Soul Pieces

Chapter 06: Nothing's gonna change

And he kissed her. Not a tender or sweet kiss; it was full of despair and desire. His hands let go of her wrists and found the softness of her brown hair.

OH MY GOD.

"What I am doing, I'm kissing Hermione Granger, my best friend! On the mouth and it feels damn good! She'll hate me, I'm sure! But, wait a minute! Her arms are around my neck...she's kissing me back! Merlin, I don't know if she read about this in a book, but WOW! She knows the job.... Not that I am an expert on this matter..." he thought erratically.

Harry and Hermione kissed for what seemed to be like a lifetime. His tongue traveled over her lips and he didn't want to stop; it was like he was afraid that he would forget her taste if he did. There wasn't anyone around them. No Ron, Ginny, or any of the Weasleys. There was no Voldemort and there weren't any Horcruxes. There was only Harry and Hermione.

His hands left her hair and started to move slightly up and down her back as she pressed against him and Harry could feel his desire growing.

She was the one who broke the kiss, needing air.

"Harry..." she managed to say.

He was looking at her swollen and pink lips, gently passing his fingers over them.

"Don't ask me to apologize, because I won't."

"I would never ask for that."

Harry didn't reply he simply smiled a furtive and sly smile before he started kissing her again.

Hermione felt his body pushing her against the wardrobe as he kissed her vigorously, his obvious arousal pushing into her thigh. Her hands were tangled in his hair, swirling through the locks as she moaned louder and louder into his mouth.

She moaned as she felt one of his hands begin to unbutton her shirt, touching one of her breasts as he kissed her again and again. As his thumbs grazed over her nipples, she shivered.

"Harry.... no..."

He didn't stop.

"Harry...."

He still didn't stop.

"Harry, stop please!" she almost yelled that time and he stepped back.

"I thought you were enjoying it."

"Yes, it's wonderful kissing you, but..."

"But what?" he asked, his voice rising.

"A kiss is just a kiss. I don't want to go further than that."

"But Oliver touched you."

"No, Harry. Well, yes, but only one time and I asked him to stop and that's not the point...."

"So, what's the point then?"

"He's not you," she declared. "With you...I don't know if I could stop."

The moment she said those words, there was an awkward silence.

"I think I'm going to bed now," Harry said, breaking the moment. "It's really late."

"Good night, Harry," she responded in a low voice.

He was at the bedroom door, with his right hand on the doorknob when he heard her voice again.

"Harry?"

"What?"

"We're still friends, right?"

"Yes, of course. Nothing's gonna change."

With a sad smile, she repeated, "Nothing's gonna change."

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The Next morning.

Grimmauld Place, the kitchen

"Good Morning, sleepy head. Or should I say good afternoon? It's past noon, you know," Remus Lupin saluted Harry, who had just walked into the room.

"Good morning, Remus. Where's Tonks?" Harry asked, taking a seat across from Ron.

"At work," Remus replied.

"Oh."

"Good morning, mate," Ron greeted Harry.

"Morning, Ron."

"Good morning, Harry. Slept well?" Hermione asked.

"Wonderful," he answered without looking at her.

Harry could see that Hermione and Ron were in the middle of a conversation that he wasn't a part of.

That's what I need, Harry thought.

"So, do you really forgive me?" Ron asked Hermione.

"Ron!"

"I need to know...I'm really sorry, Hermione."

Harry looked at Remus, who muttered, "They've been like this for almost an hour."

"Ron, let me say this for the LAST time. Yes, I was upset when I saw you kissing that girl, but then I realized that I should be happy for you. You have every right to kiss any girl you want."

"Thank you, Hermione."

"And, you weren't the only one who got a kiss last night," she replied.

Harry, who was drinking tea on the other side of the table, swallowed harshly. Fortunately, the only one who seemed to notice was Remus, who raised an eyebrow at the young boy. Harry looked at him as if to say don't say a word.

"What do you mean, Hermione?"

"Well, I kinda had some fun too."

Merlin! Where's Voldemort when we need him?

"Fun?"

"You see, Ron, I may not like to play Quidditch, but the players..."

Will they notice if I run away right now? Harry asked himself.

"Did you kiss one of the twins? God, Hermione!"

"Oh, no...I don't like beaters... they weren't even Captains..."

I'm going to faint...I'm going to faint right now!

"Wood! You and Oliver Wood!"

Good. I am safe, but I don't need to hear what I already know. Harry felt relieved as he heard Wood's name.

"So, Ron, Hermione...did you guys look around the house?" Remus interrupted.

Hermione had a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, you need to see, the house looks like the bloody Slytherin Common Room!" Harry added a little too enthusiastically.

"How do you know what the Slyther..."

"Polyjuice Potion," Ron responded shyly.

"When?"

"Second year," Hermione said.

"Second year? But it's a very complicated potion, how did you manage that?"

"Hermione," Harry replied.

"Why did I even ask?" Remus muttered to himself.

"One day, I tell you the whole story, but right now, what are our plans?" she asked.

"I thought about starting your training today, but I don't think it's such a good idea anymore. You three drank a little too much yesterday, especially you, little Potter."

"Speaking of yesterday, how did we even get here? I mean, yesterday....I can't..."

Laughing, Remus answered, "You were pretty bad, Harry, but you managed to read the paper."

"Yes, the paper with the address to Grimmauld Place."

"Oh, like in my fifth year, when you and the other Order members went to Privet Drive to pick me up."

"Yes, only this time the person who wrote the note was McGonagall since she's now the secret keeper."

"I know, but how did we leave the Burrow?"

Hermione and Ron started laughing.

"What?"

"Well, you see, Harry, you were really bad, so.... apparating would've been very dangerous..."

"So, how did I get back?"

Remus took a long breath. "Tonks had to bring you home with her and..." But before he could finish, a brown owl invaded the kitchen. He was carrying a red envelope.

"Oh, no!" Ron said, who took the letter. "It's for you, Harry."

"For me? But who?"

"Open it!" Hermione cried.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, YOU BASTARD, STUPID GIT, PRAT!"

"It's Ginny," Ron whispered to Hermione.

"ARE YOU HAVING FUN AFTER EVERYTHING YOU DID TO ME LAST NIGHT? YOU DESTROYED MY NIGHT HARRY! AND NOW I DISCOVER THAT YOU AREN'T EVEN GOING TO HOGWARTS THIS COMING YEAR! I HATE YOU!"

"Man, she's upset."

But the howler wasn't finished yet.

"YOU, HERMIONE JANE GRANGER! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS! YOU BETRAYED ME!"

Hermione was shocked, tears forming in her eyes and Harry went to her, hugging his friend.

"AND, YOU, RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, DEAR BROTHER!"

"Merlin," Ron squeaked.

"I'm a terrible friend," Hermione managed to say between sobs. "I'm a horrible person."

"Shhh," Harry whispered in her hair, hugging her tightly. He didn't want to let her go.

I could stay like this forever. Oh, you smell so good.

His thoughts were broken by Ron's voice.

"Hermione, it's alright. Ginny maybe is a little upset now, but everything's gonna be fine."

Releasing herself from Harry, she cried, "No, Ron ! Nothing's gonna be alright anymore! You don't understand, I'm a terrible person, an awful friend!" and with that, she ran away from the kitchen.

"What's that all about?"

"She'll be okay. Ron, may I speak to you in your room?" Harry asked.

"Alright."

"Remus..."

"Don't worry, Harry, I know."

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"So, you told my sister that you didn't love her?" Ron demanded, getting angry. "Just like that?"

"Ron, calm down!"

"Calm down? It's about my sister we're talking about!"

"What do you think I should do? Pretend that I'm madly in love with her and when the war's over we're going to be together? Maybe I don't love her, but I still care for her a lot. I needed to tell her the truth because she has to move on. Do you think it's easy for me?"

"I know, I'm sorry, but I thought that you..."

"Ron, I'm seventeen years old and the only girls I know are those from Hogwarts. Don't you think that maybe I'll find the love of my life in another place? At work or maybe even in another country? I'm not capable of holding a real relationship right now, not with Voldemort on the loose. I want to be free in at least one aspect of my life. I want to meet other girls, kiss other girls; I don't want to be the boy who lived to be a virgin forever!"

"Did you and...and my sis...."

"God, no! And if we had, well, you know, I probably would be married by know."

"Oh, that's for sure," Ron threatened.

"Do you understand me, now?"

"Well, I suppose I do. By the way, did you know about Hermione and Wood?"

Oh Merlin.

"No, what a surprise, haha."

"I can't believe she kissed him!"

"But, Ron..."

"It's not easy to know that the girl you like kissed another guy!"

"But you kissed another girl, Ron. Worse, you kissed another girl in front of Hermione. I saw her crying afterwards in front of everybody. Even if she's very hurt she respected you enough so that you didn't have to see her kissing Wood. The only reason you know about that is because she told you."

"But...."

"It was the same thing with Lavender, Ron. Hermione saw every kiss and did you see a single kiss between her and Krum? No! I think she has every right to kiss any guy she wants." Specially if the guy is me, he added in his mind.

Ronald Weasley didn't say a word after that.

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Grimmauld Place, the Library

"Damn it!" cried an exasperated Hermione between books and parchments.

"Calm down, Mione," said a smiling Harry who had just arrived. "What happened?"

"Calm down? Calm down! Do you know what I found out about badgers? NOTHING! I hate to have to say this but Ron's right. A badger is...a BLOODY badger!"

If it wasn't something serious, Harry would have laughed.

"Well, if you want to know, Ron and I didn't find the locket either. I have to admit, Kreatcher did a good job with the house, but...."

"This is a huge house, Harry. I know we'll find it."

"Yes, I suppose so. Want some help?"

"You can try this book," she said showing a thin book in her hand. "I haven't read it yet, if you...."

"Of course, give it to me."

When he took the book from her hand, their fingers touched and Harry felt a shiver through his spine. She was staring at him, her eyes glazed over, desire written all over them.

They didn't know who started but in the next second, the book was on the floor and the two friends were kissing.

They kissed with passion, hunger, lust. His hands went immediately under her shirt, doing things that made her moan in pleasure. Her arms were around his neck, urging him not to let go.

"Harry, Hermione!" they heard Ron's voice outside the library and they quickly pulled apart.

"Oh, there you are," the redhead said, entering in the room. "I was looking for you all over the place."

"Well, Ron," Hermione said, looking over a book "It's simple really. After all, where would I, Hermione Granger, the bookworm be?"

You are so mean Hermione...and I love you for it! Harry thought.

"Er.... right, So, Remus says dinner is ready," he paused and then continued. "You know, Harry, I think you should ask Dobby to help us. I just don't feel letting Remus do all everything around the house."

"Ron's right, Harry. Remus has done so much for us already. He trains us and cooks. Not to mention that he has Order business too."

"Yeah, I'll ask for help but I'll call Winky instead. I don't want Dobby to leave Hogwarts. He's our eyes and ears there."

"That's settled then, let's eat! I am starving!" Ron said.

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Grimmauld Place, the kitchen

"So, Tonks. Shacklebolt is the new DADA teacher?"

"Yes, Hermione. Scrimgeour wanted someone from the Ministry and well, we didn't want another Umbridge."

"But wasn't Shacklebolt working for the Muggle minister?"

"We managed that. Kingsley is a good guy and even better, few people know he's an Order Member."

"But you are certain that he is who he says he is, right?" Ron asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't think Hogwarts needs another Barty Crouch Jr," explained Harry.

"Oh, no, Minerva gave him Veritaserum before giving him the job."

"I wonder who our badges went to this year..." Hermione said almost to herself.

Harry frowned and some crazy ideas began to appear in his mind.

Funny, I had never thought about the similarity between the words badge and badger.... I'm sounding like Hermione now. Riddle had a badge ...maybe, perhaps- I wonder if this means something. I think I need to talk with Dumbledore!

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Hogwarts - Headmistress' Office

It wasn't easy for Harry to go to Hogwarts without Ron and Hermione but he didn't even know exactly why he didn't want them to be there. Something deep inside was telling him that he should go alone. After a harmless white lie about having a private conversation with Dumbledore about his parents, Harry was free to go unaccompanied.

"Very good, Harry. You figured out the similarities between the two words- badge and badger," Dumbledore's portrait said once Harry explained everything to him.

"Yes, Professor, but what does this has to do with anything? I mean, Riddle had a badge- okay but, I don't."

"Yes, Harry, you don't."

"But if it isn't about me...who?"

Dumbledore didn't say anything.

Harry began to pace around the office, deeply in thought. Suddenly, he stopped and faced Dumbledore's picture once more.

"Ron and Hermione! They had badges!"

"Very good, Harry."

"Okay, okay, Ron and Hermione. Now what?" Harry asked, mostly to himself as he fell on a chair.

"Harry, think about Hufflepuff. One word. A word that defines the Hufflepuff house. "

"One word? Do you mean ...loyalty?"

"You are going in the right direction."

Oh, Merlin, this is harder than I thought. I really need Hermione here. She would never let me down.

Harry was confused and lost as he looked at Dumbledore's portrait.

"Loyalty. It's about loyalty," Harry said running a hand through his messy hair. "Loyalty. The horcrux must be destroyed by loyalty, someone loyal...Hermione," he said after a pause. "She's always been loyal to me. I mean Ron is a great friend, he's my best friend, but she's never left my side."

"Correct, Harry. Miss Granger has always been by your side, even if you didn't notice. She never had any doubts about you. Never."

"So, this means that Hermione is the one..."

"Yes, Harry, Hermione Granger is the one who can destroy the cup. Tom made a very intricate trap: the only person capable of destroying it is his most loyal follower."

"But Hermione isn't loyal to him!" Harry cried, a little angry.

"No, but she is to you."

"I don't understand."

"The wands, Harry. Your and Voldemort's wands are brothers..."

"He made the horcrux with his wand...the loyalty is for the wand. But this gives us two people then, someone loyal to me and someone loyal to him."

"His most loyal follower is already dead, Harry."

"Who?"

"Barty Crouch Jr."

"Okay, Hermione is the one, but how...?"

"What do you feel when you think about Miss Granger?"

Harry blushed. He really didn't want tell Dumbledore about that.

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed.

"A primal thought. Is it anger? Hate?"

"Of course not! She's made me very angry before but I feel happy when I'm with her."

Dumbledore didn't reply because Harry had found the answer.

"Happiness," he muttered. Great, now what?

"In our world, Harry, happiness is very important. Not only for a good life but happiness can save lives. It has already saved yours and Miss Granger's lives before."

"Happiness. A happy thought! In our third year when she, SÃ-rius and I were almost killed by the Dementors, I cast my patronus! You're talking about the patronus! Her patronus will destroy the horcrux!"

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When Harry told Ron and Hermione about his talk with Dumbledore, the two friends were very impressed; especially Hermione. Of course, he didn't tell them the real reason why Hermione should be the one. He knew that Ron would be Ron if Harry told him that he thought Hermione was a better friend. So Harry told them that a badger is similar, physically, to an otter, Hermione's patronus, than to a terrier, Ron's patronus.

Ron believed him without asking questions but Harry could see that Hermione had her doubts. But she didn't say a word.