MUAHA. Did I not promise a short wait for the update? Ta da. LOL. And I know people are probably starting to get frustrated, but you only have to bear with this a little longer. In one chapter Hermione will be OUT of denial and in two a certain (or two certain) relationships will be over, and Hermione will slowly start noticing Harry's doing as something that COULD possibly be romantic.
Harmony is only so far away.
And there's a nice chuck of a scene between just Harry and Hermione.
Thanks for all of your reviews!
And for the 22 degrees part…that's in Celsius, not Fahrenheit for all my fellow Americans. In Fahrenheit that's about 72 degrees.
In addition, you might find what Hermione does at the end out of line, but it is absolutely necessary for the plot. Especially next chapter.
Now, on to the story…
*****
November 5
Okay. So I'm going to enlist the help of Ron. I have no other choice. I need to understand what on earth is going through Harry's head. I've known him all this time, yet this year, I don't seem to understand a thing about him, and that scares me. And Parvati is being a complete bitch. Honestly. I don't see what Harry sees in her. She can't even follow simple rules... True, they may or may not exist, but still...
*****
"Hey, you two."
Ron looked up from his game of Wizard's chess, which he was playing with Harry. Harry looked relieved at my interruption, as it seemed, as usual, Harry was dying a horrible death.
"Having fun?" I asked them, suppressing my grin at the sweat that had broken out on Harry's forehead due to his concentration.
"Oh, of course," Harry replied sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "Loads. I don't even know why I bother anymore. We both know you're going to end up the winner," Harry finished to Ron.
"Because you enjoy the suffering," Ron replied lightly. "Or, rather, I do."
"Very funny," Harry muttered, pushing his hair back as he considered where next to move.
"Right," I interjected, clapping my hands together. "Er, Ron, do you think I could have a word?"
"Again?" Ron asked in surprise.
"Yes, again," I replied in an admonishing tone.
"But…" Ron looked sadly at the chessboard, which was dominated by his players. "But I…"
I glared at Ron.
"Can't this wait?" Ron begged.
"Don't worry," Harry smirked. "I promise not to switch around the board."
Ron sighed. "Fine. Just bloody well fine."
"Sorry about this, Harry," I apologized in the direct of my raven-haired friend.
"Oh, not a problem," Harry said with an extremely please grin. "It's not as if I needed any of this time to work up a strategy…"
"It won't do you any good!" Ron called over his shoulder as I dragged him to the Gryffindor common room.
"What's up now?" Ron asked me in a highly impatient tone.
"How kind of you," I replied indifferently. "Look, I need you to do me a favor."
"Favor?" Ron looked highly suspicious. "Look, Hermione, I'm not doing anything for SPEW. I tried the whole badge thing in the beginning, but the house elves just don't want to be- "
"I'm not talking about S.P.E.W," I retorted acidly. I remembered that I was about to ask Ron for a favor and cleared my throat, putting on a smile. "Sorry. What I mean to say is, Harry has been acting a bit odd again."
"He was acting odd before?" Ron asked, confused.
"Never mind," I replied with a wave of my hand. "The point is he's acting odd. He's studying when there are no tests, and yesterday, I thought I saw him doing his homework for next week's class."
"So?" Ron shrugged. "You're, what, seven weeks ahead?"
"But Harry's not me!" I groaned. "Harry is supposed to procrastinate and rely on me to save him at the last minute…like you! He's not supposed to study for no reason and be ahead of his work!"
"Okay, okay!" Ron exclaimed, holding out a hand as if that would prevent me from going insane. "I get it. I'll talk to Harry and try to find out what's happening."
"Thank you so much, Ron!" I squealed in delight, and I flung my arms around a very surprised redhead.
"Er, no problem," he said, slightly confused, hesitantly patting me on the back.
A second later I pushed back from the hug I had incited, not a hint of a smile on my face. "This is very important," I instructed Ron. "So listen carefully."
"Okay…" Ron appeared to be a bit scared.
"Be subtle," I told him. "Be subtle as if your life depended on it. I cannot have Harry thinking anything is up."
"Subtle?" Ron gave a small laugh. "Me? No problem."
I stared at Ron for a minute and thought about what he had just said. "On second thought," I said quickly, "maybe I should get Dean…"
"Hey!" Ron exclaimed, looking insulted. "I can be subtle. Just watch. I'll be so subtle you won't know what hit you."
"I bet I will," I muttered, as I realized my mistake in entrusting Ron with this job. Ron was one of my closest friends and an extremely sweet person. He had many great qualities - subtlety was not one of them.
I followed him back to the common room I shared with Harry, where Harry looked extremely happy. Obviously he had devised what he must have believed was a brilliant plan.
"What did you two talk about?" Harry asked as Ron sat down across from him and I curled up in an armchair to observe their match.
"Oh, nothing..." Ron said with a tone of simplicity Ron was never meant to pull off. "Just stuff." Ron then proceeded to wink at me.
"Did you just wink at Hermione?" Harry asked in surprise.
"No," Ron replied, as he proceeded to wink at me again. I gave Ron a glare as a warning. This was the lack of subtlety that had worried me.
"Yes you did," Harry insisted. "You just did it again!"
"Speaking of homework," Ron interrupted. "Hermione wants to know what your excuse is for being so ahead of the class."
I watched in horror as Harry's eyes turned their attention from Ron to me. I groaned and placed my face in my palms, not believing what Ron had just done, and curled myself into a ball in the armchair.
I heard Ron proclaim happily, "Told you I could be subtle!" It took all of my will power not to jump up and hex him into obliviation. Instead, I did the only thing I could - I ran to my room, not daring to look back, even when I heard Harry call out my name.
*****
All of the Weasley children are dead. On my life, I will kill each and every one of them.
Because apparently they enjoy making my life a living hell.
How could Ron be so…so…so Ron? Okay, that was a bit cruel, I admit, but why oh why do the Weasleys seem to make my life even worse?
*****
"Hermione!" I heard Harry call after me. "Hermione! For Merlin's sakes!" I closed my door behind me, making sure to lock it, and flung myself under the covers of my bed as I heard Harry near.
"Hermione?" Harry began banging on my door. "Hermione, open up! We need to talk."
"No!" came my muffled voice.
Harry groaned. "Can you please let me in?"
"No."
"Are you naked in there?" Harry demanded.
"No!" I exclaimed. "I just don't want you to-"
Harry, who had just proceeded to unlock my door and walk in with his wand at hand, interrupted me.
"Harry!" I exclaimed. "How could you? I had it locked for a reason."
"You only have it locked because you don't want to face me," Harry replied sternly, pocketing his wand.
"I could've been naked!" I hissed.
"That's why I asked," Harry smiled at me, a tad smugly.
"Oh, get rid of that smile!" I cried out angrily, flinging a pillow at him.
"Whoa!" Harry exclaimed, holding up a hand and catching the pillow with his Quidditch reflexes. "Here." He tossed the pillow back to me and I placed it gingerly on my bed, as if apologizing for using it so cruelly.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, walking over to me as I pushed my duvet away from my body and sat on the edge of my bed, my feet swinging on the side.
"Nothing," I answered stubbornly. Harry gave me a look that clearly said, "Like Hell," and sat next to me on my bed.
"I'm not an idiot," he told me. "Though apparently you think I am since you're so surprised by the fact that I'm studying just for the sake of learning."
"Harry!" I cried out, hurt by his comment. "Of course I don't think you're an idiot. You're just not one, unless it's Defense Against the Dark Arts, to study extra for a class is all."
Harry shrugged. "I guess I just want to learn as much as I can."
"I don't want to sound condescending," I told Harry as I turned my body so I was facing him, tucking my feet beneath me. "But why?"
Harry shrugged again and looked away pointedly. "I…er…I just do."
"Right," I replied uncertainly, wanting to interrogate him but knowing that he simply didn't want to talk about it. I quickly changed the subject. "So…how's life going?" I asked weakly.
Harry laughed. "Good," he responded.
"Well," I corrected immediately.
Harry gave an exasperated sigh. "Sorry. I'm well. Is that better, Hermione?"
"Much," I smiled. "So, go on…life?" I prompted.
"Well, Parvati and I are well," Harry told me. I felt my stomach flip uncomfortably, although I didn't understand why. After all, I was over Harry and not at all jealous of Parvati. Right?
"That's…great," I replied in a pitch that was slightly higher than usual. I cleared my throat. "So you guys really hit it off?"
"Definitely," Harry smiled. "She's a lot of fun to be around…although it is hard to get an intelligent conversation out of her."
"I bet," I heard myself mutter. Luckily Harry didn't hear me.
"That's the great thing about you," Harry continued. "I enjoy talking with you. I mean, I like talking with Parvati, sure, but with you…I just feel as if we're always on the same page."
I felt myself blush and I immediately scolded myself. What reason was there to blush? I quickly turned away so Harry couldn't see my red cheeks.
"Thanks," I said quietly. "I like talking with you, too." I turned back to Harry and found him staring at me, a slight smile on his face. He shook his head and was quickly out of his reverie.
"I've got to go," he apologized. "I have a date with Parvati in two days and I have to plan for it…we're going for a picnic," he explained at my bemused face.
"In the middle of November?" I asked Harry. Was he mental?
"You didn't hear?"
"Hear what?"
"It's supposed to be abnormally warm. One of those odd 22 degree days in the middle of November." Harry's face suddenly lit up. "Why don't you and Terry come along?"
"What?" I asked, taken aback.
"Yeah!" Harry continued fervently. "Like a double date!"
"I don't know," I began, twisting my duvet unconsciously in my fingers.
"Oh, it will be a lot of fun," Harry told me excitedly. "Please?"
How could I say no to such a sweet face? I laughed. "Okay, Harry," I agreed. "I'll tell Terry."
"Excellent," Harry beamed. "Well, I'm off to plan what I'll wear for Parvati."
"This early?" I asked.
"Well, I do want to look nice for her," Harry said happily. "See you!" Harry left my room as I remained on my bed, feeling my heart drop into my stomach.
I simply couldn't understand it. I shouldn't feel so disappointed. I was going to spend a great day with Terry, Harry, and Parvati!
But the thought of Harry and Parvati together…as a couple. It bothered me. And I couldn't make any sense of it.
Frustrated I left my room and headed for the Gryffindor Common Room in search of Ron. I needed to talk to him, even if he had just failed miserably at his last assignment.
To my annoyance, Ron wasn't in the common room, and I checked the boys dorm and couldn't find him there either (I did, however, receive a lot of angry shouts from Dean who said that it was the male's dormitory for a reason…I retorted that I was sure many girls had been up here and he shut up immediately). Disappointed, I flung myself in front of the fireplace as a group of first years passed me, discussing Transfiguration.
The next second, however, I heard a very familiar voice say, "Harry's bringing me on a picnic!"
"Oh wow!" came another familiar voice.
"I know! I'm so happy. Think how romantic it will be." The girl sighed and I turned slightly to find Parvati and Lavender, giggling giddily. I felt my stomach lurch at Parvati's words. "Think how romantic it will be." Without realizing what I was doing I walked up to Parvati.
"Hello," I greeted her, a huge smile plastered on my face.
"Oh, hello, Hermione!" Parvati replied happily.
"Er, Parvati," I said uncomfortably, shifting from one foot to the other.
"Yes?" Parvati asked me, her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion.
"I…er…that is to say…" I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to say, and the next moment I spurt out, "You have detention!"
"What!" Parvati exclaimed as Lavender observed me suspiciously. I could just hear Lavender thinking, "I knew she loved him." "Why?" demanded Parvati.
"Well, that is…" I searched for a reason, and couldn't find one until my eyes landed upon her mouth, which was chewing gum ferociously. "You're chewing gum," I told her matter-of-factly.
"Your point being?"
"Well…" I thought for an explanation. "Well Professor Snape told you in potions a few weeks ago that if he ever caught you chewing gum again he'd put you in detention, and, well…" I gave a pitiful shrug. "I'm really, sorry, but I have no choice."
"I wasn't aware that you were Snape, now, Hermione," Parvati told me darkly.
I laughed nervously. "I'm just following the rules."
"What rules?" Parvati scoffed. "There's no rule about chewing gum."
"Yes there is!" I exclaimed quickly. "In Hogwarts, a History it says specifically that all chewing of gum is strictly off bounds."
"You have got to be joking," Parvati said in disbelief.
"Unfortunately I'm not," I told her apologetically.
"That is not a rule," Parvati fired back.
"When was the last time you read Hogwarts, a History?" I snapped at her. Parvati remained silent. "Professor Snape will be expecting you," I told her lightly, and I turned on my heel and headed for the Owlery, so that I could send a letter to Snape explaining why he would have an extra guest tomorrow evening.
Then I thought about how I needed to tell Terry about the picnic idea of Harry's. However, I found that I didn't even want to look at him.
Was that a bad sign?
*****
Okay, I know that Ginny tried to help me, but I must admit, the Terry thing…well…it's beginning to get old.
The only good thing is that I'm definitely over Harry! And not at all jealous of Parvati. Nope. Not at all.
And as long as I repeat that to myself, there's no way I will ever confess to still liking him.
Nope. Not at all. Nope. Not at all. Nope. Not at all.
It's working out wonderfully.
-->