AN: Woman's clothing is something I do not wear; therefore, I am not Jo. With that in mind I do not own Potter nor the Potterverse. Nor do I make any money for my efforts.
In third year, Hermione tells the teachers about the expensive broom Harry received. From memory this happened over the Yule holiday. Hermione feared the mass murderer Sirius Black placed a curse on the broom. Here is how it could have turned out if Harry was less concerned about the approval of his less mature friend. He will also take on a new friend in addition to the boot mark on his behind he desperately needed to start to study. I hope that my use of British English is not too bad as I am a US born Midwesterner. Much background is from .com. Rating Mature – I don't think it is warranted but just in case.
Harry was thinking about climbing into bed but couldn't. What he did to Hermione was terrible. With all the thinking he did this evening he realized she must have been thinking back to first year. Then Quirrellmort had enchanted his broom. It flopped around until Hermione had set Snape's robes on fire. That had distracted Quirrell and he lost eye contact with Harry breaking the spell. Hermione had been thinking of Harry's broken body lying there and did what was right instead of what was easy – that almost sounds like something the headmaster would say.
He told Ron what he was going to do. Ron accused him of being a traitor and being whipped. Harry didn't know what being whipped was but coming from Ron it didn't sound like a compliment.
Here she was trying to avoid seeing that again and he turned on her. He was a prat who didn't deserve her friendship. What was he going to do? If necessary he was going to march into the third-year girl's dorm and wake her to tell her. That wasn't necessary. When he reached the common room, she was still there. Marching up to her he began to tell her what a wonderful friend she was. Her eyes were red rimmed as if she had been crying. Summoning his Gryffindor courage, he told her that a prat like him did not deserve her and continued from there. Once he wound down he again thanked her for being a good friend and was going to turn around to head back to his dorm.
Before he could turn he was hit in the chest by a bushy haired guided missile. Hermione was clinging to him sobbing. Not knowing how to handle a sobbing girl he gently rubbed her back. Gradually her sobs quieted.
After she stopped sobbing she told him to get his potion book to work on their latest essay. It was just given and was not due until after Yule break was over. Still, he wanted to stay on her good side so went to get his books and supplies. Back in the third-year dorm Ron asked what he was doing. Of course, Harry told him the potions essay. Ron again called him whipped.
Harry worked on his essay and lost track of time. Hermione took his first draft congratulated him on his good work, marked corrections and gave it back. It was covered in her mark-ups. He didn't think it was a good idea to ask how such a good effort could be covered in corrections. Regardless he began working on the corrections. After a while a couple from the make out couches got up to turn in. The girl as a prefect chased them off to bed. Before leaving Hermione excitedly invited Harry to study with her in the library tomorrow. He agreed.
At breakfast Hermione gushed about how much fun it will be to have a study partner. Harry couldn't turn down her eager face. After breakfast it was to their dorms to get study materials then to the library.
They were there until lunch. Then after lunch back to the library. When he was as far as he could go with his current books he started looking around, Then Hermione put a book in front of him, assuming it was for him to read he did so. It was on runic wards. For some reason Harry found it fascinating. Some time later after Hermione had been looking for it she finally asked what Harry was reading. Of course, he showed her.
"HARRY", she shouted. Then remembering where she was she quietly asked what he had been doing with it all this time.
"Err, reading", while the truth he didn't understand what had upset her.
She had a couple other books, so she asked if he wanted to check it out for later light reading. He did and they went down to supper.
The rest of the Yule break was taken up with study. At times Ron wanted to slaughter Harry at chess, so a few games were played.
Harry told Hermione that he didn't want to have his death predicted daily in his presence and that he really wanted to get out of Divination. Hermione went with him to McGonagall's office.
McGonagall would not let him just drop one class. Hermione offered that he could take runes with her and she would help catch him up. "After all no boyfriend, of hers"… She clamped her hand over her mouth at that point.
"You want me as your boyfriend? Really?" Harry enquired. Then he turned red.
Hermione was red too. Meanwhile McGonagall lectured them both that she would allow it, but she expected Harry to work unlike he had in his Hogwarts career. Hermione was also to supply the shoe mark on his rear when he slacked off. All agreed to those terms.
Harry was glad to be out of divination and Hermione was glad to have another Gryffindor in runes.
Once Yule break was over and classes resumed they found themselves in the library again. A short girl in Ravenclaw robes sat down by them. She had dirty blond hair with protruding eyes which gave her a surprised expression. They found out her name was Luna Lovegood.
"Hello Harry Potter and Hermione Granger", she began. "You don't have wrackspurts anymore Harry Potter. Most of yours are gone too Hermione Granger. I see you have dropped divination and taken up runes. Did you know that the Quibbler has a rune puzzle with every issue? It helped me to learn them".
Harry allowed that he didn't know about the Quibbler. Luna had a spare copy and showed Harry how to use his runes book to work on it. Then Hermione wanted a copy too. Unfortunately, Luna would have to ask her daddy for an extra copy. Cost was two sickles. They both agreed to a year of back issues and a year's subscription. Later after reading some of the stories Hermione was less than pleased, but allowed the rune puzzle itself was worth the subscription price.
At lunch Hermione invited Luna to sit with them. Luna remarked that it would be like having friends. Harry asked if they could. "Honestly Harry, you are going to read "Hogwarts a History" to learn a few of these things". Over the rest of term, he did have more Hermione assigned readings.
Before entering the Great Hall Luna hung back. Harry and Hermione sat down by the Gryffindor chasers as they wanted to discuss something with him. It was quidditch tactics.
Before long Luna came in with Ginny. "Here Ginny you should sit down next to him. There is nothing to be afraid of. After all, he sits down to poop just as we do". For the rest of the meal anytime one of the girls caught another's eye a fit of giggling ensued. For the next few weeks that was quoted to him at quidditch practices. At least Ginny no longer was a danger to put her elbow in a butter dish around him.
Luna introduced them to owl order. When there were books which needed an adult to purchase she had her daddy Xeno order it for them. "Moste Potente Potions" was used for the Polyjuice potion. Hermione and Luna sometimes used it to get into the other girl's trunk to get a needed book. This was mostly while using an unused classroom not the library.
By the end of term his grades had improved to mostly E's and O's. Potions with the shite teacher and runes which he had much to make up were A's. Luna had mostly replaced Ron in their group. With friends looking out for her she also didn't have to spend her last day of term hunting down her lost possessions.
Luna told them about the Knight bus and invited the two to visit over the summer. Except for the last two weeks of July when they went on their annual snorkack hunt she was home for the summer. She agreed to visit Hermione too. It would be nice to see how muggles lived. Not being able to use magic was the only down side. That comment shocked Hermione. Harry apologized for not being able to invite them to visit.
At the end of term feast Harry thought back on how far he had advanced since the Yule break. If he had to face a group of death eaters in a graveyard next year he wouldn't be ready, but he would be much more advanced than now.
For now, Harry had a much more frightening task than death eaters. Hermione wanted to introduce him to her parents – especially her father.