A Terrible Temptation

A/N - Okay I have gone froma little overwhelmed by the response to slack-jawed astonishment. Thank you all for th eamazing reviews. I am really stunned. Kate, thank you for putting up with my output. Everyone wave at Kate, my beta and don\'t forget to read her story \"Far From Home\".

Thank Yous go to: Mia, tikina, darc, Zephyr, MsPixie, vblum, carrie, kiristeen, talene, QueenC, Laura, PiperS, spaz141, littlebird, wiccanwillow and Deeble

Red - I love your stories, so it\'s an extra big grin to get a review from you. Thanks!
elementaldeity - Hedwig shows up again, not to worry.
deblovesdragon - Sev is starting to see the fun side of switching bodies, hence the Temptation part of the title.
Deblovesdragon - Albus will be showing up soon to discuss things with poor Severus.
Shiv - I also love your stories and get a happy feeling from thinking you like mine. :)
Chloe - Actually I am having fun writing this!
Helen - Hope you get better soon, honey, get some sleep!
CMW - Glad to have you onbpard, I promise to make your co-workers think you are VERY strange. :)
USTmistress - Me, too, why keep tossing hexes at Draco when he really needs a good pounding.


Chapter 6 – Suddenly Harry

Hermione watched Harry sitting in the Common Room doing his homework. He hadn’t protested or complained when she had suggested that they study. He had rejected Ron’s suggestion that they go out to play a game of Quidditch and pulled out his books with every evidence of if not enjoyment, then at least willingness.

Their visit to the Headmaster’s office and their upcoming detentions notwithstanding, watching Harry flatten Malfoy had been one of the high points of her life. All the things he had said to Malfoy, did Harry cull that from Professor Snape’s mind? Could that really be the truth of what Snape thought about him or was that all Harry’s dislike? Could Professor Snape really hate Malfoy, despite his outwardly preferential treatment? It was a possible new window into the Professor; if true, how galling it must be for him to have to pretend to like Draco when he really held him in contempt.

Harry set out his books, dividing them by classes, then checked his assignment list and determined which were due first and set to work. If this was more of Snape’s mind having leaked into Harry, then she could only imagine what Snape would be like in undiluted form. The man must be neurotically organized! Of course, his potions storeroom was testament to that, but Hermione hadn’t thought that it extended to all areas.

Harry sat quietly, working through his Transfiguration homework with methodical calm. He didn’t ask her any questions or beg her for more information on something. He rifled through the books and did his own research. Hermione rather hoped that this new and improved Harry would stay permanently; he was a great study partner.

“M – Hermione, isn’t there usually a copy of ‘Shifting Through Forms’ in the Common Room?” He asked suddenly. “I think the mouse issue is resolved in that one. I could be wrong.” He added hastily as he caught her staring at him. He looked a little frightened as he stared back at her and she wondered what it must be like to have other people’s thoughts and personalities wandering through your mind. Scary, she’d bet.

“I borrowed it earlier. I have it upstairs, I’ll get it.” She replied with a smile. Harry had obviously been ordered not to talk about the accident in the Owlery and she wasn’t going to push it.

She came back down some minutes later to find him helping Neville with his Potions homework. Harry was rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands and very patiently explaining the properties of fluxweed to Neville who was nodding.

“The thing about fluxweed, Neville, is that it has to be chopped slowly because it is constantly changing shape and if you want the lengths to be even you have to keep checking it.” Harry was keeping eye contact with Neville and Neville was nodding.

“Chopped slowly.” Neville repeated and Harry patted him on the arm. As soon as Neville had moved away, smiling and happy, Hermione raised her eyebrows at Harry.

“He needs special help that he just can’t get in a classroom. The best that … Professor Snape can do is try to contain any possible disasters, but there is no way to really help him there.” Harry shrugged and Hermione kept her mouth firmly closed. Did Snape think that or did Harry extrapolate from what was leaking from Snape’s brain? Either way it was an insight she hadn’t thought of before.

Harry shoved his hair out of his eyes with a grumble and she grinned at him. That was Harry all right, always going on about his hair. None of that could be Professor Snape since everyone knew he didn’t even shower, let alone think about hair care.

“Harry?” Lavender sidled up to him with a flirtatious smile and Hermione found her teeth grinding together as she watched. She was amazed by the feeling of jealousy that raged inside her suddenly and even more so as Harry looked up and smiled at Lavender.

“Hey, Lav.” He replied and continued to smile as she sat down beside him at the table.

“Since you got that transfiguration down so quickly today I was wondering if you would help me with it?” Lavender batted her eyelashes at Harry and his smile became a rather sardonic smirk.

“You had it mastered no less than ten minutes later, Lavender.” He retorted, not taken in by her transparent ploy. Hermione felt as though her heart would burst; Harry wasn’t idiot enough to fall for that old line. “There is no need to pretend that you are not a clever witch, you know. I like smart girls.” He flashed her a smile that had both Lavender and Hermione melting inside. Where did Harry get that devastatingly charming smile? Snape could not have lent him that! Snape wasn’t charming in the least. That had to be native Harry! So where had he been hiding it?

“You’re the only boy here who does then.” Lavender blurted, still flushed from the smile.

“Then date a Ravenclaw, Lavender; they all appreciate smarts and will be so amazed that your brain comes wrapped in a beautiful package that they will worship you.” Harry’s advice was really good and while Lavender looked a little disappointed by the implied brush-off, it was so gracefully given that she couldn’t say anything. She smiled sweetly at Harry and headed out of the Common Room with a determined air.

“Harry, how did you know to do that? You usually don’t know anything about girls.” Harry looked at her startled.

“You’re joking.” He said to her and then got a far away look in his eyes. “After watching you for six years, Hermione, I should have picked up something by now, shouldn’t I?” He looked almost as as he said that and she felt something stirring in her heart as she reached out to pat his arm comfortingly.

“Harry, are you feeling all right?” It was the closest she had come to outright asking him what had happened in the Owlery. Harry looked up at her with haunted eyes.

“It isn’t easy being seventeen. It isn’t easy being me and being seventeen.” He replied after a long pause and then he swept up his book and left to go upstairs.

Hermione watched him go, but her eyes remained on the stairs long after he had vanished up them. She knew that Harry had been through a lot lately; perhaps he had finally grown up and she had just missed it.

Hermione went upstairs to her private Head Girl’s room to think. She had decorated the chamber in more subdued colors than the scarlet and gold she had lived with for the last six years. The huge four-poster bed was bounded by sky-blue curtains and covered in a navy blue comforter. The stone floors had pale blue rugs with green and yellow floral patterns and the walls were hung with still life tapestries. She had never gotten used to people watching her from the walls.

She undressed and slipped into the white nightdress the house elves had laid out for her. Lying back on the bed, she looked up at the stars scattered across the underside of the canopy, watching as they twinkled above her. Harry’s face flashed into her mind and she studied it, trying to see the person he was now rather than the preconceived notions she had of him.

He was far more mature than she had given him credit for; lately he was acting so…adult. Perhaps the accident had been more serious than she had thought. If he had nearly died and had his mind invaded again, then perhaps he had had some maturity scared into him.

However it had happened, this new Harry was intriguing, intelligent, self-reliant and dare she say it…sexy. She had been watching his hands as he wrote out his homework, his eyes as they scanned the pages of his textbook, the way his tongue had slipped out between his teeth as he concentrated. She wondered what it would be like to have all that intensity directed at her.

The thought made her wriggle and she could feel a growing dampness between her legs. She reached her fingers down and began to stroke herself, imagining his hands on her. She thought about his mouth and those green eyes looking up at her with passionate interest.

She came crying out, but for the life of her couldn’t tell what she had said. She fell asleep to dream of Harry.