Author's Note: I'm so glad you guys liked the beginning of this. I promise you will see more of Ron/Luna in the next couple of chapters. This one is going to deal mainly with H/Hr and D/G. Please read and review.
Chapter Three
The Right Kind of Wrong
"I know all about,
Yeah, about your reputation
And now it's bound to be a heartbreak situation
But I can't help it if I'm helpless
Every time that I'm where you are
You walk in and my strength walks out the door"
(The Right Kind of Wrong/Leann Rimes)
Later that evening, Harry and Hermione were patrolling the corridors. They were supposed to each take a certain wing of the castle, but had decided that it would make the time go by faster and more enjoyable if they patrolled together instead.
Neither of them would admit to the other that they just wanted to spend time together.
"This has to be one of the perks of the job," Harry said, somewhat sarcastically. "Walking the halls at all hours and making sure no mischief is being done."
"It's not that bad," Hermione said.
"Yeah, well I feel sort of like a hypocrite when I tell the younger students to stop doing something or that they shouldn't be somewhere they shouldn't be," Harry said. "Ron and I and you pretty much brought rule breaking to an all new art form, didn't we?"
Hermione looked a little taken aback. "We didn't rule break, Harry. We may have bended the rules a little, but our intentions were always good. We never did anything out of spite or to get anyone else into trouble."
"That's an interesting way to put it," Harry said, stifling a laugh. "So, let me get this straight. Rule bending is okay, rule breaking isn't okay?"
"Not exactly," Hermione said, enjoying the banter with her friend. "I think that in some cases, rules are meant to be broken. In other cases, they're meant to be bent. It all depends on the individual situation."
"Okay, so sneaking out of the dorms to go chasing after the Sorcerer's Stone, and stealing ingredients from Professor Snape's potions cabinet-"
"Not stealing," Hermione interjected. "Borrowing. Big difference."
"Uh-huh," Harry said, his eyes twinkling at his friend. "Ron and I have corrupted you, you know that? I swear you never used to think like that."
"You know I don't always go along with the establishment," Hermione said pointedly. "I mean, there's been numerous times when I could have toed the line, so to speak, but I didn't."
"Thanks to Ron and I," Harry said.
"Well, you should be very proud of yourselves," Hermione said. "You've corrupted Hermione Granger, bookworm and rule-bender extraordinaire."
"One of my most important accomplishments," Harry said. "In fact, if I ever make it onto a Chocolate Frog card, I want to make sure that they put that on the back."
Hermione laughed and then there was a sort of awkward silence between them as they walked the silent, deserted halls. Hermione shivered as she wished she'd worn a thicker sweater under her robes.
"Cold?" Harry asked her as they turned the corner.
"No," Hermione said, shaking her head. "I'm fine."
"I didn't know that the sound of teeth chattering meant that you were perfectly fine," Harry mused. "I must have missed that somewhere. Well, it goes to show you that you do learn something new everyday."
"I'm a little cold," Hermione admitted. "It was a lot warmer this afternoon, you know?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "You want to take my robes?"
"I couldn't do that," Hermione insisted. "Besides, you'd be cold."
"I'll be alright," Harry said. "Take it."
He took his robes off and handed them to Hermione. She looked a little uncertain. Harry was wearing a flannel shirt and a t-shirt and a pair of blue jeans.
"You're sure?" Hermione asked.
"I'd be insulted if you didn't take them," Harry said, holding them out to her again.
"If you're sure," Hermione said.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Granger," a cold voice drawled from down the hall. "Take Potter's robes."
Hermione and Harry turned around to see Draco Malfoy, smirking as he walked toward them.
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked him.
"Walking, Potter," Malfoy said coolly. "What does it look like I'm doing? And to think they made you Head Boy. It must not have been for that keen intellect. You make Longbottom look like Einstein."
"Sod off, Malfoy," Hermione said, glaring at him. "It's after nine. You're supposed to be in your dormitory."
"The day I start taking orders from a Mudblood like you is the day I've lost my bloody mind," Malfoy retorted.
Harry quickly rounded on Malfoy and grabbed hold of the Slytherin's jumper. He pushed Malfoy hard against the wall.
"If you ever call her that again, I'll beat the brains out of you, Malfoy," Harry said angrily.
"Harry, don't," Hermione said, trying to hold him back. "He's not worth it."
"Listen to your girlfriend, there, Potter," Malfoy said, sneering at Hermione over Harry's shoulder.
"Malfoy," Hermione said, pulling her wand from her jeans pocket. She pointed it threateningly at Malfoy.
"Ease up, Potter," Malfoy said. "You, too, Granger. I was just walking back from the library."
"The library is in the other direction," Harry said, letting go of Malfoy.
"So, I took the scenic route," Malfoy said. "Is that a crime?"
"Twenty points from Slytherin for roaming the halls after hours," Hermione said.
"Why don't you take those twenty points and shove them up your-" Malfoy began.
"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I was you, Malfoy," Harry said, taking another step toward his rival.
"Go on about your merry little stroll with Granger, Potter," Malfoy said. "I'm just heading back to my dorms now. I didn't mean to intrude on the sickeningly sweet flirtatious banter between the two of you. Carry on."
With that, Malfoy strode away. Hermione looked at Harry, whose fists were clenched tightly at his side.
"Well, that was certainly eventful," Hermione said, at a loss for anything else to say.
"Are you alright?" Harry asked, turning to look at her properly.
"Yeah," she said. "I don't take anything he says seriously, you know that."
"I know," Harry said. "I'm so sick and tired of dealing with him though. You'd have thought when his dear, old dad was sent to Azkaban, he might have mellowed out some. Instead, it looks as if he's trying to take Lucius Malfoy's place as the cold, heartless bastard in the Malfoy family."
"He's doing a pretty good job," Hermione said. "Let's not worry about him, anyway. We were having a perfectly, normal, boring time patrolling, weren't we?"
"Fantastic," Harry said, with a smile. "It doesn't get better then this."
Hermione laughed as they walked on. Harry wanted to stop her and say that he really did enjoy spending this time with her. Despite the fact that they were walking down cold corridors and keeping the peace, he enjoyed spending time with her, one-on-one.
He, on the other hand, had no idea, that she felt the same way.
****************************************
"You're late," Ginny whispered as Malfoy finally made it to their designated meeting place.
"Don't blame me," Malfoy said. "I was cornered by your brother's best friends in the hall."
"They didn't know that you were coming here, did they?" Ginny asked, worriedly. "I mean, they surely couldn't have suspected."
"Relax, Red," Malfoy said, stepping closer to her. "They're none the wiser."
"Easy for you to say," Ginny said softly. "I've never liked sneaking around like this behind everyone's backs."
"You say that every time we meet," Malfoy said, his voice seemingly softer. "Yet, you keep coming back, each and every time. "Why is that?"
Ginny didn't answer. She sat down on the edge of the table.
"I'll tell you why," Malfoy said, stepping closer to her. "You keep coming back because you can't get me out of your head any more than I can get you out of mine."
His face was inches away from hers. She felt her breath catch in her throat as he put his hand to her face. He cupped her chin in his face and then hungrily leaned in for a passionate kiss.
Ginny forgot all about her guilt. She forgot about her shame. She forgot about everything, but the sensation of his warm lips on hers.
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"So," Harry said, as they finally made their way back to their suite and through the portrait hole. They both fell back onto the couch and enjoyed the warmth of the fire.
"So," Hermione echoed. She stifled a yawn.
"Tired?" he asked her.
"A little," she admitted. "This year is going to bloody kill me."
"Don't get carried away," he told her. "Have a little fun every now and then."
"Easy for you to say," she said.
"It's easy for you to say, too," he said. "You've just got to prioritize."
"I do prioritize," she said. "I'm famous for prioritizing."
"Well, schedule in some downtime, every now and then," Harry told her. "You're not a machine, you know? You need to relax and unwind just like everyone else."
"Well, when am I supposed to schedule this downtime?" Hermione asked him.
Harry looked thoughtful for a few moments. He snapped his fingers.
"Leave it to me," he said. "I will show you the rewards and benefits of downtime."
"And when is this going to start?" Hermione asked.
"This weekend," Harry said.
"Hogsmeade weekends don't start until next month," Hermione reminded him. "We can't leave school grounds."
Harry grinned almost wickedly at her.
"I think it might be time for some of that rule-bending again, Miss Granger," Harry said, beaming at her.
"Rule-bending, Mr. Potter?" Hermione asked, laughing. "What did you have in mind?"
"That would spoil the surprise," he said. "Leave it to me."
She looked a little skeptical, but nodded her head.
"Okay," she said. "But, it better be good."
"Oh, it will be," he said, getting up from the couch. "It will be."
"Don't I even get a hint?" she asked, watching in shock as he walked toward his bedroom.
"Not even a hint," he said, laughing.
Hermione felt a large smile playing at her lips as she watched him walk into his bedroom and close the door softly behind him.
"What is he planning?" she mused silently to herself. She lay down on the couch and closed her eyes. A few moments later, Harry came back out of his own bedroom and saw Hermione asleep on the couch. He smiled as he stepped quietly toward the couch. He pulled a blanket from the armchair and draped it over her.
"Good night, Hermione," he whispered.