A Terrible Temptation

A/N - whoa, apparently I am doing something right because the response has been a little overwhelming. (That doesn\'t mean to stop or anything) :) I love it when you all start to guess where I am going because aside from the happy ending, you are all often so very wrong. Yet, it\'s helpful and I have gotten ideas from the things you all say. So again, don\'t stop! Kate deserves the medal of valor for listeing to me whinge long distance at her about plot points. Thank you Kate!

Gracious thanks to: Talene, Adriana, Moonmint, Zephyr, Rilla, ancirntgirl, hope, buttercup, skjeve, Kiriseen, Helen, elementaldeity, spaz141, Redone, miko, aprilgrey, eboni, Deb, meme, deblovesdragon, StellarSnape, Susan, Shel, Serenbel, Stephanie, Tarrin, Kristine, Jeanette, e (I heart you too, hon), Lucifera, Nocturnus, Laura, Deeble the Magnificent (Who needs to email me! We gotta talk girlfriend!), Gwen, IrishRavenX, Rumours, Alison, CMW, heartnut, Lias (Sorry, must eat and sleep or the fic would become incomprehensible rather rapidly!), tifsuz, ShagsTheDustmop, Imhilien, genrou (ROFL) and Aurelica Flint. ::whew::

Chapter 18 – Quidditch and Questions

Hermione sat in the bleachers again, the book on her lap forgotten as she watched the game. She had never seen Harry fly like this before; there was something almost desperate in him as he chased the snitch. He swooped low following the gleaming orb as though there was nothing else in the entire world.

Lavender was giving a running commentary on the game, so honestly, Hermione didn’t even have to watch, but she couldn’t take her eyes off y. Hy. Had he always been this…passionate? A bludger came for him and he dodged it negligently, as though it was no matter, and kept to his pursuit of the snitch. Draco was bent over his broom urging it faster trying to get beside him but Harry was already too far ahead.

The score was 100-120 with Slytherin in the lead. The scoring was close and it could go either way but the real battle was between Draco and Harry and everybody knew it. Ron was guarding the hoops with grim determination, but the Slytherins were cheating -- always behind Madam Hooch’s back, of course.

Draco tried to nudge Harry but he saw the other boy coming and went into a corkscrew, neatly avoiding the blow while still staying on the snitch. One more burst of energy, Harry wrapped his fist around the glittering ball, and the game was over.

“Gryffindor wins! 250 – 120!” Lavender screeched and Hermione hoped she hadn’t lost any of her hearing from the high-pitched noise.

“So I see.” Hermione grinned at the other girl who was practically dancing in her seat.

“Since when have you been such a huge Quidditch fan, Lav?” Hermione enquired as her friend began to rush to the exit to congratulate the team. Lavender flashed her a smile and, opening her school robes, revealed a “Weasley is our King” button pinned on her jumper. Illumination flashed into Hermione’s mind and a smile crept across her lips as she watched the other girl run off after Ron. After all, Ron liked smart girls too.

Severus watched Draco trudge off with the rest of the Slytherin team and felt like a traitor. Ron waved at him with a joyous expression and Severus smiled back rather sardonically. That a Gryffindor had blackmailed him into seeing to it that the Slytherin team lost at Quidditch was a humbling thought. Worse was the fact that he hadn’t needed much persuasion at all.

“Harry!” Hermione was in his arms. He clung hard to her, breathing in her scent, and he reveled in a moment he knew he might never have again. She released him, eyes sparkling, and he wondered how she had gotten to be so beautiful without him realizing it.

He was so used to simply ignoring the young women in his classes, seeing them as just another group of children, that he was stunned to be looking into warm brown eyes and apprehending that she was nearly an adult.

It was the nearly part that made him gently release her and then keep his hands firmly in his pockets as they walked back to the castle in the center of a cheering crowd.

Hermione felt Harry pulling her into the tight embrace with a giddy sense of joy; he did care for her and the knowledge was heady stuff. He stiffened suddenly and released her with what she could have sworn was reluctance. His eyes had shuttered again, his feelings carefully hidden. She didn’t know what Professor Dumbledore had said to Harry but it seemed to be a pretty pful ful deterrent.

“That corkscrew was brilliant, Harry.” She yelled over the noise of the jubilant crowd. He gave her the soft, shy smile that made her heart flutter and shrugged modestly.

“I couldn’t let Ron down.” His voice was barely audible over the cheers and singing, Hermione had to strain ear ear him. Suddenly he was swung up into the crowd and being carried off down the road. His face looked half panicked until he realized what was happening and then heked ked annoyed more than honored.

She followed the crowd more slowly, walking behind them until she was alone. Professor McGonagall, still arguing a point of refereeing with Madam Hooch, came up beside her and then giving Hermione a sharp look sent Madoochooch on ahead.

“And how are we today, Miss Granger?” The Transfigurations teacher was eyeing her with a compassionate expression.

“Confused.” Hermione admitted with a frown. The older woman peered at her through her square glasses.

“Miss Granger, should you ever have need of me, I am always to be found.” She responded cryptically and then swept off in a flurry of tartan robes. Hermione was baffled.

Hermione shuffled the papers to one side on the Gryffindor Common Room’s table. She had been doing homework with Harry and Ron for hours until Harry had completed his work and taken his leave with no more than a nod at her. Hermione was certain now that there was something in his eyes when he looked at her but he was keeping his distance with great skill.

It was intensely frustrating. Once Harry had gone up to bed, Hermione turned to look at Ron.

“Well?” She tapped her quill impatiently.

“Well, what?” Ron gave her a puzzled look that she doubted was faked. He had never been a good liar.

“Well, what’s up with Harry? Half the time he acts like he wants to kiss me, the other half he seems to pretend I don’t exist.” Hermione spelled it out for Ron feeling a great deal of annoyance.

“I think he’s going through a hard time and maybe he’s just confused.” Ron said slowly, looking down at his homework scroll as he spoke.

“Confused, what does that mean?” Hermione was starting to get angry now.

“Just what I said, Hermione. He’s confused. You’re always hugging him and being nice to him and he’s just been messed up because he doesn’t know that you’re just being nice. He really doesn’t have a clue about girls, ‘Mione.” Ron said the last bit as though he were confided some great secret, but Hermione was close to tears, she was so angry.

“Neither do you, Ron!” She shouted. Ron looked at her in shock and she controlled her voice with an effort.
“You told me that he liked me and I told you that I liked him! Now you make it sound like I’m some tart who throws herself on boys!” She hissed at him.

“No, no, no! Hermione, I didn’t mean it that way. I know you like Harry, it’s just that he’s really confused about stuff right now and maybe you should wait until he’s more…um, himself.” Ron was stammering in his terror of Hermione’s temper.

“I like him this way, Ron Weasley! I like who he’s become! I like the boy who doesn’t only talk about Quidditch, the boy who listens to me and studies and acts like I’m important!” Hermione was trembling with rage and Ron was looking at her with an expression of horror.

“You do?” Ron looked as though the idea completely revolted him and Hermione stormed off upstairs, quite sure that her two male friends were the least comprehensible creatures in the world.