Disclaimer: I don't own HP or any of these characters. That belongs to JKR, Scholastic Books, Warner Brothers, etc.
Chapter Twenty : I Can't
Hermione winced as Ron missed another note. Introducing Ron to karaoke was a crime, and she was going to complain mightily to Harry once they were alone. It was his fault that they were having to go through this trial. Ron was beyond awful. There were no words to describe how bad he was at singing. Though Hermione wasn't sure if she should call it singing, as it didn't really resemble that at all. It was more like a cross between wailing and yodeling. The fact that he was so enthusiastic as well didn't help matters. Hermione didn't know if she wanted to cry from the sheer pain of it all or laugh at how bad her friend was.
Across the table, she could see Malfoy doing his best not to cover his ears with his hands, and she felt a stab of pity for him. Karaoke would not have been her first choice, as it was damn hard to be polite to Ron when he was this bloody awful. She decided to put Malfoy out of his misery. "You know, in this instance, I hardly think it would be rude if you did cover your ears," she said. "Right, Harry?" She elbowed him to get him to speak up and agree.
"Huh? What?" He blinked rapidly. "I'm sorry, love, but I was trying to think of a way to blow up the karaoke speaker discreetly."
"I hope you figure that out soon, Potter," Malfoy said with a grimace as Ron went searching for a high note and completely missed it. "I'm about to do that without worrying about being discreet."
"You do that, and I'll take care of the Memory Charms," Harry offered. Hermione held back a smile. It seemed that all it took to get Harry and Malfoy to speak to one each other was for them to face a common enemy – in this case, Ron's singing. Who would have thought it would be so easy? Though they weren't friendly exactly. Hermione could sense the tension in the air and in the way, Harry possessively held her by the waist, as if trying to show Malfoy that he had a prior claim on her. She sighed inwardly. It was nice to know that Harry wanted her and was possessive and jealous about it – but it had the potential to get old. She hoped that this evening would convince him once and for all that Malfoy and her were merely being friendly because they had to work together.
His round finished, Ron bounced back to their table. "This is the best thing ever!" he declared. "Hermione, you've got to give it a go." Hermione glared at him, but he didn't take the hint. "Come on, don't be a spoilsport. You're the only one who hasn't. Even Malfoy here has tried it once."
"Thanks, but no thanks," she said. "The only thing I'm worse at than cooking is singing. I wouldn't want to inflict such pain on you."
"Please do," she heard Harry mutter under his breath.
"Can't be worse than the Weasel," Malfoy added softly.
"What was that? Are there some complaints about my singing?" Ron looked shocked. Hermione speculated whether or not he could hear how he sounded. His shock seemed to be artless. "I guess I'll have to win you over by performing again. A love song that will be dedicated to my favorite pair of lovebirds." He bowed grandiosely in Harry and Hermione's direction.
"That's not necessary," Harry said quickly.
"Really, it's not," Hermione added. "And it seems like we've hardly been able to talk to you this evening." But it was too late. Ron was already heading back to the stage, after stopping to take a gander at the list of songs they kept. Hermione groaned. She had an awful idea of what might happen next. "Harry, this is all your fault," she said, leaning her head into his shoulder.
"Hey! You should have overruled me."
"But I promised not to."
"Why is it Potter's fault?" Malfoy asked curiously.
"Because he chose this place."
"Only because I knew Ron wanted to try it out," Harry said, defending himself.
"In this instance, I think it would have been better to let him always wonder about the joys of . . . whatever the hell you call this torture," Malfoy noted.
"I hate to admit it, but you're right," said Harry.
"And what will we do if Ron wants to do this again next weekend?" Hermione asked.
"Don't even think about that!"
"Do not invite me. Please. For the sake of my sanity," Malfoy said.
"Malfoy, I don't want to invite myself if that happens," Hermione told him. "Harry, I don't suppose your next Quidditch match is next weekend, is it? Because we ought to make plans now, just in case."
"No, it's the Tuesday after," he said. "How about a movie instead? Just the two of us could go."
"Is that a formal request for a date?" she asked playfully.
"Do you want it to be one?"
"What do you think?" She winked at him.
"I don't know. Maybe you could be a bit more clear about your intentions—" That was as far as Harry got because Hermione could no longer resist the urge she had to kiss him. She couldn't help herself. She loved him and being with him and being able to talk to him in public like this. She was never happier than when she was with him.
"Ugh! I leave you two alone for one minute, and you're snogging. Again. Can't you keep your hands to yourselves?" Ron had returned to their table, having finished signing up for a later set. "And to think that I was encouraging you by dedicating a song to you! What was I thinking?" Harry and Hermione shared a glance, each of them suppressing the mirth they felt. Ron singing to them was hardly encouragement.
"Who knows, Weasley?" Malfoy said. He stood up. "And I hate to cut this short as I've been enjoying myself so much, but I have to run. I just remembered that there's no one to have dinner with my mum tonight. So if you'll excuse me." He nodded to them all before departing.
"You know, with the way he left, you'd think that he didn't like my singing," said Ron.
"I can't imagine why," Harry said dryly. "I've not heard anyone
who can sing quite like you." Hermione bit her lip. Harry was
being completely truthful, but he had to have
known that Ron was going to take that the wrong way.
"Thanks!" He beamed at them. "What do you say we do this again next weekend?"
"We have plans," Hermione told him, thankful that they had made them before he suggested that. When Ron's face fell, she felt guilty. He was really having fun, even though it was hard to have to listen to him. It wasn't his fault that his singing was appalling. Thinking quickly, she went on, "But there's no reason why you can't go without us."
"Wouldn't be the same. Not as much fun without you two."
"You could invite your family," Harry said. "I know your dad was curious too, and if you like it, I'm sure the twins will have a blast."
"Though you might not want to invite Percy," Hermione said.
"Not unless he was dead drunk," Harry added.
Ron considered that. "That's a good idea. It could become a weekly Weasley tradition!" The grin returned to his face. "Can you imagine that?"
"Yes," Hermione said. "The Wizarding world won't be quite the same afterwards."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
All week, Harry had been impatient for Saturday to roll around. The truth was that when he had suggested going to the theatre last weekend, there was a movie that he wanted to take Hermione out to. Not because he was particularly excited about it, but because it was reputed to be scary. And that was a good thing for a movie date, from what he heard. He was looking forward to Hermione jumping up in her seat and grabbing his arm out of fear. If you had told him even two years ago that he would miss her grabbing his arm tightly when something frightened him, he would have thought you were nutters and in need of a trip to St. Mungo's. But he did miss it, and once he had suggested the film, he could hardly wait until they went. However, he had made one serious miscalculation.
That was the fact that Hermione was too sensible to be frightened by a scary movie.
So it was that instead of listening to her shriek and feeling her latch on to his arm, he got to listen to her commentary on how the blonde girl was a complete idiot and how the brunette deserved a Darwin award for leaving her house without making a stop for a butcher knife despite the frightening noises she had heard outside. It was horrible. The one time that Harry had went to the loo, he received pitying glances from all the other men there. Harry could hear them thinking that he was the poor bloke with the girlfriend who was snarky, not clingy during the movie. The grand finale only brought a snort from Hermione, who proceeded to dissect the scene line by line to show how ridiculous and illogical the hero's actions were.
Harry hoped she didn't think of how he defeated Voldemort at night and give him marks for how well he thought everything out. Because he hadn't really been thinking then of much of anything except how to stay alive for one minute longer. He shuddered to remember that night. It was over at least, and he could get on with the rest of his life. He didn't intend to ruin it by dwelling on might-have-beens. That had already dominated most of his childhood, and he was ready to move on.
After the movie was over, Hermione suggested that they walk home, as it was still relatively warm. Harry agreed, and they set off towards their flat. When they had gone some distance from the theatre, Harry said, "I'm sorry you didn't like the movie, Hermione."
"What? You think I didn't like it?" She glanced at him to see if he was serious. "I loved it, Harry. It was a great pick."
"You did?"
"It was hilarious. They were all so stupid. I could hardly restrain my laughter. If we watched it at home, I wouldn't have bothered, but I know people tend to get hacked off at me when I start laughing like a hyena in the theatre." She reached out to hold his hand. "Didn't you know I love scary movies? I thought that was why you thought of seeing this one."
"I couldn't tell from the way you were dissecting it," he replied.
"Oh that." She waved a hand, dismissing her commentary as evidence of her aversion for the movie. "You can't take these films seriously, Harry. How can you? There often are immense loopholes in them that you could drive a herd of hippogriffs through. But if you take it with a grain of salt, they're really enjoyable. Although it would be nice to have a smart girl in it for once. The fact that they're without fail idiots is getting on my nerves."
"I think that's because if they had a girl like you who used her brains in the film, it would fall apart because she'd solve all the mysteries within a minute of being introduced."
"Harry. That's sweet." She kissed him on his lips, and he was disappointed when she drew back. He pouted at her, but she didn't give in. "We're not that far away from our flat," she said. "Better to wait before starting something we can't finish out here."
There she went again, putting her mind to good use. She had a point for Harry would have hated to break things off to wait until they got home. He quickened his step, tugging her along, and she willingly followed. He grinned. Evidently, she was eager to get back home where they had some privacy as well.
Once back home, they quickly ensconced themselves on the couch, with Hermione laying slightly on top of Harry as they exchanged long, slow kisses. Hermione sighed in pleasure and hearing that made him want her. Bad. He shifted under her, and her eyes lit up when she realized what she was feeling.
"Someone's feeling a bit frisky this evening, isn't he?" she said, wriggling against him. He moaned at the sensation. Hermione could be such a tease when she wanted him. Though that only turned him on even more. He reached for her skirt, intent on getting it and her knickers off, but she batted his hands away. "Not yet," she said. "I want to talk."
"About what?"
"About us."
"Wouldn't you rather experience us?" he asked suggestively.
"We'll get to that soon enough." She sighed. "Though sometimes I—"
"What is it?" he asked, alarm rising up in him. "Do you regret that we—"
"I don't regret anything about us," she told him decisively. "Nothing at all. But sometimes, I . . . I want to take it slow, you know?"
Intellectually, Harry could appreciate what Hermione was saying but it was difficult for him to carry that out. One could say that it was hard for him, but that was a word that he would rather avoid in this situation, apt as though it might be. He willed himself to calm down. If she wanted them to take their time, then that was what they were going to do. It'd be more enjoyable in the end, the longer they prolonged it. And that was worth it, no matter how hard . . . difficult it may be.
Thinking that a bit of conversation might help to distract him, he said, "There's one thing I've always wondered . . ."
"And that is?"
"Why don't you have a nickname? Don't get me wrong, I like your name, but I'd think growing up you'd acquire one. It isn't the easiest one to figure out how to pronounce."
"Oh, people tried, especially some of my classmates. But they weren't very nice names at all. I'd prefer to forget them." She frowned, leading Harry to rub her back, trying to pull the tension out of her. "I hated my name when I was younger. It set me apart and made me more different than I already was. People didn't like it that I was much brighter than them, and they used it to tease me."
"I'm sorry," he said and he was. He hadn't intended to bring up any bad memories.
"Why? It's not your fault," she said sensibly. "Later on, I grew to love it, and the history behind it. Whenever people – especially adults – tried to give me a nickname, I would tell them it was disrespectful and give them a lecture about how much my full name means to me. And it does mean a lot to me. It's what my parents had dreamed of calling their little girl, all those years that they hoped for a child. I don't want anyone to shorten it."
"Not even me?" Harry asked.
"Especially not you." Hermione regarded him sternly. "Whenever they tried, people tended to take off the first part of my name . . . and Harry, I don't want to hear you screaming about your knee when we're shagging."
He winced. "I didn't think about it like that."
"Trust me. I did. And it's only fair because I can hardly give you a nickname."
"No, you can't."
"Not unless I call you 'Har' for short." Hermione's lips twisted up into a smile. "That might be amusing if I preface it with a 'bad.'"
"Ha ha ha. Very funny."
"I thought so. What's your middle name?"
"You don't know?"
"You never told me," she said. "Maybe that's more amenable to inspiring a nickname."
"I doubt that. It's James, after my dad," he told her. To his surprise, she started laughing. "Okay. I didn't think it was funny."
"No, no. It's not that," she said, through tears of mirth and great, big gasps for air. "It's that my middle name is Jane. We match."
"You're right. We do!" Harry said excitedly. "Our initials are the same."
"No, they're not. We're a letter off—"
"Oh right." Oops, he had been thinking that they were completely the same but that wasn't the case. Yet. Because he was intending on marrying this witch. "I was thinking that all three were the same because—"
She flushed, having figured out what Harry must have been thinking. "No, they're not. Not yet, though maybe one day . . ."
"Maybe?" He cocked an eyebrow at her. "Do you think that—"
"No, no," Hermione said. "I think we'll always be together. I was . . . you haven't . . . we're too—" But Hermione didn't get the chance to finish her explanation.
Harry didn't know how or why it happened, but as Hermione was speaking,
she suddenly vanished into thin air.
Author's note: I'm updating a bit early this week, and
I hope no one minds. And yes, I had to stop there. Anyone who writes fic
will understand that. ^_~ The next update will be at the usual
time. I would love it if you could leave me a review and let me know
what you think of this chapter. Finally, I would like to thank Rebeca,
Shawn Pickett, danielerin, juliet's rose (I hope you
found this chapter interesting as well), ExcalibursZone (well, it's
less than a week this time, but more next time), jennymay, Pickels(actually,
by word count, that last chapter was longer than most), Star19,
Fire-bound heart, shaznay17 (from Mr. Granger's point of
view, Harry deserves extra pain because girls like Hermione think he's
hot), Amynoelle, EuphoniumGurl0, Kage Miko (lots of
people are, but I don't think his reasoning was too off), LuluIsALobster,
Izabel (Harry could care less about that right now), xxbabysparklesxx,
lee74, Lil-frankie14, Leah6, megan, Lucki
Me (all I can say is that they're about to move past their honeymoon
stage, but no disasters, sudden prophecies, or tragedies are involved ^_~
), PoTtErSPaYnE, Fatima (am glad you did), Eric MacRorie,
myman-harry526, Velvetrose786, hpfanmelissa, Ramy,
spacey-me90 (I have no idea how much longer this will be, but I've
just reached the final plot point), NecroLord, malu (unfortunately,
Ron provided too much of a distraction for them to carry out their plans),
Bulma Queen of Saiya-jin, Vita T. (no, Ginny is still in
school and has a boyfriend, though who knows what will happen in ten years
time?), augusam, sally, Sheilalein (I can, though
I should clarify I only said the last thread is not about Draco but it
will include Draco interaction simply because I can't have him leave the
fic. Well, aside from a horrific incident involving a falling piano,
but who wants that?), Blood57, and johnmenefee21 for their
reviews of the previous chapter. ^_^ It's always a nice treat
when I open up my email to read reviews.