Chapter 1712 - Ch: 9-10

Chapter 9

"You seem different today," Hermione said at breakfast.

"Really?" Harry asked.

"You look more… I don't know, confident, comfortable?" she said, tilting her head as she eyed him.

"Comfortable?" he asked curiously.

Hermione nodded, set her spoon down, and folded her arms on the table.

"Comfortable with yourself," Hermione elaborated. "I thought you'd be more nervous about the ball."

"Nah, it's just dancing, right?" Harry said with a smile.

Nodding, her bushy hair bounced around her head, and she continued to look at him curiously.

"What about you?" Harry asked. "Are you nervous?"

"A little," Hermione admitted quietly. "I'm more worried about not being asked than the ball itself."

"Trust me, you'll get asked," Harry said with a confident smile, then continued quickly. "Is there anyone in particular you want to ask you?"

Hermione picked up her spoon and stared down at her bowl of cereal as she played with it.

"There's one or two I'm hoping will ask," she said softly.

"Really? Who?" Harry asked, genuinely curious.

Hermione looked at him oddly for a moment, and just when he thought she might give him an answer, Ron arrived and dropped heavily onto the bench next to her. Looking startled, her cheeks turned a light pink as she looked away. Harry wondered why she'd reacted that way. He knew she was aware that Ron fancied her, but he also knew she didn't return those feeling, so none of that would explain her blush.

Maybe he was just overthinking it, Harry decided.

For the rest of breakfast, they turned back to much more familiar topics. Now that he knew what to look for, he was sure he spotted Ron giving their friend a speculative glance when Dumbledore officially announced the ball. For some reason, that bothered Harry more than he thought it would, and not just because he agreed with Hermione that she and Ron dating could only end in disaster.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said in a harsh whisper.

Biting into a sausage, Ron looked up at him curiously.

"I heard Lavender say she was hoping you would ask her to the ball," Harry told him quietly.

Hermione looked at him suspiciously, no doubt because she knew he was making it up. Ron failed to notice her reaction though, his eyes going wide as he glanced over at the busty, bubbly blonde a short way down the table.

"Really?" Ron whispered back excitedly.

"Yeah, you should go ask her before someone else does," Harry told him quietly. "I think Seamus was planning on asking her, too."

Ron glanced over at Lavender again, but this time she caught him looking. The redhead blushed when she whispered to Parvati and the two girls giggled loudly.

"Harry's right," Hermione added. "You should ask her."

Still looking at Lavender, Ron stood jerkily and took a deep breath, puffing up his chest. With nervous, stumbling steps, as if he'd forgotten how big his feet were, Ron walked over to the pretty blonde and tapped her on the shoulder.

"You know he's going to be devastated if she says no," Hermione said.

Harry didn't respond and continued watching Ron fumble over his words with bright red ears, knowing she was right. Quite honestly, he wasn't sure what had come over him, he just felt like he needed to get Ron's mind off Hermione. It was a pretty stupid way to go about it, especially when he knew Ron wouldn't work up the courage to ask Hermione to the ball anyways.

Thankfully, it looked like Lavender agreed to go to the ball with Ron. With a goofy grin, the redhead walked back over and sat down next to Hermione.

"She said yes?" Harry asked.

"Yup," Ron answered proud, smug smile. "Just had to give her a bit of the ol' Weasley charm."

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes, "Staring at her chest isn't charm."

Ron's ears went red again, and he narrowed his eyes at Hermione.

"You're just jealous," he said.

Hermione glared at him and straightened up indignantly.

"Hermione, can you help me with my Charms project?" Harry asked quickly, before she could retort.

The last thing he wanted was to listen to another row between his friends this early in the morning.

"Why would you want to do homework on Christmas?" Ron asked with a look of disgust.

"Well I, for one, am glad Harry's taking his studies seriously," Hermione said. "Especially since we still don't know who put his name in the Goblet of Fire. What do you need help with, Harry?"

"Well, I know we're supposed to be doing a simple enchantment, but I had a better idea I was thinking about trying," Harry said. "Could you take a look at it?"

He was actually telling the truth. With all the extra time his hands, and the conversations he's been having with Professor Flitwick, Harry had started thinking more about Enchanting. The more he got into it, the more fun he had creating new things. It had become something of a hobby over the last several weeks for him to come up with and test out new ideas.

"Sure," Hermione said. "We can go now, I wanted to look up a few things in the library anyway."

"Mental, both of you," Ron said shaking his head.

"Yeah, let's go," Harry said before Ron unknowingly started another argument.

Hermione gave Ron a superior look and lifted her nose in the air as she stood and made her way towards the Entrance Hall. Saying goodbye to Ron, who had gone back to not so subtly checking out Lavender, Harry followed her out of the Great Hall, amused by her antics.

"So, what's this idea of yours?" Hermione asked as they started up the stairs.

"Well, I was reading through a book on Enchanting when I came across something called a Shield Ring," Harry told her. "Basically, it's just a ring that allows you to cast a powerful shield without a wand. I thought it might come in handy, considering I'm… well, me."

"That sounds pretty complicated," Hermione said, nibbling on her bottom lip. "Something like that would probably need the right materials to channel the magic, Runes to anchor the spell, and possibly even some sort of conductor."

"I know where to get everything, I just need you to double check how I layered the Enchantments and help me with the Runes. I'm still trying to get the hang of those," Harry told her.

"When did you start learning Runes?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"I just started looking at them for this project," Harry said with a shrug and an inward smile.

"I'm really glad you're starting to take your studies seriously," Hermione told him with a smile. "I know you're under a lot of pressure from the tournament, but you never know when something like this can help you. Who knows, maybe there'll be a task where you need to know Enchanting, or Runes."

"Maybe," Harry said. "Honestly, I've just been having fun figuring out how to make things with magic."

"Just because it's for school doesn't mean it can't be fun," Hermione said.

"I guess," Harry said, before giving her a mischievous grin. "Just don't expect me to spend as much time reading as you do, I do still have to tournament to worry about. I mean, I could be killed. Or worse, expelled."

Hermione huffed and bumped his shoulder with hers, sending him stumbling to the side slightly. Grinning, Harry bumped her back lightly and her face cracked into a smile before she laughed prettily.

Reaching the Gryffindor common room, they stepped through the portrait and headed up to the fourth-year boys' dorm. Harry peaked in first, making sure the coast was clear before opening the door all the way. Hermione followed him inside and walked over to sit down on his bed. Sliding his hand under his pillow, Harry pulled out his journal and flipped through it until he found the diagram he was looking for.

"Here," Harry said, pointing to a page with notes scrawled all over, "this one."

"Wow, Harry. This is really impressive," Hermione said, sounding genuinely impressed.

"Thanks," he said modestly.

"Your runes are a bit off though," she told him, chewing her bottom lip in thought. "This one does mean protection, but not in the sense you want, and this is the wrong anchor. It should look more like this."

Pulling a quill out of her pocket, Hermione crossed out his old Runes and wrote new ones. Most notably, the protection Rune she used looked exactly like his scar. Unconsciously, Harry ran his fingers over the hard, raised skin as Hermione finished her corrections. Of course, she just happened to have a quill on her, he thought.

"That should work," Hermione muttered.

"Should?" Harry asked.

"Well, we won't know for sure until we try it," she told him. "I want to check the order you have the spells in too, do you have your Charms book?"

"Yeah," Harry said.

Hopping off the bed, he walked over to his trunk and started digging through it for his books. Being Christmas break, his schoolbooks had become buried under a mess of clothes and other, less academic books, like Quidditch Through the Ages. While he was looking for his textbook, he failed to notice Hermione flipping through his journal. Slowly, her eyes widened, and a blush stained her cheeks as she read some of the more personal details Harry had written about.

"Ha!" Harry cried out triumphantly, then frozen when he noticed the look Hermione was giving him.

"Harry, what is this?" she asked. "Is this true?"

Sighing, he knew there would be little point in hiding anything from her now.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, sounding hurt.

"I have, several times," he told her truthfully. "You just don't remember it, no one does."

"Oh," Hermione said softly, glancing back down at the leather-bound book in her hands. "How long have you been reliving Christmas?"

Sitting down on the bed, Harry sat back against his pillows as Hermione watched him carefully. He really didn't want to talk about this now. It didn't seem like there was any point. There was nothing either of them could do about it right now.

"About three months," he told her.

"Months!" she gasped.

"Yeah," Harry shrugged. "I've been trying to figure it out with you, Dumbledore, Flitwick-no one knows what's happening. No one even knew this was possible."

"You can't just give up!" Hermione admonished him.

"I'm not," Harry assured her. "I'm still looking for answers, but there's nothing to go on."

Hermione bit her lip, giving him a sad look before glancing down at the journal again.

"What-what about the dates you wrote about?" she asked hesitantly. "Are those true?"

Harry looked down and stared at his hands out of embarrassment, and perhaps a bit of shame. He'd written in pretty graphic detail about some of his more memorable dates. He'd done it, not just as a way to help him remember, but also as a way to get things off his chest. It wasn't like he could really talk to someone about something they didn't remember happening.

"Yeah," Harry admitted.

"That's why you seemed so different today," Hermione said in realization. "You are different. But-why date so many different girls?"

"It's kind of hard to build a relationship when don't remember anything," Harry told her. "It's easier to start new ones."

"Oh," Hermione said softly. "I guess that would make things difficult."

"You're not… disappointed?" Harry asked, still staring at his hands.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said.

Scooting closer to him, she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Of course, I'm not disappointed in you," she told him. "I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you. It's all just a bit shocking."

Harry let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Hermione's opinion had always meant a lot to him, and even though she wouldn't remember any of this, he would. Knowing that she didn't think any less of him was a huge relief, and something he hadn't even realized until this moment that he was worried about.

"So, who do you like going to the ball with the most?" Hermione asked suddenly.

Harry looked up and blinked at her, nonplussed by the question.

"Er, well, I really like going with Katie, and Suzette is great,"

"Suzette?" Hermione asked.

"She's from Beauxbatons, and a Legilimens," Harry explained and then continued when he saw her eyes light up in recognition of the term.

Of course, she would know, Harry thought affectionately.

"Since she can read my mind, it makes it easier to talk to her," Harry continued. "Susan was great, and Daphne. Honestly, I like all the girls I've gone to the ball with. I don't think I could pick just one. Maybe when I can stop whatever this is, I can figure it out."

"You know, as bad as this might seem, I think this could be really good for you," Hermione said.

"You've said that before," Harry told her with a smile.

"Great minds think alike," she joked.

Chuckling, Harry wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a sideways hug.

"I really wish you could remember everything," Harry said softly.

Hermione rested her head on his shoulder while hugging his arm.

"Me too," she replied just as quietly.

They sat in that position for a couple of minutes in companionable silence.

"Well, I may not remember everything, but you know you can always come to me, right?" Hermione asked.

"I know," Harry said, looking at her with a grateful smile.

"Do you still want to work on your project?" Hermione asked. "Or we could go to the library and see what they have on time travel."

"We've already looked, including the Restricted Section," Harry told her. "Let's work on the project, I could use a distraction."

Hermione sighed, clearly not happy with his answer, although she didn't argue. He could understand her desire to try and solve the puzzle of what was happening, but he had spent weeks looking for an answer and could use a break. He doubted they would find any answers in the library anyways.

Climbing off the bed, they headed out of the common room and down the hall.

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked when he started heading up instead of down.

"There's a room on the seventh floor I want to show you," Harry said with a grin.

Hermione looked at him curiously but didn't question him as he upwards. Looking over at his best friend, Harry wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans while working up the courage for what he was going to do next.

"You know, there's one girl I really want to take to the ball, but I still haven't been able to work up the courage to ask her," he said.

"Really?" Hermione asked curiously. "But why? They won't remember any of it, so what does it matter it they turn you down."

"It's a bit… intimidating," Harry said. "I keep thinking about what would happen if I messed up and then things suddenly went back to normal."

Oh," Hermione said, her eyes lighting up. "Honestly, I don't know what you boys see in her, but you should just ask her."

Harry looked at her questioningly and tilted his head to the side.

"What?" he asked.

"You're talking about Fleur, aren't you?" she asked, her face revealing her dislike of the French Champion. "Just ask her. If she says no, then she's not worth worrying about."

"I'm not talking about Fleur," Harry told her.

"Oh," Hermione said again, this time in surprise. "I saw you mention her in your journal, I just thought…"

"I've thought about it," Harry admitted. "Suzette's told me a lot about her and why she acts the way she does, but I want to try and get to know her a bit better myself first. Hold on a second."

They had reached the Room of Requirement. Motioning for Hermione to stay where she was, Harry paced back and forth in front of the wall, asking for the Room of Hidden Things. Opening the door, he smiled as he watched Hermione's mouth drop open as she looked at the towering piles of random materials and objects that seemed to go on for miles.

"Oh my god," she gasped. "What is this?"

"This is the Room of Requirement, Dobby showed it to me," Harry said.

He spent a couple of minutes explaining to her how the room worked, smiling at the light of fascination glowing in her warm brown eyes.

"This is incredible," Hermione said. "Just imagine the history and secrets hiding in this room. We might be able to find something from the Founders in here."

"Maybe," Harry agreed. "But we're here to find a ring. I remember seeing a pile of jewelry the last time I was in here."

Slowly, they started walking through the narrow paths carved between piles of random junk. Hermione spun around as she walked, trying to look everywhere at once.

"So, if you didn't mean Fleur, who were you talking about?" she asked after a couple of minutes.

Harry hesitated, starting to have second thoughts. Hermione noticed and stopped looking around to stare at him curiously. Swallowing thickly, he reached out and gently took her hand in his.

"I meant you," he told her softly.

Hermione's eyes widened and her mouth worked up and down silently several times.

"Me?" she squeaked.

"You must have thought about it," Harry said, running a hand through his hair nervously.

"Well, of course I've thought about it," Hermione said, then bit her lip nervously. "But are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, what happens if we break up? I don't want to lose you."

"I've thought about this a lot," Harry told her, "Look, you've been my best friend for four years, and I don't think anything can change that. Sure, things might be a bit weird if it doesn't work out, but I don't think that'll stop us from being friends. Besides, I'll probably have hundreds of chances to get things right before you remember anything."

Hermione snorted at his weak joke and then stared down at their still linked hands, biting her lip thoughtfully. It was something he'd noticed she did a lot of whenever she thought about something serious, and he found it incredibly cute.

"I really wish there was a way I could go back in time with you," she said softly.

"Me too," Harry said, repeating his words from earlier, this time with a very different feeling behind them.

"If-" Hermione began, stopping suddenly to gather her thoughts. "Just promise me that we'll still be friends no matter what happens."

"I promise," Harry said with a grin. "Does that mean you'll go to the ball with me?"

"Yes, I'll go to the ball with you," Hermione said with a wide smile of her own.

His heart leaping excitedly, and with a beaming grin, Harry pulled Hermione to him and hugged her tightly. As soon as she wrapped her arms around him, he picked her up and spun her around in a circle while she let out a surprised squeal. Setting Hermione back down on her feet, their faces just inches apart, Harry reached out and brushed a stray lock of curly hair back behind her ear.

Their faces slowly drifted closer, and he saw her glance down at his lips before looking back up at his eyes. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he watched her eyes slowly drift closed, and she stopped moving forward when their lips were just a hair's breadth apart. Shutting his own eyes, Harry felt Hermione let out a nervous, shuddering breath that washed over his face. Closing the last remaining distance between them, he brushed his lips across hers.

Hermione sucked in a sharp breath through her nose and Harry felt excitement course through his veins, even from that brief kiss. Pulling her against him even tighter, he kissed her again, this time much more firmly. Hermione moaned into his mouth and threaded her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, while Harry's hands moved down to rest just above her bum.

When they pulled apart a long moment later, they kept their foreheads touching lightly. Harry opened his eyes just before Hermione, and when their eyes connected, both of them gave the other a wide, happy grin. Leaning forward, he kissed her briefly one more time.

"Come on," he said, tugging on her hand.

Harry linked his fingers with Hermione's and led her deeper into the Room of Requirement. It took them over an hour to find a ring that would work for his project and leave the room. Mostly, that was because he couldn't keep his hands off Hermione. Harry constantly pulled her to the side to snog her as often as he could. From her smiles and giggles each time he did, he didn't think Hermione minded all that much.

Leaving the Room of Requirement, they made their way to a dark corner of the library. This calmed them down, and they actually managed to get some work done. They didn't get the Shield Ring to work, but Harry had a much better idea of what he needed to do.

Just before they were about to leave, he noticed Viktor Krum watching Hermione closely for behind a bookcase. Not looking at the Bulgarian, Harry wrapped his arm around Hermione and kissed her on the cheek, making it clear they were together.

Not this time, Krum, Harry thought as he watched him walk away out of the corner of his eye. He didn't know if Hermione noticed her admirer, but she still looked pleased at Harry's attention.

Eventually, they went down to the Great Hall for lunch. After they ate, Hermione went back to her dorm to start getting ready for the ball. Harry, feeling bold, kissed her firmly in front of everyone just before she left. Hermione blushed at the loud cheers they received from the Weasley twins and a few others, but she still smiled brightly.

"Something wrong, Ronnie?" Lavender asked, giving her gawping date a piercing look. "You're not interested in Hermione, are you?"

"What? Uh, no, of course not," Ron said quickly.

Lavender eyed him for a moment longer before nodding. Harry just hoped Ron would let it go for now and let him enjoy the day. Surprisingly, it seemed as though that was exactly what Ron intended to do. Even as Harry helped Ron modify his robes later, he never mentioned Hermione.

Finally, it was time for the ball and Harry waited in the Entrance Hall with the other Champions for their dates. He'd seen Hermione in her dress numerous times, but because he knew she was dressed up for him, it made her look all the more stunning as she made her way down the grand staircase.

"You look incredible," Harry told her.

"Thanks," she replied with a light blush. "You clean up nice yourself."

Harry smiled and took her hand in his as they waited for the doors to open. Glancing over, he noticed that Krum was taking Millicent Bulstrode to the ball. That was a bit of a surprise, as Harry had seen many other girls chasing after the famous seeker for a date.

Soon, the doors opened, and the Champions entered with Harry once again at the tail end. As always, a lot of his classmates whispered in surprise when they saw just how attractive Hermione could be when she tried. Harry couldn't help but feel a bit smug as he noticed the dropped jaws and lecherous stares.

"I bet most of them are wishing they were me right now," Harry whispered, causing Hermione to blush and smack his arm.

The teasing smile stayed on his face as he pulled out her chair at their dinner table. This time, Harry made sure not to sit next to Percy, having no interest in hearing about his promotion yet again.

As they ate, Harry and Hermione fell into a comfortable, familiar conversation. It was amazing to him just how right the evening felt, although he'd had similar thoughts about Katie, Susan, Suzette, and Daphne after getting to know each of them better.

After the opening waltz, the two of them spent most of the night happily out on the dance floor. Surprisingly, Lavender had managed to convince Ron to dance with her, and they spotted the couple serval times throughout the evening. As the night wound down, Harry realized that he'd never seen Hermione look as happy as she did that night. Her eyes were bright, she laughed readily, and her smile never seemed to leave her face for long.

The crowd of students began to thin, as students headed back to their dorms with some couples sneaking off to broom cupboards. Harry took the chance to pull Hermione off to the side.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked.

"Sure," Hermione said happily.

Harry led her out into the Entrance Hall and then turned towards the Transfiguration Courtyard, but Hermione stopped him and pulled him towards the stairs. Using the short cuts he'd shown her over the years, she quickly led him up to the seventh floor. Pacing back and forth in front of the bare stretch of wall, Hermione summoned the Room of Requirement.

Harry paused as he followed her in. There was only one piece of furniture, a large, four poster bed covered in Gryffindor colors. Above their heads, dozens of candles floated in the air, bathing the room in the warm glow of the candlelight. The one other thing of note was a fire that crackled merrily in the grate and kept the room pleasantly warm.

Hermione turned to face him, looking down nervously while she unnecessarily smoothed out her dress. Walking up to her, Harry pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked softly.

"I'm sure," Hermione said, even as she trembled lightly with her face buried in his chest. "I-I love you. I have since first year. I just keep thinking that if I don't do this tonight, there might not be a tomorrow for me. For us… I know I'm not as experienced as most of the girls you've been with-"

"You don't need to be," Harry told her softly but firmly. "You don't need to compare yourself to anyone else. I don't want them, I want you."

Grabbing her shoulder, Harry pushed her back slightly and then lifted her chin, so she was looking up at him. Meeting her nervous gaze, he bent down and kissed her gently.

"I love you, too," he said when he pulled back.

Hermione gave him a beaming, watery smile, and pulled him down for another kiss. As the kiss grew deeper, their tongues dancing between their lips, Harry let his hands slide down to cup her bum. Squeezing lightly, he pulled her firmly against him, his rapidly hardening erection grinding against her thigh. Hermione moaned into his mouth as her nails raked lightly across his scalp.

Suddenly, she pulled back, her face flushed a delicate pink as she panted lightly. Turning around slowly, Hermione lifted her hair out of the way. Taking a deep, trembling breath, Harry reached up and slowly pulled down the zipper of her dress. Inch by inch, it split open to reveal her smooth, pale skin and the clasp of her red bra until it stopped at the small of her back.

He saw Hermione shoulders rise and fall as she took a beep breath, and then let the dress fall to the floor. Harry's eyes trailed up her long, toned legs and over her thick bum, barely covered by her lace panties. Slowly, hesitantly, Hermione turned to face him, her hands fidgeting at her sides. His gaze followed the expanse of her thin stomach and up to her full, high breasts, the tops bulging slightly out of the tight cups of her bra.

Harry swallowed thickly as he throbbed in his pants. Meeting her eyes, he placed his hands on her bare waist and pulled her close.

"You're perfect," he told her softly.

"No, I'm not," Hermione said, staring at his chest while her arms rested on his shoulders.

"You are to me," Harry said.

As soon as she looked up at him, Harry kissed her hungrily. Sliding his hands down the smooth skin of her back, he cupped her bum and lifted her up. Hermione gasped against his lips and wrapped her legs around him as he carried her over to the bed. When he sat her down at the foot of the mattress, Harry stroked her cheek before stepping back.

Tossing his robe aside, he undid his tie and began undoing the buttons of his shirt. Hermione bit her lip, staring at his chest as his shirt hit the floor. Next, Harry worked on his pants, pulling them down and revealing the massive, straining bulge in his boxers. Just as he reached for the waistband, Hermione surprised him by sinking to her knees.

Glancing up at him nervously, she reached out with shaking hands and gently pulled down his boxers. Harry's rigid length sprang forth, causing her to suck in a sharp breath. As he stepped out of his boxers, Hermione reached up and gently wrapped her long, thin fingers around his hot shaft. He hissed through his teeth and his cock pulsed in her hand, an electric like thrill shooting up his spine.

With slow, hesitant movements, Hermione began stroking his length. Shifting closer, she looked up at him again with her lips just inches away from his swollen head. Panting with excitement, Harry stroked her cheek, willing her in his mind to keep going. As if she could read his mind, Hermione turned her gaze back to the pillar of flesh in her hand. She inched closer, her warm breath washing over his sensitive glans. He nearly groaned out loud as she paused to lick her full, pink lips. Just as he began to wonder if she knew how much she was teasing him, she leaned forward and kissed his tip.

Harry's pulse leapt at the contact, causing his cock to swell and jump in her light grip. Gazing up at him, Hermione opened her mouth and wrapped her lips around his tip, not quite taking in the whole head. Groaning at the feeling, Harry couldn't stop himself from bucking forward slightly. That seemed to encourage her, because she opened her mouth wider and took more of him between her lips.

"Merlin, Hermione," Harry gasped.

Bobbing her head slowly, Hermione began exploring his length with her tongue and experimenting with how she sucked. Everything she did with her hot mouth felt incredible to Harry. With each pant, hiss, and groan he let out, Hermione's confidence grew. It didn't take long for her to find a rhythm. Dragging her lips up and down the top half of his length, she sucked hard on the way up, then slathered him with her tongue on the way back down.

Hermione stared up at him, watching his reactions to see what worked and what didn't. There was a look in her eyes, almost like a playfulness, that he'd never seen before. They seemed to sparkle as she bobbed her head faster and undulated her tongue along the underside of his thick shaft.

"I'm close," Harry panted.

Hermione paused for a moment, looking unsure, and causing Harry to groan in disappointment. Keeping her lips wrapped around his engorged head, she bobbed back and forth in short, fast movement, while her hand suddenly stroked him rapidly. Harry grunted from the abrupt increase in her pace as he raced towards his peak.

"Hermione," he groaned, giving her one last warning.

Harry couldn't hold back any longer. He came with a grunt, and Hermione flinched as the first burst of cum hit the roof of her mouth. Closing his eyes, he felt her catch the rest of his explosive climax on her tongue as he shook. She'd stopped moving entirely, so Harry grabbed her hand and moved it for her until she picked up on what he wanted and did it on her own.

When his peak waned, Harry slumped slightly, drained from the incredible release. Hermione chose that moment to suck hard on his hypersensitive glans, drawing a gasp from his lips as he shivered from the pleasurable agony. Unable to take the overwhelming sensation, he pulled out of her mouth.

Panting, he looked down at Hermione. She had a curious look on her face as she swallowed, and his cock throbbed back to life at the sight. Smiling, he held out his hand and helped her to her feet.

"That was a lot more fun than I thought it'd be," she admitted.

Harry chuckled, followed by Hermione as she let out her own laugh. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

"Did I do okay?" she asked.

"You were brilliant," Harry told her.

Hermione blushed but gave him a pleased smile at the compliment.

"Now, it's your turn," he said with a grin.

Her eyes widened as he picked her up and sat her back down on the bed. Reaching behind her back, Harry felt for the clasp of her bra. Hermione bit her lip as he popped it open and slowly pulled the straps down her arms. Harry's eyes immediately fell to her breasts as they came into view. Just the right size for his hands, they jutted perkily from her chest and were capped with soft, pink, Galleon sized areolas and small, stiff nipples.

Hermione gazed at him nervously, her hands fidgeting at her side as she struggled not to cover herself.

"You're beautiful, Hermione," he told her.

Leaning forward, he kissed her hungrily as his hands slid up from her hips to her chest. She moaned when he finally cupped her breasts, his thumb grazing her hard nipples. Crawling up onto the bed, Hermione scooted back until there was enough room for both of them to lie down. A groan left both of them as Harry pressed his weight onto her and his cock pressed against her thigh and damp panties.

Pulling away from her mouth, Harry trailed his lips down her chin and neck. Hermione moaned, threading her fingers through his hair as she tilted her head back. He continued his path down over her clavicle to her breasts. Cupping one in his hand, he kissed all the way around the other before taking her stiff nipple into his mouth.

"Harry," Hermione moaned, arching her back.

Kissing his way back up to her lips, Harry laid down on his side and trailed his fingers down her tight stomach to the waistband of her panties. Slipping his hand under the fabric, he teased her bald mound before tracing along the outside of her smooth lips. Hermione bucked her hips and spread her legs for him.

Harry continued to tease her for a little longer before running the tip of his finger between her hot, damp folds. With a gasp, Hermione jerked her hips towards his fingers. Rubbing his finger up and down between her lips to coat it in her arousal, he dipped his finger into her entrance.

"Please don't tease me, Harry," Hermione said breathily.

Smiling, Harry slipped a second finger into her all the way up to the third knuckle. Hermione's eyes fluttered closed as she groaned and rolled her hips against his hand. With two fingers buried in her hot, tight depths, Harry ground his palm against her clit. Hermione writhed on the bed under him, her eyes closed as she panted and moaned.

Suddenly, she pushed his hand away and nearly ripped off her panties. Lying back down, Hermione pulled him on top of her and spread her long, toned legs wide to wrap around his waist. Grabbing his cock, she placed him at her entrance and looked up at him, nervousness and lust warring in her eyes.

Kissing her briefly on the lips, Harry watched her face closely as he slowly eased into her. Both of them groaned as his cock stretched open her tight folds.

"More," Hermione panted, her heels digging into his ass.

Kissing her again, Harry sank deeper into her. Hermione moaned into his mouth and pulled away from his lips to bury her face in the crook of his neck.

"You feel so good, Harry," she whispered.

"So do you, love," Harry told her.

Moving his hips back and forth gently, he sank deeper into her with each thrust. Sooner than he expected, Harry bottomed out inside of her. Closing his eyes, he savored the moment and the feeling of her tight, hot depths gripping his cock.

"Fuck me," Hermione breathed into his ear.

His cock swelling at her pleading tone, Harry began rocking his hips, easing his length in and out of her tight grasp. Pushing himself up on his arms, he stared down at her, watching her face contort with pleasure as she gasped and moaned. Further down, he briefly watched her perky breasts jiggle on her chest, and then looked further down to see his cock, glistening with her arousal, sliding in and out of her taut lips.

"You're so beautiful, Hermione," he told her, leaning his weight on one arm to reach up and caress one of her breasts.

"Faster," Hermione panted.

Grinning down at the wanton look of her face, Harry put his elbows on either side of her head and gave her what she wanted. Pulling almost halfway out, he drove his hips forward, filling her rapidly. Eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head, Hermione moaned lewdly and dug her nails into his shoulders.

Within moments, she started grunting with each thrust, her body shaking under him. Hermione's nails dug sharply into his skin while her legs tightened around him. Realizing she was close, Harry moved faster, rolling his hips to grind his pelvis against her clit each time he bottomed out.

With a short, sharp cry, Hermione reached her peak. Her depths fluttered around his cock wildly as she held onto him for dear life. Harry pounded into her quickly, not only to extend her climax, but also in a desperate bid to reach his own.

Hermione gave another cry as he neared his end, whether from a second climax, or a continuation of the first, he wasn't sure. Panting, Harry pinned her to the bed with his weight as he reached his peak. Grunting with each pulse of his cock, he rolled his hips and buried himself into Hermione as deep as possible as he filled her.

With a moan, she went limp under him and ran her fingers through his hair as his climax came to an end. After catching their breath, Harry rolled over onto his back and Hermione curled up at his side, her head resting on his chest. They lay like that for quite some time, until Harry heard a loud sniffle.

"'Mione, what's wrong," he asked, suddenly worried she might regret what they'd done.

"I don't want to forget this," she told him tearfully.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, not sure what else to say.

"It's not your fault. I just wish we could stay like this," Hermione said, then sighed. "Why do things like this always happen to you?"

"Just my luck, I guess," Harry said. "Besides, if it hadn't, I never would have taken you to the ball."

"I guess you're right," she admitted.

"Do you want to go back to the dorm?" Harry asked after a few moments.

"No," Hermione said. "Can we just stay here?"

"Of course," Harry said, looking at her with an affectionate smile.

One moment, Harry was stroking Hermione's back as she drifted off to sleep, the next, he was waking up back in Gryffindor Tower, alone.

"Damn it," Harry growled, slamming his fist into the mattress.

Chapter 10

Harry avoided going to the ball for the next few days and spent most of his time hiding away in the Room of Requirement and practicing his magic. He knew he was sulking a bit, but he didn't really care at the moment. It was one of the few times he was partially glad no one remembered anything, because it meant no one knew about his little hiding spot.

One thing the room couldn't provide, however, was food. Every night, while the rest of his classmates were enjoying the festivities, Harry snuck down to the kitchens to eat. The first couple of nights, he went with the cloak and the map to avoid running into anyone, but after seeing no one around, he left the cloak behind and just used the map.

After nearly a week of skipping the ball, Harry made the familiar trek to the kitchens. After getting engrossed in practicing some more advanced spells, he ended up leaving much later than usual and had to skirt around a couple of younger Hufflepuffs who left the ball early.

Checking the map to make sure the coast was clear; he noticed a name that made him do a double take.

Barty Crouch

Crouch was just down the hall, in the men's bathroom. Not once, in the months that Harry had relived this day, had Crouch shown up to the ball. Why would today be any different, Harry wondered. Nothing was different unless he changed something himself. Was Crouch there because he was missing, he asked himself. But then why send Crouch, a man who should have been at home, sick, and not one of the professors or even a couple of Aurors? It just didn't make sense.

Before Harry even realized what he was doing, his feet were taking him towards the men's bathroom. Peeking around the corner, his body hidden by a suit of armor, he waited. Less than a minute later, Harry watched Crouch's name make its way to the door. Looking up, someone stepped out of the bathroom, but it wasn't Crouch.

It was Moody.

His brow furrowed in confusion; Harry looked down at the map again. Moody was standing right where Crouch's name was on the map. Just as he wondered if something was wrong with the map, he heard Sirius' words from the year before echo in his mind.

"The map never lies!"

Moody stopped and turned towards Harry suddenly, his electric blue, fake eye locking on to him. Freezing in place, his mind reeling and his adrenaline racing, Harry watched as Moody's eye moved from his face to the map and then back. His blank expression morphed into a scowl and his wand slipped down from the sleeve of his robes into his gnarled hand.

"Shit," Harry breathed.

Feeling the magic building up, he dove out of the way just as Moody's hand snapped up with the speed of a striking snake and fired a blue spell that crashed into the suit of armor he had just been standing behind. The Bludgeoning Hex caved in the chest plate and sent the armor scattering across the floor with a loud, metallic clang.

Scrambling to his feet, Harry drew his wand just in time to slap away a Stunning Hex.

"Well, well, well, someone's been holding back in class," Moody sneered in a voice that didn't match his face.

His tongue shot out in an odd, snakelike manner, before a dangerous looking smirk split his scarred face.

Harry gripped his wand tightly and lashed out, firing spells as fast and as powerfully as he could. Moody dodged with shocking grace for a man with a wooden leg and returned with his own curses and hexes. Harry was gratified to see his lessons with Flitwick had paid off, and he was able to keep up with the man.

Slipping just to the side of Moody's Disarming Hex, Harry sent back a Cutting Curse that sliced into Moody's cheek. Harry smirked as he reached up and touched the wound. Furiously, he slapped aside Harry's follow up Stunning Hex and glared at him angrily.

"I don't have time for this!" Moody hissed. "Crucio!"

Shocked at hearing the incantation of an Unforgivable Curse, Harry didn't think to move until it was too late. The spell moved much faster than he expected, and he could only watch as if in slow motion as it hit him in the hip.

Harry belatedly felt his body hit the hard stone floor as the most excruciating pain he'd ever felt exploded through him. It felt like a million red hot knives were being repeatedly stabbed into every inch of his being. Someone screamed in the distance, and he prayed that help had come.

A moment later, the spell ended, and he belatedly realized he was the one who had screamed for the stinging in his throat. Panting, Harry rolled over, his body still twitching and aching horribly. Moody stalked towards him, a malicious grin on his face.

"As much as I'd like to torture you into insanity like I did with the Longbottoms, the Dark Lord has other plans for you," he said, his tongue slipping out like a snake's. "Don't worry Potter, you won't remember a thing."

Harry grit his teeth in fury as he realized Moody, or whoever he was, had been the person to Obliviate him and steal his map. As Moody stopped at his feet, wand raised, Harry forced his tired, aching body to move. His wand snapped up, and a white spell leapt from the tip. Moody raised a shield – but the spell wasn't aimed at him.

Behind Moody, Harry summoned a heavy, metal shield from one of the untouched suits of armor in the hall. Moody's eye spun its socket and his body turned to slap it aside with his wand. He moved incredibly fast, blocking the shield and trying to turn back to Harry. He almost made it too, but Harry's Stunning Hex hit him just under the armpit.

The man swayed and toppled forward, landing right on Harry. Grunting and wincing from the impact, Harry pushed the heavy weight off of him and climbed to his feet. Picking up Moody's wand, he watched him closely for a moment to make sure he was out before sighing in relief.

Staring down at the man, his anger grew as he remembered the pain of the Cruciatus Curse. Furiously, his foot lashed out, kicking him again and again until he was out of breath. Satisfied, Harry bound him in ropes, levitated him, and gingerly made his way to the Great Hall.

He must have looked quite the sight, Harry reflected, walking into the Great Hall with a bound professor floating in front of him. The band slowed to a stop as soon as they spotted him, and the rest of the students turned, gasping when they caught sight of him. It took a couple of minutes, and an angry argument with Snape, for Harry to explain what had happened.

Dumbledore immediately took Harry to his office, where Snape, McGonagall, Madam Maxime, and Karkaroff followed. It didn't take long for the headmaster to find the Polyjuice Potion in Moody's flask. Determined to get answers, Dumbledore told Snape to fetch a vial of Veritaserum, and McGonagall to watch the man, while he went to Moody's office to find his real friend. Harry insisted on going with him, and eventually he conceded.

They found Moody at the bottom of his own trunk, and it took a few minutes to get him out. Dumbledore wanted him to go to the hospital wing, but Moody refused. Eventually, Dumbledore conjured him a simple peg leg and a cane so he could walk back to the headmaster's office.

On the way, he described how Barty Crouch Jr. and Peter Pettigrew had ambushed him at his home just before the start of school. Harry remembered the night when Mr. Weasley had gone to Moody's home at the end of the Summer. Everyone had thought Moody was just being his usual paranoid self, but they hadn't been talking to Moody at all.

When they got back to the office, Karkaroff was gone, and McGonagall looked like she'd seen a ghost. Where Moody had been, there was now a much younger man with dark black hair in his place.

As the real Moody gathered his leg and eye from the imposter, Dumbledore told Snape to give him the Veritaserum. That's when they learned the truth.

Voldemort was trying to come back, and he wanted to use Harry to do it. The younger Crouch was the one who entered Harry's name in the Goblet. The ritual Voldemort wanted to use required Harry to suffer and overcome a difficult trial before his blood could be used to give Voldemort a new body.

"What do we do?" McGonagall asked, her face ashen as she stood behind Harry and gripped his shoulder tightly.

"If Alastor is willing, I believe the best course of action is to simply let things play out," Dumbledore said. "Harry will finish the tournament, and when Voldemort believes he has him captured, we will stop him. With any luck, we'll be able to capture him and discover how he survived after his body was destroyed."

"You want to use him, as bait!" McGonagall asked incredulously.

"If he is willing," Dumbledore said, turning to look at Harry. "I know I have asked a lot of you over the years, more than I have had any right to. And now, I'm afraid I must ask for your help once more."

"Can't we just go get him now?" Harry asked. "I mean, we know where he is."

"The Dark Lord is weak, not helpless," Snape spat angrily. "If we attempt to reach him, he will know and he will disappear, you foolish boy."

"Severus," Dumbledore said sharply as Harry glared at him. "Unfortunately, Professor Snape is correct. Voldemort will only be vulnerable when he thinks he has won. We must let things play out if we are to stop him."

"I'll do it," Harry said determinedly.

It was decided they would put Crouch in the same trunk he'd placed Moody in, and Dumbledore would contact some Aurors he knew and ask them to keep an eye out for Crouch Sr. in case he showed up. He didn't trust Fudge to do what was needed to stop Voldemort, and he didn't want word getting out to the other Death Eaters.

Eventually, the other professors left, but Harry stayed behind to talk to Dumbledore in private. Before she left, Madam Maxime turned around, looking uncomfortable as she straightened her robes.

"Monsieur Potter, I'm sorry for not believing you soonair," she said stiffly. "I weel tell my students you deed not put your name een zhe Goblet."

"Thank you," Harry said gratefully, even though he knew it would never happen.

Nodding, Maxime left the office. Harry turned to Dumbledore and, once again, told him about being stuck repeating the same day and what little he'd learned about what was happening.

"Well, this certainly complicates things," he said thoughtfully.

"Professor, do you think Voldemort is behind this?" Harry asked.

"Whilst we shouldn't discount the possibility, I don't believe so," Dumbledore said, pacing in front of the window looking out over the grounds. "Voldemort would want time to move faster, if anything, and the toll required to keep up such an undertaking for so long would likely be beyond him even if he was at the height of his power. How long would you say this has been going on for?"

"About six months," Harry replied.

"Well, that does narrow it down somewhat," Dumbledore said. "The amount of magic required to trap you in time for so long would be immense. One would either need dozens of powerful witches and wizards maintaining the spell around the clock for months, or a powerful artifact, possibly one that's been lying in wait for centuries, slowly gathering power."

Harry sat in his chair and watched Dumbledore as he continued to pace back and forth in silence. Fawkes flew down to Harry and perched on his shoulder before letting out a calming note.

"Have you noticed anything strange; loud noises, flashing lights, any pain in your scar?" he asked suddenly.

"Er, no, I haven't," Harry said shaking his head.

Sighing, Dumbledore walked over to his desk and pulled out a small, leather-bound book identical to the journal he'd give Harry months ago. Opening the book, he tapped a quill with his wand, and it leapt up to start writing at an incredible speed.

"I'm going to keep note of everything we learn and bind it to me the same way I bound your journal to you," Dumbledore said. "Of course, I won't remember what I've done, so I'll need you to remind me every morning. Hopefully, together, we can find out what's happening and put a stop to it."

Harry nodded, wondering why he hadn't done that before.

Grabbing a sheaf of parchment, Dumbledore picked up another quill and wrote a quick note.

"This will give you unrestricted access to the Restricted Section of the library," he said, handing it to Harry and binding it to his soul as before. "I want you to learn everything you can about time travel and time related magic. I admit, it's not a subject I've studied in depth. I truly apologize for asking so much of you tonight, but I can't do this alone."

"It's alright, professor," Harry said, taking the note.

"Thank you," Dumbledore said gratefully, then smiled. "I can understand why you failed to show up for the ball tonight. At first, I thought it was because you couldn't find a suitable date, but now I imagine you've grown rather tired of it."

"A bit," Harry said with a small smile. "It's tough to enjoy a date when you know they won't remember it in the morning."

"Ah," Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "I imagine that would make things rather difficult. Just don't let figuring out what's happening take over your life. In all likelihood, it will take quite some time for us to determine the cause, especially as I will have to relearn any developments each morning. Make sure you take some time to enjoy life. Try something new."

"I will," Harry promised.

"Good," Dumbledore said. "Well, I believe we've had enough excitement for one night. Will you need to go see Madam Pomfrey, or will you be healed in the morning?"

"I'll be fine by morning," Harry confirmed as he stood. "Goodnight, professor."

"Goodnight, Harry," he replied.

Fawkes chirped and rubbed his head against Harry's affectionately before taking off and landing on his gilded perch.

"Night Fawkes," Harry said with a smile.

When he got back to Gryffindor Tower, he found Ron and Hermione waiting up for him. Unfortunately, they'd gotten into an argument about Krum again. Harry walked in to find them screaming at each other until Ron stormed off to the dorm and Hermione broke down in tears. Sighing, he walked over to the couch she was on and wrapped an arm around her. Startled at the touch, she looked up as he smiled.

"Harry!" she exclaimed.

Hermione's tears vanished as she leapt forward to hug him tightly.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?" she asked rapidly.

"I'm fine," Harry said, "Just a little sore."

Pulling back, Hermione looked him over worriedly while holding his hand and squeezing it.

"Did he really use the Cruciatus Curse on you?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," Harry said with a sigh. "But I'm fine, he didn't hold it for long."

"What happened after you left? Do you know why he attacked you?" Hermione asked.

Harry explained that Moody was an imposter and told her about Voldemort's involvement but kept quiet about everything else. He didn't want to waste the time explaining it when she was just going to forget by morning. He'd tell her tomorrow and they could go to the library together.

"Well, at least we know what's happening this time. That means we can stop him, right?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Right," Harry said.

Hermione nodded and leaned against his shoulder as their other housemates gradually returned. They relaxed in a companionable silence for a long time before finally heading to bed.

The next morning, Harry walked down to the Great Hall with renewed determination. Marching straight up to the Head Table, he ignored Snape and told Dumbledore to read the journal on his desk. He looked a bit puzzled, but nodded, nonetheless.

Eating a quick breakfast, he went over to the Ravenclaw table and asked Suzette to meet him in the Entrance Hall when she was done. The girls around her giggled, obviously thinking he planned to ask her to the ball, but Suzette knew he meant something else. When she agreed, he made his way back to the Gryffindor table and asked Hermione to help him in the library. She agreed quickly, but when he asked Ron, he refused, saying he didn't want to spend his holiday in the library.

Harry thought about telling him more but decided against it. He knew Ron would just whinge the whole time anyway, and he didn't want to have to convince him every morning. So, a few minutes later, Harry and Hemione met Suzette in the Entrance Hall. Leading them to an abandoned classroom, he told them about being stuck in time, as well as the imposter Moody, and Voldemort's plan to regain his body. After answering all of their questions, Hermione looked between him and Suzette curious.

"I don't mean any offense, but why did you bring Suzette?" she asked.

Harry looked over to Suzette for permission before explaining.

"She's a Legilimens, so it's really easy to explain things to her. She's helped me a lot over the last few months," Harry told her.

"Months!?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Harry said with a shrug.

Then, Harry turned to Suzette.

"Speaking of which, do you want to take a look?" he asked, pointing to his head.

"Oui," Suzette replied.

Walking up to Harry, she cupped his cheeks with her hands and gazed into his eyes. For a couple of minutes, they stood there, staring at each other as she quickly looked through his memories. When it was over, she gave him a sympathetic smile and hugged him tightly.

"Oh, mon cheri," she said quietly.

Harry smiled and gave her a squeeze, feeling like he'd found an old friend. When they pulled apart, he smiled at both of them, feeling better than he had in days.

"I need to go to the library and read up on time travel," he said. "I was hoping you two would help me."

"Oui," "Of course," they said in unison.

Grinning, Harry led them to the library. Hermione stared wistfully at the note from Dumbledore giving them permission to use the Restricted Section and looked at the books like she wanted to devour them all.

After reigning her in and focusing her efforts into finding books about time travel, they spent most of the day in the Restricted Section, only leaving for a quick lunch. Harry learned a lot, but it was quickly becoming clear that the majority of the magic involved was well beyond him at the moment. Sighing, he realized this was going to take a long time if he had to dispel it himself.

A couple of hours before the ball, Madam Pince came in and kicked them out. Harry felt a bit guilty when Hermione panicked about not having enough time to get ready, but Suzette invited her back to the carriage and offered to help her. He felt even worse when he realized neither of them had a date because they had spent all day helping him.

"Hermione, Suzette," Harry said as they reached the Grand Staircase. "Would you two like to go to the ball with me?"

"What? You mean both of us?" Hermione asked.

"Well, yeah," Harry said.

"I'd love to," Suzette said brightly, then turned to Hermione. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Oh, alright," Hermione said, giving in with a smile.

Harry grinned as they continued walking towards Gryffindor Tower. Suzette waited outside as Hermione ran up to her dorm to get her dress. Harry relaxed with the rest of the boys after she left, knowing it wouldn't take long for him to get ready.

"'E really cares about you, you know," Suzette said as she helped Hermione with her hair.

"Who?" Hermione asked, confused by the sudden change of subject.

"'Arry," Suzette said.

"Oh. I know," Hermione said. "We've been best friends for three and a bit years."

"'E cares about you as more than a friend," Suzette told her with a smirk. "'E stopped going to the ball for days when you didn't remember going to the ball with him."

"We went to the ball together?" Hermione asked, biting her lip.

"Oui," Suzette said. "I can show you, if you'd like."

"Really. How?" Hermione asked curiously.

"There's a way to project memories in someone's mind," Suzette said. "I saw your date with 'Arry in 'is mind when I looked through 'is memories. Do you want to see it?"

"Wouldn't that be like invading his privacy?" Hermione asked nervously.

"'Arry won't mind," Suzette told her. "'E wouldn't 'ave showed it to me if 'e did."

"He showed it to you?" Hermione asked.

"It was bothering 'im," Suzette explained. "We talked about it while you were looking for books."

Hermione bit her lip thoughtfully for a long moment.

"Alright," she said eventually.

Setting down the bottle of Sleekeazy, Suzette wiped her hands clean and walked around to stand in front of Hermione. Dropping down to her knees, she cupped her cheeks and held her still as she pushed the memories into her mind. Hermione's pupils dilated and twitched rapidly for several seconds before she pulled away and blinked rapidly. A moment later her cheeks flushed.

"Oh my," she said quietly.

"I told you," Suzette said with a knowing grin.

Standing up, she walked back around behind Hermione and resumed brushing her damp hair.

They stayed quiet for a short while as Hermione looked back on the memory that wasn't her own. Suzette knew it would take some time for her to get used to seeing herself from someone else's point of view.

"Have you gone to the ball with Harry?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"Oui," Suzette replied. "A few times."

"Does it bother you, that he's gone with so many different girls?" Hermione asked, sounding more curious than anything.

"Non," Suzette answered immediately. "It's been 'ard for 'im. I'm just glad I can 'elp 'im at all. 'E really is a wonderful man."

"Yeah, he is, isn't he," Hermione agreed.

"Go wash your 'air, and I'll 'elp you finish it," Suzette said.

An hour and a half later, Harry stood outside the doors to the Great Hall, waiting for his dates. In all honesty, he would rather have spent a quiet evening with them in the Room of Requirement, but he knew the ball meant a lot to them.

Hermione and Suzette soon showed up with the rest of the Beauxbatons contingent. Harry smiled widely as they walked up to him, and he swore Hermione looked even better this time. Suzette must have caught that thought, because she grinned at him and winked. It made him grateful to have made such a good friend.

McGonagall wasn't too pleased to find out he had two dates, however. With a tired sigh, she told him to pick one of his dates to do the opening dance with while she went to have another place set at the champion's table.

"I think she took that rather well," Harry joked.

"I think she's just getting used to weird things happening around you," Hermione said, shaking her head with a smile.

"After the last three years, she should be," Harry said. "You both look great by the way. I really like what you did with your hair this time."

"Oh, thank you," Hermione said with a light blush. "Suzette helped me with it."

McGonagall returned before they could say anything else and led them into the Great Hall. Harry got a lot more attention than usual for having two dates, and Hermione blushed heavily under the attention. On his left, Suzette held his arm tightly and smiled as she held her head high.

One great thing about being bracketed between the girls, Harry discovered, was that Percy had a much harder time boring him with talk of his work.

When it came time for the first dance, Suzette told Hermione to go first. From then on, the girls took turns dancing with him, and they even shared a few dances together once the Weird Sisters took the stage. It was quite a sight to see the two girls dancing together and laughing happily.

As the night grew later, Suzette began flirting with Harry more heavily and even got a bit handsy. Hermione looked thrown off by the development and it seemed like she didn't know how to react. Before things could get uncomfortable for her, Harry asked the girls if they wanted to take a break. When Suzette, rather pointedly, sent him off to get drinks, he got the hint and left them alone to talk while he wandered over to the refreshments.

He dawdled for a couple of minutes, chatting to Cedric and Cho to give the girls time to talk, but his attention was soon drawn by yelling. Ron and Hermione were standing in front of each other in the middle of an argument.

"Bugger," Harry muttered.

"I don't envy you, mate," Cedric said.

"Yeah, me neither," Harry replied right before he left.

"You ruin everything!" Hermione yelled, her eyes glistening.

Ron, his ears bright red, turned to Harry with a glare as he approached.

"And where have you been?" Ron asked angrily. "Finally remembered me, did you?"

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, semi confused as to how he was suddenly the villain.

"You've been ignoring me all day, then you show up with two dates. Couldn't be bothered to let me have one, oh great Triwizard Champion?" he spat with a sneer.

"We're women, not brooms to be shared , you git!" Hermione yelled. "And we invited you to go with us, but you didn't want to go to the library. Maybe if you'd plucked up the courage to ask someone, you'd have a date instead of ruining everyone else's!"

Furiously, Ron spun around and stomped away, his face and neck beet red. Hermione collapsed into her chair and put her face in her hands as she cried. Suzette, who'd stayed quiet through the argument, sat down next to her and rubbed her shoulder soothingly. Ignoring the crowd staring at them, Harry sat down on her other side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Hermione leaned into him and sniffled loudly.

"Why's he been so horrible this year?" Hermione asked miserably.

"I wish I knew," Harry said.

"'E's jealous," Suzette said quietly.

When Harry and Hermione turned to look at her curiously, she quickly continued.

"'E's jealous that 'Arry is a champion and 'e's jealous that 'e took you to the ball," she explained. "E's afraid if you and 'Arry get together you'll leave 'im behind."

"We will if he keeps acting like that," Hermione said angrily.

"'Arry, maybe we should go to that room you found on the seventh floor," Suzette suggested.

Harry looked at her curiously, not sure why she was so keen to leave all of a sudden, but he trusted she had a reason.

"Sure," he said with a shrug. "You want to get out of here, Hermione?"

"Yes," she replied fervently.

Standing up, each of the girls took one of his arms as he led them out of the Great Hall. With all the pointing and whispering as they left, it was a relief to get out into the deserted halls. It took a while to get up to the seventh floor, and Hermione paused after the second to take off her high heels. Harry smiled at her as the top of her head went from being nearly level with his, to just below his nose. Hermione rolled her eyes at him, and a giggle from Suzette drew their attention.

"Sorry," she said with a smile. "I just find it funny 'Ermione can read you so easily. She doesn't need to be a Legilimens to know what you're thinking."

Harry wasn't too surprised. After their years of close friendship, it was easy for them to guess what the other was thinking most of the time. For some reason though, the thought perked Hermione up quite a bit. It seemed he still had a lot to learn about girls, he thought to himself. Suzette laughed again, and Harry turned to her with a smile and a wink.

When they reached the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy Suzette trotted in front of him and paced in front of the door, her silvery blue dress shimmering in the candlelight. Harry and Hermione followed her in once the door appeared and found the room looking exactly like the sitting room inside the carriage.

Grabbing Harry's hand, she led him over to the couch nearest the crackling fire and pushed him down in the middle. A moment later, he had Hermione curled up on his right arm, and Suzette curled up on his left. They sat there for a few moments, enjoying the quiet, when Harry felt Suzette tap him gently on the arm.

Turning to look at her, and their eyes met, he suddenly saw an image of him kissing Hermione. Blinking, it took him a few seconds to realize Suzette had pushed the image into his mind. Looking at her curiously, her eyes darted over to the brunette pointedly before he finally realized what she was trying to tell him.

Harry hesitated nervously, but after thinking about it, he couldn't see a reason not to. While there were plenty of reasons he didn't like repeating the same day over and over, it did give him the opportunity to be bold and take risks where he usually wouldn't.

Turning to Hermione, he pulled his hand out of hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. As she looked up at him with a smile, he leaned forward slowly. Her eyes widened and she licked her lips as he moved closer, and his intent became clear. Harry gently pressed his lips to hers briefly before pulling back less than an inch. Hermione let out a shuddering breath, her eyes closed in anticipation. With a small smile stretching his lips, he leaned forward again and kissed her firmly.

Hermione's lips moved against his the moment they touched, a quiet moan reverberating in her throat. Her hand came up and her fingers threaded through his hair, and she pressed her body tightly against the side of his, trapping his arm between her firm breasts. Their tongues met, and she tasted like the fruit punch from the ball with a hint of mint. Harry trailed his hand down her back and lightly cupped her bum where it lifted off the couch.

When he eventually pulled back, a thin string of saliva attached his bottom lip to hers. A flush ran from her cheeks down her neck as she opened her bright, glittering brown eyes. Harry smiled softly at her until he felt Suzette shifting around.

He turned to find her moving around to kneel next to him. With a playful smirk, she cupped his cheek with one hand, tilted his head back, and kissed him heatedly. Her tongue delved straight into his mouth while her hand moved down to caress his chest.

Just as quickly as it started, she pulled back, her pale green eyes glittering as she smiled prettily.

"Your turn," she told Hermione.

Harry looked over at his brunette friend, who bit her lip uncertainly for a moment. Finally, after a long minute, she smiled and leaned towards him. Before they could kiss, Suzette shifted again, drawing their attention to her. Hermione turned her head to look at her just as Suzette shot forward and pressed their lips together. Hermione's eyes went wide, and she let out a muffled, surprised grunt.

Harry blinked in surprise, then his jaw fell open when Hermione closed her eyes and kissed Suzette back. Hesitantly at first, Hermione quickly grew more comfortable and soon they were snogging heavily right in front of him.

Suzette was the first to pull back and smiled as she stood up and turned her back to a very flush and breathless Hermione.

"Can you unzip me, 'Ermione?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

Swallowing thickly, Hermione stood up and reached for the zipper at the back of Suzette's dress. Lowering it slowly, the dress opened in an ever-growing V, revealing more and more smooth, bare skin, and a distinct lack of bra. When the zipper stopped at the small of her back, Suzette slipped the straps off, looked back over her shoulder with a coy smile, and then dropped the shimmering dress to the floor.

Harry's eyes instantly looked down to take in the sight of her tight bottom, protected only by a small pair of light blue panties, and her long, smooth legs. Glancing over at Hermione, he smiled when he noticed he wasn't the only one enjoying the sight.

Suzette chose that moment to turn around, revealing her firm, full breasts which jiggled slightly with her movement. Harry's erection leapt against his trousers painfully, and he had to reach down to adjust himself. Suzette glanced at him with a smirk before turning her attention back to Hermione.

"Your turn," she said with a smile.

"I-" Hermione started, then stopped nervously.

Suzette walked up to her and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. Putting a bit of pressure on her shoulders, she got Hermione to turn around to face him. Hermione blushed heavily when they heard the quiet sound of her zipper being pulled down to the small of her back. Briefly, their eyes met, and Harry gave her a reassuring smile while Suzette slipped her fingers under the shoulder straps of her dress.

Hermione had a moment of panic, folding her arms across her body. Letting go of one of the straps, Suzette brushed a stray lock of hair brown hair behind her ear while whispering to her quietly. Harry couldn't make out what she was saying, but whatever it was, it worked. Hermione slowly relaxed, her arms gradually falling to her sides. Suzette smiled, kissed the side of her neck in a surprisingly tender gesture, and reached for the strap of her dress once more.

This time, Hermione held still. Her eyes closed as Suzette slipped the straps off her pale shoulders and allowed it to fall freely. Hermione's firm, tear drop shaped breasts were bared to his gaze, but unlike Suzette, her dress got caught on her hips.

Eyes still shut, she panted lightly in nervous excitement as Suzette reached down and shimmied the dress over her hips until it came loose and fell to the floor. Hermione gasped as she was left wearing only a pair of panties just a shade or two darker than Suzette's.

Suzette, who was crouched, her face level with Hermione's bum, peeked around her hip to smile at Harry. Keeping her eyes on his, she tilted her head and lightly kissed one of Hermione's smooth, jutting cheeks, causing the girl to gasp for a second time. Standing up, she wrapped her arms around Hermione and pulled her back firmly against her front as her hands gently caressed the smooth, pale skin of her stomach. Lifting one hand, she crooked a finger at Harry, beckoning him to join them while kissing the side of Hermione's neck.

Leveling himself off the couch, he stood just in front of his best friend, buzzing with nervous energy. Suzette smirked as she reached up and cupped one of Hermione's breasts while the other grazed lightly over her tight stomach. Suddenly, she pinched her light pink nipple, delicately rolling it between her thumb and forefinger.

Hermione gasped and finally opened her eyes, which widened when she found herself staring directly into Harry's. Giving her a reassuring smile, he stroked her cheek tenderly before leaning in to kiss her deeply. She let out a low moan into his mouth, and he didn't know if it was from his kiss or Suzette's touch.

"'Arry is wearing far too much, oui?" Suzette asked.

Breaking their kiss, Hermione licked her lips and nodded in agreement. Smiling, Suzette slipped around Hermione, gave Harry a short but intense kiss, and then moved around behind him. Together, she and Hermione quickly divested him of his outer robes and crisp white shirt.

"Do you want to get 'is pants?" Suzette asked, startling Hermione, who was staring hungrily at his muscled torso.

"Um," Hermione hummed uncertainly.

"'ere," Suzette said.

Walking around Harry to his front, she smiled at Hermione while taking her hand and dropping to her knees. When she tugged on her hand gently, Hermione slowly and nervously knelt down next to her.

"You get the zipper," Suzette said while her hands reached for his belt.

Swallowing as she stared at the obvious bulge in his trousers, Hermione tentatively used the very tips of her fingers, trying to touch his pants as little as possible, to reach for his fly. She got a hold of it just as Suzette finished unbuckling his belt and popping open the button. Hermione's hand trembled slightly as she unzipped his fly and quickly pulled her hands away.

Harry smiled down at her even though she wasn't looking at him, amused that she was so much shier when there was someone else in the room.

Suzette did meet his gaze and they shared a quick look and smile before she grabbed the waistband of his trousers and yanked them down. He didn't know if it was her intention, or if it was just because his plaid boxers were still a size too big, but they went down with his pants.

"Oh my!" Hermione gasped as his rigid length sprang up and stood parallel to the floor between their faces.

Suzette grinned at Hermione as she stared in lustful fascination at his impressive manhood. Standing up, she held out her hand to Hermione, who struggled to tear her gaze away from him.

"You can join us when you're ready," Suzette told Harry with a playful grin.

Harry tilted his head curiously. Suzette continued to smile as she pulled Hermione a few steps off to the couch. Grabbing the waistband of her panties, she pushed them down her legs and stepped out of them before reaching out and doing the same to Hermione's. As soon as she stepped out of them, Suzette sat down on the couch and pulled Hermione on top of her as she laid down on her back.

Cupping Hermione's cheeks, Suzette kissed her heatedly. Shaking himself, Harry toed off his dress shoes, stepped out of his trousers, and walked behind Hermione. He took a moment to enjoy the sight of her perfect heart shaped bottom swaying lightly back and forth before climbing up on the couch.

Hermione pulled back sharply and looked back at him as she felt his weight settle. Caressing her back, Harry leaned over her back, his stiff rod slipping between her legs and brushing against her smooth thighs as he kissed her. She groaned when he pulled back soon after and stared at him excitedly while he grabbed himself by the base.

Harry kept eye contact with her as he pressed his engorged head against the hot, damp lips of her entrance. Hermione let out a light gasp when he pressed forwards, parting her folds but not quite entering her. Closing her eyes, she turned away from him and moaned when Suzette's lips sucked at the delicate skin of her throat.

As one of her hands reached up to gasp Hermione's breast, Harry pushed forward more. It still sent a thrill through him to watch his red, swollen glans be swallowed up by his best friend's tight walls. After a brief pause, he began sawing his hips back and forth slowly, gradually sinking more of his shaft into her grasping depths.

"It's feels wonderful, oui?" Suzette asked with a grin.

"Yes," Hermione hissed.

Harry grinned as Hermione took the initiative for the first time and kissed Suzette hungrily on the lips. As he finally hilted himself inside her, he leaned over Hermione's back and brushed her hair out of the way so he could get a better look. Watching the girls kiss heatedly, their tongues dancing between their lips, he kissed the side of her neck. Reaching under Hermione, he cupped one of her breasts while Suzette's stiff little nipple brushed against the back of his hand.

Pulling his hips back until he was halfway out of her, Harry paused before reversing course and gently driving his rock-hard length back into her sweltering depths. Pulling her lips away from Suzette's, Hermione let out a low, sensual moan as she pushed her hips back towards him. His eyes meeting Suzette's, they shared a brief smile while Hermione closed her eyes and panted lightly.

"Faster," Hermione breathed.

Grinning, Harry gave her breast one final squeeze before straightening up. Grabbing her hips, he pulled back before thrusting back into her quickly, his thighs clapping lightly against her firm bum.

"Oh God, yes, Harry," Hermione gasped.

Smacking her ass lightly, Harry set a moderate pace, slowly pulling most of the way out before thrusting back in quickly. Hermione let out a series of gasps, moans, and groans as she arched her back and bucked back into his thrusts.

Suddenly, Hermione stiffened and left out a sharp gasp. Harry briefly wondered what he did to cause that reaction when he felt her lips move around the base of his cock. It only took a moment for him to realize Suzette had reached down to rub her clit.

Grinning, Harry picked up his pace, his thighs beating a staccato rhythm against Hermione's heart shaped bottom with each thrust. Panting more heavily, she arched her back. A second later, she gasped and moaned wantonly when Suzette took one of her swollen, jiggling nipples between her lips and sucked.

"Oh fuck!" Hermione cursed.

It didn't come as much of a surprise when Hermione reached her peak only a few moments later. Her body went stiff, her arms and legs trembling as screwed up her face and gasped. When she finally relaxed a short time later, she swatted Suzette's hand away from her and hung her head as she continued to shake and pant.

Grinning, Harry pulled out of her and lifted her up, so her back was pressed against his chest. When he cupped her breasts, Hermione turned her head and kissed him deeply. They kept kissing until they both felt Suzette moving around. Sitting up, she grinned at the two of them.

"My turn," she said.

Leaning forward, Suzette kissed Hermione before spinning her around and laying her down on her back. Hermione squealed in surprise as they spun, then broke into a fit of giggle with Suzette when they landed.

Harry expected Suzette to crawl on top of Hermione in a reversal of their previous position, but she didn't. Instead, Suzette kissed her way down Hermione's chest and stomach until her face was buried between her thighs. Hermione inhaled sharply as Suzette stuck out her tongue and licked along her wet slit. Harry smiled at his best friend's wide-eyed face. Tonight, she was experiencing a lot of firsts, and he was impressed she was taking it so well. He was also really grateful to Suzette for helping to make all of this happen.

Lining up behind her, he was determined to show her just how much he appreciated her.

Even as he focused on Suzette, Harry hard a hard time not looking at Hermione's pleasured face. It was the first time he'd ever seen two witches together, and just seeing it had him throbbing excitedly. More than once, he had to briefly slow his thrusts, so he didn't finish too soon. Although, from her moans, it didn't look like Suzette seemed to mind too much.

Just when he began to think he couldn't hold back any longer, Suzette pulled her mouth away from Hermione's folds with a loud cry. Hermione, meanwhile, let out a desperate groan and bucked her hips.

"Suzette, please. I'm so close," she begged.

Hermione tried to reach down to take care of herself, but Suzette grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the couch. Hermione let out another frustrated groan as she bucked her hips and writhed uselessly. After taking a moment to catch her breath, Suzette's tongue assaulted her clit frantically.

"Yes!" Hermione yelled, arching her back.

Harry reached his limit as he watched Hermione cum on another girl's tongue. With a grunt, he buried himself as deep as he could in Suzette and spilled himself inside of her depths. Beneath him, she let out a low, contented moan as he filled her with numerous, powerful jets of cum. Leaning over her back, his hips bucked with each pulse of his cock.

Turning her head, Suzette reached back and grabbed his hair before pulling him in for a searing kiss. Tasting Hermione's arousal on her lips and tongue had his spent length trying to throb its way back to life.

When he'd caught his breath, Harry turned the couch they were on into a large, soft bed with a thought. Hermione gasped at the unexpected magic, but for once she was too tired to ask about it.

Wrapping his arms around Suzette, he fell backwards and pulled her with him until they were lying on their backs. As she curled up against his side, he patted the mattress next to him in invitation. Smiling softly, Hermione crawled over to him and laid down on his other side, her head pillowed on his chest.

"'Arry," Suzette said after a moment. "I want you to promise us you won't go back to moping in the morning."

"I won't," he promised.

Smiling, he pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.

"You know I'll always be there for you, right?" Hermione asked.

"I know," Harry said, turning to look at her. "It's just – hard, sometimes."

"Harry, I've never known you to give up before, and you better not do it now," Hermione said firmly. "I know it's not easy, but we'll figure it out, I know we will. You just need to remind us, so we can help."

"I will," Harry said, pulling her close for a kiss.

"Besides, if it gets too 'ard, you can always ask me or 'Ermione to take care of it for you," Suzette said teasingly.

"Suzette!" Hermione exclaimed with an incredulous laugh.