Chapter Four "Home Sweet Home."
The time that they spent at Hermione's house went
very fast, Harry could hardly believe that it had been almost a month.
Ron though could, he was fed up with they way Harry
and Hermione looked at each other. He wanted to come out and tell them
that they liked each other and that he'd leave them alone if they wanted
him to but he decided not to do so, especially around Hermione's parents.
"Are you ready to go back to school tomorrow?" Hermione's
father asked the trio.
"Yeah, can't wait!" Harry really meant what he said.
Harry suspected that this year was going to be more exciting than the last.
The next morning they were all awoken early, so
that they could make it to the Hogwarts Express on time.
Ron was not used to having to get up this early,
"It's to early," and rolled over in bed.
"C'mon Ron we got to go, or else we'll miss the
train."
"Alright, alright!" Ron didn't want to think what
the two of them would get up to if he weren't there, plus he didn't want
to get in trouble with his mum again. The howler he had received in their
second year brought back bad memories.
So finally they were all ready and packed up, and
headed off to King's Cross.
"Bye Mum, bye Dad!" Hermione said as she hugged
her parents before walking towards the barrier between platform 9 and 10.
As the three of them walked through the barrier,
the saw the familiar scarlet steam train. The Hogwarts express!
"Who do you reckon is the new Defense against the
Dark Arts teacher this year?" Ron asked.
"I don't know but Sirius said that Lupin said that
we'll be in for a surprise, it'd be great if he came back don't you think?"
Harry said.
"Yeah, Lupin was great," said Hermione.
"He wasn't great he was awesome!" Harry replied.
"No he wasn't he was a worthless werewolf," said
a cold voice from behind the trio. The three turned around and found themselves
face to face with Draco Malfoy.
"You'll take that back!" Hermione exclaimed.
"I will, will I? What's a mudblood like you going
to do about it?"
"You know very well, Malfoy, that Hermione here
knows more curses to put on you then Ron, you and I combined."
"And you know Potter that my father will hunt your
father, oh wait you don't have one anymore, well if you had one would out
power him."
"If your father even dreams of doing that, mine
will throw yours in Azakban." Ron said, Draco seemed surprised.
"What are you talking about Weasley? The head of
the Misuse of Muggle artifacts department couldn't do crap to my father."
"You seemed to have forgotten something Malfoy,
Mr. Weasley is the Minister of Magic now. Or is your skull to thick to
get that sentence through? Should I repeat that slowly? Ron's Dad is the
Min is ter of Ma gic, did you get that?" Hermione said.
With that Draco lost all color that ever was in his face, not that
there was much to begin with.
"There must be a mistake, how could such a Muggle
lover be Minister of Magic? You'll see what's going to happen, with a Muggle
lover as the Headmaster of Hogwarts and a Muggle lover as the Minister
of
Magic we are all going to be taken over or killed by you know who."
"Malfoy, you are forgetting something again, your
family is already stained by Voldemort." Harry said.
"What does that matter to you Potter?"
"Move along Draco," said Lupin's voice from behind
Harry.
"Professor Lupin!" Hermione cried.
"Hi," Lupin responded.
"Are you coming back to teach?" Ron asked.
"Yes, I am, Ron."
"Great!" Harry exclaimed.
"Dumbledore decided he needed someone who actually
knew what he was talking about now with You-Know-Who in power and all."
"Call him Voldemort!" Harry said, "it just annoys
so much that people are afraid to say his name! VOLDEMORT! Look I have
no problem saying it, why does everyone else?"
"Harry, settle down," Hermione said.
"Let's get on the train okay?" Ron suggested.
"Okay, see you Professor." Harry said. So the three
of them climbed on the train and stored their stuff in the last compartment
and they heard the voice of two troublemakers that they knew.
"Who could we test this on?" Fred or George asked,
Harry wasn't sure which.
"Let's see who's in this last compartment." The
other twin said. Both Fred and George came into Harry, Ron and Hermione's
compartment.
"Test what?" Ron asked.
"Ahh shoot you heard us coming," Fred said. There
was a big F on the front of his shirt, which gave Harry the idea
that he was Fred.
"Fred, we aren't that dense to accept anything from
you two, well that can be eaten." As Harry said this, the whistle blew
signaling that the train was preparing to leave.
"Did you guys see that Professor Lupin is here?"
Hermione asked the twins.
"Lupin's here?" George asked.
"He's teaching Defense against the Dark Arts again!"
Ron exclaimed.
"Great!" Fred said.
"Hey I never told you to but when I do you guys
will respect him even more." Harry said.
"What? Lupin is already great what could make him
better?"
"Well first of all, Lupin was friends with my dad
when they went to Hogwarts."
"Really?!" Fred said. {Hey that rhymes!}
"Hang on let me finish, you remember the Marauder's
Map don't you? Don't answer that, stupid question. Anyway, you know that
there were the four guys right? Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs. Well
Prongs is my father,
"No way!" George said. {That doesn't.}
"I'm not done yet! Where was I? Oh yes, Prongs is
my father, er was, Wormtail – Pettigrew, Padfoot is..... well uh, anyway,
um.. and Moony is Lupin."
"Moony is Lupin?!" Fred and George said astonished.
"Well doesn't it make sense? He's a werewolf, moon?"
Hermione said.
"Sure, it makes sense," Fred said.
"It's just its just such a shock."
"Well we better be off! Angelina and Katie are probably
waiting for us now." With that the twins left. But as soon as the door
was closed, another Gryffindor opened it again, by the name of Lavender
Brown.
"Hi Lavender," Hermione said, "what's going on?"
"Hi Hermione, uh Ron could I um speak to you for
a second?"
"Sure…" Ron said not knowing what was coming next.
This left Harry and Hermione alone. {Dun, dun,
dun, dun!}
"So, um, yeah, what do you want to talk about?"
Harry asked Hermione.
"Well, I um don't know. What do you think Lavender
wants with Ron?"
"To tell you the truth, I haven't got a clue. But
I know Ron's enjoying it."
"What? What is that supposed to mean?"
"Plainly, he likes her."
"Really!?"
"Why is that so surprising?"
"Well let's just call this classified information,
she likes him too, I didn't tell you."
"Wow! Ron'll be so excited. Wait, I can't
tell him can I? Shoot, that would make his day!"
"It would make hers if she knew that he liked her
back."
"I would imagine," Harry said, he was thinking about
what it would be like to find out that Hermione liked him back. Little
did he know that she was thinking the same thing.
{Now lets go find Ron}
"Hey Lavender, I'm here, what do you want?"
"Well I don't know how to say this," Lavender replied.
"Don't know how to say what?"
"Well, I um, reallylikeyouandwouldyougooutwithme?"
"Sorry, I didn't quite catch that."
"Well I figured you'd say no, so off I go." {Lavender's
a poet, and she didn't know it! Hehehe.}
"Wait a second Lavender, I didn't here what you
said!"
"Really!"
"Really, really."
"I'll make it simple, I like you Ron."
"Really!?"
"Really, really."
"That's-"
"Great I know, but I figured you didn't like me
in that way, so I'll be going now."
"Lavender," Ron said, "wait up." Lavender turned
back around, as she did Ron planted a small but sweet kiss on her lips.
Lavender's face turned almost as red as Ron's ears after that.
And as this was happening Harry opened the door
to the compartment to find Ron, but he didn't need to look to far, because
there was Ron, kissing Lavender.
"And you yelled at me, for finding me in an incriminating
status!" Harry said.
"Um, uh," Ron's ears turned even redder when he
knew Harry was there, "Harry give me a second, okay?"
"Sure, Ronniekins!"
"Harry!"
"Alright, I'm closing the door," Harry said and
when he did he couldn't help but start laughing.
"What's so funny Harry?" Hermione asked.
"You'll never guess what is going on in the corridor."
"Tell me then."
"Ron," Harry said while sitting down next to Hermione,
"and Lavender are kissing!"
"What?" Hermione said while trying to keep down
the laughing.
"I guess that they know that they like each other,"
Harry said.
"I suppose so."
"You should have seen how red Ron's ears where when
he found out that I was standing there."
"I guess that we won't be a trio anymore, if Lavender
and Ron are a couple. Ah that'll mean that Parvati will be hanging around
with us too."
"Oh that's freaky!"
"What, Harry?"
"Professor Trelweany, told Parvati to beware a red
haired man, look what our favorite red head just did, took away
her best friend."
"That old crack pot-"
"'Mione!"
"What? She's a fraud."
"Yeah but you calling a teacher a crack pot is well,
not like you,"
"Well this summer I learned that not everyone is
what they seem to be."
"I'm still so sorry 'bout that,"
"Harry you didn't do anything."
"I know, but I feel so bad for you."
"Thanks Harry!"
"Pas de problem!"
"Harry you speak French?"
"Un petite peu, I've learned some from Fleur,
she owls me every now and again."
"Ron'll be jealous, wait never mind
he's a little preoccupied."
"Sure seems like it. Oh that was so funny."
"Lavender's a nice girl, at least we can trust her
not to hurt Ron, well to much."
"Yeah, what do you think we'll be studding in Care
of magical Creatures this year?" Harry said completely changing the subject.
"I hope it's not something that can start you on fire."
"Yeah me too, those Blast-ended Skewerts were horrible."
"Hey, you didn't have to face a full grown one in
a maze. Ugh they are horrible! I hope Hagrid has something safer and interesting,
well our definition of interesting this year."
"Me too Harry," as Hermione said this she yawned
and fell asleep on Harry's shoulder.
As Hermione was resting on his shoulder, Harry couldn't
help but think how beautiful she was. He wanted her so bad, but did she
want him? He didn't want to risk his friendship by telling her that he
liked her.
Hermione was having quite a pleasant dream about
Harry. {What did you expect?} It was snowing and there was music, but she
didn't get to finish it because she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"'Mione, will you get up? Hermione!"
"What Harry? Huh, its that time already!"
"Yeah come on we've got to change into our school
robes."
"Sure Harry." So the two changed, Ron still was
with Lavender.
"I'm going to go find Ron, I'll be back," Harry
said. Harry found Ron in the same spot but this time he wasn't kissing
Lavender they were just talking. "Ron, Lavender we will be arriving at
Hogwarts in ten minutes!"
"Really?" said Ron and Lavender at the same time.
"Really, really," Harry said. Ron and Lavender suddenly
started to laugh. "What's so funny you two?"
"Never mind Harry, inside joke," Ron said "Well
Lavender I'll see you at dinner!"
"Bye Ron," Lavender said and she stared walking
up towards the front of the train.
"So are you and Lavender a couple now?" Hermione
asked as Ron came back into the compartment.
"Uh, well not officially. I don't think."
"Well that was obvious."
"Hey well at least I'm not a -"
"Hey you two! You will get along! My two best friends
must!" Harry interrupted.
"For you Harry," Hermione said, at this Ron rolled
his eyes.
"What? I saw that!" Hermione asked.
"It meant nothing," Ron replied.
"It had to have meant something, or else you wouldn't
have done it. Tell me what it means!"
"Cut it out!" Harry yelled, "We're here!"
So even though Ron was being secretive about something
the three, which shortly became the five, including Lavender and Parvati,
went towards the carriages that were undoubtedly pulled by enormous, invisible
horses. The five somehow fit in because from the front it looked as if
there wouldn't have been enough room and then Harry realized he was being
stupid and should have slapped himself for it, duh someone had used magic
on them!
Harry and Hermione were sitting across from each
other, Ron and Lavender were next to Harry and Parvati was sitting next
to Hermione. Ron was saying something to Lavender, but he was whispering
and Harry couldn't tell what he was saying, he figured that it was just
a few sweet nothings, but he was wrong.
"Those two are bugging me, Lav," Ron whispered to
Lavender.
"Harry and Hermione? Why?" she whispered back.
"Can't you tell? Okay, I know them better but I
thought it was really obvious that they like each other."
Lavender looked from Harry to Hermione to Harry
and back at Ron, "You know what, they do, oh how cute!"
"Well, it's bugging me that they don't know it,
and Hermione's the bloody genius of the three of us."
"Well, sometimes your brain goes fuzzy when you
think about the boy you like."
"Really?"
"Really, really," they started laughing, agian.
"What's so funny?" Parvati asked.
"I'll tell you later Parvati," Lavender said. "Look
at those two," Lavender whispered to Ron, indicating Harry and Hermione,
"they didn't even notice we were laughing our heads off."
"I told you, we've got to get them together, somehow,
but I'm not all that creative. You have got to help me with that."
"You know we could just tell them, or you could,
they trust you more than me, you've been friends since first year."
"I guess, but well okay, but I really don't want
to."
The carriage stopped, they had arrived at Hogwarts.
"We're here!" Parvati said jumping up immediately.
She had had an incredibly boring ride; she couldn't even talk to Hermione,
whom she normally got along with fairly well. But everyone seemed to be
preoccupied she had thought, even though it was only Ron and Lavender talking
the way up.
"What, huh?" Harry said coming into reality.
"We're here. You know we're at Hogwarts, you know
school."
"Oh yeah, great," Harry said very sadly and then
realized what he was saying, "GREAT!" Harry loved this place, the
memories, besides the fact that he had some scary memories too, like oh,
he didn't want to think about Voldemort, it was depressing. So he thought
of Hermione, he couldn't seem to think about much else. His brain seemed
to go fuzzy and blank besides the stuff about Hermione. He looked at her,
and noticed that she was still sitting looking out of the carriage window
apparently in deep thought. He went over to her, "'Mione! Hermione, we've
got to go inside. We are at school," Harry said to the pretty girl that
he knew.
"I love you, uh what?" said Hermione apparently
coming out of a daydream.
"You what?" said Harry taken aback.
A/N: MUHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA! And also note I am not a H/Hr shipper...no... I am a R/Hr shipper thank you very much... :)
