Author's Note: Happy Spring, all! Daffodils make me happy, and now that I have a free moment, it's nice to sit down and write a little again. I do not have a beta, however, so any and all mistakes are mine alone, and I apologize.
Disclaimer: as a typical college student, I have no substantial amounts of cash; I do not live in Scotland, and my last name does not begin with `R.' Therefore, I cannot possibly own Harry Potter.
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Chapter 6: Ups and Downs
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We're not the same, but you're a lot like me
In that you're waiting for your life to begin.
So shine the tain and I'll build us iron lungs,
We'll learn to love from plastic love songs.
-Dabney Morris, "Gateway to the East"
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"The best thing the Harry Potter can think to do with his day off is flip through old photos?"
"Well, perhaps if his best mate Ron Weasley, also famous, wasn't always with his brother trying to find new ways to get kids out of class and into detention all day, he wouldn't be so bored," Harry replied dryly, flipping to the next page.
Rolling his eyes, Ron flopped down next to him. This introspective behavior Harry had been exhibiting lately was beginning to worry him. Harry had always been more of an active being, not a thinker. Besides, if Hermione's comments were any indication, Ron wasn't much for sensitive guy-talk (if such a thing even existed), and had more or less no idea how to deal with this.
"Anything interesting?" He asked, peering at the pages of moving photographs.
"No, just a bunch of pictures Collin," Harry ran a hand through his hair, "took back when we were in school. He finally got the hang of enchanting them to move, you know."
"I dunno, Harry. You and Hermione look kind of funny in these," he pointed to a picture of the three of them. Picture-Ron waved up at them, but Picture-Harry and Hermione stood just a little too far apart, not angrily, just somewhat uncomfortably.
"You didn't have a fight, did you?" He certainly hoped not-Harry and Hermione had seemed perfectly fine around each other. Or at least, not any more nuts than they usually did. Though when was the last time they'd been around each other for longer than a few minutes, come to think of it?
"No, nothing. We're fine, just fine," Harry was replying, and Ron raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything.
"Yeah, okay. Just curious…" He replied, flipping to the next page of pictures, "the next Hogsmeade weekend is coming up. Would it be weird if we went and saw Lu-everyone?"
"Uh, no, of course not."
"Right. So, you'll ask Hermione then?"
"Wh-what?" Harry sputtered, looking at him in confusion. Ron stared back, surprised,
"I just meant you'd let her know about it if you saw her and-wait, do you like her or something?"
"What? No! You don't seriously think that, after the Horcruxes and everything!"
"No need to get defensive, it's not like I fancy her anymore." By this time Ron was smiling at him, which only made Harry more uncomfortable, much to his surprise. It had never occurred to him that he could fancy Hermione, let alone discuss her with Ron of all people.
"No, I don't fancy Hermione. She's like a sister to me," he replied almost petulantly, signaling that the discussion was over.
Shaking with repressed laughter, Ron mumbled something about getting back to the joke shop, and Harry shot him a dirty look as he left.
Liking Hermione-ridiculous. She was his best friend, the smartest person he knew, and the most loyal friend he could ever wish for. Normally, he would ask Lupin or Sirius or even Dumbledore, if he was desperate, but obviously none of those options were really viable now. Sighing, he returned to flipping through the photo album.
Which didn't help keep his mind off things like he'd hoped-Hermione was in nearly every picture.
Hermione was his friend, just like Ron was his friend.
Even if she stuck around when Ron didn't.
Or stood up to him and corrected his mistakes when he wasn't thinking clearly.
Sure, he cared about her-she was his best friend, and had been for more than seven years.
"You're hopeless!" He muttered, and was glad only the pictures were witness to his brief outburst.
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A loud knock on the door woke Andromeda from her nap, and any hope of ignoring it was destroyed when Teddy woke up too, and began crying.
"Coming, coming," she called out, and after picking up Teddy from his crib, she hurried to the front door.
"Hello, Harry," she greeted politely as she opened the door to her grandson's godfather, who nodded stiffly, and offered a small smile.
"Hello, Mrs. Tonks."
"Andromeda, please."
"Right. Sorry."
"It's fine." Well, this was going smoothly, "Would you like to come in?"
He shut the door behind him as they stepped inside, and followed her into the kitchen.
"Teddy always gets a little hungry after his nap," she explained. "Here, would you mind?" She added as she handed over the baby to him.
Harry took his godson into his arms somewhat awkwardly, though he'd gotten better at figuring out how to hold Teddy over the past few months.
"Thanks."
"No problem. I did come to see him, after all," Harry replied somewhat sheepishly as Andromeda rummaged through the cupboard.
"How's work? Or play?" She teased-they were making progress where the idle chitchat was concerned.
"Oh, it's fine. Tiring, I guess, but it's better than anything else I could imagine doing."
"I see."
"How's Teddy been? I know it's been a while since I've visited."
"The usual. Crawling around and causing as much trouble as possible," she said, her face lighting up with pride for a moment.
"He looks a lot like Remus when he isn't trying to change his face for fun," Harry observed after a few moments.
"Yes, he's quite fond of his talents, just like Dora was."
"Good."
Silence filled the kitchen again, and Harry turned his attention back to Teddy, who was currently a little grumpy due to the untimely wake-up from his nap. Nevertheless, it seemed like his godson was starting to recognize him, or at least seem a little happier to see him.
If anything, Harry was determined to be active in his godson's life, even if he didn't know what shape that role would take yet. And as he sat there, slightly uncomfortable around Tonks' mother, he was reminded of how much he really wanted to make this work. Teddy tended to put things in perspective for Harry, just by being there and vulnerable and so much like Remus and Tonks already. So even if he wasn't sure what to do with his strained friendship with Hermione, at least he was convinced for a few moments that they could and would work things out.
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"Granger!"
"Coming!" A harried-looking Hermione rushed into the office of Bernard Denton, head of the Department of Mysteries' Origins Analysis Division. A stern, highly professional man, Denton was extremely enthusiastic about his work, but expected nothing short of perfection from his division. Even now, he gave his brightest new recruit a quick look-over, almost as if he was trying to find her weak points.
"Granger, set those files down and take a seat, please."
Hermione nodded obediently and after setting the large pile of notebooks down, took a seat opposite his desk. She tried not to think about the possibility of being assigned to Johns' new team as they exchanged short pleasantries (`Getting enough rest?' `Yes. How's the family?' `Oh, just fine.'). The typical moment of brief silence followed, before Denton addressed business,
"As you know, we'll be forming a new team to study Johns' findings."
"I remember, sir." She could have sworn her beating heart was visible, it was pumping so erratically.
"You applied for one of the positions?"
"Yes, of course." She attempted to stare back confidently when he raised his eyebrows at the `of course.'
"I see. You're aware this is going to probably double your workload, right?"
"I don't mind. It's simply fascinating and-"
"Your work is already a little behind as things are. You've been staying longer than anyone else here, which shows dedication, but you're still the last one to hand in your findings. Why do you think that is?"
"I was a little under the weather, but I'm better now. I'm sure I'll be able to handle the position." She was almost pleading now, and admitting that thinking about Harry left her distracted to the point of inability to work would have been fatal to her ambitions.
"I've half a mind not to give you the spot, but you're in. I expect you to hand everything on time. If you fall behind again, there are others to take your place."
"Oh, thank you!" Normally she might have been angry and indignant about that remark, but the guilt over letting a silly feeling get to her stifled the typical Hermione reaction.
"I'll expect at the meeting on Monday."
"Of course. And thanks, again!"
She managed to keep from cheering when she left his office, and shakily returned to her desk. Out of population analysis and into real work!
The warning had fled her mind by the time she returned home, bags of groceries in hand and a humming a song as she opened the door. The humming halted when she spotted Harry napping on the couch, and she tiptoed past him into the kitchen, and began unpacking.
Maybe if Quidditch hadn't been to tiring, she could coax Harry into cooking tonight-he was easily the best cook of the three. And if Ron went to the Burrow tonight, she could almost pretend it meant something, him cooking dinner for just the two of them. Which was silly and girlish, she knew, but with the new assignment today she could almost forget about how problematic it was for her to fancy Harry.
She'd resumed humming as she placed the vegetables in the fridge, when Harry wandered into the kitchen.
"Hey."
He tried not to laugh as she started, and whipped around at him.
"You scared me!"
"Sorry. I didn't know you need privacy when putting away the vegetables."
"Honestly! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!"
"In my own flat?"
"Even in your own flat. But you can make it up to me by cooking tonight."
"Fine. Your cooking stinks anyways," Harry replied, as he started placing things in the cupboard.
"My cooking doesn't stink," she protested.
"Too much perfectionism, not enough sampling. It's not Potions, you know."
"I know that!"
"Yeah, you're Hermione Granger, you know everything," Harry replied, not unkindly, and grinned over at her. It was nice to have a normal conversation with her for once, like they were just Harry and Hermione again.
"Well, you're Harry the Hero now, so you'd know," Hermione replied, smiling back.
"Well, as Harry the Hero, I think all the other Heroes deserve a Saturday at Hogsmeade. Want to come?"
"What?" She sputtered, much like he'd done earlier that day.
"Hogwarts has their Hogsmeade weekend, and Ron wants to see Luna."
"He told you that?"
"Not exactly. But he does want to go, and he figures we should all go."
"I suppose. Are you going to meet up with Ginny, then?" She asked briskly, assuming a business-like tone.
"Dunno. I doubt she'll want to see me."
"Really? Any reason?"
"Yeah. She'd much rather be with her new boyfriend," Harry replied calmly, unaware of the changing expressions on Hermione's face.
"You're okay with that?"
"Of course I am. We haven't dated since sixth year, Hermione."
"I know, but, it always seemed like you were just waiting for her to be safe, or to graduate."
"Nope. She's dating a Gryffindor, but she hasn't said who."
"Strange."
"Yeah."
"So…about that dinner?"
She couldn't have been much happier. Harry wasn't in love with Ginny, Ron had owled to say he was staying the night at the Burrow, she'd gotten the position, and Harry was cooking her dinner. And sure, that didn't mean much - it was just dinner between two friends - but they were going to Hogsmeade and as long as she didn't get swamped too quickly at work, perhaps everything was going to be just fine. Now at least, there was the possibility that Harry would see her in a different light-there was no way she was simply going to forget and move on now. No, there was too much potential for things to go right.
Or wrong.
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