AN: Things really start rolling with this chapter. If you like it then you should let me know! I currently have a huge story arc planned out but if, when I get to the last chapter that I have already written (7), I feel like there hasn't been adequate feedback then I will take that as a sign that I should just use the time what I would spend writing for something else. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Read and Review!
Chapter 4
"Why would 'arry want you? You revel when you are called zhe brightest witch of your age, but you are not even a Ravenclaw." The spectral Fleur scoffed. "You know zhat you cannot compete wiz women like me for Harry's affections. A muggle-born like you can never be ze woman zhat Harry needs by his side. Even if you brewed zhe strongest love potion you knew, you could never compare to a witch like me. I was in zhe Tri-Wizard tournament wiz Harry. I faced ze dangers while you sat on zhe sidelines."
"She's right, Hermione," The apparition of Harry interjected. "Hermione, you were nothing more than extra inches on my class essays. Every one of my other friends has proven their worth while fighting beside me. You've frozen up every time I needed you. First, when we were first-years and I was about to face Voldemort alone. Again, as a second-year when I had to face a sixty-foot Basilisk. Finally, when we went to the Ministry of Magic to rescue Sirius, it was you who failed me. The spell that you cast on the doors in the rotating room wore off when we needed them the most. A person like Fleur would be there for me if I needed her. A person like Fleur would never make a mistake like that in the midst of battle."
With that, the clothing that the two spectral figures had been wearing vanished. Leaving two perfectly formed bodies intertwined in a passionate embrace. Luckily for Hermione, and Harry's modesty, the locket obscured the lower parts of their bodies.
However, more of the ghosts appeared with each second. Harry saw the tears streaming down Hermione's face and knew that she needed some encouragement. "Hermione, I know that you will always be there for me; you are my rock. I believe in you!"
As if she snapped out of a trance, Hermione raised the sword of Gryffindor above her head and, after bringing it down in arc, smashed it into the locket.
Immediately, the ghostly figures of Harry and Fleur disappeared while the real Harry and Hermione were thrown back by the blast of magic. Harry quickly got up, but was concerned to see that Hermione had not moved from her spot on the ground. Rushing over, Harry scooped his friend up and carried her into the tent. With Hermione's body pressed against his, Harry did his best not to think about the fact that Hermione the only thing that separated him from Hermione's body was a robe. As Harry laid Hermione down her eyes fluttered open.
"Harry, we need to talk about today," Hermione said repositioning herself underneath the covers so that she had more than just a robe in between her and her friend.
Harry sat down next to Hermione, on the bed. "Hermione, I hope that you know that what you heard in the clearing is not even close to how I feel or think about you. You are one of the most amazing people in my life. You stayed by my side, even when the Ministry and the Daily Prophet turned everyone else against me. You believed me, even when my other best friend thought I was lying. You are my rock, having you in my life is what keeps me doing what is right, instead of what is easy."
Hermione had visibly perked up since Harry began talking. No longer wallowing in self-doubt, she was able to meet Harry's concerned glance and see his commitment toward her. "Thank you, Harry. You have no idea what a relief it is for me to hear you say that. I try to be perfect; I try to be all that you could ever need. When you were in the tournament I couldn't be out there with you so I did my best to make sure that you learned all the spells that you would need. Can you forgive me for not being out there with you?" Hermione quietly asked.
"Hermione, I never wanted to be in that tournament; if not for the Death Eater disguised as Moody then I would have been more than content to watch with you from the side-lines. You are, and have always been, one of the most talented and beautiful girls that I have ever known. Even when you were a bushy-haired first-year, who was a little demanding, you showed me two things that had been missing in the first eleven years of my life: love and loyalty. Against your better judgment, at risk of being killed, or worse, expelled, you came with me to save the Sorcerer's Stone. You worry that you missed a chance in that final room before I met Voldemort but there is no need to worry. Although I didn't know consciously, I knew that you cared about me more deeply than probably anyone else had, up to that point. What's more important, unlike the pure-blood witches, who grew up dreaming about marrying someone who became famous for something that they couldn't even remember, you grew to love me for me."
By this time Hermione was once again crying, but finally there were tears of joy. "Harry, it means so much for you to care enough about me to tell me all of this. My heart has ached for too long because of these thoughts. I will always be there for you; I love you. Please be here for me again tonight, I promise that, even though you tried to sneak a peek at me in the bath, I will be nice even if your alter-ego Rocky pops out."
"Her-Hermione, you're going to sleep in your robe?" Harry stammered at the proposition.
"Just think of it as a Christmas present. I know that you'll be a good boy, Rocky. Now come to bed, it has been a long day and we still have to go and visit the Lovegoods in the morning." Hermione said while turning away from Harry thus presenting a very spoonable backside.
Harry did not want to look his gift horse in the mouth, so he stripped down to his boxers and snuggled up behind his long-time friend. Lifting his body up so that he could whisper into her ear, Harry said, "I will love you forever Hermione, never doubt that. You are my rock; you are the most important thing in my world."
The next morning came too soon for Harry and Hermione. The brisk morning air made leaving the bubble of warmth they created under the covers all the more difficult. However, despite the coziness of a shared bed, Hermione made herself wake up first on this particular morning. She did this partly because she wanted to avoid a repeat of the previous morning and partly because she made the rash decision of going to bed in a robe instead of actual clothing the previous night.
Harry was still sleeping as Hermione got dressed. A part of Hermione wanted Harry to wake-up while she was changing so that he could have an unobstructed view of her body. He had told her that he thought she was beautiful the night before, but she needed him to look at her as she was and tell her that he felt the same way.
Although she knew his hormones would jump at the opportunity; she also knew that theirs was a situation that should be taken one step at a time. The day before was the first time that they had admitted to having deeper feelings about one-another than the average friendship warranted. Additionally, they had become more acquainted with each other's bodies than Hermione had expected to be, with any man, for quite some time. She had to admit to herself; when Harry's alter-ego, Rocky, came out, he was quite the manly specimen, indeed. Hermione changed quickly before returning to wake Harry.
"Maybe instead of me venturing out at this absurd hour, you should come back under the covers," Harry gruffly responded to Hermione, who had just suggested that the early bird will catch the worm.
"Harry, you know that getting to the Lovegoods' is important. Dumbledore gave me that book for a reason. Last night we destroyed a horcrux and obtained the means to destroy the other horcruxes when we find them," Hermione stated in a business-like fashion.
Harry, however, was unmoved by Hermione's speech. So, he covered his face with a pillow to block out the light that was starting to stream into the tent.
Hermione, not wanting to be ignored, climbed on the bed and did something that Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet had guaranteed would never fail to wake a sleeping male. She straddled Harry and began rocking her hips back and forth as she sung out his name, "Harry, oh Harry. Do get up for me."
The combination of her seductive voice and her gyrating hips caused a reaction that Harry was unable to ignore and that elicited a giggle from Hermione.
"There you are Rocky, I'm glad one of you will pay attention to me. Let Harry know that if he isn't out of bed this minute then I will pull off these covers so that I can finally get to know what you look like." Hermione caught the pillow that Harry tossed at her before singing out, "Thank you Rocky."
After getting dressed, Harry met Hermione in front of the tent. A few minutes later, they were standing under Harry's invisibility cloak preparing to disapparate to the Lovegood property.
"I hope that Luna is there," Hermione said, excitedly.
"Getting bored of me already, I see how it is," Harry joked.
"Shush, you know that's not what I meant," she replied lightly swatting his arm.
"Remind me again why we're under the invisibility cloak, Hermione."
"Were going under the invisibility cloak because we can't see where we are going," Hermione said as if that was the most obvious statement in the world. "Since we can't see where we are going, I want to make sure that we aren't accidentally spotted when we get there."
Harry accepted Hermione's logic and moments later, the pair apparated at the edge of the Lovegood wards. Hermione had remembered Ginny mentioning that the Lovegoods shared a property line with the Weasley family; it was just a lucky guess that placed Harry and Hermione on the correct border. However, what the pair saw made them sick. An unconscious Luna was being carried from the house by a masked Death Eater while Lucius Malfoy and another man in Death Eater attire kept their wands trained on Luna's father. Hermione was able to prevent Harry from rushing out to save their friend but couldn't stop him from edging them toward the scene. As they got closer they heard Lucius' voice.
"We warned you Lovegood; we warned you that it was unwise to print lies about the Dark Lord in that pathetic excuse for a paper. Now your daughter will join me as a house guest until such time that you can redeem yourself in the eyes of the Dark Lord," Lucius drawled with evident delight. "Rest assured that, even though she comes from a family of blood traitors, your daughter will be spared from the full extent of the Dark Lord's wrath; after-all the Dark Lord hates to shed precious pure blood. Of course, the Dark Lord is incredibly skilled with magic that makes physical harm superfluous. He is particularly fond of the Cruciatus curse which, under normal circumstances, leaves the victim physically unharmed. That is, unless they attack themselves in order to escape from the magnitude of pain that the Cruciatus is renowned for causing."
"No, don't take her," wailed Xenophilius Lovegood. "Please, take me instead. Leave my daughter out of it and take me!"
"My dear friend, if I was to do that then who would be stationed in this house with incentive to call the Dark Lord if Potter and his good-for-nothing friends were to visit," Lucius asked.
"So that's it, if Potter and his friends show up and I turn them into you then you'll let my Luna go?" Xenophilius asked desperately.
"You have my word, Lovegood," Lucius said an instant before he then his two cronies disappeared, taking Luna with them. Xenophilius slumped to the ground, banging his fist and wailing Luna's name.
As soon as the Death Eaters left, Harry wanted to go talk to him but, once again, Hermione restrained him. Eventually Xenophilius went inside, unknowingly allowing Harry and Hermione the distance they needed in order to figure out what they were going to do next. They still had to speak with Xenophilius about the symbol, but they could not risk being captured. They needed to get into the Malfoy manor, but wouldn't be able to do that without risking their lives and all that they had worked so hard to achieve.