Unofficial Portkey Archive

Hermione trudged through the atriums to the courtyard, her robes bellowing out behind her and her bag hanging from her shoulder limply, on reaching her destination she threw it to the ground with a thud, took her robes off and tossed them over the lip of the fountain.

"I can't stand her," she roared irritably.

"Hi Hermione," Ginny said from the arms of her boyfriend "everything's just peachy I take it," she smiled to the bushy brown haired girl.

"No it's not! That bloody Cho Chang has it in for me, I swear, she's such an arrogant, conceited….little…" Hermione searched for the words as she paced on the spot.

"Cow?" Dean asked.

"Yes!" Hermione answered taking a deep breath and pinching the bridge of her nose. "All I wanted was to swap a simple shift and she has to go and make things difficult for me. I swear who ever thought she'd make a good head girl is out of their mind." she huffed sitting down on the ground leaning back against the fountain.

"She only has it in for you because of Harry, just ignore her," Ginny said reassuringly.

"Where is Harry?" Hermione asked noticing his absence.

"He said something about going for a walk," Ginny replied.

"Yeah, apparently he has something on his mind." Dean added as Hermione looked at them curiously.

"And the others?"

"Ron, Seamus and Neville are down by the lake catching flying seahorses." Dean answered guiltily.

"I think our little Ronnikins needed to calm down," Ginny smiled to Hermione.

"I take it he found out about you two then?" she smiled noticing they weren't trying very hard to conceal their relationship.

"Oh yes, Seamus told him right in front of me but he's okay with it…well he is now that he chased me around the Quidditch pitch a few times."

***

"Hagrid, are you home?" Harry asked rapping the door of his friend's hut loudly.

"Is tha you Arry? Come on in." Harry pushed the door of Hagrid's hut open and walked inside. Hagrid was stood over a bunch of crates feeding small wriggly creatures into them gently. "I thought ye'd forgotten tha way down ere," Hagrid smiled as Harry approached.

"Sorry," Harry smiled guilty; it had been a good few weeks since he had visited his friend. "I've been kinda busy what with work and training."

"It's alrigh', at least I see yeh in class," he smiled brightly. "So wha's on yer mind then Harry?" he asked pushing the last of the insects down in to the gaps of the crates.

"Nothing, just came for a visit," said Harry as he sat down at the kitchen table. Hagrid walked over to his kitchen wiped his hands clean and started to make some tea.

"Sorry if I don' believe yeh Harry," Hagrid said, "but if you were jus visiting you would ave come down with Ron and Ermione." Hagrid laughed as Harry looked down to his hands nervously, he opened a tin and put it down on the table and poured two cups of tea, "So come on lad, tell me wha's on yeh mind." he grinned pushing the cup towards Harry.

"It's nothing," he said reflectively.

"Oh come on man, yeh'll ave to do better than tha."

"Fine, it's something; but it's nothing. I don't know, maybe I'm just being silly." Hagrid encouraged him with a few head nods. "It's Hermione."

"Ahh," Hagrid smiled knowingly, putting his cup down on the table. "I wondered if we'd ever be avin this talk."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"Well I gather yeh finally figured Ermione out," Harry looked at him with a bewildered expression. "Or not," he added his brow furrowed. "Wha d'ya mean it's Ermione?"

"What do you mean? Figured Hermione out?"

"Oh, well, just that there erm well, she's a girl," Hagrid answered somewhat pathetically, trying to cover up his tracks, it seemed to work though as Harry looked down at his hands again.

"Well I already knew she was a girl Hagrid," he sighed "I just didn't realise what kind of girl."

"An what kinda girl is she Harry?" he asked taking a rather large rock cake from the metal tin. Harry played with the hem of his robes trying to figure out the answer for the question, he was becoming increasingly embarrassed by the conversation. "Come on, yeh can tell me, I'm yeh friend after all." he smiled reassuringly.

"A girl that I might….erm…like."

"Well you'd better like er Harry, she's bin yeh best friend fer Merlin knows how long,"

"You're going to make me say it aren't you?" Harry asked, grinning slightly at the situation. Hagrid nodded with a chuckle. "Fine," He took a large breath and balled up his fists on the table. "I think, no wait…I know I have feelings for Hermione." Once he had said it he let out a large breath and slumped his shoulders.

"Well yeh not the firs' to figure it out Harry, but at leas' yeh got there in the end," Hagrid laughed as Harry turned slightly red in the cheeks.

"How come everyone seems to have figured out I like her accept for me?" Harry asked bewildered, he stood up and walked to the window.

"Well there's at leas' one other who don't know Harry." Hagrid said trying to comfort him.

"Oh yeah, who's that?" he asked turning to face his half giant friend.

"Ermione. You two are smart but you ain't `alf stupid sometimes." Harry smiled before turning to look back out the window.

***

"Ron, give it back now!"

By the time Harry walked back to the courtyard the sky had turned a hazy red, he heard echoes of his friends shouting and laughing as he rounded the last corner. He smiled when he saw Ron tormenting Hermione, he was holding what seemed to be her wand high above his six foot frame, and a thick book was floating inches away from it in the air above them. Hermione stood with her hands on her hips facing Ron who held a goofy expression, the rest of the 6^th year Gryffindor's looked on in anticipation.

"Alright, here you go Hermione," Ron said holding the wand out with a gentler expression.

"Thank you," she huffed reaching out for it, she was mere centimetres away from having it back in her procession before Ron tossed it over her head, through the air towards Harry.

"Ron!!!" Hermione whined as she shoved him back at little too hardly, he smiled mischievously as Harry caught it. Hermione turned to face Harry her expression softening, she knew he would give it her back.

"Merlin Ron, why d'ya have to be so immature?" he asked walking over to Hermione.

"Because it's fun." Harry held out the wand to her; as she was about to grasp it he mirrored Ron's actions and tossed it over her head sharply.

"So it is," he smiled boyishly. Hermione's mouth dropped in shock and her eyes widened.

"You?" she exclaimed looking at him strongly, "I expect him to be a prat," she said pointing behind her to Ron, "but not you!" she finished closing in on him. Harry smiled broadly, he stepped back cautiously as she closed in on him.

"Now, now Hermione, don't do anything rash," he laughed, holding his hands out in front of himself. She continued to close in on him, a menacing smile spreading across her lips.

"Would I?" she asked innocently before she pounced on him. Harry let out a sharp laugh as Hermione tickled him mercifully just above his hips, quicker than he could comprehend what had happened, she reached for his wand and summoned her own from Ron's hands. The book fell to the floor with a thud as Hermione backed away from Harry with a triumphant grin.

"Harry you're pathetic," Ron bellowed across the courtyard, sitting down against a wall.

"It's her!" Harry protested point to Hermione.

She turned to retrieve her book pocketing her wand safely, she threw Harry's wand back to him as their friends laughed at his defeat.

"My afternoon's been bad enough as it is, I don't need you two knuckleheads messing with me," Hermione complained.

"Why what's happened?" Harry asked Hermione as the group trailed off into different conversations.

"Just bloody Cho again," she shrugged.

"Not cutting you any slack?"

"Will she ever?" she asked pursing her lips. Harry smiled as he looked at Hermione, she was so cute and he couldn't help but grin.

"What?" she asked noticing this.

"Nothing," he said shaking his head, "Sorry about Cho, you know what she's like. Need a hug?" he asked friendlily. Hermione smiled sweetly and nodded her head. Harry returned the smile before pulling her into a tight embrace. For a second Harry forgot that he was surrounded by his friends until everything went quiet. He opened his eyes and looked up to find everyone staring at them; Seamus was grinning at him brightly.

He's told them!

Harry immediately freed his arms from Hermione and pulled back abruptly, causing her to stumble slightly.

"I gotta erm, go." he said quickly with more force than he had meant to. He turned on his heal flushing a deep crimson and left the grounds heading back into the castle.

Hermione stood in the courtyard still in shock; she stared after the point where he had left. "That was weird," she said turning to face the onlookers.

"He's been acting weird all afternoon," Ginny said after she lowered her eyebrows.

"What was all that about?" Hermione asked Ron

"Erm, what was all what about?" he asked a nervous note reaching his voice, "Seems fine me. Anyway gonna go its dinner time," he stated as he picked up his things hurriedly.

"Wait up Ron, we'll come with you," Ginny said avoiding Hermione's eyes, she and Dean followed Ron out of the courtyard.

"Seamus, Neville, what do you lot know that I don't?" Hermione asked her suspicious rising.

"Erm probably not a lot," Neville answered with a nervous laugh as he stared off to space.

"Ugh, tell me what's going on?" she continued getting angrier.

"Nothing's going on Hermione," Seamus laughed "Dunno what you're talking about. Are you coming in for dinner or are you gonna stand out here all night like an egit?" he asked walking towards the Great Hall with a grin, Neville close behind him.

Hermione stood still briefly, she knew something was going on and she'd find out if was the last thing she did. "Okay I'm coming; wait!"

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