The next morning, Harry awoke to an dull sort of ache in most of his joints. He blinked roughly, and tried to move, but couldn't due to the heavy weight of Hermione laying contentedly on his chest. Chuckling quietly to himself, he flopped his head back onto the pillow. He wouldn't wake her yet.
He sighed, content and cosy and brought a pale hand up to Hermione's long brown and bushy locks, weaving a hand through the silky strands, and smiling to himself. So, he'd finally done it. He'd never done anything like that with anyone, god knew loads of girls had tried to get him to, and he knew Hermione hadn't either. He always wanted to save himself for someone who he felt a lot for, never imagining that he would find the one he loved. He gazed down at Hermione, her face was basking in the dusky morning light, and the permanent happy smile fixed on his face grew wider. There was no one else who he'd have preferred to do it with his first time... Hermione was his best friend, and the girl he loved.
Bringing an arm around to place on her soft bare forearm, he marvelled at how velvety and smooth her skin felt, yet how it emitted invisible sparks everytime he touched her. He looked down, unable to keep his hungry gaze from her face any longer. She'd have to wake up soon, Madam Pomfrey wouldn't like the idea of them both laying here, in Harry's bed, clothes strewn all over the tiled floor. Although, Harry thought with some amusement, She might just think I'm now well enough to get out of here...
He chuckled softly, which gained a small stir from Hermione. He gave her a warm, pure and genuine smile, which she returned, her face illuminating the dull, white-walled wing dramatically. She looked around dazedly, her pretty brown eyes taking in the pyjamas and other clothes thrown onto the floor, and she giggled, softly. The sound made Harry smile, it was beautiful. He inwardly laughed at himself... he was becoming a right old sappy git.
"Good Morning, Beautiful..."
She smiled at him and leaned upwards to plant a small, chaste kiss on his lips. Speaking softly and slowly into his mouth, she replied;
"It certainly is..."
They shared a soft laugh, and continued to kiss each other softly around the edges of their mouths and lips. The kisses were no longer shy, as their first few had been last night. They had both been shy about what they were going to do last night, but neither of them had any doubt in their minds... at least he thought they didn't.
"I take it you don't regret last night then?" He asked tentatively, a serious look spreading across his face.
She giggled softly, and Harry's grin returned as she gave him his answer in a hot and passionate kiss.
Totally wrapped up in each other, they were completely oblivious to the stomping sounds of heavy feet racing down the wing, the sound echoing off the cavernous walls and ceiling. Suddenly, their curtains were thrown back, and they whipped their heads around in shock, their wide eyes falling on an extremely disgruntled and angry Ron. He was breathing very heavily like a wounded rhino, his ears turning a deep shade of crimson that Uncle Vernon would have been proud of. His eyes contained a sort of manic anger that took Harry and Hermione back, as they tried to cover themselves up with the thin material of the Hospital bed clothes.
"I knew it! I knew you'd go running to him! What happened? Got bored with me, so you go and spread your legs for him instead?"
"Oi, now hang on a minute, Ron," Harry started, his temper rising so quickly it was like molten lava. "Don't you dare say that about Hermione, It wasn't like that at all..."
"Oh yeah? You didn't hear what she said to me last night, did you? Didn't' t you tell him, Hermione? Or were you too busy ripping your clothes off to bother?"
Hermione emitted a soft sob from Harry's chest, she was clinging tightly to him under the white sheets, clearly truly upset. The sight of this made Harry's blood boil even further.
"Shut up, Ron! She's sorry, we both are... but we didn't plan this!"
Ron looked at the two of them sceptically, his eyes showing a hatred that Harry had never seen there before.
"I don't believe you."
"What?!"
Ron grimaced at the two of them, sneering down his long freckly nose at them like looking at a dog that had rolled in smelly mud.
"I said, don't believe you. I don't believe that you two are in love... you just want to have everything, Potter! You take everything away from me! You get fame, money, Quidditch! And now you have the girl I loved! And you!"
He pointed an accusing finger at Hermione, who whimpered like he was brandishing a sword at her and hugged Harry closer.
"You didn't even like me in the first place! So why say so? Malfoy's right... You're nothing but a bushy haired, ugly bookworm MUDBLOOD!"
At this Hermione let out a loud sob, causing Harry to grab his wand from the bedside table. He tuned to Ron and best he could, his anger causing him to act slightly clumsily, and pointed his wand at Ron. For once, he really wanted to hurt Ron. Those things he said about Hermione, those things were uncalled for, and they made his blood boil.
"I don't care if you insult me, Ron..." he said, his voice a deadly quiet. His eyes began to spark ever so slightly. "But don't you dare insult Hermione in front of me."
Ron opened his mouth to retort, but the sound of echoing footsteps across the ward made him jump and spin around. Madam Pomfrey.
He threw one last cold look at the pair of them before flinging himself out of the cubicle and marching off, leaving the two of them in a sticky situation indeed.
As Madam Pomfrey's footsteps drew nearer, Hermione immediately jumped out of bed, gathering up her stray clothes and slipping into them at great speed so that the Matron wouldn't see them. Harry quickly rummaged around under his bed for the invisibility cloak, he had brought it back up here after the last nightly excursion, and threw it over Hermione, who covered herself in it just in time for the Nurse to come bustling into the ward.
*
Hermione burst into the girls dormitories panting slightly and flushed a brilliant bright red, though for all anyone could see she may as well have been doing the can can, she still had the invisibility cloak on. There was no one in the dorm, it was quiet and empty, peaceful and Hermione was grateful. She didn't particularly need any prying questions from Lavender and Parvati about where she was last night right now. Pulling the silvery cloak of her, she plodded over to her bed and threw herself upon it, her body aching dully.
Last night was one of the best nights of her life. It was no understatement, there would definitely be no other night quite like that. Obviously, she hoped, well, wanted more than anything, was for it to happen again, but it would never be as beautiful and as brilliant as that.
She sighed gently, and wiped the stray tears from her face that she hadn't got a chance to get rid of in the hospital wing. She could not believe Ron had said such horrible things about her and Harry. She expected him to be angry, in fact she'd be very surprised if he wasn't, but she never would have expected that sort of snobbish, nasty behaviour from Ron. It just didn't seem right. Ron would never have said those things normally, he wasn't the type of person who would say such horrible and hurtful things. And to say that he agreed with Malfoy! Something wasn't right.
However, she put these thoughts aside for the time being, she didn't want to concentrate on Ron. However much he might have hurt her in that hospital wing, whatever he might have said about her, she didn't care. Sure it was horrible, and maybe it was the truth, maybe she was bookish, bushy haired and ugly, but as long as Harry didn't care, as long as he didn't believe she was a slut she could forget about Ron, she could put all that past her. She had Harry now, and that was all that mattered. He loved her, and she him.
Getting up, she made her way slowly into the girls bathrooms, her joints sore and stiff, and began to take a warm relaxing shower. By the time she was finished, her joints were back to normal, she was feeling refreshed and happy, and there was still 10 minutes of breakfast left. She left the girls dormitories happily, a smile fixed on her face, and as she left the common room, she began to whistle a happy tune, ever so softly.
As she entered the Great Hall for breakfast, she looked around for Ron, purely out of habit. She had grown used to sitting with him when Harry was in the Hospital Wing, they would chat about Harry and getting him to eat more and things like that, like friends. Realising what she was doing, she did a double take and shook her head. Then, with a deep breath, she made her way to the Gryffindor table.
After shaking off Lavender and Parvati and their overly prying noses, she sat down opposite Ginny and gave her a cheery 'hello'. Pulling a saucer of bacon towards her, she looked up at Ginny, who had not responded to her greeting. Instead of a 'hello' back, Ginny merely stuck her nose in the air, made a little 'humph' sound, then stood up and strode away. Hermione stared forlornly after her. Of course, she thought. She's Ron's sister, he's bound to have told her...
Staring moodily at her plate, she sat alone now, preferring not to go over to Parvati and Lavender. As she picked at her bacon, which was steadily growing colder, she heard friendly voices growing louder, shouts of laughter and welcome emanating from the top end of the table. Still not looking up, her heart jumped into her throat as she heard;
"Harry! Welcome back, Mate!"
She gave a squeal and whipped her head around so fast her neck cricked. Harry was walking down the Gryffindor table, a pure genuine, wide happy smile plastered all over his handsome face. He opened his arms with a cheeky grin, and she immediately jumped up, not caring that everyone was watching, not caring that Ron was a few metres away and ready with a nasty comment. She ran straight into his arms and wrapped her own around his neck, nearly knocking the wind out of him, but she didn't care. He didn't seem to either, as he laughed heartily and swung her around, his arms wrapping around her slender frame. He brought her back down to earth, in more than one respect, and they looked into each other's faces, pure smiles written all over their faces.
"Good Morning, Beautiful..."
She giggled loudly, and forgetting they had an audience, she kissed him, squarely on the lips.