The Boy Who Fought: OC X Hermione

Start of Third Year / The Leaky Cauldron

Carson had woken up at around ten AM and got dressed for the day. Hopefully, Hermione would already be here. He got dressed and quickly made his hair, before going down to breakfast.

"Carson!" He heard Hermione shout, being forced into a tight hug. He smiled and hugged her back with equal force. She had grown over the summer. Her skin was tanner, and she had gotten taller. Her bushy brown hair was fading into brown waves.

He remembered what he was going to do later and took his first shot now.

"Hi Hermione! I had the best idea! You and I could go to Florean Fortescue's later! Just the two of us! I've had enough of Ron for now." Carson said, hoping she would accept.

"Sure! I'd love to!" Hermione responded, beaming at the thought of it being just the two of them.

Ron came down with his rat, Scabbers, shortly after. Hermione's new cat Crookshanks, tried to attack Scabbers. Resulting in Carson grabbing the cat, and getting his face clawed by the sharp claws on the orange cat.

"Crookshanks! Don't attack Carson like that! Bad cat!" She said, taking the cat in her arms.

"Carson? We should be worried about Scabbers. He was almost mangled to death." Said Ron, not caring about the red scratches on Carson's face. That comment earned a slap to the head from Carson.

"Are you okay Carson? He got you pretty bad." Hermione said, tracing her fingers on the scratches.

"I'm fine 'Mione. They don't hurt." Carson said, reassuring the girl.

Soon enough, Hermione and Ron got into another argument, Harry coming down the Leaky Cauldron stairs.

"Harry! You're here!" Carson said, high fiving his best friend.

The two friends that were arguing stopped and went to greet their friend. They talked about everyone's summer, and how Harry blew up his aunt Marge. Hermione was not happy about that, however Carson and Ron thought it was hilarious.

At around 2:30, Carson and Hermione set off to the ice cream shop and enjoyed some frozen treats. They talked about Hermione's trip to France, and Carson's trip to America. They both had a wonderful time in the different countries, although it was hard to write because of the time differences and the owls having to fly across the ocean.

Soon, they got up and started to walk back, Carson gaining the Gryffindor courage to ask her to be his girlfriend.

"So...Hermione. Can I ask you something?" He started, her nodding her head saying he could continue.

"So...uhm. I was just wondering you know...since your pretty great, and smart, and pretty, and nice and many other things...would you want to maybe sort of...be my girlfriend?" Carson said, not looking her in the eye and rubbing his neck.

Hermione's face had lit up. This was the one thing she had always wanted him to ask. She wasted no time in practically shouting, "Yes! Yeah! I'd love to!" before connecting their lips. Their first kiss. With each other.

When they pulled away, they both smiled at each other, before connecting them again. "Awesome..." Carson said, in a hushed voice, as Hermione giggled at his state. She connected their hands and kept walking back to the Leaky Cauldron to go back to their friends.

They both walked back in, being met with the entire Weasley family, plus Harry. "What's got you two so happy?" Ron said, noticing their smiles.

"Carson's my boyfriend now!" Hermione said, squealing as she did so.

Everyone started saying congratulations, but Carson wasn't listening. He was thinking about the mirror of erised. Would that be true now that him and Hermione were together? What he saw in the mirror wasn't their third-year selves, it was them much older. Maybe in their twenties or so. Would he still get that with Hermione? Carson hoped he did.

Hermione dragged Carson up to her room, and once she closed the door, connected their lips in another kiss. This one not like the others before, it was better. It was longer, and it had more emotion in it. They both poured out all the happiness into the kiss.

They had a makeout session in her room before Carson helped her pack her trunk for Hogwarts. Once they finished hers, they moved onto his trunk. Hermione immobilized his biting book that he needed for care of magical creatures.

Later that night, Harry and Carson were going to the bar to find the rat tonic for Scabbers, when they heard a conversation from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"We cant tell them! They'll be terrified. Besides, the dementors will there to keep them safe!" Mrs. Weasley said to Arthur.

"Molly, Black got past the dementors, Steven and Mary have already told Carson. It's only fair Harry knows as well!" Arthur said, louder than before.

"Dumbledore will keep them safe. I'm sure of it. Harry's better off not knowing! Carson can protect him as well!"

"Molly, Black's killed twelve innocent people in one spell. A thirteen-year-old boy cannot possibly win against him!"

"Fine! Do whatever you want Arthur!" she said, ending the argument there.

Harry and Carson returned to their rooms, scared for this year. But, if Carson had Hermione with him the whole time, he would be just fine. She always made him feel better.