A/N: Wow you guys… what an overwhelming sense of hatred you all seem to have for Ginny! I wonder why ;) LOL
Well this will resolve H/Hr's little bit of conflict as you all have been clamouring for! Enjoy!!!
Give Me One More Chance - The Jackson 5
Oh baby give me one more chance
(show you that I love you)
Won't you please let me
(back to your heart)
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
Hermione tossed and turned much like she had last night, but sleep still would not come to her. She'd dozed off several times during the day after several bad fits of crying, but now with Lavender's steady breathing in the next bed she found her eyes simply would not stay shut. Hermione got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and after some hesitation, Harry's shirt. She wanted to feel close to him even if she knew she'd never be in his arms again.
As she put her feet into a pair of sandals, she stole a glance at her sleeping cousin. Hermione felt bad she hadn't confided in Lavender and felt even worse about how she'd blown her off earlier that evening when Lavender had wanted to talk... but it was all she could do to keep from losing it when the topic of romance came up.
She crept quietly out of the cabin and shivered as the night wind hit her. It was a lot cooler than she'd expected. This was the first time she'd been out all day. She briefly thought of going back and grabbing a jumper, but she kept on walking. Though she hadn't seen him, he'd been in her thoughts. She'd relived in her mind everything they'd done since they'd met.
"I miss you," Hermione breathed softly as she walked along. It was deathly quiet, with only a few owls hooting in the distance and the rustling of the trees. The tears came forth again and Hermione brushed them away impatiently. Her feet chose their own path and she soon enough found herself near Harry's cabin.
There were no lights on and Hermione wondered if he'd already gone to sleep. A horrible thought occurred to her that maybe he wasn't alone. She wondered if that self-serving Ginny had decided to swoop in for the kill once Hermione was out of the picture.
She spun back around when she heard voices and retreated to the safety of a few trees up the hill.
"I know she's your sister, Ron," Harry was saying. "But keep her the hell away from me."
"What did she do that was so bad?" Ron questioned.
"Nothing," Harry said, shaking his head. He was trying to be diplomatic, which was hard to do with Ginny. "Listen, I'm really sorry about taking you away from Luna."
"It's all right mate. She said she'd wait up for me," Hermione could see Ron's grin from her hiding spot and it momentarily made her forget her own misery.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Harry said, mustering a smile.
Ron clapped him on the shoulder. "I hope everything turns out all right for you. I like Hermione, we all do. We're just glad to see you so happy for a change."
Harry shrugged. "Off with you then. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Right mate," Ron smiled and took off down the path for his own cabin. Harry watched him go, jealous that Ron had a partner to go back to.
Hermione watched as Harry sat down on the front steps and hung his head. She felt fresh tears well up in her eyes as she watched him. It was killing her to sit here and watch him like this and not do anything to comfort him.
She actually took a step or two in his direction but forced herself to hold back 'It's not worth his future...' Hermione said roughly to herself.
Harry sighed and got to his feet. Slowly he made his way up the stairs and into the cabin. Hermione watched as the lights flickered on and she heard him turn on his stereo. The music filled the air and she recognized it immediately. It was the same music they'd danced to that night at the Sheldrake.
She listened for a moment and then turned and ran, not stopping until she couldn't hear a single trace of the tango melody. New sobs made her double over, her knees hitting the dirt.
"I can't do this," Hermione choked out. "How am I going to be able to do this?"
Harry let the tune play again as he paced around his cabin. He wished there was some way to sneak into Hermione's cabin and talk to her without alerting her whole family to his presence.
A part of him wished he'd never let things get as far as they did. He certainly wouldn't be hurting now like he was. But, the more he thought of her and the time they shared together, the more he thought that he wouldn't have changed a single moment.
Hermione finally collected herself together enough to walk back to Hillsdale, purposely taking the long way so she wouldn't have to walk by Harry's cabin again. "I have to be strong," she said to herself. "I can't ruin Harry's life."
*** *** ***
The next day, Hermione was reluctantly taking a walk with Lavender. She hadn't wanted to go and would have been perfectly content sitting in the cabin, reading or helping her mother do a puzzle, but Lavender had been relentless. So, Hermione agreed to go along mostly to get Lavender to shut up.
Lavender had been talking non-stop about something or the other since they'd started out on the walk. She might as well have been speaking another language for all Hermione heard. She was still remembering seeing Harry last night. She cursed herself for thinking about him again. How was she supposed to get over him when all she did was think about him? "Lavender, can't we just go back?" Hermione asked. "It's really hot out today."
"Well we can go for a dip in the lake when we get over there," Lavender dismissed her ideas with a wave of her hand.
"We didn't bring our bathing suits," Hermione pointed out. She noticed that Lavender kept looking at her watch, which was quite suspicious. Hermione didn't even know Lavender owned a watch.
"Well we can run back and get them," Lavender gave her cousin a mischievous grin. "Or we can skinny dip..."
"In broad daylight?" Hermione asked, looking at Lavender as if she'd just sprouted a second head. She then remembered that just a few nights ago, she and Harry had done much more than skinny dip in that very lake.
"I'm just joking," Lavender bumped her shoulder. "I'm just trying to get a smile out of you is all, especially since you won't tell me what's wrong with you."
Hermione gave a slight smile. "And I've told you that I'm okay. You don't need to worry about me."
"You're upset about something," Lavender said. "So yes, I do worry. And I saw you sneak out last night and you didn't come back for almost two hours."
"I didn't go to Harry's if that's what you're thinking," Hermione said defensively. "I couldn't sleep so I went for a walk to clear my head."
Lavender opened her mouth to make a comeback when she noticed Cho approaching. "Well look who it is," she said in her most innocent voice.
Hermione looked from Cho to Lavender and back. "What's going on?" she asked crossly.
"It's called a divine intervention Hermione," Cho said, linking her arm with the brown haired girl's. "Or maybe it's just intervention." she shrugged. "In any case, both you and Harry are completely miserable so we're about to get to the bottom of this." Lavender nodded her agreement.
"No," Hermione said firmly, shaking her head. "And how the hell do you two know each other anyway?"
"We share a common interest," Lavender said. "Making you and Harry happy."
Hermione looked pleadingly at Lavender. "It's over, okay? We have to accept it and move on. Alright?" She broke free from their hold on her and started to walk away.
"Nope," Cho grabbed onto her. "Come on... and be warned- Lavender here and I are prepared to drag you kicking and screaming if you choose."
"You'll only draw attention to yourself," Lavender replied.
"Fine," Hermione said angrily. "But I'm not changing my mind. You'll be wasting your time."
Cho shared a secret glance with Lavender as the three girls walked back to her cabin. "All right," Cho locked the door behind them. "We're alone, the door's locked, no one will disturb us. Spill it Hermione. What's going on here?"
"I was just kidnapped by two crazy people?" Hermione asked, folding her arms protectively across her chest.
"Har, har." Lavender replied, sitting down on a chair. "Look Hermione, you've said it yourself... you and I have become closer since coming here and Cho is your friend. Why won't you tell us what happened between you and Harry?" She shook her head. "Do you think I haven't noticed or heard you crying yourself to sleep at night? Do you think the old 'running the bathtub water to hide your tears' trick will work? I used to do it when I wanted to cry in private about my parents, so don't think I didn't know what you were up to."
"Lavender," Hermione said, choosing her words very carefully. "I really appreciate that you're concerned about me. I really do."
She patted her cousin's hand. "But, you and I both know that my dad isn't going to accept Harry. I should have realized that a long time ago. It would have saved us both a lot of heartache, okay?"
Hermione hated to lie to her cousin and her friend, but she didn't see anyway around this. They obviously were two determined witches who weren't about to let Hermione leave until she gave them a satisfactory explanation.
Cho and Lavender looked at one another. "Bollocks, Hermione." Cho said. "That time you came to visit me after your little midnight swim with Harry, you said you had no intentions of giving him up. Now here you are trying to pass off these lies and say that your dad was right all along. Your dad is a wonderful man, but he's not right about Harry."
Hermione felt tears come to her eyes. Cho had her there. She knew there was a reason she hated lying. It was because she wasn't any good at it.
Lavender squeezed her hand. "Just tell us, Hermione." she said gently. "It's not like we'll think any less of you for any reason."
"I can't," she said, looking down at the frayed carpet on Cho's floor. "Just trust me when I say that it's in Harry's best interest if we aren't together anymore, okay?"
"Not okay," Cho shook her head.
"It has to be," Hermione said softly.
Cho and Lavender let out a simultaneous sigh. "Hermione... I'm being patient here but it's waning, and fast." her cousin said.
"Can't you just let it go?" Hermione asked helplessly. "Please?"
"No!" the two girls said together.
"Look, Hermione..." Cho began in a softer voice. "I know Harry almost as well as I know myself. He doesn't understand this okay? He's never been in love before. He's bared so much of himself to you, things he's never told or shown anyone before, not even me. If you insist on breaking his heart, at least be truthful with him about it."
Hermione looked at Cho, touched at her words.
"Part of being in love with someone," Hermione said, looking at Cho, "is wanting that person to be happy....to put their needs before you're own. He has this great future waiting for him, Cho. You and I both know how hard he's worked for it. If he stays with me, it'll all be for nothing. I don't want that for him."
"Why would it all be for nothing?" Lavender asked. "Hermione, you're destined to be Minister for Magic- with your marks and headstrong abilities."
"And with Harry becoming an Auror, the two of you could still work closely," Cho insisted, feeling they finally had a breakthrough. "I don't understand how you'd be messing up his future by being together."
"Can't you see?" Hermione asked exasperated. "If he stays with me, he won't get that chance!"
"Why not?" Cho spoke a bit sharply.
"Because," Hermione said weakly, knowing even before she said it that neither Cho nor Lavender would buy that as a valid excuse.
Lavender sighed. "You're hiding something Hermione. We've known that since we walked in. Why won't you tell us what's going on?"
Hermione put her head in her hands. She looked up to see Cho and Lavender staring back at her, concern etched all over their faces. She wanted to tell them the truth. Maybe once she did, she'd know if what she had done was the right thing. "Okay," Hermione said. "I'll tell you the real reason I broke things off with Harry."
Both of them leaned forward as Hermione took a deep breath.
"The other night when I left the ballroom, I was on my way to Harry's when someone stopped me," she began.
"Who?" Lavender asked
"Ginny Weasley," Hermione said, looking at Cho.
Cho's jaw dropped open and her eyes narrowed. "What did she want?" she asked tightly.
"At first, she tried to play all concerned with me," Hermione related. "But she quickly cut to the chase. You know about the reports of people losing wallets and purses?" Both girls nodded. "Ginny said that Vernon suspects Harry. She said that all he would need is a push in the right direction and Harry would be fingered as the prime suspect."
"WHAT?" Cho leapt to her feet. "That bloody bitch!" she was furious.
"It gets worse," Hermione said. "Anyway, she said that all Vernon would have to do is bring up my history with Harry and how my dad hates him and that he was stealing the money to make himself look better in my dad's eyes. She said that the only way that I could help Harry is to stay away."
As she told the story to Cho and Lavender, she kept seeing flashes of Harry's hurt expression when she'd lied to him in the dance studio. It only made her feel worse.
"Hermione," Lavender put her arm around her cousin. "Why didn't you just tell us? I mean... I don't know this... Ginny Weasley girl but she sounds horrid."
"She IS horrid," Cho interjected. "Ever since she started shagging Draco Malfoy at the beginning of holiday she's become a downright sneak." she failed to notice the stricken look on Lavender's face.
"What did you just say?" Lavender asked, momentarily forgetting about Hermione's problem.
Cho stopped her pacing. "Oh... Merlin I've just said the wrong thing didn't I..."
"You mean to tell me that the whole time he's been seeing me, he's been shagging her?" Lavender asked, anger boiling inside of her.
Hermione shared a glance with Cho. "It seems so..." she said gently.
Cho sat down next to the two girls. "Look Lavender... I asked Hermione not to say anything but... he's also... he also got me pregnant."
Lavender felt sick. "I can't believe what an absolute fool I was! I was even thinking about giving up my virginity to the no-good, lying, two-timing snake!"
It was Hermione's turn to hug her cousin. "You're probably better off..." she said. "I really wanted to tell you..."
"He's a horrible git," Cho replied. "I would have told you before... but I didn't know you."
Lavender gave a weak smile. "Well, the important thing is that I found out now before I ..."
She shivered just thinking of what she'd contemplated doing with someone so undeserving. "I'm so sorry," she said sympathetically to Cho. "I had no idea."
"It's all right... I'm over him." Cho shrugged. "I mean... I really can't say I regret it. I have a baby coming, and while that was unexpected it's not necessarily unwanted. It also got Harry and Hermione together." she smiled at her friend. "And now they're going to get BACK together."
"Cho," Hermione said cautiously. "Ginny's probably right, loathe as I am to admit it. I can't go back with Harry. H-he probably wouldn't even want me back after how I treated him."
"Are you kidding me?" Cho was incredulous. "He might be a bit angry with you but there's no way he wouldn't take you back Hermione."
"Well, I'm glad you're so sure," Hermione replied.
"And for the record, Ginny's never right. What she's done is out of spite because she was never able to land Harry. He practically detests the ground she walks on. He's just nice about it because of Ron." Cho replied. "Look," she said, sitting back down. "If you want, I'll talk to him first for you... get the shock of everything out of the way."
"He'll probably need someone to restrain him from wanting to hurt Ginny," Lavender chimed in, half joking.
"That too," Cho sighed. "I'd better employ Neville to come with me." She looked straight at Hermione. "If I tell him, you're going to talk to him tonight." her tone was finite.
"Okay," Hermione said, allowing herself the first genuine, hopeful smile she'd worn in days. "Thank you."
*** *** ***
Harry paced in his cabin, thinking back to what Cho had told him earlier in the day. He was experiencing a myriad of emotions, from anger at Hermione and especially Ginny to excitement that Hermione would come back to him that night to try and work everything out. Neville had made him promise not to go after Ginny as well.
"Come on..." Harry glanced at his bedside clock. It was already after eleven, he thought she might have come before now.
Hermione thought her parents would never go to sleep. For some reason, her parents decided to stay up late to finish her mother's jigsaw puzzle. Hermione had briefly entertained the thought of slipping them a sleeping potion when thankfully they'd both decided to turn in for the evening.
Hermione had no idea what to expect when she saw Harry tonight. Cho had only said that she was to go to his cabin as soon as she could get away.
She nearly raced to his cabin, scared of what she'd find. She was expecting the worst, but hoping for the best. She took a deep breath as she walked up the stairs and knocked softly on the door.
Harry practically flew across the room and pulled the door open. They stood there staring at one another, the tension so thick he couldn't have walked through it with his invisibility cloak on. "Hi..." he finally said.
"Hi," she said, a little apprehensively.
"Um... why don't you come in?" Harry said, holding the door open for her.
"Alright," she said, walking past him and into the cabin.
Harry locked his door behind them before pulling his shades down. Hermione was perched on the edge of his bed, fidgeting uncomfortably so he straddled a chair, pulling it directly across from her. "So..." he began.
"So," Hermione echoed, looking at him, trying to read his expression. "You spoke with Cho, right?"
"Yeah," Harry gave a short nod. "But I want to hear it from you."
"You're angry with me," she said softly.
"I think I have a right to be," Harry replied evenly.
Hermione nodded. "I wasn't saying that you didn't. I honestly didn't expect you to want to see me."
"Why would you think that?" Harry asked. "I still love you even if we have a spat."
"I said some terrible things," she said quietly. "I lied to you."
"I know." Harry replied, moving his chair closer.
"Ginny made me think that if I didn't stay away from you, you'd lose everything you worked for. I thought I was doing what was best for you."
"Hermione..." Harry came and sat next to her on the bed. "When are you going to realise that YOU are what's best for me? Being an Auror is important but you're more important than any of that. And fuck what Ginny Weasley says. She's lucky I promised Neville not to say anything to her." Harry shook his head and sighed. "The fact that you believed her over me hurt a lot."
"She could still be right, though," Hermione said. "You and I both know that if Vernon hears about you and I, he won't hesitate to call the police..."
"I know... but that's why we're keeping this a secret, at least until holiday is over and you go home. By then it won't matter and we can be together in public without worrying about who sees us." Harry replied.
"Harry," Hermione said, trying to be rational at the moment and not emotional. "You could end up in jail for this. Are you willing to throw everything you've worked for away on me? On someone you've only known a short time?"
"Yes, because I'm not going to jail. I didn't steal anything." Harry said tightly.
"And you think Vernon or the police or my father will believe you?" she asked, hoping she wasn't making him angry. She just wanted him to consider everything before he made a decision on his future…with or without her.
"Hermione will you listen to me? I don't care. They can say what they want and do what they want- they can't convict me without any sort of evidence and where would I put a stack of stolen goods?" Harry spread his arms wide. "This isn't a large place."
Hermione frowned. "I can't believe I was so stupid."
"Neither can I," Harry said, getting up and crossing the room.
"I'm sorry," she said, running a hand nervously through her hair.
Harry turned to look at her. "Will that be enough?" he asked. "If someone else tells you something about me- say that I'm a raving psychotic lunatic... are you going to believe them too?"
"Well, when we first started dance lessons, I would have said yes," she said with a wry smile. When she saw his expression was serious, she grimaced. "Sorry. Pathetic use of humour."
Harry tried to smile but he couldn't. "I would never have believed such lies about you." he said quietly. "She told you I was using you and you believed it. I don't throw the term love around often and now you can see why. Every time I loved someone they were taken from me - my parents, my godfather... Then I defeated Voldemort and things were different- I was able to go out and have fun with my friends, the only people that didn't treat me like some sort of stupid bloody star." he shook his head. "You're the first person I've ever fallen in love with and it felt like a kick in the face when you ran out of the studio yesterday."
"I thought I was doing what was best for you," she said, wishing there was some way she could make him understand. "If I could take it back, I would."
"Well you can't," Harry said, looking down at the floor.
Hermione sighed. This wasn't the romantic reunion she'd envisioned. "So, where do we go from here?" she asked, looking at him.
"I don't know." Harry said honestly. "What do you think we should do?" he got up and started pacing his room again. "I'm not trying to make a bigger deal of things but you obviously don't trust me. That's what gets me the most, out of all this."
"How can you say that?" she asked him, getting angry herself. "I didn't set out intentionally to hurt you, Harry. I thought I was doing what was best for you!"
Harry strode across the room until he was directly in her face. "You believed Ginny, even after Cho told you what a sneak she was. She'd do anything to get to me and it worked!"
"I don't know what you want from me!" she retorted. "I told you I was sorry. I can't change what happened!"
Harry sighed heavily as she turned and huffed at the wall of his room. "All right," he said. "If you tell me you trust me... I'll believe you and we can forget this whole thing ever happened. If that's what you want." he added. "I don't want us to be angry at one another - I hate it… but I don't like living a lie either."
"I do trust you," she said quietly. "This hasn't been easy on either of us."
Harry relaxed his stance. "No it hasn't." he agreed.
Hermione looked around the room and her eyes fell on his CD player. An idea came to her and without saying a word she walked over to it and selected a CD. Music filled the cabin and she turned back to Harry with a hopeful expression on her face.
"Will you dance with me?" she asked, extending her hand toward him. She stepped closer to him and smiled playfully at him. "You know that there is a dance that you neglected to show me more of," she said.
Harry silently took her outstretched hand, pulling her up against him. "What might that be?" he asked, his breath tickling her ear.
"Do you remember that night we met?" Hermione asked, grinning. "The first time we danced together. Any of that ringing any bells?"
Harry smiled as the steady, sensual beat of the music started pulsating in his ears. He moved his arms down low on her waist, still keeping her body pressed against him. "I'll never forget that night." he whispered, trailing his lips softly over her skin.
"Me either," she said huskily. "One of the best nights of my entire life."
Harry let his hands travel up her backside under her shirt as he dipped her back, moving his fingers over her chest as he slowly brought her back up.
She felt her breath catch in her throat as she stared into his eyes. Resisting her instinct to kiss him, she instead kept her eyes trained on his as she slowly walked around him. Hermione tugged at the bottom of his t-shirt and helped him lift it over his head. She traced her fingertips along his back.
Harry felt the hairs on his neck prickle at her touch as shivers ran down his spine. Her warm hands moved around his front as their hips moved in tune with one another. Hermione came back around to his front; her fingers traced over his abs as they slid back around, touching his behind.
Harry's breath caught as she teasingly squeezed his arse and he repaid her gesture by pulling her body even closer to his, grinding into her while his lips planted slow, lazing kisses along her jaw line.
"I love you," Hermione breathed as her head fell back, allowing Harry to move his mouth over her throat. "Damn it all to hell Harry… I love you too much."
"I know," Harry muttered against her hot skin. "I love you…" his voice trailed off as he finally covered her lips with his, clutching onto her as if she were going to disappear.
Hermione smiled as he broke the kiss and stared back at her cupping her face with his hands. He caressed her cheek with his thumb. "I'm not going anywhere," she reassured him.
Harry nodded. "Stay tonight with me?" he asked.
"I was hoping you'd offer," she said with a grin, leaning in for another kiss.
Harry grinned as they kissed again, moving his hands down over her body. His tongue swept through her lips, tasting her as he moved them over by his bed. "Are we all good?" he asked breathlessly as she fell on top of him.
"We're perfect," she said, smiling down at him.
*** *** ***
The next morning, Hermione and Harry reluctantly woke up at 6 a.m. Neither of them had made a move to get out of bed, though, and they lay there for a few extra minutes, cuddling, kissing and talking.
"I hate to be a killjoy," she said, pulling back the sheets. "But I do have to go."
"Do you really have to?" Harry asked, playfully running his hands over her still naked body.
"Yes," she replied. "I've already stayed longer than I should. And who's fault would that be?" she said, teasingly.
"Yours for staying," Harry put his glasses on and grudgingly slipped into his boxers.
"You don't want to take any responsibility for this," she said, shaking her head and laughing. She gathered up her clothes and started putting them back on, watching as Harry sat on the edge of the bed, pouting.
"Do you think there will ever come a day when we can just lie in bed all morning like normal people?" she asked. Truth be told, she wanted nothing more than to stay here all day with him.
"Once this holiday is over, maybe." Harry answered thoughtfully. "I mean... a lot of us aren't coming back to work here and maybe once your dad gets away from my uncle's opinion he'll find that I'm really not such a bad guy. Then..." he shrugged. "Maybe after that we can... you know... maybe find someplace to live?" his last words were said so fast and in such a low voice that Hermione almost didn't hear him.
She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at him. "What did you just say?" she asked.
Harry looked at up at her. "Maybe when this is all over... we can find someplace to live?" he asked, more slowly this time. "Forget it, I shouldn't have said anything... it's all going a bit fast is all and I got caught up in it."
Hermione came and sat down beside him. "You'd really want to do that?" she asked softly. She'd be lying if she said she'd never thought of it because she had, but she hadn't mentioned it for fear that he'd think she was wanting more than he'd be ready to give.
"Do you want to?" he returned.
"I'd like that," she said with her eyes twinkling. "I think I'd like that very much."
Harry grinned suddenly. "All right then," he said, his tone was obviously relieved. He pulled a shirt on over his head as Hermione finished dressing. "Listen... don't come to the dance studio anymore... we have to keep this as down low as possible, especially now." he said, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ear.
"I hate this," she said. "This whole situation. We've done nothing wrong and we've got to hide what we feel from everyone."
"Only for a little while longer." Harry pulled her close. "Like I said, once we're out of here it won't matter anymore. Vernon can't keep us under his thumb and your dad can get to know me as I am and not by what he's heard."
"He's usually not like this," Hermione said, thinking of her father. "He's never been so judgmental before. He used to tell me all the time to remember that there are always two sides to every story. I wish he could remember that."
Harry buried his nose in her hair. "We'll figure it out." He felt confident of this, especially now that he and Hermione had worked out their differences. "So I'll see you later tonight then?"
"Yes," she said, getting to her feet. She didn't tell Harry this, but she was thinking that it might be time to talk to her father and tell him the truth.
She walked to the door and saw that it was starting out a beautiful day. Though with how she was feeling, it could have been cold and cloudy and she still would have thought it a beautiful day.
Harry wrapped his arms around her again. "It'll be hard not seeing you at all until tonight, so I think you should leave me with something to go on for the day," he said impishly.
"What did you have in mind?" she asked, giggling as he kissed her neck.
"Something like this..." Harry kissed her full on the lips, waiting for her to take over from him.
All thoughts of leaving momentarily went out the door as Hermione found her hands roaming over his back, into his hair, and over his shoulders.
"There..." Harry pulled away several minutes later with a look of satisfaction. "That should tide me over," he grinned.
Hermione gave him a goofy grin, dazed from what had just happened. "I'd better go," she said, nearly missing the first step and Harry had to catch her before she fell. She laughed as he started to pull her closer again.
"No," she said firmly. "I do have to go. If you keep doing this, I'll never want to leave."
"I like that idea," he said, nuzzling her ear.
"Harry," she said, trying to stay rational, but finding it was a losing battle. "You want me to get in trouble, don't you?"
"Only with me," Harry replied. "It's because I can punish you accordingly," he teased.
"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," she said, punching him on the arm.
Harry grinned. "All right," he let out a mock sigh. "I love you," he said, hugging her tightly.
"I love you, too," she said happily. "I'll come by tonight around 11, okay?"
"Works for me," Harry kissed her once more. He watched her leave, his eyes not leaving her figure until she disappeared completely from his view.
Ginny resisted the urge to scream as she watched the sickeningly sweet scene unfold before her. She was walking from her own cabin toward the lake when she'd heard muffled voices at Harry's cabin. She was absolutely floored when she saw Hermione emerge from his cabin followed by Harry.
"What the bloody hell is she doing in there?" she asked herself furiously. Ginny's stomach curled tightly as they joked and kissed for several minutes before leaving. "Oh Harry..." Ginny shook her head as an evil smile spread over her face. "I don't think you've realised what you've gotten yourself into here..."