Chapter Three
That night, Hermione lay in bed awake, thinking.
She seemed to be going insane. She could not stop thinking about Harry and what he'd nearly done.
But of course she'd never let that happen. She was way to busy with school to be bothered with Harry and his little infatuation. Though it seemed more than just an infatuation…
Confused and frustrated with what she was feeling, she tossed herself onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow.
What made her frustrated at herself was the fact that she'd wanted him to kiss her. Sexual tension was something she'd never dealt with before, and now, it was killing her.
But did she really want Harry Potter to be her first kiss? She'd have to remember him for the rest of her life. She knew it was pathetic to be nearly 18 and not have been kissed yet, but she never cared until now. Though, oddly enough, that wasn't the issue that was bothering her now. The fact that it could ruin a perfectly good friendship was what was bugging her.
Rolling over, she stared blankly at the canopy of her four-poster.
"Why me?" She said aloud to the quiet dorm.
~*~
The next morning came with more rain, but lighter this time.
Hermione blinked sleep out of her eyes as she rose to sit up in bed. She pulled back her curtains and picked up her wristwatch.
8:00am
Way too early for a Saturday.
She got back into bed and tried to sleep. Unfortunately, she was unable to go back to dreamland, so she got up and dressed.
She knew Harry and Ron well enough to know they wouldn't be up yet, so she grabbed the latest novel she was reading and headed downstairs. She'd grown tired of reading textbooks a few years ago. It was quite a jump from reading about potions and deadly spells to romance novels, but she enjoyed them.
She settled herself in a cozy armchair by the newly lit fire. The common room was completely empty, and she could clearly hear the raindrops hitting the high windows.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but as sleepy Gryffindors started milling around the room, she ignored their chatter and let the world of the book take her.
"Morning Sunshine." He said right in her ear.
She screamed and jumped.
Hand over her heart, she breathed heavily.
"Scare ya?" Chuckling, Harry came around and sat down on the couch.
"No." She said, her breathing becoming even.
Harry cocked a brow at her. "If you didn't notice, you squealed."
"I didn't squeal!" She said it with as much dignity as she could muster.
He continued to stare at her.
"It was a cry of surprise." She marked her place in her book.
"Right." He said.
The silence settled in, and she was about to reopen her book.
"Want to go to breakfast?"
"I'm not hungry." She said from behind her open book.
"Yes you are."
The book went back to her lap. What the hell was he doing?
Messing with her mind, that's what. And it was working.
"And how would you know that?" Her eyebrows rose.
"Because I know everything." He said smugly.
"Cocky much?"
"Yeah, from time to time." He grinned.
Before she could get caught in it, she raised her book again. After a few moments, she saw fingers close over the top and he gently lowered the paperback, so he could see her face.
He was closer than she thought. He'd gotten out of his seat.
"Plus, you want to go with me anyway." He said, letting his voice go slightly husky, and enjoying the look on her face.
Her stomach squirmed.
Damn him.
"That's what you think." She tried to raise her book again, but he took it. "Hey!"
He stood and held it out to her, just out of reach.
"Come on, you know you want to." He grinned again.
She got up to grab it back and he just danced backward, hitting a chair at the table, tripping and falling back, the book flying from his hand.
Hermione covered her mouth with both hands as she watching him stumble and fall. She snorted, picked up her book, which had conveniently landed at her feet, and wandered over to the accident site.
"Well." She said teasingly, looking down at him.
He sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "Not a word."
"That was graceful." It was her turn for a cocky grin.
"I said not a word." He straightened his glasses on his face.
"Oops, too late."
He glared up at her, with a slight smile.
"Aren't you going to help me up?"
She blinked down at him, holding her grin in place.
"Nope. See you at breakfast." She gave a cheery wave and started to exit the common room. "Oh, and Harry? One last word for ya." She paused as she caught his attention. "Karma." And with a chuckle, climbed out of the portrait hole.
She sure knew how to make an exit, he thought as he got up off the floor, and turning the chair upright.
Well, that's what he deserved for trying too hard. Rubbing the back of his now aching neck, he said on the couch again.
Ron came down a few minutes later.
"What's wrong Harry?" He asked, seeing the pained expression on his friend's face.
"Took a fall."
"How?"
"Ow. Oh, just being clumsy." He rolled his neck around.
"You? Clumsy? No."
Was the sarcasm ever going to end?
"Shut up." But he smiled.
Together, the two headed toward the Great Hall.
And Harry was already plotting revenge.
-->