Disclaimer: Yada yada yada... (don't own HP).

A/N:Nervous laugh: Okay, so I didn't post on Saturday. I have a reason—I couldn't! I realized that if I posted the seventh chapter, I wouldn't have been ahead of myself. Let me clarify: I only put up a chapter if I have written at least one chapter to counter it. Say, I post 9... well then I had better have at least chapter 10 written. See what I mean? So I worked my arse off this weekend by writing this fic. :More nervous laughter: Okay, that was enough rambling for today. This is the chapter where everything takes off.

Lock and Key

Chapter 7

He had done it intentionally. Hermione wore a scowl on the outside but on the inside she was rampaging. Harry had come to Hogsmeade with Parvati just to spite Hermione and she knew it. Sure, a part of her suggested she was egotistically jumping to conclusions, but she ignored it. Hermione was sure of her intuition; she could feel it.

"Are you all right Hermione?" David asked as they neared The Three Broomsticks. He looked concerned and rather hurt. Hermione's angry countenance faltered. Of course he looked that way: she had been a terrible companion since they left Hogwarts. She hadn't been exceptionally talkative or nice, for that matter, too caught up with Parvati and Harry.

"I-I'm fine, David," she said, feeling like a complete nimrod. He didn't deserve her little attitude—he had been nothing but tolerable and sweet.

"You sure?"

"Yes. Let's go in for butterbeers, shall we?" Hermione suggested, giving him her first smile of their trip.

"Okay," he answered, feeling much better. David pulled open the door and they entered. It was jam packed with students, inevitably. Hermione saw Seamus and Lavender sitting closely at the counter. A little further along was Ron and Neville, talking to Madame Rosemerta.

"Um, how about a table in the back?" Hermione offered up, not wanting Ron to spot them and cause a scene. David nodded and they moved in that direction. She waved to Ginny and Colin whom they saw along the way. When they had found an empty table near a window, Hermione saw her partner in Headship in a far corner, whispering sweet nothings into a pretty, Slytherin brunette's ear. She was blushing and smiling like it was nobody's business. Malfoy's hand disappeared from view, probably gone to have grope the girl somewhere. Hermione rolled her eyes in disgust and sat down.

Wanting to make up for her previous atrocious behavior, she kept up good conversation with him. When they were halfway through with their drinks, Malfoy and the brunette left the pub hand in hand, in a hurry. They probably wanted to be more affectionate in a much more private setting.

"I'm sort of nervous." David said.

"About what?" Hermione retorted.

"Next week."

"What happens..."

"We play Gryffindor in Quidditch. Your House reputation is rather intimidating, especially now with Harry as captain. He's excellent, though you of all people know that," he explained. She gave a strained smile. She hadn't thought about Harry for a good 15 minutes. Unpleasant memories resurfaced.

"He's only human, David," Hermione reassured, "Do not fear him. There is nothing terrifying about Harry!" Except the way he makes me feel.

"You've never had to fly against him." David smiled wearily. Out of the corner of her eye, Hermione saw Parvati and Harry walk by their window. He was talking and she was giggling. Hermione scrunched her nose up and tackled her anger before it could escape.

"Let's not talk about Harry please," she briskly announced, "Neither of us is on this date with him; we're with each other." David's ears pricked up at the word 'date'. Wait, she hadn't meant to say that! He grinned and dropped his gaze, fumbling with his butterbeer bottle. Wow, she had definitely not intended to say date...

That evening in the common room Hermione sought out Harry. The Hogsmeade trip had ended well for her. She knew that she probably shouldn't have done it, but she gave David a quick peck on the cheek for being so kind and warm. He really was a great guy and Hermione refused to use him as a pawn or give him the wrong impression. If only Harry didn't have such a hold on her and weren't so difficult!

Hermione found him sitting in a chair close to the fireplace. Ron and Seamus were near by playing chess.

"Hello," she cordially greeted, sitting across from him. Harry looked up from a Quidditch book.

"Hi Hermione," he replied, giving a small smile. She stared at him for a moment before continuing, gathering all of her cool.

"So... how was Hogsmeade?"

"Good."

"Have fun with Parvati?" Hermione wondered, striving to sound sincere and not bitter.

"Yes I did," responded Harry, sounding amused, "How was Ri—David?"

"The perfect gentleman," she haughtily noted. She wanted so very badly to ask him why in Merlin's name he had gone with Parvati and what exactly he was trying to achieve. But Hermione knew Harry was just waiting for the opportunity to throw her going-as-friends excuse in her face. She could not come out of this thing as a hypocrite.

Harry nodded.

"Yeah, Paravti's really cool. I'll have to start going with her more often. You know... as friends," he said, looking at her intently. (Bam! There it was! The 'friends' bit)! His eyes told a totally opposite story than the one that happy smile on his lips was telling.

"You... do that." Hermione struggled, the thought of Harry going anywhere else with Parvati tormenting her.

"I will."

"Maybe one day all four of us can go together."

"Er... s-sure." Harry stammered, thrown off track. Why was she taking this so well?

"We're all becoming such good friends and all." Hermione stated, a little too happily to be believable.

"Yeah." They looked at each other for a moment. Hermione pondered over whether or not that vamp Parvati had tried to kiss him and Harry wondered if that git Rice had tried to make a move on her.

"Well then... I'll go work on our Charms project," she opted, getting up.

"All right. I've got to finalize these Quidditch plays." Harry replied. Hermione had to hide a disappointed scowl; she had hoped & expected him to help.

"Right. See you." She then went up to her dormitory. When she was gone, and after Ron gleefully yelled checkmate (or perhaps it was check, mate), Harry took a piece of parchment out of the Quidditch book. It was titled The DA.

Parvati had been the first person Harry had told about resurfacing the DA; it had happened on their Hogsmeade journey. He had been thinking about it for quite some time and decided in giving it another go. He figured he could teach them what he was currently learning in Defense Against the Dark Arts & Charms, and simply research more spells if that wasn't enough. On Monday, Harry finally told Ron and Hermione his plan.

"Really? You're going to start it again?" Ron asked. It was lunch and the trio was walking around the grounds. (They were currently near the greenhouses). Harry nodded.

"That's great Harry." Hermione said.

"It's excellent," said Ron, "But it'll be just like last time, huh? Maybe even harder to meet. There's Quidditch and prefect stuff..."

"We can do it." Harry remarked.

"When do you want to have the first meeting?" Hermione questioned.

"Well... not so much as the first meeting, but more so just re-introducing it," he explained, "And I thought Wednesday. Is it too soon?"

"No... probably not. The same people will pretty much show up so it shouldn't take very long to get word out."

"It'd be after my rounds, right?" inquired Ron.

"Of course. I was thinking 10:30," retorted Harry. Hermione bit her lip. A large group of students out past curfew? She was Head Girl.

"D'you think we could do it earlier? I mean, isn't rather late? What about seven, or 7:30?" she suggested. They both looked at her.

"Can't. Practice." Ron reminded her. Damn Quidditch!

"Can't you move it to another time or day?" she asked Harry pleadingly.

"Not really. The field is taken, or people's schedules conflict. Besides, we play Ravenclaw the next day," he answered. She clicked her tongue, looking extremely worried, "Why? What's wrong Hermione?"

"It's just... I'm scared we'll all get caught and in trouble, especially me. All of these students going back to their rooms when the castle's empty? In the open? When teachers are still up and looking for people out past curfew?" Hermione told them. She had a point. Harry opened his mouth to speak. If she was freaking out about it this much maybe it wasn't such a good idea. And if they were reprimanded, Harry surely didn't want her to lose her title. Before he could get a word out, Ron did.

"Okay, I see where you're coming from Hermione. It is a little dumb to have the meeting that late," Harry glared at his best friend, "But! It'll only be this one time; we obviously won't always meet at this hour. And we'll take extreme precaution getting back." Hermione surveyed him for a minute, speculating.

"All right," she sighed. Ron grinned confidently and Harry's jaw dropped. Ron had convinced Hermione!

They treaded on the first stone step as Hagrid came out of the castle.

"Ah! Her'mione! Tha headmaster wan's tah see ya! Head bus'ness!" he told her.

"Really? Oh, thanks Hagrid! Bye!" Hermione smiled at him and grabbed onto her bag, shooting inside.

"You boys already eat," wondered Hagrid, "Got rock cakes in tha' hut!" Harry and Ron immediately began talking at once.

"Oh, we're fine! Fully, actually!"

"Ate loads! Couldn't dream of more food!"

"Thanks though!"

"We'll stop by later, just to chat."

"See how Grawp's doing!" The two quickly said goodbye, patting Hagrid on his massive shoulders, and hurried inside.

"Er... right," he mumbled, a bit bedazzled.

Word for the DA was spread entirely throughout Gryffindor and almost entirely throughout Hufflepuff by Monday night. (Ravenclaw would be dealt with the next day). It would be held in the Room of Requirement, naturally. Harry figured the old (remaining) members would only mostly show up, but just to be safe information had gone out that if you knew nothing about the RR, seek out Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, or Ron Weasley. Harry contemplated telling Albus Dumbledore about the DA but he decided against it. If Dumbledore found out about it, it would be through him; their relationship had suffered a riff ever since that fateful day in Dumbledore's office when Harry was 15.

On Tuesday Harry received a shocking, unexpected surprise. He was late to breakfast, due to oversleeping. (He had had a very nice dream... Hermione had been in it...). He arrived after the post had already come.

"Couldn't wake me up Ron?" he wondered, buttering a muffin. Harry was asking just to hear Ron's answer; he hadn't minded.

"You looked happy," the red head shrugged, downing pumpkin juice. Hermione was reading the newspaper.

"Anything in there about Vol—"Harry quickly started.

"No," she said.

When he was done eating, Harry noticed groups of Gryffindor girls looking at him and whispering. They had copies of Witch Weekly and would occasionally point to a page. When he looked their way, they averted their eyes.

"What now?" he growled. His friends had noticed as well.

"Maybe you should just ask." Ron suggested.

"No. I don't want them to know I care."

"But you do."

"No I don't. I just wish they'd be discreet about it!"

"Don't worry over it, Harry. It's probably just the usual, silly, run-of-the-mill story about you." Hermione soothed.

"Let's go to class," he sighed.

The number of eager whispers and stares increased throughout the morning. He grew more and more irritated, up to the point that he had to know what was going on so he could yell at everyone that it was a lie and to leave him alone. At lunch he moodily threw his bag on the table and rapidly started consuming food in order to leave early. Ron sat at his side, silent.

"Is it really true Harry?" Neville inquired as he, Dean, and Seamus took seats near them.

"What! Is what really true," he exploded, throwing down his knife, "I'll bet 200 Galleons it's not!" His roommates recoiled.

"You... you don't know?" Dean wondered, awed.

"No!" Their seventh year female counterparts then arrived at the table. Parvati looked rather tense.

"Harry? Can I, um, talk to you?" she asked. He looked at her as if he had never seen her before and then replied:

"D'you think it could wait for a minute Parvati? I'm trying to—"

"Here Harry!" Dennis Creevy piped up, throwing him a copy of Witch Weekly. (He had been listening in. In fact, many people were watching them).

"It's on page 17." Seamus told him. Harry flipped there, ignoring Parvati's urgent call of his name. Hermione wore a confused frown.

Harry Potter, Boy Wonder: Love Conquers All

Exciting things are happening for our favorite young wizard this school year. He has been named captain of Hogwarts' Gryffindor Quidditch team, and has recently (very recently) been spotted with a mysterious young lady at Hogsmeade. This gorgeous, lucky girl is fellow Gryffindor and seventh year, Parvati Patil—Potter's new girlfriend...

Harry dropped the magazine, not bothering to finish. His mouth hung open and he gaped at Parvati.

"What?" he hoarsely questioned. She smiled sheepishly at him. Ron snatched the article to read, still at a loss.

"So are you two really an item?" a fifth year excitedly pondered. Harry looked dangerously at him then back to Parvati.

"We can have that talk now," he gruffly reported. He stood up and grabbed her wrist, leading her out of the Great Hall. Ron let out a blissful laugh as everyone began talking about the situation. Hermione, whom had read over Ron's shoulder, remained totally quiet, not as if anyone noticed. She felt as though there was no air in her lungs.

A/N: I don't know how to speak for Hagrid-- my God, it's hard! That's why he's not in the story much! (It's also b/c he's not a personal favorite of mine...) Anyway! More Lock and Key on Wednesday, chapter 8. Adios ;)