A Terrible Temptation

A/N - Oh my, there were a lot of reviews. I would have liked to answer them all individually because they were great adn a lot of you have been saying things that just made me so happy. However, I thought it might be nice for the chapter to be longer than the shout-outs. LOL Kate was alittle miffed at being made a Hufflepuff, everyone assure her that she really is Slytherin material, so that she feels better, okay? :)

thanks to: Rilla, PiperS, deblovesdragon, Kiristeen, Lizski, Deb, Gwen, Spaz141, Droxy, Ms. Pixie, Zephyr, Scifichick774, Littlebird, Ehlaana, Serenbel, Ann, Brian (Sorry, no rest for the wicked), Nocturnus, Talene, Helen, Laura, Rogue, tifsuz, Deeble (who gives great review), Shagsthedustmop, Sakhere291, Alison of the faeries, Littlelo, CampyCapybara and StellarSnape

Chapter 12 – A Seed is Planted

Hermione was watching Harry over the chipped rim of the huge teacup. Hagrid’s tea could be used to scrub out cauldrons, but she sipped it slowly, trying to give the impression of enjoyment. She was quite sure that was was losing the enamel on her teeth at an alarming rate but it was better than trying to eat Hagrid’s scones. There were hockey teams in Canada who would pay good money for Hagrid’s scones.

Harry was sipping the tea with every evidence of enjoyment, though his recent predilection for coffee so strong it would wrestle him for the spoon could explain his high tolerance. Ron was manfully sipping but he had taken the seat by the window so he could surreptitiously dump his cup when Hagrid’s back was turned.

“So this Hufflepuff, what did you tell her?” Ron asked with curiosity evident in his blue eyes. Hermione watched a black eyebrow rise as Harry snorted.

“What could I tell her? The Ministry is working hard to protect the families of Muggleborns -- your tax galleons at work.” He shrugged. “I told her they were mostly safe and she believed the great Harry Potter.” The last came out with a bitterness that surprised them all.

“Yeh don’ sound very happy, Harry.” Hagrid articulated what they were all thinking. Harry sat slumped over in his chair, arms crossed and brows furrowed. The pose was familiar to Hermione but she couldn’t place it.

“There is a basic unfairness in the idea of a seventeen year old boy having to fight to the death the worst menace the Wizarding World has seen in fifty years.” Harry looked up at Hagrid with a rueful smile that looked far too old for his youthful face. “The fact that everyone takes it for granted that Voldemort will be finally taken down by a half-grown boy shows the innate foolishness of the average person.”

“Yeh’re right, Harry, it is unfair. Lots of stuff i’nnt fair though, and yeh won’t be alone, yeh know. Albus Dumbledore’ll be wi’yeh, and me, and lots of other folk.” Harry reached out and patted Hagrid on the arm with a smile of affection.

“The knowledge that you will be there with me, Hagrid, is far more comforting than you can imagine.” Harry’s voice was kind but his eyes were clear and Hermione realized that he was being utterly honest. His eyes touched her and then Ron. “Though truthfully, I wish I could believe that the two of you would be somewhere safe during the battles to come; I know full well I couldn’t keep you away.” Hermione felt soft warmth filling her heart.

“We’ll always be there for you, Harry.” Ron assured him, but a thought occurred to Hermione and she frowned.

“Harry, you know that we would stand by you against anything, but what do you really want? How do you need us to support you? If it would distract you on the field, worrying about us constantly, we would go sit in a vault at Gringott’s to make this easier on you.” Harry’s expression of utter shock was confusing to her and Ron’s shout of anger distracted her.

“Not bloody likely, Hermione! I want to help Harry!” Ron was looking at her with horror and anger.

“That’s what I am saying, Ron. I want to help Harry too, but are we helping Harry more by being there or by keeping safely away?” Ron had a look of absolute befuddlement and Harry chuckled at his expression.

“Ron, you can be such a Gryffindor sometimes.” Harry rolled his eyes and gave a short bark of laughter at Ron’s dropped jaw. “Hermione is thinking ahead, trying to imagine what kind of choices I might be forced to make on a battlefield, Ron.” Harry picked up her hand and carefully pressed a small kiss to the back of her fingers. It was a courtly gesture, completely unlike anything Harry would do, and it sent warmth flooding from where his lips had touched to the deepest recesses of her body.

“Hermione’s right, Ron. If Harry has ta chooseweenween killin’ yeh-know-who and savin’ yeh an’ Hermione, it would be right hard on ‘im.” Hagrid was nodding sagely as he said this and Harry shot him a look of affectionate gratitude. Ron was frowning and his arms were crossed.

“If Harry has to face He-who-must-not-be-named and that isn’t fair, then it’s also not fair for us to have to, but we’re your friends so that makes it fair.” Ron’s convoluted logic made Hermione’s head spin but Harry merely looked down at the table and then looked up at Ron with a suspicious wetness in his eyes.

“Very few people can be truly called loyal, Ron. I would be proud to have you at my back.” He said the words with a strange maturity and there was a depth to the words that made her wonder what he was really saying. Hagrid blew his nose noisily on a spotted handkerchief and the mood was broken as they all grinned at him.


Harry had Occlumency classes with Dumbledore on Friday nights, so she and Ron were curled up on the couches chatting while he was gone.

“I know it was bad how he learned from Snape, but Occlumency sounds like fun. If Dumbledore were teaching it, I’d like to learn.” Hermione sighed and Ron snorted.

“Is there anything you don’t want to learn?” Ron asked her with a grin. “And what have you done to Harry? He won’t sneak out with me anymore or do anything fun. He studies all the time!” Ron grumbled, with his arms crossed and his brows lowered.

“If somemy cmy common sense has rubbed off on him, so much the better! As for studying all the time, considering that the N.E.W.T.S. are coming, you’d be better off studying more too!” She scolded and Ron groaned and shook his head.

“You don’t get it, Hermione, do you?” Ron shot back. “Haven’t you seen how he acts around you and how he looks at you?” Hermione stared at her friend blankly.

“What are you saying, Ron?”

“I’m saying that he’s got it bad for you. He’s always studying and worrying about things these days; it’s got to be because he wants to impress you. I mean, come on, Harry, studying more than playing Quidditch? Does that sound normal?” Hermione turned the thought over in her mind, studying it from all angles. Could he have a crush on her? He didn’t act that way; he was friendly to be sure, but no more than usual.

“You’ve gone starkers, Ron.” She assured him, but he shook his head.

“’Mione, you look at him like he’s made out of solid chocolate and he is studying and acting more like Professor Lupin than Harry Potter. I mean, he refused to sneak into Hogsmeade with me last night! Not said, ‘maybe later,’ but refused and got all mad at me for suggesting it.” Ron had a point; he was behaving more like she did. Still there was a far more reasonable explanation.

“And you think he’s acting like this to impress me? Ron, did you ever think that maybe he’s just grown up a bit and doesn’t feel like almost getting killed every five minutes?” She felt a rising exasperation but also excitement at the thought that maybe he did like her.

“’Mione, he has almost been killed pretty much every year he has been here. Why, now, suddenly does he change so much?” Ron was giving her the same triumphant smile he gave her when he beat her at Wizards’ Chess. “Because he fancies you, that’s why.”

“Does it bother you?” Hermione was curious; she knew she felt occasionally wistful for what might have been, but what about Ron? Ron’s smile faded.

“Of course it does, but it bothers me more wondering if he always felt this way and didn’t say anything about it because he knew how I felt. I mean, how long has he been feeling this way? Is it like the Quidditch Captaincy, was he trying to make me not feel bad?” Hermione gaped at him. “Oh, come on, Hermione, I am not nearly as thick as I used to be. Of course McGonagall offered it to him first; she’d give Harry the moon, but honestly, even Harry knows I am the better choice.” Ron waved off her stuttering surprise.

Hermione knew it was true; Ron did make a great Captain. He was dedicated and single-minded, almost obsessed really, with winning the House Cup. It was his other question that burned in her heart. If Harry did fancy her, how long had it been going on and what did she intend to do about it?

“So,” Ron raised his brows at her and waggled them comically. “Do you fancy him?”

“I didn’t before, but lately, well, I think I do.” She admitted shyly and Ron grinned at her. They changed the subject then and talked of other things.

Neither Ron nor Hermione noticed a white-faced Ginny Weasley standing silently nearby in the shadows, tears in her eyes.