DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns the Harry Potter characters. David Callaway
belongs to me, though.
CHAPTER 2:
I pulled Ron out of the living room and into the kitchen. I know, I know. It's not really a wise idea for me to leave Harry and David together in the same room, especially when Harry had looked like he wanted to pounce on David. But David, being the nice guy that he usually is, held his hand out to Harry and he took it, albeit reluctantly, and began chatting away - asking about what he did for work and such. I'm praying that Harry wouldn't lose his cool and tell him that he plays Seeker for the Cannons - David's ignorant about my 'other life' as a witch. He thinks I'm just a political science researcher.
"Why is he here?" I hissed at Ron when we were out of earshot.
"I didn't tell him, Hermione - honest!" Ron explained. "Your dad told him that you were coming home today and he insisted on coming. I even told him that you specifically said in the letter that you didn't want him to come but he wants to. I can't do anything about it."
I threw up my hands in a gesture of desperation. "I didn't want him to hear this, not yet," I cried. "And all the feelings I thought I had sorted out - augh! They're back! I can't believe this!"
"You're engaged to that guy?" Ron asked. "For real?"
"What do you think?" I snapped, sitting down on a stool and burying my head in my hands.
"Well, I thought you were doing it just to spite Harry."
"That's the big surprise, Ron and I didn't know Harry was going to be here. And I had to do something out there. I'm over him! I'm over him!" I repeated.
"You don't need to tell me, but why are you telling yourself. If you're marrying this Dave guy, then you must've gotten over Harry. I mean, you wouldn't be engaged to someone you'll only settle for, right?"
Ron hit a soft spot and I cringed. I hate it when he's right. I stood up and walked back to the living room - Ron was right behind me - just in time to hear David ask, "So, how long have you known Hermione?"
They haven't realized that we'd walked in. "Since we were eleven," Harry replied.
"Oh. Were you schoolmates then?"
"Yeah."
"'Mione never told me what school she went to. She says its right here in London. I'd like to see it sometime."
"They don't allow a lot of visitors in the school, "Harry said. "It's highly exclusive."
David smiled at him, ignoring the slightly raised tone of voice Harry used. "Well, we both know how private schools are, mate. Need more paperwork just to get in than getting a visa at the embassy."
"How about you? How long have you and..." Harry stopped and felt his heart twinge at the thought. "How long have you and Hermione known each other?"
"Definitely not longer than the two of you, mate," David replied laughingly. "I noticed her when she was in her second year and I was still undergrad in med school. Asked her out for a cup of coffee after studying. 'Mione was always diligent in studying, graduated at the top of her class, did she tell you? I'm very proud of her."
Harry clenched his fist everytime he referred to her as 'Mione, like he knew her enough to call her by a nickname. And he was proud of her, too, when she graduated at the top of their class at Hogwarts. "Yeah," Harry replied. "Hermione was always the best at everything she does. I'm very proud of her as well."
David raised a brow, still smiling. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, mate, but I've never heard 'Mione say anything about you before. She's told me stories about her best friends, Ron she mentions several times over but I think she neglects to mention your name.."
*Uh-oh,* I thought. *Damage control.*
"Aren't you tired, David? Why don't you freshen up a bit? Dinner's in a couple of minutes more," I said, trying to stray David from Harry's piercing gaze.
"I guess I should, shouldn't I?" he said, smiling as he stood up. "We have been driving all day. Would your parents mind if I used the loo?"
"Of course not," I told him, replacing him on his seat. "Bathroom's up the stairs, it's the first door to your left."
"Thanks, love," David murmured, leaning down to kiss me on the lips. From the corner of my eye, I could see Harry clench his fist. "Great talking to you, Harry," he said before walking away.
"Congratulations," Harry muttered darkly. I could see he was trying not to sound so, so...dark, but to no avail. "You're engaged."
I nodded warmly. "I'm sorry I don't write to you, Harry," I began. "I was too scared that I made a complete arse of myself when I left without saying goodbye to you. It was incredibly rude of me, but I guess you've had four years to figure that out."
"What were you doing at Cambridge?"
Ron sat on an armchair opposite the couch, watching us have our conversation. I wished he would help me but I got myself into this mess, I could get myself out. Harry looked over at Ron before he spoke again. "Ron wouldn't tell me anything. You made him promise not to tell me."
"Yes, I did," I stammered. "Well, Professor Dumbledore gave me an opportunity to study Political Science at Cambridge, with an old wizard who works as a Dean there. He says that he thinks that I have the makings of a great ambassador to the Muggle world and for me to become a diplomat, I'd have to get secondary education. Naturally, I couldn't pass this up."
"Is that why you left early?"
"Yes. Professor Asser, the Cambridge wizard, wanted to get a headstart and Professor Dumbledore gave me his blessing," I said. Okay, so I lied about Professor Asser wanting to begin earlier. But Harry seemed satisfied with that answer. After I left, well, he knows the whole story after that.
"You haven't told - him - ..."
"His name is David, Harry."
"You haven't told him that you're a witch," Harry said stubbornly.
"No, I haven't."
"Then how are you going to marry him?"
Wait...was that a glimmer of hope I just saw sparkling in his eyes.
"I'll tell him. I'm just waiting for the right time. David's a pretty understanding guy."
The glimmer was gone. "Oh," Harry muttered sullenly. "Well, I'm glad that you're happy now. You..."
/Tell her, you idiot!/
"You mean a lot to me."
/Gee, Harry, that was smooth. Where's that Gryffindor courage?/
/At the bottom of my stomach./
/G-reat.../
I smiled at him. I placed my hand on top of his and felt a sudden, subtle jolt of electricity course through me. Trying to ignore that sensation, I said, "That means a lot, Harry, coming from you."
We sat there like that for a while and it felt like we were best friends again. Just best friends - only we're not. I had loved him and left him and he, well, I don't know what he ever did about my letter or if he even read it.
"Dinner, darlings," Mum called from the dining table. Ron, he hasn't changed, stood up immediately and was the first to reach the table. Playing Quidditch certainly built up his appetite more than, well, more than it already was. Harry and I stood up at the same time and walked over to the table.
"You're not getting married tomorrow, are you?" Harry whispered just as we heard the upstairs bathroom door close.
"No, of course not."
"Well, do you and David have plans for tomorrow?"
I shook my head. "Actually, no. David's spending the day in the city, meeting with a colleague. Why do you ask?"
Harry's eyes emanated shyness all of a sudden and I can't help thinking just how handsome he looked with his head bent down, a lock of his (already) unkempt hair falling across his forehead, tempting me to brush it off and a shy smile dancing on his lips. All of a sudden, I was in love with him again.
/Focus, Granger. Focus./
"Since you haven't been to the wizarding world for a while, I thought, maybe...I have the day off tomorrow so I was wondering..."
"Wondering what, Harry?"
We stopped before the dining table and faced each other. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would be pleased to see you and Ron and I could take you around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. It's changed a bit since you left, and I'm sure we could bump into Hagrid somewhere. Oh no, wait, Ron has team practice tomorrow..."
"I'd love to, Harry."
He looked up, his hair falling all over his forehead. "Huh?"
"Go visit the wizarding world again. It has been a long time and I could really use some Chocolate Frogs and butterbeers."
Harry's face broke into a wide smile. "Really? You mean it?"
I gave him a slight josh on the arm, like what I did with my dad earlier. "You make it sound like I'm a celebrity. I should be asking you if you mean it. After all, you are *the* Harry Potter."
"Oh, come off it. Four years and you still haven't changed," he teased. "But do you really mean it, Hermione? To spend time with me? We haven't been on very good terms for the past several years, you know."
"I know and I want to change all that. You're my best friend, Harry, so let's start from scratch. And just as long as you don't cancel on me tomorrow."
David reached the table and Harry and Hermione broke their gazes. But before they took their seats, Harry held Hermione's hand for several moments, leaned near her ear and whispered, "Never, Hermione."
CHAPTER 2:
I pulled Ron out of the living room and into the kitchen. I know, I know. It's not really a wise idea for me to leave Harry and David together in the same room, especially when Harry had looked like he wanted to pounce on David. But David, being the nice guy that he usually is, held his hand out to Harry and he took it, albeit reluctantly, and began chatting away - asking about what he did for work and such. I'm praying that Harry wouldn't lose his cool and tell him that he plays Seeker for the Cannons - David's ignorant about my 'other life' as a witch. He thinks I'm just a political science researcher.
"Why is he here?" I hissed at Ron when we were out of earshot.
"I didn't tell him, Hermione - honest!" Ron explained. "Your dad told him that you were coming home today and he insisted on coming. I even told him that you specifically said in the letter that you didn't want him to come but he wants to. I can't do anything about it."
I threw up my hands in a gesture of desperation. "I didn't want him to hear this, not yet," I cried. "And all the feelings I thought I had sorted out - augh! They're back! I can't believe this!"
"You're engaged to that guy?" Ron asked. "For real?"
"What do you think?" I snapped, sitting down on a stool and burying my head in my hands.
"Well, I thought you were doing it just to spite Harry."
"That's the big surprise, Ron and I didn't know Harry was going to be here. And I had to do something out there. I'm over him! I'm over him!" I repeated.
"You don't need to tell me, but why are you telling yourself. If you're marrying this Dave guy, then you must've gotten over Harry. I mean, you wouldn't be engaged to someone you'll only settle for, right?"
Ron hit a soft spot and I cringed. I hate it when he's right. I stood up and walked back to the living room - Ron was right behind me - just in time to hear David ask, "So, how long have you known Hermione?"
They haven't realized that we'd walked in. "Since we were eleven," Harry replied.
"Oh. Were you schoolmates then?"
"Yeah."
"'Mione never told me what school she went to. She says its right here in London. I'd like to see it sometime."
"They don't allow a lot of visitors in the school, "Harry said. "It's highly exclusive."
David smiled at him, ignoring the slightly raised tone of voice Harry used. "Well, we both know how private schools are, mate. Need more paperwork just to get in than getting a visa at the embassy."
"How about you? How long have you and..." Harry stopped and felt his heart twinge at the thought. "How long have you and Hermione known each other?"
"Definitely not longer than the two of you, mate," David replied laughingly. "I noticed her when she was in her second year and I was still undergrad in med school. Asked her out for a cup of coffee after studying. 'Mione was always diligent in studying, graduated at the top of her class, did she tell you? I'm very proud of her."
Harry clenched his fist everytime he referred to her as 'Mione, like he knew her enough to call her by a nickname. And he was proud of her, too, when she graduated at the top of their class at Hogwarts. "Yeah," Harry replied. "Hermione was always the best at everything she does. I'm very proud of her as well."
David raised a brow, still smiling. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, mate, but I've never heard 'Mione say anything about you before. She's told me stories about her best friends, Ron she mentions several times over but I think she neglects to mention your name.."
*Uh-oh,* I thought. *Damage control.*
"Aren't you tired, David? Why don't you freshen up a bit? Dinner's in a couple of minutes more," I said, trying to stray David from Harry's piercing gaze.
"I guess I should, shouldn't I?" he said, smiling as he stood up. "We have been driving all day. Would your parents mind if I used the loo?"
"Of course not," I told him, replacing him on his seat. "Bathroom's up the stairs, it's the first door to your left."
"Thanks, love," David murmured, leaning down to kiss me on the lips. From the corner of my eye, I could see Harry clench his fist. "Great talking to you, Harry," he said before walking away.
"Congratulations," Harry muttered darkly. I could see he was trying not to sound so, so...dark, but to no avail. "You're engaged."
I nodded warmly. "I'm sorry I don't write to you, Harry," I began. "I was too scared that I made a complete arse of myself when I left without saying goodbye to you. It was incredibly rude of me, but I guess you've had four years to figure that out."
"What were you doing at Cambridge?"
Ron sat on an armchair opposite the couch, watching us have our conversation. I wished he would help me but I got myself into this mess, I could get myself out. Harry looked over at Ron before he spoke again. "Ron wouldn't tell me anything. You made him promise not to tell me."
"Yes, I did," I stammered. "Well, Professor Dumbledore gave me an opportunity to study Political Science at Cambridge, with an old wizard who works as a Dean there. He says that he thinks that I have the makings of a great ambassador to the Muggle world and for me to become a diplomat, I'd have to get secondary education. Naturally, I couldn't pass this up."
"Is that why you left early?"
"Yes. Professor Asser, the Cambridge wizard, wanted to get a headstart and Professor Dumbledore gave me his blessing," I said. Okay, so I lied about Professor Asser wanting to begin earlier. But Harry seemed satisfied with that answer. After I left, well, he knows the whole story after that.
"You haven't told - him - ..."
"His name is David, Harry."
"You haven't told him that you're a witch," Harry said stubbornly.
"No, I haven't."
"Then how are you going to marry him?"
Wait...was that a glimmer of hope I just saw sparkling in his eyes.
"I'll tell him. I'm just waiting for the right time. David's a pretty understanding guy."
The glimmer was gone. "Oh," Harry muttered sullenly. "Well, I'm glad that you're happy now. You..."
/Tell her, you idiot!/
"You mean a lot to me."
/Gee, Harry, that was smooth. Where's that Gryffindor courage?/
/At the bottom of my stomach./
/G-reat.../
I smiled at him. I placed my hand on top of his and felt a sudden, subtle jolt of electricity course through me. Trying to ignore that sensation, I said, "That means a lot, Harry, coming from you."
We sat there like that for a while and it felt like we were best friends again. Just best friends - only we're not. I had loved him and left him and he, well, I don't know what he ever did about my letter or if he even read it.
"Dinner, darlings," Mum called from the dining table. Ron, he hasn't changed, stood up immediately and was the first to reach the table. Playing Quidditch certainly built up his appetite more than, well, more than it already was. Harry and I stood up at the same time and walked over to the table.
"You're not getting married tomorrow, are you?" Harry whispered just as we heard the upstairs bathroom door close.
"No, of course not."
"Well, do you and David have plans for tomorrow?"
I shook my head. "Actually, no. David's spending the day in the city, meeting with a colleague. Why do you ask?"
Harry's eyes emanated shyness all of a sudden and I can't help thinking just how handsome he looked with his head bent down, a lock of his (already) unkempt hair falling across his forehead, tempting me to brush it off and a shy smile dancing on his lips. All of a sudden, I was in love with him again.
/Focus, Granger. Focus./
"Since you haven't been to the wizarding world for a while, I thought, maybe...I have the day off tomorrow so I was wondering..."
"Wondering what, Harry?"
We stopped before the dining table and faced each other. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore would be pleased to see you and Ron and I could take you around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. It's changed a bit since you left, and I'm sure we could bump into Hagrid somewhere. Oh no, wait, Ron has team practice tomorrow..."
"I'd love to, Harry."
He looked up, his hair falling all over his forehead. "Huh?"
"Go visit the wizarding world again. It has been a long time and I could really use some Chocolate Frogs and butterbeers."
Harry's face broke into a wide smile. "Really? You mean it?"
I gave him a slight josh on the arm, like what I did with my dad earlier. "You make it sound like I'm a celebrity. I should be asking you if you mean it. After all, you are *the* Harry Potter."
"Oh, come off it. Four years and you still haven't changed," he teased. "But do you really mean it, Hermione? To spend time with me? We haven't been on very good terms for the past several years, you know."
"I know and I want to change all that. You're my best friend, Harry, so let's start from scratch. And just as long as you don't cancel on me tomorrow."
David reached the table and Harry and Hermione broke their gazes. But before they took their seats, Harry held Hermione's hand for several moments, leaned near her ear and whispered, "Never, Hermione."