A/N: Harry is a little OoC in this fic, or at least in this first part. I thought I'd tell just so you won't be surprised and you won't get all mad at me, cuz i would just hate that.
A/N: I would also like to say thank you so much to all those who reviewed Just a Boy and Homebound. I hope the ones who enjoyed those two stories enjoy this one as well. I would like to say a special thank you to two of my anonymous reviewers as well as nostaw and prettypadfoot (I hate Percy) really encouraged me to write more, love you guys. Last but not least I'd really like to thank my beta Trutonks for all the help and advice she's given me. Thanks a bunch!!!!
Harry, Hermione, Seamus, and Ginny all filed into the common room, laughing at a joke Ron had just told them. Harry collapsed into a chair, grinning as he tried to catch his breath. Hermione headed over to the chair across from his, but stumbled over a stack of books she'd left there the night before. She fell into his lap which started up another round of giggles from all those present. Hermione blushed and made to get from the chair, but Harry grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down in his lap, "Why so eager to get away?" he asked wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Hermione rolled her eyes and got up from his lap. Harry had changed so much from last year. He seemed more comfortable with himself, more at ease around other people. It was almost like he didn't care what people thought of him any longer. Hermione wished she was like that. Life would be a whole lot easier if she didn't worry about anyone else's opinion but her own.
"I have to finish my potions essay," she said trying to hide the blush that formed on her cheeks.
He was flirting with her and it made her uncomfortable. It would have been much different had he been serious, but
Hermione always felt so exposed when he talked to her like that. As if everyone could see that she liked him as
more than a friend. No one had confronted her yet, but than again, she felt she was doing a pretty good job masking her
feelings.
"That isn't due until next week!" Ron protested, getting up from his seat to block the stairway to the girls' dorms. "You're supposed to be having fun today that was the deal."
Hermione sighed, ah yes the dreaded deal! She had told Ron that she would take a full day off work if he & Harry finished all of the homework that they had due for next week. She hadn't actually thought they would do it, but since they had, much to Hermione's amazement, it meant that she couldn'tdo any work today.
They had done a pretty good job keeping her occupied thus far.
~ (Flash back to earlier that day) ~
They had gone into Hogsmeade for breakfast at a little restaurant Hermione had never seen before. It was wedged in between a large flower shop and the Quidditch supply store.
She hadn't noticed it before, but of course the boys had considering what it was located next to. After that,
they'd gone shopping for clothes to wear to the Christmas Ball which was only a few weeks away. Hermione had picked
out a beautiful strapless pink dress that sparkled when she moved. Lavender and Ginny had been jealous, but had both
found something that they liked. Ginny bought a blue gown very similar to Hermione's that she wasn't sure her
boyfriend, Seamus, would like. At first, Lavender had picked out a pale green tight fitting dress that Hermione thought
looked atrocious on her. Thankfully, Ginny was able to talk her out of buying it. Hermione had suggested a more
tasteful yellow dress that looked lovely on her, and with the girls persuasion, Lavender bought it. The guys had yet to
see the dresses. When they tried to come into the shop after being fit for their tuxes, Lavender had pushed them
roughly out saying that 'they would see them on Christmas Eve and no sooner.' Ginny and Hermione had laughed,
but backed up Lavender on the matter. The boys then left to get some lunch at The Three Broomsticks while Hermione,
Lavender, and Ginny paid for their dresses. When the girls were done they then headed over to meet up with the
guys.
~ (end flashback) ~
"Working is fun," she protested trying to get passed Ron up the stairs. He continued to block her way looking down at her. Unbeknownst to Hermione, Harry was starting to sneak up behind her, ready to grab her while Ron was mid-argument. Suddenly Hermione felt a chill go through her body and fainted. Harry was able to catch her as just as she started to collapse.
They all just kind of stared at her for a few seconds, before Ginny snapped everybody out of their trances by yelling, "Harry, take her to the hospital wing! Seamus run ahead and tell Madam Pomfrey what happened. Ron, Lavender, go get Professor Dumbledore, just in case it has something to do with Voldemort."
Lavender, Ron, and Seamus jumped at the dark lord's name, but hurried to do what they were told. Harry bent down slightly and picked up Hermione as if she weighed no more then a rag doll and hurried out the portrait hole followed closely by Ginny.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione was unconscious for three days. Harry stayed by her side the whole time while Lavender, Ron, and Seamus came
in every now and then to drop off Harry's homework and meals, and to try to see how Hermione was doing, but Madam
Pomfrey said she could not disclose any information on Hermione's condition other than she would wake up soon.
Ginny came by at least once a day after her classes to sit by her friend, leaving at curfew with tears running down her
cheeks.
Harry didn't seem to notice anyone. When Madam Pomfrey tried to talk to him he just stared at Hermione's motionless face, tears running down his face.
Madam Pomfrey came over to Harry to ask him to leave, but as she approached him she was pushed back as a force field came up around him. It was like a large bubble that flared green when she ran into it throwing her back into the wall opposite Hermione's bed. Harry just stared oblivious to all that was going on as Madam Pomfrey got up rather quickly not showing any signs of being hurt and hurried to get Professor Dumbledore looking quite bewildered by Harry's sudden show of power.
After returning with her to the hospital wing, Dumbledore, too, neared Harry and felt the affects of the force field around him. Once he regained his balance, he smiled and turned to Madam Pomfrey saying, "His powers are indeed growing if he can cast an enchantment such as this without a wand," said Dumbledore looking thoughtful. "You did say he didn't have his wand?" he asked turning to look at her again.
Madam Pomfrey nodded slightly looking at the Harry and Hermione.
"We won't be able to break it for quite some time I'm afraid, I don't believe Harry even knows that he has this force field up." As Dumbledore was approaching the door to leave he winked at Madam Pomfrey and said, "I don't believe they're causing too much harm, are they Poppy?"
To those closest to him, Harry seemed to stop living those three days. He didn't eat and he didn't sleep. The
only way they could tell that he was alive was that he was breathing and he would talk to Hermione every now and then
when he thought no one else was around, "Please don't die on me now Hermione, I need you... I love
you."
Finally on the third day she woke up...
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