Chapter 8: The Sneak In The Stacks
It took Harry and Hermione nearly ten minutes to make it back to Gryffindor tower despite their brisk pace; they kept stopping at intervals to kiss and touch each other. Several times they had to duck out of sight of a passing teacher or student ambling through the hallways. By the time they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and stumbled into the main Gryffindor common room they were nearing the point of exploding so strong was the need coursing through them. Walking briskly, hands clasped together, fingers entwined they had just made it to the stairs leading to the dormitories when they heard Ginny's voice.
"Harry…Hermione…where are you off to?"
Harry and Hermione whirled around to stare at Ginny. Harry smiled lopsidedly and ran a hand through his hair. Hermione squeezed his hand as she spoke.
"Hi Gin…bit of a late start for you isn't it?"
Ginny nodded.
"Yeah I am running a bit behind. I was just on my way to Herbology."
Harry chimed in.
"Oh…well…don't let us keep you!"
Ginny narrowed her gaze as she said.
"I thought you two'd be studying in the library with Ron as per usual."
Hermione nodded and answered.
"That's where we're supposed to be but Ron had to walk Lav to Divination and Harry forgot his Transfiguration text and my notes, so we came back to get those before we meet him at the library."
Ginny nodded again but she was still eyeing Harry and Hermione rather suspiciously as she said.
"I'm off to class then. Guess I'll see you two later."
Harry and Hermione said goodbye in sunny cheerful voices and waved to Ginny as she exited through the portrait hole. Gripping her hand in his Harry tore up the boy's side of the dormitory stairs and raced down the hall dragging a rather breathless Hermione along in his wake, they turned the corner and before them loomed the stately portrait of the Gryffindor lion that led to their secluded dormitory. Upon reaching the portrait of the Gryffindor lion Harry barked the password "Sugar Quill" and grabbing Hermione about the waist hauled her inside. As an afterthought he stuck his head back out the portrait hole and instructed the lion that the new password was to be "Cinnamon Licorice Wand". Hermione was about to ask Harry what had possessed him to do such a thing but she never got the chance as she found herself pressed up against the portrait hole, staring up into Harry's gorgeous green eyes. As she gazed into their emerald depths Hermione saw a look of pure unadulterated desire that quicken her heartbeat and left an unmistakable dampness between her thighs.
Harry shrugged out of his robes and tossed them over his shoulder. Turning back to Hermione he reached up and ran his right hand through her hair; releasing it from the ponytail she'd pulled it into that morning. With his left arm he pulled her body flush against his own. Hermione's arms snaked their way up his chest and her fingers tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck as Harry lowered his head. Hermione felt rather than heard him mutter the word beautiful as his warm breath skimmed across her neck. She tilted her head to give him better access. Harry lightly pressed his lips to the throbbing pulse at the base of Hermione's neck and heard her moan his name. A faint smile flickered across his face as he began to trail kisses along her neck. Hermione allowed her hands to trail down Harry's back and slid them up underneath his shirt. She gently raked her nails up the cord of his spine eliciting a hot-blooded moan from low in Harry's throat. Raising his head from his nuzzling of her throat Harry skillfully moved his hands to the front of Hermione's robes and quickly unbuttoned and tossed them aside. Harry quickly removed Hermione's tie, jumper and bra until he stood gazing at her perfect breasts. His gaze lingered for a moment before he lowered his head and captured one of her erect nipples in his mouth as his hand covered the other. Hermione arched her back giving Harry better access to her aching breasts. After several minutes of torturous pleasure Harry raised his head and once again claimed Hermione's mouth with his own.
Hermione was so consumed with the ministrations of Harry's mouth that she hadn't taken notice of her surroundings thus she was very surprised when she felt her back being pressed into the mattress of Harry's bed. She gasped slightly as Harry lowered his head and began kissing her neck as his hands began to glide across her body softly caressing her skin. Hermione moaned and drew his mouth back to hers and their lips met in a fiercely passionate kiss. Hermione's hands raked across Harry's broad chest and shoulders their tongues tangled together passionately exploring and tasting each other fully. As the kiss neared the point of no return Harry paused just long enough to remove all his remaining articles of clothing save his boxers he then turned his attentions back to Hermione kissing her with possibly more eagerness than before. Hermione responded by peppering his exposed chest with kisses and wrapping her wondrously long and shapely legs around his waist drawing him closer to her. Harry groaned he wanted her so badly he was certain he'd go mad if he weren't inside her soon. Harry quickly relieved Hermione of the burden of her skirt and her extremely tiny white see-through lace knickers. Harry stared down at Hermione, her body bared to his roving eyes, and as he took in the elegant curves of her shoulders, the narrow waist and the sexily curving hips that led down to those supple shapely legs that had been such a distraction to him of late; Harry expelled a throaty sigh and whispered.
"Merlin you are so beautiful."
Hermione blushed as Harry leaned back down and covered her bare chest with his own as he kissed her exposed throat passionately and ran his hands up her legs, caressing her with his expert, nimble fingers. Hermione whimpered as Harry's attentions brought her closer and closer to falling over the edge. She half moaned half whispered the words.
"Ha…Harry please…I…I…I need you now!"
Without any further discussion Harry stripped off his boxers and thrust his throbbing member into Hermione's warm welcoming heat. He was motionless for a moment enjoying the feel of her around him and then as if overcome by lust and desire he began to move sliding in and out of her with deliberate steady strokes. The rhythmic undulations of their bodies caused Hermione to tighten her hold on Harry as she gave herself over to the passion coursing through her body, urging his body closer to her own, moaning his name and kissing every inch of him she could reach. Harry focused every ounce of his being on showing the woman before him how much he wanted her. He kissed every inch of her his mouth could reach, his hands caressed her, adoring her as best he could.
As their ecstasy neared its peak Hermione's breathing came in quick shuddering gasps, the room began to spin and a million pinpoints of light seemed to explode in her head. She moaned and pleaded with him to go faster, deeper and harder. Harry complied with her wishes as best he could, increasing his pace as he thrust deep inside the heaven that was Hermione. He felt her arms and legs fold about him and tighten, Merlin he loved how she clung to him, loved how good being with her this way felt. Hermione's body writhed in the most deliciously excruciating pain as she finally gave in to the passion coursing through her body and let herself go. She cried out Harry's name in pure pleasure. The sound of her moaning his name pushed Harry over the edge and quivering in unbelievable ecstasy his own voice leapt to a cry as he joined her in release. The room was suddenly filled with moans and shouts both masculine and feminine as their passions overtook them.
After they drifted back down to earth they lay there panting for some time before Harry lovingly gathered Hermione's spent and trembling body in his arms and kissed her temple tenderly. Hermione smiled and turned around to face him. She snuggled against his chest and wrapped her arms around her best friend of seven years. She wanted to say something at that moment, tell him how she was feeling but words failed her. Instead she contented herself with the feel of his body next to hers. Harry reached down and pulled the scarlet duvet that was hanging off the side of his bed up and over their naked sweaty bodies. Neither of them spoke a word as they lay cradled in each other's arms and drifted off into the most pleasant sleep either of them had had in ages.
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Hermione's eyes fluttered open. She stretched her body languorously and sighed contentedly when she felt a pair of warm soft lips pressing a light and soothing kiss to her bare shoulder. Hermione allowed herself a moment to take in the full measure of the moment; she was lying naked in Harry's bed, his bare broad chest and leanly muscled frame was firmly pressed against her back and his arms were wrapped about her; one around her waist the other underneath her torso, gently stroking her bare arm. They had just spent the better part of their morning break making mad passionate love to one another. Hermione smiled as she felt Harry's lips plant still more soft kisses across her shoulders and up the back of her neck. She settled more closely against him and heard him utter a contented sigh. Harry's low sexy baritone was just a shade above a husky whisper as he leaned down to her ear and said.
"You're awake…I thought you were drifting back off to sleep."
Hermione sighed again as she snuggled closer to Harry and replied in a rather throaty whisper of her own.
"Yes. I'm awake…it's a bit hard to sleep with you kissing me like that."
"Sorry."
"Its really quite alright actually."
Hermione turned over in Harry's arms and stared up into the emerald green sea of his eyes. Harry was propped up on one elbow; his perpetually ruffled hair stood about his head at odd angles presumably from the countless times that she'd run her fingers through it, a besotted grin was etched across his face as he encircled her slender frame with his free arm. Hermione rested her head against his chest and they lapsed into silence. After several moments of silence Hermione spoke.
"I never figured you for one to cuddle."
Harry lightly stroked her back with his fingertips and answered.
"Usually I'm not…must be the company."
His words settled in the pit of Hermione's stomach and she felt a fluttering there that had nothing to do with desire. Rearing back she looked up at Harry and asked the question that she had been avoiding since she had opened her eyes.
"Harry what did we just do?"
Her question was greeted with silence as Harry sorted out what she was really asking him and posed a question of his own.
"Do you regret it?"
Hermione answered without pause.
"NO…I wanted it…I…I wanted you…so much…I still do."
Harry looked at her then, shock evident in his voice as he said.
"You wanted me?"
Hermione frowned.
"Yes of course I wanted you. You think I would do this with just anyone?"
Harry shook his head.
"No I don't think that…could never think that of you…but you…you said that like this…"
He gestured to their naked bodies.
"Like this is something more than just some bizarre one time occurrence…like there is something more than just sex going on here."
Hermione closed her eyes for a moment and bit her lip nervously before answering.
"I suppose it sounded that way because there is something deeper going on…at least I think there is. You and I have been dancing around it for ages now and I've hoped for some sort of amicable resolution for all of this sexual tension between us but this…this is so unexpected…oh god I'm so confused!"
Hermione averted her eyes and attempted to turn her head away from Harry's piercing gaze but his hands, which had moved from their previous positions, were cupping her face and prevented her from doing so, he leaned in and gently kissed her lips as he responded.
"I know you're confused so am I but I can't deny what I've been feeling. And what I'm feeling at this moment is that I'd rather be more than just your mate!"
Hermione pulled back and looked askance at him.
"You would?"
Harry nodded.
"You've been driving me crazy for weeks now…you're all I've been thinking about…"
Hermione cut in.
"That's why you kissed me that night."
Harry nodded.
"I'd planned to talk to you about what I was feeling but you looked so worn out and then you started making all those sexy noises and I just couldn't help myself. I kissed you. Then afterward you ran away and I didn't know what you were thinking and I didn't want to push you into something you didn't want. I just didn't know how to tell if you wanted to kiss me or if you just responded on reflex…then when I finally got up the nerve to talk to you about it you said it was nothing and I thought you didn't feel what I felt."
Hermione shook her head.
"Harry I lied! I'd been thinking of you too and when you came to talk to me that morning I thought you were upset about having kissed me so I pretended that the kiss was no big deal so you wouldn't feel awkward about it."
She paused and stared up at Harry in wonder before continuing.
"All this time I've been dreaming of you like this and you've been thinking of me as well. How could we have been so bloody stupid?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders as he kissed her lips lightly and replied.
"I take it that this means you've no objections to our exploring the depth of this situation and seeing where it goes."
Hermione smiled and asked.
"I thought your Hero's Handbook strictly forbid any such entanglements."
Harry grinned.
"Nothing in that Handbook is remotely important to me at the moment."
Hermione replied.
"Oh I see…well what about all your fan girls…won't they be terribly disappointed if you start saving all those gorgeous smiles of yours just for me?"
Harry answered back.
"Don't care what they think. You think my smile is gorgeous eh?"
Hermione's tone turned suddenly serious as she asked.
"Wait, what do we tell Ron and Ginny and all our other friends who think that something's been going on between us?"
Harry smiled cheekily and answered.
"That they were right."
Hermione pursed her lips and gave him a stern look. Sensing that she was indeed serious he replied.
"We don't have to tell them anything if you don't want to. We'll just act like we always do."
Hermione raised an eyebrow and glanced at Harry appraisingly. Harry saw the expression on her face and thought she was without question the sexiest witch on the planet. When she spoke there was a clear-cut invitation in her voice.
"Exactly how am I supposed to conduct myself like normal now that I have seen…and er…felt…the Splendid Harry Potter in all his majestic glory!?"
Harry smiled naughtily as he lowered his head and kissed Hermione slowly and passionately nibbling and licking her bottom lip before gliding his tongue into the sweetness of her waiting mouth and encircling her tongue with his. By the time they parted they were both breathing heavily and their eyes were darkened by passion and desire. Harry groaned as he pulled away from Hermione and lay on his back.
"I suppose we'd better stop seeing as how we've got History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons soon."
Hermione rolled over on top of Harry and began to kiss him gently as her delicate hands caressed his biceps and abdomen and whispered.
"I think we can stand to miss at least one lesson."
Harry's wicked grin broadened as he captured Hermione's mouth in an electrifyingly mind-blowing kiss.
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Ron stared around the Great Hall with a confused expression. He headed over to the Gryffindor table and dropped down in a seat that was next to Lavender and directly across from Ginny and Pavrati. Ron stared at all three girls in turn and asked.
"Have any of you seen Harry or Hermione?"
Lavender and Pavrati answered in unison.
"No."
Ginny however answered in the affirmative.
"Yeah I saw them."
Ron stared at her with wide eyes and asked.
"When?"
Ginny spooned a mouthful of stew into her mouth and chewed it a frown marring her face as she answered.
"This morning. I was on my way to Herbology and they were going up to the heads dorm to get their books and notes for Transfiguration…they said once they got their things they were going to meet you in the library."
Ron raised his eyebrows.
"Really well I haven't seen them since breakfast. And why would they need Transfiguration notes when we don't have that till after lunch. Neither of them were in History of Magic or Defense Against the Dark Arts today…and no one I've talked to has seen hide nor hair of them. I wonder where they could have gotten to…you don't reckon something happened to `em do you…"
Pavrati interrupted Ron's rambling thread of speech and answered his last question.
"What could possibly happen to them in the school Ron? They probably just skived off. Merlin knows I could've done with missing out on Binns and his monotonous droning for two hours of my life!"
Ron shook his head.
"Harry might skive off Binns' class but if that was it he would've told me and we'd have done it together…it's just not in Hermione's nature to miss any class no matter how boring it is…she actually enjoys lessons that one. No it definitely wasn't just skiving off…neither one of them would miss Defense no matter what. I'm telling you something is up!"
Ginny interjected her thoughts.
"Maybe they had some Head Boy and Girl duties to take care of."
Ron scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"That could be it…but if it was something that had lasted through two double lessons don't you think we prefects would have heard about it by now?"
Ginny shrugged and replied.
"Beat's me."
Ron banged his fist on the table and said.
"Something's up and I bloody well am going to find out what it is!"
That said Ron jumped to his feet and started for the door. Lavender called after him.
"Ron where are you going?"
Ron stopped and turned back just long enough to answer Lavender's query.
"I'm going up to Gryffindor Tower to the heads dormitory to find those two and see what the bloody hell is going on!"
Ron turned back around and clomped out of the Great Hall. Ginny, Lavender and Pavrati looked at each other for a second before jumping up from the table and hurrying after Ron.
Just as Ron, Ginny, Lavender and Pavrati were about to give the Fat Lady the password the portrait hole swung open to reveal Neville, Dean and Seamus. Ron immediately began interrogating them.
"Have any of you seen Harry and Hermione?"
Ron's three dorm mates sung out a chorus of "No". Ron frowned and made for the staircase that lead to the dormitories. Lavender, Pavrati and Ginny were dead on his heels. Seamus, Dean and Neville exchanged confused glances. Dean called after the foursome.
"Hang on…why are you lot looking for Harry and Hermione?"
Pavrati replied without looking back.
"Seems the pair of them have gone missing…no one's seen them since breakfast…Ron reckons something is up."
Neville, Dean, and Seamus stared at each other again momentarily before following the other four up the staircase and down the hall to the portrait of the Gryffindor lion. Ron cleared his throat loudly and said the password.
"Sugar Quill."
Nothing happened. He tried again.
"Sugar Quill!"
Still nothing. Ron frowned as Ginny realized what must have come about and said.
"The password's been changed!!"
Ron pounded his fist on the wall by the portrait and commenced to saying the name of every sweet he, Hermione and Harry had ever consumed.
"Chocolate Frog…"
"Peppermint Toad…"
"Fizzing Whizzbee…"
"Acid Pops…"
"Ice Mice…"
"Cockroach Cluster…"
"Lemon Drop…"
"Drooble's Best Blowing Gum…"
"Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans…"
"Licorice Wand…"
"Canary Cream…"
"Ton-Tongue Toffee…"
Seamus cut in.
"Give it a rest mate!"
Neville supplied what he hoped was a helpful suggestion.
"Maybe it's not a sweet this time."
Ron considered this while Pavrati stated matter of factly.
"Who knows what it is…it could be anything…and we could stand here all day and never figure it out…we don't even know that they're in there…"
She glanced at her watch and noting the time said.
"I don't see much point in waiting here considering that we have no idea where they are. I say we go back and finish our lunch and wait for them there…they've got to eat haven't they…"
Ron opened his mouth to speak but Pavrati waved him off and continued speaking.
"And even if they don't come to lunch we've got Transfiguration and Potions after and they wouldn't dare miss McGonagall's and Snape's classes would they?"
Lavender nodded as she patted Ron's arm and said.
"Pavrati's right we should head back down they're bound to turn up soon."
Ron allowed himself to be steered away from the portrait and mumbled.
"All right but when they do turn up I'm getting to the bottom of this!!"
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Harry and Hermione did not turn up at lunch and Ron was on the verge of panicking again when they weren't in the queue outside the Transfiguration classroom waiting for McGonagall to open the door. Ron, Lavender, Pavrati, Neville, Seamus and Dean trooped into the classroom and took their usual seats one row from the back. Ron drummed his fingertips on the desk as he watched the door. The final bell rang and McGonagall closed the door and called the class to order. Ron turned to Lavender who was sitting beside him in Harry's usual seat and hissed.
"Now I'm worried!"
But before she could fashion a response the door swung open and Harry and Hermione skidded to a halt next to McGonagall's desk. McGonagall raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips together as the pair breathlessly apologized for their tardiness. McGonagall waved off their acts of contrition and handed Hermione the essays from last week and told her to pass them out, she then directed Harry to pass out the supplementary advanced Transfiguration texts. Ron tried to get Hermione's and Harry's attention but they seemed to be avoiding looking him in the eye. Once they finished the tasks McGonagall set them they dropped into a desk in a corner at the back of the room completely circumventing the empty desk next to the one in which Ron and Lavender were seated.
As soon as the double Transfiguration period ended Ron quickly piled his belongings into his bag and headed for the back corner where Hermione and Harry had spent the class sitting. Harry was saying something in Hermione's ear and she was giggling. Ron frowned. It was a very rare occurrence for Hermione to ever do something as girly as giggle. As he drew closer to the desk the duo occupied he also noticed that Harry's hand was riding very low on Hermione's hip and she was leaning into him with her open palms splayed across his chest and there was scarcely an inch of space between their bodies. Ron couldn't ever remember seeing them so overtly touchy-feely, but at the moment that was the least of his concerns.
"Where the bloody hell have you two been?!"
Harry looked up at the same time that Hermione swiveled around and rested her back against Harry's chest. Harry gazed up at Ron and replied with a strangely innocent expression on his face as he uttered.
"Ummm…what's that Ron?"
Ron was about to say more but McGonagall's voice rang out.
"Granger…Potter…Weasley…a word if you please."
Ron stepped aside as Harry and Hermione stood up and directed their attention to McGonagall's approaching figure. When she was directly in front of them she continued.
"Seems we have a situation that requires immediate attention. Peeves has apparently let loose three swarms of Billywigs in the third floor corridor. Considering the penchant the three of you have for these type situations I expect you'll find this right up your alley…hurry now wands out and mind you don't get stung…you'll be of little use to me hovering about the ceiling along with the rest of your schoolmates."
McGonagall stood aside and chivvied the threesome out the door ahead of her.
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Harry, Ron and Hermione staggered into the Gryffindor common room and slumped down onto the nearest couch exhausted. They had spent the early part of the evening fighting Peeves' swarm of Billywigs. Once they'd captured the lot of them they had to run around the castle rounding up the unlucky students who'd been stung by the Billywigs and were hovering and levitating all over the castle and get them to the hospital wing for treatment. After they had accomplished that task Peeves, who was apparently in a more mischievous mood than normal, had set off a case of Weasley's Wildfire Whizbangs that needed to be corralled. And though Harry, Ron and Hermione had extensive knowledge of this particular brand of fireworks being that they had watched Fred and George create a great deal of it, suppressing the creations of the irrepressible Weasley twins proved to be even more daunting than any of them had expected. Certain spells caused duplication in one instance and mutations in others. Several times Harry and Hermione had had to extinguish Ron's robes after they had burst into flames. After a good two hours they managed to subdue the fireworks. But that was not the end of Peeves' malicious fun.
Once the fireworks were in hand the annoying prig of a poltergeist had gone down to the kitchens and terrorized the house elves by destroying their carefully ordered kitchen and throwing food everywhere. They trio rushed into the kitchens and found themselves ambushed by an inundation of flying cakes, pies, pots of stew and jug upon jug of pumpkin juice. Hermione had become so frustrated by then that she used a freezing spell to halt the assault then she cleverly employed an entrapment spell to imprison Peeves in a stockpot. With the potted Peeves safely in the care of Professor McGonagall and the Bloody Baron and unable to cause anymore mischief the trio helped the house elves repair the kitchens and gulped down a quick dinner the elves had gratefully prepared before it was off to perform their regular nightly patrol duties.
Ron cast a weary glance over at Harry and Hermione. Harry had laid his head back on the couch and closed his eyes while Hermione was sitting with her head in her hands massaging her temples. Though they were not touching Ron again noticed how closely the two were sitting to each other. Ron recalled their strange behavior in Transfiguration and asked.
"Where were you two earlier today? You missed History of Magic and Defense…and that's not counting our morning break and lunch!"
Harry replied to Ron's question with a question.
"What are you on about Ron?"
Ron replied in a tetchy voice.
"I'm asking where you two got off to this morning! After breakfast nobody saw hide nor hair of you until Transfiguration. We came looking for you at your dorm but we couldn't get in seems the password's been changed…now then I'd like an answer to my question…where were you?"
Hermione heaved a tired sigh and said.
"I got called into a meeting with Professor Vector about some options I may want to consider after graduation and Harry had an unexpected Dark Arts Defense training session."
Ron turned to Harry who had yet to move a muscle and said.
"You never mentioned anything about a Dark Arts Defense training session set for this morning."
Harry replied without ever opening his eyes.
"Well I couldn't very well tell you about something I had no idea was happening until it happened now could I."
Ron scratched his head as he attempted to sort out what Harry had just said. Hermione rose to her feet and said.
"I'm exhausted…I'm going up to bed."
Harry stretched and said.
"Hang on…I'm heading that way myself."
Just as Harry got to his feet Lavender came bounding down the stairs in a pink silk camisole top and matching pink silk pajama bottoms. She walked over to the trio and after surveying their bedraggled appearances she said.
"You three look an awful mess!"
Harry stifled a yawn and watched as Lavender turned to Ron and kissed him sweetly on the lips then answered Lavender's pronouncement with.
"And you two look like you want to be alone…good night."
Hermione mumbled her good nights to Ron and Lavender and ambled up the stairs with Harry…her head on his shoulder his arm about her waist. As Lavender settled down beside Ron and asked what he'd found out it occurred to him that neither Harry nor Hermione had given him the new password to their private quarters.
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It had been a full week since Harry and Hermione had first slept together and though they had somehow managed to keep their newfound activities a secret from their friends, the septet had definitely detected some changes in the behavior of the two.
"I'm telling you something is going on with those two."
Ron shook his finger emphatically as he made this statement to the persons assembled in the Gryffindor study room.
Seamus chortled as he replied.
"Hasn't there always been something going with those two…that's why we cooked up this plan in the first place…remember!"
Pavrati rolled her eyes at Seamus and said.
"True though that may be I agree with Ron…they certainly look as though they're up to something. I saw them coming out of the Room of Requirement the other day and they had the most naughty expressions on their faces I've ever seen. I swear to you when they saw me they looked as though I'd caught them at something they shouldn't be doing!"
Ginny nodded in agreement.
"And they've taken to doing all their patrols together in places most widely used for illicit goings on like the Astronomy Tower and the empty dungeons in the Potions corridor."
Ron eyed Ginny suspiciously as he asked.
"What do you know about illicit goings on in the Astronomy Tower and the dungeons?"
Dean mumbled under his breath.
"A lot more than you'd think."
Ginny and Dean shared a wicked smile. Ron gaped at the pair of them bellowing.
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL HAVE YOU TWO BEEN DOING IN THE ASTRONOMY TOWER!?"
Seamus cheekily added.
"And the dungeons don't forget the dungeons!"
Ron's face seemed to swell as it reddened. Seamus burst out laughing at the affronted look covering Ron's face. Lavender quickly inserted herself into the conversation.
"We're getting off topic here…we're supposed to be discussing Harry and Hermione…"
Ron glared at Dean and grunted.
"You stay the bloody hell away from my sister!"
Lavender patted his shoulder and said.
"Ron I need you to focus, you can kill Dean later but right now we need to figure out our next step with the potion."
Pavrati spoke again.
"I keep telling the lot of you we don't need the potion anymore. Those two are shagging…probably as we speak!!"
Ron pulled a face and shook his head.
"That's a mental picture I'd rather not have thanks."
Seamus cut in.
"I could do without the image of Harry of course but I think I'd rather like seeing Hermione in the altogether."
Dean and Neville heartily nodded their agreement to that particular suggestion and Ron chimed in with.
"She is rather shapely at that isn't she…"
The rest of Ron's sentence was cut off as Lavender smacked him hard in the chest with her fist. Ron clutched the abused area and staring wide-eyed at Lavender asked.
"What'd you go and do that for?"
"Hermione's rather shapely…exactly when did you come to that little determination!?"
"Its just an observation."
"And why are you observing Hermione's figure in the first place!?"
"Love I wasn't observing her figure I was making an observation about her figure."
"What's the bleeding difference…in order to make the observation you had to observe her didn't you!?"
Neville scratched his head as he watched Lavender and Ron row: he then turned to the remaining four members of the group and said.
"But I thought those two were just pretending to fancy each other so that we could get stuff on Harry and Hermione."
Seamus leaned close and said.
"So do they at the moment."
Neville frowned and resumed scratching his head as Ginny spoke loudly to the room at large.
"Could you two leave off your lovers spat till later…not that we don't love these gritty details…its only we haven't sorted out what to do about Harry and Hermione yet!"
Lavender abruptly broke off what she'd been about to say to Ron and turned to look at her partners in crime and said.
"Considering that Harry and Hermione seem to have gotten so much closer I suggest we move ahead and administer the last, most potent batch of the potion and see if we can't get those two to openly admit their feelings for one another."
Pavrati nodded.
"I suppose you're right. Using this last batch of the potion will push those two right into a public declaration!"
Ginny, Neville, Dean and Ron all chorused their agreement. Seamus banged his open palm on the table and said.
"Corking everybody's in agreement…dose `em with the super-charged love potion and watch them snog in the Great Hall…now that that's all sorted can we get some dinner…I'M STARVING!!"
Chuckling good-naturedly the seven friends rose from the table and trooped out the door towards the Great Hall and dinner. As they turned the corner and headed down the corridor Parker Wesley emerged from the row of books directly behind the table the seven Gryffindors had just been sitting at a smug smirk covering his handsome face.
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