Slughorn's party.
After Hermione's heart to heart chat and meditation with Luna, she felt exceptionally better. She had gotten through the day without having another one of her 'mental episodes.'
Besides, it's been days since it happened, I think we all need to move on. Hermione thought one day. Ron's just a git. And Harry's very sweet, as usual.
She had come across Harry for the first time in days. She was on her way into the common room, and just as she gave the password and the door swung open, as if by some strange magic, the boy who lived was standing on the other side.
Hermione looked up, their eyes met, and her jaw dropped slightly. Harry!
It was too late to pretend like she hadn't seen him; they were already making eye contact.
"Er-Hey," was all she could manage. She could feel her cheeks get a little warm, and wouldn't doubt that she was probably blushing.
"Hi." Harry flashed her a genuine smile.
"Hi," Hermione smiled back.
"I was just going down to grab some breakfast," he said, "Er-fancy coming with me?"
"Me?" Hermione held her books she was holding tighter in her arms. "Oh, I just ate, thanks. But I'll see you in class, right?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah, I'll see you then."
"Okay," Hermione replied, sounding a little too giddy than she would have liked to.
"Okay," Harry said, taking a step out of the portrait hole.
Almost immediately she stepped forward too, coming right into the portrait hole just as Harry was exiting it. For a brief moment they stood still, their eyes locked.
"Sorry," Harry said grinning, and quickly stepping out of the way.
"No, my fault." Hermione said moving at the same time.
She entered the common room, and something came into her mind. She turned quickly back to Harry.
"Hey, are you going to Slughorn's party tonight?" she called.
Harry turned back to her. "I might. You?"
Hermione grinned again. "Yeah, I might come too."
"Great." Harry replied, and with that he turned on his heel and headed down for breakfast.
Hermione entered the common room and set her books down on the table. He might go to the party!
As Harry walked down to the great hall, he thought exactly the same thing. She might go to the party…maybe I should have asked her to go with me…but as friendswe're just friends!...Oh dear
But Harry was still very nervous to see his brown eyed witch friend. Their encounter was the first they had in days, and it went surprisingly well. But it would be hard for him to actually start talking with her in their "normal" manner. Especially with Harry's newly found emotions. But this party would be probably one of the last events before the holiday. He had one opportunity to tell her how he really felt about her.
I could just ask her after class. He mused. I'm sure she'll say yes.
They had transfiguration together. He would ask her after class then. Harry smiled to himself as he entered the Great Hall.
However, it hadn't gone as well as he had hoped.
They had just embarked upon the immensely difficult topic of human transfiguration; working in front of mirrors, they were supposed to be changing the color of their own. Eyebrows. Hermione laughed unkindly at Ron's disastrous first attempt, during which he somehow managed to give himself a spectacular handlebar mustache; Ron retaliated by doing a cruel but accurate impression of Hermione jumping up and down in her seat every time Professot McGonagall asked a question, which lavender and Parvati found deeply amusing and which reduced Hermione to the verge of tears again. She raced out of the classroom on the bell, leaving half of her things behind; Harry, deciding that her need was greater than Ron's just now, scooped up her remaining possessions and followed her.
He finally tracked her down as she emerged from a girl's bathroom on the floor below. She was accompanied by Luna Lovegood ,who was patting her vaguely on the back.
"Oh,hello, Harry," said Luna. "Did you know one of your eyebrows is bright yellow?"
"Hi Luna. Hermione, you left your stuff…"
He held out her books
"Oh yes," said Hermione in a choked voice, taking her things, and turning away quickly to hide the fact that she was wiping her eyes on her pencil case. "Thank you, Harry. Well, I'd better get going…"
And she scurried off, without giving Harry any time to offer words of comfort, though admittedly he could not think of any.
"She's a bit upset," said Luna. "I thought at first it was Moaning Myrtle I nthere, but it turned out to be Hermione. She said something about that Ron Weasely..."
"Yeah, they had a row," said Harry.
"he says very funny things sometimes, doesn't he?" said Luna, as they set off down the corridor together. "But he can be a bit unkind. I noticed that last year."
"I s'pose," said Harry. Luna was demonstrating her usual knack of speaking uncomfortable truths; he had never met anyone quite like her. "So have you had a good term?"
"Oh, it's been alright," said Luna. "A bit lonely without the D.A. Ginny's been nice, thoughShestopped two boys in our Transfiguration class calling me 'Loony' the other day-"
"How would you like to go to Slughorn's party with me tonight
The words were out of Harry's mouth before he ould stop them; he heard himself say them as though it were a stranger speaking.
Luna turned her protuberant eyes upon him in surprise.
"Slughorns's party?With you?
"Yeah," said Harry. "We're supposed to bring guests, so I thought you might like…I mean…" He was keen to make his intentions perfectly clear. "I mean, just as friends, you know. But if you don't want to…"
He was already half hoping she didn't want to.
"Oh, no, I'd love to go with you just as friends!" said Luna, beaming as he had never seen her beam before. "Nobody's ever asked me to a party before, as a friend! Is that why you dyed your eyebrow, for the party? Should I do mine too?"
"No," said Harry firmly, "that was a mistake. I'll get Hermione to put it right for me. So, I'll meet you in the entrance hall at eight o'clock then."
"AHA!" screamed a voice from overhead and both of them jumped; unnoticed by either of them, they had just passed right underneath peeves, who was hanging upside down from a chandelier and grinning maliciously at them.
"Potty asked Loony to go the party! Potty lurves Looney! Potty luuuuuurvesLoooooooony!"
And he zoomed away, cackling and shrieking, "Potty loves Loony!"
"Nice to keep things private," said Harry. And sure enough, and sure enough in no time at all the whole school seemed to know that Harry Potter was taking Luna Lovegood to Slughorn's party.
(Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Page 309-312)
Not too far off, walking down the hallway was a very flustered Hermione. Oh that Ron! So like him to make fun of me! Especially in front of everyone!
Not even taking a moment to think about Harry's generous act of returning her books without her asking him to, she held them tightly in her arms as she walked up a set of stairs. She seemed to be having trouble holding them all, and looked like she was on the verge of tears again.
Things only got worse when a certain poltergeist came storming up the hallway screaming at the top of his lungs.
"Potty lurves Loony!" he screeched. "Potty and Loony are going to the party together!"
Hermione took a moment to process what Peeves said. Potty loves Loony?
"What?" she asked the poltergeist out loud.
Peeves stopped in mid air and spun around to face the brown eyed witch.
"Didn't you hear?" He asked loudly as he began to swarm around Hermione.
"Potty asked that Loony girl to the party tonight! And she said YES! They're in lurve! Potty and Loony are in LUUURVE!!"
He then screeched loudly as he zoomed away. Hermione stood there not knowing what to think.
Harry asked Luna to Slughorn's party? She thought. He must have asked her after I left them.
Hermione gripped her books tighter in her arms. They're going to the party together.
The image of them together gave her a choked up feeling. Just when Hermione's day had begun so well; in such a short time it had gotten so much worse.
What did I just do? Harry thought as he walked to his next class. I just asked Luna to the Party!
He had been planning to ask Hermione, but he lost his opportunity when she stormed off in a hurry
I was so ready to ask her at that moment but she had left so quickly. Harry mused. It kind of just slipped out. I didn't mean to. I guess, in Hermione's absence, I wanted to ask someone. I had hoped she'd say no, but she was so happy about it. I couldn't just turn her down!
Harry was in a jam. Hermione would see them together at the party, and Harry dreaded that she would get the wrong impression of them. No doubt she already knows. Thanks Peeves.
It was too late to go back now. It was already done. He would just have to go through with it. Luna and I are just friends.
I'm sure Hermione will understand.
Meanwhile, the brown eyed witch was thinking differently.
I guess he's always had a thing for Luna. She thought as she sorted through her trunk, looking for an attire for the party. She is such a sweet girl, actually.
Hermione was reminded of how Luna had listened to her when she was in her state of mental trauma.
They'll make a good pair. She thought as she laid a simple black turtle neck on her bed.
"This'll work."
Hermione found a simple skirt to go along with her top and laid it along the bed as well.
I guess I should ask someone too.
Hermione thought of who she could take to the party but few names came to mind.
Hmm…I wonder if McLaggen would like to go with me.
Harry was on his way to the party with Luna. He was half hoping that Hermione wouldn't show. The idea of his best female friend seeing him with another woman wasn't exactly what he enjoyed. But if she did in fact see them, there was little he could do.
Harry, m'boy!" boomed Slughorn almost as soon as Harry and Luna had squeezed in through the door. "Come in, come in, so many people I'd like you to meet!"
Slughorn was wearing a tassled velvet had to match his smoking jacket. Gripping Harry's arm so tightly he might have been hoping to Disapparate with him, Slughorn had led him purposefully into the party; Harry seized Luna's hand and dragged her along with him.
"Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, and old student of mine, author of Blood Brothers:My Life Amongst the Vampires-and of cours,e his friend Sanguini."
Worple, who was a small, stout, bespectacled man, grabbed Harry's hand and shook it enthusiastically; the vampire Sanguini, who was tall and emaciated with dark shadows under his eyes, merely nodded. He looked rather bored. A gaggle of girls was standing close to him, looking curious and excited."Harry Potter, I am simply delighted!" said worple, peering shortsightedly up into Harry's face. " I was saying to Professor Slughorn only the other day, 'Where is the biography of Harry Potter for which we have all been waiting."
"Er," said Harry, "where you."
"Just as modest as Horace described!" said Worple. "But seariously"-his manner changed; it became more businesslike-"I would be delighted to write it myself-people are craving to know more about you, dear boy, craving! If you were prepared to grant me a few interviews,say in four- or five-hour sessions, why, we could have the book finished withgin months. And all with little effort on your part, I assure you- ask Sanguini here if it isn't quite-Sanguini, stay here!" added Worple suddenly stern, for the vampire had been edging toward the nearby group of girls, a rather hungry look in his eye. "Here, have a pasty," said worpleseising one from a passing elf and stuffing it into Sanguini's hand before turning his attention back to Harry.
"My dear boy, the gold you could make, you have no idea-"
"I'm definitely not interested," said Harry firmly, "and I've just seen a female friend of mine, sorry."
He pulled Luna after him into the wrowd; had had indeed just seen a long mane of brown hair disappear between what looked like the two member of the Weird Sisters.
"Hermione!Hermione!"
"Harry! There you are, thank goodness! Hi, Luna!"
"What's happened to you?" asked Harry, for Hermione looked distinctly disheveled, rather as though she had just fought her way out of a thicket of Devil's Snare.
"Oh, I've just escaped-I mean, I've just left Cormac," she said. "Under the mistletoe," she added in explanation, as Harry continued to look questioningly at her.
(Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Page 315-317)
"Cormac?" Harry asked. "Cormac McLaggen?"
"Yeah, I brought him here with me." Hermione said looking over her shoulder, making sure he wouldn't try and sneak up behind her and attempt to steal a kiss.
"Did you?" beamed Luna. "I hear he's very nice."
"Oh yeah," Hermione rolled her eyes. "He's quite a charmer."
"But I guess-" Hermione dropped her gaze to see that Harry and Luna's hands were still joined, their fingers intertwined. "You two c-came together."
Oh great. Harry thought. Just what I wanted to happen.
"Yes," Luna said, flashing a smile at Harry. "He just asked me today, actually."
Hermione saw the smile on Luna's face and turned to Harry who managed a small grin that she simply read as it's true.
"How," Hermione thought of the right word to say, "sweet."
A choked up feeling came to Hrmione's throat. She seemed dizzy. The room felt stuffy.
"Well, enjoy the party," Hermione said quickly. "I just realized, I have something I need to take care of, will you excuse me."
Hermione was off before Harry or Luna could process what she had just said.
"Hey," Harry said to Hermione, who was making her way through the crowd toward. "Hermione, where are you going?"
"She seemed a bit flustered," Luna observed. "There must be something wrong."
"Yeah," Harry said. He turned to face Luna.
"Luna, really I'm sorry, but I really should go find out what's wrong with Hermione," Harry said quickly.
"No problem, Harry." Luna said. "I think she could use a word or two from her best friend. I'll be fine."
Harry smiled at her selfless generosity. She was absolutely alright with Harry leaving her for another girl.
Harry then quickly cupped her face in his hands and planted a big peck on her cheek.
"Thank you," he beamed. "Thank you so much!"
Luna smiled, her face still in Harry's hands. "Oh, Harry, do you want to play kissie face with me or Hermione?"
Harry's eyed widened.
"What?"
Luna winked at him. "Go. You're letting her get away."
Harry grinned. "Right."
And Harry was off, making his way through the crowd, Luna simply standing there in his wake.
So, she thought as she folded her arms. You're the one she was talking about.
Harry made it to the entrance of Slughron's classroom, opened the door and looked out in every direction. He spotted Hermione storming down a far set of stairs.
"Hermione!" Harry called, his voice echoing through the halls. Hermione must have heard it, because she began to walk faster
"Hermione, wait!"
She still walked, completely disregarding his words. Harry stood there for a moment, then broke into a run. Not this time Granger
Harry ran down the hall and began to descend the stairs, jumping down two at a time. He then ran around another corner and began to gain on her. Hermione was quick, but he was quicker.
He finally got close enough and reached his hand out and grabbed her shoulder and she stopped.
"What!" she yelled as she spun around, tears falling from her eyes. "What do you want?"
Harry stood there. He couldn't speak as he saw his best friend ball her eyes out.
"Hermione, please," he said, choked up "Please don't cry."
Hermione wiped at her eyes and turned around. She stood with her back to Harry.
He watched her from behind, but could do nothing. Several silent moments crept by. The sounds of Slughorn's party were still well audible in the distance.
Then, working up the courage, Harry walked around to face Hermione and put his hand on her shoulder.
"Hey," he said softly. "What is it?"
She looked up at him, tears streaming down from her face.
"What's wrong?" he asked sincerely.
"H-Harry, I'm glad you care about me—I really am—but you don't have to go making stuff up about me to get Ron to fancy me."
"Is that what this is about?" he asked. "What happened the other night?"
He brought both hands up to her face. He slowly wiped her tears away.
"Hermione, I didn't make any of that up," he said, almost whispering. Hermione began to sob louder. Harry pulled her to him and embraced her closely.
"Shh…it's okay…shh…" he said quietly. He slowly stroked her cheek with his thumb. Her skin was so soft. He never had touched her in such a way before. Hermione's tears subdued now as she looked up at him. Her long curly strands of hair fell freely over her face. Harry pushed them aside and tucked them behind her ear. He stared slowly at her.
"Listen," he began slowly. "I meant everything I said that night."
Hermione closed her eyes.
"You are beautiful, Hermione," Harry said consolingly. "Never let anyone tell you differently."
"You are my best friend," He slowly moved his hand to the nape of her neck, "and I won't ever let anything bad happen to you."
Hermione pressed her head against Harry's chest. They stood there in silence for a long time. Harry gently stroked the small of her back. Her hands pressed up against his chest. Then, after a few moments, Hermione pulled away from Harry a bit and looked him in the eyes. Green met brown. Harry slowly brought his hand to her cheek.
Luna's words echoed in his mind.
Do you want to play kissie face with me or Hermione?
"Hermione," he said slowly. He began to pull her face to his. Their lips were inches apart. So close. Then suddenly Hermione pulled away.
"No," she said, tears welling up again. "I can't."
She pulled herself out of Harry's arms and ran down the hallway.
Harry stood there in silence; Hermione long gone.
He put a hand to his face to cover up what looked like tears of his own.