Chapter Seven
Professor Trelawney would have given her an outstanding plus for the accuracy of her earlier prediction. If Hermione tried too hard not to be disappointed Lotus didn't say anything, it was one thing to tease her friend in private, it was a whole nother to loudly broadcast her insecurities in front of the great hall then proceed to laugh loudly at her about them. Lotus very purposefully and with malice in intent ignored Ron. He had caught her and Hermione glancing and whispering and loudly explained that neither girl should have a crush on a slimy Slytherin during lunchtime during the second week. Lotus gave it four more days before he came around begging for homework help.
There wasn't much new to discuss from the latest encounter with Harry but that was because Lotus was holding back. There were far too many listening ears in the great hall for her to tell her about the conversation after the snitch chase. She knew at least half the Quidditch team was listening attentively, how often do you hear of anyone beating Lotus Potter to the snitch, and what was worse was it was a Slytherin. After dinner Hermione had wanted to return to the library but Lotus convinced her to study by the lake, being probably a handful of times left in the year of weather was nice enough. Away from the castle and in the relative privacy of the wide open, Lotus told Hermione the full story.
It took all of her willpower but Lotus didn't say a single thing about the deep red her friend blushed when she told her that Harry had called her Hermione instead of Ms Granger when he told her to tell her hi. Lotus was even gracious enough not to mention the terrible conversation change when Hermione asked her about her homework that was currently in Hermione's own bag to be looked over later. After Hermione had calmed down, they began a plan to ambush Harry after the last class on Friday, and it just so happens that last on Fridays the Gryffindors had transfiguration with the Slytherins. Harry hadn't sat next to Hermione in the last transfiguration class. Hermione had tried to save a seat for him but Neville Longbottom had sat there and began asking questions about fluttering plimpies or some such foolishness, and Harry had chosen a seat on the other side of the room. After class she was unable to escape Longbottoms new line of questions about some third year ravenclaw before Harry was lost to the crowds. With a plan firmly in place the two girls retreated back to the common room well before curfew. They just had to wait one more day.
Thursday morning saw many of the Slytherin students smiling with a smug look on their faces. There was an unusual concentration of female Slytherins clustered around Harry and they seemed to be making him slightly uncomfortable with subtle touches and hinting gazes. Hermione hated them all, even though she really had no reason to. Hermione finished breakfast and said a quick goodbye to Lotus before heading to her runes class before Lotus could say anything. If she thought she could escape in class, she was wrong. Harry had the same runes class as did several of the Slytherin girls.
She wasn't exactly proud of how fast she left the room at the end of class but she was glad to be at her favorite table in the library. Seeing those girls throwing themselves at Harry was sickening, she wasn't sure what about it made her feel that way, but if she was being honest with herself, it was probably the jealousy. She laid her head down and let her bushy hair hide her from the world. She didn't even look up when the Weasley twins and several other Gryffindor sixth years settled at a table near hers. She knew it was them when they debated whether moving her bed from the tower to the library would be a prank or a favor. She had just calmed herself down when a gentle tapping of one fingernail on the tabletop caused her to jerk upright so fast she worried she could have hurt herself. Her sudden movement had alerted the other Gryffindors that something was going on, and when they saw a Slytherin invading on Hermione's table they paid careful attention to what would happen next.
Harry stood completely at ease for a Slytherin outnumbered by upper year Gryffindors. Harry gave her a small smile that turned up one side of his lips. He gestured towards the table "May I?" But he didn't sit without waiting like he had last time. It was a moment before she realized that he was waiting for permission, she nodded her head. Instead of sitting at the seat farthest from her he sat with one chair between them, given that her books were already spread out to cover the places on either side of her, it was the closest he could comfortably sit to her. His back was to the sixth year table.
"Ms Granger, if for some reason there was a surprise Hogsmeade visit this weekend, would you like to go with me?" Harry asked without preamble. He didn't seem nervous, and he waited patiently for her to answer.
Instead of an answer Hermione asked "why are you asking me?" She had seen the girls that surrounded him anytime he wasn't alone, Daphne Greengrass had been subtly flirting with him just last class for crying out loud. Why would he be asking her? Harry looked at her for almost a minute, like he didn't understand the question. He smiled a genuine smile and said "Ohh, this is a Gryffindor" he gestured to her "Slytherin thing" gesturing to himself. "Don't worry I have plots, schemes, and plans. That's what is expected of the slimy Slytherin right?" He said all this with complete honesty the slight smile never leaving his face. Hermione looked like someone had kicked crookshanks as she pushed away from the table and him. The sound of chairs moving and people getting to their feet behind him made Harry smile a little bigger. "Hmmm perhaps if I were to reveal my diabolical plans your housemates won't curse me into the infirmary? Do you think?" He asked her, never looking over his shoulder at the group behind him. From behind one of the twins said "little chance of that mate but we'll see". Harry looked into her eyes and asked " ladies choice" with a nod to Hermione. He couldn't see the other twin shrug but he heard the answer "sure". Harry nodded again, still looking at Hermione. "I plan to trick Ms Granger into giving me a guided tour of her favorite places in Hogsmeade, and taking careful note of her favorite things at each place." He paused here and looked back at the small crowd of sixth years around him. "That's it?" One of the chasers asked. Harry smirked at her. "No. That's just phase one. Phase two takes place behind the scenes. I use all the secrets I learn on our first date to plan the second date so that I don't look like an idiot." He glanced around to see what they thought of his plan, he purposely didn't look at Hermione. Lee Jordan opened his mouth to say something but Harry cut him off "and that's when I'll strike. By three times another Hogsmeade weekend comes around, she'll have gotten comfortable around me, relax her guard you know. So that's when I'll ask her to be my girlfriend." He finished looking just a bit smug. There seemed to be some confusion among the Gryffindors but no spells had been fired yet. Harry turned to Hermione for the first time since he started explaining his plan. "Ladies choice" he asked her.