Welcome To The Jungle

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Part One: 15

Chapter 7: Complicated

In the weeks that follow, life falls into something of a routine. The homecoming game comes and goes, and before Harry really knows it, it's nearly the end of October. He's elbows deep in assorted mid-terms, but there's always time for work, for football, for friends. Ohio's autumn is in full swing, and it brings with it a crispness to the air, a shower of autumn leaves, and an almost tangible anticipation for the holidays ahead.

Before he can enjoy the holidays, however, he has to get through all of his presentations, exams, and class projects.

"How much do you want to bet Puck will do the Reproductive System?"

"That's a sucker's bet, Q," Harry answers.

They're both in one of the school's computer labs, elbows deep in research on the Immune and the Nervous Systems, respectively, and they've spent the last half hour in silence. There's about 45 minutes left until classes start for the morning, and their projects for Biology aren't due until the week before Thanksgiving.

On top of everything else they each have to do before then, however, they don't really have the time to procrastinate. It's exhausting, the very thought of all of his upcoming commitments and deadlines, but they've produced these study sessions, and thus he can't bring himself to complain. .

Quinn huffs a laugh, presses 'skip' on her iPod, and returns her attention to the computer screen in front of her. She's dressed in the obligatory Cheerios uniform, but her hair is loose, left free to frame her pretty face, and he wonders how he can misjudge someone so extremely. She picks on their classmates, which still irritates him beyond belief, but away from school, away from the peer pressure and the expectations and the scrutiny, he's grown fond of her company. She makes him laugh, with her deadpan humour, with the rapport she's created with Santana and Brittany, with stories of their middle school hijinks.

He's not sure if he likes her, because most days he still can't get Daphne Greengrass out of his head, but sometimes he wonders what it'd be like to kiss her,, to do more with her, and he figures that, if nothing else, he at least finds Quinn attractive. If he's honest with himself, though, he's not sure he wants to act on it. He doesn't like the way she treats a lot of the girls in school, but that aside, she's also a loud and proud member of William McKinley High's Celibacy Club, and although Harry's a firm believer in the 'each to their own' philosophy, he's also 15 years old. He's still a virgin, if barely, and he has no intention of waiting until marriage to experience that illustrious 'home run'.

In saying that, his hesitation makes him feel like an ass. There's more to a relationship than sex, after all, more to intimacy than the physical act, and he wonders if he's selfish to want to date someone who hasn't promised her congregation, her pastor, and her God that she will not engage in sex until marriage.

He sighs, mood soured by his thoughts, and struggles to focus on his research. As he does, Quinn glances at him, concerned, and Harry forces a smile. He needs to sort this out, before it hurts them both.

-!- -#-

"What's got you all broody?" Hermione asks.

"Nothing," Harry replies, "I'm fine."

Behind them, Penelope snorts. SHe's supposed to be making coffee for one of their customers, but evidently, she's mastered the art of multi-tasking. Harry, unimpressed, scowls at her back.

"Right," Hermione answers blandly, "And I'm a Cheerio. Want to try that again, Harry?"

He sighs, long-suffering. "No?"

Hermione appears suitably unimpressed.

Harry sighs again, but relents. He looks around for his mother, first, and once he's satisfied that she's nowhere in sight, he asks, "Would you still date Krum if he took a vow of chastity?"

Penelope, behind them, scalds her hand on the steamer, and starts cursing accordingly. It's an impressive litany, and even as he and Hermione scramble for cold water and the First-Aid kit, Harry's a little awed.

Penelope bats them away, frazzled and flustered but mostly unharmed, and returns to the coffee machine. As she does so, Hermione wipes away the spilled milk, frowning.

"Is that what's really bothering you?"

Harry shrugs. "It's been on my mind."

"I guess you've got to decide what's more important to you, then," Hermione shrugs. She's about as red as Harry feels. "I mean, yeah, the physical side of a relationship is all well and good, but it's not the most important thing. And can I just say, you're a complete pig for prioritising this."

"I know." He's not sure what he's replying to, but either or, it applies. He's an ass, and he is entirely aware that there is more to relationships than getting laid.

That aside, this discussion is providing him with far more insights into Hermione and Krum's relationship than Harry ever wanted to know. He's not surprised, admittedly - Hermione's rather liberal, and Krum is 17 - but all the same, he's partway tempted to covering his ears and shutting his eyes to this entire mess.

Why had he brought it up?

"Anyway, just because she's sworn off sex, doesn't mean you can't do other things."

"That seems… rather dubious."

Hermione shrugs. "It probably is. But I digress. What I was saying before, you have to decide what's more important to you: getting off, or having a relationship with Fabray. Because if it's the former, than you have no business starting a relationship with anyone, and if it's the latter, then it shouldn't be an issue either way."

"Right," Harry acknowledges, and the arrival of a few new customers derails their conversation. It's a relief, because he never wants to relive that hell, and also because he has no desire to chance his mother overhearing it.

Harry's not sure he could survive the embarrassment. In any case, Hermione's only spelled out what he already knows, and thus the brooding continues through the afternoon, into the evening, and into the night beyond.

It only ceases when Puck texts him with word that Finn's considering asking Quinn out, and the advice that if Harry plans to make a move on Quinn, he'd better do it fast.

And because the thought of Quinn dating anyone else - least of all Finn Hudson - is plainly nauseating, Harry's choice is an easy one.