Hey guys, I'm back! Yay! I know, I sure took my sweet time getting this out, but I've been mega busy, AND I couldn't get to where I wanted to go with it! I couldn't really think of too many song lyrics to use, plus I'm running really short on time right now. I just got home from school, and now I've got to go to 4 more hours of class for driving school…yeah, it sucks. But anyway, here's chapter 14! Like I mentioned before, I've been wanting to write this chapter for awhile now. It's more of just a fun chapter rather than anything else, just the two of them getting to know each other. Mind you, I edited it last night after I got back from driving class, so it was pretty late and I was dead tired, I'm sorry if I missed any errors! I want to thank everyone who reviewed, I feel as if I've spent hours replying to them all, but it's my favorite part of this whole writing thing, so please, keep 'em coming!!! And I apologize, but I'm really pressed for time at the moment and I'll have to skip the recap, so it you have to, just do a quick skim through the last chapter, sorry!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, and if I had time, I would come up with something witty to say right here, but I don't have time, so yeah, you'll just have to wait.
Chapter Fourteen: Getting To Know Each Other
Hermione watched with a wicked smirk on her face as a figure in black--Avery--stepped aside to allow her to move closer to the quivering couple sitting on the floor of their den. They looked as if they were in their late thirties or early forties. They woman had reddish auburn hair while the man had midnight ebony locks and wire-framed spectacles. The woman's almond-shaped emerald eyes and the man's hazel ones were filled with fear. Hermione tsked softly, closing in the cowering pair while lazily toying with her thin wand that had already taken so many lives.
"Ah. . .you two disappoint me." she said in a voice full of mirth. "I had thought I would encounter a braver couple. From what I've heard, you two are very powerful." Hermione laughed sadistically.
"You get out of here, Devil!" The male's rough voice said, stuttering slightly.
Hermione raised an eyebrow at his exclamation, "What? And leave so soon? The party hadn't even started yet." She chuckled and muttered "crucio" under her breath while pointing her wand at the shaking woman. Her shrill screams filled the room as pain shot through her body like a thousand hot knives. Her husband turned a pale white at her evident pain and maneuvered himself so he was in front of her, causing her agony to cease as he shielded her body with his own. Now his excruciating yells echoed throughout the house, giving Hermione intense satisfaction.
She lifted the curse with a smirk, "Aw. . .aren't you noble? I see where your son must have gotten it from; it must run in the family."
The woman started screaming, "You're evil! EVIL I tell you! Get out!" She demanded at being taunted by her son's terrible fate.
Hermione just rolled her eyes and looked bored, "Are we going to be demanding me to leave every few minutes? If you honestly want me to leave, I don't want to be somewhere where I'm unwelcome. Come on, Avery, we shan't forget our manners. . ." Hermione made to turn around and leave, Avery following suit as the couple watched in disbelief before she, as if on second thought, turned back around to face them. "Actually, maybe I should teach you two a few manners before I go. What do you think, Avery?" She asked, looking at her disciple. He smirked and raised his wand towards the man. Hermione lifted her own wand, pointing it in the direction of the shaking woman. The couple was under the Crutacious Curse again. Hermione could almost smell their pain and suffering. Once she was satisfied with their torture, she lowered her wand, motioning for Avery to do the same.
Heavy panting from the two sitting on the floor was the only sound that could be heard.
Hermione grinned evilly, "That wasn't so bad, was it?" She taunted.
The male glared at her through broken eyes, "You're evil! Get out!"
Hermione shook her bushy head of hair and replied evenly in a hard voice, "There is no Good and Evil, only Power, and those too Weak to Seek it. That's another lesson to learn. It's a shame you're learning all these lessons right before you die, you may have been able to use them."
The man spoke again, "Please, spare my wife! Please spare her! Take me, let her live, please?!" He begged, raising to his knees and reaching out to her with a shaking hand.
Hermione spat in his face and kicked him as he tried to approach her. "Please, spare my wife!" she mimicked in a high voice. "Pathetic, the whole lot of you. You're weak, you don't get spared. You die. People as feeble as you don't deserve life. Both of you will die tonight. Just like your son did. Say goodbye, Lily and James." She said vehemently, raising her wand, a cruel smirk on her lips. The couple quivered, the male still pleading for his wife to be spared. They clutched on to each other, both choking back sobs. Hermione watched their disgusting display of pitiful helplessness with a cold heart before whispering menacingly "Avada Kedarva."
Hermione shot up from her bed, sweat dripping from her forehead as if she had just ran a marathon. Her wand-hand was tightly gripped, her short fingernails digging painfully into her flesh. She ease out of bed and went into the bathroom. After slashing cool water on her sweating face, she filled a cup up and went over to the locked window. Hermione grabbed her wand to lift the complicated locking charms, then sat on the window sill of the now-open window. She took a sip from her cup as she gazed at the moon the dark starry night.
Her dream had felt so real. She had killed the couple. Who were they anyway? The dreams were getting worse. With every dream, she became more ruthless, less feeling. She was pure evil. Hermione desperately wished for them to go away, but they wouldn't, no matter what she tried.
Hermione sighed as the cool breeze tickled her skin, and she inwardly coaxed for it to take her troubles away. She didn't want to be a callous murderer. She was a good person. Good people did not got around killing other people, now even in dreams. But she couldn't control it. Avery's words must have really gotten to her. He was always in the dreams, always right there beside her, ready to carry out her command. It was slightly terrifying when it came to how much control she has in her dreams, though not on the dreams themselves. No one questioned her orders, despite their cruel and gruesome nature.
And the people were so clear. The people in her dreams were very detailed, as if she had known them all her life. She could make out all their exact features, unlike in most dreams when the people were hazy and sometimes faceless. Even when she woke up, their faces weren't fuzzy; she could still see them--almost like a photograph--with her mind's eye.
But she didn't know any of them, save Avery and a few Slytherins. The victims were unknown to her, though she always had a fitting name to go with each face. In her last dream, she had killed a Lily and James--two complete strangers--without even batting an eye. It was scary, yet somewhere deep inside her, oddly satisfying.
Hermione let out a steady breath. Did this make her evil? Were the rumors true? She signed again. She hoped not. As gratifying as her dreams felt, she didn't want to be that kind of person. Hermione had Harry as a friend. He wouldn't want to be friends with someone terribly evil that dreamt nightly of taking the lives of random people. Tonight it had been a couple names Lily and James. Last night, Remus and Nymphadora had been at the mercy of her wand. The male had been a werewolf. Hermione could remember vividly how he had transformed right before her eyes as the clouds parted and the full moon cast its bluish shadow on him. He started to come after her, but Hermione had easily raised her wand and killed him without even a scrap of fear. A cold laugh had escaped her throat at her victory. Nymphadora had watched, wide-eyed, then attempted to start a duel with her. Not wanting to bother with such nonsense, Hermione called upon on of her loyal servants--a tall man cloaked in billowing robes of black with white-blonde hair that had been tied back in a respectable ponytail. The woman had had surprising skill, but was no match for the male when a well-aimed Killing Curse was cast by Lucious.
These odd dreams scared Hermione. It all seemed like a whole other world, a whole other side of her. It
brought out desire and vengeance, delicately laced with haughtiness at being superior and a hungry unsatable taste for power. It was a side of her she had never even knew existed. Her dream-self terrified the bloody hell out of her.
Hermione wished she could tell Harry, but she feared his reaction. It was better to cope with it on her own. Maybe she could get her hands on a Dreamless Sleep Potion in the few days, at least to give her a little peace of mind. She wouldn't have to wake up sweating and feeling completely disgusted with herself, then debate whether or not she even wanted to go back to sleep, fearing she would get sucked back into a world where she was a ruthless, cold-blooded killer.
Hermione sighed softly, wishing earnestly for someone to share all these confused feelings with. She couldn't chance confiding in Harry, their friendship was too fragile. What if she scared him away? Her parents were out of the question as well. Their relationship was falling apart because of her disobedience. And Clarence. . .Hermione was still awaiting her response from her last letter. Hermione didn't want to tell Clarence about her recent dreams either. What would she think? But her feelings were just too intense to keep bottled up like this.
She stood up and walked over to her bedside table. Hermione found an unused notebook and groped around for a pen before returning to her place on the window sill. Opening it to the second sheet, she wrote the date out on the top line and paused. Was it really already almost the beginning of December? Almost Christmas? She had been at school for almost three months. She could and at the same time couldn't believe she had been here so long. After musing about that thought for a few more moments, she got back to the task at hand. Hermione was going to make a journal to confide in, something that wouldn't condemn her because of her awful thoughts, something she could trust. She stared at the page blankly for a second before deciding to begin with the dreams.
Things have been a little terrifying lately. I'm having all these dreams that are really starting to disturb me. Normally, I'm a kind girl that wouldn't even think about hurting someone in any way. But in my dreams, I turn into an evil Dark Lord that has an unsatable thirst for killing and causing torture. I have servants that carry out my malicious commands. Some of my victims beg for mercy, others try to fight me. Tonight, I "invaded" the house of a middle-aged married couple, Lily and James. Avery, one of my loyal followers, accompanied me. We tortured them and taunted them about their son. They were scared, told me to go. They called me Devil and Evil. And in my dreams, I was actually flattered by the disgusting names! Anyway, I killed them as they clung onto each other. My spell was powerful enough to kill them both at the same time. Is that possible? I dunno, I'll have to check it out, though I don't really think I even want to. I don't want to have anything to do with these sickening dreams. I'm frightened to go to sleep because they won't stop. And. . .I dunno if I really want them to, as horrible as the sounds. You see, when I wake up from them, all I feel is repulsion, sometimes even ill to my stomach. But in the dreams. . .I feel like I never have before. I feel powerful and in command. I have supporters that do anything I ask of them and I. . .I dunno, it's kind of amazing. But at what expense? I have to TAKE PEOPLE'S LIVES!!! How horrible am I?! I just dunno, it's all very confusing and terrible. I don't have anyone to tell either. I can't tell Harry, I just can't! What would he think of me then? He'll probably think I'm mad and completely evil, but I'm not! Though honestly, I don't see how he could be bothered with it. After all, he other friends--that Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy--are positively terrifyingly evil judging by that nasty run-in we had in the Common Room all those nights ago while Harry was out doing his Head Boy rounds. I mean, I'm dreaming about murdering people, they almost killed me, threatening me with that THING! Right in the middle of the bloody Common Room too! I still lock my door and windows every night with every charm I can think of in fear of them and what they might do. Does Harry know how cruel they are?!?! I'm got to get them back though, mark my words.
Hermione suddenly stilled as a thought struck her: she wanted revenge on Ron and Draco, and she had every intention of carrying it out. Was this just the beginning? Was she going to plot vengeance on everyone that mistreated her? It just seemed like a step to becoming that wretched girl in her dreams. Was that her future? Would her revenge eventually escalate to killing?
She violently ripped the page out of the notebook before slamming it shut with a shudder. Hermione ripped the page in her hand in half then quickly shoving it in her drawer, along with the notebook mentally damning another who would try to read it and find out how heartless she was. Not wanting to think about it anymore, Hermione slid in bed and wrapped her thick quilt around her shivering body tightly as an upsetting fear settled heavily in her stomach.
00
By morning, Hermione had pushed the horrifying dream from her mind. Her nightmares were bad enough to affect her during the night, she wasn't going to let them get the best of her during the day as well. It was a Saturday. She was suppose to meet Harry downstairs soon to leave for Hogsmeade, the last trip before Christmas. Hermione was pretty excited about it.
Slowly, she eased out of bed and took a quick morning shower before getting dressed and going downstairs. Harry wasn't in the Common Room yet, so Hermione decided to go ahead to the Great Hall for breakfast. She passed her fellow students, who were all chatting carelessly about, paying her no mind. It was all fine by her. They still seemed to tread nervously around her, but Hermione had learned to ignore it. She still got an unsettling feeling when they looked at her with fear in their eyes, but at the same time, there was a ripple of satisfaction that flowed through her.
After sitting down at her and Harry's corner of the Gryffindor table, Hermione began to make her plate. Soon, she was joined by a very cheerful Harry.
Harry looked like a little child on Christmas morning. He was so excited to show Hermione around Hogsmeade. She had told him about Clarence's tour of the village, but he insisted she still hadn't seen the village properly. "Top of the morning to ya, Miss Hermione Granger.." He greeted merrily with a wide grin.
Hermione laughed, "Hello, Mr. Harry Potter. You slept well, I hope?" she asked conversationally.
Harry plopped down in the empty seat across from her. "I slept fantastically, thank you. And yourself?" he inquired as he reached for the eggs.
Hermione's thoughts drifted back to her chilling dream from the night before. She gave him a tight smile, "I slept well enough."
Harry nodded in acknowledgement, "So, are you excited?" He asked with a goofy grin.
Hermione just rolled her eyes. "I've already seen Hogsmeade, Harry. I honestly don't see the big deal. I'm excited about it, but you act as if I've never been there before!" she replied with a smile.
"Oh, you think you've seen Hogsmeade, but just you wait. We won't even get to see it all properly today. To really see it, to really get a good feel of the village, you have to go at night." Harry told her, then took a bite of his breakfast.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "At night? For some odd reason, I think that's against the rules. . ." she said slowly.
Harry gave her a wicked grin, "This is true." he agreed.
"And you could get in deep trouble for it. . ." she continued steadily.
Harry didn't look fazed in the least and easily brushed off this small fact. "You'll only get in trouble if you get caught." he reasoned.
Hermione shook her head, "I'm surprised you haven't gotten yourself expelled yet!" she said.
Harry snorted and gave her a wink, "I'm just sneaky like that."
Hermione pursed her lips in disapproval, but remained silent. It wasn't her place to tell him what not to do. Instead, she focused her attention on her food. They were interrupted soon by the morning post. Owls flew in from every direction, their rustling wings creating somewhat of a draft. Hermione recognized her own golden-brown owl in the midst of the others. It swooped down beside her, Clarence's reply attached to his leg. Hermione made quick work of relieving Miguel of the letter and gave him some of her toast and bacon. She unrolled the scroll and began to read:
Dear Hermione,
Hello dear, I hope you're doing well. I'm doing fine. Things are a little busy here at the library, but that's what keeps me going!
Hermione, I know it must be hard, but you must try to keep your temper in check. I don't want you to get expelled after you've worked so hard. However, there's a part of me saying job well done! Anyway, Harry Potter rescued you? That is quite a surprise, and a very good on at that! I am very happy to hear about your blossoming friendship with this young man, more than you can imagine. Also, I am proud of you because you were suspicious in the beginning, you can't trust just anyone, Hermione, especially in your situation. Congratulations on the new friendship! We will all have to get together some time so I can be introduced to him properly.
Please don't be too worried about how to be a good friend dear. You are an amazing girl, and I'm sure he thinks the same. Just be yourself. And darling, don't be so down on yourself! If you go into this friendship automatically thinking the worst, it increases the chances of it ending horribly. His friends are probably just trying to scare you off because they feel intimidated, ignore them. If Harry believes this friendship is going to be something important, you should think the same. The school will hopefully come around to see what a great girl you are.
Some things are happening? I don't think a letter is the best way to discuss this. I believe I may have made a mistake. I debated with myself whether or not I should bring up a discussion that could answer all the questions you are having right now, but I decided against it. You were so excited, and I didn't want to spoil it, the moment just never came. I promise, however, that when we see each other next, we will have a lengthy discussion about what's troubling you.
I've talked with your parents. They are still quite angry and believe you have made the wrong choice, but I am trying to explain to them the reasons for the decision you made. I believe they will come around eventually, you just need to give them time. I will give them another visit in a few weeks. They mentioned plans for Christmas. I don't know if you were thinking of staying at Hogwarts or not, you might want to write them about it. You'll have to face them eventually.
Well, I should get back to work, Hermione. Please write back when you have time, I enjoy reading your letters! And remember, just be yourself around Harry!
With much love,
Clarence
P.S. There's a list of jokes on the next page. I'm sorry if they're cheesy or not very good, but it's the best I've got!
After re-reading the fourth paragraph, Hermione felt more in the dark than ever. It was clear Clarence had something important to tell her, and it must have been about the weird things that have been happening. Feeling slightly confused and no closer to the answer she was hoping for, Hermione folded the parchment and slipped it into her back pocket.
"Your parents?" Harry asked from across the table.
Hermione shook her head, "No, it was Clarence."
Harry raised an eyebrow, "Clarence?"
'Of course he doesn't know who Clarence is,' Hermione chided herself. "Um. . .remember that day in the Ministry? She's the woman that was with me." Hermione said, trying to keep her voice calm as she flashed back to the events that had occurred between the two of them that day. This was the first time they had mentioned it.
Harry must have been thinking along similar lines because Hermione could see his cheeks tinged pink and he wouldn't look at her. "Oh, yeah, I remember her."
Thankfully, to save them from an uncomfortable silence, they were ushered into the Entrance Hall, ready to make their way to Hogsmeade.
The air was chilly and crisp, and Hermione was glad she had brought her gray hoody to keep warm. Her hands were stuffed in the middle pocket, loosely gripping her moneybag. Harry, too, had opted to take a black hoody. They walked silently away from the other students on the cobblestone path leading into the village.
Once they reached the gate, Hermione asked, "So, where to first then?"
Harry grinned. "Well, have you been to all the shops yet?"
Hermione nodded, causing Harry to frown slightly. "Well then, for now, we can just hit Zonko's or something, whatever you want to do."
Hermione raised an inquiring eyebrow, "I thought you told me I haven't seen everything yet."
Harry smiled, "You haven't." he replied easily, walking towards Zonko's.
"So aren't you suppose to give me the tour then, instead of going somewhere I've already been." she pointed out, though following him in the direction of the joke shop.
Harry gave her a wink, "That'll come a bit later. Right now, we can do whatever you want to do." he responded.
"What comes later?" Hermione asked, speeding up a bit to catch up with him.
Harry grinned, "You'll just have to find out. So Zonko's alright with you then? I'm running low on my supply of dung bombs."
She narrowed her eyes at his mean teasing. Why wouldn't he tell her what was later?!?! She hated secrets! "Why won't you tell me what's going on later? You're being so mean!" Hermione said, folding her arms across her chest.
"Don't want to ruin the surprise." he replied as they pushed their way into the joke shop.
"I don't like surprises. . ." Hermione lied, mumbling under her breath.
"That's just too bad then." Harry said with a shrug before casually changing the subject. "Have you seen this before?" he asked, holding up a quill.
Hermione gave him a pointed look for changing the subject, but sighed in defeat. She would just have to wait until later to find what the surprise was. In answer to his question, she replied stiffly, "It's a quill; they're everywhere at Hogwarts."
Harry smirked, "Here, try it." he urged, passing her the quill and showing her the parchment used for trying it out.
"Harry, I really hate quills!" she complained, but dipped it in the inkpot nonetheless and began to write her full name.
"Damn, did you just get jinxed with an Ugly Curse, or did you inherit those looks from your mum?! a high pitched voice asked out of nowhere, causing Hermione to jump slightly.
"What the-" she began, but stopped when she heard the voice again.
"Bloody Hell! I didn't know giant squids could walk on land!"
Hermione realized the sound was coming from the quill in her hand. She gave Harry, who was snickering, a puzzled look.
"It's an Insulting Quill," Harry explained, still chortling at the expression on Hermione's face.
"An Insulting Quill?" she repeated, glancing down at the feather in her hand.
Harry laughed, "Yeah, see, it insults whoever uses it." he went on.
Hermione nodded slowly as she gingerly sat the offending quill down with a look of distaste of her face. "That makes sense, I suppose. They're not very good insults though," she pointed out, looking back at her friend.
"Yeah," he agreed. "But they can be pretty funny in some situations. Once, while we were in Transfiguration, McGonagall was showing Ron something on his assignment and picked up the joke quill instead of his real one. It. . .err. . .said a rather nasty insult, so naturally, she was fuming. Lectured Ron about how childish the product was, and how such immature items needn't be brought to class again. And just to make sure Ron didn't forget, she gave him a detention and took twenty-five points from Gryffindor." Harry told her as they explored the shop.
Hermione managed a small laugh. It was quite funny, even if it was about that Weasley kid. She and Harry shared a grin before continuing their way through the crowded store, stopping to laugh at some of the funny joke products.
"Rapidly Unraveling Underpants?" Hermione asked with an amused look on her face, stopping to glance at one of the joke items on a shelf.
Harry laughed, "Yeah, those are brilliant for pulling pranks. Ron and I slipped a pair of those to Draco before some date he had. We charmed them so a few minutes after he put them on, they would turn pink. About twenty minutes into the date, he realized he underwear was "rapidly unraveling," and he happened to be wearing shorts, mind you, and well. . .you can imagine what the girl must have thought when she saw pink strings fall out of his shorts!" Harry said through his laughter as he remembered how pissed his best mate had been when he had caught up with Ron and him later.
Hermione shook her head, grinning, "You guys are so mean to each other!" she laughed.
Harry snickered, "Just a few harmless pranks between friends." he replied nonchalantly.
Hermione raised an eyebrow, "Does this mean I'll have to start checking to make sure my knickers aren't really some Zonko's product that might fall apart at any moment?" she joked before realizing she was talking her knickers with Harry! Sudden embarrassment flooded through her as she quickly turned her blushing face.
Harry, too, seemed a bit uncomfortable talking about Hermione's undergarments. He forced a laugh before an awkward silence fell between the two of them.
'Way to go, Granger! a voice inside Hermione's head chided her crossly, 'Brilliant job at embarrassing both of us! And things were going so well dammit!' Still red in the face, Hermione tried to ease the awkwardness by suddenly becoming interested in the nearest product. "So. . .um. . .what does this do?" she asked, gesturing at the random item in her hand.
Harry turned slightly red, "Um. . .that's not a joke item, it's just an ordinary box of. . .feminine products." he coughed uncomfortably, not looking at Hermione.
Hermione looked down at the item in her hand and realized she was holding a box of products a girl would use during her monthly period. Feeling completely mortified, she hastily put the box back on the shelf as a deep blush crept into her cheeks. She felt the desire to suddenly crawl into the floor to escape the situation. They were in a bloody joke shop! They weren't supposed to have things like that in here! But, after taking a quick glance around, Hermione noticed they had ventured to a part of Zonko's that actually had ordinary items. She could almost feel herself shrivel up in humiliation.
Hermione stayed mostly silent for the rest of their stay in Zonko's, figuring it was the best way to prevent causing anymore embarrassing moments. They decided to go to The Three Broomsticks next to get a round of Butterbeer to warm themselves up. Once inside, the duo was met with laughter and a contagious cheerfulness in the atmosphere. Other students were smiling and chatting, just taking a much-needed break from the stress of Hogwarts.
Harry led Hermione to a table at one end of the pub, then went up to the bar to order their drinks. He soon returned with two steaming mugs of Butterbeer. After the first sip, Hermione was reminded of the first time she had been in the pub. Harry and his mates had been playing on the stage. "You guys were brilliant when you played." Hermione told him, a small grin on her lips.
Harry swallowed the warm liquid and raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Played?" he ask, lost.
"On the stage." she clarified, "You and your mates on the first Hogsmeade trip. You guys did brilliant."
"Oh!" Harry said, realizing what she was referring to. He sat his drink down and began to apologize. "Sorry, I didn't know what you meant the first time. But thanks, I'm glad you liked us." he replied, blushing slightly at her compliment.
"Why don't you play anymore?" Hermione asked, realizing she hadn't seen him play in quite awhile, not since they had become friend at least.
"Um. . .I still play." Harry said, taking another swig of Butterbeer.
"Not around me." Hermione pointed out bluntly.
The blush in Harry's cheeks came back, and he began to feel self-conscious. "Um. . .I didn't know you wanted me to. I'm not really all that good-" he began.
"Nonsense." Hermione cut in, dismissing his negative thinking. "I think you did well. I'd actually like to hear to play." she admitted before fearing that she might have come off too forward, so she hastily added, "That is. . .err. . .if you don't mind. I mean, you know, if you don't really want to or whatever. . .that's fine too. . ." she trailed off awkwardly.
Harry grinned, "No, it's okay. I'll have to get my guitar out and play some stuff for you if you want to hear it." he told her.
Hermione returned it with a smile of her own, "I'd like that. Um. . .how long have you been playing?" she asked.
Harry looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think I started playing when I was about fourteen, and I was right horrible at it, mind you. I kept practicing, but for some reason, I couldn't get the hang of it. Then school started, so I just put my guitar up for a few months. When I went home for Christmas, I got bored and found it in my closet. I thought that since I didn't have anything better to do, I'd give it another shot. For some reason, it just seemed to click that time, and well. . .I've been playing ever since!" Harry told her, recalling the difficulties he had had with the instrument.
Hermione nodded, "I see. I've always wanted to learn how to play an instrument, but I suppose I've never really been dedicated enough to actually try to learn." she laughed.
Harry smiled, "I can give you some lessons if you want to try it out sometime." he offered with a grin.
Hermione laughed again, "I think I'm hopeless, but maybe it could be fun to try it."
Harry chuckled, "You're bloody brilliant, I doubt you're hopeless."
She blushed deeply at his praise, "Well, you haven't tried to teach me yet, I think you'll change your mind on that one, trust me!" she said with amusement. "So, is there anything else you like to do?" she asked, changing the subject.
Harry shrugged, "Well, I love Quidditch, but you already know that." He told her, making her laugh. "But, I've kinda got a thing for drawing too. I'm not some amazing artist or anything, but I usually always have a sketchbook around."
"Oh, so you draw? That's pretty cool. What got you into art?" she asked, taking another sip of her drink.
Harry looked down at the table at his mug of Butterbeer. "Err. . .well, when I was in Primary School, see, I didn't have any friends. I usually got bullied around a lot and was always by myself. So because I never had anyone to hang out with, I tried to keep busy by doing things by myself. Drawing seemed fun enough, so I did that. Mind you, I was pretty young, so I wasn't very good. But I dunno, I just never really stopped, even after I came to Hogwarts. And well. . .yeah. . ." he trailed off, realizing his face had become quite warm while he had been telling her about getting picked on.
Hermione could tell Harry was a little embarrassed about his childhood, about not having any friends. She wondered if she should tell him she could definitely relate to him. She didn't want to because she was ashamed of it. But Harry had shared something so personal with her, so she decided she could at least open up a tiny bit in return. "I'm sorry you had to go through that." Hermione said softly to Harry, who had gone quiet and had to look up to meet her gaze.
"Hey, it's not a big deal. It's in the past. I'm fine, no need to be sorry." he tried to say lightly, but Hermione could see that Harry was still slightly hurt that his peers had treated him cruelly, and he was actually having to go through a similar experience right now, all because of her.
"Can I tell you a secret?" Hermione asked timidly, wringing her hands on the table. She could already feel her cheeks heat up.
"Of course." Harry responded, peering at her from the other side of the table.
She took a breath before confiding in him, "I've never. . .see, you're the first person. . .that. . .I've never had a friend my age before. . ." she whispered softly, looking away from his green eyes.
Harry had to stop himself from gaping at her in surprise. He quickly caught himself and instead, cast his gaze downward as well. She had never had a friend before? He had always assumed that she had friends back at home. Sudden realization that he had never heard her talk about back home or Muggle friends hit him like a ton of bricks. He honestly couldn't see why she never had friends before, she was a great person. He looked up to see that she was staring at him, a fearful look in her large brown eyes. He swallowed uncomfortably, "That's too bad. Everyone at your old school are missing out on a lot because you're a really great friend." Harry told her awkwardly.
A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. She looked around wistfully before replying, "I doubt they're missing out on much. It's probably just as well that things were like they were. I didn't have time for friends anyway, I was always too busy studying or trying to learn magic. I suppose it would be rather hard to explain to a friend why I have spell books and a cauldron in my room." She said with a hint of amusement, slowly turning her almost-empty mug of Butterbeer around on the table.
Harry wanted to say something, but didn't know what. He suddenly felt closer to her because she had told him a bit about her childhood. He could tell she needed to talk about it, maybe share a few stories even to get them off her chest, but he knew this wasn't the place for that. They needed a more intimate setting, not somewhere that was loud with laughter and crowded with people. So instead, he decided to steer away from the dangerous waters of her never having friends and asked, "Are you close to your parents?"
All the pent-up pain that he had caught a glimpse of suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a look of bitterness. "Yes, I've always been rather close to my parents. They're dentists. My father is wonderful, a lot of people say I'm practically a spitting image of him. My mother is pretty great too, though we used to fight sometimes because I'm not like she is." Hermione admitted, looking up to see Harry looking at her attentively. She suddenly got a weird feeling to have someone listening so intently to her. It was something she wasn't familiar with. "Sometimes, I almost think she resents me a bit because I'm not popular with loads of friends, but instead rather plain and kinda weird. She had always been very social, so I suppose I'm a tad of a disappointment." Hermione said regretfully before draining the last of her Butterbeer.
Once again, Harry was at a loss for words. He could tell she had so many feelings and emotions going on inside her. He wasn't very good when it came to emotions. "Your mother should be proud to have you as a daughter. You're not plain or weird at all." he assured her, cracking a small smile. "I'm sure your mum will see that in time, and if she somehow misses it, then sorry, but she doesn't even deserve to have such wonderful girl as a daughter." He honestly couldn't fathom why someone would even think about categorizing her as being a disappointment. On the contrary, she was quite the opposite. "Do you miss them?" he asked, figuring she must miss them terribly.
Hermione nodded, "Yes, a lot more than I thought I would. It kills me that they're so angry with me right now. I mean, they just can't accept that magic is a big part of my life." she muttered in frustration. Why couldn't her parents just support her? She was going through a time in her life where she needed as much encouragement she could get, and her own parents weren't behind her.
Harry gave her a puzzled look, "Angry with you? Why would they be angry with you?" he asked.
She bit her lip guiltily and was silent for a minute before responding in a voice that was tinged with a hint of shame, "They. . .well see, the thing is. . .they've never allowed me to come to Hogwarts, which never bothered me before now. I was fine with Clarence assisting me in my learning, I didn't need to go to a magic school. But I dunno, when it hit me that this was my last chance to attend the school, I couldn't help but seize it. I confided my thoughts in Clarence, and she agreed with me. My parents, however, were different. They told me I couldn't go and wouldn't change their minds." She met Harry's gaze from across the table, seeing again that he was giving her his full attention. He smiled warmly at her in a coaxing gesture to continue. "You've got to understand, Harry, that I've been working very hard ever since I was fourteen to learn what I know. I wanted to actually graduate from Hogwarts, kinda in a pay off I suppose, . . .Clarence helped me get everything I would need, all my supplies and such. With her support and thorough teaching, I was well-prepared for an examination with the headmaster. He err. . .actually seemed a bit impressed with my abilities, told me I was definitely good enough. And well, on the First, I told my parents I was going to the library and that I'd be back soon. I hated lying to them, but I knew they wouldn't have let me out of the house if they really knew what I was up to. Clarence and I came to King's Cross Station, I boarded the Hogwarts Express, and was on my way here. I sent a letter to my parents before the train left, of course, to tell them where I was going and why. And I've sent them a few letters since, trying to convince them that I'm doing what I need to do. They wrote back, telling me how disobedient I am and how much trouble I'm asking for. It's all a rather bad situation at the moment." she finished, heaving a sigh after her long account of the events that led to her parents being angry with her.
Harry couldn't believe what she was telling him. Her own parents weren't supporting such a big decision she had made? Did they know everything she had been going through, and were they aware of how they were only making things even harder on her? And she could get still stand strong through all this? He shook his head slowly. She was clearly a very impressive girl, he knew. First she defied her parents' wishes and had come to Hogwarts anyway. Then she had to put up will all the trouble to students had thrown at her, from physical hazing to getting emotionally attacked day after day. "You're amazing." Harry decided, sending her a look of awe.
Whatever response Hermione had been expecting, this clearly wasn't it. She look at him incredulously before stuttering a very surprised, "W-what?"
Harry gave her a large grin, "You are bloody fucking amazing." He repeated in admiration as he continued to stare at her in respect.
Hermione quickly shook her head as she felt her flaming face heat up, "No, no, no. I'm far from amazing or anything of the sort." she replied, still stuttering slightly. What was he on about? She was not amazing in the slightest, she was just. . .Hermione, Just Hermione, nothing special, and definitely nothing amazing.
"You're selling yourself short, Hermione. All that stuff going on at home, then all the oppression here you've received. Not to mention how you help the younger students and that you're the top of the entire school, despite this being your first year of actual magic schooling. . .all I can say is damn. I honestly cannot see how you do it." Harry told her truthfully, a stunned look on his face.
Hermione was blushing a brilliant scarlet now. She had never been so flattered before, and this was all coming from Harry Potter, someone that was supposed to be a rival. Wanting to get the attention off of her, Hermione asked him about his own parents and his relationship with them.
He shrugged in response. "Well, my dad works in the Ministry and my mum is a Healer at St. Mungo's. They're both usually busy with work, but I suppose our relationship is good enough. I mean, I try to please them and all, but it's now always easy. My dad wants me to go into playing pro on the Quidditch Pitch while my mom wants me to go into the Ministry of Magic. We all sort of clash on that because they keep telling me to pick a future. I just don't feel mature enough to make this sort of decision, you know? They don't seem to understand though." Harry said, remembering how his parents were always pushing him towards careers.
Hermione nodded in understanding, "Sounds tough. I'm sorry your parents are like that. I can see where they're coming from, you do need to start thinking about your future and a career, but they shouldn't be pressuring you like that. It's your life, after all, you should get to choose what you want to do with it and they should respect that."
Harry grinned and couldn't help but begin to think that Hermione was getting very easy to talk to.
The pair of them sat and chatted for a little while longer before leaving to explore the rest of Hogsmeade. They went into Honeydukes and Harry made sure he was stocked up on sweets.
"Honestly, Harry, I don't really think you need that much candy! You'll never eat it all!" she exclaimed, eyeing the bagfuls of sweets that were weighing him down with wide eyes.
"Nonsense, Hermione. This is the kind of food I live on. And anyway, how can you pick out the best kinds for next time unless you try them all?" He questioned reasonably.
"But you already know what they all taste like, you've hand them before!" Hermione shot back with a laugh.
"Aye, but you haven't tried them all yet." He replied smoothly with a grin.
"And I have no intention to either! My parents are dentists. They would probably go nutters if they saw all those sweets you're planning on eating!" Hermione still couldn't get over it. He was carrying three bags full of candy, and when comparing to the small half a bag in her hand, she was almost in shock. No one needed that much candy!
"Just so you know, Miss Hermione Granger, I have plans of turning you into a junk food junkie, just you wait!" Harry warned her, making Hermione's eyes widen.
"You most certainly will not!" she replied incredulously.
He laughed and gave her a knowing smile, "We'll see."
Because of their bulky bags, the duo cut their time spend at the Shrieking Shack to just a few minutes before hurrying back to the castle. They quickly dropped their things off in their respectful dormitories before heading to the Great Hall for dinner.
There was a pleasant smile on Hermione's face the entire time. Harry had been right, she did have a blast today. She had had fun with Clarence, but this time had been different. Hanging out with Harry, all their chatting. . .it felt so normal. This was what friends did. She just hoped he had at least had a fraction of the fun she had had. Hermione knew she could never be as close and fun as those Ron and Draco blokes, but she hoped she was at least a half-way decent substitute.
"Today was brilliant." Hermione remarked over dinner from her side of the table. Harry looked up from his food and grinned.
"Yeah, I had a lot of fun. And it's not over, mind you." He said mysteriously, spiking Hermione's curiosity.
Hermione cocked an inquisitive eyebrow as she remembered that something was supposed to come a "bit later." "Does this have something to do with what you wouldn't tell me about while we were in Hogsmeade?" she asked slowly.
H only grinned in response and returned his attention back to his food, leaving a very curious Hermione Granger watching him suspiciously.
The rest of dinner was mostly silent while Hermione tried to figure out what he had planned while Harry mentally thought out the finishing details of his surprise. He just hoped she would enjoy it. They still weren't very close, but from what he knew of her, he thought she would like it (as long as she didn't mind breaking a few rules, that is.)
Hermione was still puzzled about his plans even after dinner. It was getting late and she briefly wondered if the surprise would be happening tonight. Judging by Harry's unconcerned behavior and the time, it looked as if it would be some other time. Either way, she felt excitement bubble pleasurably inside her as she waited.
By 11:30, Hermione was beginning to think that the surprise wasn't happening that night. She tossed a slightly disappointed glance in Harry's direction while they sat in the Common Room. He paid no mind to her because he was absorbed in a Quidditch magazine. She stood and was about to call it a night when Harry looked up.
"Where are you going?" he asked innocently.
"Bed, it's already half-past eleven. I'll see you tomorrow. Once again, thanks for the great day, it's been so amazing." she replied, stretching.
His emerald eyes widened slightly in alarm before he insisted, "Stay up with me for just a little while longer? Please?"
Hermione felt bad because he had been so nice to her and showed her a good time. She gave him a weary look. "Harry, it's late, we had a long day-"
"Just thirty more minutes? 'Til midnight?" Harry pleaded, looking up at her.
Hermione gave a small laugh, "You're reading a magazine, honestly, why do I need to be here?" she asked.
He quickly closed the magazine and tossed it on the floor. "We can study if you want, I just don't want to go to bed quite yet." He replied nonchalantly.
She sighed and gave in. "Alright, but I'm going to bed at midnight." Hermione told him in a mock stern voice.
Harry grinned, "Excellent."
For the next half hour or so, the two of them looked over Transfiguration notes for the test they would be having that upcoming Tuesday. The small group of night-owls slowing began to disappear up the stairs until finally, it was just the two of them left.
Harry unceremoniously closed his notebook and tossed it on his book bag and stood. "Ready?" he asked, ducking under the table to pull out a small duffle bag.
Hermione gave him a weird look, "Been watching the clock, have you?"
"We're the only ones left now." he replied.
She raised an eyebrow, "Was that your goal? To be the last ones in the Common Room?"
"Well, I wanted to wait until was just us before we left. Shall we go now?" He asked.
"Go where?" Hermione questioned, confused. Weren't they going to bed now?
He grinned, "That's the surprise! I can't very well tell you now, can I? You'll just have to see!" He replied as his grin changed into a smirk.
"At midnight?! Are you mad?" Hermione asked incredulously, casting a glance at the large clock on the wall that had just chimed midnight.
"Yes," came Harry's reply as he bent down to unzip the bag and produced a folded piece of parchment and a silvery cloak. Hermione watched as he tapped the old parchment with his wand and said in a clear voice, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
"Harry, what-" Hermione stopped when she saw dark spidery lines in green ink appear on the parchment, creating what look like a map of some sort.
"It's called the Marauder's Map." He explained, answering her questioning gaze as he let her take a closer look. "It's of the school. It shows everyone here, where they are, and even plenty of secret rooms and passages. Shall we?" he asked with a cocky grin.
"Shall we what?" Hermione asked slowly, looking uncertain.
"We're going to take a walk." Harry told her simply, unfolding the silvery cloak.
Hermione looked at him as if he was gone nutters. "We can't just go walking around!" she exclaimed as if the very idea was preposterous, which to her, it was.
"Of course we can." He said easily.
"We'll get caught!" Hermione shrieked softly. This was his idea of a surprise?!
He shook his head. "Of course we won't. I'm good at not getting caught, trust me. Also, I've got this map, so we'll have a heads up if anyone is patrolling close to us, and I've got this Invisibility Cloak so no one can see us even if we do have run-in with someone." Harry explained to her before throwing the cloak over his body to demonstrate what it did.
Hermione gasped when Harry suddenly disappeared. "Harry? " she called out nervously, looking around uneasily. She felt a tap on her shoulder behind her and turned around to see Harry whip off the cloak and reappear.
"See? There's no way we can get caught." He said confidently with a smirk.
Hermione was still hesitant. It sounded like a fun adventure, but it would be breaking the rules, and what if somehow they did get caught? Would it be severe enough to get expelled? 'Harry said he does it all the time. .' the daring voice inside of her head reasoned, but the cautious part of her said it wasn't such a good idea. "Harry, I dunno. . ." she began uneasily.
"Don't you trust me, Hermione?" he asked softly, slightly hurt that she was so doubtful. "Do you honestly think I would put you in a situation that could get you in a lot of trouble for a trivial reason if I wasn't positive that we could be okay?" he paused for a second then added, "But if you feel uncomfortable or anything, I mean, we don't have to go. We can always do this some other time, it's not like we can only see it at night, it's just more. . .I dunno. But yeah, if you don't want to go, I'll understand." He reassured her, not wanting her to think he was trying to pressure her or anything.
She bit her lip. The idea did sound tempting, a little reckless. A small grin involuntarily on her lips. "Of course I trust you." she assured him. She stared into his bright green eyes that seemed to sparkle with an alluring mischief. Would he think she was dull if she didn't go? No, he said he would understand. He wasn't like that, he would respect her decision either way. That was the kind of guy he was.
"Like I said, you don't have to go, but I really think you would have a good time. Please, Hermione?" he asked softly.
All her worried seemed to instantly melt away as she caved. Before she could even think, her voice replied, "Alright." and a shy grin appeared on her lips, which he returned.
"Excellent." He reached into the duffle bag again and pulled out two hoodies, one gray and one black. "You might want to wear one of these, it's pretty cold outside." he said with a wink and held both sweatshirts out so she could pick one
Blushing slightly, Hermione quickly grabbed a sweatshirt which happened to be the gray one, similar to the one she had worn earlier that day and wordlessly pulled it on over her shirt. The hoody smelt fresh and distinctly like the scent she had accustomed to being Harry's. He pulled on the remaining black one. The cloak was small, so they had to stand close together for it to cover both of them. After skimming the map, the two of them exited through the Portrait Hole and began to slowly make their way down the corridors.
They walked silently, their footsteps barely audible. Fortunately, they made it to the Entrance Hall without meeting anyone. However , they weren't so lucky when Filch seemed to pop out of nowhere with Mrs. Norris by his side. Harry held back a curse while Hermione's eyes grew wide as she panicked and thoughts of getting caught began to cloud her mind. Harry could see her frightened face for the moonlight that was pouring in through the high windows. He gave her a small smile to calm her down and guided them close to a wall, out of Filch's way.
Filch was coming closer though. The pair of them backed up until they were flat against the wall. Hermione tripped on an uneven stone as they tried to slowly inch away from the caretaker, and she quickly grabbed Harry's sleeve to keep her balance. Harry seized her hand to help her stand upright, but as soon as their hands touched, Harry felt a searing pain on his forehead. He cursed and quickly let go of her to clutch his forehead as the pain began to subside. Hermione wasn't able to stable herself and fell to the ground, causing a loud clatter.
Filch, who had turned around and started in the opposite direction, heard this and quickly whipped around. "Who's there?!" he called almost gleefully because he was sure he caught a student out of bed.
Harry saw that Hermione's eyes had gone even wider and she looked fearful. He slowly eased out of the cloak, making sure it still covered Hermione. He heard her make a small noise in protest but he just pushed the duffle bag and map into her hands.
He stepped out of the shadows that were covering them before Filch could make it all the way to them.
"Potter!" he said nastily.
Harry tried to look innocent. "Fancy meeting you here, Filch."
His lip curled, "Out of bed? This is quite a habit of yours."
Harry shrugged, "I'm just patrolling, it's part of my duties as Head Boy." he lied, shifting slightly to make sure he was in front of the caretaker in case he decided to go in Hermione's direction.
Filch looked at him disbelievingly. "Patrolling? What's so important in those shadows that needed 'patrolling,' Potter?"
"I was just checking things out, making sure no one was having a snogfest in the corner anything. It's all clear. I heard a boy say he was going to bring his girlfriend either here or to the closet by the Transfiguration classroom tonight, so I thought I should have a look. I guess I picked the wrong one." Harry said with a fake wistful looking, hoping Filch would take the bait.
"The closet by the Transfiguration classroom you say?" the Squib asked, to which Harry nodded. "I'll go have a look then." He cast Harry a suspicious glance, but before he could say anything, Harry gave a fake yawn.
"Well, you go do that, I think I'm gonna head up to Gryffindor Tower, it's pretty late."
Filch sneered, "You go to sleep, and just leave all the dirty work to me troublemaker. I may not have gotten you this time, but I will, you've been nothing but a thorn in my side ever since you first walked through those doors. I know it was you who set those dung bombs off in the corridor yesterday."
Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. It had, in fact, not been him that time. "It wasn't me that time, honest. But I'm going to bed, you better hurry up to that closet before those two students are done. We don't want to miss the chance of catching rule breakers, gotta crack down on this school. If you let them get away, who knows what they'll do next! Hell, they might even start terrorizing Mrs. Norris!" Harry warned, and watched as the caretaker rushed off. Mrs. Norris gave the shadows where Hermione stood one last look before glaring at Harry for his comment. This wasn't the first time Harry got the feeling the cat could see through Invisibility Cloaks.
"Go on, follow your idiot of a master." Harry coaxed before lunging quickly in the cat's direction, making her meow softly and take off after Filch.
He stood there for a second before turning around to Hermione. She slowly took off the cloak, her face slightly pale. He grinned at her reassuringly. "No worries, the man is about as stupid as they get. He is so easy to trick." Hermione gave him a small smile, but Harry could still tell she was worried. "Do you want to keep going, or do you just want to head back?" Harry asked, hoping she would choose the former.
Hermione smiled, "Well, we're already down here, might as well keep going."
"Awesome, let's go then." Without bothering to put the cloak back on, Harry shoved it in the duffle bag and led Hermione to the Entrance Doors. The door creaked opened and soon, the pair of them were making their way across the grounds.
No longer worried about being silent, Hermione asked, "Where are we going?" as they passed the Care of Magical Creatures professor's dark hut.
"It's a surprise." Harry replied, taking out his wand and igniting the tip; Hermione followed suit.
Hermione tugged Harry's hoody tighter around her as the chilly air began to get to her. After a few more minutes, Hermione realized they were standing near the Whomping Willow. As Harry drew closer, Hermione instinctively grabbed the strap of his duffle bag to stop him. "Harry, it's the Whomping Willow, we shouldn't get any closer!" Hermione said earnestly, but Harry told her it was okay. She watched worriedly as he neared the tree. Its branches began to come alive threateningly, but Harry easily dodged their attack. H grabbed a long branch and pressed it against a large knot on the tree's thick trunk. The violent branches suddenly froze. Hermione lookin on in astonishment. Harry motioned for her to join him over by the now-harmless tree.
"Alright, see this hole?" Harry asked, pointing at a large opening about the size of a grown man at the base of the Willow's roots. She nodded as she rubbed her cold hands together for warmth. "Well, we've got to go down that gap."
Hermione had given up on asking questions about where they were going and just nodded again, trusting him. With Harry's help, she was able to drop down into the opening and soon found herself sliding down a slope into an underground tunnel. She moved out of the way so Harry could slither down beside her. Before she could ask, he said, "Okay, now all we've got to di is follow this passage and we'll be there soon."
"Alright, how far is it?" She questioned, eyeing the dark tunnel with distaste as it looked as if it stretched on forever.
"Not too far." He replied, and they began on their way. The light from their wand tips didn't illuminate much, so Hermione couldn't get a good look at her surroundings. The ground was uneven and had large rocks here and there, so they had to watched their step.
The ground began to incline slightly and there was a gradual bend they followed. Hermione could make something out just ahead of them in their wand light.. They had to be close!
She was right. They came across a rickety staircase. They wordlessly climbed the wobbly stairs, Hermione half expected them to fall apart at any given moment. But the two made it to the top safely where they met an old door and a strong smell of mold. Harry was able to open it with little effort, the soft creaking of the door was the only sound that met Hermione's ears.
"Go ahead, go in." Harry coaxed her, shining his wand light inside. She looked at him uncertainly, unsure of what she would meet inside, but she gingerly walked in anyway. It was dark and the stale air made her cough violently for a minute, but it soon subsided. She followed Harry through the darkness with only their wands to guide them.
They entered another door and Harry motioned for Hermione to stop. He whispered a spell and the room was suddenly lit with a welcoming, roaring fire in the fireplace and loads of candles that were drifting in midair suddenly came alive.
Hermione gasped softly as she took in the room. There was a blue velvet moth-eaten couch on one side of the room along a dingy wall that had yellowed with age and had paper peeling from it. The floor was covered in stains and was carpeted with a heavy layer of dust and even some fungus was popping out of the holes in the floor. All the furniture was splintered and broken with deep scratch marks carved into the wood. Windows were carelessly boarded up, nails sticking out at odd angles.
In the middle of all the disarray of the musty room was a thick green comforter laying on the ground with a closed tub on it as well as a few blankets and pillows.
Harry grinned as he watched her take all this in. "So. . .surprise!" he said, waiting for a response. Did she like it?
"Where are we?" Hermione asked, looking over at him, standing there with his hands in his pockets.
"I would say take a look out the window, but I suppose that would be a tad difficult. Even if there weren't boards covering them, you'd have a time trying to see through the grime and crud. So I'll just tell you what you'd see instead. There's a small town outside, but you'd have to look at it through a fence. The yard is in disorder and-"
Hermione didn't need for him to go on, it suddenly clicked where they were. "The Shrieking Shack?!" she asked incredulously, amazement evident in her brown eyes.
Harry's grin widened, "The One and Only!"
Hermione looked at him, clearly impressed. "How did you pull this one off?" she asked, glancing around the room before joining Harry, who had sat down on the comforter.
"I have my ways." he replied, making Hermione roll her eyes. Harry quickly conjured up a white plastic box, and after a few flame-resistant charms, a small fire was flickering beside them inside of it.
Hermione gave a shiver as she suddenly felt the chill of the room that only one fire could not handle and scooted closer to the flames. "What's in the tub?" she questioned curiously, hoping she didn't sound too nosy.
In answer, Harry opened it and started pulling out the items inside, naming each of them one-by-one, "Alright, we've got potato chips, pumpkin pasties, cookies, pretzels, cauldron cakes, sodas, Bertie Bot's Every Flavor Beans, chocolate bars, stuff for s'mores. . . And then some stuff for brownie sundaes in a cooler." he finished.
When he looked up, he saw Hermione gaping at him with wide eyes and her mouth a gap, "Ar-are you bloody serious?!" she stuttered. "That's a lot!"
Harry chuckled at her expression, "It's not that much. . .and I told you, I'm a junk food junkie. Plus, it's not like we have to eat it all, I just wanted us to have a nice variety to choose from." he said with a shrug. Did he go a bit over the top? When he was with Ron and Draco, they usually got even more than this and never thought anything about it.
Hermione couldn't believe they were inside the Shrieking Shack, up to their elbows in junk food. A giddy feeling suddenly swept over her as her excitement began to bubble. The large pile of tooth-decaying food they were about to intake (Heaven forbid her parents ever know about this, or it might give them a heart attack!) didn't seem too much anymore. This was what she imagined a sleepover might be like, eating sweets all night and just talking.
As they dug into the potato chips and Hermione's gaze swept over the deep scratch marks in the furniture, she remembered what the headmaster had told her about there being a story behind the old haunted shack they were in. "You know, a werewolf and his mates used to have something to do with this shack." she told him before eating a chip.
Harry cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really?" Hoe do you know?"
"The headmaster." she replied simply.
"Do you know the story?" Harry asked as he maneuvered himself so he was laying on his side, propped up on a pillow and his elbow.
She shook her head.
"I do." he said, smirking.
"Oh, pray tell then." Hermione remarked, moving into a similar position as Harry, facing him.
"Well see there was a werewolf that went to the school. He got his bite as a young boy, but Dumbledore admitted him into Hogwarts anyway because he's just kickass like that. He made close friends, three of them in fact. He didn't tell them about his condition because he thought they would desert him. Every full moon, he would just tell them his mum was ill or something that could excuse his absence. The Whomping Willow was planted at that very spot for a purpose. The nurse would bring the boy through the tunnel and into the Shrieking Shack, then leave. He would transform and because of all his howling, the villagers thought he shack was haunted by violent spirits. In his werewolf state, he didn't really know what he was doing, and that's why this place is a total wreck. He was a monster. Anyway, back to his mates. Two of his friends were pretty brilliant, so they figured it out. The three of them had thought it was pretty cool and became unregistered Animagi.
"They would sneak down here and transform every full moon, then the four friends would roam the grounds of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Actually, remember that map? They wrote it. Messers Moody, Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail. They found so many secret passages and rooms that I bet even Dumbledore doesn't know about them all!" He said confidently, a wide grin his face.
Hermione, who had been listening intently, regarded him in astonishment. "How did you get the map?" she asked curiously.
"Well, let's just say I know the Marauders personally." he replied with a wink.
Her jaw dropped, "How?!"
He sighed, "You're going to make me reveal all of my secrets, aren't you? Moony is a family friend, Padfoot is--get this--Professor Black, and Prongs is my dad!"
Hermione gasped in surprise. "Professor Black is an unregistered Animagus? Or is he the werewolf? Or is your father the were-"
Harry held up a hand to halt her rambling questions. "Moony is the werewolf; the others are the Animagi." He said, answering all her questions.
"What about Wormtail? Is he a family friend too or is that like your mum or something?" she asked.
Harry shrugged, "I dunno much about him. He waa said to be a spy and traitor to my family. He joined V-err. . .someone that was against us." He told her, weighing his words carefully, not sure why. He didn't know Hermione's thoughts on Voldemort and supposed it was a touchy subject for her to discuss. He didn't want to ruin the night by getting into a big discussion that would make Hermione uncomfortable.
"Oh. So did you get the map from your father then?"
Harry shook his head. "No, it got confiscated before the Marauders left Hogwarts. I actually got it from Fred and George Weasley. They gave it to me as a Christmas present in my Third Year--got Ron a bit miffed, mind you--and when I showed it to Sirius, the story came out."
There was a silence for a moment as the duo munched on some of their snacks.
"So, do you have any pets?" Harry asked, trying to make conversation.
"I have an owl named Miguel, but that's about it. I used to have a kitten when I was twelve, but it got attacked by a dog. I was heartbroken." she told him, remembering her snowy kitten Ebony.
"I'm sorry." Harry said sorrowfully. "I know it just be hard, losing a pet.."
Hermione gave him a sad smile. "Yeah, I haven't been able to get another cat since, but that was years ago, I'm pretty much over it."
He nodded.
"Tell me something about yourself." Harry told her as they began to make s'mores. So far, they were just making a right sticky mess of things.
Hermione watched the marshmallow golden as she hovered it over the fire before replying, "Well. . .um. . .I dunno. . .I like homemade vanilla ice cream. . ." she said with a laugh.
Harry grinned, "So do I! Have you ever. . .eaten so much junk food before?!" he asked, smirking now.
Hermione smiled and shook her head. "My parents would kill me if they saw me right now! Have you ever. . .failed a class before?"
Harry pretended to think for a second before laughing at Hermione's surprised expression, "Nope. Have you ever gone skinny dipping?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively a few times.
Hermione colored slightly as she quickly shook her head again. "Of course not! Why, have you?!?!" she countered, a suspicious look on her face.
"Nope, though I'd like to before I die." He replied shamelessly.
Hermione shrugged her shoulders, "I suppose that's a nice goal to have, right up there with world peace and solving world hunger."
Harry snorted, "Actually, it's just above those two, but same difference, I mean, who's keeping track, right?"
Hermione laughed softly. "Have you ever been drunk?"
"Once," he replied as a disgusted look crept over his featured. "and Merlin did I pay for it!"
"What happened?"
"Well, I just turned fourteen about a week before this. It was Ron, Draco, and me all at Sirius's house. He wasn't there, and being the stupid prats we were, we decided to drink a bit, just to try it. A little bit my ass! Before we knew it, we were all pretty well pissed. Ron puked everywhere, and he got kinda rowdy. Draco was quite the opposite. He just sat there quietly and could still think decently straight. I was sorta in a daze. It was all fun and games at the time, I suppose. At some point, I was retching my guts out, worshipping the Porcelain God like no one had ever before; Draco was passed out on the couch, an empty glass in his hand; and Ron was laying in the tub for some odd reason, his clothes soaking wet with cold water. That's how Sirius found us. He wasn't exactly angry--I think he thought it was all rather funny actually--but to teach us a lesson, he made us clean up the house that we had somehow trashed the night before. He wouldn't brew us a Hangover Potion, so it royally sucked. Our heads were pounding, we were tired as hell, and Sirius--that bastard--had music blaring just for good measure. He didn't tell our parents, which was good because my mum would have flipped, so would have Ron's. I definitely learned my lesson and haven't touched alcohol since, save Butterbeer, but that's barely potent enough to even be considered an alcohol." Harry told her, recalling the disastrous incident. By the time he was finished, Hermione was laughing hard.
"You guys were so stupid!" she remarked, trying to tame her laughter.
"Gee, thanks, Hermione, you're doing wonders for my self-esteem here." he replied in a mock retort.
She shrugged, "Well, you were. The truth hurts."
"Have you ever been drunk?" Harry asked, hoping to get a chance to even the footing.
"Nope, I'm a good kid." she said proudly.
"Yeah, yeah." Harry muttered under his breath with a fake eye roll before breaking out into a grin.
The continued talking about how their summers had went, Harry telling her about work and playing sports with Ron and Draco. He mentioned playing his guitar as well, and told her he brought it with him tonight, so she had him play her a few songs. She was very impressed with his talent and loved listening to him sing. Hermione told him about practicing magic and all. She left out the intensity of the row she had had with her parents along with her Girls' Club meeting.
Harry opened the small cooler that was holding the ice cream. "Alright, brownie sundae time!" He exclaimed, and Hermione watched in silence as Harry made their sundaes, then thanked him when he handed her hers. The whipped cream was about to topple over, so she had to take a few quick bites.
Once he finished making his own, Harry leaned against his pillow. Hermione did the same and covered up with a blanket.
Harry took his first bite and swallowed thoughtfully, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you come to learn magic?"
A look of pride crossed Hermione's features. "Well see, I never knew of the Wizarding World until I got my Hogwarts letter. Naturally, I was curious and after much begging, my parents told me that the Grangers had been a pureblood magic family at one time. They wouldn't tell me a whole lot, just mainly that we were pretty much exiled from the Wizarding community. They wouldn't tell me why though; I suppose they probably don't even know. But I wouldn't let that minor detail stop me of course. I had always thought of myself as a little weird, so when I found out about being a witch, I figured it was my 'calling.' I didn't fit in with the Muggles, so I figured must be destined for the Wizarding World." Hermione told him.
Harry looked at her, slightly surprised. She didn't know why the Grangers were hated in the Wizarding World?
Hermione noticed his look of surprise. "What?"
"Uh, nothing. I'm err. . .just a little shocked, I guess. I mean, your parents never told you why people don't like the Grangers in the Wizarding World? That was a pretty brave thing for you to do, to just come here so unaware." He said, his voice tinged with admiration.
She shrugged. "Like I said, I don't even think they know exactly why. I never asked Clarence, never wanted to bother her with it. She was good enough to take me under her wing and teach me. Anyway, a few days after I got my letter for my Fourth Year, I received a note that gave me instructions to a magical library. I didn't do anything about it at the time. It wasn't signed, so I was a little suspicious of it. But I dunno, I knew the school year was about to begin and figured that it would be best if I went before then because I had more time during the summer. And to be honestly, I was certainly quite curious about it. So after a lot of thought, I went to Madam Suddusk's Volumes--that's the name of the library by the way. The librarian, Clarence, knew who I was, even after I gave her a fake name, said something about how I had the eyes of a Granger. She said she would help me learn magic and, well, she did. She's been wonderful. She made sure I had everything I needed and assisted me for the last three years. She's been such an amazing friend, without her, I would have never made it to Hogwarts." Hermione finished quietly, giving Harry a small grin that he returned.
Hermione thoughts drifted back to the letter she had received that very morning. She had almost forgotten about it with all the fun she had been having. She remembered that Clarence had something important to tell her, something about how everyone was behaving. Perhaps it was something about the Wizarding World that she didn't know about? Or maybe it had something to do with Hermione, or maybe the Grangers in general? A thought suddenly struck Hermione: it might even be the reason why everyone hated the Grangers in the first place, save Avery and people like him. She had never wanted to bother Clarence with it before, she never felt that it was too important. But now, after all this talking with Harry and how everyone had been treating her, it suddenly became very important. She had told Harry her parents never told her why, that they probably didn't even know. And he had seemed surprised, almost as if everyone knew. He had told her she was brave and-- wait. . .if everyone knew why Grangers weren't accepted welcomingly in the Wizarding World, that must mean Harry knew too! And he was a Potter, so he would probably know even more than anyone else because of the rivalry and all.
All these thoughts were chaotically bouncing around in her brain, and she was barely able to grasp them. Her head was spinning slightly. Harry had been here the whole time, and she never bothered to ask! Excitement built up as she quickly turned to Harry, who was finishing his sundae. He would surely have all the answers to her questions. But. . .did she really want to know? What if it was something horrible?
Harry, noticing Hermione attention on him, looked up to meet her cinnamon orbs and saw so many intense emotions: they were clouded with confusion, wide in realization, bright with sudden excitement, and tinged with slight fear and dread. "Hermione?" he asked, drawing her name out slowly and couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Why was she looking at him like that?
Weighing each word carefully, Hermione began slowly, "My parents never told me why the Wizarding World feels the way they do towards the Grangers. . ."
Harry felt his palms start to sweat as he suddenly realized what she was about to ask him. Could he tell her? No, it wasn't his place. She needed something important to tell her, she needed someone who knew the whole story, not him.
"And I never asked Clarence. . ."
But what if she did ask him? What could he say? Could he lie? Could he just tell her no? He couldn't lie, he knew that. And he couldn't just refuse her either; she had the right to know. How did he get in this position in the first place? "Well, I'm sure if you talk to Clarence, she'll be able to. . ." he tried to say.
He didn't want to tell her! Hermione suddenly realized, seeing through his tactics. Suddenly, there was no more doubt. She wanted to know, and Harry was going to tell her. "You know why everyone hates me, and I want you to tell me everything." she said in a slightly commanding tone, with a hint of urgency and pleading.
Harry sighed, what choice did he have?
Yes! Finally done with this one. So, what did you think? Like I said, it's more of a filler chapter, but it was a lot of fun to write! Um. . .let's see. . .I've written 2 one shots in my absence from this story "Your Are The World" and "I Meant Every Word He Said." The first one is my first "fluff" piece, while the second is kinda angst but still pretty cool, so you should all check them out and tell me what you think! Anyway, I'll try to have the next chapter out soon, and yeah, don't forget to review! I hope you all loved this chapter! To be honest, I didn't really spend the time trying to find any lyrics because I wanted to get this posted today. Um, the song "Strawberry Wine" was a pretty big inspiration, especially for the part where they were talking in Hogsmeade and in the Shrieking Shack, but I didn't think it was appropriate to put in with the story because it just didn't fit. And if you happen to know any song that you think will fit in with my story, feel free to give me some requests! It's not always easy finding lyrics for stories, I don't know every song out there! So please, feel free to recommend a few! Thanks for reading, and please, REVIEW!!! I love reading what you guys have to say about my stories!!!
Until my next post,
Stay Righteous!
*~Archie~*