Ron tapped politely on the table for everyone's attention. The entire
common room ignored him, everyone too interested in their own conversations
to pay any attention to him. Finally he gave up.
'QUIET!'
Everyone jumped, and turned to face him. Ron smiled beatifically at them.
'Ahem. I have the honour to announce that our very own Hermione Granger turns eighteen tomorrow!'
Hermione groaned and shuffled down in her seat, amid cheers. Harry grinned at her from the fireplace, where he had been playing chess with Ron.
'And,' Ron continued, oblivious to his friend's acute embarrassment, 'I would also like to announce that we are holding a party tomorrow evening for her!'
The cheers were even louder this time, and many people turned to congratulate Hermione, who was glaring in mock anger at Ron.
'Announcement over!'
He sat back down and grinned at Hermione.
'What?'
She laughed, and went back to her reading, shaking her head. Harry watched her for a few moments, an odd look in his eyes, before returning to the game. He winced suddenly as his scar shot white-hot pain through his head.
Looking over at Hermione, he saw her face pale, and she got up and left the room. No one noticed her go.
*~*~*
The party was in full swing by the time Harry got there the next evening. Nervously, he fingered the little box that held his gift to Hermione. He hoped she'd like it. He spotted Ron, and made his way over to him.
'Harry! You made it!'
'You kidding? I wouldn't have missed this for the world!'
'How was your detention?'
'Oh, fantastic.'
Ron grinned at him.
'Have you got it?'
Harry smiled tightly, and nodded.
'I hope she likes it. Are you sure you don't mind?'
'Positive. I'd rather she was with you than anyone else.'
'Thanks, Ron. Where is she?'
'Last I saw, she was going up to the dorm to change. She's probably still there.'
'Right.'
Ron caught his friend's arm as he turned away.
'Good luck, Harry.'
Harry wound his way between the people, slipping up the stairs and knocking on the girls' door.
'Who is it?'
'It's Harry. Are you decent?'
Hermione opened the door.
'Of course, I'm decent. Come in.'
She turned away and picked up her hairbrush, dragging it through her hair.
'So what's up, Harry?'
He coughed.
'I was about to ask you the same question.'
She frowned at him via the mirror.
'What?'
'I didn't get a chance to speak to you about what happened yesterday. What did Voldemort say this time?'
Hermione froze. Slowly, she put the brush down, and turned to face him.
'He told me my mother's name was Aline and that he killed her a few hours after I was born.'
Harry winced.
'Shit, Hermione.'
She looked as if she was about to cry. Harry resisted the urge to hug her, knowing if he did, he wouldn't say what he intended to.
'Look, I know you probably don't need to hear this right now, but there's something I've been meaning to say.'
He fumbled with his pocket as Hermione wiped her tears away, watching him curiously. Finally he drew a small blue velvet box from his pocket, and pushed it into her hand. As she looked down to open it, he plunged on,
'I really, really like you, Hermione. Not just as a friend, but really, more. You're smart and funny, and incredibly pretty . . .'
His voice trailed off as Hermione opened the box. Inside lay a gold pendant, set with tiny rubies, on a thin gold chain.
'Oh.'
His hands shook as he fastened the chain about her neck.
'Gryffindor colours,' he mumbled sheepishly, certain she thought he was a fool.
'Harry, it's beautiful, thank you,' she breathed, not knowing quite how to react to his declaration. She turned to where he stood, head hung low, staring at his hands.
'I like you, too, Harry. I have for a long time.'
His eyes rose to meet hers, full of boyish optimism.
'You do?'
She smiled shyly.
'Yes.'
His face broke into a wide genuine smile, as he stepped forward to embrace her. Hermione sighed happily into his shoulder, glad they'd finally cleared the air.
As Harry pulled away, she looked up at him, cinnamon eyes meeting green ones. He leant down, his breathing ragged, and lightly brushed her lips with his. Hermione's hands tightened on him, and she kissed him back, pressing her slight frame against him. They pulled back, breathless, gazing into each other's eyes.
'Happy birthday, Hermione.'
*~*~*
Lost in a silent world of dreams, Hermione again found herself walking along the lakeside, this time determined not to let him scare her. She walked resolutely to the shadows he inhabited, and called him out, not ready to wait for him.
Voldemort approached, wary of her. She seemed less afraid of him tonight, but he wasn't altogether sure it was a good sign. There was an aura about her that suggested she thought herself safe from him, and it was unsettling.
'You called, Hermione?'
She steeled herself against the urge to run, knowing it was useless while he haunted her dreams.
'Yes, I did,' she began. 'I'm sick and tired of this. Say what you have to say, and let me sleep in peace!'
He raised an eyebrow, unruffled by her outburst.
'Very well. I am your father; there is no point in you denying this. If you asked your precious Dumbledore, he would tell you so himself. Your mother dared to defy me and I killed her. You were sent away shortly after, to be brought up in the home of my trusted companion. On the way, your protector was attacked and killed, and you were stolen by an Auror. His name was James Potter.'
Hermione gasped.
'I had my revenge on him and his family, but at a greater cost than I suspected. And you were raised by Muggles, where none of my followers thought to look.'
Backing away, shaking her head against the terrible thought that she had caused the death of Harry's parents, Hermione stared at him. This couldn't be true, it couldn't. But what if it was? Voldemort took a step towards her.
'You will stand by my side, Hermione, as my daughter and heir. Together we will destroy the Muggle world and leave the wizards to rule over all.'
'Never! I'll never do that!'
She heard his haunting tones as the dream faded, her body fighting to wake up.
'Happy birthday to you . . .'
'QUIET!'
Everyone jumped, and turned to face him. Ron smiled beatifically at them.
'Ahem. I have the honour to announce that our very own Hermione Granger turns eighteen tomorrow!'
Hermione groaned and shuffled down in her seat, amid cheers. Harry grinned at her from the fireplace, where he had been playing chess with Ron.
'And,' Ron continued, oblivious to his friend's acute embarrassment, 'I would also like to announce that we are holding a party tomorrow evening for her!'
The cheers were even louder this time, and many people turned to congratulate Hermione, who was glaring in mock anger at Ron.
'Announcement over!'
He sat back down and grinned at Hermione.
'What?'
She laughed, and went back to her reading, shaking her head. Harry watched her for a few moments, an odd look in his eyes, before returning to the game. He winced suddenly as his scar shot white-hot pain through his head.
Looking over at Hermione, he saw her face pale, and she got up and left the room. No one noticed her go.
*~*~*
The party was in full swing by the time Harry got there the next evening. Nervously, he fingered the little box that held his gift to Hermione. He hoped she'd like it. He spotted Ron, and made his way over to him.
'Harry! You made it!'
'You kidding? I wouldn't have missed this for the world!'
'How was your detention?'
'Oh, fantastic.'
Ron grinned at him.
'Have you got it?'
Harry smiled tightly, and nodded.
'I hope she likes it. Are you sure you don't mind?'
'Positive. I'd rather she was with you than anyone else.'
'Thanks, Ron. Where is she?'
'Last I saw, she was going up to the dorm to change. She's probably still there.'
'Right.'
Ron caught his friend's arm as he turned away.
'Good luck, Harry.'
Harry wound his way between the people, slipping up the stairs and knocking on the girls' door.
'Who is it?'
'It's Harry. Are you decent?'
Hermione opened the door.
'Of course, I'm decent. Come in.'
She turned away and picked up her hairbrush, dragging it through her hair.
'So what's up, Harry?'
He coughed.
'I was about to ask you the same question.'
She frowned at him via the mirror.
'What?'
'I didn't get a chance to speak to you about what happened yesterday. What did Voldemort say this time?'
Hermione froze. Slowly, she put the brush down, and turned to face him.
'He told me my mother's name was Aline and that he killed her a few hours after I was born.'
Harry winced.
'Shit, Hermione.'
She looked as if she was about to cry. Harry resisted the urge to hug her, knowing if he did, he wouldn't say what he intended to.
'Look, I know you probably don't need to hear this right now, but there's something I've been meaning to say.'
He fumbled with his pocket as Hermione wiped her tears away, watching him curiously. Finally he drew a small blue velvet box from his pocket, and pushed it into her hand. As she looked down to open it, he plunged on,
'I really, really like you, Hermione. Not just as a friend, but really, more. You're smart and funny, and incredibly pretty . . .'
His voice trailed off as Hermione opened the box. Inside lay a gold pendant, set with tiny rubies, on a thin gold chain.
'Oh.'
His hands shook as he fastened the chain about her neck.
'Gryffindor colours,' he mumbled sheepishly, certain she thought he was a fool.
'Harry, it's beautiful, thank you,' she breathed, not knowing quite how to react to his declaration. She turned to where he stood, head hung low, staring at his hands.
'I like you, too, Harry. I have for a long time.'
His eyes rose to meet hers, full of boyish optimism.
'You do?'
She smiled shyly.
'Yes.'
His face broke into a wide genuine smile, as he stepped forward to embrace her. Hermione sighed happily into his shoulder, glad they'd finally cleared the air.
As Harry pulled away, she looked up at him, cinnamon eyes meeting green ones. He leant down, his breathing ragged, and lightly brushed her lips with his. Hermione's hands tightened on him, and she kissed him back, pressing her slight frame against him. They pulled back, breathless, gazing into each other's eyes.
'Happy birthday, Hermione.'
*~*~*
Lost in a silent world of dreams, Hermione again found herself walking along the lakeside, this time determined not to let him scare her. She walked resolutely to the shadows he inhabited, and called him out, not ready to wait for him.
Voldemort approached, wary of her. She seemed less afraid of him tonight, but he wasn't altogether sure it was a good sign. There was an aura about her that suggested she thought herself safe from him, and it was unsettling.
'You called, Hermione?'
She steeled herself against the urge to run, knowing it was useless while he haunted her dreams.
'Yes, I did,' she began. 'I'm sick and tired of this. Say what you have to say, and let me sleep in peace!'
He raised an eyebrow, unruffled by her outburst.
'Very well. I am your father; there is no point in you denying this. If you asked your precious Dumbledore, he would tell you so himself. Your mother dared to defy me and I killed her. You were sent away shortly after, to be brought up in the home of my trusted companion. On the way, your protector was attacked and killed, and you were stolen by an Auror. His name was James Potter.'
Hermione gasped.
'I had my revenge on him and his family, but at a greater cost than I suspected. And you were raised by Muggles, where none of my followers thought to look.'
Backing away, shaking her head against the terrible thought that she had caused the death of Harry's parents, Hermione stared at him. This couldn't be true, it couldn't. But what if it was? Voldemort took a step towards her.
'You will stand by my side, Hermione, as my daughter and heir. Together we will destroy the Muggle world and leave the wizards to rule over all.'
'Never! I'll never do that!'
She heard his haunting tones as the dream faded, her body fighting to wake up.
'Happy birthday to you . . .'
