Just a Glimpse

LittleCreek

Rating: G
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 4
Published: 03/10/2004
Last Updated: 03/10/2004
Status: completed

Hermione stood and walked a few steps before turning around, “Later, then, Harry?”

Chapters

1. Just a Glimpse

1. Just a Glimpse

The “Weird Sisters” were definitely weird and the music was rather loud.

And too much to deal with at the moment.

Hermione looked twice around the room, and sensing her chance, slinked out the side door.

“Thank goodness.” She sighed and settled onto a bench in the courtyard, hugging herself against the cool night.

Fresh air.

Everyone had been staring at her tonight and it was completely unsettling. So what if she looked a bit different, she was still Hermione.

And I can still hex them into next year if I want, she told herself.

She looked up at the starlit sky and took a deep breath, fingering her unusually tame hair (thanks to the sleek eazy she'd applied) and smoothing her hands over the skirt of her periwinkle blue dress robes, a small smile playing on her lips.

“Trying to hide as well, then?”

Hermione gasped at the sound and turned toward the darkness to find a familiar figure leaning, arms crossed, against the side of the castle.

“Harry Potter! I should kill you for sneaking up on me.” She said teasingly.

“Someone's already trying.” He smirked and continued before Hermione could apologize, “And I was here first.”

“You were?”

Harry moved from the wall and sat beside her on the bench, noticing the moonlight cascading across her face. She was glowing. “Yeah. Been out here for a while now.”

“You left poor Parvati all alone?” Hermione cheeked.

“Yes, she seems rather crushed by it, doesn't she?” He nodded his head toward the door, knowing Parvati was inside with no less than four Beauxbatons boys.

“Well, you apparently aren't.”

“Not especially.”

“Rather be with Cho, then?”

Harry jerked his head in her direction. “What?”

“Honestly, Harry, you and Ron think I only hear what you say directly to me.” Their shoulders were already touching and Hermione nudged him playfully.

Harry just smiled, “I suppose I would have been a bit more keen on this if I'd been with… someone else.”

Hermione nodded, an odd look on her face. “Well…” She started, not knowing what she really wanted to say.

“So, why are you hiding?”

“I'm not hiding!” She said incredulously.

“Hermione.”

“Harry,” she sighed, “You're used to people ogling you. I'm not. And being here with Viktor, well, it draws attention.”

“Not to mention the way you look.” The words tumbled out before Harry could stop them.

Hermione looked down, blushing, and a shy smile formed, “I suppose I look a bit different.”

“I didn't know it was you at first.” Harry looked up, “I mean, I see you all day, every day, so I wasn't expecting…”

“You weren't expecting?” Hermione wanted to laugh as Harry fumbled with how to say she looked attractive without inadvertently saying she usually wasn't. “You weren't expecting me to look pretty?” She finally ventured.

Harry looked at her as if she was mad, “No.” He said simply, “I've always thought you were pretty,” he paused for a moment, not noticing the look of shock on Hermione's face, “but tonight, it was…” he searched for the word, “different.”

His description had ended, rather inarticulately, with the same word Hermione had used to describe herself moments before. Somehow it was the only word fitting at the moment and Hermione smiled brightly, feeling suddenly light, “Thank you, Harry.”

Harry smiled back at her, “You're welcome.”

For a tiny instant, the gaze between them held something other than friendship. Something gradually fighting its way out.

“Herm-own-ninny?” Krum's voice shook them, visibly, from their places. He was calling from around the corner.

“Oh.” Said Hermione, heat rushing her face. “I'd better go in.”

“Right.” Harry smiled.

Hermione stood and walked a few steps before turning around, “Later, then, Harry?”

“Of course,” he said with a grin, and watched the doorway long after she'd disappeared inside it.

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