My body tingles softly as Hermione wraps her thickly knit Gryffindor scarf around my shoulders. "Duck," she whispers as she watches the two figures walk toward the wooded area we sit in. The skies are clouded, so the sun won't be able to illuminate my black hair and give away my position. The students don't turn in our direction, so her shoulders start to relax. "How long are we going to keep hiding?" I ask. "I'm tired of sneaking around."

      "Baby steps." She says simply, picking her book back up to read. She places her head in my lap and uses my thighs as a pillow, which I don't mind at all. 

      "Baby steps?" I drum my fingers on her forehead. "What do you mean?"

      "I-I just don't want to out myself." Hermione's forehead wrinkles. "I just found out I liked girls last month-"

      "Last month?" I giggle. "How'd you find out?" She blushes.

      "Let's just say I was partnered up with Pansy Parkinson, who does look pleasing from certain angles." I can tell she wants to change the topic. "How'd you?" 

      "A trip to the library in second year, where I kept seeing a pretty girl. Perhaps the most beautiful girl in the world-"

      "Well, she sounds like a treat." Hermione tenses and speaks defensively.

      "I was talking about you, silly. God, for someone who reads just as much as I do, you're the most oblivious person in the world." Hermione blushes even harder.

      "Oh!" She moves to sit in my lap, kissing my jawline softly. My arms instinctively wrap around her waist, burying my face into her bushy, sweet-smelling hair, nipping at her earlobes-

      "Oi! What the hell?" Ron Weasley stands above us, Harry Potter at his side. "We've been looking for you for ages!"

      "I'm sorry, what? Y/N and Hermione?" Harry is as blissfully oblivious as always. 

      "Yes." Hermione stands up. I simper back on the other side of the bush we were behind. "If you're not going to accept us, that's fine. I wouldn't need you then-" Ron puts a finger to her lip. 

      "Shut up, you idiot. It's fine, just don't make out constantly." There's a beat of silence.

      "Not because- I have limits for everyone, okay?" Harry's eyes shift as Ron confirms this. I can tell he's thinking of someone. 

      "Please, don't go around spreading this to everyone. I want to keep these things private, and so does Y/N. Alright?"

      "Loosed up, Hermione. Seriously, it's all good." Harry speaks. 

      "Yeah, Hermione." I whisper from the bushes. Her face goes red as she hugs the book to her chest. 

      "Yeah."