There are things we know we know. There are things we know we don't know. There are things we don't know we don't know... Is it really possible to keep secrets in Gryffindor house? One-Shot.
From the Unofficial Portkey Archive: https://portkey-archive.org/story/1622/
What The Gryffindors Knew
“Hermione!”
Nobody in Gryffindor was surprised to see Harry Potter bound into the Common Room and immediately call to Hermione, his best friend. Nor were they surprised when she looked up from her book, smiled brightly and said,
“Hello Harry. Good practice?”
“I think we’re going to smash Slytherin next week,” he said confidently, sitting down beside her. Nobody was surprised when his arm immediately and unconsciously went around Hermione’s shoulders. Nor were they surprised when she immediately and unconsciously leaned into him, not even pausing in her reading.
It was perfectly normal to see Harry and Hermione snuggled up like they were. Nobody was quite sure when Harry and Hermione had become particularly affectionate towards each other, but they rather suspected that Hermione was trying very hard to make up for the years of neglect and lack of love that Harry had endured with the Dursleys. When she began hugging him on a regular basis, he simply returned the affection wholeheartedly. There was some talk from Gryffindors that Harry was madly in love with Hermione and she with him, but people from other houses reckoned that they were just as close as best friends could be after everything they had endured together.
So, the staff and students of Hogwarts watched with curiosity, wondering what might happen between the two. Bets were placed, won and lost as the two remained just as they had always been.
Every morning, they would arrive at breakfast together with Ron. The three would joke and bicker through toast and porridge before heading off to class as a trio. They would remain a trio for most of the day. Then after dinner, Ron would go off with his girlfriend, a pretty Hufflepuff by the name of Natasha. Harry and Hermione would be alone together. Sometimes they’d split off and do their own things: Harry had Quidditch, Hermione had her voracious quest to learn everything in the history of the universe. But once Quidditch practice was over and the library was closed, it was just Harry and Hermione as they were now: snuggled comfortably by the fire.
After a while, Hermione’s yawns became more frequent until finally, she closed her book.
“I’m going to bed,” she said quietly. Harry leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, which she then returned.
“Good night,” she whispered to him, as if she didn’t want anyone else to know. Then she stood up and went up the stairs. Usually, Harry didn’t wait much longer before then going off to bed himself, as if the Common Room held no promise or purpose if Hermione wasn’t in it. Gryffindors said that this was proof of his love for the girl. Other houses said it was just that the boy was tired.
***
The fact was, the Gryffindors had come downstairs too many mornings to find Harry and Hermione fast asleep amid scattered books, sharing a blanket and looking as if this place was exactly where they were meant to be. They’d seen Hermione watching Quidditch matches looking like her heart was in her throat until Harry was safely back on terra firma, Snitch in hand. They’d seen Hermione good-naturedly argue with Ron until she was blue in the face and usually enjoy it, but they’d also seen the aftermath of arguing with Harry- anxiety and depression. She enjoyed (usually) good natured banter with both boys, but couldn’t stand to truly fight with Harry. They’d seen Harry mope around because Hermione had stormed off after a fight, although if he fought with Ron he was able to function rather better.
They’d also seen the way that Hermione dragged Harry off to walk around the lake when something was bothering her, just as he would drag her off when something was bothering him. They’d seen the way that Hermione spent hours with him patiently helping him with his homework but never actually doing it for him. They’d seen the way that Harry would go into a protective mode whenever Malfoy looked as if he might say anything out of order to Hermione and they’d seen the way that Hermione could stop Harry from hexing Malfoy to Kingdom Come just so he didn’t get into trouble.
They’d seen the almost imperceptible flare of jealousy in Hermione’s eyes when some pretty Ravenclaw/Slytherin/Hufflepuff/Gryffindor asked Harry about his Hogsmeade weekend plans. They’d heard the almost imperceptible sigh of relief when Harry informed the pretty Ravenclaw/Slytherin/Hufflepuff/Gryffindor that he was off to Hogsmeade with his two best friends. They’d noticed the way that Harry insisted on carrying at least some of Hermione’s books for her and they’d noticed the way that Harry always went straight to Hermione after winning a Quidditch match.
Yes, the Gryffindors knew that Harry was madly in love with Hermione and she with him. The other houses might not believe it, but the Gryffindors knew. They knew it was just a matter of time before those good night pecks on the cheek became long, drawn out smooches. They knew that when Harry Potter fought the forces of darkness, he did it for Hermione Granger. They knew that Hermione Granger strove to know everything she could in order to keep Harry Potter safe. The other houses might not believe it, but the Gryffindors knew.
The Gryffindors knew that Harry was Hermione’s and Hermione Harry’s, and they’d long ago given up hope that the handsome Boy Who Lived or the feisty Girl Who Read might ever notice anyone else. They just rather wished that the two would realise what the Gryffindors knew.
***
“Harry?” Hermione whispered into the empty Common Room. The clock had just chimed two in the morning and yet she was standing at the foot of the stairs shivering through her dressing gown.
“I’m here,” he whispered. She sighed. He was wearing his invisibility cloak and he wasn’t going to take it off until she found him. She folded her arms and remained where she was.
“Don’t play games with me, Potter. Show yourself.”
“Find me,” he said with a laugh. She turned her head towards the fireplace and glared. After a second, he pulled the hood down, having succumbed to the power of the glare.
“You win,” he admitted. “Come on then,”
Hermione went over to him and joined him under the cloak.
***
Of course, the Gryffindors knew that Harry and Hermione had a tendency to sneak out of the tower at random hours of the night. They even knew that Ron sometimes joined them. What they didn’t know is where they went or what they did. After Colin Creevey spent a horribly cold night hidden in the Astronomy Tower, they deduced that the two didn’t go up there. Which only left the rest of the castle and its grounds.
***
“Will you be quiet, Harry!” Hermione whispered. Harry immediately ceased humming. “Honestly, how do you know Filch isn’t right around the corner?”
“Because I do.”
“You don’t know.”
“Yes I do.”
“No you don’t.”
“OK, I don’t. But I’m guessing and I think that’s good enough.”
“It certainly is not.”
“I think it is. Besides, we’re there now.”
The heavy oak door was opened, then after a pause, silently slid closed. Once safe in the knowledge that they were alone, Harry and Hermione threw off the cloak. Hermione immediately set to work lighting a fire in the grate. The warm orange glow lit the room: a tiny little room taken up mostly by the fireplace and a large red sofa. In one corner a stack of books seemed about ready to collapse.
Harry quickly cast a silencing charm over the room and lit the lamps. They then settled down onto the sofa. Hermione lay back and looked at the ceiling. She murmured a revealing spell and the ceiling disappeared to reveal the clear skies above Hogwarts, stars and all. Harry also leaned back to look up at the stars.
“See anything?” he asked almost immediately. Hermione snorted.
“I may be brilliant, but give me a couple of seconds at least. Ah! There you go, a unicorn.”
“Unicorn? Where?”
“Over there,” she said, taking his hand and using it to trace the outline of a unicorn she saw in the stars.
“I don’t see it.”
“OK then cocky,” she said, “what do you see?”
“I spy with my little eye.... I can see a hamburger.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I can! Look, there’s the bun and the burger and the lettuce.”
“You’re not even trying.”
“Fine. I spy with my little eye something beginning with f.”
“Fire.”
“Damn.”
“When did we start playing I Spy, Harry?”
“Not sure really. I suppose you want to do proper work.”
“Not really. Too tired.”
“Well, do you want to go back to the dorm, because I don’t mind-”
“It’s fine,” she replied, her attention going back to the stars above. She rested her head on his shoulder and his arm went around her waist.
“Comfy?” he whispered.
“Yes.”
“I like these moments, you know,” he said.
“Me too,” she said in a tired voice, attempting to stifle a yawn. She was silent for a moment before she suddenly leaned over and kissed him. This was no friendly kiss on the cheek either, this was a great big kiss that left him reeling for a second. He then returned it fully. Hands roamed over backs, under shirts and into hair as the kiss grew ever more fevered.
“You know,” said Harry as he sucked in much-needed air. “I’ve been dying to do that all day.”
“Me too.”
“Are we ever going to tell the rest of Gryffindor?” he asked.
“Only if you want to.”
“No. I want to keep you all to myself,” he said with a dashing smile. “I’m selfish that way.”
***
Ginny and Colin tiptoed down the stairs. Ron was sitting by the fire, his head in a book.
“Is he reading?” Ginny asked with a little disbelief. Ron shifted slightly and the title was visible: The Chudley Cannons: Firing Through History. They approached him.
“Ron?” Ginny asked in a syrupy tone.
“Yes Ginny?” he replied without looking up from his book.
“Have you seen Hermione? I was wondering if... If she’d give me some help with my Ancient Runes.”
“Haven’t seen her for a while?”
“Where’s Harry?” Colin added eagerly. Ron finally put his book down.
“I have no idea.”
“Oh Ron!” Ginny exclaimed. “Are you sure you don’t know where they are?”
Ron thought for a moment and then smiled sweetly up at them.
“I really have no idea.”
Ginny and Colin left him alone, glumly accepting of his answer. The sweet smile transformed into a broad, knowing smirk.
“The Gryffindors don't know everything, then.”
The End