Hey, I repeat last chapter's apologies at the slow work - my computer is broken completely so I don't have a machine to write on so I really apologise for the long wait.
I also should warn you that Hermione is somewhat OoC this chapter, I justify this due to the grief she is suffering but apologise in advance if it causes offence.
Disclaimer: J.K. is the genius, Harry and co. are hers.
Niffling
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Slowly things began to improve for Hermione and she was able to deal with her grief more. In truth she felt bad that now that she was back at Hogwarts around Harry she spent more of her time feeling grieved about her situation with him than she did about her grandmother's death.
Hermione sighed as she realised she had just inadvertently thought about him - again.
It was a regular occurrence and although she was trying to keep as much distance between them as possible she couldn't avoid him forever.
As if to make the point, as she rounded the next corner she realised that she was headed straight for him. Suppressing a groan she toyed with the idea of retracing her footsteps and dodging Harry once more, but - too late - he looked up at that moment and concern quickly filled his eyes as he saw her.
Hermione braced herself and continued towards him, wishing she could pretend she hadn't seen him.
"Hermione!" Harry yelled, keen to make her stop and talk to him. As he had guessed, she didn't want to cause a scene by ignoring him when plenty of people had looked round at Harry's yell, and her footsteps slowed as she reached him.
"Yes?" Hermione asked as she neared him, keeping her eyes low and making Harry's heart sink. She had stopped a good few paces from Harry and he took a step towards her to try and close the gap, to have a private word. However, as he stepped forward Hermione stepped neatly backward ensuring the gap between them did not decrease.
Harry looked at her sadly, wanting her to catch his eye, wanting nothing more than to see that smile of hers he had missed for what felt like so long.
"Hermione, please," he whispered softly looking at her with hurt in his eyes.
Hermione looked up at Harry then, her own eyes full of anger.
"Please what Harry?" she asked in a low voice like a growl, watching him back away slightly at the ferocity in her voice.
"Just - I -" Harry stammered and Hermione smirked cruelly at him. How could she feel so strongly for a man - boy - who couldn't even string a sentence together? She stepped around him, deftly avoiding his outstretched arm reaching after her and walked away, trying desperately to cling the image of him as a stuttering useless boy, and trying not to give in to how much it made her want to comfort him.
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"GRYFINNDOR WINS!" The magically amplified voice boomed over the grounds.
Harry felt the first proper smile in days spread over his face as he waved the struggling snitch in his hand above his head. Merlin it had been good to get out of the castle and fly again to just concentrate on something other than Hermione for five minutes. To do something that he knew he wouldn't mess up completely.
The smile weakened off Harry's face as his descent to ground took him towards the Gryffindor crowds, and Hermione who was stood smiling congratulating Ron on the win. As Harry landed Hermione looked up and accidentally caught his eye, a big grin still plastered on her face after the excitement of the game. She's so beautiful, Harry thought, losing his concentration and slipping in the mud as he hit the ground. Really smooth Harry he thought angrily to himself, glancing up at Hermione again only to find she was already heading back to the castle. As he looked wistfully after her Ron approached him.
"Well done mate, good game! There's talk of a post game party in the common room, lets get cleaned up."
Harry nodded glumly and went to hit the showers.
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Hermione was furiously having a silent argument with herself as she tried to find something decent to wear for the party that night. As the balls that they had were not often enough for most teenagers liking the Gryfinndor's occasionally decided that their post game parties would be a bit more than just a laugh among friends, and someone (usually the older year girls) set about forcing the boys into something other than their dirty kits and decorated the common room a little more.
It gave them all something to do and gave the couples who were just starting out an opportunity to express their interest in each other. Something I never want to think about again reflected Hermione as she pulled out a new pair of trousers she'd got when she went home. Though she wasn't one for retail therapy she had seen her mother's invitation for what it was - an excuse for her mother to relieve her own stresses rather than stock up Hermione's wardrobe. However, Hermione mused, she had come away with a few nice things.
Once she'd dressed she eyed herself up in the mirror. Her jeans were very deep navy blue and were tight fit. She wore a simple white top with a low scoop neck and had her usually bound back hair down.
As she eyed her own body Hermione tried to forget the images of Harry's that floated back through her mind. Unfortunately having seen him fly this afternoon she couldn't deny how good he looked.
Stop it.
Hermione firmly put the thought of Harry from her mind and tried to concentrate on the night to come. Ginny had been the one to persuade her to even bother going downstairs, and in return for Hermione agreeing to go had promise that she would spend plenty of time with her friend and to try and make it as enjoyable as possible for Hermione.
Hermione turned at a knock on the door and sure enough there was Ginny, who seemed to be rather giggly.
"Quick let me in!" Ginny shrieked laughing uncontrollably, falling onto Hermione's bed as the older girl looked on in a bemused way.
"What on earth got into you?" she asked walking over to join Ginny on the bed.
"This!" Ginny said, triumphantly holding up two bottles of elf made wine.
"Ginny!" Hermione gasped, realising a sizeable amount was already missing from the first bottle. "Where did you get this?!"
"From the kitchens." Ginny said, still giggling a little, though Hermione was glad to realise it was mainly from excitement, not drink. "The twins were going to get some butterbeer so I went with them insisting that there should be an alternative for some of my less ale-loving friends." Ginny accompanied the last phrase with a heavy wink in Hermione's direction, who only ever had two butterbeers before turning in for the night.
"Oh Ginny!" Hermione gasped, exasperated, "I don't want to get drunk!"
"Sure you do" Ginny corrected. "Anyway, you don't have to get drunk, I just thought it might… you know… take your mind off things a bit…" Ginny trailed off awkwardly having becoming increasing sober in the last sentence.
Hermione's heart went out to her friend being so thoughtful for her, even if it was in a slightly odd way.
"I don't know Gin," she said, already feeling her resolve waver.
"Oh c'mon Hermione, you can't say you haven't had a lot to deal with recently, I just thought it'd be nice for you to be able to relax from that a bit, just for one night."
As Ginny spoke Hermione's thoughts turned involuntary to Harry and in reaction to it she grabbed the open bottle off Ginny and took a large swig, choking slightly on the bubbles and setting off Ginny into another fit of giggles.
"Looks like I've persuaded you then!" she gasped and set Hermione off as well. They were soon swigging away from the first bottle whilst putting the finishing touches to their looks.
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Harry fidgeted nervously in the boy's dormitory, not sure if what he had on looked right. He never usually thought about these things so much, but with his current feelings towards Hermione he felt this time it really mattered, as if he didn't want to offend her anymore by wearing a clashing outfit.
"Mate what's got into you?" Ron said coming back into the dorm and finding Harry in the same position as when he had left him in, in front of the mirror scowling at his reflection.
Harry ignored him and continued fiddling with the open collar of the jet black shirt he wore over some baggy jeans.
Ron sighed and going for Plan B passed Harry a butterbeer, taking a swig from his own as he did so.
Harry took the drink gratefully, taking a long drink from it in an attempt to calm his nerves.
"OK," he said eventually to a bored Ron, "let's go,"
"Finally." Ron muttered, practically skipping out of the room, grabbing another couple of beers for them from his private stash under his bed and handing one to Harry, who again took a long drink before following Ron out of the room. Giving the common a thorough search with his eyes as he descended the staircase, Harry spotted Hermione sat in a corner of girls, all of whom were laughing and giggling. Harry was surprised to see Hermione joining in; in fact she seemed the centre of the humour. Frowning slightly and resisting the urge to go over and see what was so funny, he turned his attention away and went to join Ron with the twins by the fire.
Half an hour into the party everyone was having a great time, Harry's group kept on being accosted by various young ladies wanting to congratulate their Quidditch heroes and the boys obliged happily lapping up the attention - and the butterbeers the girls bought with them.
As the last group of girls moved away, George nodded approvingly.
"Gryfinndor girls are definitely the finest of the lot," he said, obviously eyeing up a girls bum as she walked past.
The other lads laughed cheekily, enjoying the banter.
At that moment Harry turned to see Hermione walking towards him. He gulped as he realised how she looked. Her tight jeans showed off her long legs and curved hips beautifully, while the tight white top she wore clung to the rest of her hourglass figure. Her facial features were softer than he had seen them in days, the tension eased by alcohol giving her eyes a cheeky sparkle and smoothing her previously constant frown.
"George, honey," Hermione began, looking at the twin blinking her eyelashes for maximum effect, "us girls were wondering if you could possibly grab us another couple of bottles of that wondrous wine you found?!" she asked with a big grin on her face.
Harry thought he had never seen her look so beautiful and he wanted nothing more than for Hermione to look at him the way she was looking at George, and for her to bat her eyelashes at Harry like that.
George, however, seemed unaffected by Hermione's wiles and just laughed at her saying
"Are you sure you haven't had enough Hermione?!" with a grin on his face.
Hermione pouted at this and put on her puppy dog eyes for Georges benefit, "pleeease?" she begged, causing George to roll his eyes and get to his feet.
"Alright, alright, if I refuse you I'm only going to be on the end of a bat bogey hex from Ginny, I'll go now."
Hermione's face lit up and she grinned her thanks before turning back to her friends.
Before she had reached them all Harry swiftly got to her feet and stopped her a few steps away, grabbing her arm.
Hermione turned back with a smile o her face expecting to be confronted with another joke from George. The smile slid off her face as she tried to pull away from Harry.
"Please Hermione, let me just talk to you." Harry begged in a quiet voice, not wanting to attract attention.
"Not now Harry," Hermione said, finally succeeding in pulling her arm away.
Harry was torn as to whether to pursue her further but retreated back to the sofa by Ron, collapsing down with a glum look on his face.
"Ahhh c'mon Harry cheer up man!" Ron said blearily looking over at Harry's forlorn expression.
Harry said nothing. Hermione as looking breathtaking and she wouldn't even talk to him, she had pulled from his touch as if burned. Suddenly this party wasn't much fun at all.
Harry got to his feet mumbling to Ron something about getting some fresh air. Hoping to relax once out of close proximity with Hermione, Harry headed for the door. As he stepped out of the portrait hole Harry breathed a sigh of relief before catching it halfway out.
There, right in front of him, wine bottles in hand, was George Weasley. And there, lips engaged with his, was Hermione.