AN: So, here it is, the next chapter. I'm not going to apologise over the time between updates, as I've already explained my reasons in the previous chapter, but I sincerely wished I could update more, thought that is just not possible at this time. So, without further ado, enjoy and please review and tell me what you think.
Massive thanks to my awesome beta and biggest supporter, Littleoldmeeee. You are absolutely amazing.
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
After Ginny finished telling Harry about her plan to get Neville and Hermione together, (which involved more than a little deviousness), she tilted her head, looking as though something quite important had just occurred to her. She turned to Ron and said, an almost accusing note in her voice, "Ron, I know that you want to go on a date with Padma tomorrow, but you promised Hermione that you would go with her to the bookshop to buy her a book."
Startled, Ron looked up from where he had been struggling with homework, and, shaking his head as if to clear it (he had been very deeply embroiled in the fascinating work on flotation charms), he said defensively, "I know Ginny, and I intend to follow through. My plan was to go with her to get a book first, and then meet Padma later on at the Three Broomsticks."
Ginny nodded slowly at his words, before saying, with a mischievous light in her eyes, "Ron, would you be adverse to, let's say, maybe letting Neville take her to the bookshop instead? I mean," she continued hastily when he opened his mouth to object, "you don't really like books, do you? And if you're worried that Hermione will be angry, just leave it to me. I'll talk to her."
Seeing that his sister was determined to get her way, Ron just shook his head resignedly, almost wishing he could be there when Ginny talked to Hermione, just to see her reaction. She should be careful, he thought, while listening to her work out the finer details of her plan; Hermione really didn't like her life to meddled with. She was an independent witch, and if Ginny didn't know that by now, she had a surprise coming for her...
O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Hermione slammed the thick tome she had been reading shut, then looked around guiltily, scanning her immediate surroundings for Madam Pince. She had been known to throw people out of the library for as minor a thing as holding a book too tightly. Hermione didn't know what she would do if she saw her, Hermione, (who was usually the epitome of handling books with respect, and one the main reasons Madam Pince tolerated her in the library when all other students were sleeping or outside), handling a book with less than her own high standards of respect. To be fair, Hermione would usually have been as scandalised as Madam Pince at someone mistreating her precious books, but today was not a normal day for her.
That whole week her feelings had been all in a tizzy, and whilst usually she was glad for the weekend, (as, despite popular opinion, she did need her rest, and the weekend was her favourite time of the week - it wasn't Monday, like some - ahem Ron, Harry - people thought), this weekend was Hogsmeade weekend, and she knew that Ginny was up to something.
Ginny might have thought that she was being very sneaky, but Hermione had known her for seven years, and she knew how Ginny acted when she was up to something. For instance, she was making a point of asking Hermione where she was going each time she left the common room, and she had noticed that Ginny seemed overly interested in what her plans were for the Hogsmeade weekend, asking her if she had any specific place she wanted to go.
Yes, there was no doubt Ginny thought she was being very sneaky, but Hermione knew better. To other people it probably looked like harmless curiosity but Hermione hadn't been born under a rock. They didn't call her the brightest witch of her age for nothing.
Realising that she had been staring at the closed cover of her book for about five minutes, she sighed, packing up her books and returning the books she had finished with to their designated space. Making her way out of the library, she waved cheerily at Madam Pince where she was restacking some books, who looked at her suspiciously over her horn-rimmed glasses, watching her with an eagle's eye, until she was out of the library.
Walking back to the common room, Hermione shivered - she hadn't realised how dark it had become while she had been cooped up in the library. Increasing her pace, she held her book bag close to her body, ready to use it as a shield, while her other hand slipped into her sleeve where she held her wand.
Whilst there weren't as many attacks in the hallways as there once were, Hermione was still jittery about walking around alone after dark, so ingrained was it in her that Muggleborn witches and wizards, (but especially witches), shouldn't take any chances. It didn't help that she was fresh out of a horrifying war (that she had played a key role in, and quite a dangerous one at that) and that she still had the instincts to show for it. Sometimes it came in handy, like when she was walking alone in an alleyway or something. In moments like that, she could easily scare her attackers with her quick and deadly reflexes, but sometimes it was less helpful, like when an innocent person walked up silently behind her, and ended up getting a face full of wand.
Before coming to Hogwarts to finish her education, she had had nightmares every night, about the most horrible things, almost all from the war. She hated to admit it, as she thought it sounded a bit selfish, but the nightmare that haunted and scared her the most was the one where she was laying in the Malfoy's sitting room being tortured, and Ron, Harry and Dobby never came to save her. Another one of her recurring nightmares, which was only slightly less terrifying to her than being tortured, was winning the war, returning to her parents to restore their memory, and finding out that it was impossible.
She had actually had many sleepless nights about it before she went to them, and she was almost senseless with joy when her spell, carefully crafted by herself to return her parents memory exactly as they were, worked. Though she had been lucky in real life, she knew that it could easily have turned out quite differently. It was that 'what if' that kept her up at night, and she had never told anyone about that, as she was too embarrassed by her senseless worrying over something that had already happened.
Hearing footsteps coming toward her from behind, she spun around, wand out and book bag coming up to shield her from whatever, or, more likely, whoever, was coming down the corridor.
Coming out from behind the bend in the corridor, Neville paused when he saw Hermione's threatening stance, and held up his hands reassuringly, saying, "whoah, it's just me, Hermione, don't worry."
Seeing Neville with his hands up and anxious expression, it broke through the state of concentration she went in to when threatened, and she relaxed, lowering her wand and book bag and taking a big breath. Blushing and awkwardly tucking her wand away and out of sight, she said, "oh, Neville, I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. It's just, you know, instinct," she finished lamely, waiting for him to frown at her and call her weird.
Instead, he smiled softly, walking towards her and falling into step beside her, saying, "don't worry, we all have our little quirks left over." His voice turned grim, losing the playful tone, "me, for instance. I still struggle sitting in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Also, I really, really, really hate the dungeons. I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm always asking to go out of the room in Potions."
Hermione smiled up at Neville, grateful for his attempt to make her feel less awkward, and said, "thanks, that, that actually makes me feel better. And by the way, yes, I have noticed that you go out of Potions every little while. In fact," here her tone turned awkward once more, and a little shy, almost inaudible, but she persevered. She was determined to prove to Ginny that she did, in fact, have enough guts to say something and that she didn't need Ginny's interference, (she was firmly convinced that Ginny had something planned for the weekend, and she didn't want to give Ginny a chance to interfere in her life. She hated interference in her life), "I've been noticing quite a bit about you, recently."
It took a moment for the full impact of Hermione's words to sink in, but once it did, Neville turned around, eyes wide and questioning, with a tiny bit of incredulous and disbelieving hope mixed into it, and said, "Well, I- I've been noticing quite a bit about you as well. I've been- I've been noticing it for a while now."
He blushed bright red after uttering those words, and looked very relieved to see the portrait of the Fat Lady before them, so that he didn't have to say anything else for the moment. Giving the password to a smirking Fat Lady (he never did like her, not since the day she had locked him out of the Gryffindor tower in First Year, although he knew that it was just a safety precaution), he gestured for Hermione to climb in, before following behind her.
After entering the common room, they stood and looked at one another a bit awkwardly, until Neville took a deep breath, and, looking terrified out of his wits, his eyes very wide and a faint trembling visible in his big hands, asked, all in one rush, "WouldyouliketogowithmetoHogsmeadetomorrow?"
He looked petrified, and before Hermione could help herself, she let out a little giggle, causing Neville to blush furiously, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Taking pity on him, and a little embarrassed that she had laughed at him, she said, "I'm sorry I laughed at you Neville, I honestly didn't mean anything by it, and yes," here she swallowed and looked around the common room, certain that one specific set of eyes would be fixated on her, "I would love to go with you to Hogsmeade tomorrow."
Smiling at her, cheeks still flushed, Neville said, "ah, um, great! That's, that's great. I- I'll meet you in the Great Hall tomorrow morning?"
Hermione nodded her assent, and watched him walk away with a smile, before turning around. Walking toward the fire, she allowed herself to look into the expectant and inquiring eyes of Ginny, Harry and Ron (who had both noticed Ginny's stare when Hermione and Neville had come into the common room, and were now just as curious as she was). Plopping down on the seat next to Ron, she said, fighting the laughter that was threatening to bubble up, "what?"
Beating the other two to it, Ginny demanded, "what was that? Did he ask you to Hogsmeade? Did he? Did you say yes?"
Now completely unable to stop her laughter, Hermione just nodded, watching with amusement as Ginny's face lit up first with joy and amazement at Neville actually having the pluck to ask Hermione out, and then became indignant that her brilliant plan was completely unnecessary.
Still laughing, Hermione choked out, "did you really think I was going to let you plan my love life Ginny?"
Mumbling something about how it would've taken ages for Hermione to do anything on her own if Ginny herself hadn't said anything, Ginny smiled at her, looking genuinely happy for her friend.
Laughing at Ginny, Ron, between Harry and Ginny's exclamations and Hermione's pleas for them to quieten down, as she was sure the whole common room was staring at them, said, "well, you didn't really expect Hermione to let anybody else rule her life for her, did you Ginny? I mean, we are talking about Hermione Granger here, you know. Speaking of love life," Ron said, turning to Hermione, "I know that I promised you a book, but since we both have a date, would you consider putting it off until the weekend after."
Hermione nodded, before asking him who he planned to take on a date. On finding out that he was taking Padma on a date, she got a thoughtful expression on her face, mixed with a bit of dislike, before it cleared and she was able to say with real pleasure, that she was glad for them.
Ginny, a bit out of sorts that her plan (which she was still sure was very brilliant), was now very unnecessary, said, hoping that she could still be of use in some sort of way, "so, what were you thinking of wearing?"
The sudden wide-eyed and terrified look was all the answer that Ginny needed, and she dragged off an unresisting Hermione, waving the boys away when they protested, and smiled, happy that she was still somewhat needed in Hermione's love life. She did like seeing a plan come together, and, well, even if this one hadn't come together quite as she planned it, she could still say that she had had a hand in it.
