Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! It took me a while but here is my new chapter. For those of you who complained about the length, I took that into consideration and decided to make this one longer. Oh, and for those who saw the new Harry Potter movie, when you review this story, please review the new movie too. I'd love to know what you all think of it! In other news, that has nothing to do with this story nor Harry potter, I advise all of you to go see `RENT' the movie. It's an absolute gem. I saw the Broadway musical a year ago and I honestly believe it does it justice. With this random blab, here is chapter five!
Chapter 5
Hermione's POV
My own little dating game had begun this week. On Monday, I went to the opera with Tom. He was sweet, was keen on books, but unfortunately had a tendency to whisper to me every thought he had during the show: very annoying, to say the least. On Wednesday, Charles took me to a club in the east end. He was charming, funny, and grabbed my bum on one too many occasions. On Saturday, Victor took me on a picnic in the park. He was the intelligent, dark and handsome quiet type. I really should stress the quiet part. He said maybe ten sentences during the whole two hours we were together. He commented the food, the weather, politics, and explained to me the cycles of an ant farm. An ant farm, can you believe it? I know I always have random facts to tell but this was just too much.
I had kissed Charles and Tom and avoided any lip action with Victor after the ant fiasco. Charles was a rough and wet kisser. He practically missed my mouth. I mean, I know the club was dark-but it's not like you need some topographical map to find a woman's lips! Tom, on the other hand, was a gentle kisser. He also quite enjoyed nibbling. It was nice, but his style never changed. After two minutes I had his kissed analyzed by form and time. Maybe I was being a bit over analytical, but after these three dates all I could think of was `NEXT'.
"I've only been dating a week and I'm all ready exhausted!" I was whining, I never whine. This is totally the opposite of Hermione. Normal Hermione had gone to Timbuktu and left disheveled Hermione back in Great Britain. I wonder what Hermione would be doing in Timbuktu. Oh! It used to be the world's trade center for information of knowledge as well as goods. My mind has to shut up.
"Well it's not as if you fucked any of them. Then, you could say that you were exhausted physically as well." Luna and tact, there are two things that do not go together in a sentence nor in an actual situation in life. If not in a sentence, they would probably mesh in a fragment. SHUT UP MIND!
"Is it just me? Am I too judgmental?" I wondered.
"You're not too judgmental. The guy talked about ants for bloody sake! I would have left after the talk about the weather, but that's just me."
"Well what about Tom and Charles?"
"Did you ask them to call you back?"
"No. They said `I'll call you'." Luna looked at me and I noticed a glint in her eyes and a tired laugh line forming its way up to her dimples.
"Do you even know what `I'll call you' means?"
I stared at her-this was probably another segment of Dating 101 that I had skipped. It's not actually a book, I'm kidding. If there were a book-you can bet your ass I would not have missed it.
"I'll call you is the diplomatic way of saying `this didn't work out. It's not me, it's you'."
"Oh."
"Sorry, sweetie. Do you want me to call the pizza place and place a delivery fifty pizzas to their apartments?"
This sounded quite tempting, as well as completely immature. I debated on it for a couple of seconds and remembered, normal Hermione was on an educational trip to Timbuktu.
"Should I call or should you?" I was mischievous. Luna was probably roaring proud. I wonder what Harry will say when he finds out about my three dates in one week. Luna and I should go over to their flat and Luna should casually bring it into the conversation and then I could see their faces. It's rather infantile but I want too so bad!
"Hey Luna?"
"Mhmm?"
"Do you mind if we pop round to Harry and Ron's?"
HARRY'S POV
Where the hell is the Daily Prophet? There's this new article on my latest dating ventures that's causing quite a commotion. I usually never care about what that idiotic, misleading babble they call journalism have to say about me. It's just that this time, Hermione was involved. Ron told me not to read it, that it would only upset me and that it probably wasn't true. Still, I was curious. Ah! There it is…
Harry Potter's best friend leading an avant-garde love life?
In the last week Hermione Granger, one of Harry Potter's best friends'
has been seen with many of suitors. On Monday, the young witch was
seen at the opera with a young blonde fellow. On Wednesday, same
romantic happening-only in a night club-and with a different man.
And can any of you guess what she was up to on Saturday afternoon?
Yes, yet another date. Granger has been seen around town too much
lately, which has been causing much controversy. After years of
questioning Potter and Granger's relationship, we wonder how ex-
actly he is taking this new development in Hermione's life. It reminds
us all too well of her extra curricular activities during the
Triwizarding Tournament many years ago. Potter's close friends have
been approached and all refute the fact that Hermione might be one
of `those' girls. It should be a lesson to her-never to kiss and tell.
-Rhonda Skeeter
How typical is it that Rita Skeeter's daughter is talking trash about Hermione? It's just another pointless rumor that will be forgotten next week. If Hermione were dating around, I would know about it. Ok, I know I haven't seen her enough this past week to be sure of it but she always would tell me when she had a date because those things are important to Hermione. She's a classy and not at all impromptu when it comes to men. This article has not at all gotten me mad. Ron has become such a drama queen since he's been with Camilla. Wait, scratch that. Ron has always been a tad over dramatic. It's the flaming red hair. It makes him flaming mad at times. Oh Harry, you are one funny lad. Remember to give yourself a mental pat on the back.
"Oh Ron! It smells positively exotic in here. What are you cooking?" Luna asked, peering over Ron's shoulder to get a better look at the stew that was cooking.
"I wouldn't call it exotic. It's a lobster stew with goat cheese ravioli's and just a pinch of basil and salsa." Ron answered, looking at Luna's wide eyes.
"Can I taste it?" Luna's eyes are now scaring me. She really is ravishingly looking at that stew. Has she not eaten for days or something? Thank goodness Ron allowed her to taste the food, I don't want to know what she would have done if he didn't.
She licked her lips after he had fed to her from the large wooden spoon. There was something sexual about the way she did it-as if it wasn't the lobster soup that tasted so good. That or she really does love lobsters and food in general.
"Honest to god, if I had to choose, right now, between sex and that soup, I would be in such a bind! It's orgasmically delicious." Is orgasmically even a word?
"Lucky for me, I never have to choose between sex and food. They come on the same platter, if you know what I mean." Thanks Luna, we all know what you mean. Sometimes the things she says makes us guys very uncomfortable-in a good way. I have to think about something else. Hmm, let's see. Hermione looks good today. She looks fantastic today. That's not helping. Under normal circumstances, Hermione doesn't have any specific affect on me, she's just Hermione. Damn you, Luna Lovegood!
"Hermione?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"You didn't happen to read that ridiculous article that Rhonda Skeeter wrote about you, did you?"
She looks worried. I probably shouldn't have mentioned it. She must think that its something positively abominable.
"Oh lord; it's not bad is it?"
"It's just a rumor don't you worry. No one would believe it." Thanks Ron.
I cautiously handed the article to Hermione, analyzing every expression in her face as she read the darn parchment. She didn't look hurt or shocked, she looked anxious. She proceeded by handing it to Luna, who examined it also and stared at Hermione. They were doing that thing that girls do. It's like a sixth sense. They communicate telepathically. Hermione and I could usually do that, but right now the connection flow was at zero and it really bothered me. I wonder what they're saying to one another. It's probably nothing too bad.
"How did this get out?" Ok, that was not at all what I was expecting. Even Ron stopped turning his stew to stare at Hermione.
"You don't think one of them could have called the daily prophet ahead of time?" Ron looked at Luna with the same quizzical look that I just gave Hermione. We were the unknowledgeable idiots in this situation that we communicated telepathically.
"Everyone must probably think I'm a whore."
"Hermione, if you're a whore, what does that make me?" Luna said, trying to revive her moral.
"Good point."
If my brain has not completely shutdown and is working correctly, I understand the following: Hermione went on these three dates and she didn't even warn Ron or me. This really hurt, more than I thought it would. Hermione tells us everything, especially about her relationships. I don't know what bothers me the most: Hermione's lying or the fact that she was with thee different men in one week. All I do know is that I don't like this at all. It should stop. Right now. Oh god, what if they hurt her? I'm going to have to beat them up. Ron and I are going to go down to wherever they live and beat the living pulp out of them. I really wish it didn't have to come to that.
I got ready, put my coat on and walked out the door. They must think I'm crazy. I even think I'm crazy. Hermione hasn't even explained to us the situation yet and I'm all ready out the door expecting the worst. I'm too protective over her. Maybe even more than Ron, this is another thing that perplexes the hell out of me. My back suddenly tensed.
I walked back into the flat and gave Ron one of those looks. One that says that I overreacted and I was caught in my own thoughts; he nodded. Hermione looked at me with a quizzical glance and I felt that I needed to sit down.
I was angry.
"Harry, this article is not what you think. Well it is what you think, but you're over reacting." Hermione was now sitting down on her knees, pleading at me with that look of hers. Her hands were shaking on my thighs and my back tensed even more.
"How do you know I'm over reacting? I didn't say a word."
"You stormed out of the flat and came back in with a look that you used to give Snape, Malfoy, and everyone else that has ever crossed you." I had to give her props. She knew my looks.
"You're right I am crossed. I'm just trying to understand how my best friend can spend a week dating three men, which is something that is totally not like her at all by the way, and not tell me. I thought you trusted me Hermione."
"I do trust you, Harry!"
"Not enough!"
"Harry! For once, I was doing something for me. It was personal and I didn't think that it involved you and Ron. Normally, I would tell you about the men I was seeing. This time it's different. I'm dating; it's not about conquest anymore. It's about me wanting to have some fun and not be judged by you!"
"Oh, so I would have judged you if you had come to me?" By that point, our voices had raised a couple of decibels and Ron and Luna were noticeable absent.
"Maybe…you would have disapproved, that I'm sure of."
"Of course I would have disapproved! This is not you Hermione. You're not a girl that satisfies in one night stands. Girls like that are fine, it doesn't make them any less respectable than others but in the end they will end up searching for more than just great sex."
"I want great sex."
"What?"
"Why do you think I'm doing this? I want to be physically devoured."
"Hermione this is not you." This is wrong. We are not having this conversation. And most importantly, I am not getting turned on.
"Maybe this is me Harry. Why don't you think about that?" Right now I'm preoccupied thinking about you having sex, wait a minute.
"Listen, I can't argue with you about this Harry. I know that I'm still the same Hermione I've always been. I just want to have fun! I want to get frustrated by dating and hurt by love. I want to have great sex, pointless sex, every sex imaginable. Except S&M I could never do that…" She stood up and leaned in to me.
"You and Ron are my best friends and I love you…but, we're growing up. You two have to realize that I'm a woman and that I have needs and wants. I've experienced everything in the world of education and dangerous adventures, Harry. I want to experience fun and maybe love."
I gulped, my stomach churned.
"Learn to deal with it." And with that she was gone. Leaving me here, sitting on the couch gasping for breath. This was a different side of Hermione that I never had the pleasure to meet. This whole dating and sex situation has always been all right between me and Ron but we never expected Hermione to want to be part of all that. Suddenly I became aware that she was a beautiful woman and that men will want her. To be honest, I don't know how I feel about all of this. I don't know that I like it. I just want it all to stop and go to how it was before.
But, in all honesty, do I? Do I really want it to go back to how it was before?
-->