Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter One

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were extremely bored. Hermione had them sitting in the library on the first Saturday of term revising for a potions test that was still a week away.

"Hermione, look outside, it's gorgeous out there. Couldn't we work out by the lake?" Ron asked her in a whiney tone he reserved for occasions such as this in the library. She gave him a withering look, and then rested her forehead on the large book she was reading.

^Who am I kidding? I'm completely and utterly bored as well. Snape's such a git for setting a test the first week back to school.^

Harry Potter turned his attention from the window to his friend.

"Hermione. If you're so bored as well, why don't we take a break and have some fun?" Harry asked her.

"Harry, I never said I was bored." Hermione said lifting her head from her book.

"But I just…never mind." Harry said shaking his head. He must be losing his mind from being trapped inside. He'd had enough of that over the summer at number 4 Privet Drive, and even at Grimmauld Place they'd been stuck inside for safety. He missed the outdoors.

To his surprise he found Hermione staring at him in shock as he looked back at her.

"What?" He said, brushing his face and hair, thinking he had something on him.

"Nothing. But I give up trying to make you two learn anything. Let's head down to the lake, but don't blame me if we all fail our potions NEWTs." She said, gathering her parchment up and shoving it unceremoniously into her bag. Harry and Ron eagerly grabbed their bags and with wide though disbelieving grins they left the quiet library.

Ron rushed ahead as they walked out of the main castle doors onto the lawn and crept up behind a sunbathing Lavender, leaping up and shouting, causing her to shriek with shock before giving in and laughing at him. Harry and Hermione watched with amusement and settled down in a sunny spot by the lake. Hermione looked around her cautiously before leaning closer to Harry.

"Harry, why did you think I was bored?" She asked carefully.

"It sounds stupid…but I could have sworn I heard you say you were, and that Snape was a git for setting us the test in the first place." Harry said with a sheepish grin and a shrug as he lay back and rested his arms behind his head.

"Harry I didn't say that…I, well, I thought it." Hermione whispered.

Harry sat up quickly and looked at his best friend who was looking back at him her own eyes wide.

"You were thinking that?" He asked her in a whisper.

"Yes. I even thought about Snape being a git." She said with a blush.

"But…how…" Harry trailed off confused.

"Harry, were you thinking about being trapped indoors all summer in the library?" She asked him intently. His eyes widened even further and he nodded.

^This is freaky^

"Very freaky." Harry agreed.

"You heard that?" Hermione gasped.

"You didn't say it out loud?" Harry asked in horror. Hermione shook her head silently in reply.

"Ok. No need to freak out. We've obviously just discovered yet another bizarre aspect of our lives. I vote we keep this to ourselves for the moment." Hermione said thinking quickly.

"Agreed. I guess we need to figure out how to control this or it's going to get really confusing." Harry said in reply.

They sat in silence for a moment, both thinking to themselves, before Harry heard Hermione.

^Harry? Can you hear this?^

"Yes. How did you do that? Your voice was in my head again." He said, looking at her.

"I just kind of projected it at you. Maybe if we get the hang of this we can communicate just when we want to and avoid hearing each others private thoughts." Hermione said, now blushing slightly.

"Good plan `Mione." Harry said, wishing more than anything that Hermione couldn't hear what he was thinking right that minute. She couldn't find out how much time he sat around just looking at her and thinking about her.

^So do we know if Lavender likes Ron? Or is he wasting his time obsessing over her and flirting outrageously?^ Harry asked Hermione projecting his thoughts towards her. She grinned.

"I knew he liked her! Well, lets just say he isn't wasting his time, but maybe it's time to try some different moves other than attacking her and tickling her at every opportunity." Hermione told him with a grin.

Harry lay back down on the grass and closed his eyes, drinking in the sunshine, and feeling so glad to be back at Hogwarts. He couldn't believe it was their last year there. It didn't seem like long ago the three of them had met on the train, but now Hermione was Head Girl and Ron was Quidditch Captain. He was seventeen years old and he never had to go back to the Dursley's ever again. They had given him all the protection they could, but he was technically an adult wizard now, and he had to just finish this last year and finally battle Voldemort again before he would be free in the Wizarding world…if he survived the battle that was…

Harry opened his eyes as he felt a hand on his arm. Hermione was still sitting next to him but was now looking at him in concern. From one look at her eyes he knew she must have heard at least part of what he was thinking.

"Don't be so negative Harry. You're going to get through this. We all are." She said softly, her hand still on his arm. He nodded at her.

^Thanks `Mione.^ He thought. He gave her a wink and closed his eyes again. They stayed silent in the sunshine until Ron gave up on flirting with Lavender and flopped down on the grass next to them.

The three of them lazed around chatting and laughing for the rest of the afternoon, all thoughts of Snape's potions test gone as they made the most of each others company. They reluctantly peeled themselves off the ground to head back up to the Gryffindor tower and abandon their bags in their rooms before dinner. Harry and Ron returned to the Common Room to find that Hermione hadn't yet returned, so looking around to check no one was watching they approached the fireplace and Harry tapped the clock on the mantelpiece with his wand, whispering the password `beaky' and then walked through the wall, appearing on the other side in the Head Girl's private study, much the same way as they appeared on platform 9