Out on a Limb
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and Co. They belong to J.K. Rowling or someone powerful like that.
Hermione smiled slightly as she let the sun warm her skin, filtering through the many leaves of the tree
she was sitting in.
Being now in her sixth year, she felt utterly alone and heartless. Not in a cold way, like Voldemort, of
course, but in a sad, no boyfriend kind of way. She had loved Harry since he disappeared during the
TriWizard Tournament. She had been extremely worried about her friend, and felt sorry for everything
that the hideous Rita the Reporter had put all of them through. The article about her, Krum, and Harry
was pretty bad, but if she hadn't figured out that Rita was an Animagius in time…Hermione sighed.
'Let's not get into that.'
Hermione sighed again and shifted slightly so she could see the castle better. In the distance, she saw Ron
trying to catch Lavender Brown who was running away, dodging behind a tree while Ginny, Harry, Cho,
and a few others laughed.
'Playing tag,' she thought, and picked up a novel she pulled out of her bag that hung on one of the sturdy
branches. The cover had a young man with a wand fending off an evil dragon, protecting a girl. The
young man was saying something, and the dragon was rearing onto its hind claws.
"Ah…of course, I must have brought my Wizard copy of it instead my Muggle one," Hermione noted
aloud, but flipped open the book and began reading. She didn't know how long she was there for, but
since classes were dismissed early on for the heat, she could only guess hours went by.
* * * * *
On the ground:
"Hey, Harry!" Cho called, her short, stylish black hair waving as she ran up to him. She wore Capri's and
a tube top under her robes, which were open.
"Cho?" Harry asked. He watched her pause in front of him, her hands on her knees as she caught her
breath.
"Hey, have you seen Hermi? I've looked everywhere for her!" Cho said breathlessly. They had been going
out for nearly a month, but when they both admitted having feelings for two different people. Both had
come to a surprise.
"No, I haven't seen her all day. I thought she'd be in the library or common room or with Hagrid." Harry
answered her, running a hand through his messy, black hair. They fell right into place again, like he
never brushed them.
"Same. I checked the library, Ginny checked the common room, and Ron checked with Hagrid. She's
nowhere to be found. We thought that maybe you could find her," Cho replied, the finally stood straight.
Harry nodded.
"Sure. I'll do my best. If I don't find her by nightfall, tell Dumbledore," Harry told her, and watched her
sprint back to where Ron, Lavender and more stood.
Harry turned away and began thinking of all Hermione's favourite places to go. There was Hagrid's…but
she wasn't there…Hmm…
"That bench," he answered, snapping his fingers. It was the same bench that Hagrid had told Madam
Maxime that he was a half-giant. Harry, in his fifth year, had brought Hermione there at the beginning of
the year, a blindfold over her eyes for a surprise.
::flashback::
"Harry?" Hermione's excited voice called out, as she reached in front of her to try to reach for him. Harry
darted out of her way.
"Not yet," he taunted, and grasped her hands. "Steps."
"Steps?" She repeated, shock in her voice. "We're not going outside in the rain, are we?"
Harry only laughed and pulled her close to him. Finally reaching his destination, he pulled the blindfold
off and said "ta da!"
Hermione laughed and widened her eyes in delight. They sat down on a bench, a few candles floating in
bowls that were placed around the bench.
"I wasn't planning on it to be raining," Harry smiled apologetically. "I hope this will do." He held his
hand out to her, and they danced to a song only they could hear.
"Happy Birthday," Harry murmured into her ear, brushing a strand of her wild brown hair away.
Hermione pulled back, and smiled up at him.
"harry, this was the best birthday present I could ever have!" She then hugged him tightly and they
continued to sway to the music.
They watched the rain pour down around them, as an old oak tree sheltered them from its onslaught.
::end flashback::
"The tree," he whispered, and took off sprinting in that direction. Finally spotting the bench, he looked
around and didn't see her.
"Damn," he muttered, finally admitting defeat and slumping down on the bench, resting his head in his
hands, propped up by his elbows resting on his knees.
* * * * *
Hermione looked up form her book, in her crouch form, when someone muttered "damn" near her.
Looking around, she finally looked down and saw Harry sitting on 'their' bench.
"Harry!" Hermione murmured to herself, and let herself get into a day-dream state. She barely had time
to notice that her book fell from her lap and hit Harry on his head.
"Holy"— Harry jumped up, rubbing his head where the book hit him. He reached down, and read the
cover.
"Hermione?" He called, tilting his head back to look up into the branches.
"Hey, Harry!" Hermione called back, trying to sound calm, even though she was silently cursing herself
for being so careless.
"Where are you?" Harry called, trying to spot her.
Hermione grabbed her bag, tossed it down, nearly hitting him again, and then carefully climbed from one
branch to another. Finally reaching the last one, she jumped, landing on her feet.
"I was up there," she replied innocently.
"Really?" Harry asked her, cocking an eyebrow up.
"Yeah," she grinned. Bending, she picked up her bag and pointed to the book. "Uh…"
Harry broke out of his gaze and looked down. He still held her book in his hands. He grinned nervously.
"So…this is yours." He handed it to her, and they brushed fingers. Both of them blushed and moved a few
feet apart.
"You remember…?" Harry finally asked, as the sun was blotted out of the sky by a dark cloud.
"My birthday? I can never forget," Hermione finished off. Harry held out his hand.
"Care to dance?" He asked her. She accepted, and moved into his arms. They swayed back and forth to
no tune, not talking for quite some time before a slight drizzle descended.
"Um, Hermione? There's something I need to tell you," Harry finally said, clearing his throat.
Hermione looked up and whispered, "me too."
"On three?" he chuckled nervously. She nodded. "One…two…three…"
"ILIKEYOU!" they both blurted out, and blushed, but not moving out of each other's embrace. They
continued rocking, and finally Harry burst out laughing.
"And here I thought you only liked me as a friend!" He choked.
Hermione grinned and began laughing too. "same here!" Finally, the laughter calmed down and
Hermione sighed contentedly in Harry's arms.
"So…uh…what were you doing, out on a limb?" Harry finally asked, and Hermione playfully swatted
him.
She took a deep breath and began telling him her long story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and Co. They belong to J.K. Rowling or someone powerful like that.
Hermione smiled slightly as she let the sun warm her skin, filtering through the many leaves of the tree
she was sitting in.
Being now in her sixth year, she felt utterly alone and heartless. Not in a cold way, like Voldemort, of
course, but in a sad, no boyfriend kind of way. She had loved Harry since he disappeared during the
TriWizard Tournament. She had been extremely worried about her friend, and felt sorry for everything
that the hideous Rita the Reporter had put all of them through. The article about her, Krum, and Harry
was pretty bad, but if she hadn't figured out that Rita was an Animagius in time…Hermione sighed.
'Let's not get into that.'
Hermione sighed again and shifted slightly so she could see the castle better. In the distance, she saw Ron
trying to catch Lavender Brown who was running away, dodging behind a tree while Ginny, Harry, Cho,
and a few others laughed.
'Playing tag,' she thought, and picked up a novel she pulled out of her bag that hung on one of the sturdy
branches. The cover had a young man with a wand fending off an evil dragon, protecting a girl. The
young man was saying something, and the dragon was rearing onto its hind claws.
"Ah…of course, I must have brought my Wizard copy of it instead my Muggle one," Hermione noted
aloud, but flipped open the book and began reading. She didn't know how long she was there for, but
since classes were dismissed early on for the heat, she could only guess hours went by.
* * * * *
On the ground:
"Hey, Harry!" Cho called, her short, stylish black hair waving as she ran up to him. She wore Capri's and
a tube top under her robes, which were open.
"Cho?" Harry asked. He watched her pause in front of him, her hands on her knees as she caught her
breath.
"Hey, have you seen Hermi? I've looked everywhere for her!" Cho said breathlessly. They had been going
out for nearly a month, but when they both admitted having feelings for two different people. Both had
come to a surprise.
"No, I haven't seen her all day. I thought she'd be in the library or common room or with Hagrid." Harry
answered her, running a hand through his messy, black hair. They fell right into place again, like he
never brushed them.
"Same. I checked the library, Ginny checked the common room, and Ron checked with Hagrid. She's
nowhere to be found. We thought that maybe you could find her," Cho replied, the finally stood straight.
Harry nodded.
"Sure. I'll do my best. If I don't find her by nightfall, tell Dumbledore," Harry told her, and watched her
sprint back to where Ron, Lavender and more stood.
Harry turned away and began thinking of all Hermione's favourite places to go. There was Hagrid's…but
she wasn't there…Hmm…
"That bench," he answered, snapping his fingers. It was the same bench that Hagrid had told Madam
Maxime that he was a half-giant. Harry, in his fifth year, had brought Hermione there at the beginning of
the year, a blindfold over her eyes for a surprise.
::flashback::
"Harry?" Hermione's excited voice called out, as she reached in front of her to try to reach for him. Harry
darted out of her way.
"Not yet," he taunted, and grasped her hands. "Steps."
"Steps?" She repeated, shock in her voice. "We're not going outside in the rain, are we?"
Harry only laughed and pulled her close to him. Finally reaching his destination, he pulled the blindfold
off and said "ta da!"
Hermione laughed and widened her eyes in delight. They sat down on a bench, a few candles floating in
bowls that were placed around the bench.
"I wasn't planning on it to be raining," Harry smiled apologetically. "I hope this will do." He held his
hand out to her, and they danced to a song only they could hear.
"Happy Birthday," Harry murmured into her ear, brushing a strand of her wild brown hair away.
Hermione pulled back, and smiled up at him.
"harry, this was the best birthday present I could ever have!" She then hugged him tightly and they
continued to sway to the music.
They watched the rain pour down around them, as an old oak tree sheltered them from its onslaught.
::end flashback::
"The tree," he whispered, and took off sprinting in that direction. Finally spotting the bench, he looked
around and didn't see her.
"Damn," he muttered, finally admitting defeat and slumping down on the bench, resting his head in his
hands, propped up by his elbows resting on his knees.
* * * * *
Hermione looked up form her book, in her crouch form, when someone muttered "damn" near her.
Looking around, she finally looked down and saw Harry sitting on 'their' bench.
"Harry!" Hermione murmured to herself, and let herself get into a day-dream state. She barely had time
to notice that her book fell from her lap and hit Harry on his head.
"Holy"— Harry jumped up, rubbing his head where the book hit him. He reached down, and read the
cover.
"Hermione?" He called, tilting his head back to look up into the branches.
"Hey, Harry!" Hermione called back, trying to sound calm, even though she was silently cursing herself
for being so careless.
"Where are you?" Harry called, trying to spot her.
Hermione grabbed her bag, tossed it down, nearly hitting him again, and then carefully climbed from one
branch to another. Finally reaching the last one, she jumped, landing on her feet.
"I was up there," she replied innocently.
"Really?" Harry asked her, cocking an eyebrow up.
"Yeah," she grinned. Bending, she picked up her bag and pointed to the book. "Uh…"
Harry broke out of his gaze and looked down. He still held her book in his hands. He grinned nervously.
"So…this is yours." He handed it to her, and they brushed fingers. Both of them blushed and moved a few
feet apart.
"You remember…?" Harry finally asked, as the sun was blotted out of the sky by a dark cloud.
"My birthday? I can never forget," Hermione finished off. Harry held out his hand.
"Care to dance?" He asked her. She accepted, and moved into his arms. They swayed back and forth to
no tune, not talking for quite some time before a slight drizzle descended.
"Um, Hermione? There's something I need to tell you," Harry finally said, clearing his throat.
Hermione looked up and whispered, "me too."
"On three?" he chuckled nervously. She nodded. "One…two…three…"
"ILIKEYOU!" they both blurted out, and blushed, but not moving out of each other's embrace. They
continued rocking, and finally Harry burst out laughing.
"And here I thought you only liked me as a friend!" He choked.
Hermione grinned and began laughing too. "same here!" Finally, the laughter calmed down and
Hermione sighed contentedly in Harry's arms.
"So…uh…what were you doing, out on a limb?" Harry finally asked, and Hermione playfully swatted
him.
She took a deep breath and began telling him her long story.