Look Away

It was nearing 2 o’clock in the morning at Hogwarts, long past bedtime for most students.  Only one was still awake- Harry Potter sat at a table in the library, alone. 

He was alone a lot more often now that his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger started dating last year.  He didn’t mind being alone when they first got together.  In fact, he had liked it a lot.  His enthusiasm for solitude had gone down a bit since 7^th year had begun, although he hated to admit it to himself.

“Harry? Harry, what are you doing here so late?”

Harry looked up, to see Hermione peeking out at him from behind a bookshelf. “Uh…just finishing Potions stuff,” Harry lied, pretending to stuff an actually blank roll of parchment into his robes.  “What’re you doing here?”

“I came back to the dorm and you weren’t there…I thought I might find you here,” she said as she sat down on the chair next to him.  “I never see you anymore, you’re never in our common room.”

Harry didn’t say anything.  He and Hermione shared a dorm and common room now that they were Head Girl and Boy, but it was hardly private with Ron always there snogging Hermione.  Harry didn’t particularly enjoy watching his best friends making out, but chose not to mention this to Hermione, who tended to be a bit defensive about it.

“I was just about to go up,” Harry said finally.  “Let’s go.”

They both stood up and together they sauntered through the drafty castle corridors back to their common room.

When they finally reached the common room, shaking with cold and suppressed laughter, they collapsed together onto couch in front of the fireplace.

“I’ve always…hated…that stupid cat,” Hermione gasped out.  “Almost more than Filch…wait till we see the look on his face tomorrow when he finds out someone’s turned his cat pink and hexed her to sing.”

Harry grinned.  “That was a nice bit of charm work,” he said, smiling at Hermione.  “You know he’ll suspect you because of it.”

Hermione sighed and rested her head on Harry’s shoulder.  “Nah, I don’t think so,” she said.  “Pansy Parkinson’s been going around hexing everything she can to sing, Millicent taught her and she thinks it’s really clever,” she said with a bit of a smirk.  “Filch caught her hexing his brooms to sing the Hogwarts song last week.”

Harry looked at her, surprised. “You know, you’re smarter than I give you credit for,” he said. 

Hermione snuggled in closer.  “I miss you, Harry.  You’re never around anymore.”

Again Harry was silent.  They sat together for a minute more then Harry stood up.  “I’m going to bed,” he yawned.  See you in the morning, Mione.”

The next morning, Harry was awakened by the sound of Ron’s and Hermione’s voices downstairs in the common room.  Harry grudgingly opened his eyes.  The voices had ceased, replaced by silence.  Harry turned over on his stomach and buried his face in the soft pillows, not wanting to think about what his best friends were doing.  He shut his eyes and willed himself to go back to sleep. 

“C’mon Harry, get up,” Ron said, shaking his friend’s arm. “It’s nearly 10.”

Harry didn’t move.  “You guys go down.  I was up really late last night.”

Ron began to protest, but Hermione interrupted. “He said he’s tired, leave him alone,” she said softly.

Ron shrugged and the two of them left Harry still lying with his head in his pillows.

Harry wasn’t fully awake all day.  It wasn’t from staying up so late, he almost never went to bed before one.  He wasn’t really tired, he just wanted to go to bed and stay there forever. 

“What’s up with you?” Ron finally asked him at dinner.  “You’ve barely said three words all day.”

“I dunno,” Harry mumbled.  “I’m kinda stressed, I guess.  Snape’s trying to kill me through sleep deprivation with all his homework.”

Ron looked astonished. “It was Friday, Harry.  Since when do you do homework on Friday nights?”

Harry shrugged.  “Nothing else to do.”

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing homework on Friday,” Hermione began.  “Harry’s gotten so much more responsible, at bit late obviously, and you could do with working harder as well…”

Ron rolled his eyes.  “Let’s go, Harry, she’s already gotten started, she won’t even notice we’ve left.  We have Quidditch practice in twenty minutes.”

Harry grinned at him for the first time that day and followed his friend out of the hall. 

“Honestly, I wish she’d get off my back about all that homework shit,” Ron said once they were out of Hermione’s hearing.  “She’s starting to sound like Percy, and look what happened to him.”

“It can’t be that bad,” Harry said, a bit testily.  “Talking isn’t the only thing you two do.”

Ron turned red. “I guess,” he mumbled, a slight smile on his face.

Harry pulled his robes over his head, grabbed his broom, and hurried out of the changing room without Ron.  He mounted his broom and kicked off, loving the feeling of the cold November air on his face.  The rest of his team floated up to join him fifty feet above the hard ground. 

“We’re playing Hufflepuff tomorrow, and they’ve got two new Chasers this year,” Harry began. 

Ron looked glum.  He hadn’t gotten much better at Quidditch since his first year, their fifth at Hogwarts.

“But I saw their practice yesterday, neither of them are very good,” Harry said hurriedly.  “You and Ginny come with me, Ron, they both aim a bit high, it won’t be hard to stop them scoring…” he stopped, realizing Ron wasn’t listening to anything he was saying.  Harry sighed, and followed Ron’s eyes to the stands, where Hermione was sitting, smiling up at him.  Harry gazed at her for a moment until he realized what he was doing and began shouting orders at his team. 

“And it’s Finnigan with the Quaffle…he’s past the Hufflepuff Chaser…ooh, almost got hit there…he’s ready to throw…Finnigan scores!“ Neville Longbottom’s magically amplified (and a little hoarse) voice shouted.  “But it’s still Hufflepuff in the lead,” he added sadly. “70-40.”                 

Harry groaned.  It was pouring rain, and he couldn’t see a thing, least of all the Snitch.  He glanced around, searching for even the tiniest glimmer of gold.  All he could see was gray and more gray.  He let out a frustrated curse and rose higher into the air.  It was hard to move, he seemed to be frozen to his broomstick.  A few miserable moments later, he finally saw what he was looking for.  He shot toward the ground, glad the match was finally over.  Neville was shouting something but he couldn’t quite make it out…his fingers closed over the tiny golden ball and he pulled out of his dive just before his broom hit the ground. 

But Neville was still trying to make himself heard over the storm, he hadn’t seen Harry catch the Snitch.

“Neville, I’ve got it!” Harry yelled as loud as he could.  He surged upward, back to where Neville could see him.  He could hear what Neville was saying now…

“WATCH OUT, RON! HE’S COMING STRAIGHT AT YOU!”

Harry froze in midair and watched as a Hufflepuff beater crashed directly into his friend. Ron slumped on his broom and slid sideways off his broom.  Harry raced toward him and managed to catch him just before he hit the frozen ground.  Together they tumbled off Harry’s broom, landing hard on the pitch.

*****

“Don’t worry about it, Ron,” Harry said for the fifth time that day.  “It was pouring, he didn’t see you, it could’ve happened to anyone.”

It was hours after the match had ended, and Harry and Hermione were sitting on either side of Ron’s bed in the hospital wing.

“That’s not the point,” Ron muttered.  “I saw him, I just froze. Why does that always happen to me?”

Harry shook his head. “It happens to everyone, mate,” he said. “Remember that time Oliver took the Bludger to the stomach? And he’s the best Keeper we’ve had.”

“Yeah, but it never happens to you,” Ron mumbled. “It’s late, you guys go on up to bed.”

Hermione leaned down and kissed him on the forehead and followed Harry out the door.

Once back inside their common room, Hermione collapsed on the couch. “Ugh, it’s been a horrible day.”

Harry smiled wanly.  “I’ll say.  I’m filthy, my Quidditch robes are ruined.  I’ve got to take a shower.”

Hermione laughed and pulled the thick blanket from the floor where she had left it the night before.  “I’ll wait for you here,” she said.

Harry sighed with happiness as the steaming water poured over his muddy body.  He wanted to get clean, but showers were also the best place to think.  He closed his eyes and Hermione’s face appeared in his head. He couldn’t help it- he loved her.  Living so close to her was harder than he had imagined.  When he and Hermione had gotten their Hogwarts letters that summer at the Burrow, he had meant to tell Ron about how he felt about Hermione.  But she had looked so happy as she hugged him tight when she found out he was Head Boy, and Ron had looked so odd, he didn’t have the heart to say anything.

He smiled to himself, remembering how her arms felt around his neck, and her legs around his waist.  She was so small and light he barely noticed he was supporting her entire weight.  Their bodies fit together perfectly…it was bliss.

“Harry? Harry…you’re Head Boy, aren’t you!” Hermione came rushing into the room Harry shared with Ron. 

He grinned at her and nodded.  “And I don’t have to ask you.”

Hermione giggled and jumped into Harry’s arms.  “I knew it,” she whispered into his ear. “This year is going to be the best Harry, you and me.”

Harry smiled and rested his chin on her shoulder, taking in her enticing scent.  “Yeah…you and me,” he repeated.

He couldn’t help noticing how perfectly the contours of their bodies fit, pressed together so tightly.  They were so perfect together…

Hermione hugged him tighter and kissed his cheek.  Their eyes met, and neither moved, both hypnotized.  Their faces moved closer together and their eyes slowly closed.  Hermione tilted her head to accept Harry’s kiss…. Just before their lips touched, they heard Ron’s footsteps on the stairs.  Guiltily, they sprang apart just before the doorknob turned.

“Hey Harry, Mum’s just told me! And you too, Hermione!” he looked so happy for his friends, he almost didn’t notice the odd looks on both their faces.

“Yeah, thanks Ron,” they said together.

“What’s wrong with you, your faces are all red,” Ron said with a strange glance at both of them. “It must be hot in here or something…”

“It is a bit,” Hermione said, trying to sound bright.

Ron nodded and crossed the room to pull open the window.  “I told Mum I’d help her with dinner…it’ll be ready in half an hour,” he told them, and hurried back down the stairs.

Harry and Hermione exchanged a long look, and Hermione followed her boyfriend down to the kitchen.

Harry shook his head and opened his eyes.  That was three months ago.  They’d never talked about it, but he was sure Hermione had thought it through and found a logical excuse for what they’d almost done, as was her way.  He turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist.  “It was nothing,” he told himself. “She’s just Hermione.  There’s nothing to be afraid of.”