Hide Away The Day
Disclaimer: I own nothing. No profits made.
AN: I know I'm horrible at updating! But here's the new chapter, I hope you guys like it! Let me know, okay?
Also: For those of you wondering "Blind Dates" was a one shot and will not be updated…unless I feel inspired. Anyways, on with the story. Read and Review.
For a moment Hermione couldn't move. For just a moment, she forgot that the world existed outside her own thoughts. But as the world always does, it quickly reminded her of its continued existence with a crash, a bang…a dull whisper. She felt stuck beneath the weight of Dumbledore's seemingly innocent comments, but she couldn't just stand in the hall all morning, that'd be silly.
She shuffled forward as the haze started to lift from her head, and as it went her shuffle turned to a confident stride before she reached the Great Hall. "Hermione!" Harry grinned as he threw an arm about her shoulders cheerfully. "You're late."
"Am not!" She defended immediately, fixing the cheeky boy with a glare.
An arm threaded itself through her other arm as they walked. Hermione turned to see Ginny smirking at her. "Well, you're late for you…it's not often that Harry and I drag our arses down here before you."
Hermione rolled her eyes, her glare morphing to a reluctant smile as her two friends teased and prodded her as well as each other. "So what's got the two of you in such a mood, hmm? Is something going on that I should know about?" She inquired as they released her to take their seats, Harry to her left and Ginny on her left, with a perfect view of the Ravenclaw table.
"Nope. Nothing. Not. A. Thing." Harry grinned devilishly into his goblet of Pumpkin juice.
"Say Hermione, you got Potions this morning, don't you?" Ginny asked, before she could press the Boy Wonder.
She turned to the girl with a frown, eyes narrowed and mouth tight. "You know I do…" She sat back and looked from the innocent looking red head to the cheeky brother of hers, disbelieving that they were really trying to pull the wool over her eyes. They were quite horrible at it, she must admit. "What's"
"How's it"
"-goin', love!" George and Fred cheered as they appeared rather suddenly at the seats opposite of her. "Now, you wouldn't happen to"
"-have Potions this morning"
"Have you?" Their voices blended as they ended their question together.
She crossed her arms and glared at the duo. "What the bloody hell is going on?" The twins gasped as if they'd never heard such language directed at them before. It was doing nothing to soften Hermione's suspicion.
"Well you see, Snape assigned our year an extra length of parchment and took fifty points all over a little…accident." George shrugged with a smile.
Fred laughed. "That he did…so we're just advising you to skip Potions this morning, and be sure to tell your little French girl that she should attend either, unless she wants to get her cute little shoes dirty." He and George high fived and jumped from the table before she could retort.
Hermione sighed and rubbed her forehead. "They do realize that Professor Snape is my Godfather…don't they?"
"Course they do, Mione!" Harry laughed and clapped her on the back. "But he's still Snape." Hermione couldn't argue with that logic, sure the man had been amicable toward her, but that didn't mean he'd suddenly start being cheery sunshine to the rest of the student body.
"Hey, there goes Fleur now." Ginny nudged her as Fleur walked past the Great Hall and no doubt on her way to the dungeons.
Hermione sighed and excused herself from the table. "Catch you later." She murmured already hurrying her way in the direction she'd last seen the blonde. By the time Hermione surpassed the crowds and found Fleur they were in the long corridor just before Potions classroom. "Fleur!" She called softly, coming to a halt and blushing as not only the Veela turned her attention on her, but her friends did as well.
"Hermione! Bonjour, ceci est une belle surprise." The blonde witch grinned down at the reddening Gryffindor, winking at her friends as they giggled behind her.
Hermione cleared her throat, forcing herself to look Fleur in the eyes as she spoke. "Um, hello." She smiled, gaining confidence as Fleur smiled back patiently. "I uh got a tip that we should skip Potions this morning. I was wondering if…" She paused, watching Fleur as the blonde bit her lip and gripped her textbooks. Hermione mentally shook herself, this was her friend, she could do this. "I was wondering if I could make good on our deal? An adventure?" She grinned with a breath of a laugh.
"Oh mon Dieu, elle est si mignon!" A girl behind Fleur, grinned at her almost causing Hermione to lose her nerve, even as Fleur shushed her.
"Qu'est-ce que vous attendez, Fleur? Allez, allez!" The other girl pushed Fleur forward a little bit before locking arms with her friend and taking off down the hall, back toward the Great Hall.
Fleur shook her head, but her eyes never left the fourth year's. "I would be happy to go with you, Hermione…you're sure we won't be missed though?" She worried.
Hermione released the breath she'd been holding and smiled brightly. "Oh no, we won't be missed." She strode forward to lock arms with the French witch and steered the girl down the corridor. "There's something I wish to show you." She spoke softly.
"Then I shall follow you, ma chéri." The girl conceded, humming as she allowed Hermione to pull her away from whatever mess awaited her back there.
Hermione held in her giggle as Fleur's brow furred, obviously in disbelief that this was where the brunette had wanted to take her, but Hermione shrugged and grinned in such a way as if to convince the stubborn witch. It must have worked because Fleur uncrossed her arms and waved a hand for Hermione to continue. The Gryffindor reached out her hand and tickled the pear in the painting.
It giggled and slowly morphed into a doorknob. Hermione turned and grinned smugly at the gasp that sprung free from Fleur's lips. Opening the door, the clanking and clinking of Hogwarts kitchen could be heard; she pulled Fleur in after her and sealed the door back up. "Hermione!" Dobby cheered and he hopped from foot to foot atop a table. The small elf grinned at her, "Oh Dobby, is so happy to see you! Dobby must go find Kreacher! Kreacher will want to see his Mistress!" Before she could say otherwise, the small elf disappeared from sight.
"Do you come here often?" Fleur inquired, amused by the interaction and familiarity in which Hermione had been addressed.
Hermione laughed, "No, actually. Harry tricked Dobby's previous owner into freeing him." Hermione frowned. "He was being horribly abused…ever since he's been a friend. He's a free elf." She clarified.
"And Kreacher is your elf?" Fleur pressed as Hermione directed her to sit at the table.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, I inherited him when my heritage was discovered." She couldn't say more as Dobby reappeared with the surly old house elf at her side.
The house elf sneered and snatched his hand away from the cheery little elf before taking in where he'd been brought to. As his eyes landed on Hermione, his body shook much like Dobby's and a smile bloomed crossed his usually sour face. "Miss Hermione!" He cried, hopping forth to capture her hand, hugging it to his head as he looked at her. "What a treat this is for Kreacher! Kreacher had missed his Mistress so! Kreacher was upset went Mister Sirius told Kreacher that his Mistress would not be home for Christmas, but Kreacher is happy now!"
Hermione laughed, truly touched by the old elf's words and blushing from Fleur's warm gaze upon her cheek. "I am happy to see you as well Kreacher. Have you been keeping my dear Uncle fed and out of trouble?" She smirked.
Kreacher nodded excitedly. "Oh yes, Miss! Kreacher is taking care of things as Miss Hermione ordered! Kreacher has been a good house elf." He declared without an ounce of doubt bringing giggles to Hermione and Fleur's lips.
"Of course you have, Kreacher, you always are." She praised.
"Would Miss Hermione like a snack?" Dobby offered, grinning as Kreacher agreed and insisted upon making her something.
Something stopped the old elf though, as he spotted the blonde at his Mistress' side. He didn't say anything; rather he crept closer and inspected the nervous girl's face. "Is something the matter, Kreacher?" Hermione grinned, amused by the French witch's sudden discomfort.
Kreacher spared her a look then focused back on Fleur. "Kreacher does not wish to upset his Mistress…" He tried, looking to Hermione for permission to continue. Hermione nodded at him. "This is the witch from the Daily Prophet…Miss Hermione's beloved? Does Kreacher need to answer to her as well?" He held back his sneer, but his dislike at the idea was rather obvious.
Both girls blushed profusely at the declaration, and a stuttering Hermione spoke up before Fleur could. "N-no Kreacher! Fleur is not my beloved. She is my friend though, my dear friend. There is no engagement."
The elf frowned at her. "You are not betrothed? Is Miss Hermione sure she is not Madame Delacour's beloved?"
"Kreacher." Fleur called softly, directing the persistent elf's attention onto her. "There is no engagement between Hermione and me…we are very much friends. Understand?" she pushed delicately. Kreacher nodded and hopped to Dobby's side, pushing the younger elf out of the way so that he might prepare the girls' snack.
"Sorry." Hermione whispered, her embarrassment coloring her cheeks.
Fleur waved it off and smiled. "It is quite alright…besides now that I have both your approval and your elf's approval, I suspect all that's left is your family and then we shall be married, ma cheri." Fleur smirked at her.
She snickered and swatted the girl's arm playfully. "You are incorrigible, Fleur Delacour!"
"Ah, but that is why you love me so!" The blonde cheered, as Hermione continued laughing at her. Plates of cheese and fruits appeared in front of them, along with to Butter Beers, Hermione highly suspected that Kreacher had gotten these from the cooler at Grimmauld.
"Will Kreacher go now?" the elf squeaked.
Hermione smiled fondly and patted the elf head. "Yes, thank you very much, Kreacher. You've done me proud." Her grinned widened as the elf shook with glee. "Please tell my Uncle that Harry and I are doing fine, and if you would…ask him to come to Hogsmead the weekend after Christmas, Harry and I will meet him at the Three Broomsticks." The elf nodded and popped out quickly while Hermione made a mental note to tell Harry that she'd made plans for them. He wanted to see Sirius as much as she for a Christmas celebration.
Moments passed as the two girls enjoyed their snack and spoke of the gossip coming in from the house elves as they complained about the Weasley twins, from the sound of it, Hermione and Fleur had done well to head their warning of skipping class.
Finishing the last bit of her tea, Hermione steeled herself and adjusted her body to fully face Fleur. "So I have a confession to make." She started, almost losing her nerve when the French witch spun to look at her, but she wouldn't be deterred, she was a Gryffindor. "This is only part one of this adventure, not that I think it is even a good adventure, but nonetheless…" She gulped her eyes wide and scared as she looked into the kind blues of Fleur's. "I was wondering if you might allow me to be your date to the ball? You see, I think it just makes sense, you need a date without fearing of hurting anyone because they are not your chosen and I don't have a date nor would I take this as anything other than two friends going to a dance and trying to save one another from having a god awful time." She took a breath. "So? What do you say?"
Fleur's smile was the biggest Hermione had ever seen, surpassing even the grin she'd given the Gryffindor when Hermione had stuck up for her to Krum. "You would do that…for me?" She whispered, reaching out and engulfing Hermione in a firm but gently hug.
Hermione sighed and tightened her grip around Fleur's shoulders, tucking her head into the blonde's hair. "Of course I would, Fleur." The devotion clear in her voice made Fleur squeeze her. Hermione laughed and pulled back, blinking cutely as Fluer's hands cupped her cheeks and grinned a teary smile at her. "So is that a yes?" She teased.
Fleur's wind-bell laugh chimed over the room as the Veela nodded her head happily. "Yes! Yes, Hermione! I would be honored to have you as my date." She whispered, choking back the tears straining to fall from her eyes. Hermione could only hope that they were the happy kind of tears.
"It's settled then. We'll be the envy of the school." Hermione giggled.
Fleur joined her. "Oh yes, they shall be talking of this and nothing else." She promised a mischievous gleam in her blue eyes. Hermione gulped, recognizing the look as the one Fleur had given her on their little adventure in the Prefect's bathroom. She could handle this…couldn't she?