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Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Harry/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
13
Views:
23,411
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
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I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Hermione's Training
"No, I'm not doing that
Todd Wennberg
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Todd Wennberg
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2002-12-06T04:17:00Z
2002-12-06T04:17:00Z
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"No, I'm not doing that!" Hermione nearly screamed.
"Come on, Herm, you have to learn sometime."
"No, I don't, I don't even like riding it."
Harry groaned and shook his head. He was trying to teach Hermione how to ride a broomstick, but she
just refused to cooperate. They were
out in the backyard, and he'd placed several invisibility and silencing charms
around the area so no one saw what they were doing.
"Please sweetheart, try it again; I want you to be able to
do this." She felt her reserves crumbling at his tender gaze.
"All right, but I don't see why I'm doing this; it's not
like I need it to graduate."
&;
;
Harry suddenly became very quiet, and she looked at him
suspiciously.
"Harry?" she asked, noting how his eyes darted anywhere but
her.
"Why don't you take a break?" he said nervously.
"What are you hiding?" she demanded and dismounted the
broom.
"Well"¦um"¦that is"¦you kinda do need to know how to fly to
graduate." Her eyes shot open in horror.
"Are you serious?Â
How do you know?"
"Fred and George told me about it. He said that the N.E.W.T.S. are given by each professor "“
including Madam Hooch. She won't pass
you if you can't fly."Â Hermione's face
fell.
"But"¦but I"¦I've never been able to ride a broom
properly. I do well in everything else
but flying! Why should one subject
matter?" she said franticly.
"Calm down, love," Harry whispered and touched her
shoulders, "Everything is going to be fine.Â
I'll have you flying high in no time."
She turned her head and grinned at him slyly.
"What do you call last night?" she cooed. He flushed slightly at her remark.
"I don't mean that, angel, and you know it."
"Now, come on, let's try this again."
Harry summoned his Firebolt and waited for Hermione. She stood next to her broom, which was lying
on the ground. She never knew why she
actually bought one "“ just to say that she had her own or something. Lifting up her hand, she took a deep breath
and put a determined look on her face.
"Hold it!" Harry ordered.
"What's wrong?" He shook his head and went behind her
again. Setting down his broom, he once
again put his hands on her shoulders.
"Relax sweetheart, or you'll never be able to do this. Flying isn't like studying potions or
pruning mandrakes; it's meant to be done with a light heart; it's meant to be
fun. Now, lose the serious look."
"So what should I do?"
"Okay, close your eyes and relax your mind. Don't think about anything in particular "“
just let yourself drift for a moment.Â
Good, now raise your hand and call for it."
Hermione lifted her arm over her broom and opened her eyes.
"Up!" she said firmly, and the broomstick snapped into her
hand.
"I did it!" Harry squeezed her shoulders gently.
"There you see, don't take it so seriously. Let's see if we can get you off the ground."
Hermione gulped at that prospect. She'd always had a slight fear of heights. The other night when she and Harry were
floating high above the town, she was certain her stomach was going to explode,
but his presence kept her calm. She
mounted her broom and waited for his next instructions.
Harry mounted his Firebolt and rose off the ground
slightly. He floated around in front of
her and looked directly in her eyes.
"All right, Hermione, you can do this. Grip the handle, but don't try to crush
it. Now make sure that you feel
comfortable with the way you're sitting"¦" She nodded at him.
""¦Okay, this is tough part.Â
Don't think about trying to fly; don't think about not touching the
ground. Just push off the ground and
not even think twice about where you're going."
He could see her hands tremble slightly, and she took
several deep breaths.
"˜You can do this, Hermione, you can do this!'
Even if she didn't do it right the first time, Harry
wouldn't belittle her; he would just encourage her to do it again. Closing her eyes, she kicked off the ground,
and a second later she couldn't feel the ground anymore.
"You did it!" Harry said happily.
His fiancé opened her eyes and looked down. She was hovering steadily, approximately
five feet above the ground, and a smile broke out on her face.
"I'm flying; I'm really flying."
"Yup, told you could do it, Herm. There's nothing my girl can't do," he said proudly and winked at
her. She just blushed slightly.
"Um Harry"¦how do I get down now?"
"Okay, slowly lean forward but don't bend over, or it might
think you want to go forward. Lean
forward and push down on the handle gently."
Hermione did as he instructed, and her broom turned down and
slowly sank back to the ground. Her
feet touched the grass, and she let out a much-needed breath.
"Phew, I'm glad that's over," she gasped.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to the feeling; you just need
a little more practice."
"Can we stop for today?Â
I'm still a little edgy about it," she whispered, and he smiled warmly
at her.
"Course we can.Â
Besides, there are some other things I wanted to show you anyway."
"Like what?" Hermione asked and dismounted her broom. Harry joined her back on the ground and set
down his Firebolt. Looking around, he
picked up a rock out of the grass.
"Like this"¦" and he tossed the stone into the air. Pulling it out his wand, he took aim.
"Exploda!" and it shattered into a million pieces of
dust. Hermione gulped, and gawkgawked
at him.
"You want me"¦to learn"¦that!" He nodded at her.
"Not just that, Hermione, there are other spells too. I want you to learn how to defend yourself "“
not just disarm another wizard. I need
you to know how!"
She looked into his eyes and saw the seriousness in his
eyes; this went much deeper than he was admit.
.
"Won't you get in trouble for showing me this though?"
"Not as long as you don't curse someone in public."
"Harry, why are you doing this, and don't say because I
could get hurt?" He groaned slightly.
"Hermione, there's only one thing that I truly hate and
that's to see you get hurt. I'm not
just talking about physically either. I
can still remember back in second year when Malfoy called you a Mudblood; you
stood there in Hagrid's hut trying not to cry your eyes out. You're a very strong-willed person, and I
want you to be able to prove it. You
may be a muggle-born, but I know that you have great potential inside you."
"That's sound like the same thing Dumbledore keeps saying to
you," she laughed.
"I know, and it took me a while to get it through my thick
head!"
"So what exactly do want to teach me? I know a lot of charms and hexes "“ if you
recall."
"Course you do, but those are strategic spells. I want to teach you magic that is both
offensive and defensive. I'm not gonna
teach you how to kill someone obviously, but you'll put up one helluva fight!"
"Well"¦I never thought I'd like stuff like this, but I guess
it wouldn't hurt."
"I admit that this is for my benefit as well "“ especially
considering you agreed to marry me," he said softly.
"How do you m"
"
"You may think this sounds selfish, but I'm afraid to leave
you alone sometimes. I'm afraid that
something bad is going to happen to you, and I'll be responsible"¦"
"Harry, don't-" He cut her off.
""¦I know it sounds stupid, but it's the trutIf IIf I train you how to duel and defend
yourself, then at least I have a slight peace of mind that some rogue Death
Eater won't curse you if I'm not around."
Hermione gazed at him andok hok her before smiling
warmly. Poor guy, he was trying so hard
not to sound like an idiot, and she couldn't help but think that he was quite
right. Being his wife meant that she
would become a target, but bloody hell, she already was a target when it came
to him.
"If you want to make sure that I can match wands with the
best of "˜em, then by all means"¦show me how!"
"I knew you'd say yes, and if I'm right, you may soon be
giving McGonagall a run for her money "“ not to mention Sirius"¦the poor guy."
Hermione started laughing hysterically.
"And what about Malfoy, hmm?" she asked with a rather
sinister smile.
"Believe me, by the time we're through, you'll be able to
strip him down and hang him upside down by his underwear in the Great Hall."
"Why Harry"¦what an interesting idea?" she said with a sly
grin. He walked right up to her and
cupped her cheek.
"Do I dare ask what devious thoughts are brewing in that
brain of yours?"
"A woman does not reveal all of her secrets, Harry "“ not yet
anyway. One must keep her man
interested after all."
"That won't ever be problem for me," and he kissed her long
and hard. His hands framed her face,
and her fingers tangled in his hair.
"Hmm, are we going to snog or practice, love?" she cooed
softly. He chewed his lip for a moment.
"Both are quite important, but I must say that practice
should come first"¦" Bending down, Harry nuzzled her ear, ""¦we can play later."
As the final weeks of the summer rolled by, Harry continued
training Hermione. It wasn't nearly as
rigorous as his own training had been, but he wanted to teach her how to fight
"“ if necessary. The one thing that he
didn't want Hermione to feel was inadequate.Â
He was afraid that if she ever saw his true power, she'd feel out of
place being at his side. This way, she
would have no cause for such nonsense.Â
Thly tly thing that he didn't try how how her was how to apparate. It had taken him long enough to learn it,
and he didn't want to be responsible if she did it wrong. Besides, Hermione would learn it at Hogwarts
this year anyway.
Harry's last day at the Grangers was very happy. Hermione had leaked it to her mom that it
was his birthday, and Melinda had baked a cake for him. He told her that he didn't want one, but as
he expected, she shut him up.
As they saw at the dining room table finishing up dinner, an
owl arrived at the window. It pecked at
the glass, and Hermione immediately went to see it. Opening the pane, she saw that there were two letters attached to
its leg. Untying them, she petted its
feathers, and the barn owl squeaked as it headed back home.
"Who's it from, Herm?" Harry asked, as he took a bite of
cake.
"It's from Professor Dumbledore and Professor
McGonagall. Here"¦this is yours," she
replied and handed him an envelope.
"Thanks."
They both ripped open the seal and took out their letters.
"Oh my gosh!" Hermione gasped.
"What is it? Has
something bad happened?" her mother asked worriedly. Her daughter shook her head emphatically.
"No, nog lig like that, here"¦"
Melinda took the letter from her and looked at the
calligraphic writing.
TO MISS
HERMIONE GRANGER,
IT IS MY
ESTEEMED PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN NAMED HEAD GIRL AT HOGWARTS
SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT OF WIZARDRY.Â
CONGRATULATIONS.
                                                                                   ALBUS
DUMBLEDORE
                                                                                   SCHOOL
HEADMASTER
"Oh Hermione, this is wonderful; I'm so proud of you," her
mother sighed and hugged her tightly.
"Congratulations Hermione," her father added and kissed her
cheek. Harry did not say anything; he
just sat there grinning.
"What?" his girlfriend asked, seeing the sly smirk on his
face.
"Looks like we're a matching pair!" he laughed.
"What do you mean?"
"I got named Head Boy for this year," Harry chuckled and
rolled his eyes, "I can just see the look on Fudge's face right about now. A previously expelled student being named
Head Boy of the entire school."
"Harry, that's wonderful," Mr. and Mrs. Granger said at the
same time.
"Now Harry, you do realize this means that you have to behave
yourself this year," Hermione said cheekily.
"I beg your pardon!"
sp; sp;
"You know what I'm talking about "“ no fooling around. It would look bad if the Head Boy got into
more trouble than anyone else."
"I resent that, Herm, it's not my fault if trouble seeks me
out."
"Oh please, you and Ron attract it like a magnet."
"Ouch, that one hurt," and he clutched his chest in mock
pain. Hermione giggled and rubbed her
foot against his.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you in line."
"Don't you always?" he countered witharcharched eyebrow.
"Good point."
"My goodness, you two, hftenften do you fight like this?"
Melinda asked, watching them go back and forth. Harry scratched his forehead to look like he was thinking.
"I'm not sure. What
do you say, Herm"¦five or six times a day?"
"Sounds about right."
"A day!" Mr. Granger gasped.
"Yes, we like to think of it as intellectual warfare," Ha tea teased.
"And I win every time!" Hermione giggled.
"Not every time, sweetheart, just most of the time."
Harry reached across the table and took her hand. Hermione smiled warmly and squeezed his hand
in return. Their eyes conveyed their
feelings to one another without saying a word.
"You know, I was kinda hoping that Ron would get picked,"
Harry admitted.
"Why do you say that?" Melinda asked.
"It's always been his dream. He wanted to be able to step out of his brothers' shadows."
"Don't worry about Ron, he won't mind; he'll have more free
time this way anyway," Hermione explained.
"Just think, we're gonna have to go to all the prefect
meetings and handle all the problems that students complain about."
"Trust me, Hermione, I'm not gonna spend my last year at
Hogwarts cooped up in meetings all the time.Â
If someone has a problem, they can explain it to me straightforward, but
I'm not going to listen to a load of crap from people."
"I agree completely; this is gonna be quite a partnership,"
she teased and winked at him.
After dinner was finished, Harry and Hermione headed
upstairs to finish packing their things for the following day.
Harry loaded his clothes into his trunk but left a pair out
for the morning. He put his Gryffindor
robes on top for easy access and put his Firebolt underneath his clothes. He remembered the first time that Mrs.
Granger had caught him teaching Hermione how to ride a broom; she'd completely
flipped! However, after explaining that
nobody could see them outside the residence, she calmed down.
He turned his head as someone knocked on his door and in
walked Hermione. He smiled, and she
walked directly into his arms.
"Well"¦our summer's over now, Harry."
"Thank you, Hermione, I've had a wonderful time here; you
don't know how lucky you are to have parents like these."
"I'm glad that you came here for the summer; I would've
missed you too much."
"You know, Herm, I was just thinking"¦"
"That's always good."
"Smart-aleck. I was
thinking that each of us iing ing to have our own room this year."
"I know, that's gonna be great for studying," she
chirped. He should've known she'd say
something like that.
"That's true, but it also means that we won't be interrupted
so easily"¦" His sighed and cupped her cheek.Â
His eyes darkened, and she melted under his gaze.
""¦I think I'm gonna like having you all to myself."
"But you already do," she quipped.
"Without any prying eyes around. From what I've heard, the Head Boy and Girl's roome ade adjunct
to one another. We even have our own
portrait password."
Hermione smiled coyly and draped her arms around his neck.
"That has definite possibilities. Just think, I could come by and surprise you right in the middle
of the night."
"And so could I, sweetheart."
Apart from the intimacy portion, Harry was glad that he
would be able to have Hermione alone.Â
It was be nice to be "˜living with her'; they were engaged after
all. Harry picked up her left hand and
rubbed the ring on her third finger. He
brushed his lips against her knuckles, and she pulled him closer to nuzzle his
palm. Harry kissed her softly and let
her go.
"Did you finish packing?"
"Yes, my dad said the'lle'll drive us to King's Cross in the
morning."
"Sounds good to me.Â
I'll be done as soon as Hedwig gets back from her evening snack hunt,"
he sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Well then"¦I guess we better go to bed," Hermione said
reluctantly. Her eyes held a question
and a look of hope.
"As much as I don't want to, sweetheart, we better sleep
separately tonight. I don't want your
dad to catch us on the last day that I'm here."
"Okay, I understand."
Hermione leaned forward, and Harry bent down to her soft
lips. This kiss was passionate but not
overheated; it was just simple and wonderful.
"Goodnight Hermione."
"Goodnight Harry."
He walked her to his door and let her out. Bending down next to her ear, he whispered
something softly.
"˜I'll see you in my dreams.'
Hermione flushed slightly, but her smile was appreciative,
and she slipped out of her lover's arms.Â
Harry let her go and quietly shut the door.
Todd Wennberg
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"No, I'm not doing that!" Hermione nearly screamed.
"Come on, Herm, you have to learn sometime."
"No, I don't, I don't even like riding it."
Harry groaned and shook his head. He was trying to teach Hermione how to ride a broomstick, but she
just refused to cooperate. They were
out in the backyard, and he'd placed several invisibility and silencing charms
around the area so no one saw what they were doing.
"Please sweetheart, try it again; I want you to be able to
do this." She felt her reserves crumbling at his tender gaze.
"All right, but I don't see why I'm doing this; it's not
like I need it to graduate."
&;
;
Harry suddenly became very quiet, and she looked at him
suspiciously.
"Harry?" she asked, noting how his eyes darted anywhere but
her.
"Why don't you take a break?" he said nervously.
"What are you hiding?" she demanded and dismounted the
broom.
"Well"¦um"¦that is"¦you kinda do need to know how to fly to
graduate." Her eyes shot open in horror.
"Are you serious?Â
How do you know?"
"Fred and George told me about it. He said that the N.E.W.T.S. are given by each professor "“
including Madam Hooch. She won't pass
you if you can't fly."Â Hermione's face
fell.
"But"¦but I"¦I've never been able to ride a broom
properly. I do well in everything else
but flying! Why should one subject
matter?" she said franticly.
"Calm down, love," Harry whispered and touched her
shoulders, "Everything is going to be fine.Â
I'll have you flying high in no time."
She turned her head and grinned at him slyly.
"What do you call last night?" she cooed. He flushed slightly at her remark.
"I don't mean that, angel, and you know it."
"Now, come on, let's try this again."
Harry summoned his Firebolt and waited for Hermione. She stood next to her broom, which was lying
on the ground. She never knew why she
actually bought one "“ just to say that she had her own or something. Lifting up her hand, she took a deep breath
and put a determined look on her face.
"Hold it!" Harry ordered.
"What's wrong?" He shook his head and went behind her
again. Setting down his broom, he once
again put his hands on her shoulders.
"Relax sweetheart, or you'll never be able to do this. Flying isn't like studying potions or
pruning mandrakes; it's meant to be done with a light heart; it's meant to be
fun. Now, lose the serious look."
"So what should I do?"
"Okay, close your eyes and relax your mind. Don't think about anything in particular "“
just let yourself drift for a moment.Â
Good, now raise your hand and call for it."
Hermione lifted her arm over her broom and opened her eyes.
"Up!" she said firmly, and the broomstick snapped into her
hand.
"I did it!" Harry squeezed her shoulders gently.
"There you see, don't take it so seriously. Let's see if we can get you off the ground."
Hermione gulped at that prospect. She'd always had a slight fear of heights. The other night when she and Harry were
floating high above the town, she was certain her stomach was going to explode,
but his presence kept her calm. She
mounted her broom and waited for his next instructions.
Harry mounted his Firebolt and rose off the ground
slightly. He floated around in front of
her and looked directly in her eyes.
"All right, Hermione, you can do this. Grip the handle, but don't try to crush
it. Now make sure that you feel
comfortable with the way you're sitting"¦" She nodded at him.
""¦Okay, this is tough part.Â
Don't think about trying to fly; don't think about not touching the
ground. Just push off the ground and
not even think twice about where you're going."
He could see her hands tremble slightly, and she took
several deep breaths.
"˜You can do this, Hermione, you can do this!'
Even if she didn't do it right the first time, Harry
wouldn't belittle her; he would just encourage her to do it again. Closing her eyes, she kicked off the ground,
and a second later she couldn't feel the ground anymore.
"You did it!" Harry said happily.
His fiancé opened her eyes and looked down. She was hovering steadily, approximately
five feet above the ground, and a smile broke out on her face.
"I'm flying; I'm really flying."
"Yup, told you could do it, Herm. There's nothing my girl can't do," he said proudly and winked at
her. She just blushed slightly.
"Um Harry"¦how do I get down now?"
"Okay, slowly lean forward but don't bend over, or it might
think you want to go forward. Lean
forward and push down on the handle gently."
Hermione did as he instructed, and her broom turned down and
slowly sank back to the ground. Her
feet touched the grass, and she let out a much-needed breath.
"Phew, I'm glad that's over," she gasped.
"Don't worry, you'll get used to the feeling; you just need
a little more practice."
"Can we stop for today?Â
I'm still a little edgy about it," she whispered, and he smiled warmly
at her.
"Course we can.Â
Besides, there are some other things I wanted to show you anyway."
"Like what?" Hermione asked and dismounted her broom. Harry joined her back on the ground and set
down his Firebolt. Looking around, he
picked up a rock out of the grass.
"Like this"¦" and he tossed the stone into the air. Pulling it out his wand, he took aim.
"Exploda!" and it shattered into a million pieces of
dust. Hermione gulped, and gawkgawked
at him.
"You want me"¦to learn"¦that!" He nodded at her.
"Not just that, Hermione, there are other spells too. I want you to learn how to defend yourself "“
not just disarm another wizard. I need
you to know how!"
She looked into his eyes and saw the seriousness in his
eyes; this went much deeper than he was admit.
.
"Won't you get in trouble for showing me this though?"
"Not as long as you don't curse someone in public."
"Harry, why are you doing this, and don't say because I
could get hurt?" He groaned slightly.
"Hermione, there's only one thing that I truly hate and
that's to see you get hurt. I'm not
just talking about physically either. I
can still remember back in second year when Malfoy called you a Mudblood; you
stood there in Hagrid's hut trying not to cry your eyes out. You're a very strong-willed person, and I
want you to be able to prove it. You
may be a muggle-born, but I know that you have great potential inside you."
"That's sound like the same thing Dumbledore keeps saying to
you," she laughed.
"I know, and it took me a while to get it through my thick
head!"
"So what exactly do want to teach me? I know a lot of charms and hexes "“ if you
recall."
"Course you do, but those are strategic spells. I want to teach you magic that is both
offensive and defensive. I'm not gonna
teach you how to kill someone obviously, but you'll put up one helluva fight!"
"Well"¦I never thought I'd like stuff like this, but I guess
it wouldn't hurt."
"I admit that this is for my benefit as well "“ especially
considering you agreed to marry me," he said softly.
"How do you m"
"
"You may think this sounds selfish, but I'm afraid to leave
you alone sometimes. I'm afraid that
something bad is going to happen to you, and I'll be responsible"¦"
"Harry, don't-" He cut her off.
""¦I know it sounds stupid, but it's the trutIf IIf I train you how to duel and defend
yourself, then at least I have a slight peace of mind that some rogue Death
Eater won't curse you if I'm not around."
Hermione gazed at him andok hok her before smiling
warmly. Poor guy, he was trying so hard
not to sound like an idiot, and she couldn't help but think that he was quite
right. Being his wife meant that she
would become a target, but bloody hell, she already was a target when it came
to him.
"If you want to make sure that I can match wands with the
best of "˜em, then by all means"¦show me how!"
"I knew you'd say yes, and if I'm right, you may soon be
giving McGonagall a run for her money "“ not to mention Sirius"¦the poor guy."
Hermione started laughing hysterically.
"And what about Malfoy, hmm?" she asked with a rather
sinister smile.
"Believe me, by the time we're through, you'll be able to
strip him down and hang him upside down by his underwear in the Great Hall."
"Why Harry"¦what an interesting idea?" she said with a sly
grin. He walked right up to her and
cupped her cheek.
"Do I dare ask what devious thoughts are brewing in that
brain of yours?"
"A woman does not reveal all of her secrets, Harry "“ not yet
anyway. One must keep her man
interested after all."
"That won't ever be problem for me," and he kissed her long
and hard. His hands framed her face,
and her fingers tangled in his hair.
"Hmm, are we going to snog or practice, love?" she cooed
softly. He chewed his lip for a moment.
"Both are quite important, but I must say that practice
should come first"¦" Bending down, Harry nuzzled her ear, ""¦we can play later."
As the final weeks of the summer rolled by, Harry continued
training Hermione. It wasn't nearly as
rigorous as his own training had been, but he wanted to teach her how to fight
"“ if necessary. The one thing that he
didn't want Hermione to feel was inadequate.Â
He was afraid that if she ever saw his true power, she'd feel out of
place being at his side. This way, she
would have no cause for such nonsense.Â
Thly tly thing that he didn't try how how her was how to apparate. It had taken him long enough to learn it,
and he didn't want to be responsible if she did it wrong. Besides, Hermione would learn it at Hogwarts
this year anyway.
Harry's last day at the Grangers was very happy. Hermione had leaked it to her mom that it
was his birthday, and Melinda had baked a cake for him. He told her that he didn't want one, but as
he expected, she shut him up.
As they saw at the dining room table finishing up dinner, an
owl arrived at the window. It pecked at
the glass, and Hermione immediately went to see it. Opening the pane, she saw that there were two letters attached to
its leg. Untying them, she petted its
feathers, and the barn owl squeaked as it headed back home.
"Who's it from, Herm?" Harry asked, as he took a bite of
cake.
"It's from Professor Dumbledore and Professor
McGonagall. Here"¦this is yours," she
replied and handed him an envelope.
"Thanks."
They both ripped open the seal and took out their letters.
"Oh my gosh!" Hermione gasped.
"What is it? Has
something bad happened?" her mother asked worriedly. Her daughter shook her head emphatically.
"No, nog lig like that, here"¦"
Melinda took the letter from her and looked at the
calligraphic writing.
TO MISS
HERMIONE GRANGER,
IT IS MY
ESTEEMED PLEASURE TO ANNOUNCE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN NAMED HEAD GIRL AT HOGWARTS
SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT OF WIZARDRY.Â
CONGRATULATIONS.
                                                                                   ALBUS
DUMBLEDORE
                                                                                   SCHOOL
HEADMASTER
"Oh Hermione, this is wonderful; I'm so proud of you," her
mother sighed and hugged her tightly.
"Congratulations Hermione," her father added and kissed her
cheek. Harry did not say anything; he
just sat there grinning.
"What?" his girlfriend asked, seeing the sly smirk on his
face.
"Looks like we're a matching pair!" he laughed.
"What do you mean?"
"I got named Head Boy for this year," Harry chuckled and
rolled his eyes, "I can just see the look on Fudge's face right about now. A previously expelled student being named
Head Boy of the entire school."
"Harry, that's wonderful," Mr. and Mrs. Granger said at the
same time.
"Now Harry, you do realize this means that you have to behave
yourself this year," Hermione said cheekily.
"I beg your pardon!"
sp; sp;
"You know what I'm talking about "“ no fooling around. It would look bad if the Head Boy got into
more trouble than anyone else."
"I resent that, Herm, it's not my fault if trouble seeks me
out."
"Oh please, you and Ron attract it like a magnet."
"Ouch, that one hurt," and he clutched his chest in mock
pain. Hermione giggled and rubbed her
foot against his.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you in line."
"Don't you always?" he countered witharcharched eyebrow.
"Good point."
"My goodness, you two, hftenften do you fight like this?"
Melinda asked, watching them go back and forth. Harry scratched his forehead to look like he was thinking.
"I'm not sure. What
do you say, Herm"¦five or six times a day?"
"Sounds about right."
"A day!" Mr. Granger gasped.
"Yes, we like to think of it as intellectual warfare," Ha tea teased.
"And I win every time!" Hermione giggled.
"Not every time, sweetheart, just most of the time."
Harry reached across the table and took her hand. Hermione smiled warmly and squeezed his hand
in return. Their eyes conveyed their
feelings to one another without saying a word.
"You know, I was kinda hoping that Ron would get picked,"
Harry admitted.
"Why do you say that?" Melinda asked.
"It's always been his dream. He wanted to be able to step out of his brothers' shadows."
"Don't worry about Ron, he won't mind; he'll have more free
time this way anyway," Hermione explained.
"Just think, we're gonna have to go to all the prefect
meetings and handle all the problems that students complain about."
"Trust me, Hermione, I'm not gonna spend my last year at
Hogwarts cooped up in meetings all the time.Â
If someone has a problem, they can explain it to me straightforward, but
I'm not going to listen to a load of crap from people."
"I agree completely; this is gonna be quite a partnership,"
she teased and winked at him.
After dinner was finished, Harry and Hermione headed
upstairs to finish packing their things for the following day.
Harry loaded his clothes into his trunk but left a pair out
for the morning. He put his Gryffindor
robes on top for easy access and put his Firebolt underneath his clothes. He remembered the first time that Mrs.
Granger had caught him teaching Hermione how to ride a broom; she'd completely
flipped! However, after explaining that
nobody could see them outside the residence, she calmed down.
He turned his head as someone knocked on his door and in
walked Hermione. He smiled, and she
walked directly into his arms.
"Well"¦our summer's over now, Harry."
"Thank you, Hermione, I've had a wonderful time here; you
don't know how lucky you are to have parents like these."
"I'm glad that you came here for the summer; I would've
missed you too much."
"You know, Herm, I was just thinking"¦"
"That's always good."
"Smart-aleck. I was
thinking that each of us iing ing to have our own room this year."
"I know, that's gonna be great for studying," she
chirped. He should've known she'd say
something like that.
"That's true, but it also means that we won't be interrupted
so easily"¦" His sighed and cupped her cheek.Â
His eyes darkened, and she melted under his gaze.
""¦I think I'm gonna like having you all to myself."
"But you already do," she quipped.
"Without any prying eyes around. From what I've heard, the Head Boy and Girl's roome ade adjunct
to one another. We even have our own
portrait password."
Hermione smiled coyly and draped her arms around his neck.
"That has definite possibilities. Just think, I could come by and surprise you right in the middle
of the night."
"And so could I, sweetheart."
Apart from the intimacy portion, Harry was glad that he
would be able to have Hermione alone.Â
It was be nice to be "˜living with her'; they were engaged after
all. Harry picked up her left hand and
rubbed the ring on her third finger. He
brushed his lips against her knuckles, and she pulled him closer to nuzzle his
palm. Harry kissed her softly and let
her go.
"Did you finish packing?"
"Yes, my dad said the'lle'll drive us to King's Cross in the
morning."
"Sounds good to me.Â
I'll be done as soon as Hedwig gets back from her evening snack hunt,"
he sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Well then"¦I guess we better go to bed," Hermione said
reluctantly. Her eyes held a question
and a look of hope.
"As much as I don't want to, sweetheart, we better sleep
separately tonight. I don't want your
dad to catch us on the last day that I'm here."
"Okay, I understand."
Hermione leaned forward, and Harry bent down to her soft
lips. This kiss was passionate but not
overheated; it was just simple and wonderful.
"Goodnight Hermione."
"Goodnight Harry."
He walked her to his door and let her out. Bending down next to her ear, he whispered
something softly.
"˜I'll see you in my dreams.'
Hermione flushed slightly, but her smile was appreciative,
and she slipped out of her lover's arms.Â
Harry let her go and quietly shut the door.