Trials, Tribulation & Love

Disclaimer: Persons and places belong to JK. ROWLING. PLOT is mine. harhar. har.

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CHAPTER THREE


The next morning, Harry shivered and woke up to the blinding sun penetrating his eyelids.

“What the-” he sat bolt uprightfindfind himself sitting in the middle of the grassy slope. Then everything came back to him.

He’d probably fallen asleep on the lawn from the exhaustion of last nights detention.

He looked around himself and couldn’t help but smile proudly at the now weed-less and smooth slopes. But apart from that, his arms and back and legs were aching horribly and his stomach was rumbling with hunger.

He ignored his hunger though and dragged his feet up the stone steps, into the castle, and back toward Gryffindor Tower so that he could take a nice warm shower to wash away the pain and mud.

When he got there, he was grateful to find the Common Room empty. He had no idea what time it was but figured that it must still be early and made his way up the boys staircase and into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

As he stripped off his clothes and turned on the water, his mind floated back to last nights detention.

He hadn’t cared to think about it at all last night but now that he was under soothing water, his mind seemed to relax.

The blurred moment he and Malfoy had shared a Har Harry had rescued him from the Whomping Willow... their locked eyes... unreadable emotions.... Harry’s head began to spin madly from trying to think to hard.

Why had he saved Malfoy anyways? He should have left the prick to die.

Harry groaned in irritation at his confusing actions, regretting them
completely. It was too late now though, if he told Ron he’d saved Malfoy, Ron would go ballistic and rant on about how Harry had been stupid- his hero-istic instincts getting the better of him- and so on.

Harry shook his head, trying to forget the ordeal. Human beings made mistakes sometimes, and last night had just been another one of those
slip ups. Nothing more.

Feeling slightly more reassured, he quickly got out of the shower and dried himself. He wanted to find Ron and Hermione so that maybe they could visit Hogsmeade that day, it being a Saturday and all.

He wrapped the towel around himself and dashed into the Seventh Years dormitory. Seamus, Dean, Neville, and Ron were already awake, but still groggly-eyed and half asleep.

Ron jumped up in surprise when Harry came crashing in, water dripping everywhere.

“FUCK! What the hell Harry! You nearly scared the shit out of me!” Ron swore loudly.

“Oh, sorry.” Harry grinned.

“Gods Harry, what’s with you half naked? Where were you all night?” Seamus said eyeing him suspiciously. “You weren’t-”

Harry blazed red. “No Seamus. I wasn’t ouoggiogging anyone, if that’s what you were gonna ask.”

Dean raised his eyebrows. “Uh huh.”

“I was serving detention for McGonagoll all night!” Harry said defiantly. “Ask Ron!”

They all looked to Ron, who nodded but was trying hard not to laugh.

“Just get some bloody clothes on Harry.” he said.

“Alright! Alright!” Harry laughed. “Don’t like what you’re seeing?”

Ron grabbed his throat and made gagging motions.

“Fuck you Ron.” Harry said, giving Ron a playful kick.

“Nah Harry, you have a great bod. Look, Neville's drooling all over

himself.” Ron nodded over at Nevilleinglingly.

Neville had indeed been staring at Harry’s upper torso but no one could possibly blame him for it, any same man would die for a body like Harry’s.
“I was not staring!” Neville squeaked, blushing bright red.

“Yeah whatever man.” Seamus chuckled and stood up. “I’m starving, let’s go get someakfaakfast you guys.”

By the time all the guys had showered and dressed, they climbed down to the Common Room that was starting to fill up. Hermione was sitting by the fire with a book in her hands and Crookshanks curled up in her lap. She looked up when they entered the room and smiled.

“Good morning boys!” she said.

“Morning Herm.” they chirped in unison. All the boys adored Hermione. She was something like a sister to them.

“Breakfast Herm?” Harry asked as she approached them.

“Yeah, I could do with some nourishment. I didn’t have time to eat last night because I was busy doing a bit of studying. How was your detention last night Harry?” she added in a lower voice.

Harry shrugged. “Dead aching but I’m alive.”

“So Malfoy didn’t try anything stupid?” Ron butted in, overhearing the conversation.

“Nope.”

“Wow, that must be a first!” Hermione exclaimed. “ I suppose we’ve underestimated Malfoy Harry. Maybe you should go and make friends with hi-”

Ron’s eyes widened in horror. “Hermione? Please tell me that you’re joking! Friends with that twitchy ferret??”

Hermione laughed. “You’re right Ron, I was joking.”

“Thank god...”

They made their way down to the Great Hall, chatting happily about their weekend and their plans.

When they had sat down and begun loadineir eir plates with muffins and fruits, Harry mentioned to his two friends about wanting to go to Hogsmeade that day.

“Sure Harry! I do need to visit the bookstore. There’s a new book on Elfish Welfare that just came out-” Hermione said but Ron cut her off.
“You can’t still be on about that can you?” Ron glared.

“Well, even after I started S.P.E.W. and shared my point of view with so many people, there’s still nothing being done about it! I nearly cried with happiness when I heard that a book about it was being published-”

“Well I’ve got to get some more Sugar Quills. Finished all mine yesterday during Binn’s lecture about Cannibal Ghosts.” Ron interrupted rudely which earned him a cold glare from Hermione.

“You guys, just fucking drop it.” Harry said wearily. They quit gabbling then, but were still looking daggers at each ot


Harry gulped down his breakfast and after three muffins finally felt comfortably full.

“Let’s go and get our cloaks.” Harry said standing up.
They returned to the Gryffindor Tower to retrieve their cloaks and ten minutes later were trudging through the cold wind to Hogsmeade. When they finally got there, they agreed to stop by the Three Broomsticks first to grab a Butterbeer.

The warmth and cheeriness of the pub warmed them immediately as they sat down at a tall table in the far corner.

“Three Butterbeers!” Madam Rosa sla slapped three large mugs down onto their table, giving them a wide smile.

“Thanks!” They replied as they clunked their mugs together in cheer and took a long drink.

“Ahhh. Great stuff.” Ron said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
“Ron! Use a paper napkin for gods sake!” Hermione said disgustedly as she tossed him one from across the table. “You’re such a pig sometimes!”

“I am NOT a pig!” Ron said indignantly.

“Then stop acting like one!”

“I don’t!”

“Do to!”

“STOP!” Harry nearly shouted. “Geez, I didn’t come to Hogsmeade to hear you two squabble!”

He drained his Butterbeer, slammed the mug down onto the table and left the pub, leaving Hermione and Ron looking completely bewildered.

They chased after him immediately as Harry walked away from them moodily.

“Harry! Wait!” Hermione called out desperately.

“Yeah! Wait up mate!” Ron echoed.

They caught up to them and Hermione grabbed Harry’s elbow.

“I’m sorry Harry! That was really dumb of us. Please don’t leave!”
Harry turned to look at them.

“I’m just sick and tired of hearing the two of you biting each other’s heads off for nothing. You ruin the fun moments in everything!” he said irritatedly.

Hermione looked apologetic and Ron looked a bit offended but he quickly covered it up.

“We’re sorry Harry.” he said hastily. “Aren’t we Herm?”

“Yes, we are.” she nodded. “We were being lousy, selfish, annoying, bitchy little brats- well at least Ron was- and we’re sorry.”

Ron’s nostrils flared. “What do you mean ‘at least Ron was’?”

“Well you were.” Hermione said.

“No I wasn’t! You were!8;
Harry burst out laughing. He couldn’t feel angry anymore, not from the look on Ron’s face.

“You guys, just shut up already and let’s go.” he smiled and pulled them on down the crowded street.

Their bags full of sweets, jokes, and in Hermione’s part- books, they headed back to Hogwarts happily. Hermione and Ron had finally stopped arguing and were now practically skipping hand in hand in front of Harry.

Harry smiled dryly. “If you two are feeling so lovey-dovey, why don’t you get a room?”

Hermione blushed furiously and Ron jumped away from her as if suddenly burned.

“We’re not-”

“I would never-”

“Like I would ever-”

Harry had to laugh again.