Unofficial Portkey Archive

Harry was exhausted by the time he strolled up to the house way past midnight. After their dinner, which was spent most of the time listening to her ramble on and on about herself and her modeling career. If she DID ask questions about how he was doing, it was things he'd rather not talk about. Like Quidditch and his fame. She was definitely a partier, because she dragged him to a popular club in Hogsmeade, always looking deliriously happy when she was by his side.

CRACK.

Harry jumped slightly when Ron Apparated close to him. "Ron? Hey, just getting in?"

"Yeah," he said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "The twins and I were at the bar way too long. It had been awhile since I've seen them."

"How's the store doing?"

"Getting bigger by the minute," he said as they made their way up to the door. "They are working on opening a store in New York."

Harry let out an impressive whistle. "Wow...the Big Apple?"

Ron nodded. "So why are you up late?"

"Date with Ashley," he sighed as he pulled out his key and unlocked the door.

"Which one is Ashley?" Ron asked with a yawn.

"Not important enough to remind you," Harry grumbled as they stepped inside their house. Harry paused when he saw the flashes of the TV from the pitch black den. He slowly made his way over to the den, followed shortly by Ron. He turned on one of the lamps by the couch while Ron picked up the remote and turned off the TV.

"Looks like girls night out was a little tiring," Harry said with a slight smile as he looked down at Hermione and Macey who were both fast asleep.

They were both stretched out sharing a blanket with Hermione's head on one end and Mace on the other. The Twister mat was still stretched out with an open pizza box lying on top if it. "Wow...who knew girls were slobs?" Ron said as he saw the half empty bowl of queso on the table.

Harry chuckled. "I'll take Hermione," Harry said as he leaned down and slowly picked her up, cradling her in his arms. "You take Macey."

Ron blinked. "Take her where?"

Harry sighed as he shifted her up higher. Hermione stirred slightly but didn't wake up. "To her bed...it's just right over there....I'll take Mione."

Ron frowned. "Why don't I take, Mione and...."

"Don't be such a baby, I already have her...Macey doesn't bite ya know."

"I know," he said just a little too quickly. "Oh, all right."

"See ya in the morning," Harry said as he left with Hermione up to the back stairs.

Ron sighed as he tossed the blanket off of her and then bent down as he wrapped his arms around her back and legs. He lifted her up and she sighed sleepily as she nuzzled her face against his neck. Ron froze as he looked down at her peaceful face and swallowed the resistance he felt in his dry throat. Just get her in the bed, he thought quickly and headed towards his room. He stepped over the pizza box while carefully avoiding empty glasses of margaritas and butterbeers. Using his back, he opened the door to her bedroom....a room he hardly ever spent time in.

No lights flooded the room so the moonlight sneaking through the blinds was his guide to help him safely to her queen sized bed. It was half made with pillows and stuff animals piled on. "Bloody hell," he muttered in annoyance as he put her down on the bed and tried to pull away, but she let out a moan of protest and her arms tighten around his neck.

"You're obviously asleep," he sighed as he lifted her back up onto his lap as he tossed all the pillows and stuffed animals off the bed and onto the floor. "All right, go on...get in bed."

He placed her on the bed and this time leaned back with her until she was on her back before gently prying her arms away from her. She mumbled something her sleep as Ron stood up and began to untwist her sheets and comforter so he could pull it over her.

"Ron?"

He froze and looked down to see her blinking up at him in the dark. "Hey."

"Thought it was you," she mumbled half a sleep. "Could smell....you're cologne."

Ron didn't know why that comment made him blush.....but it did. "Go to sleep."

"What...what are you doing in my room?"

He sat back down and fiddled with the comforter so it would cover her. "Harry and I found you and Hermione sleeping....I drew the short end of the stick and was force to carry you back."

To Ron's surprise she laughed. "Good one, Ron. Have fun with your brothers?"

"I did, yes...George wanted me to ask you when you're going to dump your Muggle boyfriend back in Texas and bear his children."

Macey snorted a laugh. "Tell him I'm not attracted to him....and that I'm highly attractive to Fred."

He grinned. "That doesn't make any sense."

"I know...that's why it's funny."

Ron chuckled. "Night, Mace," he whispered and before he could stop himself he reached down and casually swept a strand of her hair away from her face. "See you in the morning...we've got practice."

"Mmm," she moaned in protest at the awful reminder. "Yeah, I know. Night, Ron."

Ron found himself still sitting as he watched her fall back asleep. The moonlight danced across her face and breathed deeply as she pulled her white floppy dog she had since she was three. She had told him that when he first teased her about sleeping with a stuffed animal. Her father gave it to her and months later he had passed away. It was the only memory she had of him. When she told him that story he felt horribley guilty for teasing her. He never mentioned it again after that and now...as he watched her sleeping with it like she was still that three year old little girl....he found it rather...cute and innocent. Two adjectives that he had never described Macey before until now.

I guess I don't blame you George.....there is a certain...something about Macey.

What exactly.. didn't know. Mentally he told himself to ask George what it was as he slowly walked out of her room.

A very tired Harry, Ron and Macey staggered into their flat after a long morning of practice. They were all still dressed in their Quidditch robes and their clothes were muddy and their hairs were matted and wet from the storm that had been going on all morning. "Coach was brutal," Ron whined as he set his broom against the wall next tot he door.

"You'd think he'd let up because of the weather," Macey said as she wiped her face with her hand trying to get rid of the mud, not knowing she made it worse by smearing more down her cheek.

"I wasn't surprised one bit," Harry said shaking his fingers through his wet hair, sending drops of water flying everywhere. "Since when does coach let up? Never....he's obviously doing something right since we have the best record in our division."

"Only three more games," Ron said with a yawn. "I can't wait till off-season. A whole six weeks of vacation until we have to go back into training."

Harry sighed. "Unless you are asked to be on the England team for the World Cup playoffs."

"They asked you again?" Macey asked amazed and Harry nodded. 'Wow, congrats Harry. Fourth time in a row isn't it?"

"No....because I turned him down," he said as he started to take of his leather wrist guards.

"What?" Ron asked. "Are you mad?"

"I want to take a break this year, that's all.....actually have six weeks of vacation. I love Quidditch but I need a break."

"I totally understand," Macey said with a smile. "I'd love to play for the U.S team just once....but I couldn't imagine doing it three times....that's a lot of dedication."

"Tell me about it. Look, I'm going to get out of these wet clothes and go check on Hermione....she's probably still asleep."

"She sucks," Macey muttered. "Got to sleep in, while I had to play in the rain with a hangover."

"Stop being such a baby," Ron grumbled. "No one put a gun to your head ya know and made you drink."

She scowled and didn't notice Harry rolling his eyes before heading up the stairs, obviously leaving them to go another round. "I know fully well that no one made me, Weasley. I had a great time last night, but unfortunately I paid the consequences of my actions this morning." She reluctantly picked out a leaf that was stuck in her hair. "Ew, I must look horrible."

Ron shrugged. "Yeah....yeah you do." Although, for some reason she does look kind of cute dressed in mud....did I just think that?

Macey smirked. "You're the one to talk....you look like something the cat dragged in."

Ron blinked. "What does that mean?"

Macey rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh, forget it....just know it's not a compliment. Now, if you don't mind I'm going to go take a long hot bath and want just a few hours of some peace and quiet."

Ron watched her storm to her room and slam it shut. "Jeez, what's with her?" He shook his head as he headed up the stairs to take a shower as well.

Harry took a quick shower to get rid of all the grime and mud that he seemed to have in places he didn't know mud could reach. Planning on taking a nap later, he slipped on a pair pajama pants, but didn't bother putting a shirt on as he walked out of his room and made his way to Hermione's. He slowly opened the door, expecting to see her asleep in the bed, but was shocked when he saw her bed was unoccupied. "Hermione?"

"Harry? I'm in here," a muffled voice said from the bathroom.

Harry closed her door behind him and padded his way to her bathroom door. He opened up and began to walk in but what he saw shocked him and excited him at the same time. "Oh jesus...I'm sorry," he said quickly as he put his hand over his eyes.

Hermione giggled from the bathtub she was lying in. "Harry, relax, I wouldn't have invited you in if I wasn't covered. I have enough bubbles to cover me."

"Yeah but....Mione," he said as he slowly pulled his hand away and looked at her with hesitation. "You're naked."

"Thanks captain obvious.....Harry, are you blushing?"

"No," he said a little too quickly. "Course not."

She giggled again. "Aww, that's so cute."

"Shut up, I'm not blushing," he said pouting. "I just...I wanted to see how you were doing and....I wasn't expecting you....I mean, I wasn't planning on seeing you.....er..."

"In the tub naked?"

He flushed. "Er...yeah....I'm...just...I'm going to go now."

"Harry, calm down," Hermione laughed. "It's just me.....sit down, tell me how practice was."

"Er....I don't....oh, all right," he said as he made his way to the toilet and put the seat down so he could sit on it. He rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants nervously as he finally made himself look back at her. "So....how are you doing?"

"Fine," she said with a smile. "Nothing a good hangover spell and a good soak in the tub won't cure."

"Right," he said with a nod.

"How was practice?"

"Harsh," he said and then shrugged. "But, nothing a good hot shower and seeing a woman soaking in bubbles wouldn't cure."

To Harry's surprised, Hermione laughed and that luckily put him at ease. Why was he so nervous at first? Like she said....It's just me. It was just Hermione. He smiled. "Well, sweetie I'm going to go take a nap. Have plans for tonight?"

"No, I don't think so...hey, wanna make it a DVD night?" she asked as she casually lifted a foot out of the water and set it on the tub.

Harry's gut flinched when he saw a sliver of flesh peak out of the water. He really needed to get out of there. "Er...yeah, that be great," he said and then stood up awkwardly and looked at her. He sighed and wanted to prove to himself that the presence of a naked Hermione did nothing to him so he walked over to her.

Hermione's eyes widened when came over to her and quickly sunk lower into the bubbles. He leaned down over her and she lifted her face up to him so he could kiss her on the cheek. "Glad you're feeling better," he said as he tapped her nose playfully, giving her a wink before walking out the door.

Hermione shivered. Since when did the water turn cold?