Prologue: Suitors
Hermione hurriedly wolfed down her steak and kidney pie drained the last of the pumpkin juice from her goblet and summarily rose from her seat at the Gryffindor table. Ron and Harry exchanged puzzled glances. They had barely been in the Great Hall for ten minutes and already Hermione was leaving. Seeing the questioning look in the eyes of her best friends Hermione spoke in a rush as she swung her bag onto her shoulder.
"Going to the library".
Having said that she turned on her heel and strode out the door. Hermione exited the Great Hall and headed towards the stairs. With most of the students at dinner the library was sure to be quiet enough to get some work done. Between her Head Girl duties, classes, the DA, and keeping Ron and Harry on their toes and out of trouble Hermione had fallen behind in her preparations for the upcoming NEWTS. She hadn't told Harry and Ron her reasons for going to the library as they would no doubt remind her that NEWTS were a full seven months away but Hermione was a firm believer in the premise that there was no such thing as being too prepared. Hermione had just made it to the second landing when she simultaneously heard hurried footsteps behind her and someone calling out her name. Turning around she found herself face to face with Serena Chambers a pretty seventh year Ravenclaw who sat two rows behind her in Ancient Runes. As Serena drew nearer Hermione caught sight of the nervous smile hitched on her face; Hermione groaned inwardly as that look gave her a fair idea of why Serena had sought her out. Serena came to a halt in front of Hermione still smiling anxiously; when she spoke she was a bit out of breath.
"Hello Hermione…I saw you leaving the Great Hall and…and as I fancied a bit of a chat I followed you…that is if you've got a moment".
Hermione knitted her brows together and replied.
"Well I was on my way to the library to do some stu…"
Serena cut in.
"Oh I don't want to keep you…it's just a quick little thing really".
Hermione nodded and said.
"Alright".
Serena smiled and began to speak.
"Well you are good friends with Harry Potter aren't you…"
Serena stopped and waited for Hermione to give some recognition that she and Harry were indeed friends. Hermione nodded dutifully, she knew exactly where this conversation was going. Serena bobbed her head up and down and continued.
"I was hoping I might ask a favor of you…"
Hermione smiled faintly as she thought to herself here it comes.
"…I was wondering if you might pass this along to Harry for me…"
Serena held out a sealed bit of parchment that smelled vaguely of roses.
"…I'd do it myself but you…you know how hard it is to corner someone outside of your own house…and as you two are housemates and such close friends and you and I are acquainted…so to speak…I…I thought it might be easier for you to catch him in a spare moment and pass this along".
Serena's voice trailed off as she proffered the note to Hermione. Hermione extended her own hand and retrieved the note. You are good friends with Harry Potter aren't you…honestly everybody knew that she and Harry and Ron were best friends, had been since their first year at Hogwarts…really one expected much better from an allegedly intelligent girl like Serena. And this business about seeing her leaving the Great Hall and fancying a chat was a load of rubbish. If Serena had really seen her leaving the Great Hall that meant she had been at dinner at the same time Hermione had been there with Harry and Ron. Had she really wanted to give the note to Harry herself it certainly would have been easier to walk over to the Gryffindor table and drop it in his lap than to chase someone else halfway down the hall to the library to ask them to do it for you. Honestly whom did she think she was fooling? Who did any of them think they were fooling with their pitiable excuses? Hermione nodded and replied simply.
"I'll make certain he gets it".
Hermione dropped the note into the pocket of her robes. Serena's face burst into a relieved grin.
"Oh Hermione thank you…thank you so much…I really do appreciate this…really I do…and I honestly would have done it myself but…well seeing as you are such good friends with him…and you being Head Girl and his being Head Boy and all you're bound to…"
Hermione interjected with a curt nod.
"I understand…really I do…its no problem at all…I'll give it to him as soon as I see him…but I really need to get to the library just now".
"Oh yes…yes…of course…I didn't mean to keep you".
Serena smiled and Hermione returned the gesture then turned to go when Serena suddenly called out.
"Oh…Hermione…hang on…I've just thought of something else…could I ask one more tiny little thing of you…if you wouldn't mind terribly…would you make sure…that when you give it to him…that…that…"
Serena paused and Hermione coolly supplied.
"I'll be sure and give it to him in private".
Again Serena's smile shone brightly.
"Thanks ever so much Hermione…this is so nice of you…I really appreciate it…honestly I do…if there's ever anything I can do for you just ask…anything at all…I'll be more than happy to help…"
Hermione nodded.
"I'll keep that in mind Serena but I really must be getting on just now".
"Oh yes well I'll see you in class then".
Hermione nodded affirmatively mumbled a goodbye and moved in the direction of the library. She had barely made it up two flights of stairs before she looked up and groaned as she caught sight of Parker Benton Wesley strolling towards her. Parker Benton Wesley was the newest addition to Hogwarts. The son of one of the Ministry of Magic's top Ambassadors Parker and his family had just returned to England following several years in Kazakhstan. The tall, blond haired, blue-eyed, muscular seventh year had been sorted into Ravenclaw and had instantly become one of the most sought after wizards in the castle. It seemed as though most of the young witches in the castle found Parker to be charming and handsome and would have happily gone with him to Hogsmeade, the Astronomy Tower or anywhere else he asked them to but Parker had no interest in any of the witches who were queuing up to get his attention. No Parker Benton Wesley had his eye on the one witch in the entire castle who had no interest in him whatsoever, Hermione Granger.
Hermione had returned for her final year at Hogwarts as a striking beauty. The bossy know-it-all, bushy brown haired, skinny girl with big front teeth was no more. Oh, to be sure she still annoyed her classmates with her penchant for always knowing the answer to every question explicitly, verbatim from the text, and she still made Harry and Ron study schedules and told them off for not having done their homework properly or for getting into needless scrapes with Filch and Snape, and she was without question the cleverest witch in the entire castle with the exception of the professors perhaps, but the little girl they had all first met on the train to Hogwarts had grown into a stunning young woman. Her once untamable mass of brown hair now hung just beyond her shoulders in silky flowing curls, the skinny body had been replaced with slender voluptuous curves, a dainty waist that could be encircled with one arm and an amazing pair of shapely, well-defined, sculpted legs. The long, thick curling lashes that covered her warm chocolate brown eyes, the cute little upturned nose and her full, pouty appetizing lips had nearly every boy in the castle falling over themselves to get a second look at her. Hermione had become a much sought after companion by those young wizards daring enough to brave Ron and Harry's looming presence and volatile tempers. The two had become very protective of their best friend of late…so protective in fact that they were known to have threatened more than a few of Hermione's admirers.
To be sure Parker Wesley would have no problem declaring his intentions in front of either of Hermione's over protective best friends but unlike her female counterparts Hermione would not be inclined to respond favorably as she felt Parker's good looks were overshadowed by his pompous, conceited big-headedness. She found his attentions completely undesirable as he reminded her strongly of Draco Malfoy; beyond their shared hair color, though Malfoy's was more of the platinum variety, the two shared a penchant for thinking themselves superior to their peers as well as an air of privileged arrogance that was sickening. Hermione silently prayed that he wouldn't notice her as she ducked her head and hurried up the stairs. Suddenly her name rang out and she cursed under her breath that her prayer had gone unanswered. Pretending not to have heard the summons she kept walking until she found her way barred by a smiling Parker Benton Wesley.
"Hello Hermione".
Hermione frowned as she responded dryly.
"Parker".
Parker continued to smile as he reached out and plucked the Ancient Runes text Hermione was holding from her hands.
"Off to the library to study Ancient Runes I see…I would be more than happy to help you sort through anything that's giving you trouble…I'm quite well versed on the subject you know".
Hermione snatched her book back and stuffed it into her schoolbag as she replied icily.
"No thank you I have a well enough understanding of the subject by myself".
Parker nodded and took a step closer to Hermione.
"Of course…you being so intelligent I should have guessed you'd have Ancient Runes all sussed out. Well no matter perhaps you'd like to help me with my Astronomy then…seems there is one heavenly body I've yet to discover".
Parker arched his eyebrow suggestively at Hermione as he licked his lips in what he evidently thought was an enticing manner. Hermione's stomach gave a lurch…she'd sincerely thought no person could eclipse the level of revulsion Malfoy had attained in her mind until this very moment. Hermione chose not to respond to Parker's tasteless comment. Instead she squeezed past him and continued walking down the corridor. As she hurried on her way she heard him chuckle and call after her.
"Some other time then".
Hermione contemplated going to the library and endeavoring to get some studying done but by now the library was bound to be far too crowded for her tastes not to mention that she had early evening patrols soon. Heaving a defeated sigh Hermione adjusted her course and took a shortcut to Gryffindor Tower instead. Several minutes later Hermione tetchily scuttled through the portrait hole and into the comfortable familiarity of the Gryffindor common room. Glancing around Hermione spoke quickly to a few of her housemates who greeted her as she strolled across the room and up the stairs. Hermione mounted the stairs to the dorms walked to the end of the hall and delivered the password "Sugar Quill" to the portrait of a regal looking lion situated before her. Suddenly the lion inclined his head and the portrait swung open revealing a smaller better-appointed version of the common room she had just traipsed through a few moments earlier. Hermione strode into the small common room she shared with Harry and found him sitting on the couch his nose buried in the latest edition of Which Broomstick. Harry looked up and upon seeing Hermione asked.
"How was the library…did you manage to get any studying done"?
Hermione shook her head no and reaching into the pocket of her robes withdrew the sealed and perfumed note Serena had given her and tossed it onto Harry's lap as she walked pass. Harry glanced down at the note covering his lap then back up at Hermione and asked.
"What happened"?
Hermione called over her shoulder crossly.
"Oh nothing I just ran into that git Parker ".
Harry scooped up the note and nimbly vaulting over the back of the couch trudged after Hermione a frown marring his face as he fumed.
"What did he say to you…did he touch you? If he touched you I'll kill him"!
Hermione walked into her room and dropped her schoolbag onto the floor beside her desk before turning around and responding to her best friend of seven years.
"He didn't touch me Harry he was just his usual arrogant self".
Harry nodded.
"All right then what did he say"?
Hermione responded evenly.
"Nothing worth mentioning".
Sensing that a change of subject was in order Hermione pointed to the note she had given Harry when she'd walked in and said.
"Serena Chambers asked me to give that to you".
Harry stepped across the threshold into Hermione's room and glanced at the scented parchment clutched in his hand briefly before grabbing Hermione about the waist and falling backwards in a sprawl onto the bed. Hermione landed beside Harry whose arms swathed loosely about her waist as she rolled over onto her side and laid her head on Harry's broad chest; he caught a lock of her chestnut brown hair in his fingers and began twirling it absentmindedly as he spoke.
"Are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me about what that git Parker said to you"?
Hermione shook her head. Harry asked again.
"You're sure he hasn't said or done anything that I'd need to have a word with him about".
Hermione chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully as she thought of what may happen if Harry attempted to have a word with Parker about his constant and unwanted advances. Hermione could vividly imagine Parker being pummeled by Harry and Ron. Her two best friends had become extremely protective of her since their return to Hogwarts. Harry more so than Ron. Hermione's thoughts shifted and she began to reflect on the changes the summer had wrought in her friend of seven years. Harry had not arrived at platform 9¾ as the skinny, knobby-kneed boy-who-lived that his schoolmates remembered. No he had returned as a very mature, very attractive young man who turned quite a few heads. Six years of Quidditch and two summers of intense Dark Arts Defense training had transformed his body from that of an underfed youth who'd grown too much to one that was lithe and exceptionally well muscled. His chest and shoulders had broadened enough so that when he rose to his full six feet two inches (he'd also had a growth spurt over the summer) he cut an astonishingly imposing figure. The boyish face had matured into that of a man, developing a strong angular jaw line. Even his voice had deepened to a rich velvety baritone that was the envy of most of his male counterparts and had caused more than a few of the female residents of Hogwarts to swoon at the sound of it. Add in his skill on the Quidditch pitch, those striking emerald green eyes of his, his adorably tousled hair and what had to be the most kissable looking lips ever attached to a man it was no wonder he had nearly every witch in the castle vying for his attention.
Harry peered down at Hermione, she had yet to answer his question, wondering what had her so lost in thought he reached down and hooking a finger underneath her chin tilted her head upwards so her beautiful chocolate brown gaze met his as he articulated his thoughts.
"Hermione…"
Hermione shook herself out of her ruminations.
"…are you going to answer my question"?
Hermione stammered out a reply.
"Ummm…sorry…mind wandered a bit".
Harry retorted sarcastically.
"So I noticed".
Ignoring his cheek Hermione asked.
"What were you saying"?
Harry repeated his earlier inquiry.
"I asked if you were sure that I didn't need to have a word with Parker".
Hermione sighed and answered back.
"I'm sure…I can handle it".
Changing the subject again Hermione nodded to the note clutched in Harry's outstretched hand. Harry's eyes traveled to his outstretched hand and then back to Hermione's gaze and asked.
"What"?
Hermione replied.
"Are you going to even read it"?
Harry shook his head.
"No need to really…it'll just be some stammering bunch of rubbish about me being such a nice bloke, so brave and attractive and would I like to go for a walk around the lake sometimes or maybe into Hogsmeade or some other such nonsense".
Hermione quizzed.
"And why is that nonsense"?
Harry shrugged as he answered.
"Dates are not my top priority at the moment".
Hermione scooted farther up on the bed so that she and Harry were eye level. Looking up at him was causing a crick to set up in her neck. Harry rolled over onto his side so that he was looking directly at Hermione as she spoke.
"Well of course you've got loads of things on your mind with schoolwork and Quidditch, your Head Boy responsibilities and your training for…well you know. But you could make time for someone you really liked couldn't you"?
Harry shook his head as he responded.
"No…and who's to say I like Serena Chambers…besides dates are strictly forbidden it says so plainly in the handbook".
Hermione frowned and asked.
"What handbook"?
Harry replied with a sincerely candid expression.
"Why the Hero's Handbook of course".
Hermione cocked an eyebrow at Harry as he elaborated.
"In chapter one, Elementary Heroics and Daring Deeds for the Beginner, it clearly states that heroes haven't the time for trifles such as dating and the like as all of our time is to be spent saving and protecting the world and the people we care about from harm. While we are permitted to fall in love eventually we must love from afar as our heroic commitments are much too much of a burden to place on anyone's shoulders but our own. Only sidekicks are allowed the luxury of falling in love".
Hermione raised her brow higher and asked.
"Sidekicks"?
Harry nodded.
"Uh huh…that would be you and Ron".
A horrified expression crossed Hermione's countenance.
"Hang on this handbook of yours says I have to fall in love with Ron".
Harry chuckled amusedly.
"Well not exactly with Ron…just that you can always give this hero stuff up and lead a normal life considering that you're not the actual hero. The theory is you wouldn't be missed, except by me of course. So if there was someone you fancied you could leave all this behind and go off with them".
Hermione shook her head and inquired.
"And what about when your hero days are over…are you free to date then"?
Harry shook his head.
"A hero never really gives this sort of thing up now do they"?
Hermione acquiesced to that point with a nod of her head and said.
"So according to this Hero's Handbook you are not allowed to date or fall in love because you are much too busy saving the world…"
Harry interrupted and said.
"I can fall in love but the object of my affections can't ever know. I have to pine you see. Sacrifice my own desires for the greater good".
"Oh so you can pine for someone…"
Hermione paused as Harry indicated his agreement with a waggle of his head before she added.
"Well you better save that then, the witch you're meant to pine for forever could have written it".
Harry's fingers stopped twirling Hermione's hair as he pinned her with his most austere expression.
"She wouldn't write me notes".
Hermione stared back at him pointedly and asked.
"And why not"?
Harry replied.
"Because she's locked up in some bloody tower of course. Heroes great loves are always damsels in distress you know".
Hermione gnawed her lip and furrowed her brow as she considered what Harry had just said.
"That doesn't make sense. How can you pine for someone and love them from afar if the object of your affection is some twit locked in a tower that you've got to rescue. Who can't contact you at all…what's the point…"
No longer able to keep up the charade of seriousness Harry burst into riotous laughter. Hermione paused mid-sentence and recognizing how foolish she must look and sound trying to suss out Harry's ridiculous invented handbook burst out laughing as well. After gaining a modicum of composure Hermione smacked Harry with a pillow as she rolled over towards the edge of the bed and swinging her legs over the side stood to her feet and sauntered out the door calling over her shoulder as she went.
"We're due for patrols in ten minutes. I'll meet you down in the main common room in five".
Harry rolled off the bed smiling and headed for the door.