Chapter 10: The Smartest Girl in the World Can Be

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I just can't wait for my ten-year reunion

I'm gonna bust down the double doors

and when I stand on these tables before you

you will know what all this time was for.

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A soft singing voice carried through the head student's dorm. Hermione turned up the volume on her muggle stereo, singing along with her new favorite CD, by a muggle group called Guster called Lost and Gone Forever. This dorm was the only place on campus where muggle electronics would work. A beep came from her microwave and she pulled out a bag of microwave popcorn. The common room that her and Harry were supposed to be sharing was decked out in all the comforts of her home near London. Harry had never taken to their private dorm, and had decided to stay with the rest of the 7th years. So Hermione had taken it upon herself to decorate in a manner she saw fit.

Non-moving pictures of muggle singing groups adorned the walls and a few lamps sat on side tables near her couch. A CD holder sat against the wall filled to bursting with all different kinds of music. No one had ever been in here, not even Ron. It was her own private place to be. She switched CDs (to Underworld's dubnobasswithmyheadman) and was going to sit down to attend to her homework, but decided against it and began to dance to the music. She was startled moments later by a deep chuckle. She spun on her heels, and there was Harry, watching her with a large quantity of amusement in his deep green eyes.

She ran to the stereo and slammed the stop button.

"Harry James Potter, what are you doing here?" She demanded.

"Well, I am allowed in here after all. But mostly I was looking for you." Harry smiled one of his smiles he saved specifically for Hermione. "How you doing kid?"

"Kid huh? I seem to remember that I was born in April and you in July. Am I much mistaken?" She threw him one of her classic Hermione smiles and turned the CD player back on.

"I guess so. Hmm, I don't know if I can handle adult Hermione Granger. But then again-" Harry grabbed Hermione around the waist and threw her onto the couch. She squealed.

She loved the relationship she had with Harry. When the two of them were alone they became closer than her and Ron. But nothing went beyond the playful flirting between best friends and close family. The previous year they had found they were cousins, Hermione's mother being Lily's twin sister. Harry guarded her with his life, as well as Ron and Ginny. He became so protective of his friends over the years, especially after they had beaten Voldemort last year. Harry sat down next to his friend and began to try and braid her hair.

"So really, how are you doing? I figured you'd be down here studying for your N.E.W.Ts, but I see I was mistaken. Holding your own little private session of Hermione Soul Train."

"I'm doing fine. I was going study before you showed up." Hermione grabbed a handful of microwave popcorn and stuffed it into her mouth. Hermione packed away food, but never seemed to gain an ounce. Her body had truly grown into her attitude, looking much more like a woman now. Her hair had settled down and now curled softly and her body had become toned after the amount of work they had to put in to defeat Voldemort the previous year.

"I was just talking to Sirius about what I was going after school ends. What are you thinking about doing?"

"If you knew how many times I've pondered that same question this past month. I mean, Ron is going to play Quidditch so he won't be around much. And I want to be able to be near you of course, and Ginny. And I want to live life to its fullest. I learned that last year. I can't whittle away all my time being scholarly and working for the Ministry and not enjoying what I have in life." She smiled broadly at Harry. "Like my friends," she said taking Harry's hand, "and Ron, whom I love with all my heart."

"I was thinking about teaching here. Going to school and such. I got a letter today by muggle post. From-" He handed the letter to Hermione.

"OXFORD!? You applied to Oxford Harry? You want to get a muggle education?" She looked at Harry with some surprise. Little did he know, she had done the same thing, but to the Wizarding branch of the school. Her letter sat untouched on her desk.

"NO! No, not at all. Oxford has a branch for wizard teachers. Separate from the rest of the school. And I just got that today and I'm afraid to open it."

"I have a confession to make. I did the same thing. Mine's on the desk. How about you open mine and I'll open yours." Harry nodded in agreement and walked over to the desk and picked up the envelope. He sat back down on the couch. "One, two, three-" The two ripped into the envelopes and read the letters enclosed. They looked up at each other warily.

"You got in!" they both said at the same time. Hermione screamed and Harry pulled her into a huge hug.

"We need to go tell people. This is so awesome! We should room together at school and such. Oh Harry, this is absolutely amazing." The two were ready to get up, but felt uncompelled at the moment. They sat quietly in each other's company for a while, pondering what was happening with everything. Suddenly, Hermione looked at Harry.

"Hey Harry. I have a question. What would have happened if the two of us hadn't broken up?"

Harry chuckled. "Well, sooner or later we would have figured out we were cousins. I never would have gotten to know Ginny for the beautiful person she is. And I wouldn't be in the position I'm in right now, having to tell you something that's kinda important."

He looked at her seriously, suddenly remembering what he had come here to tell her. She just continued to smile in her way, her mouth slightly crooked and her head tilted slightly to the side.

"Mione, I asked Ginny to marry me."

~*~

Silence passed between the two friends for quite a long time. They were both lost in thought.

"Harry, what about school?"

"Mione, it only takes a year to get through training at Oxford, so I'll be done by the time Ginny finishes here. And it's not going to happen right away. Promise."

Hermione studied her best friend with some intensity. He had truly grown up in the past seven years. No longer the lanky, tiny boy who shied away from girls and anything to do with them, he was almost 6 feet tall now. The only thing that hadn't changed was the boyish look of his emerald eyes. Those eyes could show any person exactly what Harry was thinking. His eyes, right now, begged for Hermione's acceptance of what he had done. Hermione knew then that Harry really meant to marry Ginny and he wasn't just doing it to get into her pants.

"Harry, you're so young right now, but, I know you mean this. So-" She trailed for a moment keeping her friend on edge, "I'm so happy for you Harry!" He enveloped her in a hug again.

"Hermione, you don't know how much it means to hear you say that. Let's go tell everyone about Oxford!"

The two ran from the room towards Gryffindor tower as quickly as possible. Harry then stopped.

"Mione, go get Sirius, but don't tell him a thing. And Ron. I'm going to go get Dumbledore and Ginny and we'll meet back in the Gryffindor common room."

The two sprinted off like young children. Harry summoned Dumbledore as he raced towards the Great Hall to get Ginny. The power to summon others from the Order of the Phoenix came in handy so many times. He ran into the hall, grabbed Ginny's hand and ran towards the tower. Dumbledore was just walking up to portrait hole as Harry and Ginny reached it.

"Well, Mr. Potter. What seems to be the hurry?" Dumbledore looked at him with a twinkle in his eye. Harry opened the portrait hole and ushered them in. Ginny looked at Harry's back pocket and saw a folded letter sticking out of it.

"Harry, what's this?" She asked pulling it from his pocket. He snatched it back quickly.

"In due time, love. In due time."

Ginny and Dumbledore sat on the couch to wait. Harry tore up the stairs to his dorm.

"Dean! Seamus! Neville! Come here!" Harry's dorm mates looked at him skeptically but followed him. As they were coming down the stairs, Hermione entered with Sirius and Ron.

Harry and Hermione's friends looked at them expectantly. They were both smiling like school children.

"Well, ok, um, ya see." Harry took a deep breath. "Me and Hermione-"

"Hermione and I," Hermione shot.

"Sorry. Well anyway, I guess we were having similar thoughts about what we wanted to do after Hogwarts. So we both applied to a college to-well- anyway. We got some interesting mail today. From-"

"OXFORD!!" Hermione blurt out. She then blushed furiously.

"Thanks Hermione! Jeez. Well, anyway, we've both been accepted to Oxford for teaching in wizarding academies."

Everyone just looked at them wide-eyed. There was complete silence. Then-

"Holy Shit! Oxford!" Sirius shouted. He grabbed his godson into a giant hug. "Harry, this is amazing. Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you say anything about applying?"

Harry just raised his eyebrows innocently. Ron had run to Hermione to congratulate her, and as Sirius let Harry go, Ginny rushed into his arms. She didn't really care if people saw her anymore. She kissed Harry passionately.

"Baby, this is amazing for you!" she squealed as she let him go. His face was extremely red with the embarrassment of Ginny kissing him. He looked at Professor Dumbledore, whose face was absolutely beaming. He walked over to Dumbledore.

"Well, well, Mr. Potter. Oxford is a fine school. Best in Europe." Dumbledore was trying to act professional, but that façade was soon broken. He had developed a LARGE soft spot where Harry was concerned and looked at him as a son. He took Harry into a hug. "Splendid job Harry. I'm so very proud of you. Just know that as soon as you're finished there, you'll be welcome here. And you as well Ms. Granger. Oh Harry, you're parents would have been so proud of you."

"Um, I have some other news for you all. Well actually, Hermione already knows and well, it involves Ginny." Everyone looked at Harry, silent.

"Well, I asked Ginny to marry me-" Harry looked at Ginny.

"And I said yes."

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