The Incas and Home.
Hermione fell through the door, the feeling of a hand was on her back and she hoped to god, or Allah or whatever deities wanted to answer, that it was Harry's. As the hand pushed her slightly at the same time as she jumped through the door of the Ford Anglia she lost her balance slightly and fell to the floor, trying to twist her body in such a way to try and see the person behind her.
`That was Fantastic!' she heard Harry call from on top of her as she lied on her stomach, He rolled over laughing which Hermione instantly joined in with. They were safe and whole, so consequently the situation became hysterical.
`What did you say to him?' Hermione asked as she rolled over on her back to lie beside a laughing Harry.
`I'm not sure but I'm guessing it was insulting!' Harry said laughing even harder `His accent was very strong, I tried to improvise!'
`And, once again, your improvisation skills made a tribe chase us out of their village with a view to killing us!' Hermione said laughing not only at the preposterousness of the situation but also the fact that it was hilarious, now they were safe of course, `the only difference was time it was the Incas!'
`I think the big guy was actually Manco Capac' Harry said stopping his laugh midway after he said this and asking a little insulted `What do you mean once again!'
`Nothing' Hermione said raising an eyebrow teasingly.
`In 2 weeks of travelling together that's the first time that's happened!' Harry said
indignantly.
`What about the hygonanauts in 3019?' Hermione asked laughing.
`Now now, that was a misunderstanding! It's completely different' Harry said `and how do you remember the dates so well!'
`Did they chase us out?' Hermione asked turning mock serious before adding `and it's because I'm smarter than you'
`Kinda…' Harry said scrunching up his face in thought before looking at her and adding `and no you're not'
`And were they going to kill us?' Hermione asked again, keeping the grin from her face as she added in a childish voice `And I'm sooo the cleverest out of us!
`Probably…' Harry admitted before adding `turn around, touch the ground, bagsy I'm the cleverest!'
`You can't do that!' Hermione said indignantly as she leaned up and shot Harry an annoyed luck.
`I just did' Harry said leaning up to join her eye level.
`But you didn't turn around or touch the ground' Hermione said reasonably.
`Technically I did!' Harry said triumphantly with a grin on his face `We occupy such a tiny proportion of space compared to mass inside here that we're constantly moving, backwards and forwards and more importantly turning around…and as for the floor? I'm lying on it!'
`I hate when you use science and magic to win arguments!' Hermione said stonily.
`And with that it makes me the cleverest' Harry said with a wink before he leapt up of his feet `Where do you fancy going, dearest Hermione, my adrenaline is pumping and I want another adventure!'
`Um…' Hermione said thinking, but only one place came to mind, a place she had been putting of since taking Harry's hand `How about 2006?'
`Doesn't sound too much like an adventure' Harry said as he looked puzzled at Hermione.
`I need to go home' Hermione said honestly as she stood up and brushed the dirt of her clothes, pointedly not looking at Harry.
`Oh…' he said a little puzzled.
`Just for a visit' Hermione added quickly `we left in such a hurry that I didn't even have time to pack anything'
`But don't I have everything you need in here?' Harry said looking at her.
`Yeah' Hermione said honestly. Harry had so many rooms in this Ford Anglia that she hadn't even managed to explore them all yet, and each room was usually full with items. Managing to get a toothbrush, comb and clothes was easy in here.
`So why the return?' Harry said eyeing her up and down as he seemed to be seeking an answer from her appearance.
`I didn't get to tell my mum anything, I just left' Hermione explained `and there's James'
`Oh! The mysterious Jamie you don't like to talk about' Harry said rolling his eyes teasingly.
`Its James' Hermione said, slightly gritting her teeth at the mention of the name Jamie which she despised.
`Whatever' Harry said waving his arms to signal it didn't matter before asking casually `so that Jamie fella is your boyfriend?'
`He was last time I checked' Hermione said a little worried, she wasn't even sure where they stood anymore.
`Good for you and Jamie' Harry said shrugging.
`Its James' Hermione said `and why are you bothered?'
`I'm not' Harry said determinedly before shooting her a grin `It's nice. It's interesting'
`How is it interesting?' Hermione asked before adding as an afterthought `or nice?'
`It's nice because you have a boyfriend named Jamie' Harry explained `and it's interesting because for the last two weeks you've been travelling through time with a practical stranger named Harry and having more fun than you ever have had before…with Jamie'
`How can you be so sure I've been having fun?' Hermione said but Harry only had to shoot her a knowing look for her to drop that, stupid, argument `you're not a practical stranger'
`I'm pretty sure I am' Harry said smiling.
`Your not' Hermione said.
`What do you really know about me?' Harry shrugged at his words `How I grew up, where I used to live, first girlfriend, why I first started to travel? You don't know any of this'
`Where someone's been can only teach you so much' Hermione explained `look at the worse people in history, Hitler, Stalin et al., if you looked at them a moment before they became what they were you'd just see their past, the same as everyone else. It's who a person is, their personality and where they are now, that really matters'
Harry looked at her for a moment, his eyes and mind weighing up what she had said. She had used these words to herself many times in the past fortnight, when she was alone or asleep and when adventure didn't lead her day in so many ways like it usually did. These words were comfort to her, she used them to explain to herself that everything was perfect in her world. These words she almost believed. He broke eye contact and ran his hands through his hair.
`And you just want me to drop whatever I had planned so we can visit your mum and your boyfriend?' Harry said, a little annoyance in his voice as he spoke the words.
`Uh…' Hermione said suddenly not liking the sound of his words `yeah'
`What if I wanted to see my own Mother and girlfriend?' Harry said raising an eyebrow.
`Do You?' Hermione asked, her heart beating faster slightly at the idea of Harry having a family and, even worse, a girlfriend
`Well, no… I don't. But that's not the point' Harry said shrugging before he looked of in deep concentration `actually, while I think of it, I don't even have a mother… a living one anyway' Harry said this as he put a hand through his chair as he thought on his words before sparkling his eyes back onto Hermione `and you want to go back to drab old two thousand…'
`And 6' Hermione finished for him, always marvelling at a time traveller like Harry being so bad with dates `And I need to, My mum will think I've been kidnapped and James will think I've run of with another man'
`Haven't you' Harry said seriously.
`To which one?' Hermione laughed.
`I wouldn't say I've kidnapped you!' Harry said indignantly in mock hurt.
`And I wouldn't say you're a man!' Hermione said sticking out her tongue. She couldn't, and didn't want to, stop herself from laughing at Harry as he threw his hands up to his heart to emphasize the `pain' he felt.
`So can we go?' Hermione said stepping up within touching distance of him and trying to put on the best pleading look she could.
`Your puppy dog eyes don't work with me, Hermione granger!' Harry said `Not since those actual Puppy dogs tried to eat my arm anyway'
Hermione resisted the urge to laugh at Harry's words as she remembered the zoo in 4789, where Puppy dogs and kittens had taken the place of lions and tigers. Harry wasn't going to try feeding them again, that was for sure.
`Pleeeeeeease? One little visit?' Hermione said, not relenting her pleading look as she stepped closer. She could see it was working, even though no one else would have been able to.
`Hermione…' Harry said warningly, but she could also tell he was putting on his stern look so she didn't stop `Fine! You win! Now stop it!'
Hermione smiled and laughed as she did a little kind of victory dance mixed with a jump, after which she was met by Harry's laughter.
`Whatever am I going to do with you!' the words were dripping with amusement.
`Take me home!' Hermione said.
`Your wish…' Harry said as he whipped out his wand and held it to his head, removing the silver steam. Hermione barely had time to sit down before he had placed it in the pensieve and the world started to roll. As soon as it started it had stopped, like Hermione knew it would, and moving her eyes back to the middle of the room she saw that Harry was already looking down at her, a toothy grin spread across his face, his glasses back on for the first time in two weeks. He finished his sentence in an almost song `… is my command…welcome back to 2006!'
*
Ok, very short I know! But I really just needed a prolonged part of H/Hr speech. Each adventure is very fast moving and I wanted to show a bigger (although still very much unequal) balance of power between the two. Also I hope some of the speech was reasonably cute. I personally like everyday conversations where nothing important (plot wise) is said, and think they build relationships better than set piece speeches like a lot of fanfiction. Maybe I'm horribly wrong? Maybe you'll forgive me when I say the next adventure starts tomorrow?
Jms Granger.
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