Chapter 16

Talking

(Hogwarts)

It was the last day before the holidays. Like normal, the Weasleys were going back to the burrow. Hermione was still staying to visit her parents. Harry was going to stay at Hogwarts, since no one else wanted him. During vacation, Ginny planned on going to see Hermione, to see how she was doing.

"Ron, do you know where Hermione's staying?" Ginny asked Ron at they're Christmas feast before they left.

"Grimmauld Place, as far as I know. Why?"

"Mum told me I could go visit her over vacation."

Harry, on the other side of the table went into another dream-like state. He was going to be all aloe at Hogwarts again. He couldn't believe it; he was going to be all alone, completely alone. After all these months of being alone, none of his friends are going to be there for him.

"Harry, Professor Dumbledore wants to see you." Harry got up from the table, wondering what Dumbledore wanted him for. He walked over to his office, said the password and boarded the escalator-like stairs.

"Um... You said you wanted to talk to me, Professor."

"Yeah… I wanted to talk to you about the holidays." said Dumbledore, from behind his desk.

"What about them?"

"What are your plans for them? Are you going anywhere, doing anything?"

"I was just going to stay here, I guess. I have no where else to go."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go and visit Grimmauld Place, look through some of Sirus' stuff. I know you probably don't want to, but the house will be yours as soon as you turn 18. Plus, it will be somewhere for you to go."

"Um…I don't"

"I really want you to go though. It will be some place for you to go, to get away from everything."

"Alright, if I must"

Harry went up to his dormitory to pack. He was kind of happy to be leaving Hogwarts for a little while, but to go to Sirus'. That did not sound like a fun place to go to get away from everything. He thought it would make him worse, being around Sirus' old things. Before he left, Dumbledore wanted to speak to Harry, so he stayed at Hogwarts while everyone else left.

At Grimmauld Place

Pop (Floo Powder)

"Hermione, Hermione, you here?" Ginny called. Hermione ran downstairs wondering who it was; she didn't think anyone knew where she was staying, besides Ron and Dumbledore.

"Oh, Hey Gin. How's everything going?"

"Alright, how's your parents."

"Doing better. They should be out by then end of vacation, hopefully. Anyway, want to hear something crazy."

"Viktor asked me out."

"Krum? Your ex?"

"Yeah, unfortunately. So I told him I had a boyfriend."

"Ha ha ha. You really don't like him anymore do you?"

"No…"

"It's all on Harry. But do you still have to go out with Viktor?"

"Yes, as 'friends'. He pretty much forced me to. What did I miss at Hogwarts?"

Ginny sat there and filled Hermione in with the little bits of nothing that has happened since she was at left Hogwarts. Finally, she decided it was getting late and she didn't want her mom getting mad, so she left, living Hermione all alone in the big house alone, again. She decided just to go up to her room, not to sleep, just to think. It was a little early still. She heard a knock on the window and instantly turned around to see what it was. It was an owl.

'Oh, great." She said to herself as she opened the piece of parchment. It read:

Hermione,

I will pick you up on Thursday o go out. I'd rather not say where we are going, I want it to be a surprise, but don't dress up fancy.

"Like I was going to" She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She continued reading:

I hope you are ready for some fun, and we can still be friends.

Viktor

Crash (what's up with all these sound effects today?)

Hermione threw the letter down on the bed and went to go investigate the noise.

'Maybe it was just Kreacher' she thought. When she ran downstairs, she found something different. A man was standing in the middle of the living room. In the dark, she could still recognize him.

"Harry?"

(Dun dun dun)

"Hermione, what are you doing here?"

"This is where I am staying, while I visit my parents. How did you get here, the train has been back for hours now, according to Ginny?"

"Portkey, Dumbledore wanted to talk to me."

"Oh…I hate being here. It creeps me out."

"Yeah, I know. I wish he was still alive."

Just then Harry realized the fact that they were both mad at each other. That same thought also hit Hermione. Harry decided to leave the room; he didn't want to apologize for something that stupid. Hermione decided she was going to go to bed. She wanted to talk things through, but they still had all week to do that. At least he wasn't ignoring her right?

"Hermione?" Harry said, knocking on her bedroom door and slightly opening it.

Hermione quickly threw Viktor's note in between the covers of her bed so he wouldn't see it. She remembered how much they all hated him, and she didn't want to start anymore trouble.

"Come in"

"Hermione, we need to talk."

"Yeah, we do."

"We need to talk about this fight; I hate not talking to you."

"So do I. Its weird, we were supposed to be friends forever."

"And were going to be. Look, theirs no easy way to say his, but I'm sorry. I was really stupid."

"I accept your apology on one condition; you will be on speaking terms with Ron."

"Alright fine, but for you though. I was definitely jealous of Ron though."

"I knew you were."

Hermione sat there, right next to Harry, enjoying his company, glad to have him back as a friend. The letter from Viktor was haunting him. She felt guilty about it, she liked Harry and yet she still had to go out with Viktor.

"Uh, look, we have a problem." She found the note from him and gave it to Harry to read. She wanted to tell him the truth, she had to.

"Alright, what'd I miss?"

"I ran into him the other day, he said that he was moving over here and that he wanted to get back together. I lied to him and told him I had a boyfriend, but he still persuaded me to go out with him."

"I'm sure it's not that bad." He said, trying to be a good friend.

They talked well into the night, just catching up on the past months that they have missed out on with each other. They each enjoyed the company of each other. They each decided to head to bed, because it was getting late and they planned on a long day.

When Hermione woke up the next morning, she heard some noises coming from beside her. She quickly turned around to find that she was not alone in her bed, Harry was there. She looked at him smiling; he was finally hers, almost. Then she realized Harry left her alone the night before, after they were done talking. When Harry woke up, he was just as confused.

"Good morning," Harry said. "I don't mean to be rude, but how'd I get here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question," Hermione stated. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"I remember having a slight one, but nothing to dramatic. I don't think I came in here though."

"What about sleep walking?"

"Maybe, come on, let's eat breakfast."

Later on, Hermione decided to go visit her parents at the hospital. Harry volunteered to go with her; he wanted to meet her parents. It was still a little awkward between the two of them, but they knew after the week, it wouldn't be. Hermione's parents were doing a lot better. They could talk and respond to most of the world around them. Soon, Hermione hoped that they would become better enough to get out of there.

When they decided to leave, Hermione decided to go see the receptionist. She wanted to know if Viktor had a phone number, she wanted to call him. She really wanted to call him and turn him down; she did not want to go out with him.

"I would like to know of a recent patient's phone number."

"Last name please," Said the witch sitting at the receptionist desk.

"Krum, Viktor."

"Sorry, there seems to be no one on file with that name."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes ma'am. Could it be under a different name?"

"No, thanks anyways." Hermione said politely. She turned around and receptionist, confused.

'How could Viktor say he was a patient, when he wasn't?'

"Alright, what are you so confused about?" Harry asked when Hermione met back up with him at the hospital.

"They just told me Viktor was never a patient here. Why would he tell me that he was?"

"Well, people do lie like that. Come on, let's go do something else." Harry said trying to avoid the Viktor subject.

Shopping was next for them. Both Harry and Hermione still had loads of shopping to do. They found the nearest muggle-mall and went shopping. Luckily, Harry had already bought Hermione part of her present, what else a book. Hermione had the faintest idea on what to get Harry, but she new she would find something as he wasn't hard to buy for. They decided to go shop for their other friends first, and then each other. When they each found something for each member of the Weasley lot and a few of their friends from Hogwarts, Hermione chose to shop upstairs while Hermione stayed downstairs.

(We're following Harry)

Harry walked around the mall debating what to buy Hermione. He wanted to show her that he cared, but he didn't want to buy her too much. He still wasn't sure the perfect way to show her that he had fallen for her. He decided to first go to a flower shop, just to get some ideas.

"Potter vis that you."

"Yeah. Hi Krum." said Harry trying to sound excited.

"Are you Hermy-one-ninny's boyfriend?"

'Yes or no' Harry thought. 'If I saw yes, I might save Hermione, or hurt her.'

"No," he blurted out, not giving his mind any time to decide. He really wished Hermione was there so they could be on the same storyline.

"Any idea what kind of flowers she likes?"

Harry knew the answer to this question. The truth was, Hermione never cared for flowers, but he wasn't going to tell Viktor this. No, he was the one trying to win over Hermione's heart, not Viktor. "No, why?"

"I just wanted to vin her over from vhat loser.."

"Sure you are". Harry muttered, sarcastically, as soon as he left Viktor. "Soon that loser's going to be me."

"Guess who I just ran into." Harry said, to Hermione as they met back up.

"Who?"

"Krum"

"Oh, that lying little prat"

"You really don't like him anymore, do you?"

"No, I've moved on."

"So, who do you like now?"

'You,' she screamed inside her brain.

"Stop pressuring me," she said, jokingly. "I'm not telling you unless you tell me."

Christmas went by with a blink of an eye. Harry and Hermione spent the whole day together, like they did for most of the week. After opening presents, they went to visit her parents. Harry and Hermione both sent their presents to the Weasleys and their friends the night before. Their presents from all the children arrived shortly after they came home from the hospital. Harry was shocked to see a present arrive for him from Ron.

"See Harry, he does care about you, everyone does."

A/n- Weirdest place I've ever left a chapter. Boy, it's been two weeks. Well, sorry 'bout that, but I've been pretty sick a lot these past few weeks. Next chapter will be really good for you guys. It's got some downfalls, but I really like it. Thanks for all the reviews, and keep them coming.

Kelly