Chapter Sixteen: Odd Requests
Harry Potter was alone.
Well, as alone as he could be when he was almost always surrounded by friends, anyway. In this case, though, he actually was alone - he had managed to give everyone the slip and was currently kneeling in his Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, looking at a small knick in the floor.
The small knick was more of a slice, and was where the dagger that he now wore at his side had struck the stone more than a week ago to protect him. Right next to the damaged floor was an impression of his outline burned into the ground. Hermione had told him after class yesterday that the barrier the dagger had created was so powerful that it took almost all of the Wanderer's efforts to keep it from boring into the ground itself.
The end result was that you could see exactly where he had been lying on the ground after his fitful episode when Voldemort had threatened everything that mattered to him.
He told his friends that he was going to the loo, but that excuse wouldn't hold for long. It wouldn't be too long before someone was sent to check on him in the bathroom to make sure nothing was wrong.
Oddly enough, that didn't really bother him. When he was allowed out of his room again after his return - both Hermione and Madame Pomfrey had insisted on him getting several days' rest - he had found that a lot of people had been worried about him.
He had agreed to the semi-survellience for a week, at which point they had all said that things would go back to normal again. If he knew was normal was, though, that might have helped some. It had been three days thus far.
He looked up when he heard the door latch closed, and he found the Wanderer standing just inside the doorway. He was shrouded in his cloak again, but that had stopped bothering Harry a long time ago. Just behind him stood Kailyn, who had changed out of her robes and was once again wearing a green tunic and brown slacks - both of elven make. She smiled to him, and stepped out from behind her grandfather.
Both her short swords were in her hands, and he was again forced to wonder just where she kept them. There were no obvious sheaths on her that he could tell.
She was walking forward slowly, and Harry had the sudden idea that maybe he should draw his dagger. It slid silently from the sheath, and he held it tightly in his right hand. It was the first time he had really hefted the weight, and he had to admit that it felt... right, somehow.
The half-breed came in much slower than he knew she was capable of, projecting her intentions from a long way away. Harry met her first attack with his blade easily, and stepped back to deflect her second sword away from his hip.
Again, he stepped back to defend the slow attack, catching her first blade this time just above his head. When her other sword came in straight at his chest, he caught it again, but rather than just release it, he pushed forward against the steel to attack her this time.
She stepped back easily, and tapped her hip with the flat of one of her swords before coming in again. He found it quite odd that no words had been spoken yet, given that he had never really said he wanted the training in the first place.
This time when she came in, he stepped to the side rather than parry her first attack, and he attacked her directly. Her second sword was halted midswing to deal with his counter attack, and the dagger clashed against the hilt to her weapon.
Her green eyes were keeping a careful watch on him, and it was only then that he noticed that she was not watching his blade, or even his face. Her eyes seemed glued to his chest, regardless of whatever else was going on.
She let him attack three more times before stepping in quickly and striking him hard in the hip with the flat of one of her swords. The other blade caught his dagger firmly and spun around it almost instantly, forcing him to lose his grip.
Once he was disarmed, she stepped back again and looked pointedly at him. When her eyes flashed down to his hip, the thought struck him. He was moving with his hips, and giving away his actions too soon.
While keeping this firmly in mind, he picked up his dagger and attacked again carefully. Although she blocked the attack rather easily, and even had time to step back, she was smiling. When he smiled back, though, she frowned and tapped her collarbone with the pummel of one of her swords. He must have looked confused, because she tapped it again, and then pointed her other sword directly at the same point on him.
When she attacked again, he understood what she was saying - her eyes were glued to right where she had pointed. He looked to her chest for a brief second before looking back to her face, well aware that a bit of colour was creeping up his neck and cheeks.
She grinned and stepped back. In a fluent motion, both her swords vanished as she leaned to her shins. He caught the briefest of glimpses of leather, and he knew right away that that was where she kept her sheaths, though they were well hidden.
"You must ignore whether your opponent is male or female," she offered quietly as he returned his dagger to his sheath as well. "The weapon is dangerous regardless." She shrugged as she turned back to Talisien. "Besides, it's not like I was asking you to stare somewhere else, right?"
"Kai..."
"Sorry, grandfather," Kailyn said almost instantly as she turned back to Harry again. "That wasn't too bad for the first lesson, Harry."
"Thanks. But why did you stop?"
Before either Kailyn or Talisien could answer, there was a knock on the door. As Talisien put his hand on the knob, he looked to Harry. "She heard someone coming."
Hermione stepped into the class as the door was shut again, and she went straight over to Harry. "I saw where you were on the Map," she explained. "I wasn't following you or checking up on you, though. I think that's a foolish idea, myself, given that you gave me the Map anyway so I could find you if you did something stupid again."
It was true, too. She had been against the idea from the beginning, saying that she trusted him completely. He had told her when she tucked him in the first night back that he would not run away again, that he would stand and face his challenges again, even if it was hard. She had promised to help however she could, too.
Harry put a hand tenderly on her shoulder and smiled. "What's going on?" he asked. He knew that she had been planning on studying in the library after supper, so something must have come up to interrupt those plans - especially given that she was on patrolling duty later in the night as a prefect.
"Professor McGonagall found me in the library and said she wanted to talk to you. Apparently the others said that I was the best bet to find you - at least they didn't tell her why..." she said as she rustled the parchment in her hand before stuffing it back into a waiting pocket.
"That is truly an incredible bit of magics," Talisien said softly, almost as though he was reminding them that they were not alone in the room. "Come, Kailyn. Your own training still awaits."
"Of course," she said quickly, turning to Hermione anyway. "I'm glad he finally gave it to you, by the way," she added with a smile, her voice full of life and laughter - more so than they could actually remember. Before either of them could reply, the elf and half-elf were out the door and gone.
Hermione didn't say anything right away. Instead, she put a hand over the bracelet on her wrist, simply to double check that it was still covered by her robes. Satisfied, she looked up to Harry, who seemed to be doing the same thing to his own band of gold.
"So, what does McGonagall want, anyway?"
"She didn't say," Hermione explained.
No more words were shared right away as the two left the classroom. The halls were empty in the middle of the evening, with students either in their common rooms already, or already involved in club activities. Harry had yet to call another DA meeting since the incident, and he knew it wouldn't be long before people started to ask.
Although not actually holding hands as they made their way through the corridors and up the flights of stairs to the transfiguration teacher's office, they were walking in synch and sticking by each other. They did have to duck behind a set of armour just at the top of the last flight of stairs to avoid running into Peeves, who appeared intent on pouring a bucket of stinksap on the first unsuspecting person he came across, and was already singing at the top of his lungs about it.
When Hermione lifted a hand to knock on the door to the office, Harry stopped her by catching her hand. When she looked to him, he smiled, not quite meeting her eye. "I'm sorry, by the way. For earlier. I never said." She didn't get a chance to reply before he knocked on the door and it opened.
"Ah, Miss Granger, I see you were successful, then," McGonagall said with a soft smile. "Good evening, Mr. Potter. And don't worry, you aren't in trouble - unless you have a guilty conscience that you wish to part with..."
"See you in the common room later, Harry?" Hermione asked, turning to leave.
"No, Miss Granger, you may stay for this if you wish. As a prefect you will be privy to some of the information soon anyway, and the rest I expect Harry would tell you later, even if I asked him not to," she explained. "You see, I believe he has an extreme dislike of secrets..."
"You don't mind, Harry?"
"I don't even know what this is about," Harry admitted, sitting in one of the wooden chairs in front of his teacher's desk. Hermione sat down next to him, and immediately picked up the tin of biscuits, taking one herself and offering one to Harry. She had obviously been in the office several times before, though he doubted it was for anything aside from extra credit assignments.
McGonagall smiled to her, and then sat down and looked to Harry. "I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things, actually. First, I'd like to congratulate you in your work in our weekly Wednesday class. I am seeing better work from you this year than ever before."
"Thank you, Professor," Harry said, surprised. He certainly hadn't expected to be praised like that by his Head of House.
"That is not the main thing I wished to speak with you about, though it does help. After being informed by Miss Granger of your experience a little over a week ago in the Ministry of Magic - or rather, in You-Know-Who's head - I am aware that you are worried about our upcoming holiday."
"That's right," Harry said darkly. "I don't like to think of my friends being killed for knowing me."
"Dark times are upon us, Mr. Potter, as they were sixteen years ago," she pointed out. "Only then, it was friends of Albus that tended to be targeted first. He has suggested something to me after a discussion with Miss Granger here."
Harry looked to Hermione quickly, and was startled to see a bit of red on her face, as though embarrassed to be pointed out for once. "I spoke to Dumbledore, too, Harry."
"I do not believe she meant any harm by it, Harry," McGonagall said kindly, leaning forward a bit. "So please do not be upset with her later."
"I wasn't planning on it, Professor," Harry said. "She's not the one that's been following me everywhere I go all week. Unless we are travelling together, of course, and then it's not really following at all, is it?"
McGonagall's lips pursed together a bit at this long narration, and then relaxed again. "What are your plans over Christmas, Harry?"
Harry shrugged. "I was thinking of praying, but it doesn't seem like anyone up there likes me very much, so I doubt that would do much good," he said with a straight face. Hermione was smiling broadly at his statement, though, and it was obvious that McGonagall understood what he was actually trying to say as well. "I was thinking about everyone I know, not myself. I was planning on staying here or going... home."
"Your `home' would be best, Harry," she said firmly. "For many reasons, the least of which being that it would give you a chance to be close to several of your friends at once."
"Why are you asking about his plans, Professor?"
"Because, Hermione, I have an offer for him, in part because of his focus that I have seen this year, and in part for my own reasons. I have been asked to stay within headquarters over Christmas, simply because Albus felt it best to have at least one permanent professor there to keep tabs on things and report new developments from the Order to him." She looked to each of them in turn, and then leaned back just a little. "Do you know why I agreed to do this?"
"You want to help the Order." Harry did not say this as a question, but rather was stating it as an obvious fact.
"Indeed, but that is only part of the reason."
"Harry's not old enough for that, Professor," Hermione said suddenly, sitting upright. "You are supposed to be in seventh year before you can even consider looking at that!"
McGonagall actually smiled to Hermione then. "With normal witches and wizards, that is indeed the case. But, as Harry pointed out many times in the past with his behaviour and continued success in escaping the Dark Arts, he is not exactly a normal wizard." She then looked away from Harry to Hermione. "And neither are you a normal witch, given how many of the things Harry has done with your help."
"Excuse me..." Harry said quickly to stop their discussion. When both looked to him in surprise, he plunged on. "Could one of you tell me what you are talking about before I think I'm losing my mind?"
"You are not to repeat this to anyone, understand?"
"I don't keep things from my friends, Professor."
"I am not asking you to keep it from Miss Granger, but I must insist that you keep it from the others. What we will be doing is not exactly legal."
At Harry's continued confused expression, Hermione sighed. "Oh, Harry... she's going to be training us as Animagi! It's not exactly supposed to happen until you are seventeen, and then you have to register with the Ministry, remember?"
"Uh... of course," Harry said after a second's pause. "But why are you training me?"
"There are many reasons, as I said earlier, but the obvious is that every weapon that we can give you in your fight against You-Know-Who, we will gladly give. So long as you are willing to continue to listen and learn!" McGonagall then looked to Hermione as well. "Given your capacity to learn everything possible, I do expect you will be able to help him grasp this difficult concept in the short timeframe that we will have available. Is that acceptable?"
"You expect us to learn how to become Animagi in three weeks?" Harry asked in surprise as Hermione nodded feverously. "It took my dad and Sirius the better part of three years!"
"I must remind you, Mr. Potter, that the Marauders did not have a competent teacher instructing them, and had to rely on their own knowledge and abilities. Although obviously not something to be pushed aside lightly, one can never replace a good teacher... as I suspect you are discovering quickly."
Harry was silent for a moment, and Hermione reached out and grasped his hand, sensing that something was bothering him. "I'll do it on one condition," Harry said eventually.
"Harry!" Hermione said, shocked.
Harry shook his head and went on. "I want to be kept up to date on Order business," Harry said firmly. "I don't care if all you discovered was that Voldemort stepped on an anthill and set fire to his carpet, I want to know all the details of every meeting that is held from here on in."
Professor McGonagall surveyed him carefully as she leaned back in her chair. There was a long silence, during which time Hermione was looking back and forth between the other two in the room, and then the teacher sat forward again. "Very well, Mr. Potter."
"Professor?"
"If anyone has a right to know, Hermione, it is one who has been tortured by You-Know-Who himself," McGonagall explained gently to the startled witch. "His friends are the ones in danger, and if anyone tries to hide the facts from him again, I suspect that more might be damaged than a few priceless artifacts in the Headmaster's office."
"Harry, you didn't..." Hermione breathed, looking to him in surprise instead.
"I did!" Harry said firmly. "He kept going on about how I had to calm down and accept facts as facts, and I couldn't take it. He even told me to continue wrecking his office in the hopes that, when he told me the full truth, I would be too exhausted to attack him as well."
"That," McGonagall said before Hermione could reply. "Is all water under the bridge on both accounts anyway." There was a short pause before she nodded. "Right then. Over the holidays we will ensure that you are both fully trained Animagi. It will take a lot of work, sometimes working all day and into the night, but it will do you both good. A lot of good, I expect."
"What about Ron?" Harry asked after a moment. "Will he - "
"No." The transfiguration professor stood up and turned around to look at something on the bookshelf behind her before turning back. "No, Mr. Weasley will not be staying with you over these holidays. In fact, most of your friends are going on long trips, and will be returning just in time for the Hogwarts Express to bring them back here. Albus believes that this is the best course to keep them safest."
Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly before standing up himself. "Thank you, Professor. I will work hard, and I'm sure Hermione will too." He looked slowly to Hermione, and then smiled to McGonagall. "And thank you for suggesting that Hermione stay with me."
"It was her idea, actually."
"Harry," Hermione said quickly, catching his arm when he nodded and turned to leave. "She said she had several things to talk to you about, and I somehow doubt that this will be coming up in the weekly Prefect meeting."
"Five points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger," McGonagall said with a nod to her as Harry sat back down in the wooden chair that needed the padding replaced. Once she was sitting as well, she went on. "No, I have another important thing to ask you, Harry. One I hope you will accept."
"Ask away," Harry offered. "Though I won't guarantee you the answer you want."
"A good plan, not promising to help without knowing the details," she said, leaning forward. "At the end of this month, in two week's time, there will be another Ball held in the school. This was the idea of the Wanderer to bolster spirits, and was suggested at the beginning of term. It is also one of the reasons that the Quidditch season seems a little odd this year."
"Why have the games been on Friday nights so far?" Harry asked, focusing on that first. "I mean, it gets cold at nights lately. We were lucky that the summer heat lasted so long this year to get the two games in so far, but..."
"I will not tell you all the reasons yet, Harry, but one of them happens to involve recovery time. Injuries occurred in the past several seasons that were played through tended to take longer than just a day to heal. Madame Pomfrey suggested moving the games back a day to allow extra time, so students don't miss as much class."
"So when are the next games?" Harry asked.
"Not until February, actually. And then it will be held during the day on Friday - Albus has agreed to cancel classes for it. The last games of the season will be held in May, so the heat will not be a problem." She then shook her head. "Enough about that for now, though. I wanted to talk to you about the Ball."
"Sounds great, have fun with it," Harry said right away. His last experience with a Ball did not go very well at all. The Yule Ball during the Tri-Wizard tournament in his fourth year was more embarrassing than anything else, and he wanted nothing to do with another one. He'd have a better time sitting in his bed with his curtains drawn.
"Each House is picking a student from their House to lead the opening dance, so four partners in all. I would like the selected Gryffindor student to be you, Harry."
He stood up right away and held out his hands as he shook his head. "Nope, not gonna happen, don't bother going any further than that," he said quickly. "It was bad enough the last time," he added.
He was surprised when his Professor leaned forward a bit closer to him. "Malfoy is the Slytherin student chosen," she whispered. "And if he's going to be leading the Slytherin part, I need the best leading Gryffindor."
"I'm not the best," Harry said at once.
"Maybe not at following the rules," she allowed with a slight smile. "And maybe not in classes, where you are constantly borrowing Hermione's notes. But you are the best at dueling, and I can see him trying to pull something."
"Besides, Harry, the last time was two years ago," Hermione offered encouragingly. "I'm sure you'll feel a lot better this time." She looked away from him so she was no longer meeting his eye. "I'm sure you won't be hard pressed to find someone to go with you now."
"A chance to duel Malfoy... and not get a detention for it..." Harry mused to himself. "But I guess that's not assured, is it?" He didn't give anyone a chance to answer before he went on. "Look, I don't want to do this, Professor. However..." he sighed and sat down slowly. "You are taking the time to train Hermione and me, so I guess it would be the least I could do to repay the favour."
"Thank you, Harry. I suggest strongly that you take time during the next Hogsmeade trip to pick up new dress robes. There is a trip planned the day before the Ball, and Madame Rosemerta has promised that she will be able to do on the spot alterations for students." When Harry nodded, so did she. "You should also find a date, as you will need to lead the first dance of the Ball." McGonagall took a quick glance to Hermione before her eyes returned to Harry.
"Of course, Professor," Harry said simply. There was a pregnant pause then, and he was very aware of Hermione breathing louder than before, as well as one of his teacher's inkpots walking back and forth along the top of her bookshelf after being transfigured some time ago to pace. "Is there anything else?"
"I believe that is all, Mr. Potter, Miss Granger," she said, standing. Both Harry and Hermione stood as well and, after being offered another biscuit each, they walked out of the office and started towards the Gryffindor Tower.
They made it about halfway back in a comfortable silence until Harry suddenly stopped Hermione by pulling her into an empty classroom - Flitwick must have been in his office. As soon as the door was closed, he turned to her with obvious intent.
"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked. She suspected she knew anyway, but decided it best to let him ask on his own without any comments from her first.
"I've got a question for you, `Mione. I rather serious one," he explained, not meeting her eye as though concerned about her reaction.
"Go on..."
Harry took a deep breath and looked up. "Do you think you could convince your parents to move to Grimmauld Place for a little while? Until after the holidays at least, maybe longer?"
"Of - " She stopped herself before saying anything else. That had not been the question she thought he was going to ask at all. She had assumed that he would have asked her to go to the Ball with him. "I... I guess so. Why?"
Harry sighed and made his way over to one of the windows, leaning against the stone sill and looking out to the grounds below. "Because I don't want you to have to go through any heartache about them. They could be targeted too, right?"
Her anxiety over the Ball evaporated at once as she leaned next to him, their shoulders touching as she, too, looked out to the grounds. He was right, and she had almost forgotten entirely about it. "I'll do everything I can to convince them. Are you sure you don't mind, though? I mean, it is your home, and it may be a little hard for us to be ourselves with them around."
"Are you saying they wouldn't approve of me?"
Hermione looked to him in surprise, and saw that he was grinning slightly, his eyes unfocused as he spoke. "You were kind of all I talked about all summer when I was with them, Harry. And most of what I talked about the summers beforehand. I doubt you could possibly live up to the expectations they're bound to have by now." When he looked to her quickly, she grinned in return and kissed him on the nose. "Got you."
"Ha ha."
She smiled genuinely to him and leaned against him. She felt his arm go around her automatically for a moment before he released her again. He never really held her casually for very long at all - unless he was upset, he didn't hug her for long periods, either. Although she understood that they were trying to keep their relationship under wraps for a while, it didn't mean she wouldn't like more from him every now and then, especially when they were hidden from view like they were just then.
"Thanks, Harry," she whispered, catching his hand as they left the room. "It means a lot to me to know that they will be safe."
"I know."
They walked most of the way back with their hands locked together, their fingers intertwined. As they approached the common room, though, the sound of other students made them separate quickly.
Inside, there were dozens of students still gathered in the large room. Many of them were fifth and seventh year students who had more homework than they could possibly imagine, but there were a few who were playing chess, exploding snaps, or just laughing with each other. Hermione saw Neville and Lavender close to the fireplace together, and couldn't help but smile.
Well, it looks like Neville won't be asking Ginny to the Ball this time... Hermione's smile faded at that thought. But is Harry going to ask me, or not? Maybe he's waiting for it to be announced first...
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she barely noticed Harry moving until he was holding her, and she quickly wrapped her arms around him as well, wanting to savour the brief hug.
"Good night, `Mione. Good luck on patrol, and when it is over, sleep well," Harry said. Then in a whisper, he went on. "And lightly." Without explaining himself, the Boy-Who-Lived went up the boys' side three steps at a time, and was out of sight.
Not feeling tired herself yet, Hermione went over to her table and opened her Arithmancy textbook to look up some information for an upcoming essay that was to be assigned next week. It wasn't going to write itself, after all.
As usual, no one bothered her at all while she was in her corner. Too many younger students had nearly lost their heads in the attempts earlier in the year, and the older students already knew of her fierce study habits, and never even tempted fate. When the large clock bonged ten times, she closed her book and left the common room to go patrol the corridors for students that were out of bed.
When she returned, she found the common room still half full. "Right, remember that there are classes tomorrow," she said in a voice that carried across the room. "So don't stay up too late," she added as she went up to her own room. She checked in the younger students' dorms as she went up, and was somehow not surprised to find that Kailyn was not in her bed. She was sure that she was still out with her grandfather somewhere. That only reminded her that she had found Harry alone with both of them, and had never asked what was going on. She would have to remember for another time.
Her own dorm was empty. Crookshanks met her as she entered, purring loudly until she picked the half-kneazle up and held him close before setting him down on her bed again. After a good stretch and a long yawn, she stripped out of her robes and pulled on her pajamas, climbing into bed when she was ready.
A faint buzzing sound woke her up hours later. As soon as her eyes opened, the buzzing stopped, replaced by a very soft whisper. She pulled her curtains aside and looked around the room. Everyone else was already in their beds and sleeping soundly - Pavarti was even mumbling something about some boy in Hufflepuff.
When the whisper said her name, she looked to her nightstand quickly, realisation dawning suddenly. She picked up the two way mirror and looking into the shimmering surface to find Harry looking back to her. "I thought I asked you to sleep lightly tonight," he whispered.
"I was tired," Hermione replied with a smile. "Sorry."
"Doesn't matter," Harry said with a shrug. "Not really, anyway. Ron's snoring over the years have made sure whispers can't be heard. Dean just senses movement, not talking."
"What do you want at this hour, Harry? It is the middle of the night."
"I could have guessed by your attire," Harry said with a grin. "That, and the fact that you were asleep." Hermione looked down and saw her light blue spaghetti strap tank top that she had on, and blushed a bit, moving the mirror up to show more of her face than anything else. She figured it was just as well that she wasn't wearing her usual sheer nightgown.
"You look pretty good yourself," she pointed out, barely able to believe she said it in the first place. She hadn't seen Harry without a shirt on for quite some time, but he must have been sleeping in just bottoms, because his bare chest was quiet obvious. It was also evident that Quidditch had done quite a bit for him, as he was rather well toned. "I hope you don't go calling on other girls this late at night dressed like that."
Harry held his left wrist before the mirror suddenly, revealing the sparkling gold. "This marks me as taken, `Mione," he whispered. "Willingly and whole-heartily taken. You are the only one for me."
"I know," she said, a warm feeling spreading through her at his words anyway.
"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Would you mind... I mean... Would you accompany me to the November Ball?" he asked quickly.
Rather than the joy she had expected when he asked, Hermione actually frowned. "Why did you wait like this, Harry? I mean, you could have asked me in front of McGonagall, or even when you pulled me into the classroom. Why this late?"
Harry looked away from her. "I thought about it, but we had decided to keep what we have a secret for a while, remember?" Harry said softly, looking back to her. "And I thought that that meant the Ball, too. But then I decided that it didn't matter what everyone else thought... I want to be with you, `Mione. Like you said, despite the risks."
Hermione's eyes were suddenly watery as she looked back to him with a broad smile on her face. "And I want to be with you, too, Harry. Are you sure you are okay with this?"
"I should be asking you that," Harry pointed out. "You'll only be in more danger because of this, right?" He then paused for a moment, biting his lower lip as though in thought. He had once told her that he thought it endearing when she did it, and was surprised to see that he might have picked up a few traits from her along the way. "I don't want anyone else to know until the Ball, though."
"Why not?" Hermione asked in surprise.
"I don't want you targeted."
It was not the first time that night that Hermione frowned at him. "I thought we had discussed this, Harry. It is my decision, isn't it?"
He sighed and nodded. "I know. But that doesn't mean I won't worry."
"So long as it doesn't keep us apart, I don't mind you worrying. I worry about you all the time anyway," Hermione reminded him. "So I guess that would only be fair. But you have a point. We wouldn't mention it to anyone until we walk in together."
There was a silence between the two of them, and as Hermione looked into Harry's eyes through the mirror, she couldn't help but feel a little closed off. Often, she would get a sensational feeling when they made eye contact, but through the mirrors it wasn't the same at all.
"I never thanked you," Harry said suddenly.
"For what?"
"For a lot of things," Harry admitted. "But I was talking about rescuing me from the Chamber of Secrets. I apologized, but I never thanked you," he explained. After a brief pause, he smiled to her again. "So thanks."
Hermione nodded, but didn't say anything.
Harry looked away suddenly, as though afraid that someone was up, but looked back after a moment. "Neville rolling over," he explained with a shrug. "So... how bout it, `Mione? Will you come with me to the Ball?"
"I'd love to."
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Well, that would be the word from within The Shadows.
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