Chapter 2 Hogsmeade
Hermione woke up to the squeals of her roommates, Lavender and Parvati. Hermione rolled on her side to stare at the curtains of her four poster bed. She was beginning to fall asleep again when Parvati ripped her curtains open.
"Hermione!" Lavender squealed behind Parvati. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Why didn't I tell you what?" Hermione asked sleepily.
"About your date with, Harry?" Parvati yelled.
"Oh that." Hermione smiled. "Yea, he asked me after Quidditch practice on Wednesday."
"Hermione, I'm so happy for you." Lavender said "I always know you and Harry would get together!"
"How did you find out?" Hermione asked while sitting up in bed.
"Ginny." the two girls said in unison.
"Ginny told you?" Hermione looked between Lavender and Parvati, "I can't believe I didn't think to talk to Ginny about going out with Harry."
"What does talking to Ginny have to do with Harry?" Lavender asked.
"Because, she's had a crush on Harry for… forever." Hermione got out of bed and quickly grabbed her dressing gown and walked out of the room. She walked down the hall to a door labeled Fifth Years. Hermione knocked softly on the door. Ginny was the one who opened the door. "Hey, Gin."
"Hi, Hermione," Ginny said walking back inside. "What're-ya up to?"
"Nothing much," Hermione said walking into the room and closing the door. "I just wanted to talk to you."
"Ok," Ginny said from her bed. "What can I help you with?"
"So I know that you know about my date with Harry." Hermione said looking at Ginny.
"Yea I do. I'm really happy for you." Ginny smiled. "It's kind of good though if you think about it. I never thought Harry would date again between what happened with Cho and then what happened last summer. I was actually surprised to see him smiling when he came to The Burrow over summer break."
"Yea," Hermione reminisced. "I was actually wondering what you thought of me saying yes. I know you have fancied him for a while."
"I guess I did fancy him," Ginny looked at Hermione, "But things change, you know? I don't really fancy him anymore. I actually have a date today too."
"You do?" Hermione asked, "Who?"
"Promise not to laugh?" Ginny paused when Hermione nodded, "Neville."
"Oh Ginny, I'm really happy for you."
"Thanks, he asked me out a couple of days ago." Ginny said, "I was kind of shocked because I didn't think he fancied me."
"Yea well, at least your not going to spend the day with Ron." Hermione giggled.
Ginny joined her. When the girls finished their giggling Ginny asked, "Where did you go off to Thursday night?"
"I just went out, I decided to help a student with Arithmancy," Hermione answered.
"Was it just a one night thing?"
"No we decided to work together twice a week."
"Who?"
"I'd rather not discuss that information," Hermione said jokingly. Ginny giggled and they both walked down to breakfast together. When they got there they sat next to Harry and Ron.
"Hey Hermione there's still time to change your mind about ditching Harry this afternoon." Ron said wiggling his eyebrows.
"Well Ron, thanks but no thanks." Hermione said. When Ron gave her a look of mockingly deep hurt she added, "I really do appreciate the offer though. I'm really sorry."
Breakfast finished without Ron asking anymore about Hermione ditching Harry. It wasn't until they finished eating and Harry asked if Hermione was ready to go that Ron brought up. "The offer still stands Hermione, you know if your up to it. Meet me in the Three Broomsticks say around 1 o'clock." he called to their retreating backs.
Hermione looked over her shoulder, "I'll think about it Ron."
Hermione and Harry had a great day together. They went to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer, then entered Zonkos. "It's really weird looking at this stuff when we can get it from Fred and George for free." Harry whispered to Hermione.
"Yeah, I guess so," Hermione grinned, "You want to get out of here?"
Hermione and Harry went Honeydukes and stocked up on enough sweets that would last them until the next Hogsmeade weekend. "There really isn't as much to do here as I thought," Harry said as they walked down the streets of the small town.
"I guess the excitement of an all wizarding town sort of wore off, huh?" Hermione asked, "Now that we've been living with the knowledge of it for 6 years."
"Yea, I guess so," Harry agreed. Hermione noticed him looking down. She wasn't entirely sure what he was staring at. It wasn't until she felt Harry slip his hand in hers. Although her heart fluttered it was a complete shock to feel his hand. It didn't take long however, to get used to the idea. Harry seemed a little nervous but when Hermione didn't do anything or say anything about Harry's actions he seemed to give a sigh of relieve. The pair continued wandering through the streets with no real destination. Hermione noticed that the cottages were getting farther apart and the gardens seemed to be getting larger. She saw the mountains in the distance getting larger. It was then that Hermione noticed were they where. She wasn't sure if it was Harry's intention to come here. Sirius used to live in the mountains in the distance in their 4th year with Buckbeak.
"Harry, can I ask you something without you getting mad?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione, I don't really want to talk about my feelings." Harry said gloomily.
"I understand that you don't want to," Hermione said turning to face Harry with his hand still in hers, "but have you? I mean with anyone. It's really not good to keep your feelings bottled up like that. Last summer on the train you hardly said anything the whole way to King's Cross."
"I know," Harry said looking at Hermione, "but I did talk. Mrs. Weasley made me talk to her over the summer. It did help. I'll admit I was rather moody when I first went to The Burrow, but after I talked to Mrs. Weasley I felt better."
"As long as you talked to someone, Harry. Let's sit down," Hermione said and Harry nodded. They sat down next to each other with their backs leaning against a nearby fence. "What about Occlumency?"
"I'm studying it again," Harry said sadly, "Dumbledore is the one who is teaching me this time. I've decided to try really hard on this go."
"Why?" Hermione asked already knowing the answer.
"If I would have practiced Occlumency last year then Sirius would still be alive, wouldn't he?"
"Harry, you can't say that. It's not your fault about Sirius."
"Yes it is," Harry retorted angrily. "If I wouldn't have had that dream about Sirius then I wouldn't have gone after him, then he wouldn't have come after me. He wouldn't have died." Harry chocked out the last word.
"Harry you can't believe that." Hermione whispered.
"Can we talk about something else, Hermione?" Harry asked looking down.
"Yeah, Harry, anything you want," Hermione said lightly trying to cheer up the mood.
"I don't know," Harry said looking up as if a topic would fall out of the sky. "What about the fact that we both passed our O.W.L.S. and we won't have to study that much for a test for a while."
"Harry!" Hermione yelled, "N.E.W.T.S. are just around the corner! You mean you haven't started studying yet?"
"Hermione," Harry smiled, "We've only been back at Hogwarts for a month. It's ages until N.E.W.T.S. The fact that they are next year is the biggest reason for that."
"Harry, N.E.W.T.S. can make or break your career. I mean-"
"That's what you said about our O.W.L.S. last year." Harry interrupted. "And don't worry, I promise I will study for and pass my N.E.W.T.S. next year."
All Hermione could do was smile. As the sun began to set they agreed it was time to get back to the castle and get some homework done that was due the next day. It was when they got back to the common room that Hermione realized she needed to leave if she was to make it to the Room of Requirement in time to meet Malfoy. Hermione said she had to get her Arithmancy homework done first as it was the first class in the morning, she told Harry she should be back soon, "I've just got to check some facts in the library first."
It didn't take long for Hermione to get to the Room of Requirement and she didn't have second thoughts this time as she stood outside the door. When she walked in however she wished she hadn't.
"You know, Granger," Malfoy said with a sneer, "You're the one who came up with the meeting times, one would think that you, of all people, would be on time."
"I'm sorry, Malfoy," Hermione said, "I can't believe I just apologized to a Malfoy."
"You know, Malfoy's aren't all that bad." he retorted, "We just have bad reputations."
"Yea, Bad reputations that almost got Harry killed last year."
"That wasn't me, and I'd thank you to not remind me of such poor interpretations of a Malfoy."
"A Malfoy that is the head of your family,"
"Well, that depends on the eye of the beholder." Malfoy whispered. "Can we focus on the matter at hand please, Granger. You know, it took a lot out of me to ask you to help me, the least you could do is actually help me instead of bicker with me."
"No," Hermione said looking square in the eye with Malfoy, "the least I could do is show up."
Malfoy looked down, silently agreeing with her. He took out is books and sat at one of the desks near the window. "I'm sorry, ok, can we get to work now Granger."
"On one condition." Hermione said and when Malfoy looked at her she continued, "Can you please not call me Granger when we're in here? It puts me on my guard and as much as I know that I need to be when I'm in the same room as you, I can't very well teach you with my guard up."
"So what do you want me to call you, Hermy?" Malfoy asked with a smirk.
"Hermy!" Hermione asked repulsed, "Why would you think I would want any living soul, or ghost even, to call me Hermy?"
"I heard Potter call you it once, when you were walking by the Slytherin table when we came back to Hogwarts."
"That was something different, he definitely got yelled at for calling me that." Hermione smiled while reminiscing then came crashing down to reality when she remembered Malfoy was in the room. "Anyway, you can call me Hermione, that is my name."
"Right… Hermione…" Malfoy said quietly, "Then I suppose you should call me Draco as we are getting on, friendlier terms. And as much as I love getting on friendlier terms with you Gran… Hermione, sorry, I would really like to study. We have a test on Thursday."
"I thought I was the only one who worried about tests in advance."
"This isn't really advance, it's four days away and we have an hour together on Wednesday and," he glanced at is watch, "45 minutes today, I need to study."
"Right, let's get on with it then." And they did. It took them the whole time they had left, they studied to the very last second but Hermione was sure that Draco understood everything.