3. Unexpected Visit
The following day, Harry was taking a shower in his house at Grimmauld Place. He had just gotten back from work and was getting ready to go meet Ron at the Three Broomsticks at eight o'clock. Early that morning both Ginny and Luna had left to Paris for their conference and were not coming back until Sunday night.
Without paying much attention to the clothes he was choosing, Harry grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a gray jumper from his wardrobe. Twenty minutes later, he apparated in Hogsmead. Ron was already waiting for him in a table by a corner, an open bottle of butterbeer in front of him. Harry went straight to him and ordered a butterbeer for himself.
"Hey mate", greeted Ron. Harry noticed that Ron looked nervous, but could not guess what was the reason. "I need your advice." And as he was saying that, Ron took out of his pocket a small, black velvet box. He opened it and placed it right in front of Harry.
In the inside of the tiny box there was a small solitary ring with a sparkling diamond.
"Are you asking me to marry you?" laughed Harry.
"Ha, ha!" said Ron faking a rather weird laugh. "What do you think?"
"Well…" responded Harry while scratching his head as if giving it a good thought. "I think I'm too young to get married."
Ron looked at Harry with a look of frustration. "C'mon, man", demanded Ron. "You think the stone is too small?"
Harry took the box in his hands and looked closely at the ring. "I don't think it matters how big the stone is, what matters is the fact that you're proposing", said Harry who could not see anything wrong with the ring. "Blimey Ron, I can't believe you're getting married!"
"She hasn't said yes yet, you know."
"Honestly, you really think she'd say no?" Harry knew perfectly well that Ron and Luna were crazy about each other and could not feel happier for them.
"Well, she could", said Ron with concern in his voice. "I mean, one thing is to live together, but to get married…you know. This is a big thing we're talking about."
Ron took the box from Harry's hand a looked at it for a while. "I want to do the right thing, you know. I mean look at my parents. They've been together for ages. That's what I want."
Harry totally agreed with Ron. He also wanted to find someone he could share the rest of his life with, someone to make a family of his own. "I mean, they've been together through a lot of difficult stuff… and I don't just mean, you know… financially, but they… being in the Order and all."
Just as Ron was saying all this, a couple walked in the bar laughing loudly. Harry looked at the couple and realized the guy was the same one he had seen at Hermione's office. He wondered who that girl could be.
"What? Does it sound too corny?" asked Ron. "'Cause I'm planning to say something like that to Luna." But then Ron realized that Harry wasn't even looking at him. Instead he was looking intently at the noisy couple.
After ordering a couple of drinks the couple sat at a table in the other side of the bar. Ron thought Harry was looking at the girl, who Ron found rather good-looking.
"Who is she?" wondered Ron, talking more to himself than to Harry.
"Dunno", responded Harry. "But I do know who that guy is. That's Hermione's… you know, love interest."
Ron's mouth open with a gasp. "Hermione fancies that bloke!" said Ron in disbelief. "And who you reckon she is?" asked Ron who by now was also staring at the couple.
"That's exactly what I want to know", said Harry. He had a bad feeling about it.
For several minutes the couple kept talking animatedly, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except perhaps the exaggerated way in which both of them laughed, as if wanting to make sure everybody could see they were having a good time.
"Well…", said Ron. "She could be his friend, or his sister, or a cousin." But just as Ron was saying that Steven began kissing his girlfriend in a way that left no doubt. "Well… I think the matter's been settled then," said Ron in a matter-of-fact tone. "I don't reckon he'd kiss a relative that way, not even a friend actually."
Harry could not believe his eyes. Steven was cheating on Hermione right in front of him. For sure Steven hadn't seen him, otherwise he wouldn't have done this knowing that Harry'd tell Hermione about it. But now that he thought about it, Ron and Harry weren't the only people at the bar. Everybody could see them. In fact, it kind of looked as if they wanted people to see them. "Then, why is he risking it like this?" Harry thought. "Anybody could run and tell Hermione about it." Being Hermione a well know person and a frequent client of the bar, there could very possibly be another person there who knew her besides Harry and Ron.
"I can't believe this, that bloody idiot", said Harry who was ready to jump on Steven and beat the hell out of him. "How can he do this to Hermione?"
"Are you sure he's dating Hermione?" asked Ron. "I mean he doesn't look to me like a guy she would date. He kind of reminds me of our DADA teacher, who now lives in St. Mungo's, if you know who I mean."
"I guess they're going out, at least that's what I think", said Harry. "He was holding her hands."
"When?"
So Harry proceeded to tell Ron about the one time ha had seen Hermione and Steven together, emphasizing the fact that Steven looked upset when Harry interrupted them.
"That doesn't mean they're going out", reasoned Ron. But as he looked at Harry's expression he knew he needed to lay out his reasons. "Well Hermione's a girl, isn't she?" said Ron as if that was reason enough.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know, the guy may've hold her hand and not mean anything about it, whereas Hermione is already thinking about wedding gowns."
"I don't think that's the case", said Harry. Even when in a way he agreed with Ron, he also remembered the look in Hermione's face.
"Okay, so let's say they are going out, what are you going to do?"
"About what?"
To answer Harry's question, Ron pointed towards the place where Steven and Rita were still devouring each other. "You've got to tell her."
"I don't know"
"You have to", said Ron in a this-is-serious-business way. "She has the right to know, or are you just going to let it go until someone else goes and tells her. Don't you think Hermione'd appreciate it if it were you who'd tell her."
"Yeah, I think you're right", confirmed Harry. "I have to tell her."
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With so many things twirling in her mind, Hermione thought she was not going to be able to sleep. Ginny had left early that morning to her conference and wasn't due back home until Sunday night. She had the flat for herself. To get out of the working mode, she had already jumped into her cotton pajamas, baby blue drawstring pants and a small cami, and was wearing her big comfy white slippers.
She thought about lying in the living room's couch and read to see if sleep would finally come. So, she took a book, without even looking at the title, and went to make herself comfortable in the couch. Ten minutes later, she realized she'd been sitting in the couch for a while now and she hadn't even opened her book. She shook her head. Obviously, she wasn't in a state of mind that would allow her to read and actually taken in what was she was reading. She just couldn't stop thinking about Steven.
Then the doorbell announced there was someone at the door. Instinctively, she looked at the clock hanging from the wall and wondered who could possibly be at the door when it was almost ten o'clock. Cautiously, she went to the door and looked through the peek hole. Surprised to see who her visitor was she opened the door.
"Harry!"
Without even saying hello, Harry stormed inside the flat. He looked anxious and agitated.
"Are you okay?" asked Hermione who after closing the door had followed Harry toward the living room.
"Can I have some water?"
"Of course", replied Hermione. She was beginning to feel a little anxious herself by just looking at Harry. She went to the kitchen and poured some water in a glass. Then went back to the living room and found Harry standing in the exact same spot she'd left him.
"Sit down", said Hermione while extending the glass towards Harry. He took the glass form her hand and drank the water as if he'd just crossed the Sahara. Not knowing what to say, Hermione sat down and waited for him to speak.
"Hermione... I need to talk to you." Harry's voice didn't sounded normal at all. Finally, he sat down in the couch next to Hermione. He turned his body so that he was facing her and took one of her hands in his.
"You know how important you are to me, don't you. And you know that I wouldn't lie to you, right?"
Hermione nodded. "Harry... you're scaring me."
"It's just that... Hermione, I don't want you to be hurt. And if I could, I'd do anything to keep you from harm."
Hermione knew that. She knew it perfectly well 'cause that was exactly how she felt towards him. In fact, he'd proven her how much he was willing to risk himself for her when they were both fighting against the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. So, where exactly was Harry trying to go with this? What was he trying to tell her?
"Harry, please just tell me whatever you have to tell me."
Harry took a deep breath, and got a little closer to her. "Okay. The thing is..."
He stopped for a while trying to think of where to begin. It certainly had been easy to say that he'd tell Hermione what he had just seen, but to actually do it was a whole different thing. He was going to break her heart. Well not him precisely, but he was going to be the one to tell her something that for sure was going to break her heart. But he had to do it. She had the right to know.
"I was with Ron, at the Three Broomsticks," finally said Harry. "He was telling about how he is going to propose and just then.."
"He's going to propose!" interrupted Hermione. Was that it? Was that what Harry had been trying to tell her?
"The thing is..." said Harry cutting her words while waving his hand as if to make aside that tiny detail. "We saw Steven." As Hermione heard that name, she suddenly froze. She definitely was not expecting Harry to talk about Steven.
"But he was not alone... He, ah... he was with a girl." Harry looked at Hermione, but by the look of her face he thought she had not understood him. So, he decided to try and explain himself a little better.
"But not just any girl, Hermione." And to make sure she'd get it this time Harry quickly added, "They were kissing, and I mean really kissing, you know. One of those I-gotta-have-you-now kind of kiss, actually loads of them."
Hermione didn't know what to say. She knew perfectly well who Steven had been with. In a way, that was no surprise for her. Harry, however, had expected Hermione to react way different than this. He thought she was going to get angry and start yelling, or maybe she'd get upset with Harry and even say that he, Harry, was lying, or that he had mistaken Steven with someone else. Harry had expected anything else but Hermione's reaction. She was quietly looking at her hands, no sign of emotion in her face.
"Did you hear what I just said?" asked Harry.
Hermione nodded, but still didn't say a word. Harry lifted his hand and pulling Hermione's face made her face him. Then it came clear to him. She knew it. She already knew this.
"You knew."
Hermione couldn't keep Harry's gaze. She stood up and turned her back on him, but Harry was not going to forget about it. He wanted to know what was going on, and this time he wasn't going to let her avoid his questions. He wanted an answer and she was going to have to give it to him. So, he stood as well as pull her upper arm to make her turn and face him.
"You want to tell me what's happening here." Harry word's sounded more as a demand than a request. Hermione tried to free her arm of Harry's grip, but he didn't let go. On the contrary, he tighten his grip. Hermione let out a sigh of resignation and accepted the fact that she had no escape than to tell Harry the truth.
"Okay Harry... I'll tell you."
Harry let go of her arm and made a move with his hand to make her sit back in the couch. He sat next to her, waiting for her explanation. And the explanation came. Hermione told Harry everything. She told him about Rita and her two-year relationship with Steven, about how for the last eight months she'd been secretly in love with him, about how he had let her know in so many different ways that he liked her, and about how they had finally kissed a couple of times.
Harry remained silent for a while. He wasn't expecting this. This was not right. This was not the usual Hermione. She wouldn't fall in love with someone else's boyfriend. Not only that but she'd never kissed someone else's boyfriend. This was not possible. It just didn't make sense. He stood up and started pacing around the room.
This was not the Hermione he knew. How could she have changed so much? Had Steven placed some kind of spell upon her? That must be it. Of course, that had to be it. Otherwise, he could not understand how a man could make a woman turn in someone completely different in just a few months.
"Harry, please...I", Hermione didn't know what to say, how to excuse herself. She knew how terrible it all sounded. Most of all, she knew how disappointed Harry must feel. She knew that her image before Harry had fallen to the lowest possible place.
"Why didn't you tell me this the other day?" asked Harry, who was still trying to believe what Hermione had said.
"Isn't it obvious. I was afraid... of this," said Hermione in a soft voice. "I was afraid of your disappointment. I can't stand a reproach from you."
"Hermione, I wouldn't do that." Harry walked towards Hermione and kneeled before her. Then taking one of Hermione's hands with his, he added, "I'm in no position to judge you or to feel disappointed. I just need to know 'cause I care about you." He let go of her hands and stoop up again. "Hermione I was ready to jump on the guy tonight. If Ron wouldn't have stopped me..."
"Harry, I don't need you to do that. I just..." Hermione covered her face with both her hands.
"Why do you do this to yourself?" said Harry with a much calmer voice. Then sitting back in the couch he made her face him. "You deserve better than this. Hermione, you're not meant to be someone's... second plate."
"Harry, it's not like that."
"What is it then?" demanded Harry. He wanted to know exactly what was going through Hermione's mind. "Have you talked to him about this?"
"Well... I, ah... no, not yet." Hermione looked away.
"Not yet? Then you better do it, and soon, or else I'll do it for you."
"No!" said Hermione more loudly than she intended. The last thing she needed was to have a big brother go and have a talk with Steven about something she couldn't make herself to do.
"Thank you Harry," said Hermione in a softer voice. "But I will. I'll talk to him. I'll straighten this out."