Trio

by lakemonster

The Gryffindor common room, warmly lit by a crackling fire, was largely empty on the first night of the Christmas holidays. Ron sighed with contentment as he wrapped his fingers around his mug of hot cocoa and burrowed deeper into his warm knit blanket, watching his two best friends playing chess. They were hopeless at it, of course. Harry's bishops were giving him conflicting advice, and Hermione's remaining pawns were trying to sneak off the board, warily eyeing Crookshanks. The ginger cat had been watching them suspiciously closely but now seemed to have been distracted momentarily by Hermione stroking his back. Ron let his eyes linger on Hermione…her delicate hands, her dark eyes, her thick brown hair, her slender neck…She shifted to lift her cat off the table, and Ron couldn't help but admire the smooth legs sticking out of her soft plaid pajama shorts. He sighed longingly into his cup.

"You make enough for us?" Harry's half-joking voice startled Ron out of his reverie. It seemed that he and Hermione had decided to give up on their game. Ron jutted his chin toward the two steaming mugs he had left on one of the dark wooden tables near the couch. He set down his own cup, now empty.

Hermione dropped onto the sofa next to him and, much to Ron's surprise and delight, leaned back against his shoulder, stretching her long bare legs along the length of the couch. He shifted to accommodate her. Harry picked up the mugs and, handing one to Hermione, slid onto the far end of the couch, pulling her legs onto his lap.

Hermione took a careful sip of her cocoa. "Mmmm…you two are much better than a warming charm." She snuggled back against Ron and then squirmed slightly as Harry's hands brushed her legs with a few tickling strokes. He laughed and grinned at Ron, who took his cue and gently tickled Hermione's ribs. She twitched gracelessly for a moment, managing, however, not to upset her cup.

"Honestly." Her voice was cross, but Ron could tell she was amused. Feeling emboldened, he slid his hands down her sides to wrap his arms around her slim waist. She snuggled back against him and sighed contentedly as Harry stroked her shins affectionately. Ron handed one corner of the blanket to Harry, and he stretched it along the length of the couch so that its cozy warmth covered them all.

They sat there together, alternately sipping their cocoa, dozing, and watching the fire well into the night. Ron was in heaven, his arms wrapped loosely around Hermione and his face buried in her hair. Her scent intoxicated him---his thoughts felt thick and sticky. Through the swirl of warmth drifting in his mind, he heard the deep chime of the clock striking some late hour and felt a blissful sleepiness descend on him, his only coherent thought the vague wish that he could fall asleep in this manner every night.

Suddenly Harry started. "Damn!"

"What's wrong?" Hermione sat up, sounding sleepy as she shifted slightly against Ron.

Harry sighed. "I had some library books due today."

Ron shrugged drowsily without opening his eyes. "Forget about it, mate."

Harry extricated himself from Hermione's legs and stood, shivering slightly from the loss of his friends' warmth.

"Can't. Madam Pince's already cross enough with me." Harry glanced at his watch, then took off for his dormitory, emerging moments later with several leather-bound texts in one hand and his invisibility cloak in the other. He grinned apologetically at his two best friends. They heard him call out, "I'll be back," as he scrambled out the portrait hole.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. I'll have the second part up soon. Harry Potter does not belong to me.