I do not own the wonderfully magical world of Harry Potter, or any of it's characters. That right goes solely to the highly talented and idolized J.K. Rowling
Never Let Go
Chapter 1
2,678,400 Seconds Part 1
Hermione lay quietly on her makeshift cot that night staring blankly at the ceiling of the tent.
It had been exactly 1 month, 31 days, 744 hours, 44,640 minutes, or 2,678,400 seconds exactly depending on how you wanted to look at it, that she had lain in that horrible makeshift cot and stared up at that even more horrible high tent ceiling.
It had been one month, since she'd watched her best friend Harry be killed right in front of her very eyes.
She turned in her bed, resting her head on the hard pillow, thinking back to that dark and terrible night, that she wished she could all but erase from her memory.
...
"I figured we both needed a little bit of relaxation, not to mention a real home cooked meal!" Hermione stated smiling as she took in Harry's astonished face.
The two both sat down at the table in the center of the tent. On top of the table lay a turkey, potatoes, Shepherds pie, and a loaf of bread.
"Hermione, how in God's name did you manage to cook all this"
Harry was smiling toothily as he filled his plate to the brim with potatoes and turkey. Hermione had already made herself a plate, much smaller than his own.
Looking up at Harry's words Hermione swallowed a big piece of bread giving a nervous glance at Harry as he took a spoonful of potatoes to his mouth.
"...Harry we needed the food."
Harry looked back at her dumbfound, trying to comprehend her all too jumbled sentence.
"Wah- I'm sorry, come again?"
Hermione shifted her feet under the table tensely before continuing.
"Er... well you see. There was this family nearby, who were camping, and well I took their food. But Harry, know I only did it because we needed it more than them!"
Harry whipped his mouth as he swallowed, taking in everything she had just said, and looked up at her severely.
She in turn slumped her head in disappointment.
As her eye focused on the thighs of her tattered jeans she heard laughing.
Looking up she noticed Harry wiping his eyes under his glasses and giggling at her.
"What?"
"Nothing...nothing, it's just funny is all." He added.
"I'm sorry I must have missed what was funny!" Her voice, stern as she spoke trying to figure out what he found soo funny In the idea of her stealing from a poor, unsuspecting muggle family out on a camping trip. The entire situation had her feeling uneasy, she had left them with money as compensation, but still it just felt, wrong.
"It's funny, the idea of you stealing...food... actually no the idea of you stealing period." Harry choked out laughing, as he continued to nibble away at his food.
Though stolen this was a wonderful meal, and there was no used crying of spilled milk. He planned on eating every little bit of this food if Hermione did not.
The two sat there like that at the table for some while enjoying each others company and even more enjoying the tasty food. Meals for them were so sparse and far between, this was truly something special that had come their way, and would be treated like so.
...
"That meal was brilliant Mione'" Harry said as he finished the last bite on his plate and lounged back lazily in his seat.
"Yes it was and, I... kind of figured since this was a day to kick back and just relax, and seeing as we had such as nice meal, then maybe this... would be just as nice to have..." As Hermione spoke she her hands slipped into her bag below the table.
Harry watched as she looked through her bag intently, and a few moments later she emerged with a fine opaque bottle. He looked at the cork that lay firmly in place on the head of the bottle and the reddish liquid inside swish as she placed it on the table with a thud.
"Sherry! Okay, who are you...and what have you done with Hermione!" Harry asked as he reached across the table and grabbed the bottle examining it.
"Oh, shut up Harry!" Hermione joked and gave him a playful kick beneath the table. She wistfully grabbed the bottle back from him and gave him a coy smirk.
"Do you want it or not, I can just as easily return it!"
"No.. no, don't do that, its perfect!" Harry added quickly as she spoke shaking the bottle teasing in front of his face.
"I... thought...So!" She so she returned smugly, as she pulled the cork from the top of the bottle and poured a generous amount into each of their goblets.
They both sat at the table, Harry sipping away at his cup, enjoying the light yet fruity flavor, while Hermione on the other hand seemed to lap away quickly at her own cup.
Harry laughed, almost astonished as she finished her's, grabbing at the bottle, and filling her goblet to the brim once again.
"Now what are you laughing at Potter?"
Harry looked at Hermione as she spoke, her face was flushed a light red and her hair had fallen limply over her left eye. She made a few failed attempts to fix it before just giving up.
"Maybe, you should should slow down, on the whine a bit." He stated.
"Harry, are you insinuating that I' am drunk!"Hermione said, she gave a hiccup at the end of her sentence.
"No...that's not what I'm doing at all, but maybe you want just slow it down... a tinsy bit" He said squinting his two fingers together. He looked at her current state, she was fully flushed now.
"Nonsense... I'm fine, were in the middle of a war, and possibly facing our impending doom, maybe I just felt like being a little adventurous and drinking...sides' I'm not drunk!"
Pouring the rest of the contents of her goblet down her throat in one gulp she gave a satisfied moan of approval.
Harry looked on at her giving a reassuring, yet very confused smile.
Hermione then felt it necessary to prove to her friend how fine she just was. She stood from her chair a little wobbly. "See!" Just as she took a step away from her chair, she managed, somehow to entangle her legs with it and toppled over with a thud.
Harry sat in his chair for a moment of disbelief as he watched her fall and moan out in pain in a drunken stupor as she hit the floor.
"...Right"
He stood from his chair and calmly walked over to where she had fallen. There, she was laying on her back, one leg through the chair and the other strait out.
"You ok...Mione'" Harry asked as he watched her roll around on the floor below for a moment.
"Ermm ermph..."
"I'm gunna' take that as a no..." He added as he dropped down and helped the girl back to her feet. She wobbled slightly and Harry gripping her, trying to keep her from falling again.
"Mmh... I'm ok, you can let me go now Harry." She said. Harry however did not, afraid she would topple right over as soon as he let her go.
She turned around in his arms, her body flush with his and looked at him. Her face mere centimeters away from his own. He could see each of the hairs of her eyelash flutter as she spoke, and smell the whine's sweet smell on her lips.
"Thank you Harry"
She gave him an odd smile. As she did so, it became instantly obvious to Harry as to how close she was. He dropped his arms as she stood in the same spot for a moment, continuing to look at him with that awkward smile.
Finally she turned on her heel and walked off, or half stumbled towards the other side of the tent. Harry watched in question as she reached around the shelf and turned on one of the devices.
Music began to slowly feel the tent.
She turned back to him before slowly walking out into the open area of the tent.
She extended her hand out as she swayed lazily to the beat of the song.
Harry arched one of his eye brows as the soft notes echoed throughout the area.
"Well.." Hermione snapped raising her brow in return. Frightened by her tone Harry quickly made his way over to her. He nervously placed both of his hands, lightly to each side of her waist.
"Erm...well this is nice" Harry added dumbly as they moved to the calm music.
"Mhmm." Harry heard Hermione mumble out in his shoulder.
They continued to sway slowly back and forth for a while. Harry noticed that Hermione had not said much and was breathing lightly into the crook of his neck. Thinking that she had dozed off, he moved his hands a little more to be comfortable.
"Harry?" She called out sheepishly to his surprise.
"May I ask you a question?"
"Sure, anything Hermione" Harry stated honestly, lifting his head some as the two continued to dance to the rhythm of the new song that began to play.
"Do you think... I...I'm ugly?" She hiccuped out.
Harry looked down at her flushed yet innocent face, wondering what brought about that question.
He gave her a confused look.
"Ron-"
"Oh...no" He cut in as he heard her mention his' name. That name that had made her cry non stop for days, that name that had abandoned them. Harry took her frail face into one of his calloused hands and tiled it up to look at him.
"Hermione, Ron an arse! If he couldn't see how special and beautiful you where then, he didn't deserve someone as good as you!" Harry said, he voice strong and not faltering.
"You...you think I'm..I'm beautiful? Her voice light as she spoke, and her eyes heavily lidded.
She smiled in response as she saw Harry nod.
The next events to happen in the tent were completely unexpected, and was unforeseen in more than one way.
Hermione's grip on Harry shoulders tightened, and she swiftly pulled his head into hers.
Her lips pressed firmly against his, and she moaned deeply against his.
Harry stood there, bewildered.
His best friend, of nearly 7 years was kissing him full on the lips. He could hardly help it as his mind wandered as she continued to hungrily kiss him in her drunken state.
Finally snapping back to reality, Harry placed both of his hands on her and lightly pushed her from off him.
"What's wrong!" She asked confusion and rejection dripping from each word."
"Hermione-"
"Oh how sweet!" A low raspy voice to their side broke in.
The two teens quickly broke apart, looking up in terror at who stood merely a few feet away from them.
...
Let me know what you all think so far; good? decent? or you should just stop writing, your like waisting your precious time...as well as our own? Insight is greatly appreciated! :D