Hermione Granger and the Paradigm Shift

Chapter 10 - Part 2

"So Dumbledore reckons you'll be able to love him to death?" Ron asked indignantly the next evening after Harry had shared Slughorn's memory and his subsequent discussion with Dumbledore. "That's about the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Harry chuckled as Hermione remained quiet, reviewing everything Harry had shared: Voldemort's Horcruxes, four of which still needed to be found and destroyed...the fact that Voldemort himself had essentially chosen Harry and set the prophecy in motion...Dumbledore's confidence that Harry's ability and willingness to love would be the key to his victory. That Dumbledore openly admitted to leveraging Harry's goodness and humanity to seemingly manipulate him...knowing Harry would never give up. It was too much.

She was suddenly so angry. After everything they'd been through...to have so far to go yet no definitive course of action to accomplish their ultimate goal...just a vague promise from Dumbledore that he may have a lead on another Horcrux that Harry could help with.

"You're awfully quiet," Harry prompted as he nudged her arm.

She wanted nothing more than to vent her frustrations and terror at the tasks Harry had in front of him but she knew that wouldn't help. "We'll figure it out," she said as confidently as she could manage, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Harry shot her a relieved smile and she felt a bit of accomplishment. Despite the seemingly impossible odds in front of them, she believed in Harry. That would never change.

"Curfew is in fifteen minutes," Madame Pomfrey chastised as she bustled over to Ron's bedside, "you two need to head back to Gryffindor."

Ron's poisoning and the revelations of Slughorn's memory had temporarily delayed the discussion she wanted to have with Harry and her impatience was growing. As she and Harry quietly made their way back to the Gryffindor common room Hermione's wheels were spinning furiously. She needed to talk to Harry.

She resolved to tell him once they made it back to Gryffindor that night. She could pull him into a corner, cast a privacy spell and confess her feelings. She had planned out exactly what she wanted to say and had been reciting it to herself all day. Dress rehearsals were over...it was showtime.

As they came closer to their destination her confidence started to waver, terrified at the potential rejection she could be facing in a few minutes. She unconsciously fell back on the habit she had honed over the last ten years whenever she became too nervous before a particularly important exam. Distract yourself by mentally reviewing and re-reviewing all the relevant points to be covered...remember to remain calm...focus on the task at hand and disregard the potential for-

Her planning was interrupted as Harry tugged on her elbow, leading her into an empty classroom and quickly casting Muffliato before turning back to look at her. He looked nervous.

"I need to tell you something," he began abruptly as he took a seat. "Something I've wanted to say for a while."

Her first instinct was to remind him that curfew was in a few minutes but she quickly realized how stupid it was to worry about such things. Whatever Harry needed to share was infinitely more important than something so trivial. She took a seat and reached for his hand, reveling in the simple contact.

Harry refused to look her in the eyes, instead choosing to stare at the desk in front of him.

"I don't fancy Ginny anymore," he blurted, "after spending time with you the last few months I'm not sure if I ever did. Well, I did, but it wasn't what I thought it was."

Before she could reply Harry trudged on, determined to get through whatever he needed to say.

"Did I ever tell you that Ron and I actually caught her and Dean snogging in a broom closet last fall?" he asked. She shook her head no and waited for him to continue.