Graduating

GRADUATING

By Lady Jane

Chapter One

Harry half ran, half walked, in an attempt to catch up with Hermione who was positively storming ahead of him, holding her books tightly to her chest, her robes and long hair both flying out behind her.

'Hermione! Slow down!' he called to her.

She stopped so abruptly as she swung around to face him that Harry had to jump sideways to avoid colliding with her.

'Jeez, Hermione - I said "slow down", not "stop suddenly and cause a collision"!'

Harry looked down at her, concern on his face. He knew she was either very angry or very upset or worse - both, because Hermione was positively glaring at him. It made Harry feel very nervous.

'Are you mad at me?' he asked quietly, afraid he already knew the answer.

'Don't you think I have a perfectly good reason to be?' she asked, her voice tense.

Other students walking past along the corridor were sending curious glances at two of the most well known students at Hogwarts. Hermione glared back at them and they quickly averted their eyes.

Harry looked down at his feet. Damn! You're such an idiot Potter! You should've given it a bit more thought. No, make that a LOT more thought. He sighed. Serves me right. I really screwed up.

Looking back up at Hermione, who was still standing there glaring at him, Harry cleared his throat and decided, "in for a penny, in for a pound".

'Hermione, I didn't give it any thought and it serves me right that you're mad at me. I screwed up. I'm really, really sorry.'

Hermione clicked her tongue as she raised her eyes, bringing them back down to gaze at Harry. Then she sighed deeply.

'Oh Harry! What am I going to do with you?' She sounded exasperated, but at least she didn't seem to be as angry and upset as she'd been a minute ago.

Harry dropped his eyes again. Ha! I know what I'd like you to do with me, Hermione. What a question! Trouble is, you wouldn't be able to believe it - what I think about, when I think about you. And why the hell am I thinking about this now?! Merlin, she's driving me crazy!

He ran his fingers through his untidy black hair, a gesture Hermione was well aware meant that he was nervous or on edge. Her gaze softened as she looked at his down turned face, waiting for him to reply.

'Well, you could put me out of my misery and say you'll come with me to the Graduation Ball...' he ventured, looking at her hopefully from beneath his eyebrows.

'Why Harry? Why do you want me to go with you?' she asked, then continued, 'After your attempt at asking me back there in the class room-!' Hermione gestured with her hand in the approximate direction of the class room, at the same time making a sound of disgust at the memory...

Earlier, she and Harry had been sitting together, as they usually did in Transfiguration, and after Professor McGonagall had given them their homework assignment at the end of the lesson, she explained she needed to leave immediately to attend a meeting with the headmaster and left the class to see themselves out. Harry had leant over and asked Hermione to stay back as he wanted to ask her something. Hermione thought nothing of it, nodding in agreement as she gathered up her books. It didn't take long for everyone else to leave the room, Ron being one of the last; he cast a questioning glance over his shoulder at his two friends as he walked out the door. Hermione caught the look and shrugged her shoulders then sat, her chin resting on her hand, looking at Harry and waiting for him to speak.

Harry, however, was studying the desk top as though it contained all the answers to everything, and was having quite a problem with any form of speech or sound. Or any form of thought, for that matter. He felt as though his brain had been transfigured into cottonwool as it was totally useless. He was in a bind. He wanted Hermione to come to the Graduation Ball with him. But how the hell could he ask her, if not as a friend? And she probably wouldn't want to go with a friend; she'd want to go with a boy she fancied, a boy she'd want to kiss at the end of the night, not with him, not good-old-best-friend-Harry. But shouldn't he ask her as a friend? He didn't think he could ask her for the reason he really wanted to, that reason being that he fancied her and he wanted to kiss her at the end of the night. Just kiss her? Yeah, right. And the rest.

Unfortunately, before he regained even the slightest use of his brain, his mouth opened and said, 'Hermione, would you come to the Graduation Ball with me? I'm not game to ask anyone else, not that I really want to anyway, and you'll do - I mean, no one's asked you, thank goodness - no, I mean-', but he didn't get any further because Hermione rose from her chair clutching her books, glared at him more ferociously than she'd ever done in the long years of their friendship, turned on her heel and stormed from the room to leave Harry dropping his head to the desk with a distinct thud as he groaned in disgust at himself. Perhaps hitting his head on the desk caused his brain to kick back into gear, because he realised that he had to fix this now or life would be unbearable and so he ran from the classroom, pausing to check which direction Hermione had gone in, then running after her as he saw her heading towards the Great Hall along with the other students for lunch.

Not a pleasant memory. Harry lifted his head. Hermione was still waiting for him to tell her why he wanted her to go to the Ball with him.

Clearing his throat, Harry said, 'Hermione, what I said to you before was so stupid I can't believe I actually said it. I can't tell you how sorry I truly am. I really have trouble thinking straight when I'm around you-', this elicited a look of surprise from Hermione, '-and that's my rather lame excuse. Very lame. I want you to come with me because I want to spend that night with you and at the end of the night I want to....' Harry hesitated. What should he say now? How the hell was he going to put this?

Hermione spoke before he could say anything further. 'That's all very well Harry, but why do you want to spend that night with me?' A frown creased Hermione's smooth brow as she continued, 'And for your information Harry Potter, I have been asked by someone else. I just chose not to go with him.' Hermione was glaring at him again.

Harry's eyes widened in total surprise. He hadn't known that! Who else had asked her? It was his voice that was tense now as he demanded, 'Who's asked you? When did he ask you? Why did you say no?' Harry couldn't stop himself from glaring back at Hermione as he waited for her to answer.

'Harry,' said Hermione in a very determined voice, 'if you don't tell me right now why you want me to go to the Ball with you, this conversation is over. It never happened. And I will go to the Ball with-'

Harry didn't wait to hear who Hermione would choose to go to the Ball with if it wasn't him - he interrupted her quickly with, 'Hermione, I should have said this before, in the class room: I really like you. I think you're great to be with. You make me feel good and you make me laugh. I enjoy your company. I also happen to think that you look damn hot and I'd really, really like to kiss you, not to mention-'

'Harry!' Hermione's shocked exclamation of his name stopped him dead in his tracks.

Harry froze. Oh hell, now I've done it! I went and told her and now she's horrified and she definitely won't come to the Ball with me and she won't even want to be friends with me and she won't talk to me and she won't help me with my school work anymore and I'll never get to kiss her let alone-

'Harry, I'd be absolutely delighted to go to the Ball with you!' said Hermione in her sweetest voice.

She smiled widely at Harry, then turned on her heel and walked into the Great Hall, with a quick glance over her shoulder at him, her eyes shining. Harry stood there dumbfounded. Then Hermione's words sunk in. She was going to the Ball with him. He was taking Hermione to the Ball. He and Hermione were going to the Ball together. Slowly, a huge grin spread across Harry's face and with it fixed firmly in place he headed into the Great Hall after Hermione.

Harry wasn't sure how he got through lunch without making a total fool of himself. He had difficulty not smiling continuously and foolishly. Hermione, on the other hand, was as cool as a cucumber. She ate her lunch, chatted and smiled - no sign of foolishness at all, thought Harry, with admiration. The only reassurance he had that he hadn't dreamt the whole thing was Hermione's occasional little glances at him. He'd suddenly realise she was looking at him and when his eyes met hers, she'd smile a sweetly secret little smile that only included the two of them, and no one else. No doubt about it, she made his heart sing.

Late that evening in the Gryffindor common room, Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in the large, squashy lounge before the fire, their homework finished (a fact of which Harry and Ron were extremely proud), just talking in a desultory manner as they watched the fire ever-so-slowly die down. Harry, sitting in the middle with his legs stretched out in front of him, his hands clasped behind his head, was very conscious of Hermione's nearness as she sat in the corner of the lounge in her usual manner with her legs tucked up under her, a book on her lap that she'd marked and closed when they all started talking. Ron was sitting at the other end of the lounge, stretched out in the same manner as Harry.

They'd discussed such things as the identity of Ginny's latest love interest - it was a complete mystery and Ginny continued to be totally secretive, much to the annoyance of all but especially to Ron; the last Quidditch game - Gryffindor defeated Slytherin - always a source of satisfaction and then on to their NEWTS...

'Hermione,' remarked Harry, 'you will do disgustingly well - you'll get more NEWTS than anyone else in the history of Hogwarts!'

Hermione sighed.

'Not possible.'

'Why on earth not for heaven's sake? If you can't, no one can!' cried Ron.

'Because,' said Hermione patiently, 'I am not as prepared as I should be in a number of my subjects considering that our NEWTS are a mere 4 weeks away.'

'Four weeks is forever!' replied Ron.

'Well, not quite, Ron,' said Harry.

'Exactly!' said Hermione, giving Harry a grateful look.

'Well, it's certainly more than enough time to study for NEWTS,' said Ron, frowning at Harry for siding with Hermione.

To prevent another of Ron and Hermione's heated arguments breaking out, Harry quickly changed the subject and asked Ron who he was planning on asking to the Ball.

Ron smiled dreamily and sighed. 'Luna.'

'Luna?' exclaimed Harry and Hermione together, looking at each other as if to say, Ron and Luna? When did that happen?

'Yes,' said Ron. 'Luna. I asked her yesterday after lunch. She was on her way to Care of Magical Creatures and we were on our way to Herbology - '

'Ah, I wondered what kept you back!' broke in Harry.

'Anyway,' continued Ron, 'she said "yes" straight way so I'm all set! How about you two?' he asked as he turned to look at them, leaning forward a little to see past Harry. 'Going to the Ball with someone special, Hermione?' he inquired with a cheeky grin.

Hermione suddenly looked down at her hands as she twisted them in her lap and Ron could swear she was actually blushing for crying out loud!

'Yes, I am and I think I'd better get up to bed as I'm really tired and I want to get up early tomorrow to do some more study on-'

'So, who are you going with?' questioned Ron, totally ignoring Hermione's rambling excuse for an answer.

Hermione put her book aside, stood and yawned, stretching her arms over her head (Harry watched her, transfixed; yawning and stretching had never looked so good!) and speaking as though she hadn't heard Ron's query, 'See you both tomorrow. Sleep tight!' Then she walked off to the staircase that led up to the girls' dormitories.

Ron turned to look at Harry, speechless.

'What's wrong with her?' he asked, astonishment written on his face. 'Do you know who she's going with?' he shot at Harry.

It was Harry's turn to look down. Then he decided that honesty was the best policy so he sat up, straightened his shoulders and looking Ron in the eye, said, 'Yes, I do. She's going with me.'

Ron was once again struck speechless, gaping at Harry. As the shadows cast by the fire danced across the two friends' faces, Ron continued to simply stare at Harry, saying nothing. Then he slowly blinked as he remembered something.

'Did you ask her after Transfiguration this morning?'

Harry gave him a lopsided smile and nodded. 'Yes. Look, I'm tired too,' he said, rising from the armchair. 'I'm off to bed. See you in the morning, Ron.'

Harry walked off to the boys' staircase, leaving Ron staring after him, unable to say anything although his head was full of questions, spinning around and around in a fast, confusing whirl. Why had Harry asked Hermione? Why had Hermione said yes? Why did she blush? Why didn't Hermione tell him who she was going with when he asked her? What did this mean? Weren't Harry and Hermione just friends? Why hadn't they told him during lunch? Why-?

Ron sighed as he stared into the fire. He knew there were to be no answers for him tonight. But he'd sure as hell get some tomorrow.