Author Note: Sorry it took me so long everyone! I'm not used to this style of writing yet, Its getting better though so at least that much is good YAY. I think you should find this chapter fairly amusing, its unraveling the story fairly well. I hope you'll enjoy it since I worked very hard on it. Take Care Everyone… R/R please and thank you…P.S. I apologize for the BOLD writing, but I can't get rid of it!
Chapter 3
Hermione Granger felt the morning sun warm her cheeks as the rays snuck through the window and into her room. She felt safe, almost as if she was sleeping on a velutinous cloud and cradled by heavens fingers. Something just felt so right and comfortable. Something also smelt really good like Mints, fresh soap, Quidditch and,
Cologne?
She opened her eyes and tried to remember where she was, who had her wrapped in his arms and why.
When her brain finally caught up with what her eyes were seeing, she nearly leapt off the bed when she realized that it was Harry who smelt like mints, soap, Quidditch and cologne, it was Harry who's arms were cradling her and it was Harry's chest that her head was currently resting on.
Oh no… what am I doing? … Please don't wake up Harry, this is going to be so awkward, no worse then awkward… It might scare him away, he'll go back to sleeping in the Boys Dormitory… I can't let that happen, I just can't.
Hermione regretfully and very carefully withdrew from Harry's warm and comforting embrace. Her feet touched the cold stone floor as she made her way towards a large, cherry wardrobe.
Hermione bit her lower lip when the old hinges on the wardrobe, protested her request to open the doors. She quickly glanced at Harry and was relieved to see he was still fast asleep. She chose her dress robes and drifted towards the bathroom where she locked the door, pulled off her soft periwinkle pajamas and turned the water on for a hot shower.
*
Harry sat in the center of a large round room in a comfortable leather armchair. He removed his round glasses from his nose with his left hand, cleaned each glass against his school robes, before he returned them to their original place. He was waiting for something, but he wasn't sure what it was.
Moments later, a small door across from where Harry was sitting, creaked open. Harry squinted through the blinding white light, in an attempt to see the figure standing in the doorway.
The sound of shoes tapping against the marble floors, rhythmically danced to the same beat as Harry's heart.
"Who's there?" He asked still squinting.
There was no answer, except for the continuing clicking of shoes against the polished floors.
As the figure drew closer, Harry recognized the gentle curly brown hair and honest chocolate eyes. She was wearing her school uniform, and a determined look plastered her face. A loose chain slung freely around her neck, with a time turner dangling near her feminine chest.
"Hermione?… What's going on?" He asked as she dropped to her knees before him.
She grasped one side of the thin chain and wrapped it around the back of Harry's neck.
"We don't have much time Harry." She spoke with soft eyes.
"What are you talking about?… What's happening?"
"We don't have much time… tell me how you feel about me."
Harry's eyes widened and he began to feel hot around the collar of his neck
"What?"
Hermione's eyes gleamed, as a mischievous grin spread across her face and she licked her top lip.
Harry braced himself against the back of the armchair, he wanted to run but he didn't know how to escape. The heat rose in his face and he felt droplets of sweat form on his forehead.
Hermione leaned closer to Harry until he could feel her fiery breath against his lips.
The room shook, everything went black. He could hear Hermione screaming as he began to fall into an endless pit of darkness.
*
"Harry wake up!"
A firm shake brought him back to reality.
"Sorry." He mumbled panting.
"Don't apologize. That's what I'm here for, remember?" She answered dabbing his forehead with the cool cloth.
He reached for the cloth and touched her soft fingers. She pulled back instantly, as if burning flames had just licked her delicate skin. Pink color flushed her pale cheeks.
"S,sorry." She stuttered.
Was she afraid of him? They used to constantly hold hands and hug; it felt like that happened less and less over the past two years.
Harry let out an exhausted sigh. Maybe it was better this way, he wouldn't have to hurt her, by not returning feelings and emotions for her.
"Thank you."
"What are friends for?" she grinned removing the cloth from his forehead.
Only then did Harry realize that all Hermione was wearing was a towel, wrapped around her slender body. Harry's mouth watered and he swallowed hard. He had to use every ounce of control to keep his jaw from dropping, his eyes from plunging out of his sockets and from snogging her senseless. He was extremely grateful that the covers kept his excitement well hidden.
Hermione was always an attractive girl, but he only realized just how she made him feel sometime last year. He had never seen Hermione with shorts and a tank top on, never mind seeing Hermione in nothing but a towel, it was making his teenage hormones go into overdrive.
"Well I'm just going to dress up okay?" She said.
Harry managed to nod, he was afraid that if he spoke, all that would escape from his mouth would be a pathetic squeak.
Hermione closed the bathroom door behind her, and allowed herself to slowly collapse in a heap on the cold floor. She was half naked and he still hadn't noticed her. There was no way that Harry Potter would ever like her `that way'.
The tap on the door echoed through the empty bathroom.
"Hermione? … is everything okay?"
Hermione cleared her throat and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I'm fine Harry, just give me a few more minutes." She answered in what she hoped was a calm tone of voice.
"Okay, but you might want to hurry up… we're late for class."
"Shit!"
Harry bit the sides of his cheeks to keep himself from erupting in laughter. First of all, he had never heard Hermione curse before, and secondly, in all Hermione's years at Hogwarts, this was the first time she would be late for class.
"You better not be smiling Harry. If you are… you've probably forgotten that we're suppose to be in Potions right now."
The smile on Harry's face faded, he cursed under his breath and let out a groan of disappointment.
"I better change and get my books." He mumbled.
"Okay. Meet you on the main floor, and be quick Harry!"
"Yeah, wouldn't want to ruin your wonderful reputation with Snape." He teased, making his way to the door of her room.
"Just go."
"Alright, Alright."
Harry entered the empty boys dormitory and swung the curtains around his bed open. He'd normally have a shower in the morning, but if he took one now, Hermione would have a fit. He quickly got dressed, brushed his teeth, placed his books in his bag and made his way to meet Hermione on the main floor.
Harry had given up on trying to tame his wild hair, no matter what he did, it always managed to look the same; messy.
There she was, pacing back and forth near the staircase and uttering something under her breath. Harry couldn't help but notice how cute she looked when she was panicked. She stopped her pacing rapidly and gave Harry a rather stern look.
"Its about time, we have to find some sort of excuse, some sort of plan."
"Don't worry," Harry began.
"How can I not worry? I'll get detention, I can't get detention Harry, I just can't. I'm Head Girl, I'm suppose to be setting a good example here!"
"Shh, keep your voice down or Filtch will catch us, and then my plan wont work."
"You've got a plan?"
"That's what I was trying to tell you."
She paused for a moment biting her lower lip.
"Okay what is it?" She asked, as curiosity got the better of her.
"You're not going to like it."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm used to that by now Harry."
"Okay, but first lets get closer to Snape's class before I tell you."
With a sigh of frustration, she locked her fingers with Harry's and they both made their way down to Potions class.
"Harry, if you don't tell me now I'm not going any further." She said tugging at his sleeve as they approached the door leading to Snape's class.
"Your not,"
"Going to like it, I know… but I still need to know now Harry, I need to be prepared for whatever you have in mind."
Harry ran a hand through his dark hair.
"You don't really have to do anything Hermione, except point your wand at me."
"What?" She frowned and narrowed her eyes.
"Your smart Hermione… you have excellent marks in this class, well, in every class actually. The point is, if you walk in there right now and make the wildest excuse, Snape's still going to use it against you." Hermione's jaw dropped, she opened and closed her mouth several times. "There's no way Snape's going to allow me to pass, so it wont make a difference if I get in trouble or not."
"Are you saying what I think your saying?"
"Yes."
"Oh no Harry, there's no way!"
"Shh keep it down. Listen… all you have to do is say that you knew I was going to skip my first class, and sneak into the Slytherin Common room to go through Malfoy's things or something,"
"Are you mad?"
"If he asks why you would turn in one of your best friends, just say that I made you a promise I wouldn't go to the Sytherin Common Room, I broke it, and now your so furious with me you don't want anything to do with me."
"You are mad!"
"Okay, lets go."
"No."
"Don't be stubborn Hermione."
"I'm not stubborn."
"Well then, lets go, what are you waiting for?"
"Harry, I'm not letting you take the blame for this."
"But it's my fault, I'm the one with the nightmares, you're the one who chose to help me… its my turn to give something back to you."
"You don't owe me anything."
"I owe you for my life, for your friendship, your knowledge and kindness."
She flung her arms around him in a strong embrace.
"You've done the same for me, and more" She whispered in his ear.
Her lips pulsed as the urge to kiss him escalated. Her heart chocked with pain when the sensation of thousands of needles stabbed at her insides, she needed love more then air.
Harry resisted the urge to rest his hands on her voluptuous hips. Her scent made his heart jolt and made him feel dizzy. He wanted to hold her, but knew he couldn't.
"We better go Hermione."
She blushed. "Yeah."
They paraded into Potions class together, side-by-side. As usual, the room was dark, musty and filled with a cold that chilled to the bone. At the front of the classroom, Professor Snape preached about vanishing potions. His greasy hair clung to the sides of his face and, a delighted sneer filled his face when he spotted two late students enter, his two least favorite students.
"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" He paused as giggles from the Slytherin tables echoed through the room. "Granger and Potter, late. No surprise your late Potter… but you miss Granger? Well, this is a rather pleasant surprise."
Hermione elegantly sat down in her chair without a word. Harry followed her example and took his seat next to her.
"Have your teeth grown so large you can't speak miss Granger?" Professor Snape questioned as more students broke out in laughter.
"Did you finally get laid Granger? … All this time I thought you were going to die a virgin, too bad it was with Potty, better have some fun with him while he's still alive." Malfoy muttered bitterly in Hermione direction.
Harry took her hand under the table and gave her a gentle squeeze.
"That's fifty points each from Gryffindor and detention. I'll see you both today after dinner in my office. Granger, I'll be speaking to Dumbledore about your position as Head Girl, if such behavior continues."
Hermione lowered her gaze to the floor.
"Don't worry Hermione, Dumbledore wouldn't take your position away for being late, it won't happen again, okay?" He whispered while gently stroked her hand with his thumb in a reassuring manner.
She nodded, and vigorously began to scribble down the notes written on the board at the front of the room.
Harry heard very little of Snape's lecture on vanishing potions, he couldn't focus his mind on his professors monotonous tone, and in all honesty, he didn't have to.
Since last year, Harry found the pace at which he was learning too slow for the amount of knowledge he would need for his protection, and to stand any chance against Voldemort.
He expressed his concern to Dumbledore, who agreed that Harry would have to work harder and much faster then the regular pace of a student his own age, but it wouldn't be easy. Harry wouldn't be allowed to skip a year ahead of his peers without permission from the Ministry of Magic, and since the only two people who knew of Harry's prophesy were himself and Dumbledore, it would be difficult to come up with a reasonable excuse that would allow Harry to be in seventh year, while his peers stayed in sixth. There would also be the question as to why Harry would be worthy of skipping a year, while the cleverest witch Hogwarts has seen in a century, stayed behind in sixth year (This clever witch was of course Hermione).
Even if Dumbledore found a way to push him ahead a year, Harry would have missed vital information and skills to completing his final year. Dumbledore had proposed to instruct Harry on his free time in secrecy; Harry agreed.
The journey had been difficult for Harry, and it continued to grow more challenging mentally and physically each lesson. This was exactly what Harry needed, an instructor of equal power to the dark lord's strength.
Hermione and Ron both knew he was being taught advanced magic and skills by Dumbledore. They knew the lessons were for Harry's protection, but neither of them knew that Harry would eventually be using these skills and spells against Voldemort, in a fight to the death; He didn't want them to worry.
Hermione used her own knowledge and time to help Harry learn as much as he could about Charms, Potions and anything else she found useful.
On top of all his schoolwork and advanced learning, Harry was still in charge of the DA. The DA would meet up once a week in the room of requirements, to discuss the dark lord and his followers, learn new ways of defending themselves from an attack, and practice old and new magic.
"Harry?"
He poked at the dinner before him with a fork.
"Harry?"
He felt Hermione nudging him in the shoulder and looked up into her brown sugar colored eyes.
"We should go." She said.
Harry glanced over at Ron and Luna who were feeding each other cake and other sweets from the dinner table.
"Where?" He asked knowing the answer.
"Snape's office. We have detention remember?"
"He said after dinner."
"The longer we wait, the angrier he'll be and the punishment more severe."
"Are you sure you want to be a Healer instead of a psychologist?"
She gave him a weak grin.
"Very funny Harry, come on, I want to get this over with."
As they walked towards Snape's office, Hermione hooked an arm around Harry's, and leaned her head on his shoulder.
Harry felt the temperature in his face rise, his hands felt shaky and it was hard for him to swallow, but at the same time it felt so nice having her there, having her touch him like that.
Harry knocked on the sturdy door before him.
"Come in." Came a cold voice from within.
Snape sat at his desk with papers scattered across the surface. He didn't look up at his students; he didn't acknowledge their presence, until Harry cleared his throat.
"Finding punishments for the terrible trio is becoming quite a task Potter."
Harry opened his mouth to talk back at Snape, when he felt Hermione firmly step on his toes.
"Good thing you always have Granger to save your neck." He placed his quill on the desk and put the paper he had been marking on top of a large pile. He looked over at Hermione. "Tell me Granger, did you sleep well last night?"
Hermione nodded.
"I see." He paused for a moment before he continued. "Your growing very fond of Potter, you do know the rules we have about visitors in your room during the night." He sneered as Hermione's face turned scarlet.
"Y,yes sir." She squeaked.
"Do we need to have a lecture on the birds and the bees?"
Harry and Hermione shook their heads furiously.
Harry felt mortified; never in his wildest dreams did he imagine Snape trying to lecture them on sex, and the rules Hogwarts have about these delicate issues.
"Of course you don't." He grinned in a menacing manner. "You both would know all about it by now… then perhaps we should review sexual protection and the school rules once again, even though Granger claims to know them well."
They both didn't know what to say, they stood there together, side by side, wide eyed, and still as statues.
"Good. That will be a part of your punishment for being late for my class, I expect this in essay format and it must be at least three pages long back to back, it will be on my desk by Monday morning. Also, you both will see Argus Filtch for cleaning items… The Hogwarts trophies are filthy." He eyed the students before his desk before he made a dismissive wave with his right hand. "Leave."
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