Chapter 2 - Three Feet, One Mouth

Disclaimer: don't own it. Wish I did. But I don't. Sick world.

The first thing Harry was aware of was that his shirt was drenched with sweat and his headache had returned. He sat up sluggishly in his bed, wincing at the bolt of pain that ran through his mind. He sat alone in the darkness. Privet Drive had never seemed more desolate or wretched. His nightmares were as horrible as ever. His mother's screams, the tormenting from the Dursleys, seeing Voldermort for the first time, the basilisk from the chamber of secrets, the dementors, Cedric dying, Sirius dying, Dumbledore dying. The Department of Mysteries, The graveyard, the cave. Flashes that were slowly driving him mad.

He had to get up, there was no more sleep to be had this night. His clock told him that it was only one in the morning.He walked to his window and peered through the grimy glass. He searched the sky for his snowy owl, but there was still no sign of her. He knew it was selfish of him, but he needed them. He needed them by his side. They were what was keeping him sane. Hermione and Ron would be here, but when? This was what he was waiting on. As he walked in circles around his bedroom he thought to himself.

"What could they be? Where could they be? Where would Voldermort hide them?" He had no idea. Even after seeing all of the memories in Dumbledore's pensieve . He was no closer to them than…

"Wait one minute. I've been trying to think where Voldermort would hide his horcruxes, but it was Tom Riddle that made them, not Voldermort. He was still Tom Riddle at the time of the making of them. I've been going about this all backwards." He clamped his hand over his mouth extremely fast, as if afraid someone might be listening. He jumped as he heard tapping at his window. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was Ron. Ron on a broomstick, outside his window. He walked over to unlock it, but stopped.

"What is your favorite quidditch team?"

"Chudley Cannons."

"What is your favorite food?"

Ron looked a little concerned at this question. Harry looked a little put out. "Alright, fine. What is your top ten favorite foods?"

Ron's face lightened. "Mashed potatoes, Sheppard's pie, mum's famous roast pudding, pickled lemon cakes, chocolate frogs,slo.."

"Alright, now I know it's you." Harry interupted as he opened the window. " And a chocolate frog isn't a type of food."

"Depends on your perspective, mate." Ron quipped as he dusted his robes off.

"True. Didn't Hermione come with you?"

"She brought me here by apperation. I only came up to your window by broom. She wanted to check the perimeter." He said smirking. "That was her excuse, but I distinctly heard her muttering something about boys sleeping in their underwear. So I suggest you put some clothes on before she comes up."

Harry had been standing in his boxers, remembering that before Ron had come knocking he had been changing into un perspired in clothes. He went to pick out a shirt and pants, but an idea crept into his head. He walked over to his window and peered down. There, right under his window was a pacing Hermione.

"Oy, Hermione." She looked up at the call of her name. "Could you give me just a few minutes, I need to put some clothes on," He could see her blushing in the moonlight. And the he added, "and underwear too." He pulled his head back in with a smirk on his face. He looked at Ron.

"It's alright, I know, you told me already, you're just friends. But I think that was mean, even by my standards."

Harry felt a little ashamed of himself. He knew he was lying about his feelings for his friend. She had been one of the real reasons he had ended it with Ginny. He wasn't going to say that out loud of course. He couldn't. Not now. Not after he somewhat knew that Hermione liked Ron. He wanted them to be happy. He knew what he felt for her, he also knew that she and Ron would need each other if he failed in his destiny. He shook these morbid thoughts from his head as he got dressed. He looked over at Ron and nodded his head. Ron walked over to the window and dropped his broom for Hermione. There was a small thud followed by a small gasp of air. Harry spun around at Ron already realizing what had obviously happened.

"What are you trying to do, knock the sense out of her?" He grabbed his own broom and went out the window without waiting for Ron's protests about coming too. He landed a few feet away, so as not add anymore injuries to this sweet girl at his feet.

He kneeled at her side and scooped her halfway onto his lap. He ran his hands through her hair as her eyes started to flutter open.

"Harry?"

"Yeah, it's me." he said a little too softly.

"What hit me?"

"Ron. He dropped his broom out the window and didn't warn you."

"Figured as much."

He was still running his fingers through her hair. He seemed to notice this fact a little too late. She brought her hand up to still his.

"Um, um, I was just looking for bumps."

"Oh." She sat up a little. "Could we go inside? I want to give Ron a piece of my mind." Harry laughed a little at what she had said. That brought a smile to her face.

"It's good to see you laugh again."

"I only laugh at you. No ,I didn't me at you." He said hurriedly. "I've put my foot in my mouth, haven't I?"

"I do believe you've pulled it out in time."

"Good. I didn't want to have to bite it off to get it out" he said as he got to his feet. "Do you feel steady enough to fly up there?"

"I think so."

They flew up through his window and landed with hardly any noise made. Though even a raging dragon couldn't have been heard over their other friend's snores. Ron was splayed across Harry's bed. Taking up every inch.

"Well, the bed's taken. Harry ,where do you and I sleep?"

Images flashed through Harry's head. He turned to look slightly flushed at Hermione, "You and I? Well, we could push Ron off the bed and have at it." Harry was horrified at what was coming out of his mouth. "I mean have at the bed, er, I mean you could have the bed. Er , I believe my other foot just went in my mouth. Didn't it?"

Hermione snickered, "I believe it did Harry. But we still have to find some where to sleep."

"Dudley's not home,he's at boxing camp. You could go to sleep in his room. You could transfigure his bed into a new bed for yourself."

"Where are you going to sleep? I know you can't sleep with that buzz saw going." she said pointing at Ron.

"I admit that his snoring has gotten a bit louder. I'll sleep in the cupboard under the stairs."

"No you will not. Besides, you can't possibly fit there. It's probably to small for you."

"Well, I can't go crawl in bed with my Aunt and Uncle. I could sleep in the bath tub."

"You could sleep in Dudley's room with me."

Harry gave a hard swallow at these words. "Sleep with you? In your bed? In the same bed as you? I don't think that's a good idea." he was stumbling over his words and turning bright red.

" I do believe you have a third foot Harry and I do believe if you are not careful, you may swallow that one."

"You didn't mean sleeping in the same bed ,did you?"

"As awfully tempting as that sounds, no. I meant that I could transfigure Dudley's bed into two beds . One for you and one for me."

"Oh" he silently went and opened the door and showed her to the room and watched as she made two beds from one. Her words rang out in his head as he was falling asleep, "As awfully tempting as that sounds." He wondered, "Did she mean it, or was she just joking?"

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