You're My Destiny↣ Harmione

Chapter Twelve

"Mmm… Remind me to make sure to plan some time into our evening for doing a lot more of that…"

"You mean you haven't already?"

"Oh you better believe 'kissing Hermione' was top of my list of things that I had to arrange time for. I'm just wondering if I can move some time from dancing to increase the portion I've allocated to be spent kissing…"

"With the right music, I'm sure we could sway to the rhythm while kissing at the same time."

"Beautiful, brilliant, and lying here in my arms. How did I ever get so lucky?"

"I'm the lucky one, Harry. I'm also the hungry one. We need to get up for breakfast."

"I had considered arranging breakfast in bed for us but thought that might be tempting fate. McGonagall would have both of us for breakfast if she caught us in bed together." With their last kiss before rising, Harry headed off to get ready to face the day.

The Great Hall was more animated than usual this morning, with owl traffic increased considerably. Hermione was wearing one of her red roses pined to her robes as she and Harry enjoyed breakfast together. A soft yelp of shock had both of them looking across the table at their best friend.

With a blush that turned his face scarlet, Neville was staring at the two owls that were trying to deliver what were obviously Valentine cards to him.

"Two, Neville? My, someone's popular."

Harry was having a chuckle at Hermione's quip, and Neville's embarrassment at receiving two cards. "Rather you than me, mate. I was dreading a queue of owls for the boy-who-lived. You've met my intended, she doesn't share."

Shaking his head, Neville removed both cards from the owls who delivered them. "Since Hermione's your intended, and the entire country knows that, it would have been considered the height of bad manners to send either of you Valentine cards."

Opening the envelopes confirmed Neville's suspicions. "They're from Lavender and Parvati. They keep pushing and I don't know what to do."

A quick glance from Harry to Hermione was all it took for her to understand she should offer their friend some advice. "Neville, I'm sorry you're caught up in this but please don't feel you have to not talk to people because of us. Parvati and Lavender have at least admitted they made a mistake in following the two redheads at the centre of the problem. Thanks also for giving Harry and I the evening to ourselves tonight. Why don't you use that time to sit and talk with the girls? I really don't want to be the only Gryffindor witch in second year so someone has to make the first move towards reconciliation. Seeing the way they're all being treated actually leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Had things worked out differently, it could so easily have been us left in that position…"

"Um, you don't think they'll take the wrong meaning out of me talking to them on Valentine's Day, do you?"

"Neville, they are two lovely young ladies - unless you have your eye on someone else?"

His blush was back as Neville shook his head in answer to Hermione's question.

"Sorry to break this to you, Neville, but those girls will take whatever meaning they want out of you talking to them - no matter what day it is."

Knowing Hermione was, as usual, right, Neville could only groan at what was now lying on the table in front of him.

Harry then had a quick word of warning for their best friend. "Nev, both girls can hardly eat their breakfast for glancing over to see your reaction to their cards."

If nothing else, Neville Longbottom had been raised to be a gentleman. Plastering a smile on his face, he made a show of reading both cards again before carefully putting them in his pocket. Seeing how both girls reacted to that had Hermione smiling too. While she and Harry spent a romantic evening together, Neville was going to begin building bridges that might see their Gryffindor yeargroup eventually heal.