Author's notes:
Sorry if I messed up your reading yesterday, I uploaded chapter 11 and realized I had misnamed Harry's owl as Hagrid. The howlers I would have received on that would have deafened me! So I removed then replaced. Sorry. My bad.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter…so sad.
Chapter 12
Being Hermione Granger's Boyfriend
Lord Voldemort leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. The room was dimly lit by slowly dying embers that crackled in the oversized fireplace at the end of the long dark room. Rare tomes of magic were stacked haphazardly around on the floor and across a large mahogany desk filling the air with both dust and the pleasant smell of old mustiness. He was tapping his fingers softly against the broad armrest of his throne-like chair as he considered the dead man at his feet.
"I would say, `Do better next time', but the irony would escape you." He smiled dryly at his own humor before waving his wand to remove the slightly steaming body from the room.
A soft scratch at the door caught his attention and he waved the door open with his hand. Two darkly clad men were nervously waiting to enter but both paused until the imperious man indicated they could come in. Voldemort could smell the fear on them. It was delicious.
Nott, a sullen, sallow-faced man, approached his Lord on his knees and waited for his Master to allow him to speak. Voldemort enjoyed seeing them squirm in apprehension of his moods. The last man in this room had waited just as these two, and they knew it. They had heard the screaming and pleading all the way down the corridor.
"You may tell me of your progress." He waved his thin hand to signify his acceptance of their fealty.
Nott turned his feverish eyes up to look into his Master's emotionless face. A wild grin of pleasure at being able to finally bring good news filled his face maniacally.
"The plan progresses well, my Lord. Both subjects are welcoming our advances and know nothing of what we do. They will tell us everything they know and soon they will get us into the castle."
Nott, so pleased with himself and his accomplishments, reached over and grabbed the armrests of the chair leaning over his Master. His eyes were wild and spittle had leaked from his mouth.
"Get off me, you oaf!" Lord Voldemort stood up shoving the man out of his way.
Nott fell on the floor in dismay and waited to be tortured for his over-familiarity. Others had died for much less. He shivered and whimpered anxiously.
The Dark Lord walked slowly around the two men as his robes billowed around his legs.
"You have done well. Very well. Soon I will kill that pretentious doddering fool and all his sycophants. That Potter boy will be first in line after Dumbledore." He leaned his long thin body up against the fireplace mantle and waved the flames into a raging blaze. The light from the fire left his body in shadows; outlined in darkness.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The week had flown by. Harry had very little to present to the new DA on Friday, and he was starting to get a little worried about it. The young man knew what he needed was a whole new fighting philosophy. This year had to be different. There was too much at stake. He grimly scanned his list of hexes and charms he had researched and threw it down on the library table in dissatisfaction.
Hermione was sitting next to him and was abruptly startled by his sudden movements. Being the boyfriend of Hermione Granger had greatly improved his studying skills. Being the girlfriend of Harry Potter had definitely ruined hers. She would be completely immersed in her Arithmancy homework when he would stand up and walk around the table muttering to himself under his breath.
"Harry. Go. Away." She had endured two hours of his muttering and pacing until he was driving her insane.
"What? What's wrong `Mione?" He reached for her hand and peered searchingly into her eyes. It made her feel terrible when she saw the genuine distress on his face even though he didn't understand he was completely ruining her homework timetable.
"Never mind, Harry. Forget it." She closed her book and turned to look at his parchment covered in spell notes and scratchouts.
"What are you working on?" She read through the list and could discern a theme. They were all spells that you could cast in a fight that would incapacitate your opponent.
"These look great, Harry. Are they for the DA?"
He ran his hands through his already messy hair and threw up his hands in frustration.
"Yes. But it isn't enough. We have to think differently than this. We have to be on the attack. There has to be a way that we can take them down quickly without leaving them time to hurt anyone else. We need to be fast! Strike quick!" He twisted around her to grab a book on Fighting Spells and thumbed it open to a chapter on Strategy.
"Strategy, humm." He knew just who to talk to about strategy. Ron had been trouncing him at Chess for years. If there was someone who could plan an attack, Ron could do it. But Ron wasn't talking to him much, lately. Harry knew it was about his relationship with Hermione, but he hadn't wanted to face his friend and deal with it yet. He had put it out of his mind like he often did.
"I need to talk to Ron."
Hermione bit her lip. "Ron's a little touchy right now. I don't think he's too happy about us."
"Yeah. I know." Harry slumped back into the stiff backed library chair and leaned closer to the girl in front of him.
"Well, he'll just have to get over it. I'm not giving you up for anything." He smiled widely as a light blush covered her face.
Harry tentatively leaned in and softly kissed her. The kiss was slow and chaste and full of the wonder of first love, and it left Hermione breathless.
He pulled back and smiled gently at her. He had messed his hair up with his frustrated hands so much he looked like he had just been flying. His glasses had slipped down his nose and he had an ink smudge across his left cheek, but she had never thought him so handsome before. With more courage than she ever thought she'd have, she leaned in and surprised him by kissing him back.
"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger! Stop that at once!" A voice stridently cut into the air startling them enough that Harry fell out of the chair and onto the floor.
Madame Pince, the librarian was standing right over the two teens with righteous fury.
"I had expected more from you, Ms. Granger! Take your things and carry on somewhere else. The library is not for romantic trysts." She imperiously pointed the completely red-faced couple out the door as the rest of the students in the library clapped and catcalled.
The doors slammed shut leaving them out in the hall as they could hear the muffled voice of the librarian calling for quiet.
Hermione looked scandalized and she was nearly hysterical chattering on about "Never allowed back into the library," and "Madame Pince was so angry."
"Hermione! Hermione, wait! Don't worry. If Fred and George were allowed back into the library after blowing up a whole section of books with fireworks, then we'll not be banned for snogging in the corner. Don't worry, so much! It'll be alright. Besides, I kinda like snogging you. I plan on doing it pretty much everywhere."
She glared at him and couldn't help but laugh at his silly Groucho Marx impression.
"It's just so embarrassing. Everyone was laughing!" she couldn't help but sniffle a little.
"No, they were clapping. Apparently we were doing it right." He grinned.
"Funny, Harry. Really funny."
She sighed softly and leaned into his shoulder as he braced himself against the wall comfortably.
"Sorry to be so hysterical. I've been a little keyed up lately. Not enough sleep." She absently rubbed her wrist with the irritated burn mark.
Harry turned her around and put his forehead against hers. "Why don't we go upstairs to the common room and we can sit by the fire and study all the books you want. Okay? No mean librarians there, I promise."
The girl smiled and rubbed her nose lightly to his. "That would be marvelous."
He grabbed her hand and twined her fingers through his own. It was several flights up the changing stairs to the Gryffindor Tower and they walked slowly hand in hand. Their feet knew the way by heart and they were surreptitiously catching each other's eyes and grinning at one another when Professor Snape rounded the corner nearly knocking Hermione down in his hurry.
"My apologies, I didn't see…" The professor started to express regret for his hurry until he saw to whom he was speaking.
"Miss Granger and Mr. Potter. How touching. Do you normally like to block the walkways? Or were you unaware of where you were going when you were making cow eyes at each other? The hormones in this place are overwhelming. Well? Why are you still in my way? Move on! Move out of my way you dull-witted buffoons!"
Harry and Hermione were staring mouth-open at the man as he prodded his way through them with growl.
"Professor! Who do you think you are…Owww!" He got no further when Hermione punched him in the shoulder to make him quiet down.
Snape paused and turned around with an expression of seething hatred.
"I am your better, Mr. Potter. That is what I am. Don't think that because you have the Headmaster believing you are something special means you really are something special. You are merely another snotty little brat given more than his fair share. I can't stand the sight of you. Ten points from Gryffindor for blocking the hallways. So. Stay out of my way."
Harry and Hermione turned their heads in dismay and watched the rubies disappear from the glass jar holding their House points.
Hermione gripped his arm tightly but Harry wasn't going to say a word. He pursed his lips rigidly and watched the dark man turn in a billow of black robes down the corridor. I hate that man. He thought to himself.
They continued up the stairs to their door entrance and smiled at the new password as they whispered together, "Weazley's Wheezes Now Open in Hogsmede!" They climbed into their Common Room and happily found it mostly empty. Their favorite spot was just waiting for them.
After settling in front of the fire, she soon found herself nodding off. It was so warm and cozy, and Harry's arm was wrapped around her shoulder as they sat together against the foot of the couch with books in each others laps. In moments she drifted off laying her head against his chest.
The dream started so sweetly. She and Harry were together at the lake walking hand in hand. The breeze was light and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. She couldn't hear anything, however and she felt like she was watching a movie with the sound turned down almost completely. With a suddenness that scared her, the air changed to deep, biting cold and she saw dark, ominous clouds rolling in and surrounding them both in a whipping cold storm. She turned to Harry and she saw a look of horror on his face. Instead of being at the lake they were suddenly transported to the Department of Mysteries. Low whispers could be heard swirling around her, but she couldn't tell who was speaking. The voice kept asking about the prophecy, but she didn't know anything to tell. She could see the man in the glass bell turning into a baby over and over and she couldn't hear herself screaming, but she could feel it. It was a grating harsh pain in her throat as the scream silently ripped out of her. She looked around her to see that Harry was horribly still and lying dead at her feet. Rushing towards him she could see him grow smaller and smaller as everything started to spin…
Harry was shaking her awake and she couldn't stop herself from sobbing into his chest as he held her close. Hermione gripped his jacket roughly with her hands and rubbed her eyes hard against the soft fabric.
He was safe. It was only a nightmare.
Her sobs subsided and she looked up into his worried face.
"Does Ron hold you like this when you wake up from a nightmare?" She joked half-heartedly.
He breathed out a half laugh/ half sob as he drew her in close. She had burrowed down to snuggle under his arm and was breathing more steadily but was having trouble with hiccups.
"I usually throw him in the shower, don't I, Harry." Ron had come in a few moments before to witness Hermione thrashing in a nightmare. It had scared him to death. Harry had her in hand, but he could see his best friend was shaking like a leaf. This was Hermione, for Merlin's sake. She was the rock. Harry had dreams like this, but when did she start? Ron stooped down next to the couple and grabbed the girl into a rough embrace.
"Are you alright, Hermione? Do you want to go see Madame Pomfrey? I can get her to come here if you want…" He was shaking as well.
"It's just a nightmare, boys. I've been having them a little lately. I know Harry's had some so
I'm not abnormal or anything." She hugged Ron back and shakily stood up. Nervously, she rubbed her wrist and
looked up at the clock that read nearly midnight.
"I'm so sorry, `Mione. If I hadn't dragged you to the Ministry…if I didn't leave you alone in that street to be shot with hexes…if I…"
She stopped him there with a hand at his mouth. She stared him hard in the eyes and merely shook her head.
"Harry. It is not your fault that I have nightmares. Don't take everything on yourself like that. I've been enjoying the happy version of Harry Potter. I like the one that sneaks a snog in the library and carries my books to class. Don't become that morose creature I met on the train. Okay?"
Harry smiled wanly at his girlfriend then nodded assent.
"I'll see you both in the morning. We have double Potions first thing, you know. You did do your homework, Ron, didn't you?" Harry grimaced with the thought of seeing that git Snape again.
Ron grinned to see the old Hermione he was used to. If she was questioning his homework she couldn't be doing that bad. She smiled at both of them then trudged up the stairs to go to her dorm.
Ron and Harry watched her go then they both picked up the mess that Hermione had made when she flailed about in her dream. After straightening the books and piling them into the corner, they both silently climbed the stairs to their beds.
Ron paused just before they opened the door.
"Stealing snogs in the library?" He raised his eyebrows mockingly.
"Shaddup." Harry grinned in relief and shoved his friend through the open doorway.
7
-->