Change of Tactics

Alarms and Arguments

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Harry jerked awake as his Muggle alarm sounded. Now in his 6^th year at Hogwarts, he could not give up a truly useful Muggle object. He felt around his bedside table, looking for his glasses. He pushed back his rumpled hair, and felt his thin, lightning-shaped scar, compliments of the now dead Lord Voldemort. Harry sighed in relief as he realized he could finally rest easy, knowing there was no more danger. He had killed Voldemort himself, and now he was a born-again hero to the Wizarding World. The nightmares wouldn't go away, though, but he could understand that.

Harry lay in bed, still running a finger up and down his scar, before he jumped up, realizing he was the only one left in his dormitory. He pushed his glasses on, threw his robes over his head, and slipped on his trainers. He raced down the stairs, called out "Good Morning!" to a few fellow Gryffindors, and climbed out of the portrait hole. Harry sprinted along the corridors, down stairs, and took a few shortcuts. He skidded as he made it to the Great Hall, and calmly walked inside. Through the sea of students, he spotted Cho Chang, his beautiful girlfriend. She beamed at him, as he returned the smile with a saucy wink. He found Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table, and slipped into a seat between them.

"Harry, where have you been?" Hermione asked him.

"Oh, I just woke up late, that's all," Harry said.

Beside Harry, Ron snorted into his plate of bacon and eggs.

"What are you talking about, mate? I saw you pouring into your bed around dawn!" Ron exclaimed. "Where were you last night?"

"No where! Can't I have any privacy?" Harry asked irritably.

Hermione opened her mouth to scold him, but a look from Harry shut her up. Harry looked over to the Ravenclaw table and caught Cho staring at him. He met her gaze and blew her a kiss. She smiled and returned one.

Ron and Hermione followed Harry's gaze, and it landed on Cho. They exchanged a look, but didn't say anything.

Harry saw Cho get up from the table, along with many of the students, as the school day was starting shortly. He said a hurried good-bye to Ron and Hermione, and caught up to Cho as she reached the doors of the Great Hall.

Harry slipped an arm around Cho's waist and planted a kiss on her cheek. Cho giggled and reached for his free hand, lacing her fingers with his. They headed up the marble staircase to the Charms corridor.

"Did you have fun last night, babe?" Harry whispered into Cho's ear.

"I've never had that much fun in the middle of the night," Cho giggled. "I'd love to do something tonight as well."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows as he thought. "I could think of something for us to do. I'll owl you when I know, ok?"

"Sure, honey. I'll see you at dinner?" Cho asked.

Harry quickly kissed her. "Of course. I look forward to it."

Harry stood there, watching Cho walk into Flitwick's class. He touched his lips, savoring Cho's touch. He slowly walked to his first class of the day, Transfiguration.

As he walked in the classroom, he put a hand to the back of his head as Professor McGonagall noted his lateness. He muttered an apology, and took his seat between Ron and Hermione.

Before they had a chance to question him, McGonagall came around, passing back their essays, and beginning her lecture.

Harry slipped into a stupor, day dreaming about Cho and their rendezvous in the middle of the night.

"Potter! Kindly repeat the last thing I said!" McGonagall barked at him.

Harry, still disoriented as he was jerked from his thoughts, repeated the last thing he had heard in his day dream.

"I love you?" Harry offered.

The class erupted in laughter as McGonagall shook her head and began writing on the board once more. Harry flushed and grinned, and took to scribbling Snitches and Cho's initials with his on a spare parchment.

An hour later, the class filed out of Transfiguration, and Ron and Hermione got their chance to berate him.

Ron pushed Harry against the wall next to a painting of a panicked, squat witch brewing a potion that was over flowing, and spitting sparks.

"Where the bloody fuck have you been this year? You're never around anymore, and now you're gone during the nights, too!" Ron raged. "Harry you're becoming irresponsible all of a sudden. What is happening to you?"

Hermione pleaded with her eyes. "Harry we're worried about you. After Volde-...Voldemort was defeated you've been so withdrawn from us! You need to talk with us about it. About everything in your life. The girl in your life..."

Harry pushed Ron away from him. "You want to know every detail about my life? I don't delve into yours! I'm finally a normal, teenage wizard and enjoying myself, and you're trying to deprive me of that? So what if I have a girl in my life now? I'm happy, and that's all you need to know." He shook his head. "I'll talk to you guys later, all right?" And with that he walked off down the hall to Divination.

Ron and Hermione both sighed, embraced briefly with a kiss, and departed from each other. Ron himself had a girlfriend of his own now, and with a lopsided grin, he followed Harry to his next class.