Author's note: This is another setup chapter. I promise it will be getting more interesting as the story progresses. Again, thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate each and every one.
Chapter Nine
For Once in My Life
"For once in my life
I have someone who needs me.
Someone I needed so long.
For once unafraid
I can go where life leads me.
Some how I know I'll be strong.
For once I can touch
What my heart used to dream of.
Long before I knew.
Aww, someone like you
Would make my dream come true."
"For once in my life
I won't let sorrow hurt me.
Not like it's hurt me before.
For once I have something
I know won't desert me.
I'm not alone anymore.
For once I can say
This is mine, you can't take it.
As long as I know
I have love I can make it.
For once in my life
I have someone who needs me."
(Stevie Wonder "For Once in My Life")
The weeks went by as Hogwarts' students immersed themselves in studying and classes. The professors all seemed to be on the homework warpath as they heaped assignment after assignment on the students.
Although, Harry was juggling classes, Quidditch and his Head Boy duties, he still found time to help Hermione have a little fun every now and then. They would sneak into Hogsmeade or Muggle London when the opportunities presented themselves. Sometimes, they stayed closer to the castle and just enjoyed a walk by the lake or a visit to Hagrid's Hut.
Their relationship seemed to grow stronger with each passing day. Like every couple, they had their disagreements and their arguments. With each test to their young relationship, they emerged stronger and closer than ever.
Harry, however, couldn't shake the feeling that something bad would soon happen. He couldn't help it. If history was any indication, any good thing in his life didn't seem to stay around too long. At times, he knew that this was stupid, because Voldemort was long gone; vanquished nearly a year ago. He hadn't shared this worry and insecurity with Hermione. He didn't want her to think he was having doubts about their relationship. For one thing, their relationship was the greatest thing in his life.
He'd heard some of the girls in his year talk about meeting that "special person". He'd remembered laughing with Ron as he heard them gush about meeting their "soul mate". He remembered thinking how girls were mental when they'd discuss finding that one, perfect person who was meant for them.
It wasn't so funny, now; however, he couldn't help thinking to himself. Because, he knew, that he had found that one, perfect person for him. It may sound clichéd and old-fashioned, but he felt that he had been looking for Hermione all his life. That person who would love him unconditionally and that he would love in return. She was all that and more. He'd wanted to tell her this, but didn't think he could find the right words to convey to her how much she meant to him.
He certainly hadn't told Ron. Ron would just laugh and taunt him about going all soft over Hermione.
Speaking of Ron, Harry had a feeling his best friend was hiding something. Ron spent the majority of his free time away from the Common Room. He didn't tag along with Harry and Hermione when they'd go into Hogsmeade. Come to think of it, he'd begged off the study sessions Hermione had scheduled for the trio.
A few weeks before Christmas, Harry and Hermione were sitting in the Great Hall quizzing each other for the History of Magic exam they had later that afternoon. Ron, as usual, lately, was nowhere to be found.
"Okay, Harry," Hermione said, reading from her notes. "Who was the only wizard to lead three revolts during the 17th Century?"
Harry, who was looking around the Great Hall for any sign of his red-haired friend, muttered absently, "Ron Weasley."
Hermione looked up from her notes in amusement.
"Harry?"
"Yeah?" he said, looking around the room yet again.
"Ron Weasley?" she asked. "He's your answer."
"Hmmm," Harry said, turning back around to face her. "Did I get it right?"
"Well, I don't know which Ron Weasley you're talking about, but the one I know wasn't alive during the 17th Century and more than likely wouldn't have led a revolt of anything unless it was a raid of a kitchen."
It suddenly dawned on Harry what he'd said.
"Oh," he said. "Sorry, I wasn't listening. I was looking for Ron."
"He's not been around much lately, has he?" Hermione said, closing her book.
"No," Harry said. "Do you think he's, you know, feeling a little like a third wheel or something like that?"
Hermione frowned. "I hope not. He hasn't said anything. And you know with Ron, if anything's bothering him, he'll usually speak up straightaway. He's not one to keep things bottled up inside."
Harry nodded.
"Now, let's eat," Hermione said. "Then, we can get back to studying. We'll have a few minutes before Transfiguration where we can get in some last minute cramming."
"We've already gone over it about two-thousand times, Hermione," Harry said, helping himself to a blueberry muffin.
Hermione looked over at him with a laugh. "You can never be too prepared."
"I beg to differ," Harry said. "I'm about on study overload right about now."
"You'll be thanking me once you ace Binns' test," Hermione said.
Harry knew she was right, but he enjoyed teasing her. He liked the shine that came into her eyes when she got a little flustered over something. She always seemed to rise to the challenge, no matter how big or small. It was one of her most endearing and infuriating qualities.
"Okay, okay," Harry said, defeated. "But, for this, you have to go flying with me."
"There isn't enough fire whiskey in the world to get me up on a broom," Hermione said, shaking her head.
"Oh, come on," he said, watching her. "It's really quite peaceful and tranquil up there. There's nothing quite like it."
"Well, I prefer my feet planted firmly on the ground, thank you, very much," she said.
"If I ace this test," Harry said. "You are going flying with me."
"Don't count on it," she said.
"Come on," he said. "I'm not taking no for an answer."
Hermione looked unconvinced.
"What is it with you and flying anyway?" he asked her.
"If you must know, I'm terrified of heights," she said. "I'm not afraid of many things, but that is definitely one of them."
"You just haven't had the right experience in the air," he said. "Besides, you've flown on an airplane with your parents, right? It's basically the same thing."
"It is not the same thing," Hermione said. "Besides, when I fly with my parents, I always have a book to read or a magazine. It's distracting that way. I don't have to think about the fact that we're thousands of miles up in the air. With a broom, you have nothing to protect you, but a broom handle."
"After all that you've faced in your life," he said looking at her. "You should be able to do this. Besides, you'll be with me. I'd die before I let anything happen to you. You know that, right?"
Hermione's serious expression faded and her cheeks flushed red as she looked across at her boyfriend.
"Harry," she said, somewhat dreamily.
"Will you go, then?" he asked her.
"I'll think about it," she said.
"I'm wearing you down, then," he said, smugly.
"I said I'll think about it," she reiterated.
They smiled again at each other and Hermione looked away a few moments later to see Ron striding in to the Great Hall. He looked a little disheveled in appearance.
Ron nodded at the two of them in greeting and sat down beside Hermione.
Hermione looked at him as he loaded his plate with sausages, eggs and a couple of muffins.
"I'm sorry," Hermione said, looking at him bemusedly. "But, you would be?"
Ron looked up from his plate, confused.
"What are you on about?" he asked her.
"You seem somewhat familiar," Harry added. "I think I may have met you on the train once."
He extended his hand across the table at Ron. "Harry Potter. And you would be-?"
"Oh, sod off," Ron said crossly. "I know I haven't been around much lately, but I've been a little busy."
"Doing what exactly?" Hermione probed.
"Studying," Ron said, looking away from her. "And you know hanging out with other friends. You two aren't the only ones I have if you must know."
"Ickle Ronnie-kins is growing up," Harry said. "It was only yesterday that he was my partner-in-crime."
"I'm still your partner-in-crime," Ron said. "But I've just had a few things on my mind lately, that's all."
Ron began to eat his breakfast and Harry and Hermione exchanged a look.
Hermione raised her eyebrow at Harry and tried to motion for him to say something to Ron.
"Um, Ron," Harry said. "You're okay, aren't you? I mean, you don't have a problem with Hermione and I being, you know, a couple. We aren't leaving you out or anything, are we?"
Ron looked up from his plate and frowned. "No. I'm quite happy for the two of you."
He turned to smile at Hermione and then smiled at Harry.
"Really," he said. "I don't feel like you're leaving me out or anything. Not at all."
"Well, what have you been doing lately?" Hermione asked again.
Ron looked a little unsure of what to say.
"If I tell you, will you promise not to laugh or make jokes," he said. "Because, despite what I originally felt about this person, I've changed my mind considerably. I happen to like her a lot. I know you might find it hard to believe. So, did I, to tell the truth, but she's really great once you get to know her and I've been spending a lot of my free time with her."
Hermione and Harry both looked intrigued as Ron spoke.
"A girl?" Hermione asked. "Who is it?"
Ron looked a little sheepish.
He mumbled something that sounded quite incoherent.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"I've been spending some time with Luna," Ron said, a little louder.
Hermione's quizzical expression played into a bright smile.
"What?" Ron asked, bracing himself for the inevitable jokes and taunting from his two best friends. That was why he hadn't mentioned his and Luna's blossoming friendship to them before now.
"I think it's fantastic," Hermione said.
Ron looked at her surprised. "You do?"
"Of course," Hermione said. "Well done, Ron."
She punched him playfully on the arm.
"She's right, mate," Harry said. "About bloody time, I say."
Ron smiled, nearly ecstatic that his friends accepted this.
"I think we should all go into Hogsmeade one weekend," Hermione said. "I think we'd have a grand time."
"A double date, you mean?" Ron asked her.
"Of course," Hermione said.
"Okay," Ron said, nodding. "Just promise me we won't have to go to that girly tea room."
"Deal," Hermione said, laughing. "To tell you the truth, I can't stand that place, either."
"That's good to hear," Harry said. "I think you lose masculinity points every time you step foot in that place."
Ron was about to say something when Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil sat down near them. They were giggling and squealing excitedly.
"Oi!" Ron said, calling to them. "What's going on?"
"You didn't hear?" Lavender said, looking at him. "There's going to be another Yule Ball this year! I can hardly wait!"
"Another ball?" Hermione asked. "We didn't hear anything about it."
She looked over at Harry, who looked just as surprised as she was.
"Alas," Ron said, patting her on the shoulder. "The Head Boy and Girl are always the last to know."
Ron, Lavender, Parvati and Harry laughed. After a few moments, even Hermione joined in.
"What are the details?" Hermione asked Parvati.
"Well, McGonagall just put the notice on the board in the common room," she said, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "It's supposed to be really great. We don't have to wear dress robes, so I am going to have to find a great dress. I love this. I was just looking for an excuse to go shopping, you know, other than Christmas, and this is just perfect."
Lavender and Parvati started talking excitedly to each other again and the trio tuned them out.
"Well," Hermione said.
"Well," Harry said. "I guess I better start looking around for a date."
Hermione looked affronted at him. She chucked her own blueberry muffin at him, which hit him smack dab on the nose.
"Hey!" Harry said. "That is behavior unfitting of a Head Girl."
"You keep this up and you will really be looking for a date," Hermione said.
"I was only joking, Hermione," he said. "Who else would I go with besides you?"
"Well, if that isn't a romantic way to invite someone, I don't know what is," Hermione said. "But, it'll have to do, I guess."
Harry looked at her. "Miss Granger, would you please do me the great honor and privilege of escorting you to this year's Yule Ball?" He reached across the table and took her hand.
Ron looked at them in disbelief. "People are trying to eat here."
"I would be honored to go with you," she said, ignoring Ron, who was still looking at them with his mouth full of eggs and sausage.
"As if she would have said no," Ron said, shaking his head at his two best friends.
Meanwhile, Ginny Weasley was sitting hunched over the toilet in the second floor girls' bathroom. She'd not slept much the night before. Her stomach had been bothering her for quite sometime. She'd woken up the past few days feeling quite nauseous. She'd thrown up a couple of times. She'd even missed a couple of Quidditch practices due to her feeling under the weather.
When she finally was able to pull herself together, she got to her feet and walked over to the sinks. She splashed some cold water on her face and looked at herself properly in the mirror. Her skin was pale and there were bags under her eyes. She didn't look or feel her best at the moment.
What on earth is going wrong with me? She wondered aloud to herself as she took out her comb and started to smooth down her hair. She resolved to visit Madame Pomfrey if she wasn't better by tomorrow. She tried to quiet her nagging fears by telling herself it was probably just a stomach bug or something like that. This time of year everyone was getting sick from some sort of ailment. That's all it was, Ginny told herself as she gathered her bag and walked silently out of the loo.
"There's absolutely nothing to worry about," she said.
She hadn't made it but a few feet down the hall when she felt that overwhelming nauseous feeling overcome her again and she had to dash back into the bathroom.