Here's the next part!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling & Warner Bros. I own no part of it whatsoever, except for the plot. That's totally mine.
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: H/Hr (of course), and some slight R/Hr. Also Neville & Ginny.
Word count for this chapter: 6,448. Pages: 14 on MS Word.
Author's Note: This story is written by ME, a HUGE H/Hr fan, so despite popular belief while reading this, I won't let my fellow shippers down!
I didn't intend for this chapter to be so long, but I doubt any of you will be complaining once you've read this. I added in some fun details at the end, and that's what caused this to be so long. I'm very happy with how it turned out, and I hope you are too. Comments will always be appreciated, and I hope you'll leave a few nice ones for me! Hehe enjoy!
Chapter 2
The following morning, the whole of Hogwarts was washed in bright, warm, sunlight. The inhabitants of the castle were awake and bustling from within, already getting a jump-start on the day. It was Thursday morning, the beginning of a long, tiring, day for those attending the Farewell Ball that evening. Most of the boys and girls had their dress robes, while others, had some last minute borrowing, or shopping to do in Hogsmeade. With only two days left of school, classes were now over, and the students were free to do as they pleased, within the Hogwarts bounds. The only exception to the rule, were the students that had been invited to the ball, and were allowed to leave the grounds and have some fun in Hogsmeade with the other students.
Hermione was in front of one of the prefect bathroom mirrors, fussing over her hair. Occasionally, her russet strands would constantly tangle around her fingers as she frantically ran them through her long locks. It was menacing. Something just had to go wrong first thing in the morning, and unfortunately, it was her hair. She let out a harsh grumble, causing some of the other prefects to startle and look at her strangely. Out of continuing frustration, she shot them a fake smile, and waited for them to go about their business again, before she continued with her own.
The bathroom grew quiet after a little time had passed, and Hermione had finally managed tying her hair up in a loose pony-tail. Now her issue would be with that stubborn lock of hair that kept falling into her face. Countless times she pushed it back behind her ear, but it would always fall out. She huffed, making the lock of hair rise in the air a bit, and fall back lightly onto her smooth skin.
The main bathroom door slammed hard, signaling the entrance of another prefect. This made Hermione jump significantly in her spot. Alternatively, she grumbled to herself some more, cursing her own hair under her breath. She stopped and gazed around through the mirror to see the area reflecting in it, wondering who had just come in and frightened her. No one was there, and it was an eerie silence again. The awkwardness was beginning to get to her, so, she turned around and leaned against the counter, looking in all directions for a familiar face, or just anything to tell her who had come in. Again, she turned back around to fix her hair, and just complain to the already insulting mirror. She jumped when she saw someone else's face, next to her own, reflecting back at her. It was Harry, and he had a wise-acre smirk on his face.
Hermione's heart jumped up to her throat, giving her a hard time of breathing. "Harry! How do you keep doing that?!" she squeaked, bracing herself on the counter. A few days before, Harry had appeared to have come out of nowhere while they were outside, scaring her just as bad.
Harry rolled his eyes and moved closer to her, hesitantly of course, fearing she would lash out at him as she did to everyone else lately. She relaxed and calmed when she felt his hands on her shoulders.
"Having a bad morning, are we?" he joked, and paused for a moment when she smiled at him through the shiny mirror. "I don't know why you fuss with your hair so much. It's perfectly fine all messy and tangled," he chuckled. Hermione rolled her eyes but beamed at him.
"Well that's just the mood I'm in today. I don't feel like having my hair in my face. Would you mind?" she asked with a pleading but pout-y look on her face.
Harry nodded with a gentle smile, and slowly, he took her hair out of the band it was tied up in, pulled her long hair back in with his fingers, and tied it securely up in the back of her head.
Hermione sighed in excitement. "I owe you one, Potter," she said lightly, and with a broad smile on her sweet face.
He just smiled at her in the large mirror and put his hands back on her shoulders. "Just don't tell any other girls I know how to tie-up your hair, or they'll be knocking down my door." He teased, allowing the two of them a brief moment of light-heartedness and all went quiet again. For a few moments they just stayed like that, watching each other in silence. The bathroom door slammed again and two prefects entered. Instinctively, Harry moved away from behind Hermione and took his place beside her, to falsely rustle up his own hair. Hermione stole sideways glances at him when she was sure no one was watching. Harry did the same, though a bit more secretive as so there wasn't a chance anyone would see; not even Hermione. Again, the door slammed and Ron entered.
"There you are!" Ron said from across the way, looking directly at Hermione.
She startled a bit and looked around at all the pairs of eyes settling on her. The prefects were all in the bathroom now, bustling back and forth from one point to the other, but stopped when they anticipated the exchange between Ron and Hermione. She faked yet another smile and glanced once at Harry, who gave her a subtle, but longing, look. Right then, Ron moved in and wrapped his arms gently around her for a hug. "Missed you," he said brightly, adding a friendly kiss to her forehead.
Hermione wrapped her arms around him in return and nuzzled his neck, all the while keeping her eyes away from anyone else. Ron was obviously having a good morning if he was happy this early. He smelled of cinnamon and something else Hermione couldn't quite place, but didn't focus too much on it in the first place; possibly cedar, if he was just outside.
Harry watched them awkwardly as they exchanged a loving embrace. Soon all the other prefects' eyes were on him instead of Hermione and it was making him uncomfortable. "What," he finally challenged. They seemed a bit timid at his forwardness and went back to what they were doing, which was cleaning up and getting ready to leave for Hogsmeade. Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to the mirror, waiting for Ron and Hermione to stop this madness of being all touchy-feely.
"Are you two done?" He said in a low, growling, whispering moan, as to not draw much attention.
They finally broke apart a few moments later, after the room had emptied out. Hermione had a quick look around the now-empty bathroom. "So are we ready to go then or not," she broke in anxiously.
Ron could tell she was getting antsy, and knew perfectly well she was craving some space away from the confinement of the Hogwarts castle. Harry also yearned for that freedom, but didn't show it as vividly as Hermione was just now.
"McGonagall wants to see us before we go," Harry finally chimed in. "So I guess we should head down to her office right now." Harry cleared his throat in awkwardness toward Hermione and Ron, and watched as they crossed in front of him to exit the spacious bathroom.
`She must have given Ron the password,' he whispered to himself with a roll of the eyes, and a bit of marked frustration.
Together they quickly walked down the sun-lit corridors to McGonagall's office. All the other students were walking past them, to get in line for the carriages. Draco Malfoy was walking their direction, and exchanged piercing glares with the three of them before he finally passed and went on his way with Crabbe and Goyle loyally at his side. It seemed almost impossible, like a perfect dream, that Draco Malfoy would ever be civil toward anyone outside Slytherin house, or more particular, nice to the trio. He despised them, and they him. It was always this way; they didn't question this anymore, but embraced it and learned to go on with life as it was.
"Just ignore him," Hermione said in a low drawl to Harry and Ron who were still scowling about the near encounter with the snottiest boy at Hogwarts as they forced themselves in a forward direction. They both grumbled their dissatisfaction with her comment, finding so much wrong with it, but kept on walking in a brisk speed.
At last, they had reached the door to Professor McGonagall's office. Knowing she didn't have a class, or a particularly important meeting, they all walked inside. Harry came in last and closed the door behind them. McGonagall was leaning over her desk reading a scroll of some sort, and didn't notice them in the room until Ron cleared his throat. She looked up, rolled her scroll back to the way it was, and stood up quickly.
"You wanted to see us?" said Hermione happily.
McGonagall brought her nose down to peer at them over the rims of her eyeglasses with a concerned look on her face. "Yes, now I want you three to take in every word I say; no objections. Understood?"
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked at each other timidly, then nodded their heads to her request.
"Is something wrong, Professor?" Ron asked apprehensively.
McGonagall stepped a bit closer to them, clasping her thin, aged, hands together, and looking uncomfortable as she always did. "Nothing is wrong, mister Weasley. Although, with the circumstances, you all should know what I'm about to say to you." She paused for a moment, observing their anticipation. "I know you were all counting on today as a way of escaping the pressure you have all been under, but something has come up."
That was all they needed to hear before understanding what McGonagall was trying to say to them. She was going to tell them they couldn't go to Hogsmeade. The three of them acted as if she already told them no, and just sucked it up. McGonagall continued, "You three are not going to Hogsmeade today."
Immediately, the three of them began to voice their opinions, with random mumblings in their throats and gestures of their arms, but she cut them off.
"This is a very serious matter. Don't give me reason to assume I can't trust any of you." She stopped for a moment and saw their sullen faces soften a bit. "As much as I want you to enjoy yourselves and be as relaxed as possible this summer, you won't be of much fun to one another if something were to happen either of you, now would you?" She stopped to look at them, and let them think for a minute about what this all meant. Again, they were being denied a few hours in Hogsmeade to enjoy themselves; something they hadn't been able to do for quite some time and Professor McGonagall felt horrible about it. "You three are excused."
That was the bitter end of the discussion, and neither of the three dared contest their thoughts about the matter. Harry was the first one to turn frustratingly on his heel and head for the door. Ron and Hermione stared at McGonagall for a few moments, observing how she was letting herself get absorbed in her paperwork again. Her eyes were focused rather harshly downward, showing her firm stand on not letting the trio into Hogsmeade. Ron was the next one to turn and walk out the door, and right as Hermione was going to follow after him, McGonagall looked up with a very stern, yet concerned look on her face. Hermione let her get back to her business and left her classroom to go catch up with the boys.
Once out in the corridor, she saw Harry and Ron quite a distance ahead of her, walking more briskly than expected. She hot-footed to a jog and slowed once at Ron's side, finally having caught up with them. The three of them stopped momentarily and looked at the long line of students lined up for the carriages. Filch, the caretaker, was standing at the front angrily checking names off his list. The line slowly moved along, and the situation became quite amusing after a few minutes.
"I see he's in his usual rotten spirits today," Ron joked. Hermione looked at him and smacked him hard on the arm, playfully of course. They were too close to Filch not to be heard. Although the bitter caretaker didn't really like anybody, he particularly liked to pick on Harry, Ron, Hermione, and anyone else associated with them. They were just simply on his `bad' list.
After Ron got over how funny it was that Filch was being his usual self today, he remembered they wouldn't be going through that line or leaving the castle at all. Harry was particularly quiet, and the three of them moved from their spots closer to the line to go talk with Ginny, Neville, and Seamus. Unfortunately, Filch spotted them and didn't hesitate to give them a hard time.
"I see you're off to start trouble again, Potter! You and your nosy little friends! Best be getting on the carriages and out of my sight before I change my mind about letting you out of this castle. But then, you're not really allowed off the grounds now are you?" Ron shivered at the tone in Filch's voice. "He's never growled so many words at us, and in that combination before," He commented with a breathy tone.
Filch was rather amused with himself at the little humiliation he caused the small group. Harry glared at Filch for a few short seconds and turned to walk off. Ron and Hermione followed after him and tried to not say anything with students around to pick up on what they might say.
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked.
Harry, who had his hands in his pockets and eyes glued to the floor, looked up at Hermione to answer her question, and stuttered upon getting the words out. "I-I'm fine."
Hermione bit her bottom lip and side stepped to stand in front of him. He wouldn't look at her for the longest time, but Hermione remained constant in her staring and eventually made eye contact with him. She didn't say anything at first, but glanced over at Ron who was standing next to Harry. "It's for the best you know. We all know how dangerous it is for us to leave the castle without the right people to protect us."
Harry's expression softened slightly and he just looked at her.
Without giving much thought to it, Ron was already giving her death glares. His eyes were dark enough to make one think of the nightmares they had the night before, and every night before that. "Hermione, don't even start with what you think is best! We were counting on this weekend to relax and sort some things out, so don't give me any of that garbage. I don't want to hear it!"
Harry glanced between Ron and Hermione, knowing something big was about to happen. It always got bad when they looked at each other like that.
Hermione let out a low breath, trying to hold herself back from doing something she would regret later. Holding up a hand to shut Ron up and keep the conversation from going any further, she slowly backed away and walked back in the direction they just came. She was hurt by what Ron had just said, but tried her best to hide it until she was away from everyone to safely let it all out.
Harry and Ron watched her walk off for a few seconds, but Harry turned his head sharply at Ron and stared. "Why couldn't you save your comments for another time? We're not the only ones that need a break you know. And you're supposed to be working on controlling your anger." Harry looked at him seriously in the eyes for a very short time, then took off disappointedly down the corridor to find Hermione.
Ron stood by himself for a few moments, wondering why Harry was so frustrated with him. He thought about it for a minute and came to the conclusion he was just tired and in a bad mood, because he seemed more distracted than normal. Ron finally gave up his pointless thinking and decided to go into the Great Hall to grab something quick for breakfast, even though he knew he would be alone for the time being.
About an hour passed after the near fight between Ron and Hermione before Ron found his way to the prefect dorms. He was planning on talking to Harry about Hermione, and what he could do to calm things down. What he found there didn't surprise him, hardly at all. Harry and Hermione were sitting in the middle of the floor talking about something that appeared to be amusing to them.
Harry watched Hermione beginning to relax, and actually enjoy herself.
She was talking about how nice it was to have the prefect dorm separate from the rest of the school, and about the time
Dumbledore told them it was for safety reasons. A section of hair fell down in her face, and automatically, Harry
reached out and tucked it behind her ear. He let his fingers linger a big longer and trailed them softly down the side
of her face, to finally rest his hand back on his leg.
The thoughts in Ron's head quickly left and he suddenly felt sick about the situation in front of him. Ron growled under his breath at remembering the comments Hermione contributed earlier about them being better off not going to Hogsmeade. Naturally, this angered him even more. Sure he had worked on calming his temper, but in his own mind, Hermione clearly crossed the boundary separating wisdom and insanity.
Ron made a noise as he stepped lightly through the empty common room, causing Hermione to sharply bring her head up. When she saw it was him, her smile disappeared from her face. Harry's back was to Ron, but he turned around to see what Hermione was frowning about. Another awkward moment crept between the three of them. `Just make up already,' Harry pleaded with them in his mind-looking from one unhappy face to the other, but still the angry looks were on their faces.
The two of them got up off the floor and Harry stood there glancing between them, feeling quite out of place for even being in the same room. Quickly, he thought up an excuse to get away from the battlefield. "I need to go get something in my room." He paused and saw the sharp expression in their eyes. "What," he asked when he saw them looking at him with almost no expression.
Both Ron and Hermione rolled their eyes at him and stared. Harry's senses returned to him and he then realized he didn't really have to leave the room. "Oh, right." He had been so used to the routine for so long, that it was beginning to make him react almost instantly. Their looks made him realize there was no one else around, and that he had nothing to worry about. Well, they hoped no one else was around anyway.
Hermione glanced around their common room, looking in every shaded corner and hiding place for any sign that someone else was in there. Her suspicions were put at ease when she concluded that the three of them were indeed the only ones there. She looked at Harry, then rested her eyes back on Ron. Again, Harry felt a little strange with the situation, but decided to just go along with it. "Ron, I believe you were going to apologize."
There was no delayed reaction from Ron with Hermione's little comment. She stood there in front of him with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face. "Apologize? What, have you gone bonkers? I'm not apologizing." Ron cut his ranting a bit short when he looked her over, from head to toe. With her arms still crossed, and that stern look still on her face, Ron unintentionally lightened his mood and pictured Hermione with glasses and aged skin. He smiled uncontrollably at the image flying through his mind.
Hermione felt a bit uncomfortable with how Ron was smirking at her, and Harry had to admit it was even making him uncomfortable. "What's so funny?" he finally asked. Hermione couldn't seem to string the words together to ask him herself, she was so confused. She looked to Harry for some understanding, but he didn't have any at this point.
Ron curled up one of his hands and rested it against his mouth, trying to choke back the urge to just laugh at her. "Well-"
"Yes?" Hermione asked impatiently, feeling even more insecure as the moments drifted on.
He looked her up and down again, and almost lost it. "With your arms crossed like that, and that look on your face, just picture yourself quite a few years older and with glasses. You could pass as a young McGonagall!"
Ron's laughter echoed through the room as he finally let loose, leaning on his knees to keep him upright but Hermione stood there in a mild state of surprise, and felt her face grow hot with embarrassment. She turned to Harry and saw him trying not to laugh like Ron was. He too found it quite funny, and very true. If only she was a few decades older…
Hermione couldn't take it anymore and just gave in to the fun. She started to giggle and soon, she could hear Harry's voice echoing from beside her. They had a few minutes to joke and laugh out all their frustration, and to compose themselves for proper conversation.
"I don't get it, Ron. You were mad as Snape one minute, then the next you're laughing at me!" Hermione's light tone eased Harry a bit. He was quite relieved Hermione and Ron didn't have another full, blown-out argument with one another. The last time it happened, they didn't talk to each other for three whole days. And then there was the time during third year…
"Well when I feel like not being mad at someone, I just look at them and try to find something amusing. How do you think I've been able to do it this past school year? Do you honestly think I could just suddenly control my anger?"
Hermione laughed at him and slapped him on the arm and he jumped back before she could do it again.
Harry soon found himself sitting on one of the sofas in the Gryffindor common room. "Well now that's settled, how about we think of something to do today. We can't leave the grounds, and if we go outside we have to go straight to Hagrid's. Any ideas?" Harry didn't even make eye contact with them, but casually started fiddling with his tie like it was something he had never taken any notice to.
As if it were the most preposterous question Hermione had ever heard, she spoke up a bit more sharply than intended, but fortunately she had a smile on her face now. "Well I don't know about you two, but I'm going to go down to the library and see if I come across something I haven't read yet." Harry's head snapped up, Ron's head turned, and Hermione was already halfway out the portrait hole before they could stop her.
Ron's arms went up in the air, and a soft sigh followed. He watched as Harry jumped over the back of the sofa and started walking casually toward the portrait hole. "You coming?" He asked, turning around when he didn't hear Ron's footsteps behind him. "Go ahead, mate. I think I'm going to sit in here for a little bit and think."
Harry wrinkled his forehead a bit. "Think? About what?" Ron shrugged. "We might need you, you know."
He shrugged again. "You can handle things if anything happens. I just don't feel like being needled by Madame Pince if we're too loud. It's not like there's really anyone else in the school for her to bother."
Harry felt tense all of a sudden, but used that energy to nod his approval to Ron, and turn around and walk out of the portrait hole. Once outside, he found himself thinking about what Ron had said. "Since when is he a philosopher?"
He walked on down the corridor and looked in front of him. Hermione had just turned the corner and disappeared from
sight. She had to be in the library by now. Harry quickened his pace to a light jog, turned the corner momentarily, and
saw the doors to the library wide open like they usually were on a Hogsmeade day. He walked through and had a look
around the library. It took him a minute, but he finally spotted Hermione apparently claiming her own table with a few
books already scattered on it. Harry sighed and made his way across the library with Madame Pince closely watching him
the whole way. He tried to avert his gaze, but there was something in the way she was staring him down that made him a
little uncomfortable. Those thoughts vanished when he arrived at Hermione's little table of books. "Need some
help," he asked softly so as to not get Madame Pince on his back for being too loud.
Hermione was sitting down with a book wide open, her head down, and her hand to her forehead like she was stressing about something. Hearing Harry's smooth voice, she brought her head up and looked at him. She was expressionless at first, but patted the table next to her for him to sit down.
Harry moved to the other side of the table, keeping an eye on her as he did so. She was indeed stressed about something, and Harry had a pretty good idea what it was. He sat down in the chair beside her, clasped his hands together, and rested them on the table. "What is it?"
Hermione leaned back in her chair, taking her eyes off the book she was reading, and moved them to the ceiling above her. "I'm tired, Harry." She tried not to look at him, but instead glanced around the library at some of the lingering younger students that don't have the privilege of visiting Hogsmeade yet.
Harry let out a soft moan of understanding and turned in his chair to face her. Giving a quick glance around the library again at the few other students in there, she too turned in her chair. Harry leaned into the table and observed the look on her face for a few seconds. He immediately wanted to reach out and wrapped his arms around her, but knew better and kept them in his own personal space. "I don't know what to say to make you feel better," he whispered sincerely, again fighting the urge to pull her to him.
Hermione's saddened tawny eyes met his and she stayed very quiet for a few moments until the stinging sensation in the corners of those eyes soothed and she could say something. "I know, Harry. It's just-this situation with Ron is about to drive me completely mad." She reached up and coiled her fingers in her hair out of frustration. Despite the rules, Harry found himself covering her hand on the table in front of them, with his own. Hermione shivered and stared at his hand over hers. "I know Ron's thinking the same thing. He's probably already a candidate for St. Mungo's for everything I've put him through; that we've put him through."
Harry's hand had already been covering hers for far too long, so he took it away and just stared at her, not knowing what it was he should say to her to help her feel better. "Look, things have been going a lot better than any of us could have hoped. There are only a couple days left of school, and when we're out, things will be much better."
Hermione forced a small smile and looked up at him. `Since when is he the confident one' she asked herself with that smile still shaping her lips. "Thanks, Harry." She turned back toward the table and pulled the book she had been reading, closer so she could see it better. Harry too turned back, and rested on his elbows, observing Hermione closely as she became very involved in her book again.
About ten minutes of silence ticked by, and Hermione was all ready to go scour the library shelves again for some more books to keep her occupied. She backed away from the table in her chair until she could get up. Harry looked up at her. "I'm going to have a quick run through the history section, then I'll be back," she said.
Harry smiled at her and watched her until she disappeared into the many shelves of countless books. He sat in his spot, very bored at the moment, and looked around the library. Madame Pince had found a familiar third year to pick on, and currently had her attention turned away from him and Hermione. Although he didn't know the boy's name, he knew he'd seen the cowering third year around school from time to time.
The increasing boredom Harry was experiencing was starting to drive him mad. Deciding he didn't want to sit anymore, he got up from the table to go find Hermione and see if she needed any help. On his way, he observed the library was emptying out now, and only had about three other students at a table on the opposite side he was in. Harry walked past the bookshelves, keeping an eye out for Hermione's long brown hair. About six rows in, he found her sitting on the floor with her back to one of the shelves. She was currently engrossed in a book and didn't even notice Harry's shadow pass over the pages as he approached.
`Figures,' he whispered to himself, unable to break her of her light reading. After a few moments of just standing there, Hermione saw a pair of feet next to her and finally looked up.
"Harry, I didn't see you!" She closed her book and just looked at him with a smile on her face.
"So I noticed. What are you reading this time," he asked, crouching down to sit next to her against the massive bookshelf.
She couldn't remember the entire title so she flipped her book over to the front and read it off to Harry. "101 Ways to Relax After a Long Day," she said matter-of-factly.
Harry nodded, and looked around at all the books. "I thought you were going to be in the History section," he commented.
Hermione shrugged and looked at her best friend sitting next to her-their shoulders touching. "I decided to try a new section; one I haven't been to before. I must say, this book is really helpful." Her lazy tone indicated to Harry that she had been doing something to relax herself.
"Well then. Enlighten me," he said slyly. Hermione turned and smiled at him again. This time their foreheads were only a few finger-widths apart. "Alright then," she agreed.
Hermione stretched out her legs and crossed them at her ankles while she flipped through the book for something to demonstrate. In the ten minutes she had been off by herself, she came across a breathing exercise that involved concentrating on one solitary object, while massaging your temples and taking slow, deep breaths. She concluded this would be perfect for Harry since he was still working hard to clear his mind each night in order to prevent anyone from getting in.
"Here it is," she said.
Harry raised his eyebrows and leaned into her a little bit to see what was on the two pages that were visible. Hermione playfully pulled the book back and looked at him, their noses almost touching now. "Just sit back and I'll tell you what to do, alright?"
Harry smiled and bumped her chin lightly with his finger as she backed up and leaned against the bookshelf. Hermione's eyes were skimming over the pages while she tried her best to remember everything in order to demonstrate to Harry how this worked. "Okay, Harry. I'm going to attempt to relax you," she said with an amusing tone.
Once again, Harry turned to look at her with a smirk on his face. "Good luck then," he said amusedly. Hermione shot a side-ways glance at him, as if to think he was challenging her. "Don't think I can do it?" His smirk widened. "You won't be so surprised when you're as limp as a noodle."
Hermione turned in her spot to have a better view of him. She explained how he needed to relax his entire body for the first part of the exercise. Hermione made sure the palms of his hands were flat on the floor on each side of him, just as the book indicated, and positioned them to her liking. "Shut your eyes now," she said softly. Harry looked at her and smiled, then slowly his eyes fluttered closed.
"Now what I want you to do is think of one thing, and that thing only." She gave him a few silent moments to think about it. While he was doing that, Hermione looked all around her and took in the complete silence. `We're in the perfect place for this,' she thought to herself. Her attention turned back to Harry and he had one eye open, trying to peek. She laughed at him and tapped his leg that was touching hers. "Keep your eyes closed, Potter," she said lightly. He clamped both eyes shut again, opened them once more, then shut them immediately when he saw she was watching him. He smiled and decided he better keep his eyes shut if he wanted this to work.
"Have you decided what you'll be putting all your focus into?"
Harry nodded, keeping his eyes closed this time.
Hermione stared at him with a smile on her face and picked up the book. He always looked so peaceful when he appeared to be relaxed or sleeping. "Now, take in a really deep breath through your nose, hold it for three seconds, then let it out slowly through your mouth."
He nodded again and did as he was told. His chest rose a little bit as he collected the air in his lungs. Hermione tried not to laugh at how silly he looked all puffed up like some jock. Hermione whispered as she counted to three for him, and watched his lips pout a bit as he gently released the air. She had him do this a number of times until she was sure he was relaxed enough to go on to the next part. Without any warning, she lifted one of his hands from the floor next to him, and held it. She could tell how relaxed he was by how limp and lifeless his one arm was. He smiled at feeling her warm skin in his hand, and kept his breathing as Hermione had instructed.
"For the next part, Harry, I'm going to help you-only because you'll be even more relaxed if you don't do it yourself."
He nodded his approval with a smile and waited for the next part. He could hear her gently put the book down on the floor and the next thing he knew, he could feel her light weight on top of him, on his legs. He was startled at first, but he couldn't deny it felt nice.
Hermione found a comfortable position straddling him, and waited for him to relax again before going any further. He was tense for a little bit, but it melted away as the seconds rolled by. She smiled to herself at how adorable he looked, and so vulnerable. Gently, she placed a hand on each side of his face, until they warmed up to his same temperature. He smiled as she did this and didn't indicate any type of complaint. Momentarily, she started softly massaging his temples and felt him melt beneath her. This was her own personal satisfaction-that she can have this big of an effect on him with such a small task. This went on for a couple minutes before Hermione could feel Harry shifting a bit. Then she felt his hands on her thighs. She smiled and rested her forehead against his. Not too long after, his eyes fluttered open a bit. "It's not going to work if you're moving and opening your eyes," she whispered.
Harry smiled very slightly, feeling the effects of the exercise she was helping him through. "I'm more relaxed than you could imagine."
His hands slid up her sides and around to her upper-back where he decided to let them remain. The two of them were staring into each other's eyes for the longest time while Harry gently rubbed Hermione's back. It didn't take long before Hermione was starting to feel immensely relaxed, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
The warm skin of his face was soothing to her, and now he was the one in control. Hermione was slipping further into a relaxed state, but didn't bother doing anything about it since it felt so good.
A few minutes passed and Hermione felt some pressure in her upper arms. Harry was pushing her back a little bit so he could see her better. The feeling of the moment was mutual as they looked into each other's eyes, and came into a gentle lip-lock.
Harry sat up straighter in his spot and put his hands on Hermione's hips as she ran her fingers slowly through his hair. They broke off the kiss and clung to each other tight. Harry nuzzled her neck and smelled her sweet, strawberry-scented skin. Hermione held him to her and continued her movements of massaging her hands through his black silky hair.
The moments rolled on, and Hermione bent down to whisper in his ear. "Feel better?"
Harry wrapped his arms tighter around her in reassurance. She took that as a yes and continued the conversation. "Well I don't know about you, but we should probably go find Ron before he finds us. I'm sure he's still very angry with me, and this is the last thing he needs to see on a day like this."
Harry kissed her shoulder and nodded his head, smiling brightly. "Thanks, Hermione," he whispered with a light kiss on her forehead.