Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: Sorry, but it's the last of the really quick updates. The next one probably won't be up for a couple days, at least (school). To answer a few questions...probably no Ron, Dudley, or Malfoy, just because they didn't seem to fit in. But who knows, I still have to write the last chapter. To wizardchick292: crew is rowing (in a boat). It was the only "macho" sport (even though I do it) that I could think of at the time. So...hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling.

Hermione was surprised but also pleased when Harry took the initiative and kissed her. She enjoyed it, and was just starting to get really into it when a picture of Cho Chang flashed before her eyes.

"Fuck!" she thought. "Harry has a girlfriend! I can't do this, even if Cho is a bitch." She broke off this kiss and couldn't look at Harry for fear of kissing him again. She ran down the driveway and across, ending up in front of Lavender and Parvati, who were looking very concerned.

"Sweetie, what happened?" Lavender questioned. "It looked like everything was going well." She hugged Hermione, who now had tears silently running down her face.

"I - we kissed, but then I remembered that he has a girlfriend," Hermione said. She knew that Parvati had known that it was Harry, and had probably filled Lavender in with the details. "Even if it is Cho, I can't do that to anybody."

"Aww, 'Mione," Parvati said. "It's OK. Besides, if Harry likes you, he'll come through. And if he doesn't, he wasn't right for you in the first place. But for now, you're going to stay the rest of the night and you, me, and Lav can watch movies and eat ice cream." Hermione nodded her assent, grateful that she had such caring friends. But even with their advice, she vowed that she would not let herself get too attached. If Cho found out what went down, Hermione's school life would be made a living hell.

Across the street, Harry had finished up in the yard and gone to take a shower. He felt kind of guilty, because even if he was only dating Cho because she had basically coerced him into asking her out, Harry felt that he owed at least some honesty. So, he decided, he would break up with her tomorrow. He would explain that he had never really had feelings for her, and now she would be able to date any guy that she wanted. And then after school, he would be working on the project with Hermione and he could explain everything to her. He had no doubt that everything would be all right by the next evening, so he allowed his mind to wander over to Hermione.

She was sweet, smart, caring, and gorgeous. Hell, she didn't like Cho and she had still respected the girl. That showed the mark of a good person. Harry also admired her intelligence. He had always enjoyed good, stimulating conversation, and Hermione provided just that. And again, he found his mind going back to how she looked in those shorts, and that top. He felt his body reacting to the picture that formed in his mind and nipped things in the bud by turning the shower's temperature dial to cold.

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"Um, Cho," Harry began nervously. "I don't really know how to say this, but -"

"What is it, baby?" Cho cooed as she ran her hands through his hair, her lips on his jaw and her right leg draped around his left. Obviously, she wasn't to be deterred from her morning snog (A/N: LOL I've always wanted to use that word).

"Well, I guess I'll go right out and say it. I think we should break up."

"What?" Cho shrieked, immediately letting go of him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that we should be able to see other people," Harry replied patiently. He had been expecting a reaction like this. Cho wasn't exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. Besides, he doubted that any boy had ever broken up with her. She was normally the aggressive one. "I just don't know where this is going, and I'm looking for something else." Harry could have kicked himself for using such a trite phrase.

"Y-you can't break up with me! I'm the best thing that ever happened to you! You're nothing special, with that hideous scar. In fact, I'm breaking up with you first! So there." Cho turned on her heal and stomped off, probably to go find some football player. Harry had no doubt that she would have a new boyfriend by the time lunch rolled around.

RINNNG! The morning bell signified the end of Harry's musings and the beginning of McGonagall's class, which he had with Hermione.

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Hermione was sitting nervously at her desk, waiting for Harry. She had tried to convince Miss McGonagall to switch partners, but the older woman had stayed firm. She reminded Hermione that part of her grade was how well she worked with others. Hermione didn't have the guts to tell her teacher about what had occurred between she and Harry.

"Hey there 'Mione," drawled the voice of her affections and of her avoidance. "How's it going?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Hermione replied coldly. Time to start distancing herself. "Last night I found a few things on our topic, so we probably need to do more research. Here, you look in your history book and I'll surf the net." She didn't feel the need to explain that she had tried to work on the project as much as possible so that Harry wouldn't have an excuse to go to her house the next day, but Parvati and Lavender had prevented her from doing so. So now the only thing to do was immerse herself in work so Harry wouldn't be able to talk to her.

"Hermione," Harry said, a little bit confused about her behavior, "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong, Harry," was the stiff reply. "We just have a lot of work to do, and I'd like to get started on it."

"Well, we're still meeting at your house after school, right? Good. We'll talk then." Harry followed Hermione's lead and started flipping through his history book, looking for information relevant to their topic.

Please review, of course XD. I'm an author; I have to say it. Um...what else? I just hope that the rest of my story is as good as the first part. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Love, Kaye

P.S. Sorry for the short chapters.