CHAPTER SEVEN
Hermione stood outside the compartment door, not saying a word, her eyes wide and her cheeks burning red. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Finally, she appeared to have collected herself enough to pick up her book.
Harry had never seen her act this way. "What is it, Hermione? What happened?" he asked worriedly, moving closer to her. He reached out an arm to reassure her, but she instinctively took a step backwards.
Hermoine let out a muffled cry, and said something that sounded vaguely like "Eep!" She did an abrupt about-face and ran back down the corridor of the train.
"Hermione, wait!" yelled Harry after her, and started to venture out of the compartment. Ron just laughed.
"You might want to put on those robes, mate. She might take you more seriously, unless you were going for another one of those reactions..." Ron started laughing even harder.
Harry looked down, and was immediately reminded that he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. He blushed. Screaming orange Chudley Cannons boxers, to be exact. He blushed even deeper. They had been Ron's idea of a gag gift for his birthday, but Harry saw no problem with wearing them. He just hadn't really been planning to show them off.
That must be what was wrong, he thought to himself, relieved. I thought something had happened, but really, she was just embarrassed to see my boxers. Suddenly, he realized what he had just said to himself. He was relieved that she had seen him in his boxers!
The wheels kept turning in Harry's head. Wait, he reasoned, I was just happy that nothing really bad had happened to her. She's my friend, after all, just like Ron. We look out for each other, that's all.
But a little voice popped up inside Harry's head. "Just like Ron, eh?" it said in a nasal, mocking tone, "Then why did you have that certain... reaction... to her in the dress shop, eh? Answer me that!"
Okay, so maybe he liked her as more than a friend, just a little more. And, for now, anyway, they were still just friends. There was no way Hermione would ever want to be with him... like that...
"Wait a minute," the nagging voice countered, "wouldn't you compare her odd behavior now to yours in Diagon Alley? You weren't as idiotic, though, I have to say. You, at least, were able to form coherent words."
Hey, thought Harry, Hermione's no idiot! She makes top marks in the school! He mulled this over for a minute, while he listened to the sound of the train rumbling along through the countryside. He glanced out the window. Dusk was settling in, and the Hogwarts Express would be pulling in to Hogsmeade Station very shortly.
Does this mean that Hermione, er..., likes me? Harry asked the voice.
"Very good, Harry. I believe I have served my purpose here."
Shaking his head, Harry wondered if there was anything at all that would surprise him nowadays. Hearing voices was generally not a good sign, even in the wizarding world, his friends had told him.
Straghtening his robes about him so that the crimson Gryffindor seal on his left breast was visible, Harry told Ron where he was going and set off down the train in search of Hermione.
After ducking his head into what seemed like every compartment in the train, Harry finally found Hermione in the last compartment, the one that they had shared with a mostly-sleeping Remus Lupin in their third year. She was curled up in one corner, reading. Her cheeks still held a slight tint of red, and Harry saw that she was not reading at all, but merely getting tears all over Hogwarts, a History, which she was holding upside-down.
Harry sat down next to her, unsure of what to do. He had never really seen Hermione break down like this. He may have faced Voldemort, but crying girls were another story altogether. Finally, he turned to face her and she managed a weak smile.
"Did you know that Igbert the Irksome tried to apparate onto Hogwarts grouns once?" she asked him, pointing to the tear-streaked page. "He got splinched, naturally, but it was before they knew how to reverse that..."
"Hermione, you're holding the book upside down, so I know you're not reading-" here Hermione looked down and hastily corrected this-"so I'm just going under the assumption that you've memorized the entire book?"
"Can't everyone read upside-down?" she sniffed defensively. Harry just laughed.
"Listen, are you okay?" asked Harry. He put his hand on top of hers, and closed the book on her lap.
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" countered Hermione nervously, trying to get up and not succeeding under the weight of the enormous book.
"Um, maybe because you're sitting and crying and pretending to read upside-down things and... and... you saw me half naked, and you're probably embarrassed, and so am I." He let that all out in one breath, not loooking at her, but squeezing her hand.
"I - well - " verntured Hermione, but Harry cut her off.
"Let me just get this out. I like you, Hermione. I'm not sure how you feel, because I know you went to Bulgaria to visit Krum, and you two have probably snogged each other brainless, and I probably have no chance, but I wanted to tell you that, okay? Just so you know." He took a deep breath, not believing he just said that, and looked straight ahead, out the window. He could just see Hogsmeade Station in the distance.
"Harry? Really?" Hermione's eyes shone. "You really feel that way?"
Harry nodded.
"Viktor and I turned out to be nothing but friends. Otherwise, do you really think we would have spent so much time in bookstores?" Hermione grinned.
Harry smiled nervously. Was this too good to be true? "So, um, do you, I mean would you...?"
"Of course I'll go out with you, if that's what you're asking," Hermione verntured. "Just don't tell Ron - not yet, anyway. He's likely to blow a fuse."
"He should be thankful I'm not Marcus Flint, and give us his blessing!" laughed Harry, at the idea of Hermione baring her soul to the Slytherin Quidditch captain. "At least I have good dental hygiene, as one would expect of anyone who's best friend's parents are dentists!"
"May I, erm, examine that hygiene?" asked Hermione coyly.
"Why of course!" he said gallantly, and opened up for her inspection.
"I meant, examine it a little more closely." She winked.
Harry Potter may always have been around to save the day, but as the bright red steam engine snaked its way across the Scottish hills towards the lit city of Hogsmeade, Harry Potter was otherwise occupied. As he and his newly found girlfriend kissed, he decided that he did not want this to stop on the train. He had half a mind to ask Dobby to put silencing charms on all the broom closets surrounding Gryffindor tower.
THE END
Final Author's Notes: Thank you for sticking by me throughout this fic. I had fun writing it, in the time I did have. I'm so sorry that this last chapter took so long. My life has been very hectic, and while I was able to read a lot of stories, I had no time or inspiration to write. This was originally going to be a longer story, going all the way to Hogwarts, where we find out Malfoy's dirty little secret. (Honest, I have no idea what it is. If you do, send it to me.) But since Book 5 is coming out so soon, **YAY** there would be no way for me to finish a story of that length is such a shot period of time. So we'll leave this as a ficlet. Since I am too tired to reply to reviews, I am just going to say that I love each of you and read every single review. I may do an Epilogue, or just post an additional chapter with thank-yous. Thank you once more! You can always drop me a line at mj.bluebird@verizon.net. Yours always, Ruffled Owl (~Miree~)
Hermione stood outside the compartment door, not saying a word, her eyes wide and her cheeks burning red. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. Finally, she appeared to have collected herself enough to pick up her book.
Harry had never seen her act this way. "What is it, Hermione? What happened?" he asked worriedly, moving closer to her. He reached out an arm to reassure her, but she instinctively took a step backwards.
Hermoine let out a muffled cry, and said something that sounded vaguely like "Eep!" She did an abrupt about-face and ran back down the corridor of the train.
"Hermione, wait!" yelled Harry after her, and started to venture out of the compartment. Ron just laughed.
"You might want to put on those robes, mate. She might take you more seriously, unless you were going for another one of those reactions..." Ron started laughing even harder.
Harry looked down, and was immediately reminded that he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. He blushed. Screaming orange Chudley Cannons boxers, to be exact. He blushed even deeper. They had been Ron's idea of a gag gift for his birthday, but Harry saw no problem with wearing them. He just hadn't really been planning to show them off.
That must be what was wrong, he thought to himself, relieved. I thought something had happened, but really, she was just embarrassed to see my boxers. Suddenly, he realized what he had just said to himself. He was relieved that she had seen him in his boxers!
The wheels kept turning in Harry's head. Wait, he reasoned, I was just happy that nothing really bad had happened to her. She's my friend, after all, just like Ron. We look out for each other, that's all.
But a little voice popped up inside Harry's head. "Just like Ron, eh?" it said in a nasal, mocking tone, "Then why did you have that certain... reaction... to her in the dress shop, eh? Answer me that!"
Okay, so maybe he liked her as more than a friend, just a little more. And, for now, anyway, they were still just friends. There was no way Hermione would ever want to be with him... like that...
"Wait a minute," the nagging voice countered, "wouldn't you compare her odd behavior now to yours in Diagon Alley? You weren't as idiotic, though, I have to say. You, at least, were able to form coherent words."
Hey, thought Harry, Hermione's no idiot! She makes top marks in the school! He mulled this over for a minute, while he listened to the sound of the train rumbling along through the countryside. He glanced out the window. Dusk was settling in, and the Hogwarts Express would be pulling in to Hogsmeade Station very shortly.
Does this mean that Hermione, er..., likes me? Harry asked the voice.
"Very good, Harry. I believe I have served my purpose here."
Shaking his head, Harry wondered if there was anything at all that would surprise him nowadays. Hearing voices was generally not a good sign, even in the wizarding world, his friends had told him.
Straghtening his robes about him so that the crimson Gryffindor seal on his left breast was visible, Harry told Ron where he was going and set off down the train in search of Hermione.
After ducking his head into what seemed like every compartment in the train, Harry finally found Hermione in the last compartment, the one that they had shared with a mostly-sleeping Remus Lupin in their third year. She was curled up in one corner, reading. Her cheeks still held a slight tint of red, and Harry saw that she was not reading at all, but merely getting tears all over Hogwarts, a History, which she was holding upside-down.
Harry sat down next to her, unsure of what to do. He had never really seen Hermione break down like this. He may have faced Voldemort, but crying girls were another story altogether. Finally, he turned to face her and she managed a weak smile.
"Did you know that Igbert the Irksome tried to apparate onto Hogwarts grouns once?" she asked him, pointing to the tear-streaked page. "He got splinched, naturally, but it was before they knew how to reverse that..."
"Hermione, you're holding the book upside down, so I know you're not reading-" here Hermione looked down and hastily corrected this-"so I'm just going under the assumption that you've memorized the entire book?"
"Can't everyone read upside-down?" she sniffed defensively. Harry just laughed.
"Listen, are you okay?" asked Harry. He put his hand on top of hers, and closed the book on her lap.
"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" countered Hermione nervously, trying to get up and not succeeding under the weight of the enormous book.
"Um, maybe because you're sitting and crying and pretending to read upside-down things and... and... you saw me half naked, and you're probably embarrassed, and so am I." He let that all out in one breath, not loooking at her, but squeezing her hand.
"I - well - " verntured Hermione, but Harry cut her off.
"Let me just get this out. I like you, Hermione. I'm not sure how you feel, because I know you went to Bulgaria to visit Krum, and you two have probably snogged each other brainless, and I probably have no chance, but I wanted to tell you that, okay? Just so you know." He took a deep breath, not believing he just said that, and looked straight ahead, out the window. He could just see Hogsmeade Station in the distance.
"Harry? Really?" Hermione's eyes shone. "You really feel that way?"
Harry nodded.
"Viktor and I turned out to be nothing but friends. Otherwise, do you really think we would have spent so much time in bookstores?" Hermione grinned.
Harry smiled nervously. Was this too good to be true? "So, um, do you, I mean would you...?"
"Of course I'll go out with you, if that's what you're asking," Hermione verntured. "Just don't tell Ron - not yet, anyway. He's likely to blow a fuse."
"He should be thankful I'm not Marcus Flint, and give us his blessing!" laughed Harry, at the idea of Hermione baring her soul to the Slytherin Quidditch captain. "At least I have good dental hygiene, as one would expect of anyone who's best friend's parents are dentists!"
"May I, erm, examine that hygiene?" asked Hermione coyly.
"Why of course!" he said gallantly, and opened up for her inspection.
"I meant, examine it a little more closely." She winked.
Harry Potter may always have been around to save the day, but as the bright red steam engine snaked its way across the Scottish hills towards the lit city of Hogsmeade, Harry Potter was otherwise occupied. As he and his newly found girlfriend kissed, he decided that he did not want this to stop on the train. He had half a mind to ask Dobby to put silencing charms on all the broom closets surrounding Gryffindor tower.
THE END
Final Author's Notes: Thank you for sticking by me throughout this fic. I had fun writing it, in the time I did have. I'm so sorry that this last chapter took so long. My life has been very hectic, and while I was able to read a lot of stories, I had no time or inspiration to write. This was originally going to be a longer story, going all the way to Hogwarts, where we find out Malfoy's dirty little secret. (Honest, I have no idea what it is. If you do, send it to me.) But since Book 5 is coming out so soon, **YAY** there would be no way for me to finish a story of that length is such a shot period of time. So we'll leave this as a ficlet. Since I am too tired to reply to reviews, I am just going to say that I love each of you and read every single review. I may do an Epilogue, or just post an additional chapter with thank-yous. Thank you once more! You can always drop me a line at mj.bluebird@verizon.net. Yours always, Ruffled Owl (~Miree~)