Unofficial Portkey Archive

doBanner();

document.write(''); chapter nine

Harry and Hermione pulled apart, but it was too late; a series of events had already been set in motion. Rather predictably, there was a huge scene as Ginny ran from the room crying and locked herself away in one of the empty dormitories. Awkwardness ensued between everyone remaining. Harry ran after Ginny, Draco and Ron stared at the ceiling and floor, and Hermione was left miserable.

It would have been almost funny in its unoriginality if Hermione hadn't been feeling so utterly wretched.

" I'm so sorry," Hermione said to anyone who would listen as she, Draco, and Ron rejoined Harry to do damage control. " I don't know what came over me. It was like I couldn't help myself, like something else had taken over my body..."

Draco looked at her knowingly but refrained from saying anything.

" Ginny!" Harry cried, pounding on the door of the locked dormitory. " Ginny, please come out."

The reply was a resounding thud as Ginny threw something at the wall.

" She seems a bit peeved," Draco pointed out.

" Shut up Draco," Harry, Ron, and Hermione said in unison.

It took nearly a half an hour, but finally-through their combined efforts-Ron, Hermione, and Harry were able to coerce Ginny out of the room. She glared at them all petulantly, her face red and her eyes glowing with murderous rage.

" Go ahead and try to explain to me," Ginny dared them, " but if any of you even think the words 'it just happened', I'll turn your innards to pudding."

Draco looked up, smiling at this. " Nice visual picture," he complimented. Once again, he was ignored.

Harry stepped toward Ginny, reaching for her hands. She snatched them away. "Ginny, please. Something strange came over Hermione--"

" Hormones?" Ginny snapped crossly.

Hermione swallowed heavily. " Ginny, honestly, I don't know how it happened. It was like someone had cast a spell on me or something. I couldn't control what I was doing."

" Dumbledore did say there might be side effects from her death," Ron pointed out. " Maybe this was one of them."

There was silence as everyone contemplated this, wondering what it meant. Ginny seemed to be softening somewhat. " Well...do you swear it was something supernatural?" she demanded finally.

Hermione nodded quickly. " Honestly, Ginny, I'd never hurt you like that." *No matter how much I might like to*, she added silently, remembering the taste of Harry's lips.

A sudden thought seemed to strike Ginny, and she rounded on Harry. " That explains Hermione, but what about YOU? You didn't seem to mind it all that much."

Harry flushed. " Well, the thing is..." He was struggling for words, but finding none. " I'm a teenage boy!" he protested finally.

Wrong answer.

Ginny let out a shriek and locked herself back in the room again. Sighing, Harry began to coax her once more. " Ginny, please, that came out all wrong..."

Hermione exchanged a glance with Ron and Draco. " Perhaps we should give them a moment," she suggested.

Silently, the three filed out of the room. As they walked down the hall, Draco glanced over at Hermione. " You should tell Dumbledore," he said softly.

Hermione sighed. " Yes, I know. I'm just afraid of what it might mean."

" Maybe it doesn't mean anything," Ron asserted, " although, it's better to be safe than sorry, don't you think?"

They found Dumbledore in the main hall. He was speaking to Professor McGonogal, seeming to be having quite a serious conversation as Draco, Hermione, and Ron approached them.

" Ur, Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione interjected. " Can I have a word?"

Dumbledore led them to his office. It was the first time that Hermione and Ron had been there without Harry, and the first time Draco had been there at all. It was evident by the wonder on his face that he hadn't heard too many tales of the office. He marveled visibly at the portraits on the wall, and at the sight of Fawkes, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

" With what can I help you, Ms. Granger?" Dumbledore inquired as soon as they were seated.

With a sigh, Hermione proceeded to relate to him the entire incident, tactfully leaving out the part where she'd attacked Harry and snogged him wildly. When she was done, Dumbledore stroked at his beard and seemed to be brooding. " Interesting," he said finally, " very interesting."

" Is it bad, Professor?" Ron inquired. " Is she going mad or something?"

Hermione frowned at him. " Thank you very much for the support, Ron."

Dumbledore merely smiled at this. " No, Ms. Granger isn't losing her mind, although I cannot help but feel that this fluctuation of emotions was caused by her recent death. Still, as far as side-effects go, this was fairly mild." He smiled at her encouragingly. " This may be the only thing that you experience, but if anything else should come up, please feel free to contact me, anytime day or night."

" Thank you, Professor," Hermione returned, somewhat guiltily, " but I'd hate to bother you with the new school year approaching and all. I know how busy things can get around here."

Dumbledore cleared his throat. " You don't need to worry about such things, Ms. Granger."

Hermione exchanged a glance with Ron. " Honestly, Professor, I'm not being noble. I just don't want to be a bother--"

" No," Dumbledore said shaking his head, " you don't need to worry about such things because starting this new term, I will no longer be headmaster of Hogwarts."

There was a deafening silence in the room. Even Draco seemed to have snapped out of his phoenix-reverie to stare at Dumbledore.

" But-why?" Ron stammered finally.

Dumbledore sighed. " I'm getting too old for this sort of thing," he informed them with a smile, " and frankly, I need a rest. Don't worry-Professor McGonogal will be taking over as headmistress, and I have no doubt that she will perform her duties remarkably well..."

Ron, Hermione, and Draco departed from the office a moment later, all looking clearly stunned. " I can't believe it," Hermione said finally, " no more Dumbledore at Hogwarts. It doesn't seem possible."

" Yeah," Ron said, " and Professor McGonogal is taking over..."

Hermione whirled on him, eyes flashing. She happened to have a particular attachment to their old transfiguration teacher. " Professor McGonogal happens to be a very accomplished woman--"

" Easy, Granger," Draco instructed her off-handedly. He seemed to be puzzling something together in his mind. " I don't think Weasel meant any disrespect... but something doesn't seem right about the entire thing, does it?"

They rounded the corner to see a very worn-out Harry making his way toward them. He smiled blearily. " Hey."

Hermione swallowed guiltily. " Hi, Harry," she said tentatively, " did you work things out with Ginny?"

He rubbed at the bridge of his nose. " Yes, finally. I had to promise her loads of quality time together shopping and all sorts of other horrible things, but we're on speaking terms again."

Draco rolled his eyes. " Well frankly, I'm relieved about the entire thing." he said with mock severity.

Harry spared him a scathing glance, then looked tentatively to Ron and then finally Hermione. " Ur, Hermione, can I have a word with you-alone?"

Hermione took in a steadying breath as Ron and Draco obediently departed. "Harry," she said quickly, " I'm really sorry about what happened before. I would never..."

He blinked at this. " Right, well...me neither."

They stood in awkward silence. Hermione absent-mindedly scratched a spot on her arm before remembering, " We spoke to Dumbledore. About the side-effects, and all."

" Oh?" Harry said, rubbing at the back of his neck. " What did he say?"

She smiled half-heartedly. " The usual cryptic Dumbledore message-it might be something, it might not. You know the drill." She bit her lip. " He also told us that he won't be headmaster at Hogwarts anymore."

Harry stared at her, stunned. " Wow." he said finally. " That's...wow."

" I know," Hermione sighed, sweeping her gaze along the corridor. " I can't imagine this place without him."

" Good thing we graduated last year, eh?" Harry agreed with a smile.

There was another awkward silence. Hermione cleared her throat. " Well, was there something you wanted to speak to me about?" she prompted finally.

Harry took in a deep breath, then seemed to think better of it. " Um, nothing all that important. Just...you know. I'm glad you're back."

They smiled uncertainly at one another and then headed back toward the grand hall, careful to keep a safe distance between them.