Chapter 10
A/N: Usual disclaimers apply. Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Hope you enjoy!
When Harry returned to the cottage, he found Hermione folding laundry in her bedroom. He felt good about what he had just done, having gone to visit her parents, but he had a feeling of trepidation as he saw her.
"Hey," Harry said quietly as he knocked on the door, which was ajar.
Hermione turned around and set down some socks she was sorting.
"Harry! How did the test go?"
"I passed."
Hermione approached Harry and gave him a congratulatory hug. "I'm so glad, I knew you would."
Hermione studied Harry's face, he looked preoccupied.
"Is something wrong, Harry?"
Harry sighed. He figured he'd better fess up to what he did.
"I hope you won't be angry with me, Hermione, but I went to see your parents."
Hermione's expression went from concerned to stony. "Harry, I told you not to, you made me a promise!"
"I know I did, but I was on the bus coming back from the test and I knew the bus would pass where your parents are, and I couldn't…."
"Couldn't resist going to see them? I can't believe you went behind my back!"
"Hermione, I did it for you," Harry implored. "I was worried about you moping around here waiting for your parents to call. I had to do something!"
"So you betrayed me, Harry! I hope it was worth it!"
"Can you just calm down and let me tell you what happened. I think I might have made some headway with them!"
"I don't want to calm down!" Hermione was pacing back and forth beside her bed. "I wanted to take care of this all on my own and you promised me you wouldn't intrude. What if you made things worse, Harry?"
"But I didn't! I think I may have changed their minds."
"That's not the point, Harry!" Hermione fumed. "Even if you changed their minds, you still went behind my back. I trusted you!"
"Hermione!" Harry pleaded. "Just listen to me, please!"
Hermione was too incensed to listen. She threw the laundry basket on the floor and stormed out of the bedroom.
The next thing Harry heard was the slamming of their front door. Well, at least he got her to leave the house, he thought bitterly.
Hermione headed to the beach. The weather looked a bit threatening but it wasn't raining yet, although the wind was picking up. She was grateful that she grabbed her windbreaker on the way out the door.
As the sea air filled her lungs, she started to calm down a bit. She remembered the last time she had taken a walk on the beach and ran into Lucy who was upset over an argument she had with Ben. Lucy was having trust issues and Hermione remembered telling her how deep her trust was in Harry. Was that broken?
Hermione sighed and thought back on their relationship. There were some times when their friendship was tested. In third year, Hermione took Harry's beloved Firebolt to Professor McGonagall to make sure that the broom wasn't hexed. Harry was angry with her, but Hermione did it for his own good. But that was different, right? She was looking out for his own safety.
During fifth year, Hermione was sure that going to the Department of Mysteries was a trap and she and Harry got into a passionate shouting match. Eventually she did go with him, despite her misgivings.
Hermione wished she had someone to talk to. The clouds overhead darkened and it started to drizzle. She pulled her windbreaker's hood over her head and started to head back to the house. But she wasn't ready yet to face Harry, instead she headed to the Leibowitz house, hoping to talk to Lucy.
She knocked on the door and Mrs. Leibowitz answered.
"Hermione, how lovely to see you! Is everything okay with the house?"
She shook her head at the elderly woman. "The house is fine but I was wondering if Lucy is home?"
Mrs. Leibowitz nodded. "Yes, she's in her room, but I think she's on the phone with her boyfriend. Why don't you come in, dear, out of the rain and I'll see if she's done."
Hermione took off her jacket and hung it on the rack near the doorway. The Leibowitz living room was like none she had never seen. The couches and chairs were covered with plastic slipcovers. There were pictures all over the walls of several generations of family. There were pieces of furniture that served as display cases for family heirlooms, including menorahs and silverware.
Lucy came out of her room and saw Hermione sitting on the couch. "Hermione, it's good to see you. Why don't you get off the plastic couch and come into my room?"
Hermione nodded and attempted to get off the couch but the plastic sticking to her legs made it a little difficult. Once she got unstuck, she followed Lucy into her room.
"Sorry about the plastic. It's a Jewish thing, I think. The plastic is to protect the upholstery from stains, but Grandma Irene never lets us eat in the living room, so I'm not sure what the deal is."
Hermione looked around at the décor in Lucy's room. It was completely different from the living room. She had posters of surfers and her favorite rock bands on the walls and the wall space she could see was painted in bright red.
Lucy plopped on the bed. "So what's up? You look a little upset. Something wrong with Harry?"
Hermione nodded. "Yeah, you could say that. We had a big row."
"Do you want to tell me about it? After all, you've listened to me about my problems with
Ben."
"How are things by the way? Your grandmother said you were on the phone with him?"
"Things are better, yeah. I apologized for my jealousy and we're getting along again."
"I'm glad to hear that," Hermione replied. "I wish Harry and I were getting along better."
"What happened?" Lucy asked again.
Hermione sighed. How could she confide in Lucy about this without revealing she was a witch? She decided to give her a glossed over version of the story.
"Well, Harry and I came to Australia not just for a holiday. You, see my parents live here, they've been living here for about a year. Something happened last year that I really don't want to go into, but as a result my parents and I are estranged. I came here to repair my relationship with them and Harry came with me, as sort of moral supporter. But then our relationship deepened, as you know. I went to see my parents last week and things didn't go too well. I told Harry about it, and he wanted to help, by talking to them, but I made him promise that he wouldn't go see them. And he promised."
Hermione paused.
"Let me guess what happened. Harry broke his promise, didn't he?" Lucy asked.
Hermione nodded vigorously. "Yes, he went to see them behind my back and then he had the nerve to tell me what he had done! Can you believe him?"
"Hermione, I'm sorry that Harry went behind your back, but maybe he felt like he had a good reason to?"
Hermione sighed. "Well, he did say he was worried about me. I was moping around the house."
"Well, I'm sure he felt that he had to help you. I can tell how much Harry cares for you."
"But he promised me he wouldn't talk to them. That's why I am upset with him."
"Do you think if Harry came to you beforehand and told you what he was planning, would you have let him?"
Hermione shook her head. "Probably not."
"Well there you go. Hermione, I think you are being too hard on him. I agree with you that Harry was wrong to go behind your back, but I'm sure he felt he could help you. Did he say how the meeting with your parents went?"
"He said he thought he had helped but I didn't wait around for any details, I was too angry to listen to him."
"Are you still angry?" Lucy asked.
Hermione took a moment to think about Lucy's question. No, she really wasn't angry anymore. If anything, she felt a bit foolish for not hearing Harry out.
"No, I guess not. I suppose I should be heading home to talk to him. Thanks, Lucy."
"Well, I'm not really telling you anything different then when you told me to talk to Ben when we had our fight about his ex. Talking it out is the best thing."
The two young women got off the bed and Lucy walked Hermione to the front door. It looked like the rain had let up for the time being. "Well, you'd better be off before it starts to rain again."
Hermione put on her jacket and gave Lucy a quick hug. "Thanks for the talk."
"No problem, anytime. Say `hi' to Harry for me."
Lucy closed the door and walked into the kitchen where Irene was making dinner. "Is everything okay with Hermione, dear?"
"Yeah, she'll be fine. She and Harry had a row, but I think they'll patch things up."
"Like you and Ben?"
Lucy smiled, thinking of her boyfriend. "Yeah, like me and Ben."
Hermione headed back into the house, where she found Harry watching TV. The pile of clothing that Hermione had left the laundry basket was neatly folded in the basket on the floor next to Harry.
"Thanks for folding these," Hermione said hesitantly.
"No problem," Harry replied, not looking up from the TV.
"Harry, is it okay if we turn off the TV? I need to talk to you."
Harry reached for the remote and turned it off, looking warily up at her. "So talk."
"I want to apologize to you, Harry. I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you. I am upset that you went to see my parents without telling me first, but I understand why you didn't tell me. I wouldn't have let you if I knew what you were doing."
"No, you wouldn't have," Harry agreed. "Hermione you have to know that when I made you that
promise I wouldn't see your parents, I meant it but it had been a week and you were just moping around and it was
affecting me, too. I was on the bus coming home from my exam and I felt this urge to talk to them. And if you
hadn't gotten so upset with me and left the house, you would have found out that it worked."
"What do you mean it worked?"
"While you were out, I got a phone call from your parents' assistant, Cathy. She wants to schedule a dinner tomorrow night with you and your parents. I told her you were out, but I would have you call her when you got in."
"Tell me you're not joking." Hermione said, her heart pounding at this news.
"Would I joke about this, Hermione?" Harry said as he handed her the message he had written about an hour ago.
She looked at the message for a moment, to make sure it was real. Before Harry knew it, she had launched herself at him, showering him with kisses and a bone crushing Hermione hug.
"So I take it you're not mad at me anymore?" Harry asked when they came up for air.
"No, not mad at all," Hermione laughed as she leaned in to kiss him again.
Harry pulled away a bit. "As much as I'd like to continue this make-up session, don't you think you should call Cathy back? Your parents' office closes soon."
Hermione looked at her watch and indeed her parents office hours were coming to a close. She leapt off the couch and picked up the phone.
A few minutes later she joined Harry on the couch. "I'm going over there tomorrow at seven."
Harry put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm happy to hear that."
"I feel like an idiot, Harry," Hermione said. "Whatever you said to them worked and worked fast. I'm kind of jealous that you were able to reach them when I wasn't. Whatever did you say to them?"
"Not much, I just told them how amazing you are and that they need to get to know their daughter again."
"That's all?"
"Pretty much."
"And no magic?"
"Of course not, Hermione. Your parents even made me put my wand on the table while I talked."
"Well, it's not like that would really make a difference. One accio, and it would've been in your hands."
"Well it was more for show, besides I think they've had enough magic to last a lifetime."
"I agree."
They sat there in silence for a moment. "So about that make-up session…" Harry started.
"What about it?" Hermione asked as she looked up at him with a smile.
"Do you want to continue for a while? I can start dinner in a half-hour."
"Imagine what we could do in a half hour…" Hermione mused as Harry shut her up with a kiss.
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