Snippet finished
OK, as you all had to listen to me moan, I thought I'd post the Harry and Hermione snippet which I am writing for my SQ Story: "The Ties That Bind":
The tent was a blaring orange. Harry suspected that Hermione had done that intentionally. The Dursleys had insisted that they didn’t have room for Hermione, and, anyway, would not allow magic under their roof. Hermione had taken this all in her stride, saying she’d put up a tent in the garden, and so she’d done just that. However, it was pretty clear from the threatening way she’d been holding her wand that Hermione didn’t like the Dursleys very much.
Harry was on his own, for the moment, Hermione having Apparated home to catch up with her parents. She said she’d be back soon. Harry lay on his back, staring up at the roof of the tent.
His mind was far away. He felt empty. It was horrible how fast one could get used to having someone there. He missed Ginny… a lot. But there was no point in moping. There were things to do. Things to plan.
Harry knew he’d made the right decision. It was the only way to be free enough to do what needed to be done. He had to cut ties. When he was with Ginny she seemed to take over everything, filling up his life. There were times when he thought he’d give up everything else just to stay with her and that was crazy thinking. A person couldn’t live that way, because then it only took one hit to rob them of everything.
And with a Dark Lord around there would always be someone willing to make that hit.
A sharp pop announced Hermione’s return. It only took a moment for the door to the tent to open and a friendly face to push its way through.
“What are you doing in here, Harry?” she asked. “It’s a beautiful night.”
A brisk northerly wind had hit Southern England, shifting the Dementor-created fog which seemed to appear so readily at this time of year. Harry suspected it was the heat and humidity. It made people feel lethargic and besieged. Perfect Dementor conditions!
Harry followed Hermione out. Dusk had just fallen and the first of the stars had appeared. The breeze was just cool enough to be comfortable. Hermione unzipped the rest of the door, and tied it open. She then sat down on the edge of the tent, with her legs on the grass. Harry sat beside her.
“I’ve got a good enlargement charm we can do on the tent,” Hermione said, glancing behind her. “Then it’ll just take a bit of transfiguration to do it up pretty nice. I didn’t have time to get a proper Wizarding one. Had to borrow this from my Dad.”
“It’s great,” Harry replied, smiling. “A lot better than living in there.” He nodded towards the house a handful of yards away.
“I don’t know how you put up with them for so long,” Hermione said. “They are horrible.”
Harry shrugged. “Wasn’t so bad once I could scare them.”
Hermione bit on her lower lip, looking like she wanted to say something, but not quite knowing how.
“How were your parents?” Harry asked.
“Oh, they’re all right,” Hermione answered. “They wish they could see me more, but they’ve always been very supportive of me. I said I’ll nip in a couple of times a week and have meals with them.”
“That’ll be nice.”
Hermione nodded. There was silence for several seconds. Finally, Hermione spoke: “I’m sorry about you and Ginny.”
Harry looked up, his expression controlled.
“You two seemed…” Hermione’s courage faltered for a moment, but she continued. “You seemed very good together.”
“Well,” Harry said, after gathering enough composure to speak, “I’ve always enjoyed her company.”
Hermione nodded vigorously. “And that can be tough to lose. Because the people whose company we enjoy, you know, we tend to get a bit attached to them.”
“A bit,” Harry allowed, waiting for her to continue.
“And with everything else that’s been happening, it’d be quite natural if you were a little down…”
Harry smiled at her. “Yes, that’s true. But I’m ok, honest.”
“Yes, I know,” Hermione whispered. “It’s just… I’m here…” she finished weakly.
Harry was more touched than he would ever admit. “I do miss her,” Harry said, surprised at the words coming from his mouth. “A lot. I think that I… er… loved her.”
He stared furiously at the ground as Hermione gave a little gasp.
“How do you know?” she asked.
Harry’s mouth was open to speak when he realised that there was a new intensity in the way Hermione was looking at him. He stopped to think.
“Love’s kind of like… well, it’s like Hogwarts.” Hermione blinked. Harry continued before she could interrupt. “‘Cause being at Hogwarts will always be a part of me. I could go to the ends of the earth, but a bit of me will always be there and a bit of it will always be in me.”
“That’s how you feel about Ginny?” Hermione asked, wide-eyed.
Harry gazed down again, looking at a particularly interesting blade of dimly lit grass. “And others,” he murmured. “Just in different ways, you know.”
There was silence for a long moment. When Harry finally gathered the courage to look up, Hermione’s eyes had gone teary. Harry smiled, as best he could, and then looked up at the stars. Hermione did the same.
~*~
Comments and criticism will be gratefully received. The story is not all fluff (if this qualifies as fluff). This snippet actually breaks up a pretty dark scene.
I graduated on Thursday. It was fun! Really enjoyable. I also spoke to the professor who marked my Research Project (kind of like a dissertation) and she said it was the highest mark she'd ever given. So I was happy!
The tent was a blaring orange. Harry suspected that Hermione had done that intentionally. The Dursleys had insisted that they didn’t have room for Hermione, and, anyway, would not allow magic under their roof. Hermione had taken this all in her stride, saying she’d put up a tent in the garden, and so she’d done just that. However, it was pretty clear from the threatening way she’d been holding her wand that Hermione didn’t like the Dursleys very much.
Harry was on his own, for the moment, Hermione having Apparated home to catch up with her parents. She said she’d be back soon. Harry lay on his back, staring up at the roof of the tent.
His mind was far away. He felt empty. It was horrible how fast one could get used to having someone there. He missed Ginny… a lot. But there was no point in moping. There were things to do. Things to plan.
Harry knew he’d made the right decision. It was the only way to be free enough to do what needed to be done. He had to cut ties. When he was with Ginny she seemed to take over everything, filling up his life. There were times when he thought he’d give up everything else just to stay with her and that was crazy thinking. A person couldn’t live that way, because then it only took one hit to rob them of everything.
And with a Dark Lord around there would always be someone willing to make that hit.
A sharp pop announced Hermione’s return. It only took a moment for the door to the tent to open and a friendly face to push its way through.
“What are you doing in here, Harry?” she asked. “It’s a beautiful night.”
A brisk northerly wind had hit Southern England, shifting the Dementor-created fog which seemed to appear so readily at this time of year. Harry suspected it was the heat and humidity. It made people feel lethargic and besieged. Perfect Dementor conditions!
Harry followed Hermione out. Dusk had just fallen and the first of the stars had appeared. The breeze was just cool enough to be comfortable. Hermione unzipped the rest of the door, and tied it open. She then sat down on the edge of the tent, with her legs on the grass. Harry sat beside her.
“I’ve got a good enlargement charm we can do on the tent,” Hermione said, glancing behind her. “Then it’ll just take a bit of transfiguration to do it up pretty nice. I didn’t have time to get a proper Wizarding one. Had to borrow this from my Dad.”
“It’s great,” Harry replied, smiling. “A lot better than living in there.” He nodded towards the house a handful of yards away.
“I don’t know how you put up with them for so long,” Hermione said. “They are horrible.”
Harry shrugged. “Wasn’t so bad once I could scare them.”
Hermione bit on her lower lip, looking like she wanted to say something, but not quite knowing how.
“How were your parents?” Harry asked.
“Oh, they’re all right,” Hermione answered. “They wish they could see me more, but they’ve always been very supportive of me. I said I’ll nip in a couple of times a week and have meals with them.”
“That’ll be nice.”
Hermione nodded. There was silence for several seconds. Finally, Hermione spoke: “I’m sorry about you and Ginny.”
Harry looked up, his expression controlled.
“You two seemed…” Hermione’s courage faltered for a moment, but she continued. “You seemed very good together.”
“Well,” Harry said, after gathering enough composure to speak, “I’ve always enjoyed her company.”
Hermione nodded vigorously. “And that can be tough to lose. Because the people whose company we enjoy, you know, we tend to get a bit attached to them.”
“A bit,” Harry allowed, waiting for her to continue.
“And with everything else that’s been happening, it’d be quite natural if you were a little down…”
Harry smiled at her. “Yes, that’s true. But I’m ok, honest.”
“Yes, I know,” Hermione whispered. “It’s just… I’m here…” she finished weakly.
Harry was more touched than he would ever admit. “I do miss her,” Harry said, surprised at the words coming from his mouth. “A lot. I think that I… er… loved her.”
He stared furiously at the ground as Hermione gave a little gasp.
“How do you know?” she asked.
Harry’s mouth was open to speak when he realised that there was a new intensity in the way Hermione was looking at him. He stopped to think.
“Love’s kind of like… well, it’s like Hogwarts.” Hermione blinked. Harry continued before she could interrupt. “‘Cause being at Hogwarts will always be a part of me. I could go to the ends of the earth, but a bit of me will always be there and a bit of it will always be in me.”
“That’s how you feel about Ginny?” Hermione asked, wide-eyed.
Harry gazed down again, looking at a particularly interesting blade of dimly lit grass. “And others,” he murmured. “Just in different ways, you know.”
There was silence for a long moment. When Harry finally gathered the courage to look up, Hermione’s eyes had gone teary. Harry smiled, as best he could, and then looked up at the stars. Hermione did the same.
~*~
Comments and criticism will be gratefully received. The story is not all fluff (if this qualifies as fluff). This snippet actually breaks up a pretty dark scene.
I graduated on Thursday. It was fun! Really enjoyable. I also spoke to the professor who marked my Research Project (kind of like a dissertation) and she said it was the highest mark she'd ever given. So I was happy!