Memories

Chapter Six

"I'd like ta take ya on a date, 'Mione," Seamus said bluntly, looking up from his Potions homework

.

He and Hermione had been studying in the library together

. The two Gryffindor's were seen often together nowadays. Simply because Seamus had been there with Hermione when the Death Eater's attacked the school the year before. They had been separated from the rest of the group (Harry, Ron, Neville, Luna, and Ginny), trapped in the dungeons with Bellatrix and Roldolfous Lestrange. Also Avery Nott.

So shocked by his sudden question, all Hermione could do was stare at him, her mouth hanging open

.

"W-what?" she finally managed

.

"A date," Seamus repeated

. "I wanna take ya to the Yule Ball next month."

"M-month -- the Yule Ball?"

He raised an eyebrow

. "Are you feelin' a'right, Hermione?"

She took a deep breath

. "I'm fine," she said evenly. "But why d'you want to take me?"

"I thought that'd be obvious," Seamus said

. "I fancy ya."

"B-but -- what about Lavender? I thought you were dating her?" she recalled all those times she had seen those two together

. She assumed they would be . . .

"Lavender?" he repeated

. "Nah! She's a friend. I'm just helpin' her out, actually. She likes Dean."

Hermione's mouth formed a small "o," and all Seamus could do was grin

.

"So

. . . you want to take me to the Yule Ball?" she repeated, a small grin curving her lips.

Seamus nodded

. "About sums it up."

The Head Girl smiled

. "All right."

*~*~*~*

Hermione woke up to have a familiar chest pressed against her back. She smiled slightly as she kissed Seamus' bare upper arm. She felt so safe lying within his strong arms. He was spooned against her, his face buried in her neck.

"Morning, love," he said in his wonderful Irish accent. He tightened his arms around her, kissing her hair. "How're ya feelin'?"

"I'm all right," Hermione said as the sudden memories of the day before came to her. "I guess."

"Ya explained it ta me last night," Seamus murmured as though he had read her mind. "There's a good chance he'll get his mamry back."

"I know," she sighed. She rolled over to face him. "But it's just a matter of when, Seamus. We'll never know when his memory will come back."

"That stimulatin' stuff ya talked about," Seamus said.

"I'm afraid it'll scare him," Hermione murmured. "I . . . I saw Ernie Macmillan last night when I went to my office. . . He said he'd never seen Harry so scared. And he was startled so easily."

He kissed her forehead. "Everything'll be a'right."

She snuggled into his neck, pressing a hand to his bare chest. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" he asked, running his fingers through her long, curly hair.

"That," she drew back and saw the knowing smile on his lips.

His only answer was kissing her again, pulling her even closer to himself.

*~*~*~*

"Seamus Finnigan? You're going to the Yule Ball with Seamus?"

Ginny's mouth dropped open as she listened to Hermione's story

. Her reaction was much like the Head Girl's.

"Well

. . . it was certainly . . . unexpected," Hermione said. "But . . . I dunno, it was
. . . nice. And we are good friends now . . . I mean."

"Well

. . . you've already said yes, and you're right," said Ginny, "if you're not with Ron and Harry, I always see you with Seamus."

"Yeah, I know

. . . it's just so . . . different for him," said Hermione, biting on her nails. "I could have sworn he was going out with Lavender."

"No, because yesterday, Lavender started going out with Dean," Ginny said matter-of-factly

. "I know because she could shut up about it at breakfast this morning."

Hermione worried the hem of her skirt

. "I'm so nervous, Ginny. . . I don't have anything to wear."

"I've been saving up my money for such an occasion," Ginny said with a grin

. "I've ordered a subscription from Madam Malkin's, and according to them, the robes that are "in" this year are robes and gown combinations."

Hermione's eyes widened

. "Ginny?" Her friend wasn't the kind of person to be obsessed with the latest fashions.

"What? I want to look nice," Ginny said

. "Anyway, I got this one."

Pulling a magazine from her book bag, she opened it to page three, pointing to the dress picture on the far-left corner

.

It was a pastel pink ball gown that was in bell-shape, with jewels on random places

. The model wore matching robes over the gown.

"Wow!" Hermione said

. "That's pretty, Ginny."

"You should get your robes from there," Ginny said

.

"Mm -- maybe," Hermione said

. "Can I borrow this?"

"'Course

."

*~*~*~*

"Thanks for breakfast, Seamus," Hermione said as she slipped on her cloak for work. She drained the rest of her orange juice, placing it in the sink. "I'll find some way to repay you."

Her husband grinned cheekily. "Aye, I'm sure ya will." He rose to his feet to pull her into a hug.

"And don' worry about Harry," he added. "With someone as smart as you around, he'll be back to normal in no time."

Hermione sighed. "I hope so . . ."

He kissed her cheek. "Luv ya, 'Mione."

*~*~*~*

"So all we have to do is . . ."

"Stimulate his mamry," Adrian said, packing her things into her book bag.

Recently, she had been accepted into St. Mungo's as a Healer, a student in the Spell Damage ward. She slipped on her blue robes with the crossed wands, tying her hair up into a bun. "I don't think I'll ever forget the look on Gin's face, Ron."

A shadow passed across Ron's face as he drank his coffee. "I know," he said.

Frowning, Adrian went to him and took his coffee cup to hug him. "I'm sorry, luv."

*~*~*~*

Immediately, the only sound she could hear was the rush of wind against her ears and the rushes of wind and cracks of bats and Quaffle's as the players sped by.

Adrian saw him in the distance, about a mile out.

"Shit!" she hissed, urging her broom forward toward Harry Potter.

She wove in and out of the players on each team, nearly colliding with Ginny Weasley and her the Gryffindor Chaser's as she made a particularly sharp turn.

She was just above him, and joined him in a sharp dive. His arm was so much longer than hers (he was six feet and she was five-foot seven), but they were neck and neck.

She saw the ground getting closer and closer. He was trying to fake her out. She wasn't going to budge. Then the snitch had changed directions, but they were right on top of it.

Up, up and up, into the sunlight, hundreds of feet above the crowd. And then into another dive, right on top of each other at equal speed.

Just a little . . . bit more. . .

Adrian made a quick swipe, feeling the snitch's wings beat against her fingers, but it was the leather of Harry's protective glove that her hand grasped.

Immediately the roar of the crowd filled her ears, and she could hear the screams of the Gryffindor team above their heads.

Adrian came to a halt in the air, gasping for breath. She felt like she had run a mile. Her heart was beating in her throat.

She couldn't believe how close that call was. Just another inch and she would have had it!

She grinned. She nearly beat Harry Potter, and judging by the way he was looking at her from below, he couldn't believe it either.

She landed beside him and his team mates, who were each giving him a pat on the back.

"Good game, Adrian!" she heard Terry Boot yell from the crowd.

Harry turned from shaking hands with Colin Creevey (by now the whole of Gryffindor House had flooded onto the field) to address her.

"That was really good," was all he said. "I thought I'd lost it for a moment, there."

She grinned. "I thought I'd won it."

"Yeah," he said.

She held back a snort. Typical boy fashion.

"I'll get you next time, Potter," she joked.

"Right, like I'd ever let a girl beat me."

"Harry!" came the sharp voice of Ginny Weasley before her fist came in contact with Harry's shoulder.

"Ow!" But he was laughing. "I was just kidding, Gin!"

"Careful, mate, she's got a mean right hook," said Ginny's older brother.

"Oh, Adrian, this is Ron Weasley." said Harry.