Chapter 9: Trying new things
Harry has just collapsed onto his bed. After a very eventful and fun evening, Hermione apparated her parents back to their house and promised to be back with Harry in the morning. Harry didn't realise how tired he was until his head hit the pillow. He was about to drift off when a knock came to his door.
"Come in" he called out, not opening his eyes. He knew it could only be one person.
He heard the door open which was followed by silence. He was about to raise his head when he felt her presence next to him.
"Hey." Came Hermione's voice.
"You okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine. I just… I wanted to thank you."
Harry opened his eyes and sat up to look at her, "For what?" he asked.
"For everything. For coming with me, for helping me get my parents, for being with me during the nightmares…" her voice trailed off as she glanced down.
"Hermione, you know perfectly well that you don't need to thank me for any of it. You would have done the same for me. Probably more." He chuckled.
Hermione looked up at him and smiled.
"Besides, you didn't have a nightmare last night… that's good news, right?" he added. Harry was happy when he woke up this morning in his own bed; it meant that Hermione wasn't bothered by a nightmare.
"Yeah. I just hope it stays that way." She muttered.
"Hey, don't you think it's a little weird that your nightmares stopped the day you got back your parents? And you also mentioned that they were in your dreams, right?" he asked.
Hermione nodded.
"Well, there you go. I think that might be it then. And if they do come again, I'll be here if you need me." He gave her a reassuring smile.
Before he could say another word, Hermione's arms were around him. She was pressed against his chest. Her hair smelled so wonderful. He rubbed her back in return. It seemed to have become his natural instinct whenever she hugged him. He wondered if she liked it; Hermione never really complained when it came to stuff like this.
"You always know how to make me feel better." She said, smiling against his chest.
"I learned it from you." He grinned.
Hermione pulled back and looked him in the eyes. Suddenly, she seemed to look nervous.
"So, I noticed you had a chat with my mum before dinner today…" she began.
Harry nodded, trying to look casual.
"She didn't say anything weird, right?" Hermione asked, staring into his eyes. "Please don't tell me she asked you any personal questions."
Harry smiled slightly, "Yeah she did…"
Hermione sighed, "She's unbelievable."
"But it was okay, really. We just spoke about things. She wanted to know more about me, she's was really nice." He assured her.
Hermione seemed to look relieved, "That's good. She can be quite… direct sometimes.
Harry wasn't going to disagree; Mrs Granger was very direct when it came to asking questions. But now that Harry thought about it, he actually felt good about speaking with her; He was able to discuss things which he usually kept to himself. It was very refreshing.
"It was fine. It's really easy to just speak with her. I don't know how to explain it, but I just had this feeling as if I can trust her with anything I say. It was kind of weird." He said.
Hermione laughed, "I know exactly what you mean. That woman knows all of my secrets."
A part of Harry really wanted to speak with Mrs Granger again.
They sat there for a while, both staring out Harry's window, admiring the beach during night time.
"Well, I guess we should turn in. Long day ahead of us tomorrow." She said and stood up.
"What are we doing?" Harry asked.
Hermione turned to him and smirked, "Now, it wouldn't be fun if I told you, would it?"
Harry smiled, "I guess."
She made her way to the door and turned back once more, "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight"
The moment the door closed, Harry fell backwards onto his bed, allowing himself to drift off.
The great hall was looking spectacular this evening. Everyone knew why; this was their last dinner of the year. It was only during the first and last feast when all seats were taken. Almost all of the staff was seated at the high table, except for one which belonged to Hagrid, who was running late. There was also one extra seat next to Harry which was also unoccupied. He was desperately awaiting the arrival of his companion. It felt like a decade has passed since they spoke. Harry knew he wouldn't be able to swallow anything down until he saw her. It was then when he heard Neville's voice.
"Harry, it's Hermione!" he said and nodded to the entrance.
The words made his heart jump with excitement, as his head shot towards the doors. He could just about make out her beaming face. Before he knew what he was doing, he stood up from the table. He was about to pace down the hall when he saw that Hermione was sprinting towards him. He gathered all the breath he could and tensed himself up for impact as she crashed right into his arms. It was amazing. She felt so warm and soft. Unlike the last time he saw her, lying on the hospital bed, cold and lifeless. The hug came to an end all too soon when she pulled away and gave him a wide smile.
"You solved it! I can't believe you solved it!" She gasped, full of joy.
"We couldn't have done it without you, Hermione." He told her. He wanted to say more, but his stomach was acting all fuzzy, taking away his ability to form a second sentence. Then he realised; Hermione Granger was the first girl he ever hugged.
Harry woke up with a grin on his face. He couldn't believe it himself, but for the first time in his life, he didn't like that his dream ended. He sat there for a while, trying to figure out why he dreamt what he did. Was it because he spent so much time with Hermione? He decided to not care; It was a pleasant dream.
He sat up on the bed and stretched his arms. He checked the clock to see it was seven in the morning. Hermione said they would be leaving to pick up the Grangers at Nine. This meant she was most likely still asleep. He pulled himself out of bed and dressed. On his way to the bathroom, he slowed down when passing Hermione's room, listening if she was still sleeping. Judging by the continuous silence, he figured she was still resting.
Harry brushed his teeth and then made his way to the kitchen. Once scanning the fridge, he decided to settle on pancakes for him and Hermione.
He just managed to successfully flip a pancake when he heard Hermione's door open. She appeared a second later, smiling at him in her pyjamas.
"You're making us breakfast?" she asked.
Harry smiled back as he slipped the pancake on a plate, "What's so strange about that?" he asked.
Hermione turned her gaze to the pancakes, "That's really sweet."
Harry hoped it was the heat from the pan, as his face turned red. "Well, since we ate cereal yesterday, I figured it would be nice to have something different today." He answered.
"It smells lovely" she commented and sat down at the table. "I can't believe I had to cook everything during the hunt when you're better than me." She laughed.
"Hey, I'm not a master chef… I just know how to make some simple meals… it was a requirement at the Dursley's." he said defensively as he carried two plates to the table. "There you go," he placed a plate in front of Hermione who dug in almost straight away.
They ate for a while, with occasional praise from Hermione about the pancakes.
"No nightmares?" Harry asked, hopefully.
"No nightmares," Hermione confirmed, smiling.
Harry smiled up at her, "See, told you it would pass." Although he couldn't quite show his true feelings right now. Harry was almost certain this was the most selfish thing he ever felt.
A part of him was glad Hermione's nightmares seemed to have stopped. But another, mysterious and unknown part of him was slightly disconcerted. He dug these feelings deep within him. But he knew that sleeping with Hermione was actually really nice. He enjoyed it. But those were feelings will never be revealed to anyone. He quickly pushed his thoughts away from him and finished up on the remains of his breakfast.
Once they were finished, Hermione flicked her wand at the dishes which floated to the sink and started to wash by themselves.
"Well, I'm going to have a shower and get dressed. Then I think we can head out to mum and dad's." She told him.
"Sounds good."
Ron arrived late at the Burrow that night; he spent all day working with Geroge at the joke shop. He really liked working there, it was his type of atmosphere. Geroge said if he kept up the good work, he'll be getting a pay rise. For the first time, Ron actually felt ahead of his friends; he was already working and making money for himself. It felt good, and he was pleased.
As he lied down on his bed, his mind shot to Harry and Hermione in Australia. They should be waking up right now… He thought as he glanced at Pig, Maybe I could send them a letter…
Ron got up and pulled a piece of parchment from his nightstand. He sat down and grabbed an ink quill which he got from Hermione on his seventeenth birthday. He dipped the quill in some ink and began writing,
Dear Hermione and Harry.
How is Australia? From what I heard, the place is hot as hell. I wanted to know if you found your parents. Are they back to normal? Things at the burrow are good. Dad wasn't allowed to tell us, but we found out that Kingsley Shacklebolt is the new Minister for Magic. The announcement will take place next week. I've been working a lot with George and I'm really enjoying it. Yesterday I got my first paycheck and Geroge says I'll get paid more if I carry on the way I am. I still don't know why you two want to go back to Hogwarts so bad. Write back as soon as you can.
Ron.
He read the letter a couple times and tried to think about anything he might have missed. Then he folded the letter and pressed it inside an envelope. He paced over to Pig's cage. The little scopes owl began jumping and hooting in excitement as Ron tied the letter around the bird's leg.
"Get this to Harry and Hermione," Ron ordered as the owl scooted from its cage and flew out the window.
Ron realised it would be a long while before Pig would come back; Australia is quite far after all.
Harry and the Grangers have just left the local cinema. It was the very first movie which Harry has ever watched. The movie was called "The Mask of Zorro" and Harry really liked it. It wasn't just the movie; he loved the atmosphere which the cinema gave. The sounds came from all around him and the giant screen was wonderful. They also had popcorn which Harry never had the chance to try either, it was a very addicting snack.
"So, what did you think?" Hermione asked as they left the building.
"It was amazing. We have to go cinema again when we're in England." He beamed at her.
Hermione gave him a wide smile and tried to hide a blush. "Yeah, of course, we will."
Harry was also surprised at how the outside weather changed since they entered the cinema. It felt like he just left some kind of a magical time machine. The sun was already falling.
"Well, I think we should grab dinner." Suggested Mr Granger.
Hermione nodded and turned towards Harry, "Do you like Chinese?" she asked.
Harry's gaze left her as he looked down, slightly embarrassed. "I've never really had it before." He muttered.
The Granger gave him an almost shocked look, "You've never had Chinese food?" Mr Granger blurted.
"No" Harry shook his head.
"Well, Harry. You're in for a huge treat." Emma smiled at him. Her warm smile always seemed to cheer him up.
He never had a chance to try things as a child; the Dursleys never took him out to dinner. He was always given leftovers from the day before or a sandwich. Sometimes, he would just go hungry for the day.
"I swear, Harry. If I ever meet your Aunt and Uncle…" Hermione began, fury rising in her eyes.
"Well, at least you can introduce me to it, right?" He asked.
This seemed to have turned Hermione's mind away from the Dursleys as she gave him a weak smile and nodded.
Hermione led them through the town using her map until they reached an odd, yellow and red building which had a huge stone basilisk on the roof. Harry had to get close to realise it didn't look very similar to a snake once he had a good look. He tapped Hermione on the shoulder, "What is that?" he pointed.
"It's a Chinese dragon." She answered.
Harry was confused, "But it has no wings."
Hermione laughed, "Yeah, that's the thing about them, they don't have any wings."
"Well, I definitely like it more than a Hungarian Horntail." Harry gave a tight smile.
They entered the restaurant and took their seats. A lady came up to them, wearing what looked like a red dressing gown. Harry wanted to ask Hermione about it but lost the thought once he glanced at the menu.
It was filled with words Harry has never seen before, there were Chinese symbols drawn on the page and pictures of tasty looking meals. Harry had a sudden desire to order everything so he wouldn't miss out.
"Would you like me to choose something for you?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded and closed his menu.
Hermione smiled, "I'll get us both some King Prawn Noodles. I think you'll love them."
Soon after, the lady was back, handing them a tray with four plates. Harry's mouth started to water as the wonderful smell pierced his nostrils. The noodles looked very appetizing.
They dug into their food and Harry couldn't help but nod in amazement to Hermione after a couple minutes. It was by far the nicest food he has ever eaten. The noodles were also very filling and Harry felt almost too full when he took his last bite.
It was amazing how flavourful the noodles were, even without any sauce. Adding that to some prawns was equal to heaven.
"Hermione, this was spectacular. It beats anything they make at Hogwarts." He said to her.
Hermione laughed, "I'm glad you like it, Harry. We can always come back here in a couple days."
"We have to!" he gasped at her, "There are so many things I need to try." Suddenly, Harry came to realise how many things were open to him now; he could go anywhere and try anything he wanted without worrying anymore. Because now, he had all the time in the world. And he was glad Hermione was here to help him discover new things.
Hermione looked almost overwhelmed with Joy at Harry's enthusiasm. Mr and Mrs Granger were smiling down at them, "We're happy to see that you share our taste in food, Harry." Said Mr Granger.
As all of them were full and didn't want any desserts, Harry and the Grangers were going back to the house; Mrs Granger invited them for tea.
Harry was talking with Daniel about his invisibility cloak when Emma decided to pull Hermione away for another 'girl talk'. She knew that Harry definitely felt something more than just friendship for Hermione, and she needed to speak with her again.
Of course, Emma was not about to tell Hermione everything Harry told her the day before, but she needed to find out more from Hermione.
"What is it, mum?" Hermione asked as the entered the kitchen.
"How are you two?" Emma asked, desperate for information. It was times like these when she felt young again. It reminded her of school days when she would gossip about boys with her friends. It was one of the things she anticipated ever since she found out she was going to have a daughter.
Hermione sighed, "Mum, I already told you I have a boyfriend. Harry has never been more than close friends and he's never even tried to show interest in me." She finished. Emma could sense the hurt in her voice, and it made her heart melt.
"Hermione, we already talked about this. I'm not asking you to cheat on Ron and start snogging with Harry. But there is nothing wrong with exploring your feelings." She took hold of her daughter's hand, "All your life you've always been so reserved and restricted. Can't you just allow for your heart to do its part?" she asked.
Hermione gazed at her mother for a while, "But mum, Harry doesn't—"
"You don't know that." Emma cut her off, "You keep telling yourself that, but think about it from his perspective…"
Hermione looked confused, "What does that mean?"
Emma gave a weak smile, followed by a sigh. "Did you ever show Harry that you were interested in him?"
Hermione looked down, "Yes, I have. More than once, actually."
Emma placed a finger on Hermione's chin and lifted her head in order to meet her eyes, "Sweetie, we both know how vague those signs can be…"
Hermione pulled away in frustration, "Mum, if Harry ever liked me, he would have shown signs himself. I'm a very good observer and I would have noticed them."
Emma gave a teasing smirk, "Hermione, please. You wouldn't see a sign of affection even If it poked you in the eyes. You're too reserved!" she gasped.
"Harry liked Cho Chang. She was beautiful, and she was amazing at Quidditch. She had long dark hair and she looked like an Asian goddess next to me." She turned to her mum, "He also liked Ginny, who looks absolutely breathtaking, and is equally talented at Quidditch. She's funny and smart. Oh, and she also looks like a top model." She added.
"Do any these girls sound like me? No, they don't." Hermione finished.
Emma took a deep breath and approached her daughter, "Do you know another thing which links those girls together?" she asked.
Hermione looked into her mother's eyes, "What?"
"They both felt jealous of you," Emma answered.
Hermione looked surprised to hear that assumption at first, she opened her mouth to speak, but her gaze fell to the floor again. "That's just a coincidence. Harry wasn't actually aware of doing anything wrong both times. It wouldn't be like that if he liked me."
Emma knew this was a good point from Hermione, but it wasn't enough. She could see the passion in Harry's eyes whenever he spoke about Hermione. It meant more. She knew it.
"Hermione, I need you to promise me something."
Hermione looked up again, her eyes glistening.
"You will give your feelings a try. Promise me." Said Emma.
They exchanged a long gaze, before Hermione nodded, "I promise."
Emma gave her a wide smile and embraced her, "That's my girl."
