A Surprise And A Gift
Hermione was walking slowly up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower, her mind upon the charms that Flitwick had been teaching them only hours before. She was anticipating rereading the chapter he had assigned them, it really was a good chapter. She looked up to see Harry lounging against the wall, chatting with one of the paintings, a skinny, gaunt looking man who waved merrily at Hermione and then ran off into the background of the painting.
"Hey, Hermione." Harry said, grinning and running his hands through his hair.
Hermione stopped at the last step looking at him. She still felt a little angry about his actions earlier in the day. "Hello, Harry." She said stiffly.
"Can we talk?" He asked.
"We're talking right now." Hermione said. A quiet descended upon the two. "I don't have time for this I have homework to do." She began up the stairs again.
Harry stepped before her, blocking her way up the stairs. "I'm sorry about this morning, but I had things to talk to with Cho. I was going to come over, but when I turned around again you and Ron had left." He smiled.
Hermione was quiet for a moment, but then she nodded. "Well, we were just worried about you. You haven't spoken to us in the past three weeks. I think you've spoken more words to me today than the last nineteen days."
Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess I had things on my mind, I really don't know." Harry shrugged.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked.
"No. Everything's fine. No problems." Harry replied. He suddenly extended his hand toward her. "Come on, I want to show you something."
Hermione looked at his hand and looked up at the smiling Harry. "Uh...I was planning on finishing Charms essay." She said, hefting her bag of books.
Harry laughed. "That's not due until next week. Come on, you gotta see this." With that he grabbed her hand and pulled her along, down the hall and away from the Gryffindor Tower.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, being dragged behind him.
"We're almost there." Harry said. They stopped before a heavy wooden door.
"The Room of Requirement?" Hermione asked, glancing at Harry. "What needs to be seen in there?"
Harry just grinned and opened the door, pushing Hermione before him.
"SURPRISE!!!" Hermione was nearly knocked back by the roar. Lights flared and revealed dozens of people in the Room, all grinning and waving small banners and throwing confetti. Hermione stood there, a look of shock and confusion on her face.
"Happy birthday, Hermione." Harry said, grinning.
XXX
"You think I wouldn't remember?" Harry asked, sitting down beside Hermione. She was flipping through a slim book, Harry handed her a plate with a cake upon it.
"Even I forgot." Hermione admitted grinning ruefully, she accepted the cake and set aside the book.
Harry laughed, leaning back in the seat. He looked about and smiled to himself. The celebration was nearing its end, several had already left and everyone was clumped into small groups talking and playing games. Ron was frantically trying to win at chess against Cho.
"It's good to hear you laugh, Harry." Hermione said. "You've been...distant for the last couple of weeks."
"I guess I've been avoiding you and Ron since school started, and this morning I was asking Cho about getting this place ready for your party. " Harry said. He was quiet for a moment, watching the others talking and laughing. "I haven't given you your present, have I?" He pulled out a small box from his pocket and handed to her. "It's nothing grand."
Hermione unwrapped the box and found a golden locket within it. She opened it and saw the laughing and grinning pictures of Ron, Harry, Ginny, and her.
"It's beautiful." Hermione said. "Thank you, Harry." She hugged him.
"It's nothing." Harry said, quickly looked away and clearing his throat. "Let's go see Cho beat Ron, shall we?" He said after a moment of silence.
Hermione slipped the locket around her neck, smiling faintly. "Yeah. Ron'll need all the help he can get." She said.
Hermione was walking slowly up the stairs to the Gryffindor tower, her mind upon the charms that Flitwick had been teaching them only hours before. She was anticipating rereading the chapter he had assigned them, it really was a good chapter. She looked up to see Harry lounging against the wall, chatting with one of the paintings, a skinny, gaunt looking man who waved merrily at Hermione and then ran off into the background of the painting.
"Hey, Hermione." Harry said, grinning and running his hands through his hair.
Hermione stopped at the last step looking at him. She still felt a little angry about his actions earlier in the day. "Hello, Harry." She said stiffly.
"Can we talk?" He asked.
"We're talking right now." Hermione said. A quiet descended upon the two. "I don't have time for this I have homework to do." She began up the stairs again.
Harry stepped before her, blocking her way up the stairs. "I'm sorry about this morning, but I had things to talk to with Cho. I was going to come over, but when I turned around again you and Ron had left." He smiled.
Hermione was quiet for a moment, but then she nodded. "Well, we were just worried about you. You haven't spoken to us in the past three weeks. I think you've spoken more words to me today than the last nineteen days."
Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess I had things on my mind, I really don't know." Harry shrugged.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked.
"No. Everything's fine. No problems." Harry replied. He suddenly extended his hand toward her. "Come on, I want to show you something."
Hermione looked at his hand and looked up at the smiling Harry. "Uh...I was planning on finishing Charms essay." She said, hefting her bag of books.
Harry laughed. "That's not due until next week. Come on, you gotta see this." With that he grabbed her hand and pulled her along, down the hall and away from the Gryffindor Tower.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked, being dragged behind him.
"We're almost there." Harry said. They stopped before a heavy wooden door.
"The Room of Requirement?" Hermione asked, glancing at Harry. "What needs to be seen in there?"
Harry just grinned and opened the door, pushing Hermione before him.
"SURPRISE!!!" Hermione was nearly knocked back by the roar. Lights flared and revealed dozens of people in the Room, all grinning and waving small banners and throwing confetti. Hermione stood there, a look of shock and confusion on her face.
"Happy birthday, Hermione." Harry said, grinning.
XXX
"You think I wouldn't remember?" Harry asked, sitting down beside Hermione. She was flipping through a slim book, Harry handed her a plate with a cake upon it.
"Even I forgot." Hermione admitted grinning ruefully, she accepted the cake and set aside the book.
Harry laughed, leaning back in the seat. He looked about and smiled to himself. The celebration was nearing its end, several had already left and everyone was clumped into small groups talking and playing games. Ron was frantically trying to win at chess against Cho.
"It's good to hear you laugh, Harry." Hermione said. "You've been...distant for the last couple of weeks."
"I guess I've been avoiding you and Ron since school started, and this morning I was asking Cho about getting this place ready for your party. " Harry said. He was quiet for a moment, watching the others talking and laughing. "I haven't given you your present, have I?" He pulled out a small box from his pocket and handed to her. "It's nothing grand."
Hermione unwrapped the box and found a golden locket within it. She opened it and saw the laughing and grinning pictures of Ron, Harry, Ginny, and her.
"It's beautiful." Hermione said. "Thank you, Harry." She hugged him.
"It's nothing." Harry said, quickly looked away and clearing his throat. "Let's go see Cho beat Ron, shall we?" He said after a moment of silence.
Hermione slipped the locket around her neck, smiling faintly. "Yeah. Ron'll need all the help he can get." She said.