Thanks to Muirnin for her fantastic beta work.
Chapter 10: A Simple Plan
Harry walked unhurriedly down the hallways, his hands in the pockets of his trousers, looking down at the floor without paying much attention to where he was going. After all, he was probably the student most familiar with the way to Dumbledore's chambers having visited the old man more times that he cared to count since his first year at Hogwarts.
What he couldn't stop thinking about was Hermione and Roger. He knew it was stupid of him to even care that she was dating someone he wasn't particularly fond of (ok, understatement of the year, but let's not get into technicalities right now). After all, when he finds the antidote to the potion, everything will go back to normal. Hermione should have... she deserved it after all... a guy that would love her for the great person she was, that would protect her with all his might... that would give up everything and anything for her.
`But I am that guy.'
`No, you are not.'
Harry wondered if he would be this bad with all of Hermione's boyfriends, or if it was because that boyfriend happened to be Roger Davies. Harry had never really liked Roger. Don't get him wrong... it wasn't as if he thought Roger was in league with Voldemort and was a Death Eater in training. And it wasn't because Roger had dated Cho Chang before and after Harry's fiasco with the Ravenclaw seeker.
It was because Roger was the type of person that had everything... money, looks, charm, a brain... and had always struck Harry as using everything he had to manipulate those around him. He wanted a glass of juice? Roger only had to pop the suggestion and a couple of seconds later he would have three different glasses to choose from. He wanted to go to College? Roger only had to tell his dear Daddy-O which college and Dad would write a big fat check that would get Roger into the college of his choice. He wanted a new broom? His daddy would have it delivered the next day by Express Owl.
Now that he thought about it, Harry realized that Roger reminded him of Malfoy... a less-evil, but just as conniving and scheming version of Malfoy. Maybe that's why he disliked Roger so much… because he feared that he would manipulate his best friend the same way he manipulates everybody else in his life.
`That... and the fact that you are in love with her.'
`Shut up!'
He had reached the entrance to Dumbledore's chambers. He didn't know this year's password (he had been back for almost three months and had yet to visit the Headmaster's office... that was a new record), so he decided to just call for the old wizard.
"Professor! Professor Dumbledore! It's me... Harry Potter. I... I have to talk to you about... something," Harry called tentatively, looking up and down the hallway, reluctant to be caught by any of his fellow students.
There was no reply from the other side of the statue. Harry called a second time, and waited.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Three minutes.
Dumbledore was not on his chambers, just as he had not been at breakfast that morning. Harry found it odd, but didn't really give it much thought. If Hermione asked him if he had spoken with Dumbledore, Harry could be truthful and tell her he had tried, but couldn't find the Headmaster, and that he would try again later.
"Mr. Potter, you are late for class. What are you doing here?" a stern feminine voice came from the other end of the hallway. Harry looked to his right to find Professor McGonagall walking toward him, her footsteps as brisk and business-like as her tone of voice.
"Am I? I just… I wanted to speak with the Headmaster. Do you know where I might find him?" Harry asked her in a very polite manner as he met Transfiguration teacher halfway.
"Oh. I'm afraid he's not at Hogwarts. He was called yesterday on urgent business by the Wizengamot," Professor McGonagall said, her disappointment at finding Harry roaming the hallways during class hours replaced by concern.
"I see. Do you know when Professor Dumbledore will return?" Harry asked, actually regretting the fact that he could have spoken with Dumbledore yesterday and missed the opportunity.
"I'm afraid I don't know, Mr. Potter. But in the meantime, I'll be acting as Deputy Headmaster. Whatever you had to say to Professor Dumbledore, you can say to me. Is this about returning to the Quidditch team?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Um… no. It's sort of… personal," Harry stuttered, feeling nervous by the way McGonagall's beady eyes were fixed on his. Her usually stern expression softened when she displayed a very uncharacteristic look of surprise.
"Oh, I see. Well, Mr. Potter… I am the head of your house. You know you can speak to me about anything… personal or otherwise. I am here to listen," Professor McGonagall added softly, gently placing her hand on Harry's shoulder.
Harry actually considered telling McGonagall about his dreams, but quickly shot down the idea. Dumbledore knew things about him that Harry doubted McGonagall even suspected, and he didn't feel comfortable sharing them just yet.
"Thank you, Professor. But it's nothing big… a guy problem, really. I'll wait for the Headmaster to return," Harry said with what he hoped was a sincere smile.
McGonagall gave him a look that reminded him of Hermione and the expression she always wore when she didn't believe Harry was being totally honest with her. But the Professor finally sighed and said, "Very well, Mr. Potter. I'll be around if you change your mind. I'll inform the Headmaster that you want to see him upon his return. Now, I think you should get to class."
Harry nodded and walked away, hoping that the boring History of Magic class that was waiting for him could push the thoughts of Hermione, Roger and the visions out of his mind.
------------------
11:55 AM
Hermione hadn't had a chance to ask Harry about his conversation with Dumbledore all morning. Classes had been more hectic than usual, and even she had trouble keeping up with her notes. As soon as their last class of the morning ended, Hermione followed Harry outside.
"Harry, did you see Dumbledore? What happened? What did he say?" Hermione asked breathlessly as she tried to put her books inside her bag. Harry stopped, turned around and gave a small smile when he saw how adorable she looked when she was concerned.
He took the books from her hand and carried them for her as they started walking side by side toward the Great Hall. "He wasn't in his chambers. Actually, Dumbledore is not even in Hogwarts."
"Really?" Hermione asked with interest, a frown creasing between her brows. Everyone knew it was unusual for the Headmaster to leave the school during the term.
"Really. According to McGonagall, Dumbledore was called on urgent business by the Wizengamot," Harry answered as he moved Hermione's books to his other arm so he could move a bit closer to her.
"Oh. That's too bad," Hermione said, disappointed. Harry knew why. She felt helpless to assist him with the visions Harry had experienced these last couple of days, and she was hoping Professor Dumbledore would provide the help she couldn't.
As if a thought had just occurred to her, Hermione grabbed Harry by the arm and stopped him from going any further. "You don't think it has anything to do with what was in the paper today, do you?"
"With the Weird Sisters? I doubt that," Harry mumbled. Why would Dumbledore care about the Weird Sisters? Sure, the old man may be a fan, but…
"Not the article about the Weird Sisters. The article about the missing artifact!" Hermione said excitedly. Seeing Harry's blank expression, she sighed.
"The valuable magical artifact that found its way into the Berlin museum, only to have disappeared without a trace. Remember?" Hermione pressed. Again, Harry had the same look in his eyes he often got when Luna asked him if he had read the latest article on the Quibbler.
"Honestly! Harry, where were you at breakfast the past two days?" Hermione chided in good nature, playfully elbowing Harry in the ribs.
"Anyway, the paper said that the brightest minds in the magical community had been called by the Ministry to assist in locating the artifact," Hermione continued.
"Well, maybe Dumbledore is helping out with that… but McGonagall was a bit tight-lipped about the subject… tighter than usual that is," Harry answered.
"Oh, well, I'll ask him when he returns. By the way, where IS Ron?" Hermione asked, looking up and down the hallway for any sign of their redheaded friend.
Harry remembered that Ron had mumbled something as soon as the class had ended, and that he had ran out of the room before Harry had a chance to ask where he was going.
"I guess he had to meet Luna because he ran out of the room like a bat out of hell as soon as Professor Binns said we could," Harry said.
"So, I guess it'll be just you and me for lunch, eh?" Hermione said with a playful smile. The butterflies in Harry's stomach started flying wildly, and he could feel his hands getting sweatier by the second.
"I guess," Harry mumbled, looking ahead and seeing if there was any Gryffindor that might join them and saved him from further mortification.
He almost lost his footing when he felt Hermione's arm snaked around his free forearm. He looked to his right and found Hermione smiling, looking down at the floor as if strolling arm in arm with Harry down the hallways was the most natural thing in the world.
With every step they took, Harry's anxiety lessened. This was, after all, his best friend, the person that time and time again had stood by his side through thick and thin.
Harry had never actually stopped to think about it, but it felt so right just to have her so near. He could just close his eyes and forget all about the potion and Roger.
Not so surprisingly, he could almost imagine that the woman next to him not only was his best friend, but his girlfriend… his lover… his other half…
His better half.
"Thanks," Harry said softly, opening his eyes and looking down at Hermione. She smiled up at him with a puzzled expression on her face.
"For what?" she asked him. Harry actually thought considering telling her that it was because she was always there for him, and because he had come to need her more than he needed anybody else in the whole world. But that thought only lasted about a second… he was too afraid of ruining this simple moment.
At this time, he was just content with being plain old Harry and Hermione.
"For giving me the pleasure of escorting you to lunch," Harry smiled. Hermione winked at him playfully.
"Smooth, Mr. Potter, very smooth," she joked. They were just a few feet away from the Great Hall's entrance when the voice that Harry had come to dread more than any other came from the castle doors.
"Hermione? Where have you been?" Roger asked. Hermione and Harry looked at the same time toward the castle doors to find Roger with a weave basket in one hand, a checkered cloth in the other, and a puzzled expression in his usually cool face.
"Oh… I was… talking to Harry… um…" Hermione stuttered, taking her arm away from Harry's arm, her cheeks reddening instantaneously. Harry's stomach tightened when she pulled away, but quickly hid his discomfort behind an unreadable mask.
"Well, are you ready?" Roger asked softly, his eyes moving from Hermione to Harry and back in a slightly cautious manner.
"Ready? For what?" Hermione asked, her voice more high-strung than normal. In answer, Roger wiggled the basket and the checkered cloth in his hands and gave her a bright smile.
"Oh, right! The picnic… we were going to eat outside… I forgot… I…um," Hermione stuttered, her eyes shifting nervously from Roger to Harry. Harry didn't know what to make of the expression in her eyes. Was she telling him that she was sorry because she didn't want to go with Roger? Or was she telling him that she was sorry because she was going to leave him alone for lunch?
Harry realized that he was witnessing a very bizarre event. Hermione Granger was at a crossroads… and she didn't know which way to go.
`I'll make things easier for her.'
"That's okay, Hermione. We'll have lunch another day," Harry said, managing to muster up a halfhearted smile.
"Are you sure?" Hermione whispered, apparently not wanting to reach Roger's ears. Again, Harry didn't know what to make of the look on her face; there was a tinge of sadness in those brown eyes that he hadn't noticed earlier.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Go and have fun. Beware of the ants. They can be a bit of a handful," Harry mumbled, forcing his smile to widen and giving her a thumbs-up. Hermione released a trembling breath, took the books he had been carrying for her and smiled slightly.
"I'll… I'll see you later, then," Hermione said softly, turning around and walking toward Roger. Always the gentleman, Roger tried to carry the books that Harry had been carrying moments earlier. But Hermione just smiled politely at him and shook her head. She finally followed him out the castle doors and into the grounds.
Harry didn't feel hungry anymore, so he turned around and walked toward Hogwart's library, intent on continuing his quest for the antidote that could cure a fool from a broken heart.
------------------
12:13 PM
Unbeknownst to Harry and Hermione, Ron and Neville had been watching them since they left Binns' classroom. That morning, the Plan "Get-the-two-nitwits-together" was devised, but Neville still felt guilty about the part he was assigned to play.
Now, witnessing what happened by the entrance castle, Neville realized that they had reached desperate times… and desperate times called for desperate measures.
When Ginny and Luna came out of their class and started walking to the Great Hall for lunch, they found Ron hiding behind a corner, watching Neville speaking with Colin Creevey, a sixth year photographer aficionado and the current Gryffindor Seeker. "Oh, he's doing it already?" Ginny asked in an excited whisper. Ron nodded.
"He was afraid he might not have the guts to do it later," Ron answered blankly. Ginny scowled at her older brother.
"Neville has plenty of guts, Ron… is wickedness and malice that he lacks," Ginny replied coolly as the three of them watched Neville and Colin.
"Well, I'm sure a few weeks at the Burrow with the other Weasley's will give him all the wickedness and malice he will need. Look!" Luna whispered excitedly. Ron and Ginny noticed that Neville had just given a candy wrapped in a brown wrapper to Colin. Neville shook Colin's hand before turning around and walking toward them, the smile that he had plastered on his face while speaking to Colin now shifting into a more panicky expression.
"I'm going to hell," Neville whispered to his three friends when he reached their side. Ron and Luna patted him in the back, while Ginny kissed his cheek soundly.
"Good, because I would have been lonely down there without you," Ginny joked, lacing her arm around Neville's arm. Neville managed to smile genuinely this time, even when thoughts of what poor Colin was about to experience plagued his conscience.
"I'm sure you will be forgiven, Neville," Luna said as Ron took her hand and the four started walking away, "after all, this is about love."
"Yes, but Colin will spend the next five hours puking his heart out," Neville bleached at the thought. He still couldn't believe that he had just passed Colin one of Fred and George Weasley's Puking Pastilles.
"This was the only way, honey. Remember? We are doing this for Harry and Hermione…" Ginny said, finding adorable how Neville's cheeks reddened and his ears flush from guilt.
Ron, on the other hand, couldn't stop grinning, "Congratulations, everybody. We've just put the wheels into motion. "
----------------
4:05 PM
Luna straightened her uniform and watched from behind the corner as Hermione walked toward her. As if the Powers-That-Be were also in on "The Plan", Roger had finally left Hermione alone.
"Well, the others did their part… now, it is up to you, Loony," Luna whispered as she left the safety of the corner, almost crashing into Hermione on the process.
"Luna! You scared me!" Hermione screamed as she came to a screeching halt before smacking into Ron's girlfriend.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, but I've been looking everywhere for Harry. Have you seen him?" Luna asked in that same dreamy voice that used to drive Hermione insane when they first met.
Hermione sighed. The last time she had seen Harry was when they left their last class of the day. They had hardly spoken since the incident during lunch, and, even when Harry was being awfully polite, Hermione knew she was being dodged.
"Not since we left class. What do you need him for?" Hermione asked Luna.
"Oh, Colin has fallen sick… a stomach flu or something. Anyway, Ronald asked me to come and get Harry to fill in for Colin during practice. Everyone else is already on the Quidditch pitch; they're just waiting for Harry," Luna said, twirling absently a lock of her blond hair.
"Very well. I'll look for him and tell him. You can go to the pitch if you want to… I know how Ron gets when his #1 supporter is not there to sing, "Weasley is our King" " Hermione said with a small smile. She waved goodbye to Luna and started to walk away.
But Luna was not finished with her yet.
"Hermione! Wait!" Luna called. Hermione stopped and turned around in time to see Luna jogging toward her.
"I was wondering if… if you could also come to the pitch? It can get really lonely for me down there. I'm the only significant other who goes to practice," Luna said with a wistful expression.
"I'll… I'll see what I can do. You know Quidditch is not really my thing," Hermione answered with a polite nod. She didn't mind joining Luna there… but she wasn't sure how Harry would feel.
In an uncharacteristically thoughtful and clear voice, Luna answered, "Oh, I know… but Harry is going to be there. He's had a really tough week, you know. If there's anything that can cheer him up, it's Quidditch… and you."
Hermione's cheeks flushed at once, but before she could even think of what to reply, Luna winked goodbye and turned around, thankful that the brown haired girl could not see the big grin on her face.
----------------
4:40 PM
Hermione had already tried the Gryffindor common room, her room (alright, she wasn't looking for him there, but she used the opportunity to change into a comfortable wine-colored tee and jeans), the boys' dormitory, the Great Hall, and even the kitchens looking for Harry, but she had found no sign of her raven-haired friend. So, she decided to look for him in the place Harry was least likely to visit in a normal day.
The library.
She walked inside the Hogwarts library and politely nodded to Madame Pince, who smiled at Hermione as if she was an old friend. It wasn't unfathomable after all… Hermione did spent most of her free hours cooped up in here, exploring the wonders that the world of the written word had to offer.
Hermione walked toward the librarian's desk and whispered, "Madam Pince, have you seen Harry this afternoon?" Madam Pince's eyes turned to slits the moment Hermione mentioned Harry's name; the woman definitely remembered Harry wreaking havoc on her precious library Monday night.
"Oh, yes… Harry "The Spiderman" Potter. He's sitting by the desk behind the Potion's aisle," Madam Pince said with a nod, returning her attention to the filing cabinet she had been perusing.
"Thanks," Hermione nodded absently and, being familiar with the library's layout as familiar as she was with the back of her hand, walked directly toward Harry.
Without really knowing the reason why, Hermione stopped a few meters away from him and took a moment to just watch him.
Hermione could only see his outline, but she knew she wouldn't have mistaken him for anybody else. Harry's black and unruly mop of hair was sticking on the back, his glasses were crooked, and he had a look of intense concentration on his face, biting his bottom lip as he scanned the page of the book he was holding. The knot in his tie was loosened, and his white uniform shirt was not tucked inside his trousers, the rolled-up sleeves showing his well-toned forearm muscles.
And not for the first time since she had met him, Hermione thought about how endearing Harry looked when he thought no one was watching him… when he didn't feel the pressure of being the Boy-Who-Lived, and dared to be Harry.
Just Harry.
She kept strolling toward his table, and was now close enough to see that he had four different books sprawled all around him. Hermoine was pleasantly surprised. Since when had Harry developed such a love for books? And why hadn't he informed her?
"Famous potions and their counterparts?" Hermione read out loud the cover of the wine-colored leather-bound book Harry was holding. It was only then that Harry was alerted to her presence, judging by the way he jumped from his seat and snapped the book close, looking like he had been caught with his hand in someone else's cookie jar.
`Don't let her see the books! Don't let her see the books!'
"Did I miss an assignment?" Hermione asked worriedly, suddenly thinking about the extreme possibility that Snape had assign homework and that she had actually forgotten about it.
"NO! No… I'm… I'm just doing some extra-reading," Harry lied, his breathing slowly returning back to normal. He immediately gathered the books that he had scattered around the desk and grouped them in a pile, hoping Hermione hadn't had a chance to see their names.
"You are not getting remedial potions, right? Is that what's been on your mind?" Hermione asked, thinking that maybe that was what Harry had been hiding from her all week. After all, extra sessions with Snape could cause anyone to be in a foul mood.
"No, no… I just… I don't want to fail the Advanced Potions' N.E.W.T. test. That's all." Harry lied, managing to smile slightly at Hermione as he gathered the books under his arm and stood up. He turned around and started filing the books at a frenzied pace, afraid Hermione would spot a particular one with the title "In Love with Love Potion No. 9"
"Oh, Harry, I'm so glad you are working extra-hard on studying for the N.E.W.T.'s" Hermione beamed, the pride evident in her voice. He almost felt bad about lying… almost.
"Yeah," he said off-handedly, putting the last book on its rightful place and turning around. Harry crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. Which wasn't easy considering how tight and low-cut her tee was.
"So, what are you doing here? Looking for Davies?" Harry asked, trying to sound like the cool and smooth dude he had never been. Hermione seemed slightly embarrassed by the question, but she seemed to recover as she placed the palm of her hands in the desk that Harry had been using and leaned forward.
"Actually… I'm looking for you," Hermione said, a playful smile tugging at her lips. Oh, yes… Harry could definitely use a night of flying to loosen him up.
"What?" Harry replied, dumbfounded and pleasantly surprised that she was looking for him instead of Davies, and at the same time, worried about the reason why.
Had Dumbledore returned and asked to see him? Had Ron opened his big mouth and told her about the potion? Was she going to announce that she had gotten engaged to Davies and that Roger wanted Harry to be the best man at the wedding?
Okay, so Harry was a little bitty paranoid… you would be too if you were him.
"What you heard, Harry. Ron sent me to look for you. Colin has fallen ill and he can't play Quidditch today. They need a seeker to fill in so they can practice," Hermione said, utterly enjoying how Harry's eyes visibly lighted at the mention of the word "Quidditch"
For the first time in his life, Harry was considering if it would be better to stay at the library rather than taking his Firebolt out for a spin. He knew he needed to find an antidote and fast, and that last book he had put on the shelf promised to be quite helpful in the matter.
But just the thought of being up there, almost touching the sky, away from all the problems, away from the visions and the nightmares, away from all the heartache…just feeling the cool wind on his skin as the sun sank in the west… that was a bit too tempting to resist.
"I take it you are going?" Hermione asked with humor, watching as Harry practically drooled at the thought of flying around the pitch.
"Hell yeah. I think I've done enough studying today. You wouldn't want me to overload my defective brain with too much information in one seating, do you?" Harry joked, taking his cloak and his school bag from the desk and flinging them over his shoulder.
"Oh, we definitely don't want that," Hermione teased. Harry was about to wave goodbye and walk away, when the thought struck him that Hermione had not moved. She was still leaning over the desk, and was now looking down at the top with an unreadable expression in her eyes.
What Harry didn't know was that Hermione was replaying the conversation she had with Luna minutes before. The silence grew thick, and for a few seconds, nothing happened… Harry's eyes never left her outline, and Hermione's eyes were stuck to the table as her hand traced lazy circles on its surface.
`She's probably waiting for Roger? Maybe trying to sneak a quick snogging session before dinner.'
`But what if she's not? What if she's waiting for you?'
`Why would Hermione be waiting for me?'
`Because that's what she has always done… wait… wait for you.'
"Hermione?" Harry asked, his voice tight in the echoing hall. She raised her eyes from the table and looked up at him with a shy smile.
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked. Harry felt his throat go dry, and was unsure if what he was going to do was indeed wise.
`This is not the time to start thinking before acting, Potter. Just do it!'
"Do you… do you want to come with me?" Harry stuttered, clearing his throat nervously and simultaneously trying to appear as if it wouldn't kill him if she said no. Hermione's smile grew wider, but she remained silent.
Harry continued to babble, "I mean… I just noticed is a beautiful day outside. And I think you've done enough studying this week… blimey, you've done enough studying to last a lifetime! And… and…"
Hermione saved him from further embarrassment when she interrupted, "I guess a bit of fresh air will do me good." She then walked to where Harry was standing and tapped his nose with her finger.
"Besides, I wouldn't miss my best friend's triumphant return to his beloved sport for anything in the world," Hermione added, winking at him. Harry grinned genuinely.
`You wicked little witch! You were planning on going all along, weren't you?'
Harry hadn't failed to notice how Hermione had called him "my best friend," but he found he didn't mind one bit. She had chosen to spend the afternoon with him, not Roger… and during lunch, she had wanted to eat with him, not with Roger.
`Take that, you arrogant little git! Maybe the war is not lost.'
`What the hell are you babbling about? Just go to the pitch before you say something stupid and ruin it again.'
It was Hermione's voice that pulled him back to the real world. "Are you just going to stand here? Let's go get your Firebolt before Ron has a heart attack," Hermione joked.
Without further ado, Hermione grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the library, that blissful smirk still plastered on Harry's face.
----------
"Are you scared?" Hermione asked Harry when they reached the edge of the field. Luna was sitting on the Ravenclaw stands, cheering and applauding as the Gryffindor players flew around the field overhead.
Harry smiled nervously, gripping the handle of his Firebolt tightly, and nodded at her. Was he scared of making a fool of himself in front of Hermione because he hadn't practiced in almost a year? Hell yeah.
"Don't worry. I'll be around… and when have I ever let you fall?" Hermione winked at him. She then touched his shoulder, gave it a reassuring squeeze, and sprinted toward Luna, her brown curly hair bouncing behind her.
`You have never let me fall.'
"It's about bloody time, mate! Come on!" he heard Ron scream from high above. Harry looked up and grinned at his redheaded friend, throwing a leg over his broom and pushing himself from the ground.
The muggles would say that flying a broom is like riding a bike; you may spend years away from a bicycle, but as soon as you sit in one and start pedaling, all the technique comes back to you as if you had never stopped riding in the first place.
That's how Harry felt as he soared on the sky, whooping like a child when he dodged a bludger Seamus had sent his way. He hadn't seen the Snitch yet. In fact, he hadn't even looked for it. He was having way too much fun just flying around, enjoying the sight of the sun as it set behind the mountains, the cool breeze as it pounded against his skin, and the lingering smell of Autumn in the air.
After about 50 minutes of just goofing around while the rest of the team practiced, Harry flew down until he was
hovering next to Hermione and Luna on the stands.
"Having fun?" Hermione asked him redundantly with a bright smile; the goofy grin on his face was the only answer she needed.
"Oh, yes," he answered breathlessly.
"Then, could you please stop showing off and catch the snitch? The mosquitoes here seemed to think my neck is an All-you-can-eat buffet," Hermione said, her tone half-joking, half-serious. Harry laughed, and tipped his head forward as if he was pulling off an imaginary hat in reverence to a lady.
"As you wish," Harry bowed dramatically, and with a final wink flew upwards and circled the field, looking for that tiny speck of gold machinery that had brought him many joyful times.
After little bit over 4 minutes, he saw it! It was hovering a few feet away from Ron's head, to the right of the center goal post. Driven by instinct, Harry pushed himself forward, gaining an incredible amount of speed in a few seconds. Ron squealed like a little girl, thinking Harry was about to crash into him, but Harry turned at the last minute, following the golden snitch, which had apparently noticed that it had been spotted and flew away.
Harry followed it, the end of his broom just three feet away from the golden treasure. He had to dodge Ginny, Seamus and Neville on his way, but he didn't lost sight of the little ball with wings, even when dusk had already settled in and there was really no sunlight glinting from its surface.
At the last instant, Harry let go of the handle of his broom and leaned forward, deftly catching the snitch on his right hand, feeling as good as he had felt when they had won the Quidditch cup on his Third Year.
"Way to go, Harry!" Hermione and Luna cheered from the stands, breaking into applause. Harry raised the fist that was still holding onto the snitch triumphantly. Seamus flew toward Harry and gave him a grateful smile while saying, "You know you could have catched that an hour ago, do you?"
"Yes… but then practice would have been cut short. And I wouldn't do that to you, Seamus," Harry winked, guiding his broomstick toward the ground. Neville, Ginny, Ron, and Alex were already on the ground. Hermione and Luna were coming down the stands toward them.
Harry received another round of applause by his surrogate teammates as soon as his feet landed on the ground. "That was great, mate. Too bad we don't have you on the team anymore. The Quidditch cup would be a sure thing," Ron said with a friendly pat on the back.
"Colin is a good seeker. You guys will be the champions this year. I'm sure of it," Harry said, feeling the warmth crawling on his cheeks.
"As long as he stays away from Fred and George's candy," Ginny said, winking at Neville, who blushed furiously as he put his arm over her shoulders. Harry didn't know what to make of that little exchange, but he forgot all about it when Hermione finally reached his side, flinging her arms around his neck.
"That was awesome, Harry! I think you are even better than you were the last time you were on the team," Hermione said with obvious pride, letting go of him and leaving him even more embarrassed than before.
"Errr… thanks, Mione," Harry said sheepishly. He frowned when he saw Ron's rather suspicious grin as the redhead stood behind Hermione, his arms around Luna's waist.
"Do you miss it, Harry?" Luna asked, leaning back and resting her head on Ron's shoulder. Harry couldn't help but think that Luna must really love Ron, because only a person that truly loved you would hang around you when you were smelly, sticky, and sweaty.
"Miss what?" he asked her absently, waving goodbye to Alex and Seamus, who were now making their way back to the Castle.
"Playing Quidditch," Luna added dreamily, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. To anyone who didn't know her, it would seem Luna couldn't care less about his answer. But he had come to know his best friend's girlfriend well enough to know that it was just a façade.
Harry took a deep breath and looked around the field before answering, "I do miss Quidditch… sometimes… I mean, the feeling that you get when you are riding on that broomstick is quite… indescribable. It is almost like… almost like…"
"Almost like falling in love," Ginny finished for him. Harry turned around sharply and looked at her. For the first time today, he had noticed that Ginny, Neville, Ron and Luna were looking at him with a strange glint in their eyes, as if they knew something he didn't.
`If Ron blabbed about me and Hermione, I'm going to pull every red hair from his head!'
"I used to think Quidditch was not for me. I used to like my feet on the earth where they belong," Neville said, breaking the silence.
"Actually, according to Moodus Brandock of "The Quibbler", the Earth is not the place of origin of wizardkind, but rather the 5th dimension," Luna said in a very serious tone. Hermione covered her mouth with her hand to hide her smile.
"I don't know which dimension we are from, but Malfoy is definitely an alien from planet Urectum," Ron added, shrugging at Hermione and Harry, making them laugh out loud at Luna's comment.
"You know whom I've never seen playing Quidditch? Hermoine!" Ginny added after the laughter subsided. Hermione just shook her head sheepishly.
"That's because I've never played it," she said, sounding almost embarrassed. She knew what was coming, and she braced herself for it.
"WHAT?" Ron, Neville and Ginny screamed simultaneously. Even Luna seemed surprised. Harry just shook his head and smiled; he was all too familiar with Hermione's fear of flying.
"I'm more of a spectator," Hermione added defensively, shrugging and crossing her arms in an "I-dare-you-to-make-fun-of-me" expression. That look may have worked on the boys, but Ginny seemed to be oblivious to the threat.
"I can't believe this is your seventh year at Hogwarts and you never tried Quidditch! Not even once! And to think you are my role model!" Ginny scoffed, shaking her head. Harry didn't know if Ginny was being serious or if she was just joking.
"There should be a law against that!" Ron added, shaking his head in almost identical fashion.
"And I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be courageous," Luna said, mirroring Ron's movements.
"If I could do it, you have no excuse," Neville said with a slight nod.
Was it just Harry's imagination or were his four friends behaving more eccentric than ever before? It was almost as if they were following the same script, one they hadn't bothered to share with Harry.
Hermione was not easily fazed, judging by how she rolled her eyes at them and said, "Honestly! It's not that big a deal!"
Again, the "WHAT?" coming from his four friends thundered in the empty Quidditch pitch.
Thinking that she had just offended them by being disrespectful for their favorite sport, Hermione quickly added, "I mean, I'm sure is a lot of fun. But it's just not for me."
"If you had tried it, you wouldn't say that," Ron said with a sigh, his tone daring. The others followed with some "Yeah" and "That's right" of their own. Harry didn't know what was going on as Hermione's eyes grew into threatening slits and she crossed her arms over her chest.
Surprisingly, Hermione didn't realize that she was being backed into a corner.
"You know what? Why don't you try it right now?" Ron said in a challenging tone, letting go of Luna's waist as he mimicked Hermione's pose and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm sure Harry wouldn't mind giving you a crash course… I mean, a tutorial," Ginny added quickly, an "I-dare-you" smile playing at the corner of her lips.
`What the hell is going on here? And how come I'm suddenly involved?'
Even with the poor lightning, Harry saw how Hermione's cheeks paled slightly at the prospect.
"What? Oh, no Ginny… It's… getting dark and it is a bit cloudy… not much visibility… well, I'm not that good at riding a broom…" Hermione stuttered uncharacteristically.
"Are you scared, Hermoine?" Luna asked in a very levelheaded voice.
`Oh, she didn't say that…'
"No, I am not, Luna!" Hermione hissed, all the nervousness from her previous answer gone.
"Then, come on!" Neville said, giving a resounding two thumbs up.
"Yes, give it a try, Mione!" Ginny said with equal enthusiasm.
"I don't have a broom," Hermione said defensively.
"You can ride with Harry on his broom," Luna added cheerfully.
It was now Harry's turn to look maliciously at his friends as understanding finally dawned on him.
`Oh, shit!'
Harry Potter realized that his four friends were setting him up.
`Oh, I'm going to kill you for telling them Ron!'
Ron just winked at Harry when he caught sight of his friend's angry expression.
"Oh, yes… The Firebolt… everyone knows Harry's broom is a pleasure to ride," Ron said with a wicked voice, still looking at Harry.
`Oh, that's just plain dirty, Ron! Wait till I get my hands around you! And stop doing THAT with your broom handle!!!'
"We can release the snitch and you can try to catch it," Neville said, taking the little golden ball from Harry's hand and showing it to her.
"And Harry will help you, after all," Luna added. Harry stole a glance at Hermione to find her chewing her bottom lip, eyeing the snitch in Neville's hand apprehensively.
"I'm… I'm not sure…" Hermione mumbled, her eyes shifting from Neville's hand to the broom in Harry's.
`Oh Merlin! She's actually thinking about it!'
`Would it be so bad?'
`Yes! Getting on a broom with Hermione, feeling as she practically sits on my lap in that all too tight jeans and heavy cleavage shirt while I'm holding on to her waist is a VERY BAD THING under the circumstances.'
`Potter, that is so gay.'
`It isn't! This is my best friend and I couldn't… I shouldn't… I SHOULDN'T THINK ABOUT HER THAT WAY!'
`She's just a girl, isn't she?'
`Is a rose just a flower?'
`Again, very gay thing to say.'
`Oh, shut up.'
`Stop being a saint for once, Potter. Have the guts to be a man.'
"Come on, Mione… you don't want anyone thinking Hogwarts' Head Girl is a chicken, do you?" Harry said before he could think twice. Hermione snapped her head and looked at him crossly over her shoulder, while Ron and the others beamed at him.
"You too?" Hermione hissed at him. Harry gulped visibly, feeling the beads of sweat starting to collect over his eyebrow.
Maybe he had made this decision thinking with the wrong head.
Hermione took two steps until she reached his side and swiveled her arm. Before he knew it, she had yanked the Firebolt from him and had swung a leg over it.
"Well, are you coming or not?" Hermione asked him in a business-like voice. Harry cleared his throat and, with a mixture of fear and excitement, swung a leg over the broom and positioned himself behind Hermione.
He wiped his sweaty hands on his trousers before tentatively reaching over and taking the broom handle from her. He almost jerked away when her hands left the handle and settled over his naked arms, her nails digging into his flesh, the gesture betraying how truly nervous she felt.
Harry was careful not to brush against her or get too close for fear of stimulating more than just his imagination.
"Ready?" Harry asked, his voice hoarse and trembling.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Hermione whispered, sounding as scared and excited as he felt.
Without wasting one more second, Harry pushed himself from the ground. Slowly, but steadily, they began to rise. Hermione closed her eyes tightly and dig her nails further into Harry's skin.
Harry had never understood the phrase "exquisite pain" until now.
On the ground, the four remaining friends looked at each other and smiled.
"We are geniuses," Ron whispered, his gaze shifting from his two best friends to Neville, Ginny and Luna.
"Here's to true love," Neville said, raising his fist high in the air.
"To true love," Ginny followed suit.
"To true love," Luna followed, looking at her beloved Ron.
It was Ron's turn to speak as he raised his fist.
"To friendship… because from the best of friends come the greatest of lovers."
---------------
Hello! This chapter is dedicated to Dama-blanca for her support and encouragement. ¡Gracias, linda!
A little bit of a cliffie here. I promise the next chapter (Under a Glass Moon) is going to be pure FLUFF. Now, whether is good fluff or bad fluff, you'll decide.
If you could just drop me one or two lines and let me know what you think of this chapter, I'd be very grateful.
And to those reviewers from last chapter, thank you very much!
Well, that's it for me. Don't know how long it will take me to update the next chapter, so till then…
Adieu,
Anasazi
-->