I know it's been a long wait and here it is!
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"C'mon, Harry, you know you want to come," Ron wheedled over breakfast.
"For the eighth time, I'm not, you deserve some quality time with your family."
"You are family! Come with us."
Hermione chuckled as she watched the on-going fight between Harry and Ron. Christmas holiday was around the corner and Ron's family had been given the opportunity to visit Bill and Fleur in Paris. He had been trying for two weeks to make Harry come along, but every answer was a stout no.
"It'll be fun! Who doesn't want to have fun?" he said exasperatedly.
"I'll have loads of fun here, at Hogwarts. Just be sure to bring me something back and to not stare at Fleur longer than you have to."
Ron's cheeks colored slightly. "Fine, but you can't say that I didn't invite you." He stuffed a piece of ham into his mouth. "So, `Ermione, wha' are you doin' for `istmas?" he asked through his mouthful.
She couldn't help but grimace at Ron's table manners. He snorted and she rolled her eyes in response, answering, "My parents are planning to go to Australia this year. It does sound like fun, but I'm not sure if I want to go. They haven't has a trip to themselves for a few years and I think they would enjoy it."
"You're staying here too?" Ron asked incredulously.
"You're staying here too?" Harry asked with his eyes full of hope.
Hermione glanced back and forth between the two. "That was my intention," she said.
Ron shook his head while Harry beamed.
"You two are so boring," he said good-naturedly.
"It's just me and you for two weeks, Hermione! I'm so happy!" Harry shouted. The entire student body turned to look at him. He showed no sign of embarrassment and continued talking to Hermione in a booming voice. She shrank in her seat. She had finally gotten used to his outbursts, but at times it was still a bit uncomfortable.
For the rest of the day, the three of them lounged in easy classes due to the fact that the next day most of the student body would be gone for Christmas. Even Hermione allowed herself some free time from studying for NEWTS.
Later that night, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Ginny, and Neville were gathered in the Room of Requirement, enjoying a private get-together before the holiday.
Neville finished, "Dean and Seamus ran so fast from the were-cat after he spit at them that Hagrid had to actually run to catch up with them. It was crazy."
The group laughed. They hadn't been together like this for several months and it felt nice to be all in one place without the fear of death hanging over them.
Luna nuzzled into Ron on a couch. "Were-cats aren't to be trifled with. They can hear your thoughts sometimes and even influence you to do things you normally wouldn't. Dean and Seamus did a very smart thing."
Hermione nodded in approval. Leave it to Luna to get information correct on a misunderstood animal. The clock chimed twelve o'clock and the face read, "Time to head to bed or the lot of you will sleep until noon."
There were several groans and oaths. They didn't want to leave one another so soon.
Ginny stood up first. "I guess I'll nip by the kitchens and get a cup of tea before bed."
"Can't the Room give it to you? And how do you know about the kitchens anyway?" Ron asked with interest.
"I'd like to walk down there myself and the twins told me during the summer. It's not like you ever would," she quipped and walked out of the Room, waving good-bye to everyone with a smile on her face.
"I will give the man that can tame her five Galleons," Ron scowled.
"Who knows when that will happen," Neville laughed. He said his good-nights and left.
Ron stretched. "Blimey, we haven't done this since we were looking for the Horcruxes."
Harry looked at the floor. "I'm glad that we'll never have to deal with that again."
All of them nodded in agreement. A few minutes of silence passed which were ruined when Ron jerked awake and almost fell off the couch.
Harry and Hermione laughed while Luna merely smiled and helped Ron to his feet. "Looks like it's time for all of us to go to bed."
"I'll walk you to your common room," he said through a yawn.
Luna shook her head. "Good night to the both of you. Be sure to watch out for Late-Night Yahoos, they prey on the tired and steal their right shoes."
"Yeah, really dangerous, they are," Ron agreed as they walked out of the room.
Hermione softly giggled. They were a pair all right. She glanced at Harry and was unnerved because he was staring at her.
"Don't tell me that there's still some ash on my face from Exploding Snap?" she joked.
"No," he answered distantly. "I was reminding myself how beautiful you are."
A blush crept to her cheeks. How many times have I blushed in the past three weeks, she wondered. "Thank you, Harry," she mumbled.
"I guess we should go to bed too." He stood up and held out a hand to help her off the floor. She took it and for the briefest moment, she felt an intense jolt of electricity. She gasped and Harry quickly let go of her hand to bring his hands to her face.
"Are you okay? Did something happen? What is it?" he asked urgently.
"N-nothing. Really, everything is okay," she assured her still worried friend. "I'm probably just tired, is all."
Harry still seemed uncertain, but took her word. He took her hand and they left the Room. The rest of the way to the common room, she could still feel a tingle in her right hand.
The next morning, Harry and Hermione waved good-bye to their friends from the Hogsmeade station.
"Remember what I said, Ron!" Harry shouted over the noise.
"I'll stare enough for the both of us, mate!" He let out a yell of pain. "Luna, I'm joking, seriously," he said quickly. "Ouch, stop elbowing me!"
The train roared off in a great show of steam and noise. Hermione waved until she could no longer see the train.
"Ron is going to get himself hurt one of these days," Harry guffawed.
"Luna won't hurt him too much, he'll be alright."
They walked from the station in good spirits and strolled in the direction of the school.
"Is McLaggen staying over for Christmas?" Harry asked with a nonchalant air.
"No, he seemed excited to be visiting home when I last tutored him."
"How dreadful that he won't be here to intrude-I mean, enjoy your company."
She rolled her eyes. "I didn't know that you could be so sarcastic."
"There are lots of things you don't know. For example, I love watching you walk."
"What?"
He reached for her hand as he explained himself. "You always give off this air of knowing what you're doing, how you're going to do it, and when you're going to do it. Your head's back, shoulders straight, no sign of backing down. I love that about you."
Hermione stared at him. "Well, there are some things you don't know about me."
Interested, he raised his eyebrow. "Tell me."
"Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing and I get scared. I'm not nearly as confident as people think I am and I feel that I have to live up to their expectations. It's difficult at times."
For a few minutes, Harry was silent. At length, he said, "Have you told that to anyone before?"
"I-you know what, no. I haven't." Why am I telling this to Harry, she wondered. A small voice in the back of her head that she had never heard before whispered, Because you know he'd never tell anyone else and that he'd support you. She was troubled, but ignored the voice.
"I'm glad I was the first. I'm always here to boost you up, Hermione." He moved a little closer to her and said in a low voice, "You don't have to feel alone."
She took a step away from him, unused to his closeness. Harry swore under his breath and quickly apologized. "I forgot again. Sorry."
"It's okay," she said shakily.
"Speaking of the spell," he began, "you never told me how to break it. Couldn't you use Finite Icantatem to end it quickly?"
"We could, but there have been many documented disadvantages to casting it with the purpose of ending such an emotional spell. People have had their emotions severally damaged for life because of it. Then there runs the risk of you losing the things you…feel for me altogether."
"I don't want that to happen!" He clenched her hand and wisps of condensation puffed from his nose rapidly. "Nothing is worth the price of losing you, not even getting rid of this spell. The weird thing is that it doesn't feel as strong as it did the first day I was under it." For the briefest moment, panic flickered across his face. "Am I losing my feelings for you anyway?"
Hermione shook her head no and Harry visibly relaxed. "You're a very strong wizard in your own right, Harry. You can throw off the Imperious Curse, and this spell is similar to that one because of its impact on a person's actions and emotions." She continued with her explanation, "I think that your body reacts in the same way. You can't throw off the spell entirely, but it is affecting you."
"Makes sense," Harry nodded. "So, how do we break the spell?"
She watched the falling snow. "A kiss."
"Like in Snow White or Sleeping Beauty?"
"In a way. It has to be a kiss from the person that you've fallen in love with."
"So, I'd kiss you and the spell would be broken?"
"The person you're kissing has to love you back, however. That's the catch. People have stayed under Love Spells for years without any type of relief. You can't break a real love with magic. Amortium is powerful that way; it awakens real feelings in a person instead of superficial ones created by Love Potions and such."
Harry squeezed her hand. "I'm glad that this wasn't a potion then. Knowing that these feelings are fake would be hard to swallow. I really do love you."
She couldn't think of a way to answer him. How was he able to get her so tongue-tied with a single phrase? To her relief, the gates of Hogwarts came into view.
Harry grinned and let go of her hand. "First one to the castle is a baggy, old hag. You ready?"
She took off running. "Actually, I am!" she yelled into the wind.
"No fair! You cheated!" He ran behind her and gathered speed.
It was determined that Harry was a baggy, old hag.
* * *
"I'm not used to the Great Hall being so quiet," Hermione whispered to Harry.
"Yeah, it's kind of spooky."
Only a handful of students were still in the school, mostly first and seventh years. They still sat at their respective tables and Hermione took a quick look down the table to find that the only Gryffindors there were four first-years, three boys and a girl, and one fifth year boy.
"Hey, Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"Why are we whispering?"
She laughed loudly and gained the attention of the occupants of the Hall. Some of the nastier Slytherins glared at her for interrupting their dinner. Harry glared back until they nervously looked away and picked at their food.
"You didn't have to scare them," she scolded.
"They were threatening you. Anybody that threatens you has to deal with me."
"Still watching over me, my servant?" she asked affectionately.
He took her hand and kissed it. "Always, my lady," he murmured. He let go of her hand to return to his meal after she coughed uneasily.
"I wish some boy would do that to me," the Gryffindor girl on the end sighed.
Hermione groaned inwardly. This Harry was something that she had never encountered before. He was a predicament she couldn't solve with reason and logic.
Merlin, help me.
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