Harry's last Hogwarts summer was shaping up to be, well… bloody boring. After his defeat of Voldemort at the end of his 6th year, Harry now had nothing to do with all of his time. Dumbledore had even asked him if he wanted to waive his 7th year and accept the offer to play Quidditch with the Chudley Cannons. However Harry felt that he couldn't leave Hogwarts- his family. Things just didn't seem as though they had finally come to rest. Sure, now that Voldemort was gone, no one had any reason to sleep with their wands under their pillows, but now was surely the time to fix a few social woes. Like Hermione's love life. The whole thing with Krum seemed ages ago now, and Krum's infatuation with her had led to brotherly love- Hermione had just been the maid of honor in Krum's wedding. The wedding had made her obviously upset, but she refused to talk about it- even in the three weeks Harry had spent at her house this summer. Harry knew something had to be done. At least they would be going to Diagon Alley tomorrow- he could talk with Ron and Draco then. Harry yawned and turned over in bed, so that he now faced Hermione who lay in the other single bed across her room. She was sleeping; Harry looked at her face in the moonlight and felt his mind firm in resolve- he just had to find someone for her. He yawned a second time and pulled the frilly pink comforter over his shoulders.
Harry awoke with a start as Hermione's mother threw open the door.
"Morning sunshines!"
If nothing else, Harry thought, she knows how to make someone feel welcome- every morning.
Harry smiled and croaked a "Good morning, Mrs. Granger," as they looked over at Hermione- out cold.
"Harry, could you wake Hermione for me? The breakfast is probably positively burning downstairs." As if to prove her point, a waft of burning eggs floated into the room. Mrs. Granger's face twisted into a look of horror, and she fled down the stairs. Harry stifled a giggle, and set about waking Hermione.
He sat down on her bed and whispered in her ear. "Hermione, what do you mean you haven't studied for your N.E.W.T.s? They're in five minutes!" She awoke with a start, then shot him an evil look.
"It's a wonder I put up with you, Harry Potter."
"Oh shut up, you know you can't escape my charms." He stuck out his tongue to emphasize the statement, and Hermione shoved him off the bed on to the hard wood floor.
"Bitch!" Harry cursed under his breath.
"Wanker!" Hermione countered. "Now get your stuff so I can change in peace." Harry laughed and grabbed some clothes out of the suitcase at the foot of his bed. He trudged to the bathroom at the end of the hall and closed the door.
As he dressed, he pondered how he could distract Hermione long enough to tell Ron and Draco about his idea. Oh well, he'd figure something out when he got there. It was just so great to see them again. It'd been what, a month now since they last talked in person? Draco probably looked better than he did in July. Harry suddenly paused and looked at himself in the mirror. Did he just think that? Well, it was true, he thought as he resumed arranging his hair; no one can pull off black like Draco. When he realized for the umpteenth time that his hair was not the obeying type, he walked back to Hermione's room and knocked on the door.
"'Mione! Am I allowed in now?"
A muffled reply came from the other side of the door. "Sure, but I need your opinion on something first."
"What?"
"For me, with jeans, white or black?"
Harry assumed a thoughtful pose; "Black."
"Why?"
"It makes you look saucier," he grinned.
He heard a foot stamp. "I'm serious Harry."
Harry laughed. "I'm kidding. Black is the best option. Don't listen to my idle prattle."
"Fine. You can come in." Harry opened the door and plopped down on his bed. Hermione was by the mirror putting on the earrings Krum had given her- in fact, now that Harry though of it, those were the only earrings she'd worn since the wedding.
"Hermione, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
Harry looked at the floor, and studied the grain of the wood. "Um… Do you ever think about having a boyfriend?"
Hermione froze. "Um… well… of course! What girl doesn't? Why?"
"Oh, no reason… I was just thinking how you've never really been with a guy all the years we've spent at Hogwarts, and I was beginning to wonder." Suddenly he realized he had said something truly dumb.
"Harry, are you suggesting I've joined the other team?"
He laughed. "No. I was just wondering if you had a reason."
She turned around, obviously more at ease. "Well, now that you mention it… I do."
Harry raised his eyebrow and Hermione continued. "It's just… I have this really high standard about intelligence that I feel no one our age could come close to." He studied her for a bit.
"That's it?"
"Well, that's the bulk of it."
Harry was about to say something else, but they were interrupted by Mrs. Granger's shouts from the downstairs.
"Well, we better get a move-on!" Hermione said cheerfully, and they dashed out of the room.
Harry awoke with a start as Hermione's mother threw open the door.
"Morning sunshines!"
If nothing else, Harry thought, she knows how to make someone feel welcome- every morning.
Harry smiled and croaked a "Good morning, Mrs. Granger," as they looked over at Hermione- out cold.
"Harry, could you wake Hermione for me? The breakfast is probably positively burning downstairs." As if to prove her point, a waft of burning eggs floated into the room. Mrs. Granger's face twisted into a look of horror, and she fled down the stairs. Harry stifled a giggle, and set about waking Hermione.
He sat down on her bed and whispered in her ear. "Hermione, what do you mean you haven't studied for your N.E.W.T.s? They're in five minutes!" She awoke with a start, then shot him an evil look.
"It's a wonder I put up with you, Harry Potter."
"Oh shut up, you know you can't escape my charms." He stuck out his tongue to emphasize the statement, and Hermione shoved him off the bed on to the hard wood floor.
"Bitch!" Harry cursed under his breath.
"Wanker!" Hermione countered. "Now get your stuff so I can change in peace." Harry laughed and grabbed some clothes out of the suitcase at the foot of his bed. He trudged to the bathroom at the end of the hall and closed the door.
As he dressed, he pondered how he could distract Hermione long enough to tell Ron and Draco about his idea. Oh well, he'd figure something out when he got there. It was just so great to see them again. It'd been what, a month now since they last talked in person? Draco probably looked better than he did in July. Harry suddenly paused and looked at himself in the mirror. Did he just think that? Well, it was true, he thought as he resumed arranging his hair; no one can pull off black like Draco. When he realized for the umpteenth time that his hair was not the obeying type, he walked back to Hermione's room and knocked on the door.
"'Mione! Am I allowed in now?"
A muffled reply came from the other side of the door. "Sure, but I need your opinion on something first."
"What?"
"For me, with jeans, white or black?"
Harry assumed a thoughtful pose; "Black."
"Why?"
"It makes you look saucier," he grinned.
He heard a foot stamp. "I'm serious Harry."
Harry laughed. "I'm kidding. Black is the best option. Don't listen to my idle prattle."
"Fine. You can come in." Harry opened the door and plopped down on his bed. Hermione was by the mirror putting on the earrings Krum had given her- in fact, now that Harry though of it, those were the only earrings she'd worn since the wedding.
"Hermione, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
Harry looked at the floor, and studied the grain of the wood. "Um… Do you ever think about having a boyfriend?"
Hermione froze. "Um… well… of course! What girl doesn't? Why?"
"Oh, no reason… I was just thinking how you've never really been with a guy all the years we've spent at Hogwarts, and I was beginning to wonder." Suddenly he realized he had said something truly dumb.
"Harry, are you suggesting I've joined the other team?"
He laughed. "No. I was just wondering if you had a reason."
She turned around, obviously more at ease. "Well, now that you mention it… I do."
Harry raised his eyebrow and Hermione continued. "It's just… I have this really high standard about intelligence that I feel no one our age could come close to." He studied her for a bit.
"That's it?"
"Well, that's the bulk of it."
Harry was about to say something else, but they were interrupted by Mrs. Granger's shouts from the downstairs.
"Well, we better get a move-on!" Hermione said cheerfully, and they dashed out of the room.