"So is that why one of your boggart thingies is a bad grade? Because you're afraid you'll get kicked out and lose this life?" Harry asks her. Ron had fallen asleep on the floor in front of the fire, and they were the only people in the common room. Hermione had been staring into the flames for quite some time, and Harry was sitting next to her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.
"Yes. I have different fears since then though. Bellatrix just didn't mention them, because they wouldn't have made me flip out." She says.
Harry frowns. "Like...?"
He feels her sigh."Like losing you. And losing Ron. My parents being killed. Voldemort coming back."
He stiffens at the last one, kissing her hair. "You're worried he'll come back?"
"You aren't?" She brings her knees up to her chest and gently sets her head on his shoulder, and his heart aches as he remembers when she went with him to Godric's Hallow. She was always there for him. And he would always be there for her.
"Yes. But it's not something I think about often." He smiles thinly. "I prefer to keep my Voldemort thoughts to a limit, thanks."
He pushes a strand of hair out of her face. "How do you do that?" She asks softly.
He shrugs. "I just don't think about the things like that much."
"I think about everything too much."
"You can't think of a single time your mind is blank."
She shakes her head slightly. "Nope. Can you?"
He sighs. "Yes. When you kiss me. But only sometimes. More often I'm aware of everything the second I feel your lips."
She laughs. "I always just picture your face."
"Why?"
She shrugs. "It fascinates me."
He laughs, and if his laugh were a visible thing, Hermione feels like it would be sparkling. "You know what fascinates me? You."
"So the feeling's mutual then? That's a relief."
He looks down at her. "Yeah. It is." He thinks again of the older days, and for some reason he thinks of when he danced with Hermione in the tent when Ron left."You know what we haven't done in a while?"
"What?"
"Danced." And then he pulls her to her feet while she giggles.
"We don't even have music."
Harry waves his hand at a stereo that always sat in the common room, and he grins. "What was that song we danced to in the tent? The one you really liked?" And with a swish of his wand it's on and playing for them.
He wraps one arm around her waist and takes one of her hands, starting to spin them in circles. As soon as they get to the chorus, however, he gets more into it, twirling her in circles and dipping her down to the floor, while she laughs the whole time.
Hermione even spins him too, and after a few songs they collapse onto the couch, exhausted but happy.
~~~~~
The next morning, it was back to classes, and Hermione was getting a lot of praise for having rid the school from Bellatrix.
"She's merrily trapped." Hermione kept reminding them. "She isn't completely gone." But no one was really paying attention- they were all just relieved that Bellatrix was no longer bothering them
Hermione, however, was still not reassured.
They were in Potions class, brewing a particularly nasty potion, which Hermione was naturally perfecting, when she screams suddenly and drops her stirring spoon to the ground loudly.
"What? What's wrong?" Ron asks her as he and Harry rush to her side. Both of the boys set a calming hand on either of her shoulders while she keeps the panicked look on her face.
"Dennis. Creevey. Dennis Creevey. He hasn't come back." Hermione says, and she pushes up from her stool, making Ron and Harry jump, startled. "Professor Slughorn? I need to go speak to Professor McGonagall. Please- it's important."
Slughorn looks up from his papers, nodding. "Alright, go ahead."
"Can we go?" Harry asks.
Slughorn frowns. "Afraid not. I only have one hall pass."
And before either of them could argue, he turns and disappears into the supply closet behind his desk, vanishing from sight. Harry groans, slumping to sit back down on his stool. "We should be able to go with her."
"Yeah- we're her best friends."
"And boyfriend."
"And partners in crime."
"And buds."
Ron snorts. "Her buds. Ha. Bud. That's a funny word." He bursts into a quiet fit of laughter. "B-buds. Haha. Buds."
Harry stares at him, almost scared for his friend. "What's so funny about the word bud?"
Ron continues laughing, shaking his head. "I dunno- sometimes I just start laughing at things that aren't even funny. BUD. HAHA."
Harry frowns. "Right. Right. So. Um. Okay. You just... you just keep laughing about something that isn't funny... I guess. And I'll just-yeah." And then he turns and continues to work on the potion while Ron tries to control his weird fit of laughter.
~~~~~
Hermione jogged down to the Headmistress's office, ignoring the portraits that exclaimed to her as she went by.
"Stop running!" says a man that looks like he tried to look like Abe Lincoln but failed miserably.
"Young lady, slow down!" a woman with a powdered wig hollered at her.
But it was the soft, kind and gentle voice that stopped her.
"My dear, what is it that you're in such a rush for?"
Hermione fall to a sharp and sudden stop, nearly crashing into one of the suits of armor that lined the halls. Hermione hadn't heard that voice in so long, and just the sound of it brought tears to her eyes as she slowly turned around to face the portrait. As soon as the person in the painting saw her tears, he shakes his head sadly. "Don't cry, there is nothing to be sad about."
She wipes her tears away and stares into the eyes of Albus Dumbledore. "I'm sorry- it's just that I haven't seen you in so long."
Dumbledore chuckles softly. "You are very much like Harry, you know. Always apologizing for things that don't need to be apologized for."
"I know, I do that a lot, sor-" but then she stops herself in the middle of yet another apology.
He smiles, his eyes twinkling behind his half moon spectacles. "There you go- you're learning already! Now, where is it that you are rushing to?"
She sighs. "I suppose you've heard about the ghost of Bellatrix Lestrange appearing at Hogwarts?"
He nods, beaming. "Yes, I'm delighted to say I have! You are the one that captured her for us all, correct?"
Hermione pinches her lips together, mumbling a quiet yes. "Well, there was an issue, and she really got into my head and I got her anyways but it's just left me all shook up. And since I was all messed up I wasn't thinking about how we still didn't have Dennis Creevey back, and I feel terrible for not having thought about him yet."
"Ah. And are you going to see Minerva?"
She nods. "Yes- I have to find him. I can find him, I know I can."
Dumbledore thinks. "Have you, perhaps, thought of looking at Harry's map?"
Hermione's eyes widen. "No I haven't- I sort of just rushed out of Potions the moment I thought about Dennis- I have to go get him map!"
Dumbledore looks pained. "I only wish I could be there to help you."
Hermione looks at the floor. "Sir... why did you leave me in your will? I didn't think I played a very important role in-"
Dumbledore cuts her off. "You most certainly did play an important role! Without you, Harry would never have been able to defeat Voldemort."
"Actually..." Hermione begins to say, but she is again cut off.
"Actually nothing, Miss Granger. Without you, the world would be much different- without anyone, the world would be much different, for everyone plays an important role in life. Everyone is necessary, and everyone is essential."
Hermione frowns. "I didn't think you would leave me anything because I thought you never were particularly interested in me."
Dumbledore looks sad. "My dear, did you really think that?"
She shrugs. "Ron thought the same about himself."
"I took an interest in everyone, and I took a large interest on you three- I suppose I only made my interest apparent to Harry, for I needed to help him, and I am sorry about that." He nods at her. "It was wonderful speaking with you, Miss Granger, and I have faith in you on finding Dennis- make sure he's alright for me too, will you? He may still be struggling with the loss of his brother."
And then, before Hermione can respond, he disappears into another frame.
~~~~~
"Eighteen."
"Nineteen."
"It'll be eighteen."
"No- nineteen."
"She'll only be eighteen minutes, I'm telling you!"
"And I'm saying nineteen!"
"What are you boys arguing about?" Hermione demands as she slides down the stairs- another boy had attempted to climb the girl's dorms.
Harry rolls his eyes. "I said it would only take you eighteen minutes to get ready."
Ron cuts in. "I said nineteen."
Hermione frowns. "Well, how long did I take?"
Harry checks his watch. "Five minutes."
She grins. "Looks like you're both wrong." She glances around the common room, which was stuffed with people. "Are you guys positive that there isn't anyone in your dorm?"
Harry nods. "Absolutely positive. It's good to go."
She looks at him. "Thank you, Harry, for letting me borrow the map."
"Anything for my girl."
Hermione laughs. "That was so cheesy-"
"Don't act like you didn't like it-" Harry fires back.
"IF YOU'RE GOING TO BLOODY KISS THEN JUST UP AND DO IT!" Ron shouts suddenly, and the entire common room turns to look at the now bright red faces of Harry and Hermione.
When everyone finally looks away, Hermione and Harry both whack Ron over the head at the same time. "Moron." Hermione states, before turning and rushing up the stairs.
Harry grins at Ron as they both flop into armchairs. "Ha."
He looks at Harry. "What?"
Harry shrugs, still grinning. "She called you a moron."
Ron frowns. "She's called you worse."
"Actually she normally calls me nicer things."
"Like?"
"Sweet. Brave. Sexy."
Ron snorts at the last one. "She does not call you sexy."
Harry raises an eyebrow. "How do you know? You have no clue what she calls me when we're alone."
Ron grimaces. "Blimey, Harry, you sick freak."
Harry laughs, but Ron still glances up at the stairs Hermione had disappeared up into, still wondering if she had actually called Harry 'sexy' before.
Well. I suck. I haven't updated this story in ages and I am sorry- really. I know, I know, i apologize for not updating all of the time, but you have to understand that it's hard and there isn't always time for me to be updating every second. And sometimes I do have time- but I don't feel like writing, and if I don't feel like writing the product doesn't always turn out as good as when I'm really feeling the story.
But.
I have a new instagram account dedicated to this wattpad account, and it's called imagisky. You should all definitely go check that out and give it a follow.
I have some new fanfic ideas that I may be trying out soon, but I don't know.... maybe. Keep a look out for them.
That's all I have to say, sorry again.
Byeee
Magisky