Hermione Granger studies harder than you. (her_my_nee) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-01-13 08:47:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, harry potter, hermione granger |
Who: Harry and Hermione
When: Tuesday, December 18
Where: Cafe
What: A lunch date! Just friends date. Not date date.
Rating: Low
Status: Complete!
Hermione was looking forward to lunch with Harry. Now school was out and they both had more time on their hands, they should be able to spend more time together. She was sitting in the cafe with a cup of tea and her laptop open in front of her, and she was lazily wandering her way through wikipedia, jumping from page to page and reading up on different topics. It was something to do to pass the time while she waited for Harry.
Every time the door chimed, she lifted her head to look and see who it was that came through. When she saw Harry’s shaggy head, she broke into a huge grin, and lifted her hand to wave him over.
Harry, too, was looking forward to lunch. He kind of felt, because of school, and football, and her having a boyfriend, that the two of them didn’t keep in touch nearly as much anymore. It was something he didn’t really like, because she’d always been so close to him, and vice versa, that it felt like being separated from a close sister. That, and Harry wanted to see how her and Ron were getting on--he didn’t spend enough time with him either anymore, which he needed to change quickly.
As he stepped through the door into the cafe, he noted Hermione’s wave and smiled as he made his way towards her. Dropping into the seat across from her he chuckled at the computer before her, “Let me guess, Wikipedia and random topics. Do you ever stop... learning? Maybe that’s why a space man finds you so desirable, hm?”
He was joking of course, even though saying that seemed odd to him still. Sure, he believed Jim, believed Hermione about the space stuff and the magic stuff; he couldn’t help it, and had come to accept it. Still, it was a lot to wrap one’s head around.
“It’s really good to see you, ‘Mione.”
Hermione gave him a very brief blank stare, and then reached forward and pushed her laptop closed. “How... you just know me too well,” she said, grinning. Then again, he’d been told over and over about her random Wikipedia searchings.
“Maybe. It could be my looks. Or perhaps it’s my charm,” she said, breaking into a smirk and a blush. “...but that may be why. He and I learn together pretty much nonstop.” Well, she leaned with him. He knew a lot of things.
“It’s good to see you, too.” Hermione said, giving him a warm smile now. “I didn’t order you anything, I didn’t know what you want.” She added, apologetically.
“Oh I’ll just order some fries or something, not too hungry. Never am, plus have to watch what I’m eating considering the game in a few weeks and all of that.” He shrugged, before raising a brow, “I’ve missed talking to you. Between studies, football, and your new favorite past time, Jim, it seems pretty difficult for us to ever find time to get together.”
He then smiled and leaned back, “So I think it’s imperative we catch up, you know, before you get married and sale off into the stars forgetting all about Ron and I.” He winked with a jest, before shrugging, “What have you been up to? How have those dreams been coming?”
“Oh, right, the big game.” Hermione said, grinning. “So... you’re getting me tickets, or whatever, right?” She thought that Jim would probably enjoy coming along with her to the game. Just proving his statement about her new favorite pass time. “Well, we’ll have to start making time. Because I’m not going to lose sight of my bff.” She actually said the letters, B-F-F. It sounded a little strange coming out of her mouth.
“Get married?” She added, going rather pink. “Harry, I’m nineteen. that’s not about to happen anytime soon.” She shook her head. “I’ve been busy, you know. Working and reading and finishing up finals.” She lifted her tea for a sip. “I seem to be repeating a lot of first and second year at Hogwarts in my dreams. I’m getting a lot better at magic, though.”
He laughed, “Okay, maybe not married. Just a joke though.” He laughed again before shrugging his shoulders, then raised a brow, “Bff? Wow, I love hearing that. Although a bit valley girl coming from you, you alright? Getting too much California sun recently?” He winked before looking to the waitress as she came near. Smirking to her, he held up the menu, “Just some chips and a soda--surprise me.”
When the waitress walked away with her own smile, Harry glanced to Hermione and raised his brow, “Well I’m glad. Still weird to know you know magic and all of that, but still pretty awesome. Really weird name for a school isn’t it? Hogwarts? They’re just opening themselves up for ridicule as a school full of kids.” He laughed, “Yea, I’m done with finals completely.”
Hermione flushed. Truth be told, she'd scribbled "Hermione Kirk" on the inside of her notebook for her Biology class. She wouldn't actually admit it to Harry, though. It was immature and foolish, but sometimes even she succumbed to foolishness. She gave a laugh. "Well, it's true, isn't it?" She asked, then shrugged her shoulders a little bit. "I think I've had about a decade of too much California sun. It's permanently affected my brain."
They ordered, and the waitress went off to get them a couple of sandwiches. Hermione leaned back a bit. "You need to come by sometime and I'll show you all the things that I've figured out how to do. I'm still working on getting a broom to fly."
“Seriously? You actually fly a broom too? God, next you’re going to tell me you use black cauldrons and will be growing warts on your nose too,” he shook his head and leaned back in his seat, “I still find this a bit unbelievable. If you don’t mind me saying, that is. You’re a witch, which kind of sounds a bit rude to call you, but I guess from your perspective that’s probably not a bad thing huh?”
He then cracked his neck off to the side, then looked back to her with a smirk, “And it has permanently rotted your brain. I bet within a week you start popping bubble gum and talking about shoes every day.”
Hermione frowned a little. “Well, I don’t do a lot of flying. It’s mostly you that does the flying, Harry.” She said, the frown breaking and a grin coming through. “Cauldrons, yes. Warts? No. Come on, let’s not buy into stereotypes.” She teased him. “You’re not the only one who finds it unbelievable. I’ve just had proof. The proof is in the pudding, I guess.” The grin spread even more. “Not a bad thing at all, actually. Especially to someone like me. Muggle-born. It’s a compliment to be called a witch.”
“Pssh. Never.” She said, shaking her head. “I don’t care about shoes. And gum gives me a headache.”
“Oh yea? Am I good broom flyer then? That... means something?” He laughed shaking his head. That part was the hardest part, the most difficult to understand. They kept telling him what he did, or the stuff he was apart of, and he didn’t feel special. Didn’t feel anything really. He stared at her a moment and shook his head, “You keep telling me I do this, and I do that, and it’s so hard to believe it. I’m sorry, i haven’t had the dreams you and Ron have had. I’m thinking maybe you have the wrong guy, maybe a different Harry? I’m definitely nothing special. I mean, other than a Quarterback for USC, but yea.”
Then thinking on it, “Oh and, yea, I’ll get you guys tickets. I’m not going to be playing though, but yea you can definitely come. You and Jim both. I don’t know how much fun it’ll be for you though, and I’ll have to invite Ron you know. And you know how Ron and Jim get on--do they at all? I guess I’ve never seen them around each other. …And how have you and Ron been getting on?”
"You're the best, Harry." Hermione said with all the seriousness she could muster. "The best in a generation. You're the youngest Seeker on the Gryffindor team in a century." She shook her head a little. "I know that feeling. You think you're average, you're normal. You're just running along, living your life and trying to get by. In my dreams, though, we're special. We sure are something. You're The Boy Who Lived. I'm the brightest witch of our age. It makes me feel... accomplished." Sort of like how she felt when she was with Jim.
"That's lovely." Hermione said, giving him a smile. "I'll let Jim know. And uh... they don't get on at all, actually. Ron made sure of that." She paused. "I don't know. Ron's wonderful, but... he could be a little more supportive." She shrugged. "I've been spending a lot of time with Fleur. You know, Bill's fiance? She's wonderful. She's a friend of Jim's, too. And she's been very supportive."
“Ron could be a bit more supportive I suppose; though, in all fairness, you have to be reasonable to him. You can’t expect him to be all gung ho for a girl he likes to be all in the arms of another man can you? He gets jealous, it’s part of who Ron is, and if you ask him to change that then you change what makes Ron... well... Ron. I’m sure as time goes on, and Jim’s no longer the ‘new’ boyfriend, and Ron starts to see you two are actually compatible, he’ll start to move on. Really, we need to get Ron a girlfriend, if I’m honest. That’ll move him on faster.”
He then nodded, “Yea, I know Fleur. A bit, not really all that well though. Only have had the most meager of passings on way to Ron’s room, or from it, or on our way out of the house. She seems friendly enough, and it’s good you have a bit of a girlfriend to talk shop with. I mean, you also have Ginny too.”
"Yeah. Yes, you're right." Hermione said, nodding. "He's Ron. I should be used to it by now." She added, leaning back a little in her chair. "Maybe things are a bit too new. I'm pretty excited about it, but I hope I'm not making things too difficult for him." She decided that she didn't want to dwell on the subject, though. That was between her and Ron, not really for her to talk with Harry about. But his comment about getting Ron a girlfriend made her chuckle. "That's a good idea. Let's find him a nice girl."
She gave him a nod in return. "I do, I have Ginny, too. But it's a bit weird to talk to her about it, knowing how close she and Ron are." She shrugged gently. "It's nice to have girl friends. I don't have a whole lot of them."
He smirked, “Yea, but you have plenty of guy friends you can bounce information off of; still, you’re right. It’s probably nice to be able to talk to a girl about all of this. I mean I can paint my nails and do my hair, but it’s not going to make me understand woman problems any easier.” He was laughing as he watched her. Then shrugged.
“And yea, talking to Ginny would be a bit weird. How is Ginny, by the way? I don’t see her often. Much at all; hell, I’ve seen you more recently than I have Ron, let alone his sister. I feel I haven’t really seen anyone at all since then.” He took another drink from the soda that had been brought to him.
He leaned back in his seat to watch her some, before clicking his tongue, “And yes, let’s get Ron a girlfriend. Not just a nice girl, but she has to be a kisser. Like she has to want to kiss, because I’m certain Ron wouldn’t be able to hold a good conversation that many times, and for that long; so he’d need something to fall back on to keep her interested.”
A gigglesnort escaped Hermione before she could stop it, and she brought her hand up to cover her mouth. "Really, Harry? Paint your nails? Really?" She laughed and shook her head. "Next thing I know you'll be talking about sleepovers and facials." She said, leaning back in her chair again.
"She's really busy with her show," Hermione said. She'd finished her drink just in time for another to be brought out and set in front of her. She grabbed at the straw and idly stirred. "Honestly, I haven't seen all that much of her, either. I'd love to spend more time with her."
As much as she was incredibly happy with Jim, there was still a part of Hermione that was... hung up on Ron. She shook her head. "I'm not sure I want to entertain the idea of Ron snogging some girl," she said, not really sure where the word 'snogging' came from. "But you're absolutely right. We'll have to find Ron a girl who enjoys lots of kissing. Know anyone?"
“You don’t? Hermione, that’s kind of selfish you know. He can’t … wait, did you say snog? What does snog even mean? You’re getting weirder every day,” he shrugged then, before sighing, “But he can’t kiss someone, but you have a boyfriend? You can’t be doing that to yourself, or to him. You especially have to kind of make a decision, right? I mean, you can’t keep having Ron hanging around thinking he might have a chance, while you’re moving around with Jim.”
He thought, “Are you and Jim even going anywhere? I mean, I don’t want to make a big deal about you and Jim, and obviously you shouldn’t make a decision now, but are you two even... like... seeing anything beyond whatever it is you two are now? Or is this just a fun thing? And if it is...? What are you going to do if Ron has a girlfriend when you and Jim are done?”
He shrugged, “I know, big talk; I just, well I want to make sure you’re both secure and happy first above all else.”
"It's those dreams, I think. They're affecting my brain." Hermione's accent, though faint from her years in California, was coming back a bit because of the dreams. Apparently British slang was slipping back in, too.
"I know, I know. It's just... a hard adjustment to make. I always sort of thought that Ron and I would... Nevermind. That's not important." Hermione shook her head. "Ron's one of my best friends, and Jim's my boyfriend." That's all there was to it, really. It was simple. As strange as it felt sometimes, it was a pretty simple equation. Hermione gave a little sigh.
"Jim and I are... we're really close, Harry. I mean, I don't know if we're going to be together forever, but we're together for now and that's enough for me. And if Ron finds someone who makes him happy, that'll make me really happy." She said, quite honestly. "Now. On to more interesting subjects. What about your love life?"
He nodded, “Well then good. If you’re together now, if that’s how you view it; that’s what you have to tell Ron the next time you talk to him. Just talk to him, alright? I’m sure you can bring out the support you’re looking for.” He then grinned and watched as their food came, sitting back and thanking the waitress, before looking back towards Hermione.
“We’ll find Ron someone, I’m sure,” he then bit into a fry before laughing to himself.
Hermione raised a playful eyebrow. “No no, I don’t like this subject avoidance,” she said, lifting her fork to point at him. “You’re not getting off that easy. Tell me about your love life. You haven’t met anyone, have you?” She felt like they had spent so much time talking about her love life lately that they’d neglected talking about his.
He frowned then shrugged, “Fine, yes we’ll talk about my love life. Or lack thereof. I have no love life, ‘Mione; no I haven’t met anyone, but it’s fine. I don’t need anyone. I have football and school, I’m just too busy to worry about finding a girlfriend. Most of the girls I do go on ‘dates’ with, generally want to say they’re dating the Quarterback of USC, or to get closer to the starting Quarterback of USC. It’s fine though. Really.”
Was it? Not really. Harry wasn’t exactly shy, and really if he wanted to he could probably find a girlfriend if he wanted to; he just wasn’t always the most open or trustworthy of individuals. He always saw people as trying to get closer to him because of his status on the campus. It was kind of his thing where he never wanted to be ‘the Quarterback of USC’ he just wanted to play QB for them, and be Harry Potter. What’s worse, he didn’t talk about these things that much with Hermione or Ron because he didn’t like to bother them with his minor problems.
Hermione wouldn’t be bothered with his “minor” problems. She wanted to be there for him, wanted to help him through any difficulties. Afterall, wasn’t that what friends were for? What she was supposed to be there to do for him, and him for her?
“That’s a shame. You’re such a handsome boy,” she said, teasing him playfully. “You really do have a lot to offer, though. I’m sure it’ll happen when the time is right?” She added, giving him a smile.
“I can find a girl on my own Hermione, just you know how it goes with me, and sure I have plenty to offer. I know that,” he shrugged as he took a bite from his fries, “But yea it’ll all happen when it happens. Not going to push it, you know. In the meantime, a few celebratory parties after wins, maybe a few make out sessions with a girl or two? I’ll live with that. No need to fret over the big stuff until it shows up.”
He licked his lips a moment, before then raising a brow in her direction, “Why so worried about my non existent love life? Don’t tell me you’re going to try setting me up with someone. That’s not what this is, is it?” He began to look around quickly.
Hermione laughed. "No, no. Of course not. I wouldn't do that to you." Hermione said, though she was now thinking that was just what she wanted to do. Perhaps if she found Harry a nice girl, someone that she got along with rather well, the two could double-date.
"Just thinking. Now that I'm blissfully happy, I'm looking for ways to make everyone else as happy as I am," she teased, playfully. "And you're first on my list, Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived." She couldn't help the last bit. It snuck out before she had a chance to stop it. Her smile faltered just a little, and she went on, though her voice cracked. "How's your meal? You know, I come here a lot, but I've never had the turkey club before."
He shook his head, “You know, you don’t have to worry about the whole girlfriend thing; I’m perfectly content with you and Ron as my mates, and not having to worry about that. I’m sure if I get the need, I can get a warm body for a night if I have to; so don’t worry, I’m anything but unhappy.” He winked as he continued to eat.
Then blinked when she said ‘boy who lived’. He frowned a bit, staring at her, “Boy Who Lived? That some sort of reference to the dreams again? You know I don’t have dreams, at least those dreams. Can’t say I like the idea of being titled for living. Not exactly what I’d call something that bodes well, you know?” He shrugged before eating again.
“And meal’s good. And yea? Well how’s the Turkey Club? Nice change of subject, by the way.”
Hermione went a little pink. "A warm body for a night?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Actually, nevermind. I don't want to know." She shook her head. It was a little gross to think about, actually. Harry was so much like a brother--more like a brother than anyone else in her life--so thinking about him with some girl? 'A warm body'?? Gross.
"Do you... um... have we told you about what happened in the dreams?" Hermione asked. Did he know about his life there? Did he even want to know? "I know, I know. Not very subtle, am I?"
He laughed at her pinkness and just shook his head, “See? I tried to be politically correct with that statement; obviously didn’t work too well, still you get the idea. We’ll leave it at that.” He chuckled before taking another bite from his meal set before him. Then raised a brow when she asked about the dreams.
Frowning, he shrugged, “No one’s really talked to me all that much; just that I show up in them from time to time I guess. I haven’t really asked, kind of don’t know if I even want to know; I mean, you guys think these things are real, I don’t really want a different life. I’m happy with my current one.”
"All right, I promise that I'll never ask about your love life again, if you promise to keep the news of your 'warm body for a night' adventures to yourself." Hermione said, giving him a little grin and a soft laugh. She turned her attention to her food as the subject changed from his love life (or lack there of) to the dreams.
"Do you want to know?" Hermione asked. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell him. It was a fairly painful story to think about her friend, even if it was just in the dreams. Even if it wasn't real--though it felt so real. "I can tell you everything I know if you want. I just... it's not a nice story for you, Harry."
Harry blinked and frowned, shaking his head, “If it’s not that great, then why do you guys all seem so keen on experiencing these dreams of yours? I don’t want to know, it’s just a fake and false life Hermione. It’s not real, don’t want it to be real if it sucks. And frankly, I’m glad I’m not dreaming it. I mean sure, you can do magic, but maybe that’s all the dreams are right? Like, maybe they’re clicking for you, or it’s your subconscious finding a way to make sense of having magic. And sure, Ron and you have the same dreams, but they’re not real. We’re here. We can’t be there.”
He frowned, he didn’t like the idea that in their ‘dream’ world, Harry’s life was not a ‘nice’ story. He shook his head and took another bite of his food, before finally looking towards her, “I don’t want to know anything about it. And if I don’t dream about it? The better. I mean if it’s so bad that it requires a warning label before hand.”
"We can't stop them from happening, even if we wanted to." Hermione explained. "And there's more to it than the bad things. There's a lot of good there, too. I've learned so much." What she wouldn't give to have her collection of books from the dreams. Just Hogwarts: A History would make her giddy.
But she didn't want to argue with it. She knew Harry both here and there, and she knew that arguing with him wouldn't do her any good. She shrugged her shoulders a little and turned her eyes back down to the table. "All right." She said, softly. There was no way he was going to convince her that the dreams were her subconscious trying to explain how she had use of magic.
He frowned, staring at her, “Hermione, everytime you go to tell me about these dreams you tell me about how it’s not nice for me, or you talk to this Bellatrix girl who gives me the creeps. I have no idea what’s going on in them, and I’m sure there are some amazing things--like being able to do magic--but I like the life I live now. I don’t want to live something that, I’m sorry, you make sound like it’s all bad news bears for me.”
He shrugged, and then smiled, “But I’m glad it’s great for you guys. I don’t know what it means if it’s good for you guys, I mean, I’m not entirely sure it’s real, but obviously something is. I just don’t know what to make of it. It doesn’t make sense, and it’s kind of a bit unrealistic to all of us living two lives and one we’ve never even known of. Having two sets of memories. That’s a bit impossible isn’t it?”
Hermione couldn't say she blamed him. If she had to choose between this world and the other, she'd pick this one, hands down. She had Jim here. And Harry had his mother and father, and there were a lot of really great things here. No Death Eaters (except for Bellatrix, who was decidedly scary), no Voldemort. But no magic. Well, no Hogwarts, anyway. Not that Hermione had ever heard of. She was somewhat determined to go back to England at some point and use her wand to try and find some of the things she'd seen in her dreams.
She nodded to Harry. "It's not all great for us, either, Harry. I mean, there are great parts, sure. But it's not all a bed of roses. There's danger and darkness, too." She said, softly. A gentle shrug crossed over her shoulders, and she leaned back in her chair. "I've been trying to come up with some of those answers myself, and I've fallen flat. There's no explanation for it. None that I can find, anyway."
“No, I suppose it’s not all great for you, but it does sound like you’re telling me it’s pretty much all shit for me, so you can understand why I likely don’t really want to listen to someone tell me my life sucks in a dream life I’ve never lived, but may have lived,” he shook his head, “This whole dream thing hurts my head, it doesn’t make sense. Sorry, it’s just so hard to wrap my head around it.”
He shrugged again, before then turning his brow up to look into her direction, “See if you can’t come up with an explanation to it, and you’re a genius, how can it possibly make any real sort of sense at all?” He chuckled before winking towards her, “Still, it’s pretty cool you can do magic. If you can magically create a beautiful woman, who’s smart, and completely down to earth; who has no idea what football is, or at the very least, doesn’t give a shit I play it--then sign me up. I’m all aboard the magic train.”
“I don’t think it’s all shit for you, either, Harry,” Hermione said, frowning. “There are good bits to each story. But there’s a lot of darkness in the world.” She shook her head. “Nevermind. Really. I’ll stop bringing it up.” She wouldn’t talk to him about it again if he didn’t want to.
“We’ll see what I can do.” Hermione responded. She left it at that.