Author: J.A.K.

Rating: PG-13/R

Author's Note: What can I say other than I am extremely sorry about the delay. School is kicking my ass as well as HBP. Thanks to that book I really don't know where to go from here, but I'll try to keep with my own limited plot ideas and mix them in with some things that have transpired in the sixth book. Read, review, and most importantly…enjoy!

Chapter Three

Ron had known that Harry was in a bad mood from the moment he walked through the doors last night. When he hadn't said a word to any of the other boys who were sitting and chatting about the various girls whom they'd shagged that week, Ron didn't think much of it. He'd be in a crappy mood too if he'd spent his whole day in the Library doing a research paper while the rest of his pals were at Hogsmeade living it up.

"Harry," Ron waited for his friend to respond. Tried as he might he couldn't hear a sound over Seamus and Neville's voices. The two were on Dean Thomas' bed, Neville leaning on Dean's pillows while Seamus lay on the other end of the bed, his face turned towards the canopy as he looked at the cotton material which connected to the four wooden posts of the frame. Both stared, with unseeing eyes at their respective focal points, as they regaled to Ron and Dean their various conquests.

Annoyed, Ron didn't give much thought to the words that came out of his mouth.

"Would you two shut the bloody hell up, we all know that neither one of you did any of what you're talking about."

Both boys stopped their chatter and looked over at Ron with confused eyes. Ron, however, didn't notice either one of them as he had already made his way over to Harry's bed.

"Who shoved a broom stick up his ass," Seamus asked as he sat up.

Dean shrugged and told him to continue. He wanted to know what Seamus had done after he'd gotten Daphne Greengrass into McGonagall's empty classroom. Seamus looked at Ron a second longer and then flopped back onto the mattress as he continued his tale.

"Harry," Ron said, louder this time. Still his friend didn't respond. The red-headed boy's brow creased with concern. Murmuring the ward repellant underneath his breath, Ron pushed back the heavy red drapes with a quick swing. Much to his relief, Harry was fast asleep with a bottle of firewhiskey hanging loosely from his fingertips.

Ron felt a bit confused at the sight of the container. Besides recreational purposes, Harry only drank when he needed to quickly lull himself to sleep. Ron would've thought that a research paper would be as good as the best bottle of whiskey as far as forced sleep was concerned, but perhaps something else had happened in the library. Maybe it was all that news about Voldemort leaving his mark not too far away from the muggle village outside of Hogsmeade. Perhaps it was just the stress from taking all of their exams. Whatever it was, Ron knew that it wouldn't bode well if anyone caught Harry with such an incriminating possession. Though anyone besides he and Hermione would be hexed if they tried to open Harry's drapes, his peace of mind would be eased if he took away the alcohol.

He grabbed the mug by its neck and shoved the offending object underneath Harry's mattress. With a quick look at his other roommates, Ron took Harry's shoes off and tossed his quilt over his body. Closing the drapes hastily, he murmured the spell which activated the ward. Heart hammering, he turned back to Neville, Dean, and Seamus, who were still deeply engrossed in conversation. Much to his relief his friends hadn't noticed what he had been doing. The very last thing he wanted was for any of them to accuse him of mothering Harry. He wouldn't be able to live it down. Turning the light by Harry's bed off with a flick of his wand, Ron walked over and threw himself on Seamus' bed.

"What'd I miss," Ron asked.

Dean and Seamus gave each other a sidelong look, both with a smirk planted firmly on their faces.

"Are you sure you're done tucking Harry in then," this question came from Dean who was trying hard not to burst out laughing.

Though it was somewhat dark, Ron knew that his face had turned three shades of red.

"Whatever," he said, unable to think of a witty retort, "Just tell me what happened when you took Greengrass into the classroom."

Seamus looked as if he wanted to continue ragging on Ron, but his need to boast about shagging Daphne Greengrass overrode the former, and all four boys continued talking way into the night.

When Harry awoke, he felt as if someone was doing a slow but steady jig on his temple. As he opened his eyes and became more aware of his surroundings, realization swiftly dawned on him.

Things were not as he'd left them last night.

Harry suppressed a yawn as he ran his fingers through his unruly hair. Rubbing the remaining remnants of sleep from his eyes, he reached under his pillow and put on his glasses.

He knew that the alcohol that he had consumed the night before did not merit any type of memory loss. With that established, he was also fairly certain that he had neither covered himself with his sheet, nor had he taken off his shoes. Most disturbing of all, however, was his missing bottle of firewhiskey.

Although he couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed by these minor disturbances, wells of warmth also pervaded the length of his body. Ron was not just his best friend, but he was a brother, and though Harry wished that he wouldn't worry about him so much, he was also grateful for the concern.

Taking out his wand, which also lay in silent companionship with his specs, he opened the drapes that were shutting out the offensive sunlight.

Not much to his surprise, he saw Neville and Seamus passed out on Dean's bed, while Dean lay curled on the floor, his head resting comfortably on a rather fluffy pillow. Ron on the other hand seemed to be separate from the group and was lying flat on his back on Seamus' bed.

Tried as he might, Harry couldn't help but suffuse the amused smile that covered his mouth. With one last look at his half drunken roomates, he shook his head and gathered his towel and soap ready and willing to enjoy a nice long soak.

Harry felt invigorated from his bath and entered the Great Hall with more contentment than he was, as of late, use to carrying around.

It was a Sunday morning, so a great majority of students who were not off doing their own various activities (such as Hogsmeade or Church) were sleeping soundly, dead to the world. Fortunately, Hermione was not one of those people; though—as usual—her nose was buried behind a thick book.

"Morning, Hermione," Harry said as he took the seat opposite from her.

"Morning," she replied, never once taking her eyes away from her page.

Popping a few grapes into his mouth, he couldn't help but notice that only six Slytherins sat at their respective table, and none of them happened to be Pansy.

"How did your paper go," Hermione asked, finishing the last sentence of the chapter she was reading.

Harry contemplated the question at hand. Pansy had finally admitted that she was equally attracted to him as he was to her. All in all, it was a fairly descent night.

He shrugged, looking down at the knife he was using to spread jam on his slice of bread.

"It went better than expected."

Hermione gave Harry a quizzical expression as she softly put down her book.

"But did you finish," she asked, fingering grapes from the bunch he had been eating from not too long ago.

If by that she meant parseltongue, the answer was a resounding no. As a matter of fact, he hadn't gotten close to controlling the language that he and his sworn enemy spoke. He had thought that looking at pictures of snakes would help further him along in his pursuit, but that had proved to be unsuccessful as well.

Harry shook his head and sighed, looking down at his fingers again.

"Not even close."

Hermione gave him a reproachful look. One that was dulled by the lessons she'd learned on how best to scold her best friends without appearing to be patronizing.

Harry lifted his palms up in a placating gesture.

"I know, I know," he said.

Hermione 'hmphed' and looked at the slow trickle of people who were making their way into the Hall.

"What do you know exactly," she asked, pretending to be unconcerned.

Harry prepared the words in his mind as a child would prepare for their mother.

"I know that I need to buckle down, and stay focused, and…hmmm….what am I looking for…." Harry paused bearing a small grin as he tapped his head mockingly, pretending to search long and hard for the words that would complete his sentence.

Hermione glanced at Harry, a smile already appearing on her face. She opened her mouth to talk, but was rendered speechless at the sight of her friend caught in a display of seemingly deep thought. Who would have ever thought that her awkward, skinny, and uncertain friend would turn into the deeply handsome and self assured young man that sat before her today. Hermione stared for a moment longer, and then shook her head, snapping herself out of her temporary reverie.

Throwing a handful of grapes at him, which Harry deftly deflected, she let out a small laugh.

"And work hard you idiot."

Harry smiled at her words.

"I knew that."

Hermione shook her head again and the two fell into companionable silence. After a few still moments of staring into space, Harry turned his head sideways, and watched another group of people slowly make their way into the dining area.

In the lead was Andrew Kirke. Harry was quickly reminded that he needed to talk to him about the Quidditch practice that he was holding later this evening. Though being Gryffindor captain was the most rewarding and exhilarating thing he'd ever done in his life, it was also hard as nails to track everyone down so that the team could put in their appropriate practice hours. It had been even harder to audition Gryffindor hopefuls and replace Katie Bell.

Right behind her was Ron, Neville, and Dean each looking the worse for ware. He noticed, with slight amusement, that Seamus was nowhere in sight. Shay was the heaviest drinker of all five of them and some mornings he just couldn't make it out of bed; especially after being at Hogsmeade all night.

Harry instantly became more alert when he saw who was bringing up the rear. She walked slowly and purposefully towards her table, her nose wrinkled, as though she'd caught wind of something extremely unpleasant.

Just a few short weeks ago, her very face had grated on his nerves. Now, he couldn't help but smile at the way she sat down, nose slightly in the air, and tenaciously began unpeeling the banana that she held in her hand.

There was no entourage of girls accompanying her this morning, only Theodore Nott, who for some reason, seemed to follow her hand to foot in everything she did.

Harry was tempted to be annoyed by his presence at her side, but his focus refused to waver from the fruit that she was currently sliding into her mouth.

She pushed it in half way.

Once.

Twice.

And then bit off the tip, chewing the soft substance slowly, almost meticulously.

She went in for another bite, but not before she carefully licked her lips to clear her mouth of any residual matter.

Harry swallowed.

It wasn't until Ron gave a loud groan, that he was snapped back to the conversation which appeared to be at hand.

Harry flushed slightly, embarrassed that he had been staring her down so thoroughly for so long.

He hoped that no one had noticed his actions as he wasn't ready to share with anyone, much less his friends, that he was attracted to Pansy Parkinson.

Unfortunately for Harry, the last person whom he would have expected to catch him, did. But instead of busting at the seams after witnessing what could have been construed as a tantalizing bit of gossip, Hermione was taken aback and somewhat horrified that the most lustful look she had ever seen cross her best friend's face, was directed at someone who, up until now she had sworn was their most enemy.

AN2: Reminder…u can always contact me immediately at my livejournal account. If the link above doesn't show properly, b/c ff dot net doesn't like us linking to other sites, just go to livejournal dot com and look for kallie1385.

Remember: Embrace the ship of Harry and Pansy forever!