Ace of Hearts
Chapter 4
It had been about a week since the night that he and Hermione stayed up late. The two of them had talked for hours
before finally going to bed just before sunrise. It was about halfway though the conversation about her work that Harry
realized that they were holding hands. He remembered glancing down at their intertwined fingers as she talked about the
incredible information that she had received for some witch named Featherbottom, or something, he couldn't really
remember. He was startled at first, but then after looking back up into her chocolate colored eyes, he made the
conscious decision not to pull his hand away instead choosing to feign ignorance of the contact. Harry could still feel
the intense heat that travel up his arm and throughout his body after realizing they were touching. Hermione, for her
part, had continued to chat happily so he was never sure if she even realized just what they were doing. Or
realized it when she started to slowly stroke the side of his hand with her thumb. It took all of his will power not to
pull her close and...
'You git,' he thought pulling himself back to reality. 'What's wrong with you? How could you have these feelings about Hermione, she's Ron's girl!'
At that thought Harry looked at his best mate, who was sitting in front of the tellie still in his pajamas eating a big bowl of 'Gnome Nuggets' cereal, while watching an episode of Charlie and Lola. Shaking his head Harry went to the kitchen and placed his plate into the sink, then joined Ron in the living room to watch the show.
`This is actually a really good cartoon,' he thought taking a seat on the couch. `When I have children, I wouldn't have any problem with them watching this type of programming....' he sighed, looking at the ceiling `if I have children.'
He wanted them so bad, but he just couldn't seem to find that right girl. He closed his eyes trying to envision what they would look like. He saw a little boy with messy dark hair and a beautiful little girl with chocolate colored eyes and bushy brown locks…
"Hey what'cha up to today?" Ron asked breaking Harry's reverie and turning around to look at him.
"Don't know, so far I was just planning on enjoying my day off. Maybe do a little reading-"
"Aww, come on, you've been bustin you arse all week! And on your first day off all you want to do is sit around like some old woman and read?" he made a face. "Read Harry? Geez I need to keep you away from Hermione she seems to be contagious."
Harry raised a single brow as his mind processed the irony in Ron's comment.
'Yeah,' he thought 'I think it is better for all three of us if you keep me away from Hermione.'
As a matter of fact for the last week Harry had been doing just that, though not on purpose. He had been extremely busy at work this week and was barley able to sleep, let alone socialize. He and Aurora had made two additional trips to Transylvania to organize more contacts that they, thankfully, were starting to develop. And when he wasn't doing that he was constantly following up on leads that involved locating and capturing the many Death Eaters that had gotten away after the final battle. Harry sighed, and he didn't even want to think about the almost ceiling high mound of paperwork on his desk waiting for him on Monday.
"Well," he quizzed, "what do you suppose I do today?"
Ron smiled getting up to put his bowl away, "Well here's the plan, Hermione-"
"Yes."
Surprised Ron quickly turned his head, while Harry leant to the side to look around him. They both saw the floating head of Hermione staring back at them from the fireplace.
"You said my name."
"Yeah," Ron said facing her. "I was just about to tell Harry about the plan for today-"
"Oh, good I'll be right over," she disappeared from sight only to appear a moment later next to Ron.
She was dressed in a pair of white shorts and a pink tank top, Harry could see what looked to be bathing suit straps' sticking from under the shirt. Hermione's hair was pulled into a loose ponytail with a pair of shades sitting on the top of her head and flip flops on her feet. She was also holding a large summer bag with a big fluffy white and orange tabby cat on the side that `meowed' when you looked at it.
"Well Ron, go on," she declared making a small brushing motion with one hand while using the other to remove the sunglasses from her head and place them inside of the cat bag, who purred in response.
"Oookay, as I was saying, Herm-"
"Ron, Luna, Neville, Ginny, Dean and I are going to go to the lake," she interrupted in typical Hermione fashion. "For a sun filled day of swimming, picnicking and all around general merriment. I even brought a new book for the occasion," at this point she reached into her bag and withdrew a book about as thick as Harry's head. "Of course it's just a light read," she finished with a smile.
Harry and Ron shared a look.
"A book Hermione? Come on, you're as bad as Harry," Ron griped, the dark haired witch glared at him.
Harry took this moment to interrupt the impending fight.
"I think I'll pass," he stated standing.
"Oh come on Harry she was just kidding -we're not really going to make you read. It should be fun."
"No, thanks... look I had a long week at work, and with everything going on it's probably best if I just catch up on my rest... Besides, this seems to be a couples thing and I...." he trailed off with a shrug.
Ron and Hermione looked guiltily at each other before Ron spoke.
"Well what about that woman that you're always talking about?" noting Harry's confused expression he continued. "You know the Auror bird, the one you told me that you thought was hot. Why don't you invite her?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Harry answered, noticing Hermione for some reason seemed to relax at this statement.
"Why not?"
"Leave him alone Ronald, if he doesn't want to invite the girl you shouldn't try to force it."
"I'm not forcing anything. He thinks the chick is hot and what else did he say… uhhh, he said she was hot, funny, smart," Ron looked at the ceiling while ticking off the things that Harry had told him about the girl on his fingers. "Interesting, cool, witty… oh yeah, and hot," he finished with a triumphant look.
Hermione glared at him. "Regardless he doesn't want to invite her and you shouldn't try to make him. Harry's a big boy and can make up his own mind. -Oh and by the way, you said hot twice," she finished in a know-it-all tone.
Ron shrugged "Well so did Harry. I mean, he totally fancies her and is just being a ponce. Come on Harry grow a pair and ask the lady bird out."
"It's not that simple Ron," Harry said sitting back down. "I have to work with this woman, sometimes very closely. Don't you think it would be a little awkward if things didn't work out between us?"
"I guess your right," Ron conceded, not noticing Hermione release the breath she had been holding. He then gave his best mate serious look. "It's just…you know Harry, you'll never get a family if you don't date, and I know how badly you want one… I just want you to be happy."
A slightly awkward silence descended upon the room after Ron's heartfelt admission. A moment later Hermione clapped her hands together to break the tension.
"Well, I guess that's settled then," she said smiling.
"Not quite," Harry chimed.
When he stood a smiling Ron along with a surprised Hermione watched as he grabbed a piece of parchment and a quick drying quill off of the counter. Scribbling something down on a piece of paper he tied it to Hedwig's leg and whispered a name to her. Harry stepped back and watched as the snow white owl flew out of the window.
"What was that about?" Hermione quizzed frowning.
Biting his lip Harry shrugged and took seat at the table, before either Ron or Hermione could question him again Hedwig returned.
"Wow that was quick," he muttered more to himself than anyone before removing a small piece of parchment attached to the birds' leg. Noticing that it smelled faintly of roses, he unrolled the scroll and as he read it a huge smile slowly formed on his face. Harry turned still grinning and looked at Ron and Hermione.
"I guess I'm going with you guys after all," he said re-rolling the note. "But this time not as the odd man out."
Ron's face broke into a huge grin and he came forward giving his mate a hearty clip on the back. Harry then turned and quickly wrote another note, this time containing the time and place they would meet and after giving her a small treat, tied it to Hedwig's leg. Once the owl took flight both blokes talking and laughing, headed to the back to change -neither of them noticing the intense frown on the face of the room's third occupant.
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About an hour later Harry, Ron and Hermione had finally left the flat after much debate, of course between Ron and
Hermione, about how to get to their designated location. Hermione had finally won out, as usual, and they agreed to
take the scenic route -which meant walking instead of just Apparating. The trio entered the Leakey Cauldron less than
ten minutes later. The plan was to meet Ginny, Dean, Neville, Luna and Aurora in Diagon Alley where they would
then Apparate to the lake as a group.
Passing through the pub the three of them gave small waves to Tom the barkeep as a smiling Harry told him that they were just passing through. Upon reaching the small walled courtyard Hermione used her wand to tap the designated bricks and they opened up to reveal Diagon Ally. The street was heavily populated with both consumers and vendors as everyone took advantage of the great weather. Ignoring a brightly dressed wizard who was doing his best to sell them some slightly rancid looking dragon meat, the group made their way to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, where everyone had decided to meet. As they neared the location Hermione noticed Harry suddenly smile.
"Aurora! Over here!" he called waving.
A beautiful young witch turned towards them, she was about five-ten with a slim muscular build. Her hair was black with maroon streaks and hung to about her waist, she had most of it in a low ponytail at the base of her neck except for the front, which she had left undone to frame her face. Aurora wore a black, baby-t that had the word 'Wicked' scrawled across the front with a pair of small maroon shorts, a small black wrist band and some black flip flops. Hermione raised her eyebrows as she noticed that the also girl had several noticeable tattoos, including a tribal band around both her arm and ankle and a Henna style tattoo on her hand that looked to be permanent. Aurora smiled when she saw Harry and began to walk towards them.
'Perfect teeth too, I'm soooo surprised,' Hermione thought sarcastically. Shaking her head to get rid of her inappropriately bitter deductions, she focused on the young witch approaching them, however she wasn't too focused to hear Ron's remark to Harry.
"Bloody brilliant mate, wanna trade?" he whispered jokingly. Hermione had turned to give him a piece of her mind but instead caught Harry giving her a weird look, his eyes were so intense that her pulse speed up and her face became flushed.
They broke eye contact just as Aurora arrived to where the group was standing.
"I'm glad you could make it," Harry said, stepping forward to give her a small hug, Hermione frowned and emitted and inaudible growl.
"Aurora Centauri, I'd like you to meet my two best mates, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
Hermione quickly changed her face to a happy expression, when startlingly observant silver eyes fixed upon her as Aurora turned to face her extending a hand. Feeling a bit uncomfortable with just how observant those eyes seemed to be, Hermione hesitated for a second before grasping the woman's hand and giving it a firm shake. Aurora looked at her for a second and then, as though she had gauged Hermione's handshake and found it sufficient, gave a small nod before turning slightly and shaking Ron's hand.
Harry, with the occasional interjection from Ron, had just finished telling Aurora the full plan for the day when they heard a loud bang. The group immediately turned in the direction of the noise with wands in hand and noticed smoke coming out of the Weasleys' shop. After a moment Neville came backing out of the store his face covered in soot, his clothes slightly smoking and blathering apologies. He was followed few seconds later by a laughing Ginny and a smiling Dean, and a moment after that a thoughtful looking Luna, carrying a large paper bag with handles, exited the shop. Walking straight up to Neville she used her wand clean the soot off of his face before placing a light kiss on his cheek. Still laughing, Ginny finally noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione then telling the others in an overly loud voice that "They were finally here!" the foursome made their way over to join them. Once they arrived Harry introduced Aurora to the final members of the group and they all took turns shaking hands.
"Well, what do you say we head on over to the lake?" Ginny asked once introductions were complete. She then turned and looked back at the store, which still had a small thin black cloud streaming from the door. "And let's do it before the twins come out and hex Neville to kingdom come." She and Dean then laughed while, for his part, Neville looked incredibly embarrassed and seemed to be doing his best to sink into the ground.
"What in the world happened anyway," Ron asked grinning as he waved the smoke from Neville's slightly singed clothing away from him.
"Oh nothing really," answered Luna in her normal melodious voice. "Neville was just admiring one of the twins exploding ink wells when a Gauller Fairy hopped on the stopper and caused it to explode." She then turned towards Aurora with a serious expression "You should really be careful of them you know, they cause mischief at the most inappropriate times."
Aurora gave Luna a straight-faced nod, but when the other girls' back was turned, she looked at Harry incredulous. Smiling and shrugging to her, Harry then looked at Hermione and they both rolled their eyes, being more that used to Luna's interesting explanations for things.
"We'll be sure to remember that Luna," Ginny stated patting the girl on the back, while turning and making a face where she couldn't see. "Anyway, like I said earlier, let's be off!"
The group nodded in agreement, grabbed hands and Apparated to designated location right by the lake.
AN: Sorry if this seemed short, it just seemed like the right place to stop. Stay tuned for chapter five and the fun at
the lake. Remember please review! Feedback makes the world go round; let me know what you think so far, love it... hate
it?
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