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Serendipity
(The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.)
Being a muggleborn witch in the corrupted, bigoted world of magical Britain was perhaps one of the most daunting things that Hermione Granger had experienced.
Most muggleborns when asked, would affirm that learning they were magical was their most significant life-altering experience.
Hermione knew, however, that she would have a completely different answer. She’d consider the Halloween of 1991, her first ever at Hogwarts as the day that changed her life forever.
For it was the day she had befriended Harry.
She hadn’t known then, just how much this boy would come to mean to her.
For him, Hermione had lied, set a teacher on fire, snuck out books from the restricted section of the library, brewed a lethal potion in an abandoned bathroom, bent the rules of time and faced an alleged mass-murderer. She had flown on the back of a class XXX beast, despite her reservations.
However, all that had paled in comparison on the scale of bravery when she had done something even more reckless, stupid and entirely too impulsive, things she was never known to be; associated with - but would gladly be labelled as for Harry in a heartbeat.
She had seen the look on Harry’s face as Cho had quietly left after thanking him and her for starting the DA all those days ago in December. She knew how Harry had fancied the girl but Cho was still mourning Cedric. That had been the last straw for Harry as Cho had tearfully expressed her gratitude to him and in taking a huge leap of faith confided in them how Cedric had expressed his interest to marry her when they were both done with school and the two had exchanged promise rings with the blessings of their parents. It had meant a lot to her that Harry had brought his body back so she could bid him farewell.
The girl had then run away, unable to hold back her tears any longer and too mortified to speak more in front of them.
Neither of them knew what to say to her and they had let her go.
Harry had sighed loudly and taken a few steps, as he began pacing around the room and she had let him. She knew he had to work this out himself. She knew how Cho’s words had finally broken his heart, even as the girl had never belonged to him. So, she had let him be and stood silent just in case he needed her. Wanted to talk to her.
Finally, Harry had stood and let out a short laugh.
He hadn’t met her eyes yet but something in his posture had just broken her heart.
Her feet had moved of their own accord and closed the distance between them as she stood in front of him.
Harry had finally looked at her and given a mirthless laugh.
“Why am I so pathetic Hermione? Who… who wastes their time… and so much of it on a girl who they haven’t even shared a word with? A girl who was not just with another guy but who… who was considering settling down with him. I’m just so stupid!”
“Harry please don’t say that! It’s not pathetic and certainly not stupid. You liked someone, really liked someone and you… you just followed your heart. There’s nothing to be ashamed of Harry. We… we don’t always get what…. who we want. It’s... it’s not that easy. You don’t get to decide on these things. The heart wants what the heart wants.”
She had seen him give her a look and then a corner of his mouth had lifted as he tilted his head and had given her the kind of look that had made her felt like she was being judged. Harry… Harry had never evaluated her like that, ever.
“Are those words from some book, oh wise one or… are you speaking from experience?”
His voice had been devoid of all tone and she hadn’t known what to make of it but had immediately felt her shields go up even as her temper flared for some reason she hadn’t been able to fathom.
“Not all things I say come from the books Harry!” She had snapped at him and then immediately felt her eyes widen as she realised what she had spoken and turned on her heels to flee but he had been quicker with his damn seeker reflexes and had caught her before she had even taken three steps.
“I’m sorry Hermione… I didn’t mean to offend you. I mean I know about you and Ron…”
For the second time in a minute she had turned so quickly, it had been a miracle she hadn’t got a whiplash.
“What about me and Ronald?!”
Harry had dropped her hand and taken a step back.
“Nothing. I didn’t mean anything.”
“Oh no, Harry Potter, you will tell me what you have in that head of yours right now before I… before I …”
“Before you what?” He had shot back in a fit of boldness he found again.
“Before I tie you up and leave you here AND set Peeves and Myrtle lose on you!”
His eyes had comically widened as he had held his hands up in surrender.
“Easy, easy. We are friends, remember? The boy who jumped on a troll for you standing in front of you Ms Granger. No need to threaten me with a creepy ghost who eyes me like… like I’m a piece of meat.”
Her mouth had twitched despite her anger and she knew Harry knew that. Damn him!
“You say like she is the only girl who looks at you like that, Potter.”
His cheeks had flushed and he had flashed her a crooked smile even as he spoke, “Yeah well… a bloke … I mean… at least they’re alive! Blimey, Hermione! She has been dead for over 50 years and it’s creepy and just.. I feel like I want to take a shower every time she leers at me and it’s not nice. You realise what your threat could do to me if you go through with it, right? I would likely be so traumatised for life that there will never be any cure for me. I’ll never be the same again. I would be the last Potter as she’d ruin my sanity for good and there will never be any little Potters running around my feet say 10-15 years from now. Would you do that to me? Have I not been a good friend?”
She couldn’t help it. She had burst out laughing and Harry had joined her.
“Oh Harry, you’re crazy, you know that?”
“I’m still your best friend.”
“That you are.” She had told him fondly and he had asked her very solemnly.
“Who is it, Hermione? I thought you… and Ron and I mean…”
She had been unprepared for that sincerity but knew it was not something she wished to share but she knew Harry was not going to let this go. Why couldn’t she have just kept her mouth shut? She closed her eyes and she had let out a long exhale as she stood there and made up her mind. What Harry could know and what he couldn’t.
Looking at him straight in the eye then she had said what she thought she was comfortable to reveal.
“It’s not Ron. It’s never been Ron, Harry.” She said in a whisper.
Harry had looked perplexed but nodded his head in understanding.
He waited for her to say more but that was all she was prepared to give him but he wouldn’t let it go.
“Then who is it?”
“It’s not important. Let it go, Harry.”
“Why? You know all about my embarrassing moments with Cho. Hell, you even saw the whole thing go up in a pyre now. Why can’t I at least know his name?”
“Please Harry.” She had whispered, closing her eyes. It was getting too much. Why wouldn’t he stop? Is it so important to make her say those things aloud? How could Harry be this cruel to her? Why won’t he stop?
She felt tears welling up in her eyes… tears he misunderstood.
“Hermione…” his voice came out in a choked whisper.
“I’m sorry. Look I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry. I was just trying to help. I thought… I just thought if I knew the guy you fancy I could perhaps talk to him or just … you know suss him out. You can have any bloke in this castle and I just felt anyone who you liked, who doesn’t see that you fancy him is an idiot. I just wanted to help Hermione, I swear.”
Tears had welled up in her eyes as she had looked angrily at him. As she felt her heart constrict with every word he said.
“No, you can’t do anything. You don’t mean that, so just don’t say those things alright?”
She had spun on her heels and taken three quick steps when he had caught up to her and stood in front of her, and despite being as tall as she was, somehow it seemed he was towering above her.
“What does that even mean? How can you even say that I don’t mean those words, Hermione? You know how much I appreciate you, think highly of you. How could you think I was lying? And especially when I just meant to help. You can know it all Hermione, but you can’t know what’s on my mind or the reasons for the things I say. I truly think you’re one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen. I think that you are a kind, loyal and amazing girl. Not to mention the smartest person I know. Any bloke would be lucky to have you!”
Her heart had shattered the more he spoke and she had had enough.
“Stop! Stop with your… your flattery Harry. I know who I am. I know what I am. I am just a bossy, no fun, quidditch hating, know it all. You don’t mean any of that! You care about me but you don’t need to lie to me.”
“I’m not lying!”
“You are. I know you are. So just stop this Harry and let me go.”
She had taken a step when he had grabbed her arm and forced himself into her space.
“You don’t get to call me a liar Hermione. The whole world is calling me that since the graveyard last year! You’re the only person who believed me last year no questions asked about the goblet and now, today of all the days you call me a liar when I am just saying that you are amazing. Not only are you calling me a liar but you are undermining our friendship too! You don’t get to do that to me!”
She had had enough and grabbing his lapels had finally cracked.
“And you don’t get to call me all those things when you never looked at me the way you looked at Cho! When you never asked to take me to the ball despite saying that I was the only one to believe you after the goblet. When you never once asked me to dance with you at the ball. You don’t get to say I am all those things that you say I am as per you when you don’t believe in them because you never fancied me the way I fancy you and you never even noticed!”
She had been panting by the time she was done and when it clicked what she had just blurted out she had released his lapels at the same time he had let go of her.
In the span of half an hour. Harry Potter had stood in the same spot as he had watched a girl fleeing from the Room of Requirements with tears in her eyes while he had felt frozen where he stood.
She had avoided Harry as much as she could after that fateful day of the 18th of December for the next two days. Harry on his part wouldn’t stop glancing at her every chance he got. A day later.. they had another secret DA meeting and this time when everyone had left. She had stayed back as she had asked Harry to forget everything she had said and how they could go back to being friends again, she simply needed some time. She hadn’t let him have a chance to speak as she had fled the room again.
She had been wrong.
They never went back to being just friends ever again.
She had had to stay back at Hogwarts for that Christmas since her parents had to fly to Chicago since her Gran had taken a fall and broken her hip. They didn’t have the time to apply for a permit for Hermione so she could travel with them and hence she had stayed back while they had flown to be at her Gran’s side.
Harry had decided to stay back thinking he could corner Dumbledore into answering his questions, about why the old wizard was avoiding him. Sirius had been disappointed, but when he had heard Harry’s reasons after Harry had finally found the charmed mirror, he had been supportive of his godson’s decision. The two had decided to spend all the holidays together, once they had finally got rid of Voldemort for good and understanding what Dumbledore was playing at was an important step to that end, regardless of how it irked the both of them.
The twins had charmed mistletoes since Umbridge banned them with another decree from the ministry citing how it corrupted the youth and they had found themselves underneath one, in front of the portrait of Barnabus the Barmy and his dancing trolls, on the evening before Christmas as they had set out to go there to prepare their next lessons to commence upon the arrival of the students back from the short holidays, in the next year.
They had walked right under the charmed mistletoe and a cackling Peeves had found them; telling them he had helped the twins set these up randomly all over the castle. So far their friend Ron had kissed Millicent Bulstrode, Draco Malfoy had had to kiss Zacharias Smith, Ginny had kissed Daphne Greengrass, Cormac had kissed Pansy, the next unsuspecting targets were called Graham Huntley and Meghan Corrick while the last ones before them who had shared a kiss under one of these mistletoes had been Neville and Luna. The point of stating all that was, unless the couple caught under the mistletoe kissed, they’d be unable to move. They were lucky couple number 7 of the day.
Frustrated, mortified and angry they had tried every spell they knew to no avail. She had finally become what she usually became only around Harry. Reckless, impulsive and a daredevil as she had just spat out,
“Just kiss me already Harry! I don’t mean to stay here so that Umbridge can find us and assign you another detention!”
Harry had frozen but slowly, stepped into her space yet again and her brain had ceased to function as she caught onto what she had just ordered him to do but no words would come to her mind now. Not when he was looking at her like that and as his eyes focused on her lips, she closed hers and waited.
Harry took his time. For the space of the next two heartbeats or two hundred, she’d never know - they stood still until his hands were on her face and his lips were on hers, gentle and firm and oh so soft. She hadn’t meant to do it, but at the contact, her hands had involuntarily found themselves grabbing his sweater and somehow they had found themselves lost in the kiss as Harry had pulled her into his arms. They had been breathless and wholly speechless once they had parted.
Harry had finally stepped back and let go of her as had she blushed upon realising how her hands had found themselves wrapped around his neck of their own accord.
The charmed mistletoe above them burst and into fireworks and the trance broke. Neither had registered the absence of a cackling poltergeist.
They hadn’t been able to draft those lessons at all.
Neither being able to look at each other, talk to each other without stammering, going red in the face as they couldn’t stop staring at each other’s lips.
A week later, they had shared their second kiss at the stroke of midnight, as Harry found her in the library and without a word, grabbed her hand as she was hunched over her next ancient runes assignment, and they’d walked in silence. Before she could ask him what was going on, the invisibility cloak had been pulled out and draped over them instantly.
They had found themselves walking closer than they were used to, under the cloak and Harry had not let go of her hand for a single moment the whole time. Soon, she had found herself atop the astronomy tower and Harry had apologised for hurting her that day, for making her cry and she had been waiting to hear him apologise for kissing her and for how he was unable to reciprocate her feelings as she had closed her eyes.
Instead, she found him in her space again as he took both her hands and as she finally found the courage to look at him again, she saw he was looking at her so intensely that her knees nearly buckled when he whispered,
“I’m sorry for being so stupid Hermione. I truly am. But you’ve to know that I meant all those things I said about you that day.
I was stupid and blind and blimey Hermione, how do you even put up with me? How do you even fancy me? I’m nothing but trouble and a magnet for all things crazy and dangerous.”
She had been unable to keep her mouth shut as he began deriding himself.
“If all those things couldn’t stop me from being your friend why would they stop me from fancying you? And.. yes you’re all those things Harry Potter, but you’re also the kindest, bravest and the most amazing person I know. Why would I…” she had trailed off, unable to talk anymore or look him in the eye as she decided to focus on their hands instead.
“Do you still fancy me, Hermione?” He asked her then in a strangely, tremorous and yet husky tone.
She couldn’t answer… couldn’t get her herself to speak up when he pressed on.
“Because I… I think I fancy you too.”
Her eyes had widened as her head shot up and she had looked at him.
“I… I can’t stop thinking about you, about that kiss Hermione. And… I know, I know how this sounds but god! Please, please, believe me, Hermione. I… had thought that you and Ron and so… I mean.. it’s stupid because I knew about Cho and Cedric too but.. you two are my best friends and they aren’t. I couldn’t ruin my friendship with both of you in one move. But with Cho, it was different. But ever since you told me that day and then that kiss… Hermione… you’re all I think about. You.. I can’t stop thinking about you, I can’t stop myself from dreaming about you, about kissing you. And… and I… I was wondering if you would still be willing to give me a chance. To give us a chance. I know I’m a lot of…”
He hadn’t been able to get the rest of his words out as she had launched herself at him and had captured his mouth in a hungry kiss that had left them both panting.
This time however as they had parted, their hands had stayed around each other as neither could stop smiling.
“Did that answer your questions?” She asked him shyly and yet feeling happier than she had ever felt.
“Perfectly.” He had answered, leaning in as he had kissed her again and again and again.
____________________
They had snuck out of the Gryffindor tower again.
Thankfully no one who was around seemed to pay attention to them. Ron was busily eating Lavender’s face as Ginny had perched herself on Dean’s lap in the corner of the common room. And the rest of the students were busy with their homework or playing board and card games - both Muggle and magical.
It didn’t take them time to get to the seventh floor and inside the room of requirement.
The past ten months were the best of her life.
She had thought she had known Harry better than most but even after all this time, he never ceased to surprise her. He had proven he meant those words he had told her last December every day since they had started dating.
He was kind and caring and wonderfully cheeky and sassy and she had discovered how he was capable of making her laugh and blush in the fraction of a second with a word or a look. He was oh so intense and passionate when they were together… but also remarkably shy and sweet.
The first time he had gotten carried away, all he had done was accidentally grope her but he had blushed as he realised what he had done, more than she had, as he had to be reassured that he had done nothing wrong and she wasn’t mad at him.
She had realised that day that perhaps no one had given Harry the talk either and his knowledge of such things might come from the boys in the dorm and locker room. It had occurred to her, Harry would never know how to initiate things between them. Given his upbringing, she couldn’t even blame him. But she knew how once Harry got confident about them, about what he was allowed and what she liked, he was a wonderfully talented student who would score an O if she could grade him on his talented hands and mouth and his husky tone and those gorgeous green eyes that made her lose her damn mind.
So here they were.
Every Halloween since they had arrived in this mental house of a school, Harry had found himself in some peril or other. She was determined to give him a good memory for once on this godforsaken day.
So she had asked him to drop off his stuff and get his cloak and meet her outside the common room once classes had ended today.
She had made sure she had no rounds scheduled today a week in advance as well.
Harry had found her pacing in front of the room of requirements and just as the door had appeared, she had held his hand and they’d closed the door behind them as soon as they were inside.
She could see she had taken Harry by surprise and couldn’t exactly blame him.
The room smelled of roses, the walls were painted beige. Fairy lights lit it up and there was a large, plush and comfortable oversized chair in the middle of the room with several pillows on it in black.
Harry’s eyes had widened but a smile had crept upon his face as she had led him by the tie, then turned him around as they had approached the oversized chair and pushed him onto it with a gentle shove as he had willingly followed her lead.
Taking a deep breath, finding her inner Gryffindor; she sat on his lap and a smiling Harry was about to kiss her when she had placed a finger on his lips to stop him, as his brows furrowed.
Looking into his eyes, she smiled at him leaning in as her lips gently pressed against his own and when she moved back, she knew the precise moment he realised what she was doing as three of her buttons had been undone by then.
“Hermione.”, he breathed out reverently as his eyes were drawn to the vision in front of him. When she was done unbuttoning her shirt, her hands immediately reached for his tie as he sat there, a willing captive.
Three of his shirt’s buttons were undone and Hermione couldn’t help but delight in the sight in front of her as her eyes found that spot on his chest immediately. She leaned in, unable to help herself and placed a soft kiss on the mark she had left just two days ago which was slightly fading. She couldn’t help but trace the curve of his neck, his jaw with her lips as he moaned and uttered her name breathlessly. Her teeth gently bit his earlobe and his hands reached for her undone shirt and pulled it down exposing more of her to him as his eyes lingered on the black lace of her bra.
“You’re so gorgeous.” He spoke as he captured her lips and kissed her with a ferocity that took her breath away.
When his lips sought her pulse point, she gently guided his head, to move lower and he harshly panted against her skin.
“Hermione…”
She gently rocked in his lap, making him groan as she guided his head closer to her once again when Harry knew she truly wanted this as his lips gently kissed her décolletage making her breath his name out as Harry’s hands settled on her thighs pulling her closer to him.
Harry’s lips set her on fire with every kiss he bestowed on her skin and as he had felt her heart thundering in her chest, owing to him, for him.
When his eyes found hers, there were so many emotions in them - happiness, bliss, wonder, fascination, lust and most importantly love.
She knew she had succeeded in making her Harry have his first normal and mundane Halloween and yet made it memorable. His eyes had always been empty and forlorn on this day, every year but today, in these moments, there were no ghosts of his past, no new threat that clouded his vision. Those wonderfully bewitching eyes of his were sparkling and she felt a joy unlike any she had known bubble up in her chest.
“I love you, Hermione.” He whispered to her and she couldn’t help the smile on her face. No matter how many times he told her those words, those three little words, she would never have enough of them.
He had first said them to her on his birthday after she had confessed her feelings to him. His eyes had welled up as he had kissed her senseless before he had murmured those words against her lips.
He had called it his best birthday gift ever… hearing someone say for the first time, that they loved him.
Her heart had broken for him and since then she took every opportunity she could to repeat those words to him as often as she could, just as she did now, gently pulling him closer with her hands on his neck as she whispered,
“I love you too, Harry.”
His dazzling smile was captured by her lips. She couldn’t get enough of him and his wonderful, positively addictive kisses. She would keep the vow she had made to herself on his birthday to ensure Harry would know how very much he was loved and treasured.