It's rated M! Don't be blind!

Understanding

by Ydream08

Chapter 2

"First Katie, now Ron. I'm telling you, Hermione, it's Malfoy."

Hermione didn't know what to say. Ron in the Hospital Wing and Harry going berserk with his theories, she was growing tired of the tempo. They had newly finished their exams as well. All three combined, not to forget how Harry walked out of Occlumency lessons for good, Hermione had been spending much more time with Harry.

In every sense.

"Harry, he's not a Death Eater." Lessons with Snape had risen his suspicions on the Slytherin rather than teaching him anything. "He is not the sort to give Katie a cursed necklace."

"You saw him purchase one in Borgin and Burkes!" Harry protested.

Hermione shook her head. She was really fed up with Harry's stubbornness sometimes.

"Fine, Harry as you say. C'mon, we're going to be late," she commented. They were in a corridor outside of the Great Hall. Harry had caught up with her here, just when she had finished her breakfast. He had slept over, and for once Hermione thought he would skip the class altogether. Ron's poisoning had messed him up.

Just as she acted to walk ahead, she noticed Harry adjusting his bag while holding his potions book to his chest. It was the Prince's book. Hermione had never thought she would ever think of a book as sinister, even with the ones she saw in the Restricted Section, but this book was no good. And helping Harry to cheat his way in potions would be its mildest harm, Hermione suspected.

She huffed at seeing Harry's protectiveness over it, and for this one time restrained from saying anything and opted to storm out.

Catching her wrist, Harry didn't let her.

"Hey," he whispered, having masterfully spun her to his arms. "Everything aside, what do you say we sneak to the Prefect's bathroom tonight? The common room would be busy with the essays due tomorrow."

Hermione exhaled, conflicted how this proposition thrilled and annoyed her at the same time. The first time Harry had kissed her, she had been confident that he had been nuts. He was in love with Ginny and her Ron! Well, those days her unrequited love and Ron's insistent idiocy over choosing Lavender Brown had been unkind to her thoughts over her crush, but still.

She would have cleared the misunderstanding with explaining to Harry how she understood him for that mistake. It would have worked out fine if Harry hadn't gone and done the same mistake again in that alcove, then proceeded to turn it into a humongous mistake.

Her analytic brain had went overdrive with her sadiated body and mixed emotions. It had felt wrong to like Harry's attention while she thought to be in love with Ron. She had found the solution with hiding out in the library to make up her mind. Harry was her best friend, first. Surely, he would see reason.

Then, one of those days he visited her in the library to talk. They hadn't achieved much talking, if her memory served her right.

Even that day she was aware exactly why she accepted Harry's affection, and sought for him in the following days.

He wanted her.

While Ron was happy snogging Lavender's face, Harry was the one to find her, soothe her, adore her, compliment her and make her feel sensations Hermione had only chance to read in some instructive books. And her mother's cheesy romance novels. It was nearly as good as how they described it. It got better with practice, too.

What had sealed the deal for Hermione, so to speak, instead of tipping her off the edge of insanity over the situation was that the following weeks while she observed Harry, she found that he no longer seemed interested in anybody else. Not even Ginny. This... thing was not just out of convenience, Hermione understood. Not that it was love or anything...

It had been awkward at first, actually. They had tried to ignore each other, but to no vain. Just as she hid in the library, Harry had taken a habit of practicing Quidditch twenty-four-seven. Even with how less she saw him, generally during meals and classes, Hermione did notice his eyes strayed to her. She would blush and try to not mind it, but more than a few times they had ended up in the broom closet after he gave her those looks.

It had helped Harry that Hermione accepted this understanding and their everyday conversation hadn't changed. This made Harry bolder even. Like how he asked to shag in the common room as to spice things up. Or sneak in the Prefect's bathroom like right now.

"Maybe," Hermione managed, blushing. When he smiled and went to correct his glasses, she saw the potions book again and how diligently Harry held it. Anger bubbled in her and she blurted out: "Will you use it still? The Prince's book?"

"Hermione don't start again-"

"You're unbelievable!" Hermione shrieked, exasperated. He could be an idiot sometimes!

"We'll fight over this tomorrow, yeah? Tonight the Prefect's bathroom?"

"We'll be late to class," she said instead but Harry Potter had done one thing right: All day she wondered how their exertion would work with water and a tub.

Unfortunately Ron was discharged the very same day and their plan had to be delayed. Her annoyance that Ronald intervened to her matters and happiness still, gave her an edge throughout their conversation. And listening to Harry rave about Malfoy again, Hermione left the two on their own and briskly stomped to her dormitory.

Getting under her covers, Hermione couldn't sleep with her mind reminding her of the scenarios she had contemplated for tonight. Would Harry have come up to the girls' room, whispered for Hermione and when she was up, would he take her hand and rush her to the fifth floor?

The Invisibility Cloak would force them to be closer, and slower with their steps. By the time they arrived, the anticipation and proximity of Harry would drench Hermione. What would he do next, though?

Her fingers ghosting over her lips now, Hermione remembered all those times Harry cupped her cheeks and met their lips together. The contact was soft and warm. And soon it would progress and she would taste his sweet tongue.

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed, knowing full well where her thoughts were going. Her hand dipped back under the cover and she removed her bra which she had forgotten.

Cupping her breast, she recalled how Harry's own hands roamed over her, back in the library, the boys' room, broom closets and alcoves. Right now it was the Prefect's bathroom, and the tiles echoed with their missteps as both worked to shed each other of their clothes.

Hermione liked it when Harry reached around her to cup her arse. He had grown taller, lithe but muscular with all the Quidditch practice, and his arms enclosing around her felt safe and endearing.

They would continue to kiss, sometimes their smiles breaking their synch, but it would feel like Harry would never step away from their embrace. Of course, he had to fill the tub but that was a minor setback.

Hermione's other hand found her sex, and she parted her lower lips to run a finger over. Climbing upwards, her finger circled over her clit to make the reality catch up with her imagination.

Harry would have fingered her already. Two digits would have entered her to check her tightness, and her response of meeting his hand would have him cursing and kissing her all over again.

Dripping wet, he would have beckoned her to the tub, and cool water would lick every inch of Hermione as she would have liked Harry to do. For now his hands rubbing her sides was enough; it built her inner heat once again.

Snogging her senseless, Harry would urge her to wrap her legs around his narrow waist and unaware to Hermione he would walk deeper into the big tub. The Prefect's bathroom was more like a pool, than a tub actually.

His shaft trapped between their bodies and sweetly pressing to her opening would drive Hermione insane but before she could contemplate how to get her so desired penetration, Harry bloody Potter would dive them in the water.

Of course her shriek and smack to his shoulder would make him laugh. As he swam them to a corner, he would smilingly kiss her cheeks, jaw and he would trail to her neck and shoulders, which would morph her shrieks into moans.

Hermione squeezed her breast, imagining how Harry would latch onto a nipple next. He would hold the other one just like she did now, while his tongue cleared the tap water from her skin. And he would suck and bite and pull so that she would be panting.

Aware that her juices were descending to her arse, Hermione finally pumped fingers inside when she imagined Harry would plunge in. His cock would separate her, her walls welcoming him inch by inch and being full would give the most pleasurable pressure around her nether region.

Hermione's pants quicked, echoing in the bathroom in her mind but mixing with the rustling of her blanket in the solitude of the room. She felt her orgasm climb as her muscles tightened and her hip slightly rose from the mattress to meet with thrusts she felt so vividly in her fantasy. Oh, Harry would drive right home. Her back would chafe by the tiles to which he fucked her. And the cool water would no longer be any reliever compared to his cock impaling in her.

As though hearing his grunt next to her ear and her own wanton moans, Hermione re-lived that exact moment when his release filled her with scorching cum that her abdomen felt tingly, and next she knew she had orgasmed. Alone. In her bed.

Exhaling to steady her breathing, Hermione dipped back to her bed and cleared her mind. She was sadiated, but a small part of her felt trapped.

This could not continue like this, could it?

Thinking back to Harry's insistence of using the Prince's book, Malfoy being a Death Eater and overall doing nothing she encouraged for his own good, found Hermione growing agitated by her best-friend.

Best friend?

Harry was no longer just a best friend, Hermione corrected herself. They had crossed that line some time ago. But apparently that didn't change the fact that he was capable of being an utter prat.

When came morning and the trio sat at breakfast, Ron's snide comment about McLaggen leering at her undid her. Both of these dunderheads would never understand her! She didn't want to see either of them, let alone ask Harry to join her for Slughorn's party.

That day potions class increased her turmoil, if nothing else. Harry won Liquid Luck simply by cheating. Him and his idiot book. She had done everything right. Every single thing. Had read the instruction thrice even!

Ron, of course, didn't side with her when she broke to Harry what he had done was wrong.

To teach them some sense, Hermione decided it wouldn't hurt to accept the elder Gryffindor's invite to the Slug Party.

Thank you for taking a liking to story! And especially Guest, I thank you for the encouragement. I hope I got this as well. This chapter is for my three reviewers; hope you all enjoy! -Ydream08