Day Two...
Hermione awoke with a start, sitting up quickly. (Beta Note: Originally, the author had this say "Sitting up in a sitting position. I found this funny, but thought I should change it) In the process, her head jammed into Harry's jaw, waking him abruptly. Harry didn't make any noise, but started to rub his jaw. He quickly grabbed Hermione and made sure she wasn't bleeding.
"Are you all right, Hermione?" he asked, "you're not bleeding."
Hermione was shocked. "How did I get here?" was her reply.
Harry looked at her puzzled. Then the thoughts came flooding back to her.
"Oh, sorry," she said, "I guess that knock to the head dazed me a little. I'm sorry about that by the way."
"It's no problem. Are you all right? You're not bleeding."
"Yeah. It really doesn't hurt that much, actually. I wonder..."
Harry grinned and said one word- "Magic."
Hermione giggled and smiled.
"What would you like for breakfast, as long as we're both up?"
"Hmn..." said Hermione. "Let's test the cooking ability of a certain Mr. Potter."
"Kippers and toast?"
"As always," she said, getting up. He always made the kippers and toast while she just set the table and got the juice out. After all, it didn't really take that long to cook when you were a wizard.
Their breakfast was spent talking about the movie and Harry telling Hermione what happened after she fell asleep.
"Why were we sleeping on the couch?" she asked.
"Because you were asleep when the movie ended and I was to tired to take you to bed and then go to bed myself. I was out within moments of finding you asleep and then awake again with a pain in the jaw," he joked.
"Oh," she said, blushing. "I'm still sorry about that."
"It's alright. Again." She'd apologized several times over breakfast. "What are we doing today, then?"
Hermione smiled. Harry groaned.
"Not shopping... again!"
"Yup," she said, "just this one last time. Then you can decide from then on."
"Oh, alright. But we at least better stop at Quality Quidditch."
"We will. I hear they have a new broom line out."
"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get going!"
He dragged Hermione toward the staircase and to a guest bedroom he had converted into a bedroom for Hermione.
"Get changed already, woman!" Harry said, going to his room to change into a pair of jeans and black hoodie.
Ten minutes later, a very impatient Harry and a hurried Hermione were ready to go.
"Where to first?" asked Hermione.
"How about... how about somewhere to finish furnishing my flat?"
"Ooo! Ok! This way," she said, dragging Harry toward the Leaky Cauldron.
"Oh no! Not muggle London!"
"Where else do you expect?"
Now, besides being impatient before, Harry wasn't the least bit happy.
"Ok, never mind," he said to Hermione. "Can that can be out last stop... pleeeeease?" he begged.
"All right, but then we're going to Flourish and Blotts first."
"Fine with me," he said, grinning.
"Oh don't tell me that Mr. Potter likes reading now!"
"Hey!" said Harry defensively, "I've always like reading... just not notes and school assigned books! You know... educational material."
"Right," said Hermione, now the one grinning like the Cheshire cat.
Once they got to the bookstore, Harry went one way and Hermione went the other, agreeing to meet each other at the front of the store.
After about an hour or so of reading, Harry, engrossed in Seekers, to the Extreme, looked at his watch. He swore.
Hermione turned her head to see what he was swearing at, looked at her own watch and realized the time.
"Come on, Hermione, we still have time to go to The Leaky Cauldron for a quick lunch before all the people get here!"
By people, he meant 'adoring fans', though some of them were ugly as sin. AN: All thanks to Ty! All right, I'm getting too many AN's now!
As they sat down and waited for their food, Harry said, "How bout a movie later, Mione?"
Mione. She liked the sound of that. It was her own little nickname. And only Harry could call her that.
"Or would you rather put up with the thousands of adoring fans and continue shopping?"
"How about we go get that new broom you want to get, go to a movie, and then some more furniture?"
"All right, sounds good to me!"
Harry and Hermione went to eating their food at The Leaky Cauldron, and Tom, noticing whom he was, didn't make him pay. Harry didn't like it, but wasn't really in the mood to argue either.
They made their way to Quality Quiddtch and entered upon the many numbers of fans. The owner stopped them all from coming in and put up Apperation wards temporarily- to go down when they left.
"Hello, Mr. Potter. I'm Omnivarious Hawkins. AN: Don't ask me, all thanks to Ty. How are you?"
"All right, I guess."
"Is there anything I can do for you today?" said the clerk. Harry noticed that he had mousy hair, and glasses to rival Sybil Trelawny's.
"Yes... I'm interested in the new broom line you have out."
"Ah, you mean the Emerald Blaze?" AN-thanks Mione.
Harry groaned, noticing the similarity between the name of the broom and the color of his eyes. He'd been noticing for ages that the entire wizarding world was becoming more and more Harry-centric. "I guess. Is that the best broom line you have here?"
"Yes, Mr. Potter."
He led Harry and Hermione to the back of the store, took out his wand, mumbled something, and up popped a door.
"Right this way," he said, leading them through the door.
Once in the door, a light flickered on. In it was a broom, much like the Firebolt.
"What's the difference from the Firebolt?" Harry pondered aloud.
"This broom only works when it's picked up by its owner. Others can hold it, but that's about it, unless you give them permission to use it. It holds a shield so that no spells can be cast on it and it's got an anti- destruction charm on it, too."
"How will the broom know if I give the person permission?"
"An unbreakable charm. It recognizes your voice and your voice only. Not even someone under the Polyjuice potion can ride it. There's some sort of difference. If you are under the imperious, too, it will not allow you to ride it. Some sort of magical signal bounces off the broom. Perfect if you have little children," he added, grinning at Harry and Hermione. They both blushed.
"How do I get it to recognize me?"
"By putting you hand on this," he said, giving Harry a piece of bright blue parchment. "Newest technology, Mr. Potter. No one is able to change it. If you, for some odd reason, don't want the broom anymore, you have to cast a charm on the broom." Harry stuck his hand on the parchment and the broom jumped out of the storeowner's hand. Seconds later it turned white and disappeared.
"How-"Harry started.
"Trust me, Mr. Potter, you'll know the spell when it's time."
"How much?" he asked, knowing it would be some outrageous amount.
"For you, Mr. Potter, ten thousand galleons."
"All right," said Harry, "just take that amount out of account and that amount only." He wrote his name with his hand and out appeared a piece of parchment with his signature on it. "They'll know it's from me and if you take out more than allowed," he said.
"Whom?"
"The goblins," he answered with a grin. He took his broom, shrunk it and put it in his pocket.
"Ready to go, Mione?"
"Yup," she answered, pulling her cloak around tighter. It was cold outside.
"Here," said Harry, pointing.
"What?'
"Come here!"
Harry opened his cloak and pulled Hermione in.
"Ooo! So warm!"
"Heating charm."
"Never heard of it. OK, so I have, but I didn't know that it worked on things other than food," Hermione responded, racking her brains through the dozens of books on charms she read, but still drawing a blank on the subject.
"Now you have."
"Mr. Potter! Did you go and make a new charm up?"
"Well, if you've never heard of it, then I guess I did."
Flashback (Harry's)
A sixteen-year Harry Potter looked at a sixteen year old Ron and Hermione from underneath his invisibility cloak. If what Ron had told him were correct, he would be asking Hermione out right now, on Christmas Eve. Harry thought, 'poor Ron, if Hermione doesn't say yes, he'll be crushed...'
Ron was in the Room of Requirement. Earlier, he had enchanted it to look like the outside. Harry had been in the room long before and enchanted his spot (and wherever he walked) to look like it was still snowing so it wouldn't pile up on his cloak... he'd already had that happen and did not like the result. Ron had the snow on the ground so it wouldn't leave footprints... and so it would stay fluffy... so Harry didn't have to worry about that.
Harry stepped up, turning to Ron and Hermione.
"Ron," started Hermione.
"Wait. Let me tell you the real reason why I invited you here, Hermione," he said before she could get anymore out.
Ron took a deep breath and started.
"From the beginning, when I first saw you on the train, I thought you were no more than the average, know-it-all girl... that we could never be friends."
Hermione started but Ron put his finger over her lips.
"Shh," he hushed, "let me finish."
"Then, over the next year, I just new that I had feelings for you. I knew that if I didn't do something, someone else would. But I didn't; I just couldn't. So then someone else did."
"So, just as much as I dreaded it, you got together with Krum. I was hurt, but even more so when you said how much he broke your heart with all that he did."
"So, I just decided to get up my courage. I planned and I planned, and I finally came down to this," he said, gesturing all around.
He hushed Hermione one last time.
"Hermione, will you go out with me?"
Harry personally thought that he'd gone overboard. Harry? He'd of asked at the perfect time, perfect place, then announced it to the common room, making it like the first time he'd properly done so. He couldn't stand to be... he couldn't stand Hermione getting hurt, either. He'd make sure Hermione got everything and anything she ever wanted.
Hermione accepted and shivered. Ron opened his cloak and pulled Hermione in.
End Flash Back
AN: I officially have this 'flashback' ready to be posted. I'll type and send it to one of my beta's as soon as I can. It will be in a story called 'Memories'. 'Memories' will be a collection of Flashbacks from this story and possibly others. I might even make the memories/flashbacks a story of their sixth year. Who knows! Any suggestions?
Harry shook this thought away as quickly as he could, not wanting to remember what happened after that. AN: I will get around to this story (will be called Memories), I'm just not sure when. I think I'd like to have all the chapters done before I post, as I have this one done. OK, well, at least the memory done. All I've got left for this story is to send it to my two betas. Merci, again
Harry and Hermione were braced for the cold when Mr. Hawkins opened the door.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter."
"No, thank you," he said.
As Harry and Hermione left, the bunch of adoring, ugly fans started to crowd around them again. They all wanted autographs.
"Signings tomorrow, people... Flourish and Blotts from noon to three! Make sure you're there early! Bring your friends, too!" yelled Hermione. Harry could have done without the "bring your friends" part.
Harry and Hermione made their way through the crowd and into the Leaky Cauldron.
"Hey, Tom," said Hermione once she got in.
Harry, turning to Hermione, asked, "Why did you have to remind them that I was supposed to sign autographs tomorrow? I was hoping they'd all forget."
"Likely story, Harry.
"Oh, now Mr. Potter," started Tom.
"Harry, Tom, Harry."
"How about a drink then, Harry?"
"Sorry, Tom, not this time. Though I will take you up on the offer tomorrow after I'm done signing the autographs, sound good?"
"Yes, it's fine with me. Hope to see you, also, Ms. Granger."
"Hermione!" she yelled, leaving the building.
"Oh, thank you for the movie, Harry," said Hermione after the movie. "I loved it!"
"I'm glad you liked it, Mione. Now," he said, sighing. They had just seen Shrek 2. "How about that furniture store?"
"Right this way, Mr. Potter," she said and led him to a store.
Two and a half hours later, a very tired looking Harry and Hermione entered the Leaky Cauldron.
"Tom?" asked Harry.
"Yes?" he asked, coming up from beneath a table.
"Can I take you up for the drinks now instead of tomorrow?"
"Sure thing. Take any seat and I'll be out in a minute to take your orders."
Tom left and Harry and Hermione sat down at a little table. A few moments Tom reappeared.
"What can I get for the two of you tonight?"
"House special?" Hermione inquired Harry.
"Sounds good. Wait," he added to Tom before he left, "what is it?"
"Nothing bad, my dear Mr. Potter, nothing bad at all." Harry was too tired to notice that he didn't call him Harry.
"All right, if you insist."
When Tom came back with the two House Specials, Fish and chips AN: How original?, he asked if there was anything else that they needed.
"No thank you Tom," said Harry.
"Maybe a coke?" Hermione asked.
"Sure thing, Hermione. One for you too, Harry?"
"Coke?"
"Yes, Tom, one for Harry, please."
"No problem."
"A coke?" Harry asked again once Tom left.
"Yes, its just a soda, Harry. Nothing to worry about, trust me." Had the Dursleys kept him in the dark that much? Thought Hermione. AN: My beta put that in... but I might just make that into a story... any suggestions?
Their meal of fish and chips was spent almost in complete quiet since they were so exhausted. Besides Tom, no one else was here. Harry and Hermione both liked that... no adoring fans to deal with.
Hermione started to dig in her purse.
"No, Mione," he said, going into his pocket, "it's my treat."
"And no, Mr. Potter, it's on the house," said Tom.
Harry sighed. "Are you sure?"
"Positive. Now shoo."
Harry and Hermione soon Apparated to Harry's new flat.
"Dobby glad to see Master Harry back!" squeaked the house-elf. "I is sorry that you is having company over, Master Harry, and Dobby is not knowing of it. I is truly sorry," he added bowing.
"And Mistress Her-mine," he tried, "Herm-in-in-"
Hermione giggled very tiredly, almost like she was Tipsy AN: I love that song! "Just call me Ne, Dobby. Ne will do just fine."
('nother beta note: WE ARE THE KNIGHT WHO SAY "NE!" AN: Who knows?)
"And Mistress Ne," said Dobby, grinning excitedly from ear to ear.
"G'night, Dobby," said Harry, "Hermione and I are going to bed. We had a long day today."
"Good night Master Harry, Mistress Ne!" squeaked the excited Dobby.
Harry and Hermione very wearily made their way up the stairs and down the hall, Harry went to the right, and Hermione to the left.
"Night, Mione," yawned Harry.
"Night, Harry," she yawned back.
Soon both Harry and Hermione were dreaming peacefully.