"Bliss Zabini" the dark-skinned girl spoke as she extended her hand, palm up, and looked expectantly at Harry who merely stared back in confusion, earning a snort from nearby.
"Don't you read the papers Zabini? He wasn't raised in Magical society. He probably wouldn't know what to do even if he were." Malfoy taunted, earning a frown from the Potter.
Another girl in their year rolled her eyes and interrupted, "Don't be like that Cleo. My name is Theresa Nott, and Bliss wants your hand, Harry."
There was a bit of hesitation, even as he reached out and met his fellow Slytherin's palm. Without another moment wasted the witch leaned forward, and kissed the top of his hand, "Wonderful to finally meet your acquaintance, Harry."
Theresa snorted and the former Gryffindor found himself blushing and unsure of how to respond to the gesture.
"You're such a kiss arse Bliss," another voice called from a nearby table, one from a student Harry did recognize, Daphne Greengrass. "Wouldn't give him the time of day until Defense class and now you are practically courting him."
Courting
What in the world was happening? One minute Harry is being ignored, borderline insulted, from his classmates and the next they were talking about dating him?
A far older voice interrupted whatever craziness was about to happen next, "I believe, Miss Zabini, that you have held onto your classmate for quite long enough."
The girl quickly pulled back, clearly a bit frightened at the nonexistent threat that their Head of House now posed. Harry's own attention shifted to her, and the way she stared at him and no one else. If he was honest, it was more than a little unsettling.
"I'm certain that you can all find either homework or studying to do." Those who hadn't already been seated quickly scattered, save for Harry who stood frozen in place. "Mr. Potter." She intoned, before turning and walking away, serving to confuse the boy even further.
****
"It's LeviOsa, not LevioSA" Hermione corrected, earning a frown from the redheaded boy as he tried it again and failed.
But even with her instructions, frustration was beginning to build which only served to worsen his attempts.
A moments later and Flitwick was passing by their desk. "Mister Weasley, why don't you take a short break and get some exercise."
Said boy quickly nodded, before standing and walking out without so much as glancing back towards the girl.
She immediately tried to argue, to justify her actions, "Professor I…"
"Some people just can't do Magic the way others can. There is nothing wrong with how Mister Weasley is learning so please allow him to go at his own pace."
Said Gryffindor bowed her head and nodded in defeat.
Nearby, two sisters whispered to each other conspiratorially, "Are you sure Amy?"
"You were the one who pointed out how Harry watched them. He had to have friends before, why not again?"
****
He was suspicious when he saw her look in his direction throughout Potions class, her attention seemingly on him rather than the professor or textbook, a rarity for the bookworm. It only deepened when she looked ready to approach him when they were dismissed, but instead quickly fled the room, bright red in embarrassment.
A day later and he was finally approached, "Uhm, excuse me, Harry Potter?" The boy looked up and tried to fight back any reaction at the curly-haired copy of his best friend. "My name is Hermione… Granger. Uhm Gryffindor in your year."
He nodded, "We have Potions and Defense together."
This time it is her turn to nod, a bit too ecstatically for it to be just introductions. "Yes, I was hoping to talk to you."
"Okay."
She looked around, her voice dropping a bit, "Perhaps, in private? I mean if you feel comfortable, I'm not going to do anything inappropriate I just think that this is something sensitive and…"
He couldn't help the smile or soft laugh that bubbled up from his chest, "Of course Hermione, lead the way."
It was the library, because of course it was, that the bookworm led them to, and after choosing a table away from any other students her voice dropped down to just above a whisper. "Your sisters, they are in Gryffindor with me."
Harry nodded, urging to her continue but secretly guessing what she was about to say and wondering what the consequences would be.
"They uhm… they mentioned that you, well that you might have uh known me, well another me."
And there it was. The boy-who-lived wasn't exactly surprised that Hermione knew, or that his 'sisters' told her, who would expect two eleven-year-olds to keep a secret, but he would still need to talk to them about it.
The last thing he needed was for some stuck-up Pureblood to tell their parents and then for word to leak out.
Still, he needed to address the situation staring him in the face, "Yeah… yeah I do, did, whatever."
"As in a future, alternate version of me?"
He nodded again, wondering if the bushy-haired witch would believe him or not. It wasn't as if he had a whole lot of evidence or anything like that.
She bit her lip, concentration mixing with curiosity in her eyes, "What do my parents do for a living?"
He blinked, before being overcome with gentle laughter. Trust Hermione to come up with a puzzle to prove who someone else said he was. "Dentists." He replied upon regaining his composure, and noticing she too had a smile on her face as she watched him. "Or at least they were in my world. Of course, in mine I also didn't have sisters so everything could be completely different."
The witch quickly shook her head, "You're right, and I haven't told anyone at Hogwarts so you must have known me."
Memories resurfaced, about how his own Hermione needed to lighten up and laugh a bit more when she had first arrived, about how she needed friends. "You never know," he teased lightly, "I could just be completely fascinated by you and dedicated my time to finding out more."
He had meant it as a joke, but instead earned a bright blush on her face.
Huh, a weird reaction. Then again, he hadn't acted this way towards the witch he knew back when they had first met.
"If you don't mind me asking…" she mumbled, "What… were we?"
That brought him up short as memories poured in before he could stop them. Sitting around a table with Ron and Hermione laughing, all their tests and trials, working together on homework, writing each other during the summer and holiday breaks.
Tears stung his eyes as he quickly wiped them away, "You're my best friend Mione."
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