Friday Surprise
How does life get any better than this, Harry thought as he awoke on Friday. He could still smell Hermione on his body, and the scent of the jasmine was equally alive. What he really wanted to do was tell his parents that he had found the happiness they had had, but he suspected they might already know. He pulled the curtains aside and glanced over at Ron. How to tell him...how much to tell him? Yah, there was that, wasn't there.
It was still early, but Harry got up and headed for the shower. He had plans for the day, and, more importantly, he wanted to make plans for the next day. It was Friday, which always included a Friday night, and Saturday was a Hogsmeade weekend. Lots of opportunities, he thought.
He arrived early for breakfast, and it seemed that most of the castle was sleeping late after Halloween. Gradually, the rest of the school wandered in, many looking somewhat worse for lack of sleep. Harry had to eat very slowly, simply to keep an excuse for hanging around. He spent some of the time looking at his potions book, selecting something to brew this morning that he would submit as a sample.
Finally Ron came in, and Harry was glad Hermione wasn't there; now they could talk privately.
"How was the chess game?" he asked, trying to steer the subject directly to Ron's activities and away from his own.
"It was okay. Mandy's better than I expected."
Harry thought about that. Was Ron being cryptic, or did he not realize that what he said could be taken two ways?
"Did she beat you?" Maybe Ron had a bad night.
"No!" Ron exclaimed. "I don't lose playing chess, at least not very often." Harry sensed that something remained unsaid, and Ron wasn't being very forthcoming.
"Let me guess, she DID beat you, didn't she." Ron was touchy some times, but Harry's smile allowed him a way out.
Ron grinned a little, between bites of scrambled egg. "I let her win once, but I could have won them all, if I wanted to." Harry thought for a minute. They seldom played more than one game, probably never more than two. Ron never played multiple games with the same person...NEVER! And he let her win...what was that about.
"So, how many games did you play?" Harry continued pushing a little. If Ron had something going, it would let him off the hook, and he and Hermione wouldn't have to explain anything.
"Six, but then we went outside." Looking at Ron, Harry was sure that he just let something slip. They went outside. Why would they do that unless they...
"Sounds like a full evening. Was it fun?"
"Well, it wasn't quite what I expected. Now I know how you felt when Cho stopped you at the DA meeting last Christmas." Harry knew he was getting somewhere now. He needed to push just a little bit more. Let's see where Ron thinks this is going.
"That bad, huh?" Harry sympathized. "Did she...ah...attack you?"
"Well, kinda...no...not really. I...I dunno, it just sort of happened."
"Good, bad, or what?"
"Good, I guess. I mean, I liked it, and she said she wants to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow, so...we're going."
Harry felt like a weight the size of Voldemort had just been lifted from his shoulders. "Good job, mate! At least you're not as big a prat as me." Harry was determined to offer encouragement, since it was good for Ron, and good for Harry. "Just like Quidditch, I knew you could do it."
Ron grinned, and resumed eating. Harry turned and realized that Hermione still hadn't come down to eat. Where was she? Was she okay? When they parted last night, everything was fine, or at least she said it was, and Harry hadn't sensed any problem. He kept waiting for her, but the hall was clearing and morning classes were about to start. He was starting to feel conspicuous, having been here early, and now late. A sense of dread crept into his mind. What had happened?
At last, he had to leave. He paused in the hall, go down to potions, or go up and find Hermione? He went up, but she wasn't in the Gryffindor tower. He thought about checking their room, but decided that she might want to be alone, and if she was there, he would trust she was okay. He went to potions.
Harry completed two potions before lunch, amazing even himself. They both looked just like the book described, and he was beginning to think he might be able to pass the potions N.E.W.T. if only Snape stayed out of the way. He was still worried, though. Hermione, who also didn't have a class this morning, still hadn't appeared, and he really expected she would wander in sometime. He cleaned up and went to lunch, leaving his sample flasks carefully placed on the submission shelf.
He was visibly relieved when Hermione came in for lunch, sitting down beside him. Her _expression was difficult to read, but not for long. She said hello, said hello to Ron across the table, and then slid her hand to Harry's leg. Oh no, he thought. She's at it again. With not a single word more, she used her free hand to spoon some stew onto her plate. Then, and only then, she smiled at Harry. These games were going to kill him, long before Voldemort got the chance.
Shortly, Harry was ready to leave for class. He needed to get away from this evil woman before she completed bewitched him, which, as he thought more, he decided, she already had.
"Hermione, we need to get to class. It's Friday, and we have double Defense against the Dark Arts, remember?" Hermione smiled that big Cheshire-cat smile she had.
"Yes, you really need to study, because there are lots of Dark Arts you don't know, and you need to arm yourself for what's coming," she responded. What the HELL was she talking about. That smile, and a warning of impending doom? What was she planning now? Harry was beginning to think he had unleashed a monster without ever realizing it.
For Harry, and Hermione, and in fact anyone from the DA, class was boring. All the things they were learning (or being taught) were old hat...Harry had covered them last year. The end came when the professor mentioned, in passing, a Patronus, followed by a comment that it was very difficult and undoubtedly beyond any sixth-year student. Fortunately, the professor didn't understand the laughter that this comment generated. Even Neville had succeeded last year, albeit with some extra coaching from Harry. (Harry told him to imagine Bellatrix going back to Azkaban).
As they turned the corner towards the east tower, Hermione grabbed Harry and simply said "Ten minutes." Then she walked off. Harry assumed that meant a visit to his now-favorite chair, and headed there after dropping his books on his bed.
Hermione was sitting on the bed when he transported in. The cat grin was still on her face, and he knew that spelled danger, especially for him.
"WHERE were you this morning," he demanded, trying to seize the initiative before she could. "I was really worried about you," he added somewhat softer.
"I was reading...privately. I didn't want anybody around, not even you." She immediately realized that she conveyed the wrong message. "I mean...well...I... wanted to study some things about us, about..." Harry recognized his advantage. She was flustered, and he grabbed her arm in mock seriousness.
"Don't ever do that to me again!" he said sternly. "I need to know that you're all right. I was worried, and it was even worse when I couldn't find you. I can't very well ask, you know! `Has anyone seen my girlfriend Hermione, I seem to have lost her'"
Hermione pulled back. She had forgotten that she needed to consider Harry's feelings a little more seriously now. This wasn't a relationship that she could run by herself. She had hurt him.
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry. I was doing it for us and I just never thought about what you would think because I was thinking about what you would think." Tears were forming in her eyes, but when she looked at Harry, he was grinning.
"Do you realize how stupid that was...what you just said, I mean. You didn't think about me because you were thinking about me?" Hermione started to laugh with him, but the tears were still there. He was right, but she knew she had hurt him.
"I'll never do that again...I promise." She pulled him close and started kissing him. As usual, at least lately, the problem was resolved quickly by some serious snogging.
Harry broke loose for a minute. He had news to share.
"Hermione, Ron played six games of chess with Mandy last night, and then they went for a walk outside. He told me this morning."
"Are they going out together?"
"Ron says she asked him to go to Hogsmeade with him tomorrow, and he's going to do it!"
Her eyes lit up. "One less problem for us...good for Ron." This was the analytical Hermione talking, not that she was wrong. Harry often found himself thinking about how things affected both of them now, and he also found that very pleasant.
"So, what are we doing tomorrow?" They hadn't made any plans (at least none that Harry was aware of) and this was probably a good place to start.
"WE," Hermione started, "are going to Hogsmeade tomorrow." She pronounced, as if it was a sentence from the Wizenmagot. Harry looked a little downcast.
"Do we have to? We could be here instead."
"I didn't say we're going to stay in Hogsmeade, at least not for long. We need to be seen there so everyone will know where we are. Then we can be anywhere we want." Obviously, Hermione had given some thought to creating a cover story for the weekend. "First things first, however. You have some new spells to learn before tomorrow."
Hermione stopped. She hadn't thought this all the way through and suddenly she knew Harry was going to be upset with her, and he had every right to be. She had jumped ahead of him, when she was the one saying they would do things together.
"Harry, I need to apologize to you. I did something this morning that I shouldn't have done. I just realized that. I was thinking only about myself, and that was wrong. I only wanted the best for us, but I broke our trust, and I'm sorry." She was tearing up again, and Harry knew this was Hermione speaking from her heart again. Harry had to find a way to let her out of whatever hole she was in, and do it gently.
"Tell me what happened," he said quietly. "It doesn't matter what you did...only we matter, and I know you're still getting used to that. So am I." Much later, Harry was proud of this time: it was just the right words at just the right time. Hermione reached to the far side of the bed and pulled out the book. Harry stared, knowing that it was (or should be) safely hidden in the bottom of his trunk.
"I waited for everyone to go to breakfast this morning and then went into your room to get this. I wanted to read some more, to see what else was there. I was wrong...we said we'd do this together. I was going to..." She stopped, and Harry knew it would take a supreme act of bravery for her to continue. Her look told it all. He had to find a way to let her explain without building on the guilt she was feeling. He took her hand.
"Hermione, it's all right. It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does. I broke your trust, and I was the one who said you had to trust me, and then I ..." The tears were flowing rivers now, and Harry knew it was time for drastic action.
"Do you know why I love you?" he interrupted, pulling her closer. "Because there's nothing you can do that I don't like. Even when you screw up, which isn't very often, it always works out for the best...for our best! You're sitting here crying because of some stupid book. Is that what's important? No! What is important is us. We found each other 5 years ago. We were both completely out of place here, you were muggle-born and me, well...I didn't know anything. Somehow we've made this place our real home. Now we've been blessed with this love, and we can't let something this small destroy it."
"You said `trust me' and I do. I didn't agree that you were perfect, I didn't agree that we would never disagree or have a fight, I didn't agree that we should have 19 children...I agreed to trust you, and I still do. Whatever you did, or didn't do just doesn't matter. I love you."
It was probably the longest speech Harry had ever given, certainly the longest he'd created on the fly. Hermione's eyes continued to run. She sobbed loudly, and grabbed him. "I don't deserve you. You're so wonderful." Harry could see this was running its course, and simply held her so she could work through it. He remembered Hermione saying that all he needed to do with Cho was hold her when she was crying, and right now that seemed like good advice. He just didn't know how to make it end faster, and he wanted Hermione to feel better. He began gently stroking her hair, running his hand over her head and shoulder, pulling her into him.
"Hermione," he whispered, "it's all right." She sobbed again. This wasn't working, but he had to do something. Time for new approach.
"Hermione, if you don't straighten up, I will take drastic action." He reached down to her side, and prodded one of her ticklish spots. She jumped. He did it again. Same result. Maybe this would work, he thought, and he launched a larger attack. She began to respond. He put the gentle Harry aside, and brought out the assertive Harry. Both hands moved to sensitive areas and a full assault began. Hermione was giggling, then laughing, then begging for mercy. He had succeeded, and decided to lighten up.
"Just remember this the next time you let your hands wander at lunch," he said sternly. "There will always be consequences for the things you do."
Hermione looked up at him through her tears and smiled. It was that smile of satisfaction she had last night. God, Harry thought, she's beautiful. He had gotten her back from the edge, and he felt pretty darn good about it.
"So, you read ahead of the class. You know Umbridge isn't going to be pleased about that. What did you find that you disagree with this time?" Harry had to let her know he wasn't really mad, but his curiosity was killing him. What was on the next page, and the next. Knowing Hermione, she probably read the whole book and memorized it to boot.
Hermione looked at him as if she was scared to admit what she knew. Harry wasn't going to wait much longer. "I can always go get Veritaserum, if I need to." This was a high-stakes threat, although they both knew it was part of the game.
"I found some things I want you to try."
"On you?" he asked. She was ready for this one, and that goofy smile came back again.
"On lots of people, including me."
"Show me what you found," he said, thinking that things might okay after all. "What do I need to learn?"