Winter Confessions

Winter Confessions

Hermione Granger was waking up groggily to the cold breeze that was coming from the window. 'Who would leave the window open when it is that bloody cold outside?' she wondered. She got up, wrapping her blanket around her body, and went across her room to close the window. Hermione went back to her bed and grabbed her pillow. She proceeded out the door and down to the Common Room. Hermione put her blanket and pillow down on the couch in front of the fire and fell asleep once again.

Harry Potter walked down the stairs to the Common Room to see Hermione fast asleep on the couch in front of the fire. He walked over to the couch and sat at the foot of it. Hermione stirred in her sleep. She opened her eyes and saw Harry.

"'Morning," he said to her.

"'Morning yourself," she answered and sat up. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"What time is it?" she asked. He checked his watch.

"It's nine-thirty in the morning," he answered.

"What? Nine-thirty in the morning? How could you let me sleep so long? I haven't even done my homework!" she exclaimed. Harry shook his head. It was the first day of Christmas vacation and all Hermione could do was think of homework.

"Homework? Listen, it's snowing outside and I was thinking if you wanted to go outside and play, you know, like old times," Harry said. Hermione bit her lip.

"Well, I suppose it would be nice to go outside and play. We haven't done that in a year," Hermione said and got up from the couch. Harry blushed when she did that.

"What?" she asked.

"Your night-gown," he said.

"What about it?" Hermione asked. Harry muttered something.

"What was that?"

"Your nightgown is up," he said, turning away. Hermione looked down.

"Oh! Thanks for telling me," she said, putting down the nightgown. "We are never to speak of this little incident, okay?"

"Okay," he answered. Hermione gathered her blanket and pillow.

"I'll be ready in ten minutes," she said to him and went up the stairs. "Where is Ron?"

"Dunno. Last time I saw him was last night. Probably with Luna," Harry said.

"Oh. Okay then. I'll be upstairs if you need me to hurry up."

Hermione ran up stairs to the very top of the tower. On the beautiful mahogany door carved was Gryffindor Girl Prefects: Miss Hermione Granger and under her name was Miss Virginia Weasley.

Ginny was now in fifth year and she had gotten top grades out of her class along with Colin Creevey. Hermione got the top grades in her year so there was no question that she was going to be a Prefect. Harry, however, had gotten to be Prefect.

At first Harry was going to refuse because he thought that he was only going to be a Prefect because he was 'The Boy Who Lived' but with a little talk about his grades with Dumbledore, he finally accepted. Ron, on the other hand, wasn't a Prefect but everyone expected that.

Hermione opened the door to her room. She always loved how it looked. It had two large four-poster beds, two wardrobes, a fireplace, a small library for Hermione, a desk, and four large comfortable chairs by the window. Since Hermione didn't really need all the wardrobe space that she had, she told Ginny that she could have the half that she didn't use. Hermione went to her bed and dropped her pillow and blanket on her bed and went over to her wardrobe. She took out a simple green turtle neck and some jeans. She grabbed her brush and put her hair in a high ponytail. She put on her boots and jacket, brushed her teeth, and ran downstairs to the expecting Harry.

"Ready!" she announced.

"Where's Ron?" Harry asked.

"Uh-I dunno. I thought you were looking for him," Hermione answered.

"He's probably with Luna. Why don't you take a look in his room?" Harry suggested.

"Me?" she asked. "Why not you?"

"Why not you?"

"Why should I go?"

"Why not?"

"You should go."

"Fine!" Harry threw his hands up in resignation. "I'll go."

Harry cautiously walked up the stairs and opened the door. He poked his head in but immediately took it back out since he heard the bed squeaking violently. 'Trust Ron not to cast a Silencing Charm!' He ran back the stairs and he imagined he looked a bit pale since Hermione had a worried expression on her face. She questioned him.

"Oh, I just walked in on them, you know?"

"What!" Hermione looked outraged. "Why is he doing that? It's, what, ten a.m.?"

Harry scoffed. "Like Ron gives a shit if it's ten in the morning."

"Still!"

"Hermione!" Harry said, guiding her to the portrait hole. "He's sixteen. Ron's growing up. It wasn't his first time, you know." Hermione felt her mouth open.

"What? It wasn't? I think he should've waited. I think he's too young."

"He's a guy. He doesn't think about these things. He's sixteen. He's Ron, for Merlin's sake," Harry responded. "What? Haven't you?"

"No!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'm waiting for the right time and the right person." Hermione stopped. She turned to Harry with her hands on her hips.

"Harry James Potter, have you done it before?" Harry bowed his head. Hermione's bottom lip quivered. She felt hot tears waiting to spill.

"No," Harry muttered. Hermione looked at him and quickly wiped her tears.

"You haven't?" she asked.

"No." Hermione threw herself on him once again.

"What?" he asked. Hermione unglued herself from him.

"Nothing," she said and continued to walk side by side with Harry to the castle grounds. When Harry opened the doors to the castle grounds, Hermione gasped. It was beautiful, what with the snow covering the grounds and the little snowflakes coming down on their heads. Hermione stood there for about a minute while Harry ran away but then she grabbed some snow, made into a ball and threw it hard on Harry's head.

"Hey! What the bloody hell are you doing?" he yelled.

"What did you say to me, Harry Potter?" she yelled back and threw another ball at him.

"I wasn't ready!" he screamed. Hermione laughed and laughed. Harry sneaked up behind her and smashed a snowball right on top of her head.

"Hey!" she exclaimed and slapped him on the side of her arm. Harry bent down to grab some more snow for another ball but Hermione pushed him and he toppled on the snow. Hermione laughed some more. Harry was glaring at her so he grabbed her by the ankles and pulled her so that she also landed on the snow. It was Harry's turn to laugh at her. She had landed on her back so that her whole back was wet with snow. Harry laughed but stopped when he felt something wet on his face. He turned to see Hermione laughing her face off. She had smashed a snowball right on his face. Harry for once was glad that he didn't use his glasses anymore since Madam Pomfrey said that she could repair his sight. He blinked at her and without thinking he grabbed her by the waist and started to tickle her.

"Harry! Harry, stop!" she laughed. But he kept tickling her. Hermione laughed really hard that she was having trouble breathing.

"Have you had enough, 'Mione?" Harry asked her. Hermione nodded her head violently. Harry stopped tickling her and looked at her. He was right on top of her.

"What?" she asked. Harry didn't answer but he reached and touched her cheek.

"You had snow on your cheek."

"Oh, thanks."

Harry looked at her cinnamon brown eyes. He moved a little closer so that there was a tiny gap left between them. Hermione closed her eyes and 'He's invading my personal space!' was the last thing she thought as Harry closed the gap with his mouth. It was a nice soft kiss at first but then Harry intensed it. He pressed harder on her mouth and slipped his tongue inside her mouth as Hermione opened it for him. He explored her mouth, every inch of it. Hermione moaned inside his mouth. Hermione pushed away from him since she needed air.

"Gosh, Hermione. I...I think I'm in love with you." Harry took a deep breath and let it out. "No, I don't think so, I know so."

"Harry, Harry. I love you too, so much. You are the sweetest person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."

Harry scowled. "I was hoping something more along the lines of courageous?"

"Yes, courageous. Definitely. And also noble, honest, loyal," Hermione counted off her fingers. Then she grinned. "Also lazy, grumpy, smart-arse...need I go on?"

Harry scowled once more. "You are such a...witch!" he growled.

Hermione smiled. "I should hope so. My parents didn't send me to the best magical school if I wasn't a witch."

He rolled his eyes and then got very serious. "Hermione? Will you...er.... I mean...er," he stuttered and blushed.

"Of course Harry," she said simply. He looked up and Hermione kissed him lightly.

"What?" he asked, after they broke apart. "No 'We can never be together,' 'Voldemort might use me as a target to kill you,' or 'It can ruin our friendship'? No drama?"

Hermione swatted him on the arm and got up. She brushed some of the snow off from her hair and clothes. "Not today. Maybe next week. I'm not in the mood."

Harry also got up and brushed himself off. "I agree. It'll just ruin the moment."

"HARRY! HERMY!" came Ron's loud voice. He ran to them and watched in widen eyes as Harry brushed some snow off of Hermione's lips and stared at her lovingly. "Oy!"

They both snapped out of it and turn to Ron. Hermione put her hands on her hips and hissed, "My name is not Hermy! It is Her-mi-o-ne!"

"Oh, so Grawp could call you 'Hermy' but I can't?" Ron retorted and laughed.

"Shut up," Harry also hissed at Ron. He could see that Hermione was getting angrier by the minute. "Calm down, Hermione," Harry whispered soothingly in her ear and he could feel her relaxing.

"Anyway," Ron continued as he rolled his eyes. "What happened between you guys?"

Harry shifted. "We got together." He held his breath, waiting for Ron to blow up. But he didn't. In fact, he cracked up.

"FINALLY!" he hollered. He caught his breath. "Sea-Seamus owes me ten Galleons! So does Dean, Neville owes me two, Ernie owes me six, that's twenty-eight, then Malfoy owes me twelve, that's forty, and then-"

"Hold on one sodding minute!" Harry growled. "You had a bet going on?"

"Yep. How did you get together? 'Cause that could be another twenty Galleons right there!"

Hermione shook with anger. So did Harry. "You made money out of us?" Hermione said through clenched teeth.

"Yeah," Ron said and then he turned around when he heard a girl calling his name. It was Luna Lovegood, his current girlfriend. She ran to him and gave him a hug. "Hey Luna. I just found out that Harry and Hermione just got together."

"Oh, really? Be careful because I heard that if you get together during the winter or out in the snow you are forever cursed with the curse of the Snorlets," she said in a sort of serious/dreamy voice.

"Snorl-" Hermione shook her head.

"So, how was it? Any tears or slapping of the face?" Ron asked excitedly.

Harry shook his head. "Nope. We're saving that until next week."

"How organized yet romantic," Luna commented in her usual dreamy voice.

Ron on the other hand shook his head incredulously. "Next week? You have a date planned out already? Merlin, Harry! You're turning into Hermione," he said, a hint of disgust in his voice.

Harry gave him the bird and walked away, him holding Hermione's hand. They ignored (Luna included as she had taken out the latest issue of The Quibbler) Ron chattering nonstop about how Hermione was rubbing off badly on Harry and his winnings.

Harry sighed and looked back at the white covered grounds before going back in. It looked like the perfect day for confessions, whatever kind they be (in Ron's case money bets) or simply just love ones.

Overall: a prefect day for winter confessions.