A Different Sort of Flying Lesson by scheherezhad
Rating: G
Summary: Hermione teaches Harry about a different kind of flying.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's notes: I wrote a het fic? The world must be going mad - or I'm just really ready for Spring Break. This came to me while flying my spiff Lord of the Rings kite one afternoon. Dedicated to Emily, friend and H/H fanatic. Thanks to my beta, Adri.
Feedback: Please. Praise me, criticise me, outright flame me. I don't care; I just want to know what you really think. scheherezhad@yahoo.com
It was a cool, near-spring afternoon of the sort that makes it impossible to want to be anywhere but outside. Lazy rainclouds drifted across the gray sky, letting the sun peek through for a moment every now and then, and a steady wind had been blowing all day. The grass showed signs of spring's approach where it was once again becoming lush and green.
And on this particular afternoon, Hermione Granger stood out on the lawn of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, flying a kite.
Her kite was a simple style, triangular with a short tail snapping out behind it, but it was colorful and cheery. It was sectioned black on the outsides and fluorescent colors through the middle, and the tail had bows of bright green, blue, pink, yellow, and orange to match the inside portion. She handled the kite with the skill and care of one who has flown many kites before.
Many students passing by windows or crossing the grounds stopped for a moment to point and whisper to one another. Seeing Hermione outside playing with a muggle toy was something of a surprise, to say the least. Still, no one approached the young woman whose face was tilted to the sky, hands carefully tugging at a length of string.
Inside, Ron and Harry saw a clump of students gathered around a window, talking quietly amongst themselves. The pair made their way to the other students to find out what was going on.
"What are you all watching out there?" Harry asked a Ravenclaw girl.
"Hermione is out of the library for once," she said, shifting aside so the boys could see.
Ron shoved up next to the window and looked out. "What the devil is she doing, Harry?"
Harry peered out. "She's flying a kite - it's a muggle toy," he explained absently. "Why don't we go talk to her? Maybe she'll let us fly it, too."
Harry smiled as Ron followed him onto the grounds, head cocked back to watch the contraption swoop about in the wind. Harry really did hope that Hermione would let him have a turn; he'd never flown a kite before, but it had always looked fun. As they neared their friend, the triangular kite took a dangerously low dive, but Hermione tugged sharply on the string and brought it soaring back over their heads.
"Hello, Harry. Hello, Ron," she called, grinning at them.
"Hello, Hermione," Harry called back.
"Lovely day, isn't it? I thought it would be a nice time to try out the new kite my father sent me." She tugged on the string again. "He and I used to fly kites together in the park every spring, but we can't while I'm here, so the other day he owled me this. It's finally windy enough to try it out."
Harry and Ron watched in fascination at how easily she kept the kite aloft. "Could I try it out, 'Mione?" Ron asked.
"Sure, Ron. My arms are getting a bit tired anyway." She began winding the string back onto the little handle in her fist, slowly bringing the kite back to earth. Leaving a little slack, she passed the handle to Ron and put the kite in his free hand. "Now, the first thing you do is wait until you can feel a good wind coming up on you. Then you let the kite out on a little bit of string until it catches the air current and starts rising, and you let out the string a bit at a time until the kite is soaring."
She stepped back next to Harry as Ron tentatively set the kite out on the wind and let it rise.
"Hermione, would you mind if I took a turn after Ron?" Harry asked. "I've never flown one before, either."
"Of course you can try, Harry. Ron - jerk on the string a bit so it doesn't crash!"
Harry and Hermione sat down on the ground together, talking idly as they watched Ron fly Hermione's kite. When the redhead finally tired of flying it, he reeled it in as Hermione had, and he handed it to Hermione.
"Thanks, 'Mione. I'm going to go owl mum about getting a kite," Ron said excitedly, heading toward the castle. "See you later."
"I guess it's my turn now." Harry stood and dusted off the back of his pants, then helped Hermione up.
"Did you hear what I told Ron earlier?" she asked.
"Sort of. You think you could help me a bit?"
"Of course." She put the handle of the kite in one of his hands and the kite in the other. "Let it out on just a little bit of string until it catches the wind and starts rising," she instructed, guiding his hands. He looked at her almost shyly for a second, glanced at their hands, then looked at her again and smiled.
Hermione felt a slight blush in her cheeks and smiled back, suddenly aware that her heart was beating too hard and her breath was coming too quickly. She drew her hands back as the kite took flight, and the moment was gone. Harry's concentration rapidly turned to the kite he handled, his eyes tracking its graceful dips and turns joyfully. His expression of happiness caught Hermione's attention so fully that she didn't hear the footsteps nearing them until a hand came to rest on her shoulder.
She started and turned around to find Professor Dumbledore smiling down at her, a kite in one of his hands. It was shaped like a dragon, and the head snapped at her when she leaned in for a look.
"It's a lovely day for flying, isn't it, Miss Granger?"
Hermione glanced back at Harry, his rapt face turned to the sky, and she smiled at Dumbledore. "It is, Professor. It most certainly is."