Chapter 1: The First Kiss
"Hey, where's Hermione going?" Harry had just noticed his friend had left the Gryffindor table and was leaving in quite a hurry. They had just started their desserts after a delicious dinner. Ron looked up from his plate and shrugged.
"Don't know," George Weasley said. "Just said she had some homework to do. But I don't think that's it!"
"Yea," Fred Weasley agreed. "She's been awfully figity! Hardly ate anythin'."
"She has been acting wierd lately," Harry said. He stared after Hermione who had already exited the Great Hall. He looked at Ron. "Do you think something's wrong?"
"Probly just extra assignments to bring her grades another hundred percent," Ron said. He had just finished an entire plate of eclairs. "You know her, always learning! I wonder why she ended up in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw."
"Yea maybe," Harry said doubtfully. "But it's not like that. She's being secretive. She always tells us when she's working or reading becuase she thinks we should be too. It's just...I don't know wierd."
Suddenly Fred and George grinned. Their was another person missing from the Great Hall that the two younger boys hadn't noticed. When Fred spoke Ron almost choked on the Pumpkin Pasty he had shoved in his mouth.
"You know who else has been acting wierd..."
****
"Someone will see us here!" Hermione hissed as she peeked around the bookcase. The area they were in was shadowy, but not hidden. Anyone could walk around the corner. "What if Harry and Ron come looking for me?"
"They won't." The whisper came from boy older than Hermione. It didn't sound too sure of itself. "What could be that important that Ron would step foot in a library?"
"I don't know," Hermione said. "But I think they...well, I think Harry suspects something!"
"I'm a little worried too," the boy admitted. Hermione turned to him in alarm. "I think Fred and George may know."
"Oh great!" Hermione threw up her arms in frustration. "Well if they do then Harry and Ron know now too! That's who was sitting with us at dinner! I'm going to get it now."
"You're going to get it now?" the boy said. "What about me? I have to deal with Fred and George! Atleast Harry and Ron are your friends. They'll atleast respect you enough not to bother you too much."
"Yea right," Hermione said. Her cheeks were getting hot and the whispers were getting louder. She was mad. Neither had wanted anyone to find out about their 'relationship' (if you could call it that) becuase they knew what torment they would have to endure. "Harry may not say much but Ron? Ron will be laughing at me for years!"
"I've had to deal with Ron and the twins a lot longer than the three years you have!" The boy was also angery. Both he and Hermione were very stubborn and did not settle easily for a stalemate. "I'm sure you think I should be use to it but it doesn't get easier it gets worse! Friends are easier to get away from so I don't know why you're so worried"
Hermione glared at him. Obviously he thought she was being a baby, atleast that's the impression she was getting. She opened her mouth to say something but saw Madam Pince striding towards them and decided against it. She pulled a book off the shelf and pretended to read to herself, the boy made as if he was searching for something. Pince glared at the boy a moment, gave Hermione a warning glance and left.
"I'm sorry," the boy whispered. His voice was softer now, and apologetic. He took Hermione's arm and turned her to face him. "I am. I'm just nervous that's all. I really like you! More than any other girl I've ever met! I just don't want it to be ruined by a bunch of immature little boys."
Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself down. She couldn't afford to get herself worked up over this. It was a month until exam time and she needed to be able to study, atleast a little.
"Hey," the boy said. He lifted Hermione's face so she was looking into his eyes. "If they ask, we can deny it. School's almost over, we'll have the summer to decide where we're going with this. And we can do it with out sneaking around shadowy library shelves and empty classrooms. Okay?"
"Okay," Hermione whispered. She was entranced by the look in his eyes. They were so full of concern and caring. She was so focused that she jumped when someone dropped a stack of books off the shelves in the row next to them.
"Peeves!" Pince screamed. It echoed through the entire library. You had better pick those up."
"I was just stopping the little lovey-birds from..." Peeves had led Pince to where Hermione and the boy were. They already had a book on ancient runes out and the boy was explaining some of them to Hermione. Pince, looking annoyed and pleased, turned up to Peeves. "They was going to..."
"I don't want to hear it!" Pince whirled away from the poltergiest and headed back for her desk. "I want those books picked up and put away in half an hour. I doubt the Bloody Baron wants you here when he arrives."
At the mention of the Baron, Peeves went right to work pick up books and mumbling under his breath. Hermione gave a sigh of relief. "We'd better go. I told Harry I'd help him with his potions homework."
She smiled at the boy and began to walk away. Again the boy grabbed her arm softly. "Just one more thing."
Suddenly Hermione's lips were pressed against his. Her cheeks were red again, but not becuase she was angry. It was a wonderful sensation, and her first kiss. She pulled back, shoked, and then smiled at him. He smiled back.
"I have to go," she whispered and almost ran from the library.
****
"Are you alright, Hermione?" Neville asked as she entered the commonroom. Her cheeks were still burning fiercely and she almost didn't respond. She noticed Harry and Ron in a corner, they hadn't noticed her yet.
"Yea," she panted. "I was in the library reading. I almost forgot I was suppose to help Harry and when I remembered I ran all the way so we had as much time as possible. I'm sorry I'm so late!"
"Don't worry about it," Neville said. "I think he figured it out. Him and Ron finished their homework and then helped me out."
"Hermione!" Harry was beconing her over to the stairs leading to the dorm rooms. They went up the stairs far enough that no one could hear. Everyone was in the common room playing games and chatting. Hermione wasn't worried until she saw the look on Ron's face. He only said one word.
"Percy?!"
"Hey, where's Hermione going?" Harry had just noticed his friend had left the Gryffindor table and was leaving in quite a hurry. They had just started their desserts after a delicious dinner. Ron looked up from his plate and shrugged.
"Don't know," George Weasley said. "Just said she had some homework to do. But I don't think that's it!"
"Yea," Fred Weasley agreed. "She's been awfully figity! Hardly ate anythin'."
"She has been acting wierd lately," Harry said. He stared after Hermione who had already exited the Great Hall. He looked at Ron. "Do you think something's wrong?"
"Probly just extra assignments to bring her grades another hundred percent," Ron said. He had just finished an entire plate of eclairs. "You know her, always learning! I wonder why she ended up in Gryffindor instead of Ravenclaw."
"Yea maybe," Harry said doubtfully. "But it's not like that. She's being secretive. She always tells us when she's working or reading becuase she thinks we should be too. It's just...I don't know wierd."
Suddenly Fred and George grinned. Their was another person missing from the Great Hall that the two younger boys hadn't noticed. When Fred spoke Ron almost choked on the Pumpkin Pasty he had shoved in his mouth.
"You know who else has been acting wierd..."
****
"Someone will see us here!" Hermione hissed as she peeked around the bookcase. The area they were in was shadowy, but not hidden. Anyone could walk around the corner. "What if Harry and Ron come looking for me?"
"They won't." The whisper came from boy older than Hermione. It didn't sound too sure of itself. "What could be that important that Ron would step foot in a library?"
"I don't know," Hermione said. "But I think they...well, I think Harry suspects something!"
"I'm a little worried too," the boy admitted. Hermione turned to him in alarm. "I think Fred and George may know."
"Oh great!" Hermione threw up her arms in frustration. "Well if they do then Harry and Ron know now too! That's who was sitting with us at dinner! I'm going to get it now."
"You're going to get it now?" the boy said. "What about me? I have to deal with Fred and George! Atleast Harry and Ron are your friends. They'll atleast respect you enough not to bother you too much."
"Yea right," Hermione said. Her cheeks were getting hot and the whispers were getting louder. She was mad. Neither had wanted anyone to find out about their 'relationship' (if you could call it that) becuase they knew what torment they would have to endure. "Harry may not say much but Ron? Ron will be laughing at me for years!"
"I've had to deal with Ron and the twins a lot longer than the three years you have!" The boy was also angery. Both he and Hermione were very stubborn and did not settle easily for a stalemate. "I'm sure you think I should be use to it but it doesn't get easier it gets worse! Friends are easier to get away from so I don't know why you're so worried"
Hermione glared at him. Obviously he thought she was being a baby, atleast that's the impression she was getting. She opened her mouth to say something but saw Madam Pince striding towards them and decided against it. She pulled a book off the shelf and pretended to read to herself, the boy made as if he was searching for something. Pince glared at the boy a moment, gave Hermione a warning glance and left.
"I'm sorry," the boy whispered. His voice was softer now, and apologetic. He took Hermione's arm and turned her to face him. "I am. I'm just nervous that's all. I really like you! More than any other girl I've ever met! I just don't want it to be ruined by a bunch of immature little boys."
Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself down. She couldn't afford to get herself worked up over this. It was a month until exam time and she needed to be able to study, atleast a little.
"Hey," the boy said. He lifted Hermione's face so she was looking into his eyes. "If they ask, we can deny it. School's almost over, we'll have the summer to decide where we're going with this. And we can do it with out sneaking around shadowy library shelves and empty classrooms. Okay?"
"Okay," Hermione whispered. She was entranced by the look in his eyes. They were so full of concern and caring. She was so focused that she jumped when someone dropped a stack of books off the shelves in the row next to them.
"Peeves!" Pince screamed. It echoed through the entire library. You had better pick those up."
"I was just stopping the little lovey-birds from..." Peeves had led Pince to where Hermione and the boy were. They already had a book on ancient runes out and the boy was explaining some of them to Hermione. Pince, looking annoyed and pleased, turned up to Peeves. "They was going to..."
"I don't want to hear it!" Pince whirled away from the poltergiest and headed back for her desk. "I want those books picked up and put away in half an hour. I doubt the Bloody Baron wants you here when he arrives."
At the mention of the Baron, Peeves went right to work pick up books and mumbling under his breath. Hermione gave a sigh of relief. "We'd better go. I told Harry I'd help him with his potions homework."
She smiled at the boy and began to walk away. Again the boy grabbed her arm softly. "Just one more thing."
Suddenly Hermione's lips were pressed against his. Her cheeks were red again, but not becuase she was angry. It was a wonderful sensation, and her first kiss. She pulled back, shoked, and then smiled at him. He smiled back.
"I have to go," she whispered and almost ran from the library.
****
"Are you alright, Hermione?" Neville asked as she entered the commonroom. Her cheeks were still burning fiercely and she almost didn't respond. She noticed Harry and Ron in a corner, they hadn't noticed her yet.
"Yea," she panted. "I was in the library reading. I almost forgot I was suppose to help Harry and when I remembered I ran all the way so we had as much time as possible. I'm sorry I'm so late!"
"Don't worry about it," Neville said. "I think he figured it out. Him and Ron finished their homework and then helped me out."
"Hermione!" Harry was beconing her over to the stairs leading to the dorm rooms. They went up the stairs far enough that no one could hear. Everyone was in the common room playing games and chatting. Hermione wasn't worried until she saw the look on Ron's face. He only said one word.
"Percy?!"
