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W.A.T.

"Funny…the amount of damage a book can do." -CoS, Tom Riddle

Hermione is a bookworm. To everyone who graduated in the same Hogwarts class as she, it is common knowledge. Harry Potter is by no means a book-loving, knowledge-absorbing creature like his best friend Hermione Granger. Ron Weasley may have read one or two to please the girl, but Harry certainly hadn't. Quidditch books, yes, but other books, certainly not. The two men, having spent fifteen years of their lives with Hermione, understood that that was the way she was, and the way she always would be.

"Hermiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiione!" Harry called, shutting the door to their home in Godric's Hollow.

"In here!" He heard Hermione shout from the kitchen. Harry loosened the knot on his Quidditch robes as he made his way to her location.

"What are you doing?" He said, coughing, and waving smoke from his path with his arms.

"Um, I was planning on cooking, but this piece of tin had other plans." She said irritably, kicking the stove.

"Hermione, you're a witch. Why do you insist on living like a muggle if you can simply cook a decent, EDIBLE meal with the use of your wand?"

"Well, I just thought it might be nice to actually cook something for us without the help of magic…you know…since Ron IS coming home tonight."

"Well, you've done a lovely job." Harry teased. Hermione gave him a playful shove.

"Get out, and take a shower, you! You smell awful!"

"Hermiiione! I never got a hug!" Harry draped his arms over her shoulders and leaned heavily on her.

"Ew, Harry, that's repulsive! Shower!" She pointed upstairs. "Now."

Harry grinned as he made his way upstairs. When he was at the top of the stairs, he leaned over them and laughed, causing Hermione to look up from her cleaning duties.

"Ron sent me an owl."

"Of course he did. He's coming home today, you skrewt!"

"Nope." Harry grinned. "He sent me another one. He'll be here around seven, he wrote."

Harry looked at his watch. "Which is in…twenty minutes." Harry said quickly, then ran to his room and slammed the door. He heard Hermione scream in surprise and laughed to himself.

When he came downstairs after showering and dressing, he was greeted by two smiling faces. Ron, his best friend of fifteen years, got up from the couch and gave Harry a hug, patting his back.

"Harry, you've got to see what Hermione has cooked for us! You won't believe it. It's bloody amazing!" Hermione smiled toothily at Harry and let out a small giggle.

"I bet it is." Harry replied, stifling a laugh.

"Well? Let's eat, then!" Ron said, clapping his hands together.

After they ate, caught Ron up on the happenings in Hermione's life, Harry's Quidditch matches, and listened to tales of the dragons Ron had helped Charlie train in Romania, the threesome was ready for bed.

"It's going to be great to be back in my own bed after two months."

"I bet." Hermione said, yawning.

"Looks like someone's up past her bedtime." Ron teased. Hermione had always been the first to retire to her bedroom nightly. Harry nodded.

"Well, I'm exhausted. I've been studying quite often lately."

"Studying who, exactly?" Ron pressed, gyrating his hips in an offensive way.

Hermione gasped. "Ron!"

"Well, who?"

"That's none of your business. And no one." Hermione scoffed.

"Aw, that's too bad, 'Mione." Ron turned to Harry and wiggled his eyebrows, mouthing, "I did."

Harry chuckled. "I'm turning in." He said, opening his door. Hedwig was hooting softly in her sleep, with her head under her wing. "So much for sending a letter to Sirius." When Harry had turned back around, Hermione had slipped into her room across the hall. She shouted through the door for the both of them to remember that she needed to speak with Percy Weasley, the Head of the Department of International Cooperation. Ron looked puzzled, but Harry nodded.

"What's that about?"

"Something about an interview. It seems that there is an opening for a secretarial position that 'Mione's interested in."

"Maybe Percy is finally interested in the female sex after all. A secretary, huh?"

"She says it's a sure fire way into the Ministry of Magic."

"A sure fire way into the pants of the Ministry of Magic." Ron mumbled.

"Ron. You know Hermione as well as I do. She's not like that. She hasn't been with anyone since-"

"Since when, Harry?"

"Well, since you. You knew that."

Ron looked at a loss. "Really?"

"Yeah. I'm going to bed."

Ron nodded.

"And don't even think about going in there." Harry added firmly, pointing at her door.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ron said sheepishly.

"Ron?" Harry asked after an awkward moment. "Welcome home. We missed you."

"Thanks, mate. See you in the morning."

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Harry woke the next morning with the sun shining brightly in his eyes.

"Merlinnn…" He rolled out of bed, and rubbed his eyes. He grabbed his glasses off of the bedside table and righted his blurry room. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a note pinned to his door.

Don't forget that we're going to the Ministry tomorrow to see Percy.

'She must have stuck that in here last night after I fell asleep' He thought to himself.

His stomach rumbled.

'Time for breakfast.'

He opened his door and saw Hermione's light on through the slightly ajar door.

'Always an early riser.' He thought. But she wasn't in there. He shrugged.

'Must be downstairs getting breakfast too.' He smiled at the idea of Hermione burning another meal. He heard her laugh, but it wasn't coming from downstairs, it was coming from down the hall in the opposite direction. From Ron's room.

Harry opened the door and found them both entangled in Ron's sheets. Hermione was kissing Ron's neck and the both of them had clearly had a good time the night before.

Harry cleared his throat and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Uh…hi, Harry." Hermione said, pulling the sheet tightly around her nude body.

"I'll be downstairs making breakfast. I'll see you both there in ten minutes." With that, he left. He could hear Hermione say with concern, "Is he angry?" and Ron respond, "Nah."

He shook his head.

After a very awkward breakfast, when Harry was getting ready to escort Hermione to the Ministry, he finally said his peace.

"Just don't let me HEAR you shagging, alright? You're still my mates."

The trio laughed heartily.

Hermione was the first to speak after that.

"Harry, just because we shag doesn't mean that we're anything more than friends. Merlin, I'd kill him." She said, gesturing to Ron.

"Just don't tell Mum."

"Thanks for the idea, mate. Great blackmail idea, that is."

"HARRY!" Hermione screeched.

Harry just laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "Let's go then?"

=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=`=

"Good luck, 'Mione." Harry said before she went into the office for her interview.

After a few minutes waiting, Harry got bored. Deciding that the ceiling above was no longer interesting, nor was the action of twiddling his thumbs entertaining, he decided to pick up a magazine to read. He leaned over to search through the pile of magazines on a nearby table. Witch Weekly. Witch Weekly. Wizard Parenting. Witch Weekly. Harry sighed. He looked at the bottom shelf of the table. Several 'How-To' guides were piled neatly on the shelf. He picked up the top one on the pile.

The Wand-like Weapons of the Muggle World: Guns (How They Work) by Herrick Weise and Scanlon Pestilli

He looked at his watch. Hermione wouldn't be out of her interview for a while. He sighed again and opened the book to the first page and began to read.

A/N: Send me a review and let me know what you think about the beginning of this story. If it sucks, let me know and I'll discontinue it. If it's not half-bad, I'll continue it. Maybe I'll let y'all know what W.A.T. stands for or what the heck it is? Maybe you'll find out why Harry reads this particular book?