(A/N: So I profusely apologize in such a long delay between updates, but I've had the flu, yuck! It didn't want to go away. Anyway here it is, hope you enjoy it and a special thanks goes to Alicia who does an awesome job being a beta.)
Chapter 12
"HARRY!"
"What?" he asked anxiously at Hermione's shriek.
"I wanted to make sure you could hear me."
"Job well done. What is it?" He sprayed a frame and wiped. His arms objected to the repetitive motion. Soreness was a constant affliction.
"I want to know something."
"And?" he prompted.
Hermione mulled her words, but could find no delicate way to ask what she needed to know. She blurted, "Do you like Priya?"
"What? Of course, I like her."
Hermione dropped her spray bottle. James turned at the sudden noise. She shook her head at his quizzical look. She picked up her bottle.
"When you say that, do you mean as a friend, or as in the same way you like Ginny?"
Harry laughed startling Priya. "Sorry," he said.
"As a friend, silly. I love Ginny. She is the one. The only one."
"Oh." Intense relief. Faith restored. "You should tell Priya that. Or at least mention Ginny."
Harry huffed. Priya gave him a puzzled glance. She searched their area for reasons to his outbursts.
"She doesn't like me like that," he insisted.
"You were always blind to the obvious."
"Hermione," he admonished. More words gathered, but he looked at Priya. She tried to talk to him twice in one morning. She blushed at that fateful breakfast, and the way she smiled at him when he said hello. These thoughts coupled with panic distracted him. He had no idea what his hands were doing.
"Harry!" Priya cried.
Without conscious thought he said, "I have a girlfriend."
"Ok," Priya said confused. "What does that have to do with you drenching that poor witch?" She pointed to the portrait.
"Sorry." He apologized to the witch in the painting. He hurriedly dried it.
"What was that about?" Priya asked.
"Nothing." He shook his head dispelling the seeds planted by Hermione. "I was somewhere else."
"Oh." She hesitated to say more. She cleaned the corner of a frame. "I have a boyfriend."
"Good. That's good," enthused Harry. Heat kindled in his cheeks. "I mean good for you. It's good that you have someone." Shut up, he told himself. Stop talking.
"Thanks," she spoke haltingly. "Are you all right?"
He silently cursed Hermione. It was her fault he'd turned into some kind of moron. They were going to have a serious chat. "Yeah, I'm fine." Spray, wipe, polish. Spray, wipe, polish. "Um, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Go on."
"That morning at breakfast, er, when you stopped to talk to me. What did you want?"
"Oh." She scrunched her nose. "I liked how you listened to me in our first detention. I thought it would be nice to talk to you again."
"As friends?" he clarified. The infused paranoia hung on.
"Yes, as friends." She giggled. "You are a strange one, Mr. Barnes."
"I have been told that."
#
"Hermione?"
"Yeah, James?"
"Well, you're a girl?"
"Yes?" She gave him a hard look. That statement didn't inspire confidence.
"And you're friends with Lily."
"Ah." She hadn't meant to say that out loud.
"What?" He spun to face her.
"Nothing, please continue."
"You see, I've had this small, little, tiny really —"
"Spit it out," interrupted Hermione. "I haven't got all night." A smile lifted the corner of her mouth. She couldn't go anywhere until Filch released them.
He grinned in return. Some of his nerves dissipated. "I've liked Lily for a long time, but she doesn't seem to like me. And I'm not sure why. Other girls find me likeable. They tend to fawn over me."
"I bet," she said dryly. "Isn't it obvious?"
"Isn't what obvious?"
She restrained from rolling her eyes. It was struggle. "Why she doesn't like you."
"No, it isn't. Not to me."
Her eyes had a will of their own. They rolled. "Consider how you act around her."
He shrugged. "The same way I do around everyone else."
"No," Hermione disagreed, "it isn't the same."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it isn't."
"Yes, it is."
"No, it is not." Command laced her voice.
"Yes, it is." Amusement filtered into his tone.
"No." She pressed her lips together. "We're not doing that. I'll explain if you want me to, but you may not like what I have to say."
"I would do anything if she'd just speak to me nicely." The sincerity rang true.
"I did warn you." Hermione tried to prepare him. "Deflate your ego." He gave her an injured look. He was about to defend himself, she forestalled him with a hand. "You always try to show off in front of her. And you primp."
"I most certainly do not," he objected.
"What would you call running your fingers through your hair to mess it up?" She lifted her chin. "It doesn't need it. Also, you shouldn't hex everyone who annoys you just because you can. It's impolite. Should I go on?"
"There's more?"
"You change in her presence. You use this fake deep voice, and puff out your chest."
"I do not," he protested, "do those things." He studied the girl in front of him. He'd known her less than two weeks, and she had him pegged.
"You do. I'm not going to argue." She prepared to ignore him, and went back to cleaning.
"Ok, say I do, do some of those things." He mouthed the words he'd just spoken to ensure they made sense. "If I don't know I do them, how do I stop?"
"Why ask me?"
"You're the only one here." He gestured to their isolation.
"Ha, funny boy. It's not like I know you, or anything."
"I beg to differ."
She blushed. Harry confided most of what she'd spouted. He finally told her the truth behind Snape stopping his occlumency lessons. She refrained from the deserved lecture, because he lost Sirius.
"I see what I see. It's not my fault it's that noticeable," she retorted.
"Help me. Lily respects you. She'd listen if you said I wasn't such a bad guy. Encourage her to go out with me. It would be good for her."
"I will do no such thing." It would be good for her, really? Hermione bristled. Her hands perched on her hips as she glared at him. "I won't convince Lily to do something, because you say so. I don't even know if you're a good guy, or not."
"Hey," he said. Indignation strongly insinuated. "You won't even try?"
"No, I won't. It isn't my place." She relented at his crestfallen expression. "But I will give you some advice." He nodded. "Don't hex people in front of her." She felt like she was repeating herself, but he needed direct guidance. "Act like the Head Boy. Show her you can behave. And when you do talk to her, talk to her, not at her, or down to her, but to her. Don't talk about your Quidditch prowess, or your pranks. Do not boast, women don't like that. The most important thing is to listen to what she has to say. If that's too much for you to grasp, remember this one thing. Stop showing off."
James got a thoughtful look, like he was contemplating what she'd said. If you boiled it down, and removed the excess she was telling him to be himself. Nothing more, nothing less. And really, he wasn't that bad of a guy.
"Thanks." He returned to his work humming a merry tune.
A stir of unease struck Hermione. "James?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did we have that conversation?"
"I thought we already established that."
"Why would you come to me? In the scheme of things, you don't' know me, and I don't know you."
"I see how Lily treats you, Harry, and George. There's an easiness to it. I come within ten feet of her, and she puts up a shield. It makes for interesting patrol duty. And you're smart. I figured you'd have some interesting insights. You did."
"Thanks, I guess." She sucked her bottom lip.
"Besides, Mary won't give me the time of day."
#
Sirius pondered the best way to broach the subject. He never thought he'd be having the conversation he was about to have. He swallowed nervously.
"Lily?"
"Hmmm?" she responded lost in her own world.
"Do you mind if I ask you something?"
Wait. Sirius Black asked for permission. Remarkable. She focused on him. "What?"
"Well, you see it involves a girl."
"Oh?" Lily could not disguise her surprise.
"Never mind." This was a stupid idea. Why had he listened to Prongs? Idiotic scheme when one took the time to consider it.
"What is it?" she asked alight with curiosity. Sirius never had girl trouble.
"I like someone."
"Ok." This was going to take a while. "Is that a problem?"
"I'm not sure she would go for me."
"Why?" Was he joking? There wasn't a girl at Hogwarts who wouldn't jump at the chance to date Sirius Black. Even the Slytherin girls pined for him. It was hard to believe he'd be insecure. He wore his arrogance like a second skin.
"She might be seeing someone, but I'm not sure."
"Why don't you ask her?"
"It isn't that easy."
"Huh?" Was he afraid? Where was the brave boy who defied his family? Could one girl be that scary?
"We haven't started on the best of terms, and it doesn't matter, because I don't have a chance." He dropped all pretenses. "She's not the type I usually go for. She's clever, and brave. She's beautiful, and she has this amazing sense of humor." He gushed the words putting themselves in order as he said them.
"You've got it bad." Lily was astonished. Sirius wasn't the careless playboy. He was an ordinary boy who liked an out of his reach girl. Lily could relate. A chink appeared in her armor. "If you tell her everything you just told me, you'd be surprised at how in your reach she'd be."
"That's the thing," he said. "I can't say these things to her. This is the first time I've said any of that out loud." He hadn't known the depth of his feelings. It was ridiculous. He met her less than fourteen days ago. She turned everything upside down.
#
"How'd it go?" James pulled Sirius aside.
"I might have earned a bit of her confidence. How'd you do?"
"It went well."
"This could be a stupid idea. It might not get you anywhere."
James examined him. "This isn't only for me. I've seen the way you've been eyeing a Miss Hermione Granger."
"Shut it." Sirius lurched out of James's grip.
#
"Why am I here?" George asked grumpily. He was not ready to be awake. He liked sleep. Sleep was good. He scrubbed a hand over his face.
"Because you love Quidditch, and you want to play."
"Not for another fanatic like Wood. Come on, Harry. The sun is barely up. It's Saturday for Merlin's sake." Filch had kept them an extra hour last night, because there were no classes today.
"Attention," James shouted. The assembled Gryffindors hushed. "Chasers over here, beaters over there, seekers here, and keepers by the goal post."
George, and Harry moved to their designated spots. There weren't many people trying out. It was nothing like Harry had experienced his sixth year.
"First group in the air," instructed James.
Anticipation pumped in Harry's veins. He'd been told what a natural flier James was, and now he could see for himself. James flew around the pitch. He knew exactly what he was looking for: agility and strength in the beaters; flexibility and speed in the chasers; good instincts and reflexes in the keeper; sharp eyes and keen flying for a seeker.
James motioned the second group in the air. The first group disappointed. George, and Sirius were in this group at different positions. He watched George interact with the other beater. The bludgers didn't stand a chance.
Sirius was the best chaser in this group. Harry noticed his father's proud smirk at his best friend's performance. Sirius secured his spot on the team.
Harry's instincts keyed into the players to be chosen, dismissed, and the occasional what the hell were they thinking. George, and a girl named Jezzie were the beaters. James, Sirius, and a girl from the first group were the chasers. The second keeper did the best job, and now it was Harry's turn.
James eyed the four seekers. The small number allowed him to test them at the same time. He needed to know how they would perform in a match.
#
Hermione and Lily walked to the stands clutching mugs of steaming hot cocoa.
"Hermione, why am I here?" Lily asked.
"To watch the tryouts."
"We've missed most of them."
Hermione scanned the pitch. "Harry just took off."
"Speaking of," purred Lily, "spill."
"Lily," Hermione whined.
"I'm surprised the gossip mill hasn't discovered the small fact that you spent the night in Harry's bed. Twice. It's even more strange that the boys have kept quiet, and not teased you. I thought you'd want to talk about it. That is what we girls do."
"Sorry," Hermione said. "I'm not used to the girl talk thing. My two best friends are male."
"Interesting."
Hermione wasn't a fan of Lily's tone. It implied far too much. "If you must know." Hermione sighed. "Harry has things in his past that he has trouble coping with. Sometimes I hear him calling me." She steeled herself for the snarky comment, the debasing insult. When they didn't come, she continued, "It's bizarre. I know that. But he can sleep when I'm there. And I have my own stuff. It's comfort. That's it."
"But the way he looks at you, and you him."
"It's friendship." The bonds forged in fire. "Some things we've been through together." Her voice cracked. "It's made us incredibly close. He has a girlfriend."
Lily moistened her lips. "What does his girlfriend think of you sharing his bed?"
"Nothing, because it is nothing."
"Does she know?" Lily ferreted.
"I don't think so. It's a fairly recent habit."
"Habit means more than once, or twice."
"I know what the word means," Hermione snapped. She regretted it at once. The concern reflected in Lily's eyes was sincere. "You don't understand. The horrors we've seen. The things we've survived. No one would begrudge us the comfort of a friendly embrace. We're not doing anything wrong."
"Okay." Lily capitulated. The pain and hurt were visible in Hermione. When her voice broke Lily felt it. She refrained from asking more. Hermione was on the edge, and she would not spark her temper.
"It's over," Lily said. The conversation and the tryouts. "I wasn't paying attention."
"Let's go see how our boys did."
"Our boys?"
"You've got a boy out there," Hermione said. She grinned at Lily. "He was running the show."
"Hermione," cried Lily. "What are you on about?"
"I've seen some looks myself, Miss I'm All Innocent Evans."
"Ah." Lily giggled. Pink tinted her cheeks. She swatted Hermione.
Hermione beamed. This was nice. She missed dishing with Ginny. It got awkward talking to Ron's sister about Ron, not to mention talking Harry to Harry's girlfriend. And she couldn't talk to Harry about Harry either. Yes, it was good to have a confidant.
The excitement reached the girls before they reached the boys. James was surprised and pleased to see Lily accompanying Hermione.
"We have a good chance this year, an excellent team," he said. He passed a list to be posted on the Gryffindor notice board. This season's team, and the first training session.
"Ladies." He bowed bestowing the most charming smile on Miss Lily Evans.
"James," Lily slipped. She did not use his given name. He was Potter, or Toe Rag. "Does Gryffindor have a team already?"
"Yes, we do. When you see the right players, you just know." He cut himself short remembering Hermione's advice.
Hermione inched away from the conversation. She headed toward Harry. Glancing back, she saw Lily fiddling with the hem of her shirt. James listened as Lily talked, and his chest wasn't puffed out. A warm fuzzy feeling fizzed at the budding romance. Hermione smiled knowingly. Her glance turned into a stare. She walked into something, or rather someone.
"Ouch."
"I'm sorry." She whirled to find herself in Sirius Black's steadying arms
"Careful there." He winked and abruptly dropped his hands. She was trapped in his sapphire depths. "All right?" he asked.
"What?" A shake of the head. "Oh yeah. I'm fine. You?"
"I'll survive." He flashed his trademark smirk.
"Right, good." Flustered. Why was she flustered? She needed a rescue.
"Hermione." Harry appeared as if summoned. He took her arm, and dragged her away. He lowered his voice. "It felt incredible. I played Quidditch with my dad." A goofy grin plastered his face. It was infectious. Hermione couldn't help smiling.
"Where's George?" she asked.
"He was here a minute ago." They heard a muffled scuffle. A loud thump as skin met stone. George was inside a tunnel that led up to the stands. His hands were above his head pushing against the wall he leaned on. His broom was lying haphazardly on the ground.
"George." Hermione timidly approached. He didn't move. She went to touch his shoulder. He turned. Pain raged. He was in agony. Before they could speak, he ran.
"Harry?" Tears glistened in Hermione's eyes.
"Let him go."
"But," she gestured helplessly.
"Give him some time. If he doesn't come back soon, we'll find him." She placed her hand in his. He squeezed.
#
"Where's George?" James asked. "We need a team meeting to plan a practice schedule."
"Um," Harry said. "George may not be up to playing, maybe you should find someone else."
"You prat." George stumbled to them. "He doesn't have to find anyone else. I'm up for anything." A bottle swung to his mouth. He took a drink.
"Are you drunk?" Hermione asked.
"What if I am Miss High and Mighty?" He tripped and fell.
"George!" Hermione rushed to his side.
"Fines. I'm fines," he slurred.
"Here." James got an arm under him. He motioned Harry to do the same. They half drug, half carried him to their dorm with Hermione in tow.
"Thanks," she said after they deposited him on the bed.
"He doesn't do this often, does he?" James asked. He had no problems with debauchery as long as it didn't interfere with Quidditch.
"No," answered Hermione. She inspected him for injury. His knuckles were bloody, and bruised. "Oh, George." She tenderly stroked his injuries.
"Ow." He snatched his hand away. "Don't touch."
"I'll be right back," Hermione said. She had some dittany in her trunk. James left too.
George lifted the bottle. Harry swiped the fire whiskey.
"Give it back."
"No, you've had enough."
"DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO, HARRY POTTER!" yelled George. Harry scrambled for his wand. He cast muffilato.
"Up you get." Harry pulled at George. He got him to his feet. Harry pushed, and pulled him into the bathroom. He dumped George in the shower. He turned the cold spray as high as it would go, and left the room.
"AAHH! You great git!"
Hermione entered with a vial in her hand. Harry recognized it. Her glance around the room spurred Harry to say, "Shower."
"I should go. Here." She gave Harry the vial.
"He's fully clothed." Harry didn't want her to go. She was better at the emotional stuff than he was.
"You prat, what the hell was that for?" George glowered dripping.
"Thought you could use it," explained Harry nonchalantly.
"Thanks. Thanks, an effing lot." He stomped to his trunk.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione offered. That sentiment was being bandied about a lot today.
"Not particularly." He grabbed dry clothes eyeing Hermione critically. "If you want to enjoy the show then stay." His shirt came off. "If not, you better be going." He undid the snap on his pants.
She jumped and fled like a scalded cat. She bumped into a solid mass. She lost her balance. She tipped. Strong arms wrapped around her waist.
"That is twice today, Miss Granger," Sirius said. The timbre of his voice seductively low. His breath hot against her ear. "That I've saved your pretty face from meeting the ground."
"Yes," she whispered breathless. "Thank you."
"Move along," mused James.
Hermione inhaled slowly, and deeply. Sirius tightened his grip as her chest constricted. He let go. She exhaled sharply.
"Care to explain?" James prodded. Sirius didn't move until Hermione safely descended the stairs. He didn't hear the question.
He intended to harass a drunken George. He slipped on the wet floor. His arms flailed. He grabbed the nearest thing, which happened to be James. James planted his foot to brace for impact, but it too encountered a slick patch. They sprawled on the floor.
"Get off, you mutt." James shoved Sirius.
"Prongs," whined the dog.
"Boys, boys, couldn't you contain yourselves?" An entertained Remus taunted. He dried the expanding puddle of water from the floor, and the pile of George's clothes.
"Oi, Moony, be a pal and give us a hand." Prongs reached up.
The werewolf raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, as fun as it looks, I have no intention of partaking." He wasn't stupid. He had no time to prepare for the sudden attack. Sirius and James tackled him. He'd be participating in a dog pile after all.
"Screams like a girl," commented Sirius.
"Giggles like one too," added James.
Please, please, please review. Did that seem desperate? Oh well please review!
