Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related names and places are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
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It was now or never. He kept watching her for a sign. A sign to move, a sign to stop, any sign. She just kept standing there, her eyes fixed on his. Her lips were no longer pressed together, but slightly parted.
Swallowing the knot that had formed in his throat, Harry stepped a bit closer. To his surprise, she took a step closer to him. His heart was hammering, his knees were shaking slightly, and there seemed to be a humming sound filling his ears.
Without realizing he was doing it, he was leaning his head down toward hers. She was tilting her face to meet him. Their lips were about to meet...
A sharp rap on the changing room door brought everything crashing down. Ginny caught her breath sharply and pulled back. The dreamy expression quickly faded to embarrassment. Harry stood up straight and looked away.
"Yes?" Harry called, a bit harsher than he had meant to.
"Just wondering if you wanted me and Hermione to wait for you." It was Ron. Harry had never really truly hated his best friend until this moment.
"Uh, yeah. I'll be right there. Just let me lock the broom closet."
Harry looked around. Ginny was pulling her bag onto her shoulder, her cheeks flaming red. He walked over to her.
"Ginny, I'm sorry..."
She smiled at him. "It's okay. I think we're both just tired and a little out of it. We didn't know what we were doing. Let's head back to the common room." Ginny turned and pushed open the door. Harry could hear her start up a conversation with Hermione.
Harry leaned against the wall, pressing his forehead against it. She hadn't wanted it after all; she hadn't wanted him. That's basically what she'd said. How could he have been so stupid?
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Harry didn't know which was worse; the wind that whipped around chilling him to the bone or Cho Chang trying to knock him off his broom at every opportunity. The match against Ravenclaw wasn't going well. They had been playing for well over two hours and there was still no sign of the Snitch. Harry was getting desperate.
Gryffindor was up by only thirty points, but Ravenclaw was beginning to pull back. Everyone was tired and freezing. Harry looked around at his teammates. He had to catch the Snitch soon or this game would go on all night.
A shimmer of gold caught his attention. Not wanting to make a sudden move to alert Cho, he slowly turned his head to see the Snitch hovering nearby. He knew that she would no doubt be watching him; he had to be careful. The snitch fluttered around the Slytherin crowd. Without another thought, he streaked off in its direction. Just as he had figured, Cho had been watching him for any sign. He didn't have time to throw her of course; he just had to be quicker than her. It didn't take her long to catch up to him. They were racing neck and neck toward the Slytherin stands. Suddenly the words that Oliver had screamed so long ago came back to him. "This is no time to be a gentleman! Knock her off her broom if you have to!" Well, that's exactly what he would have to do.
He pulled his broom sharply to the left and slammed directly into her. Cho swore loudly and tried to regain control. However it was too late. Harry held the snitch tightly in his hand and couldn't help but give her a sarcastic smile.
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Gryffindor's win had tied them with Ravenclaw for first place. The party in the common room that night was amazing. Even Professor McGonagall didn't have the heart to tell anyone to go to bed. She arrived somewhere around midnight looking irritated. She took a look around the room and sighed. "Well, I suppose I can't break up such a celebration. I do ask that you please keep the noise down to a minimal roar." After that she left and the party became even wilder.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat nearest the fire. Even Hermione seemed happier than she had in weeks. She even laughed out loud when Harry and Ron discussed Cho's reaction at missing the Snitch.
"I haven't seen her that mad since Ginny grabbed it from under her nose last year. You'd think she would have learned by now that she can't beat the Gryffindor seeker!"
Harry laughed along with his two friends, but the mention of Ginny's name had made his stomach do a flip. They hadn't spoken since they had left the locker room on Thursday night. He looked around to find her. She sat, surrounded by her friends, on a sofa on the other side of the room. At almost the same instant he had looked at her, she looked directly back at him. Harry gave her a half smile then forced himself to look away.
"Harry?" Hermione's voice brought him back to reality.
"Yeah?"
"I said next Saturday is a Hogsmeade trip."
Ron wrinkled his nose at her. "That's the day before Valentine's Day."
She laughed a bit. "Yes it is. I thought maybe the three of us could go. It's been ages since we've gone to the village together. I thought it might be fun."
Harry scowled. "I don't know. My last few visits to the village haven't turned out so well. Especially the last time I tried Valentine's there."
"Listen, Harry. My mum used to tell me that if you have a day that you only remember because something bad happened on it, then you have to do something really great on that same day. You forget all about the bad thing and only remember the good."
Ron and Harry both stared. That had been the first time Hermione had mentioned her parents since they returned to Hogwarts.
"Well, alright then. The three of us; next weekend."
The week passed fairly quickly. Professor Bombeck had taken them farther with their defensive training. Still working in pairs, they had moved up to learning more complicated blocking spells. Harry had just managed to deflect Hermione's curse when the bell rang.
"Alright class, that's all for today. I want you to read up on the temporary confusion charm on page 600. We'll start working on that next class. Oh, Harry would you mind staying back for a moment?"
Harry told Ron and Hermione that he would catch up and walked up to the professor's desk. Professor Bombeck was stacking several books on her desk. Harry thought she looked tired and ill. Her face was pale and she looked thinner than she had ever been. He remembered that Ginny was beginning to look the same way.
"Harry, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel our session tonight. I've been neglected a few things that I need to work on. We'll resume next Friday, if that's alright with you."
"That's fine." He turned to walk away, but turned back. "Um, Professor?"
"Yes?" She continued rummaging around on her desk.
"Is everything alright? I don't mean to pry, but you don't seem like yourself lately."
She looked at him critically. "I'm afraid I've been ill lately." She laughed. "I've always been a bit stubborn when it comes to being sick. I always try to fight it off myself, but I'm afraid I'll have to break down and go and see Madame Pomfrey. Well, I've got a meeting with the headmaster. I'll see you at dinner, Harry."
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On Saturday morning Harry, Ron, and Hermione went down to breakfast together. The three sat eating, discussing where they would go in the village that day when Ron made a choking noise.
"Please tell me that you see what I see. If not, I think I'm losing my mind." Ron was staring in the direction of the staff table.
Harry and Hermione looked the same way. If it hadn't been for Hermione's sharp intake of breath, Harry would have thought he was going mad, too. Or maybe Snape had gone mad. Yes, that had to be it.
Snape had abandoned his usual seat at the far end of the staff table. He was sitting to Professor Bombeck's right, talking to her. Not only that, but he had abandoned his usual black robes. Today's were green.
Harry looked to Ron and Hermione. Ron still stared, but Hermione was looking back at Harry. "Do you see..." Harry began, but Hermione finished his sentence.
"...green robes? Professor Snape is wearing...green?"
Ron finally came around. "And sitting next to Professor Bombeck? And speaking to her? What's happened? Is the end of the world coming or something?"
The three stared at each other for a minute, and then looked back at the staff table. Snape was still talking to Bombeck, who looked as though hoping for someone to rescue her. Harry looked around to see if anyone else had noticed this bizarre scene. Everyone had. Nearly every head in the Great Hall was turned in the direction of Snape. Some looked puzzled, some amused, and a few girls had collapsed into fits of giggles.
"I do believe our favorite greasy git fancies Professor Bombeck!" Seamus called down the table.
Ron burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Hermione asked.
"Snape! As if someone like her would ever give him the time of day!"
Hermione scowled at him. "Don't laugh! Besides you know what they say, 'Love is blind'."
Ron continued to howl with laughter, which annoyed Hermione a great deal.
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The three sipped warm butterbeer at a table in the Three Broomsticks. Harry couldn't help but feel happy. It was like old times; like nothing had happened between though three of them. He even liked hearing Ron and Hermione argue over Snape.
The door to the pub opened and Harry looked up. A small group of girls walked in. His stomach flipped when he caught sight of the red hair. Ginny, Luna, and Natalie stood and looked around for an empty table.
"Hey, Ginny! We've got room if you want to join us!"
Harry tried very hard to restrain himself from kicking Ron. If she came and sat at their table, it would be the closest he'd been to her since the night in the locker room. He wasn't quite sure if he was ready to be face to face with her again.
Ginny looked apprehensive, but Luna and Natalie had already started making their way over. She followed, but Harry noticed she chose the seat on the other side of Hermione. Harry would have to look around Ron and Hermione to see her properly.
While the other's talked, Harry just sat and listened.
"I thought Neville was supposed to be meeting you here Luna?" asked Hermione.
"Oh, yes." Her dreamy voice never faltered. "He wanted to finish an assignment for Snape while the library was quiet. He'll be here shortly."
Harry had to stifle a laugh. He'd have never imagined that something good would have come out of the Department of Mysteries disaster last year. Something did however; Luna and Neville had discovered a strange sort of affection for one another. Almost at that exact moment the door opened again.
"There he is. I'll see you later Ginny." Luna was gone.
A few moments later Natalie was hailed by some other third year Gryffindors and left too.
"You two are awfully quiet today. What's wrong?" Ron asked, looking between Harry and his sister.
Ginny didn't answer. Harry had to break the silence. "I think we're all still shocked about Snape this morning. What was that all about anyway?" That seemed to take Ron's mind off of his question.
"I don't know. Has he been acting weird? I never see him except during meals. You have him for class twice a week."
Harry had heard Ron's question, but was too interested in what he had seen between Hermione and Ginny to answer. The pair had exchanged the smallest of smiles and knowing looks during Ron's question. Ginny looked up in time to see Harry watching her. Grabbing her bag, she leapt from her seat.
"Well, I promised I'd help Colin look for a new school bag at Gladrag's. I'll see you guys at dinner." With a wave she slipped out of the pub.
"Poor Ginny. I think she's trying to do too much." Hermione sighed.
Ron looked at her. "Why do you say that?"
"Well, she's got Quidditch, plus her O.W.L.'s are coming up. I know she stays up all hours of the night studying. Plus Cho seems to be a lot harder on her than any of the other prefects." Hermione frowned.
Harry hoped desperately that his face wasn't going red.
"Chang's still mad about the Cup last year. And Ginny's stronger than she seems; I think she proved that last year." Ron said, but his voice didn't sound too convincing.
A moment of silence passed around them and then Hermione got up and moved around the table. She took the seat facing Ron and Harry.
"Alright, there's something I've wanted to say to the both of you, but I've been putting it off."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances. What could they have done this time?
Hermione laughed. "It's nothing bad so don't look like that. I just wanted to thank the both of you. And apologize to you." She looked down and ran a finger around the rim of her glass. "I know that we had some problems last term. And most..." She stopped again. "Okay all of it was my fault. I just wasn't myself. I guess everything that had happened finally caught up with me. I was worried about my family, about the both of you, about the future. Instead of talking about it, I just held it all in. Finally when the Deatheaters escaped, it made me realize how quickly things can change. I was scared for the first time and I didn't know how to deal with that. So I took it out on the both of you.
"Then after Christmas, everything changed. The one thing that I hadn't thought of happened and the both of you were there by my side. Even after all the horrible things I said to you, you stuck by me." Hermione reached up and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "I guess I just wanted to say that the two of you are the most wonderful friends I could have ever hoped for." She gave them both a very watery smile.
Harry didn't know what to say. Ron looked as though he didn't either.
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Harry was passing by one of the high windows on his way back to the common room the next day, when he spotted someone sitting under the beech tree. It was a fairly cold day, so mostly everyone had stayed indoors. He wouldn't have given the person a second thought until he saw brown hair being tossed by the wind.
He made his way outside. He didn't have his cloak and the wind chilled him to the bone. Stopping just short of where Hermione was seated, he looked at her.
She was sitting on a patchwork blanket with her legs folded under her. Sniffling slightly, she turned over the piece of paper in her hand.
"You're going to freeze out here, Hermione!"
Hermione gave in involuntary jump and dropped the piece of paper. Harry noticed that it wasn't the usual parchment, but a regular piece of muggle paper.
"What are you trying to do? Give a girl a heart attack?"
Harry couldn't help but smile, remembering the last time he had heard that.
"No, I'm wondering why on earth you're sitting out here in the freezing cold reading? Wouldn't it be much more pleasant by the common room fire?"
Hermione smiled sadly. "No, I needed some peace and quiet. It was too noisy in there for this." She held the paper out to him. "It's the letter from my mum that Jennifer gave me. I've tried reading it before, but..." her voice trailed away.
"Hermione, I'm sorry. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come out here shouting at you."
Hermione patted the blanket next to her, inviting Harry to sit down. Harry sank down next to her.
"I underestimated my parents."
"What do you mean?"
"They knew everything. They knew all everything from our little adventure with Fluffy first year to what happened at the Ministry."
Harry's mouth fell open. "How?"
"Dumbledore. They've been in contact with him since after fourth year. It's all here in this letter." Hermione turned back to the front page and began to read. "She says: 'When your headmaster told us what had happened during the latter part of your fourth year, you're father and I were terrified for your safety. However, he assured us that you were more than capable of taking on any danger that came your way. He told us everything you've done since you've been at school. I think he was quite shocked that we didn't already know these things. The one thing that stood out to me in each of you're little adventures, was how you stood by your friends. Mina, I'm so proud of you. Only last week you're headmaster had a meeting with us. We know that you are not the only person in danger now. Your father and I understand that we are targets, also. Surprisingly, I am not afraid, at least not for you. I know that if your father and I are not around, you will have a very loving family surrounding you. You are such a strong and courageous young woman; I know that you will be alright.'"
Hermione looked up at Harry, tears streaming down her cheeks. "She wrote this just after we went back to Grimmauld Place. They knew what was coming, Harry. They knew it. That's why they named Ron's parents as my guardians. They didn't try to take me away from it; they just made sure I would be alright when it happened."
Harry didn't speak. He didn't know what to say, again. Hermione smiled and looked up at him.
"She was right, you know?"
"About what?"
"About having a wonderful family around me. That's what you are. You, Ron, Ginny, all the Weasleys. You're my family, you always have been." Suddenly she narrowed her eyes, and looked very dangerous. "And, they aren't taking any of my family, ever again."
Harry sat with Hermione a bit longer. Finally she admitted she was freezing, so they made their way back to the castle.
"Harry, I've been meaning to ask you about this."
Harry gave her a sideways glance. What could this be about? Surely she didn't know....maybe Ginny had told her...
"Do you know why Dumbledore never told you that you had other family? I mean besides the Dursleys? Couldn't you have lived with them?"
Harry stopped suddenly. He had never thought about that. He had had other family for 16 years, and yet he had been forced to live with the Dursleys. Yes, Dumbledore had said that his aunt being his mother's sister had given him protection. But, Mr. Evans was his mother's cousin. Would the protection not have worked?
Harry looked at Hermione. "Who knows? Dumbledore's odd like that." Neither Harry nor Hermione said anything else about it. Harry had made up his mind, though. During his next session with Professor Bombeck, he would ask Dumbledore outright why he had forced him to live with the Dursleys, when there had been a much better alternative.
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Harry's temper was boiling by the time Friday evening had come around. He had been thinking the situation over during the entire week. So, Dumbledore had felt the need to keep more secrets from him. Hadn't last years events taught him about keeping secrets?
His footsteps echoed loudly through the corridors. It was fairly late and everyone was taking shelter by the fires to stay warm. Harry reached Professor Bombeck's office. He was early for his meeting, but he hoped to get a few minutes with Dumbledore. Voices carrying through the door made him pause before pushing it open.
"Remus, you don't understand! I can't stay here any longer!" Harry stood shocked. That was Professor Bombeck! And she was shouting at Professor Lupin!
"Nicolette, listen to me!" That was Dumbledore! What was going on here?
"Listen to me Albus! I took this position with your assurances nothing like this would happen! And don't tell me this had nothing to do with me! That girl knew my secret, and now look at her!"
"Cole, you can't blame what happened to the Grangers on yourself!"
Harry's eyes grew wide. Why were they talking about Hermione's parents?
"Nicolette, I spoke to them at the beginning of last term. They knew the dangers that they were in. This had nothing to do with you. Hermione is a muggle born girl. You know that's the one thing Voldemort hates. Well besides myself and Harry, of course."
Lupin spoke up. "Plus she is one of Harry's closest friends. That instantly made her and anyone around her targets. Hermione and Ginny were marked long before they ever found out about you. The girls are not in any danger because of you!"
"I don't care what you say! If my staying here might have any consequences, I have to leave!"
"Nicolette, you know perfectly well that if Voldemort knew about you, then Severus would know. And I highly doubt Severus would overlook something like that!"
"Cole, you have to stay. You have to teach them what you know. They can't go out into this world and not be able to defend themselves. If there were any other way..." Lupin stopped. Harry heard slow footsteps crossing the room. "Cole, you have to do this for Lily."
Harry rushed through the door. Professor Bombeck was sitting in a low chair. Lupin was kneeling before her and Dumbledore was standing close by the fire. All three faces looked at him in surprise.
Harry pointed at Bombeck and shouted. "Who are you?"
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Jedi Buttercup: Well, let's just say she isn't using a time-turner. She is exhausted from all her work, but there are some underlying things that probably won't come out until the next story is up. I've been using my own experience with losing my mum as a basis for Hermione. It may seem like she's bouncing back awfully fast, but I think she's a stronger girl than people give her credit for. Glad you like Harry and Gin's interactions. Like I said before, this is just the beginning. Once I start the next story, they will be a very strong theme in it!
Molly Morrison: Yes, I am evil...lol! Voldemort has nothing on me! Seriously, I'm glad you like this ridiculous thing! Sorry about the interruption...you knew it was bound to happen!
Spaci Ireth: I love to be hated! It means I'm doing well!! LOL!!
Steph: Yes, they are speaking. I wanted them to have vague conversations, so I could lead up to the scene at The Three Broomsticks. Sorry for the confusion!
tabula rasa2: I completely deserved that...lol! Like I said, I forgot about the holidays approaching when I wrote that last chapter. I was forced to take a break, trust me I didn't want to though! And yes, it is incredibly fun!
