Chapter 9 – Alone Together

Two weeks after Hermione had stormed off leaving Oliver alone at the Shrieking Shack. She had tried her best to ignore and avoid him at all costs. Hers being a big house she found it quite easy. She spent most of her time in the astronomy tower as Oliver couldn't manage that many stairs with his crutches.

She buried herself further in her work and spent many late nights clacking away on her laptop. She no longer went down to the living room to watch films of a night, and was unsure if Oliver had also given up but didn't want to go down and check just in case he was there.

She was already sailing past her deadline and had written two chapters more than she was planning to in the time that had passed. At this rate it would be done months before she planned it to be finished. A letter from her publisher that morning told her that her second book had already sold over one million copies.

She dared not to check how much was now in her Gringotts vault as she didn't want the money to go to her head. The anticipation of waiting for her bank balance to come through at the start of the next month, until then she would just have to wait.

--

Ginny was slowly, very slowly, coming to terms with the fact that Harry and she would never be together. She was far from accepting it, but she was getting used to the fact that Harry was living with a girl. A girl who he was seeing, a girl who he was in a serious relationship with.

The grip that seemed to be around her heart eased off ever so slightly each day, and although it still hurt like hell there was the faint spark that it may possible get better. Some time in the very distance future. She had found that work seemed to help, now that she had a job that she actually enjoyed she found that getting up in the morning had a point to it. Fred and George were so much fun and managed to take her mind off her troubles for a few moments at a time.

The bell jingled as a customer walked in, waking Ginny from her day dream. It was a tall man that seemed vaguely familiar to her. Studying him as he browsed the store Ginny tried to figure out where she knew him from. Averting her eyes as he looked over to the counter, she quickly started arranging her hair and straightening her apron.

"Can I help you Sir?" she muttered quietly. He looked up and smiled.

"Erm, do you have any of those feinting fancies left? The box is empty." He asked her with a boyish grin.

"Yeh I think we have some in the back, hold on a moment." She said as she walked into the store room.

She quickly located four different flavoured boxes of the product and took them back into the front of the shop. The guy was casually leaning on the counter flicking through one of the store's catalogues.

He looked at the boxes and told Ginny which of the flavours he wanted.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" He asked with a frown. "Hey wait! You're Weasley? It's Seamus, Seamus Finnagan!"

"Seamus! Hi how are you?" Ginny smiled.

"I'm doing well. It's my nephew's birthday in a few days so I thought I should get him something that would be of use at Hogwarts. How about you? Working I see."

Ginny nodded and smiled "Yep and happily too! What about you, a great job to get to?"

"I'm working behind the bar at the Leaky Cauldron. It's not the best but it pays the rent so can't complain. Anyway I better go lots to do."

Ginny rung up the items for him and placed them all in a bag before handing them over to him.

"Well here you go." She muttered.

"Hey, I've got tomorrow night off do you want to get a drink or something?" Seamus asked hopefully.

"I don't think that's such a great idea, I'm sorry but I'm going through major emotional issues at the moment, I'm not ready to get into anything right now. I'm sorry." She said with a sad apologetic smile.

"Oh ok, yeah I understand, it's no problem." He said as quickly exited the shop, blushing furiously.

As the door swung shut Ginny gave a slow sad sigh, leaned her elbows on the counter and rested her head in her hands.

--

Having a hard time working out his feelings Oliver had taken to sitting out in the gardens. What Hermione had said struck a nerve he wasn't so sure why. At first he believed it was because he was angry that she wouldn't take his feeling seriously. But, as he thought more about it, he realised that he was angry with himself. It was true what Hermione had said, if he was playing Quidditch he wouldn't want a relationship either. He was just bored, that was the problem.

This wasn't love that he was feeling; he thought to himself, this was lust. He couldn't deny that he was attracted to her, he had been ever since he saw her again when she was in her seventh year.

The only thing getting in the way of apologising to Hermione was his pride. He knew that he should, but he couldn't back down even though deep down he wanted to. As he sat alone in the living room each night he missed Hermione's company. He missed human contact. He used to spend the whole day alone now he spent the whole evening alone too.

--

Hermione was frantically searching for the notes she had made recently while talking to Harry and Ron when they had come over for dinner two nights previously. She was rooting about in her desk draws through all the other papers that she had stuffed in there when she couldn't be bothered to sort them properly. Sitting back upright she pushed the hairs off her face and back into the clip that was holding back her curls.

Suddenly her memory clicked and she remembered just where she had left them. When Oliver, Harry and Ron had gone outside to discuss Quidditch, Hermione had picked up a book in the living room and started to read. When the three had returned she had used the notes as a bookmark and placed the book on the coffee table.

Looking over at the clock that hung on the wall she saw that it was nearing seven, that would mean that unless Oliver had given up on going he would be in the living room watching films. A small groan escaped her lips as she pushed herself to her feet and started down the hall.

Once on the first floor she tiptoed along the hall and stopped outside the living room, she held her breath and waited to see if any noise came from the room. When no sound came after a few minutes she let out her breath and opened the door.

Grabbing the candle from the end table close to the door she made her way to the back of the room. She quickly located the book she had amused herself with and pulled the papers she needed out of it.

She made her way back to the door and a sudden movement behind her made her jump. She spun around and shot a spell in the direction that she had heard the noise coming from. Unfortunately all that was there was a large mirror, she spell that she had used bounced off of the mirror and flew over her head.

Spinning around Hermione was just in time to see the spell hit the door. Running over to it she tried to yank it open but it wouldn't budge.

"Shit!" she muttered as she pulled on the door handle even harder.

Getting frustrated she slammed against the door with the palms of her hand. Suddenly the light came on and she saw that she was not alone in the room.

"Hermione what are you doing?" Oliver asked with a frown.

"Oliver? What the hell?" Hermione shrieked shocked at his presence.

"I was asleep." He explained pointing to the chair below the mirror. "What are you doing to the door?"

"I'm trying to bloody open it." She replied through gritted teeth. "You made a noise and made me jump so I used the body binding spell. It bounced off the mirror and hit the door, which will now not bleeding open!"

Hermione stepped back from the door in defeat while Oliver watched her with an amused expression on his face. She looked flustered and her hair was falling out if it's clip. Her makeup had smudged leaving faded black marks underneath her eyes as though she was very tired.

"Looks like we're stuck until it wears off then aren't we?" Oliver said with a chuckle. "Ironic, you've spent the past two weeks avoiding me only to end up locking yourself in a room with me."

Even as he said it he couldn't help but laugh.

"Shut up." Hermione muttered, even though she too was showing hints of smiling.

She flopped down onto the sofa, grabbed the blanket that was hung over the back of it and snuggled up under it. Oliver sat at the end of the sofa near her feet and pointed his wand at the TV screen. It flickered on and the pair watched in silence for a while.

Every so often they would steal a glance at one another, when the other wasn't looking. But sometimes their eyes would meet and they would blush profoundly before quickly averting their gaze.

As the silence grew more and more uncomfortable Oliver knew he had to speak up. So with a deep breath he swallowed his pride. "Hermione I'm sorry about what I said when we were in Hogsmade together. It was wrong of me and you were right, the only reason I want a relationship is because I'm not playing Quidditch right now. Plus it really wouldn't be fair on you if I'm not around so much. Please don't be awkward with me now; can we pretend it never happened?"

He looked across at her hopefully and watched as her eyes met his. With a relieved smile she nodded vigorously.

"So how about we watch a film?" She suggested "I've got a lot of catching up to do."

"That sounds great." Oliver said with a grin.

--

The next morning Hermione awoke in a room that was not her own. It disoriented her for a moment before she realised that she was still in the living room with her head upon Oliver's shoulder. She quietly pushed herself up off him and went over to the doorway. Closing her eyes she placed her hand on the handle, repeating please open, please open like a mantra. Pushing the door she found it opened with ease.

Letting out a squeak of delight she raced into the hallway before going back into the room to wake Oliver.

"Well," Oliver sighed, as he sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast with Hermione a little while later "That was an interesting evening."

"It'll teach you not to lurk about in dark places." Hermione said disapprovingly.

"I wasn't lurking! Sleeping can be in no way classed as lurking."

"You were so lurking! No lights on, making me jump and accidentally locking us in for the night."

"I was not lurking!" Oliver protested before laughing at the look Hermione was giving him "I think we may have to ask Ginny to settle this one when she gets home from work."

Both their eyes suddenly fell to Hermione's arm where Oliver's hand was resting quite comfortably. Slowly he moved it up onto her shoulder before reaching round to the back of her neck. She brought her hand up to meet his and their fingers entwined.

"What time will she be getting back?" Hermione asked in a whisper dripping with lust and want.

"Not for a long time. For now we're all alone together." Oliver reassured her in to her ear in a low seductive voice.

They both got up form where they were sat and wrapped their arms around each other, bodies firmly pressing against each other so Hermione could feel the bulge in the front of his trousers.

He tilted her head up towards him and kissed her lips before trailing a line of kisses along her neck to her ear, he ran his tongue along it before nibbling it lightly. Hermione sighed with pleasure as she took his hands and slowly lead him into the bedroom.

A/N – Thank you! You guys are wonderful! –

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