Stripped Bare- Chapter 13

Confession At The Granger House

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter.

Harry and Hermione arrived at her parents' house the next morning, carrying two bags each, and wearing their new coats. Hermione opened the door and called out that they'd arrived. Her mother instantly appeared at the kitchen door and ran to meet them as they entered the front hall.

"Oh, Hermione!" Mrs. Granger cried as she gathered her daughter into a hug. "How wonderful to see you! You look great."

"Thanks, mum. I think."

"You know that I meant you look happier away from that horrible man. And I understand that we have 'you' to thank for it, Harry. You are the best friend my daughter could ever have." She hugged him as well.

"Thank you," he muttered. He felt ashamed that he and Hermione were now keeping a secret about their friendship from everyone, including her parents. He just hoped that he was going to be able to keep his hormones under control, and his zipper zipped while he was in their house.

He didn't know why, but since their little escapade in the bathroom last evening, Harry had been unable to be around Hermione without becoming instantly stiff. He'd had to sit under a blanket with the complaint that he was cold even though the room was nearly stifling after dinner, and had gone to bed almost immediately after Ron's family had left.

To his horror, as Hermione passed him, she brushed against his arm and he had to pull away from her mother a bit more abruptly than was polite to keep her from feeling what that slight touch had done to him.

"I'll help you, Hermione," he said as an attempt to excuse his behavior. He grabbed two of their bags and followed Hermione up the staircase at the back of the hallway, leaving her mother scratching her ear in confusion.

"Is Harry in the room across from mine?" her daughter called as they reached the upper floor.

"Yes, I thought he'd be more comfortable there than having to share a room with your Uncle Byron," Mrs. Granger answered. Hermione led Harry to the room where he'd be staying for the week that they were going to be there and turned to face him as soon as he'd entered behind her.

"What was that about?" she asked defensively.

"What?"

"You acted like you didn't want my mum touching you, that's what."

"It wasn't that," he sighed, crossing the room and hauling one of the bags onto the bed. "I had a bit of a problem."

"What kind of a problem, Harry?" she asked, worried now.

"I don't know if I can tell you," he muttered.

"Why not? I'm one of your best friends. You can tell me anything, you know that."

"All right, I got hard while your mum was hugging me." Hermione burst out laughing.

"My mother made you...?" She pointed to him, and laughed harder. Harry shook his head.

"No! Not your mother."

"Then what happened?" she tittered.

"You." Hermione's laughter died instantly.

"Excuse me?"

"When you brushed up against my arm. That's what did it. My body is reacting instinctively, Hermione, and I'm trying to get control of it, but right now, for some reason, whenever you're around me, I'm hard as diamond, and there's no way to stop it." He turned to face her and her eyes dropped to the crotch of his jeans. Sure enough, there was an all-too-obvious bulge there.

"Harry," she whispered, looking up to see the embarrassment in his eyes.

"I don't mean for it to happen, it just does. How am I going to stop it?" He sank down onto the bed.

"We're just going to have to look really hard to get you a girlfriend fast," was all she could say, and she fled the room before the second pang of jealousy could override the ego boost she got from knowing that it was 'her' that had him in this constant state.