A/N: Some have expressed wanting to see some of the training, but if I go through the training, there won't be any surprises to come. LOL The most important thing to see at the moment is the change in Harry's self-control. For the record, Snape did not make any mistakes in his potion. Also, thanks to those who've wished me well.
Harry found it very difficult to sleep that night. His return to the dorm had gone better than last year's since his sanity was not being questioned, but Dean and Seamus has both had a lot of questions about the Prophet article. Harry had taken a deep breath, and answered them. Yes, his uncle had tried to kill him. Yes, he and Hermione were getting married.
"I thought you liked Cho Chang!" Dean had argued.
"I did," Harry replied honestly. "But that was over before it started."
"She was always jealous of Hermione," Ron added with a laugh. "And cried all the time."
"Don't knock her, Ron. She was right about Hermione and she had a lot to cry about." Harry said. As much as Cedric's death had affected him, it had to be even worse for her.
Ron rolled his eyes, "Like bringing that snitch into the DA."
Harry had no response for that.
"And I thought Ron liked Hermione," Seamus added tactlessly.
"Anyway," Ron replied more loudly than necessary, "Harry and Hermione were practically fated to be together. Anyone who can't see that is an idiot." He turned his back to the other guys while he straightened things in his trunk.
"Where are you guys going to be after you get married?" Neville asked.
"Dumbledore's arranged a room for us," Harry said. "We'll be here in Gryffindor."
"You get special treatment," Seamus observed.
"Tell ya what, Seamus, you take on You Know Who five times and live to talk about it and maybe you'll get some special treatment too." Ron snapped, already ill with the boy for bringing up how he felt about Hermione.
"It's okay, Ron," Harry replied. "Seamus has a point. But, he should realize that it's not unheard of for married students to attend Hogwarts. It hasn't happened for a very long time, but the precedent has already been set, and there is nothing in the rules against it. Hermione and I are being allowed to take advantage of that. Any other student could have done the same thing."
"You're awful young to get married," Dean whistled, shaking his head in disbelief.
Harry shrugged. "You do what you've got to do. I'm lucky I've found Hermione early in life. We would have gotten married as soon as we graduated anyway," he reiterated the Prophet article, even though the thought marriage so early in life had not been seriously consiered.
"I think it's weird. You guys weren't even a couple when we left for the summer," Seamus commented.
"Are you blind?" Ron bellowed, slamming his trunk shut.
"Let's just go to bed," Harry suggested, hoping to ward off a blow up between his roommates. He appreciated Ron's loyalty, but also realized Seamus's opinion mattered little in the scheme of things.
"Well, are we invited to the wedding?" Dean asked before any of them had had a chance to doze off.
"Haven't thought about it," Harry replied honestly. "It's up to Hermione how big the ceremony will be." It was actually up to Dumbledore. He knew that if Voldemort had not been defeated prior to October 1, the school would likely be evacuated in preparation. All they could count on was that Voldemort would do something to stop the nuptials which would cost him his chance at immortality. Whether it was on a grand scale or not was yet to be seen.
Harry realized he only had a month, maybe less, to get ready and focus everything Dumbledore had taught him. When he was certain the others were all asleep, he took his wand and eased out of the room.
When he got to the common room, he found Hermione doing just as he had planned to do, practicing spells.
"Hey, Mrs. Potter," he called softly.
Hermione turned around, smiling, and met him with a hug and kiss. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," he told her. "It doesn't feel right without you beside me."
"It's going to be a long month," she sighed. They sat on the couch together. "Did you come down to practice too?"
"Yeah. We don't have much time."
"Well, we can practice on each other."
"No we can't," Harry argued. "You can disarm and curse me, but you know Dumbledore doesn't want me doing any of that to you."
"Which is stupid," Hermione replied grumpily. Admittedly, she knew she'd gotten off easy since Harry always practiced what he could do with another person with Dumbledore, but she was a little insulted that Dumbledore didn't think she was strong enough to handle what he was teaching her to perform. "You don't think any of the Death Eaters are going to take it easy on me because I'm a woman, do you?" Alice Longbottom was evidence enough that they did not have mercy on women.
"No, of course not," Harry replied. "But there's no sense in risking hurting you now. Dumbledore is a gentleman. And I don't want to see my wife hurt either." Harry hoped that it would come down to a single face off between himself and Voldemort and that Hermione would be left out of it.
"I want to know what he meant by me having a protection that you don't?"
Harry shrugged. "Sometimes he speaks in riddles, but he always knows what he's talking about." He kissed her forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine now. It's like Tonks said, I didn't eat this morning. I was queasy thinking about coming back here to be honest with you. Empty stomachs and fast trains don't mix," she laughed. "I can't believe no one even noticed that you conjured that waste bin out of nothing."
"I wouldn't say no one noticed," Harry replied. "Neville didn't notice. Lupin and Tonks wouldn't have brought any attention to it. Is there anything you need right now?" He asked, hoping she would challenge him to conjure something.
"Just you," she answered sweetly. Plans to practice advanced magic were forgotten as they cuddled until they fell asleep. Any Gryffindor who walked through the common room the next morning was left with no doubts that the two were a couple. Hermione was sleeping peacefully in Harry's arms. His glasses were on the table and both wands were abandoned on the floor with their slippers. Eventually, the new prefect Lavendar woke them up and told them they needed to get moving or they'd be late to class. Slightly embarrassed, they thanked her and asked how late they were.
"Late enough that you'll be the talk of Gryffindor today. Not that you weren't already," she laughed. "Don't worry. You're both fully dressed and you actually looked kind of sweet. I bet no one wanted to bother you."
"Sweet?" Harry rolled his eyes. "This is going to be a fun day."
They rushed to get ready and meet again in the common room in less than ten minutes. Ron came down with Harry since he had also overslept. The trio ran to the Great Hall for breakfast and to get their schedules. The Gryffindor table greeted Harry and Hermione with applause and whistles.
"Oh, get over it!" Hermione laughed, with her face very red. "We were just talking and fell asleep."
"Yeah, why didn't someone wake us up?" Harry asked, agitated. He glanced over his schedule. They were starting NEWT level classes this year, so Astronomy, History of Magic, and Divination were no longer part of his work load. He would be having DADA, Advanced Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration along with a new class that was a primer for mediwitch training. Anyone interested in becoming an Auror had to have basic emergency medical training. Hermione's schedule was the same as his, only she also had Arithmancy.
"No more Potions!" Ron said gleefully. He had not scored high enough to continue with Advanced Potions. Neville had the same look of happy relief on his face and the two of them gave each other a high five.
"It's hardly something to be happy about," Hermione said disdainfully. "You can't become an Auror now, or a medi-witch, or a..."
"There are plenty of careers that do not involve Potions," Ron snapped.
"Yes, like Fortune Telling," Hermione scowled, seeing that Divination was still part of Ron's schedule.
"Just because you don't have the inner eye, doesn't mean it doesn't exist," he huffed.
Harry smiled. It was nice to see the two of them back to their argumentative selves. He repressed laughing at Ron's defense of Divination, knowing Ron took it as seriously as Fred and George took life.
"He could move to the boardwalk in Jersey," Harry joked to Hermione.
She was silent a moment, realizing the woman had been right about everything, even Harry becoming her husband "soon."
"What happened in New Jersey?" Ron asked, forgetting the argument.
"We found you place to set up shop," Harry said, then he changed the subject. "So, we've all got Transfiguration first. I think we should get going. McGonagall won't appreciate if we're late for the first day." They took off to begin their day.