Scared Of Loving You

Part 1 - Harry is a friend

Hermione Granger lazily watched students mill around the lake on a sticky, summer day. Leaning against a gigantic tree, she stared at her Transfiguration homework once more and wondered what she was doing there. When the heat became unbearable in the Gryffindor Tower, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley insisted she needed a break and had dragged her down the stairs towards the lakeside. Hermione, of course, protested loudly and began complaining about the extra History revision she needed. Her best friends had managed to grab her, but not before she grabbed her Transfiguration homework.

Looking up, she saw the back of Harry's head, whose jet black hair shone in the bright sunlight. He lay on his stomach and his green eyes were focused on something far away. Hermione caught herself staring at him, but not before she realised who he was gazing at: Cho Chang. She shook her now straightened, dark brown hair and concentrated on the words before her.

The famous author, Webbie Rappit, wrote 'Tranfiguration: The Facts and Faults' during 1823 after ten years of extensive...

A loud yawn escaped her mouth. Normally she could just feed the facts into her mind as she read, but today she could hardly open her eyes. She sneaked a peek at Harry who lay a few metres from her and blushed when she realised what she was doing.

"You do not like Harry Potter!" she thought menacingly to herself, "He is one of your best friends!"

Hermione looked away sadly knowing he had eyes for someone else. Wiping the perspiration from her forehead, she laughed aloud at herself for thinking such stupid thoughts. Hearing her laugh, both Harry and Ron snapped from their distant daydreams.

"What's so funny?" they asked simutaneously.

Hermione couldn't help giggling at their reaction and soon she began laughing harder. Ron and Harry exchanged a look, but a smile played on Harry's lips. For no reason what-so-ever Harry suddenly started to laugh along with her and was soon joined by Ron's chuckles which also grew into loud, hysterical laughter. If anyone happened to walk past at that moment, they would have witnessed a very amusing sight: three friends laughing hysterically, clutching their stomaches whilst rolling around on the grass. Though soon, their laughter subsided and the threesome sat smiling at each other.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Ron asked, "So what were we laughing about again?"

The three stared at each other, before bursting out laughing once more, completely clueless about what was so funny.

***

By dinnertime, Hermione had finished all her work, for the first time ever. Wondering what to do, she began walking towards the Gryffindor common room door. She passed a mirror, but paused when she saw her reflection. Her reflection giggled like her when she saw the grass stains on her black robe. Smiling at her reflection, she was glad she decided to straighten her bushy hair because it suited her better. She was never one for fashion and this was pretty much all she planned to do until she became older.

Despite the heat, Hermione was in a good mood that evening and had smiled at everyone (except Draco Malfoy) on her way to the Great Hall. Though before she sat down, thinking she heard her name being called, she spun around and bumped heavily into someone.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed breathlessly as she pulled herself together once more.

"That's alright, Hermione," smiled Cho Chang, "I should have watched where I was going. Sorry about that."

Hermione silently sat down in her usual place beside Harry, feeling a twinge of jealousy. Cho Chang was so good. She seemed to have coped with Cedric's death, but sadness always seemed to surround her. Hermione shook her head and dug into her roast beef. Her happiness may have deteriorated slightly, but a silly grin was still glued to her face. Harry's arm lay beside hers and his warmth sent tingles down her spine for some reason. She glanced up at Harry's face, hands sweating more than usual. Hermione was puzzled at her reactions to seemingly meaningless actions from her best friend. When she glanced up, she observed his sparkling eyes fixtated on his food, but caught him sneaking looks at Cho from the corner of her eye.

"Quidditch match on soon! Gryffindor against Ravenclaw," remarked Ron cheerfully.

"It'll be pretty tough, but if we try hard we might beat them," replied Harry solemnly.

"Oh come on Harry! You know Gryffindor can beat them easily!" laughed Ron.

Hermione giggled before punching Ron lightly on the shoulder, "You never know what tricks they have up their sleeve! Then who'll be laughing?"

"I will!" answered Ron, "Because I believe, no I know, that Gryffindor will go against all odds to defeat Ravenclaw, no matter how many tricks they have up their sleeves!"

With those last words, Ron stood up in a dramatic hero's pose and looked down his nose at his friends.

"Ron! Sit down!" bossed Hermione, "You're causing a scene!"

"You're the boss!" replied Ron happily, before munching on his drumstick once more.

"Ugh. Food was his first love, for sure." commented Hermione.

She looked at Harry, who stopped eating and gazed at her face, causing her to turn away. He smiled kindly and laughed before turning back to his food.

"I was just wondering. What made you think food was his first love?" laughed Harry, "It's more like his one and only love."

"Love is love," Hermione sighed.

"What?" asked Ron through a mouthful of food.

The others laughed and finished their meals quickly to stop the ice cream from melting in the heat. Although, Hermione couldn't understand why she was feeling so strange and why Harry made her nervous all of a sudden. And when she commented on love, she couldn't help noticing the look which came over his face, a wistful, almost longing, expression.

***

Hermione paced the common room feeling bored out of her brains. She never had nothing to do before which is why she was anxiously pacing the room, becoming more and more irritated by the second. Harry and Ron were sleepily playing their fifth game of Exploding Snap and were about to reach for Ron's wizard chess set, when suddenly...

BANG!

"Hermione!?" gasped Ron.

Hermione looked at her friends in surprise. She hadn't meant to knock the table over. She had begun to feel so irritated that eventually she snapped and kicked the table as hard as she could. Nursing her sore toe, she bit her lip and stared at the others. Hermione wasn't normally a brave or adventurous person and she nearly always went by the book, but today was going to be very different.

"That's it! I've had enough," announced Hermione defiantly, "We are going to march outside and play a prank on Draco Malfoy, annoy Snape, kick Mrs Norris, go into the Forbidden Forest or anything that we aren't supposed to be doing, right now whether you like it or not OK!?"

Harry and Ron stared at their friend in disbelief.

"Well!?"

Ron gulped and moved his mouth up and down like he was trying to say something. He squeaked something incoherent and blinked at her.

Harry, who looked very similar to Ron, recovered from shock first and replied faintly, "Whatever you say ma'am."

Ron nodded and grinned. Harry's green eyes twinkled dangerously.

"Let's go!"

End Of Part 1 - Harry is a friend

A/N: Oooh.. Interesting... hehehe.. So what did you think everyone? Liked it? Hated it? Think it needed improvement? Review and tell me! Thankz ^.-