Chapter 2: Summer Secrets and Midnight Guilt
As the evening moved on, Harry found himself in the Gryffindor common room, sitting at a small table and studying with Hermione. "I hope the classes aren't as challenging as you say they will be, Hermione. Studying isn't my cup of tea."
Hermione looked up from her book distractingly and responded to Harry. "Well Quidditch isn't my cup of tea either, but I fully intend to learn how to play this year. If only you were so determined with your studying."
Harry ignored the last part of Hermione's statement and felt himself get excited."Quidditch! You want to learn Quidditch, Hermione?"
She looked at him again with a serious expression on her face. "Indeed."
"Let me teach you."
Hermione stared at him strangely for a moment. "Of course, Harry. You're the best player on the team. You're my friend too and there's no one I trust more to teach me." She finally gave him a smile before burying her head in her books again.
"Harry, can I talk to you?" Ron asked from across the room.
"Of course, Ron." Harry got up from the table, smiled at Hermione and walked over to where Ron was sitting. "What is it?"
Ron took a deep breath and sat quiet for a moment before he finally spoke in a whisper. "I kissed her Harry."
Harry wasn't sure what to think because he wasn't sure who Ron had been talking about. "Who, Ron?"
Ron nodded his head in Hermione's direction as Harry's eyes grew in shock. "Over the summer she stayed with me for a few weeks to study while her parents went to America. We were alone in the kitchen talking about some chapter in a book and before I could stop myself... I kissed her."
Harry let it all register in his head before responding. "Well, why are you telling me this, Ron? Are you two... a couple? Like Percy and Penelope?"
Ron started laughing out loud. "No, Harry. It's just, I don't know. Things might start to seem weird between her and me and I thought you should know why."
Harry nodded his head in understanding and found himself growing curious about the kiss. "How was it, Ron?"
Ron seemed to chew on his answer for a moment. "It was bloody brilliant. She was my first kiss, and I was hers."
Harry laughed a little and then stood up. "Well, I'm going to bed now. Don't let me come down here in the morning and catch you two snogging."
"Shut up, Harry!"
Harry turned around, still laughing and strolled up the stairs. As he did so, he felt a twinge of guilt form in his stomach. Ron had thought that he gave Hermione her first kiss, but Harry knew the truth. It had been Harry who kissed her at Hogwarts during the last night of their 4th year. It had been Harry who snuck into her room in the middle of the night and received a perfect kiss. It had also been Harry who neglected to tell his best friend Ron about that moment.
Later that night, Harry started tossing and turning in his bed. He couldn't get to sleep so he sat up and put his glasses on. "It's only midnight," he said to himself as he stared at the clock. He swung his legs off the side of his bed and put his slippers on, then walked down the steps and up to Hermione's room. He walked in quietly and found her sleeping angelically on her bed. He regretted kissing her before he was able to appreciate it. He kissed her too young and it hadn't held as much importance to him as he would have liked. With a small sigh, he sat next to her on her soft bed and gently shook her awake.
"Wh-what is it, Harry?" She asked while slowly sitting up."Is something wrong? Is your scar bothering you? It's not Quidditch is it? You don't want to practice now do you? Or is it studying? Are you finally as worried about your classes as you should be? Well then I think I should--" Before she could finish speaking, Harry placed his hand on her chin and pulled her in for a kiss. It was the second time she had kissed Harry Potter and yet somehow, this time seemed different. "What was that for, Harry?"
"I- I just wanted to kiss you again. You've grown prettier this year and I couldn't resist."
She smiled at him softly and placed her hand on his. "As long as there are no feelings behind that kiss, then I'm fine with it."
Harry rolled his eyes and gave her a half smile. "I know, I know. You want to focus on your studying and the most we can be to each other is friends with benefits."
Hermione nodded her head happily. "I'm glad you understand, Harry."
He got a confused expression on his face and looked at her awkwardly. "Actually, I was wondering if you could explain what 'friends with benefits' are."
"Oh Harry. It just means that we can kiss and do boyfriend/girlfriend-like things without actually being boyfriend and girlfriend. No feelings involved. Now do you really want that, Harry?"
He turned his head to the side and thought about it for a minute. He was a growing teenage boy and was beginning to enjoy kissing this beautiful girl for no particular reason.
"Harry?" He turned back to her, kissed her full on the lips again and got up.
"I better leave before I wake the others." He whispered and nodded his head towards the other sleeping girls. "Have a good night, Hermione." He said as he closed the door behind him and left her in shock.
"He needs to sort out his priorities." She said to herself; though she had no problem with kissing a handsome boy just for the fun of it.
As the evening moved on, Harry found himself in the Gryffindor common room, sitting at a small table and studying with Hermione. "I hope the classes aren't as challenging as you say they will be, Hermione. Studying isn't my cup of tea."
Hermione looked up from her book distractingly and responded to Harry. "Well Quidditch isn't my cup of tea either, but I fully intend to learn how to play this year. If only you were so determined with your studying."
Harry ignored the last part of Hermione's statement and felt himself get excited."Quidditch! You want to learn Quidditch, Hermione?"
She looked at him again with a serious expression on her face. "Indeed."
"Let me teach you."
Hermione stared at him strangely for a moment. "Of course, Harry. You're the best player on the team. You're my friend too and there's no one I trust more to teach me." She finally gave him a smile before burying her head in her books again.
"Harry, can I talk to you?" Ron asked from across the room.
"Of course, Ron." Harry got up from the table, smiled at Hermione and walked over to where Ron was sitting. "What is it?"
Ron took a deep breath and sat quiet for a moment before he finally spoke in a whisper. "I kissed her Harry."
Harry wasn't sure what to think because he wasn't sure who Ron had been talking about. "Who, Ron?"
Ron nodded his head in Hermione's direction as Harry's eyes grew in shock. "Over the summer she stayed with me for a few weeks to study while her parents went to America. We were alone in the kitchen talking about some chapter in a book and before I could stop myself... I kissed her."
Harry let it all register in his head before responding. "Well, why are you telling me this, Ron? Are you two... a couple? Like Percy and Penelope?"
Ron started laughing out loud. "No, Harry. It's just, I don't know. Things might start to seem weird between her and me and I thought you should know why."
Harry nodded his head in understanding and found himself growing curious about the kiss. "How was it, Ron?"
Ron seemed to chew on his answer for a moment. "It was bloody brilliant. She was my first kiss, and I was hers."
Harry laughed a little and then stood up. "Well, I'm going to bed now. Don't let me come down here in the morning and catch you two snogging."
"Shut up, Harry!"
Harry turned around, still laughing and strolled up the stairs. As he did so, he felt a twinge of guilt form in his stomach. Ron had thought that he gave Hermione her first kiss, but Harry knew the truth. It had been Harry who kissed her at Hogwarts during the last night of their 4th year. It had been Harry who snuck into her room in the middle of the night and received a perfect kiss. It had also been Harry who neglected to tell his best friend Ron about that moment.
Later that night, Harry started tossing and turning in his bed. He couldn't get to sleep so he sat up and put his glasses on. "It's only midnight," he said to himself as he stared at the clock. He swung his legs off the side of his bed and put his slippers on, then walked down the steps and up to Hermione's room. He walked in quietly and found her sleeping angelically on her bed. He regretted kissing her before he was able to appreciate it. He kissed her too young and it hadn't held as much importance to him as he would have liked. With a small sigh, he sat next to her on her soft bed and gently shook her awake.
"Wh-what is it, Harry?" She asked while slowly sitting up."Is something wrong? Is your scar bothering you? It's not Quidditch is it? You don't want to practice now do you? Or is it studying? Are you finally as worried about your classes as you should be? Well then I think I should--" Before she could finish speaking, Harry placed his hand on her chin and pulled her in for a kiss. It was the second time she had kissed Harry Potter and yet somehow, this time seemed different. "What was that for, Harry?"
"I- I just wanted to kiss you again. You've grown prettier this year and I couldn't resist."
She smiled at him softly and placed her hand on his. "As long as there are no feelings behind that kiss, then I'm fine with it."
Harry rolled his eyes and gave her a half smile. "I know, I know. You want to focus on your studying and the most we can be to each other is friends with benefits."
Hermione nodded her head happily. "I'm glad you understand, Harry."
He got a confused expression on his face and looked at her awkwardly. "Actually, I was wondering if you could explain what 'friends with benefits' are."
"Oh Harry. It just means that we can kiss and do boyfriend/girlfriend-like things without actually being boyfriend and girlfriend. No feelings involved. Now do you really want that, Harry?"
He turned his head to the side and thought about it for a minute. He was a growing teenage boy and was beginning to enjoy kissing this beautiful girl for no particular reason.
"Harry?" He turned back to her, kissed her full on the lips again and got up.
"I better leave before I wake the others." He whispered and nodded his head towards the other sleeping girls. "Have a good night, Hermione." He said as he closed the door behind him and left her in shock.
"He needs to sort out his priorities." She said to herself; though she had no problem with kissing a handsome boy just for the fun of it.