Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. I'm not an Heron shipper, thank you very much.
A/N: My response to the "My sin, My virtue" challenge from cosmopolitan, here's the link to it: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26784 Hope you will enjoy, and as usual if you read, please review, ok? Thanks! Oh, by the way, I think this could be considered a collection of one shots, everyone focusing on a different sin/virtue. Just so you know and aren't disappointed by the lack of continuity between the chapters, lol. Also, the chapters will feature a virtue, and then the opposing sin in the following chapter.
Thanks to my beta Gingercat!
The Seven Virtues And The Seven Sins
Chapter Three: Temperance
I've always admired her. Even the brief period in our first year when we weren't friends, she has always had an influence on me. Sure, her obsession with schoolwork may have been a bit exaggerated, still every time she raised her hand in class I was drawn to look at her, and wonder how did she know things I'd never heard about. She was, after all, Muggle-raised just like me. I would have expected Ron to know more about magical things, not her.
As we became the best of friends, and went together through many adventures, my admiration for her has increased, and not only for her intelligence.
She has a natural elegance, and with all the taunting she had to endure from the likes of Malfoy through the years, the only time she lost her cool was in third year, when she punched him. Apart for that, not an insult, not a bad word. She lets their mocking and insults wash over her like nothing, and then she simply proves to them their prejudices are bullshit when she achieves top marks in class, once more, while they are lucky if they pass the exam.
That's what they call self-control, and I know I'm not able of that. More than once during our school years Ron and I found ourselves in fights with the Slytherins to defend her honour, just because we lack this self-control. We should have followed her example by proving them wrong with facts, instead of uselessly landing ourselves in detention.
I admire her when she eats. Strange, you may say. What is there to admire when one eats? Usually, nothing. But when it is her, then everything changes.
I admit I often sneak a glance at her while we are having breakfast, or lunch, or dinner. Sometimes, she catches me staring, and gives me a small smile, which I promptly return.
So, it was just natural that I would notice, sooner or later.
There are times when the elves prepare pumpkin pie for dessert, and I know it is her favourite sweet. But her parents, being dentists, have drilled into her the risks of eating too many sweets, I assume. One would think that being away from them, thus being away from the possibility of being caught, she would sometimes slip and indulge her cravings more than she should.
In the seven years I've known her, she never did. Oh, she eyed it wistfully, I've seen her do that. But she never takes more than a small portion.
It's amazing how she never exceeds in that. Even at the parties in the Gryffindor common room for a Quidditch win or something equally as exhilarating, she never overdoes it.
Always a small plate of sweets, a Butterbeer, two at tops, and that's it. Just like tonight.
I let a smile spread on my lips as I lose myself in these thoughts, and she looks questioningly at me. We are currently sitting on the couch in the common room, Ron doing his speech about our latest victory in the Quidditch Cup. We've won for the third time in a row, this year, and he couldn't be more proud, as he was the captain this year.
"What are you smiling about?" Hermione whispers to me, as our redheaded friend keeps thanking the team for the great plays we pulled off.
"Just about how amazing you are" I reply, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. She blushes slightly, looking down at her lap.
"Amazing? Me?" she says, almost disbelieving. "What's so amazing about me?"
"Absolutely everything" I murmur in her ear, before gently turning her face toward me, and briefly kissing her on the lips.
"You, Hermione Granger, are the most amazing girl I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and I thank God every day that you, for some reason I can't understand, agreed to be my girlfriend" I whisper before capturing her lips again.
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