Hermione Granger and the Paradigm Shift

Chapter 16 - Part 2

As they skulked back to Gryffindor the next day Hermione fought the urge to destroy anything and everything in their path. "He didn't even care!" she repeated angrily for what felt like the millionth time during their journey from Dumbledore's office. Harry remained calm which only served to aggravate her more.

"He did care. It's fine," Harry finally responded.

"It's not fine," she admonished. "He barely acknowledged the list we gave him! Why aren't you angrier?"

Harry shrugged. "You wouldn't know because you haven't talked to him as much this year...but he's different now. He used to sound disappointed in me....like I wasn't doing enough. Now it's...different."

"Different how?" she demanded.

"Like he's disappointed in himself. We found a Horcrux...we are fighting back against Malfoy and have other people helping us. We're messing with his plans..." he offered before trailing off.

"Why doesn't he just tell us his plan then?" she asked indignantly.

Harry shrugged again and gave a sad chuckle. "I have no idea."

"It's so infuriating!" she protested once again. Harry was smirking now. "What's so funny?"

"You sound like me last year. Like a smarter version of me," he quickly added at her pointed glare. "It's weird...me trying to calm you down," he added as he pulled her closer.

She shrunk into his side and relaxed...not quite wanting to vocalize how well it was working.

"I think we should work on your flying this afternoon," he interjected as they approached Gryffindor.

In one sentence Harry had destroyed all of his hard work in calming her nerves.

"Why on earth do you think I would want to do that now?"

Or ever, she silently finished her thought.

"It's relaxing," he answered with a shrug. "It will be a good way to get your mind off Dumbledore. You'll see," he said reassuringly as they stepped into the common room. "Besides it isn't about doing what you want...it's about being practical and doing the smart thing."

She really hated when Harry used her own speeches against her because not only was he right she couldn't even get properly annoyed with him...because his stupid speech was always followed with a grin. She really loved it when he grinned.

"To you, Harry. It's relaxing to you. Besides...it's not safe," she countered. "We'd be sitting ducks out on the pitch by ourselves." She was exceedingly proud of herself at coming up with an excuse based solely on logic. Her reluctance definitely had nothing to do with her abject despisal of those cursed sticks of wood. Definitely.

"Good point," Harry agreed before spotting Ron and Lavender. "Oi! Can you two come with us down to the Quidditch pitch in a few minutes? I'm going to help Hermione with her flying."

It was as if Harry had provided Ron with the greatest gift imaginable. "Absolutely!" he exclaimed, pulling Lavender up from the couch.

Before she could protest that only having two people as backup would still be risky Ron began circling the common room, speaking to the other sixth year students milling about. As they looked her way and nodded she knew she was doomed. They were all too pleased at the prospect of helping. She fought the urge to curse them all.

Everything seemed to start moving in slow motion as she watched Harry discreetly hand the map over to a now-beaming Ron. Lavender shot her a piteous look of sympathy and she realized her day of reckoning had come.