It Could Have Gone That Way; A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter 32: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

"Hermione," Harry started slowly,"I think he's going to do something soon. I mean, everyone's been talking about him since Hallowe'en, but he hasn't made a move since then. He's powerful without even trying to be, you know?"

The pair were waiting in the common room on the last day of the Christmas holidays, waiting for the other Gryffindor students to return.

Pulling her already crossed legs closer towards her, Hermione flared her nostrils and said,"Harry, this could end badly...will end badly for someone. I don't want things to get as violent as they did with Professor Quirrell-" She clapped both hands to her mouth, eyes wide.

Head throbbing, Harry leaned towards her,"How do you know what happened with Quirrell?"

Hermione's forehead creased as she moved her hands down and said,"In Diagon Alley at the start of last year when that...that strange thing happened between us, I saw him...and you...what happened - somehow - in your eyes. I know it sounds completely mental but, Harry, it's...it's just what I saw."

Harry looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and fury,"And why didn't you tell me this before?" He demanded.

"It just never came up." She replied anxiously, looking down at Crookshanks on the floor.

"Hermione, when would that ever come up?"

"Look," Hermione said firmly,"I'm sorry. I suppose I just wanted to forget about it - it wasn't exactly normal - and what I saw...I had a year-and-a-half long moment of weakness, okay? I'm sorry."

"It's-"

"Miss me?" Ron burst through the portrait hole with a grin.

"Nice Christmas?" Harry asked.

Ron dumped his trunk by Crookshanks on the floor,"Yeah. You?"

"Brilliant." Harry said, glancing at Hermione for just a second,"You'll never believe what I got!"

"What?" Ron sat down,"Tell me! No wait, don't, I'll guess! Actually, just tell me!"

"A Firebolt!"

"A Firebolt?" Ron's jaw dropped as others Gryffindors began coming back in,"Who sent it?"

Harry avoided Hermione's piercing stare and stood up,"Er...dunno. There wasn't a note. I'll go and get it."

"Wicked!" Ron turned to Hermione, gave one look at Crookshanks and spat,"I told you to get rid of the bloody menace!"

"I know you did." Hermione slammed her book shut and moved to the portrait hole,"I just didn't listen." She strode out haughtily.

Harry and Ron shared an uncomfortable glance before Harry ran up to his dorm to retrieve the Firebolt. Before long, he was back downstairs and showing it off to anyone who would look. But that was when Hermione walked in. She was pink in the face and didn't make eye contact with anyone on her way to the stairs. McGonagall's succeeding entrance to the room, however, stopped her from climbing up them.

"Mister Potter. This is the Firebolt I've been told of, I presume?"

"Yes, Professor." Harry said.

Ron raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously,"Who told you?"

"Miss Granger." The professor snapped,"And she was right to do so. No note, no card, no known sender? Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take that from you, Mister Potter."