Forbidden Love
Chapter 26
Hermione gave a small smile to her boyfriend as he lightly grazed her hand with his own, for the fifth time. She and Harry were walking the corridors with Ron just after their latest D.A. meeting and he had decided that if he couldn't hold her hand as they walked then lightly touching her as often as possible is the next best thing. When he grazed her hand once more, she gave him a look of mock annoyance, to which he responded with a grin and a wink.
"That was a brilliant meeting you guys," Ron commented happily from her left, completely oblivious to the flirtation going on between his two best mates. "Everything went perfectly, I mean did you see the way I blasted that sodding Death Eater across the room?! I swear everyone can tell that you're back," he continued, giving Hermione a smile, "the lesson plans have already gotten way better, I mean it's been a while since we've had such an awesome spell to work with."
"Oi!" exclaimed Harry, giving his mate a disgruntled expression.
"What?" Ron held his hands up defensively, "Come on mate, you know I'm right, without Hermione the lessons were sorely lacking."
"Yeah, well… I wouldn't say sorely…" Harry grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets and throwing his girlfriend a glare when she giggled.
"Whoa Hermione," Ron said, giving her a surprised look "you almost sounded like a real girl."
Harry laughed; Hermione hit him.
"Uhh, excuse me," a voice said from the rear of them.
Halting the trio turned to find Zach Smith standing just behind them with a nervous expression.
"Hello Zach," Hermione offered with a kind smile.
"Hey Hermione- uh, do you think I could talk to you for a second…" He threw a fleeting uneasy glace to the two well built Quidditch players flanking her "-alone."
Hermione gave the blond a curious look while Harry and Ron shared a frown.
"About what?" The dark haired boy questioned harshly, before letting out a small grunt when Hermione elbowed him in the stomach.
"Sure," she replied, throwing Harry a discreet warning look.
The dark-haired boy frowned but didn't comment, instead he settled for crossing his arms over his chest and bestowing the blond with an intimidating glare. After giving the glowering Harry and the frowning Ron another worried look, Zach lightly took Hermione's elbow and maneuvered her a bit away from the other boys.
"So, what's this about?" Hermione asked when the blond had ushered her what he felt was a far enough distance away from her mates.
"Well… I, er, notice that you look really pretty- not to say that you don't always look pretty," he rushed, when she gave him a disgruntled look. "Just to say that lately you seem… I don't know different, that's all."
Hermione frowned at Zach once more. Just what was he getting at anyway?
"Well… thanks," she commented aloud, throwing an irritated look to Harry and Ron who were both sniggering from their location a foot or two behind Zack.
The blond threw a quick look back to the other two boys, "Perhaps we can go somewhere to talk… you know, a bit more private."
"This is fine Zach, what do you have to say?" she replied briskly when she noticed Harry frown.
"Well," he hesitated and looked back at the boys before leaning forward and continuing in a low tone. "You see, I noticed that… well, you've always been pretty Hermione- beautiful really, but lately since, well, you know- since you and Ron broke up you've seemed a bit down. And though I've kind of been wanting to ask you for a while now I didn't because, well at first you were in a relationship and then when you weren't, well when it was over- you seemed really upset and a bit distant at times… but the last couple of days you've been radiant, vibrant, glowing just like a brilliant bluebell flame in dark black room, just like a candle in a dungeon, just like a-"
"I hate to sound rude, but could you get to the point?" Hermione asked, giving a quick look at her watch. "It's getting really late and I have some additional studying to do before my rounds tonight."
Zach flushed, "Oh, yes, of course, no problem- I guess what I'm getting at is… well for a while you seemed to be really upset about your break-up with…" he looked back at the two boys once more, noticing that they were both watching them closely. "-well, with you know who."
She arched a dark brow but remained silent.
"Either way, you seem really happy as of late and… well I was hoping that that meant that you were," he faltered a bit, "well, you know. Ready to get back out there."
Her brows knitted together but she still didn't comment.
"I guess what I'm getting at, er, what I was wondering was… well… Hermione, wouldyouliketogototheQuidditchgamewithmetomorrow?" he rushed out.
"I- wait, what?"
He released a long breath and tried again, this time pacing himself, "I asked if you'd like to go with me to the Quidditch game tomorrow."
Hermione gave him a surprised look, "You mean as in a date?"
"Well, yeah I guess…" he quickly continued when she opened her mouth to comment. "I mean, yes. Definitely, I- well, I've fancied you for bit now and now that you finally seem to be over- er, well seem to have moved on, I thought that it would be the perfect time to ask. I mean, a girl as smashing as you couldn't stay single for long." He finished with a charming smile.
Hermione felt herself began to blush from the compliment, looking past him she gave a glance to Ron and Harry. The two Gryffindors had obviously overheard the conversation if their reactions were any indication. Ron was watching them with an somewhat staggered expression, his red brows practically touching his hairline, while Harry was watching them with an extremely hacked off one. The way the dark-haired boy was gripping his wand was reminiscent of his last run in with Malfoy and also was an immediate cause for worry.
"Oh, well actually I don't think that's a great idea," Hermione commented hastily, "you see… well, though I am over the whole thing with Ron I…I- don't think that I'm quite ready for another relationship you see."
"I'm not asking for a commitment Hermione, I'm just asking for a chance." Zach continued with an easy smile, and completely unaware of the peril he was placing himself into. "Look no one even has to know it's a date, with you being Head Girl and me being Head Boy, all anyone would think if we showed up to the Hufflepuff, Gryffindor game is that we were trying to show some house unity."
"Zach I don't-"
The blond placed a finger lightly against her lips to quiet her, Hermione looked to her mates again. Ron was now frowning but Harry… Harry was positively livid, his stance was rigid, his eyes were a deep greenish-black color and his wand hand seemed to be itching to be raised. She quickly slapped the blond boy's hand away from her face.
"Sorry," he offered with a half-smile, "I just didn't want you to shoot me down without at least thinking about it."
"I really don't think that thinking about it will change anything-"
"Please, just consider it overnight?" Zach asked with a pleading look.
"I… well," she wavered, "I guess I can think about it. But I'm telling you nothing's going to change, so tomorrow morning when I tell you `No' that's the end of it, ok?"
The blond boy grinned; the dark-haired boy frowned, but relaxed a bit.
"Sure no problem," Zach said with a wide smile, "till tomorrow then?"
"Till tomorrow," she sighed.
"Great… well, I'll see you then," he hesitated once more, then before Hermione knew what he was about, Zach leaned forward and placed a light kiss on the corner of her mouth, then… he was gone.
Hermione gave a startled jump as the boy suddenly flew away from her and landed with a sickening `thud' against the wall across the hall. Giving a distressed look back she immediately noticed Harry standing there, his features grim, his eyes hard and his wand raised.
"Bloody hell mate!" Ron bellowed, "What'd ya do that for?!"
"Harry! How could you?!" Hermione shouted a scant second after Ron.
The brunette then turned and ran to the aid of the fallen boy. "Zach - Zach are you alright?" she inquired anxiously, lifting the other boy's head. When he gave a pained groan she sighed in relief. "Zach, can you hear me?"
His eyes fluttered open and his unfocused gaze fixed on her, "Herm-" he winced and rubbed the back of his head. "Hermione? What happened?"
"I… well, you see I wasn't expecting you to kiss me like that…"
"You? You hit me?" he gave her a bewildered look.
She flushed and gave a quick look up to Ron who had rushed after her when she had run to the Head Boy's aid.
"Sorry, you just caught me off guard," she answered with a wince.
"Yeah," Ron added quickly "you know how they say she's the brightest witch of her age?" Zach gave an almost imperceptible nod. "Well they forgot to mention she's also the toughest. I wouldn't have snuck up on her if I were you mate, you should have seen the bloody nose that she gave Malfoy this one time he messed with her. Took Madam Pomfrey all day to get it straight again," he finished with a grim look, and a slow shake of his head. Hermione rolled her eyes.
Zach's panicky gaze flew back to the brunette, "I'm-I'm sorry, I didn't know. I just wanted to give you something a little extra to think about, that's all."
"Look's like you were the one that was left with a little something extra to think about, hey there Zach?" Harry drawled with a smirk as he joined them by the wall.
When Ron gave him a shocked look and Hermione glowered at him, Harry gave a light shrug.
"What Harry means," Hermione added through clenched teeth, "is that maybe next time you should be more careful about who you kiss, or at least make sure she knows your intentions," she gave a feeble smile.
Zach nodded, but when he opened his mouth to comment Harry spoke once more. "That's not what I meant. What I meant was perhaps you should just keep you ruddy lips to yourself before the next witch rips them off."
Hermione scowled at him, "Harry James Potter-"
"No, Hermione he's right," Zach said as he moved to stand. "Thanks," he offered to Ron when the redhead helped him up. "I shouldn't have done that- I mean you had already pretty much told me `No' for a date, so that was really out of line and I'm sorry," he gave a dry smile. "Hey, the way I look at it I'm lucky I didn't get hit by all three of you." He looked at Ron "Sorry mate, I should have known better than to kiss a girl in front of the bloke that use to date her," he chuckled, "honestly I'm surprised that you weren't the one to hit me with the spell. Not that I would have blamed you, heck that's what I would have done had she been my girl… or ex-girl."
"Well there's always next time," Ron responded giving a weak smile and throwing a sidelong glance to his dark-haired best mate who was now turning a dull red.
"Yeah well, I think I'm going to go see Madam Pomfrey, I feel a headache coming on," the blond stated with a wince.
"Oh! Uh, maybe I can help you get there?" Hermione quickly offered.
Zach gave a light shake of the head, then groaned and grabbed the sides, "Ok, remind me not to do that again." He said with a chuckle.
"Please, just let me-"
"No Hermione I have it, don't worry."
She huffed and gave him a troubled look, "Well you should let me do something…"
He grinned, "You want to do something?" she nodded "Ok, I'll tell you what- you can do me a favor."
Hermione frowned "What kind of favor."
"A very simple one," he took a step towards her before halting abruptly and giving her a wry grin. "I think I'll request it from here if you don't mind." She suppressed a smile and answered that she didn't. "Good, all I want you to do for me is think about it."
"About what?"
"About what I asked you earlier."
"I-wha- you mean, you still want…"
He nodded, then grabbed his head and groaned.
"You weren't supposed to do that again," Harry offered with a cheeky smile.
Hermione threw her boyfriend a look that promised bodily harm for the next lippy comment that he made. Harry's squirmed under her gaze and his smile faltered to be replaced by a nervous grimace.
"Thanks Harry," Zach responded, missing the small interaction between the two. "So I better be off, you'll still think about it right?"
"Of course," Hermione replied offering the boy a genuine smile, "who knows now that I've thrown you practically across the school with my spell, I may have to say yes." Her smile turned to a grin as she saw Harry frown out of the corner of her eye.
"Well I hope so," Zach said returning her smile, then with a quick wave to Harry and Ron he turned and ambled towards in infirmary.
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"What the hell were you thinking Harry?! Were you thinking?!" Hermione exclaimed, rounding on the dark-haired boy as soon as they entered her sitting room.
"I was thinking that that sodding prat had his bloody hands all over you and he's lucky all I did was a simple Stupify spell as opposed to the one I really wanted to do," he replied hotly. "Which - by the way - would have defiantly gotten me locked up in Azkaban!"
"Well perhaps you should be locked up, bleedin' mental you are! I can't believe that you would put everything in jeopardy like that… I mean even Ron was catching on!"
"I didn't put everything in jeopardy! Smith put everything in jeopardy along with is own sodding neck! Where the hell does he get off asking you out right in front of us like we're bloody freakin invisible or something! And when he leaned in and kissed you! My bloody girlfriend, right in front of my fucking face! Well, he's one jammy bastard I'll tell you that, because I hadn't intended for him to be able to stand let alone walk!" he finished heatedly.
Hermione stared at Harry in shock for a moment before coming forward and placing a soothing hand on his arm. His gaze flew to hers and his eyes still blazed with so much unchecked fury that when she took a deep breath she seemed to inhale the power that was radiating from him. Hermione instantly found herself in awe of the fact that, if this was how hacked off Harry really was, he had been able to hide it up to this point.
"Harry," she ventured hesitantly, reaching out a hand and cupping his face; cold eyes stared back at her. "Sweetheart, I don't know why you're upset. It was just an innocent kiss."
"He kissed you-"
"Yes, but on the corner of the mouth Harry not on the lips. It was completely innocent, there are few kisses more chastite-"
"Was our first kiss chastite?"
"What?"
"At the skating rink, when I kissed you on the corner of the mouth to shut up that smarmy blond bird. Are you telling me you didn't feel anything? Because I sure as hell did, even if I wasn't ready for it yet."
She looked away as she recalled that day and they way that his warm lips had pressed gently against the corner of her mouth. She also recalled the way her eyes had closed because of how heavenly it had felt and how the area he had kissed continued to tingle long after his lips had pulled away.
"No it wasn't," she answered blushing.
"Well there you have it."
"No, there you don't."
"What? You just said-"
"I just said that our first kiss wasn't completely chastite, but you're overlooking something very important in all of this."
"What?"
"It was our first kiss."
"So," Harry commented with a confused frown.
"Honestly Harry, I swear you're a bit dim at times." She responded removing her hands from his face and wrapping her arms around his neck. "No matter how many kisses Zach or any other boy bestows -or tries to bestow," she corrected at his foreboding look "on me they will always lack one very important trait. The one thing that's absolutely and undoubtedly required to gain or maintain my interest… they're not you." He smirked at her. "What you don't believe me?" Harry arched a brow, "No? Well I'll tell you what… why don't you ask Ron?"
As Harry laughed softly, the tension disappeared from his shoulders and his eyes once again danced with amusement. "I think I'll take your word for it."
She grinned back "You had better… Ah-ah." Hermione reprimanded when he moved in to kiss her. "So do we have an understanding?"
"About what?"
"About you realizing that there is no one that I have ever loved or wanted more than you Harry James Potter. So there is not need to act like a bleedin' headcase every time a bloke says he fancies me or tries to ask me out, ok?"
"Fine," he answered; when she moved in to kiss him he pulled back, "but on one condition."
She gave him a wary look "What condition is that?"
"If he puts his lips or any other appendage on you in a sexual way, I have the right to relieve him of that body part."
"What! Harry, ther-"
He dipped his head and gave her a long heated kiss before pulling back and grinning at her bemused expression. Seeing his smug look, Hermione snapped out of her stupor.
"No removing body parts Harry," she stated sternly.
"Ok well, how about I just rearrange them?"
"Harry, n-" she was cut off as he kissed her again.
"Shrink them?"
"No Har-" he kissed her again.
"Disfigurement?"
"Harry! Don-"
Harry continued to throw out suggestions and kiss Hermione before she could shoot them down completely for at least ten minutes, before the suggestions were happily left behind so that the kissing could take the forefront.
A.N. Well that's it for this chapter, will Harry be able to hold his jealousy in check? And should Hermione really be throwing stones…. PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!
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