Malfoy paused and looked deep into her eyes. Hermione couldn't really see his face that well but she felt uneasy about the way he was just looking at her. She pulled her hand away from his, feeling quite disgusted she had let him hold it in the first place.
"No games Malfoy. What do you want?!" Hermione asked, squinting her eyes in suspicion and looking him up and down in that cloak. He didn't say anything.
"Fine then. Well I have to go now." Hermione stated, shoving her wand back in her pocket and whipping her body around, causing her hair to fall out of the bun.
She started walking again, asking herself over and over what had just happened. Without much thought to it, Hermione turned back around to respond to Malfoy's laughing at her. She stood there and stared at him, puzzled about what was even going on. Malfoy's shoulders moved a bit as he softly laughed. He moved closer to her and stopped just inches from her face. It was still so dark, but Hermione recognized something about him. Something so strange it nearly knocked her off her feet. Malfoy removed his hood and stared at Hermione.
"You've got a lot to learn, Granger." He replied with a smile on his face. Hermione's eyes twinkled and without thinking, she threw her arms around him, not knowing of anything else to do that was so natural.
"I can't believe it!" Hermione shrieked. She let go and looked at him again. Two brilliant green eyes stared back at her. For so long she just stood there, amazed at sudden return of her lifelong friend. She lunged at him again and clung to him tight. He threw his arms around her again and they held each other in an intimate embrace.
Hermione pulled away again, her eyes wanting so much to let out all the tears. Her cold and stiff hands rested on his arms and he held them in his own.
"It's been too long Hermione." Harry said softly. Hermione smiled as best she could to keep in all her emotions, then she nodded. Harry put one arm lightly around her shoulders as they slowly walked out of the rain-soaked alley. Hermione too wrapped an arm around him, looking at the ground and then quickly back at him half expecting him not to be there.
"So tell me, how long have you been back?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence between them. Harry turned his head and smiled down at her.
"I've been here for a couple days. Just so I could get things settled down." He answered. Hermione smiled then slugged him hard in the stomach as she walked up to her door to unlock it. Harry rubbed his stomach, and faked a pained look. She rolled her eyes at him. Her door opened and she waved at Harry to come in as she stepped inside. He followed after her, confused, and she shut the door.
Hermione's small house was really nice considering its size and she was the only one who lived there. The floor in the main room just through the front door was a deep green carpet, which was very soft. The walls were a plain white with elegant paneling halfway down to the floor. Harry looked around in awe as Hermione moved about the main floor, picking things up a bit and making some hot cocoa. Harry walked over to the mantle of the fireplace where some pictures stood.
One very meaningful picture captured his attention. His eyes fixed upon the silver framed photo. The ever famous one Colin Creevey took on the last day of school before everyone went their separate ways. Harry touched the glass covering the photo and let it take him back to that day. Hermione kept moving through the house, shouting out random things to him. His eyes moved to the other pictures. A smile spread across his face when he saw a certain special one. He picked it up and held it in his hands.
"I didn't know you had this!" Harry called throughout the house. Hermione stopped moving in all directions and came in to see what he was talking about. She sighed and walked over to take the picture from his grasp.
"Of course! This was the last time I saw you." She said softly with a smile, handing it back to Harry. He looked intensely at the photo taken at King's Cross station the day he left for Auror training. He, Hermione and Ron were all clinging to each other in the picture with stressed yet happy looks on their faces. He smiled then placed it gently back in its spot on the mantle piece. Hermione was smiling at him a bit, then got a funny look on her face.
"You know what? I owe you a smack in the arm!" She said, hitting him firmly on his upper arm. Harry gave her a quizzical look as he rubbed his arm, relieving the sting of it.
"What was that for? You've gotten more violent, I've noticed." He teased, following Hermione as she walked back into the kitchen. She was shaking her head as she led the way.
"Because." She said without much reason, pulling out two mugs from the cupboard and filling them with hot cocoa. He looked at her again.
"What did I do? I'm talking with you then out of nowhere you hit me! That's twice in at least ten minutes." He said in his defense. Hermione handed him his mug and walked past him to the table, slapping him playfully on the arm. She looked halfway between furious and not, for a few short seconds.
"You nearly scared me to death, you know that right? I can't believe I actually thought you were Malfoy! You deserved that slug in the arm and anything else you might get. Not to mention you had all of us worried in that time we didn't hear from you!" She screeched incessantly as she sat down at the table. She stirred her drink anxiously as Harry pulled out the chair across from her then stopped.
"So if I sit here, are you going to kick me too?" He asked sarcastically. Hermione rolled her eyes, lifting her cup to her lips and Harry had a seat.
"Sorry I scared you so bad. I didn't mean to, really I didn't. That wasn't my intention." Harry answered back. Hermione looked at him as if she didn't believe him, then she smiled.
"Okay I forgive you. Only if you promise never to do anything like that again." She said.
Harry chuckled, "Deal." Then he took a drink from his hot mug. Hermione put her mug down and looked at him.
"But I'm still mad at you for not telling any of us what was going on. Besides that, what were you doing in the alley anyway?" She asked him, sipping some of her cocoa. Harry put his mug down and leaned back in his chair, with one hand still fiddling with he handle on his mug.
"Actually, I was looking for you. Well, I was looking for your house. Luck would have it that I actually ran into you!" He said with a chipper tone. Hermione nodded her sarcastically.
"Ran into me! I thought you were Malfoy, and the way you just stared at me had me thinking 'Malfoy' was going to kiss me or something," she paused, thinking of the near terrible moment over in her head. "It was a bit frightening if you ask me," she concluded.
Harry laughed and got up to take his empty mug over to the sink. "Yeah that would have been horrible. Thinking you were kissing Malfoy when it was really me." He gently put the mug down in the sink and faked a disappointed look. Hermione looked at him with an embarrassed look on her face.
"Harry! I--I didn't mean it like that. Honest! It's just Malfoy-I-I ran into him today. Just caught me by surprise is all." She claimed in her defense. Harry just smiled at her.
"It's alright. I mean I understand." He said, trying to convince her that it was alright to complain.
Hermione got over the excitement and took Harry on a tour of her house. Upstairs was where her bedroom was, at the end of the hall. Also down that hall were two other rooms and two bathrooms. That was the entire upper level. On the main one was the kitchen, living room, a couple small bathrooms and...
"You actually have a library!?" Harry asked in astonishment as Harry pushed back a door he attempted to snoop into. Hermione nodded proudly and followed him inside.
Bookshelves lined the walls and a sofa sat right in the middle of the room. Also there was a desk up against one bare wall, with parchment and a quill set out. Harry saw that something was written on it and he stepped closer to get a better view. Hermione played into what he was up to and she stepped quickly and reached from behind him, snatching up the parchment as he started to take it into his grasp. He stopped and stared at her for a few lingering moments.
"What was that about?" Harry asked curiously with his eyebrows raised. Hermione looked pursed her lips and tried to hide her pink face.
"It was just a letter I was going to send you months ago. But I didn't know where you were so I didn't." She said calmly and seriously.
"Well now I'm back so how about you just tell me." He said softly. Hermione squinted in suspicion.
"You know what? You're right."
"I am," Harry asked, surprised. Hermione widened her eyes.
"You're back so why should I bore you with past events? I have an idea! There are a few people I'm sure would love to see you!" Hermione said happily. Harry sighed as if he was disappointed about not learning what wasn't so important to Hermione.
"Oh come on just tell me," he asked. Hermione looked at him and shook her head with a stiffness in her neck. "Wouldn't everyone else be asleep right now?" Harry reasoned as he looked at the clock. Hermione glanced at the magical clock then looked back at him.
"You know, you're probably right. So where are you staying?" She asked him anxiously.
"Well I ran into Oliver Wood my first day back and he insisted I stay with him; at least until I get everything settled at home." He answered as Hermione moved about the house again, shouting random things as she moved some books back into her library.
She came back into the room, "That's nonsense Harry! You can stay here tonight. I'm sure Oliver is busy as it is. Besides, Ron might not want you to go home at all. Seems as if he can talk you out of it.
"Oh? And what exactly is he plotting now? He definitely hasn't changed."
"Well I'm sure Ron's going to want you to move in with him as soon as he sees you. He's been talking about it ever since he got his house! Oh, and just so you know…Ron definitely has changed. He's more confident about himself." Hermione said matter-of factly. Harry wandered out of the library and followed Hermione upstairs into one of the guest rooms.
"Well I guess I could stay here tonight." Harry paused, leaning on the door frame and looking at her as she ran about the room looking for things. "I haven't been home yet but I'm looking forward to going back. Thanks for letting me crash here." Harry replied. Hermione walked over to him and handed him a pillow.
"You're welcome." She said softly, almost in a whisper. Harry looked at her seriously, but with a look of happiness behind his eyes.
Hermione turned away and walked off up the stairs. Harry turned and followed behind her. She led him to a room just down from hers and flipped on the light.
"You can sleep in here. The bathroom is just through that door. Everything you should need is already here but if you need anything else, just come and get me, okay?" She asked happily. Harry stared at her seriously again.
"It's good to see you again Hermione." Harry answered back, also in a whisper as he pulled her into a gentle hug. She wrapped her arms around him to return the favor.
"Goodnight, Harry." She said pulling away from him and sauntered into her room and shut the door.
"Yeah, goodnight!" He called through the hallway. Hermione opened her door once more to smile at him and shut it a final time.
Harry plopped down on his comfortable double sized bed and relaxed, totally relieved he finally had time to enjoy himself.