Title: Beyond Friendship

Chapter Nine:

Authors: Jaycee and Marga

Notes:

Jaycee here! Hey guys! This chapter is by both Marga and me and we are both so sorry for taking so long to update!! We are so glad that you liked the last chapter and we hope that you will like this one too. This one is not too exciting, but a chapter like this is needed, right? The chapter after this is not that exciting too, but we promise you that something big is coming soon – and we hope that you're all willing to wait.

We can't comment on the reviews individually, because right now, we are using public Internet. We have a computer back home but we don't have an Internet connection because our phone is broken – that sucks huh? We are so bored at home and without the Internet connection, we are so behind with all the fics that we've been reading, and also behind in posting new chapters for all the fics we've been writing.

Question: The fifth installment of the Harry Potter series – has it been published yet? Has it not been published yet? What's the title? If it hasn't been published, when is it supposed to be published huh? Can you see how unknowledgeable we are about this stuff? It's just that, I already finished re-reading the fourth book and I cannot wait to see what happens next.

And can I just tell you guys some bad news? Harry Potter and the CoS is not being shown here anymore! Marga and I didn't even get to watch it for the second time! :( Now we have to wait for the DVD. :(

So anyway, thank you for all the reviews that you have given us – we really appreciate it! We finally passed the 100-review mark!! Woo hoo! Is it asking too much for you guys to help us pass through the 150-review mark? We would really appreciate it – and we promise to update as soon as we can – please? The tenth chapter is finished (I wrote that one, by the way) but it needs a few more alterations here and there. And I'll post that once we know that we have passed the 150-mark! Just think that you are giving us an early Christmas present, okay?

Lastly, can anyone recommend to us a romantic H/Hr Fanfic? I would love to read more about my favorite couple!

Take care everyone and happy holidays!!!

* * * * * * * *

Hermione's heart was beating madly as she dashed towards the Girls' dormitory. What just happened? One minute she was shouting at Harry, then Harry was the one shouting at her, and then the next minute, they were kissing!

She shook her head, her brown curls bouncing everywhere, trying to put some order in her thoughts when she accidentally bumped into Lavender Brown, another 5th year Gryffindor.

"Woah, Hermione! Where's the fire?" She asked teasingly and rearranged the books that she was carrying in her arms.

"Sorry, Lavender. Can't talk now." Hermione didn't even wait for her reply and made a mad dash for her room. Her emotions where in whirlwind, she couldn't think straight, all she could think about was going into her room and locking herself up in there until the end of time.

She finally arrived in her room and she slammed the door closed. Hermione flopped down on her bed and buried her face in the soft, downy pillows. She just laid there, and just in time too, as tears started streaming down her cheeks while thoughts of confusion rushing through her muddled brain.

When her pillow got too damp, she turned around and faced the ceiling. "Why did Harry do that?" She pondered out loud, her hand immediately going to her lips at the thought.

She could still feel how his lips moved against her own, almost devouring her. Like she was to disappear from his hold at any moment. He kissed her with such urgency… with such… passion that she didn't know Harry possessed.

She couldn't deny the truth that she didn't regret it. In fact, she even responded. She was so confused. She liked Viktor, and she's even thinking that maybe she's already in love with the guy, but now… she just realized that she might be attracted to Harry.

Did Harry have these feelings for her all along? Was that the reason why he was so mad at Viktor? More importantly,

Did she feel the same way?

Hermione sighed loudly in exasperation. She grabbed another pillow and covered her face with it. She can't think about that right now. Then she remembered that she promised Viktor that she's going to visit him first thing tomorrow morning.

She shook her head and decided not to think about seeing Viktor after that kiss. She can barely think straight anymore.

Closing her eyes tightly, she fell asleep, not even changing her robes.

* * * * * *

Harry was lying down on his bed staring at the ceiling, his head still reeling from what happened in the common room just an hour before.

His hand went to his lips, gently tracing them, trying to comprehend on how he got the strength to grab Hermione and kiss her like that.

He sighed. But the bigger question that was bugging him was: How did he find the strength to let her go?

Harry closed his eyes as he remembered everything that happened. How in the world did the kiss happened? First, Hermione was so angry with him for pushing Krum off his broom, and then he became mad at her for being so mad at him. As he remembered, it was like everything was in slow motion as he watched himself walk towards her, grab her face and kiss her right on the lips.

"Oh Herm…" He whispered longingly, wishing that he could go to her and kiss her just like he did earlier. God knows that's exactly what he wants to do right now.

"Harry?"

Harry quickly sat up and saw Ron looking at him curiously. "What is it Ron?" He asked, his mind still on Hermione and the kiss.

"What's up with you?" Ron asked, sitting down on the bed.

Harry just shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing happened." He fibbed, not sure if he wants his friend to find out what happened with Hermione earlier.

"Oh something happened." Ron guessed correctly. "You look pale. What happened Harry?" He asked.

Harry stared at his friend as he took a deep breath. "I talked to Hermione. She was really angry with me." He started.

Ron nodded. "I know. I can hear her shouting."

"You saw us?"

"No. I just heard you guys. I was going to go to the common room to see if you met with Herm yet – but I heard her yelling, and I know better than to walk into Herm when she's angry so I decided to go back here. So what happened? Did she try to hex you?" He asked, chuckling a little at the thought of Hermione hexing Harry.

"No she didn't. She was really mad, but I got mad too. Where does she get off with shouting at me like that? I know what I did was wrong but she doesn't have to keep on yelling at me to tell me what she thinks of me." Harry said a little heatedly.

Ron placed a comforting hand on his friend's arm. "Okay Harry. Breathe. No need for you to get all riled up again. So, then what happened?"

Harry ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I really don't know what happened next Ron. All I know was I was so mad that I started shouting at her too… then these words started coming out of my mouth… words that I can't seem to control…"

"Words? About what?" Ron asked.

"Basically, I finally got the chance to tell Hermione that I like her. I mean, I really like her – not just as a friend." Harry replied.

Ron's eyes became huge at his friend's words. "Bloody… you told her, Harry? What did she say?"

"It was like she didn't understand at first… so instead of explaining it further, I… well…" A huge grin appeared on Harry's face as he remembered what he did.

"What? What happened?" Ron exclaimed, barely able to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"I kissed her." Harry confessed.

"What?"

"I kissed her!" Harry exclaimed, that ridiculously idiotic grin growing larger. "It just…happened. We were shouting and then…I just grabbed her and kissed her!" He finished happily.

Ron sat down beside Harry on the bed, a shocked expression on his face. "You really did that?" He asked. Harry nodded and Ron shook his head in amusement. "How did she react?" He questioned, his curiosity growing.

A glazed look came over Harry's eyes, almost as if he was in a trance. "She…" He started. Ron stared at his friend quizzically. Harry looked like he was lying in a bed of clouds the way he was speaking. "She what? C'mon Harry. Spit it out!" Ron demanded.

"She kissed me back!" Harry couldn't contain the happiness bubbling inside of him and jumped out of the bed.

"Hermione Granger kissed you back? Our Hermione?" Ron asked incredulously.

"The one and only. Can you believe it Ron? Hermione kissed me… and it's the best kiss I have ever experienced." Harry announced triumphantly, still having a hard time believing his story himself.

He turned his head when he heard Ron let out a snort. "What is it Weasley?" Harry asked warily.

"Best kiss? Are you forgetting Potter, that this is your first kiss? Or are you telling me that you've kissed someone before?" Ron teased, chuckling a little as his friend blushed.

"Okay. Okay. So that was my first kiss… but I know that it's the best one I'm ever gonna have." Harry told his friend.

Ron leaned forward. "So what happened next? Are you guys a couple now?" He asked.

Harry's smile faded a little. "Well, that's where I'm a little concerned about. I don't know if we're a couple now or not. I sort of… well… I left her in the common room after the kiss." He explained ruefully.

Ron's eyes became larger as he started at his friend. "You left her? You left Hermione all by herself after the kiss? Why in the world did you do that?"

"I don't know Ron. I guess I was so surprised with the kiss that I don't know what to do." Harry replied.

Ron looked at his friend for a moment and then asked the question that's been bothering him since they started this conversation. "So, if Herm likes you the way you like her-"

He was cut of when Harry held up a hand. "How can you say that she likes me the way that I like her?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Because she kissed you back. If she doesn't like you in that way, then she would have pushed you away, right?"

Harry nodded. "That's reasonable, I guess."

"Of course it is. As I was saying, if Herm likes you the way that you like her, then what about Viktor?"

Harry's looked at his friend with a pained expression. "I totally forgot about Viktor." He moaned.

"You have to talk to her, Harry. You two have to straighten this out." Ron told his friend.

Harry sighed. He knows that his friend is right. He has to talk to Hermione soon.

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