Chapter 3
Hermione cursed internally as she quickly moved to follow Harry. They had just eavesdropped on Slughorn's awkward conversation with Filch and Malfoy. While Harry had been intensely focused on the conversation she had been focused on Harry. The concentration on his face reminded her of what he looked like when focusing on catching the snitch. Both activities were equally as pointless in Hermione's view.
As Snape pulled Malfoy away Harry barely waited a moment before heading to follow them.
"Harry, don't be foolish," she whispered in desperation, tugging on his arm to stop.
He pulled his arm free and continued toward the door. "Something is going on, Hermione. Did you see Draco? I'll be back," he muttered, never taking his eyes off the exit.
She grabbed his arm once again, pulling him harder and forcing him to stop. "This obsession is ridiculous...Dumbledore said we shouldn't worry...we need to trust the Headmaster," she pleaded.
Harry took a deep breath, frustration evident on his face. "I know what Dumbledore says, you seem to remind me of it everyday. But he's been wrong loads of times and I know what I see. I get it...I should have been smarter last year and you don't trust my judgement anymore."
He forcefully pulled his arm away and began toward the door before stopping and looking back. "I give you permission to tell me 'I told you so' once I'm proven wrong but until then I'm going to keep trying. If you don't feel like helping that's fine...but please stop fighting me."
And with that he disappeared through the door.
Her heart sank as Harry's words repeated in her mind. Had it gotten so bad that he thought she no longer believed in him? She knew Harry wasn't infallible...that he was prone to miss details and didn't always work as hard as he could...but she always believed in him...more than anything or anyone else in her life. Her faith and belief in Harry was an irrevocable part of her at this point. The fact that he didn't realize this drove home how out of sorts she had been acting.
She looked at the door and a decision was made. She believed in Harry and Harry believed that Malfoy was a legitimate threat. It was time to start helping once again. 'You are such an idiot, Hermione,' she muttered under her breath as she quickly exited the party in search of Harry.
But despite her best efforts Harry was nowhere to be found. After several minutes of fruitless searching she realized the prudent thing was to return to the party and simply wait for Harry's return. He promised he would come back and Harry didn't break promises.
She quickly grabbed a drink and casually kept her eye on the door, eager for Harry's return. As she sipped the fruity concoction she realized it had a certain kick that she was not used to and surmised that it contained alcohol. Whatever it was it tasted lovely and it seemed to settle her nerves as she waited for Harry's return.
"There you are!" she heard from behind, cringing at the smarmy tone.
"Hello, Cormac," she greeted coolly as she grabbed another drink. "Enjoying the party?" she offered half-heartedly, hoping to end the conversation as quickly as possible.
"Much better now that I've tracked you down," he replied smoothly. "You promised me a dance, Granger."
Her skin crawled at the thought of having to dance with this talking mop. Before she could politely inform the mop that she had made no such promise another voice joined the conversation.
"Sorry, McLaggen. Hermione promised the next dance to me," Harry chimed in pleasantly as he grabbed her hand and smoothly pulled her away.
"I'll catch you later, Granger," McLaggen called as the pair walked away.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Cormac," Harry replied, "I'm really in the mood to cut a rug."
Hermione chuckled and downed the remains of her second drink, setting it on a nearby table.
"Thank you for the rescue, Harry," she stated as they began swaying to the music. "How did you know I find Cormac repellant?"
"Dunno actually. I suppose Cormac seemed like the last person you would want to dance with," he supplied. "He's a bit of a moron isn't he?"
"More than a bit," she answered as she moved closer to Harry, leaning next to his ear. She didn't want anyone else to overhear the next bit of their conversation.
"How did your reconnaissance mission go?" she asked in a near whisper.
She felt Harry tense. "I really don't want to fight, Hermione," he replied quietly. "I know you followed me so you could stop me."
"I didn't-" she snapped before catching herself. Her tone was too sharp...she was being too defensive.
She forced herself to relax and tried again. "I didn't follow you so I could stop you. I...wanted to help."
Harry remained silent for several moments before leaning in. "Really?", he asked, the hope and relief palpable in his tone.
"Yes," she confirmed. "I thought about what you said and you were right. I'm tired of fighting with you, Harry. As long as you promise to hear me out if I disagree I really do want to help."
She felt Harry relax and give her a gentle squeeze of acknowledgement. It was amazing how much better she felt.
"How did I miss you?" she eventually asked. "Have you been practicing your disillusionment charms behind my back?"
He chuckled. "I used my invisibility cloak. I've started carrying it around whenever I can...just in case."
"That was smart," she complimented. "A bit paranoid, but smart."
"For what it's worth I felt really bad when you walked by me...both times," he chuckled.
"Why didn't you grab me?" she admonished, lightly punching him on the shoulder.
"Too busy listening," he informed her as the song ended. Hermione felt oddly disappointed that the dance seemed to go by so quickly.
"Fancy another go," he asked as she began to pull away, "you were right...that was loads better than the Yule ball."
She quickly scanned the room and saw that Cormac, Ginny and Harry's flock of admirers were all looking at them. "I would love to," she said with a smile as the music resumed.
After several moments Hermione became impatient. "So..." she prodded, "what did they say?"
"I'll tell you later," he replied. "There's too many people here and I'm enjoying myself."
Maybe it was Slughorn's potion, maybe it was the two fruity drinks she had consumed, but she found herself agreeing with Harry. They could discuss the Draco problem later. She relaxed and moved a bit closer.
"This is nice," she supplied. "I forgot how much I enjoyed dancing at the Yule Ball...until Ronald ruined it of course."
She felt Harry's chuckle of acknowledgement. "Can I ask you something?" he asked tentatively. "If you don't want to answer you don't have to."
"Go on," she ordered, curious as to what was to come.
"Why Ron?" he asked. "I mean...don't get me wrong...he's my mate and I think he's brilliant...but you and him...you row so often…"
"I've asked myself the same question...many times," she answered with a sigh. "Why do you fancy Ginny?"
"She's funny and smart...we get on well...we have a few things in common...she's pretty," he quickly supplied.
"You make it sound so simple," she lamented.
"Isn't that the point?" he asked in bemusement.
She unconsciously laid her head on Harry and realized it fitted perfectly into the small of his shoulder...much better than fourth year when she barely reached Viktor's chest. As fond as she was of Viktor spending time with him always felt a bit like she was playing at being a grown up. And she had to speak very slowly...which was a bit annoying.
"I can tell you when it started but it might upset you," she warned.
"This should be good," he replied, "go on then."
"It was after fourth year," she began, "while we were at Grimmauld and you were still stuck with your relatives." She heard Harry hum in acknowledgement and continued.
"After what had happened to you in the third task and then seeing you shipped back to those awful people...not being able to tell you what was going on and worrying for your safety...I was a bit of a mess."
"Sorr-"
"Not your fault," she interrupted before he could apologize. "Anyway...Ron was really sweet. He eased up on the teasing and did all of his summer work with me without complaint. He let me whinge as much as I wanted about how unfairly you were being treated and how worried I was about you. And then you showed up and were so cross with everything and everyone…"
"I'm really sorr-"
She lightly stepped on his foot to stop him from trying to apologize again. "Like I said...not your fault. You had every right to be upset. I would have been furious if it had been me. Where was I?"
"Ron let you whinge and I showed up angry," he supplied.
"Right...well after you showed up we became a bit of a team, I suppose. We didn't really plan on it but we ended up being a bit nicer to each other all year because we knew you needed our help and would use any excuse to isolate yourself from us if we were too annoying."
"So...because I was a tosser you were nicer to each other?" he asked.
"You weren't a tosser, Harry," she admonished. "You were just less patient with us because of everything going on so we behaved ourselves a bit more."
"So now that I'm sane again you two are free to go back to being at each other's throats?" he asked in confusion.
She lightly slapped his shoulder. "You were always sane, Harry. You've handled so many horrible things so well...so much better than I could have managed. I wish you wouldn't say those sorts of things."
"I'm sorr-" he began before stopping himself. "Go on."
She relaxed into him a bit more. "I really thought Ron and I might take the next step this year but the claws seem to have come back out. Spending time around him...especially if you're not around...seems like such a chore now. Nothing like-"
She stopped herself as the revelation rattled around in her brain.
"Nothing like what?" he prompted.
She took a deep breath and continued as casually as possible. "Nothing like this...with you." It was true...even with their brief argument earlier in the evening she couldn't imagine a scenario where she would have had a better time if Ron had been her date.
"I wish I'd asked you to the Yule Ball," he said in agreement. "I was dreading tonight but this has been fun. If you had told me I would spend forty five minutes straight on the dance floor and enjoy it I would have said you were barmy."
"Don't be ridiculous, we haven't been dancing for-"
She suddenly stopped as she glanced at her watch and confirmed Harry was right. It felt like it had been a fraction of that time.
As if on cue the song came to an end. "I'm a bit parched from all this relaxing," Harry joked, "fancy taking a break for a drink?"
She spotted the waiter carrying the delicious fruity drinks and instantly agreed with Harry's suggestion. "Yes," she replied cheerfully, pulling him toward the concoction.
"Not bad," Harry complimented after taking a sip. "You reckon there is alcohol in this?"
"Definitely," she said with an approving smile, taking a large drink.
Harry laughed. "Hermione Jane Granger," he playfully admonished, "you are behaving very unlike a Prefect right now."
She frowned. "Am I really that awful, normally?" she asked sadly.
"Nah, I like Prefect Hermione too. I think I'd be lost without her if I'm being honest. It's nice to have this version come out to play every once in awhile though."
She smiled and took another drink. "Good answer!" she exclaimed louder than she intended. Apparently three fruity drinks was her limit.
Harry raised an eyebrow in amusement at her comment before spotting something over her shoulder and becoming more serious. Hermione instantly became irritated as it seemed their good time was about to be interrupted once more.
Harry quickly grabbed her now empty glass and placed it on a nearby table.
"Fancy another dance?" he asked her more loudly than necessary as he grabbed her hand.
"Sure," she said in confusion. She honestly did want to dance more but Harry's invitation had been so jarring.
As they began moving to the song Harry leaned in. "Cormac was headed back over...thought I would head him off before he got to you," he supplied.
"Thank you, Harry," she replied, laying her head back in it's now familiar position. "I honestly don't know why he is being so persistent."
"Really?" Harry asked in confusion.
"Really what?"
"And you think I'm dense about people fancying me," he said with a chuckle. "Loads of blokes think you're pretty. I think most are too intimidated to do anything about it though. Cormac's ego is too big to worry about that sort of thing I reckon."
She smiled to herself and relaxed a bit further into Harry. "I'm so glad we are being nice to each other again...and thank you."
"Me too...and you're welcome," Harry answered. "Let's promise to keep it up when we start disagreeing again tomorrow.
"I promise," she offered sincerely as she pulled back and looked into his smiling eyes. They really were lovely.
They continued to dance for several more songs until Hermione noticed the party seemed to be dying down and the dance floor was decidedly more empty. As fun as it had been she realized she was a bit tired as well.
"Are you ready to leave, Harry?" she asked once the song ended.
She watched as Harry looked around the room and a genuine look of surprise bloomed on his face.
"I thought I'd be the first one to leave," he joked as he nodded in agreement and began to move off the dance floor. She was surprisingly disappointed at the loss of contact. After saying a quick goodbye to their host they swiftly headed out of the room.
They had made it a few steps down the hall before Harry stopped abruptly and pulled out his invisibility cloak.
"I'll be right back," he informed as he disappeared from sight and re-entered the party.
A few minutes later she watched as the door seemingly opened by itself and a grinning Harry appeared beside her, fruity drink in hand.
"Thought you'd like one more," he said with a smile as he handed her the drink.
"I don't know, Harry," her responsible side replied. "That last one really affected me and we still need to talk about Draco and Professor Snape."
"We can talk about the conniving gits tomorrow," he replied reassuringly. "This is is our night off."
"Someone might see me," she replied worryingly.
"Ahh...good point," he said before quickly pulling the invisibility cloak over the both of them.
She laughed and raised her glass in acknowledgement before taking a drink. It really was quite good. She vowed to remember this moment the next time she got cross with Harry.
The rest of the trip back to Gryffindor was uneventful save for a few chuckles as she finished her drink or stumbled over Harry's feet. As she saw the Fat Lady come into view Hermione's heart sank a bit as she realized play time was over and their problems hadn't magically disappeared. At the very least, however, she and Harry were once again on the same page.
Harry took the now empty glass from her hand and pulled off the cloak, drawing a surprised shriek from The Fat Lady.
"I expect it from this one but not you, Miss Granger," the Fat Lady said, disappointment clear on her face.
"It's her night off," Harry replied defiantly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder in support. Despite herself she snorted in amusement at the act of solidarity.
"It's my night off," she repeated, nodding in agreement, drawing a laugh from Harry. The knowing smirk the Fat Lady wore as Harry provided the password did nothing to dampen Hermione's mood.
As she approached the steps to her room she turned and lurched at Harry, wrapping him in a hug. "Thank you, Harry, for a wonderful night. It was exactly what I needed."
"Me too," he replied, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Me too."
Chapter 4
Hermione bounded down the stairs quickly, anxious to hear Harry's news about Draco and knowing time was limited given how early they were leaving to go home for the holiday break. She was thankful that her head was relatively clear and pain free despite the lovely fruity drinks she had consumed the prior night.
Harry had already arrived and was sitting with Ron in a corner, huddled over in discussion. She ignored the mild discomfort caused by having to deal with Ron and quickly made her way over.
"Good morning" Harry replied with an easy smile as she took the empty seat next to Ron, purposely making sure to avoid any contact.
"We should get started before Lav comes down," Ron replied, casting a sidelong glance her way. She kept her eyes focused on Harry and successfully fought the urge to roll her eyes
Over the next few minutes Harry explained everything he had overheard. Draco's mission...Snape's Unbreakable Vow...all of it. As she absorbed the words and thought back to how troubled Draco looked everything became undeniably more real.
"Malfoy is definitely up to something but do you really think he is a real threat?" Ron chimed in. "I mean, I hate Snape too and an Unbreakable Vow is serious business but he could have been lying about wanting to help. You know...to find out what Malfoy is up to."
It was clear that Harry was fighting his worst instincts and holding back an angry retort. Instead he looked at her. "What do you think, Hermione?"
While she initially had the same thoughts as Ron she forced herself to think it through."Draco really did look awful...something was clearly troubling him." Harry gave a satisfied nod of confirmation.
"But-"
"Come on," Harry interrupted. "Why does no-one believe me?"
"But…" she began again in as soft a tone as she could manage, lightly punching Harry on the arm for interrupting her, "Dumbledore would want Snape to lie to find out what Draco is up too."
Harry opened his mouth to respond but she beat him to the punch. "I'm not done yet," Hermione playfully scolded, purposely keeping her tone as light as possible. She and Harry had made way too much progress over the last few days to ruin it by snapping at each other.
"You can't get out of an Unbreakable Vow...which means whether he wants to or not Snape would have to finish Draco's mission if he fails."
"Like I said, he could have been lying about that too," Ron countered.
"Snape said he made the vow with Malfoy's mother," Harry hissed, "Malfoy would know if Snape was lying."
"But-"
"Harry's right," Hermione realized, saying it out loud for both to hear. "Professor Snape mentioned that Draco had been around Bellatrix as well so it's clear that they were all together over the summer. Draco could easily find out if Professor Snape is lying...he would just need to ask his mother."
Ron looked gobsmacked. "So now you've suddenly decided to agree with Harry?" he replied, looking as if he had been personally betrayed.
"Harry quite often chooses not to be a dunderhead," she replied, "you should try it sometime."
"Oh ha ha," Ron countered, smiling slightly. Hermione smiled as well, grateful that some of the tension between them had subsided, if only temporarily.
Harry rolled his eyes and trudged on. "So that means, even if Draco is the harmless fraud you think he is, Snape has vowed to finish whatever he is trying to do. If he doesn't than he will- What actually happens if you break an Unbreakable Vow?"
"You die," Hemione muttered gravely.
'So if Snape fails it's a win, win for us. We foil the plan and Snape kicks the bucket," Ron joked.
Hermione slapped him on the shoulder. "That is a horrible thing to say," she exclaimed, forcing down the smile that stubbornly wanted to break through. It looked as if Harry found the joke highly amusing.
"I mean...he's not wrong," he supplied, playfully ducking away from Hermione's half hearted attempt at smacking his shoulder.
"Two dunderheads,"' she muttered before allowing herself a smile as well. She supposed they were allowed a bit of gallows humor with everything they'd gone through.
The moment of levity was broken by a throat clearing loudly behind her. She turned to see Lavender staring at them in annoyance, impatiently waiting for their conversation to end.
"Gotta go," Ron spoke as he stood to leave. "Have a good holiday, Hermione."
"You too," she replied absently. She was so proud of the turnaround she had made in the last few days. Ron was still an inconsiderate berk but at least they were once again being civil with each other...sort of.
As she watched Ron walk away a seventh year Prefect tapped her on the shoulder. "McGonagall said you're next up for the floo. You need to head to her office."
She stood and grabbed her bag, excited for the holiday break and the chance to see her parents once again. "Have a good holiday, Harry," she exclaimed as she began to leave.
"Wait," Harry said from behind her. She turned to see him now standing as well, looking very conflicted. He quickly pulled something out of his bag.
"I want you to take this," he blurted as he held the book out for her to take. It was the book. The Half Blood Prince's book. She immediately tensed.
"I finally get to chuck it?" she asked hopefully.
"No!" he blurted loudly before calming himself. "I want you to give it a fair chance and read through it over the break. If you still have concerns we can talk about it when we come back."
She was taken aback by Harry's request. It appeared what he had said last night weren't just words...he really was willing to hear her out. Countless condescending and cutting remarks went through her head but she settled on offering a bit of affectionate teasing.
"Are you sure you want to do this Harry? Being away from loved ones during the holidays can sometimes be hard."
He smiled and ran a hand nervously through his hair. "I'll do my best to manage...just promise me you'll bring my baby back in one piece."
She returned the smile as she quickly grabbed the book and placed it in her bag. She had felt so unmoored for so long...having everything seemingly set back to rights with Harry was the perfect way to leave for the break.
She quickly pulled him into a hug. "Happy Christmas, Harry," she said warmly, nestling into his shoulder.
As her mother puttered around the kitchen Hermione sat at the table and stared at the book in front of her. She had been home for seven days...all the requisite visits and get togethers with relatives had taken place and Christmas and Boxing Day had passed. She was officially out of excuses for delaying the difficult discussion she needed to have with her parents and fulfilling her promise to Harry by giving the Prince's book a chance.
Postponing the conversation with her parents made sense...there was no need to ruin their Christmas with what she needed to tell them. But the book? That was a bit harder to justify. As much as she told herself her reluctance was based on her worry that it was insidious as she feared she knew the reality of the situation. She knew her reluctance was based on the fact that she could be wrong. She hated being wrong.
"Hermione," her mother chimed in pleasantly. "Could you?"
She looked up to see her mother gesturing at the dirty dishes on the counter and smiled. Beyond all the presents she had received and the loved ones she had visited the absolute best part of the break was getting to do magic in front of her parents. They had waited six years to see her in action and they joyously soaked in every spell performed, no matter how mundane.
She pulled out her wand and flicked it toward the sink. Her mother gave a celebratory clap as the water sprung to life and the dishes began floating toward the now levitating scrub brush, anxiously awaiting their arrival.
"Oh come on," her mother said after a few moments, "you can do better than that. Make them do the thing," she ordered impatiently.
Hermione rolled her eyes and gave another flick, causing the dishes to begin marching in rhythmic unison toward their date with the brush. The brush began bobbing back and forth as well, synchronized perfectly with their march.
"Much better," her mother replied happily as she took a seat at the table. "Now, would you like to tell me what's bothering you?"
"What?" Hermione replied, doing her best to sound casual.
"You've been staring at that book for the last fifteen minutes. The only time you are this quiet is when you are reading a book...not staring at one."
She was saved from answering as her father entered the room. "Look at them go," he stated, admiring Hermione's spell work. He grabbed a bottle of beer and an empty glass and took a seat as well before looking her way.
"Go on then," he said, grinning in anticipation.
Hermione rolled her eyes once again before magically opening the bottle and beginning to pour its contents into the glass.
"Not too much foam...that's it," he encouraged as she slightly tilted the glass.
"You've had me do this a dozen times in the last week, Dad. I think I've got the procedure down."
"Practice makes perfect. That's our Hermione…" her father stated happily before taking a drink. "Delicious."
Hermione chuckled to herself and realized this was the perfect time to have the necessary talk with her parents. It would undoubtedly spoil the happy mood but it needed to be done. It was too important and it needed to be done. She quickly began before she lost her nerve.
"I need to talk to you about some other spells I'd like to do before I return to Hogwarts...protection spells on the house."
Her parents looked at each other warily before her mother spoke. "Like a burglar alarm?"
"No," she replied, "not for mug- non magical people. It's an alarm that will alert you if someone besides me performs any magic here."
"Why would someone else be performing magic here and why would that require an alarm, Hermione?" her father asked, his good mood now well and truly gone.
She stared down at the book and took a breath. Now for the hard part. "I haven't been completely honest with you...about the seriousness of what has been happening in the wizarding world."
"I knew it!" her mother exclaimed angrily as she leapt from her chair and started to pace. "I told you, David. I told you she was keeping things from us."
"Now Jane," her father said calmly, "let's hear her out." Her father's ability to stay calm and rational had always infuriated Hermione when she was younger and had been upset about something. Now she was eternally grateful for it.
"Don't you 'now Jane' me. How many times have we asked her if something was wrong? How many times?" As she folded her arms and glared at her father and then at her, Hermione was once again keenly aware how similar she was to her mother.
"That scar you came home with last year. It had nothing to do with a potions accident, did it," her mother angrily continued.
"Please, Mum," she pleaded. "I'll tell you everything, I promise. Just please...have a seat."
Over the next few hours she did exactly that. She told them everything. Everything Harry had gone through...how Voldemort had been resurrected...how she had been injured...how Muggleborns would be in mortal danger if Voldemort succeeded and that she would be first on his hit list given her close relationship to Harry. As she shared more and more she watched her mother's anger slowly morph into fear and resignation.
"Why are you finally telling us this now?" her father asked.
Before she could speak her mother supplied the answer. "Because she's seventeen and considered an adult by them now. We couldn't stop her from going back even if we wanted to. Is that right?"
Hermione nodded sadly in confirmation.
"We could all leave," her father offered hopefully. "Move to America...or Australia. It would take a few months to sort out the practice and sell the house but-"
"I think that is an excellent idea for you two but I'm staying," she replied.
"Hermione," her mother pleaded. "If it is as bad as you say it is you could die. Please...you've always been so sensible. We should talk about this."
She felt the tears slowly start to fall. "Harry needs me and I can't abandon him. I won't abandon him."
"It isn't your duty to protect him, dear," her father offered as he handed her his handkerchief. "From how you've described him I think he would prefer it if you were safe."
She gave a throaty chuckle. "Harry would personally escort me to the airport to make sure I got on the plane. That's why I have to stay. He would never turn tail and run. Never. I have to do the same for him."
They sat in silence for several minutes as they all adjusted to their new wretched 'normal'. Hermione was sure they would have many more conversations over the next few days but at the very least the hardest part was over...the bandage had been well and truly ripped off. The heaviness that had weighed on her conscience over the last few years as she lied to her parents now felt slightly lighter.
"We still need to go over the spells I'm going to cast and what you need to do if-"
"Tomorrow, Hermione. We can talk about that tomorrow," her Mother replied wearily as she stood and began to leave the room. "I can't think straight right now."
After a few minutes her father quietly stood and grabbed another beer before sitting back down. "Go on then," he softly replied, "mind the foam."
Her father's kindness burst open the dam she had fervently held back and tears began to fall in earnest. "I'm so sorry, Dad" she choked out.
Her father gently pulled her up and wrapped her in a hug. "It's okay Janey," he murmured, "we'll sort it out."
"You need to convince Mum to leave," she mumbled through her sobs.
"I don't think we'll be doing that," he replied as he held her closer. "Our Janey would never turn tail and run. We'll do the same for her."
She was due to return back to Hogwarts in two days and she still hadn't reviewed the Prince's book as the past week had been spent with her parents adjusting to their new normal. The new normal was a bit more resigned...a bit more serious...but they were all on the same page and were now truly in it together...whether she wanted them to be or not.
Before she could change her mind she sat down at her desk and opened the book, quickly turning past the pompous 'Property of The Half Blood Prince' page.
Despite herself she found herself enthralled by the Prince's comments and ideas on potions after a mere few pages. She'd barely made it through one chapter before realizing she'd be apologizing to Harry. The Prince may have been an aspiring dark lord but one thing was clear, the man knew his potions. She had convinced herself the notes were simply about what to do but she now realized they focused much more on the how and why...loads more than their actual Potions classes had ever managed.
"In for a penny, in for a pound," she muttered to herself as she turned back to the beginning of the chapter, pulled out a quill and blank parchment, and started taking notes.
Chapter 5
The minutes seemed to crawl by at a snail's pace as Hermione waited for Harry's return to Hogwarts. It took all of her willpower to not curse when Professor McGonagall had informed her that Harry wasn't due to return until a full three hours after her arrival. McGonagall had given her a note from Dumbledore for Harry but that was secondary in her mind. A brief visit to Hagrid's hut had been a nice diversion but the task at hand was never truly forgotten.
She wanted to get through Harry's 'I told you so's' regarding the Half Blood Prince as quickly and painlessly as possible. Given how smug and dismissive she had been all year she was not expecting to come out of the encounter unscathed. At least it was Harry, she mused. If it had been Ron she was sure the gloating remarks would be frequent and never-ending.
Fifteen minutes after Harry's scheduled return she heard Ron loudly arguing with the Fat Lady on the the other side of the portrait and quickly opened the door, revealing an annoyed Ron and a slightly bemused Harry and Ginny. It appeared their impatience at not gaining entry to Gryffindor had been mitigated by listening to Ron go at it with the portrait.
"Don't mind her," Hermione said as casually as she could muster, "she went on a bit of a bender over the break and is still out of sorts."
"Who told you that?" the portrait responded before wincing and grabbing her head in pain due to her own loud outburst. She quickly recovered and continued on. "That is a scurrilous lie, and even if it were true I would never let it affect my sworn duty to Hog-"
"Abstinence," Hermione interjected forcefully, not wanting to engage again with the angry woman. "The new password is Abstinence."
"Good to know," Ginny responded pleasantly, shooting a grin at Harry before pushing past Ron and entering the common room. "I suppose I should find Dean," she continued as her grin faded slightly, waving them goodbye. Hermione glanced at Harry and saw that he now wore a small grin rivaling Ginny's prior expression. It was clear he had also picked up on Ginny's severe lack of excitement about seeing her boyfriend.
The grin was fleeting as he quickly looked her way. "Hi, Hermione. Good holiday?" he asked. It appeared he was as nervous as she was to talk about the legitimacy of the Half Blood Prince.
"It was fine," she replied, quickly forging onward before she lost her nerve. "Can we talk about-"
"Won-Won!" came an impassioned voice from behind as she felt herself being politely pushed to the side. She watched as Lavender latched onto Ron for several seconds before stepping back to look at him. As Lavender took in the sight of her boyfriend her smile disappeared as quickly as it came, morphing to one of confusion. "Why aren't you wearing my gift?"
"See you later," Ron muttered before quickly grabbing Lavender's hand and pulling her away.
"What was that about?" Hermione asked.
She turned back to see Harry now sporting a grin from ear to ear. "I promised him I wouldn't give any specifics but do you remember that perfume he bought you?"
Hermione nodded, failing to hide her disgust as she instantly and viscerally recalled the horrid smell she suspected could counteract the strongest of love potions.
"Imagine if there were a matching necklace to go along with that perfume and you have a pretty good idea of Lavender's gift."
She couldn't help herself and barked out a laugh so loud that Ron turned and shot Harry a dirty look.
"Now you've ruined it," Harry mumbled insincerely as he attempted to hide his grin from Ron and began pulling her to the opposite corner of the room.
"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed as she covered her mouth. It dawned on her that perhaps Ron and Lavender truly did deserve each other. "Thank you for your gift by the way," she continued as she gathered herself and took a seat.
"I know a voucher for Flourish and Blotts isn't very original but every time we go there's always two or three things you want to buy but don't and I thought-"
"I mean it, Harry. It was very thoughtful...much better than that perfume."
"That's a very low bar," Harry joked, clearly relieved his gift had gone over well. "And thanks for the gloves...I didn't expect to get Quidditch gear from you."
"Statistics show that Seekers are more likely to sustain injuries to their hands and it looked like you'd outgrown your old pair," she supplied nervously.
"You noticed that?" he asked, clearly impressed. "I didn't realize you paid that close of attention to Quidditch matches."
"I pay close attention to you at Quidditch matches ," she quickly responded before realizing how such a statement could be interpreted. "I mean...one of us has to look out for your safety out there and you clearly don't care."
Her stomach twitched as Harry smiled and nervously ran a hand through his hair. Shit. She had done so well the last few years of ridding herself of that nonsense and forced herself to refocus on more important matters.
She quickly pulled the Headmaster's note out of her pocket and handed it to Harry. "Professor McGonagall asked me to give you this."
"Looks like I have another history lesson with Dumbledore tomorrow night," Harry mumbled after reading and quickly stowing away the note. "So…" he continued, nervousness evident in his voice, "did you get a chance to to look at the book?"
Hermione nodded before swiftly pulling out the book and handing it back to Harry. She then fixedly stared at the table and started blurting out the words as quickly as possible.
"I was wrong," she spit out. "It's honestly fascinating...I should have heard you out and given it a chance before being so dismissive. I'm sorry."
Her eyes never left the table but she knew she was simply delaying the inevitable. Harry had earned the right to show off the smug grin she was positive he now sported. She looked up and realized she was wrong yet again. Harry's gobsmacked expression rivaled the one he had sported after his name came out of the Goblet of Fire.
"Wow," he eventually replied, "I'm not sure what I expected but it wasn't that. Thanks. And I meant what I said last term...you can use it any time you'd like."
"That won't be necessary," she mumbled, her eyes once again returning to the desk as she pulled out two stacks of parchment and silently rejoiced at Harry's maturity. She should have known Harry wouldn't preen about being right...he was much more concerned about them getting along. She quickly forged ahead.
"I spent the last few days of the break transcribing all of the Prince's notes and added a few indexing charms to make it easier to quickly look up specific topics. Preparation advice, potion types, safety measures, general tips...that sort of thing."
She slid one of the stacks across the table and and continued. "I made a copy for you as well."
"This looks like my handwriting," Harry replied in confusion.
"I came across a spell over the summer that can mimic someone's penmanship. I thought it would make it a bit easier for you to read if they were in your own handwriting."
"That's really cool," he replied. "The things you know...it's amazing, Hermione."
"Books and cleverness," she joked as she nudged Harry's foot under the table, her stomach twitching once again at Harry's warm smile. She ignored it.
She quickly pushed the other stack of parchment across the table. "I made a copy for Ron as well...you can give it to him. Tell him that if he makes any comments about me being wrong about the book I can make the ink on his copy vanish whenever I want."
"His copy has your handwriting," Harry observed.
"Only non-dunderheads get the special penmanship spell," she replied as she pulled out another parchment. "Besides, he's borrowed my notes so often over the years he can probably read my handwriting better than his own."
Harry barked out a laugh, drawing another curious glance from Ron.
"We need to talk about the spells though, Harry," she trudged on.
Annoyance briefly flared on Harry's face before he forcefully calmed himself and nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Go on," he replied.
"I haven't changed my opinion on the spells. Promise me you won't try anymore before we test them out together...on practice dummies or something. Based on a few of the notes some are at best mean spirited and at worst dangerous."
"That's fair," Harry replied as he nodded in resignation. We could use the Room of Requirement...maybe classify them based on the danger level or something."
Hermione purposely cleared her throat and pushed the new parchment forward. "I took the liberty of setting up a schedule. I came up with twenty spells in the book that I had never heard of and I thought we could cover them all over the next few weeks. We could start with the ones that sounded the most useful and save the more severe sounding ones for last. I've gone ahead and ranked them based on a few-"
She stopped abruptly as she noticed Harry smirking as he listened on. "Something funny, Harry?"
"Sorry," he replied abruptly as he schooled his features. "It's just...I should have known you would have already thought of that."
She stubbornly fought back the smile threatening to break out on her own face. "Anyway, since you're meeting with the Headmaster tomorrow maybe we could start Tuesday night. You can invite Ron as well if you'd like but tell him if he makes any stupid remarks he'll be my practice dummy for the spell testing."
"Will do," he answered, "looks like Lavender might beat you to it though."
She looked over at the pair and to her surprise felt a bit of sympathy for Ron. Before the holiday break she would have been reveling in Ron's misfortune. Now, any feelings toward Ron, whether positive or negative, seemed to be muted...overshadowed and thrust to the background thanks to her new normal. She was broken out of her musings by Harry.
"How long did it take you to do all this?" Harry asked as he scanned the parchments she had provided.
"Just a couple of days, actually," she replied. "It was actually a good distraction," she continued, "I finally told my parents everything that has happened to me at Hogwarts and about what's happening now. I kept trying to convince them to leave England for their own safety and they kept trying to convince me to go with them. After a few days of talking everything out I was desperate for something else to focus on. And the book really is quite fascinating."
Harry pretended to review her notes for a few moments before speaking.
"It's not a bad idea actually," Harry tentatively replied, "you being safe and away from all this nonsense would-"
"Shut up, Harry," Hermione interrupted as she leaned over and flicked him on the forehead.
"That hurt, Hermione!" Harry exclaimed as he rubbed his forehead and smiled despite himself.
"If you stop saying stupid things you won't get flicked. It's that simple."
The sat in silence for several minutes as Harry stared fixedly at the notes. "I'm really sorry about you and your parents. It's not fair…"
She nudged his foot under the table once again so he would look at her. "I'll tell you what I told them," she continued, laying her hand on his. "I have no intention of running. You'd never do such a thing and neither will I."
"Thanks," Harry mumbled as he gathered himself and quickly picked up the parchment stacks and placed them in his bag.
"Anyway," Harry eventually continued, "now that that's sorted I talked to Mr. Weasley and Lupin over the break about what Snape and Malfoy are up to. Oh, I also kind of told off the Minister of Magic…"
The walk to breakfast the next morning was surprisingly quiet and Ron free. Harry had not shared in her enthusiasm for the Apparition lesson notice that had been posted in the common room and had remained relatively silent as they made their way to the Great Hall. It was clear something had happened to dampen his mood after they departed for bed the night prior.
"Everything alright, Harry?" she asked tentatively, still a bit hesitant to push after Harry's defensiveness in the prior year.
Harry shook his head in disgust before speaking. "I gave Ron the notes you made for the Prince's book and told him how we were going to start testing out the spells together tomorrow and he…" Harry muttered before trailing off.
"He what, Harry?" she prompted.
"He reckons the reason you changed your mind about the book and have been nicer to me lately is just to annoy him...because of Lavender."
Her immediate instinct was to lash out angrily but bit back on the urge. If she was being honest with herself it wasn't an unreasonable conclusion based on how irrational she had been acting before the break. She took a breath.
"What did you say?" she asked hesitantly. Based on Harry's despondent expression she wasn't sure she would like the answer.
"I told him we sorted out our problems before the break and it had nothing to do with him. And that you were too stubborn to say your were wrong about something if you didn't believe it."
He was right...she would have been too prideful to admit she was wrong if she didn't mean it simply to keep the peace. That sounded like something Harry might do.
They walked in silence for several moments before she began speaking. "Did I tell you I was originally planning on asking Cormac to the party to annoy Ron?
"You're joking," Harry declared.
"If Cormac had said no I was going to ask Smith."
"That Hufflepuff git?" Harry replied in disbelief as he stopped walking and stared. "Are you insane?"
"I was," she confirmed, "temporarily at least. Then I came to my senses and asked you for reasons that had nothing to do with Ron, thank Merlin. You were right about the other part as well. I've been dreading having to eat crow about the book."
They resumed their walk to breakfast as Harry replied. "He kept mentioning what people have been saying about how we acted at Slughorn's party and how well we seemed to be getting on last night and wanted to know what we were doing. I told him we were trying not to be so stubborn and listening to each other. I suggested he try it some time and then he sort of stormed off to breakfast with Lavender."
"Poor Won-Won," she mused aloud, drawing a chuckle from Harry.
Whatever explanation Ron had provided for not wearing Lavender's gift must have worked because she was once again chirping happily at his every word by dinner the next night. Thankfully for her they had decided for some privacy at the end of the table, sparing her the majority of their nonsense.
As she watched Harry exiting the Great Hall for his meeting with the Headmaster Ginny leaned forward and spoke in a hush. She looked quite serious.
"What's going on with you and Harry?" she asked without pretense.
"Going on?" she asked confusedly. "Harry has a meeting with the Headmaster right now and I'm going to the lib-"
"That's not what I'm talking about, Hermione," Ginny interrupted, clearly annoyed. "After Slughorn's party and last night everyone thinks there is something going on between you two."
"Who is everyone?"
"Everyone with eyes and a brain?" Ginny countered. "I'm asking you so I can put the rumors to rest on your behalf."
Ginny was doing her best to act as casually as possible. Hermione knew better but bit back on commenting.
"Nothing's going on, Ginny. We're just on the same page and getting on well again...the best since fourth year, actually. And since neither of us have any desire to be in their orbit we are spending more time together. That's it."
She thought about how respectful Harry had been with Ginny and Dean's relationship and realized Ginny wasn't returning the favor. A hint of annoyance flared.
"Honestly, there have been rumors about me and Harry for years and if we want to date it's no-one's business but ours."
"So you're saying you are interested in Harry?" Ginny asked, her calm facade cracking slightly.
"I'm saying it's none of your business," she concluded before turning back to her dinner.
As she finished her meal in silence she ignored the irritated redhead sitting across the table and her mind returned to the idea that had dominated her thoughts in third year...that she and Harry could possibly be more than just friends someday. She had eventually realized, thanks to Harry's obvious interest in Cho Chang and now Ginny, that such thoughts weren't realistic and at some point unconsciously pivoted toward Ron. Viktor had provided a nice, though shallow and short-lived, distraction as well. Thinking of Harry in that way was as pointless as her hope to one day see a unicorn when she was six. She was beginning to realize that thinking of Ron in that way was equally as pointless for entirely different reasons.
Magic may be able to make unicorns a reality...but love? Any feelings of romantic love created by magic were a cheap parlor trick...a pale, temporary, and meaningless imitation. Harry's friendship was infinitely more important than something that wasn't real. Until recently she had started to take that friendship for granted...she wouldn't let it happen again.
Although she had briefly allowed the thought of romance with Harry to roam free in her consciousness once again it was time to return to reality. Her 'date' with Harry at Slughorn's party and their time spent together the night prior didn't help in keeping the thought at bay but she did her best to forcefully stow it back into its cage. It's a shame, she mused, it is a lovely thought.
Chapter 6
As Hermione waited for their first Potions class of the new term to begin she once again went over what Harry had shared from his meeting with the Headmaster the prior night. She, Harry and Ron stayed up until midnight discussing all of the revelations regarding Voldemort's childhood, Riddle's discussion with Slughorn, and Horcruxes...most especially Horcruxes. She felt like she hadn't slept a wink as she mentally tallied every reference book she would start with in her quest for more information on Horcruxes. She planned on writing an outline during lunch so she could start researching as quickly as possible..
She was broken out of her thoughts by an elbow from Harry. He gestured toward the front of the class and she saw Professor Slughorn staring at her.
"I'm sorry," she quickly recovered. "What was the question?"
"Golpalott's Third Law. I was hoping you could share it with the rest of the class?" he asked expectantly.
She quickly blurted out the answer and breathed a sigh of relief as the Professor began his recitation on the implicatins of the theory. As she listened she quietly wrote 'Thank you' on a scrap of parchment and slid it toward Harry. She realized it was the first pleasant exchange she'd had with Harry in Potions class all term.
When he smiled and nodded in acknowledgement her stomach twitched again. She immediately poured all of her focus back on the Professor's speech as a distraction.
Thankfully the assignment Slughorn had set had been the most complex task she had ever been assigned in the class, requiring all of her attention. She barely gave her stomach or Harry another thought as she began compiling the myriad ingredients in order to concoct the requested antidote. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard a throat purposely clearing, drawing her attention. She looked up to see Professor Slughorn smiling at her.
"Time is up, Miss Granger," he offered with a pleasant smile. She filled a vial with her potion and anxiously awaited the verdict. There were a few more items she had wanted to add but unfortunately had run out of time.
He waved his wand over the potion and studied the results. "I see you've been quite busy," he responded pleasantly. "It certainly looks like you identified the poison correctly but I think you've gone a bit overboard with the antidote. How many ingredients have you used?"
"Fifty two," she answered hesitantly.
"Hmmm…" he hummed in consideration, "I'm afraid you've overthought it. While I believe the antidote would work you've added several unnecessary or superfluous ingredients that would dilute or offset the effect you are going for. You've also missed a few basic antidote ingredients that could have helped with the potency."
"Very well done though, Miss Granger," he stated pleasantly, "this is by far the best effort so far," he concluded as he peered in disappointment at the rest of the class before brightening once again.
"Let us see what Mr. Potter has to offer!" he continued. Harry looked like he wanted to flee the room.
Slughorn hummed in consideration once again as he studied Harry's effort, his expression dimming a bit as the seconds ticked on. "While you've included all the basic antidote items it appears you've missed the more unique items that could have helped with this specific poison. Did you have trouble with the poison revealing spell?"
"I cast Specialis Revelio but wasn't sure what the results meant," Harry answered dejectedly, causing Hermione to feel a pang of sympathy. Last term Harry's failure would have been a moment of triumph for her. Now, the very thought of taking pleasure in Harry's humiliation turned her stomach.
"Ahh yes, it happens to the best of us," Slughorn commiserated.
"Remember this lesson, class!" he continued in a much louder voice, "no matter how skilled you are in potions preparation, if you don't begin the process with the proper facts your effort is doomed to be substandard." Harry winced at the word 'substandard.'
"And as much as a wide breadth of knowledge can be a strength it can just as easily turn into a weakness if you are distracted from remembering the basics. The simplest answers are many times the best and should not be overlooked for more exotic solutions," he concluded as he peered her way.
"I daresay if Mr. Potter and Miss Granger had worked on this assignment together they would have arrived at the perfect solution. Now let us see what Mr. Weasley has- Oh my. I'm not sure I've ever seen something that particular shade of gray before. And such an interesting consistency..."
As the class ended and she was gathering her things Harry leaned toward her and began speaking in a hush. "Go on ahead with Ron. I'm going to stay and ask Slughorn about the memory."
"You need to have a plan, Harry," Hermione muttered back.
"I figured I'd ask him for help on using Specialis Revelio, Harry replied. "Hopefully he takes a bit of pity on me and then I can ask about Horcruxes."
It was a good a plan as any she thought. "Your potion wasn't that bad," Hermione assured. "The fact that he made a comment at all showed you were on the right track."
It was true. Only a few other students had received specific feedback with most only warranting disappointed, confused, or terrified expressions from Slughorn.
"I actually came up with an idea thanks to the Prince...using a bezoar. But it felt too much like a cheat."
Hermione nodded as she remembered the Prince's note on the topic. It was such a throwaway comment it had been one of the few things she hadn't bothered to include in her transcription.
She turned to see Ron standing by the doorway and realized they were the only students left in the classroom. She felt a tinge of discomfort as she realized that the walk to lunch would be the first time she and Ron would be alone since the bird incident.
"He apologized this morning," Harry muttered under his breath, "for thinking you weren't being sincere. He's going to join us tonight and promised not to be stupid."
She felt herself relax a bit as she realized avoiding Ron entirely was foolish and counterproductive. And as infuriating as he could be, she missed him.
"Good luck, Harry," she encouraged before turning to join Ron, "I'll see you later."
Her progress was stopped as Harry grabbed her elbow and gently rubbed something off her nose. She unconsiously looked at Harry's eyes and her stomach performed a somersault.
"You had a bit of soot," he stated in embarrassment. "See you," he mumbled before making his way to the front of the class.
"See you," she answered back quietly, all thoughts of poisons and antidotes forgotten, now consumed by soot, noses, gentle hands and green eyes. Where was she supposed to be going now? Lunch...that was it.
After informing Ron of Harry's plan with Slughorn the trek to lunch proceeded in awkward silence. As the doors to the Great Hall came into view Ron spoke.
"Harry said you'd come around on the Prince and gave me your notes. Thanks…"
"You're welcome," she replied simply. She wanted to add "I'm sorry about attacking you with canaries" but couldn't muster the courage.
"He also said we were going to start trying out the spells tonight...I was wondering if Lav could join us," he asked hesitantly.
Hermione immediately tensed. She was actually looking forward to the three of them spending time together and had no interest in being subjected to the couple's nonsense.
"Did you ask Harry?" she asked.
"He said it was okay with him but only if she took it seriously...like Dumbledore's Army...and we had to keep our hands to ourselves. And that I had to ask you."
She stopped walking and considered his request. Being honest and considerate with Harry had worked and Ron deserved the same treatment. They were a team.
She took a deep breath and began speaking quietly. "Part of the reason I wanted to do this was so we could get back to where we were...the three of us. I want to stop fighting and I want to help Harry. I want us to help Harry.
"So that's a 'no' then," Ron asked.
It was time to start making up for the canaries.
"No. If you think Lavender can follow Harry's rules and you want her there she's welcome to come."
"Thank you," he answered, clearly relieved. "I'm not sure if she'll even want to join us but if I didn't ask she'd be furious."
"Why wouldn't she want to join us?" Hermione asked in confusion as she began walking once again. The girl seemed obsessed with spending as much time as she possibly could in Ron's presence.
"It's you...and Harry...the three of us together. I think it intimidates her. She's a lot different when you lot aren't around."
"I'll take your word for it," she said as she pushed the doors to the Great Hall open. She watched Lavender instantly frown when she spotted them walking in together.
"Wish I'd been there when you admitted you were wrong," he continued easily, apparently oblivious to his girlfriend's discomfort. There was no arrogance or harshness in his tone...only amusement.
"I've been known to be reasonable from time to time, Ronald," she replied, falling back easily into their normal banter. It felt like a lifetime since their teasing hadn't been mean spirited. She missed it.
"Oh, I know that," he answered, "it's just...you were actually wrong about something and Harry and I were right. What are the chances that will ever happen again?"
"The exception proves the rule," she teased as they parted ways.
She took a seat next to Parvati and quickly began working on her Horcrux research strategy. She wanted to get as much mapped out as possible before Harry arrived and they discussed his conversation with the Potions professor. If all went well with Slughorn her plans to research Horcruxes would be unnecessary.
Unfortunately Harry's meeting with Slughorn had not gone well, at all, and three weeks later they were still no closer to knowing anything additional beyond the name. The weekly sessions to test out the Prince's spells had been a nice distraction and had done a wonderful job of establishing some normalcy between the foursome...Ron and Lavender even joined them occasionally for meals and her Prefect rounds with Ron were relatively pleasant as well, But as the days passed and nothing new could be found on Horcruxes the stress was starting to grow.
She let out a groan as she closed the third and final book she had ordered from Flourish and Blotts using Harry's Christmas present, once again coming up empty. She had specifically chosen the three books considered the 'darkest' that the bookstore chose to carry in hopes of finding something.
As she grabbed the first book once again to re-review for something she may have missed it was abruptly pulled from her hand by Harry.
"No more research and no more studying tonight," he declared authoritatively. "It's Friday and I think we are due for another night off."
She made to protest but stopped herself. She had felt herself sliding into bad habits and attitudes over the last week due to their lack of progress and realized this was the perfect opportunity to nip it in the bud.
"I don't see a dance floor or fruity drinks anywhere, Harry. What are you proposing?" she asked.
She watched Harry scan the room for options.
"Game of chess?"
"Next."
"Trip to the kitchen?"
"I'm a Prefect and it's almost curfew. What else."
"Sit on that couch, stare at the fire and talk about anything besides Voldemort, Malfoy or Horcruxes."
"That sounds perfect," she answered with a sigh as she began to gather her things and make her way over to the couch. As she went to sit a ginger blur seemingly appeared from nowhere and took her preferred seat.
"Crooks!" she admonished as she reached down to move her companion.
"He's fine," Harry interrupted as he slid over a bit. "There's plenty of room."
Crookshanks mewled in agreement before curling up in a ball and closing his eyes. She was sure it was her imagination but the cat seemed to be purposely taking up more room than usual.
As she took the seat next to Harry she felt his arm drape across the back of the couch and desperately fought the urge to lean into his side and rest her head in the small of his shoulder where she knew it fit perfectly. It was so close. She settled for laying her head back against his arm and closing her eyes. It was nice...it was enough.
"Well go on then...talk" Hermione playfully commanded after several minutes of contented silence.
"There is one thing I've been wanting to ask you about," Harry began, "about your parents."
"We are not talking about me leaving again, Harry."
"It's not that," he quickly ploughed on, "I'd just like to know more about them...about your life outside of Hogwarts. After we talked about them leaving I realized I've never asked you about your family. It seems like all we do is talk about me and my problems. I don't even know their first names."
She was about to protest...to say that it was unimportant...that she focused so much time and energy on him and less on herself out of necessity and that he would do the same if their situations were reversed. But then she realized this was their night off.
"It's stupid," Harry finally blurted out to break the uncomfortable silence, "just forget I-"
"My Dad's name is David," she interrupted. "David Sinclair Granger. He hates his middle name...says it makes him sound like a pompous ass. Mum likes to call him Sinclair whenever he gets a bit full of himself. It never fails to set him off.
She felt Harry chuckle in amusement and continued.
"Mum's name is Jane Elizabeth-"
"Your middle name is from your mum...just like my Dad and me," Harry interjected, pleased at the synergy.
"When they were dating Dad tried calling her 'Janey' a few times and she hated it...so when I was born 'Janey' became my nickname. He said it was revenge for Mum spoiling his fun."
"Janey," Harry repeated in consideration, "I think it suits you."
"My father calls me Janey...no-one else," she stated matter of factly.
"Can I call you Sinclair?" Harry replied. He seemed very pleased with his joke.
"Hermione," she deadpanned. "You can call me Hermione."
Crookshanks apparently had grown tired of his seat and jumped into her lap. Despite the extra room now available she did not move away from Harry...instead she allowed herself to settle into his side just a bit. It was nice. Familiar.
"Did they meet at Uni?" Harry asked.
"Everyone thinks that because they're both dentists but no. They met at some dental conference years later. They struck up a conversation at the hotel bar the night before the conference and that was it for the both of them. According to Dad they skived off the conference and spent the entire week with each other instead but Mum says he's exaggerating. She's usually like me...responsible. I think she just doesn't want me thinking she let loose and shagged Dad the first night they met."
"That does sound like you," Harry interjected.
"Are you saying I'm a slag, Harry?" Hermione teased.
"Of course not," he protested. "It's just...you have this reputation as always following the rules but it's ridiculous."
"This is supposed to be making me feel better?"
"Let me finish," Harry continued as he squeezed her shoulder, pulling her in even closer. When had his hand moved off the back of the couch and on to her shoulder? She didnt resist.
"You always ignore the rules if you think it's stupid or the person enforcing the rule is wrong. And if there is something you care about you will always choose that over some rule. I could see you skipping some boring meetings for someone or something you were passionate about."
"You're exaggerating," she replied defiantly.
"First year. You set a teacher on fire."
"To save you!"
"Second year. Polyjuice," he stated simply.
"That doesn't count. It was important!"
"Third year. Time turner," he continued.
"That was sanctioned by the school," she protested once again.
"Dumbledore's Army?" he shot back, clearly enjoying having so many examples.
"We weren't learning anything!" she replied good naturedly, knowing her arguments were futile.
A few seconds passed before Harry responded, now in a much quieter voice.
"You left school grounds, on a creature that you couldn't see, and broke into the Ministry."
"That wasn't just me though...Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny...we all came to help you."
"But no-one, except maybe Neville, accuses any of them of never breaking rules. And you were the only one that was positive it was a trap. You knew it was a trap and did it anyway...for me. You broke so many rules that night."
"Fine, you win. I do irrational things for the people I care about," she said in defeat.
"Glad we got that sorted," Harry replied triumphantly. "Next question. What was your first bout of accidental magic?"
Thirty minutes later Harry was recalling the time he turned one of his teacher's hair blue. She'd never heard that story and smiled to herself as he told the tale. She stared into the fire and felt Crookshanks' contented purring under her hand. Eventually she succumbed to the insistent urge and rested her head in the small of Harry's shoulder. As she suspected she fit perfectly. Hermione wondered if this was what her mother experienced in that hotel bar twenty years ago.
For the rest of the evening she didn't think about Voldemort...or Malfoy...or Horcruxes. She didn't worry if people were watching. She didn't care if she was setting herself up for heartbreak down the line. It was her night off.