Harry Potter and the Last Goodnight

Chapter Seventeen: Hermione the Vegan

With a song in his heart and Eva's letter in his pocket, Harry made his way down to the dungeon for his last Occlumency lesson of the week. He didn't bother to knock on Snape's door, because he was always waiting for him inside. It didn't matter if he was fifteen minutes early; Snape always accused him of tardiness.

"You're late..." he began as Harry opened the door. However, he looked a little unnerved at Harry's appearance. "My, my, you're in a good mood."

Harry shrugged. He wasn't about to tell Snape anything. He concentrated on not meeting his eyes. He supposed that it was a great turnaround from before. He felt wonderful. Snape couldn't say anything or do anything to ruin how he felt. He couldn't take that letter away from Harry.

"Let's begin." The two of them assumed the position. Both removed their wands and held them in the air. "Legilimens!" Snape cried.

Harry's good mood had left him unprepared. It was hard for him to clear his mind so quickly. He mumbled a spell back, but even he was not sure what it was. He glanced at Snape, trying to avoid his eyes, but somehow he was drawn to them.

Suddenly, he could see her clearly. She was walking the dog on Privet Drive, stumbling as she tried to control the massive mutt. Then at the flower shop in Surrey, where she watched him with narrowing eyes. And there had been somewhere else...

And it hit him. He was on his knees on the cold dungeon floor. But there wasn't much pain, just a nagging feeling in his mind. As though he were fighting the Imperius Curse.

As he got to his feet, Snape stared at him with suspicious eyes. "Again," he said quietly. And this time, he gave Harry a moment to recover. But every time he tried to think of nothing, to be numb, to be blank, there were still butterflies in his stomach.

"Legilimens!"

He just couldn't get her out of his mind. Where else did he recognize her from? There was somewhere else. Perhaps a dream?

And then he remembered. She was at King's Cross Station, running at the wall to Platform Nine and Three Quarters. They'd bumped into each other. She had been there as well. And the image of her, smiling at him in the hospital bed, wouldn't leave him.

"Potter, this is ridiculous!" Snape cried. "Are you even going to try tonight?"

It took Harry a moment to realize that he was on his knees. He quickly stood up.

"You're wasting my time," he snarled.

"Sorry, sir," Harry replied quickly. But he wasn't.

A mischievous smile played upon Snape's lips, but it faded when Harry glanced over at him. When Harry met his eyes, he felt a jolt in his scar. "Potter, have you got a... a crush?" he asked quietly. He looked positively revolted.

Harry couldn't believe that he'd just heard Snape say that word, let alone how embarrassed he was. "No," he replied immediately. "And it's not fair that I don't get to use of a Pensieve as well." If he could empty his memories of Eva into the magical device, he would be spared the pain of Snape's wrath.

"If the Dark Lord possesses you, there will be no Pensive."

"I don't care if he sees her," Harry spat. His only concern was that he didn't want to be ridiculed by Snape. What if Snape told his whole house? If Malfoy found out, he would really never hear the end of it.

"You should," Snape said gravely. "If you care about her at all, you would. She is a Muggle, is she not?"

Harry felt his heart drop into his stomach. That seemed to be a problem lately.

"The Dark Lord takes pleasure in killing Muggles," he continued, not waiting for Harry's reply. "And I am positive that he would take great pleasure in killing the Muggle that means the most to you."

Harry's mood had seriously deteriorated. Was everyone he met in danger? He had to learn to block Voldemort. If he didn't master Occlumency, no one would be safe. He hadn't truly been taking the art seriously. Now he had no choice. He would not let Voldemort win.

"Again," Harry said. "Do it again."

* * *

"Do you think she'll like it?" Ron questioned, thrusting a jewelry box into Harry's hands. "Fred and George's joke shop is right next to a jewelry store that sells Icelandic silver at half price. When I saw it last summer, I don't know, I just, I thought of her. I thought she would like it. The heart is girly. Not that Hermione is a girly-girl, really. It's just that..."

"Whoa! Slow down," Harry laughed, interrupting him. He opened the box. Inside was a silver chain with a small heart-shaped locket. It sparkled in the dim light of the boys' dormitory. "It's beautiful, Ron. I'm sure she'll love it."

"Gin thought it was great too," he said, but he still looked unconvinced. "See, there was one exactly like it, but the locket was just a small circle. It was sort of plain, but maybe I should have bought that one instead. I mean, at first I thought I shouldn't get the heart, because that would give her the wrong impression. But then I realized that this was the impression I wanted to give her, so I bought it anyway. But now I'm beginning to have some doubts. Maybe I should just give her some of my Skiving Snackboxes instead..."

Harry smacked Ron on the back. "Take a deep breath, Ron. It's all going to be okay. Hermione will love the necklace. It's not too girly, and it's not too, er..." he couldn't think of the word, "lovey-dovey. It's just right."

Ron exhaled deeply. "You really think so?"

"I do," Harry replied. In fact, he was beginning to question the gift he got Hermione for her birthday. It wasn't anything nearly as extravagant as a locket. Although, considering that he wasn't in love with Hermione, that was probably a good thing. On their first trip to Hogsmeade, he found an inkwell that had the outline of a cat etched into it.

If there was only one thing he was sure of, it was that he didn't know how to shop for girls.

There was a knock on the dormitory door. "Are you ready yet?" Ginny called. Harry handed the jewelry box back to Ron, grabbed his own wrapped gift, and opened the door. Ginny was standing in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest.

"I still don't understand why you two are doing this," she said.

"Because we've never given Hermione a proper birthday," Ron replied.

"And because your brother is looking for the perfect time to announce his undying love for her," Harry muttered under his breath. When Ron had suggested that he and Harry should buy belated birthday gifts for Hermione, Harry thought that it was an excellent gesture of friendship. Hermione had always refused any sort of party or gifts. And Harry and Ron, being the boys they were, had never given it a second thought. Now, come to find out, Ron had some serious ulterior motives.

"Let's get this over with," Ron said, stomping past the two of them. "I'm going to make sure it's a belated birthday she'll never forget." He took a deep breath and marched down the stairs to the common room.

"You'd think he was proposing or something," Ginny laughed.

"I think there's no difference in his mind." Harry frowned. "If Hermione says she's not interested..."

"Which she won't."

"Ron will be crushed," Harry continued. Honestly, he thought, Charlie and Remus were right. Women. Who needs them? But he couldn't help thinking that the world would be an even darker place if it weren't for girls like Eva.

Harry and Ginny headed down the stairs into the common room, where Hermione had her nose buried in her Arithmacybook. Ron looked as though he was reconsidering even speaking to Hermione, but Harry quickly motioned for him to continue. Ron shook his head.

"That spineless git," Ginny muttered. "Go and help him, Harry. He'll never go through with it alone."

"Me?" Harry questioned. "You go help him. He's your brother."

"He's your best friend," she retorted, and shoved him towards Ron. "Just go give Hermione your gift, and then he'll have to give her his."

"Fine," Harry replied. "Ron owes me for this one. Big time." He scowled and walked swiftly over to the table where Hermione was, his gift at his side. Ron watched with wide eyes. He looked as though he was going to try and stop Harry, but it was too late. "Happy birthday, Hermione," Harry said and handed her the wrapped box. "Sorry, it's a little late."

She glanced up from her book, surprised. A little late was an understatement. She'd turned sixteen over two weeks ago. "My birthday? But... you got me a gift!" She took the box from him. "You didn't have to get me anything, really."

"It's about time I did," Harry replied genuinely. "You've been buying gifts for me all these years. I hope you like it."

Hermione smiled up at him. She carefully opened the paper edges around the box, not tearing any of the red wrapping paper. She gently pulled the box out and opened it up. Clearly, Hermione was not the type to hastily rip into any gift.

"Wow, thanks Harry. I love it!" She put the inkwell down in the center of the table. "It looks a little like Crookshanks."

"You're welcome," Harry replied. When Hermione wasn't looking, he gestured for Ron to come over to the table with his gift. He took a step back, like he was heading back to the dorm. Ginny quickly came to the rescue and ushered him over to the desk where Hermione sat.

Ron looked as though he'd swallowed a porcupine. Ginny encouraged him to give his gift to her, but he whispered, "I think I should go upstairs and wrap it."

Ginny scowled. "It will be her seventeenth birthday by the time you get enough courage to give it to her!" she hissed. "C'mon, Ron."

"What are you two talking about?" Hermione asked. She pulled her bushy brown hair back into a ponytail. Ginny tried to push Ron forward again, but he wouldn't budge. His face was ghostly white. He wouldn't speak.

"Um, we are... we were..." Ginny stalled. "We were just discussing if you were sweet sixteen and never been kissed," she finished.

This had the opposite effect on Ron. His face turned red. "No, we weren't," he replied quickly.

Hermione was also blushing. Harry's curiosity got the better of him. Had Ron and Hermione kissed before and he didn't know it? "C'mon Hermione, are you?"

"Of course she is!" Ron barked. His voice cracked.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Oh really?"

Ron gulped. "Well, I mean, I've never... I just assumed..."

"Look, Ron, just because you're sweet sixteen and never been kissed doesn't mean that I am."

Ron's face returned to its shade of pale. He gulped. "I didn't mean that, Hermione..."

"Just because you're not attracted to me doesn't mean that no boy alive isn't!" she cried. "Honestly! I had my first kiss when I was fourteen!"

There was dead silence in the common room. He glanced from Hermione, to Ron, to Ginny. Ginny was chewing on her lower lip and seemed to be concentrating on the floor. Ron looked as though he were going to be sick. "You... you kissed Krum?" he whispered.

"A woman does not kiss and tell," Hermione replied. "But, yes, if you must know, Viktor did kiss me." She was looking triumphant, but if she really knew what she'd just done to Ron, she wouldn't look nearly as happy.

Harry thought he could hear Ron's heart breaking inside of his chest. Substantially deflated and all together nastily, he threw the jewelry box onto Hermione's table. It landed with a hard thud. "Happy birthday, Hermione," he whispered, then turned around and stalked back up to the boy's dormitory.

"What's this?" Hermione asked. "And what's with him?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ginny plopped down on an empty chair at Hermione's table.

She looked confused. "No, it's not. What are you talking about?"

"Just open the box," Harry said.

Hermione shrugged and picked up the jewelry box that Ron had thrown on the table. She opened it up and gasped. "Oh my god!" she cried. "It's beautiful. Why did he...?" But then the realization suddenly dawned on her. "Oh no. Oh no. Please tell me that I did not just brag about snogging with Viktor during fourth year in front of him?"

"I think he left some pieces of his broken heart where he was standing," Ginny replied, "but they might be crushed too small to see."

Hermione held her head in her hands. "I didn't mean to hurt him. I just... I thought he was making fun of me. I can never tell with him. Ooh! He makes me so mad!" She coiled her hands into fists. "Sometimes I just want to slug him as hard as I can, and sometimes I just want to kiss him so he'll shut up."

"That's too much information," Ginny replied. "Maybe... Maybe somebody should go talk to him." She turned to Harry.

"Oh no way," Harry said. "This is already uncomfortable enough for me, thank you very much."

"No, I'll do it," Hermione declared. "This has gone on long enough."

Harry couldn't agree more. However, he was impressed with Hermione's bravery. He admired how Gryffindor she was as she stood up from the table, grabbed the locket, and marched up the stairs to the boys' dormitory.

Ginny followed her. Harry quickly caught up to Ginny and grabbed her by the wrist. "Where are you going?"

"To listen, of course," she replied.

"We shouldn't..." Harry began, but he was interrupted by Hermione's shouting.

"Ronald Weasley, you get out here this minute!"

Harry tried not to laugh. He could only imagine Ron's embarrassment. He tugged on Ginny's arm. "We should go."

"Shh!" she hissed. "I want to hear!" But Harry pulled her away from the stairwell.

"It's none of our business," Harry said. "Let them work it out."

Ginny pouted, sticking her tongue out at him. "You're no fun anymore."

* * *

Ron didn't come to bed that night until after midnight. Harry asked Ron what had happened when he and Hermione had gone for a walk around the grounds, but all he told Harry was, "She said she has to think about it." Harry thought that explanation sounded a bit like a rejection. He couldn't understand why Hermione wouldn't want to be with Ron. What was to think about?

Mastering Occlumency would be a piece of cake compared to mastering women.

However, that morning the two of his best friends were acting oddly normal and Hermione did have the silver locket draped around her neck. The Great Hall was bustling with activity, but Harry felt immune to it all. He was distracted by slip of parchment in his back pocket, which he carried around with him like a silly security blanket. Honestly, had he completely lost his mind?

"I can't take this anymore," Hermione announced suddenly. "I've decided I'm going to be a vegan." She pushed away her plate of eggs and sausage and helped herself to some plain toast.

"What's that?" Ron asked.

"A vegan is a like a vegetarian," she replied. "Except that besides not eating meat, I also don't eat any kind of eggs or dairy products."

"So what exactly can you eat?" Harry questioned.

She shrugged. "Lots of things. Bread. Nuts."

"You sound nutters to me," Ron muttered.

"You're the crazy one!" Hermione cried. "Do you even know what you're shoving into your mouth?"

"It's just pig," Ron replied. "I know what pork is, Hermione." He gestured to his plate.

"But do you know what they did to it?"

He rolled his eyes. "No, Hermione, what did they do to it?"

Hermione waited until all eyes were upon her when she answered. "They castrated it."

Harry winced. Ron looked confused. "Castrated it? What does that mean? Is that some kind of rotisserie flavoring?"

Harry would have laughed if he wasn't experiencing sympathy pains for the poor beast. He put down his fork. He'd quickly lost his appetite.

Hermione merely grinned. "I guess you could say that."

Ron turned to Harry, still perplexed. "What does castrate mean?"

Harry suppressed a grin. "I'll tell you when you're older." Ron frowned. "But I'll tell you one thing, if there was a spell for it, I'd do it to Malfoy in a heartbeat."

"What d'you want to do to Malfoy?" Ginny questioned, taking the empty seat next to Hermione.

"Nothing," Harry said quickly. "So I was thinking, when we go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, we ought to have a small D.A. get together, just so we know who's with us and who's not."

"Let's not meet at the Hog's Head again," Ron moaned. The bartender gives me the willies. How about the Three Broomsticks?"

"That may not be safe," Hermione said.

"I don't think security is an issue," Harry announced. "I mean, it's not like last year."

"True," Ginny said. "We could just get together and have a cuppa."

"But when are we going to get down to business, Harry?" Hermione demanded. "We've wasted nearly three months already."

He was well aware of that, but he wasn't ready yet. He wanted to study up a bit more. "Soon," he replied. "I promise."

This seemed to satisfy Hermione. "Gin and I will go spread the word. How does one o'clock sound?"

"Fine," Harry replied. The two girls stood up from the table and nonchalantly made their way to the far corners of the Great Hall.

Ron sighed. "I guess I'd better start studying. Herbology chapter's a killer this week."

"Wait," Harry said, stopping him from standing up. "What happened with you and Hermione?"

"Oh... right Well, we sort of got everything out in the open. We came to an understanding."

"An understanding?"

Ron's cheeks were turning red, but Harry urged him to go on. "Right. Hermione, well, she understands that I... that I... really like her in an un-friendly sort of way." He cleared his throat. "I mean, in the way that I'm... I'm a guy and she's..."

"A girl," Harry interrupted. "I get it. You don't have to draw me a picture. What did she say to you?"

Ron gulped. "See, that's what I can't figure out. She gave me this long explanation about how she felt but I was so embarrassed about the way I'd acted I was distracted. Plus, she used all these big words like "plutonic" and stuff. Who knew dating involved astronomy?"

"We really need to get you a dictionary," Harry laughed.

"It's not funny," Ron said somberly. "I'm even more confused than I was before. She says that I don't listen to her. Of course I listen to her! I listen to her all the time! And she says I don't take her seriously - but do I take anything seriously?"

"She's still wearing the necklace," Harry offered.

"I think it's just because she feels guilty. Argh!" He threw his hands up in the air. "I give up. She gives me a bloody headache. I'll see you back in the common room." Scowling, he got up from the table and marched over to the exit.

Harry found himself alone with the last of his breakfast. He began wondering if Hermione was right about how Ron never took her seriously. In dire times during their adventures, Ron would listen to her. Of course, on an everyday level, that was a different story. It just wasn't in Ron's nature to be a serious person. Was that the kind of guy Hermione was looking for?

"Morning, Harry." His thoughts were interrupted by Nora, who took a seat on the vacant bench across the table.

"Morning," Harry replied. Nora looked good - much better than she had during their encounter with Malfoy. "How are things?"

"Good," she aid brightly. "Harry, I've got another favor to ask of you." She smiled sheepishly.

He took a bite of his toast, then chewed and swallowed, considering. "All right. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I know that all the first and second years have to stay behind when everyone else goes to Hogsmeade..."

Harry didn't like the direction this favor was headed in. He didn't want to get caught smuggling anyone into Hogsmeade. He assumed that's what she was asking for. Especially since he felt obligated to look after Nora after meeting Eva - not that it was a responsibility he didn't like.

"So, I was wondering if, well, if you could deliver a package for me?"

"A package?" Harry questioned.

She nodded. "To Eva."

"Sure," Harry replied. "But I'm afraid I don't understand. Do you want me to bring it to the Post Office in Hogsmeade?"

"No, Eva's living there now."

Harry's heart suddenly jumped into his throat. It was hard to breathe. Eva was a lot closer to him than he thought.

"She's staying at an inn for a little while until she finds something more permanent," Nora continued. "I forgot which one though. It had something to do with a hog. The Hog's Inn?"

"Hog's Head?" Harry suggested. The thought of a chance meeting with Eva while strolling the streets of Hogsmeade, just as they had in Little Winging, sent a chill down Harry's spine. What the hell had gotten into him?

"Yes, that's it. She's found that magical transportation is a lot easier to use, especially with her job at the Ministry."

"Oh, right, with Mr. Weasley. How's that going?"

Nora shrugged. "I'm not even sure what she does. She doesn't write about it. Have you written to her yet?"

Harry shook his head. "I... I don't think that it would be very appropriate."

Nora rolled her eyes. "That's the same thing she said when I told her to write to you again."

He felt his cheeks growing flushed. Was Snape right - did he have a crush? He was feeling similar things he'd felt when he used to look at Cho Chang. But Eva wasn't even around and he was already blushing.

"So you'll deliver it to her?" Nora asked.

Harry nodded. "Of course." That meant he was going to see her again.

"Good. I would have just sent it to her through the regular owl post, but every time that I've been up to the Owlery the past few days there haven't been any owls there."

As he came back to his senses, his heart finally dropped back into his chest where it belonged. "That's odd," he said. "You mean there aren't any owls around at all?"

She shook her head. "Not even the school owls."

He frowned. He'd sent Hedwig to deliver a letter to Remus the day before, and wasn't expecting her return for a few days. But all the owls goneat the same time? Could it just be a coincidence?