COMFORT BY THE FIREPLACE
A/N: this isn't heavy on HHR stuff in case you opened this hoping for just a nice chat between Harry and Hermione. Although I might go and write another actual HHR one-shot with romance sometime in the near future… but for now this will do. This has no relevance to Harry Potter, Sirius Black's Godchild, nor Harry Potter and the Monsters Beneath the Skin. Please read and leave a review, thanks.
It was very early in the morning on November the first, 1994 and all throughout Gryffindor tower the children were sleeping peacefully- all except one. In the fourth year girls dormitory Hermione Granger was tossing and turning in her bed, trying to get comfortable but couldn't. Frustrated she finally sat up in bed and rubbed her itchy eyes, making her large cat Crookshanks meow in discomfort for she had jostled him awake.
"Sorry Crookshanks," she whispered to him.
He got up and stretched then turned in a circle and went back down to sleep again. Hermione looked out the window that was next to her bed. It was still very much dark out side, she could still see the stars in the aged glass and the moon's light on the floor. She looked at her alarm clock on her bedside table- it read 1:15 AM. She shook her head, wondering how on earth she could still be awake but there was something- something nagging at her mind it seemed that kept her awake. She looked around her dorm- all the other girls were asleep soundlessly so it couldn't be them keeping her up. She did not hear any birds or other creatures outside, so what was it?
Hermione finally decided that walking around in the common room might help her get tired enough for her to sleep so she pulled her pink robe around her body and matching pink slippers and sleeked out of the dorm. When she got to the top of the spiral staircase that led downstairs she was surprised when she saw a flickering light bouncing off the stone steps and walls. Frowning, she tip-toed down the steps to see who else might be awake. She frowned when she saw the back of a head sitting on the sofa in front of the grand fire which was roaring with life still even at this hour. She walked closer to the head full of messy black hair and she gasped.
"Harry?"
The head spun around quickly. "Her-Hermione?" Harry Potter said just as surprised.
"Harry! What on earth are you doing up?" Hermione cried, coming forward in front of him.
Harry shrugged a very solemn look on his face. "I could ask the same to you."
Hermione sighed and sat down next to him. "I couldn't sleep."
"I couldn't either," Harry responded.
Hermione studied his face in the fire's light. The glow of the flames danced in the lenses of his glasses, making his leaf-green eyes that much more ablaze. His pale skin had a faint orange glow over it; his hands were clutching each other in a fierce grip- his nails practically digging into his skin. He was sitting forward, his slippered feet resting on the rug of the common room in a very solid manner. Hermione could tell right away he was not at all relaxed. Hermione only then realized she had not spoken to him properly- or at all even after his name had been selected from the Goblet of Fire only hour before. She knew immediately that was the thing on his mind.
"Is something wrong?" Hermione asked him softly.
Harry shrugged. "It's fine, there isn't anything."
"You wouldn't be up sitting in front of the fire as tense as you are if noting was bothering you," she pointed out.
Harry shook his head and Hermione saw the smallest of small smiled pull at the corner of his lips. "Yeah, suppose that makes sense." His smile vanished just as quickly as it had come.
"You're upset that your name had been called out aren't you?"
"I really don't want to talk about it Hermione, go back to bed."
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to but I'm not going back to bed anytime soon," Hermione said simply, sitting back in the seat.
Harry sighed and looked at her. "Fine, I'll tell you."
Hermione perked up to listen.
"You're right, I guess, about the whole 'being-called-out-of-the-Goblet-of-Fire' thing." Harry sighed. "Everyone keeps asking me how I did it, bewitched the Goblet to take my name so I could enter in the Triwizard Tournament even though I'm not even seventeen yet. I dunno how many times I have to tell everyone that I didn't do anything, no one believes me no matter how many times I try to tell them the truth," Harry said almost desperately.
"That's not true Harry, I don't think you entered your name to the Goblet of Fire at all," Hermione insisted.
Harry looked at her, eyes wide in surprise. "You- you don't?"
"Of course I don't. If you say you didn't do it then you didn't do it. I don't know why anyone would lie about something as huge as this, especially you."
Harry smiled. "Thanks, that means everything to me. Seems like you're the only one who believes me."
"What are you talking about? Doesn't Ron believe you? I mean surely he must," Hermione said firmly.
"He doesn't," Harry said simply.
"He doesn't?" Hermione gasped.
"No. I ran into him hours ago before bed where everyone was celebrating the fact that I was chosen and there he was in the dorm with this odd look to his face. He was just sitting on his bed looking at me as I struggled to remove this banner Lee tied around my neck and when I finally was able to take it off he told me 'congratulations' in a very forced and stiff way," Harry began to say.
Hermione looked at him as he explained last night's events.
"He wondered how I was able to fool the Goblet of Fire 'cause not even Fred and George were able to do it. He thought I used my invisibility cloak to sneak in," Harry said sticking up his nose.
"Well that's stupid of him to think, he knows the cloak would have been able to hide you," Hermione said in a very obviously manner as if asked if the sky were blue.
"I know! Then he kept telling me to tell him the truth! Saying that since we're mates that I should tell him the truth- which I was! Finally he said that he wasn't stupid or anything I told him that he was doing a good job acting like it or whatever and that was it- he told me I had to practice for my next interview and he closed the curtains over his bed," Harry finished.
Hermione had her mouth open. "That idiot!" she cried.
Harry looked surprised.
"How could he say that? Think that? He's your best friend- he has to believe you!"
"Not all the time, friends don't have to believe everything about each other- so I don't know why you're pretending as if I'm telling the truth," Harry said quietly.
"But I do believe you Harry and not just as a friend," Hermione stated.
Harry looked at her.
"It's true- I don't know how someone could not. Well I could but if you say you didn't enter than it's as simple as that, you didn't enter."
Harry looked extremely grateful at her honest words. Hermione grinned back at him feeling almost as warm as the glow from the fire place.
"Thanks Hermione."
"Of course."
They sat in silence for a few moments. Harry let out another sign, this time deeper and looked at his hands and leaned back into the seat.
"What is it Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing."
"Harry…"
"Fine," Harry said and ran a hand in his hair. "I just- well, I just cant help but feel a bit overwhelmed and angry and- and a bit nervous all at the same time, now knowing I have no choice but to compete."
"You really have no choice?"
"I don't. They said something about a binding magical contract or something; once you're chosen you have no choice but to compete. It's not well"-
"Fair?" Hermione suggested.
Harry thought it would make him sound too immature if he said that but if Hermione didn't think so… "Yeah, that. I mean, I'm three years younger than everyone else, how on earth am I supposed to be able to get through this? I haven't learned enough. There's a reason you have to be at least seventeen!"
"Well you shouldn't give up false hope right away. You don't know what the tasks are yet."
"Does it matter? I mean, does it really? I'm still younger by three years so it doesn't matter what the tasks are, the others already know how to defeat them," Harry said bitterly.
"Well I can help you out if you want. There has to be something to prepare for," Hermione suggested.
"No offense Hermione but you don't even know what the tasks are so it doesn't matter what information you find 'cause who knows if it will help."
"Well it might, I'm sure there's a record or something about previous tournaments in the library," Hermione said.
Harry had to beam at this.
"What?" Hermione questioned.
"That's your answer to everything isn't it? The library?"
Hermione scoffed. "No it isn't- well alright it is," she said when he gave her a significant look. "But it does hold all the answers doesn't it? And it's not a bad place to start looking when in doubt."
"If you say so," Harry said. He smiled as he looked into her deep brown chocolate eyes. He licked his lips although they were already moistened.
"Yes so," Hermione said, turning her head away from Harry's as well. "Do you know what you should do when you wake up tomorrow? Or as if now- later today?"
"Tell Ron off"- Harry started.
"No, you have to write to Sirius. He will want to hear about what just happened Harry, I'm sure of it. And who knows, he might be able to give you some advice."
"Yeah, I guess I could do that." Harry was now gripping his pants leg tightly.
Hermione noticed this but didn't say anything, waiting if he was going to tell her anything. They sat in silence, looking at the grand fire that was still very much aflame and the shadows it cast on the walls. Hermione didn't have to wait long for Harry to speak again.
"I don't know how I'm going to face everyone after this Hermione- tomorrow. They're probably going to throw a party at the breakfast table when I come down," Harry said softly.
"Then don't go," Hermione said simply.
"What?"
"Don't go down to breakfast."
"But I have to eat- granted I dunno how I'm going to be able to eat anything this year now that I've been chosen, my stomach feels as if it's crawling in snakes or something…."
"I'll bring you something then, and maybe, well maybe we could go for a walk around the lake or something and talk…" Hermione was avoiding Harry's eyes now.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Harry nodded.
Hermione gave him a small smile but yawned.
"Hey, maybe you should go back to bed," Harry said noticing how tired she was.
"No, I want to be here with you," Hermione insisted.
"No, it's okay, I'll be fine down here by myself. I might head to bed soon too."
"Well until that time comes I want to be down here. I want to make sure you're okay Harry," Hermione said.
"Thanks but I really am fine."
Hermione was looking at his pale face with an orange glow bouncing off it. he sure was close…Harry must have felt the same way for he was also looking at her, her face also very close he could count her freckles. Was it his imagination or was she moving closer? But at the next moment she scooted from his face and sighed.
"I am getting tired; perhaps I should go to bed."
"Er- yeah, right."
Hermione got up and was about to leave but turned back at Harry. "You're sure you'll be okay?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Oh- and Hermione, thanks for, well you know, talking to me," he said looking almost bashful.
"Of course," she smiled. She looked at his exhausted face and did something she hadn't before- kissed him on the cheek. Without waiting for a look from him she hurried off upstairs.
Harry touched the spot where her lips touched his skin gingerly- as if wondering if it happened or not. He got to his feet and went upstairs, feeling slightly lighter and happier than he did an hour ago.
Harry was very grateful when he awoke the next day. Hermione kept her promise of gathering food for him for breakfast when he met up with her at the entrance of the common room. They took their promised walk around the grounds where Harry angrily found out from Hermione Ron still thought he placed his name in the Goblet of fire. Things went downhill a bit after he wrote a letter to Sirius and Hedwig wanted to take it for him but since Sirius warned him he couldn't send her she got offended at her master and flew out of his reach. The only plus side of the day was spent walking around with Hermione, where they easily talked to each other like they always had.
Harry was dead nervous for the upcoming three tasks that he had no choice but to compete in, he was angry beyond words at Ron's attitude but there was one gleam of happiness in all this- Hermione. He knew she would be by his side in the next several months, more than ever before, helping him in any way she could-plus the kiss she gave him last night boosted his confidence slightly and made him feel warm inside; even if he lost everyone else he still gained Hermione and for now, that was good enough.
HHRHHRHHRHHRHHRHHRHHRHHRHHRHHRHHRHHRHHRHHR
Well there it was- my first official one-shot! I'm so happy. I know that I can now write one-shots. I tried before but failed but this time I did it. I really hope you enjoyed it. I tried to make it as romantic as I could without it actually being romantic. And as light of HHR shippy stuff as I could for those who just enjoy reading fics where Harry and Hermione talk but there is no romance between them. Thank-you for reading and please leave a review. Thanks.
Love and magic: Rose August 25, 2008