title: No Take Backs
rating: PG13
keywords: harry/hermione
category: romance
summary: When Harry begins to think about what he really wants in life, what he gets is more than he bargained for
a/n: this is the result of a creative streak I have been on for the past week. more chapters will come, but this is what I have now. the other chapters are still in the early stages.... read and review, and then talk to me about it! my info is at the end of this chapter. oh! my email is altonet529@dragonsmail.com. if you have any questions or suggestions, i'll graciously write back.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To a sixteen year old Harry Potter, this school was his home and safehaven away from Number Four Privet Drive. Every year, precisely at the same time as the year before, he would climb into a car with his hateful Uncle Vernon and they would drive to King's Cross Station. Harry would cross the barrier to Platform 9 and 3/4 and board the Hogwarts Express with his two best friends Ron and Hermione. This was the beginning of the journey that would last through September and into June. The one thing that kept him thriving throughout those summer months with the Dursleys. This was where Harry belonged. And even as he sat at the table, fresh after the sorting, the thought still made him smile.
Harry sat next to Ron and across from Hermione at the Gryffindor table. The new first years had just been sorted, and were scattered throughout their table. A first-year sat diagonal from Harry, watching his every move, and sometimes opening his mouth as if he wished to say something. The child's small eyes were almost unnerving.
Headmaster Dumbledore sat at the staff table at the head of the Great Hall. He looked just as he had every year before. His white hair and beard cascaded onto his robes, and his halfmoon spectacles rested on the edge of his long, crooked nose. He wore wizard robes of deep, royal purple and a hat to match. A smile crossed his face as he surveyed the great hall.
Harry smiled as he caught Dumbledore's eyes. The both nodded to each other gently. Dumbledore stood gracefully and held his arms out as if to embrace all of the students in the Great Hall.
"Good evening students. I would like to welcome you to the new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I hope you had a pleasing summer. I would first like to start by giving out the notices for the year. As all of you who have attended Hogwarts in the past know, the forbidden forest is well, forbidden. And to all of the third years and up: the first trip to Hogsmeade is in two weeks. Be ready! Thirdly, quidditch tryouts are in one week. Contact Madame Hooch if interested. Now, let us sing the school song! On the count of three. One, two, three!"
All at once everyone in the school stood and began to sing the school song in their own fashion. Harry chose a soft, legato, Scottish melody that Hermione joined into, and Ron joined his brothers with their version of the song in the long, drawn out form of the tune 'God Save the Queen'. When the students were done singing, and that meant, when the three Weasleys were done singing, they all sat down to a banquet of any food they could ever want to eat.
Dumbledore sat back down and began to chat happily with the old witch sitting next to him. Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor. The two were still engaged in a rapid conversation when Harry's name was called.
"Huh?" Harry asked, turning around to find the person yelling at him. It was George Weasley, or maybe Fred who sat three chairs down next to a fourth year girl who had bright, bouncy blond curls.
"You going to Hogsmeade with us in two weeks?" the Weasley twin asked.
The other Weasley twin burst in, "Of course he is, you git! What a thing to ask. Why would Harry ever dream of missing Honeydukes or Zonkos's?" Both twins looked at Harry for reassurance.
"Yeah, I'll be there." Harry reached out to grab a roll from the stack on the silver platter in front of him. What he grabbed when he got there was not a roll but the hand of Hermione.
"Sorry there, Harry. Here," Hermione handed Harry one of the rolls, which he graciously took, and then she grabbed one for herself. "How was your summer? The Dursley's treat you alright?"
"Well, you know Dudley. He's still as fat as ever. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia talked about sending him to a camp to help lose weight, but I don't think that would ever happen." Harry took a bite of his roast beef and washed it down with a goblet full of pumpkin juice.
"My parents wanted to send me overseas to America this summer. I have family over there. An aunt and an uncle I believe. But that plan was shot down. My grandmother turned up sick, so I had to stay in England."
"Oh, I'm sorry. How is your grandmother doing?"
"She's fine now. But enough about me-"
"Yeah, let's talk about me!" Ron spoke loud enough to catch the attention of some of the first years sitting a couple of people down. They gave him no second glance and began to eat again. "My dad took me to see the Chudley Cannons over the summer. It was great. I have a poster that's going to be hung up on the wall when we go to the tower."
Harry smiled at Ron's enthusiasm for quidditch. If there was one person in the world that loved quidditch more than Harry, it was Ron Weasley.
Harry scanned the length of the Gryffindor table up and down. He saw no sign of what he was looking for and then turned back to his best friend. "Where's Ginny? I don't see her."
Hermione and Ron both turned their heads to look for her. When Ron finally saw her, he rolled his eyes and turned back to Harry. "She's down there surrounded by her many
-admirers-." Ron took a bite of mashed potatoes and said nothing else about the situation. But Harry was perplexed.
"Admirers? Your sister? She didn't have this problem, if you'll call it a problem, last year. Why are you so wound up, Ron?"
"She's my sister! I hope that I don't have to remind any of those prats of that fact."
Hermione laughed out loud to Ron's dismay. She quickly turned the laugh into a cough and looked away when she saw the shade of red that Ron had begun to turn. Harry was smiling broadly, not afraid of anything that Ron would say to him. Harry thought the whole situation was funny.
After every person had finished their meal, the food disappeared and they were ushered out of the Great Hall. All houses followed their prefects to their own respective common room and dorm entrances. The Gryffindors followed their prefects to the portrait of the fat lady in the pink dress. Seamus Finnigan, the fifth year male prefect stood next to Hermione, the female prefect. Hermione turned to the first years and explained to them that to enter the common room you must have the correct password. She turned and said 'unicorn hooves' to the fat lady and the portrait swung open to reveal a common room draped with anything gold and maroon, the colors of Gryffindor.
Hermioine took the female first years, and Seamus took the male first years and they lead them to their dorms. Ron and Harry went and sat in some chairs at the back of the room.
"It's good to finally be back here." Harry said contentedly.
"I know what you mean. But who would have thought that Hermione would be named the prefect for this year? I just don't get it." Ron turned and threw his legs over the side of the armchair.
"I get it. She's smart and she follows the rules to the letter. She's perfect for the job."
"I suppose you're right. I just hope that she doesn't drive us both insane with her raving antics about following the rules. I'd have to turn around and do something about it-"
"Ronald Weasley, you know that you'd do no such thing." Hermione stood next to the chair. She had her hands on her hips and a look on her face that could kill. She cocked her head to the side at him, and waited for him or Harry to say something. Anything.
"Yes, well, it's late and I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I bid you both a fond farewell. I'll be seeing you soon." Ron pointed at Harry and then got up to leave Harry and Hermione alone in the corner.
Hermione sat in the chair and threw her legs over the chair as Ron had done minutes before. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at Harry. "So, you seemed quiet at the table. What's wrong, Harry? You're just not acting like yourself."
"Oh, nothing. I'm just happy to be back."
"Yes, it is good. I thought that if I would have spent another day in that house with my parents I would have had to go against regulations and perform some sort of silencing charm."
The two laughed quietly.
"You've changed a lot over the holidays, Hermione. I mean, you're not a little girl anymore. Not like I remember you."
Hermione smiled and looked away from Harry's gaze, blushing slightly. She turned around to look at him and spoke softly, "Thanks, I guess. You've changed too. You don't have that childish look about your face anymore. And you've gotten a haircut."
Harry ran his hands through his short, spikey hair. A few locks still fell over onto his forehead, but it was short enough to visibly see his scar with no trouble. He had a light stubble that had begun to grow on his face, and he was taller by a few inches. No longer the child that had once stood in the Great Hall for his sorting, or a child that had looked so small compared to the other players on his quidditch team. But not yet a man.
Hermione yawned loudly, covering her mouth. She looked over at the clock on the far wall and began to stand.
"It's getting late. I should probably be getting to bed. Good night, Harry." Hermione looked at Harry over her shoulder as she walked up the staircase and to the right, toward the girls dorms.
Harry looked around at the people left in the common room. It was nearing midnight, but there were still man people awake. A couple of third years were playing exploding snap in the corner, and some second years were playing wizard's chess at a table near the fireplace. Harry remembered the game of wizard's chess that was played by Ron in their first year while trying to find the Sorcerer's Stone. He smiled to himself and then decided to join Ron in their dorm. It was after all time for bed.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harry awoke the next morning to the feeling of the approaching dawn lighting up their room. the few rays of light poured through the window and onto Harry's closed eyelids. They warmed up his whole face and stirred him from his quiet slumber.
Harry opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. He stretched, popping half of his bones and then stood on the cold tile floor. He looked at his roommates still sleeping and quietly padded to the bathroom for his morning shower.
Ron woke a few minutes after Harry had and laid awake in bed. When Harry came back into the room, he was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and royal blue robes. He picked his wand up off of the desk across from their beds and put it in a special pocket. He picked his rucksack off of the floor and slung it over his shoulder. He shook Neville from his sleep and then quietly walked out of the room.
Not many people were awake in the early morning in the Gryffindor common room. Harry spotted Hermione and one of the fourth years chatting quietly at a desk in the middle of the room. She pointed at something in one of the books open in fron of her and the other girl smiled.
Hermione looked up and caught Harry watching them. She smiled and motioned for him to come over and sit. He sat in a chair next to Hermione and put his rucksack on the floor. He took note of Hogwarts: A History that was laying open on the table. Hermione closed it and shoved it off to the side.
"Good morning, Harry. We were just going over our books before class starts," Hermione said.
"Have you looked at the class schedule?" Harry asked.
"No."
"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws and some new teacher named Torrence Frailey first thing. Then we have history of Magic with the Hufflepuffs after that."
"Any classes with the Slytherins?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
"Unfortunately."
"Potions?"
Harry nodded grimly. Of course they would have potions with the Slytherins. they had every year since the beginning. It was tradition.
"Oh, I can't stand the whole lot of them."
The fourth year that had been sitting with them excused herself, saying that she needed to go and get something from her dorm. She walked up the stairs and disappeared from their sight.
"Who knows. You'll probably end up marrying Draco or even Crabbe or Goyle one day. I can just see it now. You' come strolling down the aisle with your bouquet of roses, and this 'thing' next to you. You would have beautiful children."
Hermione stared at him with an open mouth. She was about to say something until Harry carried on.
"Or maybe you'd marry Ron. You would have children with the brightest of red hair, Or maybe they wouldn't have red hair. They'd be the first to break the chain."
Hermione picked up the book on the far end of the table and swung for Harry's head. Harry ducked and took the book from Hermione's hands. He still had a firm grasp on her wrist when a group of sixth years came down the stairs from the dorms.
Harry let go of Hermione's wrists and put the book on the table.
"So, breakfast?" Harry asked quizzically.
"Breakfast." Hermione got up and pulled Harry with her. They put on their rucksacks and walked arm-in-arm to the Great Hall.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The first day of classes were tiring as they always were. Potions had been a disaster, and Harry found that things in his afternoon classes were boring because he, Ron, and Hermione had to part ways for their own classes. Although they did meet back up at the very end for Divination; and much to everyone's surprise, Hermione had picked the subject back up.
The first day turned into the first week and their Hogsmeade trip. It was just as all of them had remembered it being. And it was still just as wonderful. They had shopped in Honeydukes and bought their favorite sweets, and then had been hauled off with the Wealsey twins to Zonko's. After a full day of shopping, they had reluctantly returned to Hogwarts.
The first week rolled past and then quidditch trials. The team was the same as the year before, since no seventh years had played it previous. And now it was the Weasley's seventh year. They made sure everybody knew this and didn't take their skills for granted.
The second week turned into the second month and sooner than that Halloween had gone by with the same marvelous feast as it had always been. Harry felt closer than ever now to his friends who he realized had indeed grown up from the children they used to be.
It was now coming up on the first of December, and already the wind outside was like stepping into the arctic. Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent most of their free time in the common room near the fire with Harry and Ron playing wizards chess and Hermione with her nose stuck in a book. Except on this particular evening in which they had just returned from dinner.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for a game of exploding snap." Hermione watched as both Harry and Ron's mouths fell. Never in their four previous years had words anywhere near that come from her mouth. "Don't just stand there and look at me like I'm crazy."
"You see, we wouldn't look at you like you were crazy if you really weren't." As soon as Ron spoke the words, Hermione was reaching out to hit hit in the chest. Not as hard as she could, but hard enough to make it sting and leave red marks.
"That'll teach you, Ron. You shouldn't make smartass remarks unless you want the Master here to do something about it." Harry felt his own wave of stinging blows.
"Since you're -both- going to make smartass remarks, then I do believe that I'll start deducting house points for harassment of a prefect." Hermione smiled at her own nerve of even toying with the idea.
"Nice mouth there, Miss Prefect. Shouldn't you know better than that? You should set an example, not be a bad one." Ron smiled in anticipation of more stinging blows, but instead of that, Hermione just walked away and stretched out on the nearest couch. She put her hands behind her head and laid her feet as far as they would go (which wasn't very far considering the fact that she wasn't very tall.
"Well, you two can fight and I'll go get the game." Harry strolled casually up the staircase and into the boy's dorm. He opened his trunk and began to rummage around inside of it before spotting a picture in a frame at the near bottom. Harry picked the picture up and watched as the three figures on it moved.
It was a picture of him, Ron, and Hermione that had been taken the previous year after he had returned from the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the whole episode with Voldemort. Harry watched in amusement as Ron made hand gestures above his head. Hermione was giving Ron her disapproving glance, and Harry was just standing in the middle with his arms crossed, smiling.
Harry put the picture on his nightstand and went back to find the game of exploding snap sitting on his bed with the things that he had tossed out in his frantic search to find the game. Had it been there before? Or had he just overlooked it? Either way, Harry began to shove the things back into his trunk and went downstairs to enjoy the rest of the night with his two best friends.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Several days later they students were allowed their visit to Hogsmeade. The streets were filled with Hogwarts students that had decided to take their day off and spend it in the only all-wizard community in the world. Of course, Harry, Hermione, and Ron all started out in Honeydukes. They couldn't go to Hogsmeade and not begin their day there.
Ron stood near the front of the shop looking at assorted candies in a glass case. They were very brightly colored and took the forms of all shapes and sizes. Ron pointed at one of the candies and the woman at the counter reached in and put it on a small paper dish for him. Ron gave the woman a few small coins and walked away, apparently enjoying his treat.
Hermione was in the middle of the store filling up a clear plastic bag with what looked like small, thin strips of parchment. She took out one sheet and licked its surface the length and back. A small message appeared on its surface and she showed it to Parvati Patil who stood next to her laughing. Hermione popped the piece of paper in her mouth and continued on through the store.
Harry was at the back of the store with about ten other students who were marveling at a new display that had just been put up the day before. They all stood there with looks of amazement on their faces. A tall man with a shop apron came over and offered some of the candy to them. All of the students nodded in approval at the taste.
Hermione strolled up to Harry and asked what was going on. Harry turned around and held out his open hand to her. In his palm was what looked to be one of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. She took the bean and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm...fish and chips. What's the big deal over her? They're just every flavor beans. They've been around for ages." Hermione took another bean from the man in the apron.
"They're not just normal every flavor beans. They have ten new flavors out. And in every bag that you buy there's supposedly one bean that will change your tongue color for a week."
Hermione reached over and grabbed a bag of the new every flavor beans.
Ron walked up behind them and said, "It's about lunch time. We've been in here for almost an hour! Let's go eat!"
"Ron, Ron, Ron. Always thinking of your stomach." Hermione walked with Harry up to the counter to pay for their goods.
"Well, yeah. I mean, when you think about it, there's more of me to fill now. I'll over six feet tall, you know. I've got to eat more often."
After a satisfying meal at the Three Broomsticks, the trio set out to go to Zonko's. They met up with Fred and George at the entrance to the shop. The twins had identical devilish grins on their faces the moment they saw their littlest brother and his friends.
"What's in the sacks, guys?" Ron asked, reaching out to grab one of the bags. George (maybe it was Fred) clutched even more tightly to the handles. "Okay, then. Don't show us."
"Oh, we'll show you alright. It won't be now, but in the near future." The twins laughed hysterically and walked off down the street in the direction of Honeydukes. Ron gave Harry and Hermione a sympathetic glance and entered the shop with them at his side.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Great Hall was filled with students on the morning of the day that the Hogwarts Express would come and take them back to England for the Christmas Holiday. Everyone was enjoying breakfast with their houses when a few owls dropped in to deliver the mail to a few of the students from each table. An owl dropped a letter on Hermione's plate and flew off without asking for any payment.
"...and I'll be sure and write all of you when I get to England. Are there any other Gryffindors staying aside from you, Harry?" Hermione pulled the letter off of her plate and opened it.
"Just a few of the first years. I guess this will give me a chance to get to know them."
Harry stopped talking when he saw Hermione's face fall. She folded the letter back up and put it in the pocket of her cloak.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron asked.
"My mum just wrote and told me that they aren't going to be home for the holiday," she said with a sad face. "Dad's got a really important convention in Holland and they have to leave. I have to stay at school."
Ron and Harry looked at her sympathetically. Not really knowing how to make her feel better, Ron patted her on the back and said happily, "Well, it can't be all that bad. You'll have Harry here with you, and I'm sure you two can find something to do. Play pranks on the first years or something."
Harry smiled at Hermione and she gave him a small smile in return.
Over their shoulders they could hear an uproar come from the table on the far wall. The Slytherins. A very rough and strange bunch. When not making themselves worse people than they already were, they made life for the other students at Hogwarts hell. Professor Snape was the head of their house, and he wasn't any better than the students he lead.
A blond haired boy in the middle of the laughing bunch stood up and took a bow. He laughed heartily and sat back down, a huge smile plastered on his face. A red headed girl that sat next to him leaned up and whispered in his ear and kissed him lightly on the cheek. The blond boy blushed slightly and turned his head to smile at her.
"Well, someone looks like they're having a good time," Ron said, looking past Harry and at the Slytherin table. "That's the first time I think I've ever seen Malfoy genuinely smile."
Draco Malfoy, sensing the fact that he was being stared at looked up and caught Ron's eye. Malfoy gave a devilish grin and leaned forward on the table. A few other Slytherins turned around and stared at Ron as well. Draco made a comment that was unknown to Ron, and hilariously funny to the rest of the Slytherin table.
Before Ron could stand up and make any comments to Malfoy, Dumbledore stood up at the faculty table and began to speak.
"I would like to wish all of you who will departing this afternoon a fond farewell. I hope that you found your first semester of the new year satisfying and knowledgeable. As it is time to leave now for the Hogwarts Express, I wish you Happy Holidays and will see you all upon your return."
The Great Hall erupted into noise as everyone in the hall stood and began to go their separate ways to get their belongings. Within a half hour, the carriages to take the students to the train were filled, and the few people that stayed behind stood at the entrance to the school, waving them off.
Harry and hermione walked back inside the school and made their way back to the common room with the four first years, and third year that were staying behind. The moment they entered the portrait hole, the first years claimed a corner and chatted excitedly amongst themselves. The third year trudged up to her room alone.
Harry and Hermione piled into some comfy armchairs by the fire, letting the warmth comfort them. They sat in silence for the majority of the afternoon, both of them finding books to read, and by the time that night had fallen, Hermione was not in the least bit tired.
A cold draft swept through the common room. Hermione shivered involuntarily and got up to get a blanket from the couch next to them. She looked over to see that Harry had fallen asleep in the middle of his book. His head rested comfortably on his chest, and he smiled as though he were having a good dream.
Hermione walked over to him and kneeled down in front of the chair. She called his name softly to no avail. She called it a little bit louder, still not getting any response. She stood up and bent over him, shaking his shoulder lightly. He mumbled something incoherent and leaned over, laying his head against her stomach. She sighed and lifted his head in her hands.
"Harry, time to wake up," she said a little louder than intended in his ear. He opened his eyes abruptly and looked up at her.
"What time is it?" he asked softly, his cheeks coloring a little at their close capacity. She was still holding his face in her hands, and she let it go when he pulled back from her a little bit.
"It's time for dinner. Well, it was about ten minutes ago anyway. Get up and let's go. I'm hungry."
Hermione stood up fully and backed away, waiting for him to get up. He stood and put his book on the mantel above the fireplace with about five other books laid carelessly about. He nodded at her and they walked out of the common room and down to the Great Hall.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Several days had gone by since the majority of the students had left to go home for the holidays. In that time winter had arrived at Hogwarts. Bitter cold consumed every place in the castle that wasn't warmed with a heating spell or a fireplace. Light grey clouds were drifting in from the northwest quickly. Snow was on its way.
Harry had been down at Hagrid's hut having afternoon tea when he realized that he should probably be getting back up to the castle. Dinner would only be in a few short hours, and Hermione would probably be waking up from her nap soon.
Harry said goodbye to Hagrid and opened the cabin door. A bitter cold wind hit him in the face, chilling him to the bone. His nose turned instantly red and he shut his eyes tight, pulling his cloak shut tight.
He ran as fast as he could toward the castle, his legs burning with the effort. Every part of his body ached from the cold. And then there was warm. He had made it back inside. He heaved a sigh of relief and began to walk down the hallway.
He looked out a window to his left and saw that snow was falling from the sky in the form of small, almost unnoticeable flakes. The wind blew them horizontally across the lawn and against the sides of tree trunks. He had made it inside just in time.
Footsteps aside from his own were heard in the hallways behind him. He turned around the see Professor Snape walking up behind him.
"What are you up to, Potter?" Snape asked in a repulsive, sneering voice.
"I was just going to my common room."
"See that you don't get lost getting there. And stay out of trouble," Snape yelled from down the hallway as he passed Harry quickly, apparently in a hurry to get to where he was going.
After a ten minute walk, Harry stood inside the Gryffindor common room. He saw Hermione sitting on the floor next to
the four first years. She smiled at the site of him walking up to join them.
"Where have you been?" Hermione asked.
"I was visiting Hagrid. You should see it outside. The snow is starting to fall."
"I love winter at Hogwarts. The cold is horrible, but it's so beautiful."
"Among other things," Harry said, looking away from her face, his own coloring a little.
The hours passed and dinner approached them. The six went down to the Great Hall together, chatting merrily on the way. harry and Hermione both found that they didn't mind the first years as bad as they thought that they would have. They were quite amusing, actually.
Upon entering the hall, they could hear laughter and conversation coming from the center of the room.
The four house tables had been moved into separate corners of the room leaving a wide open space that was inadequately filled with a much smaller round table in its center. At this table sat the students and teachers that hadn't left the ground for the Christmas holiday. The teachers were an always unpleasant Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, Hooch, Pomfrey, Hagrid, McGonagall, and of course Dumbledore. There were about ten other students at the table as well. The most any of them had ever seen stay behind on the Christmas Holiday.
Harry and Hermione took a seat at the very large round table next to the Ravenclaw students.
"Good of you to join us, Harry, Hermione. We thought you weren't coming down." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily at Harry.
"I fell asleep-" began Harry.
"And I lost track of the time." Hermione finished.
"Well, now that all of us are here, let the feasting begin." The moment Dumbledore stopped talking, a magnificent feast fit for at least fifty people appeared on the table in front of them. Everyone began to dig into the food that they desired, letting the clinking of plates are the scraping of forks be their only company.
Harry offered Hermione a wheat roll which she took graciously, smiling at him.
Professor McGonagall watched the two from the other side of the table. To her, it looked as if their was more behind the smile that Hermione was giving Harry. She tapped Dumbledore with her foot under the table. When Dumbledore looked at McGonagall, his gaze shifted to what she was looking at. Harry and Hermione had drifted off into what looked like a small, meaningless conversation. They were both smiling furiously, and Hermione's cheeks had turned a slight shade of pink.
Dumbledore looked back at McGonagall. He knew what she was thinking, and he completely agreed.
There was an unseen romance beginning in Gryffindor Tower.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harry walked with Hermione arm in arm back to the tower. Both were a little tipsy because of the red wine that had been presented at the table in celebration of the Christmas holiday. Harry had never tasted wine, but he knew that Hermione had a well-accustomed taste to it. She had said that her parents always kept a bottle of it in the house.
"Hermione, let'th go an see wha' the Gryddinfors are up to. Ya'know, I always did fancy tha' house above all."
"Harry, wha're ya talkin' abou'? We -are- the Gryddinfors. Gryffinors. Gryffindors. Damnit!"
Hermione cursed as she realized that her walk had been unfaithful to her as soon as she walked right into the wall. She collapsed onto the floor and stayed there, giggling madly. Harry walked over as quickly as he could, his limp impairing him somewhat. He reached down to help Hermione stand up, but all he accomplished was making himself fall down.
"Harry! You're supposed to help me up, no' fall on'top'a me!"
"Thorry there, Mione. God, how far are we away from the common room? I'm tired, an' my legs hurt."
"My head hurts," Hermione said, reaching up and taking one of her locks of brown hair and wrapping it around her finger. She looked at it menacingly when she discovered the split ends. "My hair must hurt."
Harry looked at her quizzically. "Females. I jus' don' get -any- of you guys."
Hermione attempted to stand up, pushing Harry over to the side as she did so. Harry collapsed back against the floor with a soft thud.
"Ha! I made it up. I win."
"Hel' me up, Mione."
Hermione reached down and grabbed Harry's hand, pulled him to a standing position next to her. They wrapped their arms as they walked unsteadily up the stairs cases to the portrait of the fat lady.
Hermione stood proudly in front of the portrait, happy that she had directed them to the right place. Harry had said that they had taken a wrong turn, but she knew better than that.
"Mandrake soup." Hermione yelled the password louder than she should have, with the sound of her voice echoing down the halls, and the portrait swung open to reveal an empty Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione supported a heavy, half asleep Harry on her right. Hr grunted in effort as they both made their way up the stairs and to the boy's dorm.
Hermione pushed the door to the sixth year dorm and walked Harry to his bed. She laid him down on the side of the bed and tried to help him stay upright.
"Harry, I wan' you to listen to me. We're both very, very dwunk. And I t'ink that we both nee' to get some sleep."
"I agree," Harry said as he passed out and fell back onto the matress. Hermione sighed and stood up slowly. She grabbed his legs and lifted them up onto the bed. She took his shoes off and set them down on the cold floor.
Her sock-clad feet could be heard as they walked quickly and unsteadily toward the door. And then the sound stopped. Hermione turned around and looked at the figure of Harry laying asleep on the bed. He looked so peaceful.
She walked back to the bed and sat down softly on the side.
Harry's lips were parted slightly as he took deep, even breaths. His eyes fluttered as though he were dreaming. Hermione reached out and touched his cheek. The skin there was rough with a day's growth of stubble. She took in more of his facial features in the darkness. He looked so peaceful. So serene.
Then there were those lips...
Hermione ran a finger across Harry's lower lip. It quivered under her hesitant hand. She drew in a soft breath as he muttered in his sleep. She smiled as she realized it was her name that he had mumbled. Was he thinking of her? It was hard to tell. But she had an idea.
A sleepy smile was plastered onto his face. This made Hermione smile. She brushed a few stray hairs off of his forehead. Once again he muttered something that sounded like her name. She smiled. And then she tentatively reached down and briefly pressed her lips against his. The connection only lasted a few seconds because looking down combined with the alcohol was beginning to make her feel sick.
She sat up and rubbed the space between her eyes. "What am I doing?" she asked herself.
"I dunno wha' are you doin'?"
Hermione jumped at the sound of Harry's sleepy voice coming from next to her. She felt a warm hand touch her arm. She turned and looked into a dreamy pair of green eyes. Even in the darkness they seemed so bright. So alive.
"Stay wi'h me tonigh', Mione. Kee' me warm..." Harry's voice began to slowly get quieter as he began to fall back into a light sleep.
Hermione pulled off her shoes and crawled in the bed next to him. Immediately he wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her close to him. The feel of him was more intoxicating than anything she had had to drink that night. She could feel his heavy breathing on the back of her neck. The small hairs there tickled as he breathed on them, but she didn't mind.
All she knew was sleep and the peaceful dreams of the approaching holiday.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
a/n: i hope you liked it. this story will hopefully take it's life- altering turn in the next chapter. trust me, it's gonna be a shocker. i'll bet that no one has thought of this idea on harry potter fanfic. PLEASE message me on AIM at CURSEoftheSCOTS. i'm on every day. i need a beta-reader. if you wanna fill taht slot, i very much wanna talk to you. READ AND REVIEW!!!
rating: PG13
keywords: harry/hermione
category: romance
summary: When Harry begins to think about what he really wants in life, what he gets is more than he bargained for
a/n: this is the result of a creative streak I have been on for the past week. more chapters will come, but this is what I have now. the other chapters are still in the early stages.... read and review, and then talk to me about it! my info is at the end of this chapter. oh! my email is altonet529@dragonsmail.com. if you have any questions or suggestions, i'll graciously write back.
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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To a sixteen year old Harry Potter, this school was his home and safehaven away from Number Four Privet Drive. Every year, precisely at the same time as the year before, he would climb into a car with his hateful Uncle Vernon and they would drive to King's Cross Station. Harry would cross the barrier to Platform 9 and 3/4 and board the Hogwarts Express with his two best friends Ron and Hermione. This was the beginning of the journey that would last through September and into June. The one thing that kept him thriving throughout those summer months with the Dursleys. This was where Harry belonged. And even as he sat at the table, fresh after the sorting, the thought still made him smile.
Harry sat next to Ron and across from Hermione at the Gryffindor table. The new first years had just been sorted, and were scattered throughout their table. A first-year sat diagonal from Harry, watching his every move, and sometimes opening his mouth as if he wished to say something. The child's small eyes were almost unnerving.
Headmaster Dumbledore sat at the staff table at the head of the Great Hall. He looked just as he had every year before. His white hair and beard cascaded onto his robes, and his halfmoon spectacles rested on the edge of his long, crooked nose. He wore wizard robes of deep, royal purple and a hat to match. A smile crossed his face as he surveyed the great hall.
Harry smiled as he caught Dumbledore's eyes. The both nodded to each other gently. Dumbledore stood gracefully and held his arms out as if to embrace all of the students in the Great Hall.
"Good evening students. I would like to welcome you to the new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I hope you had a pleasing summer. I would first like to start by giving out the notices for the year. As all of you who have attended Hogwarts in the past know, the forbidden forest is well, forbidden. And to all of the third years and up: the first trip to Hogsmeade is in two weeks. Be ready! Thirdly, quidditch tryouts are in one week. Contact Madame Hooch if interested. Now, let us sing the school song! On the count of three. One, two, three!"
All at once everyone in the school stood and began to sing the school song in their own fashion. Harry chose a soft, legato, Scottish melody that Hermione joined into, and Ron joined his brothers with their version of the song in the long, drawn out form of the tune 'God Save the Queen'. When the students were done singing, and that meant, when the three Weasleys were done singing, they all sat down to a banquet of any food they could ever want to eat.
Dumbledore sat back down and began to chat happily with the old witch sitting next to him. Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor. The two were still engaged in a rapid conversation when Harry's name was called.
"Huh?" Harry asked, turning around to find the person yelling at him. It was George Weasley, or maybe Fred who sat three chairs down next to a fourth year girl who had bright, bouncy blond curls.
"You going to Hogsmeade with us in two weeks?" the Weasley twin asked.
The other Weasley twin burst in, "Of course he is, you git! What a thing to ask. Why would Harry ever dream of missing Honeydukes or Zonkos's?" Both twins looked at Harry for reassurance.
"Yeah, I'll be there." Harry reached out to grab a roll from the stack on the silver platter in front of him. What he grabbed when he got there was not a roll but the hand of Hermione.
"Sorry there, Harry. Here," Hermione handed Harry one of the rolls, which he graciously took, and then she grabbed one for herself. "How was your summer? The Dursley's treat you alright?"
"Well, you know Dudley. He's still as fat as ever. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia talked about sending him to a camp to help lose weight, but I don't think that would ever happen." Harry took a bite of his roast beef and washed it down with a goblet full of pumpkin juice.
"My parents wanted to send me overseas to America this summer. I have family over there. An aunt and an uncle I believe. But that plan was shot down. My grandmother turned up sick, so I had to stay in England."
"Oh, I'm sorry. How is your grandmother doing?"
"She's fine now. But enough about me-"
"Yeah, let's talk about me!" Ron spoke loud enough to catch the attention of some of the first years sitting a couple of people down. They gave him no second glance and began to eat again. "My dad took me to see the Chudley Cannons over the summer. It was great. I have a poster that's going to be hung up on the wall when we go to the tower."
Harry smiled at Ron's enthusiasm for quidditch. If there was one person in the world that loved quidditch more than Harry, it was Ron Weasley.
Harry scanned the length of the Gryffindor table up and down. He saw no sign of what he was looking for and then turned back to his best friend. "Where's Ginny? I don't see her."
Hermione and Ron both turned their heads to look for her. When Ron finally saw her, he rolled his eyes and turned back to Harry. "She's down there surrounded by her many
-admirers-." Ron took a bite of mashed potatoes and said nothing else about the situation. But Harry was perplexed.
"Admirers? Your sister? She didn't have this problem, if you'll call it a problem, last year. Why are you so wound up, Ron?"
"She's my sister! I hope that I don't have to remind any of those prats of that fact."
Hermione laughed out loud to Ron's dismay. She quickly turned the laugh into a cough and looked away when she saw the shade of red that Ron had begun to turn. Harry was smiling broadly, not afraid of anything that Ron would say to him. Harry thought the whole situation was funny.
After every person had finished their meal, the food disappeared and they were ushered out of the Great Hall. All houses followed their prefects to their own respective common room and dorm entrances. The Gryffindors followed their prefects to the portrait of the fat lady in the pink dress. Seamus Finnigan, the fifth year male prefect stood next to Hermione, the female prefect. Hermione turned to the first years and explained to them that to enter the common room you must have the correct password. She turned and said 'unicorn hooves' to the fat lady and the portrait swung open to reveal a common room draped with anything gold and maroon, the colors of Gryffindor.
Hermioine took the female first years, and Seamus took the male first years and they lead them to their dorms. Ron and Harry went and sat in some chairs at the back of the room.
"It's good to finally be back here." Harry said contentedly.
"I know what you mean. But who would have thought that Hermione would be named the prefect for this year? I just don't get it." Ron turned and threw his legs over the side of the armchair.
"I get it. She's smart and she follows the rules to the letter. She's perfect for the job."
"I suppose you're right. I just hope that she doesn't drive us both insane with her raving antics about following the rules. I'd have to turn around and do something about it-"
"Ronald Weasley, you know that you'd do no such thing." Hermione stood next to the chair. She had her hands on her hips and a look on her face that could kill. She cocked her head to the side at him, and waited for him or Harry to say something. Anything.
"Yes, well, it's late and I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I bid you both a fond farewell. I'll be seeing you soon." Ron pointed at Harry and then got up to leave Harry and Hermione alone in the corner.
Hermione sat in the chair and threw her legs over the chair as Ron had done minutes before. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at Harry. "So, you seemed quiet at the table. What's wrong, Harry? You're just not acting like yourself."
"Oh, nothing. I'm just happy to be back."
"Yes, it is good. I thought that if I would have spent another day in that house with my parents I would have had to go against regulations and perform some sort of silencing charm."
The two laughed quietly.
"You've changed a lot over the holidays, Hermione. I mean, you're not a little girl anymore. Not like I remember you."
Hermione smiled and looked away from Harry's gaze, blushing slightly. She turned around to look at him and spoke softly, "Thanks, I guess. You've changed too. You don't have that childish look about your face anymore. And you've gotten a haircut."
Harry ran his hands through his short, spikey hair. A few locks still fell over onto his forehead, but it was short enough to visibly see his scar with no trouble. He had a light stubble that had begun to grow on his face, and he was taller by a few inches. No longer the child that had once stood in the Great Hall for his sorting, or a child that had looked so small compared to the other players on his quidditch team. But not yet a man.
Hermione yawned loudly, covering her mouth. She looked over at the clock on the far wall and began to stand.
"It's getting late. I should probably be getting to bed. Good night, Harry." Hermione looked at Harry over her shoulder as she walked up the staircase and to the right, toward the girls dorms.
Harry looked around at the people left in the common room. It was nearing midnight, but there were still man people awake. A couple of third years were playing exploding snap in the corner, and some second years were playing wizard's chess at a table near the fireplace. Harry remembered the game of wizard's chess that was played by Ron in their first year while trying to find the Sorcerer's Stone. He smiled to himself and then decided to join Ron in their dorm. It was after all time for bed.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harry awoke the next morning to the feeling of the approaching dawn lighting up their room. the few rays of light poured through the window and onto Harry's closed eyelids. They warmed up his whole face and stirred him from his quiet slumber.
Harry opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. He stretched, popping half of his bones and then stood on the cold tile floor. He looked at his roommates still sleeping and quietly padded to the bathroom for his morning shower.
Ron woke a few minutes after Harry had and laid awake in bed. When Harry came back into the room, he was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and royal blue robes. He picked his wand up off of the desk across from their beds and put it in a special pocket. He picked his rucksack off of the floor and slung it over his shoulder. He shook Neville from his sleep and then quietly walked out of the room.
Not many people were awake in the early morning in the Gryffindor common room. Harry spotted Hermione and one of the fourth years chatting quietly at a desk in the middle of the room. She pointed at something in one of the books open in fron of her and the other girl smiled.
Hermione looked up and caught Harry watching them. She smiled and motioned for him to come over and sit. He sat in a chair next to Hermione and put his rucksack on the floor. He took note of Hogwarts: A History that was laying open on the table. Hermione closed it and shoved it off to the side.
"Good morning, Harry. We were just going over our books before class starts," Hermione said.
"Have you looked at the class schedule?" Harry asked.
"No."
"We have Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws and some new teacher named Torrence Frailey first thing. Then we have history of Magic with the Hufflepuffs after that."
"Any classes with the Slytherins?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
"Unfortunately."
"Potions?"
Harry nodded grimly. Of course they would have potions with the Slytherins. they had every year since the beginning. It was tradition.
"Oh, I can't stand the whole lot of them."
The fourth year that had been sitting with them excused herself, saying that she needed to go and get something from her dorm. She walked up the stairs and disappeared from their sight.
"Who knows. You'll probably end up marrying Draco or even Crabbe or Goyle one day. I can just see it now. You' come strolling down the aisle with your bouquet of roses, and this 'thing' next to you. You would have beautiful children."
Hermione stared at him with an open mouth. She was about to say something until Harry carried on.
"Or maybe you'd marry Ron. You would have children with the brightest of red hair, Or maybe they wouldn't have red hair. They'd be the first to break the chain."
Hermione picked up the book on the far end of the table and swung for Harry's head. Harry ducked and took the book from Hermione's hands. He still had a firm grasp on her wrist when a group of sixth years came down the stairs from the dorms.
Harry let go of Hermione's wrists and put the book on the table.
"So, breakfast?" Harry asked quizzically.
"Breakfast." Hermione got up and pulled Harry with her. They put on their rucksacks and walked arm-in-arm to the Great Hall.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The first day of classes were tiring as they always were. Potions had been a disaster, and Harry found that things in his afternoon classes were boring because he, Ron, and Hermione had to part ways for their own classes. Although they did meet back up at the very end for Divination; and much to everyone's surprise, Hermione had picked the subject back up.
The first day turned into the first week and their Hogsmeade trip. It was just as all of them had remembered it being. And it was still just as wonderful. They had shopped in Honeydukes and bought their favorite sweets, and then had been hauled off with the Wealsey twins to Zonko's. After a full day of shopping, they had reluctantly returned to Hogwarts.
The first week rolled past and then quidditch trials. The team was the same as the year before, since no seventh years had played it previous. And now it was the Weasley's seventh year. They made sure everybody knew this and didn't take their skills for granted.
The second week turned into the second month and sooner than that Halloween had gone by with the same marvelous feast as it had always been. Harry felt closer than ever now to his friends who he realized had indeed grown up from the children they used to be.
It was now coming up on the first of December, and already the wind outside was like stepping into the arctic. Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent most of their free time in the common room near the fire with Harry and Ron playing wizards chess and Hermione with her nose stuck in a book. Except on this particular evening in which they had just returned from dinner.
"I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for a game of exploding snap." Hermione watched as both Harry and Ron's mouths fell. Never in their four previous years had words anywhere near that come from her mouth. "Don't just stand there and look at me like I'm crazy."
"You see, we wouldn't look at you like you were crazy if you really weren't." As soon as Ron spoke the words, Hermione was reaching out to hit hit in the chest. Not as hard as she could, but hard enough to make it sting and leave red marks.
"That'll teach you, Ron. You shouldn't make smartass remarks unless you want the Master here to do something about it." Harry felt his own wave of stinging blows.
"Since you're -both- going to make smartass remarks, then I do believe that I'll start deducting house points for harassment of a prefect." Hermione smiled at her own nerve of even toying with the idea.
"Nice mouth there, Miss Prefect. Shouldn't you know better than that? You should set an example, not be a bad one." Ron smiled in anticipation of more stinging blows, but instead of that, Hermione just walked away and stretched out on the nearest couch. She put her hands behind her head and laid her feet as far as they would go (which wasn't very far considering the fact that she wasn't very tall.
"Well, you two can fight and I'll go get the game." Harry strolled casually up the staircase and into the boy's dorm. He opened his trunk and began to rummage around inside of it before spotting a picture in a frame at the near bottom. Harry picked the picture up and watched as the three figures on it moved.
It was a picture of him, Ron, and Hermione that had been taken the previous year after he had returned from the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the whole episode with Voldemort. Harry watched in amusement as Ron made hand gestures above his head. Hermione was giving Ron her disapproving glance, and Harry was just standing in the middle with his arms crossed, smiling.
Harry put the picture on his nightstand and went back to find the game of exploding snap sitting on his bed with the things that he had tossed out in his frantic search to find the game. Had it been there before? Or had he just overlooked it? Either way, Harry began to shove the things back into his trunk and went downstairs to enjoy the rest of the night with his two best friends.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Several days later they students were allowed their visit to Hogsmeade. The streets were filled with Hogwarts students that had decided to take their day off and spend it in the only all-wizard community in the world. Of course, Harry, Hermione, and Ron all started out in Honeydukes. They couldn't go to Hogsmeade and not begin their day there.
Ron stood near the front of the shop looking at assorted candies in a glass case. They were very brightly colored and took the forms of all shapes and sizes. Ron pointed at one of the candies and the woman at the counter reached in and put it on a small paper dish for him. Ron gave the woman a few small coins and walked away, apparently enjoying his treat.
Hermione was in the middle of the store filling up a clear plastic bag with what looked like small, thin strips of parchment. She took out one sheet and licked its surface the length and back. A small message appeared on its surface and she showed it to Parvati Patil who stood next to her laughing. Hermione popped the piece of paper in her mouth and continued on through the store.
Harry was at the back of the store with about ten other students who were marveling at a new display that had just been put up the day before. They all stood there with looks of amazement on their faces. A tall man with a shop apron came over and offered some of the candy to them. All of the students nodded in approval at the taste.
Hermione strolled up to Harry and asked what was going on. Harry turned around and held out his open hand to her. In his palm was what looked to be one of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. She took the bean and popped it into her mouth.
"Mmm...fish and chips. What's the big deal over her? They're just every flavor beans. They've been around for ages." Hermione took another bean from the man in the apron.
"They're not just normal every flavor beans. They have ten new flavors out. And in every bag that you buy there's supposedly one bean that will change your tongue color for a week."
Hermione reached over and grabbed a bag of the new every flavor beans.
Ron walked up behind them and said, "It's about lunch time. We've been in here for almost an hour! Let's go eat!"
"Ron, Ron, Ron. Always thinking of your stomach." Hermione walked with Harry up to the counter to pay for their goods.
"Well, yeah. I mean, when you think about it, there's more of me to fill now. I'll over six feet tall, you know. I've got to eat more often."
After a satisfying meal at the Three Broomsticks, the trio set out to go to Zonko's. They met up with Fred and George at the entrance to the shop. The twins had identical devilish grins on their faces the moment they saw their littlest brother and his friends.
"What's in the sacks, guys?" Ron asked, reaching out to grab one of the bags. George (maybe it was Fred) clutched even more tightly to the handles. "Okay, then. Don't show us."
"Oh, we'll show you alright. It won't be now, but in the near future." The twins laughed hysterically and walked off down the street in the direction of Honeydukes. Ron gave Harry and Hermione a sympathetic glance and entered the shop with them at his side.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
The Great Hall was filled with students on the morning of the day that the Hogwarts Express would come and take them back to England for the Christmas Holiday. Everyone was enjoying breakfast with their houses when a few owls dropped in to deliver the mail to a few of the students from each table. An owl dropped a letter on Hermione's plate and flew off without asking for any payment.
"...and I'll be sure and write all of you when I get to England. Are there any other Gryffindors staying aside from you, Harry?" Hermione pulled the letter off of her plate and opened it.
"Just a few of the first years. I guess this will give me a chance to get to know them."
Harry stopped talking when he saw Hermione's face fall. She folded the letter back up and put it in the pocket of her cloak.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Ron asked.
"My mum just wrote and told me that they aren't going to be home for the holiday," she said with a sad face. "Dad's got a really important convention in Holland and they have to leave. I have to stay at school."
Ron and Harry looked at her sympathetically. Not really knowing how to make her feel better, Ron patted her on the back and said happily, "Well, it can't be all that bad. You'll have Harry here with you, and I'm sure you two can find something to do. Play pranks on the first years or something."
Harry smiled at Hermione and she gave him a small smile in return.
Over their shoulders they could hear an uproar come from the table on the far wall. The Slytherins. A very rough and strange bunch. When not making themselves worse people than they already were, they made life for the other students at Hogwarts hell. Professor Snape was the head of their house, and he wasn't any better than the students he lead.
A blond haired boy in the middle of the laughing bunch stood up and took a bow. He laughed heartily and sat back down, a huge smile plastered on his face. A red headed girl that sat next to him leaned up and whispered in his ear and kissed him lightly on the cheek. The blond boy blushed slightly and turned his head to smile at her.
"Well, someone looks like they're having a good time," Ron said, looking past Harry and at the Slytherin table. "That's the first time I think I've ever seen Malfoy genuinely smile."
Draco Malfoy, sensing the fact that he was being stared at looked up and caught Ron's eye. Malfoy gave a devilish grin and leaned forward on the table. A few other Slytherins turned around and stared at Ron as well. Draco made a comment that was unknown to Ron, and hilariously funny to the rest of the Slytherin table.
Before Ron could stand up and make any comments to Malfoy, Dumbledore stood up at the faculty table and began to speak.
"I would like to wish all of you who will departing this afternoon a fond farewell. I hope that you found your first semester of the new year satisfying and knowledgeable. As it is time to leave now for the Hogwarts Express, I wish you Happy Holidays and will see you all upon your return."
The Great Hall erupted into noise as everyone in the hall stood and began to go their separate ways to get their belongings. Within a half hour, the carriages to take the students to the train were filled, and the few people that stayed behind stood at the entrance to the school, waving them off.
Harry and hermione walked back inside the school and made their way back to the common room with the four first years, and third year that were staying behind. The moment they entered the portrait hole, the first years claimed a corner and chatted excitedly amongst themselves. The third year trudged up to her room alone.
Harry and Hermione piled into some comfy armchairs by the fire, letting the warmth comfort them. They sat in silence for the majority of the afternoon, both of them finding books to read, and by the time that night had fallen, Hermione was not in the least bit tired.
A cold draft swept through the common room. Hermione shivered involuntarily and got up to get a blanket from the couch next to them. She looked over to see that Harry had fallen asleep in the middle of his book. His head rested comfortably on his chest, and he smiled as though he were having a good dream.
Hermione walked over to him and kneeled down in front of the chair. She called his name softly to no avail. She called it a little bit louder, still not getting any response. She stood up and bent over him, shaking his shoulder lightly. He mumbled something incoherent and leaned over, laying his head against her stomach. She sighed and lifted his head in her hands.
"Harry, time to wake up," she said a little louder than intended in his ear. He opened his eyes abruptly and looked up at her.
"What time is it?" he asked softly, his cheeks coloring a little at their close capacity. She was still holding his face in her hands, and she let it go when he pulled back from her a little bit.
"It's time for dinner. Well, it was about ten minutes ago anyway. Get up and let's go. I'm hungry."
Hermione stood up fully and backed away, waiting for him to get up. He stood and put his book on the mantel above the fireplace with about five other books laid carelessly about. He nodded at her and they walked out of the common room and down to the Great Hall.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Several days had gone by since the majority of the students had left to go home for the holidays. In that time winter had arrived at Hogwarts. Bitter cold consumed every place in the castle that wasn't warmed with a heating spell or a fireplace. Light grey clouds were drifting in from the northwest quickly. Snow was on its way.
Harry had been down at Hagrid's hut having afternoon tea when he realized that he should probably be getting back up to the castle. Dinner would only be in a few short hours, and Hermione would probably be waking up from her nap soon.
Harry said goodbye to Hagrid and opened the cabin door. A bitter cold wind hit him in the face, chilling him to the bone. His nose turned instantly red and he shut his eyes tight, pulling his cloak shut tight.
He ran as fast as he could toward the castle, his legs burning with the effort. Every part of his body ached from the cold. And then there was warm. He had made it back inside. He heaved a sigh of relief and began to walk down the hallway.
He looked out a window to his left and saw that snow was falling from the sky in the form of small, almost unnoticeable flakes. The wind blew them horizontally across the lawn and against the sides of tree trunks. He had made it inside just in time.
Footsteps aside from his own were heard in the hallways behind him. He turned around the see Professor Snape walking up behind him.
"What are you up to, Potter?" Snape asked in a repulsive, sneering voice.
"I was just going to my common room."
"See that you don't get lost getting there. And stay out of trouble," Snape yelled from down the hallway as he passed Harry quickly, apparently in a hurry to get to where he was going.
After a ten minute walk, Harry stood inside the Gryffindor common room. He saw Hermione sitting on the floor next to
the four first years. She smiled at the site of him walking up to join them.
"Where have you been?" Hermione asked.
"I was visiting Hagrid. You should see it outside. The snow is starting to fall."
"I love winter at Hogwarts. The cold is horrible, but it's so beautiful."
"Among other things," Harry said, looking away from her face, his own coloring a little.
The hours passed and dinner approached them. The six went down to the Great Hall together, chatting merrily on the way. harry and Hermione both found that they didn't mind the first years as bad as they thought that they would have. They were quite amusing, actually.
Upon entering the hall, they could hear laughter and conversation coming from the center of the room.
The four house tables had been moved into separate corners of the room leaving a wide open space that was inadequately filled with a much smaller round table in its center. At this table sat the students and teachers that hadn't left the ground for the Christmas holiday. The teachers were an always unpleasant Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, Hooch, Pomfrey, Hagrid, McGonagall, and of course Dumbledore. There were about ten other students at the table as well. The most any of them had ever seen stay behind on the Christmas Holiday.
Harry and Hermione took a seat at the very large round table next to the Ravenclaw students.
"Good of you to join us, Harry, Hermione. We thought you weren't coming down." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily at Harry.
"I fell asleep-" began Harry.
"And I lost track of the time." Hermione finished.
"Well, now that all of us are here, let the feasting begin." The moment Dumbledore stopped talking, a magnificent feast fit for at least fifty people appeared on the table in front of them. Everyone began to dig into the food that they desired, letting the clinking of plates are the scraping of forks be their only company.
Harry offered Hermione a wheat roll which she took graciously, smiling at him.
Professor McGonagall watched the two from the other side of the table. To her, it looked as if their was more behind the smile that Hermione was giving Harry. She tapped Dumbledore with her foot under the table. When Dumbledore looked at McGonagall, his gaze shifted to what she was looking at. Harry and Hermione had drifted off into what looked like a small, meaningless conversation. They were both smiling furiously, and Hermione's cheeks had turned a slight shade of pink.
Dumbledore looked back at McGonagall. He knew what she was thinking, and he completely agreed.
There was an unseen romance beginning in Gryffindor Tower.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Harry walked with Hermione arm in arm back to the tower. Both were a little tipsy because of the red wine that had been presented at the table in celebration of the Christmas holiday. Harry had never tasted wine, but he knew that Hermione had a well-accustomed taste to it. She had said that her parents always kept a bottle of it in the house.
"Hermione, let'th go an see wha' the Gryddinfors are up to. Ya'know, I always did fancy tha' house above all."
"Harry, wha're ya talkin' abou'? We -are- the Gryddinfors. Gryffinors. Gryffindors. Damnit!"
Hermione cursed as she realized that her walk had been unfaithful to her as soon as she walked right into the wall. She collapsed onto the floor and stayed there, giggling madly. Harry walked over as quickly as he could, his limp impairing him somewhat. He reached down to help Hermione stand up, but all he accomplished was making himself fall down.
"Harry! You're supposed to help me up, no' fall on'top'a me!"
"Thorry there, Mione. God, how far are we away from the common room? I'm tired, an' my legs hurt."
"My head hurts," Hermione said, reaching up and taking one of her locks of brown hair and wrapping it around her finger. She looked at it menacingly when she discovered the split ends. "My hair must hurt."
Harry looked at her quizzically. "Females. I jus' don' get -any- of you guys."
Hermione attempted to stand up, pushing Harry over to the side as she did so. Harry collapsed back against the floor with a soft thud.
"Ha! I made it up. I win."
"Hel' me up, Mione."
Hermione reached down and grabbed Harry's hand, pulled him to a standing position next to her. They wrapped their arms as they walked unsteadily up the stairs cases to the portrait of the fat lady.
Hermione stood proudly in front of the portrait, happy that she had directed them to the right place. Harry had said that they had taken a wrong turn, but she knew better than that.
"Mandrake soup." Hermione yelled the password louder than she should have, with the sound of her voice echoing down the halls, and the portrait swung open to reveal an empty Gryffindor Common Room. Hermione supported a heavy, half asleep Harry on her right. Hr grunted in effort as they both made their way up the stairs and to the boy's dorm.
Hermione pushed the door to the sixth year dorm and walked Harry to his bed. She laid him down on the side of the bed and tried to help him stay upright.
"Harry, I wan' you to listen to me. We're both very, very dwunk. And I t'ink that we both nee' to get some sleep."
"I agree," Harry said as he passed out and fell back onto the matress. Hermione sighed and stood up slowly. She grabbed his legs and lifted them up onto the bed. She took his shoes off and set them down on the cold floor.
Her sock-clad feet could be heard as they walked quickly and unsteadily toward the door. And then the sound stopped. Hermione turned around and looked at the figure of Harry laying asleep on the bed. He looked so peaceful.
She walked back to the bed and sat down softly on the side.
Harry's lips were parted slightly as he took deep, even breaths. His eyes fluttered as though he were dreaming. Hermione reached out and touched his cheek. The skin there was rough with a day's growth of stubble. She took in more of his facial features in the darkness. He looked so peaceful. So serene.
Then there were those lips...
Hermione ran a finger across Harry's lower lip. It quivered under her hesitant hand. She drew in a soft breath as he muttered in his sleep. She smiled as she realized it was her name that he had mumbled. Was he thinking of her? It was hard to tell. But she had an idea.
A sleepy smile was plastered onto his face. This made Hermione smile. She brushed a few stray hairs off of his forehead. Once again he muttered something that sounded like her name. She smiled. And then she tentatively reached down and briefly pressed her lips against his. The connection only lasted a few seconds because looking down combined with the alcohol was beginning to make her feel sick.
She sat up and rubbed the space between her eyes. "What am I doing?" she asked herself.
"I dunno wha' are you doin'?"
Hermione jumped at the sound of Harry's sleepy voice coming from next to her. She felt a warm hand touch her arm. She turned and looked into a dreamy pair of green eyes. Even in the darkness they seemed so bright. So alive.
"Stay wi'h me tonigh', Mione. Kee' me warm..." Harry's voice began to slowly get quieter as he began to fall back into a light sleep.
Hermione pulled off her shoes and crawled in the bed next to him. Immediately he wrapped one arm around her waist, holding her close to him. The feel of him was more intoxicating than anything she had had to drink that night. She could feel his heavy breathing on the back of her neck. The small hairs there tickled as he breathed on them, but she didn't mind.
All she knew was sleep and the peaceful dreams of the approaching holiday.
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a/n: i hope you liked it. this story will hopefully take it's life- altering turn in the next chapter. trust me, it's gonna be a shocker. i'll bet that no one has thought of this idea on harry potter fanfic. PLEASE message me on AIM at CURSEoftheSCOTS. i'm on every day. i need a beta-reader. if you wanna fill taht slot, i very much wanna talk to you. READ AND REVIEW!!!