As Harry finished his letter, he looked up and noticed more people at breakfast. Looking around he saw Hermione and Lavender come in, chatting about something. He saw Lavender roll her eyes over something that Hermione said (probably something about studying and the other evil word: revising). Harry waved the two over and they sat opposite him.
"Morning, Harry," Hermione said, looking around the table for something healthy to eat. Fatty foods seemed to be the norm, she concluded, and grabbed a bowl of mostly yellow scrambled eggs, with just a hint of hair. Hermione noticed these immediately after having survived her father's foray into making breakfast every now and then, and scooped out from around those hairy locations.
"Good morning, Hermione, Lavender. How are you two today? Sleep well?"
"As well as can be expected, I guess," Lavender replied, stifling a yawn.
"Oh?"
"Yeah. You try sleeping through all the commotion coming out of Parvati's bed."
"Huh?" She wasn't dating anyone at 11 was she?
Hermione nodded. "I'm sure she didn't mean any of it."
"Mean any of what?"
Lavender replied, "She snores. A lot. Loudly."
"Ah. Then we'll have to get her to meet Ron Weasley. Together I'm sure they can bring down the walls of Slytherin."
"So, Harry, you looking forward to today?"
"Why? What's going on?" Lavender said, scooping up an odd looking piece of hash.
"It's first day of classes, Lavender."
"You're looking forward to going to classes? You're mental," she said.
Harry intervened, "Not mental. Dedicated. She wants to get a good education. After all, while you get to meet plenty of boys in school, it's only a good education that attracts all the handsome men."
"You're just making that up," Lavender managed through a mouthful of eggs.
"Not at all. Hermione wants a good education. She is very smart. She will graduate tops in her class and go onto a distinguished career in the ministry and be promoted to a high position. Men will gravitate to her because she is a powerful witch magically, politically, and mentally. The fact that she's a pretty girl and will grow to be a pretty woman will be the icing on the cake so to speak."
"Oh? And what about me, Mr. Wizard? If you can size her up so fast, where do I fit in to this vision of yours?"
"Give me a week, Lavender, and I'll answer you again. I need to watch you a little bit to get a good read. I'll tell you this much: you're pretty now and you'll be very pretty later. What you do school-wise I don't know yet. Like I said, give me a week and ask me again."
"So you're going to watch me for a week?" Lavender was intrigued.
"Not just you. I'm going to be watching everyone. I still need to find out which dorm room I'm going to be staying in."
"You don't like where you are now? You're sharing a room with Neville Longbottom of all people."
"Don't remind me."
"So now that you know about me," Hermione interjected, "does that mean you won't be watching me like everyone else?"
Harry wasn't sure how to read that question. "Actually, I'll be watching you even more than anyone else."
"Why?" She was curious to his answer.
"Two reasons. I want to see how smart you are and if there's anything I can do to include you in on any of the projects I may be doing down the road."
Ah. Academics. "And the second reason?"
Harry looked her straight in the eye, "The second reason is because you're my friend, Hermione. I like having friends."
Hermione blushed at this and went back to reading, thinking of something. Lavender was busy pulling something crunchy out from her teeth.
More people were coming in for breakfast and the Hall began to fill up. Included with the latest round of students looking for sustenance was Neville Longbottom and his gaggle of goons, now to include Ron Weasley, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnegan. Longbottom glared nastily at Harry. Or at least as nastily as he could before his stomach gurgled, causing Harry to chuckle. Harry really had to look into sleeping arrangements in the other houses.
They sat a little way down from Harry, Hermione, Lavender, and now Parvati. Harry looked back at his friend and recalled a conversation he'd had with Ginny a couple months before she died.
The two of them had been on the Astronomy tower near 11pm, waiting for the clouds to pass so Ginny could get back to work charting the constellations. Harry had only intended to keep her company while she worked but since it was overcast, and cold, she snuggled up to gain some of his body heat under a blanket he'd brought. They'd been kissing to pass the time away, and chatting when they needed some air when Ginny got self-conscious and asked why Harry wanted her over any other girl at school.
"Because you see me for who I am, Ginny," he had replied.
"There are other girls here who can see you as well, Harry."
"Oh yeah? Name one." Harry was confident she wouldn't be able to.
"Hermione Granger for one, mister," she smirked at his reaction.
"Hermione? You're kidding."
"Yeah. I know you two aren't getting along now, but a couple months ago she and I were talking and she admitted it to me. She said she knew you really only saw her as a sister so she never wanted to go forward with anything else as it could ruin your friendship."
"But I thought she was into Ron…"
"C'mon, Harry, open your eyes. She likes Ron, but if she had her way she'd be your girlfriend. You have qualities that other guys can't match. Especially Ron. Tell me, Harry, did you ever have an argument with her besides the Firebolt incident? Do you get on her nerves everyday like Ron? Do you always come to her for homework like every guy at Hogwarts when they need help on their homework? Don't you always support her in everything? Don't you always comfort her when she's down?
"During her first year, she knew Ron wouldn't have come to help her from the troll if it wasn't for you. Why would he? He was the one who sent her crying there to begin with. You were her first friend Harry. You were someone who she could always rely on. She's liked you as a friend since first year and by the time you were in your fourth year, she started developing feelings for you. Why do you think Cho was jealous during your fifth year of Hermione? It was as a clear as day she liked you.
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