*glances around sneakily* [cue Pink Panther music] Your mission, should you choose to accept it, dear reader, is to….
DUN-DUN-DUH
Read the next chapter of A Touching Romance!
Omigah, I posted! *shoots self* What's wrong with me? It's been one day. I AM NOT BEING SUSPENSEFUL! Argh. But you all just love this, don't you? *glowers*
A Touching Romance
Chapter 10 ~ Mrs. Weasley learns a few things
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Professor McGonagall surveyed Harry and Hermione with a critical eye. "You're sure Mrs. Weasley is agreeable to the arrangements?" she asked.
"Yes, Professor," Harry said in an exasperated tone. "She said that she would be very happy to have us."
McGonagall looked them over once more. "Well, alright," she relented. "Go on then. The Hogwarts Express will be leaving in a few minutes and you have to ride the carriages down."
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione said. She was apprehensive at the idea of revealing her and Harry's relationship to Ginny, not to mention the rest of the Weasley family. They all meant so much to her, and she wasn't sure how they would all take it.
"Get a move on," said McGonagall, shooing them out the door. "Happy Christmas." She closed the door behind them with an uncharacteristically fond smile, shaking her head at her own folly.
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Harry and Hermione loaded their trunks onto the train and took seats across from each other in the first compartment
"Do you think Ginny is ready for this?" she asked after a few minutes, fiddling with the hem of her robe.
Harry didn't answer straight away. When he did, it wasn't the comforting answer Hermione had been hoping for. "No," he said. "She isn't. But that doesn't mean it isn't happening. The two of us are together now," (Hermione smiled happily) "And she'll have to learn to deal with it. I know that's a little harsh, but it's the truth."
Hermione sighed and nodded. "We'll have to tell Mister Weasley about the potion."
"That's not going to be easy, is it?" said Harry, gazing out the window looking forlorn.
"No, but it has to be done," she replied. She stood up on the seat and rummaged around in her trunk for a few moments. She plopped down with a thick book in one hand and a quill and parchment in the other. "First things first," she said. "We have to find out how to get rid of the effects of the potion."
"Is there an antidote in there?" asked Harry, referring to her book.
"No," she said, flipping through the book's yellowing pages. "But it might give us some clues as to where the antidote might be."
"Good luck, then," he said. Instead of staring back out of the window, he chose to gaze at Hermione.
She was chewing on the tip of her quill as she read through the pages of potions and antidotes. Her hair was a ruffled mess, as it always was, and there were several ink smudges on her hands and even one on her cheek. She wore no make up, and bags under her eyes signified that she hadn't had a good night's sleep in quite a while (Harry figured this was because of her concern for him). Her dark blue skirt and white blouse were wrinkled, and more ink stains sprinkled the hem of the blouse. Her robe was old and a bit too short for her. Ginny would have told her she looked terrible.
"You're beautiful," he said.
She looked up from her book in surprise. "What?" she asked.
"You're beautiful," he said again.
She blushed. "Don't be silly," she said. "Of course I'm not."
"You are," Harry said stubbornly. He swiftly moved to sit by her side. "You are the most beautiful girl I think I've ever seen."
"Then you can't have seen very many girls, Harry," she replied, a hint of a smile playing over her lips.
"Oh, I've seen plenty," he told her. "But none of them look quite like you. Because you," (He kissed her forehead) "Are absolutely," (He kissed her cheeks) "The most wonderful," (He kissed her nose) "Girl ever." He softly kissed her on the lips.
"Oh, Harry," she moaned, burying her face in his shoulder, tears leaking out of her closed eyes. "I love you. God, I love you so much."
"I love you, too, Hermione," he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "Even if you are ridiculously stubborn." She giggled tearfully and hiccupped. Harry thought it was adorable.
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"RONALD WEASLEY!" Molly Weasley screeched up the stairs. There was a surprised yelp, then her youngest son came into view, half dressed and bleary-eyed. "Wake up," she said sweetly. He groaned and walked back into his room.
"Don't be worried about him," Ginny said, coming to stand beside her from the kitchen. "He'll be ready. He's very happy that Harry and Hermione have decided to stay for the holiday after all. A bit more happy about Hermione staying, if you know what I mean." She winked cheekily up at her mother, then swept passed her up the stairs.
Molly frowned after her. Her son and Hermione had broken up ages ago, and she didn't feel as if there was any inkling of a chance they might get back together. Ron certainly didn't seem interested in the girl any more. She thought that perhaps Ginny just wanted that to be the case, so as to make it one big, happy, Weasley family. Her relationship with Harry was at least going in the right direction.
Smiling again, Molly walked into the kitchen and began to make breakfast for her family.
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"Harry, wake up."
"Whatcha I duwanna."
"Oh, Harry, honestly. Wake up."
"Fivmominits."
"Really." Hermione shoved Harry hard, making him fall off the bench.
"Hey! That hurt!" He rubbed his head where it had banged into the floor.
"Don't be such a baby, Harry," Hermione said, laughing at him. "It was just a little shove."
"Well, pardon moi," he said loftily.
She laughed again. "You're ridiculous," she told him.
He started laughing, too. "I know. But that's what makes life interesting. What'd you wake me up for anyway?"
"Oh, right," Hermione stood up and began to gather her things. "The train stopped. We need to be out on the platform for the Weasleys to get us."
"Are they all coming?" Harry asked, retying his shoelaces.
"No, I don't think so. Just Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Ginny." Hermione looked rather nervous about that fact.
"Hey," said Harry, standing up and hugging her. "We'll be fine."
Hermione nodded morosely. Together, they gathered up their luggage and other things. Harry carried Hedwig's cage precariously under one arm, and Crookshanks was penned up in a basket Hermione had slung over her shoulder. They left the compartment and made their way to the door.
Just as Hermione was about to open it and step out onto the platform, Harry pulled her back. "I won't be able to do this for quite a while, you see," he told her, smirking. "Thought I needed to get one last one in before I skive off completely." He caught her up in a warm embrace and kissed her fiercely. Her knees bent under her, and she was grateful for his arms holding her up.
"Oh, that's just great," she said when he pulled away. "Now you've gone and made me all lightheaded. I won't be able to think properly for hours."
Harry chuckled. "That was the point, love."
Hermione wagged her finger at him and grabbed all her stuff again. She kicked open the door and threw her less fragile bags out onto the platform. Stepping down, she looked around her. It was an unfamiliar sight. It was the same old platform, but there wasn't a throng of people crowding up the place. It looked strangely sad without all the shouting students and shrieking pets.
"Harry!" screeched an unpleasantly familiar voice. "You're finally here!" Ginny ran up to the train, beaming, just as Ron and Mrs. Weasley materialized through the barrier behind her.
"Hello, Ginny," said Hermione testily.
Ginny looked at her as if she was something disgusting she might pick off her shoe. "Hermione." She nodded her head curtly. She craned her neck to see past Hermione. "Where's Harry?"
"In the train, getting the rest of our things," Hermione said. She grabbed Ginny's arm and attempted to pull her off to the side. "Let's go say hello to Ron and your mum."
Ginny wrenched her arm out of Hermione's grasp. "I want to see Harry," she hissed, glaring. "He's my boyfriend, after all. You'd do well to remember that, Granger."
Hermione kept quiet. Inwardly, she seethed. Your boyfriend, my foot, she thought. She felt the strong urge to give Ginny a good kick in the shin, but resisted it. It certainly wouldn't make matters any better.
Harry soon appeared in the doorway of the train. He and Hermione exchanged a quick glance of exasperation as Ginny squealed, "Harry!"
"Control yourself, woman," muttered Hermione under her breath. Ginny looked like she was just about to throw herself at Harry, so Hermione quickly moved between the two. "I'll help you with those bags, Harry," she said. She took Crookshank's basket, then shoved her trunk into Ginny's arms. "You won't mind carrying this, will you, Gin?" she asked sweetly.
Ginny glared forcefully at her and swept past with a murderous gleam in her eye. "Thanks," whispered Harry in Hermione's ear as he walked past her. His breath sent a shiver down her spine. Wondering how on earth she was going to last without his touch until they worked up the courage to tell Ginny the truth, she followed all the others out through the barrier.
"How're we getting back to the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley?" asked Harry when they exited Kings Cross Station.
"The people at the Ministry felt like they owe our family a bit of something," Mrs. Weasley said. "What with Bill being hurt and all the other things that've been going on lately. So they bought us a new car. It doesn't fly, but it runs very well and is quite roomy inside."
Hermione felt her stomach drop. A car ride all the way back to the Burrow? How was she to keep Ginny off Harry in such a small space? The little group made its way out into the car park, where they stopped at a lovely red Mercedes.
"Wow, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said reverently as he looked the car over, "This is really nice."
"Isn't it?" said Mrs. Weasley, beaming. "It's so much easier than hiring those Muggle cab drivers."
They all piled their things in the trunk, then climbed into the back seat. Hermione made sure that she settled herself between Harry and Ginny. Ginny seemed none too happy about the overall situation. The silence in the car was very awkward until Ron, tentatively, asked, "Everything at Hogwarts alright?"
Hermione breathed an inner sigh of relief. "Yes, it's great," she said. "Professor McGonagall said to tell you hello, Mrs. Weasley."
"Headmistress McGonagall now, isn't it?" said Mrs. Weasley in a morose tone. Both her hands were gripping the wheel so tightly that her knuckles were white, and her sharp brown eyes darted around the street in front of them as if daring something to try and get in her way.
"Oh, yes, it is," Hermione said. She gazed out the window on Harry's side. "I often forget."
"We all try not to remember, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said. "It's a difficult thing to lose someone, and then have them replaced so quickly."
Silence followed her words. As subtly as he could manage, Harry inched his hand towards Hermione's. He wrapped his fingers around hers and gave her hand a little squeeze. She looked up at him with a soft smile and squeezed back.
Ginny and Ron didn't notice this, as they were too busy with their own thoughts. But Mrs. Weasley, her eyes flickering to the rearview mirror, saw their hands and the smile. And she thought that maybe, just maybe, her daughter's relationship with Harry wasn't going quite as well as Ginny thought.
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Ah. The intelligence of Mrs. Weasley astounds me at times. And then there's the cuteness of Harry. Do you think it's possible to clone Harry? I think I'll try that. Then I'd have, like, Super Boyfriend!!! Rescuing damsels in distress with his romantic sweet talk and perfect date ideas!
Violet Kefira
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