Yuletide Blessing in Disguise

Private People

The final push was on the last few weeks leading up to the Second Task, and Harry was enormously busy. But when Harry received a brief missive from Sirius just after the beginning of February to be prepared for another Fireside chat at midnight in two days he didn't care how late it was going to be, even though Hermione had warned him that he really ought to be getting plenty of sleep so that he would be able to keep his focus during the day.

Harry had received the note from the barn owl which tapped on the window of his dormitory just after dinner; he had briefly considered not telling Hermione, then remembered that he was telling her everything these days, no matter how much he was reticent to talk about certain things or give her a reason to be upset, so he had headed back down to the common room where she was still looking up Runes to help him in the Second Task.

Feeling slightly guilty, He was glad now that he had decided not to hold anything back. Harry set his ink bottle, brush, and quill on the coffee table next to his parchment on which he was going to be working on the Rune Sequences which Hermione was working out for him, and tentatively broached the subject.

"Erm... Hermione?"

"Yes Harry?" said Hermione, looking up from her notes.

Harry peered furtively around the common room to make sure no one was listening, then lowered his voice.

"Erm, well... I just received a note from Sirius," he said quietly, "He wants to talk the night after tomorrow - in the fireplace at midnight."

"Oh," said Hermione, in an equally soft voice and strangely looking very interested. "Well, that's nice, isn't it? I mean - it's been months since you last chatted and he is your godfather after all..."

"Er... So you don't think it's too late then?"

"Don't be silly," whispered Hermione, rolling her eyes. "Of course you should talk to him, no matter how late it is - he's family..."

"Cool!" Harry responded, feeling very relieved. Now it was Hermione who looked a bit shy, biting her lip.

"So, er, anyway, do you mind if I join you?" she asked hopefully. "I mean, I expect you'd like a bit of privacy - but it's a very interesting way of communicating - using the Floo system. It seems a bit odd, doesn't it? I can't imagine one's head spinning round and round while one's body is stationary at the other end. Though, I suppose you could just ask Sirius how that works and tell me later, but it would be nice to say hello too..."

"Yeah, of course you can join me Hermione," said Harry, grinning, cutting off Hermione's rushing flow of words; he suddenly realised how cute she was when she talked a mile a minute when she was nervous. "And I bet Sirius would like to say hello to you too. He hasn't seen you since last year."

Hermione beamed at Harry and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Alright," she said, shifting gears, "now that we've sorted that out, we really should be getting on with this - there's only three weeks left..."

~o0o~

Harry and Hermione both studied late the night that Sirius's head was due in the fireplace, but they both grew anxious when it was after eleven and there was still a sixth year couple snogging in the corner of the common room. Harry and Hermione both tried reading a bit more, but gave up as they couldn't concentrate anymore. Putting their books down, they both fidgeted, wondering if they should pick up their quills and pretend that they were going to write some notes.

The sixth year couple finally roused from the well-cushioned armchair they had both been occupying at eleven thirty and smirked a bit at Harry and Hermione.