Nights Like These

Authors Note(s): This is a simple fic about Harry and Hermione flirting. Nothing serious, just a one shot at their relationship. Can take place anywhere in book six or seven, I guess.

Disclaimer(s): The dialogue is taken from Gilmore Girls’ episode 2.19, “Teach Me Tonight”. Gilmore Girls belongs to Amy Sherman-Palladino and the WB. The dialogue has been modified to fit the Harry Potter series as I see fit. Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. Cold Play belongs to themselves, and Please Curse Me is based on the novel Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk by Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain. The Clash belongs to themselves, too, as does their song “The Guns Of Brixton”.

Summary: “So, if we go get ice-cream. . .” “In cones,” Harry interrupts. Hermione nods and continues. “Then you will be a perfect student for the rest of the night?” Harry just grins and nods. “I could not believe you less,” Hermione laughs.

Nights Like These

Hermione absentmindedly flips through her history book, hardly taking notice of her surroundings as the portrait door swings open. A miffed looking Harry quickly slides into the seat across from her.

“Are you ready to start?” Hermione asks, eyes skimming through line after line of detailed Goblin war crimes.

“Yes,” Harry answers as he pulls a deck of Muggle playing cards from his back pocket and begins to inspect them quietly. Hermione looks up to find Harry engrossed in doing a simple “magic” card trick. She sighs, typical Harry.

“Where are your books?” She questions as Harry noisily shuffles the cards. His head shoots up and a look of false surprise passes over his face.

“Huh,” He says, looking around. “I don’t know.”

Hermione gives an exasperated sigh. “How are we gonna study without your books?”

“I guess we can’t,” Harry replies with a shrug of his shoulders. “Too bad. So, what now – walk around the lake?”

Hermione wants to answer yes, but forces herself otherwise. You have a boyfriend, she reminds herself.

“No. Go get your books.”

“Crookshanks ate ‘em,” Harry smirks.

Hermione glares and pushes the large book away from herself. “Get your books or I’m going to bed.”

“Wait here,” Harry grins before noisily making his way up to the boys dormitory. Hermione leans back into the overstuffed chair feeling a rush of dizziness. It’s going to be a long night.

>•<>•<

Hermione quickly flips through the large volume in front of her. It’s been almost an hour and still Harry is playing with the damned cards.

“Ok,” Hermione says, coming across a rather lengthy passage. “Explain to me the political ramifications of the Goblin Alliance Pact.”
“Pick a card,” Is Harry’s reply as he holds the deck out in front of him. Hermione doesn’t know whether to groan in frustration or burst into angry tears. Instead, she decides on neither, and reaches across the table to throw the cards onto the carpeted floor. “ Huh,” Harry smirks. “Well, that just made the trick a little bit harder.”

“Harry, focus,” Hermione snaps. She doesn’t know whether Harry decides to ignore her on purpose, or if the cheering from all his Quidditch games have rendered him deaf.

“Where’s Dean tonight?” Harry asks, referring to Hermione’s boyfriend, and fellow Gryffindor, Dean Thomas.

“We just went over this,” Hermione groans. “There’s no way you’ve already forgot it.”

“Asleep?”

Hermione glares. “I’ll make you write it out fifty times on this piece of parchment if that’s what it takes.”

“ ‘Cause if he’s not asleep,” Harry continues, almost as though he hasn’t heard her. “He must be free. So, he doesn’t care that you’re here?”

“No, he doesn’t,” Hermione answers, pulling another large volume towards herself. “He’s visiting his grandmother.”

“Where?” Harry inquires.

“York.”

“So, he doesn’t know,” Harry grins as he leans back in his chair.

“It wouldn’t matter,” Hermione says, event though she knows it would matter. Does matter. Dean would be unbelievably jealous. He always is.

“So you’ll tell him when he gets back?”

“We’re studying,” Hermione answers exasperatedly. She’s purposely avoiding the question because, no, she won’t tell Dean. Both she and Harry know this.

“You’re studying, I’m prying into your personal life.”

“Harry,” Hermione says. “Why won’t you at least try to remember the GAP?”

Harry looks thoughtful for a moment, and Hermione has the fleeting hope he will answer her question. Instead, he places both his hands behind his head and looks at her steadily.

“Have you ever read Please Curse Me?”

Hermione shakes her head and Harry gives a lopsided grin. He knows Hermione can’t resist a conversation about books.

“Oral history of the wizardry punk movement. You’d like it – you can borrow it if you want.”

“I’m here to help you study,” Hermione says, realizing what Harry’s trying to do. The sneaky little git. “Now, if you want me to go to sleep, I’ll go, but if I’m going to stay up, then you will stop distracting me and start paying attention, understand?”

“I understand.”

“Good,” Hermione grins as she sits up straighter, cheeks tinted pink for no real reason. Progress, finally. “And yes, I would like to borrow it, thank you very much. Now open your book.”

Harry just grins and begins working on the essay Professor Binns has assigned for Christmas break. The sit for quite some time, quills scratching softly against parchment and Harry taking short breaks every few minutes so as not to “stress his mind”. An hour later Harry finally sets his quill down and hands Hermione his parchment.

“Done.”

“This isn’t an essay on the reasons behind the singing of the GAP,” Hermione says, looking down at the sloppily written lyrics and doodles covering the parchment. Is that Snape wearing Dobby’s tea cozy?
“It’s not?” Harry questions, acting as if this is news to him.

“It’s the words to a Clash song,” Hermione answers.

“Ah,” Harry grins, tilting his head just so. “But which Clash song?”

Hermione feels her heart rate increase. Gods, how can her best friend do this to her?

“Hey!” Hermione says indignantly. “I’m not the one being tested right now.”

“Ten seconds.”

“Harry,” Hermione sighs as she runs a hand through her bushy hair. She knew tutoring him was a bad idea.

“Nine, eight, seven.”

“Stop it,” Hermione says as she glances down at the parchment.

…You can crush us…

“Six, five, four.”

…You can bruise us…

“You know you’re really starting to. . .”

…But you'll have to answer to…

“Three.”

…Oh, the guns of Brixton…

Hermione begins bouncing excitedly in her seat. She knows this!

“Ooh, ooh, Guns of Brixton!”

“Ten points to Gryffindor,” Harry smiles. “Well done, Ms. Granger.”

“Why would you even agree to this studying thing in the first place?” Hermione asks realizing what Harry’s just done.

“Because Dumbledore said I had to,” Is his simple answer. Hermione looks at him, making sure to take in every detail. His hair is sticking out as always, and his gray shirt hangs off his lean frame in a most depressing manner.

“You’ve never done anything because someone said you had to.”

“I came back this year because someone said I had to,” Harry says with a wry grin.

Hermione notices light bags under his eyes and she has the sudden urge to lean in and kiss him.

“Very different.”

“Yeah, well. . .” Harry trails off uneasily. He doesn’t like the way her gaze makes him squirm. “Hey, do you wanna get outta here?”

“What?”

Harry shrugs.

“I’m sick of studying.”

“How can you be sick of studying?” Hermione asks, completely confused. “You haven’t done any studying. You’ve done card tricks, you’ve charmed said cards into dancing grapes, you’ve tried to explain to me how on earth Coldplay could be considered an alternative band, but as of yet, no studying.”

“Want to go to Hogsmeade for ice-cream?”

“No,” Hermione answers quickly with a shake of her head. Yes, yes, yes! “I want to study.”

Harry stares at her for a moment before leaning forward, hands resting on the table. Hermione almost laughs at his appearance.

“Okay, tell you what,” He says, almost as if they’re in some low budget mafia movie making an important deal. “Let’s go get some ice cream, and then when we get back, I’ll study.”

“There’s ice cream here,” Hermione points out. “I’m sure the house elves will be more than glad to serve you some.”

“Yes,” Harry nods. “But they don’t have any cones.”

“Cones?”

She can’t believe how difficult Harry is being.

“I need cones,” Harry says mock seriously.

Hermione thinks for a moment. It’s not that she doesn’t want ice-cream, it’s just that she doesn’t trust herself alone with Harry. Save for right now, which is different because there’s a chance someone can come down the stairs or through the portrait at any moment.

“So, if we go get ice-cream. . .”

“In cones,” Harry interrupts.

Hermione nods and continues. “Then you will be a perfect student for the rest of the night?”

Harry just grins and nods.

“I could not believe you less,” Hermione laughs. Harry looks startled for a moment, and Hermione’s next words come tumbling out. “You lead the way, I’ll read you Goblin Wars: Revised. Won’t that be fun?”

“You have no idea how much,” Harry grins. Hermione can’t help the butterflies in her stomach.

Dean who?

>•<>•<

You know, where I come from it’s customary to leave a review. [Hint, hint. Nudge, hint, wink.] Anyway, if you’ve gotten this far, thank you for reading through the whole thing! Ta!-Ramoning Along

Author’s Note(s): Wow! Look at all the feedback! (By the way, thanks to EVERYONE who reviewed!) It made me extremely happy to see people asking for me to write Harry and Hermione going to get their ice-cream. So, after lots of thinking (or not), I’ve decided to humor everyone and write the trip to Hogsmeade for ice-cream. However, be warned that all dialogue is me writing (as opposed to Amy Sherman-Palladino -creator of Gilmore Girls), so it might not be as good as the first chapter. I think I’ve added too many “Muggle” references. Oh well, helps me better connect with the Potter world, so there!

Before you read, let me clear up a few questions: First, Dean is visiting his grandma in York because it’s Christmas holiday. Second, Harry is acting the way he is because I want him to, and also because that’s the way Jess act on Gilmore Girls (and the dialogue was taken from a conversation between Jess and Rory…Oh, and I love Jess with all my heart). Third, they can go to Hogsmeade because they’re going to sneak on over. Fourth, Hermione’s with Dean to cover up her undying love for our green eyed hero (or heart-throb) and because Dean (Thomas) happens to share a first name with the Dean from Gilmore Girls (whom I can‘t stand, and therefore thought it‘d be a nice little joke with myself-and those who caught on).

Disclaimer(s): All Harry Potter characters and references belong to J.K. Rowling. Professor Hinkle is from Frosty The Snowman (He wanted his hat back, in the process killing Frosty). The song “Orgasm Addict belongs to the Buzzcocks. The Vandals belong to themselves. The lyric “Stop, collaborate and listen” is from “Ice, Ice, Baby” by Vanilla Ice. If there’s anything you recognize that isn’t mentioned here, I don’t own it.

Summery: “So, if we go get ice-cream. . .” “In cones,” Harry interrupts. Hermione nods and continues. “Then you will be a perfect student for the rest of the night?” Harry just grins and nods. “I could not believe you less,” Hermione laughs.

Nights Like These

Hermione wants to run and hide, just dig herself a hole and crawl in. Apparently, her and Harry were not he only Hogwarts students who felt the need to sneak out of the castle.

“Will you knock it off?” Harry sighs in annoyance as Hermione peeks out from under the table at Isa’s 1,000 Flavors Ice-Cream Parlor for what seems the hundredth time in the last five minutes. She shakes her head. Two tables down sits Lavender Brown and Seamus Finnigan sharing a large sundae.

“Distract them,” Hermione whispers as she uses Goblin Wars: Revised to block her face.

“I thought you didn’t care if Dean finds out,” Harry says as he leans back into his seat, a smug smirk in place. Hermione wants to punch him, and then maybe kiss him afterwards.

“Harry.”

“Ok, fine,” He says as he runs a hand through his hair. “I’ll distract them, you run out and find two beater’s bats, we’ll assign each other code names, and go around destroying all the snowmen.”

“Snow people,” Hermione hisses as Lavender casts a glance in their direction. “And there will be no destroying them Professor Hinkle, people went through lots of hard work to make those.”

“Right,” Harry says, glancing out the window. “Like they couldn’t just wave their wand and make a snow creature in the shape of a Ukrainian Irobelly…that blows fire.”

“Just-”

“Hermione?” Lavender asks as she and Seamus walk over. Hermione’s stomach drops.

“I found it!” Hermione exclaims as she pulls herself up into the seat beside Harry and holds up an extendable ear she’s pulled from her pocket. “Oh, hi Lavender, Seamus.”

“What are you two doing here?” Seamus asks as he and Lavender slide into the booth seat opposite Harry and Hermione.

“I’m tutoring Harry in History of Magic,” Hermione answers as a petite witch brings over four mugs of butterbeer. She crosses her fingers under the table. Please don’t tell Dean.

>•<>•<

“C’mon, do it.”

“Harry,” Hermione says, glancing around nervously. “No.”

“What happened to that rebellious part of Hermione I met last year?” Harry asks, nudging Hermione with his shoulder. “You can’t tell me that was just a fluke in your personality.”

“Yeah, well,” Hermione raises her shoulders in a shrug. “She went away, now lets head back. Please.”

“Not until you do it,” Harry answers, crossing his arms. Hermione sighs as she shifts the book to her other hand.

“I’ve already come to get ice-cream, I’m not going to help you graffiti Hogsmeade, too.”

“People do it all the time,” Harry says exasperatedly. Hermione merely shakes her head and begins to walk away. “Hermione, I’m not moving from this spot until you do it.”

“Fine, freeze to death.”

“Hermione,” Harry says quietly. Hermione sighs and turns to face him. He’s smirking and she already knows she’ll agree to do anything he says. “It’s just your initials.”

“Ok, I’ll do it.”

Harry grins as Hermione goes to stand beside him. Whipping out her wand she quickly mutters a few choice words and watches as her initials appear next to Harry’s on the side wall of Isa’s 1,000 Flavors Ice-Cream Parlor.

H.P. + H.G. = BFF

“Happy?”

“Very much,” Harry grins. “Let’s go eat.”

“We just had ice-cream,” Hermione says, looking at Harry skeptically. “You can’t possibly be hungry.”

“I have fast metabolism,” He shrugs. “Besides, this way you can burn the GAP into my mind.”

Hermione considers this and quickly agrees. They make their way to the Hogs Head and both order hamburgers and fries. Hermione reads aloud from the book as Harry drowns his fries in ketchup.

“Dokken agreed to the signing once he was sure that the fairy queen would not be attending the meeting of Ezra. He was shocked to find that a representative had been sent instead, as he believed that the fairies would not be-when he got there Professor Snape jumped out of a large cake in nothing but a loin cloth and did a little shimmy on Professor McGonagall’s lap-Harry, are you even paying attention?”

Harry looks up from picking the onions out of his burger and gives a lopsided grin.

“Yes,” He answers absentmindedly with a wave of his hand. “Dokken, fairy, Snape shimmying…Snape shimmying? Great wizards! Hermione, what are you trying to tell me?”

Hermione closes the book and sighs. “You never meant to keep that promise did you?”

“You mean technically?” Harry says as he places his bun back in place.

“Oh, forget it,” Hermione sighs in defeat.

“You know,” Harry says sometime later as Hermione pokes dejectedly at her fries. “I never really did like the term best friends forever. It’s overused, reminds me of something you’d see in a teen magazine. Witch Weekly, maybe.”

Hermione looks up at Harry. He shrugs. Hermione knows what this means, they’ve really got nothing to talk about. Since when has their relationship been so boring?

“More like Teen Witch, I’d say,” Hermione says, placing a fry in her mouth. “That magazine’s full of rubbish like that.”

Harry nods in agreement as another silence falls between them, filled occasionally by Harry humming a song or two.

“Stop,” Hermione says, cutting off Harry’s rendition of “Orgasm Addict”.

“What?” He asks, genuinely confused. Hermione doesn’t mind the humming of The Vandals or The Weird Sister, but she has to draw the line somewhere.

“Stop,” She says again.

“Collaborate and listen?” Harry offers. Hermione feels her inside melt into a large puddle of goo as he tosses her a lopsided grin. She needs to get back to Hogwarts before she does something she’ll regret.

“Honestly!” Hermione sighs. “I think it’s time to head back to Hogwarts.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s late,” Hermione says, glancing at Harry’s watch. “See, it says so.”

Harry looks down at his watch. You should be in bed, it reads. Harry sighs and pays for the food while Hermione waits for him at the door. The cold winter wind bites at their skin as the make their way towards Honeydukes.

“So, how are things with Dean?” Harry asks as Honeydukes comes into sight. Hermione looks at him oddly.

“Fine.”

“That’s it? Not great, or bloody fantastic?” Harry inquires as Hermione tries desperately not to look at him.

“Harry, drop it.”

Harry just looks at Hermione before reaching forward and taking her hand in his.

“What are you doing?”

“Walking,” Harry smirks. Hermione’s insides turn against her and perform some tribal dance around her heart. She shouldn’t let him hold her hand, she knows, but it feels nice and it’s not like it’s harming anyone.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Hermione exclaims as they reach Honeydukes. The closed sign stares back at her. “Now what are we going to do?”

“Rent a room and call it a night?” Harry pipes up. Hermione turns to glare at him.

“This is all you’re fault, you know that, don’t you?”

Harry merely shrugs. Hermione pulls her hand from his grasp and begins to pace. “What are we going to do? What if we’re caught?”

Harry watches as Hermione continues to ramble on and on about getting expelled and being irresponsible. He’s doesn’t bother to mention the tunnel from the Shrieking Shack caved in during the end of their fifth year. He likes watching Hermione get riled up.

“I’ve got it!” Hermione says almost half an hour later. Harry looks up at her from his seat on the ground and closes Goblin Wars: Revised. “We can go through the Shrieking Shack.”

“Caved in.”

“Wh-What?” Hermione sputters. Harry nods. “It can’t do that!”

Hermione stomps her foot into the ground angrily. A higher being must hate her.

“That room’s looking pretty good right now, isn’t it?” Harry smirks as he stands. He begins to walk towards a shady looking tavern at the end of the road. “You coming?”

They must really hate her.

“No,” Hermione says as she crosses her arms against her chest and follows Harry towards the looming door that reads doom.

>•<>•<

This was very hard to write. It’s so much easier when the dialogue’s already written. Please, please give me your honest opinion. (Go ahead, tell me to stop if you like) Last note, if you liked this can you please take a quick look at my other story, Finding Halves (You don‘t have to review if you don‘t like it, just give it a chance). Oh, I’m looking for a beta (not sure how that works, but everyone has one and I want one), so if you’re interested please contact me. Er, that’s it. Thanks for reading and hoped you enjoyed!-Ramoning Along