Live Forever

1: Live Forever - Part 2

July 11, 1995

Harry had struck a deal with his Aunt. If he met Hermione somewhere else beside Privet Drive and they stayed away from the house he would be excused from chores every Tuesday. He'd sent Hedwig off with a message to meet him at the pizza place in the same area they'd visited last week. As happy as he was to see his friend again it was obvious something was bothering her.

"It's nothing, Harry," she quickly mumbled before asking what toppings he preferred.

"Pepperoni and mushroom," he quickly replied, "now tell me what's wrong."

"Professor Lupin paid me a visit last Wednesday..."

Harry immediately knew where this was heading. "Go on," he prodded as calmly as he could manage.

"The headmaster sent him," she began uncomfortably. "They knew I had visited you and asked me not to do it again. They said it wasn't safe....that if someone knew where I lived they could follow me and track me to your location."

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I ignored his advice, obviously," she muttered, attempting to glare at him but failing as a smirk stubbornly broke through. She tried to hide it by looking down at her menu...but he saw it.

Harry laughed and was struck with an idea. He pulled out the invisibility cloak he'd brought along and placed it on her lap under the table.

"Harry, what is- I can't take that," she gasped.

"Dumbledore said Privet Drive is the safest place for me so I reckon I don't need it while I'm here. You'll be able to leave your house without anyone knowing...you can even use it sneak on the train if you want to."

"I don't know," she said worriedly.

"Spending the day with you last Tuesday was the best time I've had in...forever," Harry admitted honestly. "And knowing I'd get to do it again today made the entire week tolerable."

"Really?" Hermione asked. It was clear that his admission had taken her off guard.

"Really," he replied unthinkingly.

"Thank you...and me too," she mumbled as she bowed her head and stowed the cloak away in her bag.

They placed their order (pepperoni and mushrooms) and ate in relative silence before Hermione became serious once again. She looked very determined and Harry braced himself.

"What shoe size do you wear?" she asked inexplicably.

"Seven...I think. Why?"

"Once we finish lunch we're going to get you some new trainers," she informed.

"What? No. You're already paying for lunch. And the ones I have are fine. You don't need-"

"The ones you are wearing are barely holding together. This will go a lot more smoothly if you stop being so stubborn-"

"You're the one being stubborn," he protested, cringing at how stupid he sounded.

She rolled her eyes at his feeble response. He knew that he should be annoyed but he couldn't quite manage it.

"It wasn't even my idea," she replied casually, grabbing another slice. "I mentioned to Mum what bad shape your old ones were in and she insisted. So if you want to blame anyone you should blame her. Besides, you've given me a priceless magical artifact...the least I can do is buy you a pair of trainers as thanks...but only because Mum said to..."

She looked so pleased with herself as she bit into her food. Once again the thought occurred to him that her smugness should be bothering him but it actually was making him...happier? He did his best to hide that fact but based on Hermione's look of triumph he knew he was doing a poor job of it.

"Fine," he grumbled falsely, "but I can pay for it. I don't have much muggle money but I've got some galleons in my room. I'll pay you back next week."

"Sounds good," she replied, barely suppressing a laugh. He idly thought about how pretty her smile was. He knew it was thoroughly shallow of him to think it but she truly did look better with her smaller teeth.

They returned to eating in companionable silence as Hermione quietly basked in her victory. He found himself nodding along to a particularly catchy song.

"Oh please," Hermione mumbled in annoyance, "not you to."

"Not me what?"

"Don't tell me you like Oasis," she pleaded.

"What's an Oasis?" he asked, now thoroughly confused.

"The song you were bopping along to?"

"I wasn't bopping," he protested. "Besides, it's catchy. Is it called Oasis?"

Hermione's eye's boggled.

"You've never heard of the band Oasis?" she asked in indignation. "It's all they played on the radio last summer. I thought they would have died down a bit by now but they seem to be more popular than ever. Their music is fine I suppose but I've heard it so much at this point...and they're always in the news for being idiots. You've honestly never heard this song?" she repeated disbelievingly.

He was suddenly uncomfortable. "I don't really get a chance to listen to music," he mumbled, staring at his food. "I actually have a portable radio...it belonged to Dudley before he broke it and I managed to get it working again a few years ago. But my Uncle would get mad if he ever heard me playing it and then the batteries ran out anyway..."

He chanced a glance at Hermione and realized that she was now furious. Whether she was furious at the Dursleys or herself for forgetting how sheltered he'd been he wasn't sure. Probably a mixture of both. Either way it wasn't her fault.

"It's not a big deal," he mumbled awkwardly. "It's just a song."

"That's not the point. It's not fair that-" She stopped suddenly and forced herself to calm down.

"I think it's called Live Forever."