Naturally Attracted

"Hey, how's your day been?" Harry asked a flustered looking Hermione, as he sat eating dollops of toffee and fudge ice cream while watching his favourite soap.

"Well, I have a patient who's convinced he's a vampire, a ghost who has marital problems, and I spent the last forty-five minutes trying to communicate with someone who happened to be under a certain spell that prevented them from speaking," Hermione said, replying as casually and calmly as she could. " So basically it was just a normal day at St. Mungo's. I am famished though, have we anything to eat?"

"I made some dinner!" Harry answered, as though he had defeated the Dark Lord and learnt Japanese all in just one hour. He walked excitedly to the small kitchen and presented something to Hermione that she could only define as...well actually she couldn't define it. However, she was sure that it had already been eaten.

"Harry," Hermione began uncertainly. "Have you been having cooking lessons with Hagrid again? Because I don't think that's a good idea..."

"What do you mean? It's supposed to be a rice and pasta mix," Harry said in a tone that could only be described as the tone of a man-who-has-just-been-rejected-by-the-woman-of-his-dreams could carry.

"Ah, well I can see what you mean by the mix but where exactly does the pasta and rice come in?" She said, grinning slightly.

However, before Harry could even proceed to answer her, a man with bright flaming red hair burst in carrying what looked like a very fluffy bunny.

"What's with the rabbit? It looks as though it's been electrified," Hermione stated.

"Hey, Ron. Do you want to try some of my pasta and rice mix?" Harry asked innocently.

"First of all," Ron said turning to Hermione, "There has been a terrible accident and I need your help before Ginny kills me. Second of all," He said now turning directly to Harry. "Have you ever tried any of your cooking?"

"What's happened? What's so terrible?" Hermione asked quickly, as concern lit her face.

"I transfigured Malfoy into a rabbit," Ron stated, in a normal situation he would have found this funny but at this moment horror was filling his eyes.

"And what exactly would be so terrible about that?" Harry asked curiously as he voiced both Hermione's and his own thoughts.

"What is so terrible about that?" Ron repeated, envious of the fact that his friends could be so calm. "He's my sister's fiancé for goodness sake, she'd kill me if she found out I did this. I mean she has a temper that...that's..."

"Quicker than yours," Hermione completed. Harry snorted. Ron's face was full of recognition.

"Yes! Exactly!" Ron said...and then he realised he was agreeing to Hermione's comment.

"So, why exactly did you transfigure Malfoy into a rabbit and why can't you just transfigure him back?" Hermione asked in her logical sense.

"Well, I went to see Ginny at her place but she wasn't there, only Malfoy was. I was about to leave and well Malfoy said something and then I said something and before we knew it we were arguing, with him being the cold, sarcastic bastard that he is. After a few minutes I had had enough of him and took out my wand and transfigured him into...well, a rabbit," Ron explained. "Every time I try to put him right again nothing happens."

"Put him on the table," Hermione commanded. Ron obeyed and tried to put the twitching fluffy rabbit, who Harry thought was trying to gnaw one of Ron's finger's off, on the table. Hermione muttered a few words and in just a few seconds Draco Malfoy appeared on the table, scratching behind his ears in an aggressive manner. Then he realised he was back to normal and tried to put on a threatening glare...but of course a man who has been turned into fluffy bunny and back can only look so threatening.

"Finally, someone who can actually say the bloody spell right," Draco commented. Hermione took this as the first and last compliment that Malfoy would ever give to her. "Weasley, if I wanted I'd hex you to hell right now but I think telling Ginny about what you've done might just be a little better." And with that he disapparated.

"I'm doomed," Ron said simply. "I'm going to be murdered by my own little sister and I have no where to go, which reminds me can I crash here tonight?"

"Why? What's the matter?" Harry asked.

"Alicia and I had a...minor argument, which resulted in her pushing me out the door and locking all apparating wards so that I couldn't get in," Ron said, feeling a slight touch of embarrassment.

"And what would the topic of this argument have been?" Harry asked nosily. "Did she finally realise that you're not actually Ron but his evil twin brother who had been separated at birth. And did you finally come to know that Alicia's actually Lee Jordan in disguise?"

Hermione smacked Harry's head. Ron was not amused.

"You really ought to stop watching all those soaps on WWN. It's just not healthy," Ron replied. "Actually now that I've come to think about it, I can't really remember what we were arguing about. I just got back from work and she started yelling at me, I tried to calm her down but that method was just futile. Before I even knew it I was standing outside the door to my own home."

"Ah," Hermione said, as though she understood this behaviour completely. Both Ron and Harry stared at her.

"Ah? What do you mean, ah?" Ron asked incredulously

"She is pregnant, Ron. Her hormones are flying everywhere, she's bound to have some off days." Hermione reminded Ron simply as she passed him a glass of water.

"Well, yes..."

"And she's also a woman," Harry added to Ron in a whisper. "That should be an easy enough explanation."

"I heard that!" Hermione said in irritation although the irritation quickly disappeared when she saw Harry's teasing smile.

"So, is it okay if I stay over tonight, then?" Ron repeated his previous question.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other with both their faces showing the same thought, then Harry said mischievously. "Sure you can..."

Ron sighed with relief even though he knew that he was always welcome to stay with his best friends.

"Of course only if you try some of Harry's delicious pasta and rice mix," Hermione continued. Harry laughed. Ron paled incredibly.

**********

Later that day...

Ron and Harry sat on the couch discussing Quidditch, which was one topic that they never seemed to get bored of, when Hermione came out of her room trying to search for her new earrings. Harry turned to Hermione to ask her about what she thought about a certain move in Quidditch. However, instead of opening his mouth and speaking he just opened his mouth and stared at her. Hermione was wearing a short black sleeveless dress that fitted her perfectly.

She looks so pretty, Harry thought to himself. Well, she's always been pretty; it's just the way that her compassionate personality glows in her face. In that sense I don't think I've met anyone prettier than her.

Ron stared with amusement at Harry's glazed expression and then said to Hermione. "Bit too dressed up to be staying in tonight aren't you?"

"I'm going to the theatre with David," she answered as she found her earrings among a pile of books on the coffee table.

This brought Harry out of his thoughts. "David? That Doctor that works with you at St. Mungo's? I thought you didn't like him."

"I didn't at first," Hermione admitted. "But once you get to know him he's rather nice...and funny too."

I'm nice...I can be funny, Harry thought. Hang on, why did I just think that?

"But it's late and you must be tired from work, you don't have to go," Harry protested.

Ron tried to suppress his laughter. Harry and Hermione did not notice this and Hermione gave Harry a strange look and said. "Harry it's only just past 8pm and I'm really not that tired." Just then the doorbell rang. "That's probably him now, see you later."

Once she had left Ron turned to Harry and asked. "So, what was all that about?"

"Nothing," came the reply.

"Oh come on Harry, just admit that you really like her," Ron said in a tired manner.

"Of course I like her, she's my best friend," Harry replied densely.

"You know what I meant," Ron snapped. "Harry I've been wanting to say this for a long time now but I've always restrained myself from doing so because I thought that you'd realise it soon enough. Harry you're in denial. It's just that you're so naturally attracted to Hermione that you just think those feelings are normal..."

"Ron..." Harry began but then he quickly shut up because for some reason he just couldn't deny what Ron was telling him.

"It's just so obvious to everyone else that you two belong together. She always talks about you, Harry and you always talk about her. Each of you seem to just know what's on the other's mind. Just a few weeks ago at Fred and Angie's wedding you got Hermione her dinner and Hermione got you yours, you didn't even have to ask what the other wanted. When she's unhappy you're unhappy and vice versa. When she smiles you just can't stop smiling and now that she's going out with someone, you're jealous about it. Admit it, you're in love with her."

Harry's mind was full of Ron's words and the memories that they invoked but still he chose to ignore them and to change the topic. "Ron you can have my room when you want to go to bed, I'll just stay on the couch."

Ron sighed and then said. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, besides I want to wait up for Hermione," he replied simply. At this Ron raised his eyebrows. Harry, who was being quite oblivious to his love life did seem to, however, notice this. "It means nothing. We always wait up for each other. When Hermione goes out I wait up for her and when I go out she waits up for me, it's just the way things are."

At this point Ron thought that singing seemed appropriate so he sang. Although his song seemed to consist of only one word that was repeated several times: "Denial, denial, denial."

********

"Hey Herm," Harry said, surprising her as she tried to tip toe back to her own room.

"Goodness Harry, I thought you were asleep," she said as she came over to him.

"I thought I'd wait up for you," he said matter-of-factly, his mind still swimming with what Ron had said earlier. Maybe Ron's right.

"You didn't have to do that, it's late. You should have gone to sleep, you must be tired." Hermione told him in concern.

"How was the Play?" Harry asked, ignoring her comments. Hermione began to tell Harry everything about the storyline and what she thought of the actors but Harry wasn't concentrating on her words but instead his mind was somewhat attached to her ruby red lips. He found her whole presence intoxicating, it was as though he was drowning and that made it extremely hard for him to form any rational thoughts.

Hermione suddenly stopped talking as she realised she couldn't since someone's lips were upon her own. Hang on a second; those are Harry's lips! But wait I can't...Ooh Toffee and Fudge! She thought as she made her way to taste his mouth. She kissed him back, her eagerness equalling his, and she immensely enjoyed it and since Harry wasn't stopping even to breathe she gathered that he was enjoying it too. Then she froze, I can't be doing this, he's my best friend. If something goes wrong then we could lose everything that's already between us, I could lose him.

"Hermione?" Harry said as he saw her horror struck face.

"I'm sorry, Harry," was all she could say before she ran out the door leaving a bewildered Harry to work out what had just gone wrong in such a perfect moment.

*******

Hermione was cold, perhaps it had something to do with leaving Harry's warm embrace and tender kisses...Or perhaps it was just because she was outside at midnight in a short sleeveless dress with no cloak to be seen. What have I done? She thought. I shouldn't have run out on him like that, not exactly a very Gryffindor thing to do...but then what else could I have done? Hermione apparated herself in front of a familiar door and proceeded to knock. A de-furred Draco Malfoy who was now standing in front of her, wearing a dressing gown, soon answered it.

Draco looked at Hermione in her full attire and then a grin came upon his face. "Hermione, darling! I know you want to tell everyone about our hot and heavy affair but now is really not a good time."

If this was any other situation then Hermione may have smiled but she was in too miserable a mood to do even that. "It was Ginny I wanted to see..."

"Oh, so it's like that is it?"

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Ginny asked curiously as she made her way to the door. Hermione looked at Draco and grew a little uncomfortable, Ginny caught on to this and gave Draco a meaningful look and after a few seconds he got the hint and walked away leaving the two women to talk freely.

"I'm sorry about this intrusion, Ginny, I just needed to talk to someone." Hermione tried to explain.

"No worries. Do come in, you look as though any second now you're going to freeze," Ginny told her, growing concerned. "You do realise that it's 12am, don't you?"

"That late? I'm really sorry Gin-"

"No, don't apologise, I'm just wondering what could be so important that you'd come at this hour looking so gloomy?!" Ginny asked as she gestured for Hermione to sit down at the kitchen table. "Would you like some hot chocolate, that usually does the trick for me when I'm feeling down...that or some fruitful time with Draco."

"Did someone say my name?" Draco asked loudly from another room.

"No!" The two women replied in unison.

"I'd prefer some coffee...strong coffee, actually," Hermione said, trying not to look at Ginny as she got used to the warmth inside the house...but then again something wasn't right with this warmth, it just didn't feel right.

Ginny knew Hermione was avoiding the question, so she stared at her friend trying to work out what the matter was and then it came to her. "You slept with Harry, didn't you?"

"No! It was nothing like that," Hermione protested but she still refused to look at Ginny when she said this.

"Are you sure about that? Ooh I've got it! He kissed you!" Ginny exclaimed as her face lit up.

"No!" Hermione began to protest again...and then she realised that Ginny was actually right. "Well, okay, yes."

"I knew it! I knew you two couldn't stay away from each other forever but hang on a second, why are you so glum?" Ginny asked, as she grew even more confused at Hermione's behaviour.

Hermione was silent. Why was she so glum? Ah, yes, the best friend thing!

"Ah, it's the best friend thing, isn't it?" Ginny said matter-of-factly as she read her friend's expression.

Hermione was gob smacked. "How do you do that?"

"I knew that issue had to arise sometime with either you or Harry but more likely with you. You see your problem is that you think too much, Hermione," Ginny said wisely as she passed Hermione her coffee.

"But think about it, Ginny. Going forward like this with Harry would mean us risking our friendship, I could lose him if it doesn't work. And he'll probably end up hating me and he'd move out and that would be it. 16 years of friendship flooed down the fireplace because of temptation," Hermione said, her mind going in overdrive. Coffee usually has that effect. Or maybe the effect was just being Hermione.

"Wait a minute," Ginny cried holding her arms up in surrender. "What makes you think that you aren't going to make it? You and Harry care about each other so much all ready, so what makes you think that by being in a romantic relationship you're going to grow apart? In all these years that's the most stupid thing I've heard from you Hermione Granger, I am thoroughly disappointed."

"Sorry," Hermione said quietly, feeling like she was a student at Hogwarts again and was being scolded by none other than Professor McGonnagal.

"Hermione, honey, let me give you a small example of what I see between you two: A few weeks ago at Fred and Angelina's wedding whenever some floozy came over to chat up Harry she wouldn't get very far, do you know why?"

"Why?" Hermione said in a silent whisper, although she already knew the answer to this question.

"Because you'd be there. And do you know why you never were able to dance with the wizards who were flirting with you?"

Hermione smiled and decided to answer this question. "Because whenever I'd make a move to the dance floor with someone, Harry would come up to us and say to my supposed partner: 'Do you mind if I take this one?'"

"Exactly," Ginny said smiling, feeling as though her mission was complete. "And you know what? It's even in his name. Think about it, Harry Potter equals H.P, which equals Hermione's Poodle!"

"Poodle?"

"Poodle of love," Ginny completed. Hermione still didn't understand. "It's what I call Draco to get him in the mood."

"You call Draco a poodle? I'd have thought you'd rather have called him a rabbit after what Ron did." Hermione said laughing, as she tried to imagine Harry's face if she was to ever call him a poodle.

"Rabbit? What did Ron do?" Ginny asked with suspicion filling her mind. "And how would Ron have been involved in this exactly?"

"Don't tell me he hasn't told you?" Pause. "So you really don't know?" Ginny shook her head, her eyes narrowing. Well, you've really put your foot in it this time haven't you, Hermione? Er, sorry Ron!

***********

I really should see Alicia before she goes to work, Ron thought as he tried to find some cornflakes in what he hoped would soon be known as the Potter's kitchen. "Good morning, Harry."

"I'd have preferred a good night instead!" came the answer.

"Well I did say I didn't mind taking the couch," Ron reminded his friend as he went over to sit with him with a bowl of cornflakes in his hand. He noticed that Harry still had his clothes on from the previous night. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No."

"Oh." Ron looked around, trying to work out what was missing. "Is Hermione still in bed?"

Harry flinched. "No. She's not at home."

Ron frowned. "Do you think she's still with what's his name, David or something?"

"No."

Ron groaned. "You should try speaking in informative sentences, it usually helps the listener understand things better."

To an outsider, at this point, it may have looked as though the green-eyed man was about to burst into flames the colour of the red headed man's hair but alas that did not happen. Instead the green-eyed man chose this moment to let his head fall to the surface of the coffee table in front of him and the eyes of the red headed man widened in realisation.

"You kissed her," Ron stated, his eyes smiling.

"Yes," Harry replied in a muffled voice with his head still quite attached to the table.

"But she ran out on you, didn't she?" Ron said as he examined his friend's distressing state.

"What? How did you...How do you do that?" Harry asked as he finally lifted his head from the table and stared at Ron.

"It's just a Weasley thing," Ron explained, dismissing that matter quickly. "So, what happened?"

"Well, I kissed her and at first she kissed me back but then she pushed me away from her and gave me this look, urgh, I'll never forget that look. It was as though she thought I was this infectious disease and...and...and it hurt Ron." Harry tried to explain between the sobs that just got stuck in his throat. "I mean I've had a really messy break up from a relationship in the past and I'm certain that Hermione running away from me hurt so much more than that break up ever did, which is funny because Hermione and I weren't even dating."

"Harry," Ron began gently." Hermione doesn't think you're an infectious disease, I'm pretty sure of that. I think she just pushed you away because she was scared."

"Of what? Me?" Harry asked incredulously.

"No, of losing what she already has with you; A strong friendship. Harry, she clearly cares about you so much that she couldn't stand to lose you if something went wrong with your relationship. Harry, what did it feel like kissing Hermione?"

"It felt like Paradise," he answered without hesitation.

"Then you can't let that paradise slip. You need to convince Hermione that a relationship between the two of you would be a brilliant one," Ron advised. "Do you remember the time when Hermione and I dated back in our fifth year?"

"Yes."

"Well, it didn't last very long. In fact it barely lasted two months, do you know why?"

"Why?" Harry asked curiously.

"Because we weren't meant to be together. Both of you haven't exactly had thriving relationships with anyone of your previous partners and I believe the reason to that has been obvious to everyone except the two of you for quite a while now."

Harry kept silent.

"Hermione and you belong together, that's the reason! You're perfect for each other; I mean it's even in her name. Hermione Granger equals H. G which equals to Harry's girl!"

Harry laughed. "So you're saying that her parents named her Hermione because they knew that in the future she'd meet a person named Harry?

"For the purpose of this conversation...yes! Absolutely," Ron replied lamely.

Harry smiled and then turned to Ron and asked. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Forgetting? I don't think so."

"Right. By the way, last night I got an owl from Alicia when you were sleeping. If I remember correctly it said something along the lines of, 'If Ron happens to be there and if he still can't quite work out what I was going on about last night then just put me out of my misery and tell him he forgot our anniversary!'"

Ron went white. "Shit, so now I'm going to be murdered by two women. I think Trelawney was right in what she said about me."

"What? That you'd be eaten by a flobber worm?"

"No, the one where she told me that my grim were women."

********

Hermione had about fifteen minutes of her lunch break left but she decided to go back to her office to prepare some notes for her next client; a ghost who was depressed due to marital problems. The main reason for this was not only because she wasn't hungry but also because every time she tried to relax she'd just end up thinking about him again. She just couldn't get him out of her head...or her heart for that matter. She desperately wanted to talk to him or hold him or even better just kiss him. She had spent the last night at Ginny's, trying to get her head around what she would say to Harry the following morning but when she had reached home in the morning Harry wasn't there. The flat had just felt cold and empty then, Hermione shivered just thinking about it.

"Hermione?"

Suddenly a warm feeling grew inside Hermione and all thoughts about the cold and emptiness were wiped away as she turned from her notes to look at the man who was closing her office door behind him. There was no mistaking it. It was Harry.

Great! Hermione thought. So now I'm having coffee induced hallucinations.

"Hermione? Are you okay?" Harry asked as he pulled Hermione out of her thoughts and back to reality, which of course was no hallucination.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She shook her head. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I am but surely I can't go if I'm sick?" he said, his eyes twinkling as he sat down on the chair that all Hermione's patients would sit on.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked in concern as she moved herself to sit next to him.

"I'm crazy," he answered simply.

"What?" This was an answer Hermione hadn't been expecting.

"I need your help. You see there's this girl and I'm crazy about her, she means more to me than everything I've ever had put together. She has fly about hair that smells like vanilla, she has an innocent yet alluring face that you just can't stop staring at, and she also has the most beautiful mind that I've ever been acquainted with." Harry moved himself closer to Hermione, his eyes gazing intently into hers. All Hermione could think of was that if her heart was to beat any faster or harder then it would surely break through her chest. "And she has these eyes." Harry continued. "These deep brown eyes that you just can't help drowning in and Hermione, I think I'm drowning. It's as though she's got this spell on me."

"Does she know how you feel about her?" Hermione asked, her cheeks growing redder and redder with every second that went by.

"That's what I want to know. You see I've been having these dreams where I try to show her how I feel but she just runs away. I was wondering if you could interpret it for me?" Harry explained, trying to choose his words carefully as he covered Hermione's hand with his.

"I think that when you see her next you should let her show you the way she feels," Hermione said slyly.

"Really-" but Harry couldn't finish his sentence because now Hermione's soft and tender lips were claiming his. Yes, Paradise is the only way to describe this. Harry thought.

As both of them engaged in the act of indulging in each other they did not feel the presence of a floating member in the room...well that was until-

"Ooh, Dr. Granger," said a voice. The supposed Dr. Granger broke away from a reluctant green eyed man, who actually looked more like a cross eyed man since his glasses were askew on the floor. "I came in for my appointment with you but it seems as though I'm going to have to cancel. In fact I'll cancel all of my sessions this week, I think I've finally worked out what I was doing wrong." And with that a smiling female ghost drifted out the room.

"Who was that?" Harry asked, although he seemed more interested in Hermione's neck than he was in the actual question that he asked.

"That was the ghost I had an appointment with now. She was going through marital problems although she says now she's worked out what was going wrong." Hermione smiled at the thought and then looked at the man in whose arms she was. He smiled back at her and in that moment they both realised what they had been missing for so long; each other.

"You know something?" Harry asked her gently.

"What?"

"You're my girl, Hermione," Harry told her.

"And you're my poodle, Harry," Hermione told him, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

"Poodle?" Harry stated in both wonder and confusion. Hermione laughed. Yes, that's exactly what I thought his expression would be like.

Dismissing the idea of he himself being a poodle but concentrating on the fact that the woman of his dreams was in his arms, Harry said. "I do believe that you have a session free now that your ghost cancelled and I do believe I know a way of passing that time."

Hermione was way ahead of him.