Chapter 5- Pondering
Hermione woke in the morning and looked up at Harry, he was still sound asleep and holding her tightly. She pulled the curtain back and saw that the sun was just starting to come up. She knew that if she didn't get up and leave now there would be more explaining to do than she wanted. So she slowly worked her way out from underneath Harry's arm and tip toed out of the dorm room.
Harry woke hours later and jolted up when he realized that Hermione wasn't there. He looked all over the room and saw no sign of her. He figured that she must have gone back to her dorm but wondered why she didn't tell him she was leaving. 'She couldn't be mad could she?' he shook his head and laid back down unable to get back to sleep.
After her shower Hermione quietly slipped into her dorm room. All the girls were still sleeping or in the showers. She walked over to her bed and sat down. "Damn it." She mumbled when she felt books under her. She had forgotten about all the books she took out of her beg last night before she went out. She walked over and grabbed her bag and sat on her bag again. She opened the top drawer of her dresser it was half filled with different ingredients for a potion. Her happy demeanor was now gone when she remembered why she went into the forest and why she had to sleep in Harry's bed. She glanced down at a date written on a piece of parchment. "Three days I only have three days."
"Three days till what?" Lavender questioned sleepily.
Hermione slammed the drawer shut. "Nothing."
~-~
The rest of the day went smoothly an unspoken agreement of not to tell Ron of the nights adventure was established between them. Hermione pent most of the day dazing which did not go unnoticed by Ron or Harry. While sitting in potions Ron leaned over to Harry. "So do you know what's up with her?" Harry turned and looked at Hermione then back at Ron. "No," he shook his head "she's not even taking notes." Snape had them break up into groups to start making the potion.
"Are you ready Potter?" the snide voice made him turn seeing a flash of sliver blond hair.
"What are you talking about Malfoy?" "Three days till I put you into your place." He strode off goonies close at his side.
Ron turned to Harry confused. "What was that git going on about? Three days?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I think he means the Quidditch match."
At the sound of Quidditch Hermione dropped her book. Harry and Ron looked up at her. "Okay Mione?" Ron said bending down and picking up her book. "Fine." She said shortly grabbing the book back.
Ron and Harry looked at each other helpless. A thought flashed through Harry's head. 'She's mad about last night.' He looked at her and she wouldn't look him in the eye. He put his head in his hands. 'What have I done?'
~-~
On there way out of class Ron grabbed his book and shoved them as fast as he could to get down to dinner. "Come on Harry."
"You go ahead I'm not hungry."
"Okay see you in the common room." Harry slowly dragged himself out of the classroom making his way to Gryffindor tower. His mind was going a mile a minute and he played attention to nothing until he climbed through the portrait hole and saw someone else not at dinner. "Hello Mione."
She looked up quickly seeing that it was Harry she looked back down at her book "Hi." 'Don't cry' she told herself 'you can keep him safe'
He felt sick, she hated him for taking advantage of her when she was scared. He walked over towards her slowly almost like approaching a wild animal and not wanting to scare it off. He sat down in a chair near her, she didn't look up. "Hermione, umm...do you hate me?"
Hermione's book dropped to the ground she stared at him stunned. 'Did he really just say that?' she continued to stare at him without speaking.
He dropped his head staring at his feet. "I understand." He felt his eyes burn with the threat of tears. He heard her stand and expected her to run out of the room. She walked over and kneeled in front of him and gently lifted his head up with her hand. He adverted his eyes from her.
"Harry." She said forcefully looking him directly in the eyes. He dropped his head again. "I'm sorry." He said with so much pain in his voice that it almost brought her to tears. She lifted his head again and swiftly brought her lips softly to his. She pulled away slowly and opened her eyes seeing his emerald eyes staring deeply into hers. She brushed his cheek with her hand. "I could never hate you." He dove forward to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her not letting her go. "Harry sweetie umm if you don't let me go and do my work then I am going to hate you."
He let her go chuckling. "Sorry, what are you working on anyway?"
"Umm just extra stuff you know broadening my knowledge."
"I barley get my normal work done and here you are doing extra stuff." He reached over and brushed some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "You're amazing."
She blushed immediately and lowered her head. "No." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Don't argue." He said trying to sound strict. "Now go do your work before you hex me for bothering you." Harry stood and walked towards the portrait hole. "Where are you going?"
"Dinner, why don't you take a little break and come with me."
She squirmed a little. "I don't know."
"You can work on it later you said yourself it's not due it's extra." He broke into a big goofy grin. "Pllleeeaaassseee!" Hermione dropped her quill. "Like I could say no to that."
They walked down towards the great hall, every so often Harry's hand would brush up against Hermione's. It took all of her will power not to burst into laughter because she knew he was testing her to see if she would pull away. Finally at the last staircase she heard him take a deep breath and he grabbed her hand when he felt her hand squeeze his back he finally let his breath out.
She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Now that wasn't so hard was it?"
He looked her seriously in the eye. "You have no idea." He shook his head. They walked into the great hall and found Ron and went over and say across from him.
"I thought you weren't hungry."
Harry just shrugged. "I am now." Harry went to dish some food when he realized he was still holding Hermione's hand. With reluctance he slowly let her hand go and helped himself to the food.
After dinner they retreated to the common room. Hermione was studying and Harry sitting next to her was losing to Ron at chess. Harry would every so often look over at Hermione. She was looking so intensely at the book she read, scrunching her face up when she got to something complicated.
She suddenly stood. "I have to go to the library." She turned and left the room.
They shrugged and went back to their game. "So.," Ron said taking Harry's last bishop. "You and Hermione are together."
Harry was so startled he knocked over half of the chess pieces. He looked up at Ron who was grinning from ear to ear. "How."
"How did I know lets see I've known about your crush on her for years ever though you never told me, your best friend. I also knew she liked you even though she never told me, once again might I add, even though she's my best friend. Then lets see more recently she snuck into our room and stole your cloak then you soon followed then came back alone but aha not for long then she slipped out before anyone woke. Well before she thought anyone was awake. Then the most obvious thing you walked into the great hall hand in hand. And if you had been paying half as much attention to the game as her you would have been doing better."
Harry had his head in his hands. "Damn you for being so perceptive."
"Damn you for not telling me."
He looked up at him. "Sorry."
"Don't worry I haven't been upfront about everything with you either."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Oh really." "Enough about me so tell me everything fill in the gaps." Harry went into the story of the nights adventures. "Wow," Ron said shaking his head.
"What was she doing in the forest?"
"She was getting a plant."
"Why?"
Harry stopped and mentally kicked himself he had no idea what she was doing in there. 'Why didn't I asked her, oh yeah three headed snake kissing' "I don't know."
"Hummm"
"Don't hummm at me Ronald Weasley I'm sure there's an explanation." Harry didn't know if he was trying to convince Ron or himself more.
"I'm sure there is. I'm going to bed now, goodnight."
"Good night Ron." Harry decided to stay up and find out about the plant. By the time that Hermione got back the common room was mostly empty.
"Hermione can we talk?"
Hermione woke in the morning and looked up at Harry, he was still sound asleep and holding her tightly. She pulled the curtain back and saw that the sun was just starting to come up. She knew that if she didn't get up and leave now there would be more explaining to do than she wanted. So she slowly worked her way out from underneath Harry's arm and tip toed out of the dorm room.
Harry woke hours later and jolted up when he realized that Hermione wasn't there. He looked all over the room and saw no sign of her. He figured that she must have gone back to her dorm but wondered why she didn't tell him she was leaving. 'She couldn't be mad could she?' he shook his head and laid back down unable to get back to sleep.
After her shower Hermione quietly slipped into her dorm room. All the girls were still sleeping or in the showers. She walked over to her bed and sat down. "Damn it." She mumbled when she felt books under her. She had forgotten about all the books she took out of her beg last night before she went out. She walked over and grabbed her bag and sat on her bag again. She opened the top drawer of her dresser it was half filled with different ingredients for a potion. Her happy demeanor was now gone when she remembered why she went into the forest and why she had to sleep in Harry's bed. She glanced down at a date written on a piece of parchment. "Three days I only have three days."
"Three days till what?" Lavender questioned sleepily.
Hermione slammed the drawer shut. "Nothing."
~-~
The rest of the day went smoothly an unspoken agreement of not to tell Ron of the nights adventure was established between them. Hermione pent most of the day dazing which did not go unnoticed by Ron or Harry. While sitting in potions Ron leaned over to Harry. "So do you know what's up with her?" Harry turned and looked at Hermione then back at Ron. "No," he shook his head "she's not even taking notes." Snape had them break up into groups to start making the potion.
"Are you ready Potter?" the snide voice made him turn seeing a flash of sliver blond hair.
"What are you talking about Malfoy?" "Three days till I put you into your place." He strode off goonies close at his side.
Ron turned to Harry confused. "What was that git going on about? Three days?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I think he means the Quidditch match."
At the sound of Quidditch Hermione dropped her book. Harry and Ron looked up at her. "Okay Mione?" Ron said bending down and picking up her book. "Fine." She said shortly grabbing the book back.
Ron and Harry looked at each other helpless. A thought flashed through Harry's head. 'She's mad about last night.' He looked at her and she wouldn't look him in the eye. He put his head in his hands. 'What have I done?'
~-~
On there way out of class Ron grabbed his book and shoved them as fast as he could to get down to dinner. "Come on Harry."
"You go ahead I'm not hungry."
"Okay see you in the common room." Harry slowly dragged himself out of the classroom making his way to Gryffindor tower. His mind was going a mile a minute and he played attention to nothing until he climbed through the portrait hole and saw someone else not at dinner. "Hello Mione."
She looked up quickly seeing that it was Harry she looked back down at her book "Hi." 'Don't cry' she told herself 'you can keep him safe'
He felt sick, she hated him for taking advantage of her when she was scared. He walked over towards her slowly almost like approaching a wild animal and not wanting to scare it off. He sat down in a chair near her, she didn't look up. "Hermione, umm...do you hate me?"
Hermione's book dropped to the ground she stared at him stunned. 'Did he really just say that?' she continued to stare at him without speaking.
He dropped his head staring at his feet. "I understand." He felt his eyes burn with the threat of tears. He heard her stand and expected her to run out of the room. She walked over and kneeled in front of him and gently lifted his head up with her hand. He adverted his eyes from her.
"Harry." She said forcefully looking him directly in the eyes. He dropped his head again. "I'm sorry." He said with so much pain in his voice that it almost brought her to tears. She lifted his head again and swiftly brought her lips softly to his. She pulled away slowly and opened her eyes seeing his emerald eyes staring deeply into hers. She brushed his cheek with her hand. "I could never hate you." He dove forward to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her not letting her go. "Harry sweetie umm if you don't let me go and do my work then I am going to hate you."
He let her go chuckling. "Sorry, what are you working on anyway?"
"Umm just extra stuff you know broadening my knowledge."
"I barley get my normal work done and here you are doing extra stuff." He reached over and brushed some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "You're amazing."
She blushed immediately and lowered her head. "No." He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. "Don't argue." He said trying to sound strict. "Now go do your work before you hex me for bothering you." Harry stood and walked towards the portrait hole. "Where are you going?"
"Dinner, why don't you take a little break and come with me."
She squirmed a little. "I don't know."
"You can work on it later you said yourself it's not due it's extra." He broke into a big goofy grin. "Pllleeeaaassseee!" Hermione dropped her quill. "Like I could say no to that."
They walked down towards the great hall, every so often Harry's hand would brush up against Hermione's. It took all of her will power not to burst into laughter because she knew he was testing her to see if she would pull away. Finally at the last staircase she heard him take a deep breath and he grabbed her hand when he felt her hand squeeze his back he finally let his breath out.
She leaned over and whispered in his ear. "Now that wasn't so hard was it?"
He looked her seriously in the eye. "You have no idea." He shook his head. They walked into the great hall and found Ron and went over and say across from him.
"I thought you weren't hungry."
Harry just shrugged. "I am now." Harry went to dish some food when he realized he was still holding Hermione's hand. With reluctance he slowly let her hand go and helped himself to the food.
After dinner they retreated to the common room. Hermione was studying and Harry sitting next to her was losing to Ron at chess. Harry would every so often look over at Hermione. She was looking so intensely at the book she read, scrunching her face up when she got to something complicated.
She suddenly stood. "I have to go to the library." She turned and left the room.
They shrugged and went back to their game. "So.," Ron said taking Harry's last bishop. "You and Hermione are together."
Harry was so startled he knocked over half of the chess pieces. He looked up at Ron who was grinning from ear to ear. "How."
"How did I know lets see I've known about your crush on her for years ever though you never told me, your best friend. I also knew she liked you even though she never told me, once again might I add, even though she's my best friend. Then lets see more recently she snuck into our room and stole your cloak then you soon followed then came back alone but aha not for long then she slipped out before anyone woke. Well before she thought anyone was awake. Then the most obvious thing you walked into the great hall hand in hand. And if you had been paying half as much attention to the game as her you would have been doing better."
Harry had his head in his hands. "Damn you for being so perceptive."
"Damn you for not telling me."
He looked up at him. "Sorry."
"Don't worry I haven't been upfront about everything with you either."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Oh really." "Enough about me so tell me everything fill in the gaps." Harry went into the story of the nights adventures. "Wow," Ron said shaking his head.
"What was she doing in the forest?"
"She was getting a plant."
"Why?"
Harry stopped and mentally kicked himself he had no idea what she was doing in there. 'Why didn't I asked her, oh yeah three headed snake kissing' "I don't know."
"Hummm"
"Don't hummm at me Ronald Weasley I'm sure there's an explanation." Harry didn't know if he was trying to convince Ron or himself more.
"I'm sure there is. I'm going to bed now, goodnight."
"Good night Ron." Harry decided to stay up and find out about the plant. By the time that Hermione got back the common room was mostly empty.
"Hermione can we talk?"
