Author's Note: This is the chapter where you will find out about Hermione's
secret. It's nothing as major as you might think, but it will also be
something that you probably aren't expecting. It should add some more drama
to the story.
Chapter 6: Truths Unmasked
A few weeks passed, as Harry and Hermione's passions rose into a strong, steady relationship. It was full of many late nights spent snuggled up close at the fireside, shielded with piles of books that they continued to take out of the library, after everyone else had gone to bed. They had yet to tell anyone what they were actually doing all those late nights alone, including Ron. They had both decided that it was quiet fun, seeing how long it could remain a secret.
Though, on the other hand, their research wasn't going as well. Since the first night back at Hogwarts, when Harry had dismissed Ron from helping him, he had been only doing a little. As well, Harry and Hermione both seemed to only be able to concentrate on their work as long as he was around. Plus their large homework loads kept them quite occupied much of the time also.
Harry sat in a near-disserted corner of the library with Ron and Hermione next to him one night, as they finished their homework. Minutes ticked slowly by until the time that they would be done and ready to research. It would be even longer until he and Hermione would be alone.
Once they had finally finished their mountain of schoolwork, they had already moved back into the common room and the small hand on the clock had passed the eleven mark. Ron snuck out of the room a little before midnight, as the last group of fifth years trotted up to the dorms, yawning. Harry tried to keep his attention on his current book, but found it very hard, as Hermione had been rubbing her foot against his for the last ten minutes and now she had his hand in hers.
He looked up and saw her eyes twinkling brightly, reflecting the soft light of the fire. Like always, it ignited his passions and sent warmth trickling throughout his soul. In seconds, they went from a pair of friends studying, to a deeply in love couple. Soon enough, Harry had his arms and lips pressed closely to Hermione's as she shifted into a more comfy spot in his squishy armchair.
Harry whispered quietly, "Honey," He quickly kissed Hermione, "I-love-you." Pausing between each word to give her swift peaks. He pulled her even closer.
She aloud Harry to move her and softly said, "I love you too Sweety." Breathing heavily on his face, as he kissed he along her neckline.
They were both in an unreal heaven, unaware of anything going on around them. If they had been paying the slightest bit of attention, they might have noticed Hermione kicked a large stack of books off the table in front of them, in her attempts to get closer to her lover. They then, probably would have noticed how loudly the books fell on the hard floor below. They would also have seen their other best friend come down the stairs to investigate the large amount of noise that he had hear coming from the room where they sat tightly together making out. As well, they would have noticed the shocked look Ron wear at the sight of their now, not so secret love-fest.
Unable to comprehend what he was seeing and not wanting Harry and Hermione to think that they were being spied on, as he had already said he was going up to bed, Ron stole back upstairs and flipped into bed. He quickly pulled the hangings shut and tried to get to sleep for real, before Harry got up.
This quickness was unnecessary, as down in the large circular room below, it took Harry and Hermione nearly a half an hour to come out of their own little world, back to reality. They tiredly said goodnight to each other and after a few last kisses, found their separate ways to their rooms.
Harry sank happily into his bed, unknowing that in the next bed; Ron still lied awake, contemplating what he had seen that night. It took Harry only a few moments drift into a peaceful sleep, only disturbed by the rising sun the next day.
Ron on the other hand, experienced a very rough night, filled with the same dream over and over. He was shaken awake time and time again by images of Hermione being ripped from his arms by a cackling Harry. By the morning, he had decided that he would have to admit to them that he had seen them and that they would have to talk about it. He wondered how long this had been going on. If it had just started really recently or if it had been going on for a much longer time.
He tried to build up the courage to talk to Harry and Hermione throughout breakfast, but found that his voice was gone whenever he opened his mouth and that his throat was very scratchy as he attempted to eat his bacon and eggs.
Harry noticed that his friend had barely talked or eaten anything at all during breakfast. They walked side by side, with Hermione following behind as they crossed the lawn, on their way to Care of Magical Creatures.
"Ron, is there anything wrong?" Harry asked with genuine concern for his friend as they neared Hagrid's hut.
Ron stopped on spot, causing Hermione to bump into him. This was it. It was time to tell them. "Well, I sort of saw something yesterday that I don't think some people wanted me to see." He started, his voice trembling a little.
Harry could tell that he was nervous. He wondered what Ron had seen. "What was it?"
"Well, I'm fairly curtain you know what it is..."
Hermione heard Ron's voice becoming quieter with each word. What did they know? She asked herself at first, as Ron obviously didn't want to continue. Then it hit her. Ron had seen Harry and her together!
"You came back down to the common room last night after you had already gone up to bed, didn't you?!" She blurted out suddenly quite alarmed.
Ron nodded slowly and asked, "Why didn't you guys tell me what you were doing?"
Harry looked at him and explained, "Hermione and I at first just wanted to make sure that it would work between us. Then after a couple of night, we decided that it would be fun to see how long we could keep it from everyone." He gave a fake laugh, trying to deflate the rising tension. He could see that Ron and Hermione were staring intently at one another. "We weren't trying to hide it from you. We just thought it was more fun when it was a secret," he added to try and draw Ron's attention to him.
"Really? Is that it?" Ron asked, still gazing at Hermione, one eyebrow raised.
Harry wasn't really sure what else Ron was expecting, though, he and Ron both got their answers quickly enough. Hermione blushed a little and looked towards the ground, as if determined to find something once lost there. She slowly started to tell Ron what he had obviously known that she was hiding, "Actually, that is why Harry didn't tell you. I had a different reason. At first I didn't think that it would work out, because of what happened this summer, but then he promised me it would. After that, I know that we would start dating and I didn't want to have to break my promise to you, as well as not wanting him to know about it. I decided to tell Harry to keep us a secret, convincing him that it would be fun. It was, but really I didn't want him to know." She finished and turned completely away from them.
Harry stood there, now staring at Hermione himself, unable to fully understand all that she was talking about. He was also very alarmed to find out that Hermione had lied to him. Why would she and what was she keeping from him? What had happened this summer? When had it happened? Where was Hermione and where was he at that time? How did Ron fit in with any of this? These were all questions Harry wanted answers to. Unfortunately, Hermione looked as though she wouldn't say anything else at the moment, so Harry turned to Ron, hoping that he would have the answers. "What is she talking about Ron? Do you know what happened this summer and of the promise that she didn't want me to know?"
Ron could feel his throat become quite dry and scratchy again. He knew that now that he knew about Harry's secret, that it was time to reveal his own. It was surprisingly hard to get his voice to start working. Harry's glare was very piecing and Ron didn't know how he would act once he found out.
"Well?"
After several long moments, Ron finally found his voice and began his tale, "Yes Harry, I know about it all. You see, I was the one that she promised. At the beginning of last summer, when we first arrived at Grimmauld Place, three weeks before you came, we sort of tried to date."
He paused, but was forced to continue as Harry simply nodded to imply that he had understood what Ron had said up to this point. "We found out quickly that there was nothing between us. It ended in less then a week in a totally terrible fight. We spent two weeks not speaking. We barely acknowledged each other the whole time. It wasn't until we found out that you would be coming to stay for the rest of the summer that we even talked again whatsoever."
"I see. What happened next?" Harry asked is a voice that was implacable.
Ron wasn't sure if he was bored, mad, hurt, intrigued, or anything else. He carried on with his story very carefully. Since he didn't know what Harry was feeling, he chose his words wisely, not wanting to say anything wrong. "Well, we talked it through, and figured that you wouldn't be in to good a shape with the lose of your godfather. We both know how much you loved him. We knew that you would need us, so we mended our friendship and pretended that the weeks before had never happened, after promising that we would tell you about it."
Seeming to come out of her silent trance, Hermione piped in, "That's why I was scared of getting together with you. I didn't want our relationship to end up trashed like Ron and I had been."
"Ok," was all that Harry could utter as he thought over what he had just been told. Just as he was finally figuring out what to say, Hagrid spotted them and summoned them over to the rest of the class...
Author's Note: Don't know if that was what anyone was expecting, but I hope you liked it all the same. Tell me what you think. Review, please. I have really enjoyed hearing your opinions thus far and really want to continue. Also, there are no guarantees, but the key to finding Sirius might just be found very soon.
Chapter 6: Truths Unmasked
A few weeks passed, as Harry and Hermione's passions rose into a strong, steady relationship. It was full of many late nights spent snuggled up close at the fireside, shielded with piles of books that they continued to take out of the library, after everyone else had gone to bed. They had yet to tell anyone what they were actually doing all those late nights alone, including Ron. They had both decided that it was quiet fun, seeing how long it could remain a secret.
Though, on the other hand, their research wasn't going as well. Since the first night back at Hogwarts, when Harry had dismissed Ron from helping him, he had been only doing a little. As well, Harry and Hermione both seemed to only be able to concentrate on their work as long as he was around. Plus their large homework loads kept them quite occupied much of the time also.
Harry sat in a near-disserted corner of the library with Ron and Hermione next to him one night, as they finished their homework. Minutes ticked slowly by until the time that they would be done and ready to research. It would be even longer until he and Hermione would be alone.
Once they had finally finished their mountain of schoolwork, they had already moved back into the common room and the small hand on the clock had passed the eleven mark. Ron snuck out of the room a little before midnight, as the last group of fifth years trotted up to the dorms, yawning. Harry tried to keep his attention on his current book, but found it very hard, as Hermione had been rubbing her foot against his for the last ten minutes and now she had his hand in hers.
He looked up and saw her eyes twinkling brightly, reflecting the soft light of the fire. Like always, it ignited his passions and sent warmth trickling throughout his soul. In seconds, they went from a pair of friends studying, to a deeply in love couple. Soon enough, Harry had his arms and lips pressed closely to Hermione's as she shifted into a more comfy spot in his squishy armchair.
Harry whispered quietly, "Honey," He quickly kissed Hermione, "I-love-you." Pausing between each word to give her swift peaks. He pulled her even closer.
She aloud Harry to move her and softly said, "I love you too Sweety." Breathing heavily on his face, as he kissed he along her neckline.
They were both in an unreal heaven, unaware of anything going on around them. If they had been paying the slightest bit of attention, they might have noticed Hermione kicked a large stack of books off the table in front of them, in her attempts to get closer to her lover. They then, probably would have noticed how loudly the books fell on the hard floor below. They would also have seen their other best friend come down the stairs to investigate the large amount of noise that he had hear coming from the room where they sat tightly together making out. As well, they would have noticed the shocked look Ron wear at the sight of their now, not so secret love-fest.
Unable to comprehend what he was seeing and not wanting Harry and Hermione to think that they were being spied on, as he had already said he was going up to bed, Ron stole back upstairs and flipped into bed. He quickly pulled the hangings shut and tried to get to sleep for real, before Harry got up.
This quickness was unnecessary, as down in the large circular room below, it took Harry and Hermione nearly a half an hour to come out of their own little world, back to reality. They tiredly said goodnight to each other and after a few last kisses, found their separate ways to their rooms.
Harry sank happily into his bed, unknowing that in the next bed; Ron still lied awake, contemplating what he had seen that night. It took Harry only a few moments drift into a peaceful sleep, only disturbed by the rising sun the next day.
Ron on the other hand, experienced a very rough night, filled with the same dream over and over. He was shaken awake time and time again by images of Hermione being ripped from his arms by a cackling Harry. By the morning, he had decided that he would have to admit to them that he had seen them and that they would have to talk about it. He wondered how long this had been going on. If it had just started really recently or if it had been going on for a much longer time.
He tried to build up the courage to talk to Harry and Hermione throughout breakfast, but found that his voice was gone whenever he opened his mouth and that his throat was very scratchy as he attempted to eat his bacon and eggs.
Harry noticed that his friend had barely talked or eaten anything at all during breakfast. They walked side by side, with Hermione following behind as they crossed the lawn, on their way to Care of Magical Creatures.
"Ron, is there anything wrong?" Harry asked with genuine concern for his friend as they neared Hagrid's hut.
Ron stopped on spot, causing Hermione to bump into him. This was it. It was time to tell them. "Well, I sort of saw something yesterday that I don't think some people wanted me to see." He started, his voice trembling a little.
Harry could tell that he was nervous. He wondered what Ron had seen. "What was it?"
"Well, I'm fairly curtain you know what it is..."
Hermione heard Ron's voice becoming quieter with each word. What did they know? She asked herself at first, as Ron obviously didn't want to continue. Then it hit her. Ron had seen Harry and her together!
"You came back down to the common room last night after you had already gone up to bed, didn't you?!" She blurted out suddenly quite alarmed.
Ron nodded slowly and asked, "Why didn't you guys tell me what you were doing?"
Harry looked at him and explained, "Hermione and I at first just wanted to make sure that it would work between us. Then after a couple of night, we decided that it would be fun to see how long we could keep it from everyone." He gave a fake laugh, trying to deflate the rising tension. He could see that Ron and Hermione were staring intently at one another. "We weren't trying to hide it from you. We just thought it was more fun when it was a secret," he added to try and draw Ron's attention to him.
"Really? Is that it?" Ron asked, still gazing at Hermione, one eyebrow raised.
Harry wasn't really sure what else Ron was expecting, though, he and Ron both got their answers quickly enough. Hermione blushed a little and looked towards the ground, as if determined to find something once lost there. She slowly started to tell Ron what he had obviously known that she was hiding, "Actually, that is why Harry didn't tell you. I had a different reason. At first I didn't think that it would work out, because of what happened this summer, but then he promised me it would. After that, I know that we would start dating and I didn't want to have to break my promise to you, as well as not wanting him to know about it. I decided to tell Harry to keep us a secret, convincing him that it would be fun. It was, but really I didn't want him to know." She finished and turned completely away from them.
Harry stood there, now staring at Hermione himself, unable to fully understand all that she was talking about. He was also very alarmed to find out that Hermione had lied to him. Why would she and what was she keeping from him? What had happened this summer? When had it happened? Where was Hermione and where was he at that time? How did Ron fit in with any of this? These were all questions Harry wanted answers to. Unfortunately, Hermione looked as though she wouldn't say anything else at the moment, so Harry turned to Ron, hoping that he would have the answers. "What is she talking about Ron? Do you know what happened this summer and of the promise that she didn't want me to know?"
Ron could feel his throat become quite dry and scratchy again. He knew that now that he knew about Harry's secret, that it was time to reveal his own. It was surprisingly hard to get his voice to start working. Harry's glare was very piecing and Ron didn't know how he would act once he found out.
"Well?"
After several long moments, Ron finally found his voice and began his tale, "Yes Harry, I know about it all. You see, I was the one that she promised. At the beginning of last summer, when we first arrived at Grimmauld Place, three weeks before you came, we sort of tried to date."
He paused, but was forced to continue as Harry simply nodded to imply that he had understood what Ron had said up to this point. "We found out quickly that there was nothing between us. It ended in less then a week in a totally terrible fight. We spent two weeks not speaking. We barely acknowledged each other the whole time. It wasn't until we found out that you would be coming to stay for the rest of the summer that we even talked again whatsoever."
"I see. What happened next?" Harry asked is a voice that was implacable.
Ron wasn't sure if he was bored, mad, hurt, intrigued, or anything else. He carried on with his story very carefully. Since he didn't know what Harry was feeling, he chose his words wisely, not wanting to say anything wrong. "Well, we talked it through, and figured that you wouldn't be in to good a shape with the lose of your godfather. We both know how much you loved him. We knew that you would need us, so we mended our friendship and pretended that the weeks before had never happened, after promising that we would tell you about it."
Seeming to come out of her silent trance, Hermione piped in, "That's why I was scared of getting together with you. I didn't want our relationship to end up trashed like Ron and I had been."
"Ok," was all that Harry could utter as he thought over what he had just been told. Just as he was finally figuring out what to say, Hagrid spotted them and summoned them over to the rest of the class...
Author's Note: Don't know if that was what anyone was expecting, but I hope you liked it all the same. Tell me what you think. Review, please. I have really enjoyed hearing your opinions thus far and really want to continue. Also, there are no guarantees, but the key to finding Sirius might just be found very soon.