No Good

Chapter 3: A Confession

The morning sun shone through the common room as Harry drowsily opened his eyes, and took in his surroundings. It seemed impossible, but he finally had a dreamless sleep and it was all thanks to his best friend whose lap he was currently lying on.

Gently, Harry rotated his body to stare up at Hermione who seemed to wear a smile on her face as she slept. He took his time to admire her features and found himself smiling at his best friend's almost sublime face. She was beautiful in every sense of the word, thought Harry before he mentally caught himself. This was his best friend after all, he wasn't supposed to be thinking of her like this.

Yet, as he continued to stare at her, he couldn't find it in himself to deny it any longer. Hermione had truly become a beautiful woman, and he was certain that she would have dozens of suitors. The very thought of that, however, raised anger within Harry. He had no claim to Hermione, but he felt rageful at the thought of another man being with her. Interspersed with his rage was a type of pain that stabbed at his heart as his mind imagined anyone else with Hermione other than himself.
He didn't know why he felt this way, and it frustrated him to no end as he searched within himself for answers.

While Harry continued his quest for answers in his mindscape, he was unaware of Hermione's sudden wakefulness.

Despite the awkward position, Hermione felt well and truly rested as she woke from her slumber. She was immediately aware of the weight on her lap and remembered last night. Without even looking down, she naturally ran her hands through Harry's hair with a soft smile on her face, unaware that her companion was wide awake.

Harry was jolted from his musings by the softness of Hermione's caresses through his hair but let out a relaxed sigh at the motion. He allowed himself to smile contentedly before noticing Hermione looking down at him.

"Hey, you."

Hermione giggled at Harry's addressal but never stopped running her hands through his hair, even as her nerves rose up in her. Somehow, she knew that this moment was far too intimate for just friends. Nevertheless, she resolved to cherish the moment because she believed that this was her only chance at intimacy with the man she knew she loved.

Harry watched as Hermione's soft giggle turned into an almost sad smile as she continued to play with his hair. Her countenance bothered him enough to reach up and caress her cheek before pulling her to once again face down at him.

"What's wrong?" He asked with a hint of worry in his voice.

Hermione cocked her head at him in confusion, a motion that Harry found ridiculously adorable. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted by it, though, and remained focused. "Your smile...it was almost sad for a second," said Harry with a long pause in between.

Hermione was shocked that Harry noticed her sadness but also felt warm at the fact that he could read her so well. Regardless of this, however, she wasn't quite sure how to explain her sadness to him. "It's nothing, Harry."

Harry, quite frankly, knew that she was lying through her teeth and rose up from his position to sit next to her. He was going to get to the bottom of this and figure out a way to cheer her up. After all, she would have and had done the same for him before.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" He softly asked her, staring deep into her chocolate eyes. The intensity of their gazes toward each other was not lost on him, but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

"Harry, it's nothing. It's just girl stuff," Hermione said fake bashfully, hoping to bait Harry's immaturity when it came to discussing these matters.

He didn't take the bait.