Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or the story line.
A/N: If you all are reading this, thank you. The play that Harry and Hermione are doing is called "Everyman." My brother was in the play a couple years back. It's somewhat Shakespere but not entirely. The director of the play adapted it and modernized it a bit. Harry's character, Everyman, is a rockstar who turned against the world. Hermione's character, Good Deeds, is Everyman's ex-girlfriend who he left on the streets when he became famous. In a later chapter I'll explain the story to you.
A Year to Remember
Chapter Two
Harry ran into the library, out of breath. He had over slept and was already fifteen minutes late. His hair was tousled, though it didn't look much different than any other day, and his eyes looked glazed over, as if ready to fall asleep at any moment. Hermione spotted him immediately and made her way up to him.
"Early isn't it?" she asked, smiling.
"Better late than never," Harry grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
"That's true," Hermione agreed. She stared at the floor and they were silent for a moment. Harry thought she looked nervous and couldn't help but watch her. She finally looked up at him and her deep brown eyes connected with his green ones. She was a very plain girl and there was nothing extraordinary about her looks, except her eyes maybe, Harry noticed. Brown was a common color but Hermione's eyes seemed deeper, like she was always thinking of something of importance.
"You'll be working with Dennis Creevey today," she went on, gesturing to a small boy sitting alone in the corner of the large room. "He hasn't exactly been on top of things all year, but since his brother's. . . accident, he has refused to do any school work at all. In fact, he hasn't even been speaking. We figured maybe you can get through to him, since he's looked up to you all these years and everything."
Harry sighed. Dennis was a fourth year student that had been obsessed with Harry for quite some time. But since Collin's accident, Harry supposed that Dennis wouldn't even want to look at Harry. And he was right.
"C'mon Dennis," said Harry, a half hour into the lesson, "it's not as complicated as it seems. Potions isn't really magic. It just has magical ingredients. Now, what do you think the last major ingredient for an Age Defying Potion is?"
"I think this is bullshit!" Dennis shouted. He stood up abruptly and made his way out of the library, everyone's eyes watching him. Once he left, everyone turned to Harry, who sat back in his seat and sighed.
"That makes two of us," he muttered. He looked up and saw Hermione watching him closely. She quickly looked away when she knew that he saw her. Her brown hair fell in her face so Harry couldn't see her expression. He sighed again and closed his eyes. It was going to be a long day.
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It was a Hogsmeade weekend and after a draining four hours of tutoring, Harry made his way outside and was just on time to get into the last available carriage.
"Wait up!" a voice called from behind him. Harry turned, just as he was getting in and saw Hermione Granger stopping beside him. "Do you mind if I go with you?" she asked sweetly. "I haven't been to Hogsmeade in a while and this is the last carriage."
Harry shrugged and got inside, Hermione behind him. They sat in silence most of the way to town. Harry gazed out the window, not wanting to look at Hermione, in case she wanted to start a conversation. But she spoke up anyway.
"Are you going to go visit Collin Creevey?"
Harry looked at her darkly and then turned his attention back to the passing trees.
"I'll take that as a no," she continued, "you know, Madam Pomfrey said that he's not in critical condition anymore. And he'll be able to return to classes in about a month."
"You certainly know how to make conversation," Harry said to her angrily.
Hermione sat silently and stared at her feet.
"Look," Harry went on, for the first time not enjoying Hermione's silence, "he never had to jump."
"It's called peer pressure."
"And what would you know about that?" Harry asked her. "Did you read about it in that little bible of yours? Where is it anyhow? Did it finally fall apart from reading it so much?"
Hermione shut her eyes for a moment. Harry thought she might cry but she didn't.
"Please don't act like you know me," she whispered.
"Oh, but I do," Harry answered her, "We've been at the same school and have lived in the same house for seven years. Why, you're Hermione Granger. You're the smartest student in the school and every teacher's pet, which isn't exactly a bad thing, but not something to brag about. You have exactly two hairstyles, up, and down. Oh, oh, and yeah, in your free time, you like to tutor on weekends and read your little bible for fun. Now how does that sound?"
Hermione stared at Harry through his whole speech and then shrugged.
"Sounds pretty predictable to me," she answered, "but it's nothing I haven't heard before."
Harry looked at her strangely.
"You don't care what other people think about you?" he asked.
"No," Hermione put simply. The carriage had long since stopped in front of the village pub. They locked eyes for a moment before Hermione slipped out of the carriage without a word. Harry stared after her, pondering her answer, before his thoughts were interrupted.
"Hey, he lives!" Ron shouted to the gang as they crowded around Harry's carriage. "You coming out or what, mate?"
Harry nodded and followed his friends inside the pub, The Three Broomsticks, and found their regular seats in the back. The gang, which they were called, consisted of Harry and Ron, Draco and Ginny, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and Lavender Brown, who happened to be Harry's old girlfriend. All were Gryffindors, with the exception of Draco. He used to be their enemy, but in fifth year he crossed over and had been Harry's best friend ever since. They cracked jokes and made useless conversations as they drank their butterbeer.
"What's the deal with that Hermione Granger chick?" Ginny asked, nodding to the brunette that had just entered the pub.
"She's a freak, that's the deal," Lavender replied, taking a sip of her drink.
"Harry doesn't think so," Ron joked, "didn't you see how he just gazed after her when she left the carriage?"
The whole group started to laugh, except Harry. He instead was watching Hermione order a butterbeer.
"Good God Harry," Draco said, "there's nothing to look at. I mean c'mon, the girl's a total loser."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right," Harry answered, though he wasn't quite sure at all. He didn't look at Hermione for the rest of the hour that they were there, until they decided to leave. He glanced at her on his way out and realized that she was staring back at him. She immediately looked away and a soft shade of red flushed across her cheeks. Harry shook his head as he stepped outside. A girl like her sure could drive a guy mad.
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"Harry, you will play the part of Everyman, and Hermione, you will be Good Deeds."
"What?!" Harry shouted, outraged.
"Do you have something to add Mr. Potter?" Professor Sinistra asked him, looking at him over her clipboard.
"Yeah, I do," Harry said angrily, standing up. "I'm not going to act. I'm here to aid my services but I'm not going to act."
"You're services are needed to play the leading role, Harry," the professor said to him sternly.
"I'm not going to be in a bloody play! I'm not!"
"Mr. Potter, you do not have a choice. Now sit down."
Harry realized that he had lost battle and sat down, still fuming. As the drama club began to read through the script, he realized that of the four males in the club, he really was the only one fit to be the lead character. The play was rewritten by Hufflepuff seventh year, Ernie Macmillan, who was going to help direct instead of act. That left Harry, a fourth year Ravenclaw who's head was too big for his body, and Neville Longbottom, a stumpy boy in Harry's year and house.
"Harry, are you trying to be bad at this?" Neville whispered to him, a half- hour into the script.
"No, it just comes naturally," he replied, a little to loudly.
"What was that Mr. Potter?" Professor Sinistra asked, cutting into rehearsal time.
"Oh, nothing," Harry muttered.
"Then please pay attention. It's your line."
Harry sighed and read his line. When the read through was over, Professor Sinistra began to give a talk on rehearsals and what it was going to be like being in the play. Harry looked around, not really paying attention, and saw that Hermione was staring at him again. He looked at her crossly and mouthed "What?" She replied with a shrug and turned her attention back to the professor.
When rehearsal finally ended, Harry quickly made his way out of the newly built auditorium and made his way through the Entrance Hall and out to the grounds. As he began to walk around the lake he heard a voice call out to him.
"Would it kill you to try?" Hermione asked him.
Harry turned and sighed.
"Yup, and I'm too young to die."
He waited for Hermione to catch up to him and began to walk with her. He knew his friends wouldn't approve but for some reason, at the moment he didn't care.
"You don't care about your teachers or classes. But you like school because you're popular and with the way this year is going you may never be on top again."
Harry stopped and turned to her, a little intimidated by her comment. It was only intimidating because she was absolutely correct.
"That's thoroughly predictable," he replied.
Hermione looked up into Harry's smirking face. He noticed that she wasn't smiling with him. She looked serious.
"Your act only works on an audience."
With that she turned around and made her way back to the castle. Harry stared after her, wondering what she meant, and then realized she'd been doing that a lot to her lately. He began to run towards her.
"Hey! Hey, where're you going?" he shouted.
Hermione turned around.
"Come and see," she put plainly, and continued walking. Harry caught up to her and they walked through the castle in silence. The walk lasted over fifteen minutes, since the grounds were large and the castle larger.
"Where are we going?" Harry asked, after getting tired of walking through corridors and being worried that his friends might see them together.
"I'm going to the South Astronomy Tower," Hermione replied, "you're just following me."
"I'm not following," Harry protested.
"Sure," she smiled. They turned another corner and Harry sighed. They were finally there. Hermione climbed the steps ahead of Harry and stopped in front of the door at the top of the staircase.
"How are we going to get in?"
"I've had a key to it ever since the middle of fifth year. Dumbledore trusted it in my care." Hermione said casually, taking a key from the bag hanging off her shoulder.
"What do you mean he trusted it?" Harry asked, not really getting the point.
"Well," Hermione began, entering the top of the spacious tower. "You never know what some people may do up here. Not everyone can be trusted, these days especially. But after all, I am Hermione Granger; I would never do anything wrong." At this she smiled slyly at Harry and headed over to the biggest telescope Harry had ever seen. She pulled out a notebook and a blanket from her bag and placed them on the bench that went along the wall.
"What's all this for?" Harry asked.
"You're full of questions today," Hermione teased, taking out a pillow as well.
"It's not a sin to be curious," he said to her.
"No, it's not," she agreed. "If you want to know, this is sort of where I hang out in my spare time. I don't always tutor or read my bible. Ever since fifth year I've been having a hard time with a lot of things in my life so Dumbledore said that I could use the South Tower to get away from everything. That's what I do. I write, thus the notebook, or sometimes just stay here all night, looking at the stars. It's like a home away from home sort of place."
They were silent for a moment, staring out at the grounds below them.
"What happened during fifth year?" Harry asked quietly.
"A lot of things," Hermione answered. She didn't say anything after that and Harry didn't bother to push it. After a half-hour of just watching the grounds, which Harry found quite relaxing, Harry excused himself and went back to the dormitories. When he entered the common room he found Ginny and Draco snogging on a couch and Ron and Seamus playing a game of chess. Lavender was flipping through a Witch Weekly magazine and Dean was nowhere to be found.
"Where you been Harry?" Lavender asked him. She was still attracted to him and every week or so she tried to get Harry to go out with her again. Harry found their old relationship too uncomfortable. Lavender always wanted to snog or do other things that Harry didn't always feel up to doing. He would've liked to have conversations with her that were thought provoking or interesting, but if they talked it was always about her. He found that they were better off as friends and they were, but Lavender refused to see it.
"Out," he said shortly, taking a seat next to the very involved couple.
"Thanks Captain Obvious. That narrows it down quite a bit," Ron said sarcastically before he checked Seamus's king.
"I was at rehearsal," Harry answered.
"Which ended an hour ago," Ron pointed out.
"And you know that how?"
"We asked Neville," Seamus said, collected the broken chess pieces that had fallen onto the floor.
"Can you guys keep it down?" Draco asked, annoyed. "We're a little busy."
"Get a room," Harry said crossly.
"What's up with you dude?" Draco said, as Ginny planted kisses along his neck.
"Nothings wrong," Harry said, "Why would anything be wrong?"
"You're late," Lavender said.
"So."
"And you're talking like that!" she shouted at him.
"What the hell are you talking about? I'm talking like I always do!" Harry shouted in reply.
"Aww, shut it you too!" Ron said to them, not wanting another fight to break lose, which usually happened every other day between Harry and Lavender. Lavender scowled at Ron and sat back down, not saying another word. Ten minutes later Hermione came in and started towards her dormitories.
"I thought you were up in the tower," Harry called out to her.
"I forgot some things," Hermione replied, smiling, and disappeared up the staircase.
Harry turned back around to his friends and noticed that all five were staring at him eyebrows raised and mouths opened.
"What?"
They didn't say anything, just stared at him in either shock or suspicion.
"I talked to her for a while, that's all," Harry said, a look of annoyance on his face.
"For an hour you mean," Ron replied, closing his mouth.
"So what?"
Draco shook his head and Seamus tried to hold back laughter. Ginny still looked shocked and Lavender looked outraged. She stood up abruptly and stalked away to her dormitories, but ran into Hermione on the way up.
"I'm sorry Lavender," Harry could hear Hermione say.
"Stuff it freak!"
Harry suddenly got angry that Lavender called Hermione a freak. He stood up and walked over to the staircase as Hermione came down, an empty expression on her face.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Save it," she replied, and headed out of the common room.
"And what was that about?" Ron asked as Harry sat back down again.
"I was just asking her when our next rehearsal was," Harry lied, "you didn't expect me to actually pay attention there did you?"
"There's the Harry we know and love," Ron joked. They laughed and began to discuss their plans for their last big prank in June. Harry acted casual about it all, but it just didn't feel right. He kept thinking about Hermione and what could have happened to her in fifth year that was so traumatic. He decided not to think about it and acted like nothing was bothering him.
That night Harry went to bed early, saying that his rehearsal had worn him out. Instead he went upstairs to get his invisibility cloak. He came back down silently and made his way to the South Tower. He knocked on the door a few times before someone opened it.
"Who's there?" Hermione asked when she saw that no one was standing in front of her.
"It's me," Harry whispered, taking off his cloak. Hermione gasped and Harry quickly covered her mouth before she could do anything, like scream. "It's an invisibility cloak. Can I come in?"
Hermione nodded and Harry took his hand off her mouth. He stepped inside and soon realized that he should have brought a jacket or something to keep him warm. Hermione saw that he was beginning to shiver and smiled.
"Take the blanket," she said kindly and headed to the telescope. Harry did so without saying anything. They were both silent for a while. Hermione finally stopped looking through the telescope and sat on the bench. "Why are you here?"
It was a good question. Harry didn't quite know why he was there. He just felt like coming, and that freaked him out a little.
"I came to say I'm sorry," he said, sitting beside her.
"For what?" she asked, turning to him.
"For what Lavender said," Harry answered, not looking away from her chocolate brown eyes.
"Don't be, you didn't say it. Besides, it's not like I'm oblivious to what people think of me. I know what they say."
"They shouldn't say it," Harry said gently. He couldn't understand why he was being so nice to Hermione Granger.
"They shouldn't but they do," she sighed. "It's just how it is. Being rude and obnoxious is cool. Being nice and selfless isn't."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I've known you seven years Harry. If you weren't part of the cool crowd, you wouldn't need an invisibility cloak to talk to me. That's what it means."
Harry didn't say anything. He stared at his shoes, feeling guilty. He hated the feeling and it seemed every time he talked to Hermione that's how he ended up feeling.
"I don't mean to upset you but it's the truth," Hermione whispered.
"I know," Harry replied, looking up into her brown eyes, "and the truth hurts."
"You have no idea," she muttered, staring off into space.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing for you to be worried about," she said warmly, standing up and walking to the edge of the tower, looking down.
"Well when you say that I do," Harry said, joining her.
"Since when did you care about how I felt?"
"Since today I guess," Harry shrugged, "I never really held a conversation with you before."
"That's right, you haven't. Don't start now if it's only out of pity. I don't need it."
With that Hermione began to back up her things. Harry watched her, thinking about what she had said.
"What's up with you," Harry said crossly, "you always do that!"
"Do what?" Hermione asked, standing up with her bag packed and on her shoulder.
"Everything you say makes me think."
"Well that's a change," she said sarcastically, and turned to leave.
"Did I just fight with you?" Harry asked, suddenly confused.
She turned around and stared at him angrily, not saying a word. She then spilt into a smile and began to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," she said plainly, "I just, well, I don't think it was a fight, so you shouldn't. It was just a heated discussion, nothing more."
"Right," Harry said, grinning.
"I guess I'll see you in class tomorrow," she smiled.
"Yeah," Harry muttered, suddenly thinking about everything that had just happened. She left without another word but Harry stayed, completely confused. He had a discussion with Hermione Granger. He was nice to Hermione Granger. He smiled at Hermione Granger. If he didn't watch out, that girl was going to destroy his reputation, and that was the last thing he needed. He stared at the stars for a while before going back. He decided that his talk with Hermione had been nothing more than something between two strangers. They weren't exactly friends so it wasn't a big deal. His real friends would never find out anyway.
He then remembered what Dumbledore had told him on Friday. He should make new friends. Harry shook the thought away. Dumbledore was wrong. He didn't need new friends. He had great friends. Hermione was just another girl. But then again, Harry never knew Dumbledore to be wrong before.