I Never Lied
Chapter Two
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"So I hear Hermione's coming."
Ron had been trying to get some reaction out of Harry for the past week, and even four hours before the event he still hadn't succeeded. They both knew that Hermione's arrival was a well-known fact by their entire group of friends, but Harry wasn't about to reveal how he felt about it.
"Yeah, and so is Ginny, Luna, you, Draco…" Harry said as he tried to diffuse the tension in the air. Better to focus on the entire group rather than the one person that…
"OY HARRY! Where's my breakfast?" Draco walked into the kitchen, looking for his food. The most surprising thing that had happened over the past three years, at least as surprising as Harry and Hermione's breakup, was the way Draco had been brought into their circle of friends. During the War, he became a double agent under Snape's guidance, and now was keeper on the Chudley Cannons with Ron. He and Harry maintained their rivalry during the Quidditch season (Harry was on Puddlemere United), but the two were close friends.
Spying some biscuits, Draco stuffed on in his mouth, not even bothering to chew before continuing with his conversation. "Do you think it's gonna be awkward with Granger there?"
Harry scowled. "Make your own breakfast." He walked out of the room.
Draco shrugged at Ron. "I'm taking that as a yes."
Later that afternoon, with everyone gathered in the living room of Marauder Mansion, Hermione didn't have any energy to concentrate on Harry – everyone was talking, asking about her life, and lamenting the fact that they were spending a weekend cleaning rooms that weren't even their own.
But the fact that he was there did not go unnoticed. Hermione kept glancing in his direction, but he never looked her way, talking instead to Sirius and Remus. His eyes had the same sorrow she saw during the preparation for the War, when he had so much on his shoulders. Her heart lurched with the idea that his breakup with Cho caused him to become a shell of his former joyful self.
When she returned to her conversation with Ginny, Harry took his opportunity to watch her. Of course, she looked gorgeous, with her curls and amber eyes. But whenever she looked his way, her eyes were cool, distant, as if she were putting up a wall between them. The fact that she felt the need to protect herself from him hurt Harry more than he was willing to admit.
"Okay everyone, we're going to tackle this in pairs: Ron and Luna, Draco and Ginny, Remus and me, and Harry and Hermione," Sirius said, looking at each person as their name was mentioned. Harry glanced at Hermione when their pairing was called, but she made no move to object. He wasn't surprised. Hermione wouldn't make a fight. At least not when they were with other people.
"And let's just start going room by room. And some of the rooms are enchanted, so if you do find yourself stuck in one for…a week…well, don't worry. We'll send a search party on the eighth day." If Harry had been paying attention to Sirius rather than admiring Hermione's new curve-hugging sweater, he would have noticed Sirius' gaze right on him. However, he was clueless to the whisperings around them as everyone partnered up.
Hermione walked over to his side of the room, but didn't say or do anything to start a conversation. They merely stood side by side, each very aware of the other's presence, until Sirius announced that they were ready to clean.
With Hermione leading, she and Harry entered the first floor corridor, opening the first door she saw, and the two went inside.
Neither noticed the six pairs of eyes following their retreat.
