Disclaimer: I am not, nor could I ever wish to be, the magnificent JKR. The characters and concepts of this work herein are entirely the property of JKR and her publishers. I don't own rights, claim rights, or anything of the sort. You cannot sue me O.O Thank you. Enjoy.
Hermione's hair was balled into a bun on the back of her bobbly head. She could hardly keep her eyes open but she needed to know everything for the NEWTS tomorrow or she wouldn't be perfect. And, naturally, anything less than perfect simply wasn't an option. In a lackluster attempt to keep herself awake she yanked her blouse from the waist of her skirt and took several deep breaths. "I can do this," she thought to herself, "I just need to focus."
Unfortunately, focusing was nearly impossible. She could feel someone's eyes on her even though there was not a soul in the library anymore. The librarian had long ago learned that waiting for Hermione to leave was simply not a fight she could win, nor a task she dared to take on. Mostly, she would rather flirt with the staff that patrolled the halls in the late hours. There usually wasn't a sexual motive behind it, flirty was more or less a personality. Hermione had come to understand these things in her several years of late night studying rounds.
"How goes it?" An obnoxiously familiar voice filled the room with insane joy.
"Harry, you frightened me. I should have supposed that you were around here somewhere." Hermione had never been surprised to Harry like she was in that moment. She had grown accustom to him checking in on her, aware that she studied herself nearly to death each evening, particularly on tests. And since she was striving to have the best score of a sixth year in decades, he knew tonight she would require his relief.
"These are just tests. You are far more brilliant than a grade could ever figure." A compliment, it always started as a compliment with Harry. Then would come a joke, usually about how nastily unsocial she was, aside from her friendship with Ginny, and the large impact that has put on her romantic life. Harry was obsessed with romance, seeing as it was obvious he and Ginny were developing a relationship. Everyone and their mother could see it, literally. Molly had prodded her children about any knowledge on the topic. She had been suspicious for some time, Hermione gathered.
After the joke would come an apology, which was precisely when Hermione would continue drilling herself by looking at a list of questions and humming back responses. Harry would just talk louder than she, making it quite difficult to concentrate. It was a magnificent way to remember things, though, by pairing his obnoxious comments with an answer. It would phenomenally. She had never told him how helpful his arrogance was, for fear entirely that he would become incredibly more arrogant.
An hour went by, the apologies and insults had finally mingled together eventually into some sort of nonsensical babble. Hermione was well tutored on the material at this point, sure that she could likely pass the NEWTs with perfection with her eyes closed. She was practically succeeding at the task now. Just as she began putting her belongings away a light snore flew from Harry's side of the table, the true sound of a tired boy.
"Harry, wake up. I'm heading back to the common room." She shook his hands very gently, now risking touching him for too long. She never touched him, really, for an excessive period of time. She almost feared what it would do to her, to their relationship. Harry was a fragile being, if she thought on it, and saw no reason to risk breaking him. He had been through much and she could never predict if attaching herself to him as a friend would damage him wholly. She had crossed those boundaries long ago, but keeping herself distanced, hiding bits of her personal life from him made it easier to deny. She often fought with herself on the issue.
He didn't respond so she grabbed his sleeve and tugged. He let out another rumble that resembled a snore. He couldn't possibly be that far into the sleep pattern, could he? She wiggled his arm in a similar manner to that of a snake and still arose no response. Instead of procrastinating she reached across the table and swatted him with her hand. Well over half of her body was hovering just above the table's surface.
His eyes popped wide open, and he lurched himself forward. Their lips smashed together, surprise gushing through every vein in their bodies. Hermione was delayed in reaction, unsure as to what this could mean for them as friends, and how Ron would react. How would Ginny react? That was most concerning of all, since she had come to believe Harry had feelings for her. Had he been masking them, she wondered, because his true emotion was in full bloom around her? Hermione tried to pull away but her heart sunk instantly. She found herself reaching for another, and another, and another.
Years seemed to pass before Harry removed his lips from hers, panting as he did so. Hermione simply blinked as she lowered herself back into a sitting position. The moment was ridiculously awkward and horribly romantic. It was a little kooky, but what could expect when you were dealing with Harry Potter? There was not a single normal thing about the boy.
"I am sorry." He spat, but Hermione laughed at him. "There's nothing to be sorry about is there?" They shook their heads and headed back to the Gryffindor Tower, both aware that there was love flowering just beneath the surface.