Chapter 4 : The Conversation
The bushy haired girl was smiling as she flipped the pages of her favorite muggle novel, Romeo and Juliet. She sniffed as she fought back tears that went trickling down her rosy cheeks. She exclaimed at every surprising thing that the characters thought and said. She imagined herself as Juliet but she was still thinking about who would be her Romeo.
"I wonder who could be my star-crossed lover?" she sighed as she wiped her tears.
"Star-crossed lover eh?" said a familiar voice from behind. Hermione quickly withdrew her wand and aimed towards the voice. She finally managed to come across a face and noticed its emerald eyes at once. "Whoa! It's just me. Is that how you greet a person?" Harry joked.
Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes. "If they don't sneak up on me like that."
"Pardon me for being so rude."
Hermione raised an eyebrow and was confused of his action. "How long have you been there?"
Harry studied her face and laughed at the expression painted on it. "A couple of minutes. Just returned from a bath."
"A bath? I thought that you and Hannah were only washing the dishes?" she asked. "Or did you push her and she pulled you into the spring?" she bowed and blew a strand of her brown hair that was in between her eyes.
"Are you being Ms. Cold Shoulder again?" he asked as Hermione looked up but saw nobody.
"Harry, don't play tricks on me." Hermione laughed.
"I'm not playing tricks on you." Harry breathed in her ear from behind her. "I'm only telling you the true meaning of magic." Harry said as he moved closer to her and revealed himself. Hermione felt the soft cloth that he held and quickly exclaimed. "Just as I suspected. An invisibility cloak. You never get tired of using that eh?"
Harry chuckled and gave her a warm smile. "It always helps me with my mischief. Never fails me even with the smartest girl of our age."
"You know that you have to stop calling me that."
Harry ruffled his hair. "I'm still not used to calling you Hermione."
"I still haven't thanked you from rescuing me from that troll in our first year. You left in a hurry so I didn't have the chance."
"You don't have to thank me for that."
"Oh yes I do. I owe you my life." she informed him in a serious tone. "If you weren't there, I probably wouldn't be here right now."
"Hermione, get back here and we need to do something about your hair!" Parvati called.
Hermione sighed and shut her book close. She didn't want to stop talking to him. She wanted to spend the day with him. But sadly, she had to get this makeover thing over. She gathered her books but a soft caress of a hand stopped her.
"I'll take these." Harry offered as he grabbed the books and started walking back to their "campsite" while Hermione followed. She kept on stealing glances on the boy who was walking right beside her. Everytime she catches Harry's eye, she quickly looks away and blushes. After a few minutes, she noticed that Harry was sweating and his hands were already shaking because of the weight of the books so she quickly offered him her knapsack.
"Here's my knapsack."
Harry looked up and smiled. He put down the books and took the knapsack from Hermione. "Thanks, Hermione." He quickly put the books in and carried the knapsack.
"Are you sure that you don't want me to carry those books? They are mine." Hermione asked. She looked rather concerned and looked at her feet. Harry grabbed her hand and patted in softly. "I'm sure. Don't worry." Hermione quickly blushed and couldn't take her eyes off him so she didn't notice the rock in front her so she stumbled on it. She groaned in pain as Harry quickly rushed to her.
"Hermione, are you alright?" he asked as he tried to help her stand up.
"I don't think so. My right foot hurts so much and I can't stand." Hermione cried.
Harry crouched down. "Hermione, hop on my back."
"You're gonna give me a piggybank? Harry, that's crazy." Hermione groaned as she rubbed her foot. "And besides, I think I'm alright n-ah!" Hermione cried.
Harry sighed. "Fine. If you don't want to, then let's do this the hard way." Harry grabbed Hermione and carried her. Hermione tried to fight back but there was no use.
When they reached the campsite, they noticed the noise that was surrounding it. Parvati kept screaming because Draco was threatening her with a grasshopper, Ginny and Lavender were arranging their make-up kits for Hermione's makeover, Hannah was laughing at Ron's jokes while Cho was the only one who was silent.
"I better put you down now."
"I told you that I was heavy." she moaned as she tried to stand up.
Harry chuckled seeing Hermione pouting like that. "Honestly, you weren't heavy at all. It was like carrying a Styrofoam."
"So you're saying that I'm underweight?" Hermione asked as she patted her stomach. "Better start eating lots and lots so that I'll gain some weight." Hermione continued which made Harry frown. He tried to mutter words but Hermione couldn't understand even one word. "Harry, I'm only joking." Hermione laughed as Harry joined in. The others saw that Hermione and Harry were getting along great and went on with their business. Hannah managed to glimpse at Cho and smiled when she saw that her eyes were so angry that they might fall out of their sockets.
"Looks like we don't need a campfire anymore." Hannah joked.
Ron raised an eyebrow and stopped his jokes. "Hannah, what do you mean by that?"
Hannah pointed Cho. "Cho is already fuming so hot that it's hotter than the campfire. She really is jealous with Hermione now." she said. "Only a few more and she's going to explode. She is really a brat."
"I know. I hope that she will just let my mate go. I never did like her." Ron agreed. "She always bosses Harry around and you and she always handle my jokes seriously. I can't understand women like her."
"You don't have to because you've got me, Ginny, Lavender and now, Hermione. We're simple girls that are easy to understand." Hannah patted him at the back.
Ron chuckled. "I don't know much about Ginny. She's really confusing sometimes."
"Everyone can trust me. You know that." Hannah proudly announced. "Have you ever tasted Butterbeer?" she changed the subject.
Ron laughed at her question but when he saw that she was serious, he stopped laughing and answered her question. "Of course I have! How about you?"
Hannah shook her head. "I've never drank alcohol before. That's why when you and the others go to a bar, I don't come. I'm still an innocent student okay?"
Ron merely laughed when someone hit him at the back. "Is anything going on in here? I heard you talking about alcohol. Quite a sensitive topic." Harry exclaimed while his green orbs were shining in the sun.
"I was only asking him what Butterbeer tastes like." Hannah said as she stood tall and proud. She was about to leave when Harry stopped her. He sneaked up on her back, held her shoulders and whispered her something in her ears. "Are you avoiding me?"
Hannah licked her lips nervously and sighed. She confronted her and answered his question with a simple but hurtful answer. She nodded silently and trailed away.
Harry cursed and kicked the tree where Ron was sitting near to. "Damn." he cursed.
Ron walked to his side and patted him at the shoulder. "Give her some time. She'll come by."
*~*
"Hey, Hermione. I saw you talking to Harry." Hannah smiled when she noticed that Hermione was rubbing her foot. "What happened?"
"I stumbled and sprained my ankle. Good thing I know a healing spell for that but there's still pain left." she groaned. "Harry helped me up get to the campsite." she smiled.
Hannah raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you just heal it there?" she asked.
Hermione blushed and thought about it. She's right. Why didn't I just heal it there so Harry couldn't carry you? Because you want him to carry you. Think up another excuse for Hannah. "Because I left my healing spell book here." she replied.
A playful smile curved on Hannah's lips. "But you were carrying your knapsack and that's where you keep all your books." she said with a giggle.
"What is this? Is this an ambush interview?" Hermione joked.
Hannah laughed with Hermione but she stopped and asked something. "You fancy Harry don't you?" she asked in a very serious tone while Hermione stopped.
She merely laughed at Hannah's thought but when she saw that Hannah was very serious about it; she couldn't help but nod a "yes."
Hannah's grin reached to her eyes. "Since when?" she added.
She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Since he saved me from the troll in first year. But I hesitated when he started becoming one of the Populars and started dating Ginny and Cho."
"Harry's always the hero like don't you think?"
She sighed and slouched on her back. "Yeah. I think that's what I liked about him. He's always caring about the people around him. Hannah, how many Horcruxes are he still looking for?"
"Only 3 more and it's Voldemort who he's going to battle." Hannah said as she eyed Hermione when she said Voldemort. She didn't flinch nor did she cringe. "Why didn't you flinch at the sound of Voldemort's name? Don't you fear him?" Hannah asked right away.
Hermione stood up proud and poised. "Fear of the name only increases the fear of the thing itself." she said like she said in their 2nd year.
"Like you have said in our 2nd year." Hannah smiled as she remembered asking Hermione the same question in Flourish and Blotts 5 years ago.
*Flashback*
Hannah was walking with Harry in Diagon Alley, buying their things for their Second Year. Harry went to the Apothecary to get something while Hannah fancied a view in her favorite shop, Flourish and Blotts. She walked to the counter and asked where the Dark Arts and Magical Creature books are located.
"Ummm... excuse me sir, where are the Dark Arts and Magical Creature books located?" she asked shyly.
"The Dark Arts books are in the second aisle while the Magical Creature books are in the aisle right behind that aisle, Madame." the man in the counter pointed.
Hannah nodded. "Thank you, sir."
Hannah walked to the Dark Arts books first and saw 3 new books so she quickly got them while in the Magical Creature section she grabbed 5 books. She carried the books and she didn't notice the girl about her age, striding towards her. They collided into each other and books flew everywhere. Hannah quickly apologized and noticed the familiar bushy hair.
"Hermione? Oh my, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to! I should've paid attention." she apologized as she helped Hermione gather the books the scattered everywhere. Hannah noticed the Dark Arts book right away. On the front, there were bold silver letters that read, Dark Wizards in History. "Dark Wizards in history? Are you studying about Voldemort?" Hannah asked. When she knew that she said Voldemort in front of Hermione she quickly apologized.
"No need to say sorry, Hannah. I am learning about Voldemort." she answered directly.
Hannah smirked when she heard the sound of Voldemort's name from another person. "Don't you fear saying his name?"
"Fear of the name only increases the fear of the thing itself."
** End of Flashback **
"Harry seems so down." Hermione said while she was looking at Harry.
Hannah felt so guilty about what happened. She did like Harry but not the way he expects him to like him. She thought that the only way to arrange this is to avoid him. "I told him that… I was... avoiding him." Hannah uttered.
Hermione quickly shot me a confused look. "What? Why are you avoiding him?"
"That's the only way I can arrange these kinds of things." she said.
"What things?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing. Let's get back. I hear that Parvati and Lavender are looking for you." she offered.