Chapter 3 - Quality Time with Hermione.
Hermione's house was huge, compared to Uncle Vernon's at Privet Drive, but unlike his other best friends house, the Burrow, it did not look like it was held up by magic. There were two windows on either side of the shiny black door, and Harry could see that they were the expensive black PVC that Uncle Vernon had installed at Privet Drive a year ago. The face of the house was coated in a light pink pebble dash, and the roof was a sooty black, to coordinate nicely with the rest of the house.
'Harry?' Hermione called from the doorstep. 'Come on! I want to watch these movies before tomorrow!'
Harry smiled back at her, took one last long look at the outside of her house and walked past Hermione into the house.
'Right,' She walked past Harry and into the long hallway in front of them. 'Living room is through there,' she pointed it out to Harry's left. 'and I'll go and get us some drinks and the videos. Be right back!'
She turned and almost skipped off down the hallway, Harry could have sworn she didn't move her hips so much at Hogwarts. Mentally slapping himself he turned left into the Living room and was immediately greeted with a familiar sight.
The room looked almost exactly like Harry had done a lot of his detentions in the previous year, the office of the dreaded Professor Dolores Umbridge, yet with a more friendlier feel to it. The walls were painted baby pink, with pictures of a seven-year old Hermione scattered around them. The curtains were a light fuchsia, frilly and light, with a white net curtain to match. The sofa and chairs were white, small and very cosy looking, and opposite to the biggest and squashiest looking sofa was a massive television, looking very posh and very expensive. There were pink drapes hung around the room at random places which made the room look very inviting and sweet. There was a strawberry smell in the air, which suited the colour of the room perfectly.
He walked over to the sofa and sat down awkwardly, not wanting to disturb the tidiness of the sot pink cushions scattered over the sofa. Waiting for Hermione to come back, he took to looking at the different pictures hanging on the wall. There were pictures of Hermione in her Hogwarts robes, looking very smart and pretty, pictures of her in primary school uniform, with her bushy brown hair and big teeth which had now disappeared. Pictures of her doing things with her parents were the most frequent photos on the walls, her and her dad laughing together, her hugging her mum tightly. It made Harry realise how much he missed.
'Okay,' Hermione returned with a tray of drinks and snacks, and placed it carefully on the table. She straightened up and held out two videos, their choices of entertainment for the day.
'There's this one,' she held out a white box decorated with a lot of red hearts. She smiled at this one, and explained. 'It's called; Valentines Day. it's a very romantic one I've been meaning to watch lately, but I've never really got round to it.'
'Well, we can watch that one first if you want,' Harry offered courteously. 'I don't normally get to watch movies much at the Dursleys so I wouldn't know what they're like.'
She beamed at him with delight, and rushed over to the T.V to set up the video. Harry's butterflies were surely raging war on his stomach. He silently debated with himself whether to punch himself in the stomach. He let his bottle-green eyes drift to her, watching her every move, trailing his eyes down to her…
'There we go!' Hermione jumped around and Harry jumped. He really ought to stop himself doing that in future.
She rushed excitedly back to the sofa, where she plopped down cross legged next to Harry.
The film lasted at least two hours, Harry almost dozed off several times. He could not understand the plot of this film, only that it was set on Valentines day. He found himself absent-mindedly closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep when he felt a small soft bump on his shoulder. Looking down, he came across Hermione, still sitting, staring starry-eyed at the screen, but she had sunk down onto Harry's shoulder with a contented sigh. Harry's butterflies practically screamed at him.
After a short while of not really watching the film, more enjoying the feel of Hermione leant against him arm, he took a chance, and on the pretence of moving his arm to flex it, it being dead from her weight. She looked up at him indignantly, then, to Harry's utter delight, she sighed and lay her head on his chest, bringing her slender arms around to hug him round the middle.
'YES!' thought Harry.
This left him with no choice but to put his arm around her. He rested his arm around her shoulders, and began to 'absent-mindedly' play with a piece of her soft velvety hair. He thought he spotted a small smile playing on her rosy lips at this, and carried on, smiling broadly.
As much as Harry found the film boring, he had no desire for it to end. He very much would like to lie there with Hermione resting on his chest all day, boring film or no boring film. But soon the film finished and as the credits began to roll, Hermione shifted in her position and sat up.
'I thought that was really good, didn't you?'
'Yeah…' Harry replied, not thinking of the film.
She smiled and almost unwillingly, it seemed, got up and moved over to the T.V again. Where she had left him, Harry felt a sudden cold and a bitter disappointment. She wouldn't sit like that again.
But to his complete surprise and his stomach's terror, she came back and sat even closer to Harry, hugging him tighter and looking up at him.
'You gotta look after me in this film,' she said with a nervous smile. 'It's a scary film, and I always get scared in those.'
Harry nodded and shot a warm smile back at her. 'Ok,' he said, trying to keep his voice even. 'I'll try my best.'
'Good.' she replied, beaming. She settled her head right down his chest and entwined her fingers and feet with his own. Harry brought a comforting arm around her and laid his head happily on her soft brown ringlets.
Oh, he could definitely get used to this.
This film was much more interesting to Harry then the last one, Harry cold actually follow the plot. He became completely engrossed in it, the sky outside falling into a veil of darkness, making it seem more spookier. Just when he noticed this and wondered what the time was, there came a loud piercing shriek from the video, causing Harry to jump, and Hermione to emit a loud whimper and bury her face in Harry's stomach. He hoped that she wouldn't feel the butterflies.
After the film was over, they continued to lay there for a while, too lazy and cost to move. It wasn't until Harry glanced half-heartedly at the time, were they forced to move, by Harry jumping up and sending Hermione flying forwards.
'12 o'clock!' He mentally scolded himself for letting the time go by so quickly. 'The trains to Little Whinging stop at 12! I can't get home!' His Uncle was going to kill him.
'Harry, calm down!' she grabbed his hands to stop him from becoming frantic. 'just phone your uncle and say that you can stay here. You can sleep on the couch.'
This prospect only gave Harry's butterflies more turmoil, but with a thankful nod, he agreed.