All's Fair in Love and War

CHAPTER 1: BETRAYAL

Hermione smiled as Ron climbed through the portrait hole into the nearly deserted Gryffindor Common Room. Ron grinned back, and sat down on the overstuffed couch, pointing his feet towards the roaring fire. Most of the other Gryffindors were on a Hogsmeade visit, but, in their sixth year at Hogwarts, Hogsmeade had lost its novelty. Hermione set her book aside and snuggled into his chest.

"Was Harry in the owlery?" Hermione asked.

"No. I looked there, and in the library, and down at Hagrid's Hut. He didn't go to Hogsmeade, did he?"

"Nope. He told me that he definitely wasn't going this time."

"Oh well… he'll turn up." Ron looked sour. "He shouldn't be going out with my baby sister, though. Especially if he doesn't spend any time with her." Hermione sat up. "I think it's good that they got together," she said seriously. "You're just being too protective." She planted a line of light kisses along his jaw, and he smiled.

"You're right." He grinned roguishly. "Can you think of anything I can do to keep my mind off things?"

He leaned in to kiss his girlfriend, first lightly, and then becoming more demanding, exploring the recesses of her mouth. Hermione moaned softly then smiled. "I can think of one or two things," she giggled as she returned his kisses.

* * * * *

Ginny crept down a shady corridor, silent except for the swish of her wavy flame-red hair as it tumbled to the base of her shoulder blades. The second-floor corridor seemed never-ending, and almost deserted. The few students she'd seen down the corridor, none had been from Gryffindor House, and none of them looked even remotely like Harry. Where is he? Ginny wondered as she prowled the corridor. This wasn't like him, leaving with no notice, and she had a growing feeling of unease swirling in the pit of her stomach. As she neared the end of the corridor, she spotted a classroom door partly ajar. As Ginny peered inside, her stomach lurched as she recognised a familiar body with jet-black hair. Harry - Ginny's boyfriend, and first true love - was inside the classroom, his arms wrapped firmly around the body of a beautiful Chinese Ravenclaw student, his mouth firmly attached to hers. Cho Chang. A wave of fury rose inside Ginny, filling her body with a hatred for the girl, and for Harry. Blinded by tears, Ginny ran as quickly as she was able back to the Gryffindor Common Room, where she burst through the portrait hole, accidentally stumbling across Ron and Hermione in an obviously intimate moment.

"I - I'm sorry!" She wailed, then defiantly brushed the tears from her eyes before racing up to her dorm room, where she collapsed, sobbing, onto her four-poster bed.

* * * * *

Hermione quickly detached herself from Ron's embrace and ran after Ginny. She entered the fifth year girls' dormitory and closed the door behind her. Ginny lay on the bed crying. Hermione rushed up to her and wrapped her arms around the younger girl in a hug.

"Shh, shh," Hermione crooned. "What happened, huh?"

Ginny pulled her head off Hermione's shoulder.

"I found Harry… With Cho Chang." Ginny gulped for air. "He was in one of the classrooms. He didn't see me."

Hermione gasped. "Oh no," she breathed. "That little bastard."

"Why?" Ginny wailed. "Why me? Is it just because I love him so much?"

Ginny's wails got louder with each question, and Hermione hastily cast a soundproofing spell on the walls of the room, while still trying to soothe the distraught Ginny.

I'll get him for this! Hermione thought angrily. I don't care if he's my best friend, I'll get him… if Ron doesn't kill him first!

* * * * *

Harry's mind was blissfully blank. The only thing registering in his mind was the fact that he was finally with the girl of his dreams, the girl he had admired for the past three years. His hands were resting gently on her hips, her hands were wrapped around his neck, and their mouths were crushed together in a lingering, passionate kiss.

Harry had been as surprised as anyone when Cho had approached him in the Entrance Hall, asking him to meet her in the classroom in which they now stood. Her intentions had been perfectly simple - ask him to tell her absolutely everything about the night of Cedric's death. How, Harry didn't know, but they had ended up like this, Cho's body pressed to his in a loving, desperate embrace.

"I need you," Cho whispered huskily in his ear. "Shall we go to my room?" Harry gulped. It wouldn't be the first time he had had sex - shit, he had shagged at least a tenth of the Gryffindor girls - but doing it with Cho would be like living a fantasy. He had dreamed of her almost every night for the past three years - ever since he'd first seen her on the Quidditch pitch, unfortunately on the opposite team, but that couldn't be helped! However, in the hazy fog in his mind, something was nagging at him. Something wasn't right. He shrugged it away.

"Yep," he agreed. "Your room will be fine."

Cho took his hand and linked his fingers with hers. She crept to the door and peered out into the corridor. Satisfied that nobody was watching, she led Harry down a flight of stairs towards the Ravenclaw Common Room. "Seventh Year students are allowed their own rooms," Cho whispered to Harry. She stopped at a stretch of bare wall, muttered a password and the wall twisted open. Cho led Harry into her room, and quickly closed the wall again.

Harry took the opportunity to glance around the room, which was average size - about the same size as Dudley's bedroom at Privet Drive - with navy blue walls which must have had a spell on them, because they sparkled and glinted in the light coming from various torches and candles around the room. In the centre of the room stood Cho's large four-poster bed, covered in discarded clothing, makeup and magazines.

Cho giggled, distracting Harry, who turned to look at her. She was slowly taking off her shirt, tantalizingly slowly, and Harry felt his heartbeat quicken. She removed her shirt and then her skirt, and stood in nothing but a bra and panties, both a matching scarlet colour, which Harry found compelling. Harry was quick to strip down and follow her to the bed, taking her in his arms and exploring her body with ardour and passion.