Hermione's Midnight Dream

For the third night in a row, Hermione found herself in front of the Gryffindor fireplace, surrounded by her Arithmancy and Ancient Runes books, Potions formulas and Ron's Astronomy homework.

"I am so tired," she thought, yawning wildly and willing herself to stay awake as the clock struck midnight. Sitting in her favorite chair, she looked away from her work for the first time in hours to see she was the last student left in the common room.

"Thanks a lot, Ron," she said aloud, glaring towards the stairs to the boys' dormitories. "You could of at least sat up with me while I looked over your essay. That's the last time I help you."

As she glanced back at her Potions work, her eyelids suddenly felt very heavy, strained by the long hours she had been working and warmed by the crackling fire. Giving into pure exhaustion, her head soon fell back against the cushioned chair, her work slipped from her fingers onto the floor, and she slowly drifted into a much needed sleep.

Some time later, she was jerked awake by a sound coming from the boys' dormitory. She thought someone had called her name, but was sure everyone was asleep by now. Just to be sure, she walked toward that side of the common room, hesitated, and slowly climbed the staircase.

As she neared Harry and Ron's room, she tapped on the door and pushed it open, peering in to see if anyone was up. The curtains were drawn around each of the four-poster beds, and the only light in the room came from the full moon outside the window. She tip-toed quietly towards what she assumed was Harry's bed, owing to the presence of his glasses on the nearby nightstand.

Pushing back the crimson curtains, she saw a black mass of unkempt hair peaking from underneath the blankets.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered, tapping Harry on the back. "Harry, are you awake?"

The blankets shifted slightly, and Harry let out a low moan as he turned to face Hermione beside his bed.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, apparently surprised by her presence. "Is everything OK?"

"I thought I heard someone call my name," she answered. "I guess it wasn't you."

"No, sorry," he said. "Maybe it was Ron."

"I don't think so. I can hear him talking in his sleep," she whispered. Sure enough, Ron muttered something about "lovely Luna" from inside his curtain covered four-poster.

"Well, sorry to wake you," Hermione said, turning to leave.

"Wait, don't go," Harry said as he grabbed her hand. "I'm awake now. You have to stay with me until I fall asleep again."

Smiling, Hermione turned and sat next to Harry. As she raised her hand to sweep a lock of hair from his bright green eyes, Harry smiled back, resting his hand on hers.

"Close the curtains," he said, winking playfully.

"Harry!" she whispered, feigning shock at his request. "Don't get any ideas!" she giggled.

"No, nothing like that," he said. "The light's hurting my eyes, that's all."

"Whatever," she teased as she pulled the curtains back around them. She moved closer to Harry, and lay back against his pillow. Staring up at the ceiling, she began to feel a little lightheaded as her arm brushed his side.

"Harry?" she whispered.

"Yeah?"

She turned her head to face Harry, and found herself looking at his scar.

"Do you think we'll be OK?" she asked. "I mean, will we get through all this You-Know-Who trouble together? I don't think I could bear it if I lost you or Ron. You're the best friends I've ever had. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know," Harry answered. "But I don't know what's going to happen. Whatever happens, though, we'll do it together. All of us."

"I know," she said. She brought her hand up to Harry's forehead, and lightly traced his lightning bolt scar with her finger. Harry flinched slightly, but let her do it anyway.

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "Does it hurt when I do that?"

"Nope," he said. "It kinda feels good, actually, you doing that." Harry smiled at Hermione, and caressed her cheek, which turned warm at his touch.

"Harry?" Hermione asked again.

"Yeah?"

She hesitated for a second, and without speaking again, kissed Harry near his scar. "I love you," she said.

"What?" asked Harry, his eyes widening in surprise.

"I said, I love you."

"But, I thought you liked Ron," Harry said. "You're always arguing, like a married couple," he added.

"I do like Ron," she answered. "But as a friend."

"Oh," Harry said. "I, I..." he stuttered. "I have to be honest," he said finally, "I think I love you, too. S'kinda lame, isn't it? I could have said so a long time ago, but I thought you and Ron...well, you know."

Hermione inched closer to Harry, her lips hovering near his, her eyes level with his own. Harry suddenly moved forward and kissed Hermione with a passion he'd never shown before, not even for his first crush, Cho Chang.

The pair kissed for what seemed like an hour as they held each other closely. A tingling sensation traveled down Hermione's back as Harry slid his hand toward her hips. She could feel him smiling as they kept kissing, and her mind was racing with thoughts she'd never had before.

"Wait, Harry," she said, pushing away from him.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, concernedly.

"Nothing," she said. "I just didn't expect this, that's all." Harry's eyes twinkled as he moved to kiss her again.

"Hermione..." he whispered as his lips brushed hers. "Hermione..."

"Hermione? Hermione!"

Ron was standing in front of her as she awoke, back in the Gryffindor common room, back in front of the fireplace.

"What? What's..." she began. Her heart sank as soon as she realized she had been dreaming. Smiling halfheartedly up at Ron, she took his hand and sat up, their homework still scattered on the floor.

"Did you finish my essay?" Ron asked. "Sorry I left you by yourself. I was beat from Quidditch practice. Angelina's finally gone mad," he said.

"No, Ron, I didn't," she answered, annoyed at his waking her up from such a great dream.

"What time is it?" she asked him. "Where's Harry?"

"It's almost breakfast," he said. "Harry's still in bed, I think. Come on, let's walk down to the Great Hall. I'm sure there's plenty to eat."

"You go ahead," she said. "I'm just going to run up to my room and change."

After Ron's billowing robes swept past the Fat Lady's opened portrait, Hermione wiped the sleep from her eyes and ran up to her room. Changing quickly, she hoped she'd catch Harry before he left the common room.

Sure enough, he was talking with Fred and George Weasley when she returned downstairs.

"Morning, Hermione," he said as she walked towards them. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Sure," she answered. As they made for the portrait hole, Hermione following Harry's lead, he turned suddenly to face her.

"Quite a dream you were having last night, wasn't it?" he asked her. Surprised, Hermione said nothing and grinned sheepishly.

"How'd you know?" she asked.

"I heard someone call my name last night, and I went downstairs to find you, dead asleep by the fire. I didn't want to wake you, though. You had a big smile on your face."

She could feel her cheeks turning pink.

"Oh, well, yeah, it was a pretty good dream."

"I know," Harry answered, and as he said it, he bent down to kiss her on the cheek.

"Nice one, Harry!" Fred and George said in unison from the other end of the common room. "It's about bloody time!"