Disclaimer: You all know the drill, nothing belongs to me. All characters and setting belong to JK Rowling.
Author's Note: Have you all forgotten about this story? If I were you, I would have. Shame on me for making you wait so darn long. First off, there's an apology to be made. I am so sorry that it's taken me so long to get this chapter written and posted. I'd like to make excuses, but really there are none…or at least there aren't any good ones. I had wanted to get this written before OoTP comes out, but obviously, I am going to miss the deadline severely. But, I will try and start posting more frequently, just so you guys don't have to go through waiting for weeks until I get my lazy self in gear.
For any of you that may know about Duppies, I apologize if I haven't the faintest idea as to what they're really about. I heard about them when I was in Jamaica, but never dug deeper into what they were other than they were ghosts of some sort. Also, the quote that you'll stumble across towards the end of the chapter is from the Bible, Hebrews to be exact…so I don't own that either. ;) So, here's chapter 5 just in time for Harry Potter 5 to come out on Sat. Although I have a feeling that after I read OoTP, JK will put this story to shame. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy reading, I did my best although I don't think I wrote this as well as I could have. Oh well…onto chapter 5!
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Fae Princess – As always, it's wonderful to see you again. Thanks for all your kind reviews and I'm glad that you like the story so far.
Stoneheart – I know I can always count on you to leave such in depth reviews. In fact, they're so in depth that I think you know more about my story than I do. ;) Like I said before, you may be right and you may be wrong. As you're convinced that the 'Master' is female…think carefully. Then again, even if you do guess correctly, I may still shock you in the end. Or should I say, I'll try to shock you in the end.
oneiros lykos – Yeah I know, Harry is somewhat mushy in this story…another reason I usually don't writing fluffy stories. Most of what I write is rather sappy and gushy. But oh well. And for your other comment, yes Ron will have a larger portion in the story; we just haven't gotten that far yet. But, in the meantime…if you want a good story with loads of Ron in it, check out Stoneheart's finished works, "Signs" and "Second Best", he ships H/Hr just so you know. I can't even begin to put into words what kind of writer he is other than I think he's brilliant.
Jandl – Thanks for the complement! I actually live in the States, the Midwest to be precise, but was in Jamaica for the last three months. That's where I was when my friend came down to visit.
BabyJ5 – Sorry the first chapter turned you off from reading. Let me know if you need any clarification on the rest of it…that is, if you continue reading.
Galtxtr – Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story so far. I'm still debating as far as portkey.org is concerned…we'll see. And fictionalley.org? To be honest, that never even crossed my mind. The stories that are posted there seem to be of a higher quality than mine. But thank you for the complement though! I will give it some thought.
Leah – Thank you for the review. As far as the spelling goes, I think I rely too much on my spell check, it misses stuff sometimes and I certainly don't catch it then. Anyway, who gave Harry the bruised toes?
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"Hey," Ron slid into a chair next to Harry, who was currently sitting by himself at the table in the common room. Prior to his entrance, Harry had been vainly trying to keep himself focused on the task at hand. Which was rather difficult as it was too quiet in the empty room, and the sound of the crackling fire was lulling him to sleep.
"Hey yourself," he looked up with blurry eyes from his Potions essay and regarded his red-headed friend. "What's wrong with you?"
Ron covered a yawn. "Nothing, just tired I suppose," he shrugged and rubbed at his eyes, which currently had rather large circles under them, with the back of his hand.
A grin spread across Harry's face. "Aw," he smirked. "Too many late nights with Ms. Brown in the Astronomy Tower?" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
Ron choked, then sputtered as his face began glowing red. "Er – I, I have no idea what you're talking about," he denied, his ears burning.
"Right, that's why you needed to borrow my dad's cloak for the last three nights in a row," he shook his head before squinting at his paper once more. "Anyway, as much as I'd love to chat right now, I still need eight more inches on my essay," he sighed and picked up his quill once more.
"Potions?" Ron inquired, leaning forward slightly.
"Yeah. Have you finished yours?" he shot him a quick glance before scribbling messily on his parchment.
Ron looked guiltily at the table, tracing over a deep groove with his finger. "You sound like your girlfriend. Is she rubbing off on you?" he sniggered.
"I do not sound like Hermione," Harry scowled, then paused as Ron continued to smirk at him. "Okay, maybe I did," he smiled sheepishly. "But I had a motive behind my asking. I only wanted to know so I could copy yours."
"And I was going to ask if I could copy yours," Ron grinned back as he laced his hands together behind his head. "I suppose there's no point in asking is there?"
"You can as long as you don't want good marks, and don't, I repeat, don't let Hermione know," Harry jabbed his quill through the air towards Ron's chest.
"Please," Ron rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone think I'll go spouting off to everyone else? It's amazing that everyone thinks I'm such a bloody fool," he sighed up at the ceiling. "Ugh, I'd be in just as much trouble with her as you would."
Harry had the grace enough to blush. "Sorry," he muttered, feeling rather foolish that he'd even thought Ron would do such a thing.
"S'okay," there was a brief moment of silence. "So, how's the research coming along?"
"Research?" Harry frowned. "What research?"
"You know, the research."
Then it clicked. "Oh, that research," he rubbed his neck. "Still nothing," he shrugged. "Hermione's been in the library every day so far and even she can't find a thing on any animus caterra."
"Hmm," Ron bit back another yawn. "Well, I'm sure we'll find something," he stretched in the chair. "But, onto a lighter subject, ready for Hogsmead this weekend?" he grinned.
Harry just smiled. "Just keep her busy for an hour Ron," he twirled his quill between his fingers.
Ron nodded. "So, you gonna tell me what it is that you're doing?"
"Nope, not yet."
"Fine then," he pretended to be hurt and failed miserably. "You keep your secrets, I'm going to bed."
"Good night Ron," Harry watched as he made his way to the staircase. "I'll give you my essay in the morning."
"Thanks. Night Harry."
***
"Yeah, that one," Harry nodded in appreciation as he leaned over the glass counter and tapped the clear surface with one finger.
"This one?" the shopkeeper pointed, arching one eyebrow and looking over the rim of his glasses, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Yeah," he assured him before reaching into his robe pocket and fishing around for a scrap of parchment. "And," he went on, his fingers finally locating the desired object and pulling it out. "Can you have this engraved on it?" he slid the folded paper across the smooth glass.
The shopkeeper chuckled and reached down to pick it up. "Of course Mr. Potter," he nodded as he unfolded it. "It's not a problem," he quickly scanned over the few lines.
"Great," Harry sighed and reached down for his money pouch. "When can you have it ready by?"
After a quick glance at the clock hanging behind him, the shopkeeper tilted his head. "Can you come back in an hour?" he asked.
"Sure, how much do I owe you?"
"We'll discuss the price when you return," the man smiled. "She must be a special girl," he winked in a fatherly manner.
"Yeah," Harry blushed slightly and ducked his head. "She is."
***
"Here you are," Ron set a mug down in front of Hermione with a solid thunk. "One butterbeer for you," he slid into a seat across from her, another mug in hand and bumped into Lavender with a mischievous grin on his face. "And another for you," he placed it in front of her. She giggled lightly in response to his sliding and gave him a gentle shove back.
"Thank you Ron," Hermione suppressed the urge to grin widely at their play, pulled her glass closer to her and trailed a slim finger around the rim, removing the thin layer of foam that had slopped over the edge before it had a chance to run down the side and pool on the table below. "So, where'd Harry run off to?" she asked as innocently as possible, keeping her eyes trained downwards.
With a roll of his blue eyes Ron shook his head and shifted his attention from Lavender to his best friend. "Hermione," he let out a low sigh. "That is the fifth time you've asked me since we sat down two minutes ago," he tapped a finger on the table. "Not to mention the fact that you've been pestering me ever since he left," a pause. "And every time I give you the same answer…I'm not telling you," he grinned and sent a wink in Lavender's direction.
"I have not," she said, indignantly. "Fine," Hermione huffed when she caught sight of Ron's amused look and Lavender's arched eyebrow and sat back with crossed arms. "So I may have asked five times," she swiped a chunk of hair away from her eyes. "But he's been gone for an hour, if not more. You could at least point me in the right direction and I'll 'accidentally' bump into him," she wheedled.
"Nope," Ron grunted, taking a pull off his own butterbeer. "Nothing working Hermione," he slung an arm round Lavender's shoulders.
"Fine," her eyes narrowed and her lower lip jutted out ever so slightly. "Some best friend you are," she muttered under her breath.
He caught sight of her pout and steeled his will against hers. "And that," he pointed a finger at her. "Won't work either," he said smugly.
She huffed again and sniffed, pretending to be hurt, when the bell above the door to the Three Broomsticks clanged merrily.
"There you are," Hermione slid over to give Harry some room to sit next to her. "It's about time you showed up," she gave a mock scowl. "Ron's been teasing me again," she said in her best "damsel in distress voice".
Harry chuckled as Ron sputtered incoherently across from him. "Somehow," he shook his head and nudged her lightly on the arm with his elbow. "I think you'll be alright," he smiled at her before rubbing the rain out of his hair and removing his glasses to wipe the water spots off.
"Gee, thank you my knight in shinning armor," she grunted before smiling at him to let him know she was only joking. "I see it's begun raining again," she sighed and tilted her head to look out the window at the gray sky.
"Yep," Harry slid his glasses back in place. "It's not too bad yet," he passed another hand through his hair, causing it to stick up more so than usual.
"Here," Hermione offered, reaching over to try and pat his hair down to a somewhat respectable level. It refused to budge, lying down flat once her hand passed over and then springing back up the minute it was free. "Oh sod it," she huffed and let her hand drop away. "I don't know why I even try, it never listens."
He grinned back in response before giving an imperceptible nod to Ron and Lavender while Hermione had her head bent over her butterbeer. Thank you, he mouthed quickly to which Ron only grunted and Lavender stifled her urge to giggle at their shared secret.
"Want some?" Hermione finally lifted her head and looked directly at him, sliding her drink over.
"Sure," Harry flashed another smile before lifting the drink to his lips and taking a sip. It slid smoothly down his throat and sent spider webs of warmth throughout his body. "Hmm," he licked foam from his upper lip and handed Hermione the cup once again. "Thank you."
She nodded slightly before taking a swallow of the golden liquid herself.
"So," Harry leaned back, settling himself more comfortably in the wooden booth. "Did you guys buy anything exciting?"
"No," Ron shook his head and tapped his fingers on the back of the wooden booth. "Lavender and Hermione managed to drag me to Gladrags," he rolled his eyes as Lavender narrowed her own at his comment. "Never," he looked levelly at Harry. "Never leave me alone with two girls again," he practically begged. "Especially in a clothing store…oy!"
Harry managed a snort when Hermione and Lavender both scowled. If looks could kill, Ron would have definitely been six feet under. "Sorry about that," he stifled a chuckle, hoping he concealed it well enough that Hermione wouldn't swing her icy glare his way. "But it couldn't have been that terrible."
"Yeah well," Ron toyed with the handle of his mug. "I will admit," he avoided Lavender's look. "It wasn't all bad I suppose," he smirked. "Watching two girls parade around showing off new robes and all. It was like having my own private…"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence Ronald Weasley," Lavender growled, tapping her fingernails on the tabletop. "Not if you know what's good for you." Hermione nodded in agreement, her brown eyes glittering brightly.
He flushed and ducked his head slightly. "Er – right then," he cleared his throat. "And erm – Harry," he desperately tried to change the subject. "How about those Cannons?" his eyes practically begging Harry to help him.
"Open mouth, insert foot Ron," Harry grinned wolfishly at him as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Anyway," he took pity on his best friend. "Are you guys ready to go back? Or do you still have some shopping to do?"
"I'm done," Hermione announced, taking a final sip of her butterbeer. "Lavender?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm finished too," she jabbed Ron in the side. "Come on prat," she practically shoved him off the bench, snagging her purchases as she went. Once standing, she practically threw them at Ron, who thankfully caught them before they crashed to the floor. "You can carry those," and with a toss of her hair, she swept towards the door, Ron trailing behind her with a pensive look on his face.
"Honestly Lav," both Harry and Hermione heard him mumble. "I didn't mean it that way." She ignored him, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead. "I didn't," a sigh. "Really, what I meant was that I was lucky enough to have two of the prettiest girls around me for a good portion of the day."
The rest of their conversation was cut off by the closing of the door. "Reckon she'll hex him before the day is through?" Harry tilted his head and grinned at Hermione.
"Honestly," she shook her head. "That boy needs to start thinking before speaking."
"Yeah," he scratched his cheek. "Well, are you ready to go?"
She nodded and he slid off the bench to allow her to stand up. Bending down, he snagged her shopping bags, intending on carrying them to the carriages so she wouldn't have to.
"Thank you," she smiled at him as she shrugged on her cloak, tying it neatly round her neck.
"Sure," he grinned back and reached out to grasp her hand with his free one.
Once outside, both squinted slightly after being in a dimly lit room for the last hour. Thankfully it had stopped raining and they began picking their way through the muddy street. "Er – Hermione?" Harry stopped, remembering he still had something left to do. "I, um, I forgot something," he pulled his hand away from hers.
"Oh?" her forehead wrinkled in concern. "What did you forget? We'll go back and get it," she started to turn around before he stopped her with a hand on her arm. "What?" she questioned him.
"You don't have to come with," he tried to dissuade her.
"Nonsense," she sent him a suspicious look. "We'll just pop back over to whatever place you need to go, grab whatever it is that you've forgotten, and then hop a carriage back to the castle."
Damn, what to do now? "Well, I, er, I mean," he stuttered, unable to think of a lie quick enough to tell her, or appease her for that matter.
"You what?" her hands went to her hips as she awaited his answer.
"Never mind," he sighed. "Just wait right here, I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Harry…" but he had his back to her and was busy weaving his way back through the crowd.
***
"Watch where you're going, scarhead," Malfoy's sneering voice cut through him like a knife.
Gritting his teeth and rolling his eyes, he turned to face the pale blonde that he'd nearly run over in his haste. "Malfoy," he spat back, distain flooding out of his eyes.
"Tsk, tsk," Draco shook his head, his sneer remaining firmly attached to his lips. "Aren't you going to apologize for nearly running me over?" gray eyes glittered and he lifted a pale hand to smooth back his hair.
"You were the one blocking the doorway," Harry snipped back. "I hardly see why it's my responsibility to apologize to you."
Malfoy's scowl deepened. "Our house elves have better manners than you Potter," he hissed. "But then again, you've never had anyone to teach you have you?" he arched an eyebrow. "Silly me, I forgot, your parents are dead," he growled.
"Malfoy," he grit his teeth, the muscles along his jaw standing out sharply as he fought to control his temper. "Get. Out. Of. The. Way." Green and gray had an unblinking battle of wills.
Draco snorted, slightly disappointed that he hadn't managed to get a better reaction out of him. "And what are you doing here Potter?" he asked, ignoring Harry's command. "Surely you didn't buy something for the…"
"Don't," he curled his hand into a fist, ready to pounce if need be.
"And speaking of that thing," he leered. "Where is it?"
"I could ask the same of you," Harry returned just as coldly. "Where are Dumb and Dumber? I haven't seen them since term started."
Malfoy's eyes sparked with an unrecognizable gleam.
"Oy!" another voice came shooting through their confrontation before Harry could say or do anything more. "What are you two doing? I don't want any trouble here! Go on!" the shopkeeper poked his head out the door. "Oh, Mr. Potter," his tone softened then. "I've been expecting you," he waved him inside. "But you," his eyes narrowed on Malfoy's unmoving figure. "Unless you're here to buy something, clear off."
Draco's usually pale face turned a light shade of pink. "Do you have any idea who my father is?" he asked icily, hoping to scare the owner into submission.
"Boy, I don't give two Knuts who your father is," arms were crossed. "So, as I said before, unless you're here to buy, stop harassing my patrons."
Gray eyes narrowed in spite and annoyance at his sudden dismissal. "See you at school, Potter," he hissed one last time and flounced away.
"Great Merlin's ghost," the shopkeeper sighed after Draco had left. "Cheeky one isn't he? Thought you two were going to go at it for a moment," he winked at Harry. "Not that it would have been a problem for you, would it now?"
Harry, still seething inside, only managed a half smile. "Right, er – how much do I owe you?"
***
"Finally," Hermione huffed as Harry approached her. She'd gotten tired of waiting in the middle of the street, and had sat down on a beach just outside The Three Broomsticks, her bags at her feet.
"Sorry," he breathed out, hand unconsciously clutching the small box hidden in his robe pocket. "It took longer than I thought. I ran into Malfoy," he grabbed her bags. "Quite literally."
"Oh," her expression melted into one of concern. "Are you alright?" her brown eyes darted across his face, searching for any signs of a physical confrontation.
"I'm fine," he assured her with a quick smile. "Really," he tacked on when he saw her somewhat disbelieving look. "All we did was exchange a few words," he shrugged. "No big deal."
"Well, we'd better hurry," she informed him. "The last carriages are leaving soon."
"Alright," he nodded and fell into step beside her. "Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"Are you, um, mad at me?" he asked, tentatively.
"Mad?" she glanced over at him. "Why would I be mad at you Harry Potter?" her eyebrows went up to her hairline.
"Er – because I erm – didn't let you go with me?" he said in a small voice.
She rolled her eyes. "I'll admit, I was slightly peeved when you dashed off like that," she shrugged one slender shoulder. "But I've had awhile to cool down."
"Oh," he bit his lip. "I'm sorry," he repeated again.
"It's alright," she clambered into an empty carriage. She waited until he was seated next to her before going on. "Are you going to tell me what you forgot?"
"Um, no," he shook his head, praying that his answer wouldn't vex her too much.
"Alright then," she sighed and turned her attention away from him, choosing instead to stare at the passing landscape.
"Hermione," he finally spoke after the silence became too much for him. "Look, I'm sorry I can't tell you," he reached for her hand, noting the stiffness that shot through her as he did.
"Don't you trust me Harry?" she whispered, finally looking at him.
"Of course I trust you, I trust you with my life," he met her look.
"Then why are you keeping this a secret?"
He sighed. "Because it's a surprise."
"A surprise?" again the eyebrows went up. "For whom Harry Potter?"
He silently groaned; sometimes his girlfriend was too inquisitive for her own good. "You'll see," he patted her hand. "I promise."
***
"It's about time you two showed up," Ron crowed from his spot by the fire. "Harry, wanna play some chess?" he asked hopefully.
"Sure," he shrugged off his cloak and slung it over the back of a chair. "Hermione?" he looked at her.
"No, go ahead," she headed for the stairs. "I've got to go to the library anyway," she gave him a smile.
"Alright," he sat at the table and watched at Ron set up the game.
"That girl is going to drive herself nutters," Ron stated as he handed Harry the black pieces. "Imagine, cooping yourself up in the library whenever you have a spare minute," he shook his head. "Ugh, the smell alone would get to me. Did you ever notice it smells like moth balls in there?" he sat down opposite Harry.
He chuckled as Ron wrinkled his nose in memory of the thought. "Don't let Hermione catch you saying that," he chided. "She'd hex you to hell and back."
"Isn't that the truth," he studied the board for a moment, looking for the perfect move.
"Speaking of hexing," Harry watched as a white pawn slid smoothly across the board. "How'd you make up with Lavender? Or did she hex you?" he smirked.
Ron flushed again. "She um, well I won't be speaking before thinking when I'm around her."
He arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Why is that Ron?"
"Er – never mind," he ducked his head. "We'll just say, she could probably give Hermione a run for her money in the hexing department," he gave a wobbly smile.
Harry snorted. "Sorry," he quickly apologized when Ron's head shot up. "So I see you've met your match in Ms. Brown eh?"
"Guess so," he shrugged. "Who ever would have thought that beneath all that makeup, incessant gossip, nervous giggling, and love of Divination…" he trailed off, knowing Harry would get what he was trying to say without actually saying it.
"Glad to hear that Ron," Harry watched dismally as Ron's knight smashed his rook, sending the black shards flying off the board. "Ugh, I don't know why I even play this game with you," he grumped.
"Because," a grin split Ron's freckled face. "You have to be terrible at something," he leaned back in his chair. "It's a law, no one is perfect…not even Harry Potter," he chuckled.
"Stuff it," he did his best to scowl. "One of these days Weasley, I'll beat you at chess."
"Keep dreaming Potter," Ron shook his head. "So, did you get it?"
"Yeah," Harry nodded, his eyes never leaving the checkered board. "Did you want to see it?"
"Sure, I guess," Ron shrugged. "After all, I suppose it should meet my approval as you are giving it to my best friend."
"Whatever," he dug in his pocket and withdrew the box. "Here," he slid it across the table. "Go on," he urged when Ron looked at it skeptically. "Have a look."
Reaching out a hand, he picked it up and opened it slowly. "Whoa," he breathed, his eye widening slightly. "Blimey Harry, its brilliant."
He smiled in pride. "Thanks," he heaved a sigh of relief. "I had a devil of a time picking it out. Do you think she'll like it?" he asked anxiously.
"Like it?" Ron gave him an incredulous look as he shut the velvet box and handed it back to Harry. "She'll bloody love it."
***
"Hey," Hermione thumped a rather thick tome on the table, sending silverware rattling and pumpkin juice to slosh over the edge of goblets.
"Hermione," Ron eyed the book carefully. "What is that for?" he arched an eyebrow.
"This," she said primly as she took her seat next to Harry, who was also looking at the leather bound text with a dubious expression on his face. "Is what is going to make certain that our paper," she motioned towards Harry. "Will get full marks," and with that being said, she quickly flipped to her marked page.
"Ugh," Ron grunted, turning his attention to his breakfast once again. "I forgot about that."
"Ron Weasley," Hermione's head shot up and she looked at him with wide eyes. "Do you mean to tell me that you haven't even started your essay?"
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Harry snickered softly. "Er – no, that's not what I'm saying," he scratched his neck and looked every where but at Hermione. "We, we've started," he grumbled, poking his eggs with his fork. "Just haven't started writing it is all," he muttered.
"But, but its due in three days!"
"I know when its due Hermione," Ron huffed, sending her a scowl. "Like I said, we've started our research; we just have to write it all down."
"Ooh," she narrowed her eyes. "You best not be asking me for any help with it either Ron," she warned him.
"Er – I won't," he flushed. "Lavender and I have it covered, it's no big deal really," he shrugged it off.
"What have you been doing? We got this assignment a week and a half ago?" she continued to pester him while Harry grinned like mad at his plate.
"Er - we, we were ah, well you know," Ron stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"What?" she narrowed her eyes on him, unable to believe that with the due date of their respective papers drawing ever closer, Ron and Lavender hadn't made any real headway on it.
"It's just that, we were erm - doing, doing stuff," he finally spit out; his face a wonderful shade of magenta, a color Harry suspected wasn't exactly healthy. "Yeah, stuff," he chuckled nervously, hoping that she'd drop the subject.
Unfortunately, Harry had chosen to take a swig of his pumpkin juice at the exact moment Ron spoke and snorted a good portion up his nose, while sending the remainder in his mouth, back into his goblet.
"Harry!" Hermione whipped her head round to look at him, her eyes wide as she caught sight of him choking. "What on earth is wrong with you?"
"Nothing," he wheezed out and made a grab for his napkin to wipe the dribbles of juice off his face and wipe his watering eyes, and, to hide his widening smirk. "Nothing at all, it just went down the wrong pipe," he made a final swipe at his face and cleared his throat. "So, what interesting facts about Dementors did you find in there?" he asked, changing the subject of Ron and his unfinished Dark Arts essay before his face burst into a geyser of flame.
"Oh," her attention quickly shifted from embarrassing Ron any further, much to his relief, to the library book that lay open before her. "Practically the same information that we found before," she tapped a page with her finger. "When they were first discovered and all. I'm actually cross-referencing from our other sources, just to make sure they match and we're not over-looking anything important," she paused and sent him a knowing look. "And, during our free period today, you and I are going to be working in the library, so don't run off."
Harry suppressed a groan while Ron chuckled smugly across the table from him. "Sounds like fun," he did his best to be enthusiastic, knowing how important good marks were to her and shot Ron an irritated look.
"And I don't see why you're laughing Ron," Hermione glared at him. "From the way it sounds, you and Lavender still have loads to do."
He stopped mid-chuckle, not wanting to have another interrogation session with Hermione about the 'stuff' he'd been doing. "Er - yeah."
"Right then," she snagged a sausage and glanced at the time. "Come on you two, we'd better head to class," she informed them, closing the book and tucking it underneath her arm as she rose from the Gryffindor table.
Taking that as their cue to leave, Harry wiped his face one final time and Ron stuffed in another bite of egg before gulping down the rest of his juice and followed Hermione out of the Great Hall.
***
"Potter!" Snape barked, making Harry jump. "I believe I said your potion should be clear, not gray," he narrowed his eyes. The Slytherin side of the dungeon burst out into chuckles. "Perhaps you should stop your daydreaming," he hissed, his black eyes darting towards Hermione's flushed face. "And pay attention in class."
"Yes Professor," he mumbled, embarrassed to have been caught staring at Hermione rather than concentrating on his potion. "I will."
"See that you do," and Snape stalked away, his robe fluttering behind him as he went on to torture Neville.
"So much for him being nice this year," Ron said out of the side of his mouth, quietly as to not attract attention to himself.
Harry grunted. "He is being nicer," he commented, racking his brain on how he was going to correct his murky potion. "He didn't deduct any points."
***
"Good afternoon class," Professor Lupin smiled at the roomful of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Defense Against the Dark Arts was one of the few classes they had, without the Slytherins.
A muted chorus of 'good afternoon Professor' was given in response.
"I trust you all had a good weekend?" he smiled and clasped his hands behind his back. His question was met with wide smiles and fervent nodding. "Wonderful," he rocked on his toes and then began to pace the length of the room. "Last week we touched base on Dementors, vampires, and red duffs," he paused. "Today we'll talk about Duppies. Can anyone tell me what Duppies are?"
Hermione's hand shot up in the air.
Lupin smiled. "Ah yes, Ms. Granger," he nodded for her to continue.
"Duppies were first heard of in the Caribbean," she began, folding her hands primly in front of her. "Even though they are rarely seen, Muggle folklore is littered with encounters of these spirits, or ghosts, although they aren't dangerous," she drew in a breath. "It is said that Duppies usually take the form of a howling dog at night."
"Very good Ms. Granger," Lupin smiled and made his way back to the front of the classroom. "Five points for Gryffindor. Ms. Granger is correct," Lupin went on. "While Duppies are not usually dangerous, they are very clever creatures. Turn to page 100 in your texts."
***
"Come on Hermione," Harry nudged her in the side with his elbow once class was finished for the day. "Let's go."
"In a minute," she finished stuffing her books and parchment into her bag. "I want to ask Professor Lupin a question."
"Professor?" she queried as she approached his desk.
"Hermione," he looked up from writing. "How can I help you?"
"I was wonder, for the essay you've given us," she began. "We've found loads of information already, but, I was wondering if we might find some more in the Restricted Section," she looked hopeful. "Which of course, we need your permission for."
Lupin smiled and reached for a blank piece of parchment. "Of course Hermione," he scribbled a quick note for the strict librarian. "There you are," he handed it to her. "I look forward to reading your finished assignment."
"Thank you Professor," Hermione flashed him a quick smile and headed back towards Harry.
"Whatcha do that for?" Harry questioned her when they finally made their way out of the classroom. "We already have enough information as it is."
She rolled her eyes. "Harry," she shook her head. "I know that...but we still have other research to do," she waited for him to catch on. "And since I couldn't find anything in the non-restricted section, I thought maybe we'd find something in the restricted section," she replied smugly.
"Oh, right," he hitched his bag higher up on his shoulder. "I guess it slipped my mind."
"That's why you have me," she said sweetly, hooking an arm through his.
"It's a good thing too," he smiled down at her. "I dunno what I'd do without you."
She blushed slightly. "Alright, come on," she tugged at his arm. "Let's go to the library."
***
Upon entering, Hermione went directly to Madam Pince, handing her their note from Lupin to access the forbidden section. Madam Pince eyed the parchment carefully with her sharp eyes, searching for a counterfeit note. After a few moments, she gave a terse nod.
"Very well," she glanced at the two of them. "Mind what you touch though," she warned and then swept ahead of them to unlock the door.
"Thank you Madam Pince," Hermione flashed her a smile and then gave a wide grin to Harry after she'd disappeared. "Come on, let's get started."
It seemed to Harry that hours had passed by since they'd set foot in the library, although in truth, they'd been there for only forty minutes. Most of that time was spent searching the endless shelves of books, and now they made their way back to their table, arms laden down, and Harry's neck aching. Setting them down with a thump, Hermione grabbed the first one and began leafing through it. Harry, following suit, grabbed the closest one to him and cracked it open.
***
"Harry, stop fidgeting."
"I'm not fidgeting," he retorted, tossing his quill down on the table and crossing his arms while slouching slightly in his chair.
Hermione's eyes never left the page when she answered. "You were," she insisted and dipped her quill in the inkpot. "I can see you out of the corner of my eye you know."
He sighed and rubbed his temples. He couldn't stand to look at another book, at least not until after a small break. He felt as though he was going cross-eyed, the words were blurring together and he was becoming quite annoyed with the moving pictures. "But Hermione," he groaned and rubbed his eyes. "We've been in here for ages," he exaggerated. "I need a break," he pouted.
She flipped a page and smirked. "A break?" she arched an eyebrow and ran a finger down a column of text.
"Yes Hermione, a break," he crossed his arms on the table and buried his head between them.
"Alright," came her soft reply, which sent Harry's head shooting up.
"What, no argument?" he asked in mild shock.
"Well no, as long as it's a very brief break," she favored him with a look that left no room for argument.
"Alright," he didn't try and convince her otherwise, knowing it would be useless. "A brief break," he removed his glasses and tossed them on the table, rubbed his eyes once more and then moved on to his neck.
"Here, let me," she offered and pushed back her chair.
"Huh?" he squinted at her.
She didn't answer, but moved to stand behind him and gently brushed his hand away. "Now, just hold still," she instructed as she placed her soft hands on the back of his neck and began to knead the sore muscles.
"Hmm," his eyes slipped closed and his head sagged forward slightly. "That feels wonderful Hermione," he breathed out, not wanting to think how wonderful it would be for her hands to be other places on his body.
"Glad you think so," and although he couldn't see her, he knew she was smiling.
"Has anyone ever told you that you have magical hands?"
"Well, I am a witch," she chuckled lightly. "Magical hands come with the occupation."
"I suppose," he suddenly straightened, grabbed her hand, much to her surprise, and tugged her to his lap.
"Harry!" she squealed when she was plopped in his lap.
"What?" he asked innocently as he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his face against her neck.
She relaxed in his embrace and leaned her head on his shoulder, her hands coming up to rest lightly on his arm.
"I just figured," he went on, his breath tickling her ear and neck, making her shiver. "Since we are taking a break and all, that we should make the most of it," he smiled against her skin.
Again she shivered, a wry smile crossing her lips. "The most of it wouldn't be a snogging session in the Restricted Section would it?"
"What a novel idea Ms. Granger," he pressed a light kiss to her earlobe before she had a chance to protest.
Her eyes slipped closed and her breath hitched in her lungs as he began to trail kisses across any exposed flesh he could find. "Harry," she finally roused herself. "We can't do this in here," she whispered, wanting to stop and not wanting to all at the same time. "We might get caught."
"So?" he kissed her again. "There's no one back here but us Hermione," he pointed out.
"I know," she pulled away from him slightly and tilted her head to face him. "But I don't fancy the idea of getting caught snogging in the library," she smiled. "And we still have more work to do."
He groaned and rested his forehead on her shoulder. "You just had to mention work again didn't you?"
"Well, the sooner we finish, the sooner we get to leave," she said with a sly smile and ran a hand through his hair.
He lifted his head and stared at her, catching the hidden meaning in her statement. "Alright, fine," he kissed her cheek before releasing her. "You win."
"I promise," she slid off his lap. "We can both win later."
He chuckled and slipped his glasses back on. "Have you even found anything yet?" he inquired, leafing through his book again.
"Not yet," she was bent over her own tome once more. "But, I know there's something here, I can feel it."
They continued to work in silence, the only sounds their breathing and turning of pages. He was about to close the latest volume in front of him and reach for a new one, when something caught his eye. At the very bottom of the page, after a rather long and boring article about Dementors, was a small footnote: For additional information, see also Umbra Antitheus. His eyes widened as he continued to stare at the simple sentence.
"Um, Hermione?" he interrupted her searching.
"What Harry?"
"I know we were looking for anima caterra," he slid the book towards her. "But, what else did Madam Lissette call it?"
She looked at the page, her eyes brightening considerably as she read the words. "Harry!" she exclaimed excitedly. "That's it! You found it!"
He flushed at her praise. "Er - thanks," he grinned. "But, we still have to find anything dealing with Umbra Antitheus," he sighed and reached for another book.
"But it's a start," she grinned, her eyes shinning.
***
"Ugh, have you ever seen anything more hideous?" Ron held up a picture of a Black Forrest Troll, his face wrinkling in disgust. Next to him Lavender grimaced.
"Never," she shook her head. "Not even Parvati without make-up," she shivered lightly.
"Lavender!" Ron exclaimed with mock shock. "I can't believe you just said that about your best friend!"
She blushed and dropped her eyes to her lap. "Yes well," she shrugged, offering nothing more in her defense.
Ron smirked and drew her closer. "I think I should punish you for your comment Ms. Brown," he said in a low voice.
"Really?" she stared at him with soft eyes. "Maybe you should," her mouth curved upwards in a smile.
He licked his lips nervously before pressing them softly against hers. He pulled back slightly so he could judge from her expression to make sure that he wasn't doing anything wrong. He wasn't and his blood rioted in his veins as he dipped his head once more and captured her lips with his.
"Wow," Lavender breathed, her voice hitching in her throat as she gulped in air.
"Yeah," Ron murmured, smoothing away several strands of hair that were clinging to her forehead. "My feelings exactly."
She blushed, her cheeks turning a deep red and she buried her head against his chest.
"Ahem, I hope we're not disturbing anything," Harry's amused voice sent them both flying to opposite ends of the couch.
"Er - ah well," it was Ron's turn to flush.
"S'okay Ron, Lavender," Harry chuckled and came to stand in front of them. "Sorry to interrupt you really."
"S'okay," Ron muttered back while Lavender's response to was to nervously smooth out the wrinkles in her robes.
"Anyway," Harry went on, turning to look at Hermione. "We've got something to tell you."
"What?" Ron, happy to be doing something other than writing an essay, pushed the book off his lap.
"We've had a breakthrough," Hermione interjected. "We finally found something in our research," she smiled. "Sort of."
"Really?" Lavender piped up, finally over her embarrassment and sliding closer to Ron. "Where?"
"We got a note from Professor Lupin to get access to the Restricted Section," she seated herself in an overstuffed chair across from them. "Harry found it actually," she smiled at him.
"It's not much," he went on. "But I was going through a book that had information on Dementors and there was a footnote on the bottom about Umbra Antitheus," he shrugged. "It's a start at least."
"Wicked," Ron smiled at the both of them. "So what's next?"
"Another trip to the library," Hermione stated. "At least this time we know Dementors are somehow related to Umbra Antitheus."
"Let us know if we can help," Lavender offered.
"Exactly," Ron nodded in agreement. "But, if you two don't mind, we still have an essay to write," he motioned to the small pile of book and parchment on the floor.
"What?" Hermione smirked. "No stuff to do?"
"Hermione?" Ron said quietly, his ears almost glowing. "Sod off and go find your own stuff to do."
***
"You knew didn't you?" Harry accused her as they climbed the stairs.
"Knew what?" she blinked.
"What Ron had been doing instead of his essay," he chuckled.
"Really Harry," she tossed her hair. "It wasn't that hard to figure out. He turned as red as a tomato when I asked him," she grinned as they came to a stop in front of her dormitory. "So," she looked up at him with her sly smirk. "Want to come in and do some of our own stuff?"
***
"Is everything set?" Harry asked anxiously. Hermione's birthday had rapidly approached and he needed to make certain that his plans weren't going to be ruined.
"Yep," Ron smiled. "The common room is officially off limits tomorrow night," he crossed his arms.
"Thank you," Harry sighed in relief. "I hope I didn't cause too much trouble for you."
"Nah," Ron waved it off. "Besides, they can't really argue with me, being Prefect and all," he winked. "And, practically everyone knew it was for you and Hermione and were more than willing to stay clear that night."
Harry groaned. "Is that why everyone has been smiling at me? Or running away giggling?" he arched an eyebrow.
"I suppose," Ron said nonchalantly. "Hey," he defended himself when he saw Harry's annoyed look. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't say anything to anyone."
He continued to glare.
"Okay, okay," Ron backed away from him. "So maybe I mentioned something to Seamus and Dean," he finally admitted. "And Ginny, and Lavender already knew about it," he paused. "But that was it, I swear!"
Harry grunted in response.
"Sorry," Ron muttered.
"It's alright," he sighed. "I suppose everyone would have found out anyway," he shrugged. "Let's just hope Hermione doesn't know."
"Too right," Ron nodded. "But, tomorrow night, the common room is all yours," he winked.
***
She staggered to the common room at about a quarter to seven from the library. She'd been in a state of curiosity all day when Harry had told her, in a vague manner, to be in the common room at seven. Throughout all her classes, she found her mind wandering, wondering why he'd been so secretive about the whole thing. It never occurred to her as to what day it was.
Adjusting her overflowing bag on her shoulder more securely, she came to a stop in front of the Fat Lady.
"Hello dear," the Fat Lady chirped from her frame. "You're looking a mite tired today. You shouldn't work so hard."
She smiled weakly in response to the picture's comment. "Flutterbudget," she stated the password.
"Thank you my dear," the portrait swung open. "Have a good night."
"Thanks," Hermione muttered as she stepped through the opening, and proceeded to stop dead in her tracks, her mouth slightly agape and her eyes wide.
The common room, uncharacteristically empty for this time of night, was awash with the light of a hundred flickering candles which hovered gently in the air. A fire was burning brightly in the fireplace, and several bouquets of red and white roses were sprinkled throughout the room. In the middle, directly in front of the stone fireplace, a blanket was spread out on the floor, and a white frosted cake sat on a crystal platter.
"Oh," her book bag slipped from her shoulder and crashed to the floor.
"I take it you like it?" a laughing voice filled her ears and a pair of arms slipped around her from behind.
"Harry," she whispered, her wide eyes drinking in every detail. "Did you do all this by yourself?"
Laughter rumbled through his chest as he drew her closer. "Sadly, no, I didn't. Ron made sure the room was cleared out, Lavender helped with the flowers, and Dobby," he rested his chin on the top of her head. "Dobby made the cake," he paused. "Happy birthday Hermione," he kissed the back of her neck.
"Thank you," she said softly, tears springing to her eyes. "I love it."
"If you love it," he frowned. "Then why are you crying?" he chased away a tear with the back of his hand.
"It's just," she sniffed and wiped her leaking eyes with her fingertips. "Oh never mind, it's silly," she laughed slightly.
"Hermione," he turned her round so that she faced him. "It can't be that silly," he flashed her a grin. "Come on."
"Alright," she sighed and gave in. "It's just no one has ever done anything like this for me, well other than my parents," she shrugged. "It's just, it's just so sweet," she gave him a wobbly smile. "Thank you," she whispered as she stared up at him, her hands making their way up his chest.
"You're welcome," he managed to choke out; the sensation of her hands gliding up his body was torturous, in a good way. "Come on," he shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Come have some of your birthday cake."
"In a minute," she wrapped her arms round his neck. "I have one thing left to do," she gave him a wide smile.
"What?" he gave her a confused look.
"This," she whispered, and tugged his head down while she rose up on tiptoe and met his lips with hers in a drugging kiss. She heard him sigh in contentment, felt his arms tighten around her and press her as close as he could.
Finally they broke away; their breathing ragged and faces flushed.
Harry chuckled, resting his forehead against hers. "If I would have known that you'd react that way," he cupped her face in his hands. "I would have thrown you a party ages ago," he grinned.
"I love you Harry Potter," she held his eyes as her hands grabbed a handful of his robes, pulling herself closer to his tall frame.
His eyes darkened from their usual sparkling emerald green, to something deeper mixed with desire, at her action. The urge to kiss her was so strong that he had no choice but to follow it. "I love you too Hermione," he rasped out, reaching out with lightly trembling hands and removing her glasses before he crashed his lips against hers. "So much," he murmured against her lips as he curled one hand in her hair, the other held her glasses.
"I can't believe I was worried all day for nothing," she murmured when they finally broke apart from their second heated snog.
"You were worried?" he asked, an amused smile on his face.
"Well, yes," she flushed slightly. "You were so indistinct this morning when you told me to meet you here," she nibbled on her lip. "I wasn't sure what to think."
"I was sure you'd find out about it," he brushed her hair away from her eyes. "I mean, practically the entire house knew about it and you know how people love to gossip around here."
Hermione shook her head. "If they talked, they must have been pretty discreet about it. I didn't hear a thing," she paused and cocked her head to the side. "But, now that you mention it, I did notice everyone acting a bit queer around me," she sighed. "The girls mostly, even the first years I might add."
"Thank Ron and Lavender," Harry informed her with a smile. "And probably Ginny as well," he kissed the top of her head. "But come on, we best try the cake, otherwise Dobby might have a fit," he pulled away from her and led her to the blanket.
"Yes well, we wouldn't want that would we?" she giggled softly. "Thank you," she said as he handed her a plate with a slice of cake. "It looks delicious," and she took a delicate bite. "Remind me," she began, after she'd swallowed. "To thank him," she licked a bit of frosting off her lower lip. "It's wonderful."
"Right," Harry answered in a daze; his eyes transfixed on her mouth as her tongue darted out to touch her lips. "So," he shook his head to clear this thoughts. "Would you like your present now or later?"
At the mention of the word 'present', Hermione's eyes lit up in excitement. "Now please," she grinned and set her plate down.
"Alright," he took a deep breath and reached in his pocket. "Remember when we were in Hogsmead and I forgot something?" he asked, clutching the velvet box in a vise-like grip. "And I wouldn't tell you what I forgot?"
She nodded.
"It was your birthday present," he withdrew his hand. "Now, I – I know you're not one to wear such things," he stuttered, everything within him hoping she would like it. "But, well, oh sod it," he extended his hand towards her, the jewelry box cradled in his palm.
"Oh Harry," her eyes began filling with tears and she reached out with trembling hands to take the box from him, her slender fingers smoothing over the soft surface.
"Open it," he said eagerly, wanting to see her reaction.
"Alright," she took a deep breath and opened the box. Inside, simmering and sparkling, was a glittering necklace fashioned out of pure silver, complete with a sapphire pendant. Scrolling flowers traced the outside edge of the blue stone and led back up to the chain. "H – Harry," she breathed, her eyes wide as she traced a fingertip over it. "I – I don't know what to say," she blinked rapidly, determined not to lose her head and start crying.
"Say you like it," he urged her, storing the look of wonderment that spread over her face in the back of his mind.
"Like it?" she lifted her watery eyes to lock with his. "I love it," she gave a wobbly grin and flung her arms around his neck. "Thank you," she whispered as he cradled her against his chest. "It's beautiful."
"Just like you," he whispered against her neck, relieved that she adored her present. "Turn it over," he told her. "There's something on the back."
She did as instructed and had to squint slightly to read the fine cursive writing. Never will I leave you. The tears that she thought she had under control, sprang to her eyes once more. After sucking in a deep breath to control her raging emotions, she finally spoke. "Will you put it on for me?" she asked, handing him the necklace and sweeping her hair away from her neck.
He gulped, praying that he wouldn't make a fool of himself while trying to open the tiny clasp. Fate, thankfully, had been smiling down at him as he got it on the first try, no fumbling, no sweating, no cursing under his breath. Gathering a still awe-struck Hermione in his arms, he rested his chin lightly on her shoulder. "Happy birthday Hermione," he said again and kissed her gently.
***
In the deep recesses of the Hogwarts castle, long fingers caressed the blood red orb that was hanging from their neck with lazy strokes. A sardonic smile was etched across a emotionless face, and two eyes glittered brightly in the silent room. "Tomorrow," the voice whispered. "My ideas of revenge will become reality. Enjoy your time while it lasts, because tomorrow, you will begin to understand what kind of power I control."
~*~
As you can see, nothing really significant happened in this chapter. I know, I know, you're probably all wondering why I made you wait so long for a filler chapter. I wish I could tell you since I'm not too sure myself. But, there are some hidden clues sprinkled throughout that will be addressed in upcoming chapters. Until then though, everyone enjoy reading Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix when it comes out!