A/N: This chapter is not much at all. A little bit of fill until the action picks up, which promises to be soon. I'm sorry for the long waits between updates, but I can't possibly say how much I appreciate people sticking with this fic, it really means a lot. And, just because I love my readers so, a next update will be soon. And when I say soon, I mean tomorrow or the next day. Soon. Thanks so much, enjoy!
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE: INTO ANOTHER YEAR
~~~~~January 15th, 1997. Hogwarts.~~~~~
The new year had started with both goods and bads. The bad was Harry telling Neville, Ginny and Luna about the prophecy. None of them were really surprised at the news. But they all hooked into their training with a new air of determination. If they were going to do this they were going to do it right and be sure they came out the victors.
The good news was Ron finally asking out Lana Hart. He'd made better on his word and hadn't waited until they returned to school to ask her out but had done it on the train ride back to Hogwarts. And once more Ron had entered an oblivious bliss, although he was taking his training more seriously than anyone save Harry and Hermione, his spare time was all for Lana.
Harry was wiping down the blade of his sword in the Room of Requirement when Hermione entered. He was so wrapped up in the weapon that he didn't even notice her walk in.
She leaned against a bookshelf and crossed her arms, watching him with a smile. "Should I leave you two alone?"
Harry looked up and grinned, "Sorry, Love, I didn't see you come in. I meant to ask you at Christmas but forgot, what do the runes carved on the guard mean?"
Hermione walked over and took the sword from his hand. "It says 'Drawn to ensure the light will never fade."
"It's beautiful, Love." Harry told her as he stared at her in wonder. "You are amazing."
Hermione blushed as Brodsky entered. He looked at the two and the sword between them. "It's a fine blade, Harry, but shall we see how it fares?"
With that he withdrew his own blade from his back, beneath his cloak. The two teens were rather shocked, but assumed that he pretty much always carried it and they'd never noticed before. Like Harry's it was a hand and a half sword. The blade had a black hue to it. The guard was like a pair of black birds wings, the grip a plainly ridged black, and the pommel was a cube shape.
Harry took his own sword and twirled it a little with a grin. Brodsky laughed and then lunged. Harry's weapon felt natural in his hand, like an extension of his body. The two blades clinked and clanked together. Harry knew Brodsky was going easy on him, but he was finding it much easier to work with the sword.
When the two finally stopped Brodsky smiled, "I guess it handles well, then."
"It certainly does, Professor."
Harry looked back at Hermione to see she had her hand over her heart, she stood and walked to them, "Don't bloody well do that again. Those are bloody real and could kill one of you." She walked off muttering something about 'stupid boys'.
Brodsky smiled down at Harry, "Go on, get a little break."
Harry grabbed his things and followed Hermione out of the Room of Requirement. He caught up with her on the stairs. "I'm sorry, Love."
"It's alright, Harry. But if you die just training.....well that would be bad."
Harry and Hermione had walked into the courtyard to find Ron and Lana snogging like there was no tomorrow, not even noticing that there were other people around them.
"Think it's love?" Harry asked with a grin.
"With Ron? No." Hermione answered seriously.
Harry didn't see that her attention wasn't focused on the happy couple but did pick up on her tone as they sat on a bench together. "What? You don't think Ron has the capability to fall in love?"
"I think he does. But I don't think he'll find it with all the girls he's after."
"Where do you think he'll find it then?" Harry asked, watching Ron and Lana and wondering if they'd ever come up for air.
"Same place we did." When Harry looked at her, a question in his eyes, she explained, "Right under his nose."
Then she pointed to a bench a fair bit away from them. There sat Luna Lovegood, watching the two lovebirds and looking rather depressed. For those who knew Luna, which Harry and Hermione did, to see her looking anything but dreamy was unsettling.
"She's had a thing for Ron since the moment she met him, you know?" Hermione asked sadly.
She felt bad for poor Luna, having to watch as Ron went through girlfriends. And she wondered if Ron would ever notice that she was not only perfect for him, but crazy about him.
"No, I didn't know that." Harry told her. "Do you think he'll ever notice?"
Hermione smiled a little and looked at him, "It took us over five years, she's only had one and a half."
Harry laughed as he gazed into her eyes, "Well then, they've got plenty of time."
"That's just it but, they might not have plenty of time."
Harry saw that now familiar cloud pass over her eyes. She was thinking about the upcoming battle again and they weren't very pleasant thoughts.
"Mione, stop right now." He gently demanded. "We've been through this before, in fact we go through this all the time. Stop with those thoughts, Love, please. We're going to do our best to beat them."
"Or die trying to." Hermione added darkly.
"What are you two talking about?" Ron's voice interrupted. He and Lana were standing in front of them.
Hermione let go of Harry's hands and turned, but didn't look up at them as she answered, "People squandering their time."
Ron raised an eyebrow at Harry who just sighed, "End of the world Hermione has just made an appearance."
"Well this is a rare moment." Ron said sarcastically. He addressed Lana as he spoke his next words, "Best enjoy this while it lasts, it doesn't happen often."
"Oh, shove it, Ronald!" Hermione cried before standing up and storming away.
"And it's just upgraded to angry Hermione." Harry muttered. "Much easier to deal with."
"How's that mate?" Ron asked as Harry stood.
"Well, I can handle it when she's yelling or throwing things at me or trying to hex me, but when she gets that look in her eyes like we're all going to die in an hour, I'm at a complete loss of what to do." Harry explained.
"Best we go after her then?" Lana asked quietly. She was nervous when she was around Ron's best friends, one of which was the smartest and probably most powerful witch to ever come to Hogwarts and the other was the Boy Who Lived. Her boyfriend had pretty intimidating friends, although neither tried to be.
"Nah." Harry was saying. He smiled and patted Lana on the arm. "You two enjoy the rest of your day, I'll go after her."
Harry walked off in the same direction as Hermione had. Ron turned to Lana, "He's better at dealing with Hermione's moods than I am."
"Well of course he would be." Lana laughed.
Ron turned to her with a furrowed brow, "What's that mean?"
"Just that he knows her....you know, more intimately than you do."
Ron was lost in his confusion, "What the bloody hell are you on about?"
"They've been an item for years now, haven't they? Everyone at school is convinced they have been together for ages." She explained.
Suddenly Ron burst out laughing, "I don't think so, Lana. They're my two best friends and if they were fooling around behind my back I'd know about it."
Ron had no idea how wrong he was, but he didn't believe the rumours that were flying around. Well, he thought, Gossips bound to happen with us three being so close and this being such a small castle.
Harry followed Hermione's direction back into the castle. He'd lost her by a long shot, but took a stab at where she might be, if only he had his map. He headed towards the Room of Requirement. Once there he saw a door with no handle. Sighing he banged on it hard with his fist.
"Mione! I know you're in there! Let me in!" He yelled, hoping it was loud enough.
After a few moments a handle materialized on the door. He quickly entered to find Hermione sitting under the tree they usually stretched under in the field they normally worked out in. He silently moved and sat beside her.
Without a word she moved into him and he wrapped his arms around her. It was a long time before either of them spoke, Hermione breaking the silence.
"I'm just so scared Harry. I'm horrified they'll attack tomorrow and one of us will die and we won't get the chance to......" She broke off, tears brimming in her chocolate eyes.
"To what, Mione? What won't we get the chance to do?" He urged her to go on.
She looked up at him with a small smile, "To have the kind of love that legends are made of."
He smiled too and brushed some stray hair behind her ear, "We already do, Love."
She moved forward and touched her lips to his so gently it was like a feather passing over them. Her eyes flicked up to his and she jumped him. She pinned him against the ground and her lips hungrily took his.
Heart-rates increasing, breath shortening, and tongues dueling Harry grinned as he flipped her over. He smiled down at her whispering, "By the Gods you are beautiful."
A faint blush rose on her cheeks and she looked away for a moment smiling. Harry took advantage of her turned head and kissed his way down the side of her neck, starting just below her ear.
As he went, so did the big warm clothes they were wearing in the cold outside. Their bodies and the fake sun providing enough heat so they weren't needed.
Hermione took in a sharp breath at the contact and closed her eyes to enjoy it. By the time Harry tasted the salt on her throat his emotions were raging. Lust and desire battling with love and respect.
The latter winning out, only just, he pulled away and rolled off her and onto his back. "Merlin, Mione I want to be a gentleman, but do you have any idea what you do to me?"
Hermione had almost cried out at the loss of contact. She looked sideways at him, smirking a little, "I have some idea."
Then suddenly she was straddling him, grinding a little to let him know she knew exactly what she did to him.
Harry groaned and sat up, pressing his chest against hers. "I don't know if we're ready." He managed to get out, that one question very difficult.
Hermione giggled and said, "I think your little friend may disagree."
Harry smiled and blushed, "Don't you worry about him, I've got many ways to make him go away. What I'm worried about is whether you disagree."
Harry himself was split in two over the decision. Part of him wanted to wait, wanted their first time to be special and all that, not a moment of lust. There was also the fact that he was more than a little nervous about it.
Then the other half of him, the part that was making himself noticed at the moment, wanted to take her right then and there without a second thought as to if they were ready or the consequences such an action could have.
Hermione bit her lip as she thought, a habit that Harry found irresistible. "God, Mione, don't do that, not now." He groaned.
"What?" She asked.
"That biting your lip thing turns me on more than you'll ever know."
She looked at him as if he'd gone mad for a moment, then cracked up laughing. "Really?" She asked through her humour.
Harry rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling, "Yes, really, my Love. It's you in your natural thoughtful state and sometimes I find it remarkably beautiful, others remarkably sexy. This is one of those times it's sexy."
She giggled, "You are the sweetest guy sometimes, Harry."
"Yeah, I know. Now get off me so I can make our little friend go away."
She laughed again as she moved off him. "How exactly do you do that?"
"Snape dancing with a fireman's pole in nothing but a bikini usually does it for me every time." Harry told her.
She grimaced as the image raced through her mind and then burst out laughing once more. This time she couldn't make the giggles stop and after a few minutes of concentration Harry's problem was gone and he found himself joining in.
A rug and some pillows materialized beneath the two as they lay there laughing for a good long while. Snuggling up even as tears of mirth came from Hermione's eyes.
"I'm not going to be able to look at him without laughing now." Hermione told Harry as they settled somewhat.
He wrapped his arm around her, "Now you know why I'm always containing a laugh at the greasy git."
Hermione looked up at him after a few moments, "Thank you." She told him sincerely.
He pulled her closer to him, "I think we both need some time, Mione."
She leaned up on her elbows and looked down at him with a sincere smile, "You really are the sweetest guy sometimes."
Harry didn't say anything, instead opting to kiss her gently and pull her into him. The two basked in the magic
replicated warmth of the sun until both were napping quietly. Neither woke from their content snooze until Ginny came
in to help with the junior DA members and found the two of them like that.
~~~~~January 16th, 1997. Hogwarts.~~~~~
Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table across from Ron at lunch time. Hermione had gone to the library to read and study. He'd offered to go with her but she told him to go and eat instead.
Harry and Ron casually chatted over their food, talking mostly about the upcoming Quidditch match. Once that topic was finished they moved on to talking about Lana and Harry nearly choked on his food at something Ron told him about while laughing.
"You'll never believe what she said yesterday." Ron started. "She said that most of the school reckon you and Hermione have had a thing going on for years."
Swallowing the food he almost spat up Harry mumbled quietly, "Well not for years."
"What was that mate?" Ron asked and Harry shook him off. "Anyway, isn't that the funniest thing you've ever heard?"
This was it, time to tell Ron the truth and hope he wouldn't kill anyone. Being in such a public place probably wasn't best, but Harry had no choice. Ron needed to know now. Hermione was lucky she was in the library.
"Ron, look, I gotta' tell you something." Harry began.
Ron looked at him expectantly, no clue as to what Harry was about to say. Harry was just about to spit it out when Neville walked up to the two.
"Hey Harry. Come on, Ron, we got training."
Ron nodded, "Sorry, Harry, I gotta' go."
Harry just nodded and watched his best friend walk out of the Great Hall. He was thankful Neville had arrived when he did and saved him from what was to be a most unpleasant conversation. But then he was also upset that he didn't get to tell Ron. He wanted to include his best friend in his happiness, and he hated keeping things from him.
"Hey, Harry." Ginny said as she took Rons recently vacated seat.
"Hey Gin."
"You have that look about you like you want something heavy to drop on top of you." Ginny smiled.
Harry sighed, "It's about Ron. I don't like keeping this from him. I want to tell him, but I don't want him to hate me or Hermione."
"I don't think he'll hate either of you. He'll be angry, and only get angrier the longer you keep it from him. You guys should tell him ... and soon."
"I know. How's the Ferret going?"
"He's been a bit on edge recently." Ginny said, her face dropping a little. "His fathers been writing him every week asking for updates and he's having a lot of trouble telling him stuff without actually telling him anything."
"Yeah, right." Harry snorted.
Ginny sighed, "Harry, I know that you are reluctant to trust him, but you trust me right?"
"Yes, Ginny I trust you."
"Then trust me when I say that I trust him. He's not who you think he is Harry."
Ginny's eyes were imploring Harry to believe her. He thought for a moment, "I'll tell you Ginny, it'll be hard for me to ever trust him, he'd have to do something pretty special. But if you say that he's okay, then alright. Just know I'll be keeping an eye on him."
She smiled, "Thank you, Harry. It means a lot to me."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~