Best Friends

Hiya! This is my first ever try at an H/Hr or Harry Potter fanfic. I got hooked on HP fanfics just recently and I thought I would give it a try. I’m currently working on a much longer story so this is like a preview of things to come. Okie dokie, you know the drill R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own HP or any of JKR’s characters as they are obviously hers. If the were mine I would never allow such nonsense as H/G going on. Ginny should go back to wherever she was during books 1-4. Anywho, I’m borrowing them just for a little bit and I’ll return them unscathed. (*mostly*) LOL.

On with the story!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Best Friends

CHAPTER ONE

“As we all know, today is the first anniversary of the end of the Second War,” the young witch smiled as the crowd before her cheered loudly. “It was on this day that the Dark Lord was finally vanquished by our one and only, Harry Potter.”

The cheer that followed that last statement was deafening and the subject of it appeared from behind a door looking anxious. The brunette witch turned and met his emerald gaze as she smiled at him. He grinned forgetting the strange fear he felt. He could vanquish Voldemort but he couldn’t get rid of his stage fright, but he knew it was going to be okay. After all, Hermione was here.

“Come on up, Harry,” she said extending her hand out to him. The crowd cheered even louder as they now could see him perfectly. He walked up to her and she took his hand. He felt the warmth of her fingers fill him up inside and he felt safe as always. She turned to the crowd again.

“I met this man when he was just a little boy and he’s been saving the world ever since. He has given each and one of us more than we could ever ask of anyone and he did so by choice. Once, I accused him of having a ‘saving-people-thing’, I know he hated me for a while then, but he really couldn’t help but have that huge heart of his.”

Hermione stopped as the crowd clapped and laughed lightly, and she felt Harry squeeze her hand gently. She nodded understanding that he could never hate her.

“I’m glad he didn’t listen to me so much,” she said with a smile. “Today is not only a day to celebrate what Harry did for us, but it is also a day to remember what all those who are no longer with us died for. They died so that their love ones could see the day when all the Magical World would unite once more and raise their glasses in rejoice for what the future holds for us, and may those who come after us remember that we are stronger together than apart.”

The crowd cheered and whistled loudly as they raised their glasses after Hermione raised the one that had magically appeared in her free hand. Harry raised his own and she stepped back to let him finish the speech. He grinned at her as he stepped to the podium and the crowd fell silent.

“I’ve never figured out how on earth you do all that,” Harry said as his voice was magically magnified instantly. Hermione looked confused for a second and he turned to the crowd. “Did you see those glasses appearing out of nowhere and her wand is still tucked safely away? Geesh, and all you guys accuse me of being the most powerful wizard around.”

The crowd laughed easily and Hermione blushed slightly.

“I’m glad you could all be here today,” Harry said and the crowd fell silent again as if to not miss a single word. “Yeah, I beat Voldemort but I always had help. Some things I did do on my own, I’ll admit before Mione hexes me, but my point is that everything Mione has said tonight is true and it proves just how bright she is. We are, and will always be stronger together.”

“I remember when the Sorting Hat sung that song on our fifth year warning us to unite instead of fighting one another. I thought it was crazy, remember, Ron?” Harry asked glancing at the crowd where his best guy- friend stood next to the rest of the Weasleys. “Remember what you said?”

“Oy, whatcha calling on me for?” Ron answered and Hermione smiled.

“Well, let’s just say that if it meant joining the Slytherins, well, you know what I meant,” Harry said seeing the admonishing look in Hermione’s face. He cleared his throat and grinned at the crowd. “We were still kids back then and we were wrong. Mione told us we should try and once more she was right. So long as we stand apart we are nothing.”

“Now, Mione, here once told me that I was a great wizard, remember?” he asked as he went on. She nodded and smiled. “I told her I could never be as good as her. She won’t admit it but I was right. She told me that books and cleverness weren’t everything. She said that ‘there are more important things- friendship and bravery and’- and then she told me to be careful. Yet, in saying this she proved herself wrong for the first time, you see, she was only a kid, and she already knew what was more important in life. So, you see Mione, you always been better than me, but you never did say the last thing did you?”

“No,” she whispered and he smiled.

“The last thing was love,” Harry answered. “I learned what love was for the first time in my life when I was here. Professor Dumbledore always told me that was the greatest magic in the world, and she was only eleven years old and she knew. So, let us all raise our glasses for Hermione Granger, brightest witch of the age,” Harry said and the crowd cheered in agreement. “And for my other best friend, Ronald Weasley and all my other friends and those who loved me not because I was the ‘Boy-Who-Lived’ but because of who they helped me become. To Albus Dumbledore, the greatest and wisest man that ever lived. To Minerva McGonagall, who has always stood by my side even when I didn’t know, love ya Professor.”

McGonagall smiled and wiped an almost unnoticeable tear away quickly. She smiled and clutched her fist over her heart and Harry understood instantly. She loved him too.

“To Molly Weasley, who has been a second mother to me and to all the Weasleys who took me in as one of their own, I love you guys,” the Weasleys all cheered loudly and Molly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. “To Remus Lupin, who has been like another father to me. To Sirius Black, who was like an older brother, a friend, and a father to me. To the Order of the Phoenix!”

The crowd broke into a thunderous cheer and Harry drank his champagne to the bottom before turning to Hermione as the party finally began. She smiled widely as he grinned.

“See, you’re a natural,” she called to him through the noise. He shook his head and in a move that took her by complete surprise he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. “Harry …”

“I love ya, Mione,” he said pulling away from her a bit unwillingly. “Thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me.”

“Oh, Harry,” she said hugging him back. “I love you, too, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. You have nothing to thank me for. What are best friends for?”

“Now, now, what’s all this?” Ginevra Weasley, better known as Ginny, called loudly to them as she, Ron and their entourage made their way to them. She smiled in a way that Hermione noted was clearly not amused at all as she and Harry pulled away quickly. “I’m gonna think you’re trying to take my man, Herm.”

“I would’ve thought the world would come to an end before I saw Ginny Weasley jealous of her boyfriend’s bookworm friend,” Hermione said with an amused smile as Ginny tried to hide her glare by forcing a fake little laugh. “I’ve been trying for years to make Harry to tell his girlfriends how ugly he thinks I am.”

“But I don’t think you’re ugly,” Harry interrupted easily wiping the smirk out of Ginny’s beautiful face. “I think you’re very…”

“So, Hermione,” Neville cut in before hell broke loose. He wasn’t as dim witted as he’d been back in school. “I heard you got another promotion.”

“What?” Lavender asked goggling at Hermione as she nodded to Neville. “Another one?”

“That’s the third one in the last two months,” Parvati said looking amazed. Then she smiled wickedly and raised her eyebrows suggestively. “You got something with the boss, Hermione?”

“WHAT?” Harry and Ron said both looking more scandalized then Hermione, as they glared at Parvati.

“My boss is Madam Liandroz, Parvati,” Hermione answered calmly as she instinctively grabbed Harry’s and Ron’s hands as she stood between them. “So, no, I’ve been promoted by my work.”

“Sorry,” Parvati said looking apologetic. “Oh, Herm, you know I meant no harm!”

“It’s alright,” Hermione said and then she noticed the cold look she was receiving from Ginny. She let go of Harry and Ron who didn’t seem to even notice that they’ve been holding hands like back in school.

“Her-mione?” a deep familiar voice with a Bulgarian accent called making everyone including the girl in question turn around so fast she cringed her neck. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands without being able to believe it was him.

“Viktor?” she asked and he smiled looking more handsome than ever. He was taller and judging by the way his clothes hugged his body he had gained more musculature. Lavender, Parvati, and even Ginny were almost drooling. Luna who had surprisingly not said anything yet merely glanced at him curiously. “Oh, Viktor! How good it is to see you!”

“I’ve wished I could’ve come sooner,” he answered way more fluently than the last time they had seen him but his accent was still there which made his words sound even more sexier than the fact that they were coming from him. He hugged Hermione tightly and she held on to him easily.

They embraced each other far longer than necessary Harry noted feeling a strange sudden dislike toward the Bulgarian and judging by the look on Ron’s face he was right- see?- nothing wrong with disliking his best friends ex, Ron didn’t like him either.

“Has my tal-king gotten better?” he asked as he held on to Hermione’s hands. “I’ve been practicing just for you, Her-mione.”

“Much better, Viktor,” she agreed kissing his cheek. “Thank you.”

“Awww, isn’t he sweet?” Ginny asked as she clutched Harry’s arm. Lavender and Parvati giggled and Luna looked at them disgustedly.

“Charming,” Harry answered sarcastically as he felt a strange urge to punch ‘Vicky’ to a pulp. Ginny glared seeing the annoyed look in Harry’s face.

“So, Herm?” Ginny asked and Hermione turned in Viktor’s arms as he seemed reluctant to let go and she wasn’t complaining either, Harry noticed feeling his insides begin to boil. “Aren’t you gonna introduce us to your – friend?”

“Wha- oh, I forgot, how silly of me, Viktor these are my friends,” Hermione said pulling the tall Bulgarian toward them. Viktor shook hands and to Ron’s and Harry’s disgust he kissed the girls’ hands as Hermione introduced them making even Luna blush. “This is Neville, Luna, Ginny, Parvati, Lavender, and of course you know Harry and Ron.”

“Yes, you are Her-mione’s best friends,” he said smiling as he shook Ron’s hand. Ron shrugged and glared as Viktor turned to Harry. “Potter.”

“Krum,” Harry said straightening to his full height which was slightly taller than Krum. He no longer had to look up at the Bulgarian. “Vee, I mean, we are very honored to know you in person. Back in Bulgaria all of us from Durmstrang, you know.”

“Uhmm, thanks,” Harry answered scratching the back of his head messing up his hair more.

“You look beau-ti-ful,” Krum said turning his attention back to Hermione who had just leaned against the wall slightly to rest.

She blushed instantly and Harry couldn’t help but agree. Hermione was the prettiest girl in all the party and he had already checked. She was wearing a black dress that hugged her in all the right places to have a man’s blood boil. She had her hair up but she had deliberately left a few curly strands loose around her face making her looked amazingly alluring. And as far as make up went she only wore some lipstick and a trace of eye shadow. She didn’t really need anything. She had grown up to be a gorgeously, sexy woman without needing to be voluptuous, but petit.

Even Ginny with her gorgeous smooth red hair and her seductive red dress that was skin tight, or Parvati’s voluptuous bosom almost peeking out of her dress, or Lavender’s curved figure in her slutty pink dress, much less dear Luna who was wearing a silver dress that like Hermione had turned out to grow petit could never compare to that inner seductiveness that seeped out of Hermione unconsciously. Maybe it was the fact that she didn’t know her beauty existed and that she wasn’t conscious of the reactions she caused in the male population that made her much more beautiful.

“Vould you honor me vith a dance, Her-mione?” Krum asked bowing slightly to her. She was still blushing and after unconsciously glancing first at Ron and then at Harry she nodded. Krum extend his arm to her and they left with a wave.

“Merlin, if I could have that girl’s luck,” Parvati said with a sigh. “That accent had me wetting myself.”

“Eww, Parvati!,” Ron said covering his ears while Neville blushed and Harry shifted uncomfortably. “Do not ever say that again!”

“She’s right, you know,” Lavender put in looking dreamily toward the party. “That Bulgarian only got sexier. Someone’s gonna sleep very happy tonight, if you know what I mean.”

“I’m going to find Susan,” Neville said looking at his watch. “She went to say ‘hello’ to Professor Sprout and I want to say ‘hi’ too. I’ll meet you guys later at our table.”

“Let’s go find Dean and Seamus,” Ron said kissing Luna’s cheek before turning to Harry. Harry nodded and followed him without even glancing at Ginny.

“Ginevra, Ginevra, you’re loosing that man,” Parvati said conversationally as all four of them made their way to their reserved table. “I’m surprised you’ve had him so long.”

“What do you mean?” Ginny asked.

“Don’t act like you don’t know,” Lavender answered. “He never paid attention to any of you for real. It was always hormones and crushes. Parvati was an act of desperation, Cho a crush that left him for the same reason we are having this conversation: Hermione Granger.”

“Fuck off, Lavender,” Ginny snapped but Lavender merely shrugged. “I know Harry in ways no one else does including, Hermione.”

“Is that so?” Parvati said. “Who says he’s never been in her bed, too?”

“What?” Ginny asked looking stupefied. “I…”

“She lives with him and Ron,” Parvati continued. “Who says nothing has ever happened?”

“She went out with Ronald,” Luna said calmly, “ but they could never stop arguing long enough for things to go further than snogging and if that. They never worked. Harry on the other hand never fights with her. If they argue they make up instantly. She knows him better than he knows himself.”

“They cuddle when they watch movies,” Parvati said and Ginny was ready to explode. “Well, when you aren’t there. I’ve never seen you two cuddle.”

“HE IS MINE!” Ginny hissed and the other three shrugged. “I know him ten times better than she does!”

“Prove it,” Luna said simply. “When they come back we’ll start a game to see how much you know him.”

“That’s genius!” Parvati said. Ginny glared dangerously but she nodded. Parvati rubbed her shoulder encouraging and smiled. “I’m sure love will win, Ginny.”

“I’m betting on Mione then,” Luna whispered and she smiled to herself noting that the other three had not heard. She might be a bit loony but at least she wasn’t a bitch about to lose her man.

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Well, here’s the next chappie! R&R!!!

Disclaimer: I’m just borrowing! If they were mine what would they be doing in a website? Duh!

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Best Friends

CHAPTER TWO

“What the bloody hell does she see in him?” Ron asked as they reached the bar and he motioned to the bartender which was an excited Stan S. “I think he does that on purpose.”

“Does what?” Harry asked as he took the fire whisky Ron had handed him. He was still a bit entranced by the suddenness of his realization that he found Hermione prettier than his own girlfriend. He followed Ron as they made their way to Seamus and Dean.

“Talk with the accent and act all gentlemanly,” Ron spat sending a furtive glance toward the dance floor before turning sharply to face him. “Why is he here? Did you invite him? I thought it was only Hogwarts’ students and their friends, and the Professors, of course?”

“Well, yeah,” Harry said glancing around trying to locate Hermione. “But the Professors decided to invite anyone who helped out, you know. I mean Krum did help us recruit those excellent Bulgarian Aurors, and even if it wasn’t one of the Professors than maybe it was Hermione. He’s her friend…”

“Friend, my ass, Harry,” Ron said with a snort. “You know he’s been sniffing around her since she was fourteen. Freaking bastard has never wanted to be her friend. More like shag…”

“Excuse me? Who are you two talking about?” Hermione asked appearing out of nowhere behind them. Harry who had taken a drink of fire whisky a second before choked in surprise. “Harry! Are you alright?”

“I…can’t…,” he said clutching his throat as his vision began to go dark.

“Oh, Merlin,” Hermione said grabbing him by his waist as she pulled her wand out the sheath she had tied to the side of her thigh right under the end of her dress. She pointed her wand and her Anapneo spell worked instantly. He tried to catch his breath as she held him and rubbed his back. He leaned against her as he caught his breath. “Harry? Are you alright?”

“You smell real nice,” Harry muttered against her. He felt her hand tense and freeze against his back.

“Don’t let Ginny hear you say that,” she answered with a smile as he pulled unwillingly back watching her sheath her wand back into place.

“Hear him say what?” Ginny asked coming toward them with an ice cold glare.

Hermione moved a step farther away from her best friend not being in exactly a tolerable mood to take another jealousy outburst from the redhead especially in a public place where everyone knew them. She smiled and gave an impatient shrug as she look to see if Viktor was back yet.

“That he likes you more then Quidditch sometimes,” she thought quickly as Ginny was sending her daggers though her eyes and Harry seemed at a complete loss on what to say. He also knew the temperament and short fuse that the red head had.

“Why shouldn’t I hear that?” Ginny asked narrowing her eyes as if she could spot the lie a mile away.

“Because then you would know that you have me whipped,” Harry lied quickly and Hermione nodded a bit as she erased the frown of concentration she had on her pretty face. Apparently, she was wondering exactly the same thing Ginny had asked.

“Oh, that’s so sweet, Harry,” Ginny said leaning in to kiss him. He didn’t know why but he found himself kissing her forehead instead of her lips. She frowned instantly and pulled away from him. “What’s wrong?”

“Wrong?” Harry asked feigning innocence quickly. “What do you…?”

“So, where is Krum, Hermione?” Seamus interrupted from Lavender’s embrace. “Parvati was just telling me that he came all the way from Bulgaria to see you.”

“Oh, he went to get me a drink,” Hermione said. “So, how is the case on the Romanian dragons going?”

“It’s alright,” Seamus said with a shrug. “Although, Charlie could give us a break more often, you know. He wants us to prove that they can be trained to be brought to England more often but I don’t really think that’s such a good idea. Last week we had another Chinese Fireball, out of the three we imported, go rogue on us. It took twenty of us to get it under control.”

“Wasn’t that the kind you went against during the Triwizard Cup, Harry?” asked Ginny as she looked up to him with a smile.

“No, Harry went against the Hungarian Horntail,” Hermione said shaking her head slightly in that honestly-don’t-you-two-read look that was so characteristic of hers. Everyone smiled except Ginny. “Viktor went against the Fireball.”

“Oh,” Ginny said stupidly reminding Luna of Ron. Ginny looked away angrily from Luna’s knowing smile as if Hermione had just proved something. Who the fuck was stupid enough to remember what dragon each of the champions had gone against? It apparently never did occur to her that being stupid was not one of Hermione’s attributes and that the fact that she could recall something from five years ago proved that fact.

“I could’ve never gotten through that dragon without your help, Mione,” Harry said with a smile. Luna, Parvati, and Lavender turned as Harry reached to take Hermione’s hand and kiss it lightly as if his girlfriend was not clutched to his arm. Hermione blushed instantly and Ginny simply looked furious.

“Of course you could have,” Hermione answered. “You would’ve learned the spell on your own.”

“Her-mione,” Viktor said appearing out of the throng of people carrying a butterbeer and a firewhiskey in his hands. He handed Hermione the butterbeer and she thanked him instantly as she introduced him to Dean and Seamus.

“Are you still going to play for Bulgaria this year?” Seamus asked as they walked to their table to sit. Hermione rolled her eyes a bit at them. Boys-men- and their Quidditch, she thought.

“Vell, yes, I very much think so,” Krum answered with a nod. Harry, Ron, Dean, and Seamus walked to their chairs to sit but Krum pulled Hermione’s chair out for her making her blush at the attention. Ginny, Parvati, Lavender, and even who-the-bloody-hell-cares Luna glared at their respective boyfriends. “Vould you like something else, Her-mione?”

“No, Viktor,” she said blushing again and all her friends seemed put out for different reasons. The girls for not being as lucky as to get a handsome and gentlemanly boyfriend, and the guys for having to be put to shame in front of their girls. Harry had more than this reason, though. He felt that Krum had no right whatsoever to be pulling Hermione’s chair out for her or asking if she vould like anything. She wasn’t h…Wait a bloody second, Potter! She’s not yours either. You’re with Ginny who by the way she is glaring is about to blow up. “I’m fine, thank you. There is really no need to bother. Honestly…”

“Is no bother, Her-mione,” Krum answered and Ron mocked throwing up behind the Bulgarian’s back making Harry, Dean and Seamus begin to laugh. The girls glared at them and they stopped instantly. Lucky for them, Hermione was to busy blushing again to notice them. “Is my pleasure.”

“I’m playing for the Chudley Cannons,” Ron said trying to make the conversation drift away from the current display of manners from the Bulgarian. “If we make it to the world competitions we might get to play you.”

“That vould really be great,” Krum said with a smile. “Vhat about you ‘Arry? Are you not going professional?”

“What?” Harry asked bringing himself back to reality as fast as he could. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

“What’s wrong?” Hermione asked him. She was sitting on the opposite side of the table from him. “You seem extremely thoughtful.”

“I’m fine,” Harry answered avoiding her gaze knowing fully well that she would be able to see instantly through his lies. “I was just thinking about us…I mean how we can all finally be here together without having to worry about anything but having fun. It feels great, you know?”

“I understand,” Hermione said with a nod.

“You’re so sweet, Harry,” Ginny interrupted to pull Harry’s gaze away from Hermione’s. He turned and smiled to her a bit, but she met his lips instead. “I love you, Harry.”

“Ginny…,”Harry said pulling away from her almost as quickly as her lips had touched his.

Hermione smiled a bit despite herself, but she was really getting tired of Ginny. Did she have to be so obvious about her jealousy of Harry’s and Hermione’s relationship? Hermione knew they were awfully close, but they had grown up together, they had fought together, for almost nine years their lives had revolved around one another. Couldn’t Ginny just grow up and understand that Hermione just couldn’t be replaced? There were things in Harry’s life that no one but her could ever even begin to understand. They were best friends, for crying out loud!

Why couldn’t Ginny be like Luna? Luna never tried to take her place in Ron’s life. She merely made her own place in his heart and accepted that Hermione was a big part of him too. She was never throwing jealousy tantrums like Ginny had done for the last few months. After they had all finally been nursed back to health after Voldemort’s defeat, Ginny had convinced Harry to start their relationship anew. Things had been going fine until, like Cho, she had convinced herself that the two friends had something for each other.

Hermione knew she did, she had accepted the fact years ago, but she had never acted over those feelings. She could never ask Harry for anything more than he could give her, and she never would. She loved him enough to accept his happiness with someone else. He didn’t fancy her that way and even though conforming had never been something she would ever do, being Harry’s best friend was enough for her. She had a place that no one could replace in his heart and that was more than enough when your love for someone went beyond mere fancying.

Hermione sighed and ignored Ginny’s glare as if it was her fault that Harry hadn’t wanted to snog her in front of everyone else. What she wouldn’t wish for that to be true. She sighed again and smiled at Krum who was again trying to offer her another drink.

They ate slowly and had polite conversations over nothing. People from the Order and old classmates passed by their table from time to time so that by the end of the dinner they had all seen and talked to all of their friends once more even if for just a minute.

Harry was right; this party had done what a whole year hadn’t. It had finished healing their wounds, not physical ones; those had healed within the month, but the ones that they carried in their hearts after seeing so much death and pain. Now they were back home, for Hogwarts was the home of their hearts.

“Time for dessert!” Ron said happily as menus appeared out of thin air in front of them.

“What are you getting, Hermione?” Parvati asked and Hermione looked up at her not yet having glanced at the menu. “You must be watching your figure a lot to have that body of yours. So, what’s the secret? No desserts?”

“What?” Hermione asked with a blush. “You had one too many fire whiskies, Parvati.”

“I think she’s right,” Seamus said and Hermione nodded glad that he was agreeing with her. “You’re one hot lady, Herm. Everyone here agrees with me, ain’t that right guys?”

“You were beau-ti-ful since you were fourteen,” Krum said kissing her hand and making her blush even more than Seamus.

“You’ve been beautiful all your life,” Harry managed trying to control the fiery impulse to throttle the Bulgarian. Why he felt like that, he didn’t know, but the way he was openly displaying his interest in his Hermione was a little too much. Wait a second, Potter. Hermione is not yours! Get it straight. You’re not jealous; you’re just overprotective like the Weasley brothers were of Ginny before she started dating you. “Right, Ron?”

“Well, yeah, that’s why I dated you, dummy,” Ron answered sending her a playful smile. Then he looked thoughtful for a second which was quite scary and he grinned wickedly. “Well, after you fixed your teeth and started being more of a rule breaker.”

“Shut up, Ronald,” she said shaking her head as if she found them all preposterous. She was still recovering from Harry’s comment.

“Whatever you say dear, Jane,” Ron answered making the others laugh.

“I’m glad you listen, Bilius,” Hermione answered with a smile as she saw him physically flinch and grimace. This time even Ginny burst out laughing.

“That was a low blow, Granger,” Ron answered. “A very low blow.”

“A very good low blow, I may add,” Harry said with a smirk at his best friend who had turned as red as his hair. Everyone knew how he hated his middle name, and then there was the fact that no one could blame him. “Brilliant.”

“Why, thank you, Potter,” Hermione answered with a smile. She turned away from his deep emerald eyes before she was lost in them and Ginny could get another chance to turn bitchy and instead reached across Krum to take Ron’s hand. “Have you not learned not to mess with me, Weasley?”

“Yes, I have, but I can’t resist sometimes,” Ron said grinning as he kissed her hand gently making her smile. Now, Harry really got scared when this happened because he felt the same sudden urge to punch Ron as he had wanted to do with Krum. “You know how hard headed I am.”

“I know,” she answered pulling back away from him and Krum so she could glance at her menu. Harry pulled out his wand from his pocket and leaned toward her to point at her menu.

“Chocolate ice cream,” he said pointing and she looked up meeting his eyes. She smiled and he grinned tapping it once with his wand as a large bowl appeared out of nowhere. “Share with me?”

“You know I will, if Ginny doesn’t mind that is,” Hermione answered looking up to meet Ginny’s eyes, who looked as if she was being challenged. Hermione managed to place an innocent smile on her lips as she saw the red head’s furious eyes. Harry turned to his girlfriend and tapped her own menu.

“You want your favorite vanilla pudding, right, Gin?” Harry asked as it appeared right in front of her. “Mione and I would share with you but you hate chocolate ice cream.”

“Why would I mind?” Ginny said slightly through her teeth but Harry didn’t seem to notice as he kissed her forehead gently and grinned.

“Well, I want strawberry cheese cake and strawberry ice cream,” Ron said tapping his own menu with his wand. He turned to Luna and tapped hers for the same things he was having. Luna grabbed her spoon as Ron leaned over and kissed her lips tenderly.

The others chose their own desserts and Hermione didn’t miss Ginny’s glare throughout the whole meal, but she didn’t care. She was having her favorite dessert and with her best friend whom she loved. Harry grinned every time they both reached in for a spoonful and she met his eyes with a happy smile.

“Hey, guys!” Fred came followed by Lee Jordan. “You guys wanna see the new Quidditch trick supplies? Come on, Harry, we need your associate approval.”

“Sure thing,” Harry said with a grin as he stood up with Ron, Seamus and Dean. Harry noticed that Krum had not moved and suddenly he didn’t really feel like leaving with the other guys since none of the girls seemed like they wanted to go look at anything that had to do with Quidditch when they were dressed for a party. Krum would only keep his attention focused in getting Hermione back. “You want to come with us, Viktor?”

“I…” Krum said as he turned to look at Hermione who smiled at him.

“Go with Harry, Viktor,” she said turning to smile at Harry who quickly put a false smile on his face hoping she wouldn’t notice. “Have fun. You don’t have to stick with me all night. Go on.”

“Are you sure?” he asked her and she nodded. “Is my honor to be vith you.”

“Go, I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’ll stay here with the girls. If I get scared I’ll go look for you.”

“You are perfect,” he answered with a smile and he bent down to kiss her cheek. Harry noticed that he got uncomfortably close to the corner of her lips and he just wanted to send him back to where he came from with a bloody pulp for a face. “I vill be back soon.”

“Come on,” Ron said impatiently. “She’s not going anywhere.”

“Excuse me,” Krum said to the girls as he stood with a small bow and fixed his black coat that looked almost exactly like the one he had worn during the Yule ball except that this one was black and made of some smooth leather.

“Harry,” Hermione called him grabbing his hand before he could follow Krum and the others. He felt a sudden surge of electricity at the point of contact. He bent his head toward her ignoring his rapidly beating heart or the fact that his girlfriend was near murder. She let go of him as she met his gaze. “Be nice to him and make sure Ronald doesn’t start anything, will you? I don’t want either of you getting carried away. There is nothing between me and Viktor but a friendship so there is no need for either of you to start with your overprotective attitudes. Be nice, okay? Promise me you won’t fight.”

“Scared that Vicky might get his well mannered arse handed back to him?” Harry asked not feeling exactly magnanimous but at the same time extremely happy to find out that there wasn’t anything at least from Hermione’s side between her and Krum. He grinned as he saw the frown forming in her beautiful face as she bit her lip slightly. He bent over a bit more and kissed her cheek before she knew what was happening. “I was only kidding, Mione. I’ll make sure Ron doesn’t get in trouble with your vell mannered friend.”

“Stop making fun of him,” she said but she smiled at him as he straightened up. “He has gotten much better. Remember when he called me ‘Her-mee-ninny’?”

“No one will ever forget that,” he said and she pushed him playfully away. He laughed and with a slight wave toward the other girls he left.

“What was all that whispering about?” Lavender asked her raising her eyebrows. “You two are really going to get dear Ginny here all worked up.”

“What? No, Ginny knows fully well what my relationship with Harry is, right Ginny?” Hermione asked calmly and the red head managed a smile and a nod almost painfully. “I only asked Harry to make sure Ron didn’t start fighting with Viktor. He has never gotten to like him, and I don’t think Viktor makes much of an effort really.”

“Are you going out with him again?” Parvati asked as she handed Hermione another glass of white wine.

“No, and I honestly never really did,” Hermione answered in a manner of fact way. “What happened during fourth year was nothing more than a small crush.”

“You mean to tell me that you never actually snogged that Bulgarian bonbon?” Parvati asked with a look of utter horror and shock. “Never?”

“You sound just like Rita, ‘Vati,” Hermione said with a slightly annoyed look in her face. “Besides I never said any such thing.”

“Ah, so you did snog him,” Lavender asked with a laugh. Hermione shrugged but she couldn’t completely hide her smile. Luna laughed and poked her ribs lightly making Hermione breakout a grin. “Uhmm, so was he as good a kisser as he looks?”

“He’s good,” Hermione said with a smile and suddenly Ginny began to wonder if she really had been right about Herm liking Harry. She seemed awfully happy to talk about Krum and she probably had invited him tonight. Maybe she was just seeing things that were not really there. “Besides, he’s a real gentleman. It is not just a façade with him. He is not a conceited git. He’s a lot like…”

“Harry?” Luna questioned in that way of hers with almost an excessive amount of sincerity. “Is that why you like Krum? Because he reminds you of Harry?”

“No, I like Viktor for who he is not what he has done or who he reminds me off,” Hermione answered softly. “Just like I like Harry. Maybe I’m just a little partial to people who want to feel loved for who they are.”

“And, Quidditch players,” Parvati said with a smile. Ginny had just lost her smile once more. Did she like Harry like Hermione said for who he was or for what he had done and what he represented? Was the idea of Harry for which she had fallen for since she was ten? “Have you noticed that every single one of your boyfriends have been Quidditch players?”

“Yeah, first Viktor Krum, Seeker,” Luna said thoughtfully ticking fingers off in her hand. “Then Cormac McLaggen, Keeper, and Ron, Keeper…uhmm…did you ever go out with Harry before Krum like it said on the Prophet?”

“No,” Hermione said and Luna smiled strangely. Ginny scowled.

“Did you shag ‘em?” Luna continued as if it was the most natural thing to ask. Hermione who had just taken a sip of wine choked and hastily pointed her wand at her throat.

“Bloody hell, Luna,” Hermione managed as she turned a complete crimson red. “What kind of question is that?”

“Come on, Herm,” Parvati said with a smile. “Whom did you shag?”

“One of them,” Hermione answered in a whisper before she drank the rest of her wine as the other women gaped at her in utter disbelief at her lack of sportsmanship with the rest of the gossiping-folk. “Nope, I’m not saying whom.”

“Fine, be like that,” Lavender said with a small pout. Then she looked as if her brain had a Lumos spell cast at it suddenly. “I got an idea; let’s play a game.”

“A game?” Hermione asked looking at Lavender as if expecting her to summon a bunch of dolls.

“Oh, come on, Herm,” Parvati said. “Even you aren’t too old for a little game.”

“Come on, we’ll make it real easy,” Lavender continued calmly. “I’m much too drunk already for anything too hard.”

Hermione raised her eyebrows slightly as she leaned back in her chair looking at her friends not believing Lavender at all. For one she couldn’t be drunk because she wasn’t trying to hump Seamus yet, and she had only drank two fire whiskeys when she could probably take like eight. She was planning something.

“What game?” Hermione asked. “What rules?”

“We’ll call it the ‘HP questionnaire’,” Lavender said brightly. “I’ll ask a question and you, Gin, and ‘Vati answer. I have the answers in this paper straight from the source. Since Luna already saw it, she’ll keep score. Easy enough?”

“Uhmm,” Hermione said with a shrug and Lavender smiled excitedly.

“All the questions refer to one of the most famous wizards of all time,” Lavender said and Hermione’s brain turned to overdrive. She knew everything about Voldemort, Flamel, Grinewald, Dumbledore,… “Harry.”

“Harry?” Hermione said glancing at Ginny who was sitting with a slightly overconfident look in her face. Did she really think she could win against Hermione Granger? Hermione mused slightly amused.

“Yes,” Lavender said giddily. “First question; what’s Harry’s favorite dessert?”

“Chocolate ice cream,” Ginny said smugly and Parvati nodded in agreement.

“No, it’s not,” Hermione interrupted calmly and completely sure of herself. “His favorite is chocolate cake with chocolate icing and strawberries on top.”

“You’re wrong,” Ginny said with a smirk. “He always orders chocolate ice cream.”

“That’s because…”Hermione began but then she stopped herself. If Harry hadn’t told Ginny about this then why should she enlighten the conceited brat? “Suffice it to say that its true.”

“Hermione’s right, Gin,” Luna said and Ginny and Parvati looked at her shocked. “He said it on the interview for the Quibbler for this month.”

“Why then?” Ginny asked looking at Hermione suspiciously. “Finish what you were going to say and tell me why.”

“That’s between you and Harry,” Hermione answered and Ginny glared at her.

“Ok, second question,” Lavender said. “Which does he wear; boxers or briefs?”

“Boxers,” Ginny, Hermione, and Luna answered automatically.

“How do you know?” Parvati asked rounding up on Luna. “You answered as if you’ve seen it with your own eyes.”

“Well, I have,” Luna said rolling her eyes and Ginny looked slightly alarmed. “I saw him walking out of Hermione’s room the other night that I stayed over with Ron.”

“WHAT?” Ginny, Lavender, and Parvati asked rounding up on Hermione who adjusted her wand slightly in her hand as Ginny seemed about to explode.

“Wait a second, Ginny,” Hermione said hoping she wouldn’t have to hex the redhead. “Calm down.”

“I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!” she said loudly enough for some people around them to begin to looking their way. Lavender stood waving at them with a grin and pushed Ginny gently back down to her seat. “What was MY boyfriend doing…”

“He had a nightmare, okay?” Hermione snapped almost loosing her last strand of patience. “He was scared and he went to check up on me and Ron. Luna saw him just when he was leaving my room. Nothing happened.”

“Fine,” Ginny snapped but she was still glaring unceremoniously toward Hermione. “Finish with this then, Lav.”

“I think we should drop it,” Hermione said trying to push her chair back but Ginny grabbed her arm before she could stand up. “Just drop it, Ginevra.”

“One last question,” Ginny said glancing at Lavender. “Give me the chance for a tie.”

“Last one and then I have to go see Professor McGonagall,” Hermione said wrenching her arm away from Ginny’s grasp roughly. She was really getting annoyed with Ginny tonight. She had always gotten along with her but today… Hadn’t she grown up where it mattered and not just on her body?

“Last question,” Luna said interrupting Lavender before she could speak. “This he only told me and the interviewer but he decided for it to be cut. What is Harry’s deepest desire? The only thing he wants out of life. The thing he would trade everything he has for?”

“I’ve never thought about it,” Parvati said with a shrug looking a little put down.

“I don’t know,” Ginny choked out and Hermione looked up from her lap at the younger witch with disappointment and slight anger. How could she not know? She who claimed to love him more than anything? How dare she take him for granted?

“Herm?” Lavender asked and Hermione pulled her gaze away from the girl sitting before her with a defeated look in her face. Was he a game to her like all the others before him? “Hermione?”

“He wants to love and be loved,” Hermione answered softly but loud enough for them to hear her. “He wants to be loved for who he is and not for whom he was born to be. He wants to find the perfect girl and give her everything he can. He wants a family of his own. A place where he can go every night and call home.”

She stood up pushing her chair roughly backward. She looked down at Ginny with disgust noticing how she wouldn’t look up to meet her gaze. She shook her head and without another word stormed of and out of sight.

“She’s right,” Luna whispered after a second. “Almost word for word, but he told me he had never ever told anyone about it before. I remember him saying ‘not even Mione knows’. That’s why we took it out of the interview.”

“How did she know then?” Parvati asked.

Luna ignored her failing to spot the brunette in the throng of people. She knew because she loved in exactly the same way that he wanted to be loved.

………..

Thank you to all my reviewers!!!! All criticism is welcome so R&R!!!!!!!

-Rodare.

Hiya!

Disclaimer: Read chapter one will you!!! THEY AREN’T MINE!!!!!

Best Friends

CHAPTER 3

By Rodare

Hermione walked away from the rest of the girls as fast as she could while her insides filled with pure rage. She couldn’t believe she was able to get this mad. She had never felt so much hatred toward someone after Voldemort and that was when Harry’s life had been in danger. Well, now was almost the same wasn’t it? Harry’s happiness was just as important as his life. Yes, you’re right, Hermione, she told herself, but it is none of your concern whether or not Ginny is his happiness. He chose her and he seems happier than you have ever seen him. You’ve trusted him all your life. Trust him now. Yes, she would trust him, but that didn’t mean she would stop being angry at Ginny. No, and she would be keeping an eye on her, too.

“Hermione?” a voice said and she turned almost brusquely toward the person who had grabbed her arm. Lupin seemed a little taken aback by the anger he saw in her eyes and he let go of her arm instantly. She blinked and closed her eyes as she reached to touch Lupin’s arm gently. He put his hand gently over hers giving her as much time as she needed to compose herself. “Is alright, Hermione. Take your time.”

“I’m sorry, Remus,” she said managing to force a small smile. “Did you need anything?”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” he asked her softly as he bent his elbow to escort her through the ball. She took his arm and nodded gently. He knew she was lying but knew better than to press her. “Well, Minerva said that all preparations are ready so that all the guests can be quite comfortable for the weekend. She told me to inform you since you wanted to be sure everything was going as planned.”

“Oh, yes, I meant to go find her a minute ago but I… was a little distracted,” she answered. Her brain pushed back her anger as she tried to focus on the current task ahead of her. Years of training had kept her, Ron, and Harry out of trouble and the skill was honed by now. She easily remembered every single detail of what she was supposed to have ready in a couple of hours. “What about security? Are the Aurors already here? It’s not long before all the media and especially the Daily Prophet find out that Harry and most of the celebrities from the Second Dark War are here.”

“Including the best witch of the age and the most prominent Ministry official,” he said with a smile making her blush. “Not to mention Harry’s best friend.”

“So, I trust they have already arrived?” she asked and he nodded with a smile.

“Of course,” he said. “There are no in competencies in my department, Advisor.”

“Rumors do run fast around the Ministry,” Hermione answered with a smile. Lupin laughed softly.

“So it is true, then?” Lupin asked and she nodded. “So, Minister Marchbanks did appoint you as Advisor to the Minister.”

“Yes,” Hermione said almost beaming. “She’s planning to retire and she has been hinting to leaving me as her successor.”

“That’s great,” Lupin said truly proud and happy for the young witch. “Am I to keep this to myself for the time being?”

“Yes, please,” Hermione said with a smile. “At least until I tell Harry and Ron.”

“What would those two do without you?” Lupin said. “Especially Harry. He wouldn’t have made it this far without you. He loves you a lot, you know.”

“I love him, too,” Hermione said and he saw her eyes turn troubled once more. Of course, she loved him but in a much deeper way than he would ever love her, she thought bitterly. Lupin wondered if they had fought but judging by the way, they had acted during the ceremony, he did not think so. “I…I’m sorry, Lupin, would you mind if we talked later? There’s something I need to do.”

“Go, I don’t mind,” Lupin said releasing her arm. Hermione kissed his cheek and pulled away quickly.

She walked of turning into the direction to the outside and easily avoiding the rest of the guests, she made her way toward the grounds. She let the breeze caress her face and she let go of a breath she did not recall holding. She reached the bridge and wrapped her arms around herself as she leaned against it.

She let the tears that she had been holding in for years finally spill out of her in silence. She just couldn’t take it anymore. She had kept her feelings inside of her for as long as she could remember, but tonight, after so long, she just couldn’t do it anymore. She felt as if her heart would finally break, and she meant finally because she had never let it break before.

When Harry had fallen for Cho and then for Ginny, she hadn’t felt disappointment nor had she let her heart break. She had never let herself believe in the impossible so there were no hopes destroyed. She had always being too practical for her own good, and crying about it wouldn’t solve anything so what was the point? However, keeping things inside wasn’t healthy and she just wasn’t as strong as she thought she was. She was human and everyone needed to cry. Tears cleansed the soul after all.

“You’re going to catch a cold out here without a coat, you know?” a deep voice said sending a shiver down her spine. She jumped in surprise and quickly tried to wipe her face with her hand so he wouldn’t notice she had been crying. “Mione, you okay?”

“I’m fine, Harry,” she said without turning hoping that he would leave her alone so she could compose herself before rejoining the rest of humanity. “Is there something wrong?”

“Well, the girls haven’t seen you for at least an hour,” he answered and she shivered again as she felt him move closer to her. She was too vulnerable right now. “Why are you hiding out here? Everyone’s looking for you and Vicky’s driving Ron mental.”

“I’m sorry,” she said trying to reach for her wand without him noticing so that she could cast a quick spell to her face to erase the telltale signs of her tears. “I’ll be in, in a second, Harry.”

“What’s wrong?” he said turning her around before she had a chance to know what was happening. He frowned as he saw her puffy, red eyes in the dark. “Hey, what’s wrong, Mione? Someone do something to you? Because I will go and, promise to bloody hell, hex them to hell and back.”

“No, I’m fine, Harry, really,” she answered managing to pull her wand out. He watched her in silence as she cast a spell to her face and she looked perfect once more. She finally looked up to meet his eyes and cursed herself for doing it, he was looking searchingly into her eyes as if he could see into her soul, and she was too vulnerable. She pulled her gaze away from him and sighed. “You might not have noticed, Harry, but here it is I’m a girl…”

“What the bloody hell are you talking about?” he asked and she smiled. He frowned more and looked at her like she was mental. “Of course I know you’re a girl, and a bloody hot looking one to tell you the truth.”

“Shut up, Harry,” she said blushing. She managed to smile and in a moment of weakness gave him a quick hug. He grinned in that goofy way that could melt her heart and she laughed leaning against him as they looked out into the grounds. “I’m just not as strong as I’ve always thought.”

“You never cry for no reason like other girls do,” he said taking his coat off and wrapping it and his arm around her shoulders. “I always wondered why. You were just trying to be stronger than you needed to be weren’t you. Why do you think you have me…and Ron for? Why were you crying?”

“Because I’m stupid,” she answered. She reached up and put a finger to his lips before he could argue. He frowned but nodded and she looked forward again. “I’ve let myself turn into a balloon inside, Harry. All this year after the war, I’ve just pushed everything, all my feelings, all my needs, all my regrets, anything I just couldn’t handle at the moment to the back of my mind until I was ready to burst, but instead of letting it out I kept piling it in. I’ve worked my way through the ministry faster than anyone before and I just didn’t have time for me so I just pushed it back. Being back here and seeing everyone again and…other things, I guess it was just a little too much. I’m human, Harry, I was bound to break down, eventually. Don’t worry about me. Girls cry and I’m fine now. Tears cleanse your soul, Harry.”

“I…I just wish there was something I could do,” he said wondering why he felt like taking her in his arms and kissing her until she forgot all her pain. “To make you feel better.”

“Oh, Harry,” she said in a whisper. If it was as easy as just asking, she thought with regret.

She would ask him to fulfill her every dream. No, she would ask him to love her, but no as his best friend rather as someone he could share everything with. Not just secrets, she had known those since they were eleven, but she wanted to be a part of his dreams and hopes, she wanted him to know the extent of her love for him, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew how Harry saw her, almost as a sister.

Besides, when it came to being just a girl, she was nothing compared to Ginny. Ginny’s greatest asset was her beauty and her free spirited personality. Hermione was a plain and a boring workaholic, bookworm. Why fool herself? Harry would never see her that way, and she couldn’t live her life revolving around daydreams. She had to face reality and be herself again. She had to accept the facts and live her life. She had to move on, and that’s exactly what she would do.

“Ask me anything, Mione,” Harry asked ignorant of the battle raging inside of her heart. “I promise I will do anything to give it to you.”

“You can’t give me what I need, Harry,” she answered and he felt his heart hurt painfully. He felt useless and worthless, more than he had ever felt before in his whole life. “I…what I need…it’s not something you can do or give at will…I got to be me again, and find…”

“Harry! Hermione!” Ron yelled loudly as he ran up to them. They broke apart and Harry felt like hitting Ron. Hermione had seemed so close to tell him what was truly bothering her, but now… “Where the bloody hell, have you two been?”

“Watch your language, Ronald,” Hermione said lightly.

He stuck his tongue out at her apparently forgetting that he was a twenty year old man and not eleven anymore. She rolled her eyes in a very Hermoine-ish way and crossed her arms pulling Harry’s coat tighter against herself. She missed the warmth of Harry’s body next to hers almost immediately. Harry saw her shiver and he felt an almost uncontainable urge to wrap her in his arms and keep her warm.

“What do you want, Ron?” Harry asked a little coolly but Ron was too busy tightening his own coat to notice. Hermione didn’t miss the change in tone though and she looked at Harry with a slight frown.

“Me? Nothing, mate,” Ron said and then turned with a glare to Hermione. “Where did you get yourself of too? The girls were all worried about you. They scared the bloo…they scared Harry and me, you know. We couldn’t find you, and we were stuck with Vicky.”

“I just came out here to think,” Hermione said glancing at Harry. He caught her gaze and gave a slight nod behind Ron’s back. He wouldn’t mention her crying to Ron. “I’m sorry that you had to waste your precious time with me, Ron.”

“Don’t be thick, Herm,” Ron said putting his hands on her shoulders and Harry felt his jaw clench. “I was just worried about you. You know I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know,” Hermione said with a smile. He grinned and kissed her cheek. Harry turned away fighting against every instinct of himself that was screaming to beat Ron to a pulp for touching Hermione. What the bloody hell was wrong with him? “Should we go back then, before Harry freezes to death?”

“What?” Harry asked turning to look at her noticing that Ron wasn’t all over her anymore. She was smiling at him and he grinned at her. “I’m fine, Mione. If you want to stay, I’ll stay with you.”

“No, I don’t want you to get sick,” Hermione answered taking his hand. He smiled but he noticed with a strange jealousy that she took Ron’s too. “Besides, Ginny would just beat you up.”

“Ginny?” Harry asked stupidly. Hermione and Ron stopped long enough to exchange a glance with each other before turning to him. Then they turned to look at him like he was mental or something. “What?”

“You know the bloody well what,” Ron said. “Gin’s about to hex you or Hermione tonight.”

“Why would you think that?” Harry asked.

“Because for some stupid reason she’s jealous of me,” Hermione answered.

Harry wondered if she didn’t really have a reason. I mean, if he thought about it and if he were in Ginny’s place, he would think that she should be worried about now. Harry didn’t know what in Merlin’s beard was happening but he suddenly realized that nothing he felt about Ginny since sixth year had ever compared to what was trying to claw its way out of some deep place in his heart toward Hermione.

“I think she has a very good reason, you know,” Ron said and Hermione turned to look at him like he had sprouted another head. Ron rolled his eyes and they started to move again. “I mean, you did notice, that Harry here forgot to mention his GIRLFRIEND in the ceremonial speech. Didn’t you?”

“I didn’t forget about her,” Harry said trying hard to remember exactly what he had said during the speech.

He remembered telling thinking about what he was going to say and then thank Ginny for being there for him, but then…Then he had seen Hermione in that sexy black dress that hugged and outlined every irresistible curve of her body. He remembered seeing her grin at him running to hug him tightly as she told him that he was going to be great and not to worry because she would be there for him, right before she had climbed on stage to open the ceremony for him.

“Merlin, Harry, you did forget,” Hermione said glancing at him with worried chocolate eyes. “No wonder she was so hostile…”

“Was she the reason you were…” Harry began angrily as he saw her clap her hands to her mouth realizing that she had said too much, but Hermione’s brain worked faster than his, and before he could finish she had clapped her hands over his own mouth. She looked pointedly at him and he glared at her through narrowed eyes.

“What are you talking about?” Ron said huffily.

“Nothing, Ron,” Hermione said keeping Harry’s eyes locked in her own. “Would you mind giving us a minute?”

“Of course I mind!” Ron said crossly. “What kind of best friends are we if you two are keeping secrets? I want to know what’s going on.”

“Ron, please,” Hermione said with as close to a begging tone as you could get being Hermione Granger.

“RON!?” a dreamy voice called loudly and they could barely make out Luna’s shadow with the light from the castle’s entrance framing her. She raised her hand and waved it slightly. “WHAT ARE YOU THREE DOING OVER THERE? COME INSIDE! THE PARTY IS ALMOST OVER!”

“Ron, go,” Harry mumbled through Hermione’s fingers. “We’re coming. Promise we’ll tell you later.”

“Fine,” Ron said. It was clear that keeping Luna happy overwhelmed his curiosity. He pointed his finger at them both and narrowed his eyes. “But you two better not be playing my sister.”

“Ron!?” Harry and Hermione both said furiously but Ron laughed cheekily and ran before either could hex him.

“Tell me, Hermione Granger,” Harry said coolly. Hermione raised her eyebrow and pulled her hands away from his mouth.

“What?” Hermione said crossing her arms as she kept that haughty look. “I’m not ‘Mione’ anymore, Harry?”

“You know bloody well that you will always be my Mione,” Harry answered irritably.

She smiled through her fluttering heart and sauntered toward him. He fought to keep his face straight but she was irresistible and he burst out laughing. She chuckled gently as she reached him and he pulled her into his arms tenderly. She pressed her forehead against his chest as he held her.

“I don’t want you to fight with Ginevra because of me, Harry,” Hermione whispered to him. “She’s just jealous. She didn’t make me cry. I cried for the reasons I told you. Don’t bother yourself with this. I’ve handled your jealous girlfriends for years, remember?”

“Yeah,” Harry said laughing against her. “And, I’ve handled yours, remember?”

“Uhmm, so we’re okay then?” Hermione asked.

“We’re more than okay, Mione,” Harry answered.

“So, glad to hear that, dear,” a bitter voice answered. “So, glad to hear that.”

Hermione cursed under her breath just as Harry lifted his head from Hermione’s and met Ginny’s ice-cold glare. Harry let go of Hermione as Ginny raised her chin slightly. Hermione turned and she could almost feel Ginny’s anger flowing through her body. Ron, Luna, Seamus, Dean, Lavender, Parvati, Neville, Susan, and even Viktor were standing a couple of feet behind her, looking awkward and uncomfortable. Well, all except Viktor who took a step forward looking as if he wanted nothing than to hit Harry.

“Hi, Gin,” Harry said scratching the back of his head in that nervous habit of his that messed up his hair even more. “Ron and I found, Mione. We were…”

“Do I look bloody stupid to you, Harry?” Ginny hissed through clenched teeth. “I…I don’t know what the bloody hell is going on with you two but I don’t like it.”

“Ginny there’s nothing…” Hermione began but was rudely caught off.

“Don’t you dare talk to me right now, Hermione,” Ginny said closing her eyes for a second as she threw her hand out toward Hermione who took a step back. She opened her fierce green eyes and glared at her. “I thought you were my friend, and you’re…I …I just want…I need to know, what the bloody hell is going on here.”

“Nothing is going on, Ginny,” Harry answered taking a step forward. She glared at him but let him grab her shoulders gently. Hermione felt impotent to do anything to defend themselves and she turned away from them and her friends. Harry saw her move behind him and lean against a tree facing away from the others out of the corner of his eye. He wanted so badly to just tell Ginny that she was being insufferable and run to tell Mione that everything would be okay, but knew that for her own good he had to keep himself away from her now. “Hermione is my best friend and you know it. There’s nothing wrong in being with her, in hugging her, Gin. She and Ron have been everything to me since I was eleven years old! They’ve been everything to me. They’ll always be everything to me.”

“Yes!” Ginny snapped angrily and she began to tap her hand against her chest as if to make her point clearer. “But you’re my boyfriend, not hers! You have me now, Harry!”

“Stop, Ginny!” Harry said in a voice that was full of exasperation. “Just bloody stop it! I’m not going to stand here and defend myself for something I’m not guilty of!”

“Harry,” Hermione said turning back around as soon as she heard his control begin to crumble.

He was breathing slightly heavier and she was scared he would do or say something he would later regret. She grabbed his arm noticing how tense his muscles were underneath the cloth, and she ignored the glare that Ginny gave her. She pulled him a step backward and she shook her head as soon as he looked at her and met each other’s eyes.

Luna and the others just gaped as they saw Harry huff and turn away from his girlfriend at Hermione’s silent command. Only Ron was not surprised at this knowing fully well the kind of control Hermione held with both him and Harry. She rarely truly used it since she usually let them do what they wanted, but in times when she felt they were out of control of a situation she just moved in and gave them ‘the look’ and as if it was something innate they knew and did exactly what she expected or wanted from them.

“I think and Harry agrees with me, that you both need to calm down, Ginny,” Hermione said. She said it softly but with such command that not even, the very furious Ginevra Weasley dare interrupt her. “You two don’t want to hurry into conclusions and do or say something you will only regret tomorrow. You have something beautiful together and you don’t want to throw it away over a misunderstanding. Just breathe and talk like the civilized, l…caring couple you two are. Harry has my permission to tell you everything.”

“Mione,” Harry said turning around. She managed a smile and a shrug. Harry had no idea how much it had hurt her to say those things, but she didn’t want him to throw away his happiness for her.

“Ginny’s my friend,” Hermione answered sincerely as she faced the redhead once more. She meant every single word. No matter how annoying and stupid she was because of Harry, Hermione loved her. She was the sister she never had. “I trust that she will keep in confidence what you tell her.”

“But, Mione,” Harry said and Ron noted that she gave him “the look” again. Harry closed his mouth instantly and Hermione walked away from him toward Ron and past the confused Bulgarian. Ron didn’t even glance toward Luna knowing that at least his girlfriend knew what they had. Luna knew how much he loved Hermione and she knew she had nothing to be jealous of. His Luna was quite a clever girl. He opened his arms and Hermione walked into them weakly. Luna noticed Harry’s strange look as he saw this but no one else did. She shook her head and turned around walking toward Hermione’s free side wrapping her own arm around her friend.

The other seemed lost as what to do for a second, and Hermione raised her chin and turned to look at them. They didn’t move and she frowned slightly as she looked at them.

“What in Merlin’s beard are you all waiting for?” she asked. Everyone jumped and even Harry managed a grin at this. “Get moving. Harry and Gin, want some privacy.”

“They’re thicker than me, eh?” Ron said tightening his arm around her waist as she and Luna looked at him. They both looked at each other and rolled their eyes at his happy face. His smile fell and he frowned. “What?”

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Well, I can’t possibly type anymore. Please R&R!!!! Thanks to all my reviewers!!! This will keep on so long as I get those reviews!!!

Disclaimer: Read chapter one will you!!! THEY AREN’T MINE!!!!!

Best Friends

CHAPTER 4

By Rodare

“Well, well, if it isn’t Weasel-bee and Little Miss Perfect,” a cool drawling voice called making them look up.

Draco Malfoy was standing by the staircase leading up into the castle leaning arrogantly against the wall with a glass of wine in his hand. He noticed Luna walking next to Hermione and the others, including the Bulgarian seeker, following close behind. He frowned slightly but recovered almost instantly. Now, the Bulgarian’s presence might come as a drawback to his plans unless he used it to his advantage. He almost shrugged but stopped himself. No need for the others to know he had something up his sleeve.

“Go sod off, ferret boy,” Ron said with a scowl releasing Hermione. Luna and Hermione exchanged a quick look and a rolled their eyes.

Ron was still not over the fact that Draco had turned to their side during the war, but mostly it was the fact that Harry had been okay with it. Harry had even ordered Order protection for his mother and by what he had told Hermione everything else that Dumbledore had promised him in the Astronomy tower the night he died. Harry never forgot how Draco had lowered his wand a second before Snape had shoved him off and killed the headmaster.

Draco had turned and sent inside information to the Order never asking to be pardoned, but only to have his family protected. During that last encounter he had pulled off his mask and thrown it at Voldemort’s feet proclaiming his allegiance to those against the Dark side. Voldemort had laughed coldly and told him he was as weak as he had thought, but told him that he would allow him to fight and die among those weaklings the world would be rid off when he was done. Draco had fought as fiercely as they had, and once it was all over he and Harry had shaken hands. For a year now, he had been making amends with them and Hermione knew that Harry now considered him a friend. It was strange to say the least, but somehow in all it’s wrongness it was right, and they all fit.

“Now, now, Weasel-bee,” Draco said sipping the last bit of his wine with a smirk. “Why do you have to be so aggressive? I was actually thinking you had missed me.”

“What?” Ron said with a snort. Hermione rolled her eyes again and pushed him out of the way, as Draco made his way toward them. Hermione waved her hand and Draco’s empty glass vanished.

“Show off,” he said with a grin. She smiled and he took her hand kissing it gently before she kissed his cheek. “You’re not looking half bad, Granger.”

“You’re not looking that bad either, Malfoy” she answered as he looked at her. He smirked and chuckled.

“I’m bloody good looking, Hermione,” he said confidently. She rolled her eyes and he turned his attention to Luna who stood beside a despondent Ron. Luna smiled in that dreamy way of hers and he grinned as he took her hand and followed the same motions he had with Hermione before he said good naturedly, “Still loony enough to be going out with this redhead git?”

“I guess, I am,” Luna answered with a laugh. Draco shook his head as if disappointed. He nodded his head in acknowledgment to the rest of their entourage before dismissing them completely. “How have you been, Draco?”

“Been better and been much worse,” he answered with a shrug before he turned to Hermione. She frowned noticing the slight change in his cool, grey eyes. “May I have a private word with you, Herm?”

“What the bloody hell for?” Ron interrupted as Neville began to attempt to lead the others into the Great Hall again. “The party’s almost over and we need to get…”

“Listen, Weasel-bee,” Draco said with an evil glint in his eyes. “Your overprotective, brotherly care is going to make me sick. My businesses with Hermione are my own. If she doesn’t like my…propositions, I’m sure she can do without you.”

“Why you bloody git!” Ron began but Luna took his arm and after waving at Hermione, she started to pull him after Neville and the others.

“Her-mione?” Viktor’s deep booming voice made her turn to him. Hermione nodded to Draco, who rolled his eyes impatiently as he walked away to give her and the Bulgarian some room.

“Yes, Viktor?” she asked him. He seemed to be thinking hard about something before he looked at her eyes.

“I…vant,” he began moving his hands as if that would help make the words come out. He cursed in rapid Bulgarian and Hermione smiled as she reached for his arm. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I ‘ave missed you. I vant…I vould like for you to consider giving me…us…another chance, Her-mione.”

“Viktor,” Hermione whispered taken aback as she pulled her hand back and turned away from him. She didn’t know what to say to him. She didn’t feel capable of telling him exactly what she felt now. “We…I thought, we agreed to be just friends after…”

“Vhat else could I say?” he asked softly. “You vere leaving that day to go vith ‘Arry and Ron in your hunt. I had just lived the best veek of my life, Her-mione. The best night of my life, but I knew you vould’ve left no matter vhat I said. Tell me you vouldn’t ‘ave fought vith me if I had said I vanted more? I couldn’t ‘ave you leave to hunt the vorld’s vorst dark vizard of all time angry vith me. I could not ask for more than you could or vould give me. Now, I can. I don’t vant your answer today…Just think about it, vill you? If by the end of our stay here you realize that it von’t vork, then you ‘ave my vord that I vill let you go. I vill move on as best as I can, and you vill alvays ‘ave my friendship no matter vhat you decide.”

“How can you care about me when you know that I used you, Viktor?” she asked as tears threatened to fall from her eyes once more. “How can you want more if everything I’ve ever given you could never compare to what you offer?”

“How can I not?” he said with a smile and she sniffed a little, unable to not notice how much less pronounced his accent was when he was less agitated. He raised her chin with his hand and looked deeply into her brilliant, chocolate eyes. “You ‘ave given me purity and honesty. You are everything a man vishes for, Her-mione. Vill you think about it?”

“Yes, Viktor,” she answered softly. He smiled and pressed his lips almost reverently over her lips in the most chaste of kisses.

“Thank you, Her-mione,” he said pulling back almost as soon as he had kissed her. He turned and walked off in that commanding way of his while she stood there rooted to her spot wondering what in Merlin she was doing. For the first time in her life, Hermione Granger had no idea of what she was going to do.

~~~~~~~

“Ginevra Molly Weasley, turn around and look at me,” Harry Potter said in a tone so calm that it sent a shiver through Ginny’s spine. She wished he was yelling and furious, but no, Hermione had made sure of that. “Ginevra, look me!”

“Harry,” Ginny gasped as Harry turned her brusquely around. “I’m sorry!”

“I’m sorry?” Harry snapped fighting to try to keep his last ounce of patience. “You think that with your pathetic ‘I’m sorry’ you’re of the bloody hook? You insulted the only person that has been with me through thick and thin and you expect me to look the other way like you did nothing wrong?”

“Harry,” Ginny started but he glared dangerously and she shut her mouth instantly as she felt her eyes fill with tears.

“Listen, Ginevra,” Harry said pointing his finger at her. “Listen well. I have no bloody idea what is going in your mind, but I want it to stop. Hermione is and always will be an important life of me and my life. You’ve known since the beginning what she is to me, and I don’t see what has changed since then. I want you to apologize to her. She considers you enough of a friend to allow me to tell you things that she didn’t even want to tell Ron, and you want throw that kind of friendship away over a stupid, childish jealous tantrum?”

“I’m not a bloody child!” Ginny snapped.

“Well, you’re bloody acting like one!” Harry snapped back and she looked at her feet. Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair calming down a bit, as he saw a tear run down her beautiful face. “What is it that you want from me, Gin?”

“I want the truth,” Ginny said wiping her tears away. “I want to know if you and Hermione are making a fool of me. That’s all I want, Harry.”

“There is nothing between me and Hermione,” Harry answered and he could not figure out why he felt a pain in his heart that felt disturbingly like regret. He sighed again and looked at the girl in front of him whom he had lived great times with. “Gin, I want you to know that I care about you a lot.”

“Harry,” she whispered looking up to meet his eyes with hers. He took her hands slowly before continuing.

“I want to know that this,” he said pulling her a bit closer. “That what’s between us is the real deal. I want you to figure out if what you say and think you feel for me is real. I want both of us to be sure. I want a family of my own, Gin. I wan t to have everything I’ve ever dreamed of, but I don’t want to rush into anything. I want for us to take a break in our relationship.”

“No, no, Harry, please,” Ginny said as new tears began to spill from her eyes. He shook his head and wiped them away.

“I’m not breaking up with you, Gin,” he said kissing her forehead gently. “I just want to give you the chance to back down if you think this is leading us nowhere. We both deserve to know for sure. We’re both adults and we can both choose but I don’t want your heart clouded by some stupid reason. By the end of the weekend, by the time we leave Hogwarts, I’m going to ask you if you think that you can spend the rest of your life with me, and I’ll answer the same question to you. We’ll choose what to do with our relationship then, okay? No matter what, we will be honest with each other, Gin. Is that fair, Ginny, for both of us?”

“I…” she said looking away from his eyes thinking about all the things that had been happening for days.

All the mixed feelings she was getting. All the confusion in her mind, and mostly everything that Hermione had said that Harry wanted. All the things she didn’t really know about him yet. Was she ready to tell him that she didn’t need time to think about it? Was she ready to go against him and tell him that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him? Was she ready to take that step with him? Was this the last man she wanted to kiss, to hug, to shag for crying aloud? Did she want Harry forever? Did she even truly love him?

“Ginny?” Harry asked tentatively.

“Yes, Harry,” she whispered hugging him tightly. “I think that’s fair for both of us.”

“Just remember, Ginny,” Harry whispered against her hair. “No matter what you choose, I’ll respect you. No matter what happens you’ll always have me. I’ll always hold you dear to me.”

“Me too, Harry,” she answered sincerely against his chest. “Me too.”

~~~

“Tut, tut, Granger,” Malfoy said bringing Hermione crashing down from her reverie making her jump. “You never did say that you were going out with Vicky, again.”

“Why does everyone insist on calling him that?” Hermione snapped crossly. She turned to face him sharply and saw the smirk on his face. She rolled her eyes and with a sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose. Draco smirked unable to resist noticing just how bloody sexy and damn adorable the little Gryffindor bookworm had grown into. She looked up and frowned noticing the smirk in his face. “What do you want, Draco? I have things to do, you know.”

“I know,” Draco answered with a shrug. “But there’s something we need to discuss.”

“Now, Draco, I hope it’s not that stupid law you want to push to be passed prohibiting Ronald from all civilized papers,” Hermione said remembering how hard it had been to make Draco drop the subject. “I can’t help you out.”

“You know you would love to see it pass as much as I do,” Draco said with a laugh as he pulled out his wand from his pocket and summoned two flutes of champagne as he motioned her toward the stairs. “Especially, after what he did in your birthday.”

“You had to bring that up?” Hermione said with a grimace. She shook her head breaking of that chain of thought as she turned to him and raised an eyebrow taking the glass from him. “Are we celebrating something, Draco?”

“Of course, Hermione,” he said as they sat down in one of the non-vanishing steps. He raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow and motioned her to drink on. “We are celebrating our engagement you see.”

“Wha…?” Hermione managed to choke since she had chosen the moment before to sip at her drink.

He smirked and saw her fumble to retrieve her wand getting a glimpse of her taut, tanned, enticingly long legs, he grinned appreciatively just as she managed to cast a silent Apneo spell at herself. She took a deep breath and then glared at him noticing the twirling wand on his hand and the strange smirk in his face. Malfoy laughed at her look and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she muttered under her breath angrily.

“Are you bloody mental?” Hermione said angrily. He laughed and pulled her a little closer. She pulled back slightly to look at him. “Draco, are you sure you’re alright? Because there is no way I’m going to marry you.”

“It’s not me and you silly,” Draco said laughing and she frowned clearly more confused than to begin with. “Although, you know you wish you were.”

“All for the good grace of glorifying my children with your royal blood, sweetheart,” she answered with her voice dripping with sarcasm. He rolled his eyes a bit, but she leaned against his side into a one-arm hug gently. “I’m sorry, Draco. I know you’ve changed from that a long time ago. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright,” Draco answered with a small sigh. “I hurt you a lot once, didn’t I?”

“Just once in first year,” she answered honestly but she smiled. “It’s all in the past now, Draco. Leave it there.”

“I’ve always been jealous of what Harry had back then,” he answered unexpectedly and she looked into his cool, grey eyes. “I never did notice that you were his biggest treasure, Hermione. I don’t think the stupid git noticed it either.”

“I’m no one’s treasure, Draco,” she said looking away from him toward the door. She sighed deeply and then by pure whim she threw her glass hard shattering it into the nearest wall. Draco raised his eyebrows in shock at this display of lack of control from her. “Merlin, you have no idea how much I wanted to do that.”

“I know exactly how you feel,” he said angry with himself and with his trademark smirk in place, he shattered his own glass with hers.

Hermione seemed surprised and then she looked at him as he laughed. If someone had told her two years ago that one day she would be there sitting with Draco Malfoy of all people drinking champagne and talking idle talk, laughing as they sat in the main staircase with his arm around her shoulder she would have called them mental. No, she would have rushed to McGonagall and ask that they be checked at St. Mungo’s. She smiled a bit at the thought and then wondered how on earth Draco knew how she felt.

“What did you mean before?” Hermione asked after a moment of comfortable silence between them. “When you said we were celebrating our engagement.”

“I meant what I said,” he responded in a more characteristic and self-assured tone of voice. “You and I just not together, trust me on this, Hermione, and don’t interfere. I know what I’m doing.”

“What on earth are you talking …?” she started but at that precise moment the doors to the grounds burst open and none other than Harry and Ginny walked in, both looking strangely thoughtful.

Harry felt a surge of the anger and dislike that he had not felt for years, toward Malfoy, come rushing back until he felt the urge to hex his slick ass to hell and back. Draco saw the look in Harry’s face and smirked as he stood up holding his hand out to Hermione who frowned at the look in Harry’s face. Draco deliberately let his hand linger on Hermione’s back as she stood next to him and he saw the fire grow in Potter’s eyes. So, Draco thought smirking, Potter is starting to open his eyes, is he? Well, he wasn’t one to wait and he wasn’t about to start now.

“Hey, there Scarhead,” Draco said in an amiable tone. “Out on a stroll were you?”

“Hello, Malfoy,” Harry said callously and Draco raised his perfectly shaped eyebrow.

Harry had not called him by his surname since that day that they had shaken hands. Hermione noticed the same thing instantly and she looked up into Malfoy’s grey eyes before turning to look into Harry’s emerald gaze. She felt as if someone had slapped her across the face and she took a step back. There was anger and a bit of disappointment in Harry’s gaze and the most disconcerting thing was that it seemed directed to her.

“Hello, Weasley,” Draco said licking his lips sensually, at least that’s what Ginny thought and her throat went unusually dry.

It had been years since Draco had that effect on her. At one time back, she had been foolishly attracted to the infuriating Slytherin, but knowing fully well that it was one sided she had then pursued her feelings for Harry once more. She couldn’t act on those desires not because of her family, who were bound to disown her for even thinking about it, but because she knew deep down that there was no way Draco would ever look at such a lowly being as herself like that. She could be honest to herself though, even when she had Harry she had often wondered what it would’ve been like to have Draco Malfoy in the same way she had Harry. She was a young, healthy woman and her fantasies were her own even if they did involve having absolute control of the particular Slytherin. She licked her lips in an unconscious response to his own deliberate actions before she began to lose herself in the daydreams from her past.

“Gin?” Harry asked shaking her shoulder gently as he looked with concern at her with his deep emerald eyes. Hermione was beside him looking just as worried as she pressed her palm against Ginny’s forehead. Ginny frowned not able to see Draco anymore. Did he leave? “Ginny? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she answered with a bit of a snap that only Hermione seemed to notice as she frowned slightly and jerked her hand back as if she was stung. Damn, that witch! Why the bloody hell was she so damn perceptive? “I’m sorry. I…I didn’t mean to snap. I was just thinking about something. Were you saying something?”

“Well, Draco, said ‘hello’,” Hermione put in clearly feeling a bit more at ease.

Ginny nodded as Hermione took a step back and she noticed Draco leaning against the rail with his trademark smirk in place. Hermione turned to him and he walked over to her with a disarming smile. The effect was lost on Hermione who seemed to be daft only at noticing the male attention on her increasing beauty.

She may not have been gorgeous in the way Ginny herself was, but she had this thing, this poise that overshadowed every other beautiful woman around her. Whenever they went out together she was always the one that stood out for her brilliancy and her calm self-assured dignity, she always seemed to be in control and so damn above them all. She never did it on purpose which was the reason that everyone who was lucky enough to know her would always respect her or be bloody intimidated of her for the rest of their lives, that of course, depended on the impression you gave the witch herself. Like Ron was fond of saying, Hermione was brilliant, scary, but brilliant.

“Hello, Malfoy,” Ginny answered forcing a smile. Draco smirked dismissing her acknowledgement with a careless shrug as he gave Hermione his arm. Ginny glared a bit at the ease with which Hermione took it.

“Shall we go in, then?” Draco said sounding bored, but still giving Hermione that winning smile. “Weasel-bee said that the party is almost over. I don’t know about you, but I rather enjoy the rest of the evening inside then out here.”

“You seemed rather comfy when we came in,” Harry answered feeling his insides about to burst.

He could be able to tell himself that his feelings for Hermione were still entirely normal, but the sudden anger and the disconcerting jealousy to every man that so much as look at her were telling him otherwise. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold his ‘best friend façade’ before finally exploding and finally beating the crap out of one of those men. He rubbed his knuckles with his long fingers almost anticipating the feel of physical relief to all those growing frustrations.

He looked at Hermione and that overly sexy dress of hers; clinging to her every curve and he suddenly came up with the realization that there was another way of releasing the frustration. By Merlin, if he could so much as kiss those tantalizing lips of hers, he would die a happy, happy man. He felt a familiar stirring in his groin and he cut this particular train of thought instantly. He was no longer wearing his large coat since it was now wrapped around Hermione’s shoulders, and his form fitting business suit that Hermione had chosen for him to wear would do a bad job of covering up for him if he kept those thoughts going, wizard robes were really handy in that respect.

“Yes, we were,” Draco said with that smirk. Harry fisted his hands and to keep himself from wiping that smirk of his face with either his fist or a hex, he pushed them into his pockets and shrugged. “But you two are here now and it would be impolite of me and Hermione to keep being ‘comfy’ in front of you, don’t you think?”

“I rather not think about your endeavors with any girl, Draco,” Harry said with an almost bitter taste in his throat at the possible implications of Draco’s comment. “Much less if it involves someone as important as Mione. I would have to kill you, you see.”

“Harry!” Hermione said with an admonishing tone looking flushed and confused. Now that was something new, Harry thought with a smile, a confused Hermione. She saw the smile in his eyes and she smiled knowing what he was thinking. She shook her head and muttered something under her breath, which sounded awfully like ‘Boys!’ as she looked away from his eyes. “Let’s go back, then.”

“Come on, then,” Harry said taking Ginny’s hand as he moved ahead of Hermione and Draco.

As much as he wanted to keep them both in his sight he couldn’t help but feel that Draco was fully enjoying the infuriating reaction he was getting from Harry, and he wasn’t about to be Ferret boy’s fool. He squeezed Hermione’s shoulder affectionately as he passed her and she reached up to touch his hand with a smile. Harry grinned foolishly but she let go before the other two could notice. Hermione sighed as she was lead by Draco in Harry’s wake.

“You did good, Granger,” Draco whispered in her ear and she was surprised she didn’t shudder like she always did when it was Harry that whispered to her. “You did real good.”

“Will you please explain what this is all about?” Hermione hissed back in frustration.

“You’re the smartest witch of the age,” he said as his eyes focused on the current object of his desire. He smirked at the look in Hermione’s face and winked. “You got tonight to figure it out. After, just don’t interfere and I’ll take care of you.”

“What in Merlin’s beard are you talking about?” Hermione asked one more time but Draco merely raised both his eyebrows tauntingly and grinned. Bloody, Ferret boy, Hermione thought angrily, she would find out exactly what he was up to and put a stop to it before he did something that would probably get him and herself, she thought with a grimace, in more trouble than he could handle.

……………

I promise I’ll type faster if I get more reviews!!! R&R!!!

-Rodare

CHAPTER 5

BY RODARE

Hiya, sorry for the delay but here it is….

Disclaimer: If they were mine, well….Just know they’re not.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Finally!” Ron said exasperatedly as he spotted his best friends walking toward their table. “Where the bloody hell, have you been?”

He scowled as he saw Hermione on Draco’s arm. Hermione saw the look on his face and she glared dangerously at him. Krum stood looking rather stiff and the look in his face seemed even worse than the one Ron had. Harry let Ginny sit and he turned his gaze toward them. Hermione saw the third reflection of that scowl and she frowned as she felt her temper start to boil. What the bloody hell was their problem? Neither of those, three owned her, nor did they have any right to look at her like that!. She glared at all three of them as Draco pulled out a chair for her, but they didn’t pay any attention to her as they were all busy plotting on how get back at Ferret boy for daring to touch Hermione.

“My, my, my, if this isn’t a surprise, I don’t know what is?” a cool voice asked behind Harry, Ron, and Krum who were standing on Draco’s right while Hermione took her seat next to Luna who was on Ginny’s left. Harry seemed to tense slightly but of course, only Hermione noticed. Then they all parted a bit to let the woman standing behind them step where they all could see her.

Cho Chang was looking as good as ever, but the years had changed her as much as they had Draco. Unfortunately, unlike Draco, Cho turned into a very unstable person. She was no longer the outgoing, happy, even if a bit overemotional, she had turned cold, miserable, and even a bit malevolent, at least, when it pertained to Harry. Apparently, she had seen the error of her ways and she now wanted Harry back. She had tried quite hard for the month that followed the Trio’s recovery, but at that time, Harry had turned to Ginny again. In retrospective, it may have been his attempt to pull away from Cho’s more hard pressed advances, and Cho had not been very pleased. They had been lucky to avoid her for a while now and it had been months since either of them had seen her.

“Cho,” Hermione said trying to save them all from a scene. She didn’t think she could handle another jealous tantrum, especially when all she wanted to do was figure out what Draco was up to before something happened. “You look absolutely lovely. How have you been? It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has, hasn’t it?” Cho said in a falsely sweet voice. She looked at Harry quite lithely before she turned to meet Hermione’s eyes again. “You seem busy tonight, Hermione.”

“What do you mean?” Hermione asked not quite knowing why Cho had smirked lightly when she said the last thing.

“Well, I’ve noticed how your entire…how should I say this? Fan club, perhaps, is assembled here,” she said. Hermione frowned a bit. “One was never enough for you, was it? Who would’ve thought…”

“That’s enough, Cho,” Harry said through clenched teeth as he grabbed Cho’s arm to pull her a step back. “Your comments have no…”

“No, Harry,” Hermione said standing up and grabbing his own arm gently. Krum, Ron, and even Draco shifted to surround her slightly leaving Harry between her and Cho while they stayed behind her. Harry released Cho as Hermione pulled him slightly back. “Let her say what she wants to say. You might as well stop beating around the bush, Cho, and come out and say what you want. I’m tired of pesky and foolish games.”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Cho said raising her eyebrow slightly at the reaction of all four men. “You’re a slut that’s what you are.”

There was a general gasp and even Luna, Ginny, Parvati, and Lavender stood to defend her honor, along with Seamus, Dean, and Neville. Susan seemed so shocked that she didn’t move at all. Harry was more than out raged, Ron gaped as in shock and turned even redder than his hair, Krum froze and began to curse under his breath in Bulgarian, Draco stopped smirking and glared dangerously. Harry lost a little control of his magic and the glasses in their table blew up.

“That’s all?” Hermione asked before she burst out laughing as she clutched to Harry’s arm.

Everyone turned to look at her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head and a pair of antlers. Harry turned grabbing her to keep her upright as tears of mirth spilled from the corners of Hermione’s eyes as she tried to stop, failing miserably by the way, to stop laughing. Harry looked helplessly at the others as if for help as he held Hermione up. Krum seemed as lost as ever mouthing something about English women, Ron muttered ‘mental’, Draco shrugged, and the girls were still sending daggers through their eyes at Cho as she stood there gaping at Hermione as her plan to get her mad had clearly failed.

Hermione finally managed to compose herself and she straightened a bit as she wiped her eyes still chuckling a bit. Harry looked down at her, breathless, looking a bit flushed, giggling…giggling! Hermione Granger was giggling! He looked at her pressed a little against his own body and looking like a fallen angel, and that was when he realized for the first time what it felt to be in love. No, not be, but rather to realize that you have been in love for nine years of your life.

“Oh, Merlin!” Hermione said as she looked up with raised eyebrows as Harry held her in his arms. She looked up at Cho with a rather smug look in her face, Harry noted. “I’m sorry but that was by far the most absurd thing I’ve heard in my life and I’ve heard plenty. I’m okay, Harry.”

“Oh,” Harry said releasing her instantly as she turned to face Cho properly.

“Absurd?” Cho said with a smirk of her own. “Please! You act all bloody innocent and proper. Well, I think you’re a bunch of bullshit!”

“Oh, really?” Hermione asked reaching back to keep Harry at bay. “Come on, Cho, get it out of you, why won’t you? I had my laugh, now finish what you started, and we can all go on with our lives.”

“I bloody hate you!” Cho said with vehemence and Hermione merely raised her eyebrow a bit more as she crossed her arms. Cho pointed at her with a shaking finger as they all stared at the two witches going at it. “It was you! It always was you! You’re the only reason Harry never paid any attention to our relationship!”

“Me?” Hermione asked with a snort. “How did you brilliantly come across that?”

“Don’t you bloody get that all-mighty tone of yours with me,” Cho sneered. “All I want to know is how the bloody hell did someone like you ensnare Harry Potter, an International Bulgarian Quidditch player, Harry’s best friend, and apparently even the most desirable Slytherin, Draco Malfoy! I’ve always wondered how you did it. I thought that they all found that being with a frigid bookworm was a challenge to their male egos, but now I know that you must be quite an easy shag!”

SMACK! Then absolute silence followed.

Well, at least from their inner circle. The party was still going on and there was too much noise and different colored lights for anyone who was not within close range to notice what was going on.

Cho fell backward as Hermione seethed in anger as she lowered her hand. Hermione was breathing heavily as Cho raised her hand to her cheek in a silent gasp. No one moved or dared to even make a sound. No one had ever seen Hermione lose control enough to hit a person, only Harry, Ron, and Malfoy. Malfoy flinched knowing from personal experience what it felt to be in the receiving end of Hermione’s hand. He wasn’t about to tell anybody, but Hermione Granger was not as weak as she looked.

“Listen to me,” Hermione said ardently as she pointed her finger at Cho who was sprawled on the floor crying. Hermione straightened up and turned almost in a sweep as she turned to all of them. “All of you. I don’t owe any explanations of my personal life to any of you. I’m so bloody tired of all of you! So, I want you to listen! For the bloody last time, I’ve never had any romantic relationship with Harry or Draco for that matter. Ronald was my first official boyfriend and guess what? We snogged each other a few times! Viktor was the first man to ask me out and treat me like a bloody girl. There’s only one of them I’ve ever shagged. If that makes me a bloody slut then I guess I am. Bloody sue me!”

The four men in question looked at each other as she turned to face Cho once more. She was shaking with anger now and her magic was almost palpable in the air surrounding her.

“I’m so bloody tired of all this stupid childish games,” she said breathing hard. “If I’m such a bloody insignificant, dull, and ugly bookworm then why the hell are you so bloody intimidated by me? Afraid your voluptuous, gorgeous bodies will not be enough when these gits realize you have nothing up here where it matters? Is that it? Well, I’m not interested in stealing other people’s boyfriends so you all can be assured it won’t be my fault if you can’t keep them. Just know something, if I wanted to have them just out bloody spite, I would, but I love them all too much for my own good. Now, if you don’t mind I will be going to bed before anymore of you start berating me for having ‘stolen’ your boyfriends!”

“Mione, wait!” Harry said running after her with Ron close at his heels. Viktor went after them and Draco not wanting his plans to fail because of the stupid former Ravenclaw followed them. “Mione!”

Hermione being smaller and slimmer moved easily through the throng of people. Harry’s call had made things a bit difficult since now everyone was trying to see who was yelling and why. Malfoy scowled angrily as he almost ran into Krum’s back as the Bulgarian was tangled up. Malfoy looked ahead and noticed that he could no longer see Hermione or Harry. He could still make out Ron’s hair, who was at least a foot taller than most people, up a few feet ahead of him. Krum was now almost muscling his way through and Malfoy followed in his wake in no mood to get his brand new dress robes messed up over this.

Harry had never felt such desperation as he did now. He felt that if he let her get away he would never see her again. He knew it was stupid, she lived with him…and Ron after all, but the feeling was so strong that he found himself pushing past old friends and their families as he fought his way toward Hermione who had almost made it to the doors.

“Potter, what on earth are you doing?” Professor McGonagall asked as he almost reached where she stood with Professor Sprout, Flitwick, Lupin, and Tonks. Ron pushed past Ernie and reached Harry’s side as Lupin stood in their way unconsciously. Krum and Malfoy reached them at the same time from another angle. “What’s going on?”

“Harry?” Lupin asked concerned as he saw the look in Harry’s face as he moved in their direction, then he noticed the other three in his wake.

“Move!” Harry cried angrily waving his arm in a sweeping motion.

“Remus, stop them before they hurt someone,” McGonagall said. Lupin sent a nervous glance at Tonks but they both pulled out their wands and the boys…men froze in their tracks. Harry sent a murderous look toward Remus as he fought against the spell.

“Harry, what’s going on?” Tonks asked. Harry noticed that he had a could no longer see Hermione and he growled angrily as with a crack, he did the unthinkable, he broke through the containment charm of the Stunning spell.

Those that could move felt their jaws drop and those that could not would not even if they could. They stared at Harry with amazement and even a hint of fear as without a backward glance he ran away from them.

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Hermione Granger was breathing hard by the time she reached one of the hidden passageways that led up to Gryffindor Tower. She tried to catch her breath as she slid through the tapestry and leaned against the wall. She felt her dry throat clog up with raw emotion and she slid down the wall slowly as silent painful sobs escaped her. She curled her body into a fetal position as she fought to breathe through the tears and the burning feeling in her heart.

She couldn’t take it anymore. This was the second time in one night that she had given in to that stupid female weakness, but she was exhausted emotionally and she could not find a grip the second time. It hurt. God, it hurt.

She closed her eyes tightly but the tears kept flowing out as her eyes burned and her chest ached. Why was she so stupid to let them get to her? Why? She was supposed to be the smartest witch of the age and she let a couple of airheads crush her like this? Shut the bloody hell up, Hermione! You’re not Little Miss Perfect! You’re a bloody human being! You feel and you hurt as everyone else does, you’re not made of stone!

Harry pushed open the tapestry wanting to make his way toward the Common Room as fast as he could, but the sight that met his eyes made his heart break instantly. Hermione was just lying there sobbing almost silently, curled up into a tight little ball as if to protect herself from some attack. He rushed toward her and fell on his knees beside her.

“Oh, Mione,” he said gathering her close to him. She couldn’t find anything in herself anymore and she let her instinct take over. She went willingly into his arms as he held her tightly. “Don’t cry. Please, don’t cry.”

She couldn’t fight back her tears or the silent sobs that cruised through her body painfully. Harry hated himself from being indirectly related to the reason she was hurting so much and he bowed never to cause her any pain again.

“It’s alright,” Harry whispered gently as he hugged her tightly. “Hermione, it’s alright. I’m here now. I’ll take care of you.”

She held on to him as if her life depended on it. In his arms, she felt safe and protected, but she knew it was concern for his best friend and nothing more that made him hold her so tight. Harry had an enormous heart and so much love to give for someone who had suffered so much that it was amazing. She knew that but even in her current state she knew that she would never be the woman to receive his heart like that.

“Come on,” he whispered as he brought her up with him. She shook her head trying to pull away as she kept her face covered with her hands. He kissed her forehead and picked her up with ease.

“Don’t,” she managed between sobs as she shook her head and tried to get back down to the ground. “Please don’t.”

“Don’t fight me,” Harry pleaded slightly. “Don’t think. For once in your life just let me take care of you, Hermione.”

She couldn’t answer as the concern and love, even if entirely platonic, she heard in his voice brought her feelings and the weakness of her tears to the surface once more. He interpreted her sobs and the way that she curled against his chest as an okay.

Once he was sure that she was properly secure in his arms he begin to make his way back up to Gryffindor Tower. She weighed almost nothing in his arms and he would have never guessed she, of all people, could ever feel so fragile. All he wanted to do was to protect her and make sure no one ever dared to think about hurting her again.

During the war, he had sworn to protect her and Ron, and all those that mattered to him, so that no harm ever came to them, but he had failed her. He knew better than others that there were different kinds of pain, and he had not protected her from the women that claimed to love him.

She who stood by his side and asked for nothing, she who never failed him even when Ron had, she who had saved his life countless times and never threw it in his face as he had years ago, and he could not protect her from the hurt, the insults, the pain that she had endured for him. She had never caved in and one had to admire her strength, but she was human and he should have kept her from ever doing so as she was now.

He finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and cursed under his breath for not knowing the damn password. He looked down ant Hermione and noticed gratefully that she had fallen asleep sometime during their ascent, at least she was no longer crying over those horrible things that Cho had said to her and the things that Ginny and the others had done to her too. He sighed and climbed the last few steps that brought him to the Fat Lady. She saw him and grinned, than she spotted Hermione in his arms and she raised her eyebrows.

“Gryffindor will never be the same since you two left,” the Fat Lady said, somehow managing to lower her shrill, loud voice to a whisper, for which Harry was ever grateful. He smiled as he thought of how to convince her to let him in.

“I sure hope that’s a compliment,” Harry whispered back and she chuckled. Harry sent him what Hermione called his “winning smile” and hoped that she was right as always. “Is there anyway you can …you know, let me in, before I drop her.”

“Sure,” the Fat Lady said with a small smile and Harry grinned thinking he had won. “I’ll let you in as soon as you tell me the password, Potter.”

“The password?” Harry said nervously and the Fat Lady nodded. “I…uhmm, well, you see…”

“You don’t know it, do you?” she asked him and he sighed in defeat shaking his head. She looked at him with Granger in his arms and that ‘hurt puppy’ slump of his shoulders, and she couldn’t help but smile. He looked so much like his father, whom she had always had a soft side for and she sighed in her own defeat. For once in all the history of Gryffindor Tower she would break her own rules. “Oh, come on, then.”

“Huh?” Harry asked stupidly as he looked up to her and saw the slightly annoyed look in her face, but he also saw the slight lifting of her lips as if she was trying to look annoyed.

“Get inside before I change my mind,” she snapped, as she swung open. “But don’t you dare tell anyone. I can’t believe it myself.”

“Thank you, so much,” Harry whispered rushing inside but taking care enough with Hermione as to not wake her up now that she was at least not crying anymore.

He thought for about one second about setting her down on the sofa in front of the blazing fire, but then he thought that she wouldn’t be to comfortable there especially when the rest their friends finally made it upstairs to go to bed. He shook his head at the thought of George and Fred waking her up with one of their pranks. Instead he made his way toward his old room in the boys dormitories. He grinned almost unconsciously when he saw his faithful old poster look just the same as if it had been just yesterday when he had last slept in it.

He set Hermione down on his bed as carefully as if she was made of the finest crystal. She turned on her side and made a small, faint sound of contentment that mad him smile foolishly. He watched her for a few seconds then he reached down and carefully took the amazingly sexy but uncomfortably looking heels. She flexed the arcs of her feet and moaned gently in a way that made Harry’s stomach tighten almost painfully. He jumped from his own reaction and fell hard on the cold stone floor.

“Bloody hell,” he cursed under his breath. He thanked Merlin that Hermione had not woken as he stood up painfully. He watched her sleep looking just like an angel for a few seconds then he turned and after spotting his trunk, he went to it and opened it silently. He pulled one of his old Gryffindor Quidditch training T-shirt’s and a pair of boxer shorts out and looked back at Hermione.

He gulped seeing how high her dress was revealing so much of her creamy taut legs that he could feel his blood start to rush places that were nothing of platonic. He gave his head a little shake as if to clear improper thoughts from it and he looked at the clothes in his hands once more and from them to Hermione.

“Merlin, please help me,” he whispered as he moved next to her. He sighed and braced himself for the task at hand.

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“Where’s Harry?” Ginny asked as Ron, Draco, and Krum reached their table after just a few minutes of going after Hermione.

“He went after Hermione,” Ron told her as he made his way to sit beside Luna once more. He saw the look in his sister’s face and he sighed as he reached across Luna’s lap to take Ginny’s hand. Ginny turned to him questioningly. “Gin, Harry and Hermione would never do anything like what you’re thinking. That just ain’t them, Gin, stop thinking about it.”

“What do you know, Ronald?” Ginny asked pulling her hand away a bit angrily. Ron turned a bit red but Luna pulled him back and shook her head as Ginny turned to face the other way.

“Let her be,” Luna whispered to him. “Why aren’t you with Hermione?”

“Oh,” he said looking a bit sheepishly before staring to explain what had happened almost excitedly.

On the other end of the table Draco slid into a the chair beside Ginny who was so entranced in her own thoughts that she didn’t seem to notice him or the hungry, animal look in his grey eyes as they ran over her.

“Why are you so worried about Granger, Red?” Draco asked almost nonchalantly breaking into her thoughts as he reached for another glass of wine.

“That’s none of your business, Malfoy,” Ginny snapped.

“I guess you’re right,” he said and she turned to look suspiciously at him while he eyed the dance floor. Since when was Malfoy so eager to agree with a Weasley, especially her whom he seemed to always have some clashing argument on hand. What Dumbledore’s name was he up to?

“Wha…?” Ginny began but he turned sharply to her as he stood up.

“Dance with me, Red,” he said with ease as he extended his hand out to her. He smirked as he locked his eyes on hers. He saw instant, almost natural hesitation to agree and he put the first step of his plan to work. “Come on. Potter’s willingness to be at Hermione’s disposal has him paying to little attention to you. He always takes for granted anything that he feels sure of always having. Dance with me, and show him that you are no little toy to be thrown and picked up at his whim. You’re an independent woman, Red. You make your own choices. Let’s have some fun, you and I.”

“I…,” she started and he cocked his head slightly to the side as if in question and at he same time in some impatience.

Hell, he was right. Hot, too. So, why not? Besides she and Harry were on a break, so why not enjoy it and at the same time show the great Harry Potter just what he had? Show him that other men would kill to be as lucky as he was. Then again if she played with fire, she thought looking at the very delectable former Slytherin in front of her, she was bound to get burned a few times. But, hey, if after this, she was gonna really marry Harry, why not enjoy this time of freedom while she could?

“Alright,” she said. If you always played it safe, you were never really living after all.

“Come on, then,” Draco said sounding a bit bored as Ginny stood up. He let her walk a step ahead of him and only then, he smirked. First step accomplished better than he had planned, a Malfoy always knew how to play his cards, and in that respect, he would never be an exception.

Hiya there! I know its felt like years since I’ve updated but it hasn’t really being that long now has it?...Anywho, I hope you guys liked your Christmas/Hanukah/Fill in the blank present…I actually had this planned to be your present but I was kind of busy sooo….

I wanted to thank all of you who have taken the time to review. Thank you. You guys don’t know how happy it makes me to get feedback. It feels great so keep it coming. LOL. R&R.

Disclaimer: If these characters were mine, I would be a genius. I’m not JKR so who am I kidding? They aren’t mine. Go ask JKR if you don’t believe me.

Best Friends

Chapter 6

By Rodare

“Oh, Merlin,” Harry said taking in a deep breath as if he was facing the Dark Army once more. He closed his eyes for a second before he moved over next to Hermione again.

Wait a minute, Potter. What if she wakes up and curses you to hell and back? She won’t. Will she? It’s not like you can leave her like that anyway... Why not? She sure looks damn well in it. FOCUS, Potter! What about a spell?

“That’s it,” Harry whispered pulling his wand out of his sleeve with a flick of his wrist. He pointed at Hermione and whispered a spell that would have her sleeping through a thunderstorm without so much as twitch for at least two or three hours. “I’m a bloody genius.”

He sheathed his wand once more feeling awfully good about himself before his eyes focused on Hermione once more. His heart sped up and his throat went dry but he finally moved next to her. He sat on the bed and leaned over her as he caressed her cheek.

“When did you get so bloody beautiful?” he asked her. He pushed a strand of her away from her face gently. “I’m not supposed to feel like this, Mione. You’re my best friend, and my girlfriend is Ron’s little sister. How could I be so bloody stupid to not see it before? I don’t know how long I will be able to stand being next to you without jumping you. Ha, if you were awake I would snog you senseless right now. What on earth am I going to do, eh? You know all the answers, not me, but I’m a coward and this is the one thing I won’t ask you. I’ll figure this out on my own. I’m Harry Bloody Potter, aren’t I? Too bad I’m the one person that doesn’t believe in me.”

He sighed kissing her forehead gently wondering in the softness of her skin. Harry, being the gentleman he was, managed to put the clothes on Hermione over her dress as quickly as he could. He didn’t trust himself touching her so long. Once he managed that, he pulled his wand out, stood up, and focused on his next spell.

“Ablego vestitus,” Harry muttered focusing all his will on only removing the clothes he wanted to. He grinned as her dress and her underclothing, he noticed with a gulp, disappeared and then appeared in a neat pile at the end of the bed.

He pulled the cover over her and fussed with it until he was sure she was warm and comfortable like she liked. He bent over her and could not stop himself from kissing her forehead again before he stood and drew the curtains closed. It would be so easy to just lay down with her as he had done countless times, but he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be the same, not with the way un-platonic thoughts running through his head this time. He sighed and made his way down to the Common Room. He pulled his tie and his suit jacket off as he sat down in the couch before the fire.

“I…I want you so bad it hurts,” Harry whispered as he stared at the fire once more. “How the hell did this happen without me noticing? Am I so bloody dense?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“That better be your wand, Malfoy,” Ginny muttered as she pressed her back against Draco. The beat of the music had swallowed her up, but not enough not to notice the reaction Malfoy was having as bodies pressed, rubbed, and moved together.

“It’s one of them, Red,” he answered with ease in that careless drawl of his.

“Now, what would dear Narcissa say if she knew her only son gets turned on by a measly Weasley?” Ginny whispered not able to keep herself from smiling.

“So long as it’s the one standing in front of me and not one of the thousand spread around this room, I doubt that she would have a problem at all,” Draco answered. “She sure would not appreciate it if her only son would not continue the family name.”

Ginny laughed and turned in his arms to face him. She moved her hands to wrap around his neck as she pressed her body against his. She had too many firewhiskeys and was so overwhelmed by all the clashing emotions running through her mind to realize just how inappropriately close she was against Malfoy for someone who had a boyfriend. She stared at his unwavering gray eyes and felt her gaze drawn to his lips.

“What?” Draco asked snapping her gaze back to his eyes as he pulled her a little tighter against his hips. She gasped feeling his arousal hard against her stomach.

“I…I just thought that hell must be freezing over,” she managed trying with all her might to keep from whimpering. She could already feel her drunk, traitorous body responding to Draco. “Draco Malfoy making jokes.”

“Yes, indeed,” he answered as his eyes went a little dark. She licked her lips unconsciously as her throat went dry. “Are you staying in the castle all weekend?”

“Yeah,” she managed closing her eyes for a second to clear her head. How could he look so bloody calm when his own body was telling her otherwise? “Hermione managed to get us some days off. Her influences mixed in with Harry’s name sure work wonders. She and McGonagall arranged all this.”

“Yes, I know,” Draco answered calmly. “I dropped by the Ministry a week ago and everything was in chaos, and Granger just kept popping out of nowhere with piles of documents for the Minister to sign. I heard she got another promotion.”

“Yeah,” Ginny answered with a half shrug. “Draco…”

“Yes, Ginny,” he answered and a shiver ran down her spine as they moved in rhythm with the music.

“What are you doing?” she whispered. He raised one of those perfect eyebrows.

“I believe I’m dancing with you,” he answered.

“Why?” Ginny asked moving closer against him. “Why…do you get like this every time you dance…?”

“Because I felt like it and you agreed,” he said calmly. “And, no this doesn’t happen to me over a simple dance. Guess I had one too many firewhiskeys…or perhaps it’s the current company. Does it bother you?”

“I…yes, no, it’s just…” Ginny said watching his lips again. “How…I mean, how can you be so bloody calm?”

“If Lucius was your father you would have learned to keep what you were feeling inside too,” he answered and even through her daze, she felt the coldness and hatred seep into his voice as he spoke of his father. “Call it, knowing how to survive.”

“Gin?” a joyful voice said behind her making her jump. She turned pulling unwillingly away from Draco.

“Charlie,” Ginny said putting on a smile for her older brother when all she wanted was to be melted against Draco again.

“Sorry to interrupt but I wanted to cut in and get a dance with my favorite sis before we gotta leave, you know?” Charlie said talking to Malfoy as he wrapped an arm around Ginny’s shoulder.

“Of course,” Draco answered with a slight nod as he adjusted his impeccable robes and Ginny noticed just how handy they came. She made to say something but Draco took her hand and brought it to his lips as he kept his eyes locked on hers. “It was a pleasure, Ginevra. Enjoy your evening.”

“Yes,” Ginny said as if hypnotized by the unreadable expression in his eyes. “Thanks.”

“Weasley,” Draco said nodding at Charlie who was grinning widely.

“Malfoy,” Charlie answered nodding happily. Ginny watched Draco walk away without another glance before Charlie pulled at her hand. She turned to her brother and answered his smile.

Merlin’s beard, what on earth was going on with her? First, she is jealous of Hermione and Harry, and then she is ready to jump Malfoy? DRACO MALFOY!

She sighed as her brother chatted happily away and she rested her head against his chest. What on in Dumbledore’s name was she going to do?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hermione opened her eyes and blinked in the darkness. She sat up a bit, trying to place her mind to figure out where she was and why. She squinted a little and spotted the other three beds around the one she was currently in and the events of the evening came crashing back into her mind. She groaned and dropped back down on the pillows.

Why did she break down like that? Did she have no bloody backbone? Since when was she such a damn…girl? She sighed and threw the covers of herself as she threw her legs over the side of the bed. She blushed as she realized that the clothes she was wearing weren’t the ones that she had when she fell asleep in Harry’s arms. She bit her lip and pulled on all of the Gryffindor courage that had been eluding her all night long to go find the man in question.

She winced feeling the coldness of the stone floor as she reached the door and made her way out of the boys’ dormitories. She saw what appeared to be the back of Harry’s head. She smiled as she saw how messy his hair was.

“Harry?” she whispered as she made her way down the stairs. He didn’t move or respond and she frowned wondering if he was mad at her. Her worries were erased as soon as she reached the couch in front of the fireplace. He had his neck extended backwards in a painful angle and his body was slumped as he breathed deeply. She smiled as she reached him and she sat next to him gently.

“Harry,” she whispered as she reached over and caressed his cheek softly. He smiled goofily in his dream and she grinned wondering what he was dreaming.

“Mione,” he murmured and she froze her hand over his cheek.

“Harry?” she asked a bit louder than she intended to and his eyes jerked open. He blinked at her as he tried to focus on her and she removed her hand from his face.

“Hey, there,” Harry said smiling gently at her.

“Hey, yourself,” Hermione said unable to keep from matching his smile. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“Is alright,” Harry said sitting up a bit more comfortably. “You feeling better?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry I just …you know…I, I mean…,” Hermione started looking down at her hands.

“Hush, Hermione,” Harry said cupping her chin with his hand. He made her look up as he ran his thumb in small circles on her cheek. “Don’t worry about it. What do you think you have me for if you can’t even cry on me when someone makes you angry? Eh?”

“I…” Harry stared at her and she shut her mouth before she even managed to say one apology. Harry grinned and she hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Harry.”

“You’re very welcome,” Harry answered softly while he enjoyed the feeling of her pressed up tightly against his body. She smelled so nice that he wondered why he had not notice it before. He wondered how he could’ve been so stupid.

Hermione pulled back with a slight blush in her cheeks that made Harry’s heart do a back flip. Harry grinned in that crooked smile that could melt her heart and her mind and everything that made her sensible.

“Do you want to talk about tonight?” Harry asked taking her hand. Hermione shook her head wondering if she really looked that pitiful to have Harry holding her hand. After growing up with the Dursley’s, he had never really gotten down the thing about casual touching. She shook her head and he nodded. “You sure you’re fine?”

“Yes, Harry. I just don’t know why I broke down like that,” Hermione said softly. You know exactly why you broke down like that, Granger. You’re in love with your best friend and the impotence of the whole situation is eating up your insides bit by bit. This time the books you clutch so desperately to will not help you. It’s bloody divination once again. “I feel so embarrassed. I was supposed to…Oh, Merlin!”

“What?!” Harry asked almost in a panic as Hermione jumped to her feet.

“I was supposed to give an ending speech for the guests that are leaving and for the ones that are staying,” she gushed out without a single breath. “Oh, Merlin, and then I were supposed to help with the room arrangements. I had to check on the security and Owl the Ministry. I was to…”

“Hermione!” Harry snapped loudly as she paced around the room. There was so much authority in his tone that she froze on her way to the portrait hole. “Hermione Jane Granger, hold your Hippogriffs for just one bloody second.”

“What?” Hermione asked with a hint of impatience. She turned and jumped back in surprise not expecting him to be so close to her.

“When exactly were you supposed to sleep and rest after working so hard for the last bloody month or two that it took to get all this done?” Harry asked spreading out his arms as if to emphasize the room that they were standing in.

Hermione shrugged looking down and away from his hypnotizing eyes. He smirked as he saw just how bloody adorable…and enticingly sexy she looked in his clothes and with that guilty look in her face. He sure had always loved that look in her face when they did something that broke the rules, he realized, and then there was that glint of defiance that came after. He grinned more when she looked up to meet her gaze and sure enough, there it was. He saw it and then the annoyance started to work its way to her pretty little face.

“Well, who else was supposed to do it if not me to assure that there would be no bloody reporters crowding around the station or trying to break in into the damn bloody castle?” she snapped and Harry grinned more. She turned bright red and turned around with in a huff crossing her arms around her chest tightly. “Stop grinning at me, Potter.”

“Well, who am I supposed to grin at if not at the feisty, beautiful, bookworm standing in front of me, eh?” Harry asked wrapping his arms around her shoulders from behind as he leaned his head on top of hers. “I had no idea it took that much work. I’m sorry for not helping you. Thank you for doing this.”

“We all needed closure,” she whispered not wanting to break the spell. God, it felt so good to have him holding her like that. She leaned against him and he lowered his hands to wrap them around her stomach. She lowered her own hands to set them over his relishing every second of this moment. “Where else to get it then in the place where it all started? This will always be our second home. This is the place where we all will always feel safe. I had to make it work. For us, for me, for you…”

“You’re too good to me,” Harry whispered making her laugh gently. He moved his head to nuzzle his head against her neck softly making a shiver run down her spine. “I would be stupid to ever let you go.”

“Was the thought running through your head or something?” Hermione asked. Harry laughed turning her around in his arms, but keeping his arms around her waist, which made her be much closer than was natural for just two friends…even if they were best friends. Hermione had to press her palms against his chest. Feeling every single taut, well-defined muscle of his chest made her heart beat up faster.

“Now, why would I do such a thing?” Harry asked with that charming smile of his in place. “I’m not that dense, you know?”

“That’s good to know,” Hermione answered almost in a daze. Harry laughed and he began to rock them from side to side slowly. Hermione frowned and laughed as he grinned. “What in Dumbledore’s name are you doing?”

“Well, I never did get a chance to dance with the most sought after witch of the dance, you know?” Harry answered and she laughed merrily.

“Oh, yeah?” Hermione asked with a smile, leaning her head against his chest as they moved together. “If I remember correctly you never did like to dance, Mr. Potter. Oh, and since when am I, Bookworm-Granger, a sought after witch?”

“Yeah, well, maybe I hadn’t found the right partner to do it with,” Harry answered easily with a smile. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a great dance partner, Granger?”

“Viktor has,” Hermione said with a matter of fact tone. Harry scowled and pulled back to look at her, and saw the way she was biting her lip to keep from laughing. “Well, he has, you know?”

“Arghh!” Harry said with a groan as he pulled Hermione back into his arms a little tighter as she laughed. “Have I ever told you that I don’t like Bulgarians at all?”

“No,” Hermione said with a disbelieving tone of voice. “All Bulgarians or just one?”

“Do you have to be such a know-it-all?” Harry asked with a laugh, as Hermione slapped his back. “Here I am trying to charm you into feeling better and then Viktor Bloody Krum has to come and mess it all up for me.”

“Just by being here with me is more than enough,” she answered sincerely. “You never did answer my other question?”

“Nothing ever misses you, does it?” Harry asked laughing. You did, she thought. “Well, to answer your question…maybe you didn’t notice but four very prominent wizards were chasing you down tonight. I, Mr. Harry James Potter, the Bulgarian bon-bon, Viktor Krum, the distinguished Ronald Bilious Weasley, and even the high-flying Draco Malfoy. Hey, what’s with you and Malfoy by the way?”

“All four of you ran after me?” Hermione asked and felt Harry nod. “Oh, Harry, and then we all wonder why all your current and ex-girlfriends hate me. I can’t believe you guys did that. Oh, Merlin, what am I going to do with you?”

“You can start by sending Krum back to Bulgaria,” Harry answered with a laugh realizing just how right she was. “What you do with Ron and Draco, so long as it involves something painful, its fine with me.”

“Is that right?” Hermione asked laughing. They stopped moving and she pulled back to look at him. Harry noticed how her chocolate brown eyes seemed to glitter under the firelight and felt a sudden desire to give in to every single feeling that was running through his body, and just take her right there and now. Hermione saw how his eyes seemed to turn impossibly dark and wondered if it was the light playing tricks on her tired mind. That strange look couldn’t possibly be…lust? “And what exactly am I supposed to do with you, Mr. Harry James Potter.”

“Whatever you want to do with me, Mione,” Harry answered in a voice that she barely recognized. They were so close that they could see every separate eyelash of each other’s eyes. The need and the tension were so big that the air crackled with the magic contained within their bodies. They both moved in slightly so that they were but a breath away from each other.

“Harry, Hermione,” someone called to them a bit loudly. They both jumped and released each other faster than you could say Quidditch. Hermione turned even as Harry fought to bring himself back from his daze. Luna wanted, for the first time in her life, to hex herself. Ron’s bad timing was rubbing up on her.

“Luna!” Hermione said spotting her coming in from the portrait hole. “I …”

“Hey, you feel better?” Luna asked in that dreamy voice of hers interrupting Hermione as if she had not notice the scene to which she had just walked in on. Hermione nodded but knew that there was no way that Luna had not seen them about to…Bloody hell, she had been about to kiss Harry! Luna smiled and then noticed what Hermione was wearing. “Is that Harry’s shirt?”

“What?” Hermione asked and then looked down at herself as Luna pointed at her clothes…or rather Harry’s clothes. She blushed and nodded. “Yes…I …”

“Mione fell asleep on the way to the tower,” Harry answered quickly. He turned to Hermione and blushed seeing the questioning look in her eyes. He met her gaze for a second and she gave a small nod as if knowing that he’d much rather prefer explaining the rest to her in private. “I let her borrow something to change in.”

“Hmmm, well, I just came up to tell you not to worry,” Luna said dismissively as she turned back to Hermione. “McGonagall is taking care of everything as we speak. Ron and the others are coming up in a few minutes. Everyone’s staying in their old rooms. Guess, we all felt like this is our last chance to experience Hogwarts as we should have without Voldemort’s threat around.”

“Yes, we do,” Hermione answered with a smile. “Thank you, Luna.”

“You’re welcome,” Luna answered. Both girls looked at each other then without preamble, they hugged each other quickly. They pulled apart blushing a bit and Harry wondered if anyone but him had ever seen both these girls blushing of all things at the same time. “Well, evening you too…I’ll just let you guys get back to …talking. I’ll go say bye to Ron and the others. I’ll see you two tomorrow. Night.”

“Night, Luna,” Harry said with a wave as she nodded.

“Goodnight, Luna,” Hermione answered as Luna turned and climbed out of the portrait hole quickly.

They both stood there for a few seconds then they turned at the same time to look at each other. Harry scratched the back of his head a bit nervously and Hermione looked down at her feet. In that moment of silence there seem to be an agreement to ignore the fact that they had almost kissed minutes before.

“Guess, you want me to explain how you’re wearing my clothes, eh?” Harry asked. She nodded, not really caring about that, but at a complete lost as to what else to do to break the awkwardness between each other. “I thought you’d be more comfortable if I …I mean, if you got out of that dress and those killer heels, you know? I swear to Merlin that I didn’t look or anything. I cast a sleeping spell on you so that I wouldn’t wake you up. I didn’t want to disturb you and I didn’t want to be hexed if you woke up with me changing you. So, I put on the clothes over your dress and then I cast another spell to take the rest off. I didn’t look, Mione.”

“Stop apologizing, Harry,” she said taking his hands and making him look up. She smiled up at him and he realized that there was just no way for anything awkward to be between them. “I believe you, Harry. Thank you for being so thoughtful of me.”

“Apart from Ron,” Harry said smiling as he tighten his hold on her hands. “You’re everything I have.”

“You have Ginny,” Hermione answered a bit bitterly but the tone was lost on Harry who felt as if a bucket of ice had suddenly been dropped on his stomach. For the last few hours, Ginevra Weasley had not crossed his mind. As a matter of fact, he had not thought about much else but the gorgeous brunette in front of him.

Before he could answer they heard what was unmistakably Fred and George’s booming voices and what, judging by the noise they were making, the rest of their fellow Gryffindor’s who had been invited to stay at the castle for the whole weekend. Hermione gave his hands one last squeeze before she let go of him and she sat on the couch. Harry watched her for about a second before the portrait burst open and their friends spilled into the room.

“HARRY!” Fred and George said loudly as they spotted him. Harry grinned as he saw how both twins were incredibly drunk and barely hanging on to Katie and Angelina, their respective girlfriends. Fred pulled away from Angelina and stumble his way toward the couch where he dropped beside Hermione. George did the same dropping on the opposite side of Hermione with a wide grin in their faces.

“Hermione, you look… (hiccup) absolutely… (hiccup)” Fred said as he threw and arm around her shoulder. Ron walked over to Harry and stood by him laughing at the look in Hermione’s face.

“Dashing…(hiccup),” George finished for him. “My, if I had known how (hiccup)…”

“Gorgeous…(hiccup)” Fred added helpfully. “You would (hiccup) grow up (hiccup)…”

“Aye, (hiccup) mate,” George said. “I would have snatched (hiccup) you(hiccup)up before Harry had(hiccup) a chance.”

“I thought she was (hiccup) dating (hiccup) that bloke Krum?” Fred interrupted leaning over Hermione’s lap to ‘whisper’ to George in rather failing tones.

“Wasn’t it (hiccup), Ron?” George asked. “Or (hiccup) Malfoy?”

“I can’t (hiccup) possibly…” Fred continued.

“Keep (hiccup) up,” George said with some finality. “Aye!”

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake!” Angelina snapped pulling out her wand. Katie followed suit although she looked a tad bit more amused than Angelina or Hermione. They pointed it at their boyfriends and both fell instantly asleep. There was a flash as Colin snapped a picture with the fuming Hermione in the middle. Then with a flick of their wrist, both twins began to float up the stairs to their dormitories as they led them away. Another flash of light and those that were still standing around drinking and laughing burst into applause.

“Oy, Colin!” Ron called through the noise. “I want copies of those pictures, eh?”

“I don’t know whether to be insulted or complimented,” Hermione said. Harry and Ron grinned at her and they sat in the seats that the twins had vacated. Harry and Ron dropped their heads to lean on each of her shoulder and she sighed wrapping an arm around each of them.

“Are you feeling better now?” Ron asked softly so that their conversation would not travel farther then only the three of them.

“Yes,” Hermione answered letting her head fall unconsciously on top of Harry’s. “Harry let me take a nap, and we talked. Let’s forget about it. Did you have fun?”

“Sure did,” Ron said cheekily and Hermione couldn’t help but laugh.

“We don’t want to know how good of a snogger Luna is,” Harry said with a chuckle.

“Whatever,” Ron answered as all three of them watched the fire. Colin jumped out of nowhere and snapped their picture with a flash. “Oy!”

“It’s one of the best yet,” Colin said in his defense as Ron sat up. Hermione pulled him back down and he settled down again. “Come on, one more! I got to get some of the Famous Trio, too! You three make quite a picture!”

“We a band now or something?” Ron asked. Harry and Hermione laughed but they all smiled without moving from the unconscious pose to which they had all settled comfortably into, as Colin flashed away. “Jeez, you’d think he would grow out of it but…”

“Shut up, Ron,” Harry answered and Hermione laughed. Ron rolled his eyes and they settled into a comfortable silence that comes from knowing a person for nine years.

“Where are Lavender, Parvati, and Ginny?” Hermione asked as the room began to empty out.

“They went to accompany Luna,” Ron answered with a yawn.

“Why aren’t you with them?” Harry asked matching his yawn.

“Did they send you up to help with your brothers?” Hermione asked unable to contain the yawn that followed Harry’s. “Excuse me.”

They could only stop it for about one second before all three of them burst out laughing. They managed to stop after a while and they settled back down into the couch once more.

“About your question, yes they did,” Ron said after they caught their breath once more. “I think you could actually give Trelawney a run for her money. You know every bloody thing that goes on.”

“That is actually a step up from Trelawney,” Harry answered relishing the light weight of Hermione’s head on his.

“Thank you, Harry,” Hermione answered. She yawned and it didn’t take long before the other two followed. They chuckled, too tired to have another laughing fit. “We should head over to bed.”

“Yeah,” Harry answered even as he closed his eyes. “You guys want to move?”

“Hell, no,” Ron answered with another yawn as he closed his own eyes.

“Language, Ronald,” Hermione managed as her own eyes shut close.

In a few minutes, the Famous Trio were asleep. Colin had been right; together they made quite a picture. Hermione in the middle was the bond that held them together. Both boys leaning on her shoulders as she held them in her embrace, but even the strongest pillar needed something to hold it up, and Hermione had rested her head over Harry’s comfortably. In that instant they were the symbol of the good that came come out of the worst times. In that instant they were the symbol of the peace and strength that we can find in a true best friend.

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I'm very sorry it took so long to update but it took a while to get everything down the way that I had it planned. I hope it’s not too bad. I wrote the last part at two in the morning so feel free to point out any mistakes and I’ll try to fix them as soon as I can.

Thank you again for taking the time to review my work. (MAJOR HINT!!!)

Anyhow, thank you for your patience and please bear with me!

I’ll try to have the next update sooner but I won’t make a promise I can’t keep…so…

THANK YOU ALL!!! OH, AND R&R BEFORE YOU GO!!!

~~RODARE

Hahahahaha!!!!! I am soooooo happy!!!! We actually went over the 100 reviews in Portkey!!!! You guys rock!!! In FanFiction, we went over the 50 mark!! You guys rock too!!! Whooooohooooo!!!!

Hmmm….sorry. I’m overly excited as you can tell. I just love reviews and I love more to hear about what you guys like and what you don’t. It just feels great to know someone out there actually takes the time to read my work. I love you guys!!!

Anywho, I also want to apologize for taking so long in updating especially after all the wonderful reviews I got from all of you guys, but I’m back in school, I have homework again, and I got a little addicted to Forever Knight by DeliverMeFromEve. It’s a great story and I kinda just read it from start to finish too, sooo…So sorry. I’m back on track and I’ll juggle with my time so I can update a bit faster.

Any errors will be fixed as soon as I can if you guys notice them.

Without further ado…

Best Friends

CHAPTER 7

By:

RODARE

Parvati, Lavender, and Ginny made their way back to Gryffindor tower after accompanying Luna to Ravenclaw’s House Common Room. Lavender and Parvati were giggling and gossiping about the party both feeling too happy and thus rather unconcerned about the way that Ginny was pouting slightly as she walked beside them lost in her thoughts. She blinked as she spotted someone leaning against the wall on the opposite end of the portrait the Fat Lady.

“What are you doing here, Malfoy?” Ginny asked with a slight frown. Draco did not answer but he pushed himself away from the wall and into the light. He looked at Ginny with almost unveiled desire, but none of the three Gryffindors noticed it.

“I was actually waiting for some Gryffindor to come,” he said saying the word as if it was something disgusting for his tongue to be uttering. “I need to speak with Hermione.”

“Hermione?” Lavender asked raising her eyebrow. She wondered what exactly Draco wanted and at the same time, her sense of gossip was as keen as ever and she immediately noticed the strange look that came to Ginny’s face as Draco revealed whom he wanted to see. “What do you want to see her for?”

“Many things and none that concern anyone but me and her, Lavender,” he answered with a smirk veiled with polite pleasantness that coming from him did the opposite of making one feel appeased. Lavender frowned as if she had been insulted and crossed her arms over her chest as she sulked. Draco ignored her and turned his grey eyes to Ginny. “Now, which of you lovely ladies will be so kind as to go get her?”

“You’re expecting us to go fetch her just because you say so?” Lavender asked disdainfully.

“I’ll go,” Ginny answered rather haughtily as she pushed Draco out of the way with a graceful hand. She was mad and confused and Draco’s presence asking for Hermione after he had been happily rubbing his randy self against her hours before did nothing to make her feel better.

Since when was every single man in the bloody Wizarding world running wild after Hogwarts’ greatest bookworm? Since she turned into a rather gorgeous, successful, famous, and smartest witch of the age…maybe? Argh! Shut up, Ginevra! Shut up!

“I’ll go with you,” Parvati said quickly. Lavender glared at them but she knew that one of them had to stay behind to make sure that he was not up to something while they entered the tower. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Draco who ignored her as his eyes followed Ginny through the portrait hole. “Gin?”

“What?” Ginny asked turning around to face her friend as the portrait hole closed at their backs. Parvati moved quickly to reach her.

“I want to apologize for how we …well, you know about that game and…” Parvati said awkwardly.

“Forget it, alright?” Ginny answered somewhat taken aback by the sudden and unexpected apology. Ginny shrugged and looked away wondering if they weren’t really right and she had no future with Harry. “I…let’s just get Hermione.”

“Okay,” Parvati said and the made their way quickly to the common room. The only light in the whole room was coming from the fireplace where it rested on the only three people that were still there.

Ginny didn’t know exactly what it was that she felt when she saw the Famous Trio asleep in the couch but it scared her more than anything that she felt something deep inside her telling her that this was the way things would always be. Harry and Ron would always be bonded with Hermione no matter who tried to break them apart and the realization pained her more than anything ever did.

She heard Parvati make a small noise behind her and she took a couple of steps toward them ignoring her. She felt tears well in her eyes against her will as she saw how at peace Harry looked with his head nestled over Hermione’s. She pushed back the sob that threatened to overcome her already tumbling control and she took another step toward them.

She noticed instantly that Hermione was wearing Harry’s clothes as if she belonged in them when Ginny herself had never wore any of his things for more than a couple of minutes if at all. She wondered why all she felt was the fear and the loss but none of the anger that she should be feeling right about now. She looked away from the beautiful girl that had helped her through thousands of things, the one that had offered her friendship with ease, the one that had covered for her in front of her overprotective brothers, the one that had helped her realize the error of her ways when she had obsessed over Harry, the one that had helped her get Harry Potter’s attention in the first place, and that now threatened to take everything she had ever dreamed of since she was ten years old.

She saw the stupidly contended look in her brother’s face, as he lay with his mouth slightly open against Hermione’s shoulder. He was so happy that she always wondered why it had never worked between him and Hermione, but she was only one of the few that had been surprised when they ended their relationship days before their first month. Fred and George, she later found out, had bet that they would not last more than a week and had only been surprised by the fact that they had stayed longer together than expected. She smiled as he made a soft snorting sound but did not wake and she felt herself fighting for control of her emotions once more.

She turned to look at Harry and she felt something deep inside of her break. She wiped a stray tear quickly out of the way and she blinked the others away quickly. Merlin, he was handsome in that way of his that differed so much from Draco’s outer perfection, and that made every witch and Muggle women that ever saw him to feel drawn by him. His arm was tight around Hermione as if he was afraid to let go. He had a smile playing in his lips as he breathed in compass with Hermione. She fought for control for a second and then she reached over and pulled his glasses of his face gently setting them in the table beside him. She turned to look back at him and she touched his cheek gently.

“Mione,” he muttered and she jerked her hand away from him as if she had been burned.

She looked at him for a moment not knowing what she felt or what she was going to do with it once she figured out what it was. She straightened up to her full height which was tall, although not exceedingly, for a woman, and begged Merlin for self-control. She pulled all her feelings, all her hurt, and turned around once she knew her face was an impenetrable mask of unreadable emotions. She moved quietly away from the three best friends and she walked back to Parvati who was watching her with unveiled apprehension as if waiting for her to explode at any second.

“Tell Malfoy…tell him that Hermione is resting and weren’t waking her up,” Ginny whispered at her in a neutral voice devoid of emotion. “I’m going up to rest. Make sure you and Lavender don’t…”

“We won’t,” Parvati said quickly as she saw the youngest Weasley glance back at the couch by the fireplace. “Gin, will you be alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Ginny asked coldly making Parvati wince. She sighed and turned away from the inquisitive eyes of the gossip twin. “Goodnight, Parvati.”

“Night, Ginny,” Parvati whispered back as she saw her make her way up the stairs. She looked back at the trio and sighed. She made her way out, spotted an impatient Draco standing away from an irritated Lavender.

“Finally!” Draco said pushing away from the wall and moving her way. “Well, where is she?”

“She can’t come,” Parvati said quickly and saw the flicker of annoyance taint Malfoy’s eyes instantly. “She’s …asleep and Ginny said not to wake her.”

“Is Potter awake?” Draco asked and he saw the look of panic and confusion come to the usually gossiping girl. “What aren’t you telling me? You’re acting as if you just saw Potter sleeping with Hermione.”

“You’re mental,” Lavender said instantly but Parvati stayed silent and even Draco blinked. The silence extended for a few seconds more and Malfoy chuckled wickedly once he recovered from the shock. Lavender glared at him as he passed a hand over his perfect hair and continued to laugh. “Vati?”

“I…” Parvati began but Malfoy recovered and looked up with a sneer. By Salazar, was he good at knowing people or what? He had thought his comment as a joke to annoy the Gryffindors, but he never thought that he would hit it right on the mark.

“Potter shagged Granger?” he asked Parvati who looked as if she wanted nothing but go and hide.

“It’s nothing like that,” Parvati said quickly as soon as she recovered. “Hermione, Harry, and Ron fell asleep in front of the fireplace. Ginny said not to disturb them so you can get on with leaving now.”

“Uhmm,” he said and he pulled a folded piece of parchment out of his robes as an afterthought. Yes, it always did to have another plan up his sleeve. “Give this to Hermione for me when you can, will you? Preferably before breakfast tomorrow.”

“I’m really getting tired of you, Malfoy,” Lavender said taking the paper angrily. Draco smirked and bowed slightly as he made his way away from them with his usual sneer in his handsome face.

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Hermione woke up feeling better than she had in months until the events of the night before came back to her in full force. She sighed gently but did not open her eyes fearing the beginning of another day. She would have to face everyone again after everything that had happened. She had broken down for the first time in years.

By Morgana, why was she breaking down now, after almost five years why had she broken down like that? You know why, Hermione Granger, don’t try to fool yourself. Even you can’t handle such repression of feelings for this long. She was right of course and she knew it. She took a small breath and tried to calm herself again. She had to think things through before she faced the day before her.

She was breaking bit by bit. She was destroying herself whether she wanted to face the facts or not. She couldn’t allow that to happen. She had never being weak and she was not about to start now. There was no hope for her heart in her mind. You say there is no hope and yet you almost kissed him. She froze and her whole body tensed. Yes, if Luna had not come, she would’ve kissed Harry Potter, her best friend.

What in Merlin’s name, had she been thinking? She shouldn’t even allow herself to be thinking such thoughts. Harry was not only her best friend, but he had a girlfriend, who was her own friend and Ron’s sister. She had no right to be fantasizing about things that were not only impossible, but also just wrong to be considering at all.

“Harry,” Ron’s sleepy voice called cutting through her thoughts. She kept her eyes closed even as she felt him shift under her legs, which she noticed were laying comfortably in his lap. That meant that her head was on Harry’s lap, but she quickly pushed those thoughts away. “Herms! Get up, you lazy bums. I’m starving.”

“You just woke up, Ronald,” Hermione said with a grimace at the nickname she hated, finally opening her eyes and glancing at her red head friend who was stretching his arms as he yawned. “How can you possibly be famished as soon as you open your eyes?”

“It’s too early, Ron,” Harry said with a yawn as he opened his eyes and blinked blindly as he tried to bring his hazy world into focus. Hermione saw him blink and glance down at her with that smile of his and she felt her heart melt. He looked so adorable. “Hey, there.”

“Hey, yourself,” she answered with a smile and he grinned in response. After a second, he looked away from her beautiful eyes and squinted as he tried to find his glasses.

“I don’t remember taking my glasses off,” Harry murmured. Ron yawned again as he looked toward Harry.

“You look half blind, mate,” Ron said unhelpfully. Harry turned from his blind search to glare at Ron’s hazy, colorful outline. “What?!”

“I am half blind, Ron,” Harry answered and Hermione chuckled softly. Harry shook his head in amusement. “With friends like you two…”

“There next to you on the table,” Ron said with a goofy grin. Hermione smiled as Harry pushed his glasses onto his handsome face. “Can we go eat now?”

“I don’t feel like moving,” Harry said and Hermione was surprised to see him glance at her again. She wondered if he wanted her to move but he only smiled again.

“I don’t care, Potter. Ger your bum up,” Ron said punching Harry’s arm. Harry scowled and rubbed the spot softly. “I’m gonna go up and change, and when I get back you’d better be ready to go up yourself.”

Harry groaned and let his neck rest back on the backrest of the couch. Ron glared at him but did not say anything after a glance from Hermione. He rolled his eyes and after lifting Hermione’s legs gently, he slid from his place and let her legs fall back onto the couch.

“Thanks, Ron,” Hermione said and he grinned bending down to kiss her cheek. She smiled as he straightened up. He ruffled Harry’s hair playfully and Harry pushed his hand away playfully as he opened his emerald, green gaze.

“Sod off, Ron,” Harry said with a grin and Hermione glance at him with a frown. He blushed guiltily and looked away. “Sorry, Mione. I’ll watch my language.”

“You’d better,” Hermione answered as she tried to get up.

“Oh, really?” he asked with a playful tone and before she was able to manage to straighten up he put his arms around her waist and pulled her toward him gently.

“Harry!” Hermione called laughing as she tried to pull away from his grasp. He laughed and pulled her back against his chest.

“Did you sleep well?” Harry asked as she stopped fighting him. Hermione leaned into his embrace enjoying the feeling. She nodded and he kissed cheek just as Ron had, but Ron didn’t make her feel weak at her knees, he didn’t make her heart beat faster. “Good. Hey, did I tell you that you look rather good wearing my clothes?”

“Harry!” Hermione said turning to face him even as her face turned beet red and he laughed at her. She couldn’t help it if her heart jumped and beat in her chest as if it wanted to jump out and tell him what he made her feel.

He grinned at her and she managed to roll her eyes and pushed against him. She managed to stand up and turn to look at him before he reached for her again. She jumped out of his grasp and she felt his hand brush against her barely missing her. She stuck her tongue out at him knowing very well that he took pride in his seeking skills. He laughed softly and moved faster than she could ever predict and before she knew it, she was on the floor being tickled.

“Harry!” she breathed as she laughed. He laughed and kept his torture going. “Stop it!”

“Say you look good in my clothes,” he said laughing as she writhed under him. She shook her head and tried to breathe even as she laughed. “Say it!”

“NO!” she said breathlessly and he tickled her a bit more vigorously.

“Say it!” he said laughing.

“I look good,” she said in a single breath and then stopped laughing with a twinkling in her eyes as he let his hands stop for a second. He waited for her to finish but she stuck her tongue out at him again and he raised his eyebrows with a wicked grin. She smiled and he attacked her ribs again.

“Say it!” he said again knowing she wouldn’t be able to keep going much longer.

“Alright!” she said and he stopped his hands. She laughed and squirmed under him and he realized for the first time just how much seeing her like that under him and squirming breathlessly was affecting him. He prayed, something he had never done even during the war, that she wouldn’t notice. She bit her lip sweetly and he couldn’t help but smile. She huffed and met his eyes. “Ilookgoodinyourclothes.”

“You’re cheating,” Harry said bending over to press his forehead against her as he frowned at her while, he sat straddling her. Her chocolate eyes were twinkling as she tried to catch her breath. She shifted and tensed instantly as she came in contact with a part of Harry that he wished he could control. She looked up at him and suddenly noticed just how close they were. Harry could see panic, confusion, surprise, and something he couldn’t describe run through her eyes in an instant.

“Harry,” she said in a voice he had never heard before but it made his whole body, especially the part that had betrayed him, tingle excitedly. He couldn’t have answered even if his brain had been working because his throat had gone incredibly dry. Without thinking about the consequences of his acts, as usual, he followed every instinct that was screaming at him and he shifted his head meeting her lips for the first time.

Hermione felt her brain short circuit instantly as she felt his lips on hers. Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes closed in their own accord. It was everything, and more, than she had dreamed of. His lips were soft, delicious, and demanding. Her whole body was shaking in response and she could even feel, in the back of her mind, that the magic in her body seemed to be acting up as her whole body.

Harry closed his eyes sinking in the feeling of her lips. Merlin, her lips were softer than a rose petal and she tasted sweeter than the best candy in all of Honeydukes, and he wondered why on earth he had not kissed her before. He deepened the kiss a bit more as his desire for her overwhelmed his thought process even more.

Hermione felt him deepen the kiss and she responded instantly. For the first time in her life, she stopped thinking and caring about anything but enjoying the moment. Her arms moved around him without her notice and she reached the back of his head running her fingers through his wild, silken hair as she had fantasized countless times.

She felt Harry open his mouth against hers, and felt his tongue running over her lips seeking entrance into her mouth. She didn’t even hesitate, and Harry groaned, as he tasted her.

He wondered how the skinny, bushy haired, know-it-all that he met when he was eleven could make him feel like that. He never thought he would be able to feel what love was and here he was feeling it for the one girl he never really thought he could have. Sure, he was aware, well at least now, that he had always compared girls to Hermione. How she wasn’t as smart as Mione, or as nice, or as brave, or as great, as good, and last night , how they weren’t as beautiful. They never were up to her but he had always thought that it was natural since she was such a big part of him, he never thought that he did it because his heart already knew what his mind did not, that he was actually looking for Hermione in every other girl.

Hermione felt the shift from reckless, ruthless feelings to a chained but tender passion and it shook her to the core of her heart. By this time, she was already breathless and completely lost to reason. She felt Harry press his hips down against her own and she couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped her lips. Harry groaned as she unconsciously arched her back to grind against him. Harry let go of her mouth to allow her to breathe as he continued to trail hot kisses along her jaw and down her neck. She opened her eyes for just a second as she willed her brain to work and realize just what she was doing and with whom, but before the thought finished crossing her mind Harry was kissing a spot behind her ear that made her whole body feel indescribably good and another small noise of pleasure escaped her mouth once more. Harry felt such a primal feeling of arousal from the small noises that she was making and he searched for her mouth with urgency. She tightened the grip on his hair as she let her mouth ravage hers again. Harry groaned and crushed his hips down on hers in response making her whimper and arch her back in need.

“Harry?!” Ron’s voice called. “Get your bum moving, mate!”

Hermione moved as if she had been burned and finding the strength that had been evading her for the past fifteen minutes she was able to push on Harry’s chest. He pulled back and looked down at her with his amazing emerald eyes glazed over with passion and need. She shudder in anticipation but she pushed him again and he rolled off her. They both sat up next to each other without exchanging so much as a glance much less a word as they tried to catch their breath.

“Harry,” Hermione whispered as they heard Ron calling again. He turned full of expectancy but she was looking at her hands. She sighed and always being the practical one said, “I…I’ll go tell Ron you’ll be there in a second…so, you can…uhmm, get your …thoughts together.”

“Mione,” Harry said as she stood up. She finally looked at him and she saw the need in his eyes, but need for what she was not sure. She was to raw and weak to handle , and her brain started to kick in at precisely that instant. She felt the tears itching behind her eyes and looked away from him again.

“I…I can’t, Harry,” she said as she moved away from him. “I can’t. Later. We’ll talk later.”

She didn’t look back as she ran up the stairs and found Ron in the landing were the staircase divided into two.

“Hey, Herms,” he said looking as fresh as the day. “Did you let that lazy git get back to sleep?”

“I…” she said and stopped as he cupped a hand under her chin and raised her face to look at her a bit more closely.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “You look…pale but at the same time a little flushed and weird.”

“I…I’m cold,” she answered looking away from his eyes hoping he wouldn’t notice her lie. “But I ran up the stairs so I guess that’s why I look flushed.”

“Oh,” Ron said with a bit of a shrug. His stomach chose to rumble and she smiled as he blushed.

“Harry, he’ll come up in a second,” she said quickly. “Hey, do you think you could get my clothes? They’re in Harry’s bed.”

“Your clothes?” Ron asked and she blushed. “Why are they in Harry’s bed?”

“Get your mind out of the gutter, Ronald,” she snapped and he arched his brow. She blushed and reached for his hands. “I’m sorry. I’m a little cranky right now. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“I know,” he said with a grin. “Is okay. I’ll go get your clothes. Wait here. You don’t want to see Seamus in all his glory, believe me!”

“Okay,” she said with a smile. He grinned and ran up the boys’ staircase quickly.

“Mione?” Harry called behind her making her turn sharply. He was standing there looking as irresistible as ever. He had grown up really good, leaving the scrawny boy behind and now he looked amazing. “We…”

“We will,” she answered reading his thoughts. She looked away from him and down at her hands. “I need time…I need to clear my head. Please.”

“Okay,” he said with a sigh. He looked at her and without thinking, he reached and cupped her chin with his hands. She looked up in surprise only to feel his lips on her once more. She was too surprised by the tenderness and softness of his lips to pull back. He pulled away after a second and Hermione opened her eyes. She blinked and he moved past her and up the stairs leaving her standing there at a complete loss of what was happening for the first time in her life.

“Herms,” Ron said running down to her. She looked up and thanked him as he handed her neatly folded clothes. “I’m gonna go and get Luna, alright? I’ll meet you and Harry in the Great Hall, okay? He said he’ll wait for you.”

“I…okay,” she answered absently as thousands of thoughts ran through her mind. Why had Harry kissed her again? Had it not only been a thing of the moment for him? Had he really wanted it? She sighed and decided to stop pondering about it but even as she crossed the room, where Lavender and Parvati were still asleep, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking about it. From remembering, how good it felt. She removed her…Harry’s clothes and with a sigh, she moved under the searing hot spray of the shower. Merlin, was there a chance he felt what she had been feeling for years now?

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Harry and Hermione walked in silence through the halls of Hogwarts as they had years ago but this time it was different. This time they were both dreading what would happen to their friendship because they had been foolish enough to kiss each other. Make out with each other more like it. Besides they were both a little irritated with each other, but for completely different reasons then the make out session they had. In fact, they had yet to acknowledge the fact that it had actually happened and that both parties had not imagined it. They were mad because they had both come downstairs at exactly the same time to find out that they had both decided to match.

To celebrate the seventh years last Quidditch match Luna had bought everyone in the team sweatshirts. They were red and gold with the Gryffindor lion in the back under the player’s name. By accident, Luna’s order was messed up and two were made for Harry as they soon realized when they opened the box. Harry had turned with a grin and given it to Hermione saying that since she was their greatest fan, (She had never missed any of his games, of course, mostly in fear of what would happen to him, but the rest just so she could watch him in his Quidditch uniform. Those uniforms made every girl in Hogwarts fantasize, bookworm or not, Hermione was primarily a girl, and even she had not been immune to them.) that she should have one too.

Rumors had started again as the cause of that simple gesture of friendship but as usual, they had both ignored them. Ron had fumed about it too, but after a shouting match with Hermione and a more calm discussion with Harry, he had stopped worrying about it.

As if by fate they had both come down wearing them, and both had refused when the other attempted to make each other go up and change. They had not argued but had both grudgingly left the Common Room irritated at the other’s stubbornness.

“People are going to talk and make a big deal about this, you know that.” Hermione said coolly unable to stand the uncomfortable silence any longer. Harry turned to her and shrugged noticing just how good those faded jeans looked on her now that she was older and had filled in all the right places. “Don’t you, Harry?”

“They always have,” he answered with a shrug. Hermione sighed. Harry glanced at her again and he reached for her hand. She froze and stopped in mid stride to look at him. “I don’t like it when you’re mad at me, Mione.”

“I’m not mad,” she answered instantly and with honesty. She glanced at him and pulled her hand away from his for the first time in nine years. “I’m irritated with you about these stupid sweatshirts. I’m confused about everything else, Harry. I’m a sensible, practical person, and I’m still processing my own feelings and thoughts about what happened this morning. I need you to understand that. I need you to think about what happened and why. We need to talk, but not now. I can’t right now. Please, Harry.”

“Okay,” Harry answered digging his hands in the front pocket of his jacket. She looked at him and he managed to smile at her, which he was glad she returned. “But we will talk about it. You know that, right?”

“Yes,” she said with a sigh. He nodded and pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head playfully. She pushed it back and hit his arm. “Harry, behave!”

“No need to get violent,” he said laughing as he tried to ease the mood between them. She rolled her eyes as they kept walking when suddenly she remembered something that made her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.

“Are you going to tell, Ginny?” she asked softly avoiding his eyes at all costs. She looked at him and saw in his expression the reflection of what she was now feeling. Guilt, shame, but no trace of regret, and that was the thing that scared her.

“No, not yet,” he answered. “I will, but not yet.”

“She’s going to hate me,” she answered. “And, now she will actually have a reason for it.”

“Ginny doesn’t love me, Hermione,” Harry answered and she looked up at him sharply. He ran his hands through his messy black locks before continuing with a sigh. “I don’t think she ever has, and I don’t love her, either.”

“Then why are you with her?” she asked not knowing exactly why she was feeling slightly agitated at this. He didn’t answer and she knew he was holding something back from her. She stopped and pulled on his arm so he would stop and face her. “What is it? You wanted to talk? Let’s talk, then. I want to know why you’re telling me this and I want to know why you kissed me this morning.”

“Ginny and I decided to give each other a break last night,” he answered after a second of hesitation. He saw that she was getting angry and decided to tell her before she hexed him to next week. “We agreed we would let each other decide whether we wanted our relationship to keep going after this weekend.”

“What?” Hermione said and she felt sudden fury fill her. She turned to face him and he tried to grab her arms as his instinct told him that she was thinking something very wrong. She looked angrier at this and she pushed his hands away as she hit his chest with her palms making him take a step back. She might not look it but she was strong. “And, what you decided to kiss me? Have some fun while your ‘free’? Is that it?”

“Is that what you think of me?” he snapped back full of hurt that she would think that of him. “That I would risk our friendship over something like that? Am I so low to you?”

“Then why on earth did you do it?” she asked back angrily as she fought the tears that where threatening to spill from her eyes. She had seen the hurt in his eyes and it pained her in the deepest corners of her heart. She turned away from him and pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, angry at her own weakness. “Why?”

“I did it because I wanted it as much as you did,” he answered not wanting to tell her the real reason for fear that she would laugh in his face and break his heart. As much as he loved her, he was scared of admitting it so soon after he himself had just realized the fact.

“How do you know what I want?” she asked turning around to face him. “You know nothing of what I feel, Harry! Nothing!”

“I would if you told me!” he snarled and this time she did laugh. It was a sad, sarcastic laugh that he had never heard before.

“You always want the darn easy way, don’t you?” she asked coolly. “Why don’t you open your bloody eyes for once and find the answers for this on your own, Harry? If you weren’t so dense you wouldn’t have to have me telling you, would you?”

“I might be,” he answered knowing that she was right and wondering what it was that he had missed and that angered her so much. “But, I know bloody well that you liked it as much as I did. If you felt nothing then why did…”

“Of course, I felt something!” she snapped cutting into his own rampage to start one of her own. “I’m a human being too, you know. I feel and desire in the same way every other woman does! Being an insufferable know-it-all does not hinder my physical needs in any way, Harry!”

“So what?” Harry asked now feeling himself insulted. “You let me kiss you so I could scratch at your itch?”

“How. Dare. You.” she said fuming and before he knew it, she had slapped him. He felt his head snap to the side with the force and the side of his face singed as if a bludger had slammed into him. His eyes went frighteningly dark and before either of them knew what was happening he had her pressed against one of the darkest crevices of the hall and away from any wandering eyes.

“I fully deserved that,” he answered with inhuman calmness. “You insulted me first so I guess we’re even.”

“Let go of me, Harry,” she said with as much force as she could manage without yelling again, and while her heart threatened to jump out of her chest.

“No,” he said simply trailing his mouth down her neck. She tried to pull back but the wall prevented her from it and she closed her eyes against her will. Damn her treacherous, needy body! He pinned her hands behind her back with one of his own and he let the other caress her cheek. “Look at me, Mione.”

“This is wrong,” she argued and he began to kiss THAT spot behind her ear. Her eyes closed instantly again at the overwhelming feeling. She moaned almost inaudibly and shuddered as he trailed his tongue on her ear. “Oh, Merlin…Harry, you’re…we’re making a mistake…”

“It’s too good to be a mistake,” he answered trailing his free hand down her side as she arched against him. He let go of her hands as he gripped her hips and began to nibble on her earlobe. She felt that if he let go she would slide to the floor instantly. Her knees were weak and her brain was fuzzy. “Don’t you see it, Hermione?”

“Gi…” she began but he suddenly slid his hands under her jacket and cupped her breasts over her shirt making her moan as he continued his torture with his mouth. He groaned against her and he pressed his arousal against her. “Harry…”

“Will you let me kiss you again?” he asked as he heard her say his name almost pleadingly.

She could only manage a nod as she pressed herself harder against his hands and his hard body. He crushed his lips to her with almost feral delight and she opened her mouth to him instantly. He cupped her a bit harder and she moaned gripping his back with her hands afraid that if she let go she would lose all sanity. He slid his hands from under her jacket and he gripped her hips. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him in response. He groaned in pleasure and she pulled her mouth away from his to breathe.

“By Merlin, I want you so bad,” he said taking her lips again and she could hear the urgent, unrestrained need in his voice. She opened her mouth to him and she slid her legs down to the floor. He made to complain but she used one of her hands to keep his mouth in place, and with the other, she cupped him through his pants. “Mione…”

“Shhh,” she whispered before sliding her tongue into his mouth again. Her mind was made up the instant she heard the painful need in his voice, she couldn’t bear to have him suffer, and when Hermione Granger made up her mind no one could make her change it. Unless it was the man currently against her. He groaned and pressed harder against her hand.

She was only slightly surprised at the hefty size of his equipment. Harry Potter was in fact a very well endowed man. She moved her hand against him slowly at first as she kissed him, but then his breathing started to get a little erratic and he pulled his mouth away from hers. He muttered her name as he leaned his head against the crook of her neck. She turned her head to suck gently on his neck being careful not to leave any marks on his skin as she speeded the pace and raised the pressure of her hand.

“Let go,” she whispered in his ear with love. “Let go, Harry.”

“Mione!” he groaned as he stars exploded behind his eyes and his vision went black. He came harder and longer than ever in his life. She kept her hand stroking him until he came and then she wrapped her arms around his waist hugging him as he shuddered against her. He leaned his weight against her as his release left him gasping.

“Hey, you alive?” she joked feeling strangely jovial. He grunted and lifted his head to look at her. She smiled and this time she welcomed his affectionate kiss. She had stopped thinking and worrying the instant that his lips had touched her and by now she was lost in the moment. She didn’t have a care in the world but the man in her arms. She pulled his wand out of the back pocket of his jeans and pulled back from his kiss. She pointed the wand between his legs as she kept her chocolate brown eyes focused on his amazingly hypnotic green gaze.

“Careful where you point my wand,” he said and she laughed. He flushed even more and gave her a soft peck on the lips as she muttered a cleansing spell. “That didn’t come out right, did it?”

“Oh, I think it came out quite nice,” she said and he blinked surprised at her audacity. He grinned and pulled her toward him. This was his Hermione, and she could always surprise him. She smiled against his lips and he pulled back to look at her beautiful face.

“You’re feeling pretty smug about yourself, aren’t you?” he asked and she laughed softly as he looked at her. She licked her lips and his gaze was instantly drawn toward them. She laughed and he looked up at her eyes again. His eyes went wide as he realized that she had done it on purpose to show him just how much she knew she had that much control over him. “You did that on purpose!”

“And if I did?” she asked. He arched his brow and thought about what to do to get her back.

“I’m going to have to pay you back for it,” he answered and her eyes went wide at his implications. He flipped her around so that it was now him who had his back against the wall and her back was now against his chest.

“Harry!” she muttered trying to turn and merely able to turn her neck as he refused to release her. “What are you doing?”

“Taking your smugness away,” he whispered attacking her neck in the spot he had recently learned made her instantly compliant. She moaned instantly and stopped fighting him as he nibbled on her ear and alternately licked her weak spot on her neck.

“That’s cheating,” she whimpered and he grinned. He lowered his hands to her waist and moved them to the front of her jeans. She shuddered but merely leaned more against his chest. “What if …”

“Then we’d better hurry,” he answered reading her thoughts. He unzipped her jeans and slid his hand under them. He groaned as he felt the lace but he pushed his own desire back. This was for her and he would rather die than fail to please her after what she had just done. He slid his right hand between her legs and he almost came again as he felt her wetness against his fingers. Merlin, Dumbledore, and Morgana she was so turned on that he knew that she had loved making him come almost as much as he had. “You’re amazing.”

“Harry…” she pleaded almost desperately as she felt him touch her. She knew she would really fall to the floor this time if he let go of her. He slid his index finger inside of her and she bit her lip to keep from screaming. Her head fell back and he covered her lips with his. “Oh, Merlin…”

He slid another finger inside of her as his thumb circled her bundle of nerves slowly. She moaned in his mouth and he quieted her sounds with his lips. She moved her arms over her head to clutch at his head as he used his mouth wonderfully on her neck and her mouth, as his hands worked their magic. His long fingers moved in and out of her rhythmically. She arched against his hands and she began to whimper soft almost incomprehensible demands as her ecstasy grew. He moved his fingers faster and harder and used his free hand to cup and fondle her breasts through the fabric of her shirt.

“Now, you let go,” he whispered against her ear as he felt her closer to tumbling down the edge. She was moaning and so close to the brink that it was almost painful. His hands moved faster and her breathing became fast and irregular. “Come for me, Mione. Let go.”

“Oh, Harry…” she cried throwing her head back and arching her back. He rammed his fingers into her and pressed her clit at the same time, with his other hand, he squeezed her left breast, and with his mouth, he silenced her cry. She shuddered repeatedly against his hand as she rode her orgasm to its peak. He brought her back down with gentle stroking and soft nothings whispered in her ear. She leaned against him soft, weak, and damp, and he knew that she was only standing because he was holding her up. “Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.”

“That good, eh?” he asked sliding his fingers out of her slowly. She shuddered with aftermath of her orgasm and tried to catch her breath.

“Shut up,” she muttered without any real conviction. He zipped her pants up and proceeded to think of horrible things to bring his boy back under control before she recovered her wits and figure out that she still held the upper hand. After, a nude Snape came to my mind, which made him shiver in disgust, the problem was solved. No one could ever live through that thought.

She still held his wand and after a minute, she gathered enough of herself back to mutter another cleansing spell, this time at herself. She turned in his arms and kissed him with something he could only describe as warmth…and if he dared to believe, it could be love.

“Where on earth did those three get to?” Parvati’s voice came flowing toward them. They both sprung apart and after inspecting themselves, Harry took Hermione’s hand and pulled her down a side hall. “We didn’t hear Hermione go up.”

“Well, I doubt that she would have come down to breakfast without changing, Vati,” Lavender answered her.

“What hall is this?” Harry whispered at Hermione as the girls’ voices drew nearer. Hermione bit her lip adoringly and looked around.

“It leads to the library,” she said and he grinned. “We’ll say I dragged you along with me and you just convinced me to go to breakfast, alright?”

“You are the smartest witch of the age,” he whispered back with a grin. He stole a quick kiss and her expression changed to mild worry. He shook his head as if he could read her thoughts. “No, don’t you dare regret anything. I’ll fix this. I promise I’ll take care of it. I’ve never failed you yet, have I?”

“I trust you,” she answered and he grinned. She took a deep breath and pushed him ahead of her after handing him his wand back. “Okay, now act like your dragging me along.”

He took her hand and pulled her with him as she began to complain loudly about something she needed to cross reference. He rolled his eyes but could not help but be amazed at how convincing she sounded. Hermione always did an awesome job in anything and everything she set her mind on doing. He grinned with a wicked gleam in his eye. Oh, yeah, she was good in everything.

SOOOO? WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?! I WANT NICE LONG REVIEWS!!! WAS IT GOOD OR DID IT SUCK? OMG!!! I’M SO BLOODY NERVOUS!!! I KNOW THE ENDING IS BIT …LACKING BUT IF I GET THOSE REVIEWS I MIGHT START THINKING ABOUT UPDATING VERY SOON! ALRIGHT GO AND REVIEW!!! NOW!!!!!!

I’m really hoping you guys like it.

-Rodare

Hiya there! Yes, I’m still among the living. Did you guys hear the good news? I bet you guys did... I AM SO BLOODY EXCITED!!!!! I can barely wait for July 21!!!

Uhmm, sorry. I wanted to thank you guys for your awesome reviews. I had this chapter a week ago as I promised, but my computer crashed and I had to get a friend to save my files from my hard disk. I’m sorry it took so long!!!

Please, oh please, keep the reviews coming!!! I read every single one of them. I tried to reply to all you guys, but I just couldn’t mange with all the chaos from saving the chapter, getting another computer, and then I had to juggle with all the pounds of homework that my professors keep assigning everyday. Sometimes I even feel that they’re as bad as Snape. Lol. Oh, well, hopefully you got my point.

On with the story! READ AND REVIEW!!!!!

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Best Friends

Chapter 8

By Rodare

“Do you hear that?” Lavender asked cutting Parvati’s muttering off. Parvati stopped and looked around as she strained to hear. Sure enough, they could hear voices coming from the side hall that they had just passed. Lavender frowned as she heard two familiar voices arguing softly. “Isn’t that Hermione?”

“Harry!” Hermione complained loudly as they finally turned the bend with Harry pulling on her arm as she tried to fake complaints.

“Why are you two wearing the same thing?” Parvati asked without preamble as they spotted the two best friends. Harry had a wide smile in place and Hermione was glaring softly.

“Good morning to you too, Vati,” Hermione answered with a roll of her eyes. Lavender frowned; there was something different about her friend that she couldn’t quite place. She blinked as Hermione turned to her. “Morning, Lav.”

“Morning, Herms,” Lavender said and Hermione flinched at the hated nickname. Lavander turned to Harry and she noticed that his charming lopsided smile was still in place. There was something that wasn’t right and she couldn’t figure out what it was. “Morning, Harry.”

“Morning,” Harry said with a grin. Lavender gasped and she covered her mouth with her hands. It couldn’t be! No, no, no, no! They wouldn’t! Would they? Oh, Merlin, Dumbledore, and Morgana! “Lavender? What’s wrong?”

“Lav,” Hermione and Parvati said rushing toward the other who had gone pale and was shaking her head in a negative gesture. She turned to look at Hermione with wide eyes, and Hermione felt something cold drop in the pit of her stomach; She knows!

“I…I,” Lavender said and in a second her mind was made. She couldn’t say anything. Not there, not now. Hermione was one of her best friends and she wasn’t going to betray her. Besides, for all she knew, all she was doing was imagining things that didn’t even exist. Yes, that was it; she was just letting her over imaginative mind go down the gutter. “It’s nothing. I just remembered that I forgot to buy my mother a Christmas present.”

“What?” Parvati asked with a frown. Hermione looked at her silently and their eyes met for a second. “But, Christmas is ages from now.”

“Oh, you know me,” Lavender said dismissively. “I always want to shop ahead of time. You never know what might happen. I could get ill or something and then what would I do?”

“I guess,” Parvati said looking at her as if she was mental. She shrugged and turned back to goggle at the other two. “So? You never answered my question?”

“It was an accident,” Harry said and Hermione glared at him. Lavender watched and suddenly she knew that she must be imagining things. Those two were always acting more like a married couple than like two best friends. The Hogwarts air must be doing them well. Everyone else woke up feeling chirpier than ever. Even though, they had all being wasted the night before, they all had gotten up early, not as early as the Trio but soon enough, especially on a Saturday.

“Yes and this git didn’t want to go up and change,” Hermione muttered fighting the grin that wanted to escape her lips.

She had to be careful. People usually took the gorgeous blond as an airhead, but Hermione knew better. You could never trust a book by its cover and Lavender Brown was not the exception. She had seen the questions in her deep, blue eyes, and she had also seen her push those thoughts away quickly. Lavender had become her friend during the war and they were close. Hermione had learned that there was more than her looks to Lavender, much in the way that she had discovered her friendship with Luna. It was more out of loyalty than anything was that had caused her friend to dismiss those thoughts.

“And, why should I?” Harry asked with his killer smile still in place. “You could’ve changed if you wanted to.”

“But, I didn’t want to,” Hermione answered him. “That was the whole point. You should have changed to act as a gentleman.”

“Krum would’ve changed,” Parvati muttered and for the first time in the last minutes Harry’s smile disappeared and he stuck his tongue out at Parvati who chuckled. He glared, Hermione and Lavender grinned at each other, both forgetting their earlier thoughts.

“Fine, be like that,” Harry said, with a small adorable pout. Hermione could feel her lips tingle in need to kiss him, and she quickly averted her gaze before the other two could notice. “I won’t take you to anymore balls from now on.”

“Git!” Parvati said hitting his arm playfully. Harry grinned cheekily and the other two laughed. He turned to them and raised his eyebrow.

“What?” Lavender asked. “You still have to take me and Herms out. Until then you can’t threaten us.”

“Yeah,” Harry said and Hermione was the only one that noticed the regret in his voice. Hermione smiled and took Lavender’s hand before she walked up to him.

“Come on, Potter,” she said with a grin as their eyes locked and thousands of words were said with a gaze. “You can escort me and Miss Brown down to breakfast. You can start making amends on us now.”

“It’ll be my pleasure, Miss Granger,” Harry said knowing what her words really meant. She couldn’t hold all those years wasted against him, but she knew that he was blaming himself anyway, so, she was allowing him to do it anyways. “Miss Brown.”

He grinned and took a girl in each arm. Lavender laughed and he nudged her with his elbow playfully. Hermione chuckled and snuggled almost unconsciously against his side.

“What am I?” Parvati muttered darkly. “Chopped liver?”

“No Bulgarians around here, Par,” Harry said glancing back at her with an evil twinkle in his eyes. Hermione pinched his side and he yelped. “Ow!”

“Be nice,” Hermione admonished him. He grunted something unintelligible under his breath. “Behave, Harry.”

“Well, come on then,” he said after a second extending his hand around Lavender’s shoulder. He grinned at Parvati as she moved next to Lavender. They both laughed and nudged each other as he settled his arm around both shoulders. He pulled his other arm from Hermione’s grasp and he wrapped it around her lovingly. She grinned up at him and he kissed her forehead softly. “I’m going to be the envy of every single bloke around here.”

“You’re always the envy of every single bloke, Harry,” Hermione said matter-of-factly.

“Yeah,” Lavender said grinning. “You’re famous, rich, handsome, and a hero.”

“You’re what every guy wants to be,” Parvati finished. Harry laughed as he rubbed his palm up and down Hermione’s arm unconsciously. Hermione snuggled tighter against his side as she heard his baritone laugh. It sent pleasant shivers down her spine.

“Why you girls are making me blush,” he said still chuckling.

They laughed and talked idly as they made their way towards the Great Hall. Hermione moved herself away from the crook of his body unwillingly as they reached the doors. Harry noticed it but he kept his arm around her shoulder. She looked up at him and reassured him with a small nod. He kissed her forehead again, and once again, it went unnoticed by their companions who were intent in their giggling about something.

As soon as they entered the Great Hall, they were met with a wave of memories. It was completely different then the night before. Last night, it had been unrecognizable, much more than during the Yule Ball, but now it looked as if they were back in time. There were people sitting in each of the four resized House tables. They were smaller since only sixth and seventh years from their school years were there along with a few especial guests, but they looked the same.

People looked around and their eyes followed their process. Harry shook his head. Some things never changed. He felt Hermione tense slightly as they heard a couple of whispered mutterings about her wearing his Quidditch jacket. Harry glared toward the offending Hufflepuffs and the muttering stopped.

“Oy, where you two been?” Ron asked in greeting as he noticed the commotion around him. Harry grinned wiggling his eyebrows up and down and cocking his head to each of his side playfully, and Ron met his grin with one of his own. Ron laughed loudly raising his glass of pumpkin juice to Harry, and Hermione rolled his eyes. “You’re my hero, mate! You’re an inspiration to us all! No less than three, eh?”

“Ugh,” Hermione said slapping the back of Ron’s head as she sat next to him. “You’re mental. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Oy!” Ron said rubbing the back of his head as he glared at her. “It ain’t as if Harry wasn’t thinking the same thing, you know.”

“I have no idea what he is referring to, Mione,” Harry said. He sat in front of her next to Neville who was staring into his teacup as if it held all the secrets of the world. Lavender and Parvati sat on Neville’s other side.

“Where’s Luna?” Hermione asked as she began to load two plates with food as she always did. Harry meanwhile poured two glasses of pumpkin juice without thinking about it. She settled one of the plates in front of Harry and took the juice he was handing her without even thinking about it. “I thought you went to get her.”

“She left with Gin a few minutes ago,” Ron said between bites making Hermione grimace at the sight. She rolled her eyes and settled his napkin on his lap with a wave of her hand. Harry grinned as she did the same for him without breaking stride. She placed her own on her lap carefully before Ron could manage another bite. “They were going to say ‘hi’ to some of their fiends. They’ll be back in a few.”

“Do you two even notice that you do that?” Colin asked unexpectedly and the Trio turned toward him. He was sitting a couple of seats away from them. He looked at Hermione and then at Harry pointedly. He waved his hands a bit as if to explain better. “Fix each other breakfast and stuff.”

“Oh,” Hermione said looking surprised. “We’ve been doing it for nine years, Colin. It’s a bit of a habit now. We no longer notice it.”

“I think it’s pretty awesome,” Dennis piped in and Colin laughed. Hermione smiled as the two brothers turned back to their own friends.

“Why are you two wearing the same thing, anyhow?” Ron asked and Hermione sighed as Harry explained.

“Herms?” Lavender called from Neville’s side. She turned to her as Harry and Ron began reminiscing about Quidditch. Lavender pushed a piece of paper toward her and Hermione saw a wax seal with the Malfoy Family coat of arms. “Malfoy went to look for you last night. He was pretty insistent but Ginevra didn’t want to bother you for his sake. He left that for you. He told us to give it to you before breakfast but we forgot. Sorry.”

“What the bloody hell does that git want with you?” Ron asked roughly, as Hermione took the note and thanked Lavender. The others turned to her and waited in silence for her to open it. “Is he trying something funny with you?”

“What is your problem, Ronald?” Hermione asked coolly as she raised her eyebrow slightly at him.

Neville broke out of his reverie and decided to stay as still as possible hoping that Hermione would not notice him. Harry did the same and held his breath even though he wanted the same answer that Ron was looking for. He knew even better than Neville, that she was a dangerous person to cross when she was in a good mood, but it was just suicide when she had that glint in her eyes. Sadly, Ron was one of the few people who dared push their luck with her.

“My problem?” Ron asked incredulously and pointed his fork at her. “I have no bloody problem. The only problem is Malfoy. I don’t like him all over you.”

“It’s only my business whom I want all over me, Ronald,” Hermione cut him off. She hated it when he attempted to control her life. “Whether it’s Malfoy or not does not…”

“So, you do want him all over you?” Harry asked despite himself. There was bitterness in his voice, which the others interpreted as brotherly concern, but Hermione knew better. Hermione turned sharply to him and their eyes met. “Is that it, Hermione?”

“Harry, that’s not what I meant,” Hermione began but he shrugged and looked down at his plate. She bit her lip slightly in frustration. She wanted to explain that he had misunderstood, but she couldn’t very well claim her love for him in front of everyone else. Not until he had broken up with Ginny. By Merlin, did she want to. “Harry…”

“Aren’t you going to open it?” he asked looking up at her. She saw hurt, anger, and jealousy in his hypnotic green eyes, but there was also a glint of a challenge in them, as if daring her to do different. She glared at him for a second longer and she could feel the eyes of all of their friends focused on them.

“That’s rather obvious, isn’t it?” she said in a dangerously sweet voice that made even Ron raise his eyebrows at them. “How else would I find out what Draco wants?”

“You’re not the smartest witch of the age for nothing,” Harry answered scarily calmly. He managed a cool, false smile that didn’t even get near to reaching his eyes.

“Uhmm,” Hermione said with a cold smile of her own. Lavender, Parvati, Neville, and Ron shuddered. She looked vicious when she smiled like that. The fact that they knew exactly what she was capable of doing did not exactly help matters. She opened the seal carefully and straightened the piece of paper.

Morning Gorgeous,

I hope you had pleasant dreams. I wish you would grace me with your company this morning for breakfast at the Slytherin table. There are things I wish to discuss with you in private. Things that only concern you and me.

Draco Malfoy,

Lord of the Honorable House of Malfoy.

Hermione bit her lip and glanced at the Slytherin table. Draco was not there and she frowned wondering why he was late. He was a morning person and was usually one of the first to rise for breakfast. Unless, his habits had changed in a year, there was no reason for him not to be there yet.

“Well?” Ron asked unable to be patient. Harry was glad for having been saved the trouble. Hermione turned to him and handed him the note. Ron took it and his ears began turning red. He turned and glared at Hermione as he thrust the letter at Harry. “Bloody git.”

At that moment Seamus and Dean walked in followed by Luna and Ginny. Fred and George came after them with Angelina and Katie laughing loudly. A few seconds behind them, Draco walked in dressed in black slacks and a button down blood red shirt. He was accompanied by none other than Viktor Krum, behind them where a bunch of girls about Ginny’s and Luna’s age, giggling and blushing madly. Draco looked as if he wanted nothing but curse them, but he merely ignored them.

The Gryffindors, and Luna, made their way toward them cheerily. Draco looked directly at Hermione and as their eyes met, he gave her a slight nod. She nodded and he began to make his way toward her. He felt Krum beside him, follow, and he glared a bit. Harry felt his jaw clench and he crushed Malfoy’s letter in his hand. Harry glared at Hermione but she looked away from him as she saw Ginny walking up to him. Harry glanced up at the red head as she took a seat beside him

“Hey, darling,” Ginny said a bit awkwardly as she kissed his cheek. Harry managed a smile, but he stole a quick glance at the brunette in front of him, Hermione was greeting Luna and she was intent in not looking at him. Ginny noticed this but said nothing.

“Look, Gred,” George told his twin as they stood behind Hermione who looked up them. “Harry and Hermione want to be like us!”

“Hermione is a very hot impression of you, brother,” Fred answered with a smirk and Hermione rolled her eyes as she turned back to mutter Ginny a greeting.

The red head nodded and smiled slightly, but Harry noticed there was a strain to her posture and he wondered what she had thought of seeing them asleep together. He sighed knowing he would have to talk to her soon and tell her that he couldn’t keep their relationship going anymore. He had to tell her that he was in love with Hermione.

“I think she is you, Gred,” George said with a slight shake of his head. “Harry is obviously portraying the stronger, heroic brother.”

“Indeed,” Fred agreed with a smirk, “which means he is me, Forge.”

“It was an accident,” Hermione cut in curtly. The twins raised their eyebrows at Harry behind Hermione’s back mouthing What?, and Harry shrugged.

“Hermione?” Viktor Krum called to her and she turned to face the two newcomers. She gave a frustrated yell in her own mind. Morgana, she was not made for this. Draco smirked at her as if he could read her thoughts, so, she ignored him.

“Good morning, Viktor,” she said managing a smile. She felt Fred and George place their hands softly in her shoulders and she felt the urge to shrug them off but stopped herself. They were letting their Weasley genes get to them, but since these two, were the only ones that only protected her while not disrupting her life or attempting to order her around, she let it go.

“Are you alright?” Draco asked before the Bulgarian could respond. Harry, Ron, and Krum glared.

“I’m fine,” Hermione answered and she fought back the blush that was threatening to show. She could feel Harry’s green gaze on her as if his eyes could see into her soul and she wasn’t even looking at him. She licked her lips unconsciously and looked up to meet Draco’s cool, grey eyes.

“You received my letter, I presume?” Draco asked in that drawl of his. Hermione nodded and before she could speak, he smiled at her. “Well?”

“Alright,” she said after hesitating for a second. Draco smirked a bit but moved back as she stood up.

“Where are you going?” Harry asked and everyone blinked as he unconsciously grabbed her by the elbow before she could move away from his reach. Hermione turned back to him with wide surprised eyes as she felt the restraint of his touch. Her eyes met his and she was astounded to see barely contained anger in them.

“Mate?” Ron asked nervously. Harry didn’t even look at him, and everyone seemed to feel the tension in the air.

“What it is it to you, Potter?” Draco asked with his smirk still in place as he grabbed Hermione’s free arm gently. “Hermione is an unchained woman, you know? Your girlfriend is the one sitting next to you.”

“You bloody bastard,” Harry growled as he stood up. Before anyone saw him move, he was up and he had his wand pointed at Draco. Malfoy straightened his neck but did not back down.

“Harry!” Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Luna said at the same time as Draco smirked, right back at Harry.

“Careful, Harry,” Draco continued calmly as he fixed the lapels of his shirt. He looked up from his task and he looked from Harry’s face toward Ginny, as everyone held his or her breath. “One would think that I hit a sore point.”

“Stop it!” Hermione said and Ron cursed under his breath. She drew her own wand and pointed it at Harry, moving as blindingly fast as Harry had moments before. “Lower your wand, Harry.”

“Or what?” Harry asked dangerously. Hermione didn’t even flinch but everyone else was as confused as ever. No one but the two of them knew the meaning behind Harry’s sudden anger. “You’ll hex me?”

“Don’t try me,” Hermione answered menacingly.

Ron gulped but he had no idea what the bloody hell was going on. Sure, he didn’t like the idea of Draco, but Harry couldn’t act like that. Harry had a girlfriend to respond to, unless… He looked at both of his best friends as sudden realization hit him like a punch in the gut. He sat down heavily and he glanced up at the bright, blue-eyed gaze of his girlfriend. Luna gave a small nod, and he paled. Oh, Merlin, what on earth was he going to do?

He had suspected that his best friends felt something for each other even before he and Hermione had tried to be more than friends, but he had pushed it to the back of his mind. He had been in denial back then, but when Harry had started to date Ginny, he had dismissed the thought completely. Oh, Merlin, Ginny… He looked up at his sister and saw her staring down at her hands. She was clutching a napkin and her knuckles were white, and he knew with painful certainty that she knew too, or at least she was starting to understand.

He wanted to be angry, but he couldn’t. If there was someone in the world who deserved to search for true love, then it was Harry. As much as he loved his sister he knew deep down that she had never been in love with Harry, she was in love with the idea of him. He looked up at his other best friend who had grown up to be gorgeous, and he knew that he had at one time felt the same exact thing for her, as her sister felt for Harry. Those two made one believe in things that no one else could, and by being greater than life, they made it impossible not to desire to have a little of what they were.

“Let her go, mate,” Ron said reaching up to grab Harry’s extended wand-arm. Harry glanced down at him, and for a second Ron thought that he would jerk away. Harry sighed and with a clenched jaw, he stuffed his wand back into the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

Ron looked up at Hermione as Harry sat back down stiffly and stabbed his eggs angrily with his fork. Hermione was watching him with conflicting emotions ready to burst out of her. Ron reached up to touch her hand as Harry was refusing to look up at anyone. Hermione jumped a bit, but only he noticed since everyone was now pretending that their plates of food contained all the secrets of the world. Go, he mouthed to her. She bit her lip a bit, and with a grateful look at Ron, she turned and left with the awaiting Slytherin.

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

“Hermione?” Draco asked. They had been sitting for almost ten minutes in silence. She was staring at Harry’s back with so much concentration that he wondered how he hadn’t gotten a bloody hole by now. She blinked and he could almost see her pulling herself out of the deep confines of her mind.

“Yes?” she asked sounding distant.

“We came to talk, remember?” he said with a bit of annoyance. She looked at him for a second before she nodded and he wondered what she seemed to be searching for in his eyes. “What?”

“You don’t- you have no personal…interest in me,” she said watching him closely. “Do you, Draco?”

“You mean, you’re wondering whether I fancy you?” he asked fighting back his automatic grin. She nodded and he grinned. “Sure I fancy you. There is no guy here who doesn’t. You’re bloody hot for a bookworm.”

“But…” she said as she went pale. He pouted a bit, that was not the reaction he got from girls. They usually blushed and flustered, but they never looked as if Voldy had shown up from the netherworld for the fucking fiftieth time.

“I said you’re hot,” Draco said again and a Ravenclaw that was going past them widened her eyes and glanced at Hermione with unconstrained curiosity. Perhaps, Hermione had not heard him the first time.

“I heard you,” Hermione answered with a shrug. He pouted more and sighed. “I just don’t get what in Morgana’s name you’re doing.”

“That’s why I wanted to talk to you,” he answered. “I- I’m in l-love.”

“What?” Hermione asked in automatic panic. Harry and Ron turned toward her instantly as if they were ready to run to her rescue. She managed a small forced smile. Ron looked at her as if she was barmy and Harry frowned at her. Then Harry turned sharply around as if he had just remembered that he was mad at her. She sighed a bit then she turned her attention back at Draco. “What do you mean you’re in love? You couldn’t even stand me a year ago, now you’re in love with me? Are you insane?”

“Hermione, I said you were hot and I sure would not mind shagging you senseless one of these days,” Draco said in his irritatingly calm drawl. Hermione blushed and looked down at her glass juice, before she looked up at him again to wait for the rest of his speech. “But, I’m not in love with you.”

“Thank, Merlin,” she said sounding awfully grateful of the fact. She saw Draco pout and she smiled at him a bit. She reached for his hand and he grinned at her as they squeezed each other’s hand for a second, knowing full well that this was very uncharacteristic of him. “You know I didn’t mean it like that. I would have been honored. I’m feeling rather upset and disillusioned at the moment. Are you rather sure it isn’t I, you are endlessly in love with?”

“I am very sorry,” Draco said without losing his smirk. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and he chuckled. She chuckled gently back letting go of his hand as she took another sip from her drink.

“Prat,” she said and he only grinned more. She raised an eyebrow and moved her glass toward him in a signal to continue. “So? When are you going to tell me who’s the lucky girl? Oh, and I also wan to know how I play in all of this.”

“I …look, I don’t know how it happen, but…” he sighed as he smoothed his white-blond hair back even when it didn’t need smoothing. The gesture reminded her of a less controlled reaction of nervousness from a black-haired man that usually just messed up his hair more instead of attempting to make it faultless. “Okay, I do know when. It was during the last battle. I …well you know exactly how everyone felt that I was going to turn my back on Po-Harry again, and to tell you the truth I began to doubt myself when everyone else did. Then when I saw the way you refused to leave Harry’s side even when you were hurt, well…I –I realized that I wanted to feel what that would feel like. I wanted to know what it felt to actually have someone love you so deeply. I wanted to know how it felt to have someone trust you for once. In that moment something inside of me broke, a wall that had stood there just collapsed, and then…There was one person who fought by my side when the rest shunned me, one person who even if only slightly believed in me.”

“Ginevra,” Hermione whispered as if saying it too loudly would break the charm that was making the blond talk. “She offered to be your partner during the battle, after Harry said that I could come along only if I stayed by his side. No one else trusted you.”

“Yes,” Draco said with a sigh that was uncharacteristic of him and yet felt more real than any of his smirks. “I thought that she was doing it to make Harry and the others mad after she got replaced by you, but she told me I was wrong. She said she knew that everything depended in Harry and you, and that she really did not find me as annoying as before. She said I couldn’t be all-bad. I was still trying to figure out whether or not I was going to risk my life, when she ran out into the battlefield. I followed her blindly, and we saved each other’s lives more than once. Since then I couldn’t ignore her anymore. There are parts of the dark that appeal to Ginevra, power and control, for one. Yet, she is not consumed by it and I found myself attracted to that. For a year, now I been falling in love with someone who doesn’t even know I’m there. For a year now, I’ve been coveting Potter’s girl.

“I’m not a self-less person, Hermione, you know that,” he continued as she digested his words. “I can’t take it anymore. I’ve watched Harry and I’ve watched you, and I know that the stupid git is as much in love with you as you are with him. So, I’m going to help you make him realize it because only than can I try something with Ginevra.”

“Her relationship with Harry kept you from it?” she asked and he laughed softly.

“I don’t fight battles that are lost before they began, Hermione,” he answered. “If I tried anything before either of the three of you were ready to realize the truth then I would have destroyed my chances. There are times in life when there is nothing you can do, but wait. Well, I’m done with waiting and by your lack of outrage at my words than I know that you are ready. So, what do you think?”

“I think you are insane,” Hermione answered half-heartedly. He chuckled but waited and she looked up into his grey eyes. “I’ve never allowed myself to hope for Harry to love me romantically. I knew he loved me, but last night I realized that a part of me did wait for him to…realize that I’m not his…sister. Nine years, Draco, don’t you think I’m done waiting too?”

“That’s the answer I was hoping for,” Draco said with a smirk. He opened his mouth to explain his plan but she raised her hand to keep him from speaking.

“I-uhmm, well, the things is…Harry already knows how I feel,” she said with a bit of difficulty for words that was very uncharacteristic of hers. Draco stared at her dumbfounded, and she took a sip of her drink before she continued. “We-uhmm, we kissed this morning.”

“Bloody hell,” Draco said with a wide smirk. Hermione was glad that she wasn’t eased into openhearted talks as Draco thought she was. She couldn’t imagine the width of his smirk if he found out exactly what had happened between Harry and her. “Who would have thought? So, is he going to break up with Ginevra?”

“I…” Hermione began but she looked up as no other than the man in question came up behind Draco with a scowl in his handsome face. “Harry, is anything wrong?”

“Uhmm, I hate to interrupt, but Ron and the others are starting a Quidditch game, and they wanted to see if you guys wanted to join us,” Harry said in a cool voice devoid of emotion. He looked away from Draco’s smirk and his eyes finally met Hermione’s waiting gaze, and he sighed so softly that no one that wasn’t looking for a sign of weakness would ever have noticed. “I packed your broom in my stuff, Mione. You want to go up and get it? You can finally show Ron that you can fly.”

“Uhmm,” Hermione said standing up quickly without letting her gaze stray away from Harry’s. “Can I go with you then?”

“Yeah,” Harry said and he managed to erase the scowl away from his face. He couldn’t stop the smile that escaped his lips as Hermione smiled up at him a bit. “Come on.”

“I got to change,” Draco said with a grin. Things couldn’t possibly be better in his favor, and that made him awfully happy. “Then we can see if you still got it, Harry.”

“I always beat you, Draco,” Harry said as Hermione came around the table to take his hand. “You know better.”

“We’ll see,” Draco said with a leer. He knew that what Harry was talking about had nothing to do with Quidditch, since Harry seemed to freeze as Draco glanced at Hermione slightly. “See you guys down at the pitch in twenty minutes.”

“Alright,” Harry said as he pulled Hermione after him. Draco mouthed ‘Good luck!’ at her. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him before she turned and followed Harry out of the almost empty Great Hall. Apparently, everyone was getting ready for the game. Official or not a Quidditch game at Hogwarts always drew a crowd. “It was Krum’s idea.”

“Huh?” Hermione asked as they climbed the stairs that led up to Gryffindor Tower.

“The game,” Harry explained. Hermione nodded and then she glanced down at their intertwined fingers. Harry noticed and he brought her fingers up to his lips as they entered through a hidden corridor that led straight up to the tower. She followed his movements with her eyes an bit her lip nervously.

“Are you mad at me?” she finally asked before he could ask her what was wrong.

“I was,” Harry said with a shrug. Hermione cocked her head to the side as she looked at him.

“Past tense?” she asked again and he nodded as he avoided her eyes. “What made you change your mind?”

“Your smile,” he answered sincerely. Hermione blushed and looked down at her feet, but a second later, she hugged him tightly in one of her bear hugs. He laughed gently and hugged her tightly back. He sobered up as she kissed his chest before letting her head rest against him as they walked. “I’m sorry I was a git back there. I had no right to be jealous, especially since I can’t lay a claim on you until I break it up with Ginny.”

“You had no reason, Harry,” she answered softly, “but you had the right. You claimed my heart years ago.”

“I…really?” he asked with an almost child-like hint of hopefulness. She stopped walking so she could meet his eyes properly, before nodding. He grinned feeling his insides swell in a happiness that he had never felt before, or even thought he could ever feel. “Mione?”

“Yes, Harry?” she asked. He seemed to gulp before he passed his hands through his hair in that adorable way of his. He reached down and took her hands, which she realized with surprise that they were cold and clammy, in an almost vice-like grip as he locked his hypnotic green eyes on her own. Hermione couldn’t have looked away even if she wanted to, and his actions made her dread what he was going to say next. “Harry?”

“I love you,” he said. She never expected that and she stared at him as her brain tried to grasp his words. Her heart seemed to be doing somersaults but her brain had fried. Tears welled up in her chocolate eyes and Harry felt panic overwhelm his anxiety. He threw his arms around her pulling her tightly against his chest as she sobbed silently. “Oh, Mione! Don’t cry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry?” she managed as her brain kicked in after hearing her name on his lips. She pushed against his chest, looked up at him and she wiped her tears away in slight irritation. Since when was she such a bloody girl? “What do you mean you’re sorry? You can’t tell someone that you love them and the try to take it back!”

“But, I’m not taking it back!” he said in confusion. She looked deep into his eyes as she cupped his face with her hands.

“Are you sure?” she asked him as he unconsciously wrapped his arms around her body. He nodded and she smiled as a single tear escaped her eyes. They moved in closer to each other without thinking about it. Their bodies were pressed tight and their lips were so close that their breath mingled together, but they never let each others’ eyes stray away from each others’ gaze. “You’d better be, Harry James Potter, because I love you, too.”

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What do you guys think? R&R. Next chappie: The Quidditch match and a big surprise!

Any errors or comments just tell me, k? I’m here to serve. Thanx again!

I am sooo sorry I went MIA! I know it’s almost unbearably late, but I hope you guys still want to read it. I’ve been swamped with school and then my computer broke. I had to get another one and then I had to wait until my internet provider sent over a new modem because apparently it wouldn’t work with my new computer. So, now I’m broke, tired, and worried that you guys are mad. I’m really sorry, and I promise this won’t happen again.

Some of you are going to be a little disappointed about this chapter, but it’s really necessary. If I get some ( HINT: A LOT!!!) of feedback, I promise the next chapter no later than Thursday! How about that as a present for making you guys wait?

Sounds like a deal? ‘kay, now get reading and drop a review! The sooner I get a lot of reviews the sooner I’ll update chapter ten!

Thank you all for having patience! I’ll shut up now.

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Best Friends

By Rodare

Chapter 9

“What on earth are you doing here?” Draco asked with a smirk, as he spotted the red head leaning against the wall on near the entrance to the dungeons and the hall that lead down to the Slytherin Common Room. Ginny sighed and pushed away from the wall as the Slytherin moved closer to her.

“I was waiting for you to come down,” she answered. “I need to talk to you.”

“Talk?” he asked a little taken aback by her suddenness. “Where’s Harry? I thought you two were joined by the hip. How do you manage to go to the loo?”

“Where’s Hermione?” Ginny snapped back a bit sharply and Draco raised one perfect, blond eyebrow.

“What do you want to talk about?” he asked moving past her without looking back to see whether she was following or not. He heard her steps walking behind him slowly and he knew that she was making up her mind on whatever it was that she wanted to discuss.

“I…do you know what’s going on with Harry and Hermione?” she asked almost in a whisper. He sneered as he muttered the password that led into the Slytherin common Room. He didn’t answer as he led her up the stairs to his dormitory. Ginny let her eyes wonder as she followed in his wake in silence. She felt her jaw tighten knowing fully well that he was enjoying every moment that he kept from answering her. “Did you hear me?”

“I’m not deaf,” he answered calmly. She sighed and felt a sudden trepidation in her heart as she watched him lock his door. It wasn’t fear, though, and that was the thing that scared her. She wasn’t a randy teenager any longer, she knew that she had been, but after Harry had taken her back the second time she had been devoted to her boyfriend. So, why did being in Malfoy’s quarters and behind locked doors make her feel like this?

“Uhmm, why did you lock the door?” she asked hating herself for it and for the trembling of her words.

“Does it matter, Ginevra?” Draco asked with a sneer as he turned around to face her. “Is the wee Gryffindor scared of the big mean Slytherin?”

“I’ll never be scared of you, Draco,” she snapped and he grinned. He shrugged and her eyes followed his hands as they moved to the front of his shirt. He ignored her as he began to unbutton it with careful, graceful hands. She snapped out of her trance as she saw the taut, lean muscles of his chest in his tempting creamy skin. She jumped up from the bed as if she had been burned and before she knew what she was doing, she grabbed his wrists before he could undo the last button.

“What do you think you’re doing?" Draco asked finally looking up at her. She blinked then frowned and pushed his hands roughly away from hers.

“Me?” she snapped her red hair flaring as she turned in a circle with her hands fisted at her sides, her face was contorted in anger and frustration. “What do you think you are doing?"

“I’m not doing anything, Red,” Draco said calmly. “I’m just trying to change while we talk. I can accomplish both things at once and then I can go make your boyfriend kiss my ass. Why are you so upset? Haven’t you seen a man before?”

“I’ve seen plenty, but… Do whatever you want. I’m out of here,” she said with a shrug. She turned away from him as her heart beat hard against her chest.

What the bloody hell was going on with her? She couldn’t feel attracted to him. No, that wasn’t right. She had a boyfriend… Harry. Merlin, who the bloody hell was she kidding; she wasn’t even sure about him anymore. Wasn’t that the reason she was here asking Draco about him? Then there was Draco…she had felt things that she hadn’t felt with Harry in a while, but that could be a phase, right? Maybe she was imagining things and things could go back to normal with Harry…right?

“Red, wait,” Draco called to her making her come out of her reverie. She stopped and turned around to face him. He was standing in the middle of the room watching her with an unreadable expression on his face. “Sit and we’ll talk. I’ll change in the restroom while we talk.”

“I…don’t worry about it,” she said with a shrug suddenly feeling bad for bursting at him as if he had any fault of her confusion. Well, he does, Ginevra. He is the reason you were horny last night, not your boyfriend. That’s right, Harry was sleeping peacefully with Granger instead of you. “Forget about it, Draco.”

“No, come on,” he said with a shrug. He smirked again and looked more like himself than a minute ago. “Or are you scared of me?”

“I’m not,” she said and turned against her will to sit on his bed once more. “Will you answer my question then?”

“Sure,” Draco said in that drawl of his as he grabbed a change of clothes from his trunk and made his way to the restroom. He walked in, but left the door open so he could hear her. “What was the question, Ginevra? No peaking either.”

“As if I wanted to see anything,” she said glancing unconsciously toward the restroom, but it was at an angle where she could see nothing but his shadow. She looked quickly away and screamed at herself in silence. “You know what I want to know, Draco. Is there something between Hermione and my boyfriend?”

“What do you want me to say, Red?” Draco called in his drawl calmly.

“I want the truth, Draco,” she answered with irritation tainting her tone, “Nothing more.”

“I know what you want,” he answered back with a little exasperation. “The problem is whether you are ready to hear it or not. There are things in life that we are better to learn on our own, Ginevra. Some things you can’t see until you allow yourself the time to grow up, and until you do that no matter what I say you will believe what you want.”

A long silence followed this last proclamation and he sighed to himself as he slipped on a tight, white T-shirt with the Slytherin snake on the back. He smoothed his blond hair into perfection before he braced himself against the sink and closed his eyes.

“Why did you have to go fall in love, Draco? What are you getting out of it, but hurt? Only weak people fall in love,” a cold, unsympathetic voice asked. “Only weaklings believe in the stupidity of love. She does not love, that is why the pathetic of Potter took up with Granger instead. The only weakling here is you and they. She will not “love” you. Love is non-existent, boy. Your heart is nothing but a muscle. Stop fooling yourself and grow up!”

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP!

I will not be like you! What do you know about love? Nothing. Mother never loved you, but not because she wasn’t capable of it. It was just the fact that there was nothing for her to love. She wasted her life by your side. Stay dead where you belong. I will not make the same mistakes that you did. I will fight to have what you could only dream of in the deepest corners of your black heart.

He pushed himself away from the sink in anger at his own weakness. Even from the grave, his father could still make his life miserable. He pushed all his feelings into the depths of his trained heart, and once hidden behind the mask that he had worn for most of his life he moved to the door. He saw her sitting there with a defeated look upon her beautiful face and he wondered how anyone could walk away from that. She was clutching the bedspread as if afraid to let go, her knuckles where white, and her head was bowed. He walked toward her and he was glad to see that her face was devoid of tears as she finally looked up to meet his gaze.

“He loves her, doesn’t he?” she asked quietly. “He doesn’t love me anymore.”

“He never loved you, Ginevra,” Draco drawled calmly, “And, you didn’t love him either. You are not the victim of him, and neither is he of you. You were both victims of the circumstances, nothing more.”

“I’ve loved Harry since I was a little girl,” she spat with a huff of disbelief. “Hermione knew nothing of him until after she received her letter.”

“How could you love someone you had never met before?” he asked rhetorically as he paced around the room. “Hermione fell in love with the scrawny, lonely, half-twit she met in the train, and it took years for that to happen. You fell in love with his name as your mother filled your head with stories of him. Your mind was made up before you even met him. It has been nine years since you have met him, and you have not figured that out. You cannot change the way you look at him now. What would the point be?

“She is the only woman who has seen him for what he is inside and loved him for it. Every other one of you knows nothing but his name, his glory, his heroics. She is the one that has seen him in his worst moments. She is the one that knows what his dreams and hopes are. You don’t, do you?” he asked. She kept silent and refused to meet his gaze. He smirked and continued to pace. “I didn’t think so. You would have wanted him even if he had grown to be a brainless prick that wallowed in his fame. Potter is too nice for you.”

“So, now you’re telling me that I don’t deserve him?” she asked angrily, “But, little Miss. Perfect does?”

“Don’t put things into my mouth, Red,” he answered coldly. He growled and turned sharply away from her. “This is what I mean! You’re still acting like a bloody child!”

“So, what?” she snapped as she slapped her fists on the bed. “I’m not her! I’m nineteen years old for Merlin’s sake! Forgive me for not having the mentality of a damn fifty year old. That doesn’t mean I’m not good enough for him.”

“No, it doesn’t,” he answered countering her anger with his detached calmness as he turned to face her again. “I never said that. All I wanted to say was that you deserve what only Granger can give him, love. He can’t love you because all his life he has been looking for her! You deserve someone that loves you as she loves him! You deserve someone who loves your carefree attitude, your wildness, for your temper, for your confidence, for that sensuality of yours, just for being you!”

“Draco?” she asked just as he looked away from her. She stood as she fought against every part of her mind screaming at her to stop and just leave the room. She took another step until she stood but a step away from him. She reached out to touch his shoulders and her heart hammered as soon as she felt his tensed muscles almost quivering underneath her touch. “Is that what you see in me, Draco?”

“No,” he answered in detached indifference. She lowered her hand against his back and he turned around to face her. His face was devoid of emotion and his gray eyes were chilled, but she could almost swear she felt warmth coming from his body. That small hope gave her the courage to take another step that brought her close to his body.

“No?” she asked and he shook his head. “So if I was to kiss you right now, you would feel nothing?”

“Nothing,” he answered. She nodded and was about to take a step back when he pulled her roughly, flush against him. She gasped and felt suddenly breathless as she felt his strength and his breath caressing her face. “Absolutely nothing. What about you, Weaselette?”

“Nothing, Ferret-boy,” she managed almost in a whisper. She cursed herself as the last bit came out in an almost squeak. He smirked, his Malfoy smirk. She snarled and before she made up her mind she let her Weasley-ness take over and she rose up on her toes and kissed him.

She kissed him roughly wanting him to know and feel a little bit of all the frustration and confusion she was feeling. But, this was Draco Malfoy, and no Malfoy let himself be manipulated into anything, so she felt him move beneath her lips. He changed the kiss from rough to smooth, soft, and tender. It made her knees go weak and her heart race faster than it already was. A moan escaped her throat, but he pulled back away from her slowly. She opened eyes, she never recalled closing, and she had to blink before she was able to bring him into focus.

“I…” she said amazed at his ability to be unmoved, but then she noticed a part of him that could never lie. She smiled wickedly as she glanced down to a spot between their flushed bodies. She ground her hips against him making him growl and glare dangerously. “I thought you felt nothing.”

“I thought you wouldn’t either,” he answered with a calm that could make anyone doubt whether he really felt anything or not. He lowered his lips to the pulse on her neck, which soared instantly, and as he kissed it another moan escaped her lips. He pulled back and smirked down at her. “I think you want me, Red.”

“I’ve always desired you,” she answered. He took it in a stride even when his body was ready to beg. His heart was ready to die, but his mind wasn’t ready to give in for less than what he needed.

“I’m very desirable,” he answered unruffled. “But I don’t want that.”

“You don’t?” she asked raising her eyebrow. “You want more?”

“Don’t you?” he asked coldly as he pulled away from her. “Don’t you envy Hermione for the way that Harry looks at her? Don’t you want someone to have their day brightened because you smile, and not because you had a quick romp on the sheets for half that response?”

“You don’t know what I want!” she snapped as she fought her arousal to the back of her mind. Her anger was more welcome then her vulnerability.

“Then how do you claim to know me?” he asked back.

“I know that you want to shag as much as the next guy!”

“That’s a given, Red,” he spat back with disdain. “As much as every man with half a neuron wants to shag Lavender as soon as they see her. Just as much as every man that sets eyes on Granger wants to have his way with her just so he can dominate the indomitable. Exactly in the same way that anyone who pays enough attention to Luna can see that she is bombshell that can make all your dreamy thoughts come true!”

“Then what the bloody hell are you afraid of?” she snapped. “If you want me, then what are you afraid of?”

“I’m afraid of letting myself be weaker then I already am!” he spat as his control snapped. “I’m afraid of giving what I’ve never given before just to have it thrown back on my face. I refuse to have a taste if I not going to get the whole damn thing!”

“I…Draco,” she said taken aback by his reactions and the emotions she felt coming out of him and filling her insides. “Do you really feel that way?”

“No,” he spat as he smoothed his hair back into perfection. “I only like to sound like bloody school girl for no reason.”

“I can’t know if I can give you what you want,” she said softly as she walked up to him and took his hands in hers. She met his gray eyes and for the first time in years, she cried as she saw the mixtures of her emotions reflected in his usually masked eyes. He pulled both her hands up and kissed them softly as a single tear escaped his eyes. “I can’t know if I’m even whom you think.”

“Yeah,” he answered in his inhumanly composed voice. He wiped his single tear away in a deliberate motion and sighed. I’m not sure of anything either, but…you’re the one person that has seen me cry.”

“Well, there is nothing we can do about it then,” she said with a chuckle. He smirked and bent his head to meet her lips.

“What about Potter?” he asked as their lips met.

“Fuck Potter,” she answered with a shrug as she kissed him. He chuckled against her lips and pulled back to look down at her with his smirk in place.

“I’d rather fuck you,” he said. She grinned and laughed as he watched her.

“Not so fast, tiger,” she said. He raised one perfect eyebrow as he looked down at her.

“I’m a Slytherin,” he replied with a sinful gleam in his eyes. “A big snake, Red. Not some of the kitties you are used to.”

“Harry was no kitty,” she said. Draco narrowed his eyes as she winked at him. He laughed and kissed her again.

DON’T LEAVE WITHOUT REVIEWING!!!!!!

Thanks, Rodare.

Hello! I know, I know, I said Thursday, but as I was trying to type this chapter, more ideas than I had planned started to come up and I just had to write them down. Besides I couldn’t upload because thanks to the tornadoes that hit the States the phone lines were down. I cut part of what I wrote for the next chapter, which I don’t know when I will be finished with. Soon, though. ‘Kay, I want a bunch of reviews and hopefully ones that have more than ‘update soon’. I really like to hear what you guys think about the little stuff, if you get my meaning. Pretty please?

**The longest review gets to ask whatever they want!**

Best Friends

Chapter 10

By Rodare

“I love you,” he said. She never expected that and she stared at him as her brain tried to grasp his words. Her heart seemed to be doing somersaults but her brain had fried. Tears welled up in her chocolate eyes and Harry felt panic overwhelm his anxiety. He threw his arms around her pulling her tightly against his chest as she sobbed silently. “Oh, Mione! Don’t cry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Sorry?” she managed as her brain kicked in after hearing her name on his lips. She pushed against his chest, looked up at him and she wiped her tears away in slight irritation. Since when was she such a bloody girl? “What do you mean you’re sorry? You can’t tell someone that you love them and then try to take it back!”

“But, I’m not taking it back!” he said in confusion. She looked deep into his eyes as she cupped his face with her hands.

“Are you sure?” she asked him as he unconsciously wrapped his arms around her body. He nodded and she smiled as a single tear escaped her eyes. They moved in closer to each other without thinking about it. Their bodies were pressed tight and their lips were so close that their breath mingled together, but they never let each other’s eyes stray away from each other’s gaze. “You’d better be, Harry James Potter, because I love you, too.”

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

“Where is everyone?” Hermione asked as they finally made their way to Gryffindor tower.

They had spent almost twenty minutes wallowing in their love for one another, and not until both felt that they were loosing control of the situation did they part. Then they had clung to each other in a tight hug as they finally accepted what they had been avoiding all their lives.

“Don’t know,” Harry answered but then he spotted a note stuck to the staircase that led to the dormitories. “Here’s your answer.”

Harry,

Mate, we were waiting for you guys but you were taking to long. We’ll see you down at the pitch. This is bloody …I mean, great!

Ron

“It’s all your fault,” Harry told her with a grin as he kissed her lips softly. She sighed and almost whimpered as he nipped her lower lip playfully.

“Stop teasing me,” she said pushing him back softly. He caught her hands and pulled her closer to him. She rose on her toes and nipped his chin playfully before she escaped his grasp. “Stop it, Harry. We need to get going. Come on.”

“Party pooper,” he said with a small pout. She kissed him again but escaped once more as he made to hold her tight against his body. She narrowed her eyes at him and he let a breath out as he took her hand and led her to his old dormitory. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Hermione nodded as they entered his room. She sat down on his bed as she watched him walked toward his trunk. “What is it, Harry?”

“I…,” he said waving his hands a bit. He mussed his hair a bit frustrated as he knelt down in front of the chest. Hermione frowned as she watched him and she had to fight her first instinct to go to him. He looked up and met her gaze with his. “Why did you go with Draco this morning?”

“I…Harry,” she said as she looked for the words. She sighed and extended her hand out to him. “Come here. We need to talk.”

“About what?” Harry asked as he stood and took her hand. She pulled him to the bed and he sat beside her.

“About us,” she said watching his expression. She sighed and let go of his hand to hold her own on her lap. “I know you don’t like to talk about…the things that go through your head. I know it’s hard for you to open up and say things. I know it makes you nervous. I know it scares you and I know how hard it was for you to tell me that…”

“I love you?” he asked setting his hand above both of hers on her lap. She opened her hands and began to trace her finger on his softly before she nodded. “Yes, it was hard. I was scared, but it gets easier by the second.”

“I know,” she said softly. “I feel it too. That’s why we need to talk. We need to…come to terms with everything. This is happening too fast, and there are things we need to set straight, so, we’re going to sit here for a second and talk. Okay?”

“Okay,” he said with a smile as he heard her bossy tone seep into her voice.

“Good,” she said as she spread his palm with her soft fingers. She traced his palm gently and he could do nothing but be mesmerized by the feeling of complete joy that surged through his body by the simple touch. She looked up and met his gaze. “I need you to listen to what I’m going to tell you before you start drawing your own conclusions. I need you to trust me.”

“I’ll always trust you,” he answered kissing her lips almost chastely. She smiled and caressed his cheek lovingly.

“My Harry,” she said almost reverently. Merlin, how I have longed to be able to say it and now I know that every second was worth it. “I love you so much.”

“I love you so much it hurts,” he said sincerely pointing at his heart with the hand that was free from hers. She kissed him tenderly before she went back to touching his hand.

“There is nothing romantic going on with me and Draco,” she said looking deep into his eyes. “There never has been and there never will be. Alright?”

“Couldn’t be better,” he said with a goofy grin. She rolled her eyes but couldn’t fight back the smile that came to her lips.

“Oh, you’re such a silly man,” she said kissing him again. He grinned more and waited patiently for her to continue. “I went with Draco simply because he asked. Draco is not a man to ask for anything, so when he does than it means that he had absolutely no choice but to do it. He…well the thing is that he has become my…friend.”

“Your friend?” Harry asked flabbergasted. “Since when? I knew you two were being more civil to each other since after the war, and until now…well, I simply thought that he was hitting on you.”

“Draco? Oh, Harry, even if he was it was just not happening,” she said with a soft chuckle. “It’s just the way he is. He thinks he’s God’s gift to women. He’s a bit of a git, but so is Ron, and you know how much I love him.”

“Alright, but I still don’t get it,” Harry said scratching the back of his head.

“It’s a long story, so, I’ll make it short,” she said as he nodded. “You know that Draco has to show up regularly to the Ministry until his probation is over.”

“He still has another year to go,” Harry said with a nod. She nodded and continued.

“Well, sometimes he has to wait for his meetings to start,” she said. “Sometimes he and I would cross paths since I’ve been based on the Law Department. We started as you said by being civil to each other. One day I was leaving with Luna to lunch when he was just coming out of the Criminal Department. He greeted us and somehow Luna asked him to come to lunch with us.”

“She did what?” Harry asked as he gaped at her, “And, you agreed?”

“Of course I did,” she said with a half-frown. “Besides, that is not the point, the point is that he and Luna kind of…hit it off pretty well. By the time we had to leave it was as if they had been friends for years. One thing led to another and we decided to do it again sometime. When Luna and I got back to the Ministry we decided to keep it to ourselves since we didn’t want to deal with Ronald.”

“Just Ronald?” Harry asked raising an eyebrow. She narrowed her eyes at him and he didn’t know why but he suddenly felt as if he was about to be in trouble. “What?”

“Don’t act innocent, Potter,” she said and he blinked. “I know what you and Neville have been doing for the last months when Ron was gone.”

“What?!” Harry asked wide-eyed. “How…I mean…”

“I know everything,” she said simply and he gaped. “So, you and Mr. Longbottom have been going to pubs on ‘boys-night-out’ without Ronald. You two have been going around with none other than Mr. Malfoy. Isn’t that right?”

“I…” Harry said and then he nodded. “I can’t believe you know that.”

“The fact is that I know, and as such I know that you and Neville have noticed the same thing that Luna and I have,” she said, “Draco is trying hard to fit in with the rest of us. After the war he had no one, but his mother and you.”

“Me?” Harry asked and she nodded.

“You took him in when no one would,” she told him. “Because of that, the rest of us have tried our best to look beyond our past and we’ve given him a chance. Ron? Ron is Ron and he’ll come to his senses on his own time as he always does. My point is that…well, Luna and I gave him a chance.

“After Luna decided to quit her position as an Unspeakable and she became my assistant, we went out with him again. I was promoted and when we had an office to the both us, he brought champagne and we celebrated. Since then, every time he goes over to the Ministry he drops by our office. He brings us lunch and he sits there and we just talk. We’re friends, but we couldn’t tell you. You would feel obligated to tell Ron, and Ronald is just not ready to hear that his girlfriend and his best girl friend are Draco Malfoy’s friends. Just like you felt that if you told me about you being his friend, that I would feel as if I had to tell Ron.”

“So, he’s not…” Harry said scratching his head. “He’s not trying to go out with you?”

“No,” she said with a smile.

“But, then why is he always talking about you as if…” Harry frowned. “As if you’re a piece of meat. As if you and he have something.”

“That’s just the way he is,” she answered with shrug. “I suppose its part of his Slytherin make up. He plays around like that, and you let him get to you. He knows he can get you and Ron that way so he pushes the right buttons. Like I said, he’s nice, but he’s still a git. You should hear him when he talks with Luna. If I didn’t know better I would think that they are having some secret affair or something. She can take it better than I can, you don’t know the Luna that I know. I just ignore him half the time. He’s a… flirt. This morning, the way he wrote the note, he did that on purpose.”

“What do you mean?” Harry asked.

“Well, he knew that I was going to give it to you and Ronald,” she said with a shrug. “I have been doing it for nine years. He knew beforehand the way that you and Ronald would take it.”

“That bloody, prat!” Harry said with a chuckle. “So, what did he want?”

“He wanted to help me out with something,” she said watching him with a mischievous look in her eyes. He narrowed his gaze and she pecked his lips softly. “He wanted to help me get you.”

“What?” Harry gaped. “How…wha…I mean…what?”

“Apparently, he knew how we felt about each other,” she said squeezing his hand. “Give me your word that you won’t go nutters, so I can tell you what he told me.”

“You have my word,” Harry said, his interest piqued. “But I still don’t get what he would gain from it. He is a Slytherin.”

“Do you remember the one person who stood by Draco apart from you and me?” she asked watching his expression closely, while ignoring his question, “The one who defended him when everyone else began to doubt your reasoning.”

“You always trusted me and then there was Luna…” Harry said ticking the names of on his fingers and then there was Ginny.”

“Luna, me, and Ginny,” Hermione said with a nod. Harry waited but she was looking at him expectantly as if she wanted him to figure it out on his own. He frowned as he concentrated a bit trying to think back to a time that he had decided to forget.

*~*

During the last battle, the remaining members of Dumbledore’s Army had gathered outside of Hogwarts. Voldemort had sent his first attacks ahead of himself and at that moment he had made his first mistake. Without knowing that Harry had destroyed his Horcruxes, Voldemort had feared nothing, and he had blindly sent Nagini along with all the magical creatures that had joined the dark side. After hours of countless of encounters with everything from werewolves to a few giants, the Trio had managed to find Nagini, but each Horcrux claimed a sacrifice. To kill Nagini they had to do it the muggle way, which meant no magic, for the snake seemed immune to any magical attacks. Once Harry had managed to sink Gryffindor’s sword into the snake, the animal had trashed and with a whipping motion of its tail, it had sent Harry flying. In that moment of confusion, Hermione had turned to look at him to make sure that he was okay.

“Harry!” she had called to him desperately. Harry landed on his back as his breath was pushed out of him. Ron was trying to fight of a Death Eater scout that was trying to get to the snake. Harry managed to raise his head just in time to see the snake throwing itself at Hermione who had her back to it.

“Behind you!” Harry had cried. She turned and miraculously she jumped to her side. The fangs missing her by a centimeter, but the snake had whipped its tail just in time to crash the rest of its huge body into Hermione. “NO!”

He still wondered how he had made it to her side in less than a second. Ron said he saw him on the floor one second as he turned at his cry, and then the next he was towering over the snake sinking the blade deeper, finally ending its life. The next second he was blowing the carcass aside to get to Hermione. She opened her eyes and he felt the warmth, the life that had left his body return with a sigh as she focused her chocolate eyes on his.

“You alright?” ha asked in a strangely broken voice. She nodded but winced as she tried to sit up. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Broken ribs,” she said biting her lip to keep her pain away. He turned pale and she saw thousands of emotions run through his eyes as he looked away from her gaze. “Harry?”

“What?” he answered a bit coolly. She winced but she managed to grab his chin forcing him to look at her. He shook his head instantly, almost violently. “No. Don’t ask me.”

“It’s not your decision to make,” she answered. He glared at her but she glared right back. “Help me up, you git.”

“Harry!” Ron called as he finally landed a Sectusempra on the Death Eater finally finishing him. “We’re too spread out! We’re easy targets!”

“Fall back!” Harry called as he helped Hermione up. Her knees buckled for a second but she managed to stand. She wrapped her arms around her abdomen as she tried to control her breathing. Harry wrapped his arm around her waist carefully. He raised his wand sending a flurry of silver stars into the air, signaling the rest of the D.A. to fall back. He helped her get back toward the gates of the castle gingerly as the others managed to get back to a momentary safety.

“Harry, it’s Him!” Neville said pointing toward a far away point. It was coming from the Forbidden Forest, where the Dark Mark had suddenly appeared in a fiery red, marking not a death, which was marked by a green Dark Mark, but marking the arrival of the Dark Lord himself.

“This is it,” Harry said looking away from the place where Voldemort was gathering his Death Eaters. He turned to his friends and he saw the same thing in every single face, fear. Fear, but overpowering the fear was a deep determination and the desire to avenge all the innocent victims of their world. “I can’t promise you more than my best. Give it your all and remember not only those who have died, but also what they died for. We fight for the same thing tonight.”

“Don’t worry about us,” Fred said wiping carelessly at a cut under his eye.

“That’s right,” George finished. “You just kill that bloody wanker.”

“It’s Draco,” Luna said loudly making everyone turn to look at her. They followed her gaze as she nodded towards the Forbidden Forest once more. Sure enough running towards them was none other than Draco Malfoy. They waited with bated breath as he reached them almost falling on his knees as he made it to the other side of the fence barely avoiding a jet of green light that came out of the shadows of the trees. Luna walked toward him, but Ron grabbed her arm and yanked her back. “Ronald!”

“I’m not letting you go near him,” Ron snapped. Seamus and Dean grabbed Draco by his arms before he could catch his breath back. Ron took his wand as they yanked him to his feet roughly.

“Let go of me, you idiots!” Draco said seething. “Potter, call your dogs off!”

“You little…”

“Ron!” Hermione said weakly and Harry just noticed that she was still by his side, looking deathly pale but determined. Ron stopped and turned angrily to look at her.

“Why are you here?” Harry asked not wanting to listen to Ron’s tirade at such a moment.

“I deserted him,” Draco answered looking into Harry’s eyes with his own gray gaze.

“Legimens!” Harry said pointing his wand at the blond. Hermione was hurt, the rest of his small band of supporters were weary, and they were the last barrier to a school full of school children, he had no time or inclination to wait for things to unfold on their own. Draco screamed and clutched his head as the others watched thunderstruck. Seamus and Dean let him go and he dropped to the floor on his knees as he screamed, and Harry saw…

He saw a blond boy grinning like crazy as his mother handed him a small toy broom. The same boy a couple of years older cowering under his father’s wrath. In a flash he pushed away from those thoughts, he wasn’t trying to intrude on Draco’s memories, all he wanted…he saw Draco appearing out of the smoke cloud on his knees in a circle around Voldemort. Voldemort was saying something but blood was pounding in his ears-Draco’s ears. Harry felt the fear Draco had felt as if it was his own, but he also felt his courage as he broke the circle of Death Eaters and walked towards the raging Dark Lord standing tall as if his heart wasn’t about to burst.

“What are you doing, boy?” Voldemort hissed as he turned to face him. His black robes swishing at his feet, his inhuman red eyes glinting in the dark, but Draco stood there facing him.

He wanted nothing then but to turn around, run, and hide. He couldn’t do it, though, he wouldn’t do it. He couldn’t keep living as a vile little worm doing the will of his father and that of the Dark Lord. A “Lord” he had only venerated as another of his father’s commands. That had never been him. If it meant he had to die, then so be it. Besides, he only had his mother left, and he had assured her safety before hand.

“I will not do this anymore,” Draco said emotionlessly. At least his father had taught him something, he thought bitterly. Voldemort looked at him, almost…curiously, as if he had never seen him before. “I cannot do this anymore.”

“Are you turning to the white side, wee Malfoy?” Voldemort asked. He laughed in that cold, cruel laugh, that had haunted Harry’s dreams all his life. Draco didn’t answer nor did he turn around as Voldemort circled him. Voldemort laughed once more and moved swiftly to stand before the young man. “Answer me.”

“I am not my father,” Draco spat pulling his Death Eater mask of his face. He was paler than usual but his cool grey eyes held a fierce determination. He threw the mask at Voldemort’s feet making the Dark Lord’s eyes flash in anger. “I will not become him. My allegiance lies elsewhere. My allegiance has never truly been with you, Lord.”

“Crucio,” Voldemort spat almost carelessly. Draco fell instantly with a loud scream of pain as his body convulsed painfully. It was as if hot knives were stabbing every inch of him again and again until his vision went black, but before he drifted into unconsciousness Voldemort pulled the curse back and laughed.

“K-kill me, if its y-your w-will,” Draco said managing to get up on all fours as he tried to catch his breath. He looked up into the skull-like face of the man that he had been taught to follow blindly. He looked into those red, glowing eyes, and he remembered two twinkling blue eyes. He remembered the face of a much kinder man that had offered him everything even when he had betrayed him. “I-I’ve done things…I’m n-not a…I’m not a good person. I’m not one of them…but I’m not one of yours either. If I have to chose than I’d rather be with them then with you.”

“You’d rather be a weakling?” Voldemort hissed and then laughed. He looked up and his eyes focused on a man watching from the sidelines. Voldemort flicked his fingers and Lucius Malfoy’s mask banished. “What do you say I do with your son, Lucius?”

“He was no son of mine the second he chose that vermin over you, my Lord.” Lucius Malfoy answered with hatred and disgust etched into every word. He spoke as if indeed he was not speaking of his own flesh and blood, but of the vilest thing that had crawled the earth. “I say, have no mercy, but that is a decision for you to make, Master.”

“Indeed,” Voldemort said turning to Draco who had now managed to stand up straight once more. Voldemort looked at him again. “Do you want mercy, Draco? After all, I am a merciful lord. If you ask it of me I will end your suffering this instant.”

“I ask to be allowed to fight among those I chose,” Draco said defiantly. “I could not live with myself by begging for mercy. You are all powerful, Lord. I ask nothing more than to die among those I chose to die with.”

“I shall then grant your wish, Draco Malfoy,” Voldemort said and for the first time Draco seemed to stagger on his feet. He took an unconscious step backward as Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at him. “Not one of those who have ever followed me, have shown half the courage you have tonight. I do value courage even if it is a pathetic and foolish thing. Go, Draco Malfoy. Go die with those weaklings. It will be much more pleasurable to see you dead on that field by the end of tonight, then to kill you here when no one is here to watch you fall. By the end of tonight, you will be begging for mercy, but you have betrayed me. Remember this because I have no liking for traitors, and you will die a most painful death. You will die like an animal.”

“Leave the Dark Lord’s presence,” Lucius snapped out furiously, “Before I kill you myself!”

“Go to hell, father,” Draco said pushing his father aside. He turned once more to look at the face of the man that had ruined his life. Lucius Malfoy was seething in anger. “I hate you. I’m so glad I can finally tell you.”

“Ungrateful…” Lucius snapped sending a curse at him. Draco dodged and began to run for his life.

Harry gasped and pulled his magic back. Draco collapsed to all fours. Harry turned as Hermione gasped beside him. He turned and he could tell by looking into her eyes that somehow she had seen what he had seen. He supposed it had something to do with him being touching her all along. Somehow, his magic had linked to hers.

Luna moved next to Hermione and Harry let her go to Luna. He turned to Draco who was on his knees breathing hard. Harry looked at him and he extended his hand. Draco looked at it and hesitated for a second before he allowed Harry to help him up.

“Can you fight?” Harry asked as pulled the Slytherin to his feet. Draco nodded. “Will you fight?”

“Will you trust me?” Draco countered. Harry glanced at Hermione who was being checked by Luna and Lavender. She nodded and he turned back to Draco. He nodded to him and extended his hand. Draco hesitated then shook it. “You’d better know what you’re doing, Potter.”

“I’ll improvise,” Harry said turning to the others who were watching him and the Slytherin cautiously. “We will divide into pairs. You will protect each other. If…if any of you rather leave…”

“We’re not going anywhere but there,” Neville said pointing toward the field. Harry nodded but he then focused on Hermione. She had her back to them while Luna was wrapping a large bandage around her abdomen.

“Ron, you can go with Draco,” Harry began but Ron shook his head and glared.

“There’s no way in hell that’s happening, mate,” Ron snapped.

“Scared I’ll bite, Weaselbee?” Draco asked with a smirk as he took his Death Eater cloak off.

“Shut the bloody hell up,” Ron snapped.

“I’ll go with him,” Luna said with a shrug, and even Draco blinked in surprise that someone had volunteered. Ron turned a bright red and shook his head.

“Hell no!” Ron said looking at her as if she was crazy. “I’ll go with Luna.”

“I’ll go with Malfoy,” Hermione said pulling her dirty shirt over her bandage. Draco looked at her and their eyes met as if in an understanding.

“No,” Harry snapped beating Ron to the point just as he had managed to open his mouth to complain. Everyone blinked at his tone. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him disbelievingly that he was acting like this after what he had seen. “You’re not going with him or anybody else. You go back to the castle…”

“Whoa, Potter,” Hermione said raising her hand to stop him as she straightened up. “I am not going back to the castle. I’m not leaving, you hear?”

“Hermione,” Harry said walking toward her. “I…I can’t let you. You’re hurt. You’re…”

“Perfectly capable of fighting,” she said shaking her head. “You don’t have to let me do anything. I’m doing it whether you want me or not. This isn’t for you to decide. I’m not going to go back to the castle and hide just because of a little tap.”

“Little tap?!” Harry asked loudly. “Are you bloody insane? You might be bleeding internally…You might…Your ribs are broken, for Merlin’s sake! No, no…I can’t let you risk yourself anymore…I…”

“I’m not leaving you!” Hermione snapped at him making him take a step back. “I don’t care if I die, so long as I can be with you to the end.”

“I care!” he screamed at her. Tears fell from her eyes and he felt his chest constrict painfully. He felt as someone had stuck their hand clean through his flesh and squeezed his heart agonizingly hard. “I can’t watch you die! I can’t let you get more hurt than you already are. Please.”

“Please don’t ask me that,” she countered. “I-I can’t leave you. There is nothing that would hurt me more than you not letting me by your side. I’ll be careful. I promise.”

“You promise you won’t do anything stupid?” he asked and she laughed between her tears.

“I-I’m the one that should be asking you,” she answered. He smiled for the first time in weeks and then nodded. “I promise if you promise you’ll do everything to come back to me in one piece.”

“I promise,” he said not really caring that he could not truly make that promise. She nodded as if she knew what he was thinking. “Alright, but you’re coming with me. I’ll take care of you, Mione.”

“As wonderful as it is to see you all lovey dovey with Granger, Potter,” Draco broke in coolly. “I’d rather you start getting a move on with this.”

“I’ll go with Draco, Harry,” Ginny said. Harry glanced at her and wondered for just a fraction of a second why he wasn’t more worried about her than about Hermione.

“What is bloody wrong with all of you?” Ron snapped.

“Nothing,” Draco said with a smirk. “They just know a prize male when they see one, Weaselbee.”

“Keep dreaming, Ferret boy,” Ginny said with a smile. Draco grinned at her and winked. She rolled her eyes at him, but she walked over to stand by his side. “I’ll trust you to watch my back.”

“I’ll watch it real good,” Draco said insinuatingly. Ron turned red, Ginny blushed and glanced at Harry. Harry frowned but didn’t say anything. He instead turned to the brunette by his side and sighed.

“You’re going to win this time,” she said reassuringly as she held his hand for a second while she looked into his eyes. “For everyone he has taken from all of us.”

“Yeah,” he nodded trusting her above anybody else. He turned to the others. “We are more than the Order of the Phoenix ever was. We are Dumbledore’s Army!”

*~*

“He likes Ginevra,” Harry said disbelievingly as he came out of his reverie. He turned to Hermione who was merely regarding him silently, as if gauging his reaction. “That’s what he told you, isn’t it? That he fancies, Ginny.”

“He told me he’s in love with her,” Hermione answered impassively. Harry stood and walked over to the window as he tried to make his brain catch up with what Hermione was telling him. “That’s why he wanted to talk with me. He knew I was the only person he could tell without me making him feel bad about it.”

“So, he is in love with her?” Harry asked thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Hermione answered as she watched him. “Does it bother you?”

“No, I’m…strangely glad,” he answered softly. He turned around and saw her look down at her lap. He frowned and made to walk toward her but she looked up and the strange expression in her eyes made him stop. “Hermione, I don’t care about Ginevra like that anymore. It has been quite a long time since I have. It’s just…it was easier to pretend…No, the word is not pretend. What I mean was that it was easier to believe that I cared, rather than face the unknown once more. This…it just took me by surprise. I love you, Mione, no one else but you.”

“I…”she said looking away from his eyes a second. He was kneeling in front of her now, his hands on her knees as she held her own on her lap. She looked back at him and he blinked as he saw a strange kind of hurt…no, pain in her eyes. He raised his hand to touch her cheek but she evaded his touch. Hurt clawed his insides instantly. She got to her feet and in the same manner that he had, she walked to the window and looked out toward the Quidditch pitch. “You were going to ask her to marry you before all this happened between us. That is why you decided to take a break, so that you could put your feelings into perspective. Am I right, Harry?”

“I…yes,” Harry answered wondering just how she knew everything. It was as if her own mind had a mind of its own.

“Why, Harry?” Hermione asked as if it pained her to speak, but she didn’t turn. Harry walked to her but he didn’t touch her. He stood by her side instead and followed her gaze to the pitch. Two redheads appeared down at the pitch. The Weasley twins climbed their brooms and sped around the hoops. “If you didn’t love her, then why?”

“Because I thought that what I had with her was good enough,” he answered softly. They didn’t look at each other as if they both feared what they would see. “You know I’ve always wanted a family of my own. I wanted normality for once in my life. Ginevra gave me that before the war. After, it just seemed like a good idea. It was better than having to pry Cho off. Besides, I thought that my attraction for her was the best thing I was going to get. I thought…well, I thought…”

“You thought you couldn’t love,” she finished turning sharply to him. He stiffened and kept his gaze focused on the outside. The twins were zooming through the hoops easily, as if they’d done it all their lives, which they had. His silence and evasion told her everything. “How…how could you? You have told me you loved me before. Yes, as friend but it’s the same thing. You…you didn’t mean it, did you?”

“I do love you,” Harry said turning sharply to look at her. He took her hands but she pulled away and hugged them to herself. He saw tears ready to burst out of her beautiful, chocolate eyes. A lump rose in his throat as he saw her pain and doubt. “Mione, I love you so much it hurts.”

“I meant before,” she said rubbing furiously at a tear that managed to escape her eyes. “I meant…every time you told me you loved me before this happened between us. Did you meant it or not?”

“You know damn well I did,” he snapped feeling as if she had physically struck him. “I… you can’t doubt that. You’re the first person I ever said that to. You know I don’t say things I don’t mean. You know that.”

“But then…”she said shaking her head as if she couldn’t begin to understand anything he had said to her. “ How could you believe that you couldn’t love, and still mean it every time you said it to me?”

“I thought that what I felt for you was entirely platonic,” he told her grabbing her hands once more. This time she didn’t pull away but she didn’t walk into his arms as she was prone to do. “I thought that what I felt for you was another kind of love. I thought that it was because you were such a big part of me.

“You see, I knew that I had the ability to love,” Harry explained looking into her eyes so he could be sure that she understood what he wanted to say. “I knew I could because I loved you. I…well, I thought that perhaps…I thought that I couldn’t love a woman.”

“What did you think I was, Harry?” Hermione asked with a bittersweet chuckle.

“I meant romantically, cheeky know-it-all,” he said trying to make her smile. It seemed to work as the corners of her lips twitched upward. With a tug of her hands, he pulled her against him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. “I was a fool, but I thought that I could only feel family love. That’s why I was going to ask Ginny to marry me, because I thought that it was it for me. I thought that it would be enough, that I could spend all the love that I felt on the children we could have. I could still love you. I didn’t know I could feel more…I didn’t know there was more. I didn’t think the love I feel for you was there.”

“But what if what you feel for me is the same thing you feel for Ginevra,” she questioned softly. “What if it’s just stronger because of our history together? You’ve always seen me as your sister. Maybe that’s…”

“It’s not!” he said sharply in a voice he rarely used. He pulled away from her so he could look at her properly. His tone softened as he looked at her. She seemed so fragile, so easily shattered, and so different from the Hermione he was used to. He could barely see the strong, assured, self-confident woman he had grown with and admired all his life. He pulled her close again as he leaned into her hair. “Its not. You don’t feel like this for a sister. You’re not my sister. You’re the woman I love and cherish. You, Hermione Jane Granger, are the one woman I love and desire with every particle of my being. I have loved you differently since I met you. I was just too dense to know it before. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. I think it was because I was not ready to handle everything I feel for you.

“Every time I’ve looked at a woman, I’ve compared them to you,” he muttered kissing her hair softly. “I’ve looked for some likeness to you. When my relationships, if you can call them that,” he said with a chuckle, “failed, I wondered why they couldn’t be like you. Even when things went right, as with Gin, I find myself seeing wrong in them. They were not perfect, but the biggest flaw in them was that they weren’t enough like you. They weren’t you. I thought it was because you were the one woman I admired above all in my life, but it isn’t. I do admire you and I will for the rest of my life, but last night I noticed the real reason why. It’s because I love you. It’s because I’ve loved you since we were eleven years old. You’re the only person I have ever told that to.”

“You professed your love to McGonagall and the Weasleys last night, remember?” she said raising her head to look up at him with a smile on her face even when tears were pouring from her soft, warm, brown eyes. He blinked as if he’d just realized it and then he grinned.

“I did, didn’t I?” he asked making her laugh gently. He pouted a bit and at that moment, the whole world put together could not love as much as she loved him. “Huh, I …well, after I got used to telling you it was just easier, but you are the first person I’ve loved, alright? You’re the one person I love above all others. I’ll never feel for another what I feel for you. Believe that, Mione.

“I can’t live without you,” he said kissing her forehead. “I can’t. I won’t. I know it’s horrible but I can live through the others leaving me. I know I could, but you...you I can’t do without. I would die for you and in truth, I lived because of you. That last day when I told you to stay behind and you wouldn’t…when we got separated for those last minutes, I saw you fighting Dolohov. I …I knew then that I had to kill Riddle and live through it so I could go and kill Dolohov for every time he hurt you. I felt more hatred for Dolohov then than for the monster that had killed so many more. You mattered more to me than anyone ever could. My need to save you, my love for you in that moment was so great that Voldemort couldn’t stand it. He shattered and I was going to kill Dolohov but you beat me to it.

“After I made it to your side, we both passed out…when we woke up…I didn’t know what to feel. Before I could make up my mind Cho was there pushing and pushing, and Ginny…Ginny was so willing to be my escape again. You took up with Ron and I-I kept from facing the truth once more. It was easier that way. One thing led to another and I refused to listen to my heart. I’m more used to listening to my gut then to my heart anyways. I’m dense when it comes to matters of the heart, but I’ve never been more sure in my life. I’m sure I love you. I’ll always love you.”

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione whispered. “I’ve always loved you, and I would have loved you even if you didn’t love me back. I noticed you as a boy rather than just my friend during fourth year. I…you wanted Cho then and Viktor… well, Viktor wanted me. Ronald, Ronald was as dense as always but deep down I knew what he felt for me. Fifth year…fifth year you got Cho even if for a little bit, and then it was pure chaos. Sixth year…that year none of us were the same. Then Ginny asked me to help her get your attention and well, you wanted her too. I hated her, Harry…for about one second I hated her with all my heart.

“Then I saw how happy you were and I was happy, too. That’s when I hated myself. Then Ron took up with Lav and it was just so…I felt as if I had lost both of you at the same time. Besides, I had grown used to the idea of Ron and me,” she said shaking her head a bit as if she know found the idea ludicrous. “I felt attracted to Ron, he’s a good looking man. He’s a good man. After, the war, you took up with Ginny again, and I thought that was it for me. I had to give myself a chance, and well…I had to give Ron a chance. I’ve done things, Harry. Things that shame me. One of them is using Ron and…Viktor to get over you.

“ I used them, Harry, when I couldn’t take it anymore I used them. I tried to forget you but I couldn’t and I couldn’t keep hurting people. I stopped dating and I focused on my work. I can’t hurt my work the way I hurt them. Last night, being here once more, doing things, hearing things, I broke down. Then there was the thing with Draco and his…machinations. Then you and me. I don’t want to doubt you. I’ve dreamed of this even when I told myself not to, but I only want to be sure. I want you to be sure because I don’t want to be hurt and foremost, I don’t want you to hurt because of me.”

“I’m sure, Hermione,” he said once more. He kissed her tenderly before he pulled back to look at her with a smile as he wiped her tears away with his fingers. He grinned at her and then pecked her lips once more as she smiled back. “Besides, Ron told me you both ended your relationship on common terms. You both said the same thing and that’s why you are still the same best friends. Krum was such a long time ago. You were fourteen, Mione, and he was the first guy to be smart enough to try to win you. You can’t blame yourself for that.”

“I …” Hermione said pulling away from him. He frowned as she wrapped her arms around herself and took a step back from him.

“What is it?” he asked concerned. “What’s wrong? Mione…”

“Harry,” she said almost in a whisper. “I…I went to Bulgaria before I went to pick you up at the Dursley’s to go to Bill’s wedding.”

“I…what?” Harry asked frowning. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I went with my parents for a few days, but I was scared that the Death Eaters would try to track me,” she said as a sob escaped her. Harry tried to move toward her but she shook her head vigorously, making him stop. “I left to Bulgaria and I spent a week there. I spent a week in the Castle of the Krum family.”

“You spent a week with Viktor Krum?” Harry asked. She watched him warily as if she feared his reaction. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me…us?”

“I don’t know why!” she said as if furious with herself. She turned and what he saw in her eyes scared him because for the first time since he knew her he couldn’t tell what to expect from her. She looked him in the eye before she whispered, “I …I slept with Viktor, Harry.”

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Best Friends

Chapter 11

By: Rodare

My one and only Beta: Rage

DISCLAIMER: Read the previous chapters! If it wasn't mine back then it still isn't now…geez…

I KNOW!!! FINALLY!! LOL. I absolutely deeply apologize… I have many valid reasons for not having updated until now…it would take too long to write them all and in the end many of you wont even care…My life became a scarily accurate work of fiction except it was real life…honestly…I could have made a H/Hr story out of it… lol… honestly… they're reasons but there is no excuse for having left my faithful readers as I did… for that I apologize…

As some of you may have noticed this is the first chapter that has been beta'd by someone besides myself…my friend, Rage, was kind enough and patient enough to help me get this FINALLY to you guys…All mistakes are still mine specially since I added some stuff and in my haste to update I didn't send it back for inspection…sry! Feel free to drop a review and tell me what I did wrong… I don't mind… I rather appreciate learning…So, thanx in advance!

As is, I'm back and I'm here to stay! Whoohoo! The next couple of chapters are done so review a lot and you'll get them quickly!

Yes, DH was a good book from my opinion but JKR, as much as I love and admire her, has no idea how to write romance and should let that to the professionals! Us! Because we're the ones that saw the signs and read them right, no matter what others say or made themselves think. Perhaps, we are delusional, but who cares really? I don't and I'm sticking to Pumpkin Pie …

**To Ruben: You know this is for you, hun!!! Love ya! Couldn't have done it without you!**

To my readers: THANK YOU!

To the_scribbler: I know I gave my word…and I kept it...but life is such that this had to be delayed…sry

To all of my faithful readers and specially to all of you that take the time to review this story…I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

To my Anonymous-ses: Thanx for leaving reviews..lol…Leave a name or sign so I can tell the difference between u guys will u? lol..u guys are like ghosts! But I luv ya too!

And to the reviewers that have left reviews in other languages…I can understand English/Spanish/French… so leave it in whatever u feel more comfortable with…and if I don't know what it says I shall find out! Lol…no seriously and if u have questions feel free to ask me in a review or email me…I will answer ASAP!

Now, I've rambled long enough and I know most of you just kinda ignored this tidbit…but whatever…

~*REVIEW*~

CHAPTER 11

“You spent a week with Viktor Krum?” Harry asked. She watched him warily as if she feared his reaction. “Why? Why didn't you tell me…us?”

“I don't know why!” she said as if furious with herself. She turned and what he saw in her eyes scared him because for the first time since he knew her he couldn't tell what to expect from her. She looked him in the eye before she whispered, “I …I slept with Viktor, Harry.”

----

“What?” Harry asked looking at her as if she was some strange magical creature in Hagrid's class. She opened her mouth but he shook his head furiously, throwing his hand out in a motion to stop. “I…wait…just…”

“Harry,” she said softly taking a step toward him. He looked away from her with a deep frown clouding his features. She stopped once more as he kept her away with his hand held high. “Harry, please…”

“Just…give me a second,” he whispered as if it was inhumanly impossible to comprehend what she was saying. She waited and watched him silently.

Harry didn't know what to feel. His brain couldn't even process what she had said. He felt horribly numb. He felt jealousy…anger, even, but not at her. He felt angry…just angry, and that was all he was sure of. He couldn't be mad at her. He wasn't capable of it, especially if it was about something that had happened years ago.

It was just like the time in sixth year when Ron was mad at her because Ginny told them that Hermione had snogged Krum in fourth year. He hadn't been able to tell her then the true reasons of Ron's anger toward her because he didn't think it fair the way Ron was acting. He had felt embarrassed of Ron back then and he had been incapable of making her feel bad about something that had happened when Ron was nothing of hers but a friend. How could he possibly be hypocritical enough to be angry with her now when he was in the exact same position? He turned to look at her as if that would help make some sense of his world.

To say that he was shocked by the look in her eyes was a complete understatement. She was looking at him with wariness as if expecting him to strike at her somehow. There was a defeated stoop to her shoulders. No, not defeated, it seemed more resigned disappointment than true defeat. It was as if she was expecting the exact reaction he was having, and although it obviously pained her, she was ready to take it.

“Mione?” Harry whispered again. The tone of his voice made a flicker of hope cross her gaze, and in that instant, he felt like the biggest git in the whole world. He lowered his hand, which had been keeping her at bay. With a soft, dry sob, she launched herself at him and before he knew it, she was on her knees between his legs as she buried her head against his abdomen and hugged his waist tightly. “Oh, Mione. Don't cry. Please, don't cry.”

“I-I'm sorry, H-Harry,” she said pushing back her sobs, unsuccessfully. “I-I'm sorry.”

“Shh, it's alright,” he muttered lovingly as he stroked her hair lovingly. “I…you took me by surprise. I didn't …I thought you and Ron…I mean, Krum?”

“Ron and I never…” she muttered through sobs. He bent his head and kissed the top of her head. That more than anything allowed her to get a grip on herself. She pulled back a bit and wiped her tears away from her face. It broke his heart to see her crying. He had to stop her from hurting so he did the first thing that came to mind. He kissed her lips without thinking wishing he could take some of her pain away, especially since he knew that he was the cause of it, at least mostly.

She moaned against his mouth and he closed his eyes instantly melding into her embrace. She pulled back breathlessly and looked at him a bit confused. He brushed his knuckles against her soft cheek and sighed when the confused look in her beautiful face didn't go away. She made to speak but he silenced her with his finger on her lips. He took his finger off and placed a soft, almost fleeting, but loving kiss on her lips before he pulled away.

“You don't…You don't have to tell me anything,” he said with a half-shrug. She watched him to see if he was being sincere, which he was, but she knew better. She knew that he would always be plagued by his own curiosity about the subject. He would never mention it again, but it would always be a gap between them. He saw her thinking and he shook his head as he watched. “No, don't think about it so hard. I can live with it. You don't have to …”

“I know,” Hermione said looking deep into his eyes. “I think…I think its better that you know. I-I don't want there to be secrets between us and…well…This is something that no one knows, but me. Will you hear me out?”

“I don't want secrets between us, either,” he said holding her face with his hands. “I don't, really. It's just…I…can you not…”

“No details?” she asked. For the first time, some of the tension dissipated. She smiled a little and he gave her a lopsided grin. She leaned up and kissed his lips tenderly. “I love you a lot, Harry.”

“I love you, too,” he murmured against her lips.

“Okay,” she said resting her head on his lap. He smiled down at her, and she closed her eyes. “I got a letter from Viktor about three weeks before school ended sixth year. He invited me to Bulgaria again. He said things were the same there. The Bulgarian Ministry was refusing to acknowledge Voldemort's return. They weren't too concerned, you see they thought that Voldemort was just Dumbledore's concern, so…Anyhow I said I couldn't, that I was going to spend summer with my parents. That I would probably go to Ron's for a while with you. He said it was alright but he said that his offer still would stand if I were to change my mind.”

She sighed before continuing, “Things changed, Harry. I…I went back home. I was so confused, so scared of what would happen. I was scared you would…I was home for about six days when…,” she opened her eyes and moved her head up from his lap. She sat back on the floor in front of him with her feet tucked under her. She placed her hands on her knees and he frowned at her hesitation. “Professor McGonagall and Kingsley showed up then, Harry.”

“What?” he asked completely surprised.

“They told me that they had come across some information. Apparently, Snape or perhaps Wormtail…they didn't really know,” she said rubbing his knees gently. “The fact is that someone told Voldemort that the way to get through you would be to hurt me. I don't know why, but they insisted you were most attached to me. The Weasleys were a given and Snape knew you were dating Ginevra, but they thought I was a bigger weakness for you. Besides, they knew that I …let's just say that they knew I was the brains that always tried to help you. I don't know what they thought. The point is that McGonagall was concerned. She insisted that I was in danger, and that I needed to hide out or something of the sort. She said I was a sitting duck in a Muggle neighborhood without protection, but my own wand.

“I couldn't go and hide out,” she said looking down at her lap. “I couldn't let you fight alone, but Kingsley insisted that I had no choice. Still, I wasn't going into hiding, leaving you on your own. Therefore, they said it would be better if perhaps I could go on a trip somewhere before the Weasleys could take me in. My parents couldn't leave because they were filled with appointments at the time, and I couldn't stay and put them in danger. I thought about what to do and I remembered Viktor's offer.

“I asked them what they thought,” she said softly. “I asked if my parents would be safe if I was to go. They thought they would be, and they said so would I. Viktor has no family and he never knew if they died as victims of Death Eaters, or whether they were Death Eaters themselves. He was a little boy when it happened. His guardian was Karkaroff, but when he came of age he took control of the family fortune again and his estate. He lived alone but he had guards and Bulgarian Aurors at his disposal. Kingsley knew some of them and he thought that I couldn't wish for a better place to be at.”

“Bloody hell,” Harry muttered wondering why she had kept this from him.

“I left, Harry,” she continued ignoring his comment. “But, first I made Kingsley and McGonagall give a magical oath to not tell you.”

“Why?” he asked. He reached out to raise her chin so she would look at him. “Why on earth would you not let me know? If I'd known, you were in danger I would've…Oh.”

“You would have left me behind,” Hermione said looking at him. He looked at her, how does she know what I will do, or what I'm thinking before I do? “You would have left me and Ronald if you found out we were in the Death Eaters hit list. Even though a part of you knew we were there already, knowing for sure would have made it a reality. You would have left without us. Wouldn't you, Harry?”

“Yes,” he answered unwillingly.

“I did what I had to do,” she said. “I did it to protect my family and I did it so I could go with you. I knew I couldn't keep you from harm, but I could make sure you didn't dive head first into it without me by your side. The point is that I went there. We used an illegal portkey that Kingsley provided. Viktor was waiting for us, and they left me. He gave me a room and he showed me around the castle. He was happy to have company.”

“I bet,” Harry said heatedly. “Bloody bastard. You just wait till I get my hands on …”

“Harry,” Hermione said and he shrugged. She sighed but continued. “For the first four days all we did was stay at home. We would talk about what we had done for those two years. It's different from just reading a letter, and he is really a nice person,” Harry snorted in disbelief. Hermione decided to ignore him again. “On the fourth day I got yours and Ron's letter saying that we could get you out of the Dursleys' in three days. I was happy that I could go back and see you two. Viktor was a little sad and he asked me to go out with him to some Quidditch pub as a type of goodbye outing. I accepted and well… he convinced me to try the firewhiskey, Harry.”

“He…what?” Harry asked feeling his temper rise instantly. “That bloody, sweet talker got you drunk, didn't he? No, don't tell me…I'm going to …”

“Harry, will you listen to me?” Hermione interrupted through his tirade and made him look at her again. He felt his jaw tighten at the thought that Krum had taken advantage of her, but he nodded. “Once I got through the first one I started to feel numb. All the sadness in me, all the fear, and the concern…all the pain in my heart went to sleep, and for the first time I realized why people use alcohol to drown their sorrows in.

“Merlin, Harry. I liked the numbness. I liked not being able to think straight about what we would have to go through. It was a first for me, to not be able to think for a moment. I knew by the next day I would regret it and the rational part in me knew it's foolish to get drunk, but there is power in being numb. I wanted the power you get from not being able to feel the fear. You better than anyone knows what it feels like to need that.

“Fear makes you be careful, but it also gnaws at your insides until you're weak and you cave in. I caved in. I started to drink, and he tried to stop me. He did try but you know how hardheaded I can be. In the end he took me back home…I don't know how it happened, but suddenly he kissed me…,” she said finally looking up into his eyes once more. A tear escaped her eyes and she chuckled, a sad, bitter sound. “Oh, God, Harry. Do you know what I did?”

“No,” he answered truthfully. She smiled sadly at him and her face contorted as if she was trying to hold back her tears again. “Oh, Mione…”

“I thought about y-you,” she said softly, smiling that sad smile that broke his heart as tears spilled from her eyes. “I thought about y-you and how…how I w-would n-never have a c-chance with y-you. I…I was so drunk! Me! I still…The last thing I remember is seeing your face, your eyes… Next thing I know I'm awake with the worst headache imaginable and I realized I wasn't in my room. He wasn't there and when I found him he was strange and even a little cold, but then he went back to normal. I suppose he acted that way because of my regret. We didn't really talk about it…he saw how bad I took it and he was put out by it, but…he said…said it was okay and that we could forget it happened, that we could still be friends if I didn't want to be anything more. He told me he loved me, but he still let me go. He promised me we could still be friends and he would never mention it again.”

“Mione…” Harry said clearing her tears away. “T-thank you for trusting me so much. I know a selfish part of me would always…wonder why. But the part of me that loves you, the part of me that hates my selfish part…that part of me knows that the past is that; the past. I've lived my life and there is no reason why you shouldn't have. You've never blamed me for anything, so how can I? I just…I just wish that you could have better… memories? It was your first…and… Merlin, I'm awful…”

“No, no, you're wonderful,” Hermione said rising on her knees and kissing him. She kissed him and that kiss meant more to her than a lifetime of `better memories' could have. “I …”

“Shh,” Harry said kissing her back. “The only things that matter now are the memories we make together.”

“When did you get so smart?” she asked laughing and loving him more than life itself.

“That was smart?” he asked laughing.

“You are wonderful,” she said. He grinned cheekily and pulled her in for another kiss.

*~*~*

“HARRY!!” a cheery, although, overly loud voice cut through the silence of the castle.

Harry and Hermione stopped on their tracks and turned to the right where none other than the Creevy brothers were running towards them, Colin's large, magical camera swinging wildly as they rushed toward them.

“Hey, Harry, Hermione,” the brothers chorused staring at their long-time hero with the same avid attention they had when they were kids. Harry shuffled his feet a bit and his hand instantly went up to scratch his head nervously.

“Hello, Colin, Dennis,” Hermione said politely and Harry nodded. “Did you two need anything?”

“Well, we kind of wanted to see if we could get Harry here to pose for some pictures for our portfolio,” Colin said in a rush. He blushed slightly although not as noticeably as Harry. Hermione smiled. “It's for our new advertising company…we thought if Harry...well…”

“We understand,” Hermione said and Harry glanced sharply at her.

“We do?” he asked her raising an eyebrow. She nodded and smiled.

“Of course we do, Harry,” Hermione said. She turned to the expectant brothers and sighed. “Unfortunately, Colin, Harry here agreed to a previous engagement this morning.”

“Oh,” Colin said looking instantly put down. He looked back up at Harry almost sadly and Harry looked quickly to his feet. They weren't lying to Colin but he knew that they were only giving him a half-reason as to why Harry couldn't be in their photo shoot. It was because it made Harry uncomfortable not because he couldn't make it. If that was the case they could arrange any other time. Harry felt guilty and because of it he glanced at Hermione quickly and tried to think of a way to make it up to the Creevy brothers. “It's alright…”

“Listen, Colin,” Harry cut in and the young man's eyes lit up instantly. “Look the Weasleys and some other friends, we're going to have a bit of a pick up game in a little while. I mean, Hermione and I, would love it if you and Dennis here came to watch, right, Mione?”

“Oh?” Hermione said looking at him questioningly. He looked at her pointedly and she smiled turning to the Creevys with a smile. “I mean...of course, we'd love for you two to come.”

“You mean it?” Dennis asked excitedly and after the two in question gave a nod he grinned at his brother. “We can take the photos there, Colin. The youngest Seeker in century…”

“Who are you playing against, Harry?” Colin asked eagerly, his eyes glinting joyfully.

“Probably, Viktor Krum,” he said, his voice slightly colder. Hermione flinched knowing the reason behind it, and the two brothers grinned at each other. “Uhmm… him or Draco Malfoy.”

This was going to be great. The youngest Seeker in a century against the best Seeker in the world, this was something dreams were made out of. Not to mention that Harry's childhood nemesis, and later turned acquaintance would also be present. The pictures they could take would be to die for, and it would boost their profits by the galleons. They already had permission to be the only recorders inside the castle walls. No one else from the media had been allowed and they had the best pictures the world had ever seen of the most celebrated figures of their time. Colin and Dennis exchanged mirrored looks that told the other they were thinking the same thing.

“Uhmm, Harry?” Dennis asked brightly.

“Yeah?” Harry asked glancing distractedly at his watch as he noticed Hermione glancing toward the Entrance Hall.

“Harry,” Hermione whispered to him. “We really need to get going before the others begin to miss us.”

“You don't mind if we bring a friend or two, do you?” finished Colin for his brother.

“What?” Harry said and then shrugged not really focused on what they had asked. “Uhmm, sure…listen we'll see you guys there, ok? We really need to get going.”

“Of course, Harry,” Dennis said brightly… a little too brightly. Harry glanced at him but Hermione was already waving at the brothers and tugging on his arm to get him to move.

“Give everyone a good show, Harry,” Colin piped in as he was dragged away. Harry raised his hand to wave and then frowned.

Everybody?

*~*~*

“Where the bloody hell are they at?” Ron asked Luna as he sat on the steps beside her, they had been waiting for the past fifteen minutes and Harry, Hermione, nor Ginny had shown up yet. Luna leaned into his side and kissed his cheek.

“Relax, Ronald,” Luna said dreamily. “Perhaps they're changing…”Ron looked at her and wondered how anyone could ever think she was loony when she was one of the smartest… “Or, maybe they saw some nargles lurking around the castle and they just had to go and follow them.” I remember now, Ron thought smiling lovingly at his girlfriend.

“There's Gin,” Ron said pointing toward the entrance of the school. Luna turned and followed his gaze, and even she was surprised when none other than Draco Malfoy came behind her with a grin plastered on his face. “What the bloody hell is he doing with her?”

“Relax, Ronald,” Luna repeated but every trace of her dreaminess was gone. She stood and held Ron's bicep to keep him from throwing himself at Malfoy.

“Ron, Luna,” Ginny said with a smile as she spotted them. “Where's everyone else?”

“They're all on their way to the Quidditch pitch,” Luna answered before Ron could even open his mouth. “Ron and I were waiting for you, Harry, and Mione.”

“Where are they at?” Draco drawled with a strangely knowing glint in his eyes as he looked at Luna.

“Where the hell were you at, Gin?” Ron finally snapped. His sister turned to him and glared angrily.

“None of your…” Ginny began as Luna and Malfoy exchanged glances. Luna looked up and spotted Harry and Hermione making their way toward them hurriedly. Harry was holding two brooms as he ran behind Hermione.

“There's Harry and Hermione, now,” Luna said cutting Ginny of before they could get into another row with one another. Luna smiled as she saw just how good her two friends looked together. Harry was carrying two state-of-the-art broomsticks making Ron goggle. “Did you guys get delayed?”

“Yes, we met the Creevy brothers on the way,” Hermione answered. She smiled at Luna and shrugged. “They were trying to convince Harry to do a photo shoot for them.”

“Rea…?” Luna began but was cut off by her boyfriend who seemed to have snapped out of his reverie.

“Harry, mate, is that a…” Ron asked pointing to the broom in Harry's right hand. He turned and looked back at his best friend. “Is that the Omega 300?”

“What do you think, mate?” Harry asked with a wide grin. Hermione and Luna rolled their eyes while the other four looked almost reverently at the broom.

“But why did you bring your Firebolt for when you got the best broom ever built in your other hand?” Ron asked as he reached for the Omega. Harry handed it over and turned to look at Hermione who was standing next to Luna.

“The Omega isn't mine, Ron,” Harry said and everyone turned to gape at him.

“What do you mean?” Ron asked looking perplexed.

“I mean, it's not mine,” Harry said with a shrug. “It's Hermione's.”

“WHAT!?” Ron, Ginny, and even Draco asked in unison.

“I asked Mione what she wanted for her last birthday…” Harry started.

“She asked you for an Omega?” Ginny half-shrieked looking scandalized. Hermione's eyes flashed furiously and she looked immediately affronted.

“You know she wouldn't,” Luna cut in. She saw the look in the brunette's face sensing the danger as usual, and interfered before blood could begin to flow. “Now could all three of you let Harry explain before we get all infected with ektelonitis?”

“Ekte-whatis?” Ron asked looking at his fiancé.

“I agree with Luna,” Harry said quickly and everyone nodded, although Hermione's look didn't disappear completely. “As I was saying, Mione told me anything was fine, but I insisted and she finally told me to give her flying lessons.”

“Right,” Ron said with a frown as he glanced at his two best friends. “So, Hermione, who may I mention is bothered about flying asked for Quidditch lessons? This involves her owning an Omega, how?”

“I've never said I was bothered about flying, Ronald,” Hermione cut in, eyes blazing. Luna sighed wondering how her boyfriend could be so thickheaded and yet so alluring, while still managing to maintain her dreamy, uninterested façade on the outside. “I was just never comfortable enough about my skills, and for your information, I had absolutely well enough marks with Madam Hooch. Besides my trepidation about flying was mostly about watching one of my best friends try to get himself killed playing Quidditch more often than not. Then you had to decide you wanted in on it on sixth year.”

“You've never liked Quidditch, Hermione,” Ginny cut in. Hermione turned to face the red head, her face filled with barely concealed contempt. “Are you still trying to be perf…?”

“Don't you finish that sentence, Ginevra,” Hermione hissed quietly. Ginny blinked completely taken aback by Hermione's sudden wrath. “I'm tired of your assumptions. I have never told you I don't like Quidditch. Besides, who made you Queen Bee of Quidditch or flying? I don't need to explain myself to you or anybody else. I have the Omega because Harry tried to give me his Firebolt! Obviously, I wasn't about to accept something so precious so he made me go to Quidditch Quality Supplies with him for my birthday. He got the bloody Omega against my wishes! Now, if you don't mind the others are waiting for us.”

And with that, she snatched the broom out of Ron's hands and strode toward the Quidditch Pitch while they all stood there rooted to their spots. Luna was the first to break out of the shock of Hermione finally putting Ginevra in her place even if for a little while, and she snatched up her Nimbus 2001 from its spot against the stairs and followed her friend at a run. Harry sighed and walked off after Luna. Ron and Ginny exchanged looks of disbelief and then guilt, both in equal quantities, before looking quickly to the ground as they followed after their friends. Draco smirked, sure he was on the good side now…mostly, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate a good spat between Gryffindor any day of the week. He shouldered his old Nimbus before making his way luxuriously over after his now…friends. He smirked at the thought once more and for the first time in a while felt content.

*~*

“Merlin's beard!” Hermione whispered as they all walked inside the Quidditch Pitch and saw that half the stands were filled by what appeared to be most of the guests that were staying for the weekend.

“Ugh… seems like the Creevy brothers spread the word,” muttered Harry, “Doesn't it?”

“Very observant of you, Potter,” Draco drawled as flashes went off and they were able to spot the two culprits by the commentator stands.

“Vhat do ve do?” Viktor asked and Harry nearly scowled before he felt Hermione bump her broom against his leg in warning.

“We play,” Ginny said with a shrug. The rest of them nodded and tried to focus on anything but the cheering crowd.

“Right,” Ron said taking charge of the situation as they all stood in the middle of the field. “How are we going to do this?”

“Let's make it old Gryffindor,” Fred said.

“Against the others,” finished George.

“Gin can replace Alicia since she's not here,” Ron said nodding. “Neither is Wood. I'll be keeper instead of him on the old team.”

“Lav, Luna, and…” Ron began but Draco stepped in shaking his head.

“We can appoint our own positions, Weaselbee,” Draco said smirking at the angry look in Ron's face. “Thanks for the thought but no thanks.”

“Ve vill discuss this vith each other,” Krum said standing next to Hermione who was still looking not even slightly mollified. Luna, Lavender, Dean, Seamus, Draco, Hermione, and Krum moved a little farther away from the Gryffindors to discuss their game plans.

“Right, as you all know, I've played Seeker during Hogwarts,” Draco said and the Gryffindors smirked knowingly, while Luna and Krum nodded. He glared at the Gryffindors and continued. “I'm better as a Chaser though. Lucius …well, you all know damn well what that was about…”

“Trying to best, Harry,” Luna surmised. Draco and the others nodded in understanding. Luna continued calmly, “I'm a Chaser, too. Mom, thought me when I was little before she died in that accident. She used to play for Ravenclaw. I hadn't been on a broom until the War began. I never did try out for the team though. Daddy wouldn't let me. He said it was too dangerous, and I was all he had. What about you, Hermione?”

“I don't know really,” she said with a shrug and her anger deflated a little while she wasn't looking at Ginny or Ron. “Harry said I would make a fair Chaser, but you know Harry. He's always…never mind. You, Lav? ”

“I'm a Keeper,” she said flashing her winning smile. “I played that position about a month ago, at a gathering with Parvati's cousins, and I'm pretty damn good at it, even if I do say so myself.”

“Dean and I can be Beaters, mate,” Seamus said with a goofy grin. “Bout time the Terror Twins get what coming to them, I say. Eh, mate?”

“You can be our star Seeker then, Viktor,” Draco said once they stopped laughing. Krum nodded with a smile and glanced at Hermione.

“You `ave succeeded in learning to fly, yes?” he asked her with a grin. She smiled showing him the broom. His grin grew making him slightly more appealing seeming less imposing and intimidating. “No'fing but the best vould be vorthy of you, yes?”

“I…Thank you, Viktor,” she said remembering how Harry had spoken those exact words to her while they had been getting her the Omega. She stopped smiling as her anger came back in full force toward the two younger Weasleys. She would show them both.

“You ready over there?” Angelina called toward them. They nodded but Draco stopped them once more. Luna asked what he wanted this time.

“We need a name,” he said with a shrug, “and a captain.”

“Vou be captain, yes,” Krum said pointing at Draco. “You make decisions very vell, I think.”

“Okay,” Draco said as the rest nodded. He tried to suppress the smile he felt tug at his lips as he felt the rush of warmth at knowing that the others trusted him. He'd never felt that sort of feeling ever in his whole life and it was great. “What about the name…”

“Furor,” Hermione said with a strange glint in her eyes. Luna saw her looking at a distance and followed her gaze. Ginny was holding onto Harry's arm as she kept herself from falling while she laughed. The rest of the Gryffindor team was laughing just as heartily at something one of the twins had said.

“What does it…?” Seamus began but Luna answered him before Hermione could.

“Its Latin for rage,” she answered. They all looked at each other and then at Hermione who was now looking toward the sky.

“Are we mad or something?” Seamus asked.

Hermione laughed and looked at him looking so beautiful and dangerous at the same time that he gulped audibly. It was a look he had seen in Lavender, which had been more than the cause for him to fall head over heels over his gorgeous girlfriend, but Hermione…Hermione made it look…she made the look almost…predatory.

“Rage, does in fact means extreme anger,” she said with a strange smile adorning her lips. “It also means force, intensity, but it also means a strong, sometimes overwhelming passion, desire, enthusiasm.”

“Er…” Seamus said and Hermione grinned at him in the most un-Hermionish way possible.

“For winning, of course,” she said, but Luna knew better as the rest of them agreed. She knew why Hermione had chosen that exact word; it defined perfectly all the emotions running through the brunette. Anger toward Gin and maybe even Ron, force and intensity to whatever was growing between her and Harry, and a strong, sometimes overwhelming passion, desire, toward the object of her womanly love.

“How do we distinguish each others team?” Lavender asked, as they all stood facing each other once more. Ginny grinned wickedly.

“Shirts and no-shirts,” she said excitedly eyeing more than just her boyfriend.

“Wicked!” the twins said with identical grins.

“Is that really a good idea?” Ron asked glancing at his girlfriend, his sister, and his best girl friend, and then at all the guys. “I mean…”

“I think Ron's right,” Harry began as Ron glanced at him for support.

“I think it's a splendid idea, don't you, Hermione?” Draco asked enjoying the glint of anger in Harry and Ron's eyes. Though on the contrary, he had to admit, he did love the barely concealed jealousy in Ginny's eyes as he put his arm over Hermione's shoulder.

“What-?” Hermione said pulling out of Malfoy's reach as she glanced at him.

“You're scared of loosing the coin toss, Hermione?” Ginny smirked.

“I'm not scared, Ginevra,” Hermione answered looking affronted.

“In that case why don't we forgo the coin toss then and your team…” she said coolly nodding her head at the others without taking her eyes off Hermione's, “loses their shirts, then.”

“Fine,” Hermione almost hissed angrily.

Before anyone could intervene she did something no one could anticipate. Without further ado she reached for the hem of her sweatshirt and pulled it over her head dragging her simple white tee along with it. She was so angry and the rest of them were so flabbergasted that they barely registered how she threw both garments angrily toward the entrance of the locker rooms.

Harry felt his breath leave his body in that very second. Whether it was because of the surprise of seeing her doing something so reckless or because of his admiration of a body he'd never truly cared to appreciate when he was a boy.

He couldn't help but stare at the heavenly sight that she provided. She was beautiful. She was small and skinny but delightfully so. Her jeans were hanging low on her slim hips. Her arms were toned, her belly flat and smooth. Her breasts were small and he remembered the way they felt in his hands as he… He stopped his thought process abruptly and forced himself to drag his eyes away from her serviceable black bra where the aforementioned rested.

She turned and summoned her broom to her hand as if she'd been playing her whole life. That's when he noticed something so un-Hermione that it didn't even compare to the fact that she was half-nude in the middle of a crowded Quidditch Pitch. Hermione Jane Granger had a …

“Is that what I bloody think it is?” Ron whispered apparently as baffled by their best friend as he was.

“Y-Yeah,” Harry managed. Ron cursed under his breath in surprise.

“Will you look at that?” Fred asked behind them as Hermione marched of with the rest of her team toward the other side of the pitch.

Luna and the rest of them had done away with their own shirts but none of them drew their gaze as Hermione did. Perhaps it was the fact that she would never do things of that sort before or at all. Maybe it was the fact that she was…

“Granger is sexy after all,” George finished for him.

“I mean, we kind of noticed before,” Fred said nodding as Harry kept his gaze locked on her.

“Especially with that little black dress,” George continued with a smirk.

“Of course but that,” Fred said pointing at the one feature of Hermione Granger that they never thought she had. Even from a distance it grabbed their attention.

“Is another thing in and of itself,” George finished solemnly.

“Why did neither of you say something about that before?” Angelina asked almost rhetorically making all four of them jump. She smirked and pointed her wand at George with a raised eyebrow. “I suggest all of you get your bums moving before I hex you out of your stupor.”

“Of course, luv,” George said quickly moving to take her hand. She shook her head but smiled all the same as they began to follow her.

Harry stood transfixed watching Hermione and wondering for the first time why it wasn't that he didn't know about that. Ron must know after all he'd been more than her …

“I didn't know about it, Harry,” Ron muttered as he watched his friend. Harry blinked wondering if Ron had been practicing Legimency, but discarding it quickly as he continued, “I could see it in your face, you know. You had that funny look you get when you're feeling betrayed. You are my best friend after all and I'm not as dense as I was a couple of years ago. I was as surprised as you were, remember?”

“I know, I'm sorry,” Harry muttered.

“You have it bad, mate,” Ron sighed uncharacteristically serious. Harry almost his neck as he turned to face his best friend. Ron chuckled and shrugged. “I do know you, maybe not as much as she does, but…with a little push now and then I can tell a lot.”

“Ron, I…” Harry began hoping he could avoid getting a punch from Ron.

“Look, you don't have to say anything, Harry,” Ron said raising his hand to keep his argument away, “At least not to me. I know no one deserves to be happy more than you do, and because I know that I won't force you into something you don't want. Just don't hurt Ginny or Hermione. They're both my sisters, you know that, so please, whatever you do make your decision quick. I don't want either of them getting their hearts broken. I'm going to have to pummel you if you do, mate.”

“I…I'll fix things,” Harry promised. Ron nodded and patted his shoulder.

“Come on then we have a Bulgarian arse to whip,” Ron said. Harry nodded and smirked. He would make sure Krum got his arse handed back to him soon enough. Then, he would personally deal with this new facet of Hermione Jane Granger.

***Pretty please don't leave without leaving a review! I need to know I still have people reading this story! If you skipped the above author's note… the next couple of chapters are done..the more reviews the faster I will update! Thank you in advance!*****

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Discalimer: It ain't mine...

AN: I know I said soon...but real life caught up with me a bit... I wont make any promises this time...they tend to get broken, huh? As is, things will happen when they happen... that's the best that I can do... Thank you to all of you that actually take the time to review... It makes this worth it for us... I tried to reply to all my reviewers but unfortunately I just couldnt handle it, but I did read every single one of them. I took into account every piece of critism... Keep it coming... Many of you had a bit of a problem with how Mione is acting... well, I like her this way and I cant see her as some weakling letting others step over her for her whole life so... Oh! And the "facet" of Mione... it was never meant to be a big deal... sry to disappoint but it was mostly for character development... you will find out soon enough... Thank you and please tell me what you think...

Megz: Sry!!! I know what I said but unfortunately things havent been playing as they should be... sry... I will do it as soon as I can this time... just for you...Thanx for reviewing!

Best Friends

Chapter 12

By: Rodare

Beta: Rage

“WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” a familiar voice called in an amplified voice throughout the Quidditch Pitch. “To the Reunion Match of this weekend between the Lions of Gryffindor and the Furors! My name is Lee Jordan, and I will be your commentator for this match! Now, Professor, do tell us educated folk exactly what `Furors' mean.”

“If you were properly educated, Mr. Jordan, I wouldn't have to tell you anything, now would I?” Professor McGonagall asked raising her eyebrow. Lee grinned at her with as much charm as he could muster and she sighed. “Furor is the Latin form of rage.”

“Are they mad at each other or something?” Lee asked. He turned to look down at the pitch when he spotted something no one in their right mind would ever believe unless they were seeing it themselves; Hermione Granger, Most Brilliant Witch of the Age, Most Decorated Ministry Official (after Harry Potter), Hogwarts Bookworm, Harry Potter's Best Friend, was standing in the other side of the pitch without her shirt on. Lee gaped at her and then without thinking he whispered, “Bloody hell! She's hot!”

“Jordan!” Professor McGonagall cried snatching at the microphone. Lee blinked at her and then pointed down at the pitch. McGonagall followed his gaze irritably. She blinked and then narrowed her eyes as she spotted her star student. Before Lee could react she snatched the microphone away successfully and bellowed, “MISS GRANGER!”

Hermione looked up into the stands were she could make out the form of her mentor. Blushing a pretty pink she shrugged with the most innocent face she could muster. McGonagall gaped for another second before she thrust the microphone back at Lee, but not before harshly whispering, “If you so much as make another comment about Miss Granger…”

Lee nodded quickly never in the mood to damage the potentially greatest match Hogwarts had ever seen. He gave a nervous look to the Professor before he turned back to business.

***

“Are you ready?” Madam Hooch asked as she came walking behind an excited Parvati. Parvati grinned as did the rest of the former Gryffindor team.

“Madam Hooch agreed to referee for us and make it official since most of the guests turned out for the match,” Parvati explained.

“Thanks Madam Hooch,” the Gryffindors chorused making Hooch smile, her hawk-like eyes flashing.

“Miss Patil, I can handle it from here,” Madam Hooch said. Parvati nodded and then grinned at Ginny and the others before she rushed off to join the others in the stands. “Captains?”

Angelina and Draco walked forward toward the center of the pitch. Angelina, Harry could plainly tell was in Quidditch mode. Draco sauntered over as if he had no care in the world. Angelina stood straight and extended her hand out even before Madam Hooch asked for them to shake it. Draco made a show of winking at George as he bent down to kiss Angelina's hand. She pulled away glaring and Draco merely raised his hands innocently.

“I want a clean game from all of you…”

Harry only had eyes for Hermione now. He tried to meet her eyes but her gaze was focused on Ginny who was looking at her with a smirk worthy of Draco. He glanced at Ron who was grinning foolishly at Luna and he couldn't fight back the grin that spread across his own lips at the sight.

He met Draco's eyes as he turned back to face Hooch and the blond looked pointedly at where he knew Hermione stood. Harry turned and saw the almost hungry gaze of Krum on Hermione. He felt his jaw clench and he tightened his hold on his broom. Hermione looked up and finally met his eyes. Her expression softened instantly and her eyes were as usual full of the love she held for him. He grinned at her and she grinned back as Madam Hooch called for them to mount their brooms.

Harry felt the rush of air and the excitement of being free but this time it was intensified by the feeling of euphoria already running through his veins. The Furors raised their fists as they flew upward. They seemed to be cheering Hermione's success at handling a broom. He leaned on his broom so he could pass her as they moved to form a circle so that Madam Hooch could throw the Quaffle that would start the game. Hermione was already in her position but she extended her hand out as she saw him coming at her. He slapped her hand with his and winked at her as he rushed to take his position.

“Stop fraternizing with the enemy, Harry,” Ron called to him as he settled in the air. Harry grinned at his best friend. Ron laughed and flew off to his posts as the others waited their eyes on the ball. Harry had lost complete sight of the previously released snitch as he'd taken extra time to go to Hermione. Krum nodded to him as they flew above the Chasers. He gave a curt nod and the Bulgarian grinned in an almost arrogant way, a side of Krum only those who played against him knew. Harry felt the anger already boiling his insides increase and forced his gaze downwards to where the Chasers waited.

Hermione watched as if in slow motion how Madam Hooch threw the large ball up into the air. It reached its peak and then it began to fall. Draco looked at her and she nodded almost imperceptibly. She glanced over to Draco's right and Luna grinned at her with her dreamy look, then she winked and Hermione knew she understood.

“And they are OFF!” Lee cried as the crowd erupted into cheers.

It all happened in mere seconds but to Hermione it was all too slow. Her heart was beating awfully fast and she was unconsciously holding her breath, praying to Merlin and Morgana to keep her on the broom long enough.

The instant the whistle made it to Madam Hooch's lips Draco leaned forward and he launched toward Angelina completely disregarding the falling Quaffle. Angelina barely had time enough to pull her broom upwards fast to avoid collision, her eyes wide in surprise. Katie moved left ducking under Draco, arms extended to catch the Quaffle but then she saw Luna coming at her head on. Cursing she managed to roll and avoid a sure collision with the giggling Ravenclaw.

Ginny blinked and realizing what they were doing she moved right to intercept the Quaffle she knew Katie wouldn't get. She spotted Hermione diving faster than she'd ever seen Hermione move on a broom a few feet ahead of her. She sped up and Hermione looked up to see her dive toward her.

Both of them were too stubborn to slow down and if neither of them swerved they were sure to collide head on whether they grabbed the Quaffle or not. Their eyes met and they both saw something in the other's eyes that made them realize how they were both behaving after years of being the best of friends. Hermione with an unsettling feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach swerved to the left in the last second avoiding contact with Ginny and the Quaffle.

Ginny caught the Quaffle but she knew exactly what Hermione had done. She turned in the air and faced her…friend. Hermione nodded at her slightly and rushed off ahead ignoring Draco who was yelling at her for being a bloody Gryffindor. Ginny blinked and threw a hard pass at Angelina. Angelina caught it almost falling of her broom by the force of the pass. Ginny sighed and moved forward after Draco, who was rushing to tackle Angelina.

**

“Ginny Weasley takes control of the Quaffle and we begin the game after that phenomenal display of tactical attack from the Furors!” Lee commentated loudly. “Rather ingenious ... too bad it didn't work. It rather seemed as if Granger didn't have the…”

“Jordan,” McGonagall snapped, knowing quite clearly what her favorite student had done.

“Right,” Lee said clearing his throat quickly. “Johnson is the starting Chaser of the Irish National Team. The Lions aren't taking it easy. She rushes toward the goals, passes to Ginny Weasley, former captain of last years Gryffindor Team and new addition to the Wasps as reserve Seeker.

“Lovegood attempts to tackle but Ginny manages a pass. Bell grabs it!” Lee said excitedly. It was quite obvious to those who knew him where his loyalty lay. He was a Gryffindor through and through. “Bell made it to the regional semifinals with the Tornadoes this year!

“Whoa! Another failed attempt at a tackle from Lovegood! Bell passes to Johnson, and back to Ginny Weasley. The Furors don't seem to be trying at all against these superb Chasers! Ginny Weasley to Bell … oooh! Katie rolls to barely dodge a Bludger sent by Seamus Finnegan. Finnegan works in the Department of Magical Sports, Quidditch Division. Have never personally seen him play until today, which can be said of most of the Furors! Although, one can't honestly deny that the girls in that team are bloody attractive!”

“JORDAN!” McGonagall cried reaching for the microphone. Lee jumped out of the way in time.

“Sorry!” he cried keeping out of reach. “Look! Granger moves in after Bell! I never thought I'd see the day when Hermione Granger would willingly be up in a broom! She seemed a little unsure at first but she must have had a good teacher! You go, Granger!”

Hermione tried to block Lee's voice, which was only making her more self-conscious. What on earth had possessed her to let Ginny get to her, she had no idea. It was your damn pride!, a little voice in her head taunted. She cursed under her breath surprising herself and she vowed to stop hanging out with Ron so much. Merlin, she was half-naked for everyone to see and she was doing something she'd only done before a few times. Thank Merlin, Harry had been patient with her, and now she could hold her ground… or was it air?

She leaned on her broom and even she could tell was far better than the others. It responded to her slightest touch and for the first time she could begin to fathom what Harry, Ron, and the others found so liberating about flying. It was the freedom and not so much a lack of control but rather the knowledge that you were under control of such a wondrous situation. She smiled to herself and vowed to never condemn something again without truly trying it first.

**

Harry met Krum's piercing gaze as they looked up from watching the chasers battle for control of the Quaffle. Gryffindor was up by 20 points. Malfoy and Luna had scored three for their team. Angelina had scored three, Katie one and Ginny the other for Gryffindor. Hermione had been mostly assisting as if unsure of what she really could do.

He saw Krum focus on something somewhere above his shoulder and he cursed under his breath. He ducked a second before a Bludger rushed past his ear. He was about to curse Krum for not warning him but before he could so much as look up he felt more than saw Krum rush past his side on a Firebolt exactly like his but in the Bulgarian colors.

Cursing in a way that would make Hermione refuse to talk to him for a week he forced his stationary broom to turn around and rushed after the Bulgarian. Krum's large frame was completely obscuring his view as he rushed after him knowing fully well why the Bulgarian was rushing like that. He flattened himself on the broom and sped almost bullet-like after him. There was no way in Dumbledore's name that he was losing to the git.

He thought he heard someone yell his name but he ignored it as a trick of the wind rushing in his ears. He saw something out of the corner of his eye that made him turn. He cursed once more and barely managed to roll as another Bludger narrowly avoided him. He wondered where on earth were the twins when he heard one of them call his name. He finally looked forward and saw Krum raise his broom sharply upwards, too fast and unexpectedly for him to follow. He closed his eyes wondering what god he had offended this time before he flew straight into the Hufflepuff stands. There was a collective gasp as he crashed into the stands. His body slammed against the wooden benches. A whistle sounded somewhere far away. He heard screams, curses, and gasps and then felt someone hoist him up out of the rubble. He opened his eyes with a grimace and saw the chubby face of Ernie McMillan.

“Are you alright, Harry?” he asked concernedly. Harry mentally checked himself for any broken limbs but apart from a few scratches, bruises, and a busted lip he was perfectly fine.

“I'm alright,” Harry said reaching down for his broom. “Did Krum get the snitch?”

“He wasn't chasing the snitch, Harry,” Ernie said almost apologetically. Harry turned brusquely to face him and he shrugged pointing down to the pitch where Krum was flying toward his goal posts. The twins blocked his view as they rushed toward him.

“Are you alright, mate?” George or Fred asked. He nodded practically seeing red as he focused on the Bulgarian.

“Can you fly?” the other asked glancing distractedly toward the pitch where Madam Hooch was holding her palm up.

“Yeah,” Harry said climbing back on his broom. “Bloody bastard.”

“You got that right,” Fred said with a grimace.

“Even Malfoy was surprised by that little display,” George said. He looked at Harry again and saw him focus on Krum who was flying close to Hermione. Hermione was looking concerned obviously trying to see whether Harry was fine or not. Harry's eyes went impossibly dark and anger flashed in them. George was slightly surprised by this and he glanced at his twin who shrugged slightly.

“You alright, Harry?” asked Angelina as they moved toward her and Madam Hooch. He nodded and so did Hooch as he glanced at her.

“Your time-out has ten seconds left, Captain Johnson,” Madam Hooch said all business. She looked at Harry and shrugged imperceptibly. “It was a legal play you understand, Potter?”

“Yes, Madam Hooch,” Harry answered through clenched teeth. He saw Hermione look at him searchingly before she turned and faced Krum. Harry saw the black dragon adorning her lower back and he gulped almost audibly, before he turned sharply away as Madam Hooch called his name. “Yes, Madam Hooch?”

“Make sure your play is also legal, Mr. Potter,” she said catching his gaze firmly in hers. “It won't do for a Hogwarts team, former or not, to lose a match for foul play.”

“No, Madam Hooch,” Harry answered. She nodded and after a nod from Angelina she blew her whistle for the game to begin once more.

**

“After that disgusting piece of work from the Furors' seeker,” Lee began angrily.

“Jordan!” McGonagall warned and he almost bit his tongue to keep himself from lashing out at the Bulgarian. He turned almost indignantly toward his professor and saw the barely contained anger in her eyes. He grinned at her and she sighed shaking her head.

Harry couldn't help but have his anger abate somewhat as he saw the scene in the stands beside him. McGonagall and Lee could be trusted to make this match as memorable as the ones during school. Krum was perched on the other side of the pitch watching for any sign of the snitch for now content to be stationary. Harry pulled his gaze away and began his own search for a little glint of gold and a flutter of wings.

His gaze was instead drawn to the one thing he had no trouble spotting among others; Hermione. She was flying after Katie who was rushing to keep ahead of the superior quality and speed of Hermione's broom. He smiled as he remembered all the time and patience they both had spent during those Quidditch lessons.

He remembered that every time she either fell or failed, even though she was tired, bored, hungry, angry, and frustrated she would get up again and again until she got whatever he was teaching her right.

He remembered her telling him how it had always bothered her to not be able to do something that was so much a part of their world. He remembered laughing and telling her that even she couldn't be perfect. He could perfectly recall her indignant glare and the way she told him she would show everyone that nothing was impossible. Even if it meant that Hermione Jane Granger had to learn how to properly fly a broom.

He saw Draco tackle Angelina almost viciously. The Quaffle fell out of her hands and into the waiting arms of Luna. Luna flew off almost luxuriously but then she threw a surprisingly long pass to Hermione. Hermione caught it with the tip of her fingers, a look of concentration on her pretty face. She fumbled a bit as she turned her broom a little insecurely, but managed to keep a hold on the Quaffle as she flew toward the goal posts.

Harry was once more graced with the sight of the enticing black dragon on her perfectly smooth, tanned back. He felt a sudden rush of desire as he watched a drop of sweat run down her spine as if caressing her in the way he longed to do. It ran down slowly between her shoulder blades, down her spine, reaching the dragon and then disappearing into her low riding jeans.

She slowed a bit a she reached the post and it was only her and Ron now. A part of him could see that her mind was working overtime on something. A pleased look cross her eyes and determination took over. She gripped her broom tighter with one hand and then slid as far as she would dare across the handle of the broom in a way that made all the blood leave Harry's brain altogether and rush southward. She pulled her arm back and threw the shot.

Harry couldn't tell anyone whether she made the shot or not, even if his life depended on it. He was painfully aroused by the sight of the Hermione he knew being so physical and so determined. That instant he could imagine her almost vividly, riding him, holding him as she was that broom.

He didn't know why but if he had an inch less of self control he would have rushed that instant and taken her somewhere where he could have his way with her. He was surprised by his own thoughts. He had never been so…savage, even when it came to things such as desire. He was rock hard and all he wanted was to have her writhing under him.

Sure he was a little reckless from time to time, he was possessive, and he'd been known to suffer from a chest monster, but he'd never felt the need to have a woman like he did Hermione. He didn't just want her. He needed her, and yet he knew that he would never ask it of her until she was ready, and if she ever was ready. He loved her and he was man enough to know that some instinct within him wanted her to know that he loved her in such a physical way.

The roar of the crowd was deafening, the blood rushing out of his head didn't let him think straight, and the sight of her …

“HARRY!”

He whirled around and saw one of the twins pointing at the other side of the pitch. He saw the snitch a second before he saw the blur that was Krum trailing behind it. He felt the painful pang of his arousal as if calling for attention. He cursed his damn body and his hormones for distracting him. The sound of the crowd died on his ears as he froze there. Another yell calling his name broke him out of his stupor and he moved into action. He leaned almost flat on his broom and skyrocketed in the direction of Krum and the snitch.

He felt the air break as he sped through it like a bullet. He was getting closer and closer but Krum was diving like there was no tomorrow. At the angle that he was flying he would be able to intercept Krum but he didn't know whether he would be able to dive fast enough to tail the snitch. If he avoided collision with Krum, that is.

**

Hermione watched the way Ron moved. She could read him almost as well as she could read Harry. She quickly analyzed the angle of his current position and the angle she, herself, was flying. She then quickly calculated the speed of her broom and his, and then the reach of her throw. She did it so quickly to an outsider who didn't know any better it would appear as if she had done nothing but shoot without thinking. Instead she calculated her distance and gripping her broom in the way Harry had taught her she slid down the handle and threw the large ball as hard as she could at the precise angle she had designed in her mind.

Ron spotted her and rushed to intercept her shot. She was slightly taken aback by his speed that was slightly better than she had first thought. She bit her lip in anticipation as she watched the confident look in Ron's face as he extended his long arms toward the oncoming ball. Hermione could see it in her mind as easily as she could any Arithmancy equation.

She knew it a second before it actually happened. Ron in his overconfidence had released his broom and reached out for the ball a second to early, even with her miscalculation of his speed there was no way he could save the shot. She watched in shock, as her brain was proven correct once more. It all happened in mere seconds, but she could see the exact moment when Ron realized what she had already known. The Quaffle entered the goal with a loud magical clang a second before he made contact.

She stood there rooted to her spot in midair. He turned to her shocked and she waited, holding her breath without meaning to. He blinked as if he'd just seen her for the first time and then he grinned. He smiled the biggest smile she'd ever seen in his face and she knew that he'd never been prouder of her than he was at that moment. She released her breath and felt Luna slam into her side to hug her excitedly.

Even Draco flew over to them when she saw over Luna's shoulder Viktor diving at a breakneck speed, and Harry moving even faster, if it was possible, to intercept the Bulgarian. She was already mad at the disgusting way in which Viktor had tricked Harry. She'd almost had a heart attack when she saw him out of the corner of her eye ram into the Hufflepuff stands. She had wanted to rush over to him, but Luna had held her back and assured her that he was okay. She had felt her soul return to her body when she saw him get on his broom once more.

She watched in something close to horror as Harry and Viktor came closer and closer to each other. Harry was flying too fast to be able to turn downward at the steep angle that Viktor and the snitch were traveling. She felt her heart stop as she watched them.

She saw Viktor glance to the right. She watched as his eyes widened in surprise as he spotted the blur that was Harry hurling himself at such a speed toward him. Perhaps it was instinct or perhaps it was fear. Perhaps it was purely survival but Viktor pulled out of the dive an instant before Harry reached him. The crowd gasped and Hermione felt her breath hitch in her throat. Harry turned his broom with inhuman accuracy and assumed his dive. Viktor frowned and without another thought he followed after Harry, flattening his broader if slightly shorter body than Harry's on his own broom. They dived, seeming more like blurs flying faster than a bullet straight toward the ground.

Hermione held her breath and prayed to whoever was listening to make sure Harry didn't kill himself. No, by Dumbledore, Merlin, and Morgana that right was rightfully hers. Yes, as soon as she made sure he was fine she would kill him with her bare hands.

**

Harry saw Krum glance at him and he saw the instant hesitation in his eyes. Harry almost grinned and sped up knowing, hoping, that Viktor Krum, Best Bloody Seeker in the World, would pull up out of the dive as he thought he would. A second later Krum pulled up sharply out of the dive rolling slightly because of the speed he'd broken out of. Harry grinned and hoping to Merlin that his trust in his Firebolt would not prove itself without base he fell into a dive at an impossible angel. He heard a gasp but ignored it. He heard Krum speaking Bulgarian in a way that Harry knew he was more than likely cursing. He couldn't help but smirk thinking that the sooner he caught the damn little ball in front of him the faster that he could get to hold Hermione once more.

He was instantly conscious of his body and how much it yearned for her as much as his heart did at that moment. He would talk to Ginny as soon as possible so there would no longer be anything between them. Yes, as soon as he caught the snitch, and talked to Gin he would find a place to show Hermione Jane Granger just what he had endured through half the game because of her and her…sexy dragon.

**

Everyone watched with bated breath as Harry Potter and Viktor Krum flew straight towards the ground. The Chasers were frozen midair. The Quaffle lay forgotten in Ron's hands after Hermione's shot. Their eyes were transfixed on the two men hurling down.

Krum had caught up, his body weight now helping him instead of hindering him. He was heavier and at the angle they were flying it had helped to catch up with Harry. They were neck to neck. At a sharp twist of the snitch the crowd gasped as both men knocked against each other. Harry was slightly taller but Krum was bigger and Harry was pushed of the course. Harry righted himself quickly and with ease, but he'd fallen back slightly. He flattened himself to the point where his aroused body complained loudly but he ignored it and managed to catch up within seconds.

Bloody hell! , A voice that sounded awfully like Ron's cursed in Harry's head. The voice was right which was scary enough. They were going to crash. The snitch seemed intent on flying straight into the ground. There was only a minimal chance of being able to right the broom, and if the snitch didn't change its course soon then it would be too late…

There! The snitch moved parallel to the ground a foot ahead of them. They were no more than two feet away from the ground itself when it did.

Harry reacted as if by instinct. He used his feet as a lever to push down on the tail of the broom in order to make it parallel to the ground. He thought he wouldn't be able to make it when as if by a whim of the gods the broom righted itself.

Krum didn't have as much luck. He had been using his heavier frame as a way to gain an advantage during the free fall, and when he saw the snitch move and the ground so close he knew he had no chance. He cursed in his mother language and knowing he must be paying for some past sins he closed his eyes.

Harry extended his arm as he balanced himself on top of his broom. Just a little more and then… He literally threw himself forward to catch the little golden ball. He grinned as he felt the flutter of wings died as his fingers wrapped around the ball. He closed his eyes and with the forethought to tuck his arms in, he fell…

**

“Mansuetus terra!” Hermione cried pointing toward the ground with her palm, as she saw Harry jump off his broom the instant Krum crashed. The thought that her wand was somewhere between the folds of her discarded sweatshirt somewhere near the locker rooms never crossed her usually over observant mind.

A soft blue light beam burst from her palm and impacted the floor of the Quidditch Pitch. Hermione was only half conscious of the feeling of her magic as it surged through her extended limb. Her whole attention was on the man she'd love since she was eleven.

*****

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!

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A/N: IM SOOOO SORRY!!! Really I am. I know that you all hate me but life caught up with me and things have been hectic. I will not promise that this will not happen again...because I seriously do not know. Thank you all for your reviews... they're what keeps this story going. This chapter is quite short and mostly a filler... but I hope you will drop a review anyhow. As a thank you for your patience I will promise this...that in five days or less I will update the next chapter. So get to reading and reviewing, pretty please? Thank you all for sticking with me.

BEST FRIENDS

CHAPTER 13

By: Rodare

Beta'd: Rage

There! The snitch moved parallel to the ground a foot ahead of them. They were no more than two feet away from the ground itself when it did.

Harry reacted as if by instinct. He used his feet as a lever to push down on the tail of the broom in order to make it parallel to the ground. He thought he wouldn't be able to make it when as if by a whim of the gods the broom righted itself.

Krum didn't have as much luck. He had been using his heavier frame as a way to gain an advantage during the free fall, and when he saw the snitch move and the ground so close he knew he had no chance. He cursed in his mother language and knowing he must be paying for some past sins he closed his eyes.

Harry extended his arm as he balanced himself on top of his broom. Just a little more and then… He literally threw himself forward to catch the little golden ball. He grinned as he felt the flutter of wings died as his fingers wrapped around the ball. He closed his eyes and with the forethought to tuck his arms in, he fell…

***

“Mansuetus terra!” Hermione cried pointing toward the ground with her palm, as she saw Harry jump off his broom the instant Krum crashed. The thought that her wand was somewhere between the folds of her discarded sweatshirt somewhere near the locker rooms never crossed her usually over observant mind.

A soft blue light beam burst from her palm and impacted the floor of the Quidditch Pitch. Hermione was only half conscious of the feeling of her magic as it surged through her extended limb. Her whole attention was on the man she'd love since she was eleven.

**

Krum's broom broke on impact and he landed face first into the ground with a sickening smack. He bounced of the ground which was softer than it should have been but even with that he felt his nose break. He lay still feeling the remains of his broom cutting sharply through the skin of his bare chest.

Harry landed expecting the sharp pain of the sand floor. Instead he bounced hard of it once and rolled until he landed with a breath stealing thump on his back, his broom held loosely in one hand, the snitch in the other. He closed his eyes tightly against the light of the sun in this strangely warm November day.

He saw Hermione instantly and he smiled foolishly. His arousal had become nothing but a fleeting throbbing. It was now more of a psychological wanting and need than a physical one. He had caught the snitch. He had beaten Krum, he thought, his foolish smile changing to a smug grin.

“Harry!” Hermione called almost hysterically to him. He opened his eyes instantly as he felt her land beside him. She was blocking the sun now with her lithe and exceedingly sexy form as she stood there sweaty and concerned. He grinned foolishly once more and he raised his arm to her showing her the snitch. She looked exactly between the point of yelling at him or smiling. Fortunately for him, she smiled back shaking her head slightly. He straightened to a sitting position and stood up quickly. Before she could react enough to scream at him for scaring her he took her hand and placed the snitch on her palm. Their eyes met as she looked at him questioningly. Her eyes widened slightly as if what she saw in his eyes surprised her. He leaned close enough for her to feel his breath and he saw her chocolate eyes turn almost black. “Harry…”

“I need you,” he whispered and he saw her shudder. She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something when the rest of their friends landed hard around them. They stepped quickly away from each other and as Harry was engulfed in congratulations she disappeared towards the fallen Krum with her team following close behind.

**

“Viktor?” Hermione asked as Madam Pomphrey was waving her wand to asses his injuries. He grinned at her through the dried blood on his face and she cringed slightly but knelt beside him. “Are you alright?”

“Ves,” he answered with a more pronounced accent now. She smiled at him and conjured a towel. She handed it to him and he thanked her in Bulgarian.

“That was brilliant,” Dean said grinning and Hermione stood up to face the rest of her team as Madam Pomphrey continued to fuss over Viktor. His grin faded a little as he glanced almost wishfully to where Ginny, Harry, and the others were celebrating.

“Bloody sucked that we lost though,” Draco spat coolly. He seemed to have caught where Dean's gaze had lingered.

“We did fine, Draco,” Lavender said with a graceful one shoulder shrug. He shrugged back almost in the same manner and Hermione glanced at Luna.

“I think we did great,” she said dreamily glancing towards Ron. Hermione grinned and saw how Ron was the first to break the circle of rejoicing Gryffindors. He rushed toward them and picked Luna up grinning.

“We won!” he told her happily. She laughed and gazed dreamily up at him as he set her down once more.

“Only your team won, silly,” she told him as if he was a toddler. He kissed her as everyone laughed and Draco scowled. Ron looked up and as Luna let go he picked Hermione up twirling her in the air.

“Ronald!” Hermione said wondering what on earth had come over him. “Put me down!”

“YOU SCORED!” he yelled and she laughed at his antics. He set her down and everyone laughed.

“I hope you didn't let me,” she said and he pouted.

“You know I didn't,” he stated sincerely. Then he grinned at her and rolled his eyes, “As if I would purposely lose to an amateur such as you. I'll see you guys up at Gryffindor Tower. Luna and I are gonna go nick some food from the kitchens for the party.”

They watched him go with Luna laughing as she rushed to keep up with his long strides.

“I need a shower, Seamus,” Lavender said as if she was stating the weather.

Seamus almost squeaked as with a graceful wave Lavender started walking towards the castle. He rushed after her and they laughed. Dean waved at Draco and Hermione as he mentioned something about needing a shower but not wanting to interrupt the love birds he went to the Gryffindor locker room.

“You actually scored,” Draco said sounding as close to impressed as his Malfoy arrogance would let him. He glanced at her and smirked well-naturedly. “You did pretty well … for a bookworm.”

“Ronald probably let you score,” Ginny spat almost vehemently. Hermione and Draco turned to face her. Harry was coming towards them but he was still a bit ways off. Before either of them could as much as blink she had turned around and stomped angrily towards the castle.

“I …I need a shower, too,” Hermione said in a defeated voice. She rushed toward the girl Gryffindor locker rooms without glancing back.

Ginny heard the hurt in her voice and something inside of her broke. She had thought things would be fine as soon as they landed, but seeing Draco talking to Hermione so intimately had made her temper rise once more. She turned sharply to apologize to her former best friend, at the exact moment Hermione disappeared toward the locker rooms. Feeling wretched Ginny turned and sprinted toward the castle without another glance.

Draco watched Ginny turn with regret clearly written on her face and then he saw her sprint toward the castle the instant Harry reached him.

“What happened?” Harry demanded looking torn between following whom he was expected and whom he wanted.

“I need, Gin,” Draco said distractedly. He saw Harry looked baffled and realized his mistake. “I mean…I …”

“I get it, Draco,” Harry said quickly. “Where's Mione?”

“Locker rooms,” Draco said surprised that Hermione had told Harry about Gin.

He watched the man that had changed his life since he was eleven rush toward the locker rooms without another glance. Potter didn't know it because he was a fool in his own way, but he had touched so many lives by being something more or something less than just the Chosen One. Because of him he was although not necessarily a good man, he had at least turned out a better man that what his father had wanted. Because of that for the first time in his life, Draco Malfoy, was grateful.

**

Harry didn't wait to see what Draco would do. All he wanted was to know was why Hermione had gone in such a rush.

He walked into the girl locker rooms surprised that the Founders had not placed a security mechanism here as they had in the girls' dormitories. Still, he had a slight feeling of dread as he walked inside. He called her name but when she didn't answer he grew bolder and quickly strode toward the back. It never quite registered in his mind that he was walking towards the showers. He was not even slightly prepared for what he would see after he came to the end of the red and gold locker lined hallway. All he was concerned with was finding her and make sure she was alright.

What he saw made his heart do a back flip in the pit of his stomach, as ridiculously as that sounded. He had found Hermione alright. She was walking out of the showers in all her glory. She was slightly bent over since she had been reaching for a large Gryffindor towel that she had placed on a bench. Her back was facing the shower which was fortunate or he might have lost the ability to think at all. As it was all could manage was to stand there waiting for her to straightened up.

“Harry?!” she squeaked jumping back a step as she looked up. In a flash she brought up the towel and wrapped it around herself quickly. It was so fast he caught no details but the fact that her naturally creamy skin was tanned all over. She glared at him slightly, as a red tinge colored her cheeks. “What in Merlin's name are you doing here?!”

“I …I ...ugh…” Harry stuttered as he stared at her up and down. She blushed an even darker shade of red that would make any Weasley proud and looked away from his penetrating eyes. She murmured his name in a rather soft scolding whisper.

“Stop staring,” she said a second later a bit more clearly. He blinked and forced himself to meet her eyes. She moved her head slightly to the side to regard him better and then reached for his hand. “What is it?”

“I…nothing…”he said and took an unconscious step toward her. She didn't back away from his but she released his hand. “I…I saw Ginny rush off… I came to see if you were fine.”

“I… It was nothing, I'm fine,” she said with a shrug. She broke his gaze and shimmed past him toward the lockers. He followed her and stood behind her as she pulled her clothes out along with the snitch that he had given her.

He was so close to her he could smell the generic shampoo that was always in the locker rooms, but beneath it he could smell her, the smell of lavender that was so hers. He was drawn as a moth to the fire

He leaned in and placed a soft though lingering kiss on her neck. She tensed instantly but she didn't pull away from his touch. Instead she calmly shut the door of the red locker and turned gently around to face him. He continued to kiss her neck, but she pushed gently against his chest making him look up. She moved her free hand to rest on his cheek as she looked into those impossibly dark eyes of his.

“What's wrong, Harry?” Hermione asked softly. He leaned once more but instead of kissing her he merely wrapped his arms around her hugging her tightly.

“Nothing's wrong,” he murmured burying his face against her neck. “I…just…I needed to hold you.”

“Oh, Harry,” she whispered hugging him tightly. Harry moved his lips to the crook of her neck making her shudder slightly.

"Let me kiss you."

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A/N: Okay, I said 5 days but thing is I sort of forgot to count so I apologize. Anyhow, here it is, and I hope its to your satisfaction. I hope to see a bit more reviews because I want to know how you're liking this or not. Reviews are what makes me want to write after the chaos of real life and it doesn't take that long to leave your opinion...sooo, pretty please, read and review!

PS: Don't know when the next post will be as I have been a bit overwhelmed to write and I'd rather wait than post crappy, half-arse attempts... so, yeah...you can kill me now...lol...jk...ah, well, thank you all that review and for having patience to stick along for the ride which has become a bit jumpy in later times, huh? Well, this is for you guys...thanx again...and please..R&R!!!

CHAPTER 14

By: Rodare

Beta: Rage

“What's wrong, Harry?” Hermione asked softly. He leaned once more but instead of kissing her he merely wrapped his arms around her hugging her tightly.

“Nothing's wrong,” he murmured burying his face against her neck. “I…just…I needed to hold you.”

“Oh, Harry,” she whispered hugging him tightly.

*

“Let me kiss you…”he whispered against her skin. She shuddered and pulling gently away from him she let him claim her lips. It was everything a kiss could be. It was hard yet soft, tender yet passionate, needy yet full of love.

Her knees turned to jelly and had he not held her tighter she would have surely collapsed. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. He opened her willing mouth and claimed her deeper. He tightened his hold on her bringing her flush against the hard planes of his body.

She gasped breaking the kiss but he continued to kiss her neck, right behind her ear where her weak point lay. She shuddered and moaned once more.

“Tell me to stop,” he groaned, his deep, heated baritone sending a shiver down her spine. He pressed his hips against hers as if to show her what he was feeling. She gasped and clutched at him tightly as he claimed her mouth once more. “Tell me to stop.”

“I…I can't,” she almost sobbed in desperation.

She never thought it could be like this. She never once considered that she could feel like she did then. As if she had no more will of her own. Her body and its need overruled what her mind was telling her so long as Harry was kissing and touching her. She couldn't think. All she could do was feel, feel the need and the desire that was running through her veins for the man that was holding her.

He was wound up so tightly that she could feel his muscles quivering under her fingertips. She could almost taste his restraint as he made love to her mouth with his own. Her knees shook, no longer able to support her and she found herself holding tighter to him making him growl and groan. Her mind which was usually working full time on one problem or twenty, shut down on her for the first time in her life.

“Tell me to stop,” he asked once more, his voice shaking with need. He pushed her almost roughly against the lockers behind her. “Bloody hell…tell me to stop, damn it.”

She felt a quiver of fear but it only served to fuel her own need further. She relished in the barely contained violence he was restraining. The knowledge that she could bring this side of him to the surface gave her a sense of power that she knew could either be her glory or her doom. She could care less at the moment.

“I can't,” she cried, her body feeling on fire as he bit harshly between her neck and her shoulder. Her eyes closed without her realizing it and her fingers clutched tightly the black strands of his wild hair. “Oh, Merlin…”

He was kissing her throat as he pulled the towel roughly of her body, revealing her completely to him for the first time. He stopped kissing her for a second so that he could look at her and she shuddered from the predatory gaze of his almost black emerald eyes. He made an almost animal-like sound in the back of his throat as he kissed her again making her moan from the mere promise she heard in the noise.

“You're so…beautiful,” he managed almost reverently. Her whole body quivered as he ran his large, rough hand almost painfully down her soft, delicate skin. She cried in painful pleasure as her senses went into overload. He lifted her leg to wrap it around his waist making her cry in rapture as he ground his clothed hips against her impossibly wet center. She threw her head back in ecstasy, arching her back and grinding herself harder against him. “Fuck… fucks, Mione. Oh, for the love of God, tell me to stop. Tell me before … I … I'm going to rape you if you don't stop me.”

“Its not…” she began. She whimpered as she felt him lower his head to envelop her right nipple into the confines of his hot, wet mouth. She pushed against him knowing fully well that if he kept it up for a second longer she would climax right there. He released her but his hand quickly replaced his mouth and it took all her remaining ability to think, to remember what she had meant to say. “Its not rape… if I'm willing.”

With that she twisted her body so that she could push him forcefully around. His back hit the lockers with a loud clang that died on deaf ears as this time it was her that began the heated kiss. Her hands were shaking but not out of nervousness. She was to tell the truth beyond that point of consciousness, but rather out of pure anticipation and need. She wanted -needed- to feel his bare skin. Her hands were shaking badly and he eased her hands up under his sweatshirt flat against his hard, broad chest. Without really knowing how she managed to rid him of his sweatshirt and his flimsy undershirt.

Her mind barely registered the way his body looked without garments. All she knew was that he had a swimmers body; long, lean, and perfect. She ran her hands over his chest moaning as she felt him quiver and react under her slightest touch. He bent his head to kiss her neck once more as she reached down to unbuckle his pants. He pulled away and caught her hands in his, searching for her eyes.

“I want to love you,” he managed through ragged breaths. She was breathing hard and she shivered at the sound and honesty she heard in his voice. She wanted nothing more than that. She wanted him to make love to her slowly. She wanted to learn every part of his body as she learned every book she ever laid hands on. She wanted to but she knew their bodies wouldn't allow it this time. No, too many years of want and need, too many years of denial wouldn't allow for it to be that way. Their bodies were too hungry for each other as their hearts had once been not too long ago. “I… I want …but I can't… stop… love you.”

“Later, Harry,” she groaned as she felt him pull her close once more. “Take me now…later, we'll do it… please.”

He didn't argue any longer as with an almost unrestrained passion he flipped them again so that the cool metal came into sharp contact with the warmth of her skin. She gasped and he plunged his mouth into hers as if he wanted nothing more than to devour her. He pulled her tight relishing in the feel of her small breasts against the hot skin of his chest. Her pebble hard nipples made her cry out into his mouth as they rubbed sharply against him. He reached between them to torture her nipple between his thumb and his forefinger.

She was beyond the point of reason. She rubbed herself against him, needy and hot. Burning hot. Her whole body was electrified, her mind had shut down. She was going on pure instinct now. Her body clenched and unclenched under the feel of him. High on passion her body quivered under her sexual need for him.

How did I come to this? She wondered. Me? Bookworm Granger, Little Miss Perfect, cool, calm, collected, and in control Hermione Jane Granger reduced to nothing more than a woman aching for a man.

She who had laughed at the things she either heard or read through out her life. She who had sworn would never be dominated by any man. Well, she was being dominated and she was begging for him not to stop.

She pulled back breathless from his kiss. He had barely allowed her to gasp for air before he was tugging her closer and taking her mouth once more. She opened her mouth willingly even when her brain was screaming for air. The instant she gave in his demeanor changed.

He changed his kiss to not one of only lust and desire but one full of the deepest passionate love possible. Her already weak knees almost gave way under her this time as her whole body melted under the tenderness and love of his kiss. If his body would not allow him to love her slowly then he would make sure she knew it. And she did. She knew he loved her, and that his heart belonged to her before the need of their bodies overpowered them. She kissed him back in response to something she knew wanted no answers.

“Say my name,” he rumbled in his deep voice, suddenly fierce once more. She almost came from the mere sound of his voice. He pushed her harder against the lockers and slipped his hand between them and in between her legs. He stroked her with an open palm. Her body shook to the very core never so close or far away from ecstasy. “Say you're… mine.”

“Harry,” she breathed as if it was her last breath. She said it lovingly and full of need. It came more as a prayer than nothing more. “I'm… yours, Harry.”

He trailed his mouth from her neck in a straight line down between her breasts. Her leg fell gently to her side again and away from his hips. He reached her navel and stuck his tongue into her bellybutton in reminiscence to what they both knew he was going to do to her with something much bigger than his tongue. All she could do was moan and say his name almost begging. She clutched on tightly to his hair as he held her up by her hips knowing that if either let go she would slip right down to the floor.

He nuzzled her right above her brown curls and her eyes almost rolled to the back of her head at the mere sight of the love and desire he did it with. He looked up at her and the instant he knew their eyes met he lifted her leg and opening her to himself he plunged right in.

She cried out and her whole back arched towards him. A breathless sob escaped her and her head hit the lockers loudly as she threw it back in pure pleasure. She could feel his tongue doing things to her she never thought were possible. His tongue was pushing and exploring. Licking, sucking, and making her writhe in pleasure.

He pinched her bare bottom gently making her look down at him. Her eyes were blurry with pleasure, her cheeks were a soft pink, and her whole body was glistening with the kind of sweat that can only be accomplished from making love.

Their eyes met and he mumbled something that even if she wasn't completely drugged on pleasure she doubted that she would have understood. All she was certain of was that the moment he tried to say it she became unraveled. Her back arched impossibly. Her fingers tightened in his hair as she pushed him further into her folds. She came almost sobbing his name, her body shaking with release.

He moved up keeping a hold on her so she wouldn't collapse as he caught her lips in his. Her body was still shaking with the aftermath of her orgasm but she felt her desire grow even more as she felt him hard and needy against her body as they kissed. She reached down and this time she succeeded in unbuckling his jeans. She slipped them of his slender hips making him groan. She smiled feeling powerful …as if she could control the world so long as she could make this man groan like that once more.

She pulled her mouth away from his intoxicating one and looked down at her handy work. He was wearing form hugging boxers that must be completely painful right about now. He was the epitome of a Greek sex god. He looked as if he'd been carved out of marble by one of the Renaissance sculptors. His hips began in two dimples, the kind that made any woman's mouth water at the mere sight of them. His abdomen was muscled and defined. His chest was broad and strong. His manhood was impressive although not outrageously so. It was long and thick enough to make her wonder if he was going to fit properly. She extended her hand wanting to touch him but he intercepted her hand and brought it up to his lips.

“Not now,” he whispered. “I couldn't… handle it.”

She nodded and he reached for her once more. She kissed him this time with the same fervor that had accompanied their kisses up to this point. He groaned as his nude body finally made contact with hers. She moaned into his mouth handing him control of the kiss as she rubbed herself against him in need.

He picked her up with ease as if she weighed nothing. She broke their kiss and wrapped her long legs around him. He found her mouth almost anxiously and without preamble he sheathed himself with a single stroke to the hilt inside her. She gasped and threw her head back as a cry of pleasure escaped her lips.

She wrapped her arms around the back of his head. Her fingers dug into his hair as he kissed her in such a way that it shook her to the very core of her being. He pulled out of her almost completely before he thrust into her again.

“Harry!” she sobbed in complete ecstasy. She climaxed unexpectedly as he thrust into her again. He grunted and rode her orgasm valiantly.

She didn't know what she was feeling anymore. It was almost inhuman to be able to keep up and cope with everything that she was feeling. She felt as if she was dying, but then again she never thought death would feel so damn good. She never thought that to be so near death could be so addicting.

She could feel the metal of the locker and its sharp crevices as a mere passing thought. Her skin was on fire. She didn't know anything but that she wanted more. Everything, everything that he had, she wanted it. With some new found energy and need she pulled away from his lips and began to move against him. She held on to his shoulders to use him as a lever, and began to meet him thrust for thrust.

She moved up and down meeting him as he thrust hard into her with each measured stroke, trusting him to keep them both on their feet. He bent his head and caught her nipple into his wandering mouth. She moaned and dug her heels into his hard buttocks as they both began to move even faster. He pulled away from her breast and began to kiss, lick, and nibble on her neck.

The slapping sound that their bodies made as they met hard and fast against each other aroused her even more. Their cries of pleasure and their sweet nothings mingled together so that neither knew who was saying what or when. All they both knew was that even in those moments they were doing nothing more than proclaiming their love and need for the other.

Their bodies had denied them a chance to love slowly as they would have wished their first time to be, but their hearts would cherish this moment none the less as the moment when two souls became one. It was the moment when two bodies fit so perfectly with one another that they became more two parts of a whole rather than two individuals. It was the moment two best friends finally became the last two pieces of the most intricate puzzle that life could have made of their lives.

“Come for me… again, Mione,” Harry grunted as he sped up his pace.

“I… I can't…” she sobbed breathlessly. She barely registered what he was asking. She didn't even know why she wanted to beg, but she did, “Please, Harry…”

“Yes you can, love,” he almost growled. He kissed her almost roughly before he bent his head and suckled her breast making her cry in something so deeply between pleasure and pain that she didn't know which she felt exactly. He squeezed her nipple between his teeth until she cried out and he pulled away thrusting into her with something close to desperation. He buried his head against her neck and pulled her as close as he physically could against him, “Mione …please…”

She reached her peak for the third time as he thrust into her one last time as hard and as deep into her as he could. It was chaotic bliss. Her back arched away from the lockers, her head thrown back as a keening sound escaped her throat, her body convulsed into the most mind blowing orgasm of her whole existence. He came just as hard. He groaned her name against her neck, his body writhing, and his vision went black as he spilled into her.

“Mione,” he said softly a moment later as his vision came back. All she could manage was a soft grunt.

He chuckled and somehow managed to make it to the bench with her still impaled on him. He dropped down laying flat on his back against the smooth wood with her sprawled on top of him. His legs fell of the sides of the bench but he managed to keep her in place lying atop his own body. Both completely sated. She kissed his chest softly, his neck, his ear, and managed to lift her head to seek out his lips. They kissed softly, lovingly. They broke the kiss after a while both still a little breathless and just lay there not thinking, not caring about anything but each other.

“We should move,” Hermione whispered languidly. She didn't know exactly why as her brain hadn't rebooted completely though. Harry grinned and placed a rather possessive hand over her round and taut bottom. She shuddered against him and he closed his eyes placidly. “Harry?”

“Yes, love,” he asked as he ran his other hand in soft circles up and down her bare back.

“Are we going to this again?” she asked not really thinking about what she was asking only knowing deep inside her that she needed to know. He chuckled softly and squeezed her bottom with his large hand.

“You bet we are,” he answered as she shuddered against him once more. “I'm never going to let you go, Mione. You are all mine, now.”

“That was wicked,” she said with a sigh as she buried her head against his chest. He chuckled once more and held her tight as he kissed her hair.

“It was brilliant,” he answered making her smile against him. “I've never felt so good… I thought I was going to die, but I was awfully happy about it.”

“Me too,” she agreed. “I love you.”

“I…” Harry began but the rest of his words were cut off by a loud clanging noise somewhere behind them. Harry tried to look back a second before a frigid voice cut through the suddenly cool air of the locker rooms.

“Her-mione?” it asked.

*****

SOOO? TERRIBLE OR WHAT? Oh, I'm nervous bout this one... thanx, and please REVIEW!!

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