Authors Note : Hi. Just a quick note to let you know how much all the reviews are appreciated by MrsHermionePotter and myself. This started as a one shot in MrsHermionePotter's head and the response was so overwhelming, it's been extended indefinitely. The reviews have been so wonderful and supportive, we are blushing. Thanks again and we hope you enjoy Chapter 3.
Hermione raised her head from the pillow and sighed. The sparse light coming through the window indicated it was dawn. She'd hardly slept at all and her body felt every last minute that she'd tossed and turned, the precious little sleep she'd gotten plagued by disturbing images. All of them of Harry. She struggled to remember the dreams. Dreaming of Harry? The thought startled her and she put her head in her hands, fists pushing at her closed eyes, as if to push the images away. But once she started, she couldn't stop the onslaught. Everything from Harry, still damp from a shower in a towel, to Harry sprawled across the couch sleeping. It was all so vivid. She even thought she could still smell his shaving soap. She raised her head, forcing logic to take over. Her hands fisted into the blankets covering her legs. Don't be silly, Hermione Jane. Of course, you do not smell anything of the sort. She was about to throw the covers off when she heard footsteps in the hall. Footfalls that were neither Ron or Harry's. Instinct born of years of experience fighting side by side with Harry Potter had her eyes narrowing and her hand deftly pulling her wand from where it rested beneath her pillow. The door opened and Luna Lovegood walked into her room. More like glided, Hermione thought as she lowered her wand and looked questioningly as the petite blonde absently wished her a good morning, never seeming to notice that she'd had a wand pointed at her chest. 'Luna? What are you doing…How did you--?'
'She's with me' grinned a slim, young woman only a few years older than Hermione and Luna. Nymphadora Tonks caught herself as she stumbled into the spot Luna had just vacated.
Hermione eyed the pair of young women and noted that Luna had moved imperceptibly moments before Tonks' entrance, almost as if she knew that Tonks was going to…Well, she argued with herself, Luna's weird, not stupid. She is a Ravenclaw, afterall. And when does Tonks not trip over herself and anyone in the immediate vicinity? She focused on Tonks. She had righted herself, and brushed off her robes. She was sporting her favored bubble gum pink hair, her dark eyes flashing with something akin to glee. Her eyes fell on Luna. She'd been quietly moving about the room, and she was now examining the muggle and magical photos on the desk. She had her blonde hair piled high on her head, her wand holding it in place, exposing the dragonfly earrings flapping about her neck. She was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and rather beat up trainers. Hermione struggled not to laugh as she saw the logo on Luna's long-sleeved t-shirt. A shirt that sported an animated Ron diving for the bludger, bold letters at the top proclaiming "Weasley Is Our King". She groaned back into her pillow, smothering an escaping snicker.
Once she was sure she had control of herself, Hermione sat up in bed, fnally returning Luna's earlier greeting. 'Good morning, Luna. Tonks.' Her attention focused on the young Auror standing in her bedroom. 'Care to explain?'
'Training.' She replied, cryptically. 'Luna's going to join you three.'
Hermione arched her eyebrows. 'I don't think we can. We have to-' She cut herself off abruptly, with a glance at the young woman who'd just turned with a dreamy smile to face Hermione.
Luna walked to the bed and languidly draped herself over the end and watched as Hermione struggled for words. "I know you're stressed, Hermione." Her voice was calm and matter of fact, for Luna.
Hermione looked at her sharply. Luna's normally misty, silver eyes were focused and clear as she met Hermione's always direct brown one. She looked at the bushy haired witch and nodded, taking in her tired eyes and hair tangled around her shoulders. She nodded to herself. The mist was back in Luna's eyes as she told her, 'There's nothing you can do, but accept what is. It will work itself out when the time is right.'
Suddenly Luna straightened her back and rose from the bed to stand beside Tonks.
Tonks watched the odd by-play between the two girls, privately thinking that this may work out even better than she and Remus had anticipated. 'I suspect Remus has found Ron and Harry by now. Hermione, get yourself together. Wear something comfortable.' She turned and motioned Luna out of the room. 'It's going to be a long day.'
Hermione felt her cheeks grow warm at the mention of Harry. She spun out of bed and grabbed some clothes from the closet. She wondered exactly what Remus and Tonks had in store for them, as she stepped under the warm spray of the shower. And her mind wandered to Luna's cryptic words. What would work itself out? When the time was right? Luna was by her very nature illogical and, therefore, difficult for Hermione to understand. She made a conscious effort to put the thoughts aside. She was going to have her hands full today, of that she was sure. She dressed quickly and stepped back into her room, braiding her still wet hair quickly. She was ready. As she made her way to the door, her foot kicked something heavy, nearly tripping her. Blood Curses and Vows. She glared at the book as if it had offended her. She bent to retrieve it. Just looking at the book brought a rush of images from last night. Watching Harry sleep for who knew how long before finally getting her book and fleeing the room. But not before she'd run into a table full of books, nearly sending them crashing to the floor. She'd held her breath as Harry stirred, nearly waking. Needless to say, she had learned nothing from the book, because she'd been unable to focus on the words on its pages. Harry sleeping. The way his chest rose and fell with the even breathing only achieved in sleep. His chest. That is absolutely it! You can just stop right there! She berated herself, willfully shoving the images away. With a final nasty look at the book in question, she tossed it carelessly on her bed and shut her door soundly behind her. She could only hope that whatever the day held it was totally exhausting. Merlin, she could use a good night's sleep.
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'Sleep well, Harry?' Lupin asked kindly, but with a pointed glance at the wand Harry still had pointed at his head.
'Morning, Remus.' Harry mumbled as he lowered his wand. 'Sorry 'bout that.'
'Not at all. Constant vigilance.' He smiled down at the young man on the couch.
Harry stretched out and wondered why he felt so cramped. Oh yes, he'd fallen asleep on the couch in the library. His vision blurry, he felt around for his glasses. However, the images from his dream did not require glasses to be clear. Hermoine was downstairs in his Quidditch jersey. Reading. Sticky pumpkin juice spilled and Hermione splayed across his back. It seemed so real. His searching fingers finally located his glasses on the floor next to the book he'd dropped there last night. He sighed as his vision cleared, glasses in place. He sat up, completely aware that there was no way he could stand up anytime soon. He glanced over the couch, meeting Lupin's kindly smiling eyes.
Bloody hell. This was not good. Not at all. He could feel his face burning. Not only had he been awakened abruptly from a dream about Hermione, from the state of his boxers it was going to be obvious to everyone what sort of dream he'd been having. He spared a momentary glare at his lap taking a very slight comfort in the fact that there was no way anyone could know exactly about who and what he'd dreamt. He looked up once more at the perennially tired looking man watching him bemusedly. Remus Lupin, former professor, order member, and friend. He felt the red flush spread down his neck. Harry really didn't want him to see him in well, this state.
The former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, werewolf, friend to Harry's father, James, and now friend to Harry, himself, was doing everything in his power not to laugh. It was clear that he had woken Harry up....suddenly. If only James could see his son now, he thought bittersweetly. The smile twitching at his mouth disappeared completely as he remembered the reason he was here that day was tied directly to the very reason James nor Lily lived long enough to see their son grow into a man. To see him find the love and happiness that he deserved. He banished the misty thought of James and Lily. Nothing would ever bring them back, and they must see that Harry was ready to face the reality that was waiting for him. Training was paramount. He cleared his throat.
Whatever Lupin was about to say was lost as a loud crash came from the hallway just outside the library. Before, either of them could react, a blonde drifted into the room. 'Good morning, Harry,' came the dreamy greeting. 'Tonks is just outside.' She added, unnecessarily.
'Errm…Hi, Luna.' Harry's fading flush darkened his cheeks once more, as he became more aware than ever of wearing nothing but a pair of boxers. Thankfully, Luna appeared not to notice.
Noticing Harry's discomfort, Lupin quickly intervened. He gently took hold of Luna's arm and steered her back toward the door. 'Why don't you and Tonks wait for Harry and myself in the kitchen. Ron's already there having breakfast.'
At the mention of Ron, Luna seemed almost anxious to leave the library. Lupin turned back to face Harry. "As you can tell, Luna and Tonks are here. We have about fifteen minutes until we begin. I'm guessing you might want to umm…change." chuckled Remus. 'We'll be downstairs in the kitchen.'
Harry, at last able to stand, nearly gave himself whiplash as Lupin's cryptic words sank in. Begin what? He whirled to face his former teacher and question him, but he was alone. Lupin was already gone.
Ron Weasley was not a morning person. Despite having been awakened by his former DADA professor more than twenty minutes ago, he still felt barely conscious. He stared rather vacantly at a cup of coffee. It rather looked as if he were sleeping with his eyes open. Slumped over the table with his head propped on his hand, he did not see or hear Luna enter the kitchen.
Luna walked to the table and nimbly leapt up to sit on the table, drawing her legs underneath her, Indian style. She looked down at the top of Ron's head and said converstaionally, 'You would sleep better if you checked your bed for nargles.'
'Luna!' Ron started at her sudden appearance on top of the table and her soft voice, seeming to come from nowhere.
'Good morning, Ronald.' She blinked her large silver eyes, angling her head to look him in the eye as he stood. 'You don't happen to have today's Quibbler, do you?' She asked as if she normally appeared in this dark kitchen at dawn everyday.
Ron could only shake his head mutely, as he had just gotten a good look at…himself, bloody hell!…the swooping figure on her shirt.
Luna beamed brightly at him. 'Wonderful, isn't it? I designed it myself.' And, without another word, she hopped from the table, humming 'Weasley is Our King', while wandering towards the pantry.
'Brilliant.' Ron managed to mutter, dreading the moment Harry and Hermione came downstairs. No way they'd let this go without taking the mickey out of him. But he smiled just a little at the strange girl some mistakenly thought of as 'Looney'.
At that moment, Hermione walked into the kitchen. She smirked at Ron with a pointed glance at his shirt, taking the seat across from him. Harry, appeared a few minutes later, followed by a Lupin and a bleary eyed Tonks. Luna turned from her inspection of the kitchen at the sound of more people arriving. 'Oh, hello again.' She said with a smile.
Harry nodded at Luna, a smile breaking out over his face, as he got a good look at Luna's shirt. He sat down next to Hermione determined to act normal. Bloody stupid dream. Forcing his thoughts away from that dangerous subject he looked across the table at Ron. He smirked, stirred his coffee and began to hum 'Weasley is Our King', as Hermione fought the smile threatening to emerge.
'Oh, shut up, Harry.' Ron snapped, good naturedly with a sideways look at Luna. She appeared oblivious as she had found the small doorway beneath the boiler, that led to Kreacher's small and filthy 'bedroom'.
Tonks, leaning against the counter nursing a recently conjured espresso, winked at Lupin and said, 'I'll just get us some breakfast together.'
Lupin pulled Luna away just as she opened the door and spotted the nest of rags inside.
'No, let me do that.' Lupin eyed the witch with pink hair nervously. Kitchen duty had never been her best event. He walked over to her. 'You've been on duty all night. Sit.' He propelled her toward a chair at the table. 'I'll cook breakfast. Drink your caffeine, Nymphadora.'
Luna slid into the chair beside Ron, as the other three smirked at Tonks' glowering at Lupin's use of her hated first name. No one noticed Luna observing Harry and Hermione and the way they refused to look at one another. And the great care they took not to touch or even brush arms. 'Oh yes, this is just as it should be.' She said to no one, as she nodded her head.
Harry and Ron exchanged puzzled glances and shrugged. Hermione looked quizzically at Luna. 'What is, Luna?'
However, Luna's only response was to stare dreamily off away from her companions at the table, humming a now familiar tune.
Five minutes later, breakfast was served and Lupin advised them. 'Eat up. You all have a long day ahead of you. Meet us in the attic in half an hour.' He and Tonks exited the room and he spared them one last glance. 'I suggest you don't be late.'
*********
Hermione was the first to walk into the attic of Grimmauld Place. But it no longer resembled an attic. She wondered idly if Professor McGonagall had had her hand in this. The room had been transfigured into a large area resembling a muggle workout facility. Blue and red mats lined the floors and walls. And, the corners held weight training and cardiovascular workout equipment. It was almost as if the house had acquired its own Room of Requirement with ten times the space.
Harry came up a few minutes later, gazing at the room he'd walked into. Harry was staring at the contraptions in various corners.
Hermione, momentarily forgetting the strangeness between herself and Harry, ran over to meet him in the doorway. 'Isn't it brilliant?' She gushed excitedly, grabbing his arm. 'Do you think McGonagall did all this?' Hermione couldn't help but smile at his confusion. "Harry, that is muggle training equipment. The treadmill is to run on and it calculates your heart rate as well as how fast your pace is. The pace can be increased due to what you set on here." she stated at she pointed out a button.
It was all Harry could manage to nod with what he hoped was a smile. 'Maybe.' He managed. Her arm was linked through his as she walked him around the room. She chattered animatedly, gesturing at each machine, but he could barely concentrate on her explanations because her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks held a becoming flush. And then there was the jeans and t-shirt.
Hermione stopped mid-sentence and stared up at Harry. His intense gaze was focused on her. Not the equipment she was explaining. She shivered internally under that look and came to the realization her arm was linked with his and their fingers interlaced. She stared down, noticing for the first time, how her hand was smaller than his. How it fit in his perfectly. The natural pink flush in her cheeks deepened as she raised her dark eyes to meet his emerald ones.
The thundering gait up the stairs had the two jumping apart quickly. Harry turned to the doorway in time to see Ron burst into the room and stop short, gaping at the room before him. Luna trailed behind him, neatly sidestepping her way into the room. She stared at the room, taking in the surroundings. She walked slowly, almost seeming to glide rather than taking actual steps and a smile spread across her features, lighting her normally misty eyes with delight. 'Dumbledore's Army.' She whispered.
Hermione smiled at the blonde who kept surprising her. 'Yes. Just what I thought.'
Luna's face was dreamy once more as she twirled and came face to face with Remus. 'This is a very old house.' She stated. 'Did you remove the nargles? Ronnie will sleep better, as well.'
Ron's blue eyes widened. Harry turned to look at Ron smirking, mouthing, "Ronnie?" Ron glared at his best friend. First the shirt, now this, he thought. He walked across to the treadmill, suddenly becoming fascinated with the muggle machine. He paid absolutely no attention to the fact that Harry and Hermione were huddled together, whispering. After all, this had been going on for nearly seven years now. They would get around to telling him about their discussion when they were ready.
Lupin smiled over at the Ravenclaw. He had a feeling it would be a serious mistake to underestimate this one. Ron Weasley was luckier than he knew; or was ready to accept at this point, he thought wryly, as he observed Ron's sudden red ears and interest in the muggle contraption Tonks had acquired somewhere. He patted Luna affectionately on the shoulder. "Yes, dear, everything has been searched, researched, cleansed. Everything."
.
Remus cleared his throat to draw their attention to him.
"Now. You all are here today for training. Myself, and…" CRACK! Nymphadora Tonks appeared. Her hair was different from earlier. It was now fuschia, complemented with an all black ensemble, down to her trainers. Remus smiled indulgently over to her as she straightened her sweatshirt. "Couldn't just take the stairs?" He teased her, before turning back to the four young people staring at them. "Tonks. I believe this part is yours." he smiled and stepped away.
Tonks, smiled tiredly. She'd pulled an all nighter and had come straight here to begin conditioning and training the best hope their world had to survive. She pointedly took a sip her second steaming espresso and turned back to the four of them.
"I'm sure, you all are excited to train. To learn new spells. To experiment. But part of being an auror; or, in your cases,....well I don't even know what to call you. There is another aspect of training that aurors go through. And you shall as well. It is one thing, to be brilliant, to know every spell in the universe," she stated as she pointedly looked at Hermoine, grinning. "But that can only get you so far in a fight with death eaters....or, whomever else." She looked at each of them in turn. "You have to be able to physically withstand curses. You have to be physically able to last in a fight that," Tonks grimaced, unwilling to state what she knew she had to. She sighed. "Fine, you have to be able to sustain a fight with Voldemort. And there is no telling if it will last hours or days, or worse. Therefore, you get to start with the basics. Endurance training." She gave them a smile. "Today, you begin building your stamina."
Tonks rubbed her eyes and conjured another cup of espresso. "First things first." She pointed her wand towards Luna and Hermione. "You need decent work out clothes." She transfigured their jeans and t-shirts into tanks and running shorts. Luna frowned a bit as Ron disappeared from her chest. Tonks smothered a laugh. "Luna and Hermoine, you're with me. Harry and Ron, you get Remus. We'll congregate in a couple of hours," she winked over to Remus. "If you make it that long."
Hermoine and Luna squared their shoulders, glancing at each other as they followed Tonks off to one side of the room.
The young auror looked at the two them. She could see the fire in both of their eyes. The determination to succeed. Luna, looked outwardly calm, but in the rare moments Luna faced you head on, you could see the blazing fire and intelligence there. Tonks suspected that Voldemort may have been the cause of her mother's death. Naturally, no one would ever know for sure. Hermoine, on the other hand, well, she always wanted to succeed. It was what drove her, but Tonks could see something else in there. She wanted, no needed, Harry to win. More than anything. She wondered if Hermione was even aware of it and then shook her head; They didn't have time for her to psychoanalyze her pupils.
"Okay girls. This isn't going to be pretty but here's how it's gonna go. First, we stretch for twenty, then we'll start with 50 push-ups, then we will do 100 crunches. Then, you get to run the treadmills. And after that, weight training. So drop and give me fifty."
Hermoine and Luna looked at each other with the same expression. I hope Remus is giving them HELL. And they dropped to the floor.
Meanwhile Ron and Harry had walked over to the opposite of the room with Remus. Remus chuckled to himself as he noted Harry's preoccupation with Hermione. He remembered how James used to watch Lily. His lips twisted into a wistful smile. He wouldn't fail them now. He'd make sure that their son had every available resource to defend himself. He would let no one deny Harry any tool that would help him defeat Voldemort. And, if they were all very lucky, he thought as he was Harry gazing at Hermione once more, Harry would survive and even find the kind of love his parents had shared.
Remus cleared his throat as he looked at Ron and Harry. "Okay, Tonks is going to tell them the same thing but, well I'll word it differently for you two. Spells are great. Fantastic things actually. But, without the physical stamina and skill to match it, you can be just as…." He struggled for an appropriate word.
'Screwed.' Ron supplied bluntly.
Lupin gave a crooked smile. "Yes. Not to put too fine a point on it." He continued. "It's possible, I suppose, to know every spell there is to know. Every curse, every cure." He let his eyes wander to where Hermione was being put through the wringer by Tonks. "But there is something to be said for physical adeptness in a confrontation with the dark forces. Wouldn't you agree Harry?", stated Remus, pointedly.
Ron elbowed Harry as with a puzzled frown. His friend's eyes were fixated on the two girls across the room.
Harry had forgotten he was standing there. All he could see was Hermione doing sit-ups. Sweating. In her work out clothes. Ron's sharp jab to his ribs had him whipping his head around and it dawned on him that Remus was addressing him directly.
"Uhhh, yes sir," he answered, trusting that Remus would not have them doing anything that might actually harm them.
Remus set them off on much the same regimen as Tonks. "So that will be 100 push-ups and 100 crunches. To start."
The four teenagers were currently sitting back at the table in the kitchen downstairs. They were quite a bedraggled lot. All hunched over their light lunch, the movement of food from plate to mouth mechanical. The silence stretched with no discomfort. They were all too tired to notice that no one was talking. Hermione finished and glanced around the table. Harry and Ron seemed read to fall over into their plates. Luna, likewise, had finished, and as Hermione looked at her she had to marvel. After that rigorous workout, Luna's wand was still in place. Holding her blonde hair on top of her head. She patted her own, now fraying, braid and sighed. If only….But her uncharacteristicly girly thoughts were interrupted as Tonks entered the kitchen, promptly tripping over a chair and landing herself on the floor.
The young woman scrambled to her feet, righting the chair and said brightly, 'Ready for round two?'
A collective groan sounded around the table.
'What're you tryin' to do, kill us?' grumbled Ron.
'C'mon. Up. Let's go.' She practically chirped.
'Somebody's had too much caffeine.' Harry muttered over to Ron. Ron nodded emphatically as the two young men led the way back up to the attic.
Hermione and Luna trailed behind them and while Luna seemed to pause every other step, looking for something, Hermione seemed lost in thought. She flipped her long brown braid behind her back and sighed. She struggled against it, but she could not help but watch Harry's bum as he climbed the stairs talking to Ron. Furious with herself, she raised her eyes to the middle of his back and she wasn't sure whether that was better or worse. After the workout they'd had, his shirt was still clinging to his skin. Who knew a back could be so sexy? Was the last coherent thought she had before she ran smack into the object of her fascination.
'Oomph.' Harry stumbled a bit, but righted himself quickly as his arms reached automatically behind him to steady her, grabbing blindly.
Hermione's arms reached around his ribs instinctively and held on to keep from falling. The feel of his hands holding her to him was creating a fluttering in her lower belly and she knew she should move away, but she really didn't want to. She took a deep breath and her senses were assaulted with a scent that was purely Harry Potter.
Harry sucked in a breath as he realized that Hermione was pressed flush against his back and his hands were doing their part to keep her there as they firmly held her hips in his hands.
Ron turned and looked at them. 'Alright, you two?'
Harry and Hermione seemed to realize their position and guiltily jumped apart. 'Fine.' Came the synchronized response.
Luna smiled serenely at them an walked around the three of them into the room.
Ron just shook his head at them. They'd been acting strangely since last night, after they'd returned from New Orleans. He frowned, remembering them huddled together, whispering, earlier. Not that, that was in and of itself, strange, but there was something…something he couldn't define. He needed time to think about it and figure out all this fit into the big picture. He was good at seeing that, when he took the time to actually think. Like playing chess. He turned to look at his best friends and ask them why they were so jumpy and there was a sharp CRACK! And the three friends whirled as one, wands raised.
Bill Weasley stood in the center of the room with Luna's wand inches from his throat. Her long blonde hair hung nearly to her waist where it tumbled from a top her head as she'd drawn her wand.
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Authors' Note 2 : We know, we know. Sorry 'bout the cliffie! We are evil and all that. This is a one shot turned Work in Progress, so bear with us. But we are working our way towards the Harry and Hermione fluff everyone is dying to see. Please be patient and keep reading. We will get you there.