Harry didn't have a very restful sleep that night. The next day, the thought of Benji still reigned in his mind and he was feeling quite bitter about it. Ron and the other seventh year Gryffindors could sense his foul mood and chose not to bring it up… better yet to just steer clear from him, for they were not in the dormitory once Harry emerged from the shower.
He personally didn't care. The thoughts of some strange guy kissing his girlfriend haunted his mind, and it didn't help that he had no clue as to what the guy looked like. His imagination got the better of him, and he was left envisioning some muscle-bound sex god sweeping Hermione off her feet. He had the actual urge to growl as he pulled his socks on.
He had a plan though. He contemplated the details of his plan as he pulled his school robes on. If he could just give a kiss to Hermione that will knock stupid Benji out of her head…
Determined to execute it? Yes. Ill thought of? Yes. Going to go on with it anyway? Oh, yes.
* * *
To his surprise, Hermione waited for him that morning. Sure, she always did, but considering their less-than-friendly attitude towards one another the night before, he didn't think she'd bother. Seeing her there made some of his annoyance flutter away, but the thought of Benji still nagged him.
"Harry!" she exclaimed upon seeing him.
"'Lo, Hermione," Harry replied in a low voice.
"Look, I'm sorry about last night, Harry. I really am," she said sincerely, her eyes sparkling in concern.
"I-It's okay," Harry said, comforted that she truly was sorry, but fleeting visions of a muscle-bound sex god still there. He stirred up the courage in his body…
"If you're still a little angry then - mmph!"
Hermione's breath was immediately caught short as Harry's lips came crashing down upon hers. Why on earth was he kissing her?
Harry felt her hands snake up to his chest and at first he thought that his plan had succeeded… until she gave a mighty push and he was sent flying backwards. Luckily he didn't fall flat on his back.
"What are you doing?!" she demanded, hands on her hips.
"Kissing you, what does it look like?" Harry answered, straightening himself out.
"Here?! Now?! Without so much as a warning?!" Hermione whispered angrily. Looking around, Harry realized that indeed, they were not alone in the Common Room. Some first years were peering over the couch curiously, some third years were giggling madly, and a group of fifth year boys were laughing heartily as they elbowed each other. One of them sent a thumbs-up Harry's way. "What were you thinking?"
"Well, what's wrong with kissing my girlfriend?" Harry said, stumbling over his words a bit. Hermione rolled her eyes and started tapping her foot impatiently against the carpet floor. Whipping around, the interested group of people watching scrambled to look neutral. Harry could almost see the steam coming out of her ears.
"This is none of your business! Go to breakfast!" she barked. Not wanting to mess with the Head Girl under a temper, everyone dashed towards the exit of the Common Room. She whipped back to face Harry. "I just thought that you needed more time or something to get over Benjamin. It just took me off guard. And it doesn't seem like your normal behaviour."
"I'm fine about… Benjamin," Harry said, lying through his teeth.
Hermione peered at him, realization dawning upon her. "Oh, I know what you're trying to do."
Harry cursed the fact that his girlfriend was a bloody genius.
"Harry, that is so juvenile. I'm telling you, you'll be better off just forgetting I ever mentioned Benjamin! Believe me… you're turning into some horrible, jealous boyfriend. And there's nothing to be jealous about!" She gently grabbed a hold of his arms. "Now, let's go down to breakfast and… just act normal."
Harry didn't answer, but followed her down to the Great Hall anyway.
Hearing her dismiss his "plan" just fuelled his determination even more. He just needed to execute it better.
* * *
"What are the three most important ingredients in a Shape shifting Drought?"
Harry tapped his quill against the table, thinking hard. And it wasn't about the question.
He and Hermione were spending their lunch studying for their Potions test. Potions was hard, as usual, but even more so, considering it was for their Potions N.E.W.T.
"Harry?" Suddenly, Hermione nearly dropped the book in her hands. It oddly felt like Harry's hand was caressing her thigh. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"Helping you relax for the test," Harry answered. He smiled as he brought himself closer to her. She smiled too, her eyes drooping closed as his lips came to meet hers. The kiss was gentle and sweet, and Hermione really did feel a lot more relaxed for the test. She pulled back from him a little, her hands still tangled in his hair. "Thanks, Harry, that was-" She stopped short. "You're doing it again!" she suddenly cried.
Harry was startled for a moment. "Doing what?" he queried, though he knew full well what he was doing.
"You're… you're trying to… drive Benjamin away from my mind completely or something that relates to your testosterone needs!" Hermione started gathering up her books and shoving them into her bag. "Look, Harry," she said as she shoved gigantic tomes with spite. "I know that's what you want to do. You feel threatened or something just because Benjamin was my first kiss. You want me to forget about him! But Harry, I have to be totally honest with you… I can't."
Her words were harsh, and maybe she shouldn't have said them. Either way, it hurt… and it annoyed.
"I can't just forget about Benjamin, okay? He was a part of my life even before I met you and Ron. He gave me my first kiss, and that's just something you don't really forget about. I'm so sorry, but it's the truth!"
"You know what, Hermione? Maybe you should just get together with Benji. You obviously seem absolutely smitten with him!" Harry began shoving books into his own bag too.
"Stop saying things that you know aren't true!" Hermione spat, slamming her book down.
"How am I supposed to know they aren't true? For all I know, Benji might be your boyfriend during the summer!" Harry slammed his book down.
"You are being so thick!" Hermione yelled, thumping her book down once again. "It was just that one, bloody kiss. He moved away and lives in Australia now, so there's no way I am having halfway around the world affairs with him! Now stop being so insecure and get over it! I'm not freaking out because your first kiss was with Cho, so I don't see why this is such an issue for you!"
"It's different," Harry said heatedly. "You know who Cho is. I don't even know what Benji looks like and I just heard all about him last night."
"Fine, Harry, if that's the way you're going to take this." Hermione slung her bag around her shoulder and took a deep breath in order to calm herself down a bit. "I'm going to leave you alone with your gnawing, absolutely useless, thoughts of Benjamin. I'm going to class." She stalked off, much like the night before, not giving a backwards glance.
Harry stood there, rooted to the spot. He only started moving when Madam Pince came sauntering over and began giving him a long lecture on keeping quiet in the library and that slamming books on the table could damage them. Only then did he reluctantly make his way, also, to class, dreading that Hermione was going to be there too.
* * *
Author's Notes: Yes, well, this wasn't supposed to be going on this long. I figured that this was going to be done in two, maybe three, chapters… but it kind of seems longer than that now. I'm just letting it all go with the flow!