Work Text:
Harry knew almost nothing about presentations. Either from spacing during the section of class or just never really understanding, he knew nothing. He knew about omegas and betas and alphas. He knew about heats and ruts. That was about it.
Ron had presented as an alpha like most of his family. His mother, Molly, was the only omega and Ginny hadn’t presented yet.
Hermione was a beta. She presented over the school year, betas don’t go through much. Harry hasn’t heard her complain much except for her nose getting stronger to others scents.
Ron complains. He complained about his presentation rut, barely one as the first rut or heat is always a mock one. Ron tells Harry about how he hates other scents and how some alphas need scent patches. Ron presented in the summer a year before, basically perfect timing.
Harry can smell people, that’s obvious. He hasn’t presented yet so his sense of smell isn’t as developed.
Harry sat at the packed dining table, Ron on his left and Hermione on his right. He was sleeping over so they could go back to school shopping in two days. Arthur sat at the head of the table, chatting with Molly. George and Fred were laughing with each other, Ginny was eating the food on her plate.
Molly always made the best dinner. Harry helped her tonight, she usually never lets him. He thinks she let him help because he was following her around the kitchen in the first place. He likes to see how she uses magic when cooking, he’s never done it himself.
Harry doesn’t know why Molly lets him follow her sometimes. The food is seasoned well, the chicken cooked perfectly. He doesn’t feel hungry, more so just picks at the food on his plate.
Hermione adds more broccoli to his plate, he doesn’t argue. When he joins their conversation again, Ron is chewing with his mouth open. Hermione nags him about it until he stops.
It’s hot in here, Harry feels sweat down his back. His hand feels sweaty around his fork so he puts it down. He wipes down his hands with his napkin.
“You should eat more.” Hermione says, taking a bite of her own chicken.
“I’m full.” He answers, glancing up at her from his plate. Molly stands up and starts to clear her plate, she comes back to clear more.
Before Ron can open his mouth, Harry gets up to help. He clears off his plate and sets it with Molly’s, everyone else starts to clean up too.
“Thank you for the help, dear.” Molly says after he finishes wiping down the table. She’s putting away dishes that were on the drying rack.
Harry smiles, “You’re welcome.”
“You look flushed, get some water and go join everyone else.” Molly hands him a glass of water.
He nods, sipping from it and heading upstairs. George and Fred are in the living room, Arthur is on the couch.
He assumes Hermione and Ron are in Ron’s room. Harry knows they are when he finally makes it up all of the stairs and starts to hear them laughing.
Hermione smiles at him when he enters. He smiles back and sits down with them on the floor. Hermione has a book in her lap as Ron scoots closer to Harry.
“What classes did you pick for this year?” Ron asks, wrapping his arm around Harry’s shoulder.
Hermione giggles, clearly at them but she’s trying to act like it’s from her book.
“Well sorry some people don’t have a crazy amount of classes.” Ron remarks.
Harry chuckles, leaning into Ron. “I think we’ll have most classes together. And definitely some with Hermione.”
Hermione looks up, “I don’t think you guys could survive a class without me.”
Ron rolls his eyes but doesn’t object. Harry smiles, stretching his legs out in front of him. They land in front of Hermione, Ron lays his legs right over Harry’s so they are to the side of Hermione.
——
Harry woke up sweating, his entire body drenched in sweat. Ron’s room feels suffocatingly hot.
He’s surprised when he wakes up by himself, usually he’s the first one awake. The blanket is hot but smells like Ron. It’s intoxicating, it smells like roasted chestnuts and cinnamon. Harry holds the blanket to his nose for a couple of seconds.
It’s the first time he can truly smell Hermione too, like a new vanilla candle or book mix.
His neck hurts when he glances around the room. It ached like he slept wrong.
Harry grabs the collar of his shirt, pulling on it to fan himself. The walk down all the steps are tiring, he can’t help but sway a bit.
Once he gets downstairs his nostrils feel attacked. He can smell everything, Fred and George have almost an identical sweet amber scent. Arthur smells like honey. Harry stands by the stairs, sweating profusely.
Charlie and Bill are over. He remembers being told about this last night, they are eating breakfast with everyone. Harry can’t smell them as well, they have scent patches.
Harry stands by the stairs, using his shirt to fan himself.
Molly notices him first, she smiles at him. “Come here, love. Breakfast is ready.” She announced, signaling for him to come. She watched as he stood there, still as a statue. “Harry.” She calls.
Hermione looks from her conversation with Ginny to him. “Morning, Harry.” She greets softly, a smile growing on her face. Ron is shoving his face full he doesn’t notice Harry has come down.
Harry slowly walks over to the kitchen, he stands by a counter as Molly is figuring out something on the stove. She stirs more scrambled eggs in a pot. Molly smells like French toast.
Once they are done she moves her attention to Harry. He’s pink, flushed and sweaty. Molly recognized it quickly, he smelled. Harry reeks of chocolate and citrus. She comes up to him, placing a hand on his forehead. It’s hot, he’s sweating.
“Oh, Harry. Love, let’s get back upstairs.” She whispers, snapping at Arthur to get his attention.
She starts to guide him away from the kitchen, pushing him into a seat in the living room.
“Arthur,” she calls out, “come here.”
Arthur walks over, looking at the two curiously. Hermione is watching, confused.
“I think he’s presenting, he reeks.” She whispers to him, trying to keep it hushed from her sons. “
——
Harry lays on Ron’s bed, a makeshift nest with the Weasley’s thing was made. Harry feels hot, he can’t help but whimper. He thinks Molly put a silencing charm around him so no one else can hear him whine, he doesn’t know if he feels embarrassed or grateful.
Ron’s room is suffocatingly hot, he’s sweating worse in here then he was in the hallway. He can only think of one upside, that being that it’s Ron’s room. It smells like Ron and a little bit of Hermione from earlier.
He wishes they were here. It smells great, like vanilla and cinnamon. Harry can barely smell himself and doesn’t know if it’s because it’s himself or if his partners smells are strong from it being Ron’s room.
Molly keeps coming by, giving him water refills and food. He doesn’t feel hungry but Molly is the type of person who will spoon feed him. Ron and Hermione would too.
He whines again, shuffling around in the nest. He’s just in shorts, having completely disregarded his shirt earlier. Harry’s back is covered in sweat, his entire body coated in a thick layer of it.
——
The next morning felt fuzzy. Harry had cooled down, everyone’s scents felt calm. It wasn’t ruining his nostrils with every breath.
Molly came up, bright and early in the morning, checking up on him.
“The presentation heat is always a mock heat, never the worst you’ll come across.” Molly says to him, noticing how he has cooled. “Do you want to join us for breakfast or would you prefer I bring it up?” Molly asks.
“Can Ron and Hermione eat here too?” He questions, sitting up in his nest.
“Of course.” She answers, taping on the door with her fingernails. Molly leaves the bedroom, letting Harry relax again.
He shoves a new shirt on, he thinks it’s Ron’s.
It’s not long before Ron and Hermione come up. Hermione has two plates, one presumably for him. Ron stands by the bed, already eating a piece of meat from his plate. Hermione rolls her eyes at it, handing Harry the porcelain plate in her left hand.
“How do you feel?” She asks, handing over a fork too.
Harry shrugs, “I don’t think I ever want that to happen again.”
Ron laughs, loudly. “You’ll just get them for the rest of your life, no big deal right?” He jokes, trying to help Harry feel better about his forever future of heats.
Ron and Hermione stay standing by the bed, holding their plates in their hands. Harry has set his plate on his lap, his legs dangling over the bed. “Er- are you guys going to stand weirdly or sit with me?” He asks after a bit of silence.
Hermione gives him a look, Harry can’t place it. Either it’s filled with questions or a demand. Ron speaks up, “Don’t cha know anything, Harry?”
Harry gives Hermione a look back, confusion written across it. “What do you mean?”
Ron looks at him, then Hermione. Hermione, seeing Ron looking at her to explain, starts up. “It’s improper to sit in an omega’s nest without being invited in.” She says as Ron smacks his lips when taking a bite. Hermione glares at him.
Harry takes in the bed around him, he’d definitely formed a nest on Ron’s bed. The blankets and clothing he got from everyone piled just right. “You two can sit down.”
Hermione sits down next to him, their legs touching each other. Hermione is cold, her skin feels like ice. Ron moves around to be behind them. Having already finished his plate of dinner, he leans his chest against Harry’s back. Ron feels cold too, not icy like Hermione but edging towards a cool feel. Ron’s arms wrap around Harry as he eats.
“Bloody hell, you’re still hot.” Ron murmurs, resting his face onto Harry’s shoulder.
“What do you expect?” Hermione answers, finishing up her plate. “Finish up.” She says, tapping her finger on Harry’s plate.
He uses his fork to move the food around. Smushing down his mashed potatoes and picking at the meatloaf. Hermione and Ron’s plate get stacked and set onto the nightstand.
“Watch out, if you don’t finish Mione might force feed you.” Ron whispers into Harry’s ear.
Hermione gasps, “Ron!” The two start to giggle as Hermione shoves Ron off of Harry. “He doesn’t need you clinging onto him as he eats.”
Ron rolls his eyes, hands now down by his sides and not hugging Harry. The food feels like mush in his mouth, Harry doesn’t want to eat much more.
“Mom will become mental if you don’t finish.” Ron tells him. Harry looks back at him, Ron’s laying down on the bed now. Head against the two pillows Harry has stacked there.
“You know what Molly said, Ron.” Hermione reminds.
Harry turns to her, “What did she say?” He asks, now extremely curious about this more than how to get out of finishing his plate. Hermione turns her body to face Harry, one leg dangling off the bed as the other is bent between them.
“Molly said he shouldn’t be bothering you. Let alone cuddling up to you and taking up almost all the room in your nest.” She answers, flicking Ron’s leg that was now to her side.
Harry can hear Ron huff behind him. “Harry loves me.” Ron says, sitting up.
“Finish up.” Hermione orders again. Ron can’t help but chuckle, amused.
“Let Harry be, he’ll finish up eventually.” Ron comments, leaning his side against Harry’s back. His head sits on top of Harry’s.
Hermione looks back at him, giving him this look Harry can’t see. When he does glance over Hermione stops, just to start again once he looks back. Harry can tell she’s trying to signal something to Ron.
Ron and Hermione reek. Harry can’t help but think about it. Ron smells great, a mixture of roasted chestnuts and Hermione’s slight vanilla makes him crave more. Hermione’s scent is barely there, Harry wants to get closer to truly smell her. Ron is emitting his scent onto Harry. None of them have said anything but Ron is scenting Harry heavily.
His plate gets stolen from his hands, he doesn’t mind much. Hermione is now holding the fragile porcelain, scooping up mashed potatoes onto his fork. Harry watches as she moves the fork up to his mouth. They stare at each other, Harry’s mouth shut. The bite of mashed potatoes gets rejected like Hermione thought. She pushes against his lips, waiting for him to open his mouth.
Ron moves his hands to be around Harry’s waist, his left leg going to the side of Harry as the right is bent against himself.
Harry debates on pushing him off, not because he doesn’t want his boyfriend to hug him but because he knows what they are doing. Ron’s scenting and cuddling him so he lets Hermione feed him.
“I kn-” He starts to say, Hermione shoves the spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. It’s sudden and Harry leans back. Hermione is already getting another bite ready when Harry starts chewing. The mashed potatoes feel nasty in his mouth and he can't help but have trouble getting them down.
“I know what you’re doing.” Harry states.
“I don’t care, open up.” Hermione replied, shoving another bite of mashed potatoes against his lips. He doesn’t open his mouth again. Harry looks away from Hermione, he studies Ron’s wall of posters. The messy bookshelf by the door could use a good cleanout, he notes. Hermione has been eyeing it days before, he bets she’ll want to clean it out soon.
He leans back into Ron, setting his head on his shoulder. Hermione sets down the spoon, stacking Harry’s plate onto her and Ron’s. “You stink.” Harry whispers to Ron, burying his face into Ron’s neck.
Hermione giggles, scooting closer to the two. Ron tilts his head to the other side, towards Hermione. Harry turns around so he’s facing Ron. “You guys are stinking up the whole room. Cool it.” Hermione announces, trapped between the scenting war they were doing.
Harry removes his face from Ron’s neck, turning to look at Hermione. “It’s weird, I can actually smell you guys. A lot.” He says.
“Sense of smell always gets stronger after presentations.” Hermione answers.
“What’s everyone else doing?” Harry asks, he feels tired.
“Well Bill and Charlie are here, but you know that. Mom is so worried about you. I think she’s excited to have another omega in the house though. George and Fred might bother you once you go downstairs.” Ron explains. Harry nods along, looking at Hermione. She raises an eyebrow at him. “I think everyone thought you were going to be an alpha.” Ron comments.
Harry looks over at him, curious. Hermione chuckles, “It was obvious you were going to be an omega.” Hermione, sensing the two's confusions, continues, “I mean, there were signs. You follow Molly around constantly, for one. Also you nested before this. Not fully, but you definitely imitated nests before. Ron, you saw it when we were at Hogwarts. You shared a room with him.”
Ron nods, trying to act like he understands when he doesn’t. He supposes there were signs Harry was going to be an omega but he never thought about it.
“What does following Molly around have to do with anything?” Harry asks.
It doesn’t take long for Hermione to go on about omega traits. Ron tunes her out, resting against Harry’s shoulder. Harry is nodding along and listening to her. He’s sure that Hermione saw signs of Harry presenting an omega a while ago and read about it, there's a low chance she just read about this one day. Especially with how much she knows.