For the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition

Round Three: What's Your Name, Man?

Seeker

Chudley Cannons

Prompt: Helpless. Write about someone being immediately attracted to someone else.

Lyric used: Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit I'm/ Helpless!

Word Count: 1886 (excluding A/N, lyrics and title)

An Advanced Study of Ancient Runes

"Look into your eyes, and the sky's the limit I'm

Helpless!"- Helpless, Hamilton

Ron looked towards his right.

Harry was twirling his quill in his hand and staring listlessly at the opposite wall, hardly listening to a word of what the professor was saying.

"Mr Potter?"

No response. The professor cleared her throat.

"Erm, Mr Potter. Are you listening?"

"Harry!" Ron hissed and prodded his best friend in the stomach.

"What? - Oh! Sorry, Professor."" Harry flushed and stood up, grinning sheepishly. He could see Daphne Greengrass looking over her shoulder at him.

"Pay more attention," Professor McGonagall said, looking shrewdly at him. Harry felt as though she could see through him.

All the Gryffindors, including Harry, heaved a collective sigh of relief when she did not take off any points.

"Thank you; and um, sorry, Professor," Harry said, and he swore he saw her smiling, even though it was just a small, barely-there one.

"You were distracted, again?" Ron asked exasperatedly when the class was over.

"Well, why don't you suggest a way for me to get Daphne to notice me, Mr Hogwarts Heartthrob?"

Ron smirked. "Ah. I see. Well, I've heard Greengrass doesn't like blokes who're thick in the head. So maybe you could spend more time pretending to study? Maybe that'll impress her?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "That's such a clever idea, Ron. Thank you," he said sarcastically.

"Always glad to be of help," Ron replied, smug, then winking at Harry, who scowled. Harry resorted to turning his attention to the door instead, through which Daphne Greengrass had just exited the classroom with her gang of friends.

He wondered where they were going.

###

Harry had never really liked the library. Until now.

He grinned to himself when he spotted Daphne at a table, her head bent as she whispered something to her friends. One of them nudged Daphne, who looked up at Harry, before smiling brightly at him.

With an added skip to his step, Harry came over to Madam Pince's table. The woman looked at him over the rim of her glasses.

"Potter," she barked. "What do you want?"

Even Madam Pince's snarkiness could not dampen Harry's mood.

"Morning, Madam Pince. D'you think you could find me a good book on Ancient Runes?"

The librarian blinked. "I didn't know you took Ancient Runes, Potter."

"Oh, er - well, I need it for a friend."

"I see. Well, move aside then."

Madam Pince seemed distinctly irritated at being forced to leave her comfortable seat. Harry trailed lamely behind her as she disappeared behind a bookshelf.

She muttered to herself as she surveyed the books in front of her.

Five minutes later, she had pulled out a rather ancient-looking volume, coughed through the small cloud of dust, and shoved it in Harry's arms.

"Here you go. I should have it back in perfect condition," she ordered, jabbing a finger in Harry's chest. "Now don't badger me anymore," she snapped, flapping her hand in front of her nose and marching away.

Harry secured the tome under his armpit, making sure Daphne saw him as he walked out of the library.

He never noticed the pair of Ravenclaw girls that passed by him.

###

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but the book has indeed been taken."

Hermione Granger huffed in indignation, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "There must be another copy?" she asked tentatively.

"I'm afraid not, Miss Granger," Madam Pince said, scribbling on a large blank page. "Only the one. And like I said, that's been taken."

"Who was it? The one who took the book?"

"Harry Potter."

"Well, then, thanks, Madam Pince."

The librarian waved her hand distractedly.

###

"You'd never believe what Harry did!"

"What did he do?"

"I can hear you, you know."

The other two ignored the latest comment from their third groupmate.

"The tosser brought a book the size of a giant back from the library, and an Ancient Runes one, of all things!"

Hermione, who was eavesdropping from her spot behind the birch tree, perked up her ears and she heard Ginny giggle. "Oh no, why?"

"He wants to impress Greengrass," Ron said. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Daphne Greengrass?" she heard Ginny's astonished reply.

"Yeah. The one and only. Harry fancies her."

"Bloody hell!" Ginny laughed.

"It was Ron who suggested that, by the way," the third voice quipped. Hermione looked discreetly towards the group. "He said Daphne liked smart blokes, so I should pretend to study more."

It was Harry's voice. The boy's head was buried in the fat tome in his arms as he lay on his stomach on the grass.

Hermione wanted to punch the idiot in the gut.

The nerve of him!

###

"Excuse me?"

Harry looked up at the sudden interruption, and into the brownest eyes he'd ever seen. They belonged to a rather fierce-looking girl he did not think he had seen before. Not in person. He vaguely remembered her to be a Ravenclaw by the name of Hermione Granger, in the same year as him, but they didn't share any classes this year. Her bushy mane seemed to crackle with electricity as she stood before him with her arms crossed. She was rather pretty, Harry noticed.

"Um, hi?" he said tentatively.

"I need that book," she said curtly, her eyes flashing dangerously.

"Er - what book?" Harry asked, distracted by that wild hair of hers.

The girl rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "The book, in your hands. An Advanced Study of Ancient Runes. The one which you don't really need."

"But I do - "

"To show off to Daphne Greengrass?"

Harry blushed. "Erm - "

"Honestly, I need it for a group project. You, on the other hand, could do very well even without it," she said impatiently.

She seemed nice, even though she was rather snarky. Could Harry really refuse her?

###

Don't give in.

That was the mantra Hermione had been repeating in her head from the moment she'd looked at the boy. She was having a hard time not giving in, what with that messy mop of hair and his sparkling green eyes. And it also did not help that he was pouting adorably at her at the moment.

She sighed.

"Alright. You can keep it. But I want it next Friday."

The grin he gave her was luminous.

###

Harry Potter, once again, was in a dilemma. Not a big surprise, really.

But he would not have been in said dilemma if not for the incident after breakfast on Thursday morning. He had strolled into the Great Hall at seven with Ron and Ginny, and the three had seated themselves at the Gryffindor table.

He could see the Ravenclaws at the table on the far end of the Hall. Hermione Granger, who was chatting merrily with Mandy Brocklehurst, lifted her head to look at him and waved. Feeling incredibly pleased, he waved cheerfully back and poured himself a bowl of cereal.

About twenty minutes later, the three - Harry, Ron and Ginny - were leaving the Great Hall for their respective classes when they were stopped by Daphne Greengrass.

"Hi, Harry," she said.

Harry looked distinctly at unease. "Erm," he muttered. "Hello, Daphne."

Ron and Ginny each winked at him before Ron grabbed his sister by the elbow and tugged her away, with a quick, "See you in class," directed towards Harry.

"Harry," Daphne squealed. "Do you want - "

"Oh, Harry, here you are - oh!"

Both Harry and Daphne turned around and saw Hermione Granger standing behind them.

"Hello, Hermione!" Harry began to say, but Daphne, it seemed, had other motives.

"Um, sorry Granger, but Harry and I are busy here, right Harry?"

"Er - "

Daphne did not wait for him to complete his sentence. "So he'll talk with you later, yes?"

Hermione bit her lip and was wringing her hands together nervously.

"Yeah, OK," she said, a light blush across her nose. She grabbed her satchel and walked away in the opposite direction.

"What was that for?" Harry asked, slightly annoyed.

"Nothing," Daphne said carelessly. "So, Harry - do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?"

Harry's eyes widened. A week ago, his answer would definitely have been a big fat 'yes', but not anymore.

Daphne was looking curiously at him.

"I'm sorry, Daphne," he replied. "I can't go with you. Got other plans, you know?"

Daphne took a sharp breath. "Very well, then," she said, turning on her heel and strutting away.

###

"Why didn't you return the book, then, if you didn't even use it?" Ginny asked.

"I thought - "

"I don't know what you thought," Ginny snapped. "But I do know that you're a complete idiot."

Harry winced slightly. "A complete idiot?"

"Yes. And now what are you going to do with that book?" Ginny said, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor.

"Oh, I have plans, Ginny Weasley," Harry grinned. "I just don't know if I should execute them."

Ginny could only roll her eyes.

###

"I know I've only just gotten to meet him, but I can't help it," Hermione said exasperatedly.

"Well, don't help it - it doesn't matter if you've only just met," Mandy quipped.

"And he also happens to like Daphne Greengrass," the brunette sighed.

"That, my dear," Mandy patted her shoulder, "can be taken care of. You and Harry can go to Hogsmeade as friends - for now."

"But I've never asked anyone out before."

"There's a first for everything. D'you think I had any experience when I asked Anthony out last year?" the other girl said, smirking knowingly.

"You're right."

"Hermione Granger, admitting she's wrong?" Mandy grinned. "What a day!"

"Shut up!"

###

Harry could only hope Madam Pince did not open the book to check its condition. Fingers crossed, he sat down at a table from where he could easily see the door.

He also hoped he was not barking mad because he was asking a girl out barely a week after they'd met. Blame Ginny for such unwanted and uncharacteristic forwardness.

"Come on, Hermione," he muttered.

###

Hermione walked into the library almost a half-hour later, clutching her book bag tightly.

"Madam Pince - "

"Here's your book, Miss Granger," the woman said, pointing at the tome in front of her. "The one you wanted."

Hermione chanced a second's look at Harry, who was sitting with his head bent at a nearby table.

"Thanks, Madam Pince!"

###

"Hi, Harry," Hermione said, smiling as she sat down across from him.

Harry grinned. "Hello. I see you got the book of your dreams," he teased. Hermione smacked his arm lightly.

"I'll have you know that I'd have had it much earlier if not for a certain someone," she said, grinning and pointing her quill at him. Harry grinned back, fixing his lopsided glasses.

Harry watched as she flipped the book open and her eyes widened at whatever was inside it.

"Harry," she breathed, a faint pink tingeing her cheeks. She took out the small piece of paper that was stuck to the first page.

"So?" he asked tentatively. "I know we've only just met but I find you quite interesting," he blurted out, turning red himself.

Hermione looked up and grinned at him.

"Yes."

###

Dear Hermione,

I know we've known each other only for a week but will you go to Hogsmeade with me? We could go just as friends if you like.

-Harry

Loads of thanks to my teammates Ashleigh (Fire the Canon) and Arty (The Lady Arturia) for betaing!