"Across the Pond"
Chapter Five
Uriel awoke on his first day of school, ready and willing to learn. He jumped out of bed, used scourgify to give him sort of an insta-shower, dressed quickly, and departed down the stairs to the common room. The night before, Uriel had grown tired of his hairstyle, and changed it, so that it stuck up in the back, and there met in a point; other parts of his hair were spiked, waved, or otherwise styled so that they coalesced into that back point; all-in-all, creating a very dignified look.
On that first morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were quite gracious, and obligingly helped him around to his classes. (He and Hermione had the same schedule, so he basically had to tag along with her for the first few days—he, too, had a time-turner.) Harry and Ron really took to Uriel. They thought he was absolutely hilarious, and Uriel, in turn, could not help but laugh when he beheld their befuddled faces as he attempted to explain the American game of Quodpot. Hermione loved his witty conversation, and adored getting his opinions on matters like house-elf slavery, the goblin civil rights movements, and etcetera.
Uriel was extremely lucky, in that the classes at Hogwarts were in basically the same period of study as St. Malefecent's, so he did not have much to catch up on. He excelled in all of his classes, and rivaled Hermione in academic prowess. Professor Snape was even more annoyed, now that he had two "insufferable know-it-alls" in his class. Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, was enraptured—nothing pleased her more than intelligent students.
As October became November and the chill of winter began to rear its frosty head, the students were forced to spend most of their weekends inside. When not studying ( a hobby that the two students shared) Hermione and Uriel would peruse various books, while toasting themselves by the fire. Hermione had lent Uriel Hogwarts: a History and Uriel had lent her The Life of St. Malefecent and Other Secretly-Magical Saints. It was on these weekends, when they were warmed by the fire whilst freezing rain or sleet battered the windows that their romance slowly unfolded. One fateful night, Harry walked in on them: they were sitting in the same chair, close to the hearth, sharing a piece of apple pie and cuddling close.
"Got tired of your history books, have you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling. "Reckoned you'd move on to something a bit more exciting, eh?" He chuckled and strolled out of the room. Uriel and Hermione went back to their pie.
"What do you mean, 'smooching and eating apple pie'?" Ron demanded of Harry the next morning at breakfast, looking quite astonished and ruffled.
"Well," sneered Harry, "for someone who isn't Hermione's boyfriend, you seem awfully shaken up by her paying attention to another guy. But, quiet, here they come!" Harry had been able to recognize the pair immediately, because Uriel was wearing the robes of St. Malefecent, and so was the only speck of dark blue in a sea of black.
Uriel and Hermione sat down. As Uriel was helping himself to some bacon and eggs from the trencher, the atmosphere became more and more tense. Harry could tell that Hermione knew that Ron knew something he shouldn't, though she didn't know what; Ron shot Hermione looks of seering scorn every few moments, because he knew what Hermione and Uriel had been doing, which was something that he shouldn't know; Harry knew that if Hermione found that he had told Ron, his head would roll; Uriel knew that all of the aforementioned characters knew what they knew ( even if they shouldn't have known what they knew), plus he also knew that this was perhaps the most delicious bacon he had ever eaten. But then again, laymen legelimens with Elven ancestry can often pick up on these things (oops, I kind of sprung that one on you, didn't I?)
Harry eventually decided to break the ice. "So," he said, "anyone catch the Quidditch game Thursday night?" He looked around hopefully, but then shut back up.
"I know you're going out with Hermione!" burst out Ron, pointing a quivering finger at Uriel. Uriel was strangely silent for a few moments, but, after finishing his coffee and the last bits of bacon, finally spoke: "Ah," he said, "the last horse finally crosses the finish line."
But then, Uriel turned to Hermione. "Did you have a prior engagement with this gentleman?" he asked, indicating Ron. "Please don't tell me you led him on, and made him think he was the only one!"
"No!" she said. "I swear I didn't!" Hermione looked over at Harry to back her up. He remained silent, but gave her a reassuring nod that said, "Don't worry, I believe you."
"Well, then, let us let Our Lady decide for herself," suggested Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, who had just popped up amidst the pancakes.
The eyes of the group all shifted to Hermione. "I guess," she said, "that I would like to keep both of you, but let neither relationship become to serious."
"Then it is settled," said Uriel. "Now let us finish our breakfast."
And so it was. They had reached an accord: both Uriel and Ron would be Hermione's "slightly-more-than-best-friends."