Chapter 7: Hermione Knows Best

The next morning Harry woke up to see Hermione sitting up beside him. She had put her bra and knickers back on but other than that she was still as they had fallen asleep. "Good morning gorgeous," she said smiling down at him.

"Morning Beautiful, how'd you sleep?" he asked.

"Never better," she replied smiling.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asked.

She gazed down at him for a minute seemingly contemplating what to say next. Harry got nervous, she regrets it, he thought, I shouldn't have taken advantage of her like that. "Harry last night you shared something very personal with me," she began.

"Yeah and it was great but if you don't want to…" he quickly tried to spit out.

"No Harry not that," she said interrupting him. "No that, that was amazing. No I mean the things you told me… about that night."

"Oh, well I mean, you deserved to know," he replied, his heartbeat returning to normal.

"And so do you," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"The hatred in her eyes is what I'll always remember most," she began as Harry sat up and wrapped he arm around her shoulder and she slunk back into him. "After they led you and Ron away she just stared at me for a minute. I think she was hoping I'd crack just from her stare. It was hard not to. Up until then I didn't really understand what real evil was. I knew what we were doing was right but I'd never faced Voldemort."

"Riddle," Harry said quietly. "His name was Tom Riddle, don't give him any other honor."

"Sorry, I'd never faced Riddle so I guess I didn't really grasp what he was all about. I thought I did but I didn't, not until she looked into my eyes. She hated me, and everything I stood for. She threw me to the floor at the feet of Draco and pulled out her knife. I looked up at Draco for help but he just hid his eyes from me. She climbed on top of me, holding me down with her body weight. She demanded that I tell her how we had gotten into her vault. She leaned down and breathed into my ear and demanded to know what else we had taken. When I first refused was when she first cut me and I screamed. I tried not to but the blade seemed to just bring it out of me. She kept demanding that I tell her but I kept refusing. Finally I spat in her face. That's when she wrote this," she said holding up her arm to show Harry the word he had watched bleed that night. It was still very clear all these months later, 'MUDBLOOD' it was as if she was branded. Harry pulled it up to his lips and lightly kissed the word. Hermione sighed lovingly and continued. "I thought I was done for. I didn't see how anyone could help me. All I could think about was how much I let you down, how I would never see you or my family ever again. I just couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment. After everything we had done, after all the things we had tried this is where it was going to end," she said trying to hold back the tears. "But then there you were, my hero as always fighting to save me."

Harry remembered back to that night, the worst of his life, even worse than when he had walked to his own death. "Dobby was the hero," he said. "He's the one that freed us. He's the one that saved us all."

"Yeah but that's the thing about it all Harry. He was a hero but without you there never would have been a Dobby to fight for wizards. There never could have been a Ron to destroy that horcrux when it attacked you or a Neville to stand up to Snape and the Carrows. Everything we fought for, everything we stood for was because you refused to give up in what you believed."

"I always had help," Harry said again.

"But only because you did what was right, that's the only reason any of us were ever there. Harry one of these days I'm going to convince you just how amazing you are."

"I'm only amazing because I have amazing people by my side and yeah, maybe that's because I allow it, that is after all the power I had that Riddle could never fathom. I loved and therefore was loved in return and for some reason now the one I loved most sits beside me."

"Wearing only her knickers," Hermione said playfully.

"Well that certainly is a nice bonus," he said smiling.

"Harry I don't know about you but I could sure use a bath right about now."

"Okay," Harry replied frowning at the thought of his love leaving his side.

Hermione climbed out of bed and unhooked her bra again and threw it and her knickers at Harry before she turned to him and said, "Aren't you coming?" Harry nearly jumped out of bed as he followed Hermione into their bathroom. They shared a lovely bath, making sure to wash each other off before they finally climbed out and made their way down to the great hall for brunch.

The castle was still abuzz about the previous nights events. Even Ginny, who was usually quite sullen about most things lately, couldn't keep a smile off her face. As they sat down Ginny, Luna and Hermione began a hushed conversation and Harry had the uneasy feeling that it was about him as he seemed to be getting several figurative glances from Ginny. Trying to distract himself from it he turned to Neville, "So how are your classes going for you so far?"

"Oh boy it's so great not to be so behind in everything. I mean I always had Herbology but now I feel like I have a big advantage in your class as well as Transfiguration. I'm still daft at Potions but at least that's the only things I'm no good at."

"Well you're certainly doing well in my class. You're picking up things faster than anyone, it's really brilliant."

"Thanks," Neville replied blushing a bit. "So where did you and Hermione get off to last night?" he asked. "I didn't see you after the portraits were revealed."

It was all Harry could do to keep his face in check, "Oh we uh went for a walk around the lake. I was getting a little stuffy with all the people in there," he said, spouting out the first thing he could think of.

"Hmm, funny we didn't see you," Neville stated. "Luna and I went for a bit of a stroll around the lake as well," he said, his ears turning slightly red.

"Oh well we must have just missed you then," Harry said still praying his excuse would hold. As much as he liked Neville he just didn't think he was ready to have the type of friendship with him where they told each other about their personal lives as he sure knew he didn't want to hear about the kind of things he and Luna had done on their stroll about the lake. Luckily for Harry Luna came up at that moment and sat beside Neville and immediately drew his attention to her and Harry was finally able to breathe a little easier. Harry decided that it would be a good time to go get some quidditch practice in.

"Oh mind if I join you?" Neville asked?

"Are you thinking of trying out?" Harry asked.

"Well I was thinking about it. I mean with Ron gone you'll need a new Keeper and well Gran bought me a Nimbus 2001 after the battle and I've been practicing."

"That's brilliant," Harry said. "Of course come along."

He leaned down and gave Hermione a light kiss on the cheek, avoiding Ginny's eyes at all costs. "We'll be down in a little while. I'm sure Ginny would love to come practice as well but we have some girl talk to do first," she said as Harry quickly made his way out of the hall followed closely by Neville.

Neville hadn't been lying, he had certainly been practicing. Harry did his best to put him through the ringer and he was able to stop everything Harry threw at him. While Harry was certainly more adept as a seeker he had become a fair chaser during his years of practice so it was becoming all the more impressive. Sure enough after they had been out for nearly 40 minutes Hermione, Ginny and Luna finally arrived on the pitch. Ginny quickly ducked into the locker room to change and get her broom while Hermione and Luna headed for the stands. Once on their brooms everything that had always been right about Harry and Ginny came back. It was as if in the air the weight that surrounded the two of them lately stayed on the ground as they tossed the quaffel back and forth and after Neville. Ginny had a bit more success getting it past Neville than Harry had but he still managed to hold his own. After another two hours of flying the three of them finally dismounted their brooms. Harry and Neville ducked into the boys locker room while Ginny went to the girls to change and store their brooms. Emerging from the locker rooms they all marched slowly back into the castle, enjoying the last few minutes of sunlight.

As they made their way into the castle Hermione pulled Harry back a bit, "It's time for you and Ginny to talk," she stated.

"About what?" he asked.

"About anything and everything," she stated.

"Why must you always speak in code?" he asked rolling his eyes in jest.

"Why must you always be such a boy," she replied rolling her eyes as well.

"Last night that seemed to be something you quite enjoyed," he snickered.

"Only the anatomy," she teased.

"Okay well pretend I'm stupid then," he said laughing.

"Oh fine," she said exasperated. "She needs a friend."

"Aren't you and Luna her friends?" he asked.

"She doesn't need one that will try and explain everything away the way I do, or one that will blame it on nargles," she said holding back a smile. "She needs to feel the tenderness that only a boy can give a girl."

"You want me to get all tender with her?" he asked.

"Well yes and whatever that leads to that leads to. Harry when you and I got together we both knew that there was still something there between you and Ginny that needed to be explored. You and I have had plenty of time now to explore everything and I think I speak for both of us when I say we couldn't be happier."

"You would be right about that," he replied smiling.

"Yes but I know there's still something there with Ginny and let me repeat what I said from the beginning, I am completely okay with that. Harry what you and I have goes so far beyond the typical boyfriend, girlfriend relationship that so many of our peers share, like Neville and Luna have right now. We are so connected that I can feel the connection that still exists between you and her."

"Well yeah, I mean there's still so much left unsaid between us," Harry pointed out.

"Exactly," she replied. "Look Ginny is my best friend and I love her dearly. I cannot in good conscious hold back the types of feelings that you and I share from her and I know that you possess so much love that we could both feel it completely."

"So you really want me to put it all out there with her. You want me to open myself up to her and allow myself to see what love is there."

"Yes. Harry last night we shared something so unbelievably special and I know now that I will love you for the rest of my life and I know that you will love me in the same way. But that doesn't mean that you cannot also love Ginny. When Dumbledore told you that the power you had that Riddle did not was love he wasn't lying. Love just radiates from you I want you to share that power."

"So I'm going on a date with my ex-girlfriend."

"Well I don't know that I would call her your ex but yes, you're going on a date with Ginny."

"Tell me again why I put up with all your crazy shenanigans?" he asked smiling.

"Because you know I know 1000 spells to cause you never ending pain," she replied.

"Oh I thought it was because you have a cute butt," he said laughing.

"Oh Harry," she said blushing.

"So just how do you recommend I do all this?"

"You'll do it next weekend," she replied. "It's my Aunts birthday and I thought I'd surprise my family and come home."

"You're gonna leave me alone for a whole weekend?" he sniffed.

"Just one night," she replied. "The party is on Saturday afternoon so I'll leave in the morning and be back Sunday after brunch," she said grinning at his foolishness. "I'll talk to Ginny, something tells me she'll be easier to convince then you," she finished.

Harry just smiled and finally they made their way into the castle and up to the Gryffindor common room where Ginny, Luna and Neville were setting up their gobstones sets. With Luna and Neville there Hermione made no attempt to talk to Ginny and all Harry could do was grin at the redhead any time they made eye contact. The five of them spent the rest of the evening battling each other until Harry and Hermione excused themselves, saying they had to go to their library to finish up their lesson plans for the week. When they got back to their room they did indeed go to the library but their lesson plans somehow wound up on the floor... where they were soon joined by their clothes.