The Matchmakers

As Parvati pushed her, Hermione almost feel, but she managed to catch her balance in time. As her eyes adjusted to the light which was less than adequate, she heard the door close behind her and the key turn in the lock. To her dismay, Hermione remembered that she had neglected to bring her wand: Parvati had pushed her out of the dorm so quickly she had completely forgotten it.

Hermione noticed a figure lying on the floor a few feet away. She could recognise that mop of unruly black hair anywhere - it was Harry.

"Harry!" she cried rushing over to him. He was unconscious. She knelt down beside him and gently shook him. His emerald green eyes opened slowly and he sat up. Hermione noticed a thin trickle of blood down the side of his face.

"Hermione?" he asked.

"I'm so glad you're all right!" Hermione exclaimed, then she blushed, realising what she had just said. Harry blushed too. She held out a hand to help him up, but as her right hand met his left, a silvery beam of light seemed to surround their wrists. When the light subsided, Hermione looked in amazement at their wrists which were held together by what looked to be a pair of Muggle handcuffs.

"Look's like we're stuck," commented Harry, and Hermione nodded. She sat down beside him and leaned against the stone wall that was behind them.

"This is Ginny's doing. Well, Lavender's handcuff's, but this was definitely Ginny's plan," said Hermione thoughtfully.

"How do you know?" asked Harry.

"Lavender has a tendency to leave them lying around. They're Muggle one's if I remember correctly."

"I meant about Ginny."

"Oh," Hermione bit her lip. "Well, do you really think Ron is smart enough to formulate a plan like this and organise Parvati to help as well?"

"And Dean and Seamus," added Harry, running his free hand through his hair. "They frog marched me down here and threw me inside with such a force that I knocked myself out."

"Ah," said Hermione, nodding. "That explains the blood." Harry looked worried and raised a hand to his face. He touched the small cut on his face gingerly and frowned.

"Damn," he muttered, seeing the blood on his fingers. He wiped them on his jeans.

Hermione, who had been staring moodily at the floor suddenly jerked her head upwards, a bright smile adorning her face. "I've got it!" she exclaimed. She fumbled in her hair which she had arranged in a messy bun. A second later she extracted a hair pin. She fumbled around with the lock on the handcuffs. After a few seconds she swore under her breathe in exasperation.

"Are you trying to pick the lock?" asked Harry curiously. Hermione nodded in response and continued in her attempt.

"You're not at a very good angle," commented Harry. Hermione gave him a scathing look.

"There's only one other way I could sit, and I don't think either of us would like it." Hermione could feel the colour rising in her cheeks as she said it.

"I'll do anything to get out of here," Harry told her, instantly regretting it. One, he liked being around Hermione and two, it sounded bitter and cold-hearted. Hermione raised her eyebrows and shrugged then swung herself around so that she was straddling Harry's lap. From that position she could easily access their wrists.

"How's it going?" asked Harry, his voice about an octave higher than normal. He cleared his throat and spoke again, this time his voice back to normal. "Are you almost done?"

"Almost," Hermione confirmed through gritted teeth. There was a small click and the handcuffs opened from Hermione's wrist. A couple of second later the handcuffs fell jingling to the floor.

"A thought just occurred to me," said Harry as they stood. Hermione looked at him quizzically and he continued, saying, "Then I realised that I really don't want to know why Lavender owns a pair of handcuffs." Hermione stifled a giggle then dusted her robes off. She walked over to the door and tried the handle. She groaned. "It's locked." She looked hopefully at Harry. "Do you have your wand?"

"No. It's in my bag. Which is in the Common Room."

Hermione frowned. "So we're stuck in here until someone let's us out," she said, leaning against the door frame. She began to strum her fingers impatiently.

"Maybe that's a good thing," said Harry, sitting in an old chair at a desk. At some point the room had obviously been used as a classroom, though this had evidently been many years ago. "We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes there is. What about the accident at our Flying lesson? Or just before the accident? Or at the Ball? What would have happened if Ron and Lavender hadn't gone up to the Astronomy Tower?" asked Harry.

"Do we have to talk about Ron?" asked Hermione angrily.

"Yes! If it wasn't for him we'd probably both be dead!" Hermione looked at Harry in astonishment. "Didn't you know? If Ron and Lavender hadn't gone down to the Quidditch Pitch we'd probably both be deceased. He cast a spell which stopped us from falling so fast. He saved our lives!"

Hermione had turned pale. She hadn't been told this. "I've been such an idiot. I haven't spoken to him for days."

"Aren't you sick of it, Hermione?" asked Harry, bitterly.

"Sick of what?"

"Oh, stop being so naive, Hermione!" snapped Harry.

"I have no idea what you're on about!" Hermione said shrilly.

"Aren't you sick of playing these games?"

"What games?" asked Hermione annoyed.

"These games!" Harry shouted, standing up. "These stupid will they won't they games!" He walked towards her as he spoke. "It's annoying the hell out of me and Ron's being a right little bugger trying to set us up! We either will or we won't!"

"Will or won't what?" Hermione shouted back.

"Get together for God's sake! I don't even know if you love me as much as I think I love you!" He glared at Hermione. They were just inches apart and his voice had dropped to a dangerously low whisper. "What would you do if I were to kiss you right now?"

"I don't know!" Hermione snapped. "Why don't we find out?"

"All right then!"

In the Gryffindor Common Room, six seventh years and a sixth year were crowded round a crystal ball watching the scene unfold in the abandoned classroom.

This is better than the movies," said Dean, not taking his eyes away from the crystal ball which now depicted Harry and Hermione handcuffed together. As Hermione straddled Harry's lap to access their wrists more clearly, he added, "Much better!"

"What are movies?" asked Neville Longbottom curiously.

"It's a Muggle thing," said Lavender.

"Hey, Lavender," said Seamus, and Lavender turned towards him. "Why do you own a pair of handcuffs?" Lavenders face turned a nasty shade of red as she blushed so hard you were sure that she would explode. Curiously, Ron also blushed. Nothing more was said on the subject.

As Harry and Hermione began to yell furiously at each other, Ginny grimaced. "This isn't looking too good. They look like they want to kill each other."

"Keep watching," Ron insisted. "Something is going to happen - I can feel it!"

"Yeah - they're going to start cursing each other!" said Parvati worriedly.

"No they're not," said Lavender. She held up two pieces of wood - Harry and Hermione's wands.

As the row increased in the abandoned classroom, the Gryffindors leaned closer to the crystal ball that sat before them, their jaws dropping in amazement.

Neither Harry nor Hermione initiated the passionate meeting of their lips, but neither pulled away from the thing both had been wishing for for so long. After all the failed attempts at romance it had finally happened. Hermione's hands had managed to entangle themselves in Harry's already messy hair, while his were snaked around her waist.

Years of passion were poured out into that one kiss. The two were pressed together so close that one could not distinguish where one stopped and the other began. Hermione ignored the cold stone wall that her back was pressed hard against as Harry's hands gradually found their way under her robes.

Harry's mind was racing at the speed of a Firebolt. Ten Firebolts, even. 'I'm kissing her. I'm actually kissing her. This isn't happening. No, it is happening. This is probably the best day of my life ever. Oh my God, I'm actually kissing her.' Hermione was having thoughts along the same sort of line.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two broke apart, albeit reluctantly. They stood there for a few seconds, just staring into each others eyes and grinning insanely, their faces flushed.

"That was... incredible," whispered Hermione, breathlessly. Harry nodded mutely.

"I was going to say the same thing." He inclined his head slightly and Hermione tilted hers upwards. For the second time their lips met in a sweet, passionate kiss. When they broke apart, Hermione rested her head on Harry's shoulder. At the same time they both murmured, "I love you."

"Whoa," murmured Ginny, as they watched Harry and Hermione kiss from the Gryffindor Common Room.

"I, uh, really don't think you should be watching this, Ginny," said Ron, trying to shield his younger sister from the images that the crystal ball was showing them.

"Get lost, Ron!" exclaimed Ginny, brushing his hands away from her eyes. "I've had worse kis..." Her eyes widened as the kiss between Harry and Hermione intensified even more. "On second thoughts, I don't think anyone had ever been kissed like that!"

Ron obviously chose to ignore that fact that someone had kissed his sister.

"That is so romantic," said Parvati in awe.

"What?" asked Dean. "Snogging in an empty classroom? We've done that loads of times!" Parvati blushed furiously and she glared at Dean, making strangling motions with her hands. The others chuckled at her embarrassment.

"It is kind of romantic, I suppose," said Seamus, and Ginny nodded.

"Yeah, they've been friends for so long. No-one ever thought they'd actually get together!"

Dean and Seamus looked at each other. Seamus pulled out a notebook from his tattered bag which was lying beside his chair. The notebook was several years old. "Me and Dean made a few bets back in first year," he explained. He flicked over a few sheets of parchment. "Ah, here were have it." He passed the notebook to Ron.

Ron laughed and read the bet aloud: "'Harry Potter and Hermione Granger will get married and live happily ever after.' I'm surprised you didn't put bets on how many children they're going to have!"

Seamus blushed. "Actually, that's on the next page."