Hermione Granger and the Paradigm Shift

Chapter 13 - Part 2

After the requisite examination and fussing by Madam Pomfrey once she realized Harry had regained consciousness Hermione recounted the events of the day once again. She watched as Harry's anger seemed to grow until it morphed to shock when she informed him of her resignation as prefect.

"You didn't need to do that, Hermione," he answered somberly.

"Yes I did," she answered immediately. "The more I think about it it's obvious Draco resigned from the Quidditch team and his prefect position so he'd have more time and flexibility to work on his plan. If the headmaster is going to let him get away with it than we need to fight fire with fire."

He nodded his head and reached for her hand. "Fight fire with fire...I like it."

"We lost by the way," Ron interjected.

"What?" the pair replied in unison.

"You know...the match where your own teammate sent a bludger at your head and cracked your skull? We lost 300 to 260."

"Oh," Harry replied casually.

"Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?" Hermione asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked in confusion.

"I'd never thought you would care so little about losing a match," she joked. "Especially considering it was due to one of your own teammate's idiocy. I'm going to throttle McLaggen."

"Yeah, well considering I just decided I'd be resigning from the team it shouldn't be too shocking."

"What?" Hermione and Ron replied in unison.

"I'm resigning," he repeated.

"Harry," she replied softly. "You really don't need to do that. We can work around-"

"Yes I do. Just like you had to resign as prefect," he replied firmly before glancing at Ron.

"I'm going to cast Muffliato so I can talk to Hermione in private, Ron," he informed.

Ron pantomimed that he was going to throw up as Harry cast the privacy charm and pulled her closer.

"I was probably going to do it anyway...you just made the choice obvious," he said quietly as he pulled her into a hug and sighed. She nestled into the small of his shoulder as he continued speaking softly in her ear.

"I've had a professor jinx my broom, a bludger cursed to injure me and a flock of dementors set on me during matches. All I thought about when those things happened was catching the snitch. Today all I could think about was you." She'd closed her eyes but she could feel him playing with her hair.

"I would have been ecstatic if Thornburg had caught the snitch today because it would have meant the match was over. I love Quidditch but it's not even in the same universe as how I feel about you.

It's weird saying these things out loud to you now instead of just thinking them," he confessed.

She chuckled and buried herself a bit further into his side, feeling the tension that had been building throughout the day instantly recede. "You're much better at convincing me of things now that you're my boyfriend," she replied affectionately.

He laughed in reply. "I've been trying to think more like you lately. I guess it's working."

He gave her a gentle squeeze and continued. "We fight fire with fire and we do it together. Okay?"

She nodded into his shoulder. "Okay."

"And besides, I'll still get to fly when I put you through your paces," he joked.