Chapter 5: Hell Hath No Fury…
They say `Hell hath no furry like a woman scorned.' Little did Harry's house guests know that Hermione was about to give new meaning to that phrase.
*****
As the sun shone lazily into the spare bedroom of Harry's flat, a mild humming could be heard. It appeared to be coming from a monitor showing a lovely static snowstorm. `Wait, that's not a snowstorm, it's just the effects of a broken visual connection from the B.U.G. being knocked off-line earlier this morning,' Ginny thought as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
She tried to sit up, but found she was pinned under Draco's arm. As she was attempting to free herself of its burden, a sharp, piercing sound filled the room. She shrieked loudly. Had there not been a silencing charm on the tent, she would have woken the whole house. She did however manage to wake Draco up.
"Bloody hell, woman! Can't a bloke get some sleep around here?" he asked, his voice heavy with sleep and irritation.
"Didn't you hear that loud sound just now?" Ginny asked, her eyebrows hidden in her messy, red tresses.
"No, I was too busy having some crazy redhead scream in my ear!" Draco shot back.
With an annoyed `hmph' Ginny got to her feet, scanning the floor frantically for her dressing gown. The moment she found it, she made her way to the door of the tent, shoving her hands clumsily through the gown's knotted sleeves. Once out of the tent, it dawned on her exactly where the sound was coming from.
She covered her ears as the noise grew louder, almost deafening. Then, it stopped just as suddenly as it had started. A voice came from the speakers. The snowy screen flashed a bright white, and then filled with an extreme close-up of Hermione Granger. Draco peered at the screen from behind Ginny's shoulder as he watched the blurred image sharpen and zoom out. He chuckled.
"Looks like Granger found your little toy, Gin," he said with his trademark sneer.
Ginny shot him her patented do-you-really-want-a-Bat-Bogey-hex glare and told him to shush. She had to assess the situation to see just how much trouble she was in, because she knew she was definitely in some. She sat on the floor in front of the monitor and watched, trying to gauge the seriousness of her best friend.
*****
(Inside Harry's room)
Hermione had woken up before Harry did. She never recalled his being such a heavy sleeper during their years together at school. Then again, he didn't have a dark lord looming over his shoulders and invading his dreams anymore, so he probably slept quite soundly nowadays. As gently as she could, Hermione removed his arm from atop her stomach and laid it beside him.
A lazy smile graced her face as she took a few moments to stare at Harry's peaceful form beside her, tangled in the white satin sheets. He was lying on his stomach, arms and legs spread in all directions. His hair spiked up in a thousand directions at once, and the covers were just barely covering his arse. She giggled softly when she noticed he didn't have a tan line.
He looked simply adorable lying there, with all his worries tucked safely away. She did not dare wake him yet. She knew they needed to talk, but also knew it could wait. Harry looked so peaceful and innocent; she could not bear the thought of taking that from him just yet.
It took Hermione a moment to realize that their discarded pile of clothing was on his side of the room. Pulling the covers back, she took one last look at her lover before pulling herself out of bed. She hurried across the room, figuring she would put on only her dress, `No need to put my panties back on,' she thought. Then, she would quietly go to the room she was supposed to be staying in and change clothes there.
As she was picking up her wrinkled dress, she saw something fall onto the pile. Holding her dress against her, she leaned down to examine what it was, and picked up the tiny, silver object that looked remarkably like a beetle. She twirled it around in her fingers, peering at it closely.
It failed to dawn on her what this little contraption was; she passed it off as being something of Harry's from his journeys during the war. Placing it on his desk, she finished putting on her dress and soundlessly left Harry's room for her own. Thanking the heavens that everyone was still asleep (or at least appeared to be), she tiptoed to her room. Once inside, she tossed her wrinkled clothing into her bag and set out clean clothes.
Hermione took a quick shower, and then charmed her hair dry. She was thankful that Harry had charmed this guest room to have its own loo. Now dressed in a white baby tee and hip-hugging jeans, she sat on the still-made bed and put on her socks and shoes. Pinning her hair up, she set off for the kitchen, humming softly.
*****
(Back inside Harry's room)
Harry was beginning to stir. His arm and hand felt cold now that Hermione was no longer under them. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Harry turned over towards where Hermione should have been, frowning when he did not see her.
`Surely she didn't just up and leave?!' Harry thought frantically as he blinked again and sat up. He looked around the room, but saw nothing to tell him that she was still there. Frowning, he got out of bed and looked down at the pile of clothes. Hers were gone, though she had left her shoes. `Maybe she's still here,' he thought, his smile returning.
Stretching lazily, he held his arms high above his head and stood on his tiptoes, working out his sleepy muscles. As he walked towards his wardrobe, he noticed the silvery beetle on his desk and assumed it was Hermione's. Paying it no further mind, he pulled out a fresh change of clothes and proceeded to the shower.
As soon as he walked back into his room, Harry heard a knock at his door. Adorned with only a loose-fitting towel and still dripping with water, he asked who was there.
"It's me, Harry," came Hermione's voice, just loud enough to carry through the door.
A wide grin spread across his face, and he eagerly opened the door. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Hermione's shirt. Printed in glittery red, it read, `Seekers Rock!' and had a golden snitch printed in glittery gold.
"I bought it during sixth year Quidditch season after you became captain," Hermione said, noticing his reaction.
"Why have you never worn it before now?" Harry asked, a little hurt.
Hermione laughed softly and replied, "I have actually worn it to every game you've played since I bought it. I would wear it under whatever I was wearing at the time. I was afraid that if people saw it, they would jump to conclusions. And you had enough to deal with at the time without having to fight off rumors about you and me…again."
"Oh. I…I wouldn't have been bothered by that rumor a second time around. I was actually fine with it the first time," Harry said, smiling sheepishly as he remembered he was still dripping water onto the carpet. "I should finish drying off before I get the whole floor soaking wet."
They both blushed slightly, which, had Ginny and the others been watching, they would have found this quite cute considering what they had been doing only hours before together. Hermione turned to leave, but Harry stopped her, motioning for her to sit on the bed while he went back into the bathroom. A few minutes later, he returned, wearing only a pair of Slytherin-green boxer shorts and a smile, his hair still pointing in every direction.
Harry sat down beside her on the unmade bed. After a moment of awkward silence, they both blurted out, "We need to talk," then proceeded to insist that the other go first. Taking the reigns, Hermione took a deep breath, and began talking.
"Harry…about last night and this morning…" She paused, trying to collect her thoughts. "Wow, I'm a bit at a loss for words here. Imagine that." They both chuckled lightly. "I…it…" she stammered.
"It was wonderful," Harry said. "It was magical. It was everything I've dreamed it would be…and more." Hermione nodded in agreement. "I wish that it had happened sooner, but I'm afraid that had it, we may not have been truly ready for it. But I am happy that it has happened."
Hermione nodded in agreement again, and continued, "Harry, where do we go from here? We've been friends for so long that this," she waved her hand around, indicating their situation, "just feels so natural…so right. I mean, if you think about it…we've been together for," she paused again, but this time to count on her fingers, "about thirteen years."
"Wow," they both gasped in unison. Neither had ever really stopped to calculate exactly how long they had known each other, how long they had been best friends. Neither had realized how long they had loved the other without letting the other know.
"Well," Harry began, "I suppose we should spend a bit more time alone. Seems almost all of our time together, aside from fourth year, was and is spent with Ron. So, let's try going out a few times, see where that leads us," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders.
"What should we tell the others?" Hermione asked, looking a bit worried. "Should we tell them that we're going to start dating, or should we keep it to ourselves for the time being? Until we see what's going to happen?"
Harry screwed up his face in concentration before replying, "I guess we should keep it quiet, but if anyone asks, we can say we're testing the waters?" He shrugged again, hating not having a better answer.
Hermione smiled at his helplessness and leaned into him, resting her head on his bare shoulder. She inhaled his cologne deeply and sighed. Lifting her head, she turned to face him, and then pressed her mouth to his. Harry's tongue traced the line between her lips before she parted them to allow him entry. They both wanted so much more from the kiss, but also would not allow it to go any further.
Their lips drew apart, but they did not lean back. Instead, both stayed their ground, mouths barely touching, breathing in each other. When Hermione finally pulled back, Harry opened his eyes. Hermione's were still closed as she rose from the bed they had shared just hours before. Turning to face him, she asked what he would like for breakfast, all but forgetting that there were other people in Harry's flat who might want something as well.
"Surprise me," Harry said as she walked out of his room, the door clicking shut behind her.
*****
(Outside Harry's room)
Hermione was on her way to the kitchen when the door to the spare bedroom opened. Ginny poked her head out, smiling cautiously. Hermione's face lit up and she greeted the redhead warmly. Ginny's cautious smile brightened as she realized that Hermione had not yet figured out what had happened. As they walked to the kitchen, the younger girl informed Hermione that everyone was up and getting ready.
"Cute shirt," Ginny exclaimed. Had Hermione been looking at her, she would have seen Ginny's knowing smirk, but, she wasn't, so she didn't. Once in the kitchen, they started breakfast, the other girls soon joining them. Then the guys arrived to help set the table. In her earlier years Hermione would have fussed about the men not helping to cook, but she had learned since then that, aside from Harry and Draco, none of them actually could cook.
All throughout breakfast, Harry and Hermione kept stealing glances at each other. They prided themselves in thinking they were being sneaky, but to everyone else they were painfully obvious. No one said anything though, continuing to let the couple revel in their accomplishment. Ron beamed at his best friends, knowing that they had finally realized their feelings for each other. After breakfast everyone except Harry and Hermione returned to the spare room to put away their things to return to their homes.
*****
(Inside spare bedroom)
"Whew! I don't think either of them has discovered the B.U.G. or what it does! Hermione barely paid any attention to it! And Harry just glanced at it and walked off. Hopefully, neither will discover what we've done. They'll absolutely kill us if they do!" Ginny paused to catch her breath.
"If they do catch us, we deserve whatever punishment they throw at us," Ron said, a look of mild disgust on his face for having partaken in watching his best friends getting it on while thinking they were alone. "Gin, I still can't believe you watched for so long."
"We didn't watch much longer than you guys actually," Draco replied. "In fact just a few minutes after you guys went to sleep, Gin and I had a nice little romp on the floor." Draco waggled his eyebrows.
"Whoa! Too much information!" Ron exclaimed, shaking his head vehemently. "I do NOT need to know what you and my sister are doing!!" Everyone, including Ron, burst into laughter at this exchange.
*****
(Meanwhile, in lounge)
Figuring it would take a while for the others to collect their things, Harry and Hermione retreated to the lounge. Hermione sat on one end of the sofa, Harry the other. It was a bit awkward, sitting there like that. Each cleared his or her throat before gathering the courage to begin.
"Harry-" she said.
"Hermione-" he said simultaneously.
They both laughed. This time, Harry went first. "Oh, before I forget, does that silver bug on my desk belong to you?"
"No, I've never seen it before. I assumed it was yours," Hermione said, placing her hand on her chin in contemplation. "I found it on our pile of clothes this morning. Not quite sure why I assumed it was yours…but I did."
"Accio silver beetle!" Harry waved his hand dismissively in the air, summoning the object in question.
Once it was in his hand, they both studied the gleaming item. Remembering how Snape had attempted to find the secrets held in the Marauder's Map, Harry swept his hand over the B.U.G., muttering the spell their old professor had used. The B.U.G. instantly sprang from his hand, landing on the coffee table.
Fred and George Weasley's voices filled the room, each one speaking an alternate sentence. "Hello! You have just been B.U.G.ed, compliments of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes! What is a B.U.G., you may ask? Why, it's only the most brilliantly undetectable gadget known to wizard-kind! The B.U.G. is an advanced form of surveillance for today's inquisitive witch or wizard. It captures, broadcasts, and records high-quality audio and video. Best of all, thanks to it's convenient cloaking ability, it is undetectable whenever necessary! Thank you for using Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Brilliantly Undetectable Gadget!"
Harry and Hermione stood there in shock, watching the B.U.G. rise to its hind legs and wave each of its remaining arms as Fred and George's speech ended. After being struck dumb for a few minutes, new expressions crossed their faces. Hermione's eyes lit up with anger, a dangerous leer twisting her pretty features. Harry on the other hand could not help but grin. He loved the Weasley's inventions, and still delighted in the fact that he was the reason they were in business.
Hermione glared at Harry, who quickly stopped smiling. Seeing the confused look on his face, Hermione explained that the B.U.G. surely had been sent in to spy on them early in the morning after they had retreated to Harry's room. Harry, having a bit of a voyeuristic streak in him wasn't as upset about the whole situation as Hermione, but put on a mask of concern for her sake.
Her eyes began to twinkle, and Harry began to get scared. He recognized that twinkle…it meant Hermione Jane Granger had a wickedly brilliant idea. As she shared said idea with Harry, he could not refrain from sniggering as he imagined her plan unfolding. They both agreed that they would pretend as though they had not found out about the B.U.G., and therefore lure the others into a false sense of security.
Having finished collecting their belongings, Harry's guests made their way to the lounge as well, placing their bags by the fireplace. As they were putting their stuff down, a book fell to the floor. Bending down to help Neville pick up his Herbology book, Draco caught sight of the Slytherin-green waistband on Harry's boxers. Upon catching Harry's attention, Draco raised an eyebrow and nodded appreciatively. Harry returned the gesture with a wink and a nod.
The group sat around talking for the next hour and a half. Harry and Hermione had mysteriously triumphant looks on their faces, but when questioned, merely shrugged them off. Finally, it came time for everyone to leave. Each couple Apparated with a pop, leaving only Harry and Hermione.
Alone again, Harry looked to Hermione and grinned. Her eyebrow raised, she asked him what he was grinning about.
"Well, last night…this morning, rather, when we were making love, did you realize you were purring? Like a cat?"
At this Hermione blushed profusely. Looking at the floor and playing with the hem of her t-shirt, she nodded her head.
With a touch of amusement evident in his voice, Harry could not resist asking, "Do you always purr when you're having sex?"
"No." She breathed in deeply, then continued, "Only when I am really, really aroused. It's a side effect from the Polyjuice incident from second year."
"Oh. You were quite sexy as a cat, you know," Harry said, waggling his eyebrows at her. She swatted at his arm playfully. "Honestly though, has anyone ever told you how sexy that purr is?"
"Well, no. You're the only one who's ever made me purr like that before," Hermione said, blushing again, but meeting his eyes to show her sincerity.
"Really?"
"Really."
Hermione moved closer to Harry, their bodies only a hair away from touching. Standing on her tip-toes, she kissed his bottom lip. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she placed her hands on his chest. As the kiss grew deeper, Hermione lifted her right foot, reminiscent of an old, romantic Muggle film. They fell gracefully onto the couch just as it began to rain.
*****
(Two Weeks Later)
Ginny was walking through the front door of the house which she shared with Draco when an owl alighted on her shoulder. She noticed an envelope attached to its leg. As soon she removed the envelope, the owl took flight. Not expecting any mail, Ginny continued into Malfoy Manor.
Sitting down at the table in the kitchen, she was just about to open the envelope when Draco sauntered into the room.
"Who's the post from?"
"Looks like it's from Hermione and Harry," Ginny said, flipping the envelope over a few times in her hand. "It's got both our names on it."
"Maybe it's an invitation to a party to celebrate their two week anniversary?" Draco asked, laughing at his clever wit.
Ginny fingered the envelope open, but stopped as she glimpsed crimson within. But that didn't stop the Howler from flying out of the envelope and growing vicious teeth.
"HOW DARE YOU TWO SPY ON US LIKE THAT?! FRED AND GEORGE TOLD US ABOUT THE B.U.G. AND WHAT IT IS USED FOR! IF YOU EVER DO SUCH A THING AGAIN WITHOUT OUR CONSENT, I WILL PERSONALLY HEX YOU BOTH TO OBLIVION!!"
Hermione's voice was still ringing throughout the halls as the Howler erupted into flames. Ginny picked up the envelope, cautiously looking inside it to make sure it was empty. It wasn't. Five tiny pieces of folded paper fell from it. Each piece of paper was folded into a small bird. As soon as they began falling from the envelope, Ginny and Draco heard one word escape from the folds of the now-crumpled envelope.
"Avis!"
The moment the spell was uttered, the paper birds came to life, attacking the startled pair. At the same time at the respective homes of each one of Harry's guests from that fated night, a flock of tiny birds were fervently clawing and biting. Poor Ron, being all too familiar with Hermione's Avis charm, could not quite make it behind the bathroom door before the tiny canaries bombarded him and Luna.
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A/N: Thanks once again to my partners in crime (betas), Robin & Betsy! You guys are awesome!
Ps: in case anyone is interested in what the B.U.G. looks like, here ya go!
http://home.triad.rr.com/mischiefmanaged/bug.jpg
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