Fifteen bottles of Butterbeer later, Hermione and Harry were both
incredibly giggly and tipsy. The alcohol content of the drinks had turned
out to be high enough to get them both semi-drunk after seven bottles each.
Well, eight for Harry, seven for Hermione. The fact that Harry had mixed
liberal amounts of Firewhisky into the bottles had not helped the
situation. It was the Firewhisky that the twins had given him the previous
holidays as a Christmas gift. Firewhisky was a lot stronger than
Butterbeer, and was of course banned from the school grounds. Harry had
sneaked it in inside a pair of revolting looking socks that Hermione
assumed belonged to his Uncle Vernon.
Harry hiccoughed. "I -*hic*- don't remember what I was saying!" he laughed stupidly.
Hermione collapsed into a chair, they'd been dancing around the room for the past few minutes until Hermione had gotten seriously dizzy and needed to sit down. Harry was still whirling around the room and chuckling merrily to himself.
"Harry," Hermione began, pulling him down to sit beside her, "why haven't we ever - *hic* - gone out?"
"I don't know," Harry tried with all his strength to think of an answer. There wasn't one coming to mind. He got up from his chair and meandered tipsily over to Hermione's chair. Plonking himself down on the armrest, he threw an arm over her shoulder and giggled.
"Maybe I have a girlfriend when you're single and you have a boyfriend when I'm single?" he suggested.
Hermione hiccoughed. Her head was spinning and everything was fuzzy. She really, really did not feel well.
"Maybe," she agreed, trying to stop herself from vomiting all over Harry. The bottles were only small, which is why it was so simple to down several in a matter of minutes.
Harry leaned over and stroked her hair. Hermione smiled and leaned into the touch. He pulled her out of her chair and they sprawled on the floor together laughing. Harry reached out for her again and drew her close. His fingers traced the delicate features of her pretty face. She closed her eyes and let go of everything except the feel of him next to her.
"What was it like to go out with Ron?" he asked her. She opened her eyes and looked at him in surprise.
"Well, I suppose the same as it would have felt going out with Lavender."
Harry scowled. "At least Ron didn't cheat on you."
Hermione was slightly astonished. "I thought you were pretty much okay with that, I mean, you've never really shown any emotion about it."
Harry laughed dryly, which was kind of spoiled by a slight hiccough. "Yeah, Hermione, my girlfriend cheats on me with a mate of mine, but I'm completely fine with that."
Hermione realized how dumb she'd been, supposing that he'd gotten over it that fast.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I should have comforted you."
He shook his head violently. "No. No, Ron, was good enough comfort, I wouldn't have wanted your pity anyway. I'd only have felt stupid if you'd done...I mean...what was I talking about?"
Hermione snorted. He rolled his eyes at her.
"Well, to answer your question, it was nice to have a boyfriend who cared for me. Honestly, if you hadn't existed and if Ron had been straight, it would have been the perfect relationship I think." Hermione instantly wished she hadn't added the last part. But Harry didn't seem to have noticed.
"Didn't you feel anything about him being gay?" he asked her.
Hermione pursed her lip slightly as she thought for a second, trying to remember. "No, not at all."
He nodded. "I didn't care either. There were a lot of weird things going on with Dean and Neville when Ron told them, they didn't seem as able to cope as I was. I'm just glad he was able to depend on both of us for support."
It dawned on Hermione just how great Harry was to have as a friend.
"Why did you go to the ball with Daniel?" Harry asked quietly.
Hermione paused. This was going to be embarrassing to admit. "Because I thought not only was he gorgeous, but that he liked me. And...I kind of hoped that if you saw me there with a gorgeous guy, you would be...I don't know...jealous?"
Harry laughed. 'Well, you succeeded."
Hermione was surprised. It wasn't often that a guy admitted to being jealous. But then, Harry wasn't like other guys.
But if they connected so, then why hadn't they ever been together? As though Harry was thinking the same thing, he spoke.
"Do you want to give it a try?" he asked, his voice a little deeper and huskier than normal, evidently his attempt at sounding sexy, which worked surprisingly well for him. Knowing exactly what he meant, Hermione's teeth flashed in a wide grin.
"I suppose it wouldn't be too bad..." she trailed off. Harry smacked her playfully and she giggled. Then slowly his hand came up to gently touch her cheek. She gazed somewhat nervously at him before her eyes fluttered closed again. The next thing she knew, his lips were pressing gently against hers in a sweet, tender kiss.
It was as though time was suspended, Hermione mused, and the two of them were alone in the world as they lay together in the Head Boy and Girl common room. Nothing outside this comfy little world of romance mattered, although Hermione still felt incredibly sick. These thoughts were pushed to a side as she relaxed and enjoyed the kiss.
Harry deepened it slightly, gently running his tongue over her lips, sending a shiver down her spine as she clutched him closer to her. This was the most sensual experience she thought she'd ever had.
They broke apart after a few minutes of gentle pleasure. Lying there holding each other, Hermione's head rested on top of Harry's chest as he played with the shorter strands of hair at the front of her face. Planting a kiss on his neck, Hermione started to get up, feeling as though if she didn't have a drink of water, her hangover the next day would crack her skull in two.
She hadn't even gotten to her knees before Harry sat up and pulled her towards him. He put one hand on her neck and the other tightly around her waist and kissed her more passionately than before. Thrills ran from the tops to bottom of Hermione's body, and she immediately decided water could wait. This was far more exciting.
Harry's soft lips captured first her top lip, then the bottom lip, before kissing both of them intensely. Hermione's body went completely limp against his, and if he hadn't been holding her so tightly, she would have collapsed to the ground.
His tongue brushed her lips again, and this time it was she who deepened the kiss to another level, allowing his tongue to venture inside her mouth. It was not a new experience for Hermione, having kissed Ron on several occasions, but the experience was not nearly as electric and magical as this. She melted against him, enjoying the feel of the boy she loved.
Harry held her close, feeling the lack of strength in her body. This was a first for him. He'd never kissed a girl this way before. He'd kissed Lavender, but only a peck on the lips. Cho had kissed him before, but it had only just exceeded a peck. This was a completely new experience and one he really liked. Especially with the stunning brunette he'd admired for so long.
It was several hours before the two broke apart to fall asleep in each other's arms on the rug in front of a merrily burning fire.
Harry hiccoughed. "I -*hic*- don't remember what I was saying!" he laughed stupidly.
Hermione collapsed into a chair, they'd been dancing around the room for the past few minutes until Hermione had gotten seriously dizzy and needed to sit down. Harry was still whirling around the room and chuckling merrily to himself.
"Harry," Hermione began, pulling him down to sit beside her, "why haven't we ever - *hic* - gone out?"
"I don't know," Harry tried with all his strength to think of an answer. There wasn't one coming to mind. He got up from his chair and meandered tipsily over to Hermione's chair. Plonking himself down on the armrest, he threw an arm over her shoulder and giggled.
"Maybe I have a girlfriend when you're single and you have a boyfriend when I'm single?" he suggested.
Hermione hiccoughed. Her head was spinning and everything was fuzzy. She really, really did not feel well.
"Maybe," she agreed, trying to stop herself from vomiting all over Harry. The bottles were only small, which is why it was so simple to down several in a matter of minutes.
Harry leaned over and stroked her hair. Hermione smiled and leaned into the touch. He pulled her out of her chair and they sprawled on the floor together laughing. Harry reached out for her again and drew her close. His fingers traced the delicate features of her pretty face. She closed her eyes and let go of everything except the feel of him next to her.
"What was it like to go out with Ron?" he asked her. She opened her eyes and looked at him in surprise.
"Well, I suppose the same as it would have felt going out with Lavender."
Harry scowled. "At least Ron didn't cheat on you."
Hermione was slightly astonished. "I thought you were pretty much okay with that, I mean, you've never really shown any emotion about it."
Harry laughed dryly, which was kind of spoiled by a slight hiccough. "Yeah, Hermione, my girlfriend cheats on me with a mate of mine, but I'm completely fine with that."
Hermione realized how dumb she'd been, supposing that he'd gotten over it that fast.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I should have comforted you."
He shook his head violently. "No. No, Ron, was good enough comfort, I wouldn't have wanted your pity anyway. I'd only have felt stupid if you'd done...I mean...what was I talking about?"
Hermione snorted. He rolled his eyes at her.
"Well, to answer your question, it was nice to have a boyfriend who cared for me. Honestly, if you hadn't existed and if Ron had been straight, it would have been the perfect relationship I think." Hermione instantly wished she hadn't added the last part. But Harry didn't seem to have noticed.
"Didn't you feel anything about him being gay?" he asked her.
Hermione pursed her lip slightly as she thought for a second, trying to remember. "No, not at all."
He nodded. "I didn't care either. There were a lot of weird things going on with Dean and Neville when Ron told them, they didn't seem as able to cope as I was. I'm just glad he was able to depend on both of us for support."
It dawned on Hermione just how great Harry was to have as a friend.
"Why did you go to the ball with Daniel?" Harry asked quietly.
Hermione paused. This was going to be embarrassing to admit. "Because I thought not only was he gorgeous, but that he liked me. And...I kind of hoped that if you saw me there with a gorgeous guy, you would be...I don't know...jealous?"
Harry laughed. 'Well, you succeeded."
Hermione was surprised. It wasn't often that a guy admitted to being jealous. But then, Harry wasn't like other guys.
But if they connected so, then why hadn't they ever been together? As though Harry was thinking the same thing, he spoke.
"Do you want to give it a try?" he asked, his voice a little deeper and huskier than normal, evidently his attempt at sounding sexy, which worked surprisingly well for him. Knowing exactly what he meant, Hermione's teeth flashed in a wide grin.
"I suppose it wouldn't be too bad..." she trailed off. Harry smacked her playfully and she giggled. Then slowly his hand came up to gently touch her cheek. She gazed somewhat nervously at him before her eyes fluttered closed again. The next thing she knew, his lips were pressing gently against hers in a sweet, tender kiss.
It was as though time was suspended, Hermione mused, and the two of them were alone in the world as they lay together in the Head Boy and Girl common room. Nothing outside this comfy little world of romance mattered, although Hermione still felt incredibly sick. These thoughts were pushed to a side as she relaxed and enjoyed the kiss.
Harry deepened it slightly, gently running his tongue over her lips, sending a shiver down her spine as she clutched him closer to her. This was the most sensual experience she thought she'd ever had.
They broke apart after a few minutes of gentle pleasure. Lying there holding each other, Hermione's head rested on top of Harry's chest as he played with the shorter strands of hair at the front of her face. Planting a kiss on his neck, Hermione started to get up, feeling as though if she didn't have a drink of water, her hangover the next day would crack her skull in two.
She hadn't even gotten to her knees before Harry sat up and pulled her towards him. He put one hand on her neck and the other tightly around her waist and kissed her more passionately than before. Thrills ran from the tops to bottom of Hermione's body, and she immediately decided water could wait. This was far more exciting.
Harry's soft lips captured first her top lip, then the bottom lip, before kissing both of them intensely. Hermione's body went completely limp against his, and if he hadn't been holding her so tightly, she would have collapsed to the ground.
His tongue brushed her lips again, and this time it was she who deepened the kiss to another level, allowing his tongue to venture inside her mouth. It was not a new experience for Hermione, having kissed Ron on several occasions, but the experience was not nearly as electric and magical as this. She melted against him, enjoying the feel of the boy she loved.
Harry held her close, feeling the lack of strength in her body. This was a first for him. He'd never kissed a girl this way before. He'd kissed Lavender, but only a peck on the lips. Cho had kissed him before, but it had only just exceeded a peck. This was a completely new experience and one he really liked. Especially with the stunning brunette he'd admired for so long.
It was several hours before the two broke apart to fall asleep in each other's arms on the rug in front of a merrily burning fire.