Talking While Waiting
"Are you mad?" Hermione asked cautiously.
Harry put a grin upon his face. "No. Well, yes. But not anymore." He said, shrugging. "Stupid prat said I couldn't come."
"But it's all been cleared up, right?"
"Yeah, of course. I'm here aren't I?" Harry grinned. "You have to give it to Filch, though. He says on top of all the paperwork, when it concerns making the lives of other people miserable."
"I just thought you'd go off and do something regretful." Hermione said softly.
"What? What do you mean?"
Hermione shrugged uneasily. "You've been acting different and when Filch said you couldn't come down, I'd kinda figured you'd do something." She finished looking ashamed.
Harry only laughed. "Why would I go off on him?"
Hermione shrugged again, looking down at table they were sitting at. "I don't know. It doesn't matter anyway. You're here and everything's been sorted out."
Harry thought for a moment. "I understand now. It's the whole Sirius Black thing, right?" Hermione nodded slowly. "I'm sure I can get the Dursleys to sign the permission form, if not Dumbledore can step in again and allow me to come down here."
Hermione only looked at him, as if trying to peer through his skin. She shook her head slightly. "Have you seen Ron?" She asked, changing the subject.
Harry grinned with relief. Talking about Sirius Black, was well...a serious talk and it always left whoever was speaking sad. "Yeah. I saw him this morning; he was acting a little weird. Couldn't look me in the eye and just walked out of the dorm room while I was talking to him." Harry said, leaning back in his chair. "I wonder what's gotten into him. He's been acting like that since I told him we were going to Hogsmeade together."
Hermione was silent for a moment and then shrugged. "I guess he has things on his mind."
"Like what? If I had to guess I'd think he was moping over a girl or something. But then again I've never seen him with any girls, just you." Harry said, glancing around the shop they were in. Where was their order?
"Should I take that as an insult?" Hermione asked, a faint smile on her lips.
Harry looked startled. "No. No. I know you're a girl. Why else would I be here with you?"
"Again. Should I be insulted?" Hermione asked, her smile was gone and her fingers tapping dangerously upon the table.
Harry paused, he could feel he was treading a dangerous path. Harry sighed rubbing his face. "What's it with all these word games that girls play? They twist your words until you can't recognize them anymore and then trick you into saying things you don't mean and then take the meaning entirely differently than the way you actually meant it?"
"You just have a way with words, don't you Harry?" Hermione said.
Harry sighed again, he knew that tone. It was the I'm angry, but you're not going to make me angrier. I am in control of my emotions. It was a prelude to a fierce tongue-lashing. "Okay, I'll speak as bluntly as I can. I've known you what? Five years, going on six. You're a smart girl, you're a beautiful girl, and I like you. I like to spend time around you and I like to talk with you. That's why I'm here with you, so I can be around you and enjoy this day with you." Harry looked up and smirked. "Are you blushing?"
"I don't know what to say." Hermione said after a while. "It's...Thank you." She blushed again.
"Well, just forgive me if I did anything wrong or said anything wrong. It's not like I have much experience telling girls how I feel about them." Harry grinned. "Last time I was here, I was with Cho and well you know how that ended up."
"Yeah, you really messed that up." Hermione smiled.
Harry laughed. "And that's the reason I just decided to tell you as bluntly as I can. No wonderings, no questionings, nothing gray. I've openly cast my net and now I just have to reel in and see what I've caught."
Hermione grinned. "You really do have a way with words, don't you?"
XXX
They were walking back to the Castle, Hermione laughing and Harry carrying the packages they had bought. Mostly quills, parchment, sweets and other necessities of life. Hermione carried a small bouquet of flowers, listening and laughing as Harry told a joke.
They approached the man entrance and Harry saw Dumbledore standing there, waiting. He was flanked by Ron and Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore nodded, McGonagall looked a little apprehensive, and Ron seemed to be studying something intently.
"What's up?" Harry asked, shooting Ron a questioningly look. But Ron was only frowning at Harry and looked away.
"The healer from St. Mungo's just arrived. She's here to see what she can do about your memories." Dumbledore said. "Ron and Hermione will also have to see her, just in case there's any damage to their memories also."
Hermione was looking at the sun setting in the west. "It's a bit late, isn't it? Can't she do this in the morning?" Harry nodded.
"She's adamant about seeing you all as soon as possible. I've tried asking her to wait until tomorrow, but she insists that she sees you all now."
Harry glanced at Hermione and shrugged. "Well, then. Let's get this over with."
"Are you mad?" Hermione asked cautiously.
Harry put a grin upon his face. "No. Well, yes. But not anymore." He said, shrugging. "Stupid prat said I couldn't come."
"But it's all been cleared up, right?"
"Yeah, of course. I'm here aren't I?" Harry grinned. "You have to give it to Filch, though. He says on top of all the paperwork, when it concerns making the lives of other people miserable."
"I just thought you'd go off and do something regretful." Hermione said softly.
"What? What do you mean?"
Hermione shrugged uneasily. "You've been acting different and when Filch said you couldn't come down, I'd kinda figured you'd do something." She finished looking ashamed.
Harry only laughed. "Why would I go off on him?"
Hermione shrugged again, looking down at table they were sitting at. "I don't know. It doesn't matter anyway. You're here and everything's been sorted out."
Harry thought for a moment. "I understand now. It's the whole Sirius Black thing, right?" Hermione nodded slowly. "I'm sure I can get the Dursleys to sign the permission form, if not Dumbledore can step in again and allow me to come down here."
Hermione only looked at him, as if trying to peer through his skin. She shook her head slightly. "Have you seen Ron?" She asked, changing the subject.
Harry grinned with relief. Talking about Sirius Black, was well...a serious talk and it always left whoever was speaking sad. "Yeah. I saw him this morning; he was acting a little weird. Couldn't look me in the eye and just walked out of the dorm room while I was talking to him." Harry said, leaning back in his chair. "I wonder what's gotten into him. He's been acting like that since I told him we were going to Hogsmeade together."
Hermione was silent for a moment and then shrugged. "I guess he has things on his mind."
"Like what? If I had to guess I'd think he was moping over a girl or something. But then again I've never seen him with any girls, just you." Harry said, glancing around the shop they were in. Where was their order?
"Should I take that as an insult?" Hermione asked, a faint smile on her lips.
Harry looked startled. "No. No. I know you're a girl. Why else would I be here with you?"
"Again. Should I be insulted?" Hermione asked, her smile was gone and her fingers tapping dangerously upon the table.
Harry paused, he could feel he was treading a dangerous path. Harry sighed rubbing his face. "What's it with all these word games that girls play? They twist your words until you can't recognize them anymore and then trick you into saying things you don't mean and then take the meaning entirely differently than the way you actually meant it?"
"You just have a way with words, don't you Harry?" Hermione said.
Harry sighed again, he knew that tone. It was the I'm angry, but you're not going to make me angrier. I am in control of my emotions. It was a prelude to a fierce tongue-lashing. "Okay, I'll speak as bluntly as I can. I've known you what? Five years, going on six. You're a smart girl, you're a beautiful girl, and I like you. I like to spend time around you and I like to talk with you. That's why I'm here with you, so I can be around you and enjoy this day with you." Harry looked up and smirked. "Are you blushing?"
"I don't know what to say." Hermione said after a while. "It's...Thank you." She blushed again.
"Well, just forgive me if I did anything wrong or said anything wrong. It's not like I have much experience telling girls how I feel about them." Harry grinned. "Last time I was here, I was with Cho and well you know how that ended up."
"Yeah, you really messed that up." Hermione smiled.
Harry laughed. "And that's the reason I just decided to tell you as bluntly as I can. No wonderings, no questionings, nothing gray. I've openly cast my net and now I just have to reel in and see what I've caught."
Hermione grinned. "You really do have a way with words, don't you?"
XXX
They were walking back to the Castle, Hermione laughing and Harry carrying the packages they had bought. Mostly quills, parchment, sweets and other necessities of life. Hermione carried a small bouquet of flowers, listening and laughing as Harry told a joke.
They approached the man entrance and Harry saw Dumbledore standing there, waiting. He was flanked by Ron and Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore nodded, McGonagall looked a little apprehensive, and Ron seemed to be studying something intently.
"What's up?" Harry asked, shooting Ron a questioningly look. But Ron was only frowning at Harry and looked away.
"The healer from St. Mungo's just arrived. She's here to see what she can do about your memories." Dumbledore said. "Ron and Hermione will also have to see her, just in case there's any damage to their memories also."
Hermione was looking at the sun setting in the west. "It's a bit late, isn't it? Can't she do this in the morning?" Harry nodded.
"She's adamant about seeing you all as soon as possible. I've tried asking her to wait until tomorrow, but she insists that she sees you all now."
Harry glanced at Hermione and shrugged. "Well, then. Let's get this over with."