Short installment. Really shouldn't be its own chapter, but hey…what-the-f**k…
Chapter 3 "It Begins"
Hermione: (In a loud, clear voice)
To make my small elves coats, and some keep back
The clamorous owl, that nightly hoots and wonders
At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep.
Harry: What? Wait. Hermione, is that me? Is that my cue?
Hermione: (hisses to Harry)
Sing. Me. Now. Asleep…(nudge nudge nod)
Harry: Oh…Okay…I guess I'll just read from the card, right? (ahem)
Newts and blindworms do no wrong,
Come not near our Fairy Queen…
Hermione: (breaking character) That's good Harry.
Harry: Yeah thanks (grumbles) but do I really have to play a fairy?
Hermione: (sly smile) Well you could always be the jackass, but then I'd be type casting.
Harry: (rolls eyes) Oh, that's funny…that's lovely…yes, thanks for that…
….
Harry was dreaming about her again. Nothing romantic really. She was trying to get him to read lines for some play she was putting on. He would've preferred something with maybe a bit more touching and few less cue cards. But hey, beggars…choosers.
Of course, the fact that he awoke to find his hands running over the soft planes of her back somewhat eased his disappointment.
"What…?" Harry looked around in a panic, wondering how he woke up in her bed and how quietly he could make his scrambled escape.
He sat up, nearly breathing a sigh of relief when he realized he was still in his own room.
Well, yeah, but that's not much better, is it? Why is she in my bed?
"Hermione?" He shook her gently.
She gave a satisfied hum and shifted closer to him, curling against his hip. Her arm came round his waist as her head came dangerously close to falling in his lap.
Oh, um okay, that's lovely, he eased away from her and gingerly climbed off the bed.
"Hey…" he shook her again. She shrugged off his hand, peacefully asleep as she settled into her, no, his pillow
"Hermione," he repeated sternly. She just snuggled down into the blankets, apparently intent on ignoring him.
"Unbloody believable," he sighed, gently gathering and lifting her, making sure she was properly covered by her scant boxers and tee. Sleep or no, Harry steadfastly refused to appreciate the half-naked Hermione in his arms. But he couldn't help but grin as she settled against his chest and muttered his name.
He carried her back to her room and placed her over the covers of her bed, patting her head in, what he imagined was a comforting gesture, before closing the door softly behind him.
Strange night…he sighed as he shook his head and started back towards his room.
"Psst."
He turned suddenly to see Ron peaking out through his open bedroom door.
"Well. Well. Well," Ron stepped into the hallway. "Just what do you think you're doing?" He leaned against the door frame, smiling smugly as Harry struggled for an answer. A reasonable, non shag-related answer.
Ha. Good luck with that…Harry thought as he rubbed the back of his neck in frustration.
"I…well, she…fairies…" Harry gestured towards his room, Hermione's room, and all around the hallway hoping they'd offer something by way of explanation.
"He carried Hermione back to her room," Lav said as she opened the door to her room and stood in the hallway. "I saw him."
"Oh. Really?" Ron asked with a sick grin. "And why were you carrying Hermione back to her room Harry?"
"I don't know..." Harry struggled for a plausible lie. "I found her…downstairs. She was…"
"Sleepwalking," Lav said knowingly.
"What?" Harry and Ron asked.
"I mean, yeah. Sleepwalking," Harry corrected. He nodded eagerly as Ron shot him a skeptical look.
"Who was sleepwalking?" Luna asked as she peaked through her opened door.
"Hermione," Lav answered, apparently not surprised in the least to see her. She turned back to Ron and went on. "She sleepwalks. We had to put a Binder Blinder charm on her during seventh year. That's when it started. You know, when he (she motioned, not-so-subtly towards Harry) that one guy, left."
"What one guy?" Luna asked.
"Him," Lav motioned towards Harry again, who rolled his eyes and shifted uncomfortably away.
"Him who?" Luna asked again as she shook her head, puzzled.
"Harry, luv," Draco said, appearing out of nowhere. "When Potter went to the front to do, whatever pseudo-messiahs do…that's when it started."
"Thank you Draco," Luna said with a smile.
"Your welcome sweets."
"So how do we work one of those…blinker blinker things?" Ron asked.
"Binder Blinders." Draco corrected. "Not much we can do. We don't have much out here by way of ingredients."
"We'll owl Lupin and Tonks in the morning." Lavender said. "They'll be here in a few days anyway."
"Tonks and Lupin?" Draco moaned unhappily. "Ohhh good."
"Awww," Lavender sighed. "Is Drakie still a widdle scared of Tonks?
"Yeah," he muttered bitterly. "And with good reason."
"Oh. She was just angry." Luna gave a reassuring smile. "She wasn't really going to castrate you, you know…"
"Humph," he pouted. "Like I've never heard that before."
"Besides," Luna went on. "She says that to everyone. You can't hold it against her."
"Easy for you to say luv. Doesn't present much of a problem for you." He added with a grin. "Well, unless you'd like it to."
"So what do we do until then?" Harry interrupted. "Until Lupin gets here?"
Draco shrugged. "Dunno. Just ignore it. Hope she doesn't fall off any cliffs."
"There aren't any cliffs around here," Luna said matter-of-factly.
"Or down a well," Draco said with a grin.
"We'll lock her door Harry," Lav said, rolling her eyes. "She'll be fine."
Harry nodded and forced a smile.
Yeah. She'll be fine. Won't happen again. Just your good luck…er…good luck in that she wasn't hurt when she was wandering about…yeah…that's it…
He pointedly ignored the rather arousing idea that Hermione just had been in his bed and that the sheets probably still smelled like her. And he definitely didn't hurry back to his room to see if it was true.
His was really more of a brisk pace than a "hurried" one.