Sunday was relatively relaxing for Harry. Hermione had made sure that Crookshanks was out of the room while the two of them studied in her bed. One of the rules she had to follow was to keep the curtains around her four-poster closed whenever Harry was out of his room, and they were reading by wand light at the moment.
"I spoke with Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore while you were sleeping this morning," Hermione said as she looked up from her Arithmancy charts. "They understand what's happened and couldn't think of anything that would help."
"What about the Engorgement Charm?" Harry asked as he looked up from his miniature chair. He still felt rather strange talking to a colossal version of his best friend, let alone from a now dollhouse version of his common room.
"Actually, after Crookshanks attacked you, I asked Madam Pomfrey to try one," she replied with an apologetic look on her face. "She did, but nothing happened, whatever was in my potion could be blocking it..."
"I don't think it was your potion, Hermione," Harry said exasperatedly again.
"What else could it have been, Harry?" she fumed as she slammed her book shut in frustration. The wind and the jolt to the bed knocked Harry out of his chair leaving him sprawled out on her duvet. "Oh, I'm sorry!"
Harry climbed back into his room and righted the chair. "It's ok, Hermione, please stop apologizing!"
Hermione looked to her hands nervously but nodded. "Would you like to get out for a bit?" she asked after a moment. "It's warm out, maybe we could take a break down by the lake?"
"Won't it look strange to have you carrying a dollhouse outside?" Harry asked quizzically. "How many people know of this?"
"Only those we've talked about," Hermione replied softly. "Ron doesn't even know..."
"Well, we're going to have to tell him at any rate," Harry said thoughtfully. "Why don't the three of us go down to the lake? We can tell him then..."
Hermione smiled slightly, but not the kind of smile Harry liked to see when she levitated a hat to him. "Wear this when we're outside and I'll be able to hear you," she explained softly. "I'll give Ron one of the extendable ears so he can hear you through the hat..."
Harry pulled the knit hat over his head after he'd bundled up in his heavy woolen cloak. He smiled as Hermione offered her hand and he climbed into her palm. "You could put me in your outer pocket," he said with a laugh. "Just put a box or something in there so I can look over the top."
Hermione left the room with Harry sitting in her pocket as he'd requested. He had a hard time seeing her face, but she seemed a bit more relaxed than having to carry him around in her hand.
"Hey, Ron, would you like to go down to the lake?" Hermione asked with a wave of her hand. She was careful not to wave too hard for fear of jostling Harry around too much.
"Sure, let me grab my cloak," Ron returned as he bolted up the stairs. They climbed through the portrait hole and soon found themselves out on the school grounds, squinting into the light. "Hey, as long as Harry isn't here, I was wondering what you were doing next weekend..."
Harry's eyes went wide when he suddenly remembered what Ron had said in his sleep the previous summer at the Burrow. He'd completely forgotten that's how he found out Ron had a crush on Hermione and just as it did then, it bothered him to know his best friend's feelings.
"Ron, I have to talk to you about Harry," Hermione said quickly.
"Oh, did he ask you to go to Hogsmeade already?" Ron asked in a huff.
"What?" Hermione asked, bewildered. "No, it's something completely different..." she explained hurriedly.
"What is it? Are you two already dating?" he snapped unexpectedly. "You could have bloody told me!"
"Ron, no, we're not dating," Hermione said as she pulled out the modified extendable ear. "Put this in your ear."
Ron looked at her like she'd gone mad, but did as instructed. "Well, what's this for?"
"So you can hear me without me having to shout," Harry said evenly as he poked his head out of Hermione's pocket.
Ron's eyes grew larger than the golden plates they ate off during their meals when he saw the miniature version of Harry Potter. "What in the bloody hell?"
"I caught the Lilliputian Flu," Harry said dryly. "Whenever I sneezed, I shrunk, and now I'm stuck at this height until I'm over it."
"But what about training?" Ron bellowed, forgetting that Hermione had yet to answer his questions about the following weekend. "We have a match against Slytherin in two weeks!"
"I know, Ron," Harry deadpanned, "but there's nothing I can do! I have to rest and let the flu take its course or it might last longer..."
Ron grumbled something incoherent and kicked at a large stone that plopped into the lake a short distance away. He suddenly stood straight and a wide smile crossed his face. "I've got an idea!" Ron said with a laugh. "Do you remember that Quidditch game I have, the one with the miniature brooms and the league scale pitch?"
"Ron, I don't think that's a good idea," Hermione said quickly.
"Why not?" Ron hissed. "The pieces are about the right size, they might be a little worn, but they still work! It might be a better way to train him than if he were with the team on the pitch!"
"If you want Harry to get better, he's going to need rest!" Hermione retorted. "If you tire him out by keeping him training, his body won't recover!"
"He needs to train!" Ron barked back at her. "He's trained when he was sick before..."
"Ron!" Harry growled as the redhead slapped his hands over his mouth.
"Oh, I already knew that!" Hermione hissed at Harry. "Who do you think was watching from the stands? Grawp?"
"From this standpoint, you two make Grawp look like a Garden Gnome," Harry chuckled from Hermione's pocket.
Hermione couldn't stop the grin from sliding in place and she looked down at her diminutive friend. "Sod off, Harry!" she said in faux irritation before she and Ron began laughing a bit harder.
"Ron, go ahead and have your mum send the game here," Harry said after they'd calmed down. "We can at least try training that way, if it doesn't work or is too dangerous, we'll just skip it."
"Harry, you need your rest," Hermione said quietly.
"I'll get rest," he replied reassuringly. "But I can't just study and sleep all the time. It's warmer in the castle and it won't rain, so what could it hurt?"
Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation when it was clear she couldn't dissuade Harry and Ron from their plan. "Just be careful," she said evenly. "Now it's time for lunch and your medicine so we should head back in."
"Where've you been staying, Harry?" Ron asked as they trudged back up to the castle. "I didn't see you in the room and your stuff is gone..."
"He's staying with me," Hermione said quickly, trying to hide the blush that was creeping up her cheeks. "Madam Pomfrey asked me to watch after him."
Harry noticed the increased heat streaming off of her body and the way she'd slightly altered the truth for Ron. He slid back down into a sitting position and waited for them to return to her room.
"Well, I can take over from here then," Ron said as they stopped in the empty common room.
"Take over for what?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Watching Harry," Ron said matter-of-factly.
"What?" Hermione looked at him crossly.
"He very well can't stay in the girls' dormitory," Ron explained with a shrug.
"He's following the rules and we have the permission of Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall," Hermione said absently and turned towards the stairs.
"But-"
"But what?" Hermione asked irritably. "Do you think you can shrink his medicines down to his size? Or keep an eye on him?"
"I can do that easily!" Ron retorted hotly.
"I guess your success in Transfiguration on Friday proves that," Hermione retorted.
"GUYS!" Harry shouted, causing the two of them to wince at the volume. "Listen, I'm not some toy for you two to fight over!" he said angrily. "Ron, I'm going to stay with Hermione because everything's already there... I'd like to go put on my pajamas and lie down for a bit, you two go on and get something to eat, I'll be fine!"
"Harry..." Hermione said softly.
"Everything will be fine, Hermione," Harry reassured her. "We'll try your Quidditch game when your mum sends it to you, ok, Ron?"
"Sure, Harry," Ron said evenly. "I'll see you later."
Harry shook his head and slumped against Hermione's chest as she walked up to her room and let him down to the scale model of their common room.
"Don't be mad, Harry," Hermione said softly as she sat on her bed.
Harry threw off his cloak and began to undress so he could get some rest. He reached up and grabbed the hat she'd made for him then set it in his chair. "I'm not mad," he said evenly as he slipped under his covers. "Why'd you lie to Ron?"
"I didn't lie to Ron," Hermione said defensively.
"You said that Madam Pomfrey told you to watch me, as I recall, you volunteered," Harry said softly.
"Well, you know how he is," Hermione retorted, "he'd take it the wrong way and get angry about it."
"So are you going to go to Hogsmeade with him next weekend?" Harry asked out of the blue, catching Hermione off guard.
"What?" she asked stupidly. "We always go together, you'll be with us..."
"That's not how he meant it, Hermione," Harry said quietly.
"I don't know what you mean," she said dismissively. "I'll be back with some food for you, are you sure you'll be ok?"
Harry rolled his eyes and pulled his covers up to his chin. "I'll be fine," he whispered. "Go and get something to eat..."
"Ok, I'll be back soon..." Hermione said slowly.
Harry waited until he heard her close the door then rolled on to his back. He let out a cough and cleared his throat while he wondered why it disturbed him so much to see that Ron really did want to start dating Hermione.
It was dark when Harry opened his eyes again and felt his stomach growling incessantly. He slipped his glasses on and threw his bathrobe over his shoulders before walking to the fireplace and slumping into his chair.
"Are you awake?" Hermione asked quietly from the top of his room.
"Yeah," Harry said sleepily. He looked up to see the lid come off and a few plates of food glide gently onto the table beside him.
"Take your medicine first," she said softly as a pitcher of pumpkin juice and two goblets floated down next. Harry took the potion and started work on his meal for the evening in silence. It was quiet for a while, the only sound the flipping of pages from one of Hermione's books.
"What are you reading?" he asked after a few minutes.
"Hogwarts, A History," she replied quietly.
"Hey, are you alright?" Harry asked when he caught a hint of sadness in her voice.
"I'm fine," she lied. Harry could hear the hurt and he couldn't stand it when Hermione was upset.
He got up and walked to the door to his bucket house with the knit hat in hand and opened it slowly to see Hermione's red, puffy eyes flicking over the pages of her book. His heart fell at the thought of her crying and he walked over to her. "Hey," he shouted, startling her somewhat.
"What are you doing out of your house?" she asked quickly as she pulled the curtains shut around the bed.
"What happened?" Harry shouted when she didn't turn back to him. "Can Ron hear me when I use the hat?"
Hermione shook her head. "The hat only works when you're close by," she replied with a shrug.
Harry slipped the hat on his head and sighed in relief. "Lay down so I can look in your face and not crane my neck."
Hermione let out a loud sigh, but did as she was told. She was careful not to lie on Harry and he sat down on the pillow in front of her face.
"What happened?" he asked concernedly. "Was it Ron?"
Hermione closed her eyes and a tear squeezed out onto her cheek as she nodded. "He thinks we're running around behind his back," she whispered. "He wouldn't listen to a word I said."
"Was it because of next weekend?" Harry asked quietly, secretly hoping that Hermione didn't want to date Ron.
"Partly," Hermione said softly, sniffing back a tear. "He doesn't like that I'm watching you... doesn't think it's 'proper'!" she said as she rolled her eyes.
"It'll be ok," Harry said quietly then smirked slightly. "It's not like I can snog you in your room or anything..."
Hermione shook her head and let out a soft snort.
"I know you want to laugh, just picture it..." he goaded as he saw the corner of her mouth turn up.
"How can you do that?" Hermione asked after a moment. "How can you make me feel better even after Ron and I fight?"
"It's a gift," Harry said with a smile. "I'm going to go back to sleep, ok? Don't let anything he said make you feel bad." Harry crossed to the wall that was Hermione's face and kissed her cheek gently. "Get some sleep, things will be better tomorrow," he said with a soft pat.
"Goodnight, Harry," Hermione whispered just as he'd opened his door.
Harry turned around and smiled again. "Night."
There wasn't much left for him to do but crawl back into bed and go to sleep. He watched his dirty plates float out of the room and smiled up at Hermione when she looked in to check on him. She smiled softly back and replaced the lid before he fell asleep.
To say that people were nervous Monday morning would have been an understatement. When Hermione arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, she was suddenly accosted with questions concerning the whereabouts of Harry Potter. Nobody had seen him all weekend and word had gotten around that his belongings had gone missing.
Hermione looked to Ron for support but he seemed to still be angry with her for the previous evening so she glanced up at Professor Dumbledore. Luck was on her side when he'd stood and addressed the student body.
"I'm sure you're all curious to the whereabouts of one of your fellow students," he said loudly after everyone calmed down and looked to the professors' table. "He will return to us in time but he is currently away for the time being. His whereabouts cannot be divulged for his safety and I ask you all to be patient. Please, enjoy your meal." With that, he sat down and returned to his conversation with Professor Snape.
"So they didn't tell you where he went?" Ginny asked in a whisper as she sat next to Hermione. "Not even Harry?"
Hermione smiled apologetically and shrugged. "Sorry," she said feebly and began to eat quickly. "I need to get to the library," she announced, grabbing a few pieces of toast and fruit before hurrying out of the Great Hall.
"Looks like it's going to be an interesting two weeks," Harry said from her pocket.
"For you or for me?" Hermione asked with a slight chuckle.
"Both!" Harry retorted with a laugh.
Hermione found it hard not to smile, but she amazed herself and was able to keep her face straight until she sat down at her favorite, out of the way table. She looked around quickly then pulled the miniaturized house she'd transfigured for Harry and returned it to its normal size.
"Quick, before anybody sees," she hissed quietly and held her hand up for him to climb into. Harry scrambled out of her pocket and she set him near the door to his portable home.
"This is handy," he said as he opened the door and stepped inside. He sat at a new table that Hermione had placed inside as she levitated bits of food to him.
"Ah, look, the mudblood has a pet!" an irritatingly familiar voice drawled at the end of the row of shelves.
"Sod off, Malfoy!" Hermione growled as she replaced the lid on Harry's room.
"Aww, is the poor widdle mudbwood upset? Is her widdle gerbil angry?" Malfoy mocked as he stalked closer. Crabbe and Goyle weren't very far behind and Pansy Parkinson remained at the end of the bookcase, smirking at Hermione.
"If you really want to lose your hand," Hermione growled menacingly, "go ahead and put it in the box... I don't think Hagrid specified that it should only eat toast and ham..."
Malfoy let out a laugh that indicated he wasn't about to fall for her trick and reached to snatch the box from the table. Before his hands could touch the sides, however, the lid flew off followed by a burst of flame.
"What in the bloody hell?!" Malfoy shrieked as he jerked his hands away from the container. His face paled when a loud, screeching sound came from inside. "Do you have a dragon in there?!"
"It's not a dragon," Hermione said angrily, though a bit shaken, as she slapped the cover back on the top. "It's illegal to care for dragons privately!"
"What was it?" His face was still white as he leaned in cautiously for a closer look.
"Hagrid wouldn't tell me," she said in her trademark business tone. "Something about a Skrewt, a hippogriff, and a fire newt... I'm studying it for extra credit."
"A... a hippogriff?" Malfoy stuttered as he took a step back.
"Something like that," Hermione said with a shrug as she levitated more pieces of toast into the box through a crack in the lid. "It doesn't seem to like meat that's already been slain, but the toast goes in ok..." she said nonchalantly as she filled a bowl with a reddish liquid and shrunk the bowl down before sending it into the box as well.
"What was that?"
Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and rolled her eyes. "It doesn't eat meat that isn't alive, so I have to feed it blood..." she bent over the box, cooed inside and smiled at the laughing Harry. He caught on to her ruse and used his wand to amplify the sound of an animal that seemed to be happy.
Hermione closed the lid once again and looked up at the four Slytherins that seemed to have gone even whiter in the face than Malfoy was normally.
"Is that even legal?" he asked quietly.
"It's not a dragon and I'm not slaughtering animals to feed it," Hermione shrugged as she pulled out her Arithmancy book. "I've been assured that it's not illegal to study a new creature..."
Harry couldn't help himself and decided to have a bit of fun with Draco and his groupies. He transfigured the duvet on his bed so it was scaly with patches of hair and engorged it so it was about three times its normal size. He let out another magically induced roar and blew the top off with a bout of flame.
"Hermione, it's growing..." he whispered to the room before levitating the scaly, fur-covered duvet to the opening.
"Oh, I think the box is too small for it now!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly on cue just as the beast began to breech the top of its container. "Oh, I hope I cured it of its meat eating tendencies!" she said quickly before putting on her dragon hide gloves. Hermione looked to see the four Slytherins had run before letting out a laugh.
"Did they run?" Harry asked with a laugh as Hermione moved the transfigured blanket out of the way.
"I don't know," she replied with a snort. "When I looked a second ago, there was nobody here!"
Harry returned his duvet to normal before finishing his breakfast. "Blood?" Harry laughed loudly after he drank the potion he'd been taking twice a day to combat his flu symptoms.
"You started it with those flames and roars..." she said with a grin as she replaced the lid and helped Harry back to her pocket. "Let's just hope he doesn't tell Professor Snape!"
"Well, we should talk to Hagrid as soon as we can," Harry said with a chuckle.