Disclaimer: Not mine. I wish it were so we would have had HHr, but alas it's JK Rowling's.
A/N: My reply to the challenge issued by PJ, you can find it here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26635 . This story will start right after fifth year, and it will involve sex, some blood, and such, so this is why it is rated NC17. I hope you'll enjoy it, I think this is the most complex challenge I've ever dared to reply to, so I sincerely hope I'll be able to pull it off well.
Thanks to my beta Gingercat!
Harry Potter and His True Sixth Year
Chapter Three: New Guests, A Revelation and New Hope
For days Harry had been having mixed dreams. At times, he would have nightmares in which Hermione would be killed, tortured, or a mix of the two. She was always the first one to rush to his side in that case, and she had even decided to transfigure a chair into a bed every night, so that she could sleep in his same room and be ready to soothe him if the need arose.
However, there were also much more pleasant dreams, always involving Hermione, in which the two of them were kissing, having fun as teenagers should do, and sometimes he had very wet dreams about her.
He always woke up embarrassed by those, especially because now she was sleeping in his same room, and he feared he might let something slip in his sleep.
The fact the two of them were constantly together during the day didn't help, because he had many chances to notice just how well she had filled out certain areas. The image of her in her bra kept flashing into his mind too.
Maybe asking her to see the scar hadn't been such a smart move.
Adding to it, he also felt guilty because he was having fun, when he thought he was supposed to mourn Sirius. However, the few times he had tried to detach himself from Hermione, she had been stubborn and would not let him getaway with that.
Today was no exception, and they were reading some books from the Black library. Harry knew why Sirius had left that house at the age of sixteen. You could feel the Dark Arts penetrating into your bones, reading some of the tomes in the family library.
Even Hermione was mildly disgusted by them, but she insisted they could always learn how to be prepared to block those curses, should the Death Eaters use them in a fight. He couldn't exactly fault her.
Often, during the afternoon, they would relax in the backyard of the house, sunbathing, joined by her parents when they were free.
Michael and Madeleine had treated Harry as one of the family since the first day, and he was really comfortable around them. Maybe even more than around Mrs. Weasley. Michael was very interested in magic, so Harry would often chat for hours with him explaining things, aided by Hermione. They would sit in the living room, and the teens would always sit together on the couch, leaving the armchairs for the adults, comfortably snuggling into each other without even thinking about it.
It was around his birthday that Harry came to struggle with the realisation that he might fancy Hermione.
"Bloody Hell" he thought. "She's my best friend, plus Ron fancies her too. I shouldn't think about her that way" he chastised himself. His mantra had become that he fancied her because he was spending so much time with the girl, so it was normal he would feel attracted to her.
His belief was shattered when on July 31st Luna and Neville joined them at Grimmauld Place, accompanied by Dumbledore. Harry expected the Weasleys to be there too, but the Headmaster had explained they were in a different safe-house with Tonks and Lupin.
"I feel it's better to spread our forces, so that we don't offer only one target to the enemy" Dumbledore explained, and Hermione immediately agreed with his logic. That might have also been because of the selfish belief on her part that if Harry was away from Ginny, he couldn't fancy her.
The brunette had come to terms with her feelings for Harry and knew she definitely fancied her best friend. Maybe, she was even in love with him.
So, when Harry saw Luna, he couldn't stop himself from noticing how beautiful the blonde had become. Or maybe she had always been, but he hadn't stopped looking twice at her.
Her figure was definitely lovely, with a cute bum, and a pair of fairly nice sized boobs. Harry felt relieved that he could notice those things, because that meant he didn't fancy Hermione, right?
But when he turned toward his brown haired best friend, and she smiled at him, he felt a tug at his heart that he hadn't felt when Luna had hugged him and smiled at him, as she had stepped into the house.
"Blimey" he thought. "I really fancy Hermione"
He wanted to bang his head on the nearest wall. This was sure to cause a strain between him and Ron, whatever way the matter went, and that was exactly what he didn't need at the moment.
Trying to distract himself from those feelings, he started chatting with Neville, and found that Dumbledore had thought wise to keep in hiding all the six of them who had been to the Ministry at the end of the term.
"I'm sorry for ruining your vacations" Harry said. Neville shrugged, and clapped him on the back.
"I wans't doing anything really interesting, just being at home with Gran, so no harm done" the other Gryffindor replied. Harry grinned, and nodded, as he downed his Butterbeer.
Madeleine had made a cake for his birthday, even with his insistence that she didn't need to.
"Nonsense. I want you to have a nice birthday, Harry" she smiled. Harry knew then from where Hermione had gotten her stubbornness, and smiled at his beast friend, who was beaming at him.
Maybe, just maybe, fancying Hermione wouldn't be so bad, he thought, once more gazing at her and finding her absolutely stunning.
The fact she was one of the few people, if not the only one, who could see him for who he really was, Just Harry, was a bonus that made him love her even more.
"Love?" he asked himself. He didn't know what love was, but he guessed if something could be called love, then it was what he felt for Hermione.
The party continued all day long, with the four of them eating Maddie's delicious cake, drinking Butterbeer, singing (it had been Luna's idea), and generally having lots of fun together.
The fact the Weasleys weren't there was soon forgotten by Harry, as he found Neville and Luna's company just as enjoyable. He noticed that the two of them were often holding hands, and decided that some teasing was in order.
So, while Neville was grabbing another Butterbeer in the kitchen, Harry went with him.
"So, you and Luna, uh?" he said, and his friend blushed madly.
"No, it's not like you think, I mean, yes, she's nice, and she's smart, and…"
"And you fancy her" Harry finished for him with a smile as he opened both the bottles. "I can see where you're coming from, Nev. She's really a great girl. A bit strange at times, but loyal as they come, and I daresay quite hot too" he winked, and Neville chuckled nervously.
Then, the other boy remembered how close Harry and Hermione were sitting on the couch, and smirked. "What about you and Hermione?" he suddenly asked, and Harry spit out the Butterbeer he had in his mouth, making Neville laugh heartily.
"Mate, you are tense" he said, then sobered again. "She's an amazing girl, Harry, and if you want my opinion, she fancies you back. You shouldn't let her slip from your grasp"
The raven haired wizard nodded, vanishing the mess he had made with a flick of his wand, and then they went back to the ladies in the living room.
--
Neville and Luna settled in the house, there were lots of empty rooms after all, and the four became inseparable. Well, apart for the times when Luna would drag Neville away with some excuse.
"I suspect she's trying to push us together" Hermione said, deadpanned, when the other two left for the third time that day.
"Or, they go to snog each other madly" Harry retorted, and Hermione giggled, nodding. "You noticed too, then?" she asked a couple minutes later, when she had straightened up again.
"I may be a guy and thus dense in such matters, but it is evident that they fancy each other. I just wonder if they are a couple already or not" he said with a grin.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Not really observant, are you?" she rhetorically asked. "Why do you think they have been sporting swollen lips at least once a day for the last three days?"
Harry was bewildered. He hadn't noticed. Then, a grin spread on his lips.
"Way to go, Neville" he chuckled, and Hermione nodded, smiling. "He deserves it. He's such a nice guy"
"And brave too" he said.
"Well, since they left us alone, Hermione, there's something I need to tell you" he sighed then, after a moment of pause.
She nodded, ready to listen.
Taking a long breath, Harry started. "You remember that prophecy?"
"Yes, it was smashed during the fight, right? No one knows what it said" Hermione interjected. Harry shook his head.
"Someone knows. Dumbledore was the man who heard it for the first time before it was registered, and he showed me a Pensieve memory of the night he heard it from Trewlaney"
"That old bat made a real prophecy?" Hermione snorted, and Harry smiled ruefully.
"Yes, she did, and that's why Dumbledore has kept her at Hogwarts this long. To protect her, because he knew Voldemort would want to hear it" Harry continued. Then, he told her the content of the prophecy itself.
Hermione was shocked, and scared. "This means…"
"That I have to kill him or be killed, yes" he confirmed. As soon as his words left his mouth, he was engulfed in a bear hug, a mane of brown curly hair in his face and he automatically hugged her back. He could feel her tears staining his shirt.
"It's not fair" she mumbled, and he nodded. "Life rarely is" he replied.
They remained that way for a long time, both revelling in the contact with the other, enjoying the feeling. No words were needed, until Finally Hermione gently pushed herself away from his chest, and spoke.
"Harry, there's something I want to talk to you about too, but please don't get angry, ok?" she said, a bit fearfully.
Harry was worried. "What's happened?" he asked.
"Well, I have an idea, but I'm not sure how you'll take it, and especially if it can be true. I still need to research but…" she started, and Harry was getting impatient with her rambling, although he had to admit she looked cute when she rambled.
"But?"
"I think Sirius is still alive, Harry"
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