Harry's Discovery

Though still early in the term, Harry had discovered that the homework load in the sixth year was different. He had fewer classes, since he was only taking his N.E.W.T. courses. That meant no more trips to Hagrid's for Magical Creatures, no more trips to the tower or the forest room for Divination, and no more Astronomy. It also meant that the classes he did have were longer and more intense. Snape and potions was still Snape and potions, and Harry doubted that would ever change. Certainly not in this lifetime.

After breakfast, Harry excused himself from Ron and Hermione and wandered down to the edge of the lake. He told them he had some studying to do, and so he did, taking his discovery from the restricted section to read in depth. For some reason, Harry had decided he would read through the entire book. He reasoned that his evident lack of knowledge about relationships would be best served by careful study.

As he began reading the book, he found himself relating it to his own experiences. The first potion was described as being for Brief Love. Harry thought about his evening with Parvati, or rather the brief part of it when they were actually together. Maybe this would have made things better, although he thought a dancing potion for him might have helped more.

Next came a potion to Forget a Prior Love. He could have used that to help Cho get over Cedric. Looking back, it seemed that every time they were together, Cedric's memory also made an appearance. Now, Harry realized he would always have that bond in the eyes of others; Cedric being the boy-who-didn't-live.

Next, a potion to Prompt a Choice. Harry laughed as his first thought was forcing Hermione to chose between Viktor and himself. It was somehow too obvious, but it also started Harry thinking about his friends and their relationship. His thoughts continued to drift. He thought about other books that had affected his life. Moste Potente Potions had started part of his trip that ended in the Chamber of Secrets, but Tom Riddle's diary had also been involved. All these books, he noticed, seemed to lead to the dark arts. Well, he reasoned, maybe all dark arts weren't bad. It all depended on how they were used, and who was using them on whom. Dumbledore had used an anti-disapparation jinx at the ministry last year, and that wasn't bad. Well, he grinned, Lucious Malfoy probably thought it was.

What would Ron and Hermione say if he brewed a love potion. Ron would think it was very funny...he didn't seem to worry about relationships with girls and always laughed at Harry's attempts. Hermione would understand...wouldn't she? What if he used it on her? Now THAT was an interesting idea.

Harry set the book aside and focused on his thinking about how he really felt about Hermione and Ron. He remembered Hermione's explosion when he and Ron acknowledged that she was a girl, back in their fourth year. He also remembered how wonderful she looked with Viktor, wearing that periwinkle-blue dress robe with her hair done differently. He had discovered that she wasn't a little girl anymore. While her being with Viktor had surprised him, her developing figure was also something that he noticed. Did he want to trade places with Viktor? He told Victor there was nothing between them. Had he lied? How did he really feel about Hermione? He thought he had known, but now he wasn't so sure. Had things changed? Where was this train of thought taking him?

He was returning to the book when he remembered last summer. After a few days with the Dursleys, Harry had gone to visit the Weasleys, and Hermione had also come to the Burrow. With the death of Sirius, and the destruction of the prophecy, the Order had new tasks, and a secret headquarters wasn't as important. Plus, the Ministry acknowledgement of Voldemort's return meant that the Order could focus on new tasks.. Harry had stayed with the Dursleys only long enough to maintain the protective power of Dumbledore's charm.

It happened that when they received the reports on their O.W.L.S., Harry and Hermione were together, away from everyone else. They had gone for a walk, leaving the Burrow far behind. They were sitting and talking in the orchard, when the owls appeared. Harry had hugged Hermione when she read her letter, and she returned the hug after Harry opened his own grades. Somewhere along the way, she kissed him on the cheek and he somehow felt brave enough to do the same. It felt so good, that he tried to do it again, but Hermione moved and he missed, hitting her right on the lips.

Despite their mutual surprise, neither of them tried to stop, and it became a lengthy kiss by any standards. When they did separate, they each stared, neither wanting to break the moment. They said nothing, but communicated silently. Harry sensed that she thought it was enjoyable and somehow overdue. Harry thought it went well, and wanted to try it again, but his nerve failed and they just sat there. Ultimately, Ron's call from down the hill broke the silence, and they never said anything more. Not that thoughts weren't there.

Harry's current thoughts were interrupted by his stomach, suggesting that lunch was overdue, and he returned to the castle, hiding the book in his backpack. Sitting at lunch, his hands and arms automatically fed his face, while every other part of his being was thinking about Hermione, sitting across from him. No less than five times, she asked him if he was all right. When they both got up to leave, she came around the table and put her arm around him, pulling him nearer.

"Are you really okay?" she whispered. "You seem so distant, so...so far away."

"No... I mean...yes. I'm okay. I was just thinking, out by the lake," he said as they left the hall and stopped at the bottom of the stairway. Harry's speech was coming in disjointed lumps.

"I thought you went out to study," she said quietly.

"Well, I was studying...and thinking." He smiled, or rather smirked as he thought about what he had been studying and what he had been thinking. This, of course, only brought on more questions.

"What are you grinning about?" Hermione was hot on the trail now, and Harry knew she wouldn't drop it until she got an answer. He struggled to come up with something that would end the conversation. Somehow his brain left him behind, but he engaged his mouth anyway.

"I was thinking about you, and me, and...er...well...when we got our O.W.L.S."

Now the door was open, and Harry watched Hermione carefully. Would she step through it? What would she do? He was certain that she wouldn't back down.

Simply put, Hermione was stunned. Harry knew of no spell or curse or hex that could have stopped her as completely. Harry almost enjoyed the moment...stopping Hermione was not an easy thing to do, and he seldom accomplished it, even by design. Slowly, her look changed, from absolute astonishment to something else. It was a look that Harry had never seen. She began tugging him down a deserted corridor, stopping where there were no pictures to overhear them.

"What were you thinking about?" she asked gently. "Was it about our grades, or...or...something else?"

Harry was somehow emboldened by the situation, and decided to press his advantage of catching her off guard. Although he knew he might change or even destroy their relationship forever, he somehow had to continue.

"I was thinking about when I kissed you, and how it made me feel, and whether I wanted to do it again," he spat out in one quick phrase. Hermione continued to look at him, this time as if she was appraising a valuable painting or antique. They both remained silent as she continued her evaluation. Harry had nothing more to say, and Hermione didn't seem to know what to say. Finally, she summoned a voice to respond.

"And what did you decide?"

"Er...well...I didn't decide. I just...I...er...I thought it was something that we should both decide. I mean, it...it's...well, it's not just up to me, you know." He was making this up on the fly, and his nerve was just about spent.

"How polite," she responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Harry braced for the explosion that seemed to be coming now that she had recovered from the initial shock. But she stopped and started smiling again, a very vulnerable look that Harry had never seen before.

"Well, if you're taking a vote, I vote yes," she said, pausing. "But with some conditions." Now Harry braced for the worst, as she was obviously going to create a whole text book of rules.

"What are they?" he asked. Might as well play the game now that the cards were dealt. Harry suspected this was like exploding snap and you never knew when it was coming.

She led him into a deserted room and used her wand to lock and seal the door. Turning, she smiled again, advancing towards Harry and pushing him onto an old sofa in the corner.

"First condition," she said as she moved her face directly in front of him and pulled his lips to hers. The fire was lit now, and there was no going back. Harry was briefly distracted by the thought that this was going rather well. When she broke the kiss, he was smiling broadly, but she wasn't done.

"Second condition," she said and she offered her lips again. This time, her tongue moved to his lips and forced her way between them. Harry reciprocated, and they rolled together to the end of the sofa. Finally spent, they both drew back for a moment.

"And most important, the third condition," she said, again with the funny look on her face. As she moved her lips to his, mouth open in anticipation, she wrapped her hand around his and guided it under her sweater and up to her breast. Harry's mind and body exploded as she encouraged him to explore.

Some minutes later, they paused. They alternated between relaxed contentment and hyperactivity, both wanting to race down the corridor they were exploring and also wanting to stop and examine every nook and cranny. She rolled off of Harry for a minute and gathered her breath.

"There's one more condition, I think, but I'll cover that later," she said. Harry had no idea what it was going to be, but thus far he had no complaints.