A Plan that Worked, Sorta
Chapter 6 Well Here They Are
"Now all of you seventh years will have your Graduation ceremony tomorrow in the Great Hall before the End of Term Feast. And yes Mr. Weasley you will be able to eat afterwards." Professor McGonagall said and the class laughed along with Ron, then Ron raised his hand, "Yes, Mr. Weasley?"
"Professor, who from the class is making the Graduation Speech?"
"I was getting to that Mr. Weasley."
"Sorry." He mumbled as everyone but Hermione laughed.
"Generally, we have our Head Boy and Girl make the speech but seeing as Mr. Potter has already given the school a wonderful speech for all of us and Ms. Granger." Hermione and Harry blushed, "Ms. Granger, you're making the speech this year." Hermione's eyes looked like they were going to budge out of her skull.
"Congratulations Hermione!" Harry, Ron, and Neville clapped and she turned green, as Professor McGonagall dismissed the class.
"Hermione what's wrong?" Harry asked.
"I can't do public speaking." She squeaked, grabbed his hand and ran to the library with him.
"Mione, it's okay. You always speak up in class and that is the public so you'll be fine." He hugged her.
"No, that is completely different, that is just answering a question this is a speech I have to write and give to the entire school or…" Hermione sat down at the nearest table and put her head in her hands.
"Mione, I'll help you write a speech, the one I gave the school I came up with it just standing there." Harry sat down next to her, rubbing her back.
"No you don't understand I… when I was in a play, in my primary school, before I went on stage, I was so nervous, I puked everywhere, and I mean everywhere." God that was the most embarrassing thing ever. Why did I just tell Harry that? God I'm so stupid.
"Mione, what happened when you got on stage?" Harry smirked.
He's up to something; he has that smirk on his face. "I pretended I was rehearsing my lines in front of a mirror and I did fine." She mumbled.
"Well, just do that again." He gave her his heart-warming smile.
"See that's just the problem, I can't do that again." She placed her head on the table. I can't do this, I just know I'll mess up, I'm just going to go tell Professor McGonagall that I can't do this. In the play I had two months to learn my lines this is one speech and one night to write and remember it all in.
"Hermione I will stay up all night with you getting you over you're fear of public speaking." He hugged her and brought her head to his chest
"Harry I…"
"Hermione Jane Granger you have made a countless number of speeches to me and Ron and the whole of Gryffindor tower. This is just the seventh years, our professors, and maybe some parents that's it." Harry kept holding her, "Say you will or I'll yell and scream and have us kicked out of the library."
"Ok I can do this… I can do this…I can do this…" She said under her breath "Alright, it's time to get to work writing this speech."
"That's the spirit!" He stopped hugging
"But, I'm going to do it in the common room." She stood up and went up to the Gryffindor Common room, thinking hard about what she was going to say to everyone
Hermione was up all night with Harry writing the speech and overcoming her fear of public speaking. That day the seventh years took their last day at Hogwarts with a great respect and longing for the place that was a second home to most of them. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked around the well-worn stairs and grounds, they visited Hagrid, and talked about all the rules they broke over the past seven years with a sense of nostalgia. The time came when all of the seventh years had to gather in the entrance hall for the ceremony.
"Ok, speech time." Hermione squeezed Harry's hand tightly "Harry, I put it in my pocket right?"
"Yes you did." He said as the seventh years proceeded into the great hall single file led by Harry and Hermione. They filled into the seats assigned to them and faced the professors' table.
"Hello students, professors, and guests. I am pleased to announce that all these young adults here have gone from knowing nothing to knowing more then our wonderful professors have taught them. Now I would like to turn your attention on to our Head Girl who will be delivering the Graduation Speech, this year." Dumbledore said, followed by a polite round of applause. Hermione squeezed Harry's hand, stood up and walked over to the front of the Professor's table.
"Welcome everyone to the class of 1999's graduation. For everyone who has heard me in class or in the common room might find what I am about to say hard to believe, but it's true, up until three o'clock this morning I did not have a single word of this speech thought of. In other words I was speechless." She smiled and got a few laughs from some people who had heard her talk non-stop in class and the common room. "Seven years ago we all arrived here young and carefree some of us naive as to what we would find here, I know I sure was. I found friends and a life I did not know existed. I am muggle born and proud of it. I studied hard and learned that there was more to being a witch then books and cleverness there's friendship and bravery involved too." She glanced at Harry. "As many of the professors will never forget my two best friends and I broke many rules, most likely all of them, and lost many house points. We learned that we needed each other to corporate and work together to solve our problems. If there is one thing I have learned here that isn't taught in the classroom is that, you can't dwell on dreams and forget to live. Thank you, and to my entire class good luck in whatever you're going to do after leaving what has come to be my second home, Hogwarts." She smiled and went and sat in the seat next to Harry.
"Good job, Mione."
"Thanks." She whispered as McGonagall stood up and started handing out the diplomas calling everyone's name like she did when they were being sorted on their first day entering the Great Hall.
After the ceremony the House Tables, which were transformed into long rows of benches went back to their original positions. The parents left and the rest of the school filed into the Great Hall. Everyone enjoyed the end of term feast, where Gryffindor won the House Cup for the 7th year running, after the feast had ended Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the Gryffindor Common Room where they relaxed for awhile, in front of the crackling fire.
"Hey Hermione do you think we should go break a few rules for old times sake?" Harry asked his head in her lap.
"You know how I feel about breaking rules," She said sternly with a smirk, "but for old times sake…Ron you in?"
"What rule?"
"As many as possible." Harry and Hermione said smirking with the same mischievous glint in their eyes.
"Alright, let's go." Ron said heading to the portrait hole.
They left Gryffindor tower, went to many parts of the castle, and even suck out to Hogsmeade, going to Honeydukes, The Three Broomsticks, and Zonko's Joke shop. They came back tired and all fell asleep on the couches by the fire. They woke up in the morning to the sound of feet coming down the stairs. After the trio woke up, they went and got their trunks ready and went down to breakfast. After breakfast, everyone went to get their trunks then went down to the entrance hall and waited for one of the carriages that would bring them down to Hogsmeade train station. Once they were on the train, they found an empty compartment. As they rode back to the muggle world they joked around and played magical games like wizard chess, exploding snap, and gobstones. It was all fun and games until Malfoy showed up.
"What do you want?" Harry growled when he saw the pale face.
"To talk with Granger."
"Wow, I'm surprised you didn't call me mudblood this time." Hermione stood up, pulling her wand out, pointing it at him. The next thing they all knew, Malfoy was stunned on the floor, and Hermione was attempting to move him out of their doorway. "Harry a little help here please!" She said pushing him out the door a bit.
Harry and Ron ran over to her and proceeded to roll him out into the hallway. Afterwards, they all came back into the compartment, sat down, and started talking and playing games again, until Hermione expressed a concern.
"Guys, let's promise that we will always keep in touch, no matter what." Hermione said with her head on Harry's shoulder.
"Mione, were engaged, I'd think we would keep in touch." Harry smirked poking her side with his finger.
"I mean, Ron, you'll keep in touch right?" She asked almost pleading him.
"Y-Yeah, why wouldn't I." Ron fidgeted in his seat.
"I don't know, I just had to ask." Hermione shrugged as they all felt the train slowing down, they knew it would be their last ride. They all met on the train, but their friendship would last longer then a train ride, it will last forever.
When the train stopped the trio stood up and pulled their trunks from the racks above their heads. Harry picked Hedwig, who was asleep in her cage, up from the floor, Hermione got Crookshanks back into his cat carrier, and Ron found 'Pig' in the corner of his cage hiding under some newspaper.
"Why is my pet the retarded one?" Ron asked as he got their games from the floor.
"I have no idea, Ron." Hermione answered, helping Harry close his trunk. "Bloody hell, Harry what do you have in here?"
"My life story among other things." Harry snapped his trunk shut on a loose sock. "Fine the sock can stay there." He said and Ron started laughing.
They left the train, after Ron's giggles had subsided. They walked through the magical barrier to see Mrs. Weasley, the Dursleys and Hermione's parents all standing out side of platforms nine and ten.
"Oh, Harry now you have to talk to my parents." Hermione smiled as her dad waved at them. Oh god my dad is going to kill Harry, I'm just going to pray he doesn't.
"Do I have to?" Harry asked. Is her dad going to kill me? They walked past the Dursleys and proceeded to her parents.
"Mum, Dad, this is Harry my fiancé." She held his hand.
"You are her what, now?" Her father growled approaching him slowly.
"Her fiancé." Harry stated reaching his hand out to shake Hermione's father's hand, they shook hands, and Harry put his hand back in Hermione's grasp, very quickly.
"If you touch her, I won't hesitate to kill you." He growled.
"Daddy, Harry isn't scared by a death threat. Right, Harry?" Hermione looked at Harry.
"Why would I be?" He said and started to turn towards the Dursleys.
"Harry, what are you doing?" She smiled, "I thought we discussed this, you're coming home with me, not them." She glanced at the Dursleys, Hermione and Harry walked over to say 'good-bye' to the Weasleys. After they said their good byes, they went out to the street where her parents parked, and got in the car, finding a Bridal Magazine in the back seat. Hermione grabbed and started flipping through it making faces at some of the dresses she saw.
"Oh, Hermione, your cousin left that in here. Did you tell her you were getting married and not your father and I?"
"No, Mum, I wanted to surprise the family at the family party this year." Hermione looked up from the magazine.
Gahh! Ok done screaming. I know it took a long time to get this out but it was because of school and stuff like that. I am sooooo sorry it took so long to get out. Listen this was written Pre Half Blood Prince, so that is why I am not faithful to the sixth book. I write my stories down on paper first then type them up. Ok look out for the sequel it's coming soon it's called This Plan Will Work. Wedding planning, Honeymoon planning, a date for Ron for the wedding, buying a… well you'll find out soon enough. Er…as soon as I put the sequel out. Why Do I Keep Forgetting The Disclaimer!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way shape or form!
Just Mione