Granger, we need to talk
Chapter 30
Disclaimer: Recognizable characters belong to JK Rowling and Others mentioned
in so many copyrights it is mind-boggling to us not in the know.
I know I get no compensation.
"It's not school, so it's probably reality"
The morning after.
Hermione slowly came awake. Her nose immediately reminded her where she was. In the never to be sufficiently cursed infirmary. Her nose also told her who she was lying half on top of in the infirmary bed.
Harry.
Harry who had snogged her with such passion that she started to physically moisten at the memory.
Her thoughts were cut short as his body stirred beneath her. He was trying to carefully edge out of the bed when Hermione spoke.
"Harry, where are you going?" she whispered harshly. "You know how Madame Pomfrey is when her patients get out of bed before she lets them."
"Hermione if I don't get to the loo in less than a minute, I am going to have a horrible, embarrassing accident," said Harry in a strained voice.
"Oh," Hermione's sleep-addled face lit with understanding. "Let me give you some help to the loo if things are that bad."
Apparently, Harry's abdomen was in such pain he let Hermione wrap her arm around him as they started staggering towards the loo.
"MISTER POTTER! What do you think you are doing?" came the loud, harsh voice of Madame Pomfrey from behind them.
"Madame Pomfrey. Bathroom, now. Right now," gasped Harry.
Seeing him nearly doubled over, the nurse relented and motioned him to go on.
Shedding Hermione at the door, Harry lurched to the commode and sat. After what seemed forever, Harry finished, washed up and left the loo.
He let Hermione help him back to his hospital bed. With a groan he lowered himself onto it. He no sooner hit the mattress than Madame Pomfrey was casting diagnostic spells around his head and holding his hands up while waving her wand over them.
"Well, I must say that your injuries last night were unusual even for a trouble attractor like yourself. Would you explain to me how you managed to sustain a concussion, break your nose and stab your hands with some sort of needle-like object multiple times?"
Harry looked back at her in confusion. "What?"
Madame Pomfrey sighed. "Professor Potter, what happened to you?"
"I . . don't . . remember. Hermione was telling me that she had a wonderful time at the Ball when I . I don't know what happened," he said as he blushed red and looked everywhere around the room before he looked beseechingly at Hermione.
"BUGGER ME! HE PRACTICALLY HAD ME DROPPING MY DRESS ON THE FLOOR AND RAVISHING HIM ON THE COUCH, AND HE DOESN'T REMEMBER? I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" she screamed in her head.
Hermione `Harumpf'd' and turned to Madame Pomfrey. Remembering her wand was still in her thigh holster under her housecoat, she pulled it out and whipped it around setting a privacy screen.
"I will assume that due to your Healer's Oath this will go no further?" she asked the mediwitch.
At the assent, she told a condensed, slightly modified, story of her and Harry barely starting to kiss when he stabbed himself with her hairpins, and as they tried to disengage, they fell over a chair. Harry hit the back of his head on the floor and then she had broken his nose when her forehead slammed into it.
She told of not being able to wake him up or stop his nose from bleeding over everything. She then sent a message patronus to Daphne Greengrass who helped her get Harry up to the infirmary.
Trying valiantly to hide her smirk, Madame Pomfrey explained that with a hard blow to the head that created a concussion, part of his memory might be lost. She could not say if his missing memories would return or not.
"Now Professor Potter, you are no longer in danger from the blow to your head. I want you to take this headache potion, and try not to get hit in the nose again for at least three days. Take that story-spinning Professor Granger away from here and get some food before the Express leaves for London."
With that pronouncement, she spun and briskly strode into her office and closed the door. Both teenagers missed the silencing charm the mediwitch threw on the door before she collapsed into her office chair howling with laughter.
"Forgetting kissing Hermione Granger? It could only happen to Harry Potter," capered through her mind as her sides began to hurt.
Meanwhile, "Come on, Harry. We have less than two hours to eat, finish packing and check on the rest of our House, and get to Hogsmeade."
"Kinsey," she called. With a pop, the diminutive house elf stood before them.
"Kinsey, would you please go to our quarters and bring us clothes for today? Mundane style will do."
With Kinsey's return in a minute, the two teens went off to get dressed, and the elf then popped their pajamas and robes back to their rooms.
"Umm, Hermione," Harry said softly as the two walked out of the infirmary headed for the Great Hall. "Did we really kiss last night?"
"Yes, Harry. We did," was her short-spoken answer.
Pause.
Hermione was desperately watching Harry from the corner of her eye. She did not want to tell him about them snogging each other senseless, but her story about how he was injured to Pomfrey had to have some truth to it or the questions would have gotten more probing.
"What you told Madame Pomfrey, is that what happened?"
"Yes."
"Why did you ask Greengrass for help instead of Ron or Neville?"
"Because both of them were going to be busy with their dates. The girls told me what they had planned for their after Ball `activities'. Trust me when I say that dragging Neville away from his girls, again," Harry winced, "Or Ron away from Mils, would have made everyone cranky."
Harry seemed to be deep in thought as they walked.
"I know how powerful and skilled you are, Hermione. Why did you think you needed help to throw a Wingardium Leviosa on me and float me to the infirmary?"
Hermione remained silent as they kept walking. Finally, with a sigh, she stopped and turned towards Harry.
"I needed Daphne because I was in a panic. I could not get you to wake up, there was blood everywhere. It was so bad; I could hear it gurgling in your throat as you tried to breathe."
She looked down from his face. "I was so scared. I was still trying to get you awake and clean up the blood when Daphne and Tracey showed up. They helped m . ."
"Wait a minute,' Harry interrupted. "Both Daphne and Tracey saw me like that?' he finished with more than a hint of anger in his tone.
Hermione sighed and her shoulders slumped. "Harry, several other students saw us bring you up to the infirmary. I am sure that stories of your passing out drunk in the middle of the Ball dance floor are circulating through Hogwarts as we speak."
Harry looked shocked. "Did I really get drunk?" he asked in a horrified voice.
No, Harry" she sighed during her reply. "You did not have anything stronger than butterbeer at the dance or afterward."
"Then, wha . ?" he flapped his arms in frustration.
"I am merely telling you one of the stories the infamous Hogwarts rumor mill probably is saying about you."
Harry stood there silently contemplating what she had just told him. Hermione could read him like a book. She could see from his face Harry was bitterly cursing that all his hard effort to present a mature, responsible face to the wizarding world was probably crumbling around him.
She broke into his thoughts. "Rita Skeeter probably will not attack us with the full force of her poison quill." She paused as Harry looked up at her again. "She does owe us for giving her juicy true news items upon occasion."
Slowly Harry's mien brightened. "It can never, ever, be as bad as fifth-year."
He straightened, placed Hemione's arm within his and promptly started for the Great Hall again.
Upon arrival, Hermione saw that the dreaded Eighth Year Networking (Girl Gossip sub-group) Group was still at the table in strength. The looks they gave Hermione ran from Daphne and Tracey's evil glee down to Lisa looking mildly perplexed. A.T., Oliver and Kevin were the guys still around and they ranged from hilarity (A.T.) to disgruntled. (Entwhistle)
The arriving pair sat on the right-side bench with Hermione making sure Harry was closest to the group. She was using him as a shield but that thin reed broke even before she finished placing breakfast on her dish.
To her, it was as bad as watching a pack of hyenas' surround the still-moving body of their prey, fraying more strands of her temper. Daphne swooped around to pin Hermione in. Tracey, Astoria and Padma seemed to apparate onto the bench across from them. Susan completed the trap by perching next to Harry.
"Well?" asked Daphne in a quiet voice.
"What?" replied Hermione in a cool, detached voice Only the slight trembling of her hand with the scrambled egg scoop placing egg on her plate betrayed her nerves.
Daphne leaned forward until she could see around her to Harry.
"Potter," came her slightly raised voice. "Go sit with the other males over there." The designated area as pointed out with a head gesture. "Now."
Hermione was shocked by his reply.
"No," he said mildly. 'I am staying with Hermione. She has done nothing wrong."
He continued, his voice hardening with every word. "Now, what makes all of you think you can interrogate her like she was a criminal?"
He leaned around Hermione and fixed Greengrass with a hard-green-eyed glare. After a couple of seconds, Daphne dropped her eyes. That glare then moved around the table to Tracey, then Astoria, Padma who all looked away also. Lastly, the glare landed at devastatingly short-range upon Susan, who bravely met Harry's glare, but teared up.
Hermione was surprised by Harry's action. She also saw that with Harry on a knife-edge from having been in the infirmary, things were not going to end well.
"Harry," she said softly placing her hand on his arm. "They are just dying to know if we kissed last night."
Harry stared at her in disbelief. "You're telling me they swooped down on us like a pack of rabid wolves because they want to know if we kissed last night?"
Harry then proceeded to again look around the circle. All the girls nodded in agreement.
"He was right," he said in a tone of disbelief. "Girls really are mental."
His voice hardened. "Hermione and I are going to finish our breakfast. If your curiosity cannot wait until the train, I suggest you try to catch her in the common room after we eat."
He made a little shooing motion with his hand. "Go away."
With stunned looks at each other, the group stood and left the hall. Harry reached over and snagged a Daily Prophet someone had left lying on the table. They had not come down in time for the owl to deliver its subscription copy to her.
"I was right. Our little school dance made the front page."
He moved the paper over towards Hermione so she could read the picture captions. Harry noticed she was a bit slow on the uptake. She must have been thinking about something.
She saw the moving photographs showing Harry dancing with her, Daphne, Lisa Turpin and Verbena Fencroft. Neville was shown gliding around with Luna and Ginny.
"The pictures are not too bad," Hermione stated. "Though I see they butchered Ginny's name as Geneva again."
Harry did not bother to read the oh-so-gushy-fluffy captions to the pictures. Besides he was lost in contemplating how beautiful Hermione looked. He could see why he had kissed her afterwards.
Hermione did read the captions, but being distracted by her ogling of Harry in the pictures with her, she missed reading an off-hand comment about Neville that in a few days would cause another problem for her Harry.
After stopping by the kitchen, they checked back at the Eighth's dormitory. Harry felt grumpily gratified that no one bothered them about kissing. Remembering how many years he had spent Christmas at the castle, Harry decided to invite everyone who was not going home for the holidays to a gathering at Potter Manor on New Year's Day.
Oooooo vvvvvv oooooO
The trip to London was eventful even without Malfoy to blather stupidly at Harry and Hermione.
The start was innocuous enough. The pair found an open compartment and Hermione placed some weak Do-Not-Notice charms on the doorway and charmed the shades to stay closed.
"I amplified my magical signature on the door. Any of our classmates should be able to see it and find us," she explained. "The fortune-hunting riff-raff do not take classes with us."
She then proceeded to start casting in the compartment. First, an expansion charm that added at almost fifty percent to the width and length of the compartment. With a mixture of Transfiguration and Conjuration, the bench seats lengthened to fit the new space and several small matching armchairs and small tables were added. (1)
She was wearing a small, satisfied smirk when she sat down again. Harry was profuse with his praise for her work. She smiled at his praise but admitted that fighting the charms and enchantments already in place had tired her.
Harry saw to putting their robes away in their trunks before starting to talk about a safe topic such as the classes they were teaching.
Five minutes later, Harry was starting to get silent at the wrong times and fidgety. She knew what was coming.
"Um, Hermione," he started. "W-w-w-when we kissed last night, was it alri . ."
She interrupted him with a finger on his lips. "Harry, do you want me to tell you now when you know the wolves are hunting us as we speak? You do realize that stories gain embellishments the more they are told?" She spoke the last with a lifted eyebrow and a growing smirk.
Because of what had happened, he could see she was going to tease him within an inch of killing him with embarrassment.
Hermione's Tale
Hermione could not read Harry's thoughts but he was close to what was being plotted in her mind. He had, inadvertently she would admit, turned the most romantic occurrence of her life into a disaster. She was feeling more than a tad resentful, and payback was a bitch.
And frustration had her feeling like a bitch with a capital B at the moment.
Maybe Hermione had picked up some Divination skill during her school days. The same pack of females, minus Astoria Greengrass all walked through the door five minutes later. Neville, Ginny and Luna walked in a few minutes later. Through the newcomer talk, Hermione learned not to expect Ron to be by anytime soon. He was somewhere with Millicent getting "closer acquainted".
Lord Harry the Oblivious seemed surprised to find that Ron was serious about Mils the Slimy Slytherin, and had been meandering closer to her for a month. Hermione figured that he was also going to be bewildered by the seriousness of the Neville, Ginny and Luna trio. And if the gingerly way Neville's girlfriends were moving and carefully sitting, it appeared as if they had been very serious last night.
From talking with the two of them over the last month, Hermione knew Luna wanted to keep the Lovegood name `alive' in wizarding Britannia. Therefore, she would have to become a Consort Wife to Neville to keep the Lovegood name for her children. Ginny would become his First Wife, Ginevra Longbottom. What he had planned for House Blythe she did not know.
After everyone oooh-ed and ahhh-ed over Hermione's changes, Daphne asked Hermione if she could do some decorating in the compartment.
Hermione looked at her for a few seconds before telling her to go right ahead.
Motioning everyone to the side, Daphne transfigured the linoleum floor into a rig with the Hogwarts Coat of Arms. She then reupholstered the benches with a chintz, flowery fabric and made them more comfortable. (2)
She did nothing with the armchairs as she had experienced how comfortable a Granger transfigured chair could be. Next, she made the lighting sconces a bit more decorative and the lights themselves brighter.
After another round of complements to the two, everyone settled in to chat and talk about what they had planned for Yule or Christmas. They all had invitations to the Ministry New Years Eve Ball. Attendance was mandatory for Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville as they would be receiving their Order of Merlin awards.
Harry surprised most everybody by stating he and Hermione would celebrate both holidays. As he explained, "I want to learn some old wizard customs, Hermione was raised Mundane-born and I was Mundane-raised."
It was about four hours into the trip when Harry brought out his surprise. The picnic basket he had picked up in the kitchen as they left was brought out, enlarged and everyone in the compartment had a filling lunch. Hungry teenagers made short work of meat pies, chicken, fish and chips and a collection of sandwiches. All kept hot with warming charms. Butterbeers and gilly water completed what everyone proclaimed had been a capital idea.
With all well-fed, the young women started exchanging non-too subtle looks with each other. Daphne was seated on a bench seat along with Harry and Hermione. Tracey was across from them sitting with Neville, Ginny and Luna. Padma and Susan were seated in a couple of the armchairs.
Harry and Neville did not notice, but Hermione did. Like watching black storm clouds build on the horizon, she knew the inquisition was coming.
Hermione just snuggled deeper into Harry's side, hoping against hope it would all go away.
The opening cast came as expected from Daphne. "So, Granger. Did you manage to actually kiss Potter before we had to cart him away to Madame Pomfrey?"
Despite the noise of the train rolling on steel rails, the compartment became quiet enough to hear a feather drop. No one really thought Hermione would hex Daphne into little bits, but . . maybe?
Hermione made the instant decision to launch a counter-attack. "Is it really that important to grill us to find out, Miss Greengrass? Is the whole school hanging on the possible meshing of our lips?"
"Actually, yes," Daphne replied. "It is of vast importance to someone or some one's fiscal health."
There was a look of confusion in Hermione's eyes. "How is a possible kiss going to keep someone from becoming ill?"
Everyone except Hermione and Harry turned and looked at Susan Bones. The pretty dark blonde sighed in resignation and reached into her robes and pulled out a brown leather-covered notebook.
She stared at the book as though it would tell her its secrets. "Before they left Hogwarts, the Weasley twins left me with the books on all their betting pools. All of the pools have closed and the winners have collected their money with two exceptions."
She stopped talking and managed to look both of her friends in the eye. Waving the notebook slightly, she continued, "This book is the pool of bets upon when Harry Potter and Hermione Granger have their first real kiss, with a bonus if he asks her to be his girlfriend at the same time. And before you ask, they charmed the book so I can only read it if the bet is to be paid. I have no idea who might win the galleons."
Susan licked her suddenly dry lips as Hermione Granger in full pissed-off, gonna hex someone into tiny pieces mode, slowly straightened up from lounging against Harry.
"Do you mean to tell me that part of the school has been betting on when Harry and I would kiss?" she bit off.
"More like three-quarters of the students plus most of the staff over the last six years," interjected Daphne with a look of angelic innocence on her face.
"Arrrghh," shrieked Hermione jerking herself to her feet. "When I get my wand on George and Fred, I'm going to cur . . ." Her face suddenly crumpled at what she had just said.
"Oh, bugger," whooshed out of her as she collapsed back onto the bench. And everyone was again reminded how the smallest thing could bring the bad memories to the fore again.
Harry was quick to hug her into a tight cuddle as Hermione fought not to break down.
It was Tracey who then got everyone's attention when she asked, "So, Hermione. Was it a short little peck, or a long kiss? Did you get to a full-blown snog? Did you get any tongue?" When she stopped, she had the biggest, goofiest grin on her face.
Her sally was greeted with a chorus of "Eewws, Tracey's, and gag me's.
Harry and Hermione stared at her in shock, trying to process what had just bubbled out of Tracey's mouth. This was not the first time either had heard such talk, but it had always been a bunch of blokes up in the dorm room, or a quiet group of witches having a hen party.
"Why is everybody giving me the stink eye?" Tracey complained. "I only asked to make sure the criterion to win the bet was met. Besides, nobody saw them do it."
Hermione started raising up again. Her magic was starting to pulse against her skin. Her hair was slowly moving and becoming wilder and bushier.
Tracey looked nervous. It seemed she had just realized that her mouth might have just written a Gringotts bank draft she could not back up.
Suddenly Harry pulled her back down and wrapping himself around her, calming her a bit.
Then he whispered in her ear with a grin in his voice, "Since I do not remember the kiss either, would you demonstrate it again for me?"
She turned and looked at him, only inches away, his soft breath flowing against her. Inspiration struck. "They want confirmation? A show? I'll give them a sodding show!"
"Why yes, Harry," she murmured quietly. "Perhaps we should.
With that, she stood, dragging Harry to his feet with her. Pulling her wand from her sleeve, she looked Harry deeply in his eyes.
"Stand still, Harry," she said gesturing with her wand.
Everyone watched as with a few wand movements, Harry was standing in a close facsimile of the robes he had worn at the Ball.
"Would you return the favor?" Hermione said, stowing her wand and raising her arms out to her sides.
Without a word, Harry's wand appeared in his hand and after he closed his eyes for a moment, he started casting.
First, the almost black dress with its bronze chain belt appeared, then the earrings and wrist cuff. Last were the solid heel sandals with the thongs running up her right leg. He did nothing with her hair. She smiled at that, knowing that despite her constant warfare with her hair, he preferred her locks untamed.
The murmurings from the others was topped by Daphne's raised voice saying that she would not have believed a wizard could remember a girl's outfit from memory.
He finally took his eyes off Hermione and looked at Daphne. "Thank you, Greengrass. Problem is, I am a young, hormonal male teenager."
He turned back to Hermione and moved his wand again. She felt the neckline of her dress suddenly drop. She jerked her head down to see an inch of cleavage appear as her bra squeezed her breasts together. Next a black chain pendant with a black crystal stone the size of a small egg appeared at the top of said cleavage.
Before she could start railing at him, she `Eeepp-ed' and rose on her toes as she felt her knickers suddenly change. Then her right leg became very drafty as the side slit in her dress climbed a foot up to her hip.
A quick glance showed black sandal lacings up her whole leg, no knickers showing. "Where the hell had Harry learned about French-cut knickers?"
Just before she laid into him, Harry asked her if she had the lipstick from last night with her.
"Huh?"
"If we are going to do this properly, we need last night's lipstick," Harry returned in a reasonable tone.
Feeling dazed, Hermione turned and reached for her little beaded clutch. She opened it and looked at Harry.
Therefore, she missed that everyone except Luna was going spare at the new look, and amount of skin, Hermione's turn had exposed.
"Accio, lipstick," and he snatched the flying golden tube out of the air and presented it to Hermione who uncapped it, and without a mirror applied it flawlessly to her lips.
She refocused on Harry who was drinking her in as his eyes journeyed over her from toe to head.
"So, he wants to play it that way, huh?" she thought. "Very well."
Hermione placed her right hand on her hip and cocked it outwards. The dress immediately cascaded off her leg exposing its whole length, drawing Harry's eyes irresistibly to the long length of her leg.
"Do you like, Harry?" she throatily purred and watched with hidden glee as his eyes glazed over.
She kept the hand on her hip as she took three short steps up to him and leaned in to place her lips to his ear.
"Do you really, really like me, Harry?" she whispered. "If you do, you just have to kiss me."
She could feel Harry start to wrap his arms around her and slowly tighten her in closer. She was mashed up against his chest and could feel his growing arousal. She had not moved her head from his ear when an imp made her stick out her tongue and give it a little lick.
She felt Harry literally shiver. Then she did it again just as he drew his head back so he could look her in the eyes. The heavy-lidded look of pure desire in those piercing green orbs had her knees weakening even before his lips descended on to hers.
The audience faded away. Just as before, the kiss started slow and sweet, his lips slowly, lightly, moving over hers. Then as her blood heated, she wanted more. The kiss became firmer, she demanded entrance, spearing her tongue to force his lips open so the sweet duel she was deprived of last night could recommence.
Time vanished as she again poured every erg of feeling for Harry into her kisses. She mewled into his mouth as his hands roamed her back and sides.
It took an endless, yet too short, time before she realized Harry was pulling back, turning the kisses into short pecks. She moaned as she clung closer, trying to get her kisses back.
Finally, she felt Harry's hands on her shoulders as he moved away enough to place his forehead against hers, leaving them both panting for breath. They stood there for what seemed endless minutes.
"Wow. I wish that was me," came someone's voice, aching with longing
Whoever spoke that jerked Hermione out of her reverie. As the realization of what she had just done in public flooded her, she buried her head with a groan in Harry's neck.
Embarrassment filled her as Harry steered her back to their seat. Harry sat her down so gently she did not have to move from where her flaming face was buried.
It was Tracey who cleared her throat, bringing everyone's attention to her.
"I, uh, must say, that looked practiced. Susan, I believe Hermione and Harry did kiss last night and someone is going to make a small fortune."
Oooooo vvvvvv oooooO
The transfigurations had been reversed on their clothes so that when Harry and Hermione stepped off the Express and onto Platform 9 ¾, they were again in boots, jeans, shirts and warm jumpers.
They headed for the back of the platform intending to use the floo's there to head for Potter Manor. Partway there, they were intercepted by Narcissa and Andromeda
Walking swiftly up to the duo, Narcissa gave a hurried abbreviated curtsey.
"Lord Potter-Black, we need to talk. We have a problem."
A/N:
Not my original. I cannot remember where I read (I think Sirius cast) the expansion
Charms use on an Express compartment.
Again, not an original idea. I like to give credit where possible. I may not know who, but they were smarter than I am.