Chapter 2

Harry couldn't meet Hermione's eye on the train journey from Hogwarts. Ron was never good at judging the mood of a room talked enough for the rest of them. Harry found it was safe to talk to him, he felt himself colour as he looked at Hermione. Fighting to stop his imagination from undressing her. That last time in the classroom as she'd stood naked in front of him and promised him more. Ron excused himself and left the carriage for the toilet.

Hermione handed him as a piece of paper. "That's my phone number. Four o'clock tomorrow ring me. I'll ring you straight back. We'll talk then."

Hermione watched Harry leave with his Uncle as she left with her parents. She tried to inject the usual enthusiasm into her voice as she spoke about the school year and her subjects. Once they had returned home and eaten a family meal she excused herself as soon as was possible. Heading for the bathroom. She had told her parents she was looking forward to a long bath after a term of nothing but showers.

She ran the bath and eased herself into the warm water. She knew what she was going to do tomorrow and her nerves built. The interactions with Harry had mostly been conducted in silence. That wouldn't work on a telephone. She ran through vocabulary in her head. Technical terms seemed to lack a certain something and the limited slang she knew seemed childish. As she ran tomorrows conversation through her head her hand ran lower down her body.

She shuddered at her first ever orgasm ran through her. How were they words to describe that? Still that was tomorrow's problem.

She grew increasingly nervous as the day drew ever closer to four o'clock. Harry was due to ring and then she would, do what? She wasn't quite clear in her own mind. She had found some of her mother's steamy romance novels but had thrown them away in frustration. The euphemisms in that while making her laugh at their shy terms did nothing to help.

It was ten past four when Harry rang. Almost at the point where she thought he wouldn't bother and she could relax. She told him to hang up and used the call back button to return his call.

She took the handset to her room.

"Where are you?"

"In my bedroom." His voice had a dull monotone.

"What have been up to today?"

"Nothing." She could hear the defensiveness in his tone.

"Honestly Harry, I know you haven't been cutting yourself or you'd have never rang me." Even in the empty house she lowered her voice. "It's just I know you. If you spend too much time on your own you'll brood and sink lower than you are. Tomorrow promise me you'll go out and do something. Speak to people. Spend money, try and have fun."

"I haven't got any money."

She'd thought about this. It was a safe subject to think about. She explained her idea to him and he agreed to try it.

She took a deep breath. Now was the part she was scared about.

"Can you guess, what I'm wearing? I'm in my underwear." She paused. "I've just taken my bra off and now. She paused again. Matching her actions to words. "I'm not wearing anything."

She could hear activity from the phone. She guessed Harry was undressing too although he didn't say anything. She did her best to describe what she was doing as she rubbed and touched herself.

She let out a little whimper and Harry grunted in sympathy.

"Have you come already Harry, I still have a while to go." She stop describing then and just concentrated on pleasing herself.

Once she was done and she let the sensations run their course she agreed to ring again tomorrow at the same time. It was quite fun after all.

The next morning Harry headed out from the Dursley's towards town. He was aware of the two people following. He stopped and turned on his heel waiting for them to catch him up. He recognized Remus and Hestia Jones.

"Harry I don't think the headmaster would want you wandering away from safety."

"I don't think you know, how much I don't give a fuck what he wants." Harry snarled at Remus.

"He is only trying to keep you safe."

"Yes the only way he knows how, by locking people up. He got my parents to lock themselves away, he got Sirius to lock himself away, now he wants me to lock myself away. The only thing is, in case you hadn't noticed, it doesn't work. My parents are dead, Sirius is dead and I nearly died last year when the dementours came after me. So excuse me if I don't think this is such a great plan."

Harry saw Remus wanted to argue but he wasn't giving him much chance.

"At least my Parents and Sirius where hiding. Everyone who cares, knows where I am, my address was read out in front of the whole Wizengamot last summer, do you think Voldemort doesn't know it by now?" As he mentioned Voldemort's name Hestia gave a little gasp. Harry addressed her directly. "Are you meant to be guarding me? You practically piss yourself at the mention of his name. What will you do when he comes for me and you're on guard? Will you apparate away in blind terror or will you shit yourself first then apparate away? Because if you're scared of his name you're going to be fuck all good when it comes to fighting him."

"Harry that's hardly fair." Remus protested.

"Life isn't fair Remus. If it was fair Sirius wouldn't have spent his life in prison then died. I guess I can't stop you following me but don't tell me what to do." Harry turned on his heel and stalked off he had the urge to punch Remus with his comment about fairness. Fuck him.

It was a long walk from the Dursley's to the town centre. The shortest route was the one he now walked, it took him through the centre of the local council estate. A small river ran through the estate although it looked closer to being an open sewer, still the bridge over it was a good place to stop and catch his breath. He could see Remus keeping his distance but still following him. Next to the river and lower than the road was a patch of concrete marked out with football lines and with posts at either end. He watched the boys playing with a lot of enthusiasm and little skill. Their good natured swearing was amusing. He turned as someone was next to him. It was a teen near his age. His trainers and track suit wear worn for their brand names not that he ever intended to do any sports. "Alright mate, got a light?"

Harry shock his head, and the lad scrambled down the bank to talk to the footballers. He eventually borrowed a lighter and headed back to Harry. He held his cigarette cupped in his hand the small amount of butt sticking out of his fingers. Harry had seen that way of holding before from kids who had started smoking before they were old enough to.

"Ya don't smoke then?"

"No." Harry shock his head.

"Good for you, filthy habit. It'll kill you in the end."

Harry glanced away and saw Remus still watching him. His anger flared up for a second. "So how do you start?"

The lad whose name turned out to be Mickie, lit a second cigarette from his then showed Harry how to breathe in the smoke. He also patted him on the back as he tried to cough up a lung. Soon though he was feeling the smoke pull down into lungs and he felt his temper fade.

Once he stubbed out the faded remains he thanked Mickie and headed into town. There he found a pawn shop that did what he wanted. They bought some Galleons from him. It was well below what he would have got in Gringotts but it was cash.

It felt good to have cash in his pocket. The first thing he did was to buy himself some clothes that fitted, next was a visit to a newsagents and bought a pack of ten cigarettes and some matches like he did it every day.

Hands in his pockets he took the long walk up to the recreation ground near the Dursley's.

The day had turned damp and cold, there was almost no one around apart from two girls sat on a bench on the far side against the railings. He slouched his way to the swings and pulled out the cigarettes he let the plastic wrapper go in the breeze and opened up the pack.

It took him a couple of goes to light it, the mechanics of inhaling while bringing the match in close eluded him at first. He finally got it and inhaled the smoke. Eyes closed letting the drug wash through him, relax him.

He opened his eyes half lidded and watched the girls on the bench one got up and left, the other walked towards him. She was in a light summer dress, it was completely unsuitable for the cold misty day. Her legs had goose bumps and other bumps were obvious too. Once he would have been embarrassed, that was before he'd got used to sitting naked with his friend masturbating. Now he took in her appearance imagining her in less.

"Harry Potter." She greeted him.

He frowned in concentration. "Sarah?"

"You do remember me then. Been awhile since junior school Harry."

He inhaled and nodded to avoid speaking. Then blew out a long steam of smoke.

"You got a fag spare?"

He turned and looked at her she had taken the swing next to his. Barely moving on it, the fine fabric of her dress clinging to her. "What's in it for me?"

"You what to come to a party tonight?"

He reached into the packet and took a fresh one, handing her the one he'd been smoking. "Alright, where is it?"

Sarah inhaled then coughed. She tried again taking a shorter breath.

Once she had managed to smoothly take a drag then exhale she gave him the address. "As they don't know you'll be coming bring a bottle and ask for me."

She got up from the swing and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He reached for her hand and pulled her towards him, she moved at his gentle pull offering no resistance. He then kissed her full on the lips, it was her who deepened the kiss and their tongue's came into play. Harry had his hand on the nape of her back and lowered it down onto her bum.

She broke the kiss and looked him in the eye. "You don't hang around do you?"

"You complaining?"

He felt her hand come to rest on his erect dick. "No just commenting but I am going to have to go. Looking forward to tonight now." She kissed him again then he pulled her into him rubbing himself against her. She then stepped back and turned on her heel. "See ya."

When Hermione rang at four he had the phone up in his room waiting. After the exchange of pleasantries he tried to find a way to ask the question on his mind.

Hermione interrupted his stumbling and stilted conversation. "What's the matter Harry?"

"Um, what are we exactly Hermione?"

"Friends, like we've always been. Why Harry?"

"Well a girl asked me to a party and I didn't want to do anything…"

Hermione's smile could be heard through the phone. "Go to the party Harry, have fun. We're friends same as always. Same as when you dated Cho, we're friends. As for that other thing we do, did you cut yourself today?"

"No."

"That's good Harry, now can you guess what I'm wearing?"