"When The Moon Glows"

By Robert

Part I

When History of Magic was over, Harry Potter headed to the Great Hall for dinner. He was very nervous about tomorrow, Christmas Eve, in which the Crystal Ball would take place. He still hadn't asked anyone. This was the second year in a row that he had trouble finding a partner, and he felt a bit stupid and left out. He didn't even know Hermione did not have a partner as well.

This year Ron had been fast on picking whom he went with - he was going with Rachel Vowena, a Ravenclaw fourth year.

Harry had considered Ginny, but she was going with Colin Creevy.

Harry felt sick thinking about this, so he did not. Harry also considered asking Cho Chang again, but Ron had assured him that he saw her talking to Seamus's older brother, Daniel. Harry knew someone he would very much like to go with, but he had not the courage to ask her and he figured she was already going with someone - Harry wanted to go with Hermione.

So, that day, Harry walked up to Hermione in the library and took a very deep breath.

"Hermione, will you-"

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing scarlet. She shoved a thick green book out of sight as she saw him.

"Would you - I mean, Hermione, will you..." Harry trailed off. "Will you help me with my Charms homework?" He finished. He hadn't done it. He'd wanted to, but hadn't.

Hermione looked a little disapointed. "Oh - well. okay." Harry heard disapointment in her voice.

"Oh yeah!" said Harry suddenly. "I forgot, I finished it earlier!"

Hermione looked even more disapointed at this. "Um, Harry - er, well...I don't have anyone to go to the ball with, and neither do you so could we just go together- I mean since it's just a coincidence we, um, don't have partners..." She looked at Harry, expecting him to turn her down.

"SURE!" said Harry, unable to contain his excitement. "I'D LOVE TO! I mean-uh, just because it happened out this way..."

***

The night of the ball classes ended early and the Gryffindor common room was entirely abandoned except for Harry, who was awaiting Hermione to come from her dormitory.

When she finally came down the steps, Harry gaped at her. She had looked beautiful last year, but the memory paled in comparison to her appearance this evening.

Hermione wore large, fluffy, red satin robes and her hair was not like it had been year before - it was, indeed, oily and twisted up in a heart shaped bun with small ringlets hung loosely on her shoulders. She wore bright red Muggle lipstick and her teeth were so white, Harry could've sworn that she had used bleach on them. They sparkled brightly.

Harry was wearing turquoise robes of a velvety material. He'd actually managed to tame down his usually wild hair, though parts of it still stood out at funny angles.

"Wait a moment!" exclaimed Hermione as they walked towards the door.

She ran quickly back up the steps to the girls' dormitories. When she returned two minutes later, she'd draped a violet-red shawl around her shoulders and arms.

"Hermione - you're...beautiful," said Harry, his green eyes glowing. Hermione blushed deeply.

They walked out to the Great Hall, hands clutched together. They were both blushing crimson and everyone stared at them. Hermione's new look seemed to astonish everyone.

Harry and Hermione got into position and began to dance to a new song, Hermione's arms draped over Harry's shoulders.

"Hermione, what book did you read in the library?" asked Harry.

Hermione blushed and said, "Well, it was a test book..." she trailed off.

"Test?" Harry cocked an eyebrow.

"A - a love test...it tells you who should be yours and has every Hogwarts student listed."

"How does it keep so accurate?" Harry asked, curious.

"It shows only names of those present people in the school...and when people leave, they disappear from the list."

As they continued to dance, Harry made sure to lead Hermione closer to the wide-open Entrance Hall doors, out into the garden that had been set up for the occasion. Once they were outside, under the bright moon, Hermione told Harry tonight there was a night eclipse... she said it would be beautiful. And, indeed, it was. Harry and Hermione sat on a bench as the nighttime grew darker than normal. When they could actually see each others faces again, Harry hugged Hermione, who had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Hermione-" he whispered softly. "I am in love with you."

Hermione smiled. "And if you love someone...and she wants to...what do you do?"

Harry, returning the smile, muttered "This," and kissed her. They did not pull away until -

"What is little Mudblood Granger kissing so passionately? Harry, I'm surprised! Kissing a Mudblood!" called Draco Malfoy whom had

Pansy Parkinson laughing alongside him.

Hermione's joy tears stopped. She gave Malfoy a dirty look. "Shut up, ignorant ferret!" she muttered.

"Do you know what this Pottyhead was saying today? Do you!? He was saying he was only going with filth like you because Weasel said s-"

But Hermione and Harry had reached the breaking point. "Rictusempra!" and Hermione cried, "Have your own taste of medicine - Serpensortia!"

A boa constricter crawled over the doubled-up laughing Draco.

"Squeeze him tight, just don't kill him!" hissed Harry.

"What the hell did you say?" shrieked Pansy.

"The snake is going to make Malfoy die in pain." With that he and Hermione left a crying Pansy and a shrieking Draco.

Harry and Hermione re-entered the Great Hall and danced again. To their amazement, their very feet lifted from the floor and they danced effortlessly. Floating five feet up, they kissed for everyone to see.

"I love it when the moon glows," Hermione whispered. "When you find your true love, give him or her a big kiss. It's just wonderful..." and with that she fell into Harry's arms where he held her as they "danced". He kissed the top of her head softly.

Part II

Harry and Hermione came back to the common room night after the Crystal Ball. They had had a wonderful time, and Hermione had actually kissed Harry in front of the whole school. Everyone took a chance to tease them about this, but Harry truly wasn't embarrassed and neither was Hermione.

"So, 'Mione, what are we doin' tonight?" asked Harry, hugging her.

"Well, I think we should read the new version of A History of Hogwarts. After all, Hogwarts, A History was such a goofy title." Hermione smiled.

"Nevermind, I think I'll decide what to do tonight!" said Harry quickly - then he saw that Hermione was laughing, and she said, "I was only joking."

Harry grinned. He pulled her away from everyone else and they sat down in a corner.

"What are you thinking?" asked Hermione shyly.

"That there's someone I love very much sitting beside me."

"And?"

"And," said Harry, in a dead whisper, "I'm going to...TICKLE HER!"

"Eeek!" Hermione cried as Harry tickled her stomach. She giggled loudly then pretended like she was going to slap him for tickling her. Harry pretended to be knocked silly, and fell on his back.

Hermione stared down at Harry. Suddenly he reached his arms up and grabbed her and pulled her down with him.

"And...?" Hermione breathed.

"And I going to kiss her so hard she'll like it better than full marks on her O.W.L.s!" said Harry, pulling Hermione closer to him and kissing her.

When they broke apart a few seconds later, Hermione whispered, "You're right. That was better than any full marks I could get on my N.E.W.T.s. And -" she smiled mischievously -"The same thing will happen tomorrow."

Harry smiled as she said this. He kissed her goodnight and she walked up the girls' staircase.

Harry opened the dormitory door to the fifth year boys' room -and gasped - flames were alight on all the boys' bed hangings. "Help!" called Ron from one four-poster. "Help, me!"

Harry pointed his wand at Ron's curtains and shouted, "Extuinguisho!" and then he proceeded to do the other beds the same.

Ron stuck his head out from the burnt hangings and faintly muttered, "Damn it!" Then he spoke to Harry, "It was my fault. I saw you with Hermione and I just suddenly got angry...I came in here to write a poem for her, but messed up. I tried to dispose of it, but it caught the beds on fire. Sorry, Harry," he added.

"Ron, I'm really sorry, but you can't just go tell anyone anything...in that case I have but only one choice - sorry, Ron, but - Obliviate!"

Harry made Ron forget the fire, and the kissing episode.

"What the hell?" Ron asked, gazing at the burnt curtains.

Harry frowned and said, "Dunno what happened here."

"Sorry? But I do!" Ron spoke coldly, in a voice that did not belong to him. "Lord Voldemort knows everything, Potter. Would you like to see what happened to your two friends?"

The room suddenly vanished, and Harry found himself and Voldemort standing in the girls' dormitories, Ron and Hermione on a bed, and

looking absolutely undisturbed. They did not take notice of Harry, nor Voldemort. Harry was in a Replay Charm - where they could see what had happened before.

Harry could plainly see that Ron was shirtless, and that both of them were kissing with hardly a breath in between. No one else was watching, just Harry and Voldemort, and Harry suddenly realized where Ron and Hermione had been one day when they missed Herbology. Right there before his eyes.

Voldemort raised his wand and shouted, "Anistafe!" Much to Harry's displeasure, he saw what had been happening at the moment he'd saved Ron's bed - Ron and Hermione had both actually came up here to make out, leaving Harry with Voldemort, even though they probably thought Harry was alone. Harry felt a surge of hatred. "Curse YOU!" he yelled at them. But then the image vanished, and he re-appeared in the boys' dormitory.

And there, sitting on Ron's bed, twiddling Ron's wand, was Lord Voldemort.

"You've got one hell of a love life," snickered Voldemort.

Harry frowned.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione shook him awake. It had been a bad dream! Hermione placed her lips upon Harry's, and he totally awoke.

"Bad dream," muttered Harry, kissing her. He was glad it wasn't real!

That day, after the horrible dream, Harry and Hermione went to Hogsmeade together to have butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. They met Ginny and Ron there, in a corner.

"Er - um, hi," said Harry awkwardly. He had not yet told them about Harry and Hermione's relationship - that is, in words, for everyone that had been at the Crystal Ball had seen.

At that moment, Pansy Parkinson walked over. "And what are our love birds doin' today?" she sneered.

"Shut up!" said Ron and Ginny in dead whispers.

"Why, Weasel! Your Mudblood girlfriend has left you for the famous pretty-boy, Harry Pooper!" Pansy jeered.

There was a chorus of wand flashes - eight of them. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny had cursed Pansy all at the same time with a mix of Hexes. Fred and George and their girlfriends, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, had all used either Freezing Charms or the Impedimenta Curse.

"Well, well, well." said Fred. "Who could be stupid enough to leave this pile of dung here? George, I reckon we oughtta move it..." and with that, the twins kicked Pansy underneath a neighboring table and someone put their foot on her face.

"So," said George. "Two years in a row with a mix of spells...this don't look good... good thing Rosmerta's in the bathroom... Hermione, you used Furnunculus? Harry used A Stunning Charm? Ron, dear brother, I'm afraid your jelly-legs swept Panda, ahem - Pansy - off her feet!"

They all nodded. "All, well, let's give her a little help - Ennervate!" said Katie.

Pansy was still asleep, but not stunned.

"Well, we'll wreak hell on Malfoy now," said Fred, walking away with George, Katie, and Angelina.

"Yes, please do!" said Hermione.

"Ron, look---" Harry began, but Ron interrupted him, "Harry, I know. I don't like it, either. My best friends going out together is just too much. Go make out, or something and leave us alone."

"Fine!" said Harry, trying to grab Hermione. But she'd rounded on Ron.

"Ronald What-the-hell-your-middle-name-is Weasley! You can just shut your damn mouth, why do you care if I love Harry and he loves me back?! You're just jealous! C'mon, Harry. Ron, Have fun with YOUR girlfriend! Oy, Ron and Rachel!" Hermione's eyes looked as if they could slice diamonds. She dragged Harry out of The Three Broomsticks up to the Shrieking Shack. "Reducto!" she cursed herself for stammering.

A small opening tore in the side of the shack.

"Reducto! Reducto! Reducto!" the hole was soon big enough for one person to fit through. She pulled Harry in and then muttered, "Reparo!" and the whole was fixed.

"Her- Hermione...I don't care if you like Ron better..." Harry knew if he gave up Hermione, half his life would be ruined. But all he wanted was for her and Ron to be happy.

Hermione stomped her foot, way too hard, breaking her ankle. "Shit!" she cursed. Harry dragged her through the tunnel, past the Whomping Willow, into Hogwarts and to the Hospital Wing.

***

Later that night, Harry slipped the Invisibility Cloak over himself and ran to the common room. Concealed by a portrait over the mantlepiece was a potion - a potion called "4 Ever Love Unite Serum".

He ran up to the girls' dormitories. He pulled back Hermione's hangings, and saw her, sleeping fretfully. He bent down, kissed her full on the lips, then trickled a bit of potion with Ron's hair in it down her throat. He did the same to Ron (except kissing him, of course), except it had Hermione's hair in it.

***

The next day, the potion appeared as if it had worked. Ron and Hermione came down to the common room and in front of everyone, they kissed and groped at each other. Harry did not watch, but he suddenly became aware that he was sitting next to Ginny, who was blushing.

'Hmmm...', thought Harry. 'She is kinda pretty...' and Harry realized that his true love must be Ginny. Why hadn't he seen it before?

Then he knew...it was only because he wanted Hermione to be happy that he'd thought he loved her...but all this time, it was little Virginia Weasley.

The End