Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, not me.
It's for the Best
Chapter 11 - The Calm Before the Storm
To say that the new couple drew attention at Platform Nine and Three Quarters would be an understatement. Every eye was on them. Hermione specifically noticed several girls look first at Harry lustfully, and then at his hand intertwined with hers suspiciously, and finally at her angrily. All Hermione could do is grin back. The last two weeks they'd been dating were among the best she'd ever had. The only thing she could compare it to was when she'd first discovered libraries. `Only this is better!' she thought to herself as she gave her boyfriend's hand a squeeze.
Harry, of course, was completely oblivious to the fact that he was now the most fanciable bloke going to Hogwarts as they continued walking toward the train. They boarded the Express, and Hermione turned and kissed Harry. "I've got to go to the prefect meeting. Find us a compartment and I'll be there as soon as I can." She squeezed his hand one last time before letting go.
"Hurry back," he said as he watched her quickly navigate her way toward the prefects' compartment. Once she was out of sight, he turned around to look for a place to sit, and nearly walked right into a girl who was right behind him. It took him a moment to recognize the girl with curly, reddish-blonde hair as Marietta Edgecombe, the girl who'd betrayed the D.A. to Umbridge. He immediately tensed up.
"Oh, er, hi Harry," she said nervously as she put her head down. That made Harry notice something was different about her.
"I see your forehead cleared up," he commented stiffly.
She put her hand on her now clear brow as she looked up. Harry thought she might be almost cute if it weren't for that whole `traitor' thing. "Oh, yeah. I had…someone take away that curse." She looked down again. "I, I'm really sorry about that. It's just my mother…" She sighed and shook her head. "It's no excuse. I betrayed you, Cho, and everybody because I thought the Ministry was right. Now I know that you were telling the truth all along." She closed her eyes tightly for a few seconds, as though holding back tears. "I'm sorry. I've got to go." Harry watched her disappear into a nearby compartment. He didn't see the smile that formed on her face as soon as her back was to him.
-
Harry found a compartment that Neville and Luna were sharing and joined them. A girl named Romilda Vane had tried to get him to sit with her, but he politely declined, saying that he was waiting for his girlfriend to come back from the prefect meeting when he realized she was flirting. Once the door was closed, Neville asked, "Did Ginny make prefect, then?"
Harry was a bit confused by the question. "Ginny? No. Why'd you ask?"
"Because you told that girl Ginny was at the prefect meeting," he answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I did not."
"Yes you did," argued Neville. "You said your girlfriend…"
"Oh, I forgot. Ginny and I…broke up."
"Really?" asked Neville. Harry thought he seemed a bit too happy to hear that news.
Harry took a deep breath. "Yeah. It's…complicated…we're still friends, but the point is that I'm now dating Hermione."
"That's good," said Luna, looking up from her Quibbler with a pair of psychedelic spectacles on her face. "You and Ginny didn't seem natural together. You and Hermione do."
"Er, thanks," he said, wondering if Luna knew just how right she was about him and Ginny not `naturally' belonging together.
"You're welcome," she said before looking back down at her magazine.
Neville said, "I heard that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle won't be here."
Harry blinked. He'd been so used to the fact that he'd killed them that he forgot it wasn't common knowledge. "Yeah. They…they were killed in a Death Eater attack."
Neville looked confused. "They were killed by Death Eaters? But their families…"
"They were Death Eaters," he yelled, causing both Neville and Luna to jump backwards. "I'm sorry. It's just…" He took a deep breath. "They attacked my house with Bellatrix Lestrange." Neville's expression changed to rage. He took another breath. "Bellatrix killed my uncle. I k-killed Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. She was captured by an auror." He decided not to tell Neville the particulars on how she'd killed Vernon Dursley, given his family history.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know they were the ones who attacked you. The prophet said your house was attacked and your uncle was killed, and that you and the aurors beat them. That was it. A different article said Bellatrix was captured. I never put it together."
At that moment, Ginny flung the door open and walked in lugging her trunk. She looked either angry or sad - Harry couldn't tell which. "Can I join you guys?" she asked.
When they nodded, Neville got up and helped her put the trunk on the rack. She then flung herself on the seat next to Luna and buried her face in her hands. Harry asked, "What's wrong?"
She looked up with an angry expression. "Oh, nothing. I just couldn't stand watching Padma and Dean trying to suck each others' faces off. It's hard to read when you keep hearing that sucking sound."
Harry admired how Ginny had conveyed the real reason for her anger (the fact that Dean was apparently dating Padma Patil when she'd hoped to get back together with him) without revealing it to the others.
"I hope you and Hermione don't do that when she and Ron get back from their meeting," she said as an afterthought.
"I'll keep that in mind. I'm sorry that you had to put up with that," he said, looking at her intently, hoping she'd catch his meaning.
"Don't worry about it," she said with a small smile. "It wasn't your fault."
Luna then looked back up from her article. "Snogging on trains attracts gilholds. When they get on someone, the victim starts saying one thing and meaning something completely different. Then they leap onto other people."
Sometimes Harry wondered just how perceptive Luna was as he and Ginny stared at her.
"Er, that's interesting," said Neville, oblivious.
Before anyone could comment, the door opened again. This time, it was Ron and Hermione. Both seemed very upset. Ron said, "I think that being a Jr. Death Eater is a requirement for becoming a Slytherin prefect! Nott's the new one!"
"Nott?" asked Harry, disgustedly.
"He went on about how pure-bloods make better prefects until I pointed out that it wasn't a Death Eater meeting," said Hermione.
"Do you think he is one?" asked Harry, unconsciously drawing his wand.
"I don't know, but he acts like it," she said.
"I don't want you going on prefect rounds with him," said Harry firmly.
"I can't refuse when I'm scheduled…"
"I suppose," he said while formulating a plan he didn't want to share with the group.
She gave him a knowing look before sitting next to him. "Did you miss me?"
"Every second." He kissed her quickly and put his arm around her.
The rest of the train ride passed quickly as the six of them chatted amicably.
When it was time, they put on their school robes, disembarked from the train, and then rode the carriages to Hogwarts, looking forward to the feast. It was the calm before the storm.
-
Please review. Thank you to those who have.
I know this was a short chapter without much happening, but the next one will be a lot better and longer. I promise.
By the way, I've recently started betaing for zeropolis79 (at fanfiction. Net). You might enjoy reading his stories.
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