hermione's head snap around and look at him incredulously.
"Harry," she said, slowly, "did you…did you just ask me out?"
Harry felt his red face answered for him.
Hermione sighed. "Harry, I don't want to go out with you because you want to solve a problem, or you want to protect me, or you want to make me feel better. I don't want you to feel as if you have to go out with me. I don't think I could stand that."
Harry's brain had stopped after her first nine words. She doesn't want to out with me, he thought, his spirits sinking low. For some reason, this thought depressed him immensely. The more he consideration he gave the suggestion, the more the idea of going out with Hermione seemed like a good, pleasant, perfect and completely natural step to take. He wanted to do this and she didn't. Fortunately, at that moment, the rest of Hermione's words filtered into his brain.
She didn't want to go out with him to solve a problem or because she thought he had to.
His head jerked up as he realized what this meant, and he quickly looked over at Hermione, only to find her gazing back at him with a decided look of amusement in her eyes. "There it is!" she said, chuckling.
Harry goggled at her. "You're saying you want to go out with me anyways?" Harry asked, still a little disbelieving. Hermione just smiled. Harry blinked. "Oh."
Hermione's smile faltered a bit and she looked a little worried. "Are you saying you don't?"
Harry quickly shook his head. "No, no!" He shrugged helplessly. "I do. It's just that I didn't expect for this to happen when I came out here."
Hermione slipped her hand in his. Harry rather liked the feeling. "I think I always knew it would happen. It seemed so natural." At this, Harry nodded. She continued on, grinning, "Maybe not this quickly, but then, I always knew you were smarter than you let on."
Harry looked at her suspiciously, "Are you making fun of me?"
Hermione shook her head, still grinning, "Of course not. We smart people don't have a sense of humor. Didn't you know?"
Harry grinned back at her, thoroughly enjoying this never before seen of Hermione. She was right, this did feel completely natural. It was like finding a missing part of himself. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, revising his ill-conceived earlier opinion about spending time with her.
Oh, but this was going to be fun.