AN: I don't own Harry Potter or any of his friends.
Thank you for the reviews, for following, or adding to your favorites. I mean that, really.
On another note, if you're looking for a really fun Harry/Hermione story, go check out 'Getting It Right' by TXWitchywoman. One of the best HHR stories there is.
Also - if you haven't yet, check me out on FB - Onyx Colton.
And...I've got nothing, so...Enjoy!
Harry and Hermione laughed and talked like it was an everyday thing that they went on a date. In the hour that they'd been on their date, there hadn't been any awkwardness, or lulls in the conversation. To the both of them, this was a huge relief.
"You didn't!" Harry laughed as Hermione told him a story from her childhood.
Hermione giggled, trying not to spill her drink over herself. "I did." she nodded. "I used their credit card while the sitter was busy, and bought a new stove, and a new refrigerator, and even a microwave." she laughed.
"Were they mad?" Harry asked, not taking his eyes off her. Hermione was absolutely glowing with laughter, and her eyes were sparkling, making her even more beautiful to him.
"Oh, goodness no." she said, shaking her head. "Surprised, maybe, but not mad. I was in the living room when they came home, and daddy went straight into the kitchen to fix himself, and I quote, 'a decent cup of tea for once', and when he came back into the living room, he had this confused look on his face and just said, 'When did we get the microwave, sweetheart?'."
Harry laughed even harder at that. Over the short time he'd spent around her parents, he could picture Richard saying that. "I can honestly picture that, Mione." he said.
"That was nothing compared to the sitter trying to explain why she didn't realize I'd gone out and bought that stuff." Hermione laughed. "I can't say I felt bad for her, though. I didn't like her much." she added.
"So, you wanted to be a chef when you were little?" Harry asked.
Hermione nodded again. "Yeah, I did. I still think that from time to time, but then I realize there's all these issues I could be working to fix, and..." she trailed off, shrugging. Truth was, she felt silly for wanting to be a chef when she could be fighting for elf rights, or werewolf rights, or any of the other injustices of the wizarding world.
"Why don't you?" he asked. "I mean, you obviously enjoyed it when you were younger, so why not just be a chef?"
"Well...I can't deny I did enjoy it. I still do. I mean, there's something so satisfying about watching people enjoy something you've made with your own two hands, something you've put your heart into. But, at the same time, I could be fighting to make the wizarding world a better place for people like Remus, or Dobby. I could be fighting to make sure people like Sirius, the innocent people, don't get lost in the system and suffer for it. I can be trying to make the wizarding world a better place for everyone to live in, no matter what species you are."
Harry looked at Hermione with pure admiration. She was truly a pure spirit living in an un-pure world. Here she was, putting something she loved to rest, in order to fight for the lower classes. The people that wizards like Lucius Malfoy looked down on. The house elves, who people saw as slaves for the wizards and witches, and had no rights. The werewolves, who were seen as beasts who should be chained and locked away in cages. The wizards and witches who were deemed to be a criminal and a low-life based solely on their names and who their family was.
"I'm sorry, Harry." Hermione said, setting her glass down. "I've brought the mood way down, haven't I?" she asked with a grimace. "I mean, this isn't exactly first date conversation material, is it?"
"Not really." he said truthfully, shaking his head. "But, we've never done things in a conventional manner, either." he chuckled. "How about this? If you feel it's necessary, you can tell me something."
"Okay." she nodded, smiling. "Like what?"
"How is it that I never knew you could sing?" he asked, smiling at her.
"Well, it's not like there were ever reasons to break out in song at Hogwarts, was there? I mean, except for the special occasions when we sang the school song." Hermione answered, a slight blush on her face.
"Yeah, but I don't remember hearing you when we sang the school song, Mione. I'm almost certain I would've heard you singing back then." Harry said with a chuckle.
Hermione shook her head. "No, you wouldn't have. I...I used to just mouth the words instead of actually singing."
"Why?"
"Well...I'm used to singing for thousands of people, Harry, not just a couple hundred. I'm used to standing out instead of blending in. You know, I'm used to being loud, and I didn't need more attention on me back then, so I didn't sing out loud." she shrugged.
Harry nodded. "Makes sense, I suppose."
"You're not mad I didn't tell you sooner, are you?" she asked, biting her bottom lip out of nervousness.
This time, it was Harry's turn to shake his head. "No, I'm not." he said, smiling softly at her. "I was just surprised that you had this whole other life I didn't know anything about."
"Again, if it helps, I would've told you sooner if I could have." she said.
Harry smiled and reached over for her hand. "Don't worry about it, Mione." he said, rubbing his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. "I think, if anything, I should be learning that not everything is as it seems. I mean, I thought you were just the daughter of two dentists, but you're not. You're the beautiful, brilliant, talented daughter of one of rock's greatest bands. I think that's pretty awesome, actually."
Hermione smiled shyly at Harry, her eyes shining brightly. That was one of the first times anyone besides her parents had used the word beautiful before brilliant to describe her. Usually, it was brilliant first, which tended to annoy her. Hermione prided herself on her intelligence, sure, but that's not all she wanted to be seen as.
Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to Harry's, lingering there for a moment before she pulled back just a bit. "Thank you, Harry." she whispered.
Harry smiled widely as he stared back at her. He didn't know exactly what she was thanking him for, but if that's how she thanked him, he'd gladly accept it.
"You're welcome, Hermione." he whispered back.
Over the next week, Harry and Hermione saw each other everyday, enjoying their new relationship. They had agreed not to take things too fast, not to rush the intimate aspect. Both had agreed that going from best friends to dating could be awkward enough without adding sex to the equation too soon, so it was best to wait. Harry had also spent a great deal of time at her flat, just enjoying the newness of their relationship. At Grimmauld Place, or the Burrow, or in the bullpen in the Auror department, he constantly was having the mickey taken out of him. Oh, he knew it was all in good fun, but still. Here, in Hermione's flat with her, there was no one pressuring for details, or making jokes about them. It was just him, Hermione, and Crookshanks, and they were enjoying it.
Which is where Harry currently was, waiting on his girlfriend to get back from her meeting with Kingsley. The Minister had owled her yesterday requesting a meeting, and he was getting slightly worried, as the meeting was for ten, and it was nearing three now.
However, just as he was thinking about heading down to the Ministry to check on her, the floo activated and his girlfriend practically flew out and across the room, landing on him as he sprawled out on her sofa. Harry laughed as he held her tightly against him.
"Meeting went well, I take it?" he asked in a laugh.
Hermione giggled in his ear as she nodded quickly. "OhyesHarryitwasthebesteverandIabsolutelyadoreKingsley!" she said rapidly.
"Breathe, love, and repeat that, please." he laughed.
Hermione forced herself to take a deep breath, pushing off Harry and sitting in front of him on the floor, smiling widely. "It was the best meeting, Harry!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah?" he asked, pushing himself up on an elbow. Even though she was no longer on him, he could still feel her practically vibrating with excitement.
"Oh, yes!" she breathed. "Kingsley and I had a nice long talk, actually."
"I'd say. You've been gone for almost five hours, love." Harry said.
"Well...once we got to talking, time just...got away from us, I guess." she shrugged.
"And?" he asked when she stopped talking. "C'mon, Mione, don't keep me in suspense. What did he want?"
"Well, Kingsley and I figured out how I can help those who need helping, and be able to have my dream job someday, as well." Hermione said, a small smile on her face. "Well...more like Kingsley figured it out, and I agreed, actually." she said, more to herself than Harry.
"Oh, yeah?" Harry asked, smiling along with her. "How's that?"
Hermione took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm while she explained.
"While I'm doing the independent study for my N.E.W.T exams, I'm going to work with Kingsley at least three days a week working on drafting the first of what he's calling the 'Hermione Granger Initiative'. Basically, it's going to be a series of laws eradicating the discrimination and poor treatment of those considered lesser beings."
"What? Hermione, that's great!" Harry exclaimed, a bright smile lighting his face.
"I know, right?" Hermione laughed, her smile wider than he'd ever seen it.
"What made him wanna do that, though?" he asked.
"Kingsley said, and I agreed one hundred percent, that while the Ministry isn't exactly the right place for me...no," she said, holding her hand up to stop him from interrupting when she saw him about to protest, "he's right. I wouldn't be happy at the Ministry. Anyway, while the Ministry's not for me, the wizarding world needs the changes I want to make, and he's going to make getting those changes made a priority."
"Well, I guess I see his point." Harry said reluctantly. "But wait. If you're not gonna be working at the Ministry, what are you gonna do?" he asked.
"I've been thinking about that, too." she said, smiling. "I want to be a chef, like I originally planned. Maybe open a small café or something in Diagon Alley. Or maybe a tea shop. But, nothing like Madam Puddifoot's."
Harry smiled, running his hand through her hair. "I think that sounds great, sweetheart." he said.
Sighing as Harry continued combing his hand through her hair, she leaned her head against the edge of the sofa, still smiling. "And, I've also decided not to go completely insane over my N.E.W.T. exams, either. For once, I'm just going to do my best and not obsess over knowing every little thing."
"That's great, too." he said. "But, you know, I'm in complete agreement when people say you could've taken them years ago and gotten flying colors."
"Harry..." she whined, rolling her eyes.
"What? It's true, and you know it." Harry said. "You're a bloody genius, Mione, and everybody knows it. You just need to have some confidence in yourself and not push yourself. Remember your O.W.L. exams?" he asked.
Hermione flushed. "Yes." she mumbled.
"Uh-huh. And?"
"I drove myself insane." she muttered.
"And?"
"And you and Ron."
"Uh-huh. And what happened when Neville accidentally bumped into your table in the library?"
"I kicked him."
"And how long did he have a bruise that not even Madam Pomfrey could get rid of?"
"Two weeks." she grumbled, raising her head to give him a look. "But, in my defense, I didn't think I kicked him that hard."
"And how much weight did you lose before it was all over?"
"Twenty pounds. And before you ask, my hair started to fall out and what didn't fall out got all frizzy and poofy." she said, gesturing with her hands. "Well...frizzier, anyway. But, I've already said I'm not going to do that this time."
"I know you did. But I'll still be keeping an eye on you, you know." he said, raising his eyebrows. "I'm just looking out for you, love. I don't want you turning into a poodle again."
Hermione glared at him as he laughed. "Do you want me to kick you? Because I will." she said, making him laugh harder. Her glare faded into a look of amusement. Smiling, she said, "I'm serious here, Harry. No studying until all hours, no studying at the table in between bites, no color coded charts, no insanity whatsoever."
"Wait. You're serious? Like...serious serious?" he asked, eyes wide. He hadn't thought she meant what she'd said. "I mean, no color coded charts?"
Hermione shook her head. "None at all." she laughed. "Come on, sweetie. I'm not called the Brightest Witch of The Age for nothing. I've got this." Standing up, she gave his shoulder a pat. "Now, I'm gonna go take a shower and then I was thinking Mario's? We can get that deep dish pizza you like."
Harry nodded, still in shock over the absence of the color coded charts. "Sounds good, love."
"Okay. I won't be long." she said, trotting off down the hallway.
"Well, Crooks, it's the end of an era." he said as Crookshanks jumped up on the sofa beside him. "No color coded charts, can you believe it?"
Crookshanks gave him a look that clearly said 'I doubt it', causing Harry to laugh.
"You're right, Crooks. I bet the charts make an appearance sooner rather than later." he said, giving Crookshanks' head a rub.
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XOXO - Onyx Obsidian