Chapter 5: With No Warning

Hermione, (hearing Ron's shouting), jumped out of her sleep and sat straight up a little too quickly. Her head slammed right into Harry's shoulder.

"OUCH! That hurt!" she yelled, and fell back down on to the bed. While holding her head she could feel the tension in the room rise as Ron's shouting continued.

"I can't believe this, my two best friends in the entire world are sleeping together? And you two don't even see it fit to tell me about this? What the hell?" He continued shouting.

Harry jumped out of the bed as Ron shut his eyes, afraid that Harry might not be descent.

"Ron NOTHING happened, we were just sleeping I swear it." He said almost in a laughing voice. "And you can open your eyes, I'm completely dressed, as is Hermione."

Ron opened one eye slightly, just to make sure Harry wasn't lying. He quickly noticed that Hermione was now sitting up in the bed still holding her head, while Harry had sat down next to her to make sure she was alright.

"Hey" Harry said gingerly, pulling her hand down from her head. "Are you alright?" He now had his fingers brushing Hermione's hair out of her face so he could get a better look at her bump on her head.

"I would be fine, if Ron would stop shouting." She cast Ron an annoyed look, and then stood up quickly from the bed finally realizing what Ron must have though when he walked into the room seeing them cuddled together on the bed.

"Sorry Hermione, but I thought you two were….." he trailed off while his ears started burning a bright red color.

Hermione and Harry both started laughing at this. Then after the giggles subsided they explained to him why they were sharing a bed.

"And if you don't believe us Ron, take a look at my back." Harry had finished, while turning around to show him the cuts from the springs on the cot he had previously slept on.

Ron had begun to visibly relax, and then he realized. "but if you weren't doing anything, then why were you holding each other when I walked in?" This was a good question, and Harry glanced awkwardly at Hermione, who had just stared at her feet blushing at the memory of Harry holding her.

Both were thankfully sparred at having to answer it just then because Moody was walking into Harry's room with a look of total annoyance that only McGonagall could top.

"Just what the bloody hell is taking so long?" he boomed. Hermione looked like she could have hugged him with the relief she felt for not having to answer Ron's question.

Moody seemed to be too angry to notice the awkward predicament the three had gotten themselves into. "Harry get dressed and get your things, we are already running late. You three have FIVE MINUTES" he yelled the last two words as he walked out of the room and down the stairs.

Five minutes later three teenaged heads came bounding down the stairs with all their things floating down behind them.

"We're all set" Harry announced to the small crowd of wizards, and the lone witch. Tonks, Lupin, Moody, Mr. Weasely, Bill Weasely and Kingsley Shaklebolt had all volunteered to come and get the not so young Harry for his journey to the Burrow.

"Ron, you didn't tell me Hermione was here as well." Mr. Weasely had said looking inquisitively at the trio with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't know Dad" was all he said in a tone that make the room feel like ice. Tonks caught Harry's eye and gave him a knowing smirk making him blush, then she shifted her eyes to Hermione who was still looking at her feet.

"Well, now that we are more than 15 minutes off schedule I dare say we better get going." Moody said obviously not taking note of the tension in the room yet again.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mr. Weasely, and Moody all were going by portkey while the rest of the group were to apparate ahead of time to the burrow just to be safe. When the group heard the familiar crack of a witch or Wizard disapperating Moody held up an old tattered Red Sox baseball cap. "Eveyone please take a hold of this". Moments later they all felt that tug behind their navels and the sudden whirl of colors as the surroundings around them had suddenly changed.

When their feet had finally touched the ground Hermione had lost her balance and fell directly into Ron who was standing to her right. Harry watched as Ron caught her before she fell, and helped to steady her. He suddenly felt a pang of jealousy as he saw Ron's arms around her. Then just as quickly as it appeared he shook the thought out of his head. Then he noticed his surroundings and smiled.

Harry loved the Burrow as it was more like a home to him than Privet Drive was. Just then he saw a small framed fiery red head jump on him in a rib crushing hug.

"Harry I'm so glad to see you! How have you been?" Ginny had nearly knocked him over. As she let go of him Harry glanced over uncomfortably at Hermione and saw her purse her lips as she looked almost jealous like he had been only seconds ago.

Looking back at Ginny he smiled. "Well hello to you too Ginny. I've been alright." He said with a little laugh in his voice. Harry also noticed Dean Thomas, not looking all too happy at the way Harry was greeted by Ginny.

"Hey mate, how is your summer going?" Harry said shaking his hand.

"Is that Harry I hear?" a voice yelled from the kitchen, than a face appeared to match the voice.

"Hello Mrs. Weasely, How have you been?" Harry had asked the woman who had now had him in a large bear hug.

"Just fine, just fine dear. I'm the one who should be asking that about you! You poor thing having to be stuck in that dreadful place with those awful muggles. Why if I had it my way you would have come directly here off of that train!" she rambled, then finally let go of him, and walked over to Hermione. "Hermione dear, so good to see you, and you are doing well I hope?"

After they had finished their pleasant greetings Mrs. Weasely asked Ron and Ginny to show Harry and Hermione where they would be staying. Ginny had to share the same room with Hermione that they had shared last time the trio had stayed here together.

As the girls had continued up the stairs Harry stopped in front of Ron's room that they had shared last time. "No Harry, you get your own room this time!" He said excitedly as he continued down the small hallway.

"Fred and George moved out after a month of working full time at their shop. I guess business has been treating them well. You get their old room." Ron opened the door and let Harry in. Harry surveyed the room and sat down on the queen sized bed.

"Ron? How come I get a room to myself? I mean she could have let Hermione have it." Harry asked.

"Well mate, Mum thinks you might want some privacy, said you might need some time to yourself in this crazy house." Ron stated not really looking Harry in the eye.

"But why would she think I need time to myself….. Oh," Harry realized Mrs. Weasely was thinking about Sirius when she made that decision to let Harry have his own room.
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After settling in and putting all of his things away Harry heard a small knock on his door.

"Come in."

Hermione stood in the doorway, took a quiet step in and slowly closed the door behind her so she didn't make a sound.

"Hey", she said almost so quietly that Harry wasn't sure he heard her.

"Hi" he said back, busying himself with organizing the pictures on his bedside dresser.

She walked over to him and sat down. "So when did you get that picture?"

Harry had been arranging a small picture of the trio before the third task in Harry's fourth year. They all had there arms around each other, smiling and laughing while they were walking.

Harry picked up the picture and handed it to her so she could see it more closely. "I got it from Colon Creevy. He showed it to me during our fifth year, he made a copy for me because I loved it so much."

"Oh" was all she managed to say. They sat their in silence for what seemed like an eternity until Harry finally spoke.

"So, uhhhhhh, is there something that you needed?" he wanted to know why she had come into his room.

"No" was her simple reply. More awkward silence. This seemed to be happening a lot recently between them.

"Harry I never really got to finish giving you your birthday presents." She said rather quickly. "No, sorry, I… I was kind of afraid to give you your other birthday present."

"Hermione why would you be afraid to give me a present?" he asked her more confused than ever.

"Oh, well…. Alright…. Accio Harry's Gift." Moments later a gift banged into the other side of the closed door. Hermione handed him his picture back, got up and went to the door to get his gift.

Closing the door behind her ever so quietly again she walked back over to where she was sitting next to him. "Here", and she shoved the gift into his lap and looked in the opposite direction of the room, looking anywhere else but at him. "Hermione why would you think I would get upset over this?"

It was a photo album, put together with little captions underneath it. Harry began flipping the pages, looking at the different photos. Pictures of Harry with Ron, with Hermione, The trio with Hagrid, Harry playing quidditch, Dumbledore and Harry, the Weasely Family, Hagrid with Buckbeak, and the picture that Harry had on his dresser was on the next page, Harry laughed when he saw it realizing that Colon must have shown Hermione as well. When he laughed Hermione finally looked at him, "I got a copy of it too" was all she said.

Then she seemed to hold her breath as he turned the page. He didn't say anything as he looked at the next few pages. All pictures of Sirius. One picture in particular made Harry actually take in a sharp breath. Sirius was sitting at the table with Harry and Professor Lupin. They were all laughing, and smiling, looking as if there was not a care in the world.

Harry smiled at the picture and then slowly closed the album. He didn't say anything for few moments.

Hermione took that as a sign that he was angry.

Getting up off the bed she turned to him, "I'm sorry, I…. I should have waited to give that to you, I knew it would upset you, I'll go." She started to turn and took a step towards the door but she felt a hand wrap around her wrist and pull her back to where she was. Harry was standing now. He pulled her close to him and simply said into her ear, "I loved it". Then, with no warning, he kissed her.

It took her a moment for the shock to wear off. But as soon as she realized that she was being kissed, her arms wrapped around his shoulders instinctively, and she pulled him closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her slightly so he could deepen the kiss. As he did this he felt a small sigh escape from her, and this drove him to kiss her even more passionately if it was at all possible. Their tongues were intertwined in one another, his fingers were now drawing little circles on the small of her back, as hers were playing with the little hairs at the bottom of his hair line, causing him to break out in goose pimples.

Just at that moment, That PERFECT moment, there was a loud knock on the door. The two teenagers jumped apart from each other so fast you would think lightning struck in the middle of them. Hermione stood their with her hand touching lightly to her mouth, eyes wide with shock though not looking at him, while Harry walked over to the door.

"Harry dear, lunch is ready, Oh Hermione good you're here too, one less trip for me to make." Mrs. Weasely had announced not really noticing the odd way Hermione was standing.

"Thanks Mrs. Weasely," Harry said as he started to walk out of his room, not looking back at Hermione. He was afraid if he looked at her, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from kissing her again.

"Harry dear, would you tell the rest of the bunch that I have to make a short trip to Diagon Ally? I will be back in about an hour." Harry nodded. "Thank you dear."

After a long lunch (Ron being the only person who talked), with Hermione sitting in between Ron and Harry, the two boys had decided to go into Ron's room and play a round of Wizards Chess. "Hermione you coming?" Ron asked.

"No, I uhhhh, think I will go in the living room and study some more." She announced as she ran into the other room. Ron rolled his eyes at this comment and looked at Harry, who was oddly looking at his feet.

As they began going up the stairs to the bedrooms Ron realized something. He stopped in his tracks and his ears turning bright red again.

"Ron, why did you stop?" Harry asked.

"Ginny…. She… Her and Dean never came down for lunch." He said almost in a whisper, then ran up the rest of the steps as fast as he could with Harry following close behind. He stopped right in front of his sister's room and opened the door only to find her with Dean. She was sitting on his lap in a small chair in the corner, they were snogging like crazy.

"WHAT THE HELL? GINNY WHAT IS THIS? DEAN GET OUT, GO…… NOW!" The two had jumped apart just like Harry and Hermione had only half an hour ago.

"Ron, you can't kick him out, he is my guest!" She yelled back at Ron, then turned to Dean. "Dean you can stay, you don't have to go."

"Dean better leave if he knows what's good for him." Ron shouted at the top of his lungs.

He must have been shouting too loudly because Hermione appeared in the doorway looking confused, then a look of understanding crossed her face as she realized what had just happened. Hearing Ron's continued shouting Dean turned to Ginny, hugged her and said his goodbyes.

"I'll floo you tomorrow Gin. Nice to see you again Harry, Hermione…….. Ron." Just like that he left.

"Ron, why did you flip out like that, they were just kissing, it's not like they were on the bed or anything like that?" Harry asked him, trying to help Ginny out as much as possible. She was already crying on Hermione's shoulder, refusing to even look at Ron.

"Harry imagine how you would feel if you walked in on Hermione snogging some guy, you're trying to tell me you wouldn't get upset?" As the words left Ron's mouth Hermione nearly choked at what he said. Coughing and looking at Harry she wasn't the only girl in the room who saw his face turn red when Ron asked that.

"I…. uhhhhh…… Have to use the bathroom…. Uhhhh…Yeah" Was all Harry managed to stammer before leaving the room with a quick glance at Hermione.

"I wonder what's with him?" Ron asked not really looking for an answer as he left the room to go down stairs.

"Yeah, I wonder…." Hermione whispered while thinking of the kiss again. Hermione finally looked back at Ginny. Ginny had a smirk on her face that said two things. One- Oh yeah, I know something happened with you two, and Two- Now you better tell me before I beat it out of you.

"WHAT?" Hermione asked, avoiding her gaze. The look Ginny gave her hardened.

"Oh Ginny alright, I don't know why anyone bothers keeping anything a secret around you with your death stare!" and Hermione began to tell her the entire story.

After she finished her story Ginny smiled. "I KNEW IT, I JUST KNEW IT!" she yelled grinning even more.

"Your not mad are you Gin?"

"Hermione, I got over Harry long ago, I have Dean now, and I… I think I might love him." The two girls spent the next hour in their room gossiping, and giggling. Hermione was relieved that she had Ginny to talk to about what was going on with Harry.

"Ginny thanks, I….. uhhhh…. I never had a sister before." Hermione said with a smile on her face. Ginny squealed and hugged her, "I never had a sister before either!" From that moment on, they were each others confidant. Ultimate trust, Hermione never had that bond with her roommates, but with Ginny, she new she had someone she could talk with, no questions asked.

"So what am I supposed to do about Ron? He is not going to like the fact that I fancy Harry." Hermione said.

Ginny just laughed, "We will deal with him when we have to." She said simply. Then the two burst into another fit of giggles and continued their gossip.