23rd October 1994
"You know you don't have to come to the game if you don't want to, Ron and I won't mind, will we?"
Hermione's eyes snapped up from the book she had been reading, oblivious to her porridge which was half-forgotten and dripping from her drooping spoon back into the bowl. She stared at Harry across the table; he was avoiding her gaze by keeping his own fixed to the meagre breakfast he was eating. He never ate much the morning of a Quidditch match and that day saw the opening match of the season between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw despite the wet October weather.
Next to him Ron was staring at his own plate of food with unusual reluctance. He jerked suddenly as though Harry had kicked him under the table and nodded. "Yeah, it's fine." Ron agreed hastily.
"Of course I'm coming to the match." Hermione said briskly. "I wouldn't miss Ron's first game for anything."
Ron paled under his freckles. "Right. My first game." He placed a hand on his stomach. "You know I think there's something wrong with the sausage."
Harry raised his eyes and rolled them expressively as he pushed a glass of pumpkin juice towards Ron. "There's nothing wrong with the sausage."
"You haven't eaten any of it." Ron retorted.
"Neither have you." Harry pointed out.
The sausage sat on Ron's plate as untouched as the bacon, fried potatoes and beans next to it.
"Have some toast, Ron." Hermione said sympathetically. "You need to eat something."
Ron gingerly picked up a slice, slathered it with butter and started nibbling on it.
"I just meant," Harry said, returning to his original topic with Ron sorted, "that as much as we appreciate you watching us, if you'd rather do something else, something you enjoy, that's alright with us."
It was sweet of Harry to offer her the out but Quidditch had always been an important part of their friendship and regardless that she hated the game and watching it, and really she hated watching Harry play the game because it had never yet failed to almost kill him, Hermione wasn't going to stop watching.
"I want to watch you play Quidditch." Hermione said stubbornly. "Both of you." She hastily added on as she belated realised it sounded like she only watched for Harry.
Harry and Ron both smiled at her.
Ron swallowed the last of his toast. "You could read a book though if you wanted while you watched. Right, Harry?"
Harry nodded. "What are you reading anyway?"
"Farringtomen's Theory of Magical Meditation." Hermione said. "Professor McGonagall recommended it. She said it helped her so maybe it would help me." Her animagus training was all held up because Hermione couldn't switch her brain off. Ron was having more success achieving a meditative state than she was although he'd yet failed to find the lucid dreaming that would lead to the revelation of his available forms.
"I wouldn't mind reading it when you're done." Harry said.
Ron sighed. "I swear if you could read a book on a broomstick you would these days."
Harry shrugged although there was a faint hint of red in cheeks that signalled his embarrassment.
"I think it's a good thing." Hermione declared. And she did think it was a good thing despite the fact that Harry was ahead of her academically in some of their subjects and on a par with her in the others except for Potions (and there Hermione suspected it was because Snape just couldn't bring himself to award Harry anything higher than an Exceeds Expectation).
"You would." Ron shot back.
Hermione glared at him before she turned to Harry. "Is Sirius still planning to meet with Professor McGonagall?" She kept her voice low.
Harry nodded jerkily. "He wanted to do it this week but with the whole tournament thing, Professor McGonagall's too busy and she wanted to confer with the other Professors anyway. So, I think they're meeting a week Wednesday?"
"What do you think will happen?" asked Hermione.
"I'm not sure." Harry admitted unhappily pushing back his sleeves. "It's complicated because even though I'm ahead practically, most of the theory stuff is new to me although it kind of makes more sense now. So…" he lifted a shoulder and dropped it, "Sirius thinks they'll give me an independent lesson plan."
"That sucks, mate." Ron commiserated.
"No, that's brilliant." Hermione said, refusing to acknowledge the kernel of jealousy that had lodged in her gut at the idea of having an independent lesson plan. She knew she was smart and she was keeping pace with Harry on the theory side, but she couldn't match Harry's power or his practical prowess anymore.
"I just hope I get to stay in the fourth year classes." Harry said.
Hermione nodded. "I'm surprised Sirius hasn't suggested taking you out of Hogwarts and home-schooling you."
"We talked about it but I don't want to leave you guys so…" Harry admitted with a blush.
Ron slung an arm around his shoulders. "We don't want you to go either. You're our star Seeker."
Hermione and Harry simply looked at him.
Ron caved. "Well, not just because you're our star Seeker."
All three of them laughed.
"Speaking of…" Harry poked Ron. "We should head to the changing rooms and start getting ready for the match."
"Right." Ron's face lost its colour again. "The match."
"I'll see you out there." Hermione said cheerfully.
"Bring a book!" Harry ordered as he dragged Ron away.
Hermione shook her head, her hair spilling over her shoulders. She pushed it away absently as she turned back to her book.
"Getheringmay's Theory of the Active Mind would be better." Luna slipped into the seat next to Hermione and started helping herself to the remaining platters of breakfast.
Hermione glanced up, shot a look at a third year boy who was looking at Luna with ill-disguised contempt, and turned to her friend. "Why do you say that?"
"Your mind is too busy for the exercises that Farringtomen recommends." Luna said serenely, tucking into an enormous stack of pancakes that she had liberally drizzled in syrup. "You'll go mad thinking of nothing."
"But isn't that the point of meditation?" questioned Hermione. "To get to that point where your mind is clear and still?"
"For normal people," Luna said, twirling her fork at Hermione, "but you're not normal. To make your mind happy it needs to be busy. It's not going to be happy if you make it shut up and that means it won't give you what you want."
Hermione sighed and closed her book. She had a feeling Luna was right. "Are you planning on going to the Quidditch match?"
Luna cocked her head as though listening to something. "No, but you are."
"I am," agreed Hermione morosely because she was a good friend who would go and support her friends even if they said she didn't have to be there.
"Where's Neville?" asked Luna brightly.
"He and Hannah are on a practice breakfast date." Hermione explained with a small grimace.
She had actually been in favour of the idea when Harry had raised it. Theo's original suggestion of fake dating was pragmatic and useful for giving Harry some needed cover especially when the revelation of his sessions with the mind healer increased his attractiveness rather than diminished it. The fact that it would also provide some practice at dating was also a practical advantage that Hermione appreciated. Maybe a part of her had been disappointed that Harry would only want to date her as practice and to avoid his stalkers but Hermione wasn't above taking what she could get; a date with Harry was still a date with Harry.
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