A/N: Hey thanks for the reviews, I'd like to thank Lady Starlight for setting me straight! ^_^ And yes, Ron flooed himself to Honeydukes =P Sorry I didn't specify that. And I have no idea where the comment about a lady-like snort came from. I assume from one of the books I've been reading to pass the time…
And Kreacher isn't gone… I'm not done with the twit yet… (Evil grin but will repress from saying more)
Okay, okay, on with the story, thanks for the reviews and I hope to see more for this chapter! ^_^
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Harry sat up in bed. Ron's snoring seemed to grow more and more intense before it was evident he wasn't going to be waking in another eight hours with nothing more but panicked cries of tap-dancing spiders in the middle of the night. Of course Harry knew he never truly woke from those nightmares so he decided it was all right to abandon his friend. That was, after all, his plan…
Stepping into his shoes, Harry wondered out, not bothering about waking Ron. Not only was the carpet of Grimmauld place soft enough that if you stomped around you're entire foot could disappear with out a single sound of impact, but Ron was known only to wake at the scent of food or if someone physically disturbed him. Even then, he wasn't entirely awake.
Walking into Buckbeak's room, he found the creature had already been trying to enter the attic. Bowing to the hippogriff, he waited till Buckbeak bowed back before climbing up and opening the trap door. Pulling himself out, Buckbeak followed. Harry sat there on the floor stroking the large creatures head for a moment as he stared at the bike.
His bike.
Quickly he jumped on. The chrome was cool to the touch and the leather seat was comfortable. This, Harry thought with a smirk, was riding in style. The seat didn't ride anything up and there was enough room to lie comfortably on the bike. Directing it didn't seem at all difficult; the handlebars were less than an arm span away, and low enough for Harry to swing his legs up and rest them there.
The only problem, Harry saw, was how to turn it on with the least noise possible. The house itself made enough noise, of course, but Harry'd be mad to think it could produce that convincing of a motor engine impression.
I want to fly this! But I don't want to get caught! Harry thought as he rubbed his temples with the palm of his hands. Throwing them up in frustration he growled and carelessly hit the ignition key. When he realized this, he clenched his eyes as if to avoid the growling of the engine.
No noise…
Harry unclenched his eyes to observe the bike. The ignition was on, but there was no noise-hardly anyway. The engine beneath him purred as the exhaust puffed slowly like a heavily breathing sleeper. It was when he realized he could see just over Buckbeak's head that he came to realize the bike was on and hovering.
"Yes!" He shouted out, pumping his hands in the air. Suddenly realizing what he had done, he crouched low on the bike afraid someone would come up. Buckbeak stared out into the darkness, his bright eyes alert, and even the ghoul seemed to undergo silence to see if anyone would arrive.
Don't get caught, don't get caught, don't get caught…His mind screamed.
No one did and Harry nervously grinned. Praying to Merlin no one would find him, he revved the engine quietly, and shot through the large hole in the roof, carrying the tarp with him. Ripping it away, Harry fought the dramatic urge to scream at the top of his lungs into the crescent moon. He'd have preferred it to be full, but then that would most likely mean Lupin would be out and Harry'd be caught.
Taking both handlebars into his grip he revved the engine eagerly and shot through the air. As he suspected directing and riding on the bike was similar to a broom yet comfortable with the seat and footrests and easily reachable handle bars.
Faster! Harry's mind urged as he revved the engine and the bike charged forward faster than any of the latest brooms in the wizarding world. Giving a low, quiet whoop, he dove into the backyard, his mind clearing away like an invisible exhaust as he tried to pull the bike up.
But it wouldn't budge and for a split second Harry panicked that the font wheel would total itself into the ground. In the same second the bike rose it's nose so high it threw Harry off and was ready to flip onto him.
"NO!" He yelped and held his hands out in front of him and in mid-air the bike stopped and hung. Wide-eyed, Harry quickly crawled out from under it, his eyes darting from the bike to the houses around him. The ghoul was pounding things around the attic again and the slight scratching of talons were emitting from Buckbeak's room. The neighboring muggle homes were still and dark.
The bike hovered a foot off the ground tilted at an angle where the seat was at an 85 degree angle from the dead lawn below it. Taking the handlebars, Harry gently guided it back down to the ground with incredible ease to mount it once more.
"I have to learn how to use you…" He told it. The bike revved in response. "Maybe another night though. I better get back in before someone catches me."
Grabbing hold of the handles the bike automatically levitated slowly back into the house through the hole in the roof. Once inside, Harry re-covered the exit and shielded the bike under its invisibility cloak, leaving only the foot pedal visible, just as he found it that morning. Hopping back into Buckbeak's room, Harry gave the large hippogriff a gentle stroke before going back to his own room.
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For the next few weeks at Grimmauld Place, Harry found himself incredibly preoccupied. Ron would go with the twins to help out at the shop and earn a few galleons as he has been since the summer started. Harry would be left alone to stay home and head off to the attic, but with Hermione around he found himself more preoccupied downstairs with her doing random activities and chores. In Harry's mind it seemed she was determined to not leave him alone.
Usually Harry, Ginny, Hermione and every so often a member from The Order, would be outside in the backyard that, to Harry's joy, was enchanted to appear empty and uneventful to the muggle eye. Using it to their advantage, the household was usually found outside flying about on their broomsticks. Harry's Firebolt had yet be returned so he contented himself with helping Hermione grow accustomed to heights and flying, much to her distaste in the beginning.
"Hermione! You're going to have to try," Harry stated on the eve of her lessons. "You're a witch Hermione! It's expected that you should at least be able to fly on your own-we had lessons in 1st year remember? They wouldn't bother to teach us if they didn't think we'd need it…"
"No Harry! I don't want to!" Hermione spat trailing Harry and Ron into her bedroom.
"Hermione you're doing it whether you like it or not! What if you need to fly somewhere while Ron and I are busy? You know with our lifestyles, that's more than likely to happen," Harry asked standing over Hermione with a look of determination in his eyes.
"Then I'll get Ginny to do it! Or I'll find a spell that will help-You know I will Harry!" Hermione answered as she plopped herself down on her bed and crossed her arms indignantly.
"Boy I'd say… Isn't a book or a spell `our `Mione' hasn't gotten her hands on," Ron muttered from the doorway, imitating and quoting Hagrid with a grin. Harry had shot him a glare before pacing the room. Finally a small grin had graced his face as he stood before Hermione and got down on his hands and knees.
"Hermione… Please… I… am begging you…" He stated as he began to bow his head. "Begging, on my hands and knees, Hermione! I am begging, on my hands and knees! Please let us teach you to fly…" He insisted as he looked up at her. He held his body crouched low on the floor until the moldy rug was tickling his chin. He did his best to cause his eyes to glisten, which had been easy as he repressed the laughter growing in his chest from Ron's indignant yells about begging and Hermione's wide-eyed surprise.G
Hermione, although quite insistent Harry cheated, soon started her lessons. When the trio told the family about it, Ginny was first to make a comment.
"Both of you never fight," The little redhead had stated as-a-matter-of-factly as she reached over to the mash potatoes. "You two fighting is like challenging your muggle-reflection to a duel."
"Slightly disturbing?" Fred asked with a grin as George nodded enthusiastically, causing a few chuckles from everyone around the table to arise and a disapproving look from Mrs. Weasley.
"Well that's one…" Ginny smiled. Hermione had glared at her with her cheeks glowing for a moment before she continued. "But I was going more towards the fact that it's useless but we do it just for the hell of it."
"So you're saying our fights are not only odd, but are nothing more than objects to pass the time away?" Harry asked enjoying the flustered look on Hermione's face as she shot him mixed looks of disapproval and amusement.
"Yes, basically," Ginny replied. Harry and her shared a look to emphasis the statement before Harry grinned.
"Alright then," He agreed and popped a piece of his bread roll into his mouth.
"Harry!" Hermione shrieked, her face flushed, and the entire table had erupted in laughter.
Since then, about 2 weeks ago, slowly Hermione had grown more and more bold with the aspect of flying on her own by the end of the summer. If that wasn't enough to keep Harry active, there were always his nighttime activities with the bike. He'd come to learn the bike was connected to himself in such a way that he would only have to think and the bike would perform exactly as he wanted.
"Harry! Look!" Ginny shouted a few stories above him. At the moment Harry was sitting on the lawn, somewhat bored as he awaited Hermione to come outside. Glancing up to see Ginny pointing, he noticed her finger guiding his eyes towards someone darting through the air. It was Hermione. And she was screaming.
"Hermione!" Harry panicked, jumping to his feet. Hermione's broom was going at an extraordinary speed for a Big Dipper, a broom older than half The Order members were.
"Harry!" Hermione screamed into the wind as she suddenly dove.
"NO! HERMIONE!" Harry shouted as he dashed to the area she was to crash only to skid to a halt when he saw her pull the broom up far enough to level with the ground. Slowing the broom down, she rode circles around Harry before stopping in midair, with her legs dangling on either side of the broom. Her hair was wind-blown and her cheeks stung red, but her eyes shone with happiness and her lips were set, outlining the giggles that escaped her throat.
"Not bad, eh Harry?" She asked, grinning like mad. Harry stared wide-eyed at her as his brain processed the fact that she had not just crashed but apparently mastered the art of flying-and exceedingly well for someone who not only was 2 weeks into her lessons, but incredibly afraid of heights. His knees were suddenly weak and his head was spinning. He had never felt so lightheaded since that one incident in the Ministry…
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"Harry? Harry! Merlin, oh Harry are you all right? Harry answer me!" Hermione begged. When Harry opened his eyes, he was greeted with a hysterical Hermione sitting besides him and Ginny's faint outline high overhead. The broomstick was left unattended a few meters from his feet.
"Harry!" She shrieked as she yanked Harry up to hug him tight.
"Hermione! You- you were just- I thought you were- What-!" Harry rambled before yanking himself out of Hermione's vice-like grip. His face was set into such a tight frown Hermione's relief was quickly wiped away.
"What do you think you were doing screaming like that? You scared me to pieces! I thought you lost control of you're broom! Do you know you could have really gotten hurt flying that fast?" Harry reprimanded as he took a hold of Hermione's arms and stood. Hermione did also as he continued. "Do you know you could have killed yourself with a dive like that?"
"Harry! I- " Hermione replied, shock and a hint of fear shone in her eyes. "I can- can fly now," She finished weakly.
"I thought you were going to die with that dive," Harry stated, his frown slowly receding as his breaths became deeper and Hermione's eyes shone brighter. "I thought you'd have gotten hurt…"
"Harry, I- I didn't mean to- to scare you I-I just thought I'd surprise you… I'm sorry! You have the right to be angry! I-I'd have probably done the same thing- I…" Hermione babbled unsurely like a small child. Harry suddenly felt guilty. He had just yelled at his best friend, who had just wanted to surprise him with something they've been working on for the past few weeks. He felt as if he'd just reached a new low. Shamefully, he looked to his feet and began apologizing.
"I-Hermione… I'm sorry. I didn't- I-I'm sorry…" He told her.
"Harry-" Hermione squeaked but he interrupted.
"No! I'm serious Hermione! You should have seen-well of course you probably did see but-Hermione you wouldn't believe what went through my mind when I saw you dive like that." Harry rambled; he suddenly pulled Hermione into a tender hug. She stiffened in surprise but slowly returned it before they pulled away and he gripped her shoulders comfortingly. He stared at her broom with a small almost smug, smile. "That was one hell of a surprise though Hermione. I think I nearly wet myself with that one!"
At this Hermione burst into laughter, slowly followed by Harry.
"Well I had some great teachers," Hermione replied. Harry smug smile turned into a grin as he collapsed to the grass, lightheaded. Hermione followed suit. A thoughtful look slowly formed on her face as she too stared at her broom.
"You must have been really worried, weren't you Harry?" Hermione asked. Harry seemed taken aback.
"Of course I was worried," Harry, stated, surprised she would even question it. "My passing out didn't do it for you?"
"No! I was-I'm just-Actually having someone pass out for my sake that isn't my mum or dad is quite flattering-but in any case I…" Harry sat stunned as he realized Hermione was flustered and blushing. For a moment, he realized that this wasn't the same girl he'd met on the train 6 years ago. She was without a doubt; one of the most intriguing women he'd (and probably will) ever had the pleasure of meeting. Without thinking he put and hand over her mouth, silencing her immediately.
"Stop. Thinking." He instructed. "Just-just for a second…"
She did as she was told, and there they were. Sitting on the dead lawn, Harry with a hand over Hermione's mouth. They studied the others face, coyly avoiding the others eyes. Slowly, Harry pulled his hand away, grazing his thumb over her bottom lip. It was delicately soft and Harry momentarily wondered what it'd be like to kiss them…
"Are you sure platonic is all you two are?" A voice asked, breaking the two out of the world they suddenly created. There, all resident Weasley's (including Bill, who had the day off) and Order members (basically just Tonks and Lupin) stood, knowing smiles on their faces.
"Of course," Hermione stated quickly. Getting up, she brushed off the dead grass from her jeans and picked up her broom. "Right Harry?"
Harry stared at the spot she had been sitting. His mind reeling and his face was flushed. He had panicked when she seemed to be on the brink of danger, and had passed out in relief when she was apparently safe. He had yelled and scared her for doing so the instant he came to, and had momentarily been on the brink of kissing her…
"Harry?" Hermione called, looking down at him with worry creasing her brow.
"What?" He replied, looking up at her. When it seemed apparent she wanted him to say something, he added, "Oh, yeah. Yeah. Platonic…"
He got up and walked through the clearing everyone made for him and entered the house.
The two didn't have another flying lesson for the rest of their stay there.
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A/N: I'm sorry but this reads off so bad IMHO!! >_0;; lol, aw well… so sorry! Tell me what you think!
Okay..
Peace
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