A/N: I am so sorry that it has been so long! I really have meant to post, I swear. Things have just been happening, that's all. I went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and, let me say, it was awesome! There were some parts missing that I would have liked to see, and the beginning moved rather quickly, but all in all, it was absolutely splendid! I can't wait until it comes out on DVD so that I can rush out and buy it ASAP! Then, I will replay it over, and over, and over again! ( This is when I wish I was in New York, so that I can break the law and buy it via black market!)
Also, I had to take the ACT's yesterday. If you don't know what that is, it's a stupid bloody test that is required by most colleges in order to enter. It is another of the stupid standardized test's that we are required to take….The funny thing is that the writing part asked us what we thought of standardized tests….let's just say that I had fun with that one, as did Amaya and Spirit.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and, after reading all of her books, I am not ashamed to say that I am glad. After all, while you may enjoy my style of writing immensely, nobody could do it like J.K!
Chapter Four:
"Harry, you have to concentrate." Dumbledore told him for probably the millionth time that day.
Harry smiled awkwardly. He couldn't concentrate at all. His thoughts were stuck on the red haired girl that he would see tomorrow when he returned home. "Sorry, Professor, I just…" He began. Dumbledore stuck up his hand, stopping him mid-sentence.
"Harry, I know what you are thinking about. I go through the same thing." He said, causing Harry's mouth to drop open in shock. He had never thought of Dumbledore…with another person…..ewww….
"What? Why do you look so surprised? Did you think that I wouldn't have a significant other?" He said, with that familiar twinkle in his eye.
Harry closed his mouth. "Well, no, I mean, I knew that you would, I just didn't know that you did…." Harry said, trying hard to correct his error, as to not offend Dumbledore. "Does that make any sense?"
Dumbledore smiled. "Yes. And no. The point is, that you need to concentrate on your study's. You are going to be the new Defence teacher in a matter of weeks, and you need to be prepared. Do you think I would be such a good headmaster if I let thoughts of Minnie take over my brain every minute of every day?" He asked, which caused Harry's mouth to drop open again.
"You mean…you, and, and Professor McGonagall?" Harry asked. He never would have suspected.
Dumbledore smiled again. "Yes, and for 25 wonderful years we have been together.
But, alas, again that is not the point. You must clear your head of Ms. Weasley, and focus on your studies."
Harry was about to ask how he knew it was Ginny, but thought better of it. After all, it was Dumbledore, and he had a way of knowing things that others did not.
"Oh Merlin, Gin! I have absolutely nothing to wear!" Hermione shouted, causing Ginny to practically fall out of her chair. Hermione was busy throwing things one by one out of her closet and into the floor.
"Jeez, Herm, calm down. It's just another St. Mungo's Benefit dinner. Why can't you wear what you would normally?" Ginny said, setting the book she was reading down onto the table beside of the chair.
Hermione stared at her friend as she pondered this. Why did she want to dress up so much?
Maybe it was because Oliver Wood would be there, and because he was sponsoring it! Why she cared what he thought of her, she didn't know, but she wasn't quite ready to discuss that with Ginny quite yet. All she knew was that she had to look good. Damn good.
Good enough to impress an ex-quidditch star, perhaps.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Come on, I've got something you can wear." She said, grabbing Hermione's hand and leading her out of the room.
Oliver was sitting at a table in animated conversation with one of his friends, Stan, when Hermione entered. At first glance, she was unrecognisable. After a double take, his breath caught in his throat.
All he could do was stare as she walked down the steps and into the grand hall where the benefit dinner was being held. She wore a maroon satin dress that clung to her in all of the right places and hit her about mid-calf. He noticed some curves that he did not recognize from their Hogwarts days. Her hair was swept up on her head, but not too tight. Pieces were strung out here and there and were curled almost perfectly framing her face.
"Oliver? Hello?" Stan said, trying to regain his attention. Oliver jerked his head back to the conversation.
"Hmm? Sorry, what was that?" He asked. Stan rolled his eyes.
"I said, What chance do you think we have of winning the trophy this year?"
Oliver answered absently, "Oh, a good one. As good as any other year", he said as his eyes scanned the crowd for Hermione. He had lost sight of her when he turned around. He searched for her desperately, eager to find her so that he could speak to her.
"Who're you looking for, Oliver?" Stan asked, finally upset that he was being ignored.
"Oh, umm…just….somebody." Oliver said. Getting up, he said to Stan, "Excuse me, Stan, got to…go do….something. Be right back."
Stan shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. See ya later, mate." He said as Oliver trailed off into the crowd of people.
"Ah! There you are! I've been searching all over for you, Mr. Wood. I just wanted to thank you again for contributing such a wonderful sum to St. Mungo's. You have no idea how much this will benefit us and our patients." Mr. Rizzo, the President of the Board of Directors(Whatever that means, couldn't think of anything else) at St. Mungo's said to him gallantly.
Oliver gritted his teeth in annoyance. You'd think that a person who just donated a bunch of money to charity would be able to have a moment to himself.
"Your welcome, Mr. Rizzo, but if you'll excuse me, I…." He stopped. She was right there, talking to Healer Patterson, not two feet from him. He smiled at her as she looked at him. Finally after what seemed like ages of searching, he walked over to her.
"Hello, Hermione. It's a pleasure to see you. You look…beautiful."
Ginny was extremely light-hearted. Harry was due home at any time and she could hardly contain herself. She had successfully gotten everybody out of the house for the evening. Her mother and father had attended the St. Mungo's Benefit dinner on invitation from Hermione. Fred and George, well, they weren't around much since they opened their shop, and Ron was off somewhere with some girl he had met at Diagon Alley when he was looking for a new pet. Her day had been spent cleaning, and preparing dinner. She had been up all night the night before debating over what to do for him. She had finally decided on dinner. A nice romantic dinner would be just what they needed. Hopefully he wasn't too fatigued from his training and hadn't already eaten.
After she had helped Hermione get dressed earlier that day, she had spent hours trying to figure out what she herself should wear. Suddenly everything she owned seemed as if it were no longer worthy, even though she knew that what she wore would matter not to Harry. Finally, she had talked herself into wearing a nice floral print skirt, a white tank top and some flip-flops to top it off. She wore her hair straight down, except for a few strands in the front that she had pinned back with a jewelled pin.
At about a quarter 'till eight, she was in the kitchen putting the final touches on the baked spaghetti (that she had decided to make the muggle way), and checking the bread that she had baking in the oven, when she heard the front door open and close and the sound of baggage being set down in the hallway.
Of course, she froze. She had been waiting for this moment all week, and when it finally came down to it, she was too paralysed with bliss to move.
She was still standing there, spoon in hand, when he entered the kitchen a few minutes later. He didn't even speak. He simply walked up behind her, put his arms around her, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She leaned into him, allowing him to embrace her tighter still.
"Mmm. I missed you so much, Gin." He said, smiling as he let her go. She turned to face him, her cheeks glowing.
"I missed you, too." She said, hugging him properly from the front this time.
"So, where is everybody, and what are you cooking?" He asked after a few minutes. Suddenly, she remembered that she had to check the bread, so she let go of him and turned to the oven. Mercifully, it wasn't burned. Taking it out, she sat it on the counter and took the stew off of the stove.
When all this was done, she sat at the table. She smiled at him. "Well, Ron is off with some girl, Mum and Dad are at the St. Mungos' Benefit dinner that was sponsored by Oliver Wood, and as for what I am cooking, it is your welcome home dinner."
He smiled. "Oh." And he looked at the table for the first time since he walked in. He had been too enraptured with her to notice anything else. There was one solitary candle on the table on top of a white table cloth. Only two places were set.
"Ah. I suppose that it will be just me and you, then?" He asked, a roguish glint in his eye.
Ginny smiled. "Oh, and would you have the whole family here, then, rather than me? That can be arranged, you know." She said, a phoney look of dismay playing at her features.
He smiled. " What do you think?" He asked as she brought the spaghetti and sat the pot down on the table. He himself grabbed the bread.
"I can't read minds, Harry Potter." She teased.
He grasped her hands in his own and looked her directly in the eyes. "I'm glad that it's just you and I tonight, Gin. It's the perfect homecoming. Thank you. " He said, cupping her chin and kissing her deeply on the lips.
"Thank you, Oliver." Hermione said. Her mind was racing and she was sure she had a fever, as hot as she felt. She had spotted Oliver when she had first come in. He was seated at a table with a young man that she did not recognize. She had even seen him staring at her when she walked down the stairs. But she didn't know that he would seek her out and speak to her.
"You don't look too shabby yourself." She added, mentally kicking herself afterwards. Not too shabby? What kind of a line is that? The truth was, he looked impressive. He was dressed in a black fitted suite and wore a maroon tie, coincidentally. The colour matched him well.
He smiled at her choice of words. "Thank you. Um, would you care to dance?" He asked, pointing to the dance floor where a few couples were already dancing to a slow song.
"Sure." She said, somewhat hesitantly. She didn't quite understand why she felt so nervous and tongue tied like this around Oliver. She had never felt like this before when she was with him. She used to talk his ear off about spells and incantations she had learned while he was trying to think of strategies for the quidditch team to use. She probably got on his nerves terribly then, if she didn't now.
Smiling, he held out his arm for her to take. She smiled back and tucked her arm through his and he led them out onto the dance floor.
A/N: Ok. That's all you get for now. I will save the rest for the next chapter. Mu ha ha ha!
Bare with me here folks. My puppy is trying to eat my mouse cord, so it's hard for me to write anything.