Chapter 91: Making Up!

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"William," she whines, "be serious!"

I decide to do just that, turning and sitting at her feet without saying anything for a minute. "I know you worry about me, Hermione, and I'm sorry for worrying you."

She sits next to me and softens her voice. "Why Astoria Greengrass?"

I take a deep breath. "You know when I told you about Draco and his gang finding me alone? Daphne told me that the Fourth Year Slytherins were really thrown by what I told them. Draco has apparently spoken very little since then. I know it seems ridiculous, but Hermione, what if it's working? I'll take a point-blank Stunner to the back every day if there's a chance it'll help."

"I can't believe it, William, did she really say that?" Harry says incredulously.

"She did."

"But what if it's not a Stunner next time?" She asks, worry filling her voice. "You have to be careful, William! It's...it's not worth it if you get seriously hurt or...or..."

I pull her into a tight hug. "I'm not as brave as you or Harry." I chuckle grimly. "Any real danger and I'd probably run away if I wasn't frozen in fear. As long as you or Harry aren't in danger, that is."

"The Sorting Hat wouldn't have put you in Gryffindor if you weren't brave," she says, still squeezing me tight.

I sigh. "Actually it said it would have put me in Ravenclaw. I pretty much just told it that I will be in Gryffindor to be close to you two."

She pulls back, looking at me in shock. I feel like I can sense her thoughts flitting across her mind. "Of course! You knew...you knew everything about what happened to Harry. You were just pretending you didn't know about the Sorting Hat when you asked me how it worked on the train!"

"Sorry about that," I say, smiling sheepishly. The smile fades and I drop my gaze. "You realize that I also knew who you were when we first met, even though I joked that I didn't."

Hermione elbows me in the kidney. "Prat! You manipulated me into loving you."

She's not being serious, but it still hurts. "Ah, I suppose I did. I'm sorry...that was not part of the plan."

She gives me a quick squeeze. "None of that, now. I don't mind. So what was the plan?"

"Plan A was to get back home, but that fell through in about two minutes," I say, thinking back to my unsuccessful attempts to get back through the barrier just before the train departed. "Plan B is to help Harry."

"You told us you couldn't let us go, knowing what Harry has had to face, but now you admit you could have gone to Ravenclaw and sat all this out," she recalls. "That's courage, William, plain and simple."

"Well, be that as it may, I really am careful, Hermione," I say, getting back on track. "I was among friends, not looking for trouble. Even Daphne introduced me as 'her friend' to her sister. Harry is the one that trouble loves to follow, not me."

She leans back into a hug, which I gladly return. "Be sure that you remain careful, then."

"Oh, I dunno," Harry says, flopping down on Hermione's other side. "It is kinda nice having someone else get yelled at by Hermione all the time."

"Prat," she says without conviction. It also doesn't help her cause that she throws her other arm around him. "Did Daphne really say you were her friend?"

I smile. "She did...in front of Tracey and all the others that were with me, in fact."

Hermione shakes her head.

"You know I only love you, though," I say, laying my head on hers and nuzzling a bit.

"For now," she says playfully, bucking me off. "You know I can't really compete with most of the girls you met tonight."

"I suppose that's a fair statement, though it'd be more accurate to say they can't compete with you," I say, giving her a nudge.

She rolls her eyes but the action doesn't completely mask her smile. "I bet you say that to all of your girls."

I laugh. "My girls, are they? No, though I did tell Astoria that she's prettier than both Daphne and Fleur Delacour."

Harry bursts out laughing and Hermione makes a choking sound. "I wouldn't believe you if you were anybody else, but I know you too well by now." She smiles and shakes her head. "I really don't think you should say stuff like that, though."

I raise an eyebrow at her. "Beauty is subjective. Just look at yourself. Harry and I seem to see you with completely different eyes than you do." I look away with a sigh. "I would extol the myriad aspects of your beauty, but it's just going to make me sad again." I quickly continue in order to break the silence that follows. "Astoria is a little cutie, though, wait 'til you see. Picture a younger Daphne with a bit of baby fat and bright, happy, violet eyes instead of her sister's cold, light blue ones."

Hermione takes a deep breath and squeezes me with her one arm. "Well, enough of this moping about. You two gentlemen need to practice dancing."

Harry groans in response.

"Ouch, bad luck, Harry," I say playfully. "I wonder who the other gentleman is? Oh well, I guess I'll just nip on over to...ow!"

"You made a deal!" Hermione says, narrowing her eyes.

"Hermione, you're talking to the guy who promised to do unspeakable things to a portrait of an old lady," Harry points out.

"Hey, she may have had a bit of white hair but she cut a fine figure in that dress," I say in my defense.

"You are awful! You did make up that Thirty-Seven Steps thing, didn't you?" Hermione asks.

I gasp loudly. "Hermione Jean Granger, you saucy minx!"

She reddens and smacks me on the shoulder again. "Forget it!"

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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

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