A/N: Thanks to alli1489, ears91, lily love, XxBandGeekxX, hpdancer92, Izabel, harrynmione, Hermione Granger Potter, hrhermione, davaca, Eternal Magi, Hikaru, Duckies, green eyes, Sherm, Naveah, Jenna Kathleen, watchoutforme, Accio Pumpkins!, bamaslamma29, Reddy, Forever Yours (thanks for that long review! Bloody amazing!), Tay, Eschiva, Creepy Susie, LilLamb, Austenlover, Angie, akjennymay9,
TheGreenFairy, as to why it's entitled Girl Boy...I dunno. Lol. I know normally authors have the titled all planned out and meaning some sort of universal mind boggling thing, but actually, that title was a rather whimsical idea of mine...now that I've thought of the ending, though, it fits in quite nicely, so I'd LIKE to think that it was my mind being brilliant without me knowing, lol. As to when Hermione will know that Harry's a wizard...all in good time. Patience's a virtue, didn't you know? (I know I don't.)
Josherz18, I feel bad for Justin too!
Rachel A. Prongs, damn yes! But you know Hermione, she's just nice...*sigh* I should really stop that, shouldn't I? Hehe.
rainbow star, yup, that was an implied joke! After last year and all of the tests I had about Homer's the Iliad...*sigh* I would have to strike a javelin through my leg if I couldn't remember that!
Plum Blossoms, I know! Draco as an angsty poet was just PERFECT, wasn't it? Ah...although, to be honest, I see him as a hard punk rocker. That's just my opinion, but that just wouldn't fit in my story this time...I'll have to work that into a later fic, now, won't I? Hehe.
Jaffa, thanks! I love how this story's developed nicely...I hope it just keeps continuing. I actually have no idea where the story goes...normally I have everything planned out and everything, but with this one, since it was rather just a spark of whim...I have the end all ready, but I have no idea how tog et there! Let's just hope I figure out somehow...
Anasazi, same here! I remember one time when my sister told me that she stole my catcher in the rye and it accidently fell into the toilet...after she used it...my gosh, I think I must've suffered a massive heart attack. Btw, I've reviewed for your story and it's also on my favorite's list...lol, rather irrelevant, just wanted to say that I love your story!
Muse, it usually is the other way around, isn't it? I rather love a self assured man...I wish I had one in my life *sigh*. I think that's where everything comes from, how I wish my life could be like...
Wow, that was a rather long list of review dedicates...that's so awesome! I love replying to reviews, but I can't seem to get used to emailing u guys or doing that weird reply on the review page thingy...this is just so much easier for me, I hope you guys don't mind.
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Girl Boy
Chapter Six: Realization
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(Harry)
I am a bloody bastard.
There. I said it.
I am a bloody bastard.
You know, I don't think it's quite healthy to call oneself a bastard. I mean, my parents were married when they had me...
But here I am. A bloody bastard.
I'm with someone, for Merlin's sake. I'm with Ginny.
And yet I've been thinking rather, erm, unpleasant thoughts about someone else.
Well, they're not really that unpleasant.
Quite pleasant, actually.
But that's the point. I'm thinking pleasant thoughts about someone else...when I'm with Ginny.
But there was Hermione.
But Ginny...
But Hermione!
Yes, I liked Ginny. No, I wasn't in love with her...but I was still with her. I wasn't going to break up with her while she was in France. And I trusted her beyond anyone else...she was probably my best friend now, with Ron gone...
But it was true. I wasn't in love with her.
I think I'm in love with Hermione Granger.
Not that I'd know, exactly...We haven't exactly talked yet. It could be lust. But whenever I see her...oh, I just can't explain to you. It's like...like everything's perfect. When she's around, nothing seems to go wrong. And she's just so damn perfect...different than Ginny. Ginny's sexy, beautiful, sultry...Hermione was all of those things, but just differently. I'm making no sense, I know, but it was the things Hermione did...
Not that I watch her or anything.
Yet, still, I was going on a date with Hermione Granger.
Yeah, yeah, yeah...dinner meeting. Whatever.
There was yet another problem though.
Hermione's with someone too.
Justin.
I'd know. The moment I figured out who this Justin fellow was, I made sure I kept him on close watch...I wanted to know what he was like, what type of guys that Hermione liked.
Either she has really bad taste or this was just a bad pick...maybe a blind date gone horribly wrong? I've no idea. But I hoped it the latter...because if she chose to date me later, what would that say?
I don't want her to cheat on her boyfriend because of me.
But then again, Hermione doesn't seem to be the cheating type.
So maybe she does think of this as an accidental dinner meeting. A professional one.
Must remind myself to thank Justin with inadvertently setting us up together.
Maybe a pay raise?
No, no...didn't like him that much.
But this guilt was gnawing away at me. Maybe if I was going out with someone else, it wouldn't be so bad...I just might have had a chance convincing myself that I was just getting to know someone else, not setting myself up for another prospect mate. But this was Ginny. She's the little girl I saved in second year, the girl who convinced me that I was Harry Potter, not the boy-who-lived, the person who I trusted beyond all reason. She was one of my best friends...and I couldn't do that to her.
Yet I still did.
So now, you can see my dilemma.
But I can't seem to tear myself away from Hermione Granger. There's just something about her...a comfortable familiarity, almost. It feels as if I've known her for ages longer than when we met on that plane...
So yes. This was just a friendly excursion where I got to know one of my co-workers.
Friendly excursion.
Yes.
Not a date.
Friendly excursion.
Only problem was, I wanted to get very friendly with her.
Not good.
~-~-~-~-~-~
(Ginny)
"Why are you such a bloody prat?" I nearly screamed, blinking away tears. "How could you do this?! Why the fuck are you such a bloody bastard?!" I kneeled down next to the apron Malfoy had used as a rag, its once comfortably soft texture stained with grease and oil and dust and covered with tears.
"It's just a rag," he drawled, raising one eyebrow. "I mean, unless it's the best you can afford-"
"It's not a rag," I spat out, tears rolling down my cheeks. "It's not a rag," I whispered, holding the ruined apron in my hands tenderly.
"Then what is it?" he asked a moment later, taking a step closer to me.
"Nothing," I said, standing up and wiping my tears away angrily.
"No, it has to be something if you're going to get all bitchy on me...then again, you're always this way, so I could just be reading very far into it..."
"It's my mother's apron, all right?" I turned away from him, holding the impossibly-ruined apron to my chest.
"So? It's just an apron. What're you-"
"You're right," I declared, turning around to glare at him. "It's just an apron. Now, excuse me, I have to try and fix it." I was about to turn around and walk away when Malfoy grabbed my elbow, his cold fingers making me shiver momentarily.
"What is it," he murmured, his eyes full of concern. I don't know what made this sudden change in him. I know I should've been suspicious...but I wasn't. I looked up into his eyes, looking for mockery, but all I saw were concern...
It unnerved me.
"My mother's apron," I replied, raising my chin defiantly.
"Did it mean anything?" he asked, his eyes resting on the apron. I don't know, but as his eyes looked at my apron his eyes flashed...not dangerously, but as he turned to look at me again his eyes seems much less guarded, more vulnerable.
"She gave it to me before she died," I said evenly, ripping myself away from his grasp.
~-~-~-~-~-~
(Draco)
She gave it to me before she died.
I blinked at Weasley, processing my thoughts.
Her words echoed in my head as she stared at me, grasping that bloody apron of hers tighter and tighter.
It had been a few days since the incident in the café. We ignored each other pleasantly-I transfigured the couch into a nice bed, and we got through a few days of not biting each other's heads off.
That was...until today.
I needed to clean, and I couldn't find my bloody wand. So instead of looking for it I resorted to dusting the furniture with a rag...I saw a dirty, smelly old thing peeking out of Weasley's bag and assumed that it would be all right to use it.
After all those nights where mother was in danger of being found...we realized, the hard way, that not using magic for long intervals was a smart idea.
Anyways, I guess I was wrong. About the rag, I mean.
"I'm...sorry."
"Just shut the fuck up," she shot back, her red eyes glaring angrily at me from beneath her bangs. "I don't want to hear your disgusting voice."
Surprisingly, that remark didn't quite get me upset.
Because...I think I actually felt truly...
...sorry...
Instinctively I grabbed the necklace from around my neck. Its gold chain glimmered slightly in the dim light and I saw Weasley's attention transfer to it. I fingered the small pendant hanging from the end, the silver snake blinking its red eyes lazily.
"This was my mother's," I said quietly, holding it up for Weasley to see. Smiling slightly, I added, "She gave it to me before she died." Weasley's eyes widened in shock, her eyes transfixed on the necklace. Suddenly she sighed, wiping her tears and laying the apron tenderly over her bed. "I am sorry, you know," I said, walking a little closer. "I didn't think that it was anything important..."
"Well it is," she replied, but it wasn't the harsh tones she muttered before.
"I know."
"I'm sorry," she added a moment later. Noticing the look on my face she said, "You know, for your Mum."
"Yeah." We both averted our eyes and swallowed, allowing the thick buzz of silence to overcome our moment. For a strange time, it felt as if a truce had come between the two of us...some type of unspoken understanding. "I'm sorry, too."
"So am I," she whispered, her eyes gently tracing the outline of the apron on her bed. From the way her eyes snapped towards me, the way she bit her lip and the way her eyes fell back again onto the apron...I knew.
"It was my father, wasn't it."
"Wh-what?" she stuttered, her brown eyes growing wide.
"My father. The one that killed your parents."
"My family," she said with a sad smile. "The only two people who survived were me and Ron..."
I nodded, my eyes tracing the intricate outlines on the floor.
"I'm sorry," I muttered.
"Don't be," she replied. I looked up to see her smiling at me amidst her tears. "It wasn't your fault."
And I think that's when things began to change.
I just still couldn't believe how bloody sentimental I had become.
But then again...I refused point blank to be a Malfoy.
~-~-~-~-~-~
(Hermione)
"Well...how do I look?"
"So nervous about a dinner meeting, are you?"
"Oh shut up and tell me how good I look."
"Amazing. Wonderful. You should be happy, Hermione, that I'm using synonyms. Oooh, my vocabulary has enlarged."
"If only," I muttered, grinning at April. She smiled back and returned back to her movie, "Aladdin."
"When's he coming?" April asked, her mouth full of popcorn.
"8:00."
"That's in a few minutes, then."
"Yes..." I smiled at April sigh happily when Aladdin sang to Jasmine on their magic carpet, flying into the moonlight. "Why are you watching a child's movie?"
"It's not a child's movie!" she yelled indignantly. "This is a classic! Disney oldies are the best movies in the world. As long as it's not Cinderella or Snow White...what bloody idiots. It's a wonder why little girls look up to them. Please. They don't have any personalities-the only thing they've got going for them is small feet, a pretty face and no brains. Is that what our future generations are hoping to be? Hmm?!"
I shook my head happily, laughing at April. It's best to leave before she actually got started on her feminist outlooks...she was worse than me, I swear.
Which made me believe that we really were the best of friends.
The door rang and I suddenly found myself nervous, petting my hair instinctively and reaching down to smooth my skirt. April's eyes danced happily as she noticed my discomfort, and seeing that I was making no move towards the door, got up and helped herself to escorting my date inside.
My boss, I mean.
"Hello," Harry said, glancing around our flat. "You must be..."
"April," she said, turning around to give me a thumbs up and a wink. "And you must be the Harry Potter that Hermione is always talking about." He laughed, nodding his head.
Was that a blush?
"Harry," I said, stepping up to him. "You're early..."
"I like to make a habit of being early," he said, grinning at me. I blushed intensely, distinctly noticing April's knowing smirk.
I really despised that smirk...
"Well you love birds better be going," she said a moment later. Harry coughed, nodding and holding his hand out.
"Shall we?" he asked charmingly.
In fear of sounding like Samantha...
...he was absolutely beautiful...
...and hot.
Which, I don't think, is available in my vocabulary...when used like that, I mean.
I really have to find a better influence in my life.
"Yes," I said breathlessly, putting my hand gently in his. "We shall."
~-~-~-~-~-~
"So then-then we decided, we decided that you know, it could be a good idea! So Ron and I, we ended up convincing the house el-our friend, Dobby, to give Snape this card on Valentine's Day, and we had it so that it arrived during class and the moment Snape got his hands on it, it would sing...the look on his face when the card was telling him why he was beautiful was hilarious!"
"I can't believe it!" Harry and I were laughing intensely, our stomachs doubling over as Harry recalled to me the best moments of his times at Hogwarts.
"I can't either!" He replied, grinning at me as he wiped his eyes of happy tears. "But Snape, oh Merlin, if you ever met him you'd know exactly why we'd want to do this to him..."
"He sounds absolutely evil," I said, smiling.
"He was," Harry replied, grinning at me. "Well, usually."
Somehow the way Harry's eyes looked stopped my laughter. Although his face continued to smile, his cheeks still rosy, there was a depth to the sadness in his glance that made me think that this Snape character, ultimately, was secured in a special place in Harry's heart...
I do believe I've read too many Nicholas Sparks' books.
April's absolutely addicted to them.
So when I'm in the bathroom, and I need to get my mind off of-
"Hermione?"
"Yes?" I replied, breaking out of my thoughts and blushing at him. "What? I'm sorry, I just-"
"Yeah," Harry whispered, his eyes sparkling mischievously at me. "You just."
"Well, unfortunately, I don't have any great stories from school to tell you...I went to a rather boring boarding school in London..."
"Oh I'm sure there's something," Harry said inbetween mouthfuls of lasagna. "Even if there isn't fun, that's the whole point, isn't it? Making it happen."
"Sure," I said, laughing. "I can imagine you as the little prankster...but me, I was really studious, top of my class, rigid rule follower..."
"Pity," he said. "Hogwarts would definitely have loosened you up."
"Yes," I said rather breathlessly. "I'm sure it would have..."
"I wish," Harry began, his fork tracing random patterns on his plate, "that you got to meet Ron."
"I do too," I said, blinking. "He sounds like an amazing bloke."
"He was," Harry said, but then he immediately sighed.
"What?" I asked, slightly unnerved.
"I just really hate that...you know, referring to him in the past tense. It just...I don't know...sorry," he said, chuckling nervously. "I totally ruined the mood, didn't I..."
"It's all right, I know what you mean," I said soothingly, placing my hand over his. "My aunt passed away last year, and I was really close to her...I hated that everyone used to say to me 'she was a great lady' or 'she used to love this.' I couldn't take it."
Harry remained silent, his green eyes clouded. Reluctantly it seemed, he raised his gaze to meet mine and I was startled at its intensity. Harry opened his mouth, but then closed it, his brow furrowing.
"Hermione," he finally muttered, "there's something that I have to tell you..."
"O-okay," I stuttered, swallowing. Oh, dear. "What is it?"
"I...I like you, Hermione, but..."
I think my heart stopped beating.
Oh no.
I knew it.
He's married.
He has nine concubines.
He's a priest!
He doesn't have a penus. Oh, my God...
"Would you like me to refill your glasses?"
"Y-yes, please," I stuttered, trying to smile at our waiter. He quickly refilled both our water glasses and bowed, walking away casually. My attention turned back to Harry, who seemed to be blinking himself out of his reverie.
"What were you saying, Harry?" I asked cautiously. I braced myself for what Harry was going to say, for however he was going to put me down...I just knew it, I knew it, I could never get myself a Harry Potter...
"Nothing...I just..." He continued to look at me, and I could see himself calculating his answer from behind his lenses. Finally he opened his mouth and said the words I knew would make me feel eleven years old again, crying in a bathroom when nobody wanted to come to my birthday party. "I just don't want you to do anything you'll regret while you're still with Justin."
Wait, what?
I laughed from the sheer relief I felt. I think Harry was amazed at my reaction and began laughing as well, a smile blooming on his face.
"Oh, Harry..." I said, smiling.
~-~-~-~-~-~
(Harry)
I couldn't do it.
I was such a bloody coward...I knew what she'd do when I told her I was going out with Ginny Weasley, that I was a cheating, lying bastard. She'd walk out of my life forever, probably go marry Justin and move to Switzerland. I didn't want that. The sheer knowledge that Hermione Granger might leave me if I told her the truth stopped me from saying it at all...
I knew the truth would come out, sooner or later. And I knew it wouldn't work out very well. But as long as it was okay now, as long as Hermione was with me now...that's all that mattered to me.
We finished dinner and at Hermione's request we drove back to her flat, laughing all the while. I can honestly say I never enjoyed another's presence so thoroughly...it was a comforting relief to have her hand on mine, her thumb tracing lazy fingers on my skin...whenever I threw a grin her way she'd blush that adorable blush, her lips raising ever so slightly...
The night wasn't a complete disaster, after all. I confessed my feelings, anyway...and I think she was pleased to hear me say it. She was holding my hand, wasn't she?
"Thank you, Harry," Hermione whispered as we stood on her foyer, her hand still holding mine gently. I smiled, leaning in slowly...Hermione closed her beautiful eyes in anticipation...oh how I wanted to kiss those lips of hers...
I leaned in and kissed her cheek, leaning back as I tugged on a curly strand of hair that had come loose.
"I'll see you at work on Monday," I said.
"But there's a meeting tom-"
"Nope," I said, grinning slowly. "That's cancelled. I actually have some preparing to do...there's somewhere I have to go on Sunday, so I have to switch all the meetings I had on Sunday to tomorrow and it's all too complicated..."
"Well all right," she said, smiling up at me. "I'll see you Monday."
"I'll be looking forward to it," I said, touching her nose before turning around and walking away.
I was falling hard for Hermione Granger.
And I had to talk to Ginny.
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Reviewing's good for the soul...
A/N: Sorry that there wasn't much action in the dinner meeting! I just love the idea of little Harry being a wonderful gentleman, though. Don't worry, action's gonna come later...heated kisses! Yay! And plus, the next chapter will be major development of Ginny's and Draco's relationship...the truth about Harry and Ginny should come soon for Hermione, so be prepared in the next two or three chapters for her to find out. I think that after that, there should only be a few more chapters...I'm not that sure about how much longer this fic is gonna breathe. I'm predicting maybe 5 or 6 in total, but I can't be sure...fics, for me, tend to start getting much longer than I plan them to be. But once this is finished, I got yet ANOTHER AU fic planned. What's with me and AU's?! I dunno.
Sorry there wasn't much humor in this one...