LESSONS IN LOVE
Chapter Six

Harry walked to the Slytherin common room. He knew he would bump into Draco sometime. It was obvious. But he didn't care. He really needed to see Jack Dawson. If Rose had chosen him, as well, he had no idea how this was going to work out. He treaded unfamiliar territory as he opened the Slytherin common room door. He looked around, and the first one to come up to him was Draco.

"What are you doing here, Potter?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"None of your business, Draco. This is between me and Jack Dawson." Harry stood tall.

"What do you want with him?" Draco asked.

"It's a matter of life and death. Madam Pomfrey wants to see him. Do you know where he is?" Harry looked around, not seeing Jack.

Draco said nothing and just pointed to the upstairs dormitory. Harry started to go in the direction that he pointed, but he was stopped by Draco.

"If you’re not a Slytherin, you cannot go up there. Goyle, fetch Dawson, would you?" Draco looked at Harry, wondering what was going on.

Goyle nodded and went to get Jack.

"What happened, Potter? Did your girlfriend cheat on you?" Draco smiled wickedly at him.

"That's none of your business," Harry said, wondering if he had anything to do with Rose's condition.

Harry waited for Goyle to get Jack. He saw Jack coming down the stairs.

Jack saw Harry. He wondered if he knew about him and Rose. He swore he had done nothing wrong, but only taken what was given to him.

"Goyle said you wanted to see me." Jack stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"Come on. Let's walk to Madam Pomfrey's. I will explain on the way." Harry walked toward the door.

They went out of the Slytherin common room and started walking in the direction of Madam Pomfrey's. For a while, they didn't speak. Harry waited until he was far enough away from the Slytherin dungeon before saying anything.

"Jack, the reason I came to see you is because Rose is in trouble. You see, someone gave her a love potion. So if she acted kind of funny, that is why," Harry said as he walked fast.

"Listen, Harry, I swear I only kissed her. When I told her to find you, she had no hesitation in leaving me. This was an accident." Jack tried to justify his actions.

"I don't blame you. Really. So, you swear all she did was kiss you?" Harry looked at him.

"More like kissing and groping," Jack said, embarrassed by it all.

"We are going to have to be a team together. We are going to have to submit ourselves to her needs, whatever they may be." Harry said it with distaste. He didn't want anyone to touch his Rose.

"You mean, you’re allowing me to touch her?" Jack looked at him in surprise.

"If she desires that," Harry said, and frowned.

"I am so sorry this has happened. Do you know who did this?" He really wanted to know.

"No. Not a clue." Harry had no idea.

They stopped at Madam Pomfrey's to check on Rose. She was just laying there. She rose when she saw her two favorite guys.

"Harry! Jack!" She smiled at both of them.

She got up to hug them both and kissed each on the cheek. "I have been so bored here. Thanks for coming to see me."

"You’re welcome, Rose." Jack smiled.

Harry hugged her. "You’re free to leave whenever you want," said Madam Pomfrey.

They walked out, bumping into Professor McGonagall. "Jack, Rose, Harry, follow me."

She took them into an abandoned classroom and waited for them to be seated.

"We've never had this situation happen before, but this classroom is where you will be doing all your studies from now until the problem is solved," McGonagall said.

Rose raised her hand. "What problem, Professor?"

"No one told you?" She looked at her.

"She doesn't know, Professor." Harry spoke up.

"What's going on, Harry?" She tugged his school robes.

"Rose, someone has slipped you a love potion," he told her.

"Wow. Really? Who would do such a thing?" she asked.

"We have no idea. Do you know who would do something like this?" McGonagall spoke up.

"Not a clue." Rose shook her head from side to side.

"Well, I will leave you to sort everything out until you start classes here tomorrow. Dormitory arrangements will also be made. You'll be staying in the prefects’ special room. I will ban all prefects to stay elsewhere." The professor was heading to the door when she was telling them this.

"Yes, Professor," they all said.

Rose smiled. When the professor left, Rose pushed Harry inside and grabbed Jack's hand.

"So, what have I done to both of you? I want to know." Rose demanded to know what she was doing when she was under the spell.

Harry hesitated. "Well, Rose, so far you've done nothing to me," he admitted.

"Jack?" She had her arms folded.

"Rose, I swear I didn't mean to, but you asked me to kiss you. So I did." He turned red.

"Thanks for being honest. Well, guys, I guess it is just you and I." She hung onto Harry's shoulder.

"Can I go back to the dormitory?" Jack asked.

"Sure. I don't see any harm in it," Rose said.

Rose walked with Harry. She leaned against him, liking the feeling of contact. She felt the heat of her body rise. She tried to focus on other things, like school, exams, and so forth. It wasn't working. What was wrong with her?

"Harry, it’s happening again," she told him.

Harry looked at her and pulled her to the nearest place he could find, Snape's potion closet. He turned on the light.

"What do I do, Rose?" he asked her.

"Kiss me." She tugged him close to her and the shelf behind her rattled when she pulled him to her.

He held onto her and kissed her deeply. He felt her tugging at his belt. He pulled away. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to touch you. I want to feel you, Harry," she whispered as she started to kiss his neck.

He undid his belt and unzipped himself, allowing her all the access she needed. He felt very nervous. He felt her hand travel into his trousers as she touched him in the most intimate place he had never let anyone touch. He leaned closer as she touched him. She took off her shirt and exposed herself to him. He bent down to kiss her chest, loving her caresses.

It was at that moment that the couple was interrupted by Snape himself. "Potter, what are you doing in my stores?"

"Professor, I can explain," he said as he zipped up his trousers and fixed his belt. Rose was putting her shirt back on when the professor took them to Professor McGonagall.

"Professor McGonagall! I found these two snogging in my stores. They should be expelled for doing such a lewd act on school grounds." Snape was very angry.

"You’re right, but that is not going to happen. The prefects’ room is ready for you two. It seems like your condition is progressing very fast. In that case, Rose, you will be taking these." She handed her a pill case.

"Birth control?" she said out loud. "Professor, do I really need these?"

"Yes, Rose. If you produced a child, whether it be Harry's or Jack's, it would damage your life. We cannot have that." The professor told her the truth.

"Fine." She took them, put them in her pocket, and took off.

Harry followed her and went down toward the prefects’ room. He had to catch up with her. "Rose?"

"Sorry I took off the way I did," she said.

"No problem. It's a miracle they didn't give me condoms," he said.

"Give them time." She shrugged her shoulders. "Look, Harry, you’re seventeen, right?" she asked him.

"Yeah. Why?" he asked.

"How about we just do this and get it over with?" She opened the door to the prefects’ room.

"You’re serious? How do you know something bad won't happen if we do this?" He felt ready now. He wasn't afraid.

"You’re right. We'll take this slow. I don't know what this potion will do if we act prematurely." She saw a bed and lay down on it.

Harry looked at the other beds there and chose the one he would be sleeping in. He lay down. He looked up at the ugly color of the yellow canopy curtains. He wondered if Dumbledore had ever set fire to these curtains. He laughed out loud.

"What's so funny, Harry?" Rose turned to the side and looked at him.

"Nothing. Just remembering something Dumbledore told me. He said he once set fire to these curtains--by accident, of course." He looked over at her. She was more beautiful than he could ever imagine. He got the nerve to walk over to her bed and lay down with her.

"Harry, if I were to have your baby, it would be the most wonderful thing that could ever happen to me. I'm not afraid of that," she confessed to him.

"Thanks, Rose." He kissed her on the lips.

"About our studies--do you think we will have special exams because of this incident?" Rose took a strand of his hair and started playing with it.

"Possibly." He loved it when she touched him. He felt so relaxed.

She yawned and moved closer to him, putting her hand on his waist. He kissed her forehead and began to drift off to sleep. They slept together in one bed, not caring what others thought. After this spell occurred, they didn't really care.

*****

Jack wandered about the corridor of the Slytherin common room, just thinking about what could happen between him and Rose. He thought about her all the time now. He would get to spend more time with her alone at some point if Harry ever disappeared. He went up to his room and got a few things he would need for the following weeks. His books, some clothes, and other things he packed into a duffel bag and put on his shoulder.

He headed to the prefects’ room. As he trudged along, he bumped into Ginny Weasley. She stood at the prefects’ room door, trying to listen in on what was happening in the room.

"Hello. Who are you and what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm Ginny and you’re Jack, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. Why are you standing out in the corridor?" He put down his bag.

"Listen, Jack, ever since my cousin Rose came to Hogwarts, she has stolen everything I ever loved, including Harry. I want him back." She leaned against the wall and pushed the hair out of her eyes.

"You and Harry dated?" Jack had not known.

"Yeah. We were together last year. He didn't want me around him at the time because of…well…you know who." Ginny didn't say Voldemort's name.

"Ah…so what were you trying to do? I mean, why are you standing here?" Jack looked at Ginny. She wasn't bad-looking, either.

"Jack, it was me. I drugged Rose, but I meant for her to go with you. Somehow, when I hugged Harry that day when I made the potion, his hair slipped into the potion. It was a mistake. I never meant for him to be with her. Now Harry's karma is so strong, it's overpowering yours." She cried against his chest and he put his arm around her.

"Ginny, maybe we can help each other." A plan was brewing in Jack's mind.

"What?" She looked at him.

"Let's see if we can make them jealous. If Harry still loves you, maybe that will deter him from being with Rose." He told her his plan.

"Think it will work?" Ginny asked.

"It's worth a try." He smiled at her.

He picked up his duffel bag and went into the prefects’ room with Ginny. He saw Harry and Rose asleep. He looked over at Ginny. He stood next to her and whispered in her ear. "When I throw this bag down, I want you to kiss me," he told her.

She nodded.

He dropped the bag and it made a thump. It woke up Harry, and when he put on his glasses, he saw Jack and Ginny kissing on the free bed in the room.

"What the…? Ginny!" Harry shouted. Rose stirred.

Ginny parted from Jack and leaned against him. She looked over at Harry.

"Hello, Harry." She smiled.

He didn't say a word, but grabbed her by the arm and took her out of the room. He pushed her against the wall. She was frightened. Never had she been so afraid of him.

"Ginny, what are you doing with Jack?" he demanded to know.

"I like him. He asked me to be his girlfriend," she told him.

"Girlfriend? Ginny, you hardly know him." Harry was still half-asleep.

"Harry, you moved on--with my cousin, no less. Don't you remember how happy we were together, how you and I used to make out every chance we got? What happened, Harry? What happened to us?" She looked at him, wondering what he could be thinking.

"I don't know, Ginny. I love Rose. She is unlike anyone I ever met." He lowered her to the ground and took a seat.

"I know you love her. But I am asking about me." She looked over at him and took his hand.

"Ginny, I still love you, and will always love you, no matter what. But right now, Rose is what I need. She understands what's going on," he explained.

"And I don't? Harry, let me remind you of last year and the year before. When Sirius died, I was there for you. She wasn't. You cried all night in my arms. I never asked anything of you." She leaned against him.

"Ginny, I can't be with you now. If you’re with Jack, even if I don't like it, you’re free to see who you want." He got up and looked down at her.

"I'm going to give him myself, Harry," she told him.

"Don't, Ginny. Not him." He held her up.

"Why not? He wants me, and obviously, you don't." She cried against his shoulder.

He held her, feeling her pain. He loved her. He always had. But he just couldn't chance anyone using her against him. He didn't want her to be a pawn in his enemy’s hand. Voldemort was still out there, whether he was with Ginny or Rose. It made no difference. He didn't want Ginny hurt. So, he tried to stay away.

He pulled Ginny around the corner of the hall. "Please don't give him that part of you, Ginny. I am begging you."

"Kiss me, Harry, and I won't. And not just any kiss. I want you to mean it," she told him.

He looked around and kissed her like he used to when they were together. She moaned. He had never kissed her like this. She was surprised that he was kissing her like this. It was probably from all the practice he had with Rose. For that, she liked that he was more experienced now. He was a man. Her Harry had matured.

Chapter Seven
Stories