Chapter 2 - The Storm Before the Calm
The next few days passed without Harry getting into too much trouble with Snape and without any significant change in the way he and Hermione acted toward each other. He only cost Gryffindor 20 points while Hermione had gained 50 in all of their classes. Hermione had even kicked Harry under the table once when he had daydreamed through another of Snape's questions and then whispered, "Harry, what am I going to do with you?"
Harry had thought at the time about kicking her back and saying, "Leave me alone." But he realized he would never treat her that way and that he had been daydreaming about kissing her. She consumed every waking thought. He even made excuses to study in the library. If she was there, he would be too. There was no way someone like Viktor could get her alone to talk again. They sat in the library studying together.
"What did Viktor do that impressed you while he was here?" he prodded.
"What makes you ask such a question?" Hermione had a more puzzled look on her face than Harry had ever seen before. He couldn't retreat now, but he had to recover quickly because his daydream had leaked out and he was afraid of offending Hermione.
"I don't want to be a babbling idiot the next time I fall for a girl. What did Viktor have that Ron and I don't have?"
Hermione blinked unobtrusively at Harry's answer. She tried to hide her astonishment."
Harry immediately wished he hadn't asked the question.
"I am not sure he did anything, Harry. He was the only one around who treated me like a girl I guess."
The answer was like ice cold water had been dumped on his head. She was obviously retaliating because Ron and he had always treated her like one of the guys. But it only took a blink of an eye and a wink from Hermione to realize that she was having him on. They laughed and Harry said, "I guess I deserved that. Ron and I haven't exactly treated you like you deserve. I'm sorry about that Hermione."
"Truthfully Harry-with everything going on around us with the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the little spat you and Ron were having--it was nice to have someone who was focused on me. He made me feel important. He made me feel feminine and desirable," she explained.
"Don't Ron and I talk to you kindly and respectfully most of the time?" asked Harry.
"Sure but that's not the point Harry. I mean he asked me about my favorite flowers, music, and books. He told me he thought smart girls were cool and he thought I was smart. He asked me about my ideal man." Harry didn't let on, but the last one smarted a little.
"What did you say, Hermione?"
"I told him that I love red roses and daffodils…. I listen to music on the radio back home and I don't recognize a lot except the music my parents listen to. And the perfect man…that muggle actor, Brad Pitt," she said. Harry could feel the jealousy rising up. He wasn't sure he knew who Brad Pitt was, so it must have irked Viktor too.
"Harry, why is this so important to you?" asked Hermione.
Harry looked at her for a second thinking about telling her. He knew he wanted to let her know how he thought she was. He answered, "You remember how I acted like a little kid with Cho. I want to make a better impression on my next girlfriend. It's good to get a girl's perspective on it. Thanks."
Hermione couldn't hide the little frown that grew on her face and she shivered with the last comment. He hated himself for playing like this but he wasn't going to look like an idiot in front of her when he finally got the nerve. She had to see him as man not a silly boy pretending to be a man.
"Hermione, are you cold? You shivered," he said.
"No, I am fine Harry," she lied. She hated the thought even more now. She didn't want to think about the possibility that Harry had someone in mind.
Hermione and Harry played a game of cat and mouse trying to get a glimpse at one another without being obvious throughout the evening. They both sat wondering what the other was thinking. Was it about homework? Or, was it about someone they knew? They each were so wrapped up in being afraid to jump to the wrong conclusion that they convinced themselves it had to be someone else.
Harry got a headache from thinking about it and after a little while laid his head down in his arms on the table. He fell asleep dreaming of Hermione with Viktor. She watched him sleep for twenty minutes or so reaching out like she wanted to put her fingers through his hair. She resisted the temptation. Hermione woke him up when she finally began yawning herself.
They walked silently through the corridors up to the common room and said good night. Hermione dressed for bed as she thought about their conversation. There really wasn't much too it. She decided to talk to Hagrid after Care of Magical Creatures class in the morning. She sighed and fell off to sleep thinking of Harry.
The next morning Hermione hurried to get ready for Care of Magical Creatures and had come up with a plan. When she got to the Great Hall, she stopped dead in her tracks. She saw Harry sitting across from Luna Lovegood laughing and carrying on. Hermione couldn't breathe. NOT LUNA LOVEGOOD! Hermione had stopped just long enough that Harry and Luna noticed her. Luna smiled at Harry and returned to the Ravenclaw table.
"Good morning, Hermione. How are you?" Harry asked.
"Fine." Hermione countered flatly.
"What's wrong? Didn't you get any sleep?" He asked. Her eyes were red like she'd been up late. Had he known what was wrong he would have told her right then how he felt. As it was, he thought it was an honest question and continued to eat.
"Men!" Hermione got up without eating. She left before the tears became real. She wasn't prepared for there to be anyone at all, but Luna Lovegood was too much to bear.
Harry just sat there dazed and confused. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what had just happened. Harry never understood how women could be so hard to understand. After all, he was begging Luna to help him with a strategy for talking to Hermione.