Title: The Virtue of Patience
Author: Goldy
Disclaimer: Still JKR's. Which is still probably for the best.
A/N: This is the first of five rather short chapters. I wrote this on my livejournal, in response to a request made by Copper and danielerin. Well, sort of. The first chapter was because of Copper, the overall plot is due to danielerin. Hence, the first chapter is a bit of mindless fluff, and the rest of it… isn't. Confused yet?
Dedication: For Copper and danielerin, for obvious reasons. Especially danielerin, who I'm planning on sending my therapy bills to at a later date.
A/N 2: As a bit of a clarifying point, danielerin's request would be that Ginny would try, and fail, to break up Harry/Hermione. Now, I'll freely admit that I'm not a Ginny fan. Do I think that in canon Ginny is evil? No. But if you're a fan, you might want to skip this one, as she'll come across as anything but sympathetic here.
"Your feet are cold."
"All of me is cold."
"Yes, but why must you leave your feet there?"
"I'm trying to warm them up."
"By making me cold in the process?"
"You're whinging again."
"I do not whinge."
"You certainly do. 'Oh, my name is Harry Potter, I do suffer and sacrifice so! How wilt I ever carry on?'"
"Are you quite done?"
"Almost-hold on. 'I rush headlong into danger, but cannot bear the idea of cold feet! What a terrible life I lead!'"
"Funny."
"I thought so."
"Ouch! The hell was that for, Ron?"
"For making me ill to my stomach. Some of us are trying to study, you know."
Hermione snorted. Loudly.
"Bugger off."
"Sorry, Ron, can't move. Frozen in place, you know."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard. Hermione's feet are cold."
"See? You whinge."
"Do not."
"Hermione, really, how could you forget? Occasionally he even yells."
"Yes, thank you."
"You know, Harry, Ron's right. We should be studying."
"I can't believe she just said that."
"Hush, Ron."
"No, no, we don't need to study. See, I know all about hypothermia-you're supposed to huddle naked under a blanket with someone."
"Harry, I never knew you felt that way about me."
"Shut up, Ron."
"Or…"
There was a long moment of silence, as Hermione's forehead creased into a thoughtful frown.
"I've been meaning to take some more hats down to the kitchens… we could get hot cocoa at the same time."
"Er… would that require moving?"
"Yes, it's good for you. Gets the blood moving."
"I think I preferred the blanket idea."
"Harry!"
"Merlin-I'm coming. No need to get all in a strop about it."
"Oh, good, I'll get some silence. Brilliant. Yes, please be off."
"Well, if you didn't leave your work for the last minute, you wouldn't have this problem, Ron."
"Oi! Harry hasn't done anything either. Get on his case, not mine."
"Thanks, mate."
"Harry is coming with me to get hot cocoa."
"Yeah. So there."
"You were far less annoying before you started dating Hermione, you know. She, on the other hand, has always been this annoying."
"Aww, Ron, that was so touching." Hermione tugged on Harry's sleeve. "Let's go."
Dutifully, Harry followed her out of the common room, rubbing his hands together in hopes of returning feeling to his fingers. If possible, the corridors were even colder than Gryffindor Tower.
"Can't they… I dunno… just turn up the heat or something?"
"Honestly! When are you going to read Hogwarts: A History?"
"Erm… never?"
"There is no central heating system. That's Muggle technology, Harry. Besides, the castle is far too old to install anything of the sort. Everything is heated by fire and, well, it's not particularly affective when we have a long cold spell."
"Is this castle home to the most powerful wizard in existence or not?"
"You can't just mess with elements. I think it makes perfect sense for Dumbledore to leave things be."
"Ha!"
"You're whinging again."
"I do not whinge."
They entered the kitchens, which were significantly warmer than the rest of the castle. Harry had a sneaking suspicion that the house elves were using magic to keep themselves warm.
Smile bright, Hermione surreptitiously placed her hats down in a pile and nudged them off to the side with her foot. Harry was certain she wasn't fooling anybody. Most of the elves took one look and immediately backed into a corner.
Hermione looked a little disheartened and Harry put a comforting hand on her arm, glancing around for Dobby.
The house elf was impossible to miss, as he was the only one wearing Hermione's knitted hats. He beamed at the sight of them, practically tripping over himself in his eagerness to see them.
"It's Harry Potter, sir! Harry Potter has come to visit Dobby in the kitchens!"
"Err… that's right. Listen, Dobby, I dunno if you've been in the rest of the castle recently, but it's getting awfully cold."
Dobby seemed to understand. He gestured to the rest of the elves. "Harry Potter, sir, wants hot cocoa!"
There was a flurry of movement and all the elves got to work. In less than a minute, Harry was handed two steaming, re-fillable, un-freezable mugs of hot cocoa. The house elves were all careful to give Hermione a wide birth and Harry could see that she was struggling against discouragement.
"Hey, I've got an idea," Harry said as they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room. "Tomorrow, if it warms up some… how about if you show me how to knit? We could make them scarves-bet you Dobby would love that."
She gave a long, suffering sigh. "I don't think so, Harry."
"Why not?"
"I know what you're doing and it's not working."
"I have no idea what you mean."
"Maybe-maybe Ron's right. Maybe house elves don't want to be freed. Maybe it's a waste of time… and-and I'm tired of it. What's the point?"
"You don't really mean that."
"Well, what would you know? 'Oh, Harry Potter, sir? How can we help you? What can we get you? Can I polish your shoes? Can I bow down at your feet?'"
"Drink some hot cocoa."
"What?"
"Hot cocoa. C'mon, it'll make you feel better."
"I'm not-you're being ridiculous."
"Seriously, Hermione. This stuff is really good."
"Stop it."
"No-I won't stop it. This isn't you. You don't give up hope, certainly not about S.P.E.W. And you never poke fun at me because of my fame. So… I just think… that you need… some hot cocoa."
Hermione went silent.
Harry chanced a look at her. She had her arms crossed over her chest and was studying the floor with an intensity that he found mildly unsettling.
"I'm sorry," she finally said. "You're right… it wasn't fair of me to take my frustration out on you."
"It's alright, Hermione. I understand. Believe me."
"I know."
"You know something? What you're doing with S.P.E.W.-I think it's worth it. I don't ever want to see you lose hope in it. It's… who you are. You care… about everything. That's so important, Hermione."
She drew in a sharp breath and tugged on his arm to bring him to a stop. "Thank you." Standing on her tip-toes, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips before pulling away and smiling. "You taste like cocoa."
"Imagine."
She grabbed her mug from his hand and cradled it protectively near her chest. "I like cocoa."
"I told you it would make you feel better."
"No, you made me feel better."
"Really?"
"Yes, really."
"I'm impressed."
"Don't get such a big head about it."
"Now who's whinging?"
"Oh, for heaven's sakes."
"I'll race you back to the common room."
"I'm not racing."
"It might be fun."
"We'll spill hot cocoa everywhere."
"So? Re-fillable mugs, remember?"
"Besides-I'm not certain I can move that fast. My feet are rather frozen."
"Ahh, yes, we've been over this."
"We're nearly there, anyway. There's no point in racing."
"How about we snuggle under a blanket?"
"Don't go getting any ideas."
"I'm insulted."
Hermione smiled and clambered in through the portrait hole, Harry behind her.
"This has been nice, hasn't it?"
"You mean, it's been nice and normal, without the darkness of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named interfering?"
She studied him for a moment. "I suppose he's never far from your mind, is he?"
"No. Not really."
"I know that you're afraid of every good thing that happens to you-that there might be a catch. But you can't live like that, Harry. It's not healthy."
"I know. I'm doing my best. Live for the moment, right?"
"Live for the moment. You and me-"
"-and hot cocoa."
"Yes, that. Of course."
"I know, Hermione. Really-I do."
"You know I'm not going anywhere, don't you?"
"Well, I s'pose if you've managed to put up with me this long-you might as well stick around."
"Might as well."
"Now-let's find a blanket. You have cold feet, remember?"
From the entrance to the girls' dormitories Ginny watched the two of them settle down by the fire. They exchanged a few choice words with her brother before sitting on the couch-close, but not too close.
It was all too impossible.
Harry and Hermione simply did not make a proper couple, Ginny was sure of it. They were best friends. And they were much better suited for each other as best friends than anything more than that.
But Ginny was prepared to wait.
She'd been waiting on Harry for years-patience was her strongest virtue and she was immensely proud of it.
Most importantly, she knew they couldn't last forever.