AN: I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to post a review of this story. Your kind words have been very encouraging. Thanks!
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Chapter 10: Realizations
It was the evening of their second day back from the Christmas holidays. Hermione was alone in the Gryffindor common room sitting in her favorite chair by the fire when Harry entered through the portrait hole. He flopped exhausted from Quidditch practice into a chair beside her. "Where's Ron?" Hermione asked as Harry warmed himself at the fire.
"He and Katie are going over some new plays Ron and Charlie worked out over the holidays. I expect they won't be long," Harry replied.
After a few moments of silence, Hermione looked at Harry's face and she saw more than Harry's usual exhaustion from a hard training session. There was a sad look in his eyes as he stared into the fire and Hermione thought she knew why.
"You miss him," Hermione said without preamble.
"Who, Ron?" asked Harry as he snapped out of his reverie.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sirius, you miss him."
"I guess so" Harry answered with a sigh.
"Oh Harry. No one is going to think any less of you if you admit how much you cared for Sirius and no one will think you're being over-emotional either." Hermione spoke very fast as if she were afraid that Harry was going to interrupt her before she had made her point. "I know I can't say `I know how you feel,' because it would be a lie. But I do know you're hurting, Harry. I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Ginny, Ron, Dumbledore, we're all here for you, Harry."
Harry looked at Hermione as she choked back a sob. He didn't remember standing up or stepping closer to her before she was suddenly in his arms. Harry held her tightly to him. He didn't say anything, he wasn't sure that he could trust his voice at that point and he really didn't want to break down and cry on Hermione's shoulder. So instead, he just held her and took comfort in her embrace. As he stood there holding Hermione against him, he couldn't help but notice how warm and soft she felt in his arms. He noticed the clean smell of her hair and how it felt as it softly brushed against his face. This feels so right, Harry thought to himself. Harry was just starting to realize what that could mean when Hermione pulled herself away from him slightly and kissed him briefly on the cheek.
"What was that for?" he asked huskily. Harry wanted to touch the place where she had kissed him but he didn't want to let her go.
"I never thanked you properly for the broom. Thanks Harry," she smiled.
Hermione's face was still very close to Harry's. He felt her breath on his cheek as she spoke and it sent goosebumps down his spine. He held her, feeling her warmth and the smooth curves of her body pressed against his. "You're welcome," he answered his voice thick with emotion. Harry's heart was pounding in his chest, he was sure Hermione could feel it.
He leaned a little closer. Hermione closed her eyes. Softly, they kissed. Just a brush of his lips over hers. Then they pulled each other closer, their lips parted, and they kissed again deeper this time, their tongues entwining and gently probing. Harry tried to put all his feelings for her into that kiss. He was at once exhilarated and afraid of its intensity. He clung to her, as his feelings for her stormed over him and through him leaving him weak and unsteady on his feet. Reluctantly, they broke their kiss. Harry, feeling slightly dizzy, murmured "Wow." Hermione giggled softly and to Harry's surprise he found himself liking the sound.
Harry had just decided that he needed to kiss Hermione again when Ron came stumbling through the portrait hole. Katie, who had closely followed Ron, playfully grabbed his bum as he tried to regain his balance. Harry and Hermione instantly sprang apart. Katie caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and waved in greeting. Seeing Katie wave, Ron waved blankly in their general direction. Katie fisted both her hands in Ron's robes, pulled him to her, and kissed him soundly. "Goodnight Ron," she said and headed upstairs to her dormitory. Ron watched her go, grinning from ear to ear.
Once Katie was out of site, Ron rounded upon his friends and said, "Nice night isn't it?"
"What the heck was that all about, Ron?" Harry asked. Harry's voice trembled slightly as he recovered his composure but he was sure Ron hadn't noticed.
Ron looked puzzled for a moment. "Oh, um, Katie and I are a couple now. I guess."
"WHAT? What happ… When did … How'd you …" Harry and Hermione were beside themselves.
Hermione grabbed Ron, though much more roughly than Katie, pulled him over towards the fire and shoved him unceremoniously into a chair before flopping into one opposite him. "OK, Ron. Tell us what happened, all of it. And we want details!" Harry sat down in a chair between them, an eager expression on his face.
"Well, we were in the changing room discussing some of the plays that Charlie and I worked on over break. Katie was trying to diagram the play as I described it to her and she had the path of one of the seekers arcing in the wrong direction. I got up off the bench and grabbed the chalk from her and corrected the path over her shoulder. She stepped back into me and I tripped over Dennis' boots again. You know how he's always leaving them out. Anyway, as I tripped, Katie and I got all tangled together and we fell in a heap. Luckily she landed on me so she wasn't hurt. I banged my head." He turned then and showed them a lump on the back of his head. Hermione sucked her teeth in sympathy and Harry grimaced. Ron went on "So I'm laying there on my back with Katie on top of me and I'm trying to rub my head. Katie is laughing and asks me if I'm alright. I tell her I'm OK and she just stays there. So I ask her if she's going to get up and she asks me if I was sure I wanted her to. I looked at her for a minute and said that I was sure. So then she says if I want her to move, I'd have to move her. At first I tried to be gentle, you know, `cause she's a girl. Next thing I know we're wrestling back and forth all over the floor. Now I'm on top of her, right, and I'm about to stand up when she starts tickling me. We're chasing each other around the room in a huge tickle fight. I finally catch hold of her and manage to get my arms around her and I have both her wrists trapped behind her back. I've got her, right. So I ask her what she's going to do now and she leans into me, stands on tiptoe and kisses me."
Harry just stared at Ron in shock, "Our quiet little Katie?"
Ron harrumphed. "Quiet nothing. That was one hell of a kiss. Turned my hair red, see?"
"But Harry's been back for ages. What took you so long?" Hermione asked innocently, though Harry noticed her eyes gleamed mischievously.
Ron blushed purple and murmured, "A gentleman never kisses and tells." He grinned so wide it looked like he was trying to swallow his ears. "All I'll say is that I'll never look at the changing room the same way again. I may even thank Dennis for leaving his boots out."