What He'll Sorely Miss?

Disclaimer: This may surprise you, but I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters and locations contained therein. Some 'Rowling' woman does.

What He'll Sorely Miss?

by MayorHaggar

Chapter 1

Curfew was fast approaching, but the party was still raging in the Gryffindor Common room. Thanks to Fred and George Weasley, who had secured both food and beverage, just about every member of the House was having quite a wonderful night.

The only Gryffindor missing from the party was the very Gryffindor whose display of “moral fiber” was the reason the party was being thrown in the first place—Harry Potter.

Most would have expected Harry to be right down in the thick of things, laughing it up and having a grand time. Those who really knew him understood that Harry was not a fan of all the attention he received due to his celebrity status as the “Boy-Who-Lived”, but he had plenty of reason to party on this night. After all, not only had he made it out of the Second Task of the dangerous Triwizard Tournament unscathed, he actually received a score of 45, good for second place among the four competitors, behind only fellow Hogwarts student Cedric Diggory. Even better (from a male point of view, at least), the lovely part-Veela Fleur Delacour had been so relieved and so grateful to Harry for pulling her sister from the lake that she had kissed him on both cheeks—twice! Surely, Harry wouldn't mind being the centre of attention on this night.

But, to the surprise of just about everyone, Harry had begged off soon after the party began. He had claimed that he had a headache, and retired to his four-poster bed in the Fourth Year boy's dorms little more than an hour after the party began. His fellow Gryffindors were surprised that the man of the hour had pulled away from the party so quickly, but most of them didn't dwell on it too much. After all, it was perfectly logical that Harry would have a headache after the day he'd just been through. They all saw him rush down to the lake just as the task was set to begin, seemingly in a panic. And everyone had heard the explanation from the judges, that Harry had actually reached the hostages underneath the lake first, but refused to leave any of them behind. It had been an extremely eventful day for their Gryffindor Champion, and if he'd rather sleep than party, no one would begrudge him that. They'd just have to party even harder in his absence.

However, Harry was not actually sleeping, or even really attempting to. He was lying in his bed, that much was true. But his mind was far too busy for him to even think about sleeping.

He really did have a headache, but it wasn't for any of the reasons one might have expected. It wasn't because he'd come in second in the task, nor was it out of embarrassment, elation or anything else after being kissed by Fleur. His fitful night before the task, where he fell asleep in the library while desperately searching for something that would allow him to breathe underwater so he could complete the task, may have been at least partially responsible. But the primary reason for Harry's headache, as well as his decision to abruptly leave the party, was his ceaseless pondering over the question: what, or who, would he sorely miss?

When he'd first thought about that line after deciphering the clue from the egg, Harry assumed it would be either his Firebolt or his dad's Invisibility Cloak that he'd have to retrieve. The possibility that he would have to rescue a live hostage never even entered his mind.

Nevertheless, whomever was in charge of selecting the hostages for the Second Task had obviously determined that Ron Weasley was “what he'd sorely miss.” It was true, Ron was extremely important to him. He was his first real friend, after all, and had been his near-constant companion for his first 3 and ½ years at Hogwarts. The period in between Harry's name coming out of the Goblet of Fire and Harry dealing with the Hungarian Horntail in the First Task had given Harry a glimpse of his life without Ron, as Ron's jealousy and insecurity had created a rift between the two best mates. Throughout that estrangement, Harry had missed Ron's friendship terribly. He'd never felt so alone while at Hogwarts, and he had been so eager to be back on good terms with Ron that he'd hastily accepted the redheads' awkward apology following the First Task, in spite of the feelings of abandonment and betrayal that still remained. Now, things were pretty close to normal between the two friends once again. And even though Harry still felt a bit hurt that Ron initially refused to listen to him or believe him when he insisted that he had not put his name in the Goblet of Fire, he was thrilled to have his best mate back. There was no question that Harry would sorely miss Ron's friendship were it to be taken from him once again.

But would Ron's friendship be what he would miss most? That was the question at the forefront of Harry's mind.

When the house elf Dobby told him that he needed to get down to the lake and save Ron, Harry had felt an extreme sense of panic. He, like the rest of the Triwizard Champions, believed that the hostages were in genuine need of rescuing, and the thought of failing to save Ron filled Harry with dread. That dreadful panic never let up until he and Ron (along with Fleur's sister, Gabrielle) resurfaced from the lake. But, as terrifying as the prospect of Ron in danger was to him, Harry experienced a feeling every bit as strong when he arrived at the merpeople village and saw Hermione tied up alongside him.

Upon seeing Hermione next to Ron, Harry assumed that he was supposed to rescue both of his friends. When he eventually sussed out that Hermione was Krum's hostage, Harry was in disbelief. Who in their right mind would even suggest that Hermione was more important to Viktor Krum than she was to Harry Potter? The Bulgarian had taken her to the Yule Ball, that much was true, but Harry had a very hard time believing that Krum would miss Hermione more than he would.

Ever since that Halloween night in First Year, when he and Ron had saved her from the troll, Hermione had been as devoted a friend as Harry could ask for. Just like Ron, she had been there to help him keep Voldemort from getting his hands on the Philosopher's Stone. She hadn't been there to accompany him to the Chamber of Secrets due to being petrified, but he and Ron would have never even been in a position to save Ginny if Hermione hadn't gotten them on the right track. He had been pretty peeved with her for awhile in Third Year, as he blamed her for his Firebolt being taken away—but looking back, he could see that she had only been trying to help him. She'd been right, too, as the broom had indeed been sent by Sirius Black. And, even though he and Ron had both been pretty cruel to her during that period, she was still right there beside him as they saved his innocent godfather from a fate worse than death.

This year, though, Hermione's friendship had been more important than in any previous year. When the rest of the castle refused to believe him about the Goblet, she had been steadfast in her support. When even Ron had turned his back on him, Hermione had still been right there beside him. Without Hermione, Harry didn't know how he would have coped while he and Ron weren't speaking. And, of course, her help in preparing for the tournament had been invaluable. She had worked tirelessly with him, helping him learn new spells that would help him come out on the other side in one piece. In particular, she helped him learn the Summoning Charm, without which he would have had no way to use his Firebolt to snatch the dragon egg and complete the First Task.

There was no question about it: Harry Potter needed Hermione Granger desperately. Not just for her help with the tournament, or on homework. More importantly, he needed her unwavering friendship. He needed her to remain by his side. Sod whomever believed that she was more important to Krum than she was to him, or even that Ron was more important than her! No one was more important to him than Hermione!

Harry had accepted that Hermione was every bit as important to him as Ron was, but he was still struggling to define exactly what she was to him. With Ron, it was easy: he was his best mate. Ron was like the brother Harry never got to have. It would stand to reason, then, that Hermione was like his sister. In fact, that is how he had always thought of her: as his sister, who sometimes nagged him and sometimes got on his nerves, but would always be there for him when he needed her.

All of that changed the night of the Yule Ball. On that night, all brotherly thoughts towards Hermione Granger were forever eradicated. She looked positively gorgeous in her periwinkle blue dress robes, and at first, Harry hadn't even recognized her. When he realised that Krum's lovely date was in fact his so-called “sister”, it was as if Harry was shocked into coherence. Ever since that night, Harry had been desperately trying to figure out what category Hermione belonged in now, since she definitely was not his “sister.”

Harry didn't think the word “fancy” accurately described his feelings for Hermione. He “fancied” Cho, and what he felt for her was entirely different than what he felt for Hermione. His attraction to Cho was based solely on two things: she was an attractive girl, and she played Quidditch. Beyond those two things, he knew next to nothing about her.

Hermione, on the other hand, he knew extremely well. He reckoned that he knew Hermione as well as he knew anyone, including Ron. Even though there were certain aspects of her personality that irked him at times (her bossy nature and her know-it-all tendencies, for example), he truly liked her, usually got along well with her and could carry on a conversation with her without making a complete fool of himself.

He was lucky if he got two words out in Cho's presence without turning into a bumbling, stuttering idiot. Even if he got past that stage, and even if she weren't involved with Cedric, he had no clue how things would turn out. If she, somehow, agreed to go on a date with him, what would they talk about? Would they be able to laugh and joke, or have an actual conversation? Did they have anything in common, aside from Quidditch? Harry had no idea. He simply had no idea what Cho was like.

But he knew Hermione, he was comfortable around Hermione, and he liked Hermione. And, as he learned at the Yule Ball, she was pretty too—possibly even as pretty as Cho, as far as he was concerned. So what, exactly, did all of this mean?

His confusion regarding Hermione's place in his life was not helped by the fact that, the very same night he discovered this new side of Hermione, he also decided that Ron likely fancied her. At least, that was the only reasonable explanation he could come up with for Ron's beastly behaviour towards Hermione the night of the Yule Ball. He didn't for a second believe that Ron actually thought Hermione would give Krum “inside information” about him for use in the Triwizard Tournament. Ron being jealous of Krum because he fancied Hermione was the only thing that made sense to Harry. And given the problems he and Ron had already been through this year, he did not want to do anything that might potentially set his volatile best mate off. Telling him he thought he might, possibly, be attracted to Hermione as well certainly seemed like something that Ron wouldn't take too well.

Not to mention, what if Hermione viewed Harry as her best friend, and nothing more? Would she be disappointed, or even angry, with him if he decided that his feelings for her went beyond friendship? If Harry were to conclude, and subsequently announce, that he liked Hermione “that way”, it had the potential to cause irreparable damage to not just one, but both of the most important relationships in his life.

Harry sighed, slipped his glasses off of his face and onto the table by his bedside, and rubbed his hands over his eyes in dismay. He buried his head into his pillow in aggravation, as he continued to try and work through his uncomfortable and confusing dilemma.

I would definitely miss Hermione just as much as I'd miss Ron, if not more. Ron is my best mate, and like a brother to me. So, if Hermione is just as important, and I don't think of her as a sister any longer, and I don't fancy her like I fancy Cho—just how do I feel about her?

**

All around her, her fellow Gryffindors were having a great time, celebrating how well their house had been represented in the Second Task earlier in the day. But Hermione Granger did not have the heart to join in the festivities. She, as usual, was focused on Harry.

Hermione didn't doubt that Harry had a headache; she had been observing Harry for years, always concerned with his well-being, and she recognized his moods and could read his body language pretty well. She knew that he'd been through a rough few days, between scrambling for a solution to his underwater breathing dilemma, to his efforts in the Second Task just hours earlier. After she learned that Harry had taken the clue from the egg quite literally, and remained underwater to ensure that every hostage made it back to the surface, she just smiled to herself, amused but not surprised. That was just so—Harry. He was always helping others, even if he didn't know them all that well. He hadn't even met Gabrielle Delacour before today, and still he had risked his own health by defying the merpeople so he could “save” her. Perhaps he should have realised that Dumbledore would never have let the hostages come to harm, but she couldn't fault him for his nobility. It was so much a part of who he was. And she didn't ever want him to change.

Nevertheless, the Second Task had to have taken a lot out of her friend, and she knew he was telling the truth when he said he had a headache. But, as she watched him walk up the steps towards the boy's dorms, she got the feeling that Harry had something—else on his mind. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but her gut told her that something was eating at Harry.

Deciding that he might have said something to Ron, Hermione got up from her seat in front of the fire and made her way towards her red-headed friend. He was downing a butterbeer and attacking his plate of crisps with relish as he joked with Dean and Seamus, and could not hear her when she spoke his name aloud. Finally, she got his attention when she tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to face her.

“Ron, do you know if there's something that's bothering Harry?” she questioned.

After swallowing his mouthful of crisps, Ron responded. “What do you mean? Didn't you hear him say he had a headache and was going to go get some sleep?” he said, looking at her oddly.

Hermione shook her head impatiently. “Yes, of course I heard him, Ron. What I mean is, is there something else? It seemed to me that Harry had something on his mind, but I'm just not sure what it was. In fact, I've had that feeling about him quite a bit recently, but never as pronounced as today. I was wondering if he'd mentioned anything to you.”

Ron shrugged and shook his head. “No, he hasn't said anything. But I guess it does make sense, now that you mention it. I mean, you saw what happened after the task! Fleur was all over him! He's probably trying to figure out what that was all about. Or maybe he's disappointed that Cho was the thing that Cedric would miss most—you know he's got that crush on her. He probably didn't think they were that close! But I guess it doesn't really matter, since Fleur will probably be after him now. Lucky git!”

Dean and Seamus were quick to agree with Ron's envious reaction to the thought of Fleur being “after” Harry, and Hermione huffed and marched back to her chair in irritation.

Does every boy at this school have to moon over that haughty blonde?

Still, much as Hermione hated to admit it, Ron might have been on to something. It was no secret that Harry had fancied Cho for quite some time now, and seeing the pretty Chinese Ravenclaw at the bottom of the lake as the thing Cedric would miss most could have very well been the cause of Harry's mood. She'd watched him closely at the Yule Ball; she'd seen the jealousy on his face as he watched Cho and Cedric dance and have a wonderful time together. It was a very realistic possibility that coming face-to-face with this clear statement about just how serious their relationship was would be quite upsetting to her friend.

And of course she, like everyone else, had seen Fleur's enthusiastic gratitude towards Harry after he rescued her sister from the merpeople. She had scowled involuntarily as the part-Veela kissed Harry's cheeks, though she was pretty sure she had been able to regain control and adopt a neutral expression before Harry noticed. She had soon brushed it off as simple gratitude and relief that her sister was safe, but Ron's comment renewed her initial uncertainty.

It was bad enough watching Harry moon over Cho. At least she hadn't needed to worry about anything developing there, since she had seen that Cho and Cedric were growing closer long before Harry had picked up on it. But Fleur wasn't attached to anyone. And, objectively, Hermione had to admit that she was the most beautiful girl in the castle, if not the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. If Fleur truly were interested in Harry now, he would probably jump at the opportunity. The very thought made Hermione's stomach clench.

Hermione had always been drawn to Harry, even before they'd become friends. As the years passed, though, what had initially been feelings of strong friendship had evolved into something more. She wasn't sure precisely when it started, but she knew when she'd first noticed her changing feelings towards her raven-haired friend. It was their third year, when they rode Buckbeak in order to save Sirius. She was deathly afraid of flying, and had immediately clutched onto Harry like a lifeline. But her fear soon died down, and was replaced by emotions she'd never felt before. As she continued to hold Harry tightly, a wave of contentment washed over her. It just felt...right. She felt like she was, finally, where she belonged. And as much as she tried to fight it, as much as she tried to talk herself out of it and as much as she tried to convince herself that it was a silly, fleeting schoolgirl crush that would soon fade, she knew the truth deep down.

She was in love with her best friend. She was in love with Harry Potter.

This made Harry's obvious infatuation with Cho all the harder to deal with. But she'd managed to control her emotions, and had remained by Harry's side. She had continued to support him all year, even when no one else did. She had helped him get through the first two tasks of the tournament, just as she would help him get through the third and final task when the time came.

But first, she had to figure out what was bothering Harry, and help him sort through it. If it were depression over Cho's relationship with Cedric, she'd console him, and assure him he'd find the right girl for him soon enough (perhaps she could even get him to notice that she was a girl.) If it were nervousness about a potential relationship with Fleur, she would grit her teeth, smile, and talk him through it. It would hurt her to do so, but if that's what he needed, she would do it for him. Whatever it took, she would get to the bottom of what was troubling Harry, and do whatever she could to help. Because she loved him. She loved Harry Potter.

**

A/N: If this idea has been done before, I apologize. I don't remember any story focusing on this particular path, though certain aspects and ideas were inspired by other fics I've read.

This isn't going to be a long fic; at the moment, I'm thinking it'll be 4 chapters total. I welcome any and all reviews, whether you simply want to say you enjoyed the story, or you want to offer advice, suggestions for future stories, whatever. Criticism is welcome, so long as it is constructive.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, Harry wouldn't have ever named one of his children after a man who did everything he could to make his life a living hell for 6 years.

What He'll Sorely Miss?

by MayorHaggar

Chapter 2

At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. After all, Hermione Granger spent more time in the library than any other student at Hogwarts. It was also quite common for her to drop by after dinner, so her presence in the mostly-deserted library as curfew approached didn't raise any eyebrows either. Madam Pince, as well as the select few others who found themselves in the library at this hour, didn't give the bushy-haired Gryffindor a second glance.

If they had paused to take that second glance, though, they would have spotted something unusual. Whenever she claimed a table all to herself in the library (that is to say, whenever she didn't have her friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasley at her side to distract her), she could always be seen doing one of two things. She would either diligently complete her class assignments—well before they were due, of course—or she would bury her face in the pages of a book, whether it be a class textbook or a tome she was reading purely for enjoyment.

Not this time, though. Hermione did have several books and parchments spread out on the table in front of her, but she had long since given up trying to concentrate on any of them. As had been happening all too frequently as of late, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of a certain bespectacled, green-eyed, raven-haired Gryffindor.

It had been eight days since the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Eight days since Harry had begged off from the party in the Gryffindor common room, claiming a headache. Eight days since Hermione became convinced that her earlier suspicions had been correct, that something was indeed bothering Harry, something aside from the dangers of the Triwizard Tournament and the mystery of who managed to get the Goblet of Fire to spit out his name. Eight days that Hermione had spent trying, and failing, to answer the prevailing question on her mind: What's Eating Harry Potter?

Hermione may have failed to come up with the answer during these eight days, but it certainly was not due to lack of effort. She had tried her very best to get Harry to open up about what was on his mind, but he never provided a straight answer. On the many occasions that she caught him staring off into space with a frown across his face, she immediately tried to ask him what was the matter. He would simply blush, say that everything was fine as he refused to meet her eyes, and hastily change the subject. She knew he was lying, of course, but what could she do? He refused to talk to her about his problem.

Ron did agree that Harry had been acting strangely in recent days, but he wasn't nearly as concerned as Hermione. He simply pointed out that Harry had a lot on his plate at the moment, and suggested that Hermione just keep her nose out of it and let Harry work it out on his own.

”Besides,” Ron had insisted after undergoing another bout of questioning from Hermione, “even if you do get him to tell you what's bothering him, what can you do to help him? If he's still hung up on Cho, he needs to get over her on his own. If he's now mooning over Fleur and hoping something happens between them, it's up to the two of them to figure that out. Give it up, Hermione. Not even you can solve every problem.”

Hermione had to concede that Ron made some good points. It was true that if, as she expected, Harry's troubles were of a romantic nature, she couldn't solve them, at least not entirely. Whether he was distraught over Cho's relationship with Cedric or he was nervously hoping to start his own relationship with the gorgeous part-Veela, it would ultimately be up to him to either get over Cho or tell Fleur how he felt (assuming the confident French beauty didn't approach him first.)

That didn't mean she couldn't help him, though. She knew from personal experience that bottling up your feelings and refusing to talk about them didn't lead anywhere good. He needed to talk to someone, and since Ron had no interest in broaching the subject with Harry, it fell to her. Whatever his problem was, she was sure she could talk him through it, and help him figure out what he should do next. Even if it would pain her to hear him speak about his romantic feelings for another girl, she would do it willingly. She'd do whatever she could to help Harry, even if he unknowingly hurt her in the process. As always, she'd do anything, put herself through anything, to help him. All she needed was for him to open up to her, something he didn't seem to have any intention of doing.

No matter. Harry might have been reluctant to confide in her about what had been bothering him, but she would not rest until she got it out of him. All she needed was an opening.

**

As fate would have it, Hermione would get her opening the very next day. In the end, it wasn't her friendship, her support or even her stubborn refusal to give up that broke through Harry's defences. Instead, she received an improbable and entirely unintentional assist from two of the last people on Earth she'd have ever turned to for help: Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape.

The day had gotten off to a promising start. At breakfast, Harry received an owl from Sirius, requesting that Harry come and meet with him the next day, during the scheduled Hogsmeade visit. Harry had voiced his concern to she and Ron about the possibility of his godfather being spotted, which would obviously be disastrous considering most of the wizarding world still thought he was a Death Eater and had betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort. Harry was indeed worried about Sirius, but Hermione knew her friend well enough that she could tell that he was also quite excited at the prospect of seeing his godfather the next day, as much as he tried to hide it.

Predictably, Harry's good mood vanished on the walk down to the dreary dungeon that served as Professor Snape's Potions classroom. The surly professor was always extremely unpleasant to be around for any non-Slytherin, but Harry was usually his favourite target. Hermione couldn't blame Harry for his reluctance to subject himself to the presence of a man who had loathed him seemingly before he'd even met him. The fact that they took the class with the Slytherins only made things worse, as Snape would let Malfoy and his goons get away with anything and everything, only to promptly penalize any Gryffindor who took the bait and retaliated.

This time, the Slytherins were less focused on antagonizing Harry, and instead set their sights on Hermione herself. Before the class had even begun, the Slytherin contingent, led by Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson, took great delight in taunting Hermione with a Witch Weekly article written by Rita Skeeter.

Hermione's opinion of Skeeter was already extremely low thanks to her shoddy and sensationalistic article about Harry earlier in the year. Thus, she wasn't particularly bothered with the article, which suggested that she was toying with the affections of both Harry and Viktor Krum, and also implied that she could be doing so through the use of a love potion. Who cared what a bunch of stuck up, anti-Muggleborn bigots thought of her? Anyone who really knew her would dismiss the article for the nonsense it was.

Of greater interest to Hermione was how Rita had managed to learn details that she shouldn't have had any way of knowing, such as the specifics of her conversation with Viktor by the lake immediately after the First Task. She had no idea how Rita could have managed to overhear them, and gave herself a little mental reminder to give the matter some more thought at a later time.

Hermione soon set all thoughts of Rita Skeeter aside, because she'd noticed something considerably more intriguing: Harry's reaction. Harry seemed to be far more offended by the demeaning article than she herself was. If his reddened cheeks and clenched jaw weren't proof enough, the murderous look in his eyes revealed just how angry he was. Thankfully, though, he was managing to hold his tongue. Responding to the taunts would have only made the situation worse, and she was proud of Harry for displaying such maturity. Still, she had to admit that it was rather flattering seeing Harry get so worked up on her behalf. It was all she could do to maintain a neutral expression when what she really wanted to do was flash a beaming smile in Harry's direction.

She should have known that the feeling wouldn't last—she was in Professor Snape's dungeon, after all. Her mood rapidly deteriorated once the Potions professor billowed his way into the classroom. He penalized her for disrupting his class, even though it was Pansy who brought the magazine into the room in the first place. Not that this was anything new: the Gryffindor students were constantly punished for incidents caused by the Slytherins.

Snape's verbal abuse soured Hermione's good mood, but she was quite used to his loathsome attitude by that point, so his insults didn't particularly bother her. Harry was a different story, however. Snape had a natural aptitude for antagonizing Harry that even Malfoy couldn't match. As Snape began reading the article aloud, Hermione swore she could see Harry trembling in an effort to suppress his rage.

Don't let him get to you, Harry, she silently pleaded.

The Slytherins laughed heartily throughout, but Hermione's attention was squarely on Harry. Hermione watched with dread as Harry got progressively angrier during Snape's sarcastic, drawling reading of the article. When he got to the bit about Hermione brewing love potions, Harry lost it. Despite Hermione putting a calming hand on his arm and urgently whispering for him to calm down, Harry bolted out of his seat and to his feet to confront the Potions professor.

“That's enough!” Harry shouted, red in the face.

“That'll be ten points from Gryffindor for disrupting my class, Potter,” Snape said nastily. “I realise that merely listening to someone else discuss the details of your vaunted social life was simply not enough to satisfy your massive ego, Potter, but it is quite rude to interrupt someone whilst they are speaking. You really should learn to keep your mouth shut, no matter how much you love the sound of your own voice.”

“I'm not the one going on and on about rubbish that's got nothing to do with Potions, sir,” Harry bit out.

Hermione let out a defeated sigh and held her head in her hands as Snape's eyes narrowed to slits.

“Another ten points from Gryffindor for your cheek, you insolent brat. If you don't close your mouth and sit down, detention will be next. While I'm at it, I think I'll take another ten points from Gryffindor because you had the audacity to try and tell me how I should run my class. Believe it or not, Potter, I am far more qualified to teach this subject than you are, no matter how large your fan club has grown since you became a Triwizard Champion,” Snape said with disdain. He was not done yet, however.

“Besides, if you'd been paying attention, you would have noticed that there was indeed an interesting bit of information in the article regarding the subject of Potions: apparently, Miss Granger has been brewing love potions. I must confess that I am not entirely surprised. She has always struck me as too ambitious and attention-starved for her own--”

“That's a lie!” Harry interrupted fiercely. “Hermione would never brew a love potion! She doesn't need to! Of course Krum bloody well fancies her! He'd be an idiot if he didn't!”

Hermione gaped open-mouthed at Harry, unsure how to take what he'd just said—unsure if she'd even heard him correctly. He'd be an idiot if he didn't? What does that mean?

Regrettably, she didn't have much time to ponder the meaning behind Harry's statement.

It took a moment for Snape to react to Harry's impassioned declaration. Once he properly absorbed Harry's words, though, Snape smiled. Not the sneer that could so often be seen on his face, but an actual, honest-to-goodness smile. Any and all chatter in the room immediately stilled, so shocked were the students to see a smile on the unpleasant professor's face. No one in the room had ever seen Snape smile before. Indeed, it had been many, many years since he'd smiled—since before anyone else in the room had even been born, in fact.

To Harry's chagrin, Snape was smiling for one simple reason. He'd been presented with a golden opportunity to humiliate the boy he'd despised from the moment he'd been born; the boy who forced him to relive his memories of James Potter on a daily basis. And he wasn't about to let this opportunity pass him by.

“I suppose I'll have to take your word for it, Potter,” Snape said quietly, with a disturbing gleam in his eyes. “I've never been able to stomach Miss Granger's presence, myself. If you insist that Krum would, as you so eloquently put it, “be an idiot” were he not attracted to Granger, I will trust your judgement on the issue. However, this raises another question. Why are you so convinced that Granger would never have any need to brew a love potion? What makes you so certain that a male would be interested in her even without ingesting said potion?”

Harry's eyes widened and his face began to redden in embarrassment as he realised exactly what he'd blurted out while trying to defend the integrity of his most loyal friend. Unfortunately for him, Snape was not finished.

“Is there something else you wish to share with us, Potter? If Miss Granger is indeed such a charming individual, perhaps Viktor Krum isn't the only one who has feelings for her. Perhaps Miss Skeeter's reporting isn't quite as “rubbish” as you claimed it was,” he finished with a satisfied sneer.

From her vantage point, Hermione could only see the side of Harry's face. It was still enough for her to see that he was utterly mortified. He'd gone beet red, blushing so fiercely that he reminded Hermione of Ginny whenever the “Boy-Who-Lived” spoke to her. He stood completely still, staring wide-eyed at Snape, who was sneering back at him and thoroughly enjoying his humiliation.

Hermione shook herself out of her stupor and reached out to give Harry a reassuring pat on the arm. She never made contact, though, because Harry suddenly made a dash to the door. Snape made no effort to stop Harry, though he did assign him a detention as he exited the room.

“Now that our Triwziard Champion has made his dramatic exit, let's begin our lesson. Last time, as hopefully at least a few of you are intelligent enough to remember, I instructed you to--”

Snape was interrupted once again, this time by Hermione. She hastily gathered her things and darted towards the door, oblivious to all else around her. Snape was threatening her with detention, the Slytherins were chuckling in amusement at what had turned out to be a thoroughly entertaining Potions lesson, and Ron was frowning at her in confusion. But Hermione paid no attention to any of it. Her thoughts, as usual, were focused on Harry.

The door closed behind her with a thud, and Hermione hurried along, hoping to catch up to Harry before he got far. She still wasn't sure how to react or how to feel about what Harry had just said, but her instincts told her it was vitally important that she get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. She didn't want to give Harry a chance to calm down, because she had learned from experience that the best time to get Harry to open up about something was when his emotions were running high. She had to find him, and get him to talk.

She wasn't positive, but she had a feeling that what had just happened was at least somewhat related to the brooding Harry had been doing recently. She didn't for a second believe Snape's obvious implication that Harry fancied her. Why would he, when he could practically have his pick among the female student population of Hogwarts? Still, it seemed that something in that article troubled him more than it really should have.

Perhaps she had been right in her assessment that Harry's problems were of a romantic nature, but had been wrong that his concern was towards his own romantic interests. It occurred to her that she had never made it explicitly clear to he and Ron that she considered Viktor a friend, and nothing more. She considered the possibility that, after she was chosen to be Viktor's hostage in the Second Task, Harry had become concerned that she would start spending more time with Viktor, and less time with him. One of her own biggest worries was that Harry might not spend as much time with her or need her as much once he began dating another girl. Losing Harry's friendship, or even having its importance diminished somewhat, was a terrifying thought for Hermione. She supposed he might feel the same way about her, even if he had no interest in turning their close friendship into something more.

She actually found herself feeling somewhat relieved at that thought. It would be far easier on her to reassure Harry about his place in her life than it would be to have to listen to him speak about his romantic feelings for another girl. Still, she would not back down, regardless. She knew this was her chance to finally get Harry to open up and tell her what had been bothering him lately. She would catch up to him, and together, they would get through this, whatever it was. She'd help him through his troubles, just like always. Because she loved him. She loved Harry Potter.

**

A/N: I hadn't initially planned to end this chapter here, but I've decided to split what would have been Chapter 2 into two chapters. Combined with my planned final chapter, this puts the estimated length of this fic at 4 chapters, meaning I've ALREADY broken my original estimation of 2 to 3 chapters total. Will it grow larger still? I don't plan on it, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. I should probably never make an attempt at defining the length of one of my stories before I've finished writing it.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if Harry and Hermione haven't had their little chat yet. That's coming next chapter, honest! And thanks for the reviews for the first chapter. I'd love to hear what you thought about this one as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I'd like to think that Hermione's character wouldn't have changed completely in Book 6.

What He'll Sorely Miss?

by MayorHaggar

Chapter 3

Harry Potter hurried through the halls of Hogwarts, not quite running, but certainly walking faster than usual. He didn't have a particular destination in mind. All he knew was that he needed to put as much distance as possible between himself and that git Snape's dungeon, the site of his humiliation.

He still couldn't believe what he'd just blurted out. After experiencing nearly four years of the unique torture that was Potions with Severus Snape, he thought he'd gotten better at controlling his emotions and refusing to let the greasy-haired snake provoke him. When Snape insulted Hermione, however, Harry simply lost it. And that's when it all went wrong.

Hermione had been on Harry's mind almost constantly in the nine days that had passed since the Second Task. It was more than a bit disconcerting. She'd always meant a lot to him, and had occupied his thoughts with increasingly regularity since the Yule Ball, but never had she monopolized his focus to the extent that she had over the last nine days. Something about seeing her at the bottom of that lake, unconscious, helpless, had awoken something inside of him. And now, he couldn't get her out of his head.

It hadn't taken Harry long after the task to decide that the judges had made a mistake when they chose Ron as his hostage. He loved Ron like a brother, and missed his friendship dearly during their rift earlier in the year. But seeing Hermione at the bottom of the lake forced him to evaluate exactly what she meant to him, and imagine what his life would be like without her support, her guidance and her friendship. Any time he tried to picture it, he shrank away from the thought almost immediately. The mere thought of living his life without Hermione Granger by his side was too much for Harry to bear.

It took him longer to figure out what that truly meant, but he got there eventually.

Thanks to the Yule Ball and those periwinkle-blue dress robes, he'd already accepted the fact that he no longer thought of her as a sister. After seeing a different side of his friend at the Yule Ball, he now considered her every bit as pretty as Cho, the girl he'd fancied for quite some time. But his feelings for Hermione were just so much...more than what he'd felt for Cho. He had become physically attracted to Hermione, yes, but that was just a part of what he felt for her. She was, without a doubt, the most important person in his life. And over the previous nine days, he'd come to accept that he wanted his best friend to become...more than his best friend.

He had been petrified at the thought of telling her about how his feelings had changed. Petrified that she didn't feel the same way, that it would ruin everything between them. Plus, he still wasn't sure just how close she was to Viktor Krum. He may have believed that there was no way Krum would truly miss Hermione more than he would, but if she'd been chosen as Krum's hostage, maybe there was more to that relationship than he knew? He didn't want to risk it all with Hermione, only to find out that she was already involved with Krum.

Now, the decision of whether or not he should tell her how he felt had been taken out of his hands. He'd been so angry with that git Snape for insulting his Hermione that he blurted out his feelings in front of every Gryffindor and Slytherin in their year, Hermione included. Now, she knew. The next time she saw him, she'd smile at him sympathetically and explain that she considered him a friend, and nothing more. He could practically hear her voice now, calling out to him so she could get the rejection over with.

“Harry! Harry, wait!”

Harry stilled at the familiar voice, wondering if his uneasy mind were playing tricks on him. He turned around and saw that Hermione really had followed him out of the Potions dungeon. She was hurrying towards him, moving as fast as she could while lugging around all of her school supplies.

Harry felt a tightness in his chest as he watched Hermione approach him. He knew that, after the conclusions he'd reached in recent days, the conversation he was about to have could very well go down as one of the worst moments of his life. Still, he would do his best to take Hermione's rejection in stride, so he could at least keep her in his life as his best friend.

“Hey, Hermione. Why'd you follow me?” he asked, doing his best to sound nonchalant. He met her eyes briefly, but quickly looked down at his shoes, afraid of the pity he'd see in her eyes.

But if Harry had managed to maintain eye contact, he would have seen determination, not pity, in Hermione's eyes.

“We can talk about that in a moment, Harry. But first, why don't we find a more private place, where we don't have to worry about being overheard or interrupted? The middle of the corridor isn't exactly a great place for a legitimate and important conversation, even if almost everyone else is in class at the moment.”

“I guess you're right,” Harry agreed. “Wanna look for an abandoned classroom? I'm sure there's one around here somewhere.”

Hermione nodded in agreement, and the two friends began walking side-by-side down the corridor. Neither of them spoke a word, as they each were engrossed in thought, contemplating the conversation they were about to have. For Harry, the walk went by entirely too quickly. Part of him thought he wouldn't mind if the walk stretched on indefinitely, if it would prevent the rejection he was anticipating.

Of course, he had no way of knowing that Hermione felt just the opposite. In her opinion, the walk was taking far too long. She couldn't wait to set Harry straight, and assure him that he still was, and would always be, an extremely important part of her life.

Maybe the most important part.

“This one should work,” Hermione said as they finally came across an empty classroom. When Harry signalled his agreement with another nod, she opened the door and stepped inside, holding the door open so Harry could follow her lead.

Harry stepped into the room reluctantly. While Hermione set her various school supplies down on the nearest table, Harry stared at his shoes and tried to figure out what he was going to say. Would he try and pretend that Snape didn't know what he was talking about, and insist that he still wanted to be her best friend, nothing more and nothing less? Or would he confess that Snape and Rita Skeeter had the right of it, that he had fallen for her, and beg her not to let his...feelings...come between their friendship?

Before Harry even had a chance to decide on his course of action, much less utter a word, Hermione took the choice out of his hands.

“Yes, Harry, Viktor did ask me to visit him in Bulgaria this summer. But I declined. He's a friend, and nothing more.”

Harry blinked, surprised. That had not been what he'd been expecting her to want to discuss. He was greatly relieved, of course. While he had been convinced there was no way Hermione meant as much to Krum as she did to he himself, he'd been second guessing the exact nature of that relationship over the past few days. It was certainly reassuring to hear her say that she and Krum were just friends, but...

“Err...is that what you wanted to talk about, then?” Harry asked in confusion.

“Well, I just thought that you'd like to know the truth. Viktor's nice, and I truly do consider him a friend by this point. But he's nowhere near as important to me as you are, Harry. I'm here for you whenever you need me, Harry. I'll always be here for you.”

Harry wasn't sure quite what to say in response. The determined look in her eyes and the sincerity in her voice as she spoke made him distinctly uncomfortable, considering his recent revelations regarding exactly how he felt towards her. He settled for a quick grin, and hoped that Hermione would not notice the slight reddening of his cheeks.

He should have known that Hermione Granger was far too observant not to pick up on his nervous reaction.

“Isn't that why you reacted so strongly to Professor Snape's taunts? Because you were worried that I'd start spending most of my time with Viktor, and not be there for you as much?” Hermione slowly asked, not sure what to make of Harry's strange reaction. He seemed almost...embarrassed. But why? She didn't see any reason for him to feel embarrassed about not wanting such a strong friendship to be diminished.

“Well...no, not really,” Harry answered honestly. “I mean, I had been wondering about your relationship with Krum, what with you being his hostage and all, and I'm glad you told me. But that's...not why I got so upset,” he finished with a blush.

Hermione stared at Harry, surprised that her assumption had evidently been incorrect. But someone as inquisitive as Hermione was not going to dwell on her mistake. She had a problem to solve, after all.

“So why did you get so angry, then? I mean, I know it always upsets you when Professor Snape insults you or your friends, but honestly, he's said worse things about me before. There has to be more to it than Professor Snape simply reciting an article that insulted your friend. So, if you weren't on edge because you thought I might start spending more time with Viktor than with you, why did you confront Professor Snape like that?”

If Hermione was surprised at the way this conversation had gone so far, Harry was every bit as surprised. Hermione was more than just book smarts; she also knew him better than anyone else. All along, he'd been afraid that she'd be able to see right through him, see that his feelings had changed. After his verbal confrontation with Snape, he'd considered it a foregone conclusion that Hermione knew exactly how he felt, and he had been trying to figure out whether he'd admit the truth or attempt to deny his feelings. It never even entered his mind that Hermione might draw the wrong conclusion. Maybe he'd be able to escape this without damaging their friendship after all.

“It's nothing, Hermione, really. I've just been a bit stressed this year, with the tournament, and the problems with Ron and everything, and I guess it all just kind of caught up to me today. I'm sorry; I know I shouldn't have reacted like that, and I only made things worse with Snape and the Slytherins. And now you're surely in trouble with Snape too, because you were worried about me and left in the middle of class. I'm sorry, Hermione. I'll try not to let the greasy git get to me like that again, I promise.”

Harry inwardly sighed in relief, very pleased with himself and his little fib. Thank Merlin that Hermione had gotten it wrong for once! Now she wouldn't think he was some sort of pathetic loser with an embarrassing, unrequited crush. She wouldn't start acting any differently towards him, or even possibly stop spending time with him. Things would remain exactly the same, and he would not lose the most important person in his life. Not only that, but he'd also established an excuse for his recent odd behaviour, which he knew Hermione had been worried about. It really couldn't have worked out any...

“You're lying, Harry.”

Hermione's simple, blunt statement stopped Harry cold. How could she tell? He thought he'd been rather convincing. Still, she'd already been wrong once today. Maybe he could convince her she was mistaken once again.

“Wha-what makes you say that, Hermione? I'm telling you the truth. You know how stressful the first two tasks of the tournament have been. Heck, they've stressed you out. And you know how important Ron's friendship is to me. Ron was my first friend my own age, and he's still my best mate. It was awful when he refused to believe that I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire. Everything I said was true.”

“Oh, I know all of that, Harry. I know the tournament has been rough, and I know that you were miserable when Ron was off being a stubborn git. But none of that explains your reaction to Professor Snape today. You've never let him get to you like that before. Plus, your strongest reactions have always been when he insults your father, and he didn't mention him once today. If all of that weren't enough, you're a terrible liar, Harry. If I'm even halfway paying attention, it is painfully obvious when you're lying. So, what is it, Harry? What's really been bothering you, and why did you really cut Professor Snape off?”

Great. Just great. Her inexplicable failure to spot his feelings for her aside, she really did know him far too well for his own good. Now, there seemed to be no way out of this situation. He had no chance of talking his way out of this one, now that his confidence in his ability to tell a convincing lie was thoroughly shot. And, with everyone else still in class, he had little hope in being able to change the subject.

Harry decided that he only had one last option left, other than admitting the truth and altering their friendship forever.

“Look, Hermione, you're right, there is more to it. There is something that's been bothering me lately, which you already knew, obviously, because you've tried to ask me about it before. And it's also why Snape got to me so badly today. But I'd really rather not talk about it. It's...personal.”

Harry's blush returned in full force, and his fleeting eye contact vanished as he ducked his head down and stared at the floor.

Hermione could see how uncomfortable Harry was, but there was simply no way she was going to let the matter drop. Not now, not when she had him alone. Not when her instincts were telling her it was vitally important to help Harry through this.

“Harry, please? I can see how much this is bothering you. You haven't been yourself lately, and it seems to only be getting worse. You need to talk about this, whatever it is, with someone. Let me help you, Harry. Please. You can trust me,” Hermione beseeched, desperate to help the boy she adored.

Harry's heart felt as if it were about to explode, so fast was it beating. He had refused to meet Hermione's steady gaze when she first began her plea, so she had reached out and gently cupped his chin, forcing him to look into her eyes as she compelled him to open up to her. Looking into her warm brown eyes had unnerved him. Never before had he seen them from so close a distance, and in doing so, he decided that they really were quite pretty. More than anything, though, they made him nervous. In those eyes, he saw all of her compassion, all of her loyalty, all of her courage. The thought of doing or saying anything that could jeopardize her friendship terrified him.

Maybe sharing that little piece of information with her would get her to drop it.

“I'm scared, Hermione,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Scared? Why in the name of Merlin would you be scared? You've confronted the most evil wizard of our lifetime, in one form or another. You killed a basilisk. You came face-to-face with both the man who you thought betrayed your parents, and the rat who actually did. You stole the egg from the Horntail. You went into the lake to save Ron—and the rest of us, while you were at it. After all that, how can talking to me scare you?”

Harry let out a deep sigh as Hermione finished her speech, deceptively quiet considering all of the emotion contained within. It would appear there was no avoiding it, then.

“I'm scared because you mean so much to me. Your friendship is so important to me. I don't want to ruin it.”

Hermione stood stock still for several long moments, her mouth agape. She didn't think she'd ever been so surprised in her life, not even when she learned that she was a witch. Though she'd never even dreamed of that possibility before it had happened, it just seemed to...fit. But this? Never in a million years would she have expected Harry to say what he had just said. Furthermore, she could tell that Harry was deadly serious. It was there, in the slight hitch in his voice, in the tense look on his face, in the slump of his shoulders.

“How can you even say that, Harry? Nothing you could say would ruin our friendship, ruin what we have between us. Nothing. I meant what I said, Harry: I'll always be here for you. You are one of the most important parts of my life, and nothing will change that. So please, Harry. Talk to me. Let me help you, just like I always have, just like I always will. Please.”

“Are you sure about that, Hermione? Are you sure you'll always be there for me, be there to help me, be my friend, no matter what? People change, you know. Feelings...feelings change,” Harry finished, quietly.

“Oh. I think I understand what you mean, Harry,” Hermione whispered.

Harry grimaced as Hermione closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. He turned his head away from his friend, unwilling to look at her as everything they had fell apart. Here it comes, he thought resignedly.

“This is about Fleur, isn't it?”

Harry's head whipped around, shocked, to look at Hermione. “Fleur? W-what are you talking about, Hermione? What's Fleur got to do with this?”

“Well, maybe it's not Fleur, Harry. I know it's either her or Cho, though. You've fancied Cho for months, and after you saved her sister at the Second Task, I think it's fair to say that you have as good a chance with Fleur as any boy at Hogwarts,” Hermione explained. She then looked squarely at Harry and flashed him a smile that looked to him to be slightly forced, and continued speaking before Harry could chime in.

“You don't need to be so embarrassed about discussing this with me, Harry, even if I am a girl. I'm a girl, yes, but I'm your friend first and foremost, and I certainly don't think any less of you because of this. I don't know what you were so worried about, Harry. This won't affect our friendship in the slightest, as long as you still make time for me and Ron. It's perfectly natural, you know.”

Harry squinted at Hermione, not following her thought process in the least. It also did not escape him that, try as she might to talk normally, she did not sound anything like the brilliant, confident Hermione he knew and lov--liked.

“What do you mean, Hermione? What's natural?” he questioned.

“That you've developed...feelings...for a girl,” Hermione stammered, blushing. “You're a 14-year old boy, after all. Cho is with Cedric, of course, but Fleur is available. I think you might have a chance with her, honestly. I think you should go for it, Harry. Maybe you could ask her to meet up with you in Hogsmeade tomorrow, after we have our little chat with Sirius, of course.”

Finally, Harry understood. It amazed him that, as brilliant as she was, Hermione could not see what was right in front of her. Maybe she doesn't see it because she doesn't want to see it, he thought gloomily.

“You think I want to be with Fleur,” Harry stated simply.

“Well, of course,” Hermione replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Mere minutes ago, Harry would have gladly allowed Hermione to keep her mistaken belief, so he could keep the truth to himself. But now, he found himself compelled to forge ahead. Something in her behaviour bothered him, and he felt an overwhelming urge to suss it out. Plus, he was too interested in figuring out what led his friend, normally so intuitive, to her entirely incorrect conclusion.

“Even though Skeeter's article, the one that Snape read, the one that got to me so much, was about you? If it were a crush on Fleur that was getting to me, what would that have to do with that article?”

“I suppose you're the only one that can answer that question, Harry, but I'm assuming it was because you were afraid Fleur would read the article too, and would think that you really were involved with me. You worried that the article would hurt your chances with Fleur, and that put you in a bad mood. Then, Snape insulting me just set you off.”

“I guess that would be possible,” Harry conceded. “But it still wouldn't explain why I blushed and ran out of the room when Snape made his little remark about Krum maybe not being the only one that fancied you. I think you're overlooking the most obvious explanation.”

“And what would that be?” Hermione asked, cocking an eyebrow at Harry.

“That Skeeter and Snape were right. That it's not Cho or Fleur that I like, but you,” Harry finished quietly.

Hermione's cheeks felt as if they were on fire, thanks to Harry casually hinting at her greatest desire. If only, she thought to herself.

“Th—that's not funny, Harry. I know you don't mean that, so don't joke about things like that,” she said sternly.

“What makes you so sure, Hermione? It is the most obvious explanation, after all. Or do you just not want me to fancy you?” Harry challenged, almost offended that she'd so quickly brush off that possibility.

“Don't try and turn this back around on me, Harry Potter,” Hermione chided. “Of course I heard what Snape said, and I saw your face turn red before you ran out of the room. But there's obviously no way you fancy me, so there's clearly some other explanation, even if you stubbornly refuse to admit to it,” she spit out.

“There's obviously no way I fancy you? Why do you say that?”

“Come on, Harry!” Hermione nearly shouted. “The very idea is utterly ridiculous! You're Harry Potter! The Boy-Who-Lived! A Triwizard Champion! You could have your pick of any unattached witch here at Hogwarts, and I'm sure plenty of the Beauxbatons girls would jump at the chance to date you as well. Why would you want to be with Hermione Granger, the buck-toothed, bushy-haired bookworm? Of course you ran out of the room when Snape suggested it! You were probably mortified that other people might actually believe it!”

Her voice was fierce and angry, but those brown eyes of hers gave Hermione away. More specifically, the tears threatening to burst out told Harry all he needed to know. At last, he understood why Hermione had not seriously considered the possibility that he had become attracted to her. She doubted herself.

Harry wasn't going to allow it.

“You want the truth, Hermione?” Harry asked, gripping her shoulders as he looked into her eyes intently. She nodded, blinking back her tears, so he continued. “The truth is, you're right. If what I felt for Cho is what it means to fancy someone, I don't fancy you.”

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but Harry kept going before she could do so...and before he lost his sudden nerve.

“I fancied Cho because I thought she was pretty. But recently, I've realised that I really don't know anything about her, aside from that she's good at Quidditch. That's all she is to me: a pretty girl who likes Quidditch. But you, Hermione? I know you. I know how loyal you are. I know that you're smart, brave and compassionate. I'm so lucky to have you in my life,” Harry said sincerely.

Hermione smiled in spite of herself. It was wonderful to hear Harry say such nice things about her, and she could tell that he meant every word. Still, it didn't change the fact that he could never fancy her.

“That's sweet, Harry. Thank you,” she said, smiling as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Still, it doesn't change the fact that you don't find me the least bit attractive, which brings us back to the fact that you could never fancy me. So stop trying to change the subject.”

“I don't find you the least bit physically attractive?” Harry repeated aloud, ignoring the last bit where she told him to stop trying to change the subject. After all, this was the subject, even if she refused to consider it as such.

A simple nod was all the response he got from Hermione, so Harry continued on.

“Before, that was probably true. I never thought you were ugly, but I didn't consider you a girl, really. I mean, I knew you were a girl, of course, but I always thought of you as just...Hermione, one of my two best friends. I had as much...interest...in you as I did in Ron.”

Hermione's face soured in distaste at his comparing her to Ron in that way, so Harry hurried to clarify.

“I didn't mean it to come out like that. I look at Ron as kind of like my brother, so with you, it was like you were my sister. Or what I always imagined having a sister would be like, anyway. But that all changed at the Yule Ball,” he said in a rush.

“The Yule Ball? What do you mean?”

“It was...Merlin, Hermione, I never knew you could look like that! I didn't even recognize you at first, you know. When I realised that the beautiful girl in the blue dress robes with Viktor Krum was actually my so-called “sister”, it was like something went off inside my head. Before that night, I'd never noticed how pretty you were. Since then, you've been on my mind almost constantly. I can't believe I never noticed it before, but you are really, really pretty, Hermione. Just as pretty as Cho.”

It was now Hermione's turn to deal with a rapidly beating heart. She could feel the joy and elation that begged to be let out after Harry's declaration, but the cautious, self-confident part of her refused to believe what her romantic, optimistic side was telling her. Not yet, at least.

“You really think I'm pretty?” she asked hesitantly. When he nodded, she voiced the second half of her thought. “You said you don't fancy me, though.”

Harry braced himself, knowing it was time. Here goes nothing, he thought to himself.

“That's right: I don't fancy you. “Fancy” doesn't cover what I feel for you. You're just so much...more. I fancied Cho earlier, but since the Yule Ball, I've realised how stupid it was. I don't know Cho; how could I want to be with her? As for Fleur? She's beautiful, of course, and she has to be a pretty special witch to have been chosen as a Triwizard Champion—a true Triwizard Champion, even. But I can't imagine being able to talk with her, laugh with her, relax with her, like I do with you.”

“J-just what are you saying, Harry?” Hermione mumbled, wide-eyed and trembling.

“What I'm saying, Hermione, is that you are the most important person in my life. They got it wrong when they picked Ron to be my hostage, because you're what I'd sorely miss. I've been through life without Ron this year. It was miserable, but I know that I could survive it. But you? I couldn't live without you in my life, Hermione. It was hard last year, when I was being a git about the broomstick. It would be impossible now.

“When I first began to realise that, after the Second Task, it scared me. It scared me that I could care this much about someone. And, even after I realised how I felt about you, I was too afraid to tell you. What if you didn't feel the same way? I didn't want to risk what we already had, so I decided not to tell you. But, knowing me like you do, you could see that something was eating at me. Unfortunately, after my little outburst, so can every Gryffindor and Slytherin in our year, not to mention Snape,” he said ruefully.

Harry saw the light in Hermione's eyes; he could tell that he had broken through her self-doubt. All that was left was to put it all on the table—and let her decide where they went from there.

“Snape was right, though. I know for a fact that you don't need some love potion to get a boy to fall for you. You managed it all on your own.”

Hermione finally lost her battle with her tears, and they began streaming down her cheeks. Harry, who had next to no experience dealing with a crying girl, was thrown off by the sight. Still, he would do his best to finish what he had to say.

“I don't know how you feel about me, Hermione, and I don't know if this is going to change everything between us, but the truth is...I like you. A lot. Maybe it's even love; I don't know, I never got to see real love growing up. I really hope this doesn't ruin things between us, but you wanted to know what was bothering me, and at first I didn't want to tell you the truth, but I didn't like hearing you put yourself down, so I just...”

“Shut up, Harry,” Hermione interrupted softly, placing a finger on Harry's lips to stop his rambling. Immediately, Harry went silent, and he stood completely still as he waited to see how Hermione would react now that she finally knew the truth.

His question was answered when Hermione removed her finger from his lips and leaned forward, her lips meeting his. Being the first kiss for both Harry and Hermione, it was awkward at first, with noses bumping together and lips moving tentatively, hesitantly.

As far as they were concerned, it was brilliant.

Just as she was the one who initiated the kiss, it was Hermione who broke it. She took a step back and looked into Harry's eyes, her entire face lighting up in a beaming smile as she allowed herself to soak in what had just happened. She was crying again, but Harry now realised that these were tears of joy.

“So...you feel the same way, then? You want to be with me?” Harry asked, grinning himself. Her happiness was rather infectious, he decided. At that moment, he made a silent vow to himself to do whatever he had to do to make Hermione smile like that as often as possible.

“Oh, Harry. As if you even had to ask.”

This time, it was Harry who took the initiative. He wrapped his arms around Hermione, pulled her body snug against his own, and lowered his head to kiss his girlfriend—Hermione was his girlfriend!--for the second time.

This kiss had none of the tentativeness or hesitance of their first. This kiss spoke of everything they felt for one another. It was, in a word, perfect.

Hermione took Harry by surprise when she ran her tongue across his lips, requesting entry into his mouth. As he recovered from his shock enough to part his lips and give her what she wanted, he realised that, as well as he knew her, he still had a lot to learn about Hermione Granger.

Hopefully, he'd have a lifetime to get to know her.

**

A/N: I'm not really happy with the way this chapter turned out. Maybe because I'm not as comfortable writing dialogue as I am with narrative? It also felt too...sappy, perhaps? In any case, I'd like to hear what everyone else thought of it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I'd be writing this on a much nicer computer in a much bigger house.

What He'll Sorely Miss?

by MayorHaggar

Chapter 4

Ron Weasley frowned down at his plate, scarcely even seeing the pile of food in front of him as he pushed it around the plate with his fork. For perhaps the first time that he could remember, Ron did not have an appetite. He was just too preoccupied thinking about the absence of his two best friends to commence his usual attack on his meal.

Neither Harry or Hermione had ever returned after their respective departures from Snape's dungeon. Ron wasn't sure what to think about what Rita Skeeter had written, Harry's reaction when Snape read it aloud, or Hermione's decision to actually abandon a lesson so she could follow him. There was something about it all that made him considerably uncomfortable, though Ron wasn't sure quite what it was.

He'd assumed they'd fill him in at dinner, which was right after Potions. Maybe they'd gone down there early, even. But they were nowhere to be seen when he arrived, so he'd plopped himself down alongside Dean and Seamus, and made sure to keep an eye out for his friends.

Dinner was almost half over, and there still had been no sign of either of them.

Where in the bloody hell are they? Ron wondered.

Finally, Ron decided he could not wait any longer. He tossed his fork aside, gathered both his things and those that Harry had left behind in the Potions classroom, and stood up from the table, leaving his food behind. He ignored the bewildered looks his fellow Gryffindors were shooting him as a result of his erratic behaviour, and marched out of the Great Hall with purpose.

If Harry and Hermione weren't going to come to him, he would just have to go to them.

There were a number of places they could potentially be, but Ron wasn't going to waste his time checking every likely location one-by-one. There was simply no need to do that, because he had a foolproof way to find out exactly where they were: the Marauder's Map, tucked safely away in Harry's trunk back in their dorm room.

While he made his way towards Gryffindor Tower, Ron tried to figure out what he'd say when he met up with Harry and Hermione, wherever they were. Frankly, he had no clue. It definitely didn't help that he wasn't sure why he was so bothered about their flight during the middle of Snape's tirade, or why he felt like he had to track them down right this instant.

Being confused about his feelings wasn't anything new for Ron, though. Especially when it came to Hermione. Half the time she drove him up the wall, and the other half...well, he wasn't sure what to call how he felt during the other half. All he knew was that he needed to find out where Harry and Hermione had gone, and why they hadn't come back.

With the corridors all but empty due to the ongoing dinner Ron had abandoned, it didn't take him long to go from the Great Hall to Gryffindor Tower. He absently mumbled the password to the Fat Lady, barely noticing as the portrait opened to allow him entry. Ron stepped through the portrait hole and headed straight for the stairs that would lead him to the boy's dorms, and the Marauder's Map.

“Ron! Where are you going?”

Ron's head whipped around at the familiar, feminine voice, and he was more than a little surprised to see Harry and Hermione sitting next to each other on a couch in the Common Room. His eyes narrowed in suspicion at seeing just how close they were sitting. His suspicion was not helped by Harry's reaction. Harry, seemingly only just realising how close he and Hermione were sitting, jumped to the other side of the couch as if he'd been burned.

Ron was too focused on Harry's blushing face to notice the disapproving look Hermione was shooting his way.

“Well, Ron? Are you going to answer me?” Hermione questioned.

Finally, Ron turned his attention away from Harry and towards Hermione. He saw the frustrated look on her face, and it did not please him one bit.

“Why should I have to explain anything?” Ron demanded. “You two are the ones who ran off in the middle of Potions, and left the rest of us to deal with that git Snape after you got him all brassed off! Here's your rubbish, by the way,” he muttered, dropping Harry's things at his feet.

Harry quietly thanked his friend for bringing his things, but Ron paid him no heed. He simply stared at Hermione, knowing that if he were going to get any answers, she would be the one providing them.

“It's not as if we did it on purpose, Ron!” Hermione replied indignantly. “Professor Snape really got to Harry today, as you obviously saw. And I was not about to let Harry suffer all by himself, so I followed him. As to why we did not come back to class? By the time I'd caught up to Harry and finished sorting him out, there wouldn't have been much point in going back. We'd already missed a large portion of it, and I've already read through the material, of course, so I'll be able to help Harry catch up. Besides, Snape would have just spent all his time berating Harry for “disrupting his class”, as well as me for following his example. So, we decided to come here and relax instead.”

Ron nodded slowly, and he felt at least some of his anger dissipate. What Hermione said did make sense; Snape would have only gotten worse if they had come back. But suddenly, another thought occurred to Ron.

“Alright, that makes sense, yeah. But Harry...why did you run out like that? I know that stuff Skeeter wrote about you, Hermione and Vicky was embarrassing,” Ron began, ignoring the scowl on Hermione's face at the derisive nickname he'd adopted for Viktor Krum. “But when Snape made that joke about you fancying Hermione, you blushed worse than Ginny does whenever you talk to her! It was almost like you really do fancy Hermione,” Ron finished, chuckling at the absurdity of that thought.

Ron continued to laugh to himself, not noticing that neither of his friends were joining him in his amusement.

“And just why do you find that so funny, Ron?” Hermione asked icily. Harry shivered at her tone, and silently begged Ron to realise that he was on very thin ice.

He didn't.

“Well, I mean, you're...Hermione! You know Harry's been mooning over Cho, and we talked about how he'd probably go after Fleur next. You're not exactly his type.”

Harry opened his mouth, desperate to diffuse this situation before it blew up in all of their faces. But Hermione drowned out whatever he was going to say.

“Oh, I see. What you really mean is that I'm not pretty enough for Harry, right?” Hermione ground out.

Ron was even more rubbish with girls than Harry, but even he now realised that he was in deep trouble.

“Err...no, no, that's not what I meant at all, Hermione,” Ron stuttered. “What I meant is, Cho and Fleur are, you know, all outgoing and everything...and you're more...well, more concerned with learning and books and whatnot. That's what I was trying to say.”

“So I'm too boring for Harry to be interested in me, then? That's little better. Not all boys are as superficial and shallow as you are, Ron Weasley!” Hermione exclaimed.

Under normal circumstances, Ron would have shouted right back at Hermione. He usually didn't mind arguing with her. He actually enjoyed it, at times. In fact, he sometimes went out of his way to set her off. But this was different. Looking at the fury in her eyes and hearing the venom in her voice, he could tell that this was no ordinary argument. This was serious. Without even meaning to, he'd gotten Hermione seriously angry. Angrier than she'd ever been, at least with him. He wanted no part of it.

Thankfully for Ron, Harry took note of the rising panic on his face as he tried to find a way out of his predicament, and decided to come to his aid.

“He does have a point, you know,” Harry said quietly.

Hermione turned her head in Harry's direction, and now her mutinous expression was directed at him. Wanting nothing to do with a furious Hermione, Harry hurried to explain himself.

“About the differences between you and Cho, I mean. Like we talked about before, I don't know her all that well. But from what I do know about her, you two seem very different. She's the outgoing type, always surrounded by giggling girls, while you'd much rather be surrounded by piles of books. She loves to play Quidditch, while you'd rather sit in the stands and cheer for Gryffindor. If Ron, or anyone else, were going to use my crush on Cho to try and decide what kind of girl I liked, you wouldn't really fit.”

Hermione didn't respond right away, as she took some time to consider Harry's words. She eventually gave a nod of admission, and Ron let out a relieved sigh.

“See, Hermione? I didn't mean anything by it. Just because you aren't Harry's type doesn't mean no other bloke will fancy you,” Ron said, hoping it would be enough to get him off the hook.

Harry and Hermione exchanged an uncomfortable look, and Hermione cocked an eyebrow at him. Harry shrugged his shoulders and gave a slight nod, so Hermione took a deep breath.

“Actually, Ron, I've recently learned that there already is a boy who fancies me,” Hermione said quietly.

“Well, of course. Vicky. We already knew that,” Ron replied, rolling his eyes.

“I didn't mean Viktor. There's another boy who is interested in me. And I'm interested in him as well. In fact, we've decided to start dating.”

Ron's jaw dropped. “Really? Who is it?” he asked, doing his best to sound normal, even if he felt anything but.

“It's me.”

Ron stared open-mouthed at Harry, not believing the two words that his best mate had just uttered.

Harry? Harry...fancies Hermione?

And Hermione fancies him, too? They're...together?

“Oh.”

They were probably expecting more of a response than that, but that was the best Ron could manage at the moment. His head was still swimming, trying to process all that he'd just learned.

He was surprised to learn that Hermione fancied Harry, but he had long ago given up any hope of being able to understand her, so being surprised by her was nothing new. Harry was a different story, though.

He'd never thought, even for a moment, that Harry could be interested in Hermione that way. The first girl he'd shown interest in was Cho, who was a polar opposite of Hermione in many ways. And after the Second Task, he'd been convinced that there was something there between Harry and Fleur, or would be soon. But now...

“Really? You guys are...together?” They both nodded, so Ron continued. “For how long?”

“Let's see...an hour? Maybe less?” Hermione said, frowning in thought.

“You mean, you got together after you followed Harry out of Potions? After Snape read that article out loud?” Ron asked, frowning.

“Yeah,” Harry confirmed. “It's kind of a long story, but basically...my feelings for Hermione have been changing lately, and when Snape caught on during my outburst and taunted me about it, I was humiliated. Hermione ran out to comfort me, which you already know. And while we were talking, well...my feelings just sort of came out. And Hermione said she felt the same way, so we decided we'd try to be, you know, a couple, and see how it went,” Harry finished rather lamely.

Ron nodded along, but didn't respond.

“We wanted to tell you first, before anyone else had a chance to find out about it,” Hermione said quietly. “Merlin knows, word will spread fast enough tomorrow, with the Hogsmeade trip and all.”

“Oh, so...you'll be going to Hogsmeade alone, then? Just the two of you?” Ron asked, doing his best not to sound bitter. He didn't succeed.

“Of course not, mate,” Harry assured him. “There's no way I'd go meet up with Sir...err...Snuffles without you. And we'll stop by Honeydukes, The Three Broomsticks and Zonko's, just like always. Maybe Hermione and I will spend a bit of the day alone, but we still want you around for all the rest of it.”

“You're still our best friend, Ron,” Hermione chimed in. “Just because Harry and I are going to try being a couple doesn't mean we'll stop being your friend, or won't have any time for you now. There are some times where we'll want to be alone, yes, but it's not as if you and Harry don't do some things without me. We'll still be there, Ron. We'll still spend lots of time together, all three of us. This doesn't change that.”

Ron nodded in acceptance. He still wasn't entirely pleased with this. It felt like his friends were pulling away from him, somehow. And honestly, the thought of Harry with Hermione made him very uncomfortable. Actually, the thought of Hermione with anyone made him uncomfortable. Strangely, it bothered him even more than the thought of Ginny dating a boy.

But he had to acknowledge that there wasn't much he could do about it, and at least they still wanted him around most of the time.

“OK, fine. Just...if you're going to get all...you know, if you're going to start...kissing and stuff, just give me a bit of warning, so I can leave. I don't need to be seeing my best friends sticking their tongues down each other's throats,” Ron said with a grimace.

“Sure thing, Ron,” Harry readily agreed, while Hermione rolled her eyes. “We can do that for you. We don't want you to feel uncomfortable. Right, Hermione?”

“Well, we aren't going to pretend as if we aren't dating just for your sake, Ron. But I can see how it would make you uncomfortable to spend time with us if we were being overly affectionate with each other. So I suppose we can try to keep the physical side of our relationship to a minimum while you're around.”

The thought of there even being a physical side to this new relationship between his two best friends filled Ron with disquiet, regardless of if they promised to try and tone it down around him, but he supposed it was the best he could hope for.

“Alright then. Well, I guess I'll head back down to the Great Hall, then. I didn't finish my dinner, and I'm starved.”

Ron turned away from his friends and nearly ran out of the room. He was eager to fill his stomach, which was protesting his decision to run out on dinner earlier, but he was just as eager to get away from his friends. It would take some time for him to get used to the idea that his two best friends were now more than friends.

**

Harry and Hermione watched Ron exit through the portrait hole, amused at his hasty retreat. After the portrait swung shut behind Ron, Harry scooted closer to Hermione on the couch and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“How do you think he took it? Do you think he's OK with this? With us?” he asked.

“It'll probably take him some time to get used to the idea, but he'll be fine eventually,” Hermione responded.

“What about what we talked about earlier?” Harry asked, uncomfortably.

“You mean when you said you think Ron might fancy me?” Hermione wondered. Harry nodded, and so Hermione answered him as best she could. “You could be right; I don't know. But, even if I were interested in Ron that way, which I'm not, it would never work out between us. There's no way we'd be able to spend that much time around each other. We'd bite each other's heads off. He and I would never work. Ron will realise that eventually, if he does happen to have feelings for me right now. He'll meet another girl who will be much better suited to his personality, and be much better off for it.”

“I hope you're right,” Harry said hopefully. He was thrilled that Hermione felt the same way about him that he did about her, but he didn't want these romantic feelings to come between their friendship with Ron.

There was something else that happened during their conversation with Ron that bothered him just as much, though.

“Why'd you get so angry when Ron said you weren't my type?”

Hermione sighed and took a deep breath before responding. “Well, it's just, this is all still so new. Before today, I'd never dreamed that you could possibly return my feelings. I guess part of me is afraid that you might wake up tomorrow, or the next day, and realise that Ron was right, that I'm not the type of girl you want to be with. That I'm not pretty enough, or fun enough, or...”

Harry wasn't about to listen to Hermione voice these doubts, and he silenced her in what he was finding to be the most effective method possible: by pressing his lips against hers. Hermione sighed against his lips and leaned in, deepening the kiss.

Once he was sure Hermione had been thoroughly silenced, Harry broke the kiss. He pulled back slightly, and looked into her eyes as he gripped both of her hands.

“That's not happening, Hermione. I don't want to be with Fleur, and I don't want to be with Cho. I want to be with you, Hermione. You. That's not changing any time soon.”

Hermione could tell that Harry meant every word, and she couldn't help but smile. She doubted that her insecurities would just go away. Not immediately, at least. But she'd be happy to let Harry ease her doubts, one kiss at a time.

**

A/N: There's Ron's reaction out of the way. Up next: the trip to Hogsmeade. That COULD be the final chapter, but I'm not committing to that just yet. I've learned my lesson.

All feedback is welcome and appreciated, of course.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I DO own the video game Dragon Age: Origins (well, a copy of it, at least), and that is the primary culprit in the longer delay between the last chapter and this one.

A/N: Here it is; the final chapter of this little story.

What He'll Sorely Miss?

by MayorHaggar

Chapter 5

"Are you sure you want to do this, Hermione?" Harry asked, nervousness obvious in his voice.

Hermione, who did not share his hesitance in the least, smiled and nodded at her boyfriend from the seat next to him.

“Of course, Harry! This is perfect! Whether he intended to or not, Professor Snape played a part in the two of us getting together. Don't you think he deserves to be the first person, aside from Ron and Sirius, to learn that we truly are dating?”

“But—Snape? Snape? I can't believe you actually want to do this in front of that greasy git!”

“We did it in front of Ron and Sirius, didn't we? What's the difference?”

At Hermione's words, Harry thought back to the very memorable meeting he, Hermione and Ron had had with Sirius during their Hogsmeade visit the day after he and Hermione had become a couple.

**

After they'd done some shopping in the village, the trio made their way past Dervish and Banges, towards the edge of the village, just as Sirius had requested. There, they met up with Sirius himself, in his Animagus form of a large black dog. Sirius had led the three of them far off the beaten path, up a mountain to a cave that he'd been hiding in. Only then did he revert to his natural, human form.

The four of them had gone on to talk all about the strange events that had been happening during the year, and Sirius had also told the students a great deal about some of Voldemort's known Death Eaters. Harry was very much interested in what his godfather had to say, but as the conversation wore on, the urge to touch his girlfriend continued to grow. They'd been so careful to keep their contact to a minimum throughout the day, as they didn't want to make Ron feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. They had agreed that this was the best approach, as Ron had had less than a day to adjust to the fact that they were now dating. But still, it was frustrating Harry, to be this close to Hermione and not touch her, not kiss her. He'd spent years being her strictly platonic best friend, but he knew he'd never be able to think of her in that way again. Not after all that had happened the day before.

Eventually, the urge became too much. Without looking in her direction, Harry reached out and took his girlfriend's hand in his. Hermione didn't say anything to acknowledge Harry's actions, but the slight squeeze she gave his hand made it clear that she did not object.

Hermione might not have outwardly acknowledged the fact that Harry was holding her hand, but Sirius wasn't about to ignore this stunning new development.

“What's this, then?” Sirius questioned, his eyes wide as he motioned back and forth between his godson and the clever young witch who had always supported him.

“Er...well, yesterday, Hermione and I, we sort of started...” Harry trailed off, struggling to come up with the appropriate words amidst his embarrassment.

“Dating?” Sirius offered, deciding to take pity on his blushing godson.

“Yeah, that's it. We're dating. Hermione's my girlfriend,” Harry agreed, feeling more confident as he saw the smile spreading across his godfather's face.

Sirius glanced at Hermione, who looked back at him with a bashful smile. Sirius grinned and nodded at her, before letting out a delighted laugh.

“That's brilliant! I'm happy for both of you! You know, ever since that day last year, when the two of you saved me from the Dementors, I'd been wondering whether or not there was more than friendship between you.”

“I think we both might have started to have feelings for each other back then, even if we didn't realise it until recently,” Harry mused.

“Well, congratulations, anyhow. You chose well, Harry. And, luckily for you, Hermione succumbed to your charms much faster than Lily did to your father's. James would be proud of you, I'm sure,” Sirius said with a grin.

“I think he would. Mum too. I'm really lucky to be with Hermione,” Harry said earnestly.

Sirius laughed at the blush spreading across Hermione's cheeks as she turned to wrap Harry in an affectionate hug. He was delighted to have this opportunity to see his young godson and his constant female companion in the beginning stages of what Sirius had a feeling would be a lifelong romance. Their interactions, the little looks and touches they exchanged seemingly without a second thought, distinctly reminded him of James and Lily during the early days of their romance.

Sirius smiled fondly as Harry and Hermione continued to clutch each other tightly, lost in their own little world. He could see, however, that the other onlooker present for this display was not as happy to be there as he was.

“Something bothering you, Ron?” Sirius asked, quietly enough that only the redhead could hear him.

Ron grimaced, but shook his head.

“Not really. I'm still sort of getting used to the idea of Harry and Hermione...together, that's all,” Ron answered, his eyes averted from Sirius.

Sirius cast a quick glance at Harry and Hermione, who were still too engrossed in their hug to comprehend anything else happening around them, before looking back at Ron once again.

“I think I understand where you're coming from. You're worried about being left behind, right?” Sirus asked.

Ron's eyebrows drew together in thought, before he shrugged.

“Yeah, maybe,” he said, attempting to sound indifferent.

“Remember, Ron: just because they're together now doesn't mean you're any less important, to either of them. They'll always make time for you. And hey, someday you'll find a girl of your own to squeeze the life out of, right?” he finished teasingly. Ron chuckled softly in response, and Sirius nodded to himself, content that he'd cheered his godson's friend up at least slightly.

He watched on as Harry released the hug and pulled back slightly, only to dip his head down and capture Hermione's lips in a kiss. Hermione tilted her head and pressed forward, deepening the kiss. They kissed for several seconds, oblivious to the fact that they were not alone.

Finally, Sirius caught their attention with an exaggerated, theatrical cough. Harry and Hermione quickly broke apart, finally remembering that they were not alone. They both blushed bright red and stared down at the ground in mortification, while Sirius showed his amusement with a deep bark of a laugh.

“You two were so caught up in each other that you forgot about everything else around you!” Sirius exclaimed once he got his laughing under control. “Just like James and Lily...”

**

Harry grinned in remembrance of that spontaneous incident, but even as he did so, he shook his head in disagreement.

“It's not like we did that on purpose—it just happened. And besides, Sirius was happy for us! Ron, too...well, I think,” Harry replied. “Snape will either puke all over us, or keep us in detention for life. Either way, it's no good for us.”

“Oh, lighten up, Harry,” Hermione prodded. “We're already in detention, thanks to that whole 'running out of class' business. Don't you think it'll be worth a few more to see the look on Snape's face?”

“Are you seriously trying to talk me into antagonizing a teacher, knowing full well it'll probably lead to both of us getting more detention? Who are you, and what have you done with Hermione Granger?”

“What can I say, Harry? Being with you is bringing out my inner Marauder. You know, after all the grief you and Ron have given me over the years about lightening up, I'd think you would be happy to see me encouraging a bit of mischief.”

“It's not that. I like seeing you having a bit more fun, and not stressing yourself out so much, like you did last year. But...the thought of doing this in front of Snape just gives me the creeps,” Harry said, shuddering.

Hermione opened her mouth to respond, but Harry never found out what she was going to say, as the door burst open at that moment, startling them both. Severus Snape entered, reminding them, as always, of an overgrown bat.

“Potter, Granger...I see that you are both on time, at least. This detention is already going better than I had expected it to,” Snape said sarcastically.

“Actually, Professor, we're early. Our detention wasn't supposed to begin for another five minutes,” Hermione corrected.

Snape did not appreciate it.

“I'm well aware of the time, Miss Granger. Ten points from Gryffindor for interrupting me,” Snape said icily.

“Git,” Harry muttered under his breath.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quiet enough to prevent Snape from hearing it.

“That will be 50 points and two more detentions for insulting a superior, Potter,” Snape snarled. But he wasn't done criticizing Harry just yet. “Hopefully you can manage to actually make it through this entire detention without fleeing the room. Because if you leave prematurely, as you did during my lesson last week, I will be forced to assign yet more detentions. And frankly, Potter, I'd rather not have to spend any additional time in your presence. I see quite enough of you as it is during your abysmal attempts at Potion-making.”

Harry stared straight down at the table in front of him, willing himself not to respond to Snape's taunts and dig himself an even deeper hole.

Hermione, however, had other plans.

“Speaking of that incident in your class last week, Professor...” Hermione began, before Snape cut her off.

“What of it, Granger? I warn you, I hold you and your 'fascinating social life' responsible for disrupting my class, and I have absolutely no interest in hearing your feeble excuses,” Snape said, the threat obvious.

“Oh, no, Professor, I wasn't going to try and make an excuse on Harry's behalf for leaving the room, or for myself in following after him. Actually, I wanted to thank you,” Hermione said pleasantly.

Whatever Snape had been expecting to hear, it clearly wasn't that.

“...I beg your pardon? You wish to thank me?” Snape finally said, after several moments' hesitation.

“Yes, absolutely, Professor! I know it was very embarrassing for both me and Harry to hear such things spoken aloud in front of all our classmates, and at the time, neither of us were very pleased with you. But in the end, you helped us immensely.”

“I helped you? How so? By giving you the attention you desperately crave?”

“Not at all, Professor. You helped us see what was right in front of us. Well, you, with a little help from the 4th-year Slytherins. And Rita Skeeter, too; can't forget about her. Whether you meant to or not, you all helped out. Thanks to that article, and everything it brought to light, Harry and I are happier than we've ever been. So, thank you.”

“I'm afraid I don't quite follow, Miss Granger,” Snape said slowly, frowning in confusion.

“Well, I suppose we could explain it to you, Professor, but I think we'd rather just show you. Right, Harry?”

Hermione slowly got up from her seat and looked down at Harry, flashing him her most mischievous smile. Harry closed his eyes and shook his head, but Hermione wouldn't take no for an answer. She reached out and clasped his hand, forcibly pulling him up to his feet.

If he'd truly put up a fight, Harry probably could have overpowered Hermione and remained seated. But, in the short time they'd been together, he'd come to realise that he was powerless to resist her when she gave him that smile. The second she looked down at him with that smile on her face, he knew he was going to do whatever she asked of him.

As both students got to their feet, Snape regarded them with suspicion.

“What is the meaning of this? You had better return to your seats before your detention officially begins, otherwise you will both be punished severely,” Snape warned.

But neither Harry or Hermione was paying him the slightest bit of attention. They were too focused on each other to heed any threats from their surly Potions professor.

“Are you sure this is a good idea, Hermione?” Harry whispered, hoping she'd change her mind and allow them to return to their seats without incident.

“Trust me, Harry. He's had this coming for years,” she whispered, smiling from ear-to-ear as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body tightly to his.

“EXCUSE ME--” Snape began, his eyes widening in revulsion. But there was nothing he could do to prevent what was about to happen.

Hermione brought her lips to Harry's in a gentle kiss, though she tightened her arms around his neck to ensure that he couldn't shy away.

She had nothing to worry about. After being still and unresponsive for a few seconds, Harry's lips began moving against hers, returning the kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling their bodies together even more intimately as they shared a passionate kiss right in front of their least favourite professor.

Snape was sputtering in shock and disgust, but they continued to kiss. Hermione smiled against Harry's lips, thrilled that he'd put his misgivings aside and was following her lead. She knew Snape would give them detention on top of detention on top of detention for this, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She knew that this image, of two of his most disliked students kissing passionately right in front of him, would irritate Snape forever. And the knowledge that he himself had played an integral part in this, in helping them find such bliss, would be almost too much for him to handle.

To her, it seemed a fair trade.

Harry wasn't thinking about any of that. Professor Snape, the man who had tormented him and bullied him for years, was the furthest thing from his mind. His attention was focused squarely on the wonderful bushy-haired woman in his arms. As the two of them kissed, all of Harry's worries, all of his troubles, were forgotten. The third task of the Triwizard Tournament, the likely plot against his life, the strange dreams he's been having throughout the year...none of it mattered, so long as he had Hermione by his side. Harry was beginning to believe that, with Hermione's love and support (not to mention her brains), he could accomplish anything. He reckoned that with her love, he could defeat Voldemort himself.

Perhaps even more impressive, he could snog her right in front of Severus Snape.

**

A/N: You may have felt that Hermione was OOC in this chapter. That was sort of the point. The idea was that being together with Harry was helping her become more carefree, relaxed, and mischievous.

I now consider this story complete. I intend to write more Harry Potter stories in the future, though I don't have any particular ideas in mind. If you have any story ideas to suggest, feel free to share them with me; maybe you guys can come up with an idea that catches my fancy.

Next time around, I'm going to write up a chapter-by-chapter outline, so I'll actually have an idea where the story is going. It'll also hopefully have some action and drama to even things out, instead of being pure fluff as this one was.

Thanks for all of the reviews and comments! Hopefully you guys enjoyed this little fic, and hopefully you'll check out my future stories, whenever they may be posted.