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To tell you the truth, I had never given the future much thought. Children are not even supposed to think of that, and having to face mortal dangers every year since I came to Hogwarts made any future improbable, at best. I usually didn't think of the future, except for the very near one, like next meal, next Hogsmeade weekend, or – at most – next year. And yet, whenever I thought of any future it was natural to see my friends with me, and Hermione had been my best and most loyal friend since first year, unlike Ron, whose friendship was fickle at times.
But this wasn't about friendship. It was about something much deeper. In my inebriated state, I wasn't sure I could properly think of an answer, but I was as sure as possible that I could envision a future with Hermione, much better than with any other girl. "I can certainly see a future for us together," I said, not yet aware of what I was committing myself to.
Hermione seemed to lose all her inhibitions. She took my hand and made me caress her belly, lifting the shirt and moving my hand to her breasts. As I fondled them she moaned, which frightened me for a moment, before I understood it was a moan of pleasure. She then moved my hand down her belly, to her well-trimmed mons and onward to her feminine opening, pushing the tips of my fingers inside.
"It's wet and slippery, isn't it? That means it's ready for you. Do go in, please."
I don't really remember what happened next. I probably did as she requested, more than once, if her memory of that night is any better than mine. I wish I could say that it was fabulous, that we enjoyed it more than anything we knew or something similar, but I really don't remember. I only know that we eventually fell asleep.
I woke up as I heard some shouting. It was the portrait of Mrs. Black, but now her voice was almost masked by Mrs. Weasley shouting at somebody. It didn't take long to understand that she was shouting at the twins and at Sirius for having smuggled firewhiskey into the house. Judging by her shouts, none of the three admitted any guilt and Sirius kept reminding her that it was his house and she was a guest there, which eventually had the desired effect of shutting her up.
By then, Hermione was also awake at my side. We looked at each other and blushed. I noticed that I was completely naked, having removed my boxers sometime during the night. Hermione was only wearing my jersey, that now resided between her breasts and her neck, hiding nothing at all. The blanket had evidently been thrown aside during the night, either before we fell asleep or after.
"Slept well?" she asked me with a smile, not bothering to hide her nudity.
"I think so. And you?"
Her smile grew wider. "I slept perfectly, after you united with me. Are we boyfriend and girlfriend now?"
"I suppose we are. I'm not sure how others are going to take it, though." I knew that Ginny had some hopes concerning me, and that Ron, although he showed no such interest in Hermione, would still be jealous.
"Does it matter?" she asked, stretching cat-like in bed.
I wanted to turn towards her and kiss her, but as I tried to move I felt a headache like hundreds of hammers were beating inside my head. Hermione saw my grimace and was immediately alarmed, yet once she tried to move, I saw her grimace as well. "It's the infamous hangover," she said a moment later.
I wasn't sure what she meant, but then there was a knock on the door. Hermione Hurriedly grabbed the shirt and pushed it down to cover as much as possible. I had no such luxury. The blanket was thrown on the floor, way beyond my reach, and I could see no sign of my boxers. Whoever was at the door didn't wait though. I saw the door open a crack and Sirius's head appeared, looking around. "Ah, you're finally awake. You looked so cute when I checked on you earlier."
Hermione blushed crimson at the implication and I felt a kind of fury at his behavior, yet he didn't seem to mind. "I left some hangover potion for you on the night stand. I suggest you take it even before getting dressed, and please hurry, or Mrs. Weasley will come to check on you."
He winked at us, making Hermione's blush deepen, and went out of the room, closing the door silently. Hermione looked at me and then burst laughing, despite also grimacing as the hangover took effect. I wasn't sure why she laughed, but she looked so happy and carefree for the moment, that I simply had to join her in laughter. I still managed to move to the night stand and grab the two vials set there. I gave her one and gulped the contents of the other. The hangover vanished at once. I saw Hermione's face brighten as she took her vial. I saw all of her, really, and I liked it very much. I couldn't act on that, though, as Sirius had clearly warned us.
Hermione stepped out of bed. She pulled the jersey over her head, not minding that I was watching, and put on her nightgown, that had dried already. "I left the dressing gown in the bathroom, so I'll wear your jersey instead," she told me.
"What about your knickers?" I asked.
She blushed again. "I left them in the bathroom. The twins will celebrate with them, if they aren't already. I'll go take them at once, assuming they're still there."
She gave me a quick kiss on my lips and left the room. I didn't even have time to think of what that meant, nor respond properly, but I sure liked it.
I got dressed quickly and then looked around me, trying to find any incriminating evidence and handle it before somebody else found it. I found my boxers tucked between the edge of the bed and the wall – not quite a surprise. I was more worried at the signs our activity left on my bed, as I knew no appropriate spells for cleaning. I then found some signs of my retching stuck to the end of the bedsheets. That was excuse enough to remove it altogether and dump it into the hamper in the bathroom, where we were supposed to put all clothes that needed washing.
I was sure that our secret would not stay secret for long, but as long as it kept us safe from Mount Weasley, it was fine with me. With that matter handled satisfactorily, I left the room and went to the kitchen, bracing myself for what would undoubtedly come.
Surprisingly, I only found Ginny with Mrs. Weasley, who still looked like she was going to erupt any moment. She came to hug me worriedly as soon as she saw me. "Harry dear, I hope you didn't suffer too much due to some irresponsible people who thought that getting intoxicated is fun,"
"I was lucky that Hermione kept relatively sober. She helped me back to my room and cleaned it when I threw out. I had to put the bedsheets in the laundry, though." I tried to sound contrite, as appropriate.
"Hermione slept with you?" Ginny caught what interested her most.
"She sat on Ron's bed and kept vigil on me. I suppose she also fell asleep after a while," I lied.
"Then why were her knickers in the bathroom?" she continued her interrogation.
"Harry retched on my clothes. You don't expect me to keep wearing something he retched on, do you?" Hermione answered, coming into the kitchen.
"What did you wear, then?" Ginny insisted.
"I stole one of Harry's shirts. It's a bit too short, but it was better than staying in a wet nightgown, and Harry fell asleep as soon as his stomach calmed down." She was lying, just like me, as she sat down at my side. She moved her hand to brush some hair away and something shined on her finger.
Ginny was quick to notice it. "I didn't know you were wearing any rings. Is this a new one?"
Hermione was caught by surprise. "A ring? Where?"
Ginny pointed at her hand and Hermione looked at it with some disbelief. I could almost see her mind evaluating the situation and calculating the best answer she could give. "I probably put it on while already drunk, as I don't remember this at all."
She quickly moved her hand down, under the table. I grabbed her hand reassuringly. She pressed my hand back, as if saying, 'I appreciate your support,' but didn't respond otherwise. It was clear to me that Ginny wasn't satisfied with the answers, but she didn't like to press the issue, certainly not while her mother was hovering nearby.
Mrs. Weasley served us a hearty breakfast, as had become her habit. Ginny, who had already eaten, just watched us, as if trying to find if anything had changed. It was actually getting on my nerves, but I tried to ignore this, not wanting the truth to be found out before I had time to talk with Hermione, at least.
Yet things didn't go too well for me. A short while after I started eating, she noticed something shining on my finger as well. I saw her gasping and trying to hide it from her mother, yet her glance wandered between my left ring finger to Hermione's. Not sure what I would see, I furtively glanced at my hand as well. There was a solid gold ring on my finger, wider than the one Hermione was wearing, but of similar design. Both rings reminded me of wedding bands, and that made Ginny's gasp quite understandable, knowing her intentions about me.
We were finishing our portions when Ron stumbled in, looking as if he was still suffering a serious hangover. His mother cuddled him immediately to her bosom, mumbling, "Poor Ron," and then went to the cupboard and gave him a vial that looked very similar to the ones we used a bit earlier. Ron grimaced at the taste, which wasn't really bad, but drank it all obediently. A moment later, he seemed able to talk.
"How come you two look so fresh? You were in almost as bad a state as me before I passed out."
I shrugged. "Sirius gave us that potion a bit earlier, or we would have felt just as bad as you."
"You were together?" he asked suspiciously.
"Hermione kept vigil on me. I think she sat on your bed during the night."
"I actually tried to sleep on the floor, using my dressing gown as cushion, before he puked all over me," Hermione corrected. Ron made face, showing his disgust. It didn't really affect his appetite, though, as he was eating more and faster than we were.
Hermione was the first to excuse herself. "I think I need a shower after my unexpected nightly treat. I'll see you later."
Ginny followed her out of the kitchen and soon Ron and I mounted the stairs as well. Ron sat on his bed and looked like he'd like to go to bed, but his bed was piled with his clothes and some of the school books, making going to bed impossible until he tidied it up. I understood why Hermione couldn't sleep there and felt quite thankful for that. Although I couldn't remember much of the night, just waking up at the side of a practically naked Hermione was certainly worth the hangover.
"Can I sleep in your bed? You seem like you don't need it now," Ron asked.
"I retched all over it. Hermione used some spells to clean it, but I'm not sure you'd like it this way." I was even more worried that the smell of sex was possibly still lingering there, as I wasn't sure if Ron had already encountered it or not. I really needed to have a serious conversation with Hermione before I could tackle the Weasleys.
Hermione, clad in a large bathrobe, knocked on the open door. "I've finished showering. I suggest you do the same. I'll come make sure the room is clean after I get dressed," she told me.
Ron grumbled. "That means I can't sleep here yet, and I really need some more sleep. Where can I go?"
"Ask Sirius. I'm sure he can find you a suitable place, where you can stay at least until lunch," Hermione suggested sweetly.
I helped Ron find Sirius and then took a quick shower. I really wondered how Hermione had tolerated me during the night – she must have been more drunken than I suspected. I also tried to remove the ring from my finger. Whatever it was, I didn't need it to attract more attention. I had already had more than my just share. I couldn't, though. The ring seemed to have become a part of me.
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