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"I'm sure you will. Now, how about you two come along and pay for your books, you've only got a short amount of time before the carriages leave for Hogwarts again, and I would hate for you to get in trouble for being late." He said, moving over to his till.
Harry and Hermione bought their books and made their way to the carriages hand in hand. Sitting in a smaller one together, Harry collapsed into his seat.
"Tired Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at her boyfriend.
"Yeah, guess those potions just delay tiredness, not cure it. Hopefully Luna doesn't want to do something too active for her date, if she does, I'll need to reschedule it for tomorrow." Harry said, sighing a bit. His physical endurance was pretty good, and none of the girls had had him do anything physical on their dates, but mentally and emotionally? It was hard to be ON for that long, to be an active and interesting boyfriend and person for four straight hours.
"This takes a lot out of you huh?" Hermione asked, sitting next to him.
"Probably just where I'm not used to it. A lot of the time I just turn my brain off and go with the flow, just snuggling up with you girls and reading a book or playing a game doesn't need me to devote specific energy to being there, not in the same way a date does. Especially since I was worrying about everyone having a good time." Harry said. "I'm glad Daphne did the scheduling, if I had to do it things would have gone a lot worse."
"Well, you don't have to do everything alone Harry, we're here with you, and are active participants in our relationships too. We will let you know if we want or need something. So what I need you to do right now is just relax, how about you lie here in my lap for the rest of the carriage ride and I'll play with your hair." Hermione said, her face going a bit pink. Harry smiled and did as he was instructed, and simply enjoyed this brief moment of closeness with Hermione. "I love you, Harry. I'm so glad we met on the train that day."
"I love you too, Mione." Harry said.
"Mione?" She asked.
"Well, I think it's cuter than Herms would be. I can do something else if you don't like it." Harry said.
"No… Mione's good. Unfortunately your name doesn't shorten down any for me to do anything with it." Hermione said.
The rest of the carriage ride was a quiet affair, and it was all Harry could do to not fall asleep on Hermione's lap. Arriving at Hogwarts proper, Harry stood up and straightened his hair. "How's it look?" he asked Hermione.
"As messy as always, though I'm not one to talk." Hermione said, taking a moment to smooth a part of it down.
Harry smiled at her and the pair shared a quick hug and a kiss, before Harry waved goodbye and made his way to the Sphinx Club room. Since Luna hadn't gotten to go to Hogsmeade, her date had to take place in the castle, and that was their agreed meeting spot. Stepping in, Harry found Luna in a pretty white sundress, complete with a wide brimmed tan hat. She smiled at him as he came in. "Hello Harry, ready for our date?" She asked, her blue eyes sparkling in the beams of light that came through the windows of the Sphinx Club room.
"Yes I am Luna, what have you got planned for us?" Harry asked, making his way over to her and taking her hand. She giggled a bit.
"Well, what I really want is for you to tell me a story." Luna said, sitting the pair of them down on one of the couches.
"Oh? I don't think I know any stories." Harry said, a bit shocked. While he had no idea of anything Luna would want to do for a date, since their last one was bound somewhat by opportunity and circumstance, this was surprising.
"Oh, you know this one. I wasn't around for your first year, to know what it was like for when you first arrived into the wizarding world. I've heard bits and pieces, but I want to hear all of it. And I want you to tell it to me. I know my Harry as a person, I know he loves me and cares for me. But I also know he's been through a lot of hardship, so I want to hear his story. That, and it's not fair that the others get to know and I don't." Luna put on an exaggerated pouty face at the end of her speech, but quickly fell into giggles and failed to hold it. Harry laughed with her.
"Alright, I'll tell you." Harry said, after giving her a quick peck on the lips for making him laugh.
"Wait!" Luna said, before shifting herself around. Now she was lying with her head on his lap, and her feet dangled over the side of the small loveseat they were sitting on. Harry took a moment to notice she was barefoot. "Alright, now you can tell me."
Waving off his confusion at her lack of footwear, Harry started at the beginning. "One day at my Aunt and Uncle's house, we had an owl show up at the window during morning breakfast…."