(A/N - Hi! Sorry if it took so long. Well, here it is - Chapter 9 and I hope you enjoy it!)

Chapter 9 – It's Not So Bad After All

Hermione didn't know how long she stood there, gaping at the two people who stood at the front door of their house. It felt like forever and her feet weighed a ton that she couldn't move from where she was. This is not real. She thought. This couldn't be. I'm dreaming. Harry wouldn't come home here and bring another girl. He wouldn't. Right?

Harry, on the other hand, felt like he's on fire. He gawked at Hermione. He noticed something different about her. Different with the whole house, even.

After a few awkward minutes of silence, Harry snapped out of it and finally, something else clicked. She looks different. She's not in her usual clothes. She looks – Merlin's beard – she looks stunning! And what is that smell? The smell of a salmon steak dinner wafted through him from the kitchen. Damn! He groaned inwardly. She knows I crave for salmon! What in Merlin's name is this all about? Did she do this – for me?

Angela, still standing outside, tried to peek inside. She saw Hermione looking at them like she'd seen a ghost. She tried to take a glance at Harry but he has his back turned at her. She then tapped him at the shoulder lightly.

"What?" Harry snapped, still gazing at Hermione's undeniably sexy outfit and body.

Angela was a bit taken aback, but pushed it aside. She smiled a little and said, "Uhm, Harry – I guess you invited me at a wrong time and…" She glanced once more inside the house and saw that Hermione still looked pale and Harry still gazing avidly at her. She felt the sudden tension in the air and thought that she could slice it with a knife if she dared to.

"…and so – I'll just go now, then, shall I?" And without another word, she walked back towards the apparition point and disapparated, looking a bit disappointed.

"Hermione…" said Harry in a hoarse voice. And then, he slammed the door behind him. Before Hermione knew what was going on, Harry quickly closed the gap between them, encircled her in his arms and kissed her.

Hermione was shocked. She didn't know how to react and she didn't even move from her place. Oh my God! Harry is kissing me! Harry is really KISSING me!

She felt Harry's warm, soft lips on her own. His tongue licking her bottom lip, pleading, begging for entrance. She almost opened up to him. His arms tightened around her and his hands went up her back to rest at the back of her neck. She almost placed her arms around his neck. It seems so natural, it felt so right. But her mind was telling her otherwise. This is Harry, you're kissing! He just brought home a girl with him to probably shag and here you are kissing him!

Finally - she got to her senses. With all her might, she placed her hands on Harry's chest and pushed him away. Harry stumbled, a bit flushed. His eyes were dark and sated with lust. He just had to have her at that moment. He needed her. Just at that moment.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Hermione shrieked.

Harry didn't reply. He was slightly breathless at having kissed Hermione. And no matter if she yelled herself hoarse at him; he just wanted to do it again.

Breathing deeply, Harry walked over to her and tried to reach for her. "Look 'Mione – "

"No," she interrupted. "Look here, Harry. What gave you the right to suddenly attack me like that after you show up here with some – with some girl!"

Harry stared at her incredulously. Attacked? He suddenly felt his anger rising. "Attacked? Is that what you call it Hermione? I attacked you?" he asked calmly, though his words had a slight grit to it.

"I – Well – I…" she stammered. Now what?

A few moments of silence lapsed. When neither said a word, Hermione bolted for her bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Harry walked over to the couch, sat down and sighed deeply. Great. Just great, Potter. Damn!

Hermione was slumped against her bedroom door, hugging her knees to her chest. Still shocked from her encounter with Harry downstairs, she can't bring herself to move. She tried to rationalize what just happened to them. Harry just kissed her. But for what? And most importantly, why?

He just brought home a girl and then all of a sudden, he walked towards her and kissed her. What does all of that mean? He didn't even notice the change in her and the mood she and Ginny set in the house that night. The salmon steak dinner lay forgotten as well in the kitchen.

What is going on between us, Harry? She didn't want to over-rationalize. But she couldn't help it. And she couldn't help it if she's falling even deeper for her best friend than when she first realized it.

Harry sat there on their living room couch for quite some time. He didn't have the strength to move. His head was swimming. Thoughts of Hermione in that pink dress she wore swam in his head. And to make matters worst, somewhere down his southern regions, one can clearly see a problem that needed a solution.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath. "Damn, damn, damn…"

He couldn't believe that Hermione was making him feel this way. Making him react this way. The best friend he's known for 12 long years. The person he's known since she was 11. The girl he watched grow and turn into a lovely woman that she is now.

She used to wear robes and boring clothes to hide that spectacular body underneath. Maybe that's why she didn't wear clothes like that like most women do. But tonight, she did. She showed me. And I reacted like most men would. Damn.

He wondered where Ron could be. He's not in the house or else Hermione wouldn't be doing what she did in the house lest she wanted Ron to make fun of her. Oh well, Ron might be at Luna's again.

Finally, he stood up. With his head hung low, he trudged grudgingly towards the stairs to his room. When he reached Hermione's door, he contemplated whether he should knock and try to talk things with her. He listened for a while outside her door and heard nothing. He then raised his fist to knock when Hermione opened the door.

Once again, Harry gawked at Hermione. She was still wearing her pink backless sun dress. Although this time, she's not wearing any accessories, her hair was put up in a messy ponytail, her face free of make-up and she's barefoot. But to Harry, she was still a wonderful sight to behold.

Hermione cleared her throat and Harry blinked. "Yes?" asked Hermione quietly.

"Hey," said Harry softly.

"What do you want?"

Harry was a bit taken aback by Hermione's snap. "Uh, uhm – well – er – can I come in?"

Hermione shrugged and opened her door wider for Harry to step in. Once inside, Harry sat on the edge of Hermione's bed while Hermione stayed standing by the door. An awkward silence followed.

"I'm sorry," they blurted out at the same time.

Stunned that they both said the same thing at the same time, they quieted for a couple of seconds.

"I shouldn't have done that," they said again in unison.

Then they stopped and after a while, laughed.

Hermione was the first to recover and in between her giggles, she said, "Look, Harry. I'm really sorry when I accused you of attacking me. I mean – well – you really didn't. I was just surprised when you – er – when you did what you did, that's all." She bowed her head, blushing.

Harry looked at Hermione. He stood up and walked over to her. He touched her chin and tilted her head up for her to look at him. For a while, he got lost in her eyes. Finally recovering, he said, "No, 'Mione. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that all of a sudden. That was wrong of me. You were caught off-guard. I understand your reaction…"

Hermione gave a feeble smile at him and he smiled back. While still gazing at each other's eyes, Hermione whispered, "Well, do you want to try again? I won't react like I did a while ago…"

Harry wasn't sure if he heard correctly. I must be dreaming. Did Hermione just ask me to kiss her again?

But when Hermione closed her eyes and parted her lips invitingly, Harry realized that what's happening is real. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers softly, testing if she wouldn't blow up again.

When she didn't, he pressed his lips firmly against hers and kissed her. His hands sliding down from her chin, down her neck, to her arms, finally encircling her by the waist. Her arms encircled his neck and she pulled him closer to her. She placed one hand on his hair and let it run through there.

He opened her mouth with his tongue and plunged in. He explored every crevice of her mouth. Slowly, he delved in and tasted her sweetness. Feebly, she tried to explore his mouth as well. Oh, God. He is a magnificent kisser!

Harry pulled away after a while. He looked at Hermione, with her eyes still closed and her lips still wet and parted. He couldn't help but kiss her again. This time, he deepened the kiss with so much fervor and ardor. Heat was radiating from both of them. A battle of domination ensued, each trying to win but both not giving up.

Hermione's hands traveled from his neck to his face, down to his chest. She unclasped his Auror robes and let it slide to the floor. She untucked his shirt from his trousers and reached inside to feel his rock-hard stomach, courtesy of his Quidditich training back at Hogwarts and his Auror training. Then her hands went to his back, sliding them up and down there. Harry shivered at the contact. Each touch sending a tingling sensation to him and he moaned against her mouth. Hermione smiled against his mouth, still kissing him, glad that she's able to elicit such reactions from him.

After a while of senseless snogging, they broke apart breathless, flushed and panting.

"Wow," whispered Harry with his eyes still closed, his forehead leaning on hers.

Hermione smiled and brushed his lips with her own in an assuring way. "It's not so bad, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and I'd be glad to do that again with you."

"I'd love to…" said Hermione in a hushed tone.

(A/N - So there you have it! Is it bad? Good? Nice? Needs to be revised? Let me know!)