Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell is JK Rowling's

Chapter 72: National Make Out Day

Harry's POV

I walked down the long passage, my footsteps light as I was still in my bedroom slippers. I should have brought a lamp, but the marauders map before me was all the direction I needed. I settled into a chair, comfortable in my invisibility cloak, and I observed him. It was four in the morning yet here he sat, in the library, his dark hair shading his eyes assisted by the poorly lit lamp beside him. He was still in his uniform, the only difference made for comfort was the loosening of the green tie around his neck.

"Are you going to just sit there and stare at me, or are you going to tell me what it is that you want?"

I glared at the boy, knowing full well that it would be unnoticed. I let the cloak fall down my shoulders and folded it in my lap, "How did you know I was here?"

He didn't look up from the book, "Your breathing, it's like thunder whilst I'm trying to concentrate." He continued staring at the book, I opened my mouth, and he held his index finger up to stop me. I fought the urge to curse him for his arrogance, reminding myself why I was here. The book clicked shut and Theodore Nott looked up, his eyebrows rose slightly, "Why, Potter! How did you know I was here?"

I sighed; the guy was weird. Was the book so interesting that he didn't bother about the actual identity of his guest until he was finished with it? I ignored his last question; I was definitely not about to tell him about the map. "I need your…assistance on something."

He left the book down on the library table, "I gathered as much, an urgent matter considering your attire?"

My attire…granted I was clad in pyjamas, but shouldn't the urgency be noted by the time of night rather than my attire, did the boy not even notice it was well past four in the morning?

"Now enlighten me, why should I offer you any assistance?"

I stopped in my attempt at garnering any sense from a boy so steeped in the nonsensical. I predicted the question and had a simple answer prepared, "It's not for me technically. It concerns Ky."

"Kitten?"

I bit back the growl; I hated the fact that he had a nickname for her. I hated the fact that I had to ask him for help. But I had no other choice, I couldn't see Ky like this. Of all the things I hated, there was nothing I hated more than to see her cry.

"What is it?"

I pulled out the parchment from my pocket, "I need to send a letter. One that can't be intercepted by Umbridge and that squad of yours. I need the response to come straight to me as well."

"And you trust me with such a task?" There was a hint of humour in his voice and my hand fisted around the armrest.

"I have no choice but to. Will you do it? I've brought gold-"

"Don't insult me, Potter." He leaned forward and the light caught his green-ish hazel eyes, "I don't need your money. If it is for Kitten, I will do it." He held his hand out for the letter, and I hesitated, staring into his eyes, trying to see through his sincerity. When I finally found the orbs clear of detectable deception, I slowly held out the parchment which he pocketed without a glance.

"Of course, the time of the response would depend on the recipient, but I can guarantee it won't be intercepted on our side."

I nodded, already regretting my decision but realising it was too late to snatch the letter back from Nott. I stood; I wanted to get back in bed before Ky noticed. I hesitated for a moment at the nearest bookshelf.

"Thank you."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that."

I turned back to the frustrating toff, "I said thank you."

His teeth glinted in the light as he smiled and I actually let out a snarl this time, the arse heard me the first fucking time. He raised his hand in surrender, "Calm down Potter, I'm just joking. Or do you Gryfs still think you have sole license on humour."

I glared at him one last time and turned, the regret I felt slightly dulling with the sound of his annoying laughter…maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought he was. I guess I will just have to wait and see…

Ky's POV

I took the stairs two at a time, nearly toppling Angelina on my way up. I shouted an apology over my shoulder as she swore at me. I didn't blame her though, nobody could be happy at five in the morning especially if you're dragging your tush out of bed to study, and the NEWTs were very aptly named weren't they. I pushed our dorm door open and went straight for her bed,

"Mi!"

I pulled the bed curtains apart, only to be faced with an empty bed for the second time today.

"Ky!" I turned around. Mi stood at the bathroom door clad in black tights and a long grey vest that hung off her left shoulder, she had sneakers on and her hair up as if she was ready to go for a run. She smiled widely at me, "I was just about to get you!"

"Mi-"

"Shhh…we don't want to wake the girls up. Here!" She tossed my sneakers and sweats at me, jogging in the spot, warming up, "Throw those on. I woke up full of energy! I think we should do a run, get our hearts pumping, and then tackle forth year transfiguration! I just know you can do it this time!"

"Actually Mi-"

"I'll race you out the entrance hall, last one there has to butter toast for a month!"

I hated buttering my own toast, she knew that! Before I could say a word she was out the door.

I shimmied out of my pj's and tossed the clothes on, hopping into my sneakers on my way down. I reached the entrance hall in two minutes, already completely out of breath but in a good way, not in an 'I'm about to pass out' kind of way. She gestured to me to follow her as she jogged towards the quidditch pitch, and I took a deep breath and ran after her. She reached the pitch with a loud laugh and acted out Rocky at the top of the steps, gesturing that she was the victor with her fists pumping in the air, bobbing from toe to toe.

"And the rookie with all the odds against her, Granger the Danger, crosses the finish line to take first place, never having to butter her own toast again. Or at least for the next month!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her ecstatic face, "Someone definitely woke up on the right side of the bed this morning!"

"I know, right! I'm just so tired of feeling so…tensed and stressed and like the world is crumbling beneath my feet! And you know what!" She grabbed me by my shoulders, her chocolate eyes glowing bright, "it's not crumbling! Not anymore! We kicked ass! I know, I know, it's still the early stages, but we are kicking some serious Vikadel butt! And you and I are going to pulverise the OWL's! I just know we are!"

I nodded at her, her smile contagious, "Wow, you are a morning person." She laughed at my assessment of her sporadically hyperactive mood and shrugged her shoulders, turning it into a stretch. Fuck, why did this have to happen today of all days? Why?

"Mi-"

"I was thinking about those planks, maybe we should light a little jar of flames and roll it underneath, that would really make us stay up for longer."

"Mi-"

"Yeah, I know, that's just stupid, I can't believe I even repeated words that left Lavender's mouth as a viable suggestion." She leaned forward, touching the floor without bending her knees.

"Mi-"

"Did you get a look at her tummy though; it's really taking shape."

"I walked in on Ron making out with Juliette Morian like ten minutes ago." I bit my lip, I had no idea how else to say it. I stared at her inverted head, she seemed to be frozen in the stretch. I better just get everything off my chest.

I skipped the last three steps and barged into the common room! What could have happened that would make both Ron and Harry leave their beds at four in the morning! Where should I start looking? Should I wake Mi up?

"Ky? I've been looking everywhere for you!"

I turned around just as Bobby stepped out of the girls' dorm staircase and made her way towards me at the portrait, "Why? What happened?"

She took a hesitant step back at the look on my face, "Well, nothing, I was looking for you earlier on. I just needed to tell you something I found out earlier. But it can wait for tomorrow." She pushed the portrait open and stepped out, I followed her. I stopped when I spotted a tall thin boy with dark brown hair who was vaguely familiar. He was just as shocked as I was upon the appearance of a stranger,

"Lavender, why have you brought-"

She touched his shoulder and looked up at him apologetically, "I'm so sorry Baron, Ky was just leaving." She turned and looked at me pointedly. I ignored her dismissal though.

"What were you going to tell me?"

She sighed and gave Baron a sidelong glance, she obviously was contemplating speaking in front of him, which wasn't like Bobby at all. She always wanted to share gossip.

"Go down the sixth floor and through that portrait of the baby hippogriff trying to fly, turn right twice and pull the bracket on the left of the portrait of the Three Butterbeers, pull it towards the left, not down." She huffed at me in annoyance and grabbed the boy's hand and thumped down the stairs.

"What? Ugh! Bobby!" I hissed after her, but she was already gone.

"What in Helga's heaving bosom was that?"

I turned and looked at the portrait, "I know Diana, I have no freaking idea." I walked towards the stairs,

"You're following her directions."

"Of course, Rebecca, how in Godric's Gonads way am I going to find out what the Raving Rowena Bobblehead Brown was talking about?"

"I'm too sleepy to have this conversation Ky, just beat it and try not to make too much noise on your way back."

I turned away from the Fat Lady, not breaking it to her that I would have to disturb her sleep to get back in. I was at the portrait of the Three Butterbeers in a minute. I grabbed the torch and pulled it effortless to the left.

"Salazar's Snake!"

"Fuck!" The familiar voice swore. I heard the sound of a zip thankfully before he turned towards me, his red hair in complete disarray giving his best friend a run for his money in the untidy hair category. Ron's hair was the least distracting thing at the moment, considering Juliette's humongous naked breasts were two feet away from me! They were very distracting to say the least.

"Ky! It's been ages!" Juliette gave me a huge smile, jumping towards me and wrapping me in a hug,

"Woman your breasts are on my…breasts!" She had the decency to blush and step back, realising she was half naked and started looking to the floor for her shirt. I turned to Ron, whose blue eyes were threatening to pop out of his head.

"Er…give me a moment Julez. Just one moment." He stepped through the portrait and let it close behind him, "Well…that was awkward."

"Are those real?"

He smiled at me, "I know right! It's like bigger than my head!"

I shook my head, forcing me to get back on track. "Are you two dating?"

"What! No, no!" He looked horrified at me, "We've just been meeting up and making out."

I frowned at Ron, and he raised his hands in defence, "Woah, don't look at me like that. It was all her idea. Two weeks ago in Herbology she asked me what was up with you because you were missing class, she said you guys had that cheerleading club together. Of course I knew that, I mean, I pretty much have her in that cheerleading outfit ingrained in my head for life. Next thing you know it, she's telling me to meet her down here and help her de- stress."

"De-stress?"

"The OWL's. It's a stressful time of year."

I didn't know what to say, the only thought that plagued me was, how on earth was I going to tell Mi?

"Anyway, what are you doing down here?"

"Do you like her?"

"Julez? Yeah of course, did you not see her-"

"I'm not talking about the D-cup twins on her chest. I mean, do you have feelings for her."

"Oh, I have FEELings for her if you know what I mean?" I didn't return his smile and glared at him, he sighed, "What do you want me to say Ky? We're not dating."

"Well, you shouldn't be doing that with someone you're not dating." Oh man, Mi is going to be heartbroken.

"You're one to talk."

I raised an eyebrow at him, and he quickly apologised, "That just came out."

"No, you're completely right Ron. Harry and I did make out before we started dating. I get it, it's a bit of fun and it helps you forget about things. But the difference between a no strings attached relationship and a real one, isn't the label, it's the feelings attached to it." Sirius' words rang clearly in my mind.

"I know. And Julez and I are definitely on the same page. You don't have to worry; we're not going to end up falling head over heels for each other like you and Harry and start dating."

"You say that like that's the worst possible outcome."

He shrugged, "For me, it kind of is. She's sweet but she's a bit of a…tart for a girlfriend."

I rolled my eyes, "Well that tart has a heart so don't be a jerk."

"I know, I know. And this jerk has a…situation that needs to be taken care of so please tell me you're fine walking back to the common room."

I sighed and turned around, not knowing how to react. Should I be happy for Ron? Sad for Mi? Mi!

"Oh, and Ky…" I turned around, and for one moment Ron's face was a prison of despair. "There's nothing I can say that will convince you not to tell her."

I shook my head in the negative, and he turned back to the portrait to continue making one of the biggest mistakes of his life. I walked back through the portrait of the baby hippogriff and growled in frustration.

"Is it national make out in the wee hours of the morning day and I was the only one who did not get the memo?"

Jack Corner's look of surprise quickly faded for one of amusement upon recognition, "National Make Out Day? As entertaining as that sounds, I'm actually out at the 'wee hours of the morning' on prefect duty."

I rolled my eyes and sighed and began walking up the flight of stairs, "Firstly, you're not a prefect. And secondly, you still have lipstick on your face. Or have you decided to become a cross dresser, if so, red is so not your colour."

"Firstly, I am a prefect, the spot opened up at the beginning of the year." I heard the bitterness in his voice and refrained from hitting myself for unintentionally bringing up his dead best friend in conversation. "And secondly…I think red suits me just fine."

I smiled, knowing it was harder than he let on making a joke after thinking about Cedric. It seemed Alison and him were both moving on which is a good thing.

"Oh, don't show me your pearly whites, I am a prefect, and you are out of bounds. I would dock points, but I don't think Gryffindor has any rubies left."

"Oh Corner, you wouldn't dock points off me even if we had rubies in the thousands."

"You really do think you are special, don't you?"

"I am the granddaughter of THE Albus Dumbledore and the girlfriend of THE Harry Potter, I don't think you get any more special."

He laughed and stopped on the seventh floor, "Well, I can't argue that. I was heartbroken to see the wonder boy taken…but seriously, how is that going?"

I smiled, looking down at the plush red carpet that outlined the seventh floor, trying to find the words to describe just what Harry meant and realising that I just couldn't find the right words.

Harry wasn't perfect and I was even further from the notion, yet together I find myself smiling more, laughing more…living more.

"I'm happy."

"You're more than happy Ky." I looked up, Corner was looking down at me, a contemplative look on his face, "I think you know that…Goodnight."

I watched him walk away, not really seeing him at all, registering only the quickened beating of my heart at the realisation of the words that was always hidden in my head, suffocating in the recesses of my mind, just waiting to be pulled into the light…the words that I now couldn't push back down…that I didn't want to push back down.

"Ky, what are you doing out of bed?"

I turned to him, the invisibility cloak falling off his shoulders as he reached me, green eyes wide in anticipation of my answer.

"Harry, I love you." I watched as the words floated into his mind, as his eyes reflected the processing of the words in their saucer like shock, as his lower lip fell down to let out a silent gasp as if what I had told him should be of any surprise at all. As if he didn't see it, if a stranger like Corner did. I didn't know what expression I wore on my face, the engine that was my heart stalled and stood useless in my chest, waiting for him to respond.

"You should get back to bed, you have a long day of practice ahead of you."

I blinked, the engine starting up again but choosing to idle rather than to rev as he walked passed me, making his way to the common room as if I had merely remarked on the weather…

"He said nothing?"

"No, he said I should get to bed, I had a long day of practice ahead of me…Mi, about the beginning of the story."

"Well, he does. You didn't see him when you were sick Ky, he was…hovering. Just idling through the days waiting for you to wake up."

I didn't want to think about what I had said last night right now, "He says it's just casual and I'm sure it is, I mean it's Juliette. Friend she may be, but we all know what a slag she is."

"Maybe he didn't hear you?" She wrinkled her nose in thought.

"We shouldn't blame Ron; he is a boy and which boy can say no to free goods. And Ron in particular, he can't walk away from a bargain."

"Maybe I should speak to him."

I took Mi's thoughtful expression in, she was taking this much better than I thought, "Well…yeah. Sure, I mean he should know how you feel about this."

"What does it matter how I feel?"

I frowned at Mi, "Well, I know you haven't admitted to anything out loud, but your feelings are very important to the situation."

"Why would Harry care how I feel about his feelings for you?" She frowned back at me,

"Wait, what?" We had found ourselves in a rare occurrence; Mi and I were not on the same page. And then it hit me, no, we were most definitely on the same page…just as I didn't want to talk about Harry, she didn't want to speak about Ron.

I stretched my legs, "How about a rematch, end of the posts and back five times, butter duty for two months?"

She smiled a smile that didn't reach her brown eyes, "You're making this too easy." She took off with a turn of her heel…a turn not fast enough to hide the shiny drop that ran down her cheek…the drop that spoke volumes in its silent despair.

-x-x-x-

"I love you." He looked up at me from his bowl of cereal; Neville stopped speaking and turned quickly away from him, the only one of us Gryffindor's that had any respect for private conversations. I wiped the sweat off my forehead and grabbed his orange juice, chugging it down and taking the seat next to his, with my back to the table and my eyes determinedly on him. I put the glass of juice down with a loud chink and let my breathing catch up with me after the exhausting run.

I leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on his frozen face, "I'm heading up to shower and change. See you in Charms?"

I stood and walked away, taking the steps on the grand staircase two at a time.

"This isn't some game…you can't just…it's not…"

I turned slowly, pushing my hair out of my eyes, I hated it touching my face when it was dirty. Where's Mi when I needed a hair-clip. Harry stood on the step below me, his eyes a few spikes of anger short of a glare, but the most predominate feature of his scowl was the swirls of confusion. I touched his cheek and glanced at the shadows beneath his eyes, "Did you manage to get any sleep at all after you went to bed?"

The confusion swirled darker, "No, it was practically morning…Ky, I…I…you…" His breathing quickened exponentially; it looked like he was having a panic attack. I quickly ushered him onto the steps, rubbing his back, "Put your head between your legs."

He did so without question, and I waited for his chest to regain its normal rhythm, Harry never panicked. Yes, he was confronted with dangerous situation upon perilous adventure time and time again, but somehow he always channelled that fear, that anxiety, that quickened heartbeat, into a tool.

"Ky, I-"

"You don't have to say it back. Harry, you don't have to say anything. I didn't say what I did to scare you and I didn't repeat those words to play games with you. I…admit I was disappointed at first, but now I'm not."

He pulled his head from between his knees, his green eyes watery from the assault that had rained down on him by his nervous system. I observed shadow after shadow floating across his skin but didn't move; ignoring what must be curious glances to the most popular couple in school seated in complete disarray on the grand staircase steps. "Ky, I…I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize. I understand." And I did. The run, which was supposed to take my mind off what happened last night, did quite the opposite.

I was confident in Harry's feelings for me. Even if the words I wanted to hear never left his mouth, they were omnipresent in his every movement. In his determination to save my magic and inadvertently save me. In the way I need only glance around to find his bright emerald eyes. In the way his fingers found my own whenever I needed assurance of his presence. In the way his whole body curved protectively around mine as we slept. It wasn't that I had gotten it completely wrong. Harry did love me. And as my very own words chanted repetitively in my head as I ran harder than my legs could manage, over and over again until it sounded alien, distorted by my emotions... I realised…it must be just as alien, if not more so, to Harry.

Has he ever heard those words before? Has he even uttered them out loud or even dared to dream them. "Harry, I love you. And I don't need you to respond now. I don't expect you to." I leaned closer to him, "I love you. It isn't a question, therefore no need for an answer. Just a statement, but if it makes you very uncomfortable, I can stop. Saying it that is, not loving you. I don't think I have power over the latter. Do you want me to stop?"

"No." He turned, looking down at me as a storm of emotion raged in his eyes. He was silent for moments that passed liked statues. I felt like I would forever remember the look on his face, his lips slightly parted due to astonishment and the ghosts of hesitant words fighting their way through. His skin took on a redness mostly associated with fever yet his eyes glowed in the complete antonym to an ailing man, it brimmed over with life. "I would like you to say it again."

The ghost words finally picked up volume and I smiled, giving him a quick kiss on his lips. My heart ached for him as I traced my lips to his ear, "I love you, Harry."

He turned and looked at me. Suddenly his lips found mine and I felt the words he couldn't speak stranded on his tongue, and it tasted sweeter than any proclamation that I need ever hear.

A/N: When writing this, Ky's proclamation of love came very naturally. She's very vocal, whilst Harry is more an action speaks louder than words kind of person. It then occurred to me that he probably hadn't been told that he was loved before – he felt the love of people, but I think the words are not familiar to him as he grew up so alone. What do you think?

Kalina