Chapter 2, Taking the First Steps

“Bye, Harry!” said Hermione, and she did something she had never done before, and kissed him on the cheek. – final page of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

-0x0x0-

From the Journal of Hermione Granger, Year 5

July 1

Today I kissed Harry.

 

It had been an unusual car ride back home from the train station this year. Normally, Hermione was eager to tell her parents about the things that had happened during the school year, recounting what she had studied in her favorite classes and sharing with them amazing tales of the adventures she and her two best friends had undergone. Of course, she usually toned these down a bit. She had managed to describe how the three of them had solved the mystery of the Stone and the traps protecting it during their first year to defeat the wizard that was seeking it without mentioning that Harry had killed a professor in the process. Likewise, her petrification by a basilisk during second year had been brushed off as a minor setback, not at all life threatening, along the way to deducing the mystery of the diary, the Monster of Slytherin, and the Chamber of Secrets. The account of how the escaped prisoner Sirius Black had turned out to be innocent and actually Harry’s godfather had somehow glossed over her nearly having her soul sucked out by a dementor.

But this year she had been rather subdued, telling them a few details of the end of the tournament, and that Harry had won. She didn’t mention that one of the champions had died. She didn’t reveal that Harry had been kidnapped at the end and forced to participate in a ritual that had restored Voldemort, the evil wizard who had killed his parents, to life, or that the Minister of Magic had refused to believe his story. There would be time later to carefully reveal that information.

She also didn’t tell them that Viktor had invited her to Bulgaria, but instead responded to her mother’s question about him that nothing had come of that relationship. Her parents already knew that Viktor had taken her to the Yule Ball, and that he had subsequently had to ‘rescue’ her from the lake during the second task of the tournament. She allowed her parents to conclude that her restrained manner was due to the ending of her first teenage romance. She was fairly certain that they were quite relieved about that, not being comfortable with her dating someone three years older than herself, and were therefore perfectly willing to let the subject drop and not press her for details.

In addition, they were distracted by what had happened to her front teeth. With everything that had happened since she’d ‘fixed’ her teeth the previous fall, she had almost forgotten about it. She had nervously explained that they had been damaged in a magical accident, growing to more than a foot long, and that when they were restored they had come out looking normal. They eventually accepted the new look, and her father even joked that magic had saved them an expensive orthodontics fee.

During dinner she had turned the conversation more towards Harry and how she had helped him learn and practice spells for the tournament. How amazing it had been that he had won despite the handicap of being so much younger and less experienced than the other champions, and what an accomplished wizard he was becoming. By the end of the meal her parents were starting to get the feeling that they had been concerned about the wrong boy.

Now Hermione was in her bedroom, sitting at her desk and had officially begun the latest volume of her journal. She leaned back in her chair and regarded what she had just written. Now what? she thought to herself. Now do I write about how wonderful he is and that I’ve finally found my true love? How trite that sounds. She sighed, then bit her lower lip in concentration as she pondered how to describe the thought process that had led her to this point.

She had gone into the year wondering if one of her two male best friends might become something more. Of the two, she had always been closer to Harry. They shared a similar background, and so tended to think alike and respond alike to situations. Even when they disagreed, they could each understand the other’s point of view. Such was not the case with Ron, who just couldn’t comprehend some of the things that were most important to her. But Ron could be sweet, and made her laugh, and had several times shown a protective instinct towards her, and she certainly cared for him.

However, Ron had taken himself out of the running early on, with his abandonment of Harry after his name came out of the Goblet of Fire, and his infuriating criteria for picking a date to the Yule Ball – take the best looking girl he could find. The fight he had picked with her at the ball itself, going into a jealous rage when she turned up with Viktor, and the insulting accusation he had made – Hermione felt that he was implying that she was obviously so unattractive that the only possible reason Viktor would want to be with her was to get an advantage over Harry in the tournament – had been the final nail in the coffin. And it was just as well. The two of them simply annoyed each other too much. A relationship with him would be a battle of constant criticism, each of them unhappy with the other’s perceived faults. She also had a hard time handling Ron’s ogling of pretty girls while he was with her, Fleur being but the most blatant example.

On the other hand, Harry had developed a crush on Cho Chang, and hadn’t given Hermione any evidence that he had any such feelings for her. Despite the fact that they had spent more time together this year than any other, and had clearly grown closer, he may have firmly placed her into the ‘only a very good friend’ category. If she wanted any more from him, she would have to open his eyes to other possibilities. She hoped that her farewell kiss at the station had been a start.

Ironically, her relationship with Viktor had clarified her feelings for Harry. She had been mortified when she discovered that she was considered to be ‘the thing that he would sorely miss’. Honestly, they had just gone on one date together! But then it occurred to her that if that was supposed to make them a couple, if she was that important to him, and she cared MUCH more for Harry than for Viktor, what did that say about her relationship with Harry. Why weren’t they dating? After all, Rita Skeeter certainly thought that they were.

So, as the year progressed she began to think about her feelings for Harry in this light. He was certainly the most important boy in her life. Did that mean she loved him? But might it be only in a non-romantic sense? The night of the third task had settled it. The ache in her heart when she thought that he might be dead revealed her true feelings. She could not bear the idea of her life without Harry in it. She loved him.

A wry grin crossed Hermione’s face as she realized that she had already filled several pages in the new notebook.

But how to proceed? She wanted to write him a letter right away, but what would she say? Dear Harry, I suppose you’re wondering why I kissed you goodbye today. I was wondering if you liked me, you know, as a girlfriend? No, she just couldn’t see herself being so forward. The kiss on the cheek had been just the right initial gesture. Somewhat suggestive but still within the bounds of friendship. She could write and ask him if he had got home OK, and if his relatives were treating him all right. That would be safe.

But as she began to compose the letter, she realized that she didn’t have a way to send it to him. It occurred to her then that Hedwig always seemed to turn up when she wanted to send a letter to Harry. That interesting connection certainly was worth pondering sometime. Hedwig seemed to like her a lot. Did that mean something? Now that she thought about it, Crookshanks liked Harry, too. Certainly far more than he liked Ron. And Harry got on well with the half-kneazle, again unlike Ron. But for now she had other thoughts on her mind. Pushing away the quill and parchment, she rose and left her room, seeking the advice of her mother.

Returning downstairs, she found her parents in the living room watching the telly. “Hi,” she said as they looked up. “I, ah, thought I’d get a little something to drink. Do we have anything in the fridge?” Her mother looked up and noticed Hermione’s nervousness – the way she was shifting uneasily and playing with the hem of her shirt – and had an inkling that there was something else on her daughter’s mind.

“Oh, let me help you find something,” she replied as she rose to her feet. “Dan, should we bring anything for you?”

“Hmm? Oh, sure, whatever you’re having Em.”

Once in the kitchen, Emma Granger opened the refrigerator and withdrew a pitcher of unsweetened lemonade as Hermione got three glasses from the shelf. Before she handed her daughter the beverage container, she paused and gave her a quizzical look. “Something on your mind, Honey?”

Hermione took a step back, startled that her mother had caught on so quickly. Glancing up at her face, she saw a look of understanding in her eyes and shrugged. Then she hesitantly carried the glasses over to the table and sat down, while her mother poured the lemonade and then sat down beside her.

“Mom, is it possible to love a boy without being in love with him?” Hermione blurted out.

Emma caught her breath and forced herself to remain calm. While she had guessed what it was that was troubling her daughter, she hadn’t expected it to have gotten this serious yet. She raised her hand to her head and ran it through her hair a few times. While she had the same curly brown hair as her daughter, she wore it cut shorter. She was also fighting a battle with some encroaching gray threads, and decided that this topic was likely to generate a few more.

“This isn’t about Viktor, is it,” she stated, stalling for time as she gathered her thoughts. Hermione shook her head. “Harry?” Hermione’s head shot up, and Emma had her answer even if her daughter had tried to deny it. Knowing her mother already had figured it out, Hermione nodded somberly.

“It’s possible, but not all that common,” Emma began carefully. “Usually if your feelings are that strong they move on to something deeper. If you remain just platonic friends, you’ll probably move apart as you meet and fall in love with other people.” Hermione’s eyes widened and she grimaced. “That thought bothers you?” Emma noted. “The idea that you might eventually drift apart?” Hermione nodded again, her stomach clenching.

“Do you remember the movie, When Harry Met Sally?” Emma inquired. Hermione nodded again, a small smile finding its way to her lips. That movie had been famous for the scene in which the female lead loudly faked an orgasm in a diner. While Hermione had been frightfully embarrassed by that scene, she had also admired and envied that character for having the audacity and self-confidence to pull that off, being quite timid and unsure of herself at the time she watched it. She had never dreamed that she would one day be in a position to compare her relationship with a boy to the one depicted in the movie. The key theme had been exactly the question she was currently pondering – was it possible for a man and a woman to feel affection for each other in a brotherly/sisterly way without it eventually turning into romantic love? For that movie, at least, the answer had been ‘no’.

“I think that eventually you have to talk to him about it,” Emma suggested. She tried not to smile at the look of panic that flashed onto Hermione’s face. “Find a way to broach the subject, gradually feel him out as to whether he might be willing to consider the idea. Even if he balks initially, you’ve planted the seed. You can back off and let him know you’ll still be good friends. But he’ll know that you’d be receptive, at least, if his thoughts turn in that direction eventually. Boys don’t usually figure these things out as soon as girls do.”

Hermione was now nodding thoughtfully, so Emma continued. “I saw that goodbye kiss this afternoon.” She smiled again as her daughter flushed lightly. “Perhaps you can give him more hints like that and see what his reaction is.”

Finally Hermione managed a response. “One problem is that he’s got a lot of other things on his mind right now. He saw …” She paused, trying to work out how much to say. “He had a pretty awful experience at the end of that tournament. I didn’t want to alarm you before, but one of the other contestants was killed at the end.” Emma gasped, and clutched her glass tightly, but didn’t say anything, hoping her daughter would continue to confide in her. Seeing that her mother wasn’t going to freak out, Hermione continued. “It turned out that the whole reason Harry was in the tournament in the first place was that it was an elaborate plot to kidnap him. He and the other boy were captured and taken away, where the other boy was killed. Somehow Harry managed to escape. He even brought Cedric’s body back with him.” Tears were now trickling down her face. “Oh, Mum, it was horrible! Why do things like that have to happen to Harry? He’s such a good person!”

Emma moved to pull her crying daughter onto her lap, hugging her and rubbing her back. Once she had calmed down she made a suggestion. “We can talk more about this later, but I think that he would need affection and comfort even more now. Perhaps you can invite him over for a visit. Do you know how far away he lives?”

“He lives with his aunt and uncle in Surrey,” Hermione replied as she sniffed away the last of her tears. “And that’s another part of the problem. They hate him and resent that he has to live there in the summer. He’s certainly not going to get any comfort from them.”

Emma frowned as she realized that this situation was more complicated than she had first thought. “Well, the first thing to do is let him know that you care about him and are there for him if he needs anything. But no pressuring him Hermione,” she finished sternly.

Hermione managed a guilty smile. “You know me pretty well.”

Emma smiled back and nodded, then gestured to the telephone. “Why don’t you ring him up? You could just say you were thinking about him and wondering if he made it home all right, and then see where the conversation goes.”

Hermione mentally berated herself. Living for so many months in the wizarding world caused her to forget about such simple means of communicating. Here she had been fretting about not having an owl and Harry was just a phone call away. She also reflected that her mother’s suggested choice of topics had closely matched her own ideas, and felt more confident in her planned course of action.

Emma took Dan’s lemonade out to the living room as Hermione got in touch with directory assistance for the Dursley’s phone number. Unfortunately, things didn’t go very well after that.

“Hello, Dursley residence.”

“Hello, may I speak to Harry please.”

“What! Why do you …? I mean, there’s no Harry living here. Who is this?”

“This is Hermione Granger. I’m a friend of Harry’s from school and …”

“WHAT!! How dare you? You freaks stay away from here. We don’t want anything to do with your kind. Don’t you dare call this number again.”

Hermione winced as she heard the receiver slam at the other end of the line. So much for that idea! She decided to return to her room and update her journal while she pondered what to do next.

She hurried back upstairs without saying anything to her mother, who was sitting quietly on the sofa in the living room next to her father, trying, no doubt, to assimilate the shocking things Hermione had just told her. They would talk again in the morning, she knew. When she re-entered her room, to her surprise she found Hedwig perched on the back of her chair looking at her as though to say, ‘Well, you needed me here, let’s get on with it.’

Dear Harry,

Hedwig has to be the smartest owl ever! Somehow she seems to know when I want to send you a letter and shows up here to take it to you. I just wanted to check to see that you got home all right and how you were doing with your relatives.

Actually, I’m worried about you. You’ve been through a horrible experience and you need to have someone to be there for you. I know you tend to bottle things up inside, but if you need someone to talk to, you know I’ll listen. I care about you Harry, a lot. You’re one of the most important people in my life. I was so scared during the tasks of the tournament that I might lose you, especially when you disappeared after the last one. I don’t even want to think about what my life would be like without you in it.

Harry, I’m so sorry that you have to be cooped up there this summer, and I wish there was something I could do about it. Remember what I said when we left the station? I meant it, Harry. My mum suggested that I invite you to come visit us. What do you think? I know I’d love to have you here and I’d certainly enjoy spending the time with you. And I promise not to make you do any homework while you’re here. (Unless you want to.)

By the way, in case your uncle says anything, I tried to call you earlier, but he hung up on me. I hope I didn’t get you into trouble. Perhaps it would help if you told him that my family is ‘normal’ and he doesn’t need to worry about us doing something odd when we come to pick you up, if you think a visit might be possible.

Well, that’s all for now. Hedwig is looking impatient. Hope to see you soon.

Love from,

Hermione

Hermione reread the letter carefully, concluding that she had been subtle enough but had also let him know that he was very important to her. She had also managed to remind him of her goodbye kiss at the station without explicitly bringing it up. All in all, a pretty good start, she thought.

She did fret for some time about how to close. She had always ended her letters ‘Love from’ without giving it a second thought. But now she worried that Harry would read something into it. She sort of wanted him to and sort of didn’t. It was very confusing. But if she changed it, he might notice that she signed it differently and read something into that. And she didn’t want that either. Finally, she decided to just leave it and hope for the best.

 

Harry sat in his room, staring out the window into the darkening sky, wondering where Hedwig had got off to. She had suddenly demanded to be let out about an hour ago, a bit before his Uncle Vernon had come up to yell at him about a phone call from one of his freaky friends. He wondered if Ron had attempted to call him again. Or possibly Hermione.

Truth be told, his female best friend had been on his mind all day. The two of them had grown closer this year than they had been in the past. He had certainly spent more time with her this year. Last year he and Ron had avoided her for nearly two months because of the Firebolt incident and Scabbers/Wormtail, something that he was rather ashamed of now. And the year before that she had spent a large part of the second term in the Hospital Wing, first because of the botched Polyjuice potion and then because she had been petrified. But this year, she had devoted herself to him, helping him learn spells for the tasks in the tournament day and night. When even Ron had abandoned him, she had been there for him. He was firmly convinced that he would not have survived the year without her. One might even go so far as to say that she had been more important to him than Ron was. That thought reminded him of the second task of the tournament. While he would have been embarrassed to death if it had happened, it would probably have been more accurate if Hermione, rather than Ron, had been the person that he would ‘sorely miss’ that he had to rescue from the lake.

This was also the year that it had become blatantly obvious that she was a girl. The way she looked at the Yule Ball had been quite an eye-opener. And male friends didn’t kiss you goodbye. If he closed his eyes he could still remember the feel of her soft lips against his cheek. He wasn’t sure exactly what to think about that. The possibility of a boyfriend-girlfriend type of relationship with her hadn’t really occurred to him before now. It was not that it was an unappealing prospect. She had a lot of qualities that he would want in a girlfriend, now that he thought about it. She wasn’t as pretty as Cho, but then, just how much did he know about Cho? She was pretty and she played quidditch. However, after what had happened to him in the past week Harry had begun to reevaluate what things were really important to him.

But it might also be awkward – he wasn’t certain how a couple went about moving from a ‘just friends’ relationship to a dating one. If something like that were to happen with him and Hermione, he would want to be careful not to mess up what they already had. On the other hand, it appeared that she was already in some sort of romantic relationship with Viktor Krum. Hadn’t he invited her to visit him in Bulgaria?

Harry’s musings were cut off by the appearance of Hedwig at his window, with a parchment attached to her leg. Opening it up he immediately recognized Hermione’s handwriting. After scanning it once making sure there was no emergency, he read it through carefully, frowned in thought, and read it through again. It included the kinds of things he expected to hear from Hermione, but there were a few unexpected items as well including some that suggested that her feelings for him might be stronger than ‘just good friends’. He decided he’d better sleep on it before he wrote her back.

The following morning, Harry carefully composed his reply.

Dear Hermione,

I was so glad to get your letter yesterday. Believe it or not, I had been thinking about you when Hedwig arrived. And before I forget, no, I didn’t get into trouble about the phone call. Uncle Vernon just yelled a bit. I wasn’t sure if it was from you or not, because he just went off about my ‘freaky friends’. I think my relatives will pretty much try to ignore me this summer. If I turned invisible they would be thrilled.

Like I said, though, I’ve been thinking about you. I really appreciate what you did for me this year, spending so much time with me and helping me learn stuff for the tournament. I’m afraid I’ve often taken you for granted and not let you know how much your friendship means to me. I’m also sorry for not standing up for you more often when you argue with Ron, especially that time at the Yule Ball. I can’t believe I was such a berk that I didn’t even dance with you that night. I think dancing with you would have been loads better than it was with Parvati. I really did enjoy all the time we spent together this year. You’re one of the most important people in my life also.

I would love to come and visit you, but I’m not sure if I’d be allowed. I’ll write a note to Dumbledore and ask. I don’t think that my aunt and uncle would mind. They’d be glad to be rid of me. When would be a good time for you? Is your family taking a trip this summer? I also recall that you mentioned going to visit Viktor.

As far as the other thing, I’m doing pretty good. I try not to think about that night too much. Mostly I’m nervous about what’s going to happen next. I’m going to start taking the DailyProphet to try to keep up with what’s happening. Do you have any ideas about what will happen next?

Even if the visit doesn’t work out, please keep in touch. I promise to write more than I’ve done in the past. You mean a lot to me.

Yours,

Harry

Harry nodded in satisfaction with what he had written. He had managed to get across the message that he cared for her without going overboard about it. And he’d also worked in an innocent query about her relationship with Viktor. He quickly wrote a note to Dumbledore and gave both parchments to Hedwig.

“Take the one to the Headmaster first, then the one to Hermione. You can wait and rest there a while if she wants to send another letter.”

-0x0x0-

From the Journal of Hermione Granger – July 2

He wrote back! Oh, this is just what I was hoping for. I’ll need to clear up things about Viktor though. I wonder if that’s what he was trying to get me to do. I’m going to show his letter to Mum to see what she thinks. I immediately began another letter, but the look Hedwig gave me convinced me to wait until tomorrow to send it.

-ooo-

Dear Harry,

I’m so happy to hear from you so soon, and that everything’s going well. I was also thrilled to read what you wrote. I enjoyed spending all of that time with you as well. I feel that we’re closer now than we’ve ever been.

I guess I should have been clearer in my letter. No, I’m not going to visit Viktor. I told him the day he left that I just wanted to be friends with him, but we’re still going to keep in touch and write to each other. Mum and Dad don’t have any firm plans for a holiday this summer, so we’re pretty flexible. If it works out, it would be nice if we could get together for your birthday. I bet you’ve never had a real birthday celebration, have you? Let me know as soon as you’ve heard from Dumbledore.

I think that’s a great idea you had to get the Prophet. I’m getting it too, as you know. I’ve been doing some other reading as well …

-ooo-

Dear Hermione,

Bad news. Dumbledore said I have to stay here for most of the summer because it’s safer. He said I might be able to go to the Weasley’s later. It sounded from what he wrote that you’d be going there also. Do you know anything about that?

If you wanted to send me one of those books you mentioned I think I’d enjoy reading it too. It would be fun to read a story about wizards and dragons. I’ve never heard of a hobbit before, though. There’s nothing much to read here, since I only get things that Dudley’s tired of and he’s not much of a reader. And yes, I’ve started on my homework. Are you serious about checking over my essays when I’ve finished them? If so, I’ll send them along with Hedwig. Still nothing happening here, and no news either. It’s kind of frustrating. I’m so glad I have you writing to me.

Yours,

Harry

-ooo-

Dear Harry,

I’m so disappointed that you won’t be able to visit. I was really looking forward to seeing you. I had another idea though. There’s no reason I can’t come to visit you, right? Mum could bring me over and we could have an outing. I’m sure that Dumbledore doesn’t expect you to stay inside the house all summer. We’ve checked on the map and LittleWhinging isn’t too far of a drive from here. If you’re interested, let me know and I’ll have Mum call your aunt or uncle. She’s pretty good at dealing with snobby people. (Don’t tell your relatives I said that!)

I did get an owl from the Weasleys. They seem to think that I should spend the whole rest of the summer with them. Honestly, I do have a family of my own! Since I stayed at Hogwarts over the Christmas holiday, I haven’t seen them much since last summer. So I politely declined, and told them I might come for a visit at the end of the summer, especially if you were there. (I thought a hint along those lines might help – I mean, you’re the one who needs ‘rescuing’ from your relatives, not me.)

I’m sending along the first book – actually, it’s kind of an introduction book before the main story. I think you’ll like it. And of course I’ll check over your homework. I’m glad you’re writing to me too, and even happier that you’re enjoying my letters. I know I tend to go on a bit sometimes.

I miss you.

Love from,

Hermione

-ooo-

Dear Hermione,

Your idea sounds brilliant! (I know, what else should I expect from the cleverest witch of the age?) I had no idea you lived close enough to drive over. Do you have any idea of what you’d want to do? Would your mum drop you off and pick you up later or would she stay with us? (Either way would be fine with me, though I wouldn’t object to having some time with just the two of us.)

I agree that you should be with your parents this summer. You know how much I envy you and Ron for your families. You definitely haven’t had much time with them this year.

Don’t tell Ron, but I stayed up halfway through the night reading your book. It’s really interesting. I found it intriguing that Gandalf uses a staff instead of a wand. (Oh no, I’m starting to discuss books with Hermione Granger. What am I getting myself into? I’m afraid you must be starting to rub off on me.)

I’m including my Transfiguration essay and my Charms essay with this letter. I’m dreading the Potions one so I’m saving it for last, and I don’t think you want to see what I wrote for Divination.

Thanks for your attempts to get me out of here early, but I’m not very hopeful. I get the feeling that there’s something else going on that no one’s willing to tell me. Sirius wrote me a letter and hinted as much. Ron wrote too, but didn’t really say anything. Your letters are the ones I most look forward to, though. And I don’t mind that you go on about things. It’s part of what makes you who you are, and I happen to like who you are.

I miss you too.

Yours,

Harry

Emma Granger smiled at the squeal she heard from her daughter’s room, followed by the pounding sound of running feet coming down the stairs. It sounded like she’d be having a phone call to make, and an hour-long drive in the near future.

-0x0x0-

From the Journal of Hermione Granger – July 15

What a great day! Mum had no trouble convincing Mrs. Dursley to let us take Harry out for the day. Harry certainly appeared to be very happy to see me, and even hugged me back enthusiastically. Once we had Harry in the car, Mum suggested that we go to the nearby mall. Her idea was that we could buy Harry some nicer clothes, then have lunch, and go to a movie in the afternoon. Harry was hesitant at first, but the two of us were quickly able to persuade him. He didn’t want us to pay for him, but the only money he had was wizarding currency. Mum said that was fine, that he could give me the Galleons, which would help us both out, because we could avoid the exchange fee at Gringotts. So we traded 500 Pounds for 100 Galleons, and he had plenty of money to spend. We negotiated a bit before we agreed that Mum would pay for lunch and Harry would pay for the movie tickets. Then we proceeded to buy him a completely new wardrobe.

Harry let me pick the movie, so I chose the new Disney movie ‘Pocahontas’. The best part was when he put his arm around me during the sad part. I thought about holding his hand while we were walking around the mall, or during the movie, but I decided that would be too forward. The most amusing part of the day was when we were shopping and we got to the underwear section.

“Boxers or Briefs?” Hermione grinned at Harry as they finished putting the last of the socks he had picked out into the shopping cart. Her grin transformed to an all out giggle as Harry opened and closed his mouth looking like a guppy, then turned bright red. He quickly grabbed two 3-packs of plain white cotton briefs and tossed them into the cart, then turned to hurry away. But Hermione stayed there and after looking around for a few seconds, grabbed another 3-pack of colored briefs (one red, one blue, one black) in the same size and added them to the cart.

“Hermione, I can’t wear those!” Harry moaned, attempting to remove her additions to the cart and return them to the shelf.

“Nonsense. They’ll go perfectly with those tee shirts you just picked out,” Hermione explained as she stopped him.

“Hermioneeeee,” he whined. “What will the other guys think?”

“Do you mean to tell me that none of your dormmates wear anything other than plain white underwear?” she countered.

“Well, Dean does …” Harry began, then stopped and glared at her. “Hermione, this isn’t fair. How would you feel if I insisted on picking out underwear for you?”

Hermione merely raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh? Do you want to pick out underwear for me?”

“No! That’s not the point,” Harry objected as his face turned red again. “I …”

“Look,” Hermione interrupted. “I’ll make you a deal. I’ll buy a set of red underwear and I’ll wear it to the Gryffindor quidditch matches this year and you’ll wear these red ones with your red tee shirt also. It’ll be a way of showing house spirit.” Harry tried to object again but realized that he was fighting a losing battle as Hermione and Emma moved to the junior women’s lingerie section of the store. Even though Hermione teasingly offered to let Harry help them pick something out, he adamantly refused to even enter the department, instead busying himself looking at some camping equipment a few aisles over. However, Hermione noticed him cast several covert glances at the bright red bra and knicker set lying in the shopping cart as they made their way to the checkout counter. She smiled contentedly to herself at the success of the ploy to get him thinking of her in a very different way than he was accustomed to.

All in all we had a wonderful time. And not only did I get to spend the day with Harry, my mum had a chance to get to know him as well. And at the end of the day when we dropped him back at his aunt and uncles he thanked us and said he had a wonderful time and really enjoyed spending the day with me. Then he kissed me on the cheek!

Mum asked me if I would really have let him help me shop for underwear, and I admitted that I had been bluffing. But I was quite certain that he wouldn’t take me up on it. Then she agreed that it had been a clever way to get him to think of me as a girl. She also said she liked him a lot and thinks we would be a good match.

-ooo-

Dear Hermione,

Well, there was some fallout from our outing the other day. I want to assure you that I liked it a lot, but some other people weren’t too thrilled. I just got a message from Sirius saying that I’m not allowed to go out like that any more. Dumbledore says I have to stay closer to the house. Sirius was sympathetic about it though. Said he would have done the same thing. He said that spending a day with a pretty girl is always worth getting into trouble for.

They continue to keep me in the dark about what’s happening. Dumbledore’s orders, from what I can make out. It’s getting me really annoyed. I mean, I’m the one who faced him, right? Aren’t I entitled to know what’s going on? Ron added a note complaining about having to do a lot of cleaning. I get the impression that he’s not at the Burrow. Wherever they are, he must be at the same place Sirius is. Do you know any more about that?

Thanks again for taking me to the mall. It’s really nice having clothing that fits, and shoes that aren’t taped up. I haven’t got up the nerve to wear some of the things I bought yet, though. (There followed a line that was scratched out that Hermione guessed had said, ‘How about you?’) Lunch was also nice and going to the movie with you was great. I’d like to do that again some time, but I get to pick the movie. Perhaps when things calm down and I don’t have so many restrictions we can go to another one together.

I’m ready for the next book. I can’t believe the first one ended like that, with them splitting up. I’m worried about Frodo and Sam but I also have a bad feeling about what’s going to happen to the others.

Hope I get to see you again this summer somehow. Will you be going to visit Ron next month?

Yours,

Harry

-ooo-

Dear Harry,

I agree with you completely about being kept in the dark. I would be annoyed too. You certainly deserve to know what’s going on if anyone does. And I don’t understand how it could be so much safer hanging around your aunt and uncle’s house than going to a mall. Do you know if there are special wards of some kind on the house? Do you want me to write to Dumbledore and ask him?

I accept your offer to take me to a movie the next time we get an opportunity. No horror movies, though. I might get scared and end up sitting on your lap. Hmm, perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad after all. You’d keep me safe, right?

Mrs. Weasley has owled me again and asked me when I was going to join them. If you’re going to be there too I’ll definitely go as well. It would be nice to visit with Ron and Ginny. But I’m going to stay here at home at least through the end of this month. Right now I’m thinking perhaps the last two weeks before school starts.

I’m sending you the second book but you’ve got to promise to finish that Potions essay. I think you did a great job on all the other ones, and you just have to buckle down and do it. I know you don’t like the class, but try to write it without thinking about how horrible the instructor is. The subject itself isn’t that bad.

I’m glad you liked the new clothing so much. I bought some new tank tops the other day. They’re pretty bare at the shoulders and back, but they’re really nice with this hot weather we’ve been having. I’ve also spent time at our neighborhood pool. Have you ever been swimming? (Besides in the lake at school during the tournament. I don’t consider February to be an appropriate time of the year for swimming.)

Hope to see you soon.

Love from,

Hermione

-ooo-

Dear Hermione,

Uncle Vernon just shocked me senseless. He asked if I would invite you and your parents over for dinner sometime! Can you believe that? It seems that Aunt Petunia was telling him about how impressed she was with your mum and he got a strange look on his face and asked me what your dad’s profession was. When I told him your parents were both dentists he realized that your dad is in some club or organization that he’s been trying to get into. Now all of a sudden he wants to get on your parents’ good side. So, what do you think? Would you and your folks like to come over for dinner? (Please say yes!)

Yours,

Harry

P.S. – No, I’ve never been swimming (except for that one time) but I must admit that the thought of going swimming with you is a very pleasant one. Perhaps one of these summers we’ll be able to do that together.

-ooo-

Dear Harry,

Of course I’d love to come and see you again. And if I have to put up with eating dinner with your aunt and uncle to accomplish that, well, that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make. Actually, Dad told me the club your uncle mentioned is for London area business professionals and he’s on the membership committee this year. Now, don’t tell your relatives this, but he said that based on what Mum and I have told him about them there’s no way he wants anyone like that in his club, but he and Mum are certainly willing to sit through an evening with them so that I can spend some time with you.

Now, as far as a date is concerned, how about doing it on your birthday? At the very least it would force your aunt and uncle to celebrate it for once. (Pretty tricky of me, don’t you think?)

Oh, and one more thing. I just bought a new summer dress and I’m going to wear it when we come over. I really like the way it looks on me and I can’t wait for you to see it. Actually, I also can’t wait to see you again.

Love from,

Hermione

-xox-XOX-XOX-xox-