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Chapter Two: The Beautiful Letdown

Harry didn't get much sleep that night, none at all to be exact. He tossed and turned till the early hours of the morning until he finally gave up on sleeping all together. The anxiety the kiss made was just another problem that Harry had to ponder about. Many times that night he asked himself,Why did I kiss her? Why didn't I just yell over her? That would've been the logical thing to do.

He just laid in bed thinking until he started to hear the rumbles of his roommates waking up around 6 o'clock. Harry pulled back his curtains to see Neville, Dean, and Seamus breaking through theirs to get ready for the day ahead of them. He couldn't help envy them for sleeping a full night's rest when he was running on a low tank of energy as is. Harry hopped out of bed lazily and walked over to his trunk and opened it to get out his rather large hand-me-down jumper and jeans. He slowly put them on and when he finished Harry decided to head down to breakfast.

"Hey Harry," Neville called while digging through his trunk, "can you wait for me? I'll be heading down to the Great Hall just after I find my socks."

Harry scratched the back of his neck. "Ugh, yeah, I'll wait for you, Neville." Harry was actually relieved that he didn't have to go down there by himself. He didn't want to go in there alone since the whole school, right about now, would be finding out about his and Hermione's kiss.

After a minute or so, Neville found his socks and put on his shoes and was ready to head down to breakfast.

When they submerged from the portrait hole and headed for the Grand Staircase, Neville looked up at Harry and asked, "Harry, if you don't mind me asking, why did you kiss Hermione?"

Harry huffed out of frustration, "I've been wondering that myself," he said irritably. He really didn't know, but he did know that he felt something miraculous in that kiss.

Neville chuckled, but decided not to pursue the matter since he knew Harry was unwilling to touch upon the subject just yet.

They went down their final flight of stairs and stopped right before the entrance of the Great Hall.

"Wait!" Harry whispered, pulling Neville back towards him. "Give me a sec. wouldn't you?" Harry breathed in deeply and exhaled. Just relax. It's no big deal compared to the whole school thinking you're a nutter or a liar. Harry thought to himself as a little pep talk.

Harry looked over at Neville and nodded his head, "Okay, let's go."

Harry took a step around the corner and saw the Great Hall packed with students already. They were buzzing unusually with excitement today, but that all stopped when they all noticed Harry's presence.

Everybody just stared incredulously at him as though he were one of Snape's jarred objects. A second later someone screamed, "Harry struck out!" Soon the whole Great Hall rang with laughter of his peers.

Neville said something to Harry, but Harry couldn't quite hear him over the screeches of his fellow students. Harry just lowered his head and resolutely walked over to the Gryffindor table.

Half way over there, something caught his eye as he looked up, bushy hair. Harry stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Hermione. She, though, looked determined to not look at him.

In disbelief, Harry slowly shuffled over to the nearest open seat. He sat down in a shocked manner and ran his hands through his raven hair and after that he put his face in his hands. I can't believe that she's too disgusted to even look at me, Harry thought.

Harry felt someone pat his back and looked up to see Ron, his best mate.

"Ron," Harry said hoarsely while looking up at him.

His friend looked down at him with pity in his eyes. "Hey mate," he said softly, "I heard about last night." Ron said as he sat down next to Harry.

Harry laughed a little, "Yeah, you and the whole school."

Ron nodded solemnly, but didn't smile. "Hermione told me, though."

"Really?" Harry asked hopefully. "What did she say, Ron, please tell me."

"Oh let's see, right, that you kissed her in the heat of a row." Ron stated as he reached for some toast, "And then you looked at her as though you were in shock."

"And?" Harry asked impatiently; he already knew this part of the story for crying out loud, he was the one who kissed her!

Ron laughed slightly, "And that's it. She said that if I told you anymore, that she would personally jinx me into the next century."

Harry pinched that top of his nose as though a head ache was starting to accumulate.

"Sorry, mate, I wish I could help you, but I just can't." Ron stated as he bit into his toast.

"Then can you at least tell me what she thinks of me?" Harry pleaded as he looked at his red-headed friend.

Ron looked up in thought as he chewed and then back down at Harry. "Hmm…" he looked around and then leaned in, "You better not tell her I said this or else." Ron stared Harry dead in the eye.

"I promise, Ron."

"Okay then. She said that she doesn't what to think of you since-well you know-you did sort of kiss her out of shutting her up. But the real reason she doesn't know is because she said felt… I can't tell you anymore!" Ron squeaked.

Harry threw his hands up out of frustration. "Gee, thanks Ron! That really helped," he said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry mate, but I can't tell you! She would ring my neck if she found out that I told you!" Ron yelled throwing down his piece of toast.

Harry rubbed the back of his neck, "Sorry Ron, I didn't mean to snap at you."

Ron picked his toast back up and nodded his head in understanding. He began to eat his toast again right when someone's shadow hovered over them.

"Well, well Potter. I hear you kissed that Mud-blood of a friend and she ran away in fright!" Draco Malfoy scoffed in delight. "How does it feel like to be scum even to a Mud-blood?"

Harry darted up quickly and dangerously stared Malfoy in the eye. "Don't you dare call her that!" Harry yelled causing the many people near them to watch on with great interest. Ron stood up beside Harry for back up since Malfoy's goons had his back.

Malfoy smiled wickedly, "Why Potter, I believe I have stepped on your toes. You wanna know what the funny thing is?" Draco sneered. "The filthy Mud-blood who has always stood by you has now deserted you!" Malfoy started to howl with laughter.

Harry looked down at the floor in anger. His eyes were starting to sting, but Harry tried to fight back the tears. He knew Malfoy's words were partially true in a sense. She can't even look at me properly…. His hands were shaking as he made them into fists. All he could hear were Draco's taunts and laughter then slap!

Harry quickly looked up to see Hermione's right hand still in the air and Malfoy clutching his left cheek. She looked outraged and scandalized.

"You slimy little ferret!" Hermione whispered dangerously, apparently barely able to control herself.

Harry couldn't take it any longer, he had to get out of there and this was his cue. Tears burned in his eyes as he tried to hold them back. Don't let them see you weak, he thought to himself.

Harry walked quicker towards the Entrance Hall trying to run away from the pain until he heard someone shout, "Harry-wait," he whirled around to see Hermione running towards him. He turned around and walked even more determinedly towards the Hall.

"Please Harry, would you just listen!" Hermione grabbed his wrist and stopped him. Her eyes were fiery with emotion and her breath was ragged from running to stop him from escaping.

Harry yanked his wrist from her grasp harshly. "Why Hermione? Why should I? You didn't care to wait or listen to me last night, now did you?"

She looked a little taken aback, but she regained herself. "Harry, please-"

Harry turned on his heal and started to walk away. He didn't want to hear Hermione out, not after she… after she couldn't bare to look at him. But he only made it to the end of the Ravenclaw table until Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him back around to face her, but that wasn't just it. When she swung him back around, Hermione crashed her lips onto his forcefully causing them to kiss in front of the entire school.

Many students were flabbergasted by what they were seeing, but after a second or two a lot of them started shouting and cheering the two on. Then the rest of the Great Hall erupted with whistles, chants, and screams.

Hermione broke from the kiss and stepped back shyly. "Now will you listen to me?"

Harry blinked a couple of times to wear the shock off and then nodded his head slightly.

"Okay, then let's head up to the Common Room to talk." She said as she pointed to the Entrance Hall and started to walk over there slowly.

Harry nodded his head profusely since he was still too stunned to string words together. But he followed after Hermione anyway.

Uh-oh, cliffhanger! You should know that I end a lot of my chapters with cliffhangers so hopefully you won't hate me for doing so. Thanks for just reading and I hoped you liked it! Please tell me your thoughts seeing as I love to hear what you all think about it. Thanks for everything