Pairing: James/Hermione
Hermione sat in her favorite chair. She looked around and closed her eyes briefly as the silence settled over her like a warm blanket. She couldn't remember the last time she had a day all to herself.
She made sure to tell all of her friends she wanted the day to herself. She loved them all, but today was one day that she didn't want to be bothered.
She opened her eyes and grabbed her thick book with the tattered pages from the side table. It was one book she read many, many times, but it was still one of her favorites, and she loved rereading it. She pressed a hand against the old cover before she opened it. She tuned pages until she got to the page that was labeled 'Chapter 1,' and then she began reading it.
She enjoyed the comfort of being alone as she made her way through many pages of the book. She was on chapter six when there was a loud noise and her boyfriend bumbled through the doorway.
"James?" Hermione asked, marking the page and closing the book with a soft thud. She placed it back on the side table and stood up. "What are you doing here?"
James grinned and held up a bag. "I was sure you'd be hungry by now, so I brought you some food."
Hermione sighed in frustration. "I told you and everyone else that I wanted to be alone today."
"I'm sure that didn't mean me."
Hermione turned her back on a grinning James. "I meant everyone. I didn't want to see anyone today. I just wanted some quiet time to myself. Is that really so hard to understand?"
"I was trying to do something nice for you by bringing you lunch. But I guess no good deed goes unpunished, huh? And here I thought you'd miss me and want to see me. My mistake."
She cringed at the hurt in his voice and faced him again. "It's not that I don't want to see you, and I'm sorry for getting angry about you doing something nice. It's just that... Don't you ever want time to yourself?"
"No."
She thought about it. "Okay, maybe you're different in the fact you don't desire quiet time. But how about when you want to have a boys' day with the Marauders. A day that you don't want me around. I give you those days because I know it doesn't mean you don't love me or want to be with me. You just want a day for you and your best friends."
James' shoulders slumped. "Your quiet day is the same as a Marauders' Day, huh?"
"Exactly. It means the exact same thing to me."
"So, I guess I should be as understanding as you always are."
Hermione smiled. "That'd be nice."
James went to her and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I'm sorry for interfering with your day. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow," Hermione agreed.
James left as quickly as he came, taking her would-be lunch with him.
Hermione tilted her head. "Maybe I should have told him to leave the food."
xXx
(word count: 525)
Written for:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Roald Dahl Day Event
Raspberry bumble - Word: Bumble
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Crystals & Gemstones Club
Kyanite: Basic: Write about someone trying to have a quiet day to themselves.
The Musical Category Competition: Wicked
No Good Deed - Write something using the quote 'No good deed goes unpunished'.