Chapter 7: Deceit is not a good thing.
Racing from the Gryffindor common room, Harry kept his eyes open for Ron. He couldn't risk the lanky redhead following him, or else he would have to lie to his friend again. He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't spot Ron in the common room, but that also meant that he was going to have to keep a look out for him as he ran towards his destination.
Harry ran at full pelt down the darkening Hogwarts corridors towards the kitchens. He kept throwing glances over his back to make sure that Ron hadn't seen him and wasn't trailing him. He had been lucky so far, it seemed that most of the school were in their dormitories, offices or in the library. He hadn't yet been reminded that he was breaking yet another school rule - that of running in the corridors, which was forbidden.
Harry came to a sudden halt at the staircases. He couldn't believe his lack of luck, the staircases were all moving. He was lucky that as he was approaching the landing he hadn't looked back for Ron; he would have run right over the edge. He crossed his arms and glared at the moving staircases, his heart beginning to beat faster. He would have to wait until they changed, otherwise he would need to take the longer way there. Harry didn't know if Hermione would wait that long for him. He took the opportunity to catch his breath for a few moments as he waited for the last staircase to move back into place.
Hermione's pretty face once again found its way into his tumultuous thoughts. Why had he kissed her? Why had his feelings for her changed so rapidly and then gone back to normal again? He supposed that he was just trying to live his life more, enjoy it more, and take more risks in the love stakes. He felt that it was just in case he ran out of time - ran out of life before he would like it to end.
There were nights when he would worry about Voldemort and the Prophecy, and days when depression would take him over. He still hadn't been able to break the news to Ron and Hermione; somehow, the time was never right to bring it up into their conversations. So, Harry ignored the inevitable, undesirable as it was. He worried about other things, and filled his mind with schoolwork and short skirts.
The staircases all finally crashed into place with an echoing rumble. He had begun to take his first step down towards the lower level, when he heard his name called from behind him.
He froze mid-step, balancing, and turned to face Ron, who had emerged from a tapestry a little way along the corridor, he had just ran pell-mell down.
"Have you seen Hermione?" Ron asked him again. "We have to start our prefect duties in fifteen minutes and I haven't been able to find her."
"No, I haven't seen Hermione since dinner." Harry said, knowing that he was at least telling the truth this time.
Ron slowly approached Harry's balancing form. "What the hell are you doing anyway?" Ron demanded of his friend. "Why are you running around the corridors at this time of night for?"
"Exercising," Harry said as he studied Ron's approach. He didn't want Ron to get any closer, just in case his friend's anger boiled over. He didn't want Ron to 'accidentally' push him down the stairs. He had to get Ron to move away in another direction. "Don't you two meet up somewhere anyway? Have you checked the library?"
"Yeah, we meet outside of McGonagall's office," Ron said sadly. "It's just that I haven't been able to apologise to her yet, since she ran out…" he trailed off looking towards the staircases above them that were starting to groan again. The noise was a telltale sign that they would be moving at any minute.
Harry was aware of this, and he tried his best to get rid of Ron. Hermione was already going to be furious with him, who knew what she would do if he brought Ron along with him when she had clearly asked to meet him alone. "Look, check the library, mate, that's my best guess about where she could be." Harry offered again, a firmer note in his tone, "books comfort her, you know they do."
Ron looked at him, a tiny twinkle beginning to form in his blue eyes. "Okay, Harry," he said mysteriously. " I'll go and check there. Bye."
"See you," Harry called behind him as he walked quickly down the stairs. Glancing at his watch, he began to run again. It was ten to eight.
He saw Hermione as she stomped up the marble steps of the Great Hall.
"Hermione!" Harry called from above as he hurried down to meet her.
Her face was screwed up in anger a moment ago, but it changed into a beaming smile when she heard his voice and saw him making his way towards her.
"Harry!" Hermione called to him. "Quick, follow me!" She turned and quickly descended the marble staircase. Harry, who was much quicker at moving (having to avoid being hit by Dudley for the greater part of his life), caught up with her easily.
"You're late," Hermione scolded him as they stood in front of the fruit portrait, her left index finger gently ticking a large green pear until it began to giggle.
Harry threw out his palms in a defensive gesture and grinned at her. "At least I made it," he said. " If it wasn't for that bastard Snape, I wouldn't be here at all."
Hermione whipped around, tendrils of her hair flowing in all directions. Harry stepped back quickly. He didn't want to be hit in the face again. It still hurt from where Ron had slapped him. She looked at him confused.
"He pulled one of his Jedi mind tricks on me," Harry grinned at her, knowing that she would understand the reference, "and I remembered the note you gave me."
"How could you forget in the first place?" Hermione asked him as she led him by the arm over to a small table near the fireplace. "And what is Snape doing accessing your mind again? I thought you had finished with your Occlumency lessons?"
"To answer your first question," Harry began, "I had other things on my mind (like telling Ron that you like him, he thought). And to answer your second question, yes. I have finished my lessons with Snape. So, I have no better idea than you do about why he was trying to get into my mind."
Harry looked into Hermione's eyes and she blushed noticeably. She turned her attention to a loose button on her cardigan.
"I thought you weren't coming," Hermione said softly, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen between them. "I have to meet Ron in a few minutes, and I was hoping I would have had a bit longer to talk to you."
"Well, I'm here. Why don't you get started?" Harry said softly back.
Hermione took a deep breath and looked Harry in the eye.
"I spent the majority of my summer with Victor Krum."
"What!" Harry almost shouted at her, he was so surprised. She had told he and Ron that she had gone to some tropical island with her parents.
Hermione blushed a darker shade. "I didn't want to tell you because I thought that it would upset you. "
Harry raised his eyebrows at her.
"Okay, well, Ron then," Hermione replied to Harry's expression. "I think he, uhm..." She flushed an even deeper pink, "might like me more than a friend."
Harry grinned at her; he had never seen Hermione look so embarrassed. Not since Professor Snape had told her he saw no difference in the size of her teeth in fourth year. The memory of Snape dampened Harry's mood.
When Harry hadn't said anything, she continued. "Victor is coming here to visit me over Christmas," she said, "I mean us. Visiting us over Christmas. I don't know how to tell Ron."
"Tell Ron what?" Harry questioned her.
"That Victor is coming," she said not looking Harry in the eye.
"I'm sure he won't mind, Hermione," Harry told her. "He is a big fan of Krum's. It would be the best Christmas present he has ever received." He grinned at her again.
"Oh, shut up, Harry!" Hermione said playfully, smiling at him mischievously. She then flushed a rosy pink again. She looked into his eyes, blushed a deeper shade, and turned away.
Harry was confused over her behaviour. Was she flirting with him?
"Why did you have to tell me that in the kitchens?" Harry asked her as they left through the hidden door. "Couldn't you have told me that anywhere?"
"Oh!" Hermione said. "I completely forgot."
"Looks like I'm not the only one," Harry replied, laughing at her.
"I'll tell you later." Hermione started to walk faster. "I really have to go and meet Ron."
"Mr Potter, just who I was looking for," a stern, crisp voice rung out from the entrance to the Great Hall.
Harry spun around. Professor McGonagall was approaching him, leaning stiffly on her cane. "Come with me, Harry," she said as she began to laboriously climb the marble staircase.
"You have been summoned by the Headmaster. He wishes to speak with you regarding the incident with Professor Snape this evening."
Harry accompanied his professor up the marble stairs and along the corridor. He didn't like the tone that she was using with him. It suggested that he had been party to a serious incident - one that would result in a detention. Why was he in trouble when it was Snape that had attacked him?
"So, what is your relationship with Miss Granger these days?" McGonagall sprung on him as they approached the stone gargoyle.
Blushing, Harry replied, "we're just friends." He glanced sideways at McGonagall as she said the password, "Canary Creams". She didn't look satisfied with his answer. Had she heard the rumours too? Harry thought as he smiled about the use of one of the names of Fred and George's sweets being used for the Headmaster's password. They would be pleased about that.