Disclaimer: How many times do I need to tell you? Just get it through your thick heads already! I don't own anything!

A/N: And now, the moment you have been waiting for… hehe. Not like I have a huge audience. :-(. R&R, No Flames Please.

Chapter 7

Harry

Hogwarts was back, Hermione and I were Head Girl and Head Boy, Apparition tests were passed, and Basket Boys were around the corner. Ugh.

Basket Boys is a yearly ceremony at Hogwarts. All the seventh year girls vote on which seventh year guys they think are the hottest and the twenty with the most votes get embarrassed to death by having to wear muggle suits and carrying around a picnic basket with a lunch, and then they get bid on by the girls, like a bachelor auction. And, goddamn it, I got the most votes.

Now, it's nice to get the girls and be "Mr. Chick Magnet" as Ron says, but I was NOT prepared to handle the embarrassment that followed.

"Hey, Mr. Chick Magnet," said Ron the day of the Basket Boys. "Most people reckon Cho Chang and Padma Patil are gonna bid on YOU!"

"Mm," I mumbled, completely uninterested.

"Oh, go on, Harry! We're talking about the most beautiful girls in the entire school here!"

"Mm-hm," I muttered blankly.

"You're not thinking about Hermione again, are you?" Ron asked skeptically.

I rolled my eyes and Disapparated to my room. Twenty minutes later, I heard Ron panting outside the door. He hadn't passed his tests yet, so he had to walk everywhere.

"Oh, c'mon, Harry," pleaded Ron. "Tell me what's up."

"No!" I called. "Leave me alone. I've got to prepare my basket." I Apparated to the kitchen.

Now, what I had told Ron was a lie. My basket was already prepared by the house elves. I only went to the kitchen to see Dobby, where I would hopefully be waited on hand and foot and be cheered up. But I had no time to do so, as he soon pointed out.

"Harry Potter, sir!" squeaked Dobby. "What is you doing here, sir?"

"Well, I thought I'd stop by for a visit," I said.

"But Harry Potter is supposed to be at the Baskethead Boys Ceremony, sir!" cried Dobby, holding out my basket.

I looked at my watch. He was right! I grabbed the basket and Disapparated to the Great Hall.

"…to the annual Basket Boys ceremony," I heard McGonagall saying as I Apparated in the seat next to… Ron!

"What are you doing up here!" I whispered fiercely.

"I should've known you'd only spot your own name," Ron whispered in reply.

Whoops.

Ron filled me in. Along with us were Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle (Malfoy had blackmailed the school), Justin Finch-Fletchley, Neville Longbottom, Brain Jones, John Anderson, Garrett Johnson, Frank Buckingham, George Murray, Ian Crewe, Thomas Moore, Eli Pinckney, A.J. Morgan, Jeremy Hill, and Ray Wesson.

First up was Ron. We all knew that Bulging Millicent Bullstrode would go for him because Ron's mom packed a load of food. But, surprisingly, Luna Lovegood outbid her. Ron was still groaning as he passed me on his way down the steps and into the Staff Room, where we Basket Boys were to eat with our highest bidders.

Guy after guy went until Neville Longbottom, Ian Crewe, and I were left. I was secretly relieved that Hermione hadn't bid on anyone yet.

"Neville Longbottom," read Professor McGonagall. "Honey biscuits, blueberry muffins, Yorkshire pudding, and Pumpkin Pasties."

Silence.

"Do I hear ten sickles?" asked McGonagall.

More silence.

Suddenly, a cry of "Ten!" was heard throughout the hall. Hermione.

"Twelve!" another voice said. I was shortly relieved until Hermione once again yelled, "Fourteen!"

"Sixteen"

"Eighteen!"

"Eighteen sickles…going once… going twice… SOLD to Hermione Baker!" called McGonagall.

"It's okay, mate," muttered Ian. "You've still got Cho and Padma."

Hmph. So much for the secret.

It was my turn next. "Harry Potter," McGonagall read. "Strawberry tarts, chocolate frogs---"

"Twenty!" yelled Cho Chang.

"Thirty!" protested Padma Patil.

"Forty!"

"Fifty!"

"Sixty!"

"One hundred!" It was Bulging Bullstrode. Noooo! C'mon, Cho, Padma, bid! BID! "One hundred sickles," said McGonagall. "Going once…going twi---"

"One hundred and twenty-two sickles and… and fourteen knuts!" Cho and Padma were teaming up. Smart move. I sighed with relief.

"One hundred and twenty-two sickles and fourteen knuts… going once…going twice… SOLD to Cho Chang and Padma Patil!" called McGonagall.

"Wow," breathed Ian as I left the stage and Cho and Padma escorted me to the Staff Room.

The lunch was annoying. Cho and Padma were chatting and fighting about their summer plans and junk like that, and I was staring at Hermione most of the time, whow as laughing and talking with Neville. Why did she have to bid on him I thought angrily. And why, oh, why does she have to be laughing with him? And happy?

Suddenly, Cho and Padma were rolling on the floor, smearing strawberry tarts all over each other. I took the chance to grab Hermione. "Hermione, I've got to talk to you," I said, whisking her away from her table. "Sorry, Neville."

Once we were able to stand still, I asked Hermione, "Do you like him?"

"Neville?" she said. "Well, he's nice---"
"No, do you like him?" I asked frantically.

"Oh," she replied. "No."

C'mon, she said no! I thought. Kiss her! You know you want to! I did want to. I began to, but she pulled away. It was silent. Everyone stared at Cho and Padma's frozen mess on the floor, Hermione's flushed cheeks, and my shocked face. I Disapparated.

I didn't see Hermione at dinner. She must've grabbed her leftovers and gone up to her room, because as Heady Boy and Head Girl, we get separate rooms form the rest of the school.

I went to her door and knocked. "Whoever you are, go away! I'm really not in the mood and I won't be for a week," I heard on the other side.

"Hermione!" I cried. "It's me, Harry! I've got to talk to you!"

"I said, GO AWAY!" she yelled back.

"But Hermione---" the door opened. Hermione stood in the doorway wearing an open light blue sweater, revealing her undergarments, and a pair of pink sweatpants.

"Harry," she said, "why are you stalking me all the time? First you shoo me off and then you decide you want me! What the hell is going on!"

I sighed. "Hermione---" I began, waiting for an interruption, and then continued when nothing happened. "I just didn't know you. I didn't give you a chance. I'm really sorry. But now that I did get to know you, I like you. And now you won't give me a chance."

"Maybe if you hadn't been such a coward at Hal's I would still be willing to fall into your arms right now. And if you hadn't embarrassed us both down in the Staff Room," she said, starting to close the door.

"Hermione, wait!" I cried and lunged for the door.

"WHAT?" she bellowed in frustration.

I leaned in and kissed her passionately. And, to my surprise, she kissed me right back. After about thirty seconds, we pulled away.

"I owed it to you," I said, smiled, and walked away.

The second I got to my room, I started on a letter:

Dear Bryce,

The Basket Boys Ceremony was weird. I'll tell you about it when school's over.

And, no, I won't need your oak seeds.

Sincerely,

Harry

I smiled. What a day.

Hermione

Hogwarts was back, Harry and I were Heady Boy and Head Girl, I passed my Apparition tests (unlike Ron), and Basket Boys was just around the corner.

We got the ballots during Transfiguration because of McGonagall being Head of House and all that, but I hated it because the boys sat ALL around me and would be peeking at my ballots. Sigh.

I first crossed off Harry, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle and made a tick next to Ron's name because, after all, he was my friend. Then I crossed off all the boys who were teases, drunks, drug addicts, clowns, jerks, and just not relatively nice, and was left with Neville Longbottom, Ian Crewe, Frank Buckingham, Thomas Moore, and, of course, Ron. I put a tick next to all these names, handed the ballot to McGonagall, and Disapparated once out fot he classroom, for it was forbidden to Apparate in school.

At breakfast the next day, everyone brought loads of money and were debating the list.

"We're going to have a hard time getting Harry," grumbled Parvati. "My sister and Cho have about one hundred and twenty-two sickles combined!"

Everyone groaned except me.

"What about Ron?" asked Luna, in her usual distant voice.

"You are NOT bidding on my brother," Ginny protested. "Besides, Mum's loaded his basket. Bulging Bullstrode's in for him."

"Or Harry," I added glumly. "Everyone's hungry for Harry."

"Oh, Hermione," said Lavender. "A girl with no curves whatsoever on her body because she is so monstrously fat is going to make anyone yell, 'A hundred galleons! Whatever you want! Just don't let her get him!' "

Everyone laughed.

"Well, good luck getting Harry," said Parvati.

"I'm NOT getting Harry," I said defiantly. "Who else is on the list?"

"Hmmm…" muttered Lavender. "Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, MALFOY, CRABBE, AND GOYLE!"

"Blackmail," said Ginny plainly.

"For sure," I agreed flatly.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley, Brian Jones, John Anderson, Garrett Johnson, Frank Buckingham, George Murray, Ian Crewe, Thomas Moore, Eli Pinckney, A.J. Moran, Jeremy Hill, Ray Wesson, and Neville Longbottom."

Neville! Oh, what had I done to him? The poor kid.

"Hmm," Lavender grunted with satisfaction. "I'll probably go with Ian."

"What about A.J.?" asked Susan. "SO hot."

"My ex," Lavender reminded her as if she had forgotten what one plus one was.

"Good," said Susan.

"Yay! Brian!" Ginny exclaimed.

And so it went… until the bell rang for the ceremony to begin. As we entered the great hall, I noticed that Harry was missing. Yay! Maybe Cho could get a taste of her own medicine; she can't always get what she wants.

"Welcome," said McGonagall, as Harry Apparated into his seat ("Damn!" I muttered), "to the annual Basket Boys Ceremony."

I zoned out and had fantasies of escaping back to the States to Dad and Mum and Juli and getting swept away by a famous movie star and leaving Harry behind, when I suddenly noticed that Neville, the guy who I had stuck in this situation, was standing on the stage with no bids.

"Susan!" I hissed, and then yelled, "Ten!"

"What?" she hissed back.

"Yell, 'Twelve!' " I commanded.

"Twelve!" she yelled, and understood.

"Fourteen!" I said again.

"Sixteen!"

"Susan, that's all I've got!"

A look of shock crossed her face as I yelled, "Eighteen!" I laughed. "Okay, so I lied, but that really is all I've got now."

I was escorted to the Staff Room with Neville. As everyone slowly came in (Harry, of course, was with Cho and Padma), I busied myself by talking and laughing with Neville. He was a nice guy, but a little on the nerdy side.

Suddenly, Cho and Padma were rolling on the floor, shrieking and smearing strawberry tarts all over each other. Harry ran up to me and whisked me up. "Hermione, I've got to talk to you," he said. "Sorry, Neville," he added to Neville.

Once we stood still, he asked me, "Do you lik ehim?"

"Who, Neville?" I asked, confused. "Well, he's nice---"

"No, do you like him?" he interrupted.

"Oh," I replied just as quizzically as before. "No."

Suddenly, he leaned in to kiss me. My kiss! My whole history flashed before my eyes… the first time we met… and now here… but I pulled away. Here was my kiss, and I didn't want it. Suddenly, the room went silent. Everyone was staring at us. Harry Disapparated. I grabbed the remains of Harry's picnic basket and Disapparated as well. For once, I couldn't care less about the rules.

I didn't come down to dinner. I was unbelievably dizzy and confused about what had happened earlier on.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Urgh.

"Whoever you are, go away!" I called. "I'm really not in the mood and won't be for a week." Plus I am sitting here in my underwear.

"Hermione! It's me, Harry! I've got to talk to you!" said the voice on the other side of the door.

Ohh, man. "I said, GO AWAY!" I yelled, but nevertheless pulled on pink sweatpants and a light blue sweater.

"But Hermione---" he said as I opened the door.

I saw Harry standing there in a gray sweatshirt and jeans…and his eyes were on my chest. Shoot, I hadn't put a shirt on over my bra, and I just had to pick the sweater whose zipper was broken. But I had no time to worry about that.

"Harry, why do you stalk me all the time?" I cried. "First you shoo me off and then you want me! What the hell is going on?"

He sighed. "Hermione… I just didn't know you. I didn't give you a chance. I'm really sorry. But now that I did get to know you, I like you. And now you won't give me a chance."

"Maybe if you hadn't been such a coward at Hal's I would still be willing to fall into your arms right now. And if you hadn't embarrassed us both down in the Staff Room," I stated matter-of-factly and started to close the door.

"Hermione, wait!" he criend once again. Oh, G-d. Can't the guy get a clue?

"WHAT?" I yelled frustratedly.

He leaned in and kissed me quite passionately. And it wasn't that bad. I returned the favor. And during, I could've sworn he touched my half-bare chest. Guys. We pulled away.

"I owed it to you," he said, grinned, and walked away.

I couldn't help but smile. I'd gotten my kiss and, boy, was it better than I'd ever imagined. Wow.

Miracles do happen… and oil and water can rarely mix.

A/N: Good news: IT'S FINISHED! Bad news: It's finished. Hope you enjoyed. PLEEEAASSSEE review, no flames.