A Dance Through Thyme (Harry Potter)

Freunde

Chapter 26: Friend

The knocking at the door startled Hermione so much that she almost slopped her blistering hot cup of tea all over the front of her shirt.

Mentally cursing as she put the mug down on the coffee table, she went to answer the door with slight trepidation. For the moment, Dumbledore had placed the Fidelius Charm over the house, so Hermione was about ninety-percent sure that she knew the person who was knocking; however, there was that ten-percent part of her brain that was still paranoid that someone would find out her truth, and she would be attacked.

The person at the door knocked again, even louder this time. Shaking her head, she moved more quickly towards the door, opening it with conviction despite the fact that she was still slightly nervous.

“You ought to have more patience James,” she said, once she had seen that there was no intruder, only one of her best friends.

“I’ve got plenty of patience,” James countered with a hint of humour in his voice. “You’re just too slow.”

“Ha! Come on in, and make yourself comfortable. Although I’m sure that you don’t need my instruction for that, you usually just waltz in and make yourself right at home.”

James let out a chuckle as he followed Hermione down the hall and into the brightly lit kitchen.

“You always make me out to be some kind of intruder,” he said, seating himself at the kitchen table whilst Hermione filled a copper kettle with water and put it on the stove top to heat.

“Maybe you should take the hint,” replied Hermione, winking at James.

James shook his head in mock disdain before speaking once more.

“Just give me my cup of tea and be quiet. I have something to ask of you.”

Hermione did as she was bid, actually silencing herself. It was not often that James had something important to ask of her, and more than anything, she was curious as to what was going on in that boy’s head.

Quickly jogging over to the lounge room, she collected her own cup of tea before taking her seat at the kitchen table opposite of James. Clearing his throat, James began to speak.

“Lily and I were wondering if you would like to come out with us for lunch one day next week. Sirius will be there... and so will Remus.”

Hermione immediately had her reservations about going to a group event where Remus would be present. She had recently made a point of ignoring him, and that meant declining invitations to places where he would be in attendance. Out of sight, out of mind was the rule that she was using.

“I don’t know...” she immediately started to say, only to be interrupted by James.

“Please, Hermione. I know that Remus is going to be there, but I don’t know what happened between the two of you. Last time I checked you were still together with him, but suddenly you weren’t. He’s refusing to say a single word about it, and by the looks of things you are thinking along the same lines.”

Hermione was still unsure, and kept silent. James pressed on.

“Look – I know that it will be hard, but this is really important to me. I didn’t invite you all to lunch for the sake of inviting you to lunch. The truth is that I love Lily, very much, and I want to marry her.”

Hermione’s eyes slid up to meet James’. There was a determined look there that Hermione knew she couldn’t do anything to change. He was going to propose to Lily no matter what she said or did.