Chapter 24
The Next Night
Harry gingerly opened the curtains to a familiar bed in the Hospital Wing for the fifth night in a row, slipping inside and liberating himself from his Invisibility Cloak. He carefully folded said cloak and placed it on the chair he'd slept in for the past four nights before sitting on the edge of Hermione Granger's bed.
"No, it's alright, don't get up." He smirked, placing his hand on hers, feeling his heart shrink a bit at the coldness of her skin. "Sorry, that was mean. You get one free punch when you're all cured.
"Speaking of you getting cured, I did something that I bet you're proud of. I stayed after Herbology class and asked Professor Sprout if she needed help with the Mandrakes. At first she seemed really surprised that I showed interest in anything Herbology-related, but then she seemed to pick up on how I was feeling and let me grab some earmuffs and get to work.
"She had me repotting them, like we did during the first Herbology class of the year, the day we had that photoshoot in the courtyard. I could barely hear through the earmuffs and the screams of those things, but Sprout told me a bunch of stuff about Mandrakes. She was rambling in really specific Herbology terms, so she might as well have been speaking French, but she did say it's the last time they need to be repotted, which means they're really close, Hermione. I think Sprout said a few days, but she could have been saying anything. Those bloody Mandrakes, their screams don't get quieter when they get older…" He shuddered for a moment, distractedly rubbing his ears before turning back to Hermione.
"Right, happy thoughts. You know, it's a lot easier to tell myself to think happy thoughts now that I'm here with you…even if you're not really here. It's hard to explain, I guess. Like, during Transfiguration, I spent half the test just staring at my parchment thinking about how much I wanted to wring the Heir of Slytherin's neck for doing this to you." He paused, feeling his body tense up. "But now, seeing your face, I'm just grateful you're alive." He exhaled, willing his body to relax.
"Well, anyway, happy thoughts." He grinned, squeezing Hermione's hand. "The last time I was here, I talked about the first time you kissed me on the cheek. So, I thought I would take us on a chronological journey – I bet you're proud of me using chronological properly – a chronological journey of the times you've kissed me on the cheek. All five of them. Especially since I've never really told you how I feel about them…most of them you've run off right after doing it." He chuckled quietly.
"Right, so, the next time you were crazy enough to peck me on the cheek was the first night of the summer holidays. I'd been terrified for almost the entire day – I wasn't sure what your parents would think of me, or even how they would treat me. It's not like I've seen a healthy family dynamic up close or anything, so the moment I saw your parents everything felt…foreign. But your mum and dad did everything they could, and it helped a lot. When your mum and I went to get the pizzas that first night, she said something I'll remember forever.
"She said…well first, she told me about the things you'd written about me in your letters, which was pretty embarrassing to hear. You really blathered on about me, didn't you? Anyway, then she said: 'You mean the world to her. And I can see why.'" He paused, his voice cracking. "It took your mother a couple of hours to determine that I was a decent kid. Same with your dad. That hasn't happened with many adults in my life before.
"So, from then on, I wasn't as nervous as I'd been all afternoon and evening. I mean, obviously I was still scared, just not…terrified. But then, something happened later, and as much of a nervous wreck I'd been, it made that day one of the best in my life." He paused, squeezing Hermione's hand again as he felt a smile creep across his face. "You hugged me goodnight, just outside the doors to our bedroom. The moment I felt you wrap your arms around me I thought someone hit me with the Levitation Charm, and I felt all of my worries wash away for a bit.
"Then, you let go so you could lean up and kiss me on the cheek. I remember being surprised more than anything. I was about to ask you something stupid like 'Why'd you do that?'" He laughed to himself, shaking his head. "That probably – no that definitely would have ruined it. But before I could ask such a stupid question, you gave me this shy-looking smile like I'd caught you staring at me.
"You were blushing, too. Oh man, you were blushing. Your whole face was this bright red, like you were completely mortified from kissing me on the cheek. Before I could say anything you dashed inside your room, and that was that." He sighed contentedly at the memory. "After I stood in the hallway for a minute, trying to remember what planet I lived on, I turned and walked into my room. When I was walking, even though it was only like eight steps to my bed, it was like I was walking on air. I genuinely cannot remember my feet touching the ground. It was like the polar opposite of drinking Skele-Gro, like my whole body was just filled with joy and warmth from the moment your lips touched my cheek."
He sat still for a moment, absent-mindedly stroking Hermione's hand. A moment drifted into several moments, and Harry ended up sitting there in a content silence, his eyes closed and his lips curled upwards in a blissful smile.
Eventually, Harry Potter returned to reality. He opened his eyes to see his best friend still lying motionless in front of him. Sighing, he pulled a small piece of paper out of his pocket.
"I've got another memento for you. I hope Pomfrey hasn't noticed how underneath your pillow is starting to look like a lost-and-found. Oh, that reminds me – " He paused suddenly, gently reaching underneath the pillow to withdraw Hermione's jumper. "Can't have you being cold." He half-whispered, covering as much of Hermione's torso as he could with the impromptu blanket.
"Anyway, I brought you my ticket for the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross from the end of last year. I don't really understand why they bother giving tickets, now that I think about it. Nobody ever collects them or anything…" He trailed off, then broke into a smile. "See, you're rubbing off on me. I'm starting to actually use my brain and think about why things are the way they are. I could have used someone like you a long time ago." He felt his smile falter at that admission, but pressed on.
"Anyway, since that little peck on the cheek happened on the same day I needed this ticket, I suppose it's an adequate souvenir. So, erm, here." He finished awkwardly, slipping the ticket under her pillow, alongside the photo album and the Transfiguration study guide. Sighing, he turned back to Hermione.
"I'm probably going to pass out from exhaustion any second, so, good night, Hermione. I'll be right here." He whispered, wrapping himself up in his Invisibility Cloak once again and falling into his usual chair, closing his eyes instantly.
The Next Night
"Good evening, Miss Granger." Harry hissed in his best impression of Madam Pomfrey's stern voice as he glided through the curtains. Granted, it wasn't a very good impression. "Sorry, I forgot to think of a funny opener on my way over here. They've got every teacher patrolling the corridors now, plus prefects, and McGonagall's enlisted the ghosts to keep an eye out for the Heir of Slytherin and stuff. I long for the days when the biggest problem Hogwarts had was Voldemort roaming the Forbidden Forest, at least I could sneak around in peace back then." He mused sarcastically.
"Anyway…" He grinned, dropping his Invisibility Cloak onto the chair and plopping down on the edge of Hermione's bed. "The next chapter of the Hermione Granger kissing Harry Potter extravaganza begins now. The moment I woke up this morning I immediately started thinking about the third time you kissed me on the cheek. And, I have to say, of all the things capable of dominating my thoughts for an entire day, it doesn't get much better than that, you know." He sighed blissfully, feeling his entire body warm up.
"Excluding the wondrous world of Diagon Alley, that day was the first time I'd ever gone shopping. I remember feeling taken aback at the sheer opulence of everything in that mall. For a moment it felt like I'd entered a world where I didn't belong, a world unfit for kids who grew up in cupboards…until you and your parents showed me the ropes.
"After that," he paused, feeling a smile creep up across his face, "it was just so much fun. At several points during the day I thought it was too good to be true. One in particular happened pretty early on, in the J. Crew store." He felt his face heat up slightly, but found it in himself to continue. "You were trying on that pale blue blouse. Periwinkle blue…" He trailed off, reaching into his pocket.
"I know I usually save whatever trinket I've brought for you until the end, but I reckon now's the best time to give it to you." He sighed, carefully extracting a small flower. "It's a periwinkle. I helped Sprout with the Mandrakes again today, and I asked her if we grew any periwinkle flowers in the greenhouses. She seemed so excited that I cared about anything that grew at Hogwarts, so she took me over to this one greenhouse that's just brimming with flowers. It was beautiful in there, Hermione, I want to take you there once this is all resolved." He felt his smile wane slightly at the last few words.
"Anyway, she showed me this whole bunch of periwinkle flowers. Their official name is Vinca Minor, she told me. You probably knew that already, since you seem to know everything worth knowing." He smirked. "I picked this out for you, because the sight of you in that blouse was just…beyond words.
"Anyway, I asked Sprout if I could take one of the flowers, and she was happy to let me have this. I'll hide it under your pillow when I leave in the morning, but for now…" He leaned over his best friend, gently gripping the periwinkle by its stem, which barely exceeded a few inches. He slowly tucked it behind Hermione's ear, and straightened himself once he adjusted it to a proper angle.
"Wow…" He felt his heart slow to a standstill at the sight of the blue petals over her pale skin. The hue of the periwinkle flower complimented her complexion perfectly, and Harry found himself staring at it for quite a while before he came to his senses.
"Oh, blimey, I have more to talk about." He realized suddenly, blinking a few times and moving his gaze from the flower to Hermione's eyes. "Well, anyway, seeing you in that blouse was one of many points in time during that day where I thought it was all too good to be true, that any moment I'd be torn away from a dream by Ron's snores or the Dursleys trying to wake me up.
"Another moment during that day when I thought everything was too good to be true happened right before we went to bed. We had just made hot fudge sundaes, us and your parents. At one point you started to space out, and I thought it would be funny to spray you in the face with whipped cream." He paused, feeling his smile widen into a mischievous grin. "I was right, it was hilarious." He practically snorted.
"Naturally, you didn't find it as funny as I did, and you grabbed your spoon and flicked a little dollop of vanilla ice cream square onto my cheek. I was actually pretty impressed with the aim, but also very annoyed at you for one-upping me and stuff. Once we stopped laughing like lunatics, we cleaned ourselves up and ate our sundaes with your mum and dad. As soon as I was done, I noticed I was feeling particularly drowsy, so I excused myself to go to bed.
"I was right outside my door when you came running up. Now, as I said, that entire day was nothing but nonstop fun, and I'd been smiling continuously, but I remember my smile growing even wider when I saw you bounding over to me and when you wrapped me up in a good-night hug.
"I felt like I was hovering off the ground out of sheer happiness. We pulled apart, and bade each other goodnight, and I turned to walk into my bedroom. And that's when you did it. It was…I guess sneaky is the right word? Maybe cheeky, now that I think about it. I mean, I didn't even see it happen, I just felt this softness on my cheek, and suddenly there was this rippling effect of this happy warmth all across my body. And the spot where your lips brushed my face was the epicenter.
"You stood there with this smile on your face, it looked almost victorious. Then you told me it tasted like vanilla, because, you know, the ice cream and stuff. Then you just slipped into your room all mysterious and stuff.
"If I felt like I was hovering just off the ground when you hugged me, I was soaring in the stratosphere after that little peck. I know for sure that I fell asleep with some dazed grin, but I didn't care. I still don't. It just felt so good…having you kiss me on the cheek like that." He sighed, absently tracing patterns on the back of Hermione's hand.
"That little good-night peck was the last time you kissed me on the cheek all summer." He paused, unsure if he should say the next sentence that he'd been rehearsing in his head all day.
'Just say it. She probably can't hear you anyway…' The voice in the back of Harry's head piped up. Letting out another, shakier sigh, he turned back to Hermione's face.
"I wish you'd done it every night." He whispered, giving Hermione's hand one last squeeze and pulling out her jumper to lay over her before he slid off the bed. He enveloped himself in his Invisibility Cloak and plopped down onto his chair, ensuring he had no visible body parts.
"Good night, Hermione." Harry whispered. "I'll be right here."
The Next Night
Harry crept through the curtains around Hermione's bed once again, gingerly placing his Invisibility Cloak on his chair.
"Today was agonizing, Hermione. Truly." He sighed, carefully lifting Hermione's pillow to extract the periwinkle from the previous night. Once again, he tucked it behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her bare skin. "The weather outside was beautiful, but we had to stay holed up in the common room except for meals. I tried studying for a History of Magic test we have on Monday, but with all of Gryffindor being their rowdy selves it would have been easier to concentrate if I was reading while flying.
"Anyway, McGonagall swung by the common room to tell us that exams were still happening. I'm sure if you weren't lying here right now you would have been the only person in our house who wasn't groaning. But, before she left, I caught her and asked if there was any chance I could see you during the day tomorrow. I technically didn't lie to her, I just said how much I hate being away from you, and it would mean the world if I got to see you. She got a little teary-eyed, and said she'd escort me to the Hospital Wing and come by to walk me back to Gryffindor Tower after about ten minutes.
"So, you're going to be blessed with my presence twice tomorrow, and I'm sure you're bursting with excitement at the prospect. I know I am." He grinned, squeezing her hand. "Anyway, tonight's topic is the fourth time you've kissed me on the cheek. The more I think about it, the more I realize it might be my favorite day at Hogwarts. Ever.
"I'd been with you in the Hospital Wing until around four in the morning the previous night. Your tail was gone by then, and your cat ears were barely noticeable, but you still made me scratch them." He chuckled. "I know you're going to hex me for mentioning that out loud.
"Anyway, you were almost back to your old self, but you still had the yellow eyes and some cat features, so I figured you would be completely restored within a week or two. Naturally, when I practically sleepwalked down from my bed into the common room a few hours later, the last person I expected to see was a completely human Hermione Granger.
"But there you were, with breakfast and pumpkin juice, and looking so happy. It was amazing, and from that moment on I knew it was going to be a good day. We sat on our couch, and I was starving, but before I could start inhaling breakfast food you just crashed into me like you were trying to body-slam me. I remember thinking the hug was a bit overboard, since I'd seen you just a few hours earlier, but then I felt you kiss me on the cheek." He paused, a warm smile crossing his face.
"The second I felt your lips on my face, it was total euphoria. It was like I'd been injected with liquid happiness, and my whole body felt all warm and cozy. I knew I was smiling like an idiot, but I couldn't stop myself. You didn't seem as flustered as you did the previous times. It was the first time you'd done it without running off into your room or walking into fire. You just seemed perfectly content with what you'd done, and that was that." He stopped suddenly, unthinkingly rubbing circles on the back of Hermione's hand.
"Except that's not exactly that. Later on, after you and I stuck it to Malfoy – by the way, that line about cockroaches and cold weather was badass – after we sat down in that spot in the snow, and we were staring at the castle, you said something. You said, 'I don't know how to thank you." He paused again, averting his eyes from his petrified friend.
"I had this thought, that I've never told you about. After you said you didn't know how to thank me, I had this really weird impulse to say, well, to tell you that the kiss on the cheek was a good start. For thanking me." He felt his face grow hot, and felt the need to fan himself with his hand. "I…erm, well, yeah. There's not really much more to say about that, I suppose. There's not really anything I can say is a better way to put it." He turned back to Hermione.
"Well, on that totally normal and not awkward note," he chuckled, shaking his head at himself, "I have something else for you. While I was in the common room, trying to emulate you and study, Alicia Spinnet and a couple of fourth-years were talking about Care of Magical Creatures. They were sitting pretty close to me, so it was hard not to hear their conversation. They were talking about these creatures called Bowtruckles, and how they've been observed in nature giving gifts to each other.
"Honestly, I couldn't care less about Bowtruckles, it's what one of the girls mentioned that got my attention. She said, 'Oh, just like otters!'" Harry winced at his impression of a fourth-year girl before continuing. "Right, well, they got to talking about how otters give each other rocks and sticks to show their appreciation. So, erm, it kind of reminded me of bringing you a little gift every night. So, instead of studying the sixty-seventh Goblin Revolution or whatever, I acted on this sudden impulse." He paused again before carefully pulling a rolled piece of parchment out of his pocket.
"The more I look at it, the more stupid it is, but I'm already here now, so, I guess I have to give it to you. I drew you an otter." He stammered, feeling his cheeks growing hot once again. "I thought about drawing a Bowtruckle, but I have no clue what a Bowtruckle looks like, but I do know otters, so…yeah.
"When I was growing up, I didn't have a lot of hobbies, but drawing was something I liked doing in the cupboard in peace. I like to think I'm decent at it, but I realized you've never seen me draw anything besides the little doodles I do on the side of our notes. So anyways, I drew you an otter in the common room this afternoon. Then I finished, and was bored, so I started adding stuff to it to make it more personal. So, here, I don't know if you can see, but…" He trailed off, unrolling the parchment and holding it in Hermione's line of sight.
"As you can see, he's got round glasses and a lightning bolt scar on his forehead. And I gave him a little badge on his chest there, it's kind of small, sorry, but it says Quidditch Resistance. So, no, I didn't actually draw you an otter.
"I drew you Harry Otter!" He grinned triumphantly. "That probably would have earned me the fiercest eye-roll you've ever given me if you weren't petrified."
He chuckled to himself before taking the parchment back, carefully placing it under Hermione's pillow. He grabbed her jumper once again and carefully placed it over her mid-section before sliding off the bed.
"Harry Otter says goodnight, Hermione." He smirked as he wrapped himself up in his Invisibility Cloak. "And Harry Potter will be right here. Good night." He closed his eyes, a playful smile still on his face as he drifted off to sleep.
The Next Day
The portrait hole of the Gryffindor common room swung open, a particularly rare occurrence since the most recent attack by Slytherin's monster. Harry glanced up from his copy of A Few Good Men, turning his head to see his Head of House standing expectantly by the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. He let out a small sigh, gingerly closing his book and getting to his feet. He passed a few of his classmates playing Exploding Snap, and asked Dean Thomas to hold onto his book until he got back. Harry got a few sympathetic nods from his fellow Gryffindors as he made his way towards McGonagall, and he did his best to show his gratitude.
"Thank you, Professor." He whispered as the Fat Lady swung shut behind him. The green-clad professor nodded solemnly before motioning for him to start walking.
"Madam Pomfrey has agreed to let you visit for ten minutes. I will be in my office while you are with Miss Granger, so if you need anything you will need to ask the Matron." She said, her usually stern voice much softer than usual.
"I understand." He managed, and they walked in silence from then on. When they reached the doors of the Hospital Wing, the interim Headmistress turned to him suddenly.
"Professor Sprout has informed me that the Mandrakes ought to be ready for brewing sometime tomorrow." She said curtly, patting Harry on the shoulder. "I'll see you in exactly ten minutes, Mister Potter."
And with that, she was marching away towards her office. Harry exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding, then he practically sprinted into the Hospital Wing.
"Hermione!" He grinned as he burst through the curtains that surrounded his best friend's bed. "McGonagall's just told me that the Mandrakes will be ready tomorrow!" He squeezed her hand with both of his hands, barely able to contain his excitement.
Then, he noticed something. He glanced down at his hands, slowly pulling them away and staring at them. Nothing seemed unusual, but he had felt different when he had placed his hands on her right one. He slowly placed one of his hands on the back of her hand, and felt the unsettlingly familiar coldness of her skin. Then he placed the other hand where it had been, around her curled fingers. And he felt it again.
A soft brush, almost tickling his palm.
"What on Earth…" He whispered as he leaned over, trying to see what he was feeling on his hand. "Holy mother of…" He gasped.
There was a small piece of paper, barely a centimeter, sticking out from between her closed fingers. Harry had never noticed it before. He pinched it with his fingers and carefully tugged at it. It budged less than an inch, but it moved nonetheless. He cast a glance over his shoulder, listening for Madam Pomfrey. Once he concluded the coast was clear, he got to work wrenching the paper out of Hermione's hand.
"Blimey, Hermione, your grip's almost as strong as your hugs." He grimaced as he finally pried the paper loose, miraculously not ripping it. "A basilisk?" He whispered as he read it. "Lethal gaze…fatal to a crowing rooster…bloody hell, Hermione, you've got it!" He gasped, leaping to his feet. "That's why I hear that voice! It's a snake!" He grinned at his motionless best friend. "And…pipes! That's how it gets around! Hermione Granger, you truly are brilliant, you know that?
"This is it, Hermione, you've figured out Slytherin's Monster. That's why you ran off the morning of the Quidditch match! After you…" He trailed off, absent-mindedly bringing his fingers to his cheek. "After you kissed me on the cheek. In front of the locker room." He sighed, sitting back on her bed.
"Well, I was going to tell you all about how your sudden peck on the cheek made me zone out for the entirety of Wood's pregame speech. I was going to tell you all about how dazed I was, and how I stood in front of the locker room with my fingers on my cheek like a space cadet for a while. I was going to tell you how I had this dumb smile on my face because of you." He paused.
"Well, it was originally going to be a lot more eloquent and articulate than that abridged version. Sorry, I'm sure you would have really enjoyed the sonnet I wrote about it." He chuckled for a moment. "In all seriousness, it was going to be a great monologue. Sorkin would be proud."
Before he could continue, the curtains behind him were ripped open. He whirled around to see Madam Pomfrey standing expectantly with her arms crossed. Harry nodded, sliding off the edge of Hermione's bed. He cast his best friend one last glance before walking towards the Hospital Wing doors, where McGonagall was waiting for him.
"Thank you, Professor."
"Mister Potter, not a soul in this school finds it just to separate you from Miss Granger for so long. Especially after everything you've suffered." Her tone was plain, but her eyes were brimming with more emotion than he'd ever seen from his Head of House. He managed a silent nod of appreciation, and they began their walk back.
"Professor!" He exclaimed suddenly, remembering the piece of paper balled up on his hand. "You should see this, I think Hermione's figured out what Slytherin's monster is!"
"She what?" McGonagall asked in an uncharacteristically shocked gasp. "Mister Potter, whatever are you…" She trailed off suddenly, her eyes locked onto a space in front of them. Harry slowly turned to see what she was staring at, and felt equally surprised.
"Ginny?" He asked, unable to hide his confusion. The youngest Weasley was rooted to the floor in fear, standing just outside the entrance to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
"Miss Weasley, what on Earth are you doing outside of the common room at this hour?" McGonagall hissed, marching towards the redhead. Before she could reach her and dock an obscene amount of points from Gryffindor, Ginny dashed into the restroom. "Miss Weasley!"
Harry slowly made his way towards McGonagall, who stood just outside the door to the toilets. The pair stood in shocked silence for a moment.
"Do you suppose she just wants to use the loo?" Harry asked uncertainly, but McGonagall just exhaled in a very unamused fashion.
Before Harry could try to lighten the tension again, he felt an icy shiver run down his spine.
"Oh no…" He whispered.
"Potter?" McGonagall asked, turning to him with a concerned expression. Harry felt his entire body shudder, and he knew he must have looked as pale as a ghost. But he couldn't bring himself to speak. Because something was already speaking.
"Time to rip…time to tear…time to kill…so close…"
Chapter 25
"Okay, tell me everything."
"Christ, Ron, I'm covered in slime and blood – most of which isn't my own, by the way – and I'm bloody exhausted, so can I just shower and sleep for the next, I don't know, month?"
"I just watched you get dragged into Dumbledore's office by McGonagall with a sword in your hand and a diary in the other. You have some explaining to do."
"Blimey, Ron – "
"And you rescued Ginny! You really expected me to not ask about how you rescued my sister?"
"Ron, I am begging you to please just let me get all this gunk off of me – "
"And did you free that Dobby bloke? Was he really the Malfoys' house-elf?"
"Ron!"
Harry's tone was much sharper than he wanted it to be, and he felt a twinge of regret as Ron flinched a bit. He knew his redheaded friend just wanted to know why Harry had been gone from the common room for hours, and why his sister had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets, but Harry was so exhausted he could barely walk. He was actually leaning pretty heavily on Ron as they traipsed back to Gryffindor Tower.
"Sorry, mate. It's just…" The youngest Weasley boy sighed, nodding in understanding at Harry's exasperated expression. "It's been a stressful few hours."
"Believe it or not, Ron Weasley, I can relate to that." Harry's vexation had shifted to sarcasm, and the two Gryffindors shared a laugh as they reached the entrance to their common room.
"What are you two doing out at this hour?" The Fat Lady shrieked. "And why are you so…gross?" She cringed away from Harry.
"Piss off, Lady." Ron scoffed at the portrait before grinning at his friend. "This one's just offed Slytherin's monster!"
The Fat Lady let out a gasp of both shock and excitement, and eagerly swung outwards without even asking for a password. Ron helped Harry into the common room and shepherded the bespectacled wizard up to their dormitory, to their bathroom.
"You can shower, but you're telling me everything the second you're out of there!" The redhead smirked as Harry closed the door.
Almost an hour later, he emerged from the bathroom de-slimed and free of both human and basilisk blood only to be grabbed and dragged to his bed almost instantly.
"Start talking."
"I was actually thinking about getting some sleep…" Harry muttered, curling up into a ball over his sheets. "Ow!"
"Oh please, I've seen Hermione hit you harder." Ron snickered before punching Harry in the shoulder again.
"Fine, fine." Harry sighed, sitting up straight and rubbing his shoulder. "So, obviously you know that your sister got taken into the Chamber of Secrets." Ron nodded, his eyes lighting up as Harry began to recount his adventure. "Well, before that, when I visited Hermione, she had this piece of paper in her hand that I hadn't noticed before. I managed to get it out of her hand, and it was a page that she ripped from a library book."
"Hermione Granger vandalized a library book?" Ron snorted.
"Hermione Granger lit a teacher on fire and brewed Polyjuice Potion in a bathroom stall, but it's bizarre to you that she rips out a single page from a library book?" Harry asked, and the two friends stared at each other for a moment before breaking into a fit of childish giggles.
"Alright, alright." Harry gasped out, eventually catching his breath. "As I was saying," he continued as Ron calmed down, "Hermione swiped a page from a library book about basilisks. She put it together that it was Slytherin's monster, but she got petrified before she could tell anybody."
"Brilliant!" Ron mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Yeah, she is." Harry smiled to himself for a moment before he remembered he had a story to tell. "Right, anyway, so I got that paper out, and right when I did McGonagall came to get me to walk me back to the common room.
"She and I were on our way when we saw Ginny outside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and she just ran in there, looking really nervous. She opened the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and ran down before we could get her. We found the entrance and I opened it using Parseltongue and we went down into the Chamber."
"Wicked…just you and McGonagall?"
"Oh yeah, she's a total badass." Harry grinned, and Ron snorted. "No, really. We ended up in this giant chamber. Your sister was there, and so was Tom Riddle, believe it or not."
"The bloke from the diary? What is he, almost seventy?" Ron raised his eyebrows in surprise and confusion.
"No, it was weird. He was kind of like a ghost, but he said he was a memory. He said he preserved his sixteen year old self in the diary so he could come back and open the Chamber of Secrets again." Harry shuddered at the memory of Riddle's icy glare once he's spotted McGonagall and Harry.
"So he looked the same as that memory you saw in the diary?" Ron asked, his intrigue increasing exponentially.
Harry nodded slowly before continuing. "Ginny was there. Turns out she'd had the diary before I found it, and eventually she managed to steal it from my stuff without me noticing. She talked to Riddle through that diary for almost the entire year, and doing so allowed Riddle to…possess her." He finished quietly. Ron flinched, every muscle in his face clenching and unclenching a few times as he processed what he'd just heard.
"So, Ginny was behind the attacks?" He asked in a weak voice.
"No!" Harry said automatically. "It was Riddle. Anyone who blames your sister is a halfwit. She had no control of herself." Ron seemed to calm down a bit at Harry's confidence in that answer and nodded his head.
"Anyway, we found Ginny. And Riddle revealed he was the Heir of Slytherin, the one responsible for all the attacks." Harry proceeded. "Then he revealed something even worse." Harry hitched his breath, and his entire body went cold for a moment.
"When you say it like that, it sounds like he exposed himself." Ron snickered.
"Ugh, gross!" Harry felt his mood lighten instantly at Ron's quip and exaggerated a gag. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Weasley." Ron threw his hands up in mock surrender and let Harry continue. "It turns out…Riddle is Voldemort. His real name is Tom Marvolo Riddle, and he was a student here."
"Bloody hell!" Ron bristled. "My sister got possessed by You-Know-Who?" He asked incredulously, his face going slightly pale. Harry nodded soberly. "So you're telling me you beat You-Know-Who a third time?"
"Well, I couldn't have done it without McGonagall." Harry admitted. "Riddle started going on about how he was the greatest sorcerer of all time, and McGonagall absolutely unleashed on him."
"No way!" Ron's entire face lit up. "Did she hex him?"
"Worse." Harry smirked. "She lectured him." Ron let out an exaggerated gasp before Harry continued. "She went on about how Albus Dumbledore was the greatest sorcerer in the world, not Riddle, and that she'd rather die defending the Headmaster's honor than let Riddle wreak havoc on Hogwarts.
"As soon as she said that, a phoenix came flying into the Chamber of Secrets, and it dropped the Sorting Hat in front of us. McGonagall whipped out her wand to try and distract Riddle while I put the hat on. That's where I got – "
"The sword!" Ron gasped in genuine shock. "Bloody hell, Harry, you could write a book about this!"
"Shut it." Harry said sheepishly. "Riddle started speaking in Parseltongue to get the basilisk to come after us. McGonagall flicked her wand at me and I flew off to the side, out of sight. She must have hit me with a body-bind because I couldn't move. I guess she just wanted to keep me safe, but I was mad I couldn't fight. I just laid there while she and Dumbledore's phoenix started battling the snake."
"How come she didn't get petrified? Or you?" Ron asked. Harry had never seen the redhead so riveted before, except maybe Wizard's Chess.
"Fawkes, the phoenix, clawed out the basilisk's eyes. If you look a basilisk in the eye, you die. If you see its eyes through something, you get petrified. Think Colin's camera, Hermione's mirror, you know." Harry explained like it was the simplest concept in the world, and Ron just opened his lips in a silent 'ah' of realization. "Anyway, at one point the serpent whipped its tail and sent McGonagall flying, and whatever spell she had on me to keep me still broke for a second.
"So…I took the natural Harry Potter course of action and ran directly towards the deadly creature and stabbed it through the roof of its mouth with the sword." Harry shrugged nonchalantly.
"Wicked…" Ron whispered in awe. "Did you kill Riddle?"
"In a way, yeah. When I stabbed the basilisk, one of its fangs impaled me, right here," Harry paused and pulled up his sleeve, revealing a faint puncture wound in the crook of his arm. Ron's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "But I managed to grab Riddle's diary, so I ripped the fang out of my arm and stabbed the bloody book with it. Riddle screamed for a bit then suddenly just disappeared."
"Wicked." Ron repeated. "Was it poisonous?"
"Yeah, but phoenix tears have healing powers, so Fawkes turned on the waterworks and now it's good as new." Harry grinned, flexing his arm.
"And then McGonagall brought you to Dumbledore?"
"And then McGonagall brought me to Dumbledore." Harry nodded.
"Bloody hell…" Ron trailed off. "And, sorry, but I wasn't really paying attention back in Dumbledore's office since I was talking to Ginny and stuff, but did you actually free Dobby?"
"Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting about that." Harry snorted. "Almost seems like small potatoes after all that, but yeah. He's the Malfoys' house-elf, and when Lucius came in all mad about Dumbledore being back I tricked him into giving Dobby a sock."
"Brilliant!" Ron cackled. "I saw that ugly little thing hugging your legs like his life depended on it, so I kind of guessed that's what you did."
"Killed a basilisk, freed a house-elf, saved Ginny." Harry shrugged. "Just an average day for Harry Potter, wouldn't you say?" He asked Ron, and the pair broke into laughter once again. Eventually, Ron calmed down, and his tone became more serious.
"Again, mate, I don't know how on Earth I can thank you for doing what you did for Ginny. As stupid as it was for you to go and do all that, you did it." Ron shook his head in disbelief, his face lit up in an appreciative grin. "Truly, I don't know how to thank you."
"Don't worry about it, Ron." Harry smirked. "We've got each other. Gryffindor Gang." Ron let out a weak laugh.
"Gryffindor Gang."
"Honestly, the best way to thank me right now is to let me sleep." Harry grinned, and Ron nodded in understanding.
"Right. You've earned it." The redhead sighed, crawling under his own sheets. Harry gave an appreciative smile of his own and fell back onto his pillow, his eyes closing instantly.
The Next Night
Harry slept for hours. And hours. He washed away every bit of exhaustion he'd accumulated from sleeping a few hours a night in the Hospital Wing. He vanquished all of his fatigue from entering the Chamber of Secrets and slaying a basilisk. Every trace of tiredness was banished away as he slumbered peacefully through breakfast.
And, for good measure, he slept through lunch. And most of the afternoon. He didn't stir until Ron and Seamus dragged him out from under his covers and dropped him onto the floor.
The waker-uppers snickered as Harry unleashed an unholy string of swears at his friends, absent-mindedly rubbing the shoulder he'd landed on.
"Dinner's in half an hour. Come on, champ, up you go." Ron said sarcastically as he helped Harry to his feet.
"Dinner?" Harry grumbled as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "How long have I been asleep?"
"It was almost breakfast when you finally nodded off." Seamus grinned. "We heard you and Ron talking last night and figured you needed the rest. Ron here, on the other hand," he threw the redhead a playful elbow, "wouldn't miss a meal for anything."
Ron shrugged, and it was Harry's turn to snicker.
"Get dressed mate, Dumbledore organized a feast to celebrate." With that, the redhead turned on his heel and left the dormitory, followed by Seamus.
After throwing on his school robes, Harry dashed down the staircase to the Gryffindor common room, where he was met with deafening applause. He looked around in surprise as almost all of his housemates were cheering for him as if he were their biggest hero.
"Harry Potter!" Fred Weasley grinned as he wrapped Harry up in a bear hug from his left side.
"Savior of Hogwarts!" George cried out as he followed his twin's example on Harry's right.
"Receiver of two-hundred points for Gryffindor!" They bellowed in unison, and the cheers in the common room reached thunderous levels. "Thanks for rescuing Ginny." They each whispered to him in uncharacteristic sentimentality before pulling away and returning to their riotous selves.
Harry flashed his fellow Gryffindors the biggest smile he could manage, and after everyone calmed down he made his way to the Great Hall, surrounded by his classmates.
"Is it true you killed a fifty-foot basilisk?" Pavarti asked as they descended a staircase.
"With a sword?" Neville's tone was practically giddy. Harry glanced at Ron, who shrugged, still smirking to himself.
"Eh, it was more like a hundred feet." He grinned, earning some playful laughter from his friends.
"So, Harry, are you excited to see – "
"Shut up, Dean, for the love of everything that is holy!" Lavender yelled in a tone sharp enough to make everyone within fifty feet flinch.
"Am I excited to see what?" Harry asked once his eardrums stopped ringing.
"Excited to see the setup for the feast?" Lavender asked. Harry shrugged.
"Sure, I guess." He responded, watching with curiosity as Lavender glared at Dean, who mouthed an apology. "What's going on?" He asked. "I fall asleep for twenty hours and suddenly everyone's acting weird…" He joked.
"We're all just glad you're alive. Some of us are a bit jumpy from everything." Lavender turned back to him, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "You gave us all a scare when you didn't come back with McGonagall."
"Oh!" Harry couldn't hide how taken aback he was at his friends' concerns. "Wow, I had no idea…" He muttered. Ron draped his arm over Harry's shoulders.
"Shockingly, Harry, your friends care about you." The redhead grinned. Harry returned the smile, and they all entered the Great Hall. Harry sat across from Ron and between Pavarti and Seamus, but Pavarti was leaving a suspicious amount of space between herself and Harry.
"Do I smell bad or something?" He asked. Pavarti shook her head, giving him a quick smile before darting her eyes to her plate. Within a few minutes, the Great Hall was filled with the student body of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the meantime, Harry finally had some time to think – something he hadn't been able to do since he'd been hauled out of bed by his roommates.
And the moment he let his mind wander, it landed on a familiar subject.
"Hey, Ron, have you heard about the victims? Did the Mandrake Draught work? McGonagall told me they'd be good to go today." He asked. The redhead shrugged.
"Just say you're worried about Hermione, Harry." Pavarti giggled. Harry felt his face heat up, which only elicited more laughter.
"I, well…I am worried about Hermione – but, obviously, you know – "
"See, I don't know how he gets better essay grades than me when he's as articulate as a rock." Seamus snorted, and Harry knew his cheeks were even redder. The blood rushing in his ears was loud enough to make him unaware of the hush that had fallen over the Great Hall.
"Oi. Harry." Lavender, who was next to Ron, nudged Harry's shin under the table. He turned to see she was nodding her head at a weird angle, and for a moment Harry thought she had been hit with a Confundus Charm. Clearly his confusion was reflected on his face, because Lavender sighed in exasperation before pointing in the direction she'd been nodding her head – towards the Great Hall doors.
Harry tried to crane his neck and see what she was pointing at, but he could barely glimpse a thing beyond the sea of heads up and down the Gryffindor table. Slowly, he swung his legs over the bench and got to his feet, scanning the far end of the room. Then he spotted what had caused everyone in the Great Hall to quiet down.
A certain bushy-haired witch was standing just inside the doors of the Great Hall, nervously wringing her hands. Harry felt his heart slow to a standstill at the sight of Hermione Granger outside of her bed in the Hospital Wing. Then, his face lit up in a grin so large he knew he was stretching his lips to their limit. But he didn't care. His entire body was positively pulsing with total, utter, unparalleled happiness at the mere sight of Hermione Granger – alive and well.
He locked eyes with her, and she instantly stopped distractedly twisting her hands. The moment she caught sight of him, she flashed him the most radiant smile he could ever remember, sending his nervous system into a frenzy. After a beat, she began running down the aisle straight towards him.
Harry didn't want to wait for her. The moment he saw her take off, he did the same, his legs moving so fast he wasn't sure if his trainers were touching the ground. The closer they got to each other, the more ecstatic Harry felt, and even though he was moving as fast as he was capable of, time seemed to slow down.
Now, since the invention of the hug, there have been five hugs that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. Harry and Hermione crashed into each other like a pair of meteors, emitting a shockwave of pure joy that bounced off the walls of the Great Hall.
Later, Harry's friends would tell him that everyone in the room – save the Slytherins, obviously – broke into uproarious applause the moment they embraced. Ron went on to mention that even a few teachers were particularly enthused – especially Professor McGonagall.
But Harry didn't notice at the time. His undivided attention was focused solely on the girl he had wrapped up in his arms, who was squeezing the life out of him more than she ever had before. Gingerly, he rested his cheek against Hermione's hair, feeling the familiar tickle he'd missed for far too long.
"You solved it!" Hermione cried out, still beaming as she stepped away. Harry nodded eagerly, still grinning like an idiot.
"Couldn't have done it without the brightest witch of our age." He smirked. Hermione blushed, but maintained her dazzling smile.
"Oh, by the way…" He smirked impishly. "I freed Dobby."
Hermione gasped in surprise, clapping her hands to her mouth for a moment. "Did you really?" She squeaked. Harry nodded once again, and felt a familiar wall of force slam into him, causing his smirk to widen into a full-blown grin.
Then, he a warm brush graced his cheek. Suddenly, he felt as if he would never touch the surface of the Earth again in favor of floating off the ground for a blissful eternity. Keeping one arm wrapped around Hermione, he brought his other hand up to the spot where she had kissed his cheek, brushing his still warm skin with his fingers.
"I can't wait to hear how you describe that one." She whispered into his shoulder. Harry didn't react for a moment, waiting for his brain to catch up with his ears. Once it did, he hitched his breath in shock. He involuntarily tightened his arms around Hermione, which only elicited a small giggle from his best friend.
'She could hear me…' He thought to himself, feeling a tidal wave of anxiety crash over him.
"How much – "
"Every word."
"Oh, Merlin…" Harry mumbled to himself, feeling his cheeks turn Gryffindor scarlet.
"Thank you for everything, Harry." Hermione whispered as she pulled away to gaze at her best friend. Harry saw nothing but positivity in her eyes – jubilation, excitement, relief, elation, just about every happy emotion in the book was reflected in her chocolate irises. They could not have been more different from the lifeless orbs that he'd seen since she'd been petrified, and Harry felt his unease melt away.
"Are you two planning on sitting down?" Pavarti asked, pointing to the two empty spots between her and Seamus. Hermione eagerly took a seat next to Pavarti, but Harry paused, eyeing his peers. All of them were looking rather smug, particularly Lavender. Even Harry Potter, the boy with the intuition of a tree stump, was able to piece together what was going on.
"A-ha!" He crossed his arms defiantly. "You all were acting weird because you knew Hermione would be back from the Hospital Wing! That's why you left two seats open," he wheeled on Pavarti, "and you were going to ask me about Hermione on the way down here!" He pointed at Dean accusingly. "You all knew, but you wanted it to be a surprise, didn't you?"
"It was Lavender's idea!" Dean blurted, pointing to the blonde girl down the bench from him. Harry stared at her, and she just shrugged.
"You're welcome." She winked. Harry tilted his head in curiosity, but she just waggled her eyebrows and returned her attention to her plate.
"Well, I think that's rather sweet of you all. Harry's reaction was everything I could have hoped for." Hermione beamed at her classmates. "Harry, have a seat before I eat all of your treacle tart." She patted the spot on the bench next to her. Harry sighed, narrowing his eyes at Lavender one last time before he slid next to Hermione.
Before he could dig into his dessert, he felt a hand slip into his. He turned to see Hermione smiling at him, the warmth that he'd been accustomed to before her petrification emanating from her skin once again. Any sorrows or troubles he might have had at that moment were wiped far from his mind as he met his best friend's cheerful eyes.
Hermione Granger was back.
Chapter 26
For a long time, Harry and Hermione had been surrounded by their peers, answering question after question about being petrified and fighting a basilisk, but after their housemates deemed them sufficiently bombarded, they began to trickle off towards the dormitories or other parts of the common room. Eventually, Harry and Hermione were alone, listening to the sounds of chess pieces getting clobbered from across the room and the crackling of the fireplace in front of them. They were silent, but not as if they were enveloped in an awkward, unpleasant silence. It was content, as if anything that needed to be communicated was beyond words.
Harry had his feet up on the table in front of them, absent-mindedly drawing patterns on the couch cushion he was sitting on as he gazed into the fire. Next to him, Hermione was curled up with a faded book, her back against the couch's armrest so she was facing him.
After almost ten minutes of tranquil silence, Harry saw Hermione gently close her book out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head to meet her eyes, her deep brown eyes that currently encompassed every happy emotion that humans were capable of. She flashed him a quick smile before scooting towards him, turning so she could place the book on the table.
"How are you feeling?" He asked once Hermione was leaning back into the couch.
"Stiff." She joked, and Harry rolled his eyes. "But happy." She smiled, leaning her head on Harry's shoulder. "Very happy."
"I know how you feel." Harry exhaled, feeling as if he were sinking into the couch cushions. Hermione let out a pleased sigh, and nestled in a tad closer to Harry. Another pleasant silence ensued, and after a few minutes, he thought Hermione had fallen asleep. Then…
"Harry?" It was a very quiet whisper, and for a moment Harry thought he imagined it. "Are you awake?"
"Mm-hmm." He hummed, gently leaning his cheek against the top of Hermione's mane. He felt a small smile pull up on his lips as her wild locks tickled his face, a feeling he hadn't felt for far too long.
"Did you mean it?" She was still whispering, even though the common room was almost empty. "Those things you said in the Hospital Wing?"
"Every word." Harry said automatically. He felt Hermione hitch her breath, but he didn't move. He waited for her to say something. Anything. Ideally something that did not involve her feeling creeped out by how much he thought about her, how much he cared about her.
Hermione didn't say anything. Instead, she gingerly lifted her head off of Harry's shoulder. Before he could turn to see her face, she leaned inwards and pressed her lips against his cheek, sending an armada of butterflies fluttering throughout his entire body.
"I was never really sure if you liked it when I did that…" She admitted in a meek voice. "But it always felt right. Then you said all those nice things…" She added as she placed her head on his shoulder once again. Harry felt his face heat up, but managed a nod.
"If you didn't run away almost every time you did it you probably would have figured it out." He smiled to himself. Hermione let out a small purr and leaned into him even more. Harry felt his smile widen at the sound, but said nothing.
Once again, the pair found themselves enjoying the best kind of silence. Harry hadn't felt this at peace in a long time, simply absorbing Hermione's company after a bizarre chain of events made it impossible to do so for so long.
Harry gradually started to doze. Between his eyelids growing heavier by the second and the warmth on his right side providing more comfort than any blanket, he let himself drift off blissfully.
The next weeks flew by way too fast for Harry Potter, even if time seemed to stand still every time he was with Hermione. Which, now that she was nowhere near the Hospital Wing, was almost all the time. They walked the Hogwarts grounds together hand in hand every time the weather was nice, and when it wasn't they sat in the library or the common room enjoying each other's presence.
Life was pleasant, not riddled with disembodied voices and petrified friends. Even Malfoy wasn't particularly vile, but Harry figured he was too humiliated – along with his father – to bring himself to be the prejudiced prat he usually was.
The last full day of school in particular, they were enjoying the sunshine, sitting side by side near the Great Lake, selecting subjects for the next year.
"Have you picked your classes yet?" Hermione asked as she scanned the list of courses in front of her.
"Honestly, none of these look that interesting. Maybe Care of Magical Creatures." Harry sighed, absent-mindedly doodling a Snitch on the edge of his paper.
"Harry, you have to take this seriously." Hermione narrowed her eyes. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm taking Care of Magical Creatures too." She sighed.
"That settles it!" Harry grinned triumphantly as he circled the class name with a flourish. "What else are you taking?"
"Harry, you can't choose a course just because I'm taking it."
"Well, I'm thinking even if I'm lousy at them I'll have you."
"Harry, I'm not doing all your homework for you." Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I didn't mean I'll have Hermione Granger, homework machine." Harry put his paper down and nudged her with his elbow. "I meant I'll have Hermione Granger, my best friend. You make everything better."
Hermione didn't lift her eyes from the list of courses for a beat, and for a moment Harry thought he'd said something wrong. Then, he felt her arms around him, squeezing the life out of him.
"Hermione!" He coughed out, unable to suppress a smile.
"You make everything better for me, Harry." She whispered, pulling back to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"You are still going to help me study, right?" He asked, feeling rather dazed as Hermione beamed at him.
"Oh, hush." She blushed as she turned back to her paper, a small smile on her face.
"Anyway…" Harry said awkwardly. Hermione looked up at him expectantly. "Erm, are you taking Divination?"
Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled again. "Yes, I'll be taking Divination, Harry. Are you excited to see the future?" She wiggled her fingers in mock mysteriousness. Harry smirked and circled the course on his sheet.
"And you were worried I'd be the one copying your schedule."
"I'll have you know I picked these classes days ago." Hermione huffed, stuffing her paper into her bag. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Coming out here to pick classes was your idea." Harry leaned in close to a now blushing Hermione. "Hmm…were you finding excuses to spend time with me?"
"Honestly!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "No, for your information, I was worried you would blow off picking your classes."
"Sure."
"Shut up."
They were silent for a beat before they both burst out laughing. Hermione threw her head back as she laughed particularly hard, inadvertently sending several bushy brown locks into Harry's face, which only made them both laugh harder.
"Blegh!" Harry gasped out sarcastically as he coughed out some strands of hair. "Your hair tastes weird."
Hermione narrowed her eyes, scooting away from Harry. "My hair tastes weird?" She asked.
"Yeah, Hermione, it's hair. I'm pretty sure all hair tastes weird." Harry sighed. "It's not a slight against you, or your hair."
"Do you like my hair?"
"Blimey, Hermione, I love your hair." Harry was surprised at the question.
"Oh!" She brightened at that, and scooted back towards him. "That's sweet of you."
"It's true." Harry grinned, making a point of twirling one of her locks with his fingers. "It feels nice. It always tickles my cheek – "
"So you've told me." Hermione waggled her eyebrows, and Harry coughed nervously.
"So you heard me say while you were petrified. I was just thinking out loud rather than actually talking to you."
"Sure."
"Shut up." Harry blushed, pulling one knee up to his chest while leaving the other extended towards the Great Lake.
"You like how it feels?" Hermione asked, scooting even closer to him. "I'm not the biggest fan of my hair, to be honest." She averted her eyes, opting to stare at the deep blue waters in front of them.
"How?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.
"Well, Pavarti's is all straight and nice, and Lavender's hair is really wavy and it always looks good – "
"Yeah, but yours is better." Harry cut her off.
"You sound so sure." She turned to Harry, surprise etched on her face.
"Because I'm right."
"Keep talking like that and I'll kiss you on the cheek again." Hermione said before immediately clapping her hand to her cheek. Harry raised his eyebrows in amusement as her cheeks turned a deep red and her eyes widened to the size of plates. "I can't believe I said that!" She gasped, slowly lowering her hand. "Sorry…" She mumbled.
"You don't have to apologize." Harry smiled, getting to his feet. "You seem to keep forgetting that I like it when you do that." He held out his hand, and her blush deepened as she took it and helped her to her feet.
Feeling rather smug, he turned his head slightly so his cheek was facing her, wordlessly asking for a peck.
Hermione just scoffed. "Now you're not getting anything." She rolled her eyes before marching away from Harry, who didn't budge. Hermione made it five steps before she noticed. "Alright fine, I suppose you deserve something." She sighed, turning around and making her way towards her best friend.
Now openly smirking, Harry raised an eyebrow as she stood in front of him. Playfully rolling her eyes, Hermione cracked a smile before punching him in the shoulder as hard as she could.
"Ow!" Harry groaned, doubling over as he clutched his shoulder. "You are evil!" He carped as he stood up, rubbing his shoulder.
"Don't tell me the great Harry Potter can't take a punch from a girl." Hermione smirked, raising her eyebrows defiantly.
"He can't if that girl carries twenty books in her arms all day." He grumbled, picking up his bag. Hermione just laughed at him, picking up her own bag and marching off, forcing him to jog to catch up.
"Are you excited for the summer?" She asked once they were walking side by side, as if she hadn't just punched him as hard as she could.
"Of course I am. I miss your parents." He smiled wistfully, then suddenly stopped walking. "Hermione, do they…"
"No." She said shyly, darting her eyes to the ground. "I'd rather not tell them. They love me being magical and all, but if they found out I was attacked by a fifty-foot snake they'd pull me out of Hogwarts for sure."
Harry nodded in understanding, trying to imagine Mr. and Mrs. Granger reacting to Hermione being petrified. It was almost as painful as seeing her frozen in her hospital bed. Carefully, he took her hand and began leading her back to the castle.
"Do you want to talk about something happier?" He offered, squeezing her hand.
"Please." Hermione cracked a smile.
"Well, for starters, that fifty-foot snake is dead." He began, and Hermione let out a genuine laugh. "Let's see, happy thoughts. Exams were cancelled – oh, sorry…" He smirked. "I know how much you love exams. Let me know if you start getting separation anxiety."
"You're a prat." She tried hard to glare at him, but was unsuccessful in subduing her smile and her laughter. "You have all your classes with me next year, that's a happy thought."
"Yeah, that is a happy thought." Harry smiled to himself as they walked towards Hogwarts, conversing exclusively about cheerful topics.
They were just shy of the steps leading into the castle when the doors were thrown open, and out marched Minerva McGonagall, dragging someone by the ear. Harry and Hermione paused, watching with amusement to see who had invoked the wrath of the Head of Gryffindor.
"Is that – " Harry started, but was too shocked to finish.
"Consider your termination effective this instant!" McGonagall hissed, practically throwing her captive down the set of limestone stairs. A jumble of pale blue robes and wavy blonde hair tumbled down the stairs, grunting and crying out all the way. After a comically long time, it came to a rest just in front of the pair of students.
"Excuse us, Gilderoy." Hermione smirked, grabbing Harry's hand and leading him around the prone professor.
'Former professor.' Harry corrected himself, staring in amazement at Lockhart's flustered expression.
"Miss Granger, thank you for bringing such a glaring issue to our attention." McGonagall nodded curtly to Hermione, who beamed as she ascended the steps.
"What is happening?" Harry asked, still dumbfounded. "Is Lockhart sacked?"
"Gilderoy Lockhart has spent the past few years traveling across the Wizarding World, allegedly to perform heroic acts against the most ghastly creatures imaginable." The Transfiguration teacher huffed. "It turns out, Mister Lockhart has been taking credit for other wizards' gallant actions and wiping their memories so he could reap the benefits of their work."
"He's a fraud?" Harry asked, barely hiding the excitement in his voice.
"To put it crudely, yes." McGonagall threw a glare down the steps at Lockhart, who was now staggering away from the castle. "Fortunately, one of the victims of his actions was an Armenian warlock who was able to publish a recount of his actions before his memories of the event were erased. Your friend Miss Granger found said journal in our own Hogwarts library."
Harry's jaw dropped. He turned, incredulous, to a blushing Hermione.
"I must go consult the Headmaster about finding a new instructor for next year. Miss Granger…" She glanced around, as if looking for witnesses. "Fifty points for Gryffindor."
Harry swore she winked before turning on her heel and marching back into the castle. He turned to Hermione, whose cheeks were doing their best impression of a tomato. "Did you really do that? You got Lockhart sacked?" He was grinning from ear to ear.
Hermione nodded slowly, and Harry wrapped her up in his arms before he could even process what he was doing. He heard Hermione squeak in surprise, but she made no effort to move away. He buried his face in her hair, feeling his smile grow impossibly wide.
"Harry!" She gasped, but she tightened her arms around him.
"You're brilliant, Hermione." He whispered into her hair, feeling her stiffen in his arms. At first he thought he'd said something wrong, until she pulled back and kissed him on the cheek for the second time that day.
"You earned that one." She smiled as she laced her fingers through his and led him back into the castle, away from the setting sun. Harry offered a dazed smile as he walked side by side with her, wishing he could bottle the feeling in his chest up and savor it for the next time he was in a bad mood.