A while later, after everything on the extensive school list had been crossed out of checked, and the bags that contained these things had been handed to Mrs. Weasley, the four of them decided to go to the Leaky Cauldron. They made their way through the crowd, down the winding street. Once there they found a coupe of school friends, greeting them with things like 'Oh, hi Neville, come sit with us.' and 'Hey Meecha, how've you been?' Harry didn't know who Meecha was, she was Ginny's friend, and he had only seen her around school a couple of times, usually gabbing away with a friend on either side of her. They found a nice six-seated booth in the back to sit in. Ron was sitting next to the wall. Harry sat across from him and next to Hermione. Hermione sat next to Neville. Ginny sat in between Ron and Meecha. Ron and Harry both were being pushed against the wall. Ginny didn't notice, but Hermione did.
"Neville, could you scoot over any more? Oh, I'm sorry Harry, that's as much space as we have. Are you comfortable enough?" Hermione was clearly sorry and sitting so close to Neville that she was almost pushing him off the seat.
"No, it's okay 'Mione, I'm fine." Hermione looked at Harry awkwardly.
" 'Mione? Since when do you call me 'Mione?" She was looking at Harry with an odd but amused face.
"Oh! Oh! I'm sorry, I meant Hermione." Harry could've kicked himself. He was so embarrassed he was playing with the table cloth, exactly mimicking what Hermione had done the night before with the bed-sheet before... well, he didn't want to think about that right now.
"No, no, call me that. I like it better than Hermione. Hermione's an awkward name and doesn't sound good when you say it, but 'Mione kinda just rolls off the tongue, don't ya think?" She was looking at him now with a smile on her face, and Harry couldn't read her expressions. 'UGH! Girls are so hard to figure out sometimes!' he found himself thinking as he suddenly remembered she was waiting for an answer.
"Oh, oh yeah! It's great!" Harry smiled right back at her, which he hoped was just as confusing as her smile. "I think its brilliant!" Hermione laughed a little and looked down at the table. When she looked up she was surprised to find a bottle of Butterbeer sitting in front of her, and Harry and three sets of eyes on them all smiling broadly. All except Neville, who had fallen off the seat and was in search of one he could pull up to the table.
"I wasn't sure whether to wake you guys from your own little world of to just order for you... I choose order." Ron smiled at them.
"How long have you been listening to us?" Harry questioned.
"Oh, long enough to have suspicions, my friend." Ron answered grinning from ear to ear. "Long enough." Harry was inwardly grinning to himself. He knew he liked Hermione, but he was worried Ron would too. But judging by the fact that Ron was almost rolling on the floor laughing, he guessed not.
"Oh, just be quiet!" 'Mione laughed.
"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you, 'Mione? Well don't expect to hear the end of this until seventh year... maybe more."
"UGH!" 'Mione leaned closer to Harry "I told you we couldn't tell Ron about the... incident."
"Sharing little love comments, are we?" Ron was obviously not going to give it up until seventh year.
"Oh, drop it, Ron!" Mione said grinning.
"Okay, okay, I'll drop it... for now." Ron replied under his breath. A few minutes and a couple of sarcastic remarks later, Harry went to reach for his drink but someone's hand was already there. Hermione had a hold on her drink and was staring at it where the back of Harry's hand was currently touching hers. She was obviously thinking frantically, as was Harry. Harry finally got a grip and organized his thoughts until he found the best one. It was brilliant! It was genius! It was foolproof! It was about this time that Hermione snatched her hand back. 'Oh man! I took so much time coming up with a plan that I can't use it! Wait! It can still work!' So with that Harry took a swig of his Butterbeer and acted like nothing happened. 'Ha, ha! Now she'll never say anything, cause she thinks I don't know! People don't give me enough credit for the genius I am!'
"Harry did you mean to just touch my hand?"
'UGH!' "No, 'Mione! I'm sorry!" Harry was hoping it was believable. After all, it was the truth.
"Oh, don't apologize! I just wanted to know." Pretty soon they had finished their drinks, said their goodbyes and gone home for the night.
"Neville, could you scoot over any more? Oh, I'm sorry Harry, that's as much space as we have. Are you comfortable enough?" Hermione was clearly sorry and sitting so close to Neville that she was almost pushing him off the seat.
"No, it's okay 'Mione, I'm fine." Hermione looked at Harry awkwardly.
" 'Mione? Since when do you call me 'Mione?" She was looking at Harry with an odd but amused face.
"Oh! Oh! I'm sorry, I meant Hermione." Harry could've kicked himself. He was so embarrassed he was playing with the table cloth, exactly mimicking what Hermione had done the night before with the bed-sheet before... well, he didn't want to think about that right now.
"No, no, call me that. I like it better than Hermione. Hermione's an awkward name and doesn't sound good when you say it, but 'Mione kinda just rolls off the tongue, don't ya think?" She was looking at him now with a smile on her face, and Harry couldn't read her expressions. 'UGH! Girls are so hard to figure out sometimes!' he found himself thinking as he suddenly remembered she was waiting for an answer.
"Oh, oh yeah! It's great!" Harry smiled right back at her, which he hoped was just as confusing as her smile. "I think its brilliant!" Hermione laughed a little and looked down at the table. When she looked up she was surprised to find a bottle of Butterbeer sitting in front of her, and Harry and three sets of eyes on them all smiling broadly. All except Neville, who had fallen off the seat and was in search of one he could pull up to the table.
"I wasn't sure whether to wake you guys from your own little world of to just order for you... I choose order." Ron smiled at them.
"How long have you been listening to us?" Harry questioned.
"Oh, long enough to have suspicions, my friend." Ron answered grinning from ear to ear. "Long enough." Harry was inwardly grinning to himself. He knew he liked Hermione, but he was worried Ron would too. But judging by the fact that Ron was almost rolling on the floor laughing, he guessed not.
"Oh, just be quiet!" 'Mione laughed.
"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you, 'Mione? Well don't expect to hear the end of this until seventh year... maybe more."
"UGH!" 'Mione leaned closer to Harry "I told you we couldn't tell Ron about the... incident."
"Sharing little love comments, are we?" Ron was obviously not going to give it up until seventh year.
"Oh, drop it, Ron!" Mione said grinning.
"Okay, okay, I'll drop it... for now." Ron replied under his breath. A few minutes and a couple of sarcastic remarks later, Harry went to reach for his drink but someone's hand was already there. Hermione had a hold on her drink and was staring at it where the back of Harry's hand was currently touching hers. She was obviously thinking frantically, as was Harry. Harry finally got a grip and organized his thoughts until he found the best one. It was brilliant! It was genius! It was foolproof! It was about this time that Hermione snatched her hand back. 'Oh man! I took so much time coming up with a plan that I can't use it! Wait! It can still work!' So with that Harry took a swig of his Butterbeer and acted like nothing happened. 'Ha, ha! Now she'll never say anything, cause she thinks I don't know! People don't give me enough credit for the genius I am!'
"Harry did you mean to just touch my hand?"
'UGH!' "No, 'Mione! I'm sorry!" Harry was hoping it was believable. After all, it was the truth.
"Oh, don't apologize! I just wanted to know." Pretty soon they had finished their drinks, said their goodbyes and gone home for the night.