A/N: This is a combined challenge: Jealousy (first paragraph - finish that fic) by spikesbitch and Don't by kezbo. I may have taken a few liberties with the first paragraph of Jealousy, but that was only to make it all fit and to take it out of first person *shudder* I prefer 3rd ... I thought the two together would be a good match so without further ado ... DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of Harry Potter, any of its characters, settings, et al. These are owned by J.K. Rowling and other applicable copyright holders.
Ok, lea (spikesbitch) I fixed that paragraph ;) You were right, of course, and had I had the chapter beta read, it would have been caught ... (I was very much asleep at the time ... I think heh)
She felt a stab of dread pierce her stomach as she entered the Great Hall. Her eyes immediately swept over those at the Gryffindor table. She rolled her eyes at the sight of her in his arms.
That's not the way it should be. She thought sadly, unable to take her eyes from the sight. If they were sneaking around behind my back I think it would be better, then I wouldn't have to see them.
She had been watching the way they touched each other, innocently enough, but far more intimate than just friendly brushes of the arm or shoulder. Since they'd gotten together after Ron's suggestion they'd picked up the annoying habit of constantly finishing each other's sentences and the way they looked at the other and knew every minute detail of what was on the others' mind irritated her to no end.
That should be me. She thought as a new wave of depression began to swell in her. Hermione Granger took her normal seat next to Ron and with tremendous effort looked away from the spectacle that had become Harry and Ginny.
"Hey, Hermione." Ron said with a smile. "Why so late?"
Hermione looked up from her plate and gave Ron a soft smile. "I was in the library." She said calmly. "I wanted to read up on that species of magical lizard that we were introduced to in defense class." Recalling the information she'd read, or more to the point gleaned when she wasn't thinking about Harry, brought her some form of relief from her emotional turmoil. "Did you know there are thirty different types? You can tell what kind they are by the number and order of stripes and ... and Snape flashed me from the restricted section. Let me tell you, I was so surprised to know that he wears pink underwear, never mind the fact that they were around his ankles ..."
"Harry!" Ginny jumped from her seat frantically searching for a napkin. "Why on earth did you have to spit pumpkin juice on me?"
Harry grabbed his napkin and quickly began to dab her robes with it. "Sorry, Gin." He said quickly while trying to hide a grin. "I caught the tail end of what Hermione was telling Ron."
"What?" Ron looked at them blankly.
"Honestly, Ron!" Hermione huffed. "I'd noticed you weren't paying attention to me a while ago ... I guess that's not going to change."
"Well you had to go on and on about those bloody lizards." Ron rolled his eyes. "What made you think I really wanted to know anything more about them than what we learned in class?"
Hermione crossed her arms and looked at Ron pointedly. "And can you tell me exactly what we learned about them today?"
Harry had given up trying to dry off his girlfriend and used his wand instead of the now discarded napkin. "I should have thought of this first thing." He said as he pointed the wand at her.
Ginny's eyes went wide. "Harry wait!" It was too late, he'd muttered the charm to dry her robes but something had gone wrong. The pumpkin juice didn't evaporate the way water did and Ginny's robes became extremely stiff. "Now it's going to be impossible to get these things off!" She huffed and stormed out of the Great Hall with a glare at her boyfriend.
Hermione watched the scene with a mixture of sympathy for Harry and satisfaction that the two were no longer hanging on each other. "Harry, you knew that charm was only for water, what possessed you to use it on pumpkin juice?"
Harry blushed. "Well, to tell you the truth, I completely forgot." He admitted with a grin and without warning he settled his hand on hers and let out a laugh. "I was still fighting to get that picture you painted of Snape out of my head."
Hermione grinned despite herself. "I thought it would snap Ron out of his daydream." She giggled softly and looked down at his hand on top of hers.
Harry watched her gaze drift to the table and noticed what she was looking at. He blushed slightly and pulled his hand away with a nervous smile. "Sorry, Hermione."
She looked up at him quickly and felt her stomach flip when she looked into his eyes. She blushed slightly and stood so fast she nearly tripped herself up on the bench. "I-I need to go to the common room. I'll see you two later."
Ron looked up and smiled before he returned to devouring would could only be referred to as half a cow and Harry looked at her quizzically.
"Are you ok, Hermione?" He asked with concern. "You've been quiet since we got on the train and you've been jumpy lately."
"I'm fine, Harry." She lied and ignored the look he gave her. "I'll see you later tonight, I need to go study." Without looking back she left the Great Hall and went to the second least used girl's lavatory. Hermione didn't want to deal with Moaning Myrtle at the moment and she didn't want to risk anybody else showing up and prodding her for information.
She reached the sixth floor and after a few twists and turns found herself sitting in the farthest stall from the door. Tears were streaking down her cheeks uncontrollably.
Why can't I just control my emotions! She thought angrily as she wiped her cheeks dry. She didn't like the fact that her emotions weren't like knowledge, she couldn't open a book and find all the answers and since she realized how deeply she cared for Harry they were all but uncontrollable.
Hermione had finally gotten to King's Cross Station after an entire summer away from her friends. She was looking forward to seeing Ron but she was nervously anticipating seeing Harry again. She remembered what he'd said about Cho Chang on their way home and over the holiday Hermione had discovered that she really liked him and wanted to see if he'd like to take their relationship further than just the platonic stage they had been in for so long.
She couldn't talk to him over the summer aside from the very few letters they sent back and forth via Hedwig. Her parents wouldn't take no for an answer and she spent the entire summer abroad. They'd gone to Hawaii for a few days before going to a convention in Australia. After the convention they'd traveled to Greece to visit some relatives then hit nearly every country in Europe before finally getting back to England a day before she had to leave for Hogwarts.
Hermione had a lot of time to think on her trip and the lack of contact with Harry nearly drove her mad. She sat awake for hours each night analyzing her feelings then analyzing her conclusions and before she knew it was in full over-analyzation mode. Every discovery she'd made during those nights were interrupted by a vision of Harry's ungodly beautiful green eyes, his dark hair and his voice. She'd known him since she was eleven but after his voice changed she found that she got goose bumps just listening to it.
She realized that she was daydreaming about him again and shook her head to clear the newly formed blush that covered her cheeks. Hermione concentrated and with a determination that she'd become legendary for at school, pushed her trolley through the barrier to the platform that housed the Hogwarts Express.
If she was right there was still another fifteen minutes before the Weasleys and Harry would make their appearance. With a family that size, even when it was only Ron and Ginny who were going to school now, it was understandable how often they were late arriving somewhere.
Hermione smiled at the thought of finally seeing Harry again and hastily stowed her trunk and made her way to the prefect's car. There weren't many people on the train yet and Hannah Abbott, one of the Hufflepuff prefects, was the only one of them to arrive before Hermione.
"Hermione?" Hannah asked with wide eyes.
"It's me." She said with a smile.
"You look completely different!" Hannah stood and walked around Hermione. "You've filled out and gotten taller! Where did you go to get so tan?"
"I spent the holiday abroad with my family." Hermione said simply. "We went to Hawaii, Australia, and then across Europe." She shrugged. "I haven't changed that much."
Hannah looked at her skeptically. "Oh, I wouldn't bet on that." She said with a smile. "If Harry doesn't notice you now, I don't think he goes for women if you know what I mean."
Hermione blushed. "He's not that way, Hannah!" She said with a laugh. I hope he notices me though ... She added silently.
The two girls compared their holidays and laughed at the stories they both shared. Even though she was enjoying the conversation, she felt the time creep by much too slowly for her own tastes. Many times she tried to will it to move faster but it was too stubborn for her and she gave up.
The door opened and in walked a tall, red-haired boy who smiled brightly at the sight of her. "Hermione!" Ron half-shouted excitedly as she came at him for a hug. "We've missed you! The summer wasn't the same without you here!"
"I know! I couldn't get enough owls from you or Harry!" She smiled back at her best friend. "How have you been?"
"Miserable. I had to deal with Ginny and Harry all summer." Ron said with a frown. "I mean, I was hoping he'd take the hints I dropped him, but I didn't think it'd go this far so fast."
Hermione's heart plummeted to her stomach. "W-what?" She asked blankly. I heard him wrong. She rationalized. She smiled at him hoping he was playing a joke or that she had indeed heard him wrong.
Ron rolled his eyes. "You know Harry was extremely depressed when Sirius died." Ron started as he put an arm around her shoulders. "We were able to get him to the Burrow after a week."
Hermione nodded. "I know all that both you and Harry told me." She shrugged off his arm subconsciously.
"Well, Harry and Ginny started hanging out and after a few weeks, they were going on walks then it was holding hands." Ron shook his head. "I remember thinking that it was about time he listened to me. I knew they would make a great couple."
COUPLE?! Hermione felt a cold sweat start covering her forehead and her palms began to feel slick. It-it can't be!
Ron looked at her obliviously. "Well, by the end of the summer, I couldn't pull them apart, even to get Harry to play a pick-up game or two. Ginny always had to play too, or Harry would shrug it off and they'd head off on another walk." He shook his head. "I didn't think they'd bond so quickly that they'd finish each other's sentences, but they did."
"You've got to be kidding." Hermione said in a neutral voice. "Harry and Ginny?" She rubbed her hands angrily on her skirt. I don't believe it! I have to see this for myself. She fought back the tears that were threatening to spill forth and left the compartment.
"Hermione, the train's getting ready to leave! We need to ..." She didn't hear the rest of what Ron said as the door closed behind her. With a determined stride she hurried to their normal car at the end of the train.
Don't let it be true, please, don't let it be true! She thought over and over as she clenched and unclenched her sweaty hands in frustration.
She got to the car to find the door open and Harry sitting alone by the window. Alone! She smiled when she saw him, momentarily forgetting why she was here in the first place. He hadn't noticed anyone was there yet and she quickly looked him over.
He'd grown since she'd last seen him. He was a good two meters tall now, judging by the space he'd taken up. His hair was cut shorter than what she remembered and it was still unruly. The biggest change was in his body. His shoulders were broad and he'd taken on some muscle as well. He was slim and attractive unlike the thin boy she remembered meeting on her first ride to Hogwarts. She was snapped from her reverie by a glittering white smile.
"Hermione!" He exclaimed happily and rushed over to hug her. She gratefully let him pull her into his arms and she reciprocated the embrace with a tight hug of her own. "I've missed you!"
He missed me! She could feel her heart melt at the words, her fears of Ginny washed away by the mere contact with him.
"I missed you too, Harry." She said with a smile as she looked into his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you more ..." Her voice trailed off as he looked over her shoulder then back to her.
"It's ok, Hermione." He flashed a quick smile to her. "I think Ron's here to drag you off to the prefect's car."
She looked behind her to see Ron frowning at her. "We need to get to the meeting, Hermione." He said pointedly. "We can't start it without you and Harry and I have a standing appointment for a game of wizard's chess."
She looked back to Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry, I have to go."
Harry smiled. "I understand. Listen, I need to talk to you when you get a chance, ok?"
She returned his smile and nodded. "I'll see you in a little bit then?"
Harry nodded and did something she wasn't expecting. He bent to her and kissed her cheek. "It's really great to see you again, Hermione. Now go get that meeting over with, we've got a lot to catch up on!"
She looked at him dumbstruck. Her heart was racing faster than she'd ever felt it had before and her face had taken on a distinctly warm feeling. "S-sure, Harry. I-I'll see you in a little bit." She stammered. Hermione took a shaky step back and jumped when her foot hit the ground.
"Hey! That's my foot!" Ron bellowed as he jumped back and pulled his foot up to massage it. "Could you watch where you're going?"
Hermione looked at him and cursed herself for feeling so flustered. "Sorry, Ron." She said apologetically. "I-I thought you'd already headed back."
He scowled at her. "Obviously I didn't." He sneered. "Come on, the more time we waste here, the less time we'll have to avoid the worst of the duties." He looked at Harry. "I'll see you later, mate. Keep the board warm for me."
Harry smiled at him and nodded. "Sure thing. But I have to warn you, if Hermione gets back here first, I'm going to be a little preoccupied." He winked playfully at her and to her chagrin she blushed even harder than before.
"Harry!" She scolded him playfully.
Harry laughed. "Go on, I'll see you in a bit." He turned back to the car and took his seat. She watched him for a moment, admiring the bright smile he had on his face and how he seemed to be radiating happiness.
"Hermione, are you coming?" Ron asked impatiently further down the hall. She'd been concentrating on Harry so single-mindedly that she'd completely forgotten that Ron was even there.
She blushed again. "I'm coming!" She said happily and followed her friend quickly.
"Hermione!" A girl's voice said as she walked past an open door. She looked into the room and found Ginny Weasley smiling happily at her. Without much time to think or say anything, the youngest Weasley pulled her into a tight hug. "I was wondering when I'd see you!" She said happily. "Oh, I really need to talk to you when you get a chance!" Ginny had a gleam in her eyes and Hermione suddenly remembered every word that Ron had said.
She hugged Ginny back quickly while her heart took a plummeting dive and landed somewhere between her stomach and her ankles. "I'd like to talk, Gin, but I have to get to the prefect's meeting right now." She said quickly and pulled back. With an apologetic smile she hurried down the hall to where the rest of the prefects were waiting. She absently wiped the tears that had started to well in her eyes as she tried to bring up the courage to be around other people.
"It's about time the legendary Hermione Granger made her appearance." Malfoy drawled from the center of the room. "Any chance we can start this meeting now?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and fought the urge to use his face as a punching bag again. "Sod off, Malfoy." She bit back a little too forcefully. "I'm not in the mood to deal with you right now."
"Oh, I'm so, so sorry." He sneered back at her. "Well, since everyone else has decided to show up on time, I nominate Granger for the lavatory patrol."
Hermione looked at the Slytherin incredulously. "What?" She asked angrily.
"You know how we've been running these meetings." He said with a grin. "The last one to the meeting gets lavatory duty. Ask your friend over there, he got stuck with it last time. I'm surprised that you weren't the first one here."
"She was here before you were, Malfoy." Ron spat. "Listen, I'll take the lavatory patrol, I don't mind."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, go where you're most comfortable."
Ron controlled his anger admirably, Hermione thought, all he did was scowl and leave the car for his duties.
"Well I guess we'll just have to draw times to see who goes on patrol when." Draco sighed dramatically and pulled a box from the luggage rack above their heads. He looked inside and then shuffled the small wooden tokens noisily before passing the box around the room.
Hermione sighed in relief when her turn arrived and found that she wouldn't be patrolling until later that night but before they reached Hogsmeade station.
"Here are the memos for this year." Hannah said happily as she passed the notices around. "Professor McGonagall didn't mention any new items on Filch's list ..."
Hermione had tuned the rest of the meeting out, counting down the minutes until she could leave the room and talk with Harry. She bit her lip and kept glancing at her watch.
"That's all there is until we get to the school." Padma Patil finished. Hermione smiled and excused herself from the car and quickly made her way back to where Harry was waiting for her.
She approached their compartment and heard what could only be Ginny's giggles. Her eyes went wide and she slowly crept to the door and listened quietly to their conversation.
"Harry!" Ginny squealed. "You better not do that in public, I'm sure if Ron ever found out he'd try to rip your head off!"
Harry laughed in response. "Come on, Gin!" He said cheekily. "You didn't object when we were out on our last walk." He added playfully to her giggles.
"We didn't run the risk of someone barging into a small, confined passenger car then!" She laughed in an equally playful tone. Hermione's hand shot to her mouth when she heard a soft moan come from Ginny. She turned to leave, not wanting to hear anymore but ended up barreling straight into Goyle's chest.
"Watch where yer goin." Goyle barked stupidly.
"What's wrong, mudblood? Why aren't you spending your time with Saint Potter?!" Malfoy sneered at her before stepping around her and opened the door to the compartment. "Oh! Is this what I think it is?" Malfoy let out a laugh. "I can't believe that Potter's dipped into the Weasley barrel!"
Hermione spun on Draco and shoved him against the wall. "You don't barge in on people like that, Malfoy!" She seethed angrily. If it were possible, he paled more than his complexion would have normally allowed but he quickly regained his composure and shook her off.
"Oh, but it's perfectly fine to listen in on a private conversation?" He sneered back triumphantly. He looked at her shocked face and laughed before signaling the human walls that followed him everywhere that it was time to go. "Have fun, mudblood." He whispered quietly as he passed her and let out another laugh.