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Chapter 5: The Unexpected
Before long the train came to a complete stop. They all got up and were about to walk off when Hermione noticed something.
"What's that?" she asked pointing to a cassette tape that had appeared.
"Let me see," said Casey going passed her. She crouched down and examined it.
"What's happening?" asked Harry turning around.
"It appears to be a tape," said Casey pointing her wand at it.
"What are you going to do to it?" asked Hermione, what with being muggle-born and all she knew about it.
"Play it of course," said Casey putting an enchantment on it, then a soft voice began saying:
Build your love with her
Let it flourish and grow
Fill that empty void
Go on and let everyone know
Until it is time
For her to meet her end
This won't be long
For her I will send.
Hermione felt chills going down her spine. What was this poem meaning?
"I need to take this straight to Dumbledore. You three stay close together, do not get separated," explained Casey.
"We won't," Harry assured her and then she disappeared.
"This day just keeps getting stranger," commented Ron.
Harry and Hermione both agreed and nodded. Hermione guessed they were all feeling about the same because they walked over to the horseless carriages in a silence.
"Here," said Harry helping her in.
"Thanks," she said.
"Hullo," said a girl stepping into the carriage with them.
Hermione recognized her as Cho Chang only she looked so much older. She had probably matured so much after the pain of Cedric's death.
"Hi Cho," said Harry unsure of what to say.
"I know this is awkward. It is for me too, but I want us to be friends," explained Cho with a small smile.
"I'd like that," said Harry, "Oh, yeah; these are my friends, Ron and Hermione."
Hermione couldn't help but be slightly irritated that he introduced her as just a friend. She thought they had agreed that they were not just friends, they were together. Looking down at her ring, she kept her mouth shut. Maybe she was just a little bit paranoid. After all, Harry is her first really serious boyfriend, and since Victor never tried to contact her, the thought of losing someone else was painful. She suddenly realized that the thought of Victor was painful too, but couldn't understand why.
"It's nice to meet you. Harry, I need you to know that I don't blame you at all. I've been thinking about that and you all summer," said Cho sincerely and placing her hand on Harry's.
"I'm glad," he answered, turning his hand and holding hers.
"Well, I was wondering, that is if you wanting to, if perhaps we could get a bite to eat or something on the next Hogsmeade weekend?" asked Cho.
Hermione could tell Harry was panicking now, he'd crushed on Cho since his third year, and here was his first real chance to be with her.
"I can't," said Harry with a long sigh.
"Oh," said Cho clearly disappointed.
"He would," said Hermione deciding to put in her say, "but me and him are a couple."
"OH, I'm so sorry for asking, I didn't know," said Cho very quickly and her embarrassment was visible on her face.
"It's alright," said Harry.
"Are you two engaged?" asked Cho seeing Hermione's ring for the first time.
"No," said Harry, Hermione could tell he was uncomfortable.
"It's nothing," said Hermione.
"Well, even so congratulations," said Cho when the carriages came to a stop.
"Thanks," said Harry, turning a bit red.
After a brief good-bye, Cho went off to join her other Ravenclaw friends.
"That was," said Harry but Ron cut him off.
"Who's that with Ginny?" asked Ron, he had spotted Ginny holding hands with someone.
"I don't know," answered Harry stretching to see for him.
Hermione got a guilty feeling in her stomach. She had a feeling Ginny was with Draco and Ron would be far from pleased at hearing such news.
"I'm going to go and see," Ron stated going ahead of them through the crowd. Harry quickly went up behind him. Hermione just walked normal, feeling like every step was heavy for she didn't want to see what was about to happen.
"What the bloody hell!" exclaimed Ron. She reached them in time to hear him, and see Ginny turning red and Draco scowling.
"It's none of your damn business Weasel," drawled Draco, it was clear he still hated the rest of the Weasleys'.
"It will be when my fist is down your throat," growled Ron, furious.
"Please stop it, both of you," pleaded Ginny.
"Yes, leave each other alone," agreed Hermione stepping between the two.
"Since when do you stick up for Malfoy? He's the one who calls you mud-blood and I have had to stick up for you against," asked Harry confused, but she could tell he was very angry.
"I'm not. I am here for Ginny, unlike the two of you. Maybe you need to stop protecting me than if I'm that much trouble. Perhaps I'm no longer worth your time," said Hermione flatly.
"I am here to protect her and knock the shiny teeth out of that scum's mouth," stated Ron pulling out his wand.
"You 'oo need 'o stop," said a young voice from behind Hermione.
She turned to see Fleur Delacour standing there. They all fell silent.
"I am y'oo's defense 'eacher," she explained.
"That's great Professor. If you don't mind I'm going to go and sit down," explained Hermione watching Ron turn red and Harry looking at her oddly.
"O' course," said Fleur kindly.
Hermione turned and walked through the doors to the great hall. At this point she could care less if Harry got a detention. She couldn't believe his behavior; of all people she thought he would be the most understanding. And to act like she was a pain. Perhaps she didn't know him as well as she thought she did. Maybe he wasn't the guy she wanted after all. She was about through those thoughts when she felt someone touch her hand.
"You okay?" asked Harry, who's hand it had been.
"Why not ask Ginny?" stated Hermione, shunning him and sitting down.
"You're going to be mad at me now aren't you?" he asked her. She couldn't see the expression on his face because she was looking up at the teachers table to avoid him.
"Should have thought about that," said Hermione shortly as she saw him sit down from the corner of her eye.
"Casey said for us to stay together," explained Harry carefully.
"Yeah, well from the sounds of that tape and the way you talk we won't be for long," said Hermione feeling a tear roll down her cheek. She loved him; she really did, and hated fighting.
"That's what this is about?" asked Harry and she looked at him. The hurt was in his eyes, which she looked down to not have to see.
"Yes," she said, her voice shaking and more tears coming.
"Hermione, I'm not perfect. I never claimed to be, and if you can't get that than maybe you don't know me," he told her.
Her jaw fell open, how could he say that?
"Don't worry if things don't work Cho'll have you," said Hermione bitterly.
"I don't want Cho," explained Harry, and if she just saw right, he had a tear in his eye too.
"Prove it," she told him.
"Fine," said Harry.
He stood up, and stepped onto where he had been sitting. Took out his wand and put it to his throat, while casting a spell to project his voice so he could be heard throughout the great hall.
"I Harry Potter am totally and completely in love with Miss Granger and hereby promise to try and not make such stupid mistakes," he boomed.
She giggled, everyone was staring which caused her to turn scarlet. It really was a sweet jester, one she wouldn't soon forget.
"How about that?" asked Harry proudly after he put his voice back to normal and sat down.
"I love you," she told him and he hugged her tightly.
"I love you too and don't ever scare me like that again," he said.
"Scare you?" asked Hermione with a grin.
"Yes, Voldemort can't but the thought of losing you does," Harry explained.
"You won't," she assured him as he wiped the tears off her face.
Dumbledore coughed loudly from the head table and everyone fell silent.
"Now if Mr. Potter and Miss. Granger are all done making up, I would like to make this year's announcements," said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.
Both Harry and Hermione blushed, and it fazed her that during there argument the sorting had happened. That was very odd.
"First of all, we have a very special student joining us this year. Cassandra Evelyn Kovich will now be joining Gryffindor and she is a fifth year prefect," began Dumbledore as Casey walked in and quickly took a seat next to Ron who had sat across from Hermione.
"Our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher is Miss. Delacour, whom some of you may remember from last year. There will also be a greater prize for the winner of this year's quidditch cup; the winning team will get to play for Hogwarts in an international school championship next year! And, as always, the forest is forbidden. Now that we are all starving, let's eat!" announced Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye.
But Hermione had a bad feeling in her stomach, something wasn't right. Food appeared on the table soon in front of her but she hardly touched it.
"Aren't you hungry?" asked Ron reaching for another potato. She would have sworn he ate more and more every year. It was quite amazement to her how he and Harry weren't as fat as pigs by now.
"No," she replied quietly, hoping Harry wouldn't hear. Nope, she wasn't that lucky.
"Why not? You need to eat," Harry told her sternly now staring at her empty plate. \
"I don't really..." but she stopped talking as she saw what Harry was doing. He was grabbing everything in reach and putting a little bit of it on her plate. It wouldn't have been so bad but after ten or eleven different things it added up.
"There," he said finally with a smirk.
"That was not necessary," she informed him.
"Do I need to feed you too?" he asked her, only this time he winked.
"Boys," she mumbled to herself. Giving in she ate, not all that was on her plate but just a little.
After what felt like only a very short time, they all started heading back to the Gryffindor common room.
"Out of the way," murmured Casey, walking in front of everyone.
"Remind you of anyone?" Hermione teased Ron.
"Shut up," he told her.
"The new password is,' pumpkin pie' and I want you to remember it. I hate repeating myself," Casey scolded them. This was a different side then what Hermione had seen earlier. Now she could understand why she was an agent.
Once inside, Harry pulled her over to a corner.
"What?" she asked him, confused by his expression. She was unsure if he was angry or happy.
"I've been deprived," he told her seriously.
"Deprived of what?" she asked getting annoyed.
"You," he told her.
In one swift movement, he had his arms wrapped around her and his lips on hers. Tongues clashing, he deepened the kiss, and a small moan escaped from her throat. Casey walked up beside them and coughed. Harry and Hermione parted and both turned red.
"Like I said, a room," she told them. When she turned away Hermione could have sworn she saw a small smile upon her face.
"How does she do that?" asked Harry in awe.
"I don't care what Dumbledore says. She is no ordinary student here, she's keeping an extra sharp eye on you, and you alone," she told him, finally confessing her thoughts.
"You'd think it would be a guy, that way it'd be the same dorm," considered Harry.
"You just want to share a dorm with her," teased Hermione.
"I wouldn't mind it with you," he said. There he was again, staring into her eyes. She felt like her knees were going to give out at any time.
"Bed Time!" announced Casey to the whole common room. There were many groans.
"See," said Hermione raising her eye brows.
"Night," he told her clearly not voicing his opinion.
"Night," she told him with one last kiss on the cheek.
After that she headed upstairs to the room she shared with four other girls, marked 5th years. Inside she found Lavender, Parvati, and the other girls up talked about how unfair Casey was.
"I didn't even get settled in," complained one.
"It's not even classes tomorrow," whined Lavender.
Hermione simply rolled her eyes and went over to her four poster bed, on which was a note:
Tell me
Come closer to me today,
Tell me what I need to here,
Say those sweet nothings,
In my ear,
Tell me that you love me,
With every bit of your heart,
Tell me that we're together
And we will never truly part,
Tell me that I'm the one,
That makes you feel complete,
Tell me that you love it,
When I kiss you on the cheek,
Tell me that you care,
Just by holding my hand,
Love Harry
She felt a small grin play on her face as she climbed into bed. Closing her eyes, she knew she'd be okay not matter what came.
A/N: All poetry belongs to me, and I'm very protective of it. It you wished to use it, please email me asking permission at nats_big_sis@yahoo.com!