Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Returning to Hogwarts	By : TheSlytherinPhoenix Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Hermione Views: 56088 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS AND DO NOT MAKE ANY MONEY OFF OF THE STORIES. I SIMPLY LOVE TO WRITE FANFICS IN THE POTTERVERSE CAUSE THEY ARE FUN AND ENJOYABLE TO ME. THIS IS SIMPLY FOR JOY AND PEOPLE TO READ FOR FUN.

Chapter List
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Tea. He wanted to have Tea. Hermione sat down and groaned. Well of course he wanted to have tea, they were friends after all, she was just making waves in the pool to drown herself in. Of course she would have tea with him, but she had to make sure she wasn’t a blundering buffoon when she did it! After she had shamed herself thoroughly for her mental outburst she left the safety of her room and began her real job. After an hour or so she forgot all about red cheeks because the older students were already in her library.
Life was normal and peaceful. Between the students and random colleagues coming and going Hermione found that this felt more like home than the Ministry ever did. This had been the first real morning where she could breathe without anxiety from work nearly giving her a migraine and she knew right then that she would never leave Hogwarts unless she was made too; Minvera was stuck with her. Books, paintings to speak with, ghosts that floated in and out of the shelves startling first years, and the floating books made it feel like she had never left to begin with. Like Voldemort had not happened. Like all of it was a nightmare. Like she had not realized that she had feelings for her best friend.
Herminone had hit this specific realization when she was in her third year, but had not thought too long on it because Ronald and Ginny. The red heads had always been in the picture and she had soon known that she felt for Ron as well and had watched as Harry leaned more towards the active females such as Cho and little Gin. She wrote off her brief examination of her feelings as her first time being around boys for so long and their shared time turner incidents. But when Ron had grown jealous of her friendship with Harry she had backed away from both briefly and that was when Viktor had come in to play, though they were friends it was nothing more now so she had mistaken her worry for Harry in the games as just friendship as well. It wasn’t until the red head had abandoned them on their Horcrux hunt that she had been forced to actually admit to herself that she loved the boy who lived- especially when Nagini almost took him from her.
“Mione?” She dropped the books in her arms, turning in place as she tried to catch at least one of them in her arms. She had been lost in her head to the point that Hagrid had been able to sneak up on her.
“Hagrid!” she smiled at him, starting to pick up the books.
“Sorry ‘bout that.” He chuckled, “Was headin’ to the great hall.” He watched her set the small stack of books down on the table near the bookshelves students studied at. “Was wonderin if ya wanted to walk with me. I know you used to forget about the world when in here and I see that hasn’t changed one bit, has it?” His eyes were full of joy, he had missed her.
“Is it lunch already?” She blinked, shocked that time was flying.
“Dinner.” She flushed in embarrassment.
“I guess some things never change.” She flicked her wand at the books then, noting they were floating off to their homes as she walked away with the half giant. “Did you know Harry is the new Dark Arts professor?”
“O’ course I did. Who do ya think had the idea?” He beamed proudly, he had been the one to suggest McGonagall reach out to him. “Didn’t Minerva tell ya?”
Herminone laughed softly, shaking her head. “Not a word to me. I only found out because I was teaching his class until he stumbled in- late as always.”
“Some things never do change.” He mused with her as they entered the already full great hall. The tables were filled with talking students, floating ghosts, piles of delicious food, and the occasional magic display. Hermione noticed Harry at the teachers table at the end near where her and Hagrid had sat the night before and noted the chairs were empty for them now. Her sound mind won out as she took her seat next to him with Hagrid on the otherside; Slughorn was beside him to talk his ear off happily.
“Guess you didn’t want tea?” Harry teased as she took a sip from her self filling goblet.
She choked on her drink slightly and glared playfully at him. Nothing had changed indeed. “Someone did not specify a time.”
Harry mocked being shot in the heart, a small gesture from the muggle world making her grin. “Fair.”
“I also got distracted by-” she started but he finished.
“Books.” He was grinning that Harry Potter grin that made her heart melt.
A first year walked up to their end of the table then, eyes wide and mouth tight. He looked like he was terrified and in awe all at once “Are you really Harry Potter?” Hermione smiled at him.
“Yes.” He answered and the boys mouth slowly fell open.
“Then that means…” he turned his big blue eyes on her then “You’re really Hermione Granger too.”
“Yes. And who are you?” He ran away from the table, leaving both of them stumped. “What was that about?” Hermione looked to Harry, seeing the same question on his face.
“No idea.” Was his response, but something about the whole thing seemed to be odd because the boy didn’t go back to the table but instead ran out of the great hall.
Hagrid spoke up then, “Ah! That’s just little Krum there. Viktor’s brother. When he found out our Hermione was to be here this year he sent him here instead of Durmstrang. That school never did recover after Igor left.” His voice was low for him, but still carried to Slughorn who pivoted himself into the conversation about the schools to pull Hagrid back to him.
“I remember him mentioning that his brother was starting school in the letter he wrote me. I did not know he was sending him here.” Harry took a drink from his goblet after speaking.
“You two still talk?” Hermione was a little shocked, she hadn’t figured they would.
“Yeah. We meet up a couple times a year to play Quidditch.” Now it made sense to Hermione, she smiled and nodded.
“Of course you do. I will never understand how you ENJOY flying around.” She made a face at the memories she had of flying.
“Still don’t like it ‘Mione?” Harry teased her as he nudged her arm with his elbow.
“No! And I never will!” she pretended to be all uptight and haughty, but still cracked a smile when he copied her.
“I bet I could make you like it.” He was picking at his food then, and Hermione was doing the same. It had been too long and for a moment she forgot that he sent butterflies to war in her stomach.
“The day that happens is the day I will do anything you say.” She giggled, knowing full well she would never enjoy flying- she hated it no matter the method be it magical or muggle. Her feet were meant to be on the ground, otherwise she would have been born with wings.
She didn’t notice the brief gleam in Harry’s eyes as she took a sip from her goblet. Dinner went on as did their conversation about what they had planned for the upcoming year. It wasn’t long before the students began to file away and the teachers all made their way to their rooms for the night. “How about that tea then?” Harry spoke as he stood, smiling down at his oldest friend.
Hermione blinked but didn’t stumble cause of the smile that haunted her on some nights. “Sure.” She stood as well, smiling as a slightly tipsy Hagrid bid them a slurred ‘goodnight’ before resuming his never ending chat with Slughorn. She walked beside Harry, as she had so many times among the halls of Hogwarts, and felt the edges of so many memories pushing at her mind. “It’s strange being back here.” She spoke softly, watching some of the paintings as they passed them.
Harry looked down at her and nodded a bit, “I have forgotten I was the professor at least four times today when walking down the halls.” He chuckled, hearing her soft giggle made his heart race slightly. It had been years since he had been this close to her. They had shared some silent moments over the years but never dared go beyond it, he wasn’t sure why. Perhaps then it was Ron and Ginny; they had been dear to them in friendships and when things became more it would have been difficult on them all if it went south.
“Well. I won’t always be there to save your students, Harry, so just don’t forget in the mornings.” Her voice was full mirth, every bit of her face was lit up with silent laughter. They made it to the library and her painting stared disapprovingly. Harry actually laughed whole heartedly when she said the password, stumbling through the painting as he tried to gain control of himself.
“You realize that nargles aren’t-” he busted into laughter again. It truly was preposterous to think miss know it all used something false as her password.
Hermione threw a decorative pillow at him from her couch as she sat down, laughing with him. “Of course. But who would guess that!” The pillow hit him in the chest and he flinched into his dying laughter.
“Very true.” He walked over to the chair that was next to the couch and sat in it. “Your living quarters are better than mine. I’m gonna sue.”
His use of muggle terms had her rolling her eyes. “Ridikulous.” She teased.
“It’s great to see you ‘Mione.” It was effortless between them, as if no time had passed at all.
“It’s great to see you too, Harry. I’m sorry that I didn’t owl- I was so busy at the Ministry.” Hermione looked down, sighing a bit. The job had truly taken over her life and then had ended so very badly.
“Why did you leave the Ministry?” He knew she had been passionate about her work so it did not make sense to him that her love of books would tear her from what she had once referred to as a ‘calling’.
“A difference of opinions.” Her voice was curt and he didn’t press it further. His next question- however- had her giggling once again.
“Still leaving little bits of clothes for the house elves to find?” his sideways glance only added to the fit of giggles. “Careful- they might refuse to come near you if you start that up again.”
“Oh!” She threw the last decorative pillow at him, knocking his glasses off. “Serves you right. Maybe you’ll find a sock and be free of my presence too then!” she was joking completely and he threw the pillow back at her, flicking his wand so his glasses came floating back.
“You broke em.” He said casually, almost like it was normal that she would do such a thing.
“Occulous repairo.” She had picked up her wand as he started to speak, “ I don’t know what you’re talking about Harry, they look perfectly fine to me.” She smiled slightly.
At some point in their light conversation and tiny tales about things over the years Hermione fell asleep listening to Harry talk about Quidditch. She had tried to stay awake, but the day had been long and the company was so familiar she closed her eyes once and then couldn’t open them again. Harry hadn’t noticed at first, but when he did he stopped talking and simply watched her sleep.
So many nights on the run had meant shifts for sleep, and on his he had watched her when he could. He had always watched her if he was being honest with himself, ever since he met her she had been something that was special to him. One of his first friends, someone from the muggle world like him but she had been so amazing at magic already. She had amazed him the first time she fixed his glasses and to this day, it seemed, she could still do so.
He knew it was late, knew that it wasn’t decent to have them both tucked away in her quarters at this hour- but he sat in the chair, watching her steady breathing and peaceful face until he fell asleep before realizing he was even doing so.
For the first time in years Hermione slept through the night, her body wasn’t rigid as she woke and her face wasn’t tear stained. She was disoriented a little, not being used to sleeping so soundly anymore made it hard for her to get the fog out of her head- but seeing Harry in front of her cleared the fog quicker than she could have. “Harry.” She breathed out his name. She was taken back to nights in the tent, hiding in the woods. The times she had caught him when he had fallen asleep on watch, how she had covered him with a blanket or take off his glasses and took over watch or when she would gently wake him to move him to the cot.
It was early, the fireplace was still going but the birds were singing so it would extinguish itself soon. She knew she had to wake him, but the way he was sitting in the chair with his body curled into its warmth was a sight she had missed. She didn’t want to admit anything to herself, because it was a bad idea. To indulge in fantasies involving your best friend was dangerous, their unspoken tension was always there but she feared ruining what they had in friendship- just as she had with Ronald when it was all said and done; they might be ‘friends’ but they really weren’t.
She knew why she hadn’t had a nightmare now, why she had slept so peacefully. He was there. She checked the clock and almost laughed when she saw that it was only five and that classes would not begin for another four hours. She chose not to wake him. For some reason she had woken up but he looked like he was happily slumbering so she was going to let him, standing quietly she glanced at him and bit her lip. She had always saved his glasses from his naps and the urge to do it now was strong enough that she gave in and took the few steps to him and reached out gently grasp the frames and slowly pull them off his face as she had a million times over the years.
Harry had never woken up when she did it before, but this time was different. She was moving slowly, her lip bitten, and eyes focused when his hands shot out faster than she could follow. Her heart was in her throat as she felt the steel like grip on her wrists, his eyes had snapped open as his hands took hold of her. Hermione had seen him move quickly before, but this must have been the Seeker reflexes shinning at their brightest. A gasp had been the only noise to escape her now completely frozen body, eyes wide with apprehension.
They were still, staring into one another’s eyes. The grip Harry had on her slowly began to subside, he could feel her pulse against his fingers and the fact that it was racing filled him with guilt. He had not meant to fall asleep, and being used to nightmares had him jumpy when it came to sleep. No one knew the depth of his nightmares, no one knew what it felt like to be haunted so vividly by the memory of death. “Hermione.” He still had hold of her wrists but it was lose enough that she could pull away if she had tried to- but she didn’t. “I’m sorry.”
“I-I didn’t mean to wake you, Harry.” Her voice was barely over a whisper, she was still leaned over him and it made her head light with the rush of what had just happened winding down. “We fell asleep.” She felt his thumbs lightly tracing circles over her wrists, following his gaze briefly when he looked to examine her wrists. He had held her tight enough that bruises were forming slightly against the cream color of her skin. “I’m alright, Harry.” She could see his regret clearly in his eyes as he glanced back up at her.
“I’m sorry, Hermione. I hardly sleep through the night, it must have startled me to be woken up by someone instead of nightmare- I never have company.” The shame she could hear in his voice hurt her more than anything that had happened.
“It was an accident.” She whispered to him, watching his hands fall away from her as she gently pulled her arms to her chest to rub her wrists. She wanted to make him feel better, “Now we know next time we fall asleep talking to use magic to take your glasses off.” She smiled, trying to get him too. It worked, just slightly, but it did.
“Why are you up so early?” He wanted to stop thinking about how he had hurt his best friend.
Hermione shrugged, “I don’t know. I just woke up. It’s still hours before students are up, I was going to wash up but noticed your glasses were slowly sliding off.” She blushed a bit.
At the mention of her wanting to bathe, especially while he had been in the living room had made his cheeks tint just enough to be noticeable before he cleared his throat. “Oh. Well. I should be going then, probably smart to do the same so I don’t show up in the same clothes to teach class in today as I did yesterday.” He was rubbing the back of his head, obviously nervous a little.
“Wouldn’t want that, would we?” She smiled at him, watching him shake his head with a grin as he walked to the painting. It swung open and he disappeared into the dark library while the painted Librarian crossed her arms at her. “Don’t start with me. We fell asleep talking.”
The painted Hermione rolled her eyes at the real one, “If you insist.” And the painting swung shut.
Hermione stared, then laughed slightly. “Uppity thing. Is that really what I am like?” she didn’t want an answer.
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Returning to Hogwarts