HPNS- Chapter 15

THE BATTLE OF WITS

Read Chapter 14 here or start at the beginning

Hermione couldn’t hide her smile, or the two bright spots that had appeared on her cheek. She didn’t have to turn around to look at Ron’s face; she knew exactly what it looked like right now. Michael drew her chair and took her coat, smiling in the most gentlemanly fashion. He bent to get her comfortable in her seat and she smelt the ‘Michael’ scent for the first time… it felt good, in fact much better than good. The party was arranged thus- Ginny and Hermione on one side with their respective dates facing each other. It had been her special request to Ginny for such a pattern as she wasn’t quite alright with being right next to her ‘blind date’ as yet.

As the foursome sat down to dinner Ginny began a polite conversation on the topic of the war and how it was costing the Ministry’s Treasury. The war always made a great topic in such situations. Although she nodded and spoke the right things at the right time, her eyes were glancing sneakily at the figure opposite her whenever they could… every little angle of his face, every little thing he did.

Tall, but definitely not taller than Ron, shoulders were slightly broader and thickset and posture erect. Michael had thick, wavy dark hair neatly arranged around his face. His eyes were grey and the most classic feature of his face was an aquiline nose that suited him quite well. Not at all like Ron’s unnaturally long nose and ridiculous ears that turned red as though they had a mind of their own… not at all like Ron…

Ginny made a low guttural sound to distract Hermione from her reverie. It worked.

“Ginny told me that you went to Hogwarts as well. It’s just I don’t remember ever having seen you…” she resumed the pleasantries.

Michael took a sip of wine before helping her on “I belonged to Ravenclaw and I believe I’ve seen you before when you were being sorted. I faintly heard about you a couple of times mostly in relation to Harry Potter. Lately of course, I admired your article in the prophet as regards The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare”

Hermione blushed and her ears stood up appreciatively. He knew what SPEW stood for and that was a great compliment. Even Percy, or Fred and George weren’t quite sure of it, not to mention her own parents.

“Would you like some more wine, Michael?” she asked attentively, marveling at how well she was doing for a date.

As she leaned over to pour the Elfish wine, Michael suddenly asked, “Weren’t you and Harry Potter involved with each other at Hogwarts?”

Neither men could have predicted the reaction of their dates. Ginny’s fork dropped with a loud, rude clatter and Hermione jumped on her seat spilling most of the wine on Michael’s crisply starched white shirt and beige trousers.

“I’m so sorry Michael that was very clumsy of me” Hermione apologized profusely and looked crestfallen for having ruined the spotless image of her date.

“It’s not a problem at all” he replied, his eyes filling with forgiving, good-natured warmth.

He siphoned off the liquid and stains with his wand, leaving his shirt as clean and white as before. Hermione made it a mental point to ask him the spell for removing wine stains, as she had not been quite as successful on the birthday robes Esmè had given her.

“Well you know very little about me, mostly from gossip I’d imagine. Harry and I are just close friends” she didn’t want to get into intricate details about her long association with Harry, not in these times.

The conversation continued as smooth as the butter that flowed on Sangria’s signature steak that was brought in for them.

Michael’s manicured fingers moved flawlessly while slicing the steak and Hermione admired the deftness of those fine hard hands in back and forth motion over the piece of flesh. He looked above his food and smiled at her every so often, and she was happy that she could give him a good time, that she was able to attract a man as much as he attracted her.

This was what she had wanted for a long time. To be compatible and understood, not revered like Viktor used to and certainly not taken for granted like Ron. Hermione’s feeling heightened when Michael went on about SPEW with her as though he were an equal partner on the campaign with genuine feeling of support and passion.

Hermione didn’t care that Josh and Ginny looked bored at the proceedings and had begun to tickle each other under the table.

Despite himself Harry couldn’t help staring over at the table where the foursome sat. He thought Ginny looked alarmingly beautiful. And that guy opposite her had to be the man she was seeing… John Barter or Puddington, something like that.

Harry’s fingers caressed his wand longingly holding back the suitable hexes rising in his mind that would be great on this guy. He hated the fact that Ginny had dressed up to look this good before him, he hated them being together and having fun, he shuddered at the sight of their hands joined at the table. But resigned to his fate all that Harry could do was prod forcefully at his dinner with his fork pretending it was Josh’s head.

However he knew that he was taking it a lot better than Ron who sat opposite him. Ron’s fists were blotched red after he had been flexing them angrily under the table, and his expensive dinner lay completely forgotten

“Just look at the bloke he looks like his mother dressed him up! And I can smell his cologne all the way over here, it’s making me SICK!” Ron whispered furiously at Harry as though he felt the same way.

Harry stared at Ron who had completely forgotten his previous mention about being Secret Keeper. Not that Harry hadn’t thought about it before, but he had made up his mind not to put him thorough the burden. He owed so much to the Weasley’s and killing Ron would never help solve anything. Ginny didn’t deserve to lose another brother and neither did Hermione, who would have to split her loyalties between him and Ron. He could never ask that of her. Harry refused to single-handedly drag all the people he loved into the same cesspool of destruction that he was destined for. He loved them more than he hated Voldemort.

Harry was not looking at their table or at Ron. Neither was he looking the least bit disturbed as Ron. Harry’s eyes were staring far off in the distance at something undefined… he looked broken… consumed in thoughts that Ginny didn’t want to imagine. All the way from her chair she could see the smoldering look in his eyes, and then she felt very foolish.

She had thought Harry would be jealous. But he was far from it.

And upon realizing this she fully appreciated what Harry was going through and how much she was putting him through, that the mission was serious, consuming and dangerous. That he wasn’t just doing it to avenge his parents but to protect them. She understood how much the whole wizarding world was expecting of him… he was the Chosen One.

But she loved him despite all this.

The same pain shot up inside her and Ginny had to struggle for a moment to fight back hot, aggressive tears. How could she expect something as normal and mundane as jealousy from Harry who respected and trusted her so much?

Memories came flooding into her brain… Tom Riddle… Sirius vanishing into the veil… Dumbledore’s body lying on the grass… Charlie… and Harry had seen so much more… gone through so much more, and here she was on a date with Josh in the same restaurant where Harry sat, with the hope of making him jealous.

If Harry died fighting Voldemort… it would be her fault for making his life so complicated and miserable…

“Ginny?” she heard Hermione ask.

She regained her composure and the moisture in her eyes was blinked away. Harry was actually looking over at her now and then she realized that she had been staring in his direction for all that time.

“That’s Ron over there! At that table! Look Hermione, isn’t that H-Harry and Ron?” she asked according to the plan.

Hermione looked adequately surprised, excused herself, got up and went over to the table where Harry and Ron sat, taking them by shock… according to the plan.

Moments later they were shamelessly seated at the same table as Josh-Ginny-Hermione and Michael.

Ginny consciously looked away from Harry but introduced them thus, “Josh, you’ve already met Ron and this is Harry Potter. Michael, this is my brother Ron who’s in the Auror department with Josh… and erm, this is Harry”

Michael and Hermione beamed at Harry as though he were an angel. Ron did not return Michael’s offer for a handshake. Josh looked severely uncomfortable, reminded of the confrontation between him and Ginny’s ‘elder brother’ in the cubicle before.

“Very pleased to finally meet you, Mr. Potter. I’ve only watched you defeating Rawenclaw several times before at Hogwarts matches, and of course the incomparable performance at the Triwizard Tournament. Quite an unforgettable experience for the people who watched!” Michael said enthusiastically.

Harry looked taken aback, but smiled weakly. “Erm thanks. Unless I’m mistaken, you were the Rawenclaw prefect in my first year. I’ve seen Percy Weasley speaking with you”

It was Ginny’s turn to be surprised, “Were you really? Percy never mentioned that he knew you!”

“He would probably avoid mentioning me if he could help it, Ginevra. You see, he took my girlfriend Penelope Clearwater from me in our sixth year” Michael declared with a laugh.

Hermione and Ginny let out exclamations and then laughed, not knowing whether to believe this declaration.

“So Ronald, you’re in Josh’s department” Michael addressed Ron jovially, “I always imagined that Aurorship would be a rather adventurous career and I wouldn’t be up to it, I’ve always been for a more stable occupation”

Ron looked at him acerbically as Ginny sniggered and mouthed “Ronald” in a rather exaggerated undertone.

“Well you made the right choice mate” Ron retorted, “A job like mine would have completely ruined your suit and your mommy wouldn’t have liked that now, would she?”

There was a pause as everyone stared at him, but Ron didn’t care. Hermione’s face had turned an angry shade of red and Ginny and Harry were looking at him incredulously… Josh continued to observe his refection on the back of the spoon.

Michael’s grey eyes flashed ominously. There was a secret desire in Hermione that he would just stand up and throw a punch at Ron’s puffed face.

“Yes, she certainly wouldn’t have appreciated it, even if yours did Ronald. Mrs. Weasley must be terribly courageous!” Michael replied, “after all, my mother would not have accepted it if her son was lampooned by Rita Skeeter and the allegations turned out to be true after all!”

Ron smirked back and watched Hermione settle back her arm into Michael’s with a triumphant expression.

“It’s amazing how large one’s head looks on the back of a spoon, isn’t it Josh” Ron laughed vindictively.

Ginny was on the verge of sinking her nails into Ron’s head when Harry stomped in and said, “Hermione did you know, Tonks and Lupin are getting married next month?”

“Yes I talked to Dora the other day when I was at the Ministry for my permission for SPEW. She showed me the engagement ring and said they would have a small ceremony. We’re all invited of course.” Hermione replied all too quickly.

She was conscious of her sweaty palms from watching Ronald Weasley sitting in sharp relief against her date- Michael Cartwright. It was almost as if fate was asking her to make her choices at the moment and end the struggle.

“Are you talking about Nymphadora Tonks? I never knew she was seeing someone, she’s always so busy at work and joking around” Josh ventured. Harry recalled that Tonks was also an Auror and Josh probably knew her as his senior in the department.

Michael cut in, “Lupin? Hermione dear, this can’t possibly be Professor Lupin who taught us Dark Arts for a year? Is it the same gentleman?”

Harry noticed Hermione turn brighter than magenta at the term of endearment that Michael just used for her. Ron took a solid gulp of air into his lungs and flexed his forearms powerfully.

Ginny hastily replied to cover the confusion, “Yes the very same, Michael. He was my favorite Defense against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts”

Michael looked puzzled to a large degree by the information. His dark eyebrows were arched in thought like the drawn wings of a large phoenix. “He was undoubtedly good, but he was a werewolf; I mean I’m quite certain. That’s why Dumbledore dismissed him, didn’t he? I wonder how someone can agree to marry him…”

“No no you’re mistaken about his character Michael…” Hermione tried to explain before Ron cut her through icily-

“I agree Mike, some women can be dismal when it comes to love” he declared staring pointedly.

All the blood seemed to have rushed from Ron’s face and collected at his ears. Hermione jumped at this declaration and looked at him with a strange indefinable expression… not anger or indignation. She seemed to have forgotten all about Michael for that moment… it was as if none were at the table except the both of them. Ron replayed his retort in his mind once more and saw the implication more heavily than he had planned it. He suddenly jumped in his seat, spilling meat at Josh’s clothes and vanished out from the spotless glass revolving doors.

The battle was lost… no prisoners taken.

Read Chapter 16- FIRE AND WATER here