Sry for the delay. Still thinking of how this is going to go.
"Ermm...Harry?" Hermione questioned, hovering in the doorway. "Fancy a word?"
Harry was sitting on his, looking complacently at his firebolt and just generally looking...well glowey.
"If its about the meeting then no" Harry told her.
"Oh honestly Harry!" Hermione reproached. "Who am I going to tell? Kreacher? Mundungus?"
"No its not" Harry laughed, but the glowey look was beginning to desperate. "Its just that theres that favoritism..."
"Tonks" Hermione snorted. "I can't believe...no actually I can". Harry looked at over his glasses.
"She's jealous" he said quickly. Hermione stared at him wordlessly.
"What?" she finally spluttered.
Resuming his polishing, Harry said calmly "Oh don't be a bloody fool Mione."
"What?" Hermione spluttered sighed and set down his broom.
"If brains like yours are going to mush then Voldermort's definitely got the upper hand now. Don't be a bloody fool, Mione. Surely you must see how he fancies you. He watches every move you take you know."
"You've been away for so long..." Hermione tried but Harry gave her a look and accioed a fresh polishing cloth.
Picking up his broom, he began polishing again, "Its not a bad thing, considering its over with Snape, Mione. Remus is brilliant. He is kind and..."
"He is Remus" Hermione finished. Harry looked away from his broom and gave Hermione a thoughtful glance.
"Yes he is." Harry pushed his glass up further and rubbed his forehead. "He is Remus. Our Remus. Not some slimy greasy haired git..."
"Hey! HEY!" Harry tried to look sheepish but failed.
"Look Mione, I am not exactly faulting you for your shagging preferences..."
"Gah" Hermione staggered and then turned a puce color. "You...filthy minded boy!" she sputtered.
"Well" Harry "Whatever. We are glad that its over with. I guess then I was faulting your 'preferences'. Snape! God. Each time I think of it my stomach turns. Snape!"
"Don't then" Hermione said coldly."I don't turn a hair over your shagging Ginny all throughout the house. Including my bedroom yesterday!" Harry turned red and hastily began throwing his polish and clothes into his broom kit.
"If these walls could talk! They would say Ginny and Harry Potter defiled this room at a quarter past six! Honestly!"
Harry slammed the kit down with a bang and stood up. Grabbing his broom he made for the door. Hermione tutted impatiently and tapped her foot. He was red in the face when he stopped at the door. Giving Hermione a good stare, "It doesn't matter how many rooms Ginny and I choose...never mind! It doesn't matter. What matters Hermione is that you don't string him along!"
"String him along? Thats...!"
"Exactly the point" Harry finished. "Don't Hermione. Just don't. You know what you are capable of doing. Merlin knows that if I hadn't forced myself to have only sisterly feelings for you last year...but I am with Ginny and I love her. I do truthfully. Theres something about you Hermione that catches a wizard by his bullocks..."
"So I am only good for a quick turn around in the sack? Thanks Harry." Hermione tried to look amused but was looking hurt.
"No no" he amended quickly. "Its more than that. You are more than that. You are beauty, brains and heart."
Better stop that or I will find Ginny waiting for me in a dark corner" Hermione quipped. Harry smiled and moved to hug Hermione but she stepped away. "Oh Harry, I am not stringing him along! Surely you know that. I hardly had a clue as to if he liked me. I thought that he seemed sad and a little hung up on the past."
"We are all a little hung up on the past Mione. But the way he watches you, thats present enough. He watches you like you are the only thing in this world that matters."
"I think he is missing your mom."
"What?" Harry asked, surprised.
"Yes. Lily. Your mother. I don't think he has gotten over her."
"Remus and my mother? I wonder that Sirius never told me."
"Best friends, remember? Like we are? I fancy Sirius and Remus guard each others secrets, like all best friends do."
"I suppose. Remus and my mother."
"Yes, Remus and Lily."
"I am going to find Ginny, Mione. See you later." Hermione nodded.
"She never got have her word with Harry. He gave her all of his and left so many empty spaces."
Later....
Hermione tried to keep on eye on Remus. She watched him as he gathered papers from the table from a previous meeting. Molly had been nagging everyone to clear the table for dinner. She offered him to help but he just gave her a shy smile and said he had it.
She watched him throughout dinner, noting that he declined the minced parsnips and took an extra helping of the buttered string beans. She was so intent on watching him that when Ron spilled the boat of gravy onto her lap, she hardly noticed.
Ginny watched Hermione with raised eyebrows throughout dinner. She had encountered Harry in one of the hallways and promptly dragged him into a closet for some 'alone' time. Their time had been pleasing but there was something about Harry that Ginny could not put her thumb on until she...well put her thumb on him and made him tell. The truth threw Ginny into a world wind of of probabilities. In her mind's eye she saw witches fashion magazines and bridal dresses. She imagined Hermione in a pleasing slip of gown in front of a fire place with Remus on front of her on bended knee.
There would be books strewn about because those two loved that sort of thing ( further validation in Ginny's mind that they were made for one another) and Hermione would say yes and the two of them would have mad sex on a coffee table. Maybe a book or two supporting them.
"He likes me" Hermione told herself. "He likes me? How could he?"
"He loves her!" Ginny thought triumphantly. Her face flushed with color. Harry looked at her uncertainly, wondering what was going on.
"He likes me" Hermione continued with her train of thought. "He likes me. I could do worse. His face is so kind." Remus paused in mid sentence and clutched his fork and looked at Hermione. Hermione coughed nervously and turned to Ginny.
"Gin...I..."
"Of course!" Ginny said happily.
"What?" Hermione asked, perplexed. She hadn't said anything yet.
Ginny winked and laughed at Hermione like she had said something funny. Harry slumped down further in his chair.
"Ginny, I..."
"Sure sure. Right after dinner."
"Err..." Harry said. Ginny turned to him and whispered in his ear.