Chapter 7
-
When Harry and Hermione exited the tent together Hermione hurriedly walked towards her own tent. She needed to pack; they were leaving early the next morning.
Ron hurried over to Harry's side.
"So when are you leaving?" he asked impatiently.
"Tomorrow," Harry answered distractedly, he was watching Hermione walk to her tent.
"Wish I could've gone," Ron sulked.
"Are you sure about that?" Harry asked and rolled his eyes. "I need some wine," he added.
"Could have been my chance with her you know," Ron nodded towards her tent.
"Right," Harry said and walked over to a large buffet table and took a filled goblet from it.
"Should I talk to her? Ask her, if I have a shot or something?" Ron asked and looked worriedly at Harry.
Harry sighed and sat down on one of the big logs on the ground.
"I don't know Ron, do what you feel like. It's your love life isn't it?" Harry sounded tired.
Hermione exited the tent carrying a large stack of books. She walked over to a friend and gave them to her. Both Ron and Harry were following her every move.
"What if she meets someone when you are away? Falls in love in Bulgaria or something?" Ron said.
"I think she already has someone," Harry started and glared towards Cedric's tent.
"What do you mean??" Ron asked scandalized.
"Hermione!" boomed a voice close behind them and they both jumped, Harry even spilled wine over his pants.
-
Hermione looked up at who had called her name and saw Moody. She jerked her shoulders to ask what he wanted.
"A word when you're done packing!" he answered and limped away.
Hermione hurried back to her tent.
-
"I'm doing it!" Ron said and got to his feet. Harry didn't have a chance to stop him, Ron soon disappeared inside Hermione's tent after she had given him permission.
Harry looked around the tents, everywhere people were busy. No one knew they were leaving of course. He wondered when they'd return.
He glanced over at Hermione's tent again. Ron was still in there and Harry was curious to what was happening. Harry had time to finish another glass of wine before Ron joined him. He sat down and looked slightly fallen.
"Did it go well?" Harry asked, the answer already all over Ron's face. He shook his head and kicked the ground.
"Typical, finally I really like someone and they're taken."
"Taken?" Harry asked quickly, hanging by every word Ron said.
"Yup, just like you said Harry." Ron reached for Harry's glass and downed it. "She told me I was sweet and she really liked me. Just not in that way, and that the truth was that she had feelings for someone else."
"Oh." Harry looked at Ron. So there it was then, Hermione was indeed with Cedric.
Harry patted Ron's back consolingly. "I'm sorry mate."
Ron shrugged.
"It's okay. It's life you know."
"She shouldn't have been leading you on to be honest, if she's in to another chap!" Harry spat malevolency.
Ron looked up at him, a bit puzzled.
"But she didn't though," he answered truthfully.
"What do you mean, with all the smiles and stuff…" Harry was blabbering and he knew it.
"She's like that with everyone though," Ron had to admit, "She never lead me on."
Harry looked away, so even more proof that Hermione was friendly with everyone. Even more proof that the connection he had felt had been just in his head.
Ron got up and walked over to their tent, he didn't return for the rest of the evening. Harry kept to himself pretty much the rest of the night. He talked to Sirius a bit, but Sirius was quite busy with all the single ladies in the camp, absolutely swarming around him. He loved every second of it.
Harry watched Moody limp over to Hermione's tent and enter it.
-
Hermione turned and watched Moody enter, he tried to sit down on the floor but his old body wasn't quite as limber as it had been.
"Here," she quickly offered and gave him her suitcase to sit on. She sat down on the rugged floor and looked at him.
He remained silent for a while and the way the fire was dancing on his face made his look a bit scary.
"Alastor are you-" Hermione started silently and he looked up. The look on his face made her quiet.
"This will be a dangerous mission Granger," he boomed at her as if she had made an inappropriate joke. She wasn't sure if he was there because he was worried about her, or that he didn't trust her to go on such a mission.
"Yes Moody, I know."
"No you don't know child!" he hissed. "There are people just looking for spies to get through, if you get caught…"
"We won't." She assured him. "Harry is a good Auror right?"
"About Harry, Hermione. You need to keep an eye out for him."
Hermione looked confused.
"What do you mean? I am sure he can take care of himself."
Hermione was a bit uncomfortable with the look Moody was giving her.
"Harry is very, very" Moody leaned forward," important in this war. He can't be lost, killed… or preoccupied."
Hermione looked unbelievingly at him.
"I'm not quite sure what you are referring…"
"Look I told Albus, it might have been better to send someone who isn't smitten with Potter."
Hermione was so shocked by the statement that she actually put a hand on her chest.
"I- I am no-"
"Please spare me," he waved her of. "Dumbledore assured me that you would be fine, the both of you. But Hermione, you have been living in my camp for a long time now, you know what I mean something, I really mean it,"
"Yes."
"Harry can't be distracted; he needs to focus on his mission. He has a lot of work to do in the future."
"Like what?"
"Like nothing you need to worry your busy little nose about."
Moody stood up and looked over at her pile of clothes.
"Don't bring too much."
"I won't."
"A dress?" he called out and reached inside the bag.
Hermione's face got red, she felt like her teacher just found her homework and saw that it was stolen.
"Dumbledore said there would be a meeting dinner, a formal one."
"Don't bring a dress Granger, for gods sake you are undercover. You're not going on holiday"
He tossed it down on the floor. Hermione looked sadly at the dress as Alastor left her tent. She had thought that for maybe one single evening she could dress up and pretend like she had a life.
She picked it up and thought for a moment then placed it on its original shelf. Who was she fooling?
-
Dumbledore was collecting blueberries from the ground when Moody came behind him.
"Yes Alastor?" he asked without turning away from the bush.
"This thing with Potter and Granger, is it really wise to send them of. I have a feeling that there is something…there… between them"
Moody scratched his head unflatteringly. Dumbledore didn't stop collection of berries but he did sneak a couple of them into his mouth.
"You might be right, but I believe Harry knows what's at stake."
"To allow him to get unfocused, I am scared of what could happen."
Dumbledore stood and patted his friend gently on the back.
"Blueberry?" he asked and offered his basket.
Alastor shrugged and looked away, staring at Harry sitting on a blanket next to Sirius black.
"So you think that…"
"Harry can handle himself, as can Hermione Granger. Believe me Alastor, Harry has his eye on the goal."
And with that, most of the camp said goodnight and silence soon fell over them.
-
Hermione was anxious and could hardly get any breakfast down. It was still very early and the camp was still sleeping. The only ones up were the people aware of their departure, those who wanted to bid them farewell.
"You will take the mugglebus from here to the nearest city, Hermione knows the way by foot." Dumbledore said. He had already told them about the plan and the way he was repeating himself made Hermione nervous.
They started to gather their things, Hermione only had one backpack and Harry only had a small bag. He had not known that his visit would extend to a trip abroad.
People started talking in each others mouths all at ones,
"Good Luck… Be careful…Be aware… Don't trust strangers"
"Well good luck," Ron said to Hermione and she smiled sweetly at him. He hesitantly opened his arms not sure if she would give him a hug and Hermione happily hugged him goodbye.
"Don't worry, I'll keep him safe," she whispered in his ear and then smiled at him. Ron turned to Harry when she left and whispered:
"Keep her safe!"
Harry hugged his best friend and then his godfather.
"Stop looking so worried, "he laughed and Sirius patted him hard on the back.
"I'm not worried Harry, I'm not. I know I'll see you back here soon!"
Harry smiled appreciatively at Sirius. He knew Sirius wasn't just saying these things; he really did believe in Harry.
"We better go," he turned to Hermione, she nodded but added.
"Just a second," she ran over to Cedric who was talking to Dumbledore.
She threw herself around him and he hugged her hard. Harry watched them silently, Cedric looked very sad. He leaned in close to Hermione's ear and whispered something. She pulled back, still in his arms and answered
"I will, I promise."
Cedric then kissed her forehead and released her. Hermione walked back to Harry.
"Okay, I'm ready. Let's go."
-
"So you're the people who wanted the Ford Fiesta?" A fat man, rather looking like a bull, asked and eyed them.
"That's us," Hermione smiled kindly at him. They were back in the Muggle world and people didn't address her like scum, she could speak and act how she wanted.
"And who will be driving, I need to know for the insurance," he said and looked curious at them. It was a small town, and not too many people pre-ordered a rental car.
"I'll drive," Hermione answered. The man chuckled.
"Letting the missus do the driving huh?" he joked.
"She's my sister!" Harry said quickly and Hermione looked up at him.
"Sister huh? I've got one of those," the man said and stared out into nothingness, "you have my condolences." Hermione frowned as Harry chuckled softly.
"Sorry sir, but we are kind of in a hurry." Hermione snapped.
"Oh, what's rushing you dear?" he asked. Hermione couldn't really blame him, in this forgotten town, he hardly had customers. He was probably by himself most of the time.
"It's our fathers dry-cleaning firm, we are going on a convention about new machines," she said and the man lost interest quickly.
They followed him to the parking lot and he gave them the keys to the car.
"She's all yours," he said and walked away.
"You are fast at lying aren't you?" Harry asked impressed as he sat down in the passenger seat.
She shrugged and started the car. "Sometimes a good lie can come in handy."
-
"So where exactly are we?" Harry asked.
"That depends, what have you been told?" Hermione asked.
"Are you kidding?" he spun around in his seat and stared at her. The grin on her face told him that she was just teasing him.
"Well we just drove past Dalwhinnie, and now we are headed towards Stirling. We should probably eat there, don't you think?" she asked.
Harry knew they had been high up in Scotland but it still marveled him that they were so close to Hogwarts.
"Too bad the camp wasn't in the Forbidden Forrest," he thought aloud.
"Couldn't be," she answered quickly while shifting gear. "Too many Death eaters patrolling it… Besides there are too many magical creatures there, you never know who to trust. It was better to be where mostly Muggles go.
"
"Did you ever get close to getting caught?"
"No, we were lucky, or maybe the others were unlucky. But we've never been, as far as we know at least, near attack."
-
After driving a while longer and dark having spread long ago, Hermione started to feel very tired.
"Let me drive," Harry said as he noticed her swaying a bit on the road.
"No, you don't have a muggle license!" she said and straightened herself up.
"So?"
"No!" she sounded aghast, "Dumbledore told us to do nothing that could make anyone take notice. Just imagine a random muggle police control; they would fine you, maybe arrest you or something - for driving without a license."
"I know what he said, but Hermione, we can't do everything by the book-," Hermione looked startled at him. "We have to just wing it sometimes."
"I will not wing it! At least not the very first day of our trip."
"Then let's stop and rest. We were supposed to stop in Dover and sleep there before the ferry, why don't we just stop now and drive the rest tomorrow?" he suggested. She looked thoughtful for a moment then finally answered:
"There was a sign for Kerby over there, we could stay there I guess."
-
Hermione woke up at 4.Am. She had sat the hotel alarm clock but it still startled her. She sat up a bit sweaty looking around.
It all came back to her, she was in a singles room at a dodgy hotel room on her way to Dover. Harry was in the next room.
She scratched her head and rubbed her eyes. 4 AM really was an ungodly hour to wake up. She walked into the bathroom and stepped into the shower.
As she turned the knob she yelled in her best girly scream she could manage. There was no hot water.
She did her best at getting clean before she hurriedly put her clothes on. She had told Harry that she would meet him 4.30 by the car and as she was walking to it she saw him there. He looked a lot better than she did and she glared at him.
"Wow, really not a morning person huh?" he teased.
"Just woke up in the wrong way, in the cold way…" she muttered.
"Cold water?" Harry asked as he sat down.
"You to?" Hermione asked surprised.
"No, I remembered the water heater, you have to press the ON button. This is the muggle world; I thought you were the expert."
Hermione cursed herself, how could she have forgotten such a simple detail. She had been in the magical world too long, used to always having hot water.
"I was half a sleep," she defended and Harry laughed at her.
"I've got muffins!" he said kindly.
"From where?" she asked surprised, she was very hungry but hadn't even thought about getting food at this hour.
"I couldn't sleep last night so I got some muffins. And with the flick of my wand I could heat some water and make us coffee," he suggested but he knew what she would say.
"No magic!" she said hurriedly and he nodded knowingly.
"Muffin?" he offered and handed her the bag. She looked down, he had bought so many. "Yeah I didn't know what you liked to there's chocolate, apple, strawberry and vanilla in there," he confessed and felt a bit silly. Hermione looked at him and smiled.
"Thank you!" she said honestly thankful. "That was sweet."
Harry felt flustered and quickly tried to shake it off.
"Yeah so you better eat when we're driving, we have a long way to go still."
Hermione nodded and reached for a muffin while starting the car.
She just didn't get it, what was it with Harry? Why could he be so damn cute and then get so cold. Was it that he disliked her? That she was a muggleborn?
"So chocolate huh?" he asked and nodded at her hand.
"I love it," she agreed and took a big bite.
"What a cliché!" he joked and smiled brightly. "Women and their damn chocolate!"
"You know what they say, it's better than sex," Hermione said and the second the words had escaped her she realized what she had said. She looked over at Harry, but he was just laughing.
"It depends on who you have sex with," he replied.
"True," she agreed and both she and Harry became quiet. Hermione wondered if he also was thinking about his past.
-
They had been driving four hours and they were finally getting closer to Dover.
"I just need to stop here for a moment;" Hermione said and turned off the road at a sign reading Folkestone.
"Why?" Harry asked confused.
Hermione didn't answer, Harry saw her pull out a piece of paper and follow what seemed to be instructions
.
"Where, Hermione?" he asked again.
"I just have to do something."
She soon pulled the car in front of a brick house. Harry didn't have a chance to speak before she had jumped out of the car, barely letting the wheels stop.
Harry leaned forward in the car and tried to see who she was talking to. The front door had opened immediately as the car had pulled in.
She was deep in conversation but he couldn't see who it was. He glared as intensely as he could and just before he had thought he'd lost his chance he saw a small face peering around the corner, glancing at the car.
He knew that face, he knew it well! Was it? Could it have been?
-
Hermione came back to the car just a couple of minutes later. Without answering she hit the gas and sped off.
"So how about a deal?" Harry said after a while.
"What did you have in mind?" she asked without meeting his eyes.
"How about, if we try to be as honest as possible on this trip? I mean all this stuff about keeping information on
the low, but being on the same side… I'm not liking it that much," he admitted.
Hermione looked at him.
"Do you mean it? If I tell who that was, you'll tell me things on this trip?"
Harry agreed, he needed to know if he had seen who he thought he had seen. Who else was involved that he didn't know of?
"Was that Cho Chang?" he asked, anticipation building up within him.
"Indeed it was," she admitted.
Harry sat up a bit straighter. He was shocked.
"How is she inv-.., I mean is she involved? How do you know her?"
Hermione turned and looked at Harry, she had never seen him looked so perplexed before. She had to laugh a bit, but her mind wandered for a moment - why did he care so much about her? "Glad to see that my confusion is amusing you, I'll be sure to return the favor," he said annoyed.
"Cho is a friend of a friend; I just had to deliver a message. She isn't really involved that much."
Harry grunted frustrated, could she be more vague?!"
"What the fuck does that mean?"
Hermione enjoyed frustrating him, she for once, felt like she was the one who knew what was going on.
"Hermione!" he said and put his hand on her knee. "Please answer."
His hand was burning a whole through her pants, at least that was what it felt like. She quickly eyed it, still trying to focus on the road. His hand, he had the full palm against her knee. His index finger and long finger was on the inside of her leg and it made the whole area on fire. It felt as if someone was sending electric shocks up the leg, up... well up to her groin!
"She is Cedric's girlfriend!" Hermione quickly stuttered. Harry pulled his hand away in shock.
"What?" he tripped over his own tongue.
Hermione turned of the road and stopped on the highway.
"I don't think you're supposed to stop on the highway," Harry said nervously as a trolley passed very close and honked loudly.
"Yeah, she's his girlfriend."
"But…"
"Look, we are really close to the ferry and I have never been here before. Will you let me just concentrate and I'll tell you the rest later okay?" she asked so annoyed that Harry didn't dare ask another question.
-
Getting on the ferry was a rushed event. People were pushing, trying to get on at the last minute. Normally Hermione would have hated such an unorganized affair, she would have been onboard long before the rest, but they were late and had no choice. There was no need for compartments since the ferry would only take two hours and thirty minutes.
They hurried to the restaurant on the top deck and tried to get a seat. It was a cheap ferry with a cheap and rather filthy restaurant.
However it was late, it was dark out and they were hungry.
They were waiting to be seated and Harry looked at Hermione. The whole situation was still so surreal to him. Here he was, on a ferry about to leave for France with this girl, this girl he found so enchanting and captivating, they had hardly had a chance to speak in the chaos. He just wanted to sit her down and ask her a million questions.
The waiter waved at them and Harry saw him before her. He protectively placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her towards the table.
"Wow, lucky us!" Hermione said as she saw the nice little table for two near one of the big windows showing them the big black sea.
They sat down and Harry remained quiet, just waiting for her to explain.
Hermione looked at her window.
"Sea bass maybe?" she thought out loud.
"Knock it off," Harry dropped his hand tiredly on the table, "Hermione, you need to tell me-" Harry became quiet as the waiter arrived.
"And what will we be having tonight?" he asked in a plain and bored voice.
"What do you recommend?" Hermione asked him happily and Harry was rather annoyed with her. Why did she have to prolong the suffering? He could see that she really was enjoying it.
"Fish is what we do best here at SeaQuest," he rimed and the waiter looked as if he would be sick just saying the word.
"Oh dear," she said sympathetically, "the sea bass then."
"The garlic chicken," Harry in a heartbeat just a moment after she had finished.
"And to drink?" the waiter asked uninterestedly and he was already looking at the next table.
"Just water," Harry answered, his jaw clenching now.
"Wine, red!" Hermione stated and Harry turned and looked at her. She gave a him a daring look.
"Same!" he changed his mind.
"A bottle," Hermione challenged back.
"Brilliant," the waiter said looking bored to tears and hurried off.
"So are we allowed to drink then?" Harry teased her.
"We are allowed to survive this whole thing, and we need to do so by any means," she joked as two glasses and a bottle was set before them.
-
Hermione had just started her second glass of wine. She was looking out at the black sea outside. She could still see a few bright lights from the shore. It looked very cold out there. She turned her face back to the scene around her.
She put her glass down and the glass made a loud clinking noise against the table.
"I am ready," she joked.
Harry looked at her. He knew she wasn't drunk by any means, but she looked different. He wondered if "officially" leaving England had released her, freed her, somehow.
"For?" he asked
"For anything," she grinned, "for all your questions…" she finished when she saw that he wasn't smiling. She sipped her wine again.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, honestly a bit worried.
Hermione looked at him; she looked into his green eyes and felt a need to be honest.
"It just feels so very strange to me, leaving Britain after… so long."
She looked down at her wine glass and Harry reached out, before he could stop himself, and put his hand under the table, on her resting hand on her thigh.
She snapped back to conciseness and looked into his eyes again.
It seemed like an eternity, and she knew the moment had long since passed when something appropriate should have been said. It couldn't be saved; the moment had well passed into awkward.
But she couldn't help but notice that he still kept his hand on hers. She looked down at it, and she could have cursed herself. When Harry saw her looking down he yanked it away.
"Cho," Hermione mumbled.
"Yes?" Harry sat up a bit more straight.
"You saw her, right?" Hermione asked a bit bored.
Harry leaned forward. When he saw that Hermione hesitated he filled up both their glasses and she giggled.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She found it funny that he seemed to think that more wine would loosen her up, how little he knew her. She looked at
his face, he seemed overeager and she felt jealous again in spite of herself.
"This is the truth," she started and reached for her glass of wine, "Cho is Cedric's girlfriend since almost a year. He asked me to stop by her house to give her a note. Don't ask me what was in it, because I have no idea…" she held up her hands as Harry opened his mouth.
"But you and Cedric…" he stuttered.
"What of us?" she asked and raised her eyebrows.
"Everyone said you were getting married and stuff!" Harry said and now reached for his own glass. He was in shock, so Cho was in on it. And Cho was with Cedric? And Hermione was not with Cedric??
Hermione laughed before she answered: "Oh, they always talk."
Harry exhaled and he had to admit that he felt a bit relieved at her laughter.
"Cedric and I were together for a while...-"
The tight knot in Harry's chest returned so quickly that he almost became sick on his dinner. It had been sat before him just a moment before.
"This looks great," Hermione announced and put some sea bass in her mouth. "It even tastes decent!"
"I'm sorry, but you need to explain," Harry said and the amount of annoyance in his voice was obvious. Why was she playing these games? Why wouldn't she just tell him the truth??
"What can I tell you Harry that is important? I am honestly just trying to filter what you know, should know and don't have to know. That is kind of hard since you've been to school with them and know both of them. I used to be with Cedric, I am not anymore. The reasons are personal and not important, "she stated the last part very obvious "I never knew Cho since I never went to Hogwarts, but she seems lovely enough and she is very much in love with Cedric. They are happy, and I hope that when this war is over they can be together."
Hermione raised her glass as if she was toasting and drank some.
"You're jealous," Harry said noting the look of resentment on her face.
"No, I am honestly not." Hermione smiled sadly. She started to feel the alcohol now and didn't want to say too much.
"You don't approve!" Harry said confidently and he shocked Hermione.
"I do really like Cho,"
"But…"
"No nothing." Hermione hesitated and looked at Harry's face, he was trying so hard to read her.
"Okay, I'm sorry."
Hermione looked away, out of the window.
"Hermione?" he asked, reading her discomfort.
She slammed her glass down harder than she had meant to.
"Look Harry," she said and her eyes burned into him. He actually leaned back just a few inches. "I know you are an undercover-secret-trained Auror, or maybe I should call you James Bond, do you even know who that is?"
"Ye-"
"Of course you do, trained in both Muggle and Magical things. But I can't have you questioning me all the time. McGonagall, Dumbledore and, my personal tutor Mad-Eye Moody, trained me. Do you doubt them? Do you believe I am not good enough?" she hissed.
Harry reached over and took her hand in his again.
"Hermione," he said and she tried to yank her hand back. "Hermione;" he repeated.
"You are being way to suspicious. I just wanted to know about Cho and Cedric. Honestly, I never meant to doubt you. I do trust you."
"Thank you," she whispered. "Will you get us some more wine?"
"Of course," he hurried up. He felt guilty for making her so worried, they had a long journey a head and she shouldn't feel undermined.
Hermione watched him as he left. So easy… some men were so easy to fool. She had just laid down her bluff and Harry had just folded.
You don't have to be trained to be a good Auror, she thought and smiled to herself.
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