Disclaimer: JK owns all.
**
After tea and cakes (for Ron) the group settled down to the serious business of present exchanging.
Hermione opened Hagrid's gift - a pretty mirror decorated with stars - and her eyes opened wide with pleasure. "My dear, you look marvellous" said the mirror. "Happy Birthday!"
She turned next to the small wrapped box from Harry and Ron. Both of them stared at the floor, remembering the terror of its purchase and fearing her response. A startled gasp caused Harry to look up hopefully.
"Oh, it's beautiful" said Hermione softly.
"Beautiful" echoed the mirror, fervently.
Harry watched happily as she reached up to put on the necklace. Watching her struggle for a few minutes, he eventually reached over and held her curtain of hair away from her neck so that she could fasten the clasp. The waves poured slowly over his hands like the lightest silk, dense as unicorn hair.
"Hermione!"
"What?" she said worried, reaching for the mirror.
"Now now dear, vanity isn't becoming" warned the mirror.
"Your hair is really soft" said Harry inanely.
"It's the spell" she said, looking at him as though he had grown a second head.
"I know that… I knew that" he amended " I just meant that it…never mind" he finished, blushing.
Fortunately, Ron had missed this last exchange because Hagrid had asked him to watch a baby unicorn, which he had rescued that morning from the forest. Hagrid was afraid it had wandered lost and was planning to go off in search of its mother later that afternoon. The baby unicorn was showing no sign of being unable to defend itself however, and Ron was having extreme difficulty keeping its horn away from his lap.
"Little tyke jus' wants 'is Mam" muttered Hagrid affectionately, ignoring Ron's distress. "You three don't mind if I take 'im off now do yer?"
"Please do" gasped Ron painfully.
"I'll be back soon" said Hagrid. "Help yerselves to more cakes while I'm gone"
"We will" chorused Ron, Hermione and Harry.
As soon as Hagrid's thumping footfalls could no longer be heard, a substantial portion of the cakes were inelegantly dumped in the fire. The sparks and fizzes raised grave concerns as to the recipe, a concern shared by Ron's gurgling stomach.
"Hermione, do you mind if I talk to Hagrid about Sirius?" asked Harry mindful that it was her Birthday tea-party.
"Don't be silly Harry!" she scolded, as Hagrid returned, showing several painful cuts across his hands.
"Got the little fella fixed up with his Ma" said Hagrid with immense satisfaction, settling his enormous bulk back onto the seat. Hermione, sharing the sofa, rose several inches as a result.
"Hagrid" said Harry "What happened over the summer?"
"I can't say too much Harry, as yer know, but I will tell yer that we've found ourselves some support. Right true we 'ave."
"Do you know anything about what's happening to Sirius?" questioned Harry, anxiously. He hadn't heard a word from his godfather over the summer and was trying not to act concerned.
"All's well there. There's some important meetings goin' on an' they're all locked away for t'time bein'. He's safe though Harry, I promise yer."
Harry breathed an audible sigh of relief and both Hermione and Ron smiled at him.
"So" asked Hermione "Is that all you can tell us Hagrid?"
"I shouldn' 'ave tol' yer that much" grinned Hagrid.
"Got it" said Ron.
"Your secrets safe with us" smiled Hermione.
Harry winked at his friend.
**
Walking back towards school, Harry felt palpable relief course through him. The boundless joy he felt at the news that Sirius was safe caused him to throw a small skip into his step.
Ron stopped dead in his tracks. "What was that mate?" he said, smirking.
"What?" said Harry.
"The little skip thing" qualified Hermione, also smiling.
"I didn't skip" said Harry firmly.
"You really did" affirmed Hermione, demonstrating with a small skip of her own.
"Sorry mate" said Ron.
Harry's mouth dropped open in indignation. His friends giggled at his expression and then skipped ahead of him.
"Wait just one second!" shouted Harry, starting to run after the pair. "If we're going to laugh at one another then maybe it's time, Ronnikins, that I shared a few choice confidences from Fred and George."
The three of them burst into the Common Room, exhausted but exhilarated, laughing at Ron's stuffed bear stories, and came upon Professor McGonagall.
"Happy Birthday Miss Granger" she commented. "Now where have you three been?"
"Hagrid invited us to tea Professor" answered Hermione.
"You do realize you're missing the start of the Quidditch Season Try-outs?" asked McGonagall lightly, clearly aware they did not.
"WHAT?!" blustered Harry and Ron.
Immediately they turned to head out to the pitch but a small cough from McGonagall drew back their attention.
"Mr Weasley?" she asked "Don't you have a detention?"
"No" howled Ron in despair. "I can't miss try-outs. I might get on the team this year!"
"I'm sorry Mr Weasley" and she looked as though she was "but I can't make exceptions. Mr Malfoy is also missing the event. He is waiting for you in Professor Flitwick's classroom, where I believe the good Professor has some books for you to dust."
"Malfoy's already on the bloody team; there are more books in that room than students at this school; there's more dust in that room than…" grumbled Ron in a low voice as he began to shuffle towards the door.
"Pardon Mr Weasley"
"I was just commenting on my true love for dust and all paper things" amended Ron hastily, wary of McGonagall's beady gaze.
"I thought that's what you were saying" she said, although her wry tone spoke volumes. "I'll see what I can do about arranging an alternative try-out if you leave now."
Ron froze and then beamed.
"Now, Mr Weasley."
"Right" he said and sped out of the room.
"Mr Potter?" she said, turning her attention to Harry.
"Right" he said and sped out of the room.
Professor McGonagall turned to smile at Hermione.
"Thanks Professor. I really wanted some time in the library"
Harry stuck his head back through the door. "Oh no you don't Hermione, come and watch!"
Hermione looked pleadingly at the Professor.
"Come along Miss Granger, I'll teach you the finer points of Quidditch appreciation. You know certain techniques involved have a strong basis in some of the more advanced aspects of Arithmancy..."
Harry grinned and disappeared, assured that Hermione would be totally hooked.
**
Hermione was standing in the Gryffindor box, screaming like a crazy person. As he flew by, Harry nearly fell off his broom in shock. Hermione had been to matches before of course, and she always cheered for him, but now she seemed to be following the manoeuvres.
Harry thought he could hear his name and, assured that the try-out seeker for the other team was still trying to straddle her broom, he flew back to her.
"What?" he asked.
"Harry what are you doing? Stop talking to me and catch that snitch!" yelled Hermione.
"Ouch. I'm right here Hermione"
"Oops, sorry" she said, lowering the volume. "The vectors of this game are fascinating Harry…I've got loads to teach you!"
"Oh good" he said weakly.
"Now go and win the game" she screamed.
Harry had never realized that Hermione's competitive instincts transferred to Quidditch. Clearly McGonagall was a bad influence.
Still, as he flew back over the centre of the pitch, he found himself enjoying the experience. Whenever he glanced over his shoulder Hermione was watching his every move. Admittedly, he reflected, every so often she would make notes as though he were a piece of homework, but he still felt sure that a small part of her attention was down to respect. He found himself trying out some new moves, just casually doing a small loop-the-loop that sent the Gryffindor crowd crazy and Hermione scribbling furiously. As he zig-zagged across the pitch, backwards, he suddenly noticed that Hermione wasn't staring at him any more. Mildly peeved he followed her intense gaze to where the struggling seeker for the opposition was making a shaky, but steady, path towards the snitch.
Harry bent low to his broom, so that his nose almost touched the handle and sped off in her direction. He could hardly impress Hermione if he lost the snitch. With a final burst of speed he managed to reach the fluttering golden ball, and triumphantly waved his gloved fist in the air. Smiling ruefully at the disappointed Seeker, he basked in the applause of the crowd.
Harry casually circled the field while he waited for the next team to get ready. Suddenly, the thoughts of a few minutes before settled again into his head. He almost fell off his broom in shock.
Was he trying to impress Hermione?
**
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