Stripped Bare- Chapter 9
Keeping It A Secret
Disclaimer:I own nothing of Harry Potter.
The light streaming in from the windows and a loud knocking on his door woke Harry. He groaned and turned his face into his pillow, only to be impeded by his glasses. He rolled over onto his back and straightened them as he opened his eyes. His whole body ached, and for a moment, he couldn't think why. Then he remembered and a grin spread across his face. He'd finally lost his virginity! Another knock came on his door and he started to get up to answer it. The smile left his face as soon as he was sitting upright. He'd lost his virginity all right... to Hermione!
He scrubbed his face with his hands and stood up, gathering some of his clothes and pulling them on as he moved to the door. On the other side he found Ron, bearing a worried expression.
"I was starting to think you weren't here, or worse that you were dead."
"I just had a really late night," Harry replied, his voice hoarse.
"You feel all right?" Ron asked, examining him closely, then grinned.
"What?" Harry stepped back to let his friend enter the room.
"You look like you had a great shag last night," Ron laughed as he walked through the door. "But I know that you wouldn't... just..." He saw the remainder of Harry's clothing on the floor and an article of female clothing just under the bed. He crossed the room and bent down to retrieve it.
"I stand corrected! You 'did' pick up a girl after the show!" He held up the garment and Harry blushed. Ron had found Hermione's bra, and the sight of the lacy blue scrap of fabric only served to make him run his hands through his bed tossled hair. "About time, mate."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"I was thinking that you were gonna die a virgin." Ron tossed the bra to Harry, whose jaw dropped as he caught it.
"You knew?" His voice broke on the last word.
"Well, yeah. Ginny said that the two of you had never done it, and thank Merlin for that, or I would have had to kill you, and I 'know' you haven't had a girlfriend since. And come on, Harry, we've been living in the same flat since Hogwarts, don't you think I've noticed if you been sleeping here every single night, even when you've got a show with that group?" Harry nodded. "So, how was it?"
"What makes you think that I slept with her?" Ron held up Hermione's bra.
"Why would this be under your bed if she hadn't taken it off?"
"She was a female stripper and wanted to show me her moves?" Harry suggested, closing his eyes as he realized how stupid that sounded.
"Aha! So you 'did' see a girl naked!" Ron crowed, laughing when his friend's cheeks turned bright red. "And I'll bet you 'did' sleep with her, didn't you?"
"All right, all right! Yes, I did sleep with her," Harry said, a wide smile forming. "Happy now?" Ron whooped and threw his fist in the air. "And..." He waited until Ron had calmed down. "I didn't pick her up, she picked 'me' up."
"Then wouldn't you have gone to her place?"
"Um... no, she lives with... her parents."
"Uh huh, right." Ron obviously didn't believe his hurriedly thought up reason.
"What did you want, Ron?"
"Oh, yeah! This came for you." He held out a letter. Harry took it and examined the post mark.
"It's from Oliver. Why did he send it by Muggle post?" He got his answer when he opened it. "He's in an area populated entirely of Muggles, and thought they would be a bit suspicious of an owl flying where there aren't a lot of trees owls would be living in. Seems they're sort of like Uncle Vernon. Ron, would you put that down?"
Ron was running the bra through his hands and sniffing it every so often. He had the decency to look embarrassed when he lay the undergarment on the bed.
"He's looking for some new woods for that racing broom he's helping create. Thinks he might have one, but wants me to get in contact with Quality Quidditch Supplies and see if they've tried it or not," Harry said as he read his letter.
"What kind is it?"
"Ebony." The redhead shrugged.
"Dunno. Never heard of an ebony wood broom, but they may have not had a lot of luck and dropped it a long time ago."
"Well, I'll ask them later today. Would you leave it alone!" Ron had picked up the bra again.
"This just smells so familiar," he said. "I can't place it."
"Harry, did you by chance happen to find my..." They both turned as Hermione appeared in the doorway. She stopped short upon seeing Ron.
"Morning, Hermione. Did you have fun at the show last night?" Ron asked her. She nodded silently. "Harry did, too." He held up her bra. "He 'finally' got shagged!" To his surprise, Hermione blushed. Harry grabbed the garment out of Ron's hand.
"I'm sure Hermione doesn't want to hear about my love life, Ron. Do you want to go with me to ask about the wood for Oliver?"
"Yeah! It'd give me a chance to see how much those shin guards are gonna cost the team." He headed to the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Hermione turned to Harry as Ron left and the door to the loo closed.
"Oh, my God. You told him we slept together?" she whispered, closing Harry's door.
"No! No no no! He thinks I brought someone home with me from the show." She held out her hand and he gave her the bra. "You were going to ask about this, weren't you?"
"Yes. I couldn't find it last night and hoped you would. Thank you."
"Well, actually, Ron found it. That's what started the bit about me bringing a girl home. He saw it under the bed, grabbed it and started on me." He started gathering the rest of his clothing.
"Harry, I have to make sure we're clear on one thing, and I want to do it now before Ron comes back." Harry straightened up and faced her. "It was just a one night thing, you know that, don't you?"
"Of course! I was going to ask you the same thing, really. I mean I don't want last night to affect our friendship. And I don't want Ron to know, either."
"Me either! Oh, Harry, I'm so glad you understand!" She crossed the room and threw her arms around him just as Ron knocked and opened the door.
"Hey! What's going on?" Hermione jumped back in surprise.
"Nothing! I was just telling Harry how happy I am that he had a good time last night."
"Good? I hope he had a 'great' time! But I meant he needs to get dressed, and he can't do it with you here, so scram!" He jerked his thumb towards the door.
"What about you?" Hermione queried as she moved to it. Ron shrugged.
"I'm a guy, and I've seen him naked. You haven't, now get out so he can get dressed." He gently nudged her out the door and closed it behind her. She chuckled with relief that her secret with Harry was safe.
