Chapter 29

He lay there hoping 'Two's' hand would slide a bit lower for him and guide him down when, softly breathing in, he drew in 'One's' scent through his nose. 'Mmm,' he thought. 'She smells just like Hermione.'

'Hermione.'

'Hermione!'

Startled properly awake - feeling his heart give a sudden lurch in his chest as it started hammering away - he tried to snatch his hand away from where he had groped his best friend. But his hand only made it about two inches before it felt material snap taunt across the back of his hand. Then, before he could realise his hand was up and under her tank top - and that he had to pull it down her body to escape the material - he felt her hand grab the back of his, and push it back onto her boob.

Almost in a panic, he froze; unsure of what to do now.

"Leave it there, Harry," he heard Hermione softly say. "I don't mind; and, I kind of like it."

His mind whirling almost too fast to hold a proper thought, the only one he could hold in his mind and think to do was pull himself away from her bum, and the silken feel of her shorts, lest she feel 'it' and know he was a 'dirty young man'. His main thought was, 'I'm squeezing Hermione's bare boob!'

He eased his hips away from her very warm behind, closer to the body spooning him from behind, thinking he might have got away with it.

"You could have left that there, too, Harry," he heard Hermione softly say. "I didn't mind that, either."

Harry sighed as he fought his heart rate down to a less palpitating speed, and said, "As much as I would love to, it's a school day; and we have class at 10.30am. You and I have DADA with the 'Claws."

With a stifled yawn from behind him, Daphne said, "He's right. We've got class. Charms with the 'Puffs for me."

Hermione sighed, hesitated a moment, pulled Harry's hand down from underneath her tanktop and flipped over on to her left shoulder. Looking Harry in the eye, for a moment, she brought her hand up to his cheek, before she kissed him, lips to lips.

Though he enjoyed it, he hadn't expected her to just lean in and kiss him so softly; so tenderly.

After a few moments to think it through, he then leaned forward and kissed her back the same way; which surprised her. It was only the second time Harry had ever initiated such a contact. Well, at least including the 'brotherly' peck to her cheek after class before.

After Hermione rose and made her way back to her bedroom, Harry pulled away from Daphne and flipped himself over, just as Hermione had done less than a minute earlier.

He looked back into the gorgeous aquamarine blue eyes of the blonde-haired girl that contained just a hint of nervousness.

"And good morning to you, too, beautiful," he softly said with a smile.

Almost instantly the hint of fear or nervousness left her eyes and she brightly smiled.

This time he waited for her to make the first move. She did. Just as Hermione did, she leaned in and softly kissed him; a kiss he was happy to return.

After Daphne laid there, just staring back at him for a few moments, Harry saw her face, ever-so-slightly, change expression to one he'd come to recognise as her having reached a decision.

Then she leaned forward and more passionately kissed him than the one a few moments earlier. Then she suddenly pulled away, flipped back the covers and climbed out of bed.

"While we might not have class first period this morning, Harry James, we should still get up," she smirked. "So, get out of bed, shower, and get dressed. We should be in the Great Hall for breakfast."

As she walked out, Harry laid in bed for a few moments and sighed while staring up at the ceiling. That second kiss told him she was starting to recover from the horror she went through immediately before her death. Or maybe it was because those memories were behind a very strong Occlumency barrier. He hoped that it was that, plus the talk they had the previous night, helping the girl to come to terms with what had happened to her; and what they had yet to do.

By rights, she should see a mind-healer to aid her in coming to terms with it and putting it behind her. However, they couldn't go that route and keep the fact she, at least, was a time-traveller a secret. Therefore, it was up to he and Hermione to work together to help her.

The three walked into the Great Hall in their usual formation, and half of their year mates were not there. As last night was supposed to have been an Astronomy night - though, they never had it the first week back - many of them were using the opportunity to sleep in. They'd just eat larger portions at morning tea and make up the difference at lunch.

However, even if they had Astronomy the previous night, that would not have stopped Ron Weasley from making his way down to breakfast. Walking in, the three saw the red haired boy sitting where Neville had been sitting the past couple of days.

Harry pulled the two girls up short before Ron saw them. "Remember," he quietly said to them both. "Ron's not doing all the potioning, at this point in time; it's mainly Ginny. Plus, it's also been three days; we don't know if he's not going to try, anyway. Things may have changed that much, already."

Both girls nodded but, before the three continued to the table, Daphne said, "I still won't sit near him with his atrocious table manners."

"Fair enough," said Harry, turning to her. "We'll sit with you furthest away from him." Then he turned to Hermione. "That means, Hermione, you need to be on more of a guard. You're going to be sitting closest to him; almost directly opposite."

Hermione pressed her lips together in determination and nodded, once. "I'll watch him like a hawk," she said.

"As will I," he replied.

The three made their way along the table opposite where Ron was and stopped a little further along and closer to the head table before sitting down.

After the three had sat, Ron finally noticed them when he reached for more food. He did not notice they had already cast quite a few detection charms over the drinks and food already there. Nothing showed up.

"Oh," he said. "Mornin', 'Arry... 'Ermione."

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