Hey Everyone! Sorry I took so long - loadsa stuff going on right now! I'm nearly done with the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related to Harry Potter. Everything belongs to the magnificent genius J. K. Rowling
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Chapter Six:
At breakfast the next morning, the only thing that had changed was Harry, who was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to hear others. All he could think about was the night before. He still didn't have an answer to his own question from their conversation. He also couldn't bring himself to look Hermione in the face, who ironically was sitting right in front of him.
"Harry, are you alright?" he heard her ask.
He pretended to be very interested in the water goblet in his raised hand. "Yea, fine. Err… how are you?"
"I'm fine," she said. "And … well … What happened last night? What could have happened last night? Oh, I'm so confused!"
Harry, now starring at his plate, made the mistake of answering back. "Yea, me too."
"What?"
Harry, without thinking, looked at her, eyes wide. Her well-known face seemed different this morning. Harry didn't linger on the thought; faintly realizing she hadn't said that last bit out loud.
"Yea, I'm fine…er… also."
Harry's trail of plausible cover-ups ended when a school owl landed in front of him with the daily whoosh of owls bringing mail. The official-looking letter told him his detention with Professor McGonagall would be that afternoon after lunch.
"What's that?" queried Hermione.
"Detention letter," said Harry, still starring at the note in his hand to keep from looking up - again.
"Oh? When is it for?"
"This afternoon," responded Harry shortly.
"On a Saturday? That's harsh!"
Harry took his chances and looked at her, but remembering their conversation the previous night, spoken and unspoken, he blushed slightly.
"Yea… I have to go; I'll catch up with you later, okay?"
Hermione smiled slightly and nodded. Harry could feel her watch him as he left the Great Hall.
***
Harry wandered around the castle, seeing no one in particular and thinking about nothing worth remembering. He did pass a couple of giggling 5th years somewhere along the 4th floor corridor. Harry was thankful that they couldn't giggle and think at the same time.
Sitting on a bench in a deserted hallway somewhere on the 5th floor, head in hands. His head was spinning. He and Hermione were friends, best friends, at that. And best friends didn't… couldn't… And to top it all off, he was still hearing damn thoughts!
He heard someone approach him and quickly composed himself.
"Hello Harry," said a bemused voice. Harry looked up at the blonde girl.
"Hey Luna," Harry said as Luna Lovegood, possibly the strangest girl in the entire school, sat beside him. Today, her hair was held in a messy bun by a broken quill and she wore her usual necklace of butter beer caps.
"Your aura is pulsing," she noted.
"What?" said Harry dumbly.
"Your aura is pulsing. Can I interpret it? We just learned about interpreting auras in divination," she explained dazedly.
"Err… right. And who is your divination teacher?"
"Professor Firenze," she said in a dreamy tone, looking past Harry.
Harry considered this for a moment. "Okay then," he answered as Luna took hold of his arm.
She looked over the palm of his hand, the back of his hand, and all up and down his arm thoughtfully. She ran her hand just above his skin, making the hair on his arm stand up.
"Oh goodness! Well… how cute - he's in love!"
Harry's mind went from relaxed back to spinning. What the f-…! In love?! After he processed what she had said to extract any and all possible meanings (he only found one), she stopped and let his arm go. She then turned to study the tapestry across the corridor of them.
Harry nearly lost all patience when she said nothing and tried to think of a way to bring up what she had thought without making her suspicious that he had heard her thinking.
"Well?" Harry pressed, not too politely.
Luna turned to look at him straight in the eye. "Your aura is pulsing," she said again.
"Yes," said Harry slowly. "Anything else?"
Luna pondered over his question. "If you look deep in your heart to your greatest desires, you'll find the answer that you've always known subconsciously." That said, she gracefully stood up and continued on her way. "Boys really are clueless…"
Harry was dumbfounded as he watched her leave. He pulled at his hair slightly as if that would make his head better. Suddenly he was grateful he could hear her thoughts, as he would have never figured out what she meant otherwise.
"Okay," Harry said aloud. "I'm in love…" Harry shook his head. "I'm in love?" "Now I know why she's called Loony Lovegood!"
***
Harry saw Ron before they entered the common room. Making a quick decision, Harry took a deep breath and told him of his eccentric encounter with Luna before he had time to change his mind. Ron just starred at him the entire time, mouth slightly agape. A few seconds after Harry was finished, Ron blinked, seeming to come out of a trance.
"So," he said casually, nodding. "You're in love."
Harry shook his head and laughed, "No, she's crazy!"
"Yeah, maybe… but apparently your aura is pulsing!" Ron joked.
Harry shoved him into the small opening when the portrait swung open.
"So who is it?" Ron said, turning around. "Lavender? Hermione! It's Hermione, isn't it! Oh sweet Merlin, it's Parvati!"
"Shut it, will you?" said Harry, looking around. "I'm not in love!" he hissed as they took their usual seats near the fireplace.
Harry took out his Transfiguration book to quickly revise for his test. Concentrating hard enough, he found that he could just almost block out everything else - everything from the two 5th year girls sitting at a table next him to Ron who looked up after every other word he wrote.
It worked too until Hermione entered the common room, pulled out her homework, and started arguing with Ron about a Potion's essay. This continued until Harry stumbled over his Transfiguration notes, and then he had nothing to concentrate on over their bickering.
"Ron, this essay was set ages ago!" "Do you EVER keep with ANYTHING?!"
"Hermione, all I want to see is your conclusion!"
"Do you mean my conclusion that summarizes the entire essay, which you were supposed to take notes on in class (you were damn asleep), and that happens to be on the same parchment as the rest of my essay? THAT conclusion?!" "Do I look that bloody thick?"
Ron was about to answer, but Harry cleared his throat loudly, causing them both to look at him.
"Thank you," he said to both of them before turning to Hermione. "Hermione, I think my notes are wrong. Can you take a look at them?"
Hermione gave Ron a short sideways glance, and replied, "Oh of course." She stood up and sitting on the arm of his chair, she took the parchment from Harry.
"Okay, that's all good… that's spelled wrong… Uh wait… that date is definitely not right!"
Hermione, without looking up, reached out her hand, narrowly missing Harry's face. He stared at her upturned palm and she turned to face him, saying, "Quill please."
"Uh, right. Here."
"There, it looks pretty good. Just a few mistakes."
He smiled at her as a way of thanks. She smiled back.
Harry handed over his quill, feeling utterly stupid. She changed a few lines, then handed his notes and his quill back.
As Hermione returned to her own chair, Ron opened his mouth as if to say something, probably to argue his case further, however futile, but Hermione grabbed her bag and announced she would be in the library till lunch. She looked at Ron and her gaze lingered on Harry before she turned.
Harry watched her leave until the portrait door swung shut. Then he looked back at Ron, who looked at him, then the portrait door where Hermione had just left and back at Harry.
"So," Ron started. "Are you going to tell me who this mystery girl is or not?"
Harry shook his head; Ron was such a wanker. He considered the question anyway. "Not… Ron - I told you Luna's crazy! And for Merlin's sake - I'm NOT in LOVE!"
His shouting attracted the attention of many fellow Gryffindors, who all looked slightly harassed, yet keen on him to continue. Harry didn't bother listening to their thoughts; the whispers were plain enough.
"I'm not!" he shouted, throwing his arms up. Harry grimaced at the silence following his proclamation. He then gathered his books and left for the secluded dormitories.
Everyone was starring now at Ron, as if he would continue where Harry left off.
"He's in denial," Ron said, and everybody went back to his or her own lives.
***
Harry was pacing in front of his bed when Ron found him in the 7th year dormitory.
"Harry…"
"Ron, don't start!" Harry stopped pacing to stand in front of Ron. "I'm not in love, and I don't know who the `mystery girl' is!" he said, using his fingers to quote `mystery girl'.
Ron was slightly amused. "Well, if you're not in love…then why is there a `mystery girl'?" he asked, copying Harry's finger quotes.
Harry was not amused. "You're the one that keeps bringing it up!"
Ron's face contorted with a mixture of queasiness and relief, "It's Ginny!"
"RON! Stop!"
Ron threw with hands up in surrender. "Okay, mate. You may not be in love, but there is something on your mind!"
"No Ron, IN my mind. Remember? Your fault I believe!"
Ron nodded, unbothered, "Oh yea… that's right…"
***
Ron left Harry and shortly after he fell asleep. It seemed like seconds later that Harry woke up suddenly as the dormitory door creaked open. Thinking Ron was coming to pester him again, Harry shut his eyes, turned his face away from the door, and steadied his breathing.
"Oh… he's asleep."
Harry's eyes nearly shot open. What was Hermione doing in his dormitory! He felt the end of his bed sink slightly as she sat on it.
"He looks so peaceful. I guess none of the pressure and anxiety follows you when you sleep. I guess that's good, especially for Harry, what with all the weight on his shoulders."
Harry felt her shake him slightly, obviously trying to wake him.
"Oh God, he's so cute when he's asleep…"
Harry couldn't help the slight jump that was his reaction.
"Harry," she said aloud. "Wake-up."
"No."
Hermione giggled. "Harry, lunch is nearly over."
"Oh, right…" he said groggily.
"Harry don't you have a detention now?" she asked.
"Maybe."
Hermione rubbed his back and shook his shoulder again. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Get up, lazy. Do I have to curse you?"
"I'm up," he said, sitting up. He turned around to look at her, her face comforting and her eyes reflecting the torches on the walls so they appeared to be twinkling.
He starred at her and his mind raced. He thought about Hermione, Luna's `aura' reading, Hermione's hand on his, Ron being a prat, Luna was crazy, Hermione…
Harry looked continued to look at her and brought his face forward slightly, moving to put his arm behind her head. His mind went blank and Harry didn't know what came over him; it just felt… right.
Hermione pulled back and stood up, looking nervous.
"Oh gods, Hermione! What's happening!" "Good luck on your test," Hermione said. "You'll do great."
She walked out of the dormitory quickly, but not before Harry heard her think, "Hermione, you're such an idiot…"
***
Professor McGonagall was already sitting behind her desk when he arrived. She looked up from a large pile of, what it looked like, their tests; a few of them already marked.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. You have one hour to complete the test, and as always, no talking."
Harry smiled meekly and sat down at a desk that had a test set out and pulled out a quill from his bag.
He looked at the first question. He smiled, remembering Hermione sitting on his armchair and correcting that particular date. Concentrating as hard as he could, Harry easily finished the first part of his test.
Before he turned the page, he looked up at Professor McGonagall. She was still marking tests and was positively beaming at the current one she was on.
"She must be on Hermione's test," Harry thought glumly.
Thinking of Hermione, he turned the page and his mind drew a blank, completely forgetting nearly everything on the second part of the test. His mind wandered even as he read the first question. When a brilliant red bird flew past the window, Harry realized he had been starring out of it for… he wasn't sure for how long, but McGonagall was already halfway through marking the next test, this time frowning.
Harry reread the first question. "What is the incantation used to transfigure animals back to their original state?"
Harry almost groaned aloud and his concentration wavered again. He starred at the question, perhaps hoping he could just magic the answer onto the paper.
"Mr Goyle… wrong again… the incantation is `Finite Origious Prospetus'…"
Without looking up, Harry eyebrows raised. That was the answer! Before he changed his mind, he wrote the incantation on the parchment. Gaining the obvious certainty he needed, he managed to finish the test a few minutes before McGonagall asked him to put down his quill.
Harry left the classroom and headed towards the Gryffindor common room, where he hoped he might find Ron and Hermione.
He didn't feel too bad about cheating on one answer. What was he supposed to do - put the wrong answer after he had heard the right one? He decided Ron was to blame. Ron and his stupid something non… something potion!
***
Along the 4th floor corridor, the library door at the end of the hall in front of Harry opened and closed. Harry starred at Hermione, who was unaware of him watching her. She pulled her hair off her neck, which had easily gone from a frizzy bush to sleek curls over the last few years. Pulling off her jumper, she shoved it in her bag and rolled up her sleeves to her elbows.
She smiled at a small 1st year girl and held the library door open for her. Hermione looked up after she watched the 1st year timidly walk into the library and her gaze fell on Harry. It was at that moment that Harry realized Luna had been right.
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Preview to Chapter 7:
Harry's throat went dry. Her reply suddenly made him aware of his situation. He was alone with in a broom closet Hermione Granger. A broom closet that was so small that there was no room to maintain a respectable distance between them and so dark he couldn't see her face to distinguish between spoken words and thoughts. He was in serious trouble…
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