A Kiss Isn't Just a Kiss Chapter One: The Safety Date

"So who are you going to the Yule Ball with?" Lavender asked, standing next to the sink watching Hermione brush her hair. "Harry." Said Hermione casually. "Harry? Harry Potter!" Lavender shrieked " no, Harry my cat," Hermione said sarcastically " of course Harry Potter, do you know any other Harrys Lavender?"
" Ha, Ha Hermione… its just- Harry Potter? I just didn't know you two were dating! I thought you were friends."
"We are friends. That's why I'm going with him. I don't need any romantic entanglements this year. I just want to relax and have a little fun."
"What! Are you seriously trying to tell me you didn't have fun with Viktor Krum last time?"
"I did. It was actually more fun than I expected, but this year's different. Harry asked me because he didn't really know whom else he'd go with. I didn't have any idea who I'd go with either, so I said yes."
"Gee. How romantic." Said Lavender rolling her eyes and putting down her washcloth, heading out of the girl's lavatory.
"Whatever," Hermione said under her breath as she put her brush down. "She's just boy crazy."
"Maybe Harry has a secret crush on you, Hermione," Parvati's voice sounded from a nearby shower stall.
"Yeah. OK. My best friend has a crush on me just because he asked me to the Yule Ball? Right."
Parvati poked her head from behind her shower curtain. "I've seen the way he looks at you when you're not watching. But maybe you're too busy studying to notice, although… I think half the school is already aware that you two have quite a little flirtation going on."
Hermione turned to face Parvati in alarm, her face contorted with annoyance. "Oh. Just because we're best friends? Or maybe because of that stupid Rita Skeeter article a few years ago? Come on, Parvati."

" Well I think you should go for it. I mean gosh! Have you seen that boy lately? Whooo!" said Pravati fanning herself with her hand as if she were hot " Come on Hermione wake up and smell the coffee."

"Oh Come off it Pravati! We are just friends. Got it? Just. Friends."
"Hey! No reason to go mental on me! Maybe he really doesn't stare at you when you've got you nose stuck in a book. I'm probably just imagining things. But Trewlawny is always saying--"
"Oh bugger Trewlawny!" said Hermione. She left the lavatory and hurried for the Great Hall and breakfast.
"So you're really taking Hermione?"
"Yes, Ron. I'm really taking her. I mean, I'm not interested in taking a real date - too much effort. The safety date strategy is the best way to go."
"Don't let her catch you saying that, Harry. You know how she gets about stuff like that. Remember last year and the whole Eloise Midgen thing? I thought she'd never stop throwing that in my face!"
"I know, I know. Don't worry. I don't think that'll happen," said Harry cracking a smile.
"Whaddyamean?" answered Ron looking at him suspiciously, his ginger eyebrows raised.
Harry pushed his breakfast around on his plate. He didn't know how Ron would react to this conversation. He was hoping it wouldn't come up just yet, or even better, that it wouldn't ever come up at all.
"Well," Harry started uncertainly, "over the last two weeks since I asked her, I've actually been feeling kind of… funny about the whole thing. Unexpectedly weird about it - in a good way."
"Don't tell me that you're actually developing a crush on Hermione!" Ron exclaimed rather loudly. Several people started looking in their direction. Harry noticed this and gave Ron a rebuking look.
"Sorry," Ron said, noticing the glances around them and lowering his voice. "Harry - have you gone nutters? It's Hermione. Remember? The same girl we met on the train in first year and talked about how completely mental she was? She's our friend." Started Ron, obviously on a rampage "I mean I guess there is that possibility that it would all go well- but that's a silm chance! A very slim chance. What she rejects you? It could ruin your friendship! What if-"
" Wait Ron, slow down." Said Harry stopping him "Let's just start with this: I'm not sure if I have a crush on her. I mean, I don't feel the same way around her as I did around Cho last year. It's just that - "
Ron kicked Harry under the table, stopping him suddenly. "Hey Hermione!"
"Hey Ron, how's it going?"
"Couldn't be better. Could we Harry?"
"Yeah. Want some kippers?"
"Sure, thanks." Hermione sat next to Ron and accepted the plate from Harry. She glanced up at him and gave him an assessing sort of look.
An awkward silence followed as Hermione loaded up her plate. Harry just concentrated on eating his breakfast while Ron seemed to be mesmerized by the surface of his goblet of pumpkin juice.
"We were just talking about the Yule Ball," Ron started. "You know, who's going with who and everything." Harry looked up at Ron, wondering what would follow next.
"Mmmm," Hermione answered, she had just taken a large forkful of eggs, "you and the rest of the school. I just got done telling Parvati –"
"Yeah. So you're going with Harry are you?" Ron interrupted, looking at Harry, his brows furrowed.
"Yeah," Hermione said, "Didn't you know?"
"Must have escaped my notice."
"Oh. That's weird. I could've sworn we told you about it days ago."
"Nope. Just found out this morning from Neville."
"From Neville? That's funny!" Hermione turned to look at Harry who was rather pale and trying very hard not to look too uncomfortable about the whole conversation. Ron half-glared, half-grimaced at him - which Hermione missed.
"Harry? What is it?" Hermione asked, noticing his off coloring.
"Nothing… Nothing at all - I just shouldn't have had that extra slice of pumpkin pie last night. I think I'm still full from it."
"Yeah. That was really delicious pie, wasn't it? Maybe those house elves could give me the recipe so I could make it when I'm home on holiday. Just as long as it doesn't take any magic to make it, which, come to think of it, it probably does, so I wouldn't be able to make it and-- What's with you two today?" She said, their strange looks stopping her rant about pumpkin pie suddenly.
Harry and Ron just looked at each other. Why was Ron acting so funny? Harry wished that he could finish the conversation that had been interrupted by Hermione's arrival. Maybe he shouldn't have told him anything about the strange feelings he had been developing for Hermione. Was it just his imagination, or was Ron acting jealous?
"Nothing," Ron finally answered, getting up from the table. "I've got to speak to Professor Flitwick about something before class. See you later." And he rushed off.
"What's gotten into him?" Hermione asked.
"Maybe it was the pumpkin pie too."
"I don't know, Harry. He seemed rather upset about something," Hermione paused "You don't think he is upset that we're going to the Ball together do you?"
Harry looked at her. Why was he feeling so funny around her lately? It made him feel so warm and happy and comfortable. Did he have a crush on her? What would she do if she found out? He shifted in his seat uncomfortably.
"I don't know, maybe. I didn't think it was such a big deal and then this morning at breakfast, he seemed pretty shocked about it." Harry paused, choosing his words carefully. " Maybe he's annoyed that I beat him to it."
"Beat him to what?"
"Beat him to asking you to the Ball."
"Maybe we should've discussed this with him before we decided to go together. I don't want him thinking that there's something going on between us. That would be really awkward," Hermione said, looking into his eyes.
"Yeah. We wouldn't want him thinking that," Harry said, gazing back. She was smiling nervously at him.
Normally, he would have looked away, keeping to himself. He was feeling funny, kind of like someone was playing exploding snaps in his stomach and something inside him told him that he didn't want to look away anymore.
It was Hermione that broke the stare-down that seemed to last an eternity to Harry. Her cheeks were flushed and she took a sip of her pumpkin juice, looking around the Great Hall. She put her goblet down and looked at him.
"So, shall we?" He said, feeling like he had just had a nice, warm butterbeer.
"Yes, let's."
"You've got to listen to me, Ron. Why are you acting like such a prat?"
"I don't know Harry lets think. Maybe its because you won't admit that you like Hermione." Ron snapped at Harry. They were in the Common Room playing wizard's chess waiting for Hermione to come down from the girl's dormitory to head down to supper.
"Look, forget what I said this morning. I just wasn't sure about what I was feeling. I think I was nervous about what other people might think. I mean half the school already assumes she and I have something going on. I guess I was just nervous for no reason. Look at you!"
"You don't have to lie to me to save my feelings, Harry."
"I'm not lying!"
"So… you don't like her."
"No. I do like her, just not in that way."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. And even if I did like her, I'd stay away from her because I don't want to ruin the friendship all three of us have."
Ron looked convinced. He sat back in his chair and nodded his head. He let out an audible exhalation.
"It's really strange having a girl for a best friend sometimes, isn't it?" Ron said.
"Yeah. But she's a really good friend that I wouldn't want to lose."
"You're absolutely right, Harry. That's why I think it is best if neither one of us dates her, Not that I would want to, just that I think we'd ruin our friendship if either one of us did. It'd just be too awkward, especially for the one left out."

"You're absolutely right Ron." Said Harry, and with that closure on the subject the two friends went back to their game as if nothing had ever been awkward between them.
"Okay Harry. First thing's first. If we're going to the Ball together, you have to take this seriously."

"Alright, alright - but it does tickle when you breath on my neck like that," Harry said, nervously stifling a laugh.
"How about if I move my head to the side like this."
"That's better, but not as much fun. And why do we have to hold our hands like this anyway? I'd rather put both my arms around your waist…like this." He said sliding his hands around her waist and pullind her toward him, narrowing the space between them, amazed at his own daring.
"Harry James Potter! You insufferable flirt!" said Hermione using his full name and in a fake angry voice "We are going to use proper form! The dance book I got out of the library says that we have to hold our hands together on this side and you hold my waist on the other side, like that." said Hermione moving his hands and arms into place on her body.
Harry looked into her eyes. He was feeling intoxicated again. He didn't know what it felt like to be drunk, but this must be close. His head was swimming and he felt strangely giddy. Hermione looked back at him, her expression unreadable, emerald green meeting chocolate brown. He wanted to kiss her but he didn't know how to go about it. He'd never really kissed a girl before… well, there was that one time with Cho last year but he didn't really count that. Aside from his lack of expierence, he was really nervous about what it would mean and what she would do.
He pushed all his worries out of his head and without thinking, he moved his hands back to her waist and brought her against him again. She didn't resist. He leaned down, inches away from her lips.
"I've never kissed a boy before, Harry," he heard her whisper, her breathing becoming more and more shallow. Harry's face, if possible moved closer to hers. He was so close he could feel her breathing and smell her sweet breath.
"I guess it'll be a first for both of us, then."
And without another word Harry gently pressed his lips against hers. Instantly, he felt shooting sensations of warmth and flutters of pleasure throughout his body. He felt her embrace him over his shoulders as they both leaned into the kiss, breathing heavier and heavier. He suddenly realized that they both had opened their mouths and were pressing them together really tightly, kissing and kissing over and over again. He was losing breath, but it felt so good, he didn't want to stop….

"I said, 'Harry, are you feeling alright?'"
Harry snapped out of his reverie and into reality. He hadn't been alone with Hermione in the empty Charms classroom learning how to dance and making out. He was sitting with her and Ron in the library looking up potions for their exam at the end of the week.
"Wha-at? Oh yeah. I'm fine. Sorry… must have dozed off."
"I found a really good antidote for Snape's test. It's definitely going to earn us top marks on the end of term exam."
"Good, good. I can use all the help I can get," Harry said absentmindedly. His head was still filled with the daydream. He could still feel the warmth and pleasure of her kiss in his whole body. He would have to wait around for a while before he could get up to leave the library. He tried hard to think about Snape. That thought alone would turn off any hormone-crazed 15-year-old boy better than any cold shower ever could.
"Yeah. If it weren't for you, Hermione, both Harry and I would be getting big fat zeros from Snape this term," Ron said, glancing down at Double, Double Boils and Trouble by Hilda Moleskin.
They packed up their bags and left the library after studying and talking for another half an hour. As they were walking down the corridor, Hermione lingered back to talk with Harry, Ron walking up ahead of them.
"Harry," she said in a whisper.
"Yes," he whispered back, looking at the back of Ron's head and wondering if he would disapprove of this little exchange.
"We have to talk. Alone. Tonight."
"Why?" he asked.
"There's something I want to show you." She was looking a little mischievous. "I think this will solve all of our problems."
"What's this about? Why can't we just talk tomorrow morning before breakfast? What about Ron?"
"This isn't for Ron. I'll explain it all tonight."
"Okay, how about you meet me down in the Common Room at around midnight? I'll bring my invisibility cloak."
"Good. We'll need it to sneak out."
"Where are we going?"
"Trust me," she whispered.
"Okay. I'll meet you in the Common Room then." They had arrived at the Fat Lady ("Silver unicorn"), climbed in and took over a table by the far windows.