Chapter 2: Adjustments
Chapter Summary: Harry and Ron adjust to Hermione's subtle changes, Harry seems to be having the worst time of it all!
Author's note: I would love some reviews, any positive or negative support! That's what keeps me writing!
Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, any situational events that resemble those owned by her are unintentional.
"Hermione!" Ron said, open mouthed, "You look…different!"
Harry stared. She was beautiful. But what had happened to the old Hermione? This couldn't be her! "Hi, Hermione!" He tried to sound steady.
"Harry! Ron!" Hermione squealed. Ron and Harry winced. "Oh I've had so much fun! You wouldn't believe the museums… they're fabulous!" Fabulous? Harry wondered. "And the food was elegant! And the people, I met so many… Aunt Mary knew everyone, the people were so nice!" What did this mean? Panic. She's met someone, I know, Harry thought.
"So, did you bring us anything?" Ron said enthusiastically.
Hermione dropped her bag. "Of course, I wouldn't have forgotten you two! Hold on…" She shuffled around in the big, purple satin tote. She pulled out a bunchy package wrapped in flowery tissue paper. "This is for you, Ron." She handed it to him.
Ron looked incredulously at the tissue paper for a moment, then ripped it off to reveal a long purple and yellow wrap with a patch stitched into it that said: Les Canards Jeunes, with a big purple #1 below it. Ron looked pained, torn between a smile and a look of horror.
"Oh, Ron! It's the region's number one Quidditch team! Everybody supports them over there! I know it's not the Chudley Cannons… I just thought… I know the color doesn't suit you…" Hermione looked close to tears.
"Hermione, I love it! I really love it!" Ron wrapped it around his neck, grinning plastically. He eyed Harry, daring him to laugh.
"Oh good, I wasn't sure… Now Harry, I got you this…" Hermione shuffled in her bag once more. She pulled out a smaller black leather box and handed it to him.
Harry smiled. What could it be? He lifted up the lid carefully. It was a silver quill pen, with his initials embossed on the side. He grinned. "Hermione, thanks!"
She smiled, not noticing Ron's jealous stare towards Harry's gift. "Don't mention it! Now tell me, what have you two been doing with yourselves? Probably got into loads of trouble."
"Nah, not really." Ron shrugged. "Seamus accidentally self-inflicted a curse on himself, couldn't stop break dancing for three days. That's about it, really."
"Hermione, what about you? You look…different." Harry said.
"Oh, Aunt Mary took me around to see a few beauty salons, I had a bit of work done."
Harry and Ron both eyed her short, revealing robes. Hermione blushed, "And she took me shopping, nothing major…" she said quickly. "What was really spectacular was the art! Such powerful masterpieces! If you weren't aware, some muggles have quite an inborn talent for the arts. Many give up everything just so they can paint.
"Like who?" Ron seemed suspicious. "Who'd care so much about a bunch of paintings?"
"Well, I guess it's the idea of it that attracts them. But you gain everything. Many of them become quite wealthy and famous.
"Hey now, I could get into that... They were famous, you said? Not like Quidditch players, surely?" Ron asked, clearly interested now the prospect of money was concerned.
"Oh yes." Hermione said, a bit of the know-it-all shining through again, "Much like Quidditch players."
As the common room began to spring to life again, gradually filling with sleepy Gryffindors, Harry, Ron, and Hermione got up to leave for breakfast. As Hermione stood up and brushed back her hair, Harry noticed something.
"Hey, Hermione, what's that in your ear?"
"Oh this?" She fingered a tiny silver ball. "A gift from my Aunt. I got my ears pierced, do you like them?"
Harry shrugged, "Yeah…" He didn't understand this sudden girliness, it made him nervous. But still, as she walked ahead of them, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was so beautiful.
Later that night, Harry writhed in his four poster bed. He couldn't sleep, and kept envisioning Hermione in a half-asleep nightmare, wrapped in black satin with diamond bracelets and rings, her hair wrapped up in a stylish bun. He was offering her a gift, the fifth revised edition of Hogwarts, a History. She was scoffing at him, 'Is that all you can do, Harry Potter? I'm sorry, you'll have to do better to be seen with ME…' She turned to the arm of a dashing Frenchman, who laughed pompously as they teetered away.
Harry woke with a feeling of self-doubt. Hermione's birthday was coming up… He would show her the best present he could offer!
Chapter Summary: Harry and Ron adjust to Hermione's subtle changes, Harry seems to be having the worst time of it all!
Author's note: I would love some reviews, any positive or negative support! That's what keeps me writing!
Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling, any situational events that resemble those owned by her are unintentional.
"Hermione!" Ron said, open mouthed, "You look…different!"
Harry stared. She was beautiful. But what had happened to the old Hermione? This couldn't be her! "Hi, Hermione!" He tried to sound steady.
"Harry! Ron!" Hermione squealed. Ron and Harry winced. "Oh I've had so much fun! You wouldn't believe the museums… they're fabulous!" Fabulous? Harry wondered. "And the food was elegant! And the people, I met so many… Aunt Mary knew everyone, the people were so nice!" What did this mean? Panic. She's met someone, I know, Harry thought.
"So, did you bring us anything?" Ron said enthusiastically.
Hermione dropped her bag. "Of course, I wouldn't have forgotten you two! Hold on…" She shuffled around in the big, purple satin tote. She pulled out a bunchy package wrapped in flowery tissue paper. "This is for you, Ron." She handed it to him.
Ron looked incredulously at the tissue paper for a moment, then ripped it off to reveal a long purple and yellow wrap with a patch stitched into it that said: Les Canards Jeunes, with a big purple #1 below it. Ron looked pained, torn between a smile and a look of horror.
"Oh, Ron! It's the region's number one Quidditch team! Everybody supports them over there! I know it's not the Chudley Cannons… I just thought… I know the color doesn't suit you…" Hermione looked close to tears.
"Hermione, I love it! I really love it!" Ron wrapped it around his neck, grinning plastically. He eyed Harry, daring him to laugh.
"Oh good, I wasn't sure… Now Harry, I got you this…" Hermione shuffled in her bag once more. She pulled out a smaller black leather box and handed it to him.
Harry smiled. What could it be? He lifted up the lid carefully. It was a silver quill pen, with his initials embossed on the side. He grinned. "Hermione, thanks!"
She smiled, not noticing Ron's jealous stare towards Harry's gift. "Don't mention it! Now tell me, what have you two been doing with yourselves? Probably got into loads of trouble."
"Nah, not really." Ron shrugged. "Seamus accidentally self-inflicted a curse on himself, couldn't stop break dancing for three days. That's about it, really."
"Hermione, what about you? You look…different." Harry said.
"Oh, Aunt Mary took me around to see a few beauty salons, I had a bit of work done."
Harry and Ron both eyed her short, revealing robes. Hermione blushed, "And she took me shopping, nothing major…" she said quickly. "What was really spectacular was the art! Such powerful masterpieces! If you weren't aware, some muggles have quite an inborn talent for the arts. Many give up everything just so they can paint.
"Like who?" Ron seemed suspicious. "Who'd care so much about a bunch of paintings?"
"Well, I guess it's the idea of it that attracts them. But you gain everything. Many of them become quite wealthy and famous.
"Hey now, I could get into that... They were famous, you said? Not like Quidditch players, surely?" Ron asked, clearly interested now the prospect of money was concerned.
"Oh yes." Hermione said, a bit of the know-it-all shining through again, "Much like Quidditch players."
As the common room began to spring to life again, gradually filling with sleepy Gryffindors, Harry, Ron, and Hermione got up to leave for breakfast. As Hermione stood up and brushed back her hair, Harry noticed something.
"Hey, Hermione, what's that in your ear?"
"Oh this?" She fingered a tiny silver ball. "A gift from my Aunt. I got my ears pierced, do you like them?"
Harry shrugged, "Yeah…" He didn't understand this sudden girliness, it made him nervous. But still, as she walked ahead of them, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was so beautiful.
Later that night, Harry writhed in his four poster bed. He couldn't sleep, and kept envisioning Hermione in a half-asleep nightmare, wrapped in black satin with diamond bracelets and rings, her hair wrapped up in a stylish bun. He was offering her a gift, the fifth revised edition of Hogwarts, a History. She was scoffing at him, 'Is that all you can do, Harry Potter? I'm sorry, you'll have to do better to be seen with ME…' She turned to the arm of a dashing Frenchman, who laughed pompously as they teetered away.
Harry woke with a feeling of self-doubt. Hermione's birthday was coming up… He would show her the best present he could offer!