Chapter 21
Harry and Hermione had an uneventful walk to the Great Hall, passing no one along the way. The hall itself even had only a few people within it, none of which were at the Gryffindor table. Of course, this wasn't surprising to Hermione, since not only did breakfast last until nine o'clock, but most people would sleep in and come to breakfast a bit later anyway on days when there were no classes. And the few people in the hall paid Harry and Hermione no mind, as they went to their place at the end of the table, near the seating for the staff members.
Since the Gryffindor table was positioned by the far-left wall when one was looking into the Great Hall, the two of them sat on the side that kept their backs to the wall so that no one could sneak up behind them. This also allowed them to look straight at the staff table without needing to turn around at all, whenever a professor or the headmistress had an announcement.
Dishes of food appeared once the two were seated, and they went about preparing their plates. Harry and Hermione both seemed to come to a silent agreement about not wanting to waste time, because after performing their check of the food with Hermione's detection spells, they both ate a bit faster than normal, though not fast enough that they would be showing bad table manners. They had only been eating for a couple of minutes, however, when they heard footsteps approaching. When looking towards the sound, they saw Neville and Luna walking to them.
"Hey, you two," Neville said.
"Good morning," Luna added in her airy voice, as she and Neville sat down on the other side of the table.
Harry and Hermione both responded with greetings, not batting an eye at Luna sitting at this table since she'd been regularly alternating between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables during mealtimes.
Then, Hermione said, "You two are up early today."
Neville smirked and replied, "I would say something about the two of you being up as well, but it wouldn't mean much since you get up early every day. But in all seriousness, Luna and I just wanted to get as much out of today as possible before the normal class routine starts again tomorrow."
Harry gave a quiet snort. "Yeah, that's what we wanted to do." He then became much more serious. "I have to ask. Is Ginny coming?"
Though Hermione was still concentrating on eating her meal, she placed her left hand onto Harry's thigh and gave him a quick squeeze. He reached over with his left hand and put it on top of hers for a moment, signaling his thanks.
Neville and Luna looked at him with a bit of sympathy before Neville answered, "Ginny said last night that she was going to sleep in and come to breakfast later, when I told her about Luna and me wanting to get up early anyway. So you shouldn't have to worry if you don't want to be around her."
Harry swallowed his current bite of food before saying, "OK, thanks guys. And I'm sorry if this is going to end up causing problems for you both, since Hermione and I aren't exactly fond of Ginny now."
Luna smiled and replied, "As we said before, you two are still our friends. That won't change."
Hermione responded with her own smile and said, "And we thank you both for that."
After that, silence held as Neville and Luna prepared their own plates while Harry and Hermione continued to quickly eat theirs. A few minutes later, Harry and Hermione had finished and said farewell to the other two before walking quickly back to Gryffindor Tower, not holding hands so they wouldn't be slowed down. They arrived at the common room at seven thirty and went to their separate dormitories to get their winter outerwear. A couple of minutes after that, they came down at the same time, both wearing their coats and gloves while Hermione also had her pink knit hat, and then walked back out of the portrait door. Though a few people in the common room watched them both as they had entered and now as they were leaving, no one did more than that.
Once out in the hallway, Hermione asked, "Do you have your broom?"
He patted his chest twice, where she knew his pouch must have been. "In my pouch, like you suggested."
She nodded. "Alright then." She then moved over to his right side, grabbed his hand with her left one, and said, "Ready?"
He just looked at her with an affectionate smile for a couple of seconds before nodding. "Let's go."
This time, as they slowly walked from Gryffindor Tower down to the entrance of the castle, they did pass a handful of people along the way, though none were anyone that they personally knew. While a majority of those people paid no attention to them, there were a couple that glanced down and then blinked in confusion upon seeing the joined hands, like they weren't sure they were seeing something real. Harry and Hermione remained silent and acted as though nothing was out of the ordinary, all the way until they were outside.
Once they were walking in the direction of the Quidditch pitch, Harry finally spoke up. "Did you see those two people that looked at our hands?"
Without turning her gaze or stopping their walk, Hermione replied, "I did, which means there's a chance that we could come back to a load of rumors once we decide to return. Are you sure you're OK with that, if it would happen?"
Harry stopped, causing her to turn and look at him. He looked at their hands again for about five seconds. When he looked back up, though, there was only fondness in his eyes.
Then, he quietly said, "If we do, then we'll handle it."
She smiled at him without a word. And for a few seconds, they were quiet and simply gazed at one another.
Harry was the one to break the stillness. "Hey Hermione, can I ask you something?"
She replied with a bit of confusion, "Anything, Harry. What is it?"
His sheepish response was, "What – what's the reason that you would lean towards Charms right now, if you did actually decide to teach as a career?"
She took a deep breath, unable to stop the feeling of hesitance within her even though she knew that she would tell Harry regardless. Still, she couldn't help asking, "Promise that you won't laugh?"
That caused him to become confused, but his only response was a serious, "I promise, Hermione. And if you would still rather not tell me anyway, that's alright."
"No," she quickly retorted. "I trust you, Harry. It's just – my motive might seem a bit silly."
Taking another deep breath, she then revealed her reason. "It's because of the Levitation Charm. I would have the chance to teach that spell, since I consider it one of my favorite spells."
As promised, Harry didn't laugh even a bit. His confusion, however, did grow. "All because of that? Why would – "
He suddenly stopped, his eyes growing wide. And his next words showed that he had thought of the exact reason. "Wait, is it because of that Halloween night? The troll incident in first year?"
Her smile was almost a bit sad as she nodded. "Yes. Because of that night."
Harry's mouth dropped open for a few seconds. But then, he was the one to become slightly timid. "But… Ron was the one who used the charm and saved you – "
Hermione couldn't help quietly chuckling for a couple of seconds, causing Harry to immediately become baffled again. When she stopped, she took hold of his left hand in her right one and then squeezed both of his hands.
"Technically," she said with a smile while drawing the word out, "you were the one that saved me, when you jumped on the troll's back, which gave me a chance to run away had I chosen to do so. And then Ron saved you with the Levitation Charm when the troll was trying to bash your brains in."
His lips curled in a tiny frown. "Well, I guess that's true, but still – "
She shook her head and interrupted, with more seriousness this time, "But what matters most, and what that spell represents to me, is that it was the night that you became my friend, and have been my best friend since then. That's why I consider the spell to be one of my favorites, and why I would enjoy the opportunity to teach it to others."
This time, Harry's expression became a mixture of shock and tenderness at getting to know another instance of how highly she thought of him. She gave his hands one more squeeze before dropping his left hand and saying, "Come on, why don't we save any more on this until after we've had our flight?"
A small grin appeared on his face as he just nodded, and the two of them continued their walk. No more words were said until they were finally standing in the middle of the snowy Quidditch pitch.
Harry took the small form of his Firebolt, shrunken down to about half a foot in length, and placed it on the ground before canceling the Shrinking Charm. The broom quickly grew back to its original length and then rose up until it was at the right height for mounting, and Harry then easily mounted it.
At that point, Hermione couldn't help rambling, with a bit of hesitance in her voice, from the questions that started to fill her mind. "Would – would you be able to steer if I sat in front of you? Or do I need to hold onto you from behind? Would my hair get in your way if I was in front of you and it started flapping about? Are broomsticks even capable of holding two people – "
"Hermione."
His interruption caused her to stop and focus on him. Her breath hitched at the absolute tenderness in his expression.
Then, he quietly said, "You can sit in the front if you want. But if you don't feel safe with this, then we don't have to do it."
The way that he wanted to look out for her and make sure that she was comfortable immediately washed away that little bit of reluctance that had grown within her, and she couldn't help giving him a loving smile. But rather than saying anything, she just looked at him for a few seconds before then walking over and mounting the Firebolt. After sitting down, she shifted backwards until she could feel herself snuggled up against Harry's chest. As she placed her hands right in front of herself and gripped the broom, Harry's arms snaked their way around her and then grabbed a hold of the broom in front of her hands.
Still, Hermione had to ask, "Will this be alright? Can you see beyond me?"
She heard him chuckle before he placed his chin on her left shoulder. When he replied, it was right into her ear. "This is alright with me, Hermione. I think the more important question is, is this alright for you? I don't want to do anything you're not completely comfortable with."
She smiled before placing her left hand on top of his hands. "Even if I wasn't, I know I'm safe because you're right here with me. Just, if you don't mind, go easy to start with? I know that this broom is much more powerful than any of the few I've ridden, and I've also seen what you can do with this thing."
As she moved her hand back to grab the broom again, he replied, "I will, Hermione. Just make sure that if I take things to a level that you aren't ready for, please tell me so. But for now, I'm just going to make the broom rise straight up, without any forward movement. I've never had a chance to just sit and look at all the surroundings from here because of Quidditch. Just say something if you think we've gone too high."
She gave a small nod and then said, "Well, I'm ready whenever you are, Harry."
"OK. Then here we go."
With that, she felt him kick off from the ground. Though the Firebolt's position remained parallel to the ground, the broom began slowly rising straight into the air. Harry was definitely keeping his word about being gentle at the beginning.
Once Hermione saw that they had reached a height above the tallest Quidditch goalpost, and were still rising, she then heard Harry speak again. "Are you still OK with going higher?"
She nodded. "Yes, you don't have to stop."
"Alright, just wanted to make sure."
With that, their rise continued. And as they kept climbing higher, Hermione felt astonishment growing within her at the surroundings. From the direction she and Harry were facing, she could see all of Hogsmeade, as well as the mountains off in the distance. It was a view that would look straight out of a painting.
Finally, the Firebolt eventually came to a halt. Hermione chanced a look down and couldn't help being surprised at how even the Quidditch goalposts looked tiny from here. She and Harry must have been hundreds of feet up in the air.
As her gaze turned back upward, Harry's arms tightened around her a bit. With his head still on her shoulder, he said, "Are you alright? You looked down for a second. Is this too high?"
She gently replied, "I'm alright, Harry, I promise. It's just astounding how high we must be for the Quidditch goals to look as small as they do. And this view of Hogsmeade, and all its surroundings, is simply amazing."
A chuckle emanated from him. "Agreed on both counts. Now hold tight. I'm going to turn us in place, going in a very slow circle, so that we can see everything around us."
She just silently nodded her assent. And with that, the broom began turning.
Hermione's mouth was open in amazement the entire time, as Harry gradually turned the broom and allowed them to look all around them. The enormity of the Forbidden Forest. The entirety of the lake. How much smaller even the castle itself appeared from this height. And the finishing touch of it all was the backdrop of the sun having begun its rise into the air. She couldn't help thinking that, if Harry could see things like this from the air, she would really need to go flying with him more often.
Once they had made a full circle in place and then stopped, Hermione whispered, "God, Harry. This view is so incredible, in all directions."
He nuzzled her neck with his nose for a moment before taking his hands off the broom to fully wrap her in a hug. Then, he replied, "Yeah, it really is. And while Oliver Wood would probably kill me for what I'm going to say next, I would take getting to enjoy a view like this over Quidditch any day of the week."
His tone then became a bit shy and sheepish. "Of course, I suppose a huge part of that is the fact that you're right here with me to enjoy it."
She leaned her head back against him as much as she could and then placed her hands on top of his. "Thank you so much for allowing me to share this with you."
He pressed a kiss against her head and then leaned the side of his own head gently against it. "Thank you for wanting to join me here in the first place."
They went quiet afterwards, simply enjoying the tranquility of the morning. If there was some possible method to just stop the passage of time so that she could enjoy this moment for as long as she wanted, just sitting here in Harry's arms as the two of them floated in the sky, Hermione believed that there was no way she would be able to resist it.
Still, as much as she hated breaking the peacefulness, she also wanted to go for a true flight. Thus, after some minutes had passed, she quietly spoke up. "Harry?"
He replied, "Yeah, Hermione?"
She waited a couple of seconds before responding. "What do you say we have that actual flight now?"
"Are you sure?"
She nodded and said, as she grabbed the broom right in front of her, "Yes, completely."
She felt him nod on her left shoulder before he returned his hands to gripping the broom in front of her own hands. Then, he said, "OK then. But first, I'm going to take us down lower, to about the height of the tallest Quidditch goalpost."
Her only response was to nod again. With that, the broom shifted to begin slowly descending. Neither of them said anything until Harry finally stopped their descent at the desired height.
Once they had stopped, he said, "Alright, here we are. Now, would you feel safer if I kept both hands on the broom, or if I maneuvered the broom with one hand and kept the other wrapped fully around you?"
Logically, she knew that it would probably be better for him to steer with both hands. But her heart took over when she responded, "I don't know about needing to feel safer, but… if you can handle it, I wouldn't mind you hugging me with one arm, as well as you keeping your head there on my shoulder. I like feeling close to you."
He chuckled for a second before then wrapping his left arm back around her in a hug. She couldn't help taking her hands off the broom and then putting her right hand on his left one, while using her left arm to hold his own and make the hug tighter.
Then, Harry whispered, "Now, this is probably me being overly cautious – and yes, before you say anything, I know how weird that has to sound coming from me, considering the number of times that I've been really reckless."
Hermione couldn't keep from laughing at the validity of his statement. When she calmed down a bit after five seconds, her tone was still quite jesting when she replied, "You said it, not me."
Even without seeing him directly, she could hear the smirk in his own voice. "Which means you were thinking it, weren't you?"
She replied, "Well, you are a Quidditch player, or a former one if we want to be technical. Some recklessness probably has to be in your blood in order to play the game."
He quietly laughed for a few seconds. His words afterwards, however, showed that he had become serious again. "Really though, you'll speak up if I'm pushing the broom past your comfort level? I want this to be enjoyable for you."
Cupping her right hand so that she could take hold of his left one, she said, "I will, Harry. I promise"
He responded with a squeeze of his hand. Then, after a deep breath, he asked, "Alright. Are you ready?"
With another nod, she answered, "I'm ready whenever you are."
He whispered to her, "Then here we go."
With that, she saw his right hand tighten its grip on the Firebolt. And after another moment, the Firebolt began to gradually move forward and pick up speed for a few seconds before it became a constant movement.
Harry first had them simply do a couple of laps around the perimeter of the Quidditch pitch. And while Hermione could easily tell that they weren't going very slow with how she could feel the wind rushing by them, she also knew that Harry wasn't pushing things to such a degree like she'd seen him do with a broom in Quidditch matches. Her heart couldn't help but melt all over again at how careful and considerate he wanted to be with her.
After those laps, though, he must have realized that she had no problem with their current movement. Thus, he began weaving between the Quidditch goals while still making laps around the pitch, along with some slight upward or downward movements to change their height. And with the adrenaline that was beginning to rush through Hermione, along with the joy of being held up against Harry as he flew them through the air, she couldn't resist the large smile that grew on her face.
But still…
As unbelievable as it probably would have sounded to anyone else that would have heard her next thought… she wanted more.
"Harry."
Her sudden speaking caused Harry to gently slow the Firebolt to a halt. Then, he responded with concern, "What is it, Hermione? Is something wrong?"
She wasted no time beating around the bush with her request. "Go faster."
It seemed that he wasn't expecting that kind of response, as he remained silent for a few seconds before then barely saying, "Wh-what?"
Hermione couldn't help giggling a bit in her mind at how Harry had been thrown for a loop. But she quickly calmed down and then reiterated her statement. "Go faster, Harry. Fly us in the same way as you would when chasing the Snitch in a Quidditch match."
This time, she turned her body as much as she was able so that she could look directly into his eyes. Harry lifted his head off her shoulder for the moment in order to allow that.
As they stared at one another, he quietly stammered, "Hermione, are – are you sure?"
She nodded before letting go of his arm so that she could place her left hand on his cheek.
Then, she gently replied, "I told you that I wanted to share one of your hobbies with you, and you have much more skill with a broom than I do. Give me the full experience. Show me what it's like to let loose and fly as freely as possible."
At first, Harry just remained silent as his eyes glanced away. Hermione refrained from speaking so that she wouldn't interrupt his thoughts.
After about ten seconds, his eyes finally locked back onto hers. And he whispered, "I'll – I'll want to use both of my hands to be certain of having better control, so I won't be able to hold you like I was before. And to make the broom hit those high speeds, I'll probably have to lean forward at least a little bit, which would make me push up against you while doing so. Are you alright with all of that?"
With resolution filling her, Hermione turned her body to face forward and simply grabbed the broom in front of her again. Then, after leaning forward herself just a bit, she bluntly replied, "I am, Harry."
She simply waited in position until Harry came to a decision. If he still didn't feel that it would be safe for him to fly like that while she was also sitting with him, then she wouldn't force him. But she wanted him to know that she truly wanted this.
Eventually, though, anticipation filled her as she watched his hands slowly move in front of hers to grip the broom there. And though he didn't place his head back on her shoulder, she heard him from that side taking a slow and deep breath, so she knew that he was at least looking over her shoulder.
Then, she felt his lips at her ear as he whispered, "OK. Are you sure you're ready?"
Her only reply was a silent and determined nod.
He waited a few seconds before she felt his arms squeeze her as tightly as he could with him holding the broom with his hands. Then, he responded, "Then hold on tight. Let's go."
That was her only warning before Harry leaned up against her, she saw his hold on the broom tighten, and then the Firebolt took off at high speed.
Even with the huge rush of wind, Hermione couldn't help widening her eyes and tightening the grip of her hands and legs as she and Harry were speeding towards the Quidditch goalposts. But as they were nearly upon the goals, Harry's grip shifted, and the Firebolt instantly turned upward at a 90-degree angle. It flew up for just a few seconds before Harry whipped the broom around so that they were flying parallel to the ground again but in the opposite direction. When Hermione looked down for a moment, she could see that they must have at least been at the same height as when Harry took them up very slowly the first time. Maybe they were even higher than that.
At that moment, Harry leaned against her again, and the broom picked up even more speed. This time, he didn't limit them to just the Quidditch pitch. He started flying them over the entire grounds of Hogwarts, not holding back with sometimes making sharp turns as well. And yet, Hermione felt zero fear at all. No, she instead had a great smile on her face and felt so much love towards Harry for being willing to trust her not only when she said that she wanted this kind of flight, but also that she would say something to him if it was too much. That had to be why he was willing to ramp things up during this flight, since she had yet to say anything.
After some time, Hermione felt her heart take over as she was struck with a sudden idea. She crossed her legs at the ankles to further tighten the grip of her legs on the broom. Then, she slowly took her hands off the broom and then brought her arms up and held them straight out at her sides.
She felt the Firebolt begin to slow down, so she frantically shook her head and then said loudly enough so that Harry would hear over the wind, "Don't stop, please. Keep going."
It took a few seconds, but then she felt Harry lean up against her again before the Firebolt ratcheted back up to its previous speed.
No longer caring about trying to squint against the wind to see their surroundings, Hermione just closed her eyes and tilted her head back a bit while keeping her arms out. Harry must have realized that she was having fun or at least was alright with this, because the Firebolt picked up even more speed as it whipped about in the air.
Unable to help herself, Hermione opened her eyes as much as possible before letting out an ecstatic whoop as loudly as she could, holding it for about three seconds. She didn't have a care as to who may have heard, or if anyone may have even been watching them from somewhere else on the grounds. This was absolutely amazing. She knew in the back of her mind that Harry being with her was far and away the only reason that she would ever have done something like this, but she was so glad that she had taken this chance. This would certainly be an experience that she would never forget.
When she stopped her yell, she could hear Harry happily laughing from behind her for a couple of seconds. They continued the fast flight for some time, both of them too happy to keep track of time.
Eventually, Harry began to gradually slow the broom down again. When they came to a halt, Hermione finally dropped her arms before leaning back into Harry, breathing heavily from the adrenaline that was still flowing through her. He circled his arms around her in an actual hug and sat his chin back on her left shoulder. She instantly responded by putting her arms over his while uncrossing her legs beneath her. Silence held for a few seconds before he was the first to speak.
"So, did you enjoy getting to fly like you actually had the wings of an angel?"
Even from just his voice, she knew that there was a clear smirk on his face right now. But as much as she wanted to tease back, she was absolutely serious, yet also totally happy, when she responded.
"Oh my God, Harry. I don't think I can find the right words to describe just how incredible that felt. Does it feel so… freeing, I guess I would put it, every time you fly like that?"
He responded, "Well, not every flight has been like that, considering most of my time in the air was also just for Quidditch, you know. But that feeling of being free, having no restraints and being able to go wherever I wish with just a quick pointing of the broom, it's definitely what I enjoy the most about being in the air."
She shifted her head so that she could nuzzle his before saying, "And if I wasn't together with you, I never would have taken a chance on an experience like this, never would have known what it really felt like for you. Thank you, Harry. Thank you so much."
He tightened his hug on her. "And I thank you again for wanting to fly with me in the first place, Hermione. With how badly I fell into my guilt and fear of not knowing what to do with my life since the end of the war, I forgot how much I enjoyed the simple pleasure of flying in the sky."
She held him tighter in response. And once again, they sat there in silence, taking joy from being in the arms of one another.
At some point, Harry took his chin off her shoulder and then whispered, "So, are you ready for those discussions now?"
Twisting as much as she could in his arms so that she could look into his eyes, Hermione gave him a slightly sad smile and replied, "Yes, perhaps we should get them out of the way."
He nodded before slowly flying them over to one of the stands of the Quidditch stadium. When they dismounted, Hermione pulled her wand out and blew away the snow on the seat before performing both drying and warming spells where the two of them would sit.
Once they sat down, with Hermione on Harry's right and Harry also laying his Firebolt to his left on the seat, Hermione was the first to talk. "Now, if you don't mind this first, what was that which you wanted to say about your parents?"
His eyes widened for a moment before then glancing away, his expression becoming more thoughtful at the same time. While he didn't actually appear hesitant, it still caused her to grow a bit worried and say, "Harry, if this is too personal – "
He immediately looked back at her and interjected, "No, Hermione, it's not at all. I was just thinking… how much do you know about Legilimency?"
She became puzzled before responding, "I know the theory, having found a book in the library this year that talked about it and Occlumency, but have never actually attempted the practical work."
Her confusion deepened when he gave her a small smile. Then, he replied, "Well, why not try it here? There's some background information you need which might be easier to show rather than tell. I know that Snape could see at least flashes of my memories when he invaded my mind, so maybe if I think of this memory hard enough and try to push it towards the front of my mind, it'll be easy for you to see it."
Her response was quite timid. "Would you trust me like that? What if I end up seeing something you don't want me to?"
Affection filled his eyes. "Hermione, I trust you with everything that I am. It won't matter if you saw every one of my memories. And if you see something that riles your emotions in a similar manner as learning about those times the Dursleys starved me, then we can talk about it afterwards."
She truly would never get tired of the warmth she felt every time he showed how highly he thought of her. For a few seconds, she just continued to stare at him.
Then, with a smile, she grabbed her wand again and said, "Alright. I'll try to go as easy as possible to keep something bad from happening. But feel free to repel me by whatever means you need if I'm digging too much."
He gave her a nod before his expression became determined. "OK, I'm thinking as much as I can about this memory. Whenever you're ready, Hermione, go ahead."
She nodded before placing her wand to his temple and taking a deep breath. Then, staring into his eyes and hoping that her magic would respond to how she wanted to be gentle, she quietly said, "Legilimens."
There was an initial rush before everything went black around her. She still, however, felt that she was conscious somehow. Thus, she tried to push forward just a little bit. Footsteps sounded as though her position did change, and a small speck of light appeared directly in front of her. She continued trying to slowly move forward. The light grew and grew until, with a flash, she found herself in what appeared to be Snape's office when he was the Potions professor.
She was looking at Snape and grew confused as the man was telling her about resuming their lesson the next evening, before he left with Draco Malfoy. Even more confusion hit her when she suddenly started moving but couldn't look around, as though she wasn't in control of her own body. But then, a random thought about being grateful for having another day to practice Occlumency hit her. That made her wonder if this was actually a memory of one of Harry's lessons during their fifth year, and if she was seeing it from his perspective. It was a bit weird that she still seemed able to make her own thoughts, but it was also sensible from the perspective that Legilimency could be used to see another person's memories and use those images against the person.
Her idea was seemingly confirmed when she found herself moving over to what she knew, from having seen it earlier this year, was the Pensieve from the Head's office, which was currently laying on Snape's desk. And soon, after a rush of cold and spinning darkness, she found herself in the Great Hall.
Shock slowly filled Hermione as the memory played out, realizing that Harry had gone into a memory of Snape's that took place when Snape and Harry's parents were at Hogwarts. She got to see just how similar Harry looked to his father as a teenager besides the eye color. She was stunned with sadness at Harry's thoughts about watching his father act like a bully towards Snape while his mother was doing all she could to defend Snape.
Any remote bit of pity Hermione possibly could have felt towards the dead man, however, disappeared when she watched him try to hit James directly in the face with some kind of cutting curse. James may have started things out with schoolyard bullying, but Snape took it all to a lethal level even when he had a chance to just get away due to Lily having stopped James from hexing Snape. Not that Hermione even had much pity to begin with, considering not only Snape's general treatment of students while he was alive but also how she knew from Harry about Snape going along with Dumbledore's plan regarding Harry needing to sacrifice himself in order to kill Riddle.
And then, after some more exchanges when James retaliated by lifting Snape into the air with what she knew to be the Levicorpus spell, she got to hear Snape calling Lily a filthy little Mudblood. He called her that even after Lily had staunchly defended him. This was quickly followed by Lily yelling at both James and Snape before storming away. Frankly, Hermione thought that may as well have just been Snape's true feelings coming to light, considering he had no issues joining the Death Eaters even though he had been friends with Lily as a child.
Soon afterwards, the adult Snape pulled Harry, and therefore herself since Hermione was watching from Harry's perspective, out of the memory. And at that point, anger filled her when Snape yelled to get out and never return to this office again. As Harry was walking out of the office, and she could hear his thoughts about his father being as arrogant as Snape had always said, she realized that this must have been why the Occlumency lessons abruptly stopped that year.
She had no more time to think afterwards, though. She felt a soft shove, and the image of the halls of Hogwarts quickly rushed by her before she found herself sitting back in the stands of the Quidditch stadium, still holding her wand up to Harry while he was also looking at her with soft eyes.
As she dropped her hand, he said, "Are you OK? I tried to be as gentle as possible when I was attempting to push you out of my head at the end of that memory."
Stowing her wand in her coat, she replied, "Yes, Harry, it was quite gentle and I didn't feel a thing. But what about you? That was my first attempt at Legilimency, was I easy enough?"
He smiled and nodded. "Almost too easy, really. At the start, I could just feel sort of a tingle as I was trying to think of nothing but that memory, but I grew curious when it remained dark for a while before the memory burst forth into my head. That's when I realized that you must have been watching it."
She nodded at the turn of events, which seemed to make sense with what had taken place from her own perspective.
But then, the anger returned as she firmly replied, "I should be angry at you for having lied about why your Occlumency lessons in fifth year ended. But I can't be, because Snape was such a pitiful excuse of a human being that he wouldn't put aside a schoolboy grudge to help you with something that could have been crucial to the war. And for him to have been obsessed with your mother as an adult, going by those things you told me about the memories you watched during the Battle of Hogwarts, makes that and his overall treatment of you during our school years even worse."
He looked at her a bit sadly before joining his right hand and her left. "For the record, I am sorry for lying to you about that. You seeing why the lessons ended, though, isn't why I wanted to show you that memory."
The feel of his hand made her slowly begin to calm down, but his statement simply caused the rage to be replaced by sorrow. "You're talking about watching your father and his actions, aren't you?"
He gave her a gloomy nod.
The need to comfort him flared up before she replied, a bit frantically, "But that memory you saw was one of Snape's, and Snape was supposed to be great at Occlumency. What if the man's biases were coloring that memory?"
His dejected response was, "Because Sirius and Remus basically confirmed what happened, with Remus talking about how I shouldn't completely judge my father for what he did then having been fifteen, and Sirius talking about him and Dad being arrogant berks. That's what I wanted to talk to Sirius about, that day where Fred and George caused a distraction so that I could use Umbridge's fireplace to call Sirius over the Floo Network."
Her mouth fell open a bit before she sadly said, "Oh, Harry. That memory was the reason why? Now I can't help but feel awful about telling you not to do it."
He shook his head. "Don't, Hermione. You were still in the right to do so. You were looking out for me and trying to keep me out of trouble."
Turning his head away to look straight out into the Quidditch pitch, he then sighed and added, "But to get to why I brought up all of this. Because I witnessed that memory, there was this shred of doubt in my mind as to why exactly my mum finally started to go out with my dad. Sirius and Remus, in my talk with them, both said that my dad did deflate his head before he and Mum started going out in their seventh year, but as you said that Snape's memory could be biased, there was still a small kernel in my mind wondering as to whether the bias from being best friends could have been happening with Sirius and Remus. I know it's silly considering that those two wouldn't have just lied about it, but I couldn't help having that little bit of doubt."
Though she knew Harry probably had more to say, Hermione couldn't resist reaching over and placing her right hand on top of their already-joined ones. When he turned his gaze back to her, she quietly said, "Well, you heard Professor McGonagall. Your dad became more focused on his academics instead of pranks in his sixth year, he and your mum became friends as a result, and they eventually grew close enough to start a deeper relationship together."
She was a bit surprised to see him smile before he replied, "Way to beat me to my final point before I could make it. And yeah, that's why I was happy about getting that little anecdote from Professor McGonagall about my parents. Getting confirmation, from someone that can be considered a more neutral party, about what Sirius and Remus said makes it much easier to believe that Dad did truly mature to the point that Mum grew to like him as a person."
Sadness quickly returned to his expression, though. "Of course, that anecdote now also makes me feel kind of bad about having those doubts. Like I was thinking wrongly of my dad when there was no reason to, especially when I know, from the memory that I would always hear around the Dementors, that he knowingly gave his life to try and hold back Riddle so that Mum and I could have a chance to live."
She squeezed his hand with hers and replied, "No, I'm sure your mum and dad wouldn't want you to feel that way. If they're watching us right now, I bet they would understand you having some doubts just from the fact that you obviously couldn't just go to them as the primary source and hear the story straight from them."
He quietly chuckled for a second. "Yeah, you're probably right."
Trying to lighten the mood, she replied a bit cheekily, "How often am I not?"
She was glad to see him let out one full laugh. Right afterwards, he used his right hand to pull her closer. Then, he slipped out of her grasp before wrapping her up in a hug.
As she immediately hugged him back, he fondly said, "Not very, Hermione. Not very."
They hugged for about the next minute before separating. They then gazed at one another for a few more seconds before Hermione said, "So, you're OK with everything about your parents?"
His lips curled upward for a moment before Harry nodded. "Yeah, I am. Like I said, that anecdote helps to destroy whatever doubt may have remained relating to that memory of Snape's I saw in fifth year. And I wanted you to have background on one of the reasons why I was happy hearing that story."
She smiled at him. "Thank you for being willing to let me know all of that." The smile quickly disappeared, though, when she added, "And if I could resurrect Snape right now just so I could kill him myself, I would."
Harry's expression fell into sadness again. "I'm sorry again for lying to you back then about why those Occlumency lessons ended."
Her smile was also a bit sad this time. "Well, after seeing that memory, I can't say I blame you. No matter how much I tried to deny it at the time due to him being a professor and therefore a figure of authority, he was quite horrible to us and other students on many occasions, and you on essentially every occasion. Just because I never brought it up again doesn't also mean that I've forgotten about that whole 'I see no difference' line he mockingly said to me in fourth year after I got hit in the teeth by that hex Malfoy cast. And again, Snape ordering you to never return may as well have been him saying that he cared more about holding a grudge against you and your father than he did with trying to teach you something that could have helped against Riddle."
She then grabbed his right hand again, and her smile became warm as she said, "We're alright, Harry. I promise."
Relief flowed through her when his expression turned soft and loving in response. And for a few seconds, the two were content to hold hands and gaze at one another.
Then, Harry became serious and took a deep breath before saying, "So, is it time to get to the real conversation we need to have?"
Hermione took her own deep breath for a couple of seconds before responding. "I'll just come out and ask it right away. How do you feel about the offer from the headmistress regarding teaching here?"
He turned to look out to the Quidditch pitch again. And he quietly answered, "It's such a good offer, I almost feel like I have to take it."
His response caused her to immediately reach over with her right hand to grab his left one and pull it over to where their other hands sat. In turn, he whipped his head around in surprise and confusion at her actions. She gave his hands a squeeze before she frantically replied.
"No, Harry. Please don't choose anything because you feel forced to do so, no matter how good you think the offer is. Only accept it if you think that it's something you would truly enjoy doing."
His expression became pensive as he breathed slowly for a few seconds. He then said, "Well, what about you? Would you be happy with a teaching job? Like I've said before over the break, you could be so great, Hermione. The entire world is at your fingertips with what you can accomplish. Would you really want to teach over anything else?"
Now, Hermione was the one who became thoughtful, though she never removed her gaze from Harry's. She remained silent at first, for about ten seconds.
Then, she softly responded, "I'll admit that, in earlier years, going into the Ministry to try and change things was what I had settled on. I just didn't know whether it would be something like the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and change laws directly, or if I would start out in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and try to work from that department at first to make things better for non-humans."
She quietly sighed before her next statement. "But I was also never sure about how deep into politics I might need to get when having a Ministry job, and I'm so stubborn that I could see myself hating being in the Ministry and having to play that kind of game to rise in the ranks. Sure, maybe it wouldn't be like that now with essentially all the old pureblood supremacists being dead, but there's no guarantee of that at the moment since Kingsley hasn't even been the Minister for a year."
A soft but amused chuckle left her at that point. "And frankly, the two of us have already done so much on our parts, what with finding and destroying the Horcruxes in order to kill Riddle, that I think we deserve to just do what makes us happy from this point. And I've always enjoyed the process of learning new things. I would love it if I could pass not only my knowledge itself down to children, but also give at least some children the same passion for learning that I have."
A smile rose to her face before she finally ended with, "So yes, I think I would be happy with a teaching career."
Harry had remained silent as he paid rapt attention to her entire speech. Once she reached the end and answered his question, his eyes looked away as he gave her a few slow and thoughtful nods. He looked at her again when she squeezed his hands.
"Now," she gently said, "back to you. Does the opportunity itself to teach at Hogwarts make you happy? And if it doesn't, is there any career at all you can think of that would? That's all that matters to me, Harry. Take some time now to think things over if you need to."
He became a bit sad before turning to look back out to the Quidditch pitch. "More time wouldn't do much good, when I've already tried thinking before and just come up with nothing. I know what I said to Professor McGonagall about other Ministry jobs being in consideration, but I don't actually know any positions there which I could take and might enjoy even a little bit, especially if it was a position where you weren't working alongside me. Don't forget, my whole reason for deciding on the Aurors after fifth year was just because it related to Riddle."
His expression then fell even more as he closed his eyes. "And as far as teaching…"
He hung his head slightly, waiting a couple of seconds before opening his eyes and then continuing. "I don't know, Hermione. I guess I worry that me helping people learn Defense spells in fifth year was just a fluke. There's no guarantee about that experience translating into actually teaching full classes of students, you know?"
Though he continued staring out to the pitch, Hermione's expression was full of sympathy as she looked at Harry. The depths of his guilt and shame about feeling as though there was still nothing more that he was capable of doing, now that Riddle was dead, seemed to truly have no bounds.
After a few seconds, however, an idea hit her. Maybe she could nudge Harry along a bit and get him to think about all the positives and negatives he had regarding a teaching career. They could then make a comparison about his feelings on the career. And if all his cons truly came down to him simply thinking he's not good enough, rather than him having various other reasons, maybe there was a chance that she could reassure him.
There was only one way to find out.
Hermione gave a small and gentle tug to his hands, causing Harry to turn back to her. Then, with a little smile, she said, "Alright, so you're afraid that you don't have the skills to teach. That's one negative. Now, what about a positive? Can you think of one thing that you would like, if you became a professor here?"
He blinked in confusion, but at least his sadness was replaced by contemplation, as his eyes glanced down. He was silent for about five seconds, but then, a tiny smile graced his face as his gaze returned to her.
"Well," he quietly said, "I suppose, like you said for yourself earlier, it would be good to have the chance to pass knowledge to the next generation. I remember Fred and George telling me about how even so many adults weren't able to do a decent Shield Charm. Giving students that kind of knowledge would help them, and future generations after them, to be able to better defend themselves if anything like the last few years would ever happen again. Not to mention, I could give them truths about Riddle that not only no one else would know, but would also show them that even he was just a human like everyone else in the end, albeit one that committed horrific atrocities like few others."
OK, this was working, Hermione thought. Harry was beginning to work past his shame about not having a purpose, and was looking at all sides. She needed to keep this going.
"Good then," she replied. "We've got one pro and con each. You would like to pass on your knowledge, but you're afraid about your skills in doing so. Let's go back to the negatives now. What's another reason, if you have any, that you wouldn't enjoy teaching?"
He grew thoughtful again before responding, somewhat dejectedly, after a couple of seconds. "That the job would still get in the way of the opportunity for a family. That, even after what Professor McGonagall told us earlier, if I had any children, the teaching hours here would still be as such that I wouldn't get to see them very much."
She couldn't resist giving his hands a quick squeeze again, out of sympathy, and was glad to see gratitude at her action flash in his eyes.
She then said, "OK, so you still worry about possible conflicts between the personal life and the career life. How about another positive now?"
He nodded before a meditative smile graced his face. "Well, I guess I have always enjoyed Defense more than all other subjects. The subject itself wouldn't necessarily be something that I would quickly get sick of, whereas I can't be certain for any other job that I wouldn't end up hating it. So, teaching Defense does have that going for it."
She gave a nod, but this time, he actually continued speaking, his smile growing while doing so. "And actually… maybe this doesn't count as something separate from passing better knowledge onto younger generations. But we've never had a great set of Defense instructors. Remus was by far the best, and the person who somehow comes second to him was Barty Crouch Junior, a Death Eater who used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Alastor Moody.
"And Professor McGonagall told us that she still doesn't have a person that is willing to keep the Defense position for more than one year. I wouldn't mind taking the job if it meant finally bringing some stability to the class."
Hermione grinned for a moment. "No, we can count that as two separate positives. That makes three pros and two cons in total. So let's turn back to the negatives this time."
Harry glanced down in thought while automatically nodding to her. This time, he seemed to ponder for what felt like a full minute. Hermione remained quiet the entire time in order to not interrupt.
But then, his expression fell into sadness again before he finally looked back into her eyes. He still didn't say a word, but Hermione had an idea of what was now troubling him.
"Harry," she tenderly whispered, "you can tell me anything, no matter what it is. Don't forget that."
He hesitantly replied, "You may eventually get sick of hearing things like what's currently on my mind."
She shook her head. "Maybe I'll grow a little exasperated in my mind if certain issues continue to persist months or years from now and you haven't made any progress, but that doesn't mean I'm not still going to do everything in my power to reassure and help you."
Seeing his reluctance begin to waver, she then put a small smile on her face again and added, "So come on. Out with it."
He smirked for a second at her slight teasing, but quickly became serious again before letting out a sigh and then responding. "I… this is something that isn't restricted to just teaching, so I guess it shouldn't even really count on the list, but still…"
He looked down in shame at that point. "I worry that, if we're spending literally all of our time together if we start working, you may eventually get sick of me. But I'm also afraid that I'm so completely dependent on you at this point that, if we weren't working together, I wouldn't be able to last for even those hours that we were separated. Like how I couldn't even last that first night back here before I had a nightmare about you again."
She just looked at him with sympathy for a few seconds after he went quiet. She then moved her left hand to place it on his cheek, causing him to look up.
"Harry," she gently whispered, "don't lose yourself in the fear of everything that could happen. Maybe that's the only reason why you had that nightmare. We were both regretful about having to separate, but perhaps it worried you to such a degree that you became consumed by the fear of being alone at night again, causing it to manifest itself in another nightmare."
She gave him a tiny smile before continuing. "And I like to think I've proven that I'm never leaving your side, right? Voluntarily leaving, at least."
His lips twitched upward for an instant before he replied, "The fact that you wouldn't care if we got caught in bed together if it meant that you were able to help me… that more than proves it."
She caressed his cheek for a moment at the response. Then, she said, "Again, Harry. Whatever bumps in the road we come to in our relationship, I'll do whatever it takes on my part to help us get through them. So, try not to worry about things going wrong if we have to be away from each other for any amount of time or if we end up spending every moment of our time together."
Though the smile he gave at that point seemed somewhat sad, his eyes were also filled with only affection. He then nodded twice and whispered, "I'll do my best."
Her own smile was larger this time. Hermione sobered up after a couple of seconds, though, and took her left hand off of his face so that she could grab his right hand again with it.
Then, she asked, "Do you have anything more to add to this list we're making, about what you would and wouldn't like about teaching at Hogwarts? Positive or negative?"
Harry slowly blinked for a couple of seconds before going back into thought. After nearly another minute, he shook his head. "No, I think that's all right now."
"OK," she replied with a nod. "So, as a summary, you enjoy the Defense material. And you would like to give better knowledge to future generations as well as bring some stability to the long-cursed teaching position. But you fear that your skills in teaching won't be good enough, and you're concerned that the job would still get in the way of your personal life, both in terms of just our relationship as well as in terms of any children that you would have when you're older. Is all of that correct?"
He sheepishly responded, "Yeah, I guess so."
She nodded again before letting go of his hands and shifting to cuddle as much into his side as she could. He wrapped an arm around her in response. Then, looking into his eyes, she placed her right hand behind his head and brought him forward until their foreheads were touching.
After she dropped her hand and then wrapped both arms around his neck, she whispered, "It seems to me that all of your negatives about a teaching career stem from your worries about what may happen but is not necessarily guaranteed to happen. Maybe you wouldn't be cut out for teaching. But your experience in fifth year with helping people learn Defense spells is why I think it's more likely that you could be great. Maybe your teaching hours could prevent you from having a family. But Professor McGonagall said that, if we decided to commit to teaching and were hired, she would work with the two of us to figure out an arrangement that works for her and us whenever either of us wanted a family."
Hermione couldn't help giving Harry a loving smile at that point. "Maybe issues could arise if we work here together and are spending nearly all of our time around one another. But I know from my parents that a couple working around each other is quite possible. And like I've said before, Harry, I have no plans on leaving your side, and I doubt that you would ever do anything so horrible that I could never forgive you."
Harry's eyes were wide and bright with the sheer affection she could see in him, as she brought her left hand around and placed it back on his cheek.
Then, she said, "Instead of focusing on the what-ifs, why not just take a chance and give it a try? And teaching here doesn't even have to be the only job you ever hold. Perhaps the two of us would try, and we both end up realizing that it isn't actually what we want to do for the rest of our lives. But there's nothing wrong with at least finding out, right?"
She could see Harry become pensive again as his eyes glanced away from her. But she still had one last thing to say before letting everything drop, and his attention immediately shifted back when she spoke.
"Still, like I've continued to say, I want you to do whatever will truly make you happy. However long it takes you to make a decision as to what that is. Just keep in mind everything from this little discussion when you want to make that decision, alright?"
The left side of his mouth lifted slightly for a second, as he slowly and silently nodded against her forehead. Then, he pulled his head back before wrapping his other arm around her and pulling her to him in a full hug, placing his chin on her shoulder. She responded by tightening the hold of her arms and then burying her head in his neck.
The couple just sat there and held one another for a long while, both wanting to be as close as possible to the other person. Hermione hoped that Harry was drawing from her whatever strength and comfort that he needed at the moment.
Eventually, Harry was the first to move, when Hermione felt him take his head off her shoulder. Without loosening her hold, she pulled back just enough so that she could look into his eyes. Surprisingly, while she could certainly see contemplation in them, there also appeared to be a touch of determination.
And at that moment, Harry was also the first to break the silence. "Alright."
Hermione tilted her head in slight confusion and asked, "Alright what, Harry?"
That caused him to give a quiet but amused huff, before he took a deep breath and said, "I'll try it. I'll try for the Defense position."
Her eyes widened in shock. She certainly wasn't expecting to hear any kind of decision so quickly.
She asked, "Harry, are you certain? You know you don't have to make a decision right now."
He gave a little smirk for an instant, before he replied, "I've been in a huge rut ever since Riddle's death, one that I could temporarily ignore while we were going through all the planning for our search for your parents. I've only started coming out of that rut thanks to opening up to you over these last two weeks. And you've always had my best interests at heart. So, like you said, why not just take a chance and see what happens from there?"
A great smile immediately rose on her face. The fact that he trusted her so much that it gave him the confidence to make such a decision already… it filled her with happiness.
Before she could say anything, though, Harry somewhat timidly added, "So, what about you? I know you said that you would be happy with teaching, but you never said for certain – "
Hermione didn't give him a chance to finish his thought, as she leaned in at that moment and took his lips with her own. His words immediately stopped as he responded to the kiss.
She pulled away after five seconds, looking at him with her large smile, and responded, "Well, it looks like we'll have to tell Professor McGonagall that she'll hopefully have some new candidates for the Defense and Charms positions. Assuming Professor Flitwick would like to mentor me and let me take over, of course, as well as if Professor McGonagall still truly doesn't mind continuing to teach Transfiguration even while being Headmistress at the same time."
Her heart jumped for joy when the same smile lit his face, and he asked, "Really? You'll do it, too?"
She nodded. "I will, Harry."
He glanced down for a few seconds, though the happiness never left his expression. When he finally looked back up, he replied almost in awe, "Alright then. I guess we've got a plan for our futures after Hogwarts. I…"
He trailed off for a moment and then let out an amazed scoff, waiting for another second afterwards before continuing his previous thought. "It sounds so weird for me to say that, but I'm also really happy about it, you know? After all that happened in those six months before I finally opened up to you, now I actually have goals to aim for. For a career goal, it'll be seeing what I could maybe do as a professor here. And as an ongoing personal goal, it's trying to be the best partner that I possibly can for you."
Hermione couldn't resist once again pulling his forehead back down to rest against hers. And she affectionately said, "You've certainly done a wonderful job on the personal goal thus far. And I'm positive that you'll not only continue to be wonderful there, but that you'll also do great if you are setting your mind on a teaching career. I have complete faith in you, Harry."
That soft expression which she loved came over his face as he replied, "You having faith in me is the only reason I could have ever made it this far to begin with. Thank you for believing in me and sticking with me through all these years, Hermione."
She responded, with all the love within her that she could muster, "Always, Harry. Always."
He gave her a tearful smile before then leaning his mouth in and kissing her. She lost herself in the movements of their mouths, with her heart fluttering like always whenever he was the one to initiate the affection.
When they finally pulled their mouths away, the couple was content to silently and happily gaze at one another, enjoying the tranquility of the moment.
But eventually, Hermione glanced past Harry a bit, to where his Firebolt was still sitting. Looking back to him with a smirk, she then said, "Well, I think the headmistress can still wait at least a few hours. For now, what would you say about taking me on another flight?"
This time, it was a toothy grin that she received. He replied, "You would really want to go flying again already?"
"Why not?" she teasingly retorted. "I thought it made for a great date earlier. Is it wrong for me to want that date to continue for at least a little while longer?"
He chuckled for a second before responding, "You know, I guess you aren't wrong about how this technically does count as a date." At that point, his expression became filled with affection again. "And it would be wrong of me if I didn't give a lady what she wants. Wouldn't it, Angel?"
With a wide yet tender grin, she said, "You're brighter than you look, Emerald. I knew you would continue to be wonderful in your personal goal."
That caused a full-blown laugh to leave him. And before long, they were sitting in the same positions on the Firebolt, with Harry zooming them over the Hogwarts grounds again.
As she happily laughed while being held between Harry's arms on the broom, Hermione also couldn't help thinking about how amazing it was to see Harry having already come so far in his healing in just over two weeks. He had found a purpose in not only a possible career to work for, but also in wanting to do whatever he needed for their relationship to continue working. While she thought that there was no need for him to worry on the relationship front, the sentiment itself still warmed her heart and soul. Along with all that, he had a place that he could call home, with her parents being there for him as if he was one of their own. And of course, the best part was just how genuinely happy Harry also seemed about everything thus far.
In Hermione's mind, there was no doubt that she would do more than everything in her power to keep Harry at this level of happiness. As she noted earlier, he and she deserved to be happy. And she would fight tooth and nail to make sure that nothing could ever take it away.
A/N: Couldn't resist the usage of "Always" there near the end since, unlike how it was used in canon, this would be between characters that actually love one another ;)
So yeah, a bit of fluffy flying filler first, in order to give our two lovebirds just another happy moment with no cares and worries.
Along with that, there were the details of just why Harry was happy receiving that little anecdote from McGonagall about his parents. He could use a happy story from an unlikely source, considering how nearly everyone he knew that could have previously given him positive memories about his parents is now dead at this point.
And finally, yep, we have a decision as to what Harry and Hermione will first attempt to do as a career after leaving Hogwarts! Of course, it is technically only the decision at this point, and there's still more to come before they even get to graduation.
If you've made it this far, thank you for reading! And I hope you stay tuned for more!
