Hey guys, sorry it took me a lot longer than I promised, but it's been kind of busy. I got a new kitten…a nice and healthy kitten! It's really hard to write when your kitten is sitting by the keyboards batting at my moving fingers. If there are any typos on here, blame Murphy not me!
Anyway, here's an update I hope to have another update sooner this time so be on the look out. Cheers!
~HM
Chapter 17
As the days past, the tension between Harry and Hermione ebbed away and it was just like old times. They no longer tried to avoid one another, they laughed and talked over the same old things, plus Harry stopped by the store after practice to help out on the muggle side.
They kept visiting Ron daily, sometimes together and sometimes separate, but they always made sure that they went to visit him once day. They talked to him as if he were awake, hoping to get some sort of response out of him, but unfortunately they had no luck. It was as if Ron was a million miles away and had no desire to come back. Hope was the only thing that was keeping Harry and Hermione positive.
It was the end of the week and Hermione was running late getting home due to the fact that she booked her very first book signing on the muggle side. It was a famous muggle author and she had so much to do in just a few short weeks.
Harry was cooking dinner when she got home and also had a glass of merlot waiting for her, just like he did every Friday night. "Hey, Mione," he said greeting her with a smile before picking up his bottle of muggle beer. "You're a little late."
"I was on the phone with the author's publicist, trying to come up with the best possible date," she said as she sat on one of the kitchen stools. "He's pretty well known, so it should be a huge turn out."
"What's the author's name?" Harry asked as he stirred whatever was simmering in the steaming pot.
"James Patterson, he writes thrillers," she said and then leaned over to taste the spoon Harry offered her. "Mmmm, I was hoping that was your spaghetti sauce."
"I felt like cooking Italian tonight," he said as he added a few more spices. "Hey, don't forget my first game is next weekend."
"What time?" she asked as she took a sip of her wine.
"Saturday at noon," he said reaching up to pull some plates out of the cabinet.
"Oh, but my store," she said as her shoulders slumped. "We're open on Saturdays."
"Hermione, you own the store," he said as he loaded up her plate for her. "You trust your employees now, it won't go under if you are gone for a few hours."
"No, I suppose not," she said feeling uneasy about leaving the store for the first time. "And of course I want to be there cheering you on, Harry."
"You have to," he said bringing both their plates to the table. "You haven't missed me play a game since first year at school."
Hermione followed him to the table, smiling softly when he held out her chair for her. "I know, Harry, don't worry I'll be there."
"Good," he said sitting down himself. "Besides, I'm playing against the best Seeker in the world, a.k.a, your ex-boyfriend."
Hermione paused her forkful of spaghetti at her mouth. "Victor? You're playing against Victor?"
"Yeah, he traded to Puddlemere this season," he said with a hint of worry in his voice. "I've never played against him before."
"Harry, you beat him at the Tri-Wizard tournament," she reminded him with a laugh. "I'm sure you'll do fine."
"That's different," he said with a shrug as he forked up some salad. "He's a really good flyer, Hermione."
"So are you," she said trying her best to encourage him. "In fact I think you are a way better flyer, Harry, and a superior Seeker."
Harry gave her a appreciative smile. "Thanks, Mione," he said reaching over to give her hand a quick squeeze. "That's why I need you there, you always did know how to boost my ego."
Hermione laughed. "It's a gift."
"I'll be sure to give you your V.I.P pass and tickets," he said removing his hand so he could continue eating. "You're going to watch the game in the owner's box with Maggie and her father."
"Really?" she asked as her face lit up. "Good, I haven't seen Maggie in forever."
"Her and Neville are inseparable. I don't think I've seen the other without the other."
"Oh, you know who's all smiles?" Hermione asked. "Ginny. I ran into her at the store when she was buying her books. Looks like that date turned out rather well."
"Really?" Harry asked intrigued. "How can you tell? What did she look like?"
"Like she's been having sex," she said bluntly while calmly twirling up spaghetti on her fork.
Harry choked on his wine. "Hermione," he said laughing slightly. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," she chuckled, but then her smile dropped. "I'm sorry, does it bug you? I didn't even think that…"
"No, no," he said quickly waving his hand at her. "I just wasn't prepared for that. I mean, good for Ginny if it's true, at least one of us is having sex."
Hermione blushed as she looked down at her plate. "Um…did you and Ginny…ever?"
"Ever what? Have sex?" Hermione nodded shyly and Harry shook his head. "No, she always stopped me before it got serious."
"So, you wanted to though," she said as she started to push the remaining noodles around her plate.
"I was a curious sixteen year old boy with hormones, Hermione," he pointed out with a grin. "What do you think?"
Hermione laughed. "Point taken." She finished her glass of wine and grabbed the bottle to refill it. "So…if not with Ginny, have you ever had sex?"
"Unfortunately, no," he said and then took a long sip of his beer. "I mean, I know I could find someone, you know, use my name to get a girl in bed, because of course I'm anxious about it, but…I don't know, I just don't feel right doing that."
"You're not the kind of guy that would use a woman that way, Harry."
He shrugged. "No, I'm not. I've waited this long, I might as well wait for it to be with someone special." He then had a sudden flash of him shoving everything off the table and pushing Hermione down on top of it and having his way with her. The thought of being that way with Hermione made his palms sweat and his heart ache with need. "Er…so…how bout you?"
"Me?" she laughed. "When have I had the time to have sex?"
"Well, I don't know, for all I know you had sex with Krum."
"Harry!" she shrieked as she threw her napkin at him. "I was fourteen!"
Harry laughed as he caught it before it could hit his face. "Okay, stupid of me to ask."
"Very," she said getting up from her seat and took both their plates in. "I'll clean since you cooked."
"Fair enough," he said throwing his empty beer bottle away. "I'll got let Daisy out and I think I'm going to swim some laps, it's a nice night."
"Okay," she said turning towards him when he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "I'm going to go up to my room and read my new book. I bought one of James Patterson's books, I figured I should at least read one before he gets here."
"Well, have a good night then if I don't see you," Harry said as he playfully tugged on her hair. "See you in the morning."
XXXX
"I just love opening day," Maggie said as she handed Hermione the glass of water she asked for. "The excitement of the fans, the game….it's just wonderful."
"Did you ever play Quidditch?" Hermione asked as they took their seats on the first row of their box. They both propped their feet on the edge as they waited for the start of the game.
"When I was in school," she said taking a sip of her water. "I went to an American school in Salem, being that my mother is from America."
Maggie's mum was a muggle and long ago when she and a few of her friends from college planned a girls trip to England, she met Maggie's father and fell head over heels first in love with him.
"Were you any good?"
"I was a Chaser, scored the most goals out of everyone at the school."
Neville sat down on the other side of Maggie handing a plastic gold bowl shaped like a snitch filled with chocolate ice cream and whip cream. "There you go, luv," he said handing it to her.
"Oh you're a doll," she said leaning over and kissing him on the mouth.
"And a strawberry sherbert for you," he said reaching over Maggie to hand another bowl to Hermione.
"Thanks Neville," she said as she licked her lips in anticipation.
"Man, when is the game going to start?" Neville asked leaning up in his seat as he looked down at the thousands of fans sitting below them. "I'm ready to see Harry kick Krum's ass."
Maggie calmly patted his knee. "Any moment, luv." She then grinned at Hermione and rolled her eyes. "He's been looking forward to today's game for awhile."
"It seems like forever since I've watched Harry play," Neville said as he leaned back in his seat. "Just like old times, right Hermione?"
"Right," she agreed with a smile. "Without the drama here and there I hope."
Neville laughed. "Let's hope so, you know how drama likes to follow Harry Potter."
"Speaking of Harry," Maggie said in a softer tone as she turned to Hermione. "How are things between you?"
Hermione sighed. Maggie knew all about what happened that night in the kitchen. A few days later Hermione was dying to talk to someone, so she called Maggie on her cell phone. Since her mum was a muggle, she had a cell to keep in touch with her. Hermione had one for the same reason, so she called her up and met her for lunch. "It's better," she finally said. "It's hard sometimes, especially when we are in the kitchen."
Maggie grinned. "No doubt."
"I don't know what I want," she sighed poking at her ice cream. "I'm attracted to Harry, there is no doubt about that, but what if that's all it is between us. Just lust? Whatever it is, it's not fair to Ron if we start something."
"Hermione, I may not know Ron and I'm sure he's a great guy, he wouldn't be your friend if he wasn't."
"I since a 'but' coming," Hermione mumbled.
"But," she said with a smile. "Are you sure Run is who you belong with? You and Harry have such a strong bond with each other, it's hard to believe you're meant to be with someone else."
"Everyone assumed it would be Ron and me at the end." She shrugged. "Even Harry."
"Like I told Harry, not everything turns out the way you plan them, Hermione."
"I never did," Neville said turning to the girls.
They looked at him. "What?" Maggie asked.
"I never assumed you would end up with Ron," Neville said looking at Hermione. "I wondered at one point, who it would be but after fifth year I thought that one day you would be with Harry."
Hermione was stunned at this. "W-what makes you say that?"
"It was the night at the ministry, when you were attacked." Neville blew out a breath as he shook his head. "I'll never forget the look on his face when you fell, Hermione, it…the color just drained out of him in an instant. He panicked, I never seen him that way before, he didn't even look for your pulse, I had to do it. The way he was looking at you, pleading for you to wake up….I'll never forget it."
"Oh," Maggie said her eyes filling with tears. "That's so romantic."
"Oh stop," Hermione said trying to laugh it off but her stomach fluttered at the thought of Harry kneeling over her, begging her to wake up. "He…he was just concerned for me, I'm his best friend."
"It was different," Neville said shaking his head. "I can't explain it, you would know if you were there…he had completely shut down until I told him you still had a pulse. Then he slowly started to focus again, although it took him awhile."
Maggie watched Hermione frown as she stared off in thought. "Look," she said finally said to her. "After the game you should go visit Ron. Just you. Really talk to him, if love is between you, maybe you'll get some sort of response."
"Yeah," she said trying to give her a positive smile. "Maybe I'll do that."
"Hey, it's starting!" Neville said jumping to his feet when the members of the Chudley cannons burst out into the air.
Maggie gave Hermione a wink as she stood up. "Enjoy the game, Hermione, don't worry about it until later."
Hermione smiled as she watched Harry do a big loop when the announcer said his name. "Okay," she said and started to clap with the fans, cheering Harry on.
The game went on for awhile, with Harry and Victor both being talented Seekers. The crowd was loving the excitement and of course, Harry Potter.
"Hey check out that sign," Maggie said handing her omnioculars to her. "Across the field and a third of the way up where a group of girls are."
Hermione moved the omnioculars the crowd until she found the sign she was talking about. A young woman was holding up a sign that read;
KRUM is DUMB and POTTER is HOTTER!!
"Oh that's so bad!" Hermione laughed handing the omni oculars back to her. "But very funny."
The Chudley Chasers were farm superior to Puddlemere and were up fifty to ten twenty minutes into it.
"Looks like Potter sees the snitch," the announcer said and the crowd went wild. "Krum is close behind…oooh! He barely avoids a bludger that was sent by Chudley's Davies…..Looks like Krum is trying his best to catch up….but Potter is toooooo faaaast! Look at him fly!"
The crowd roared with excitement as they watched their Seeker swoop down and grab the snitch from the air.
"He did it!" Maggie exclaimed as they whooped and cheered.
Hermione laughed as she watched Harry fly around the stadium, hanging upside down by one leg and one arm as he gave passing fans high fives. He got closer to her and Hermione smiled when he held out his hand to her. She grabbed it and he leaned down to give her a kiss on the cheek upside down. He then winked at her before continuing on through the crowd.
She sighed as she placed a hand on her cheek, then her heart melted when she watched Harry fly up to a young boy perched on his dad's shoulders. He gave the boy the snitch and playfully ruffled his head before flying back to his teammates.
Hermione took a shaky breath as she turned to Maggie. "I'm going to sneak out and see Ron."
"Okay," she said giving her a friend a hug. "Try stopping by the Leaky Cauldron later. We're having a victory party."
"I'll try," she assured her. "Tell Harry congrats for me."
"You tell him that when you see him," she said squeezing her shoulders. "He'd rather hear it from you."
XXXX
Harry sat at a table at the Leaky Cauldron as he miserably picked at the label of his butterbeer bottle. The rest of his teammates were already good and pissed, while they took shots and sang merry songs.
Francy, the only girl on the team had already kissed him right on the mouth several times, plus her boyfriend, one of the beaters managed to lay one on him as well.
He wanted to let loose and have a good time, but he couldn't without Hermione. Maggie told him where she went and a part of him was annoyed, which only made him feel like shit. HE had no right to be angry that she wanted to see their unconscious best friend.
But dammit, he wanted her there with him, not with Ron. And once again, that made him feel like shit for even thinking it. HE at least hoped she would come by after, that was why he was still there waiting. When he caught the snitch his first thought was he couldn't wait to celebrate with Hermione. Of course, the last time he celebrated with her, it let to the fabulous snog fest in the kitchen.
Harry groaned as he pushed his unfinished bottle away and stood to leave. He turned to tell Maggie he was leaving, but she was permanently attached to Neville's eager lips. "Geez, get a room you two…honestly."
Maggie replied by removing a hand from his hair and giving him the finger, without even breaking from his mouth.
"Nice Mags," he muttered as he rolled his eyes and walked out of the bar.