"Oh please Harry, you have to help me!"
I whined pathetically at one of my best friends. Usually it is he that is begging me for help not the other way around so I understood the surprised look on his face before he answered.
"No. No way, I can't do that Hermione; he's my best friend. He'd castrate me! And I don't particularly want that to happen."
He replied. I knew he was probably right but that didn't mean I was going to give up without a fight.
"But it's the perfect plan, nothing can go wrong. I hate to admit it but I'm desperate Harry, I don't know what else I can do. It's just...he just won't admit anything to me. I finally admitted myself even if it was only to you. D'you know how hard that was? C'mon Harry, if you help me with this, I promise I'll never ask for anything again."
This was when I applied the puppy dog eyes that I reserve for special occasions and this was one of those occasions. I'm proud to admit they have never failed me before and it didn't look as though I was going to loose this time either. The silence was almost unbearable waiting for his answer I was about to say something again when he answered my question with a sigh beforehand.
"You owe me Hermione, Oh you so owe me. You're going to owe me for the rest of your life."
"Yessss!" I said pumping my fist into the air in a very un-Hermione fashion. "Oh Harry you are the best friend a girl could have do you know that?"
"I do now. But I think if I'd said no you'd be singing a different tune right now." he said grinning.
I jumped up and ran over to Harry's chair by the fire and hugged him with all I was worth. I was so ecstatic. I heard him laugh and hug me back, and then he gently unhooked himself from my vice like hug or so he called it. I looked at him to see what was up. I knew we had to discuss the plan but right now all I wanted to do was celebrate. Even so I sat back down and tried to compose myself. I mean, I'm Hermione Granger I'm not supposed to act like Lavender and Parvati.
"Hermione I'm wondering if this is really a fool-proof plan. You do realise he's probably going to go ballistic when we walk into breakfast tomorrow like a...a oh god I can't even say it!"
"Couple the word your looking for Harry?" I asked with a smirk on my face.
"Yeah." He pretended to grimace. So I smacked him lightly on the shoulder.
"It's going to be so weird, I mean, you're like my sister not my girlfriend."
I sighed, he was right but he was the only person that the plan would work with. It was essential he played the part of my boyfriend. Confused yet?
"Yes Harry, I feel the same way but it has to be you, I already explained that bit."
"I know I know. It's just...I better not loose my best friend because of your "fool-proof plan" alright?" he even made the air quotation marks when he said that.
"You won't...at least I don't think you will. He's not that stupid..." it was that moment that I thought it was possible my plan may not have been fool-proof.
***
I walked down the stairs to the common room finding Harry waiting for me like we planned he would. He informed me that he had told Ron to go on ahead of him so he could get an early start on breakfast. Ron being Ron didn't argue with this so it was easy for Harry to wait for me. We headed down to the great hall and when we got to the door we paused, looked at each other and I reached for Harry's hand. I heard him take a deep breath and we interlaced fingers. I whispered, "This is it. No turning back now." And we proceeded into the Great Hall.
It was like somebody had used the silencing Charm on the whole Great Hall. Everyone and I mean everyone had stopped talking. I heard knives and forks clatter back onto their plates in people's surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting such a reception. Then again it soon dawned on me that I was holding hands and "going out" with the boy-who-lived. People weren't going to take it well.
Harry coughed next to me and tugged me gently toward the Gryffindor table and we sat down in our usual seats. Harry sat opposite me though. I frowned at him but he didn't notice as he had pulled out the Quidditch timetable that he had been working on for the past week.
Eventually everyone got back to his or her breakfasts and conversations but I noticed that the talk was a lot more animated that previously. I had been buttering my toast for a little while when I felt as though I was being watched again. I looked up to see most of my friends staring at me. This included Ginny, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati and last but not least, Ron. I jumped a bit at all their expressions. I felt like a thestral caught in the headlights of the Weasley's Ford Anglia.
"Um, Hi guys." I said weakly. How pathetic. I wanted to appear nonchalant. Didn't work.
""Um hi guys"? Are you serious Hermione? Is there something you want to tell us?"
Ginny asked me with an unusual smirk on her face.
"Tell you? Hmm...no. No I don't think so."
I replied stupidly. I should have expected this. I am so unprepared for people to ask questions. I wish Harry would look up. He didn't so I kicked him under the table.
"Ow! Hermione what did you do that for?! I don't think I -- Oh right." He grinned at everyone sheepishly, rubbing his shin. I didn't kick him that hard. Wuss.
Ginny rolled her eyes then directed the same question she had asked me at Harry.
"Is there something you two want to tell us?
Harry looked at me an raised an eyebrow then by the look on his face chose his words carefully. Apparently he had put more thought into this that I had, that was for sure.
"Well, I mean, isn't it kind of obvious. Hermione and me. That is to say, Hermione and I," he added with a look from me that said correct your English "are a couple. We're dating. How else can I put it? I thought you were the brains in this outfit Ginny?"
He said with a smile to her. Needless to say, she didn't return it. His smile flickered. Then he looked pleadingly at me. I tried to send him telepathic messages. "What do I say?!" but he just raised his eyebrow in an this-was-your-idea look. Oh joy.
"H He's telling the truth. Is it really that bad that we are a couple?"
"Awww! That's so cute! I think you two are great together!"
Lavender exclaimed whilst Parvati voiced her agreement by squealing and clapping. I saw the guys at the table grimace so I tried to hide a grin. Except Ginny took it as the look that I was so in love with Harry. Which was good because this is what I was aiming for.
After that little encounter the ice was broken so everyone at the table chatted amongst themselves. I didn't really have anyone to talk to so I pulled out Hogwarts: A History and began to read from where I left off the night before. I wasn't really listening to what was going on but I did hear Seamus and Dean congratulating Harry and clapping him on the back. I noticed with grim satisfaction that Ron wasn't joining in the festivities. This is what I wanted, him to realise that I wouldn't wait around forever for him but I felt so bad to see him sitting there, stabbing at his eggs and bacon.
***
I whined pathetically at one of my best friends. Usually it is he that is begging me for help not the other way around so I understood the surprised look on his face before he answered.
"No. No way, I can't do that Hermione; he's my best friend. He'd castrate me! And I don't particularly want that to happen."
He replied. I knew he was probably right but that didn't mean I was going to give up without a fight.
"But it's the perfect plan, nothing can go wrong. I hate to admit it but I'm desperate Harry, I don't know what else I can do. It's just...he just won't admit anything to me. I finally admitted myself even if it was only to you. D'you know how hard that was? C'mon Harry, if you help me with this, I promise I'll never ask for anything again."
This was when I applied the puppy dog eyes that I reserve for special occasions and this was one of those occasions. I'm proud to admit they have never failed me before and it didn't look as though I was going to loose this time either. The silence was almost unbearable waiting for his answer I was about to say something again when he answered my question with a sigh beforehand.
"You owe me Hermione, Oh you so owe me. You're going to owe me for the rest of your life."
"Yessss!" I said pumping my fist into the air in a very un-Hermione fashion. "Oh Harry you are the best friend a girl could have do you know that?"
"I do now. But I think if I'd said no you'd be singing a different tune right now." he said grinning.
I jumped up and ran over to Harry's chair by the fire and hugged him with all I was worth. I was so ecstatic. I heard him laugh and hug me back, and then he gently unhooked himself from my vice like hug or so he called it. I looked at him to see what was up. I knew we had to discuss the plan but right now all I wanted to do was celebrate. Even so I sat back down and tried to compose myself. I mean, I'm Hermione Granger I'm not supposed to act like Lavender and Parvati.
"Hermione I'm wondering if this is really a fool-proof plan. You do realise he's probably going to go ballistic when we walk into breakfast tomorrow like a...a oh god I can't even say it!"
"Couple the word your looking for Harry?" I asked with a smirk on my face.
"Yeah." He pretended to grimace. So I smacked him lightly on the shoulder.
"It's going to be so weird, I mean, you're like my sister not my girlfriend."
I sighed, he was right but he was the only person that the plan would work with. It was essential he played the part of my boyfriend. Confused yet?
"Yes Harry, I feel the same way but it has to be you, I already explained that bit."
"I know I know. It's just...I better not loose my best friend because of your "fool-proof plan" alright?" he even made the air quotation marks when he said that.
"You won't...at least I don't think you will. He's not that stupid..." it was that moment that I thought it was possible my plan may not have been fool-proof.
***
I walked down the stairs to the common room finding Harry waiting for me like we planned he would. He informed me that he had told Ron to go on ahead of him so he could get an early start on breakfast. Ron being Ron didn't argue with this so it was easy for Harry to wait for me. We headed down to the great hall and when we got to the door we paused, looked at each other and I reached for Harry's hand. I heard him take a deep breath and we interlaced fingers. I whispered, "This is it. No turning back now." And we proceeded into the Great Hall.
It was like somebody had used the silencing Charm on the whole Great Hall. Everyone and I mean everyone had stopped talking. I heard knives and forks clatter back onto their plates in people's surprise. I certainly wasn't expecting such a reception. Then again it soon dawned on me that I was holding hands and "going out" with the boy-who-lived. People weren't going to take it well.
Harry coughed next to me and tugged me gently toward the Gryffindor table and we sat down in our usual seats. Harry sat opposite me though. I frowned at him but he didn't notice as he had pulled out the Quidditch timetable that he had been working on for the past week.
Eventually everyone got back to his or her breakfasts and conversations but I noticed that the talk was a lot more animated that previously. I had been buttering my toast for a little while when I felt as though I was being watched again. I looked up to see most of my friends staring at me. This included Ginny, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati and last but not least, Ron. I jumped a bit at all their expressions. I felt like a thestral caught in the headlights of the Weasley's Ford Anglia.
"Um, Hi guys." I said weakly. How pathetic. I wanted to appear nonchalant. Didn't work.
""Um hi guys"? Are you serious Hermione? Is there something you want to tell us?"
Ginny asked me with an unusual smirk on her face.
"Tell you? Hmm...no. No I don't think so."
I replied stupidly. I should have expected this. I am so unprepared for people to ask questions. I wish Harry would look up. He didn't so I kicked him under the table.
"Ow! Hermione what did you do that for?! I don't think I -- Oh right." He grinned at everyone sheepishly, rubbing his shin. I didn't kick him that hard. Wuss.
Ginny rolled her eyes then directed the same question she had asked me at Harry.
"Is there something you two want to tell us?
Harry looked at me an raised an eyebrow then by the look on his face chose his words carefully. Apparently he had put more thought into this that I had, that was for sure.
"Well, I mean, isn't it kind of obvious. Hermione and me. That is to say, Hermione and I," he added with a look from me that said correct your English "are a couple. We're dating. How else can I put it? I thought you were the brains in this outfit Ginny?"
He said with a smile to her. Needless to say, she didn't return it. His smile flickered. Then he looked pleadingly at me. I tried to send him telepathic messages. "What do I say?!" but he just raised his eyebrow in an this-was-your-idea look. Oh joy.
"H He's telling the truth. Is it really that bad that we are a couple?"
"Awww! That's so cute! I think you two are great together!"
Lavender exclaimed whilst Parvati voiced her agreement by squealing and clapping. I saw the guys at the table grimace so I tried to hide a grin. Except Ginny took it as the look that I was so in love with Harry. Which was good because this is what I was aiming for.
After that little encounter the ice was broken so everyone at the table chatted amongst themselves. I didn't really have anyone to talk to so I pulled out Hogwarts: A History and began to read from where I left off the night before. I wasn't really listening to what was going on but I did hear Seamus and Dean congratulating Harry and clapping him on the back. I noticed with grim satisfaction that Ron wasn't joining in the festivities. This is what I wanted, him to realise that I wouldn't wait around forever for him but I felt so bad to see him sitting there, stabbing at his eggs and bacon.
***