Chapter 16 - Mercy and Taste

.

Just like most ideas that come into his mind, Harry impulsively went back into Ginny's room. He only bothered with knocking lightly before he threw opened the door and made his way over to Hermione. He knew from the months they spent hauled up in a tent together that she couldn't go to sleep without reading first. And that was exactly how he found her; sitting in bed with a book on her raised knees, reading under a powerful candle light.

"Harry...what..." She eyed him in confusion, which only served to make him that much positive that he was doing the right thing.

Making his way over to her, he grabbed her book and shut it before placing it on the bedside table.

"What are you...?"

He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. "C'mon."

She did as he asked, her forehead marred in a confused frown. "Harry, what's going on?" He stayed silent, leading her through the small corridors of the Burrow easily since she followed him willingly. "Where are we going?" Her confusion seemed to increase when they arrived at his intended destination: Percy's old bedroom. Hermione followed him in without question, looking around carefully as if the surroundings could give her an answer that would explain his peculiar behaviour.

Letting her hand go, he made his way to a pile of bed sheets and picked one up. "Here." He tossed it to her, and she caught it easily; her confusion visibly increasing minute by minute.

"I don't..."

He picked up another sheet and went to work. "We are building a fort."

Hermione let out a small laugh at his joke before her grin fell as she realized that he was in fact serious. "What?"

Harry decided to ignore her confusion and instead give her orders. "Why don't you take care of that side and I'll take of this side. We can use sticking charms to make it hang from the walls."

Hermione stayed stock still as she watched him incredulously, a nervous laugh escaping her. "Harry, this is ridiculous. Why on earth are we building a fort?"

Harry simply kept his head down and started charming the sheets to the walls in a fort-like fashion. "I remember you telling me that you used to build forts when you were a kid."

She laughed. "I was five."

"And I also remember you telling me that the day before you left for Hogwarts-"

"My father built me a fort in the living room," she said softly, surprise evident in her tone. "He wanted me to feel safe and not be scared with what was to come," she finished thoughtfully.

When Harry looked up from his work, he found her looking at him in a way he knew well. She was about to hug him and probably cry in happiness while calling him an idiot in the process. Surprisingly, she didn't. Instead she whispered a soft 'thank you' and quietly went to work on her side. He watched her silently, unsure of how he felt with this blatant change in character. She was usually so expressive with him. Surely that much hadn't changed in a few hours. But then he remembered their ill-fated conversation in the kitchen, and thought that maybe things had shifted between them. He just couldn't pin point where.

It took virtually a few minutes for a fort to materialize, even with the faulty magic Bellatrix's wand cast.

Grandly, he bent down and gestured for her to enter the absolutely horrific looking fort. With a giggle, she complied.

"This is ridiculous."

He joined her after a cheeky grin in place as he stated in a matter of fact tone, "If I was a Muggle, I would have been a brilliant architect."

She practically snorted in laughter. "You're joking. Even with your intentions this fort is..." Her face scrunched up with the failing battle of keeping her laughter at bay.

Harry decided to help her out. "Gorgeous?" he asked her seriously. She couldn't hold it in then, she giggled. "Alright, maybe not gorgeous. But unique. So unique in fact that travellers from all around the world would travel amazing distances and fight mythical creatures just to catch a small glimpse of this fort," he finished grandly, his chest puffing out in pride. His monologue only served to make her laugh harder.

"Oh please Mr Potter," Hermione wheezed in between laughing breaths, "please take mercy on all of human kind and promise never to become an architect."

Harry simply narrowed his eyes at her. "I see what it is. You're jealous!"

Hermione laughed even louder at the ridiculous statement. "Jealous?"

Harry nodded. "Look at the impeccable way this arch is formed?"

"It's supposed to be higher."

"Regardless," he said ignoring her laughter. "It's a beauty, I tell you." He grinned then, perfectly loving the image of Hermione holding her stomach from laughing so hard. He couldn't help but feel he did a job well done. It was almost as if she could finally taste happiness.

.