It Could Have Gone That Way; A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter 59: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

If he had landed any further to the left, Harry would have fallen straight into the swamp-like pond that was just outside of The Burrow. He barely knew him, but Harry already didn't like Horace Slughorn. This was mainly because of his slight hint at an insult to blood purity just five minutes ago. He had been telling Harry about how magically skilled his mother (or Lovely Lily, as Slughorn called her) had been, and that this was strange seeing as she was Muggleborn.

"My best friend is Muggleborn," Harry had retorted,"and she's the best in our year. Probably the best in the school, actually."

"Funny how that sometimes happens, isn't it?" Slughorn had replied.

"Not really." Harry had said coldly.

Luckily for them, though, Dumbledore had rejoined them in the living room, allowing Harry's statement to go unanswered.

Pushing open the door to The Burrow as quietly as he could, he was greeted by the purring of a familiar flat-faced cat. Harry had been about to bend down and greet Crookshanks when he saw someone sitting on the sofa, an open book in their hands, despite it being just gone midnight. It could only have been one person.

Grinning, Harry silently crept towards the back of the sofa. Hermione was leaning on the right arm of the large chair, hair dangling in front of her face. Harry carefully sat down in the middle of the sofa and peered over her shoulder at the book she was reading, holding his breath. When Hermione turned the page, he spoke up,"Hey, I haven't finished yet!"

"HARRY!" Hermione spun around and flung herself onto him in a hug.

Merlin, it's good to see her, Harry thought.

One by one, the few Weasleys that were still living at The Burrow woke up. Arthur and Molly were the first ones downstairs, closely followed by Ron and Ginny.

"Dear me, Harry! You gave us such a fright!" Molly hugged him,"We weren't expecting you until morning, at least!"

"Hello, Harry." Arthur shook his hand,"How've you been?"

"All right, thanks. You?" Harry asked.

He never got an answer.

"Harry!" Ron cheered, hugging Harry and giving him a clap on the back,"Good to have you back, mate."

"Hi." Ginny said shyly,"How's...how are you?"

Harry wondered where this sudden burst of timidness had come from,"Okay, thank you. How's your ankle doing?"

"Oh it's - um - better. Thanks for asking." She went a little pink.

Shaking Ginny's odd behaviour off as mere tiredness (it was, of course, the middle of the night), Harry turned back to Hermione, who was still smiling broadly at him. "It's so good to see you." He told her.

"It's great to see you, too." Hermione replied.

"All right, all right." Mrs. Weasley chuckled,"Harry's here and everyone's said their hellos. Off to bed, the lot of you."

Not wanting an angry Mrs. Weasley to deal with in the middle of the night, Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione hurried upstairs and got into their beds. The following morning, Hermione was especially jumpy, for it was - Harry was soon reminded - the day they were due to get their O.W.L. results back.

"I know I messed up Ancient Runes." Hermione moaned feverishly as the trio stood by the window, waiting for the three distant owls to come closer,"I definitely made at least one serious mistranslation. And the Defence Against the Dark Arts practical was no good at all. I thought Transfiguration went all right at the time, but looking back-"