Author's Note: Thanks for the great first reviews. I'm so glad you guys like the first chapter. This story is being told in the familiar third-person style---much easier to write than in the first person. I hope this doesn't confuse anyone.
Please read and review!
Chapter Two
"I Could Not Ask For More"
"These are the moments
I know heaven must exist
These are the moments I know all I need is this
I have all I've waited for
And I could not ask for more"
"I could not ask for more than this time together
I could not ask for more than this time with you
Every prayer has been answered
Every dream I have's come true
And right here in this moment is right where I'm meant to be
Here with you here with me"
(Edwin McCain/Also done by Sara Evans)
Although the air was crisp and cool, it was still a nice day. The temperature was unseasonably warm for a November afternoon, and many students had taken advantage of it by spending the majority of the afternoon outside enjoying the sun.
While Harry's afternoon classes ended with Herbology, Hermione still had to attend Ancient Runes. She promised to meet him in the Gryffindor common room as soon as she'd had a chance to go back to her room to change clothes. While he waited for her, he'd snuck down to the kitchens and asked Dobby and Winky to let him nick a thermos full of hot chocolate and cookies. They'd both happily obliged, and Dobby even offered to prepare a full-course meal, but Harry had profusely told him that wasn't necessary and that the hot chocolate and cookies were more than enough.
As soon as he'd walked back into the common room, he found Hermione sitting on one of the couches. She'd changed out of her school uniform into a pair of jeans, a grey Atlanta Braves sweatshirt and a pair of trainers. She'd pulled her hair back into a plait. She was talking animatedly with Ginny and hadn't noticed Harry coming into the room. He stood for a moment and watched her. He felt his heart speed up at the sight of her. He couldn't wait to be alone with her.
"Hey," he said, coming over to the couches and tapping her on the shoulder.
"Hey," she said, folding her arms and trying to give him her "upset" look, but failing miserably and dissolving into laughter. "I thought you'd stood me up."
"No," he said, laughing. "I just went to get some provisions." He held up the thermos and bag of cookies.
"Oh, yummy," she said, eyeing the chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. "Well, are you ready to go, then?"
"Yeah," he said. "Ready when you are."
"Let's go," she said, smiling.
They both said a quick goodbye to Ginny and stepped through the Portrait Hole. As they walked down the corridor, they didn't speak. They were content just to hold hands and enjoy the peace and quiet. Every once in awhile, Hermione would look over at him and he, sensing her gaze, would look back and smile warmly at her.
He didn't say much when they'd finally found a quiet, deserted spot under one of the giant trees by the lake. Harry set out the blanket he'd brought and he listened as she talked about her study plans for the next couple of weeks. He listened thoughtfully, but didn't really contribute much to the conversation.
"Are you alright?" she asked him.
"Of course," he said, as they both finally sat down. He took out the thermos and mugs from his bag and began to pour them each a cup of the hot chocolate. "Why wouldn't I be? Look at this, perfect afternoon, perfect girl," he said, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. "And the perfect hot chocolate. What more could I guy possibly want?"
She smiled, but still looked at him, uncertainly.
"What is it?" she asked again. "You know you can talk to me about anything, don't you? Is it Ron?"
He shook his head. "No, it's not Ron," he said. "I mean, I'm upset that he's still acting like a complete wanker over this whole thing with you and me, but that's not it."
"Well, what is it?"
"It all seems too perfect, you know? It almost seems like it's the calm before the storm. I mean, classes are going fine. You are back where you belong, and you seem happy. I mean, you are happy, aren't you?" he asked her, looking up at her with a look that reminded of her of a lost little boy.
She put her mug down and took her hand and placed it on his cheek. She cupped his face in her hands and kissed him softly.
"Does that answer your question?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said, his cheeks red. "I think it does on that point, anyway."
"Well, what else?" she asked him.
"Well, I mean classes are fine, you're happy. I'm happy. I just keep waiting for something to come and spoil it all. It just seems like I---and I know this probably sounds so selfish---but I can't seem to get a moment's peace. Why can't I have just one year of prolonged happiness? Hell, I'd even settle for a month!"
She laughed.
"None of us knows what's going to happen in the next few days, or weeks, or even years," she said thoughtfully. "We don't know what we'll have then, but you know what I do know? I know that what we have right here is a moment. We have right here a good moment, I think. This is your moment's peace, Harry. Enjoy it. Don't keep waiting for the shoe to drop or the bomb to fall. That's no way to live your life, you know. Enjoy what you do have."
"What did I do to get so lucky to have you?" he asked her, taking her hand in his.
She blushed.
"I'm serious, Hermione," he said. "You're right. We should enjoy what we have now. I just-I just keep hearing Moody and his 'countless vigilance' spiel."
"I know," she said. "Well, I guess I'm just going to have to teach you to enjoy the moment."
"What?" he asked her, looking at her bemusedly.
"I'm going to have to teach you to live in the moment," she said, winking at him. She took his mug and
placed it a few inches away on the ground along with her own. "We don't need those right now."
"What are you on about, Miss Granger?" he asked her.
"Lean back against the trunk of that tree," she told him.
He opened his mouth to ask her again what she was doing, but one look at her determined face and he knew he should probably just shut up and listen to her and do as he was told. So, he simply nodded and leaned back against the tree trunk.
"All right," she said. "Okay, open up your legs a little bit. I have to have room, you know?"
He gave her a pointed look.
"Get your mind out of the gutter," she said, rolling her eyes at him. "To sit, you moron!"
Again, he did as he was told and tried not to laugh as she situated herself between his legs and leaned back against him. She rested her head on his chest.
"Alright," she said. "That's step one."
"Okay," he said. "What's step two?"
"Well," she said, a smile playing at her lips. "You put your arms around me."
He did as she asked.
"I like this," he said, smiling at her. "Now what?"
"Well, we just sit here like this," she said, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "And just enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of nature."
He leaned his own head back against the tree trunk and closed his eyes.
They sat there just like that for a few minutes just holding each other close like that. Hermione couldn't hear the sounds of nature, she was preoccupied with the sound of Harry's quiet breathing and the feeling of his arms wrapped warmly around her. She was barely aware of her arm creeping up around Harry's neck or the way her forehead rested against his chin or the easy pressure of his leg against hers. She could only feel the softness of his sweater and his slow, deep breathing.
"Hermione," she heard him whisper after awhile. She sighed and snuggled in closer to him, pressing her face into the crook of his bare neck. He'd taken her hair down from its plait and she felt it go loose.
"Hermione," he said again, softly.
"Hmmm," she whispered. Her hands were now against his chest and his mouth was only inches away from hers. She felt as if she was floating on a cloud. His eyes seemed to be taking in her whole face. He suddenly pulled her in even closer to him, hugging her as tightly as he could. Hermione gave herself over to the feeling of skin and denim and wool. She felt herself leaning into a soft kiss. It was sweet and simple and the world just seemed to melt away as they sat there.
"I love you," she said, as they pulled apart, still feeling somewhat breathless.
"I love you," he said, smiling at her. He realized that in his whole life he'd never said this to anyone in his life before her. He didn't feel like he was saying it just to be saying it. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, just as natural as breathing. It was just the way it was. He loved her. She was a part of him and always would be.
She leaned back away from him and lay back onto the blanket.
"Come here," she said, reaching out her arms for him. He bent down over her willingly and they kissed again.
He broke away from her and said softly, "I'm not squashing you, am I?" He shifted to take more weight on his elbows.
She shook her head. "No, you're fine, Harry. You're absolutely fine."
She wrapped her legs around him as tightly as she could. They lay there on the blanket, their bodies pressed together, kissing each other's skin, their fingers exploring tentatively at first , then with more confidence.
Hermione felt as if she was losing any semblance of coherent thought as she felt Harry's hand ease up sweatshirt. She knew that they were probably moving a little too fast, but her heart didn't want to hear that right now. She felt out of control for once in her life and it felt absolutely wonderful.
They were interrupted, however, by the sound of leaves being trampled on and the sound of a dog's barking that seemed to be getting closer. They sprung apart quickly and Hermione quickly smoothed her hair and pulled her sweatshirt back down. She watched as Harry quickly zipped up his pants and tried to smooth his own unruly hair.
Within a couple of seconds, Hagrid came walking up to them a smile on his face. Fang followed closely behind him.
"Hello, 'ermione," he said, greeting her warmly. "And 'arry."
"We weren't doing anything," they said in unison. They looked at each other alarmed, but neither looking at Hagrid.
Hagrid finally took notice of the blanket, the mugs of hot chocolate and the unkemptness of their hair and clothes and smiled knowingly at them.
"I didn't say you were doing anything," he said, winking at them. "It'll be dark soon, though. You probably want to head on back toward the castle."
"Right," Harry said, sheepishly, his cheeks red. He could see that Hermione was looking down at the ground, not wanting to meet Hagrid's gaze. She finally looked up, guiltily at him.
"Thanks, Hagrid," she said, getting to her feet.
"Well," he said, "I better get these critters back to my hut."
They both noticed he was carrying a bag of something over his back. Whatever was in that bag was not happy to be in there, as they kept grumbling and moaning and clawing to get out. Harry and Hermione gave each other a knowing look.
"What have you got there, Hagrid?" Hermione asked.
"Never you mind, 'ermione," he said. "It's a surprise. You'll see in class. Don't forget to bring your gloves to class. Now, off with you two, back to the castle."
Harry nodded and watched as Hagrid struggled with the bag of creatures and Fang.
Hermione helped Harry pick up the blanket from the ground and shake it loose of leaves and dirt. "Smooth move covering up back there, Hermione," he said, winking at her.
"Well, you didn't do any better," she said. "What must Hagrid think of us?"
"We weren't doing anything wrong," he said. "I mean, we were just snogging."
"We were doing a little more than snogging, Harry," she said. "I wonder what would have happened if he hadn't shown up."
"Do you think we were moving too fast?" he asked her, concerned. "I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I? I didn't do something wrong?"
"We didn't do anything that I didn't want to do," she reassured him. "I just think we need to take things a bit slower. I don't know about you, but I don't think I'm ready to go to that next level yet."
He nodded. "I hope you know that I'd never take advantage of you, Hermione. I mean, this stuff is all new to me, too. We don't have to do anything until we're both ready."
She smiled at him. "You mean that."
"Yeah, I mean that," he said. "Now, we better get back to the castle. People will start to talk, you know? I have a reputation to protect, after all."
"You are such a wanker, Harry," she said, playfully punching him on the arm. "But, I love you for it."
They walked back toward the castle, laughing and talking, and holding hands.
At that very moment, Ron was trying to finish up his essay for Transfiguration. McGonagall had already warned him that he was falling behind. She'd taken pity on him and allowed him to do some extra credit work and he'd begrudgingly agreed to take it. He hadn't done all that well on his O.W.L.s. His mum hadn't been too pleased. She'd told him he had to buckle down and do better this year. As she'd taken to remind him, he was walking on a thin line. His future depended on how well he did.
She wouldn't have been too happy to know that he hoped to take up Quidditch professionally after he left school. He felt like that was the only job that he'd enjoy. He couldn't really see himself working for the Ministry or teaching. He didn't have the grades to be an Auror. Quidditch or working for Fred and George were pretty much his only viable options.
He knew he should be concentrating on his essay, but every time he tried to focus, he could see images of Harry and Hermione in the Great Hall this morning, looking like love's young dream, just sitting there, flirting and touching and kissing. He hated it, and he hated how he was reacting to it. These were his two best friends, after all. They seemed very happy together, but at what cost? At my expense, he thought angrily to himself.
He'd wanted to be that person sharing a joke with Hermione. He wanted to be the one laughing with her over breakfast. He wanted to be the one she kissed goodbye to. It wasn't him, though. It had never been him. It had always been Harry. If he was being honest with himself, he'd always know that it would be Harry. Why was it that he always ended up with everything?
Ginny had tried to reason with her brother that he should try and get past what had happened, and sometimes when he was alone, he agreed with her. He thought that he might be able to get past it. The three of them had been through a lot together. He missed them. He missed their friendship. Yet, they'd lied to him. Harry, in particular, had lied to him. Ron sat there in his chair in the common room remembering how he'd confessed a few months ago about his feelings for Hermione to Harry. Harry had just sat there and let Ron drone on and on about his feelings for Hermione and he never let on that he'd been sneaking out of the castle to visit her. He never let on that he was harboring his own feelings for her.
"What would I have done if he had?" Ron asked himself. He couldn't honestly say that he wouldn't have been angry. He knew he would have been, but he would have appreciated the honesty. The battle would have been fought on fairer grounds that way. They'd have both been on equal footing, each knowing the other's intentions.
Any time he ever felt like forgiving them, he'd see them together in the Great Hall or in a class or in the halls and he'd see them smile at each other, or hold hands, or exchange long glances, and his own anger would boil up again.
He gave up on finishing the essay before dinner and quickly closed his book and began packing up his books and quill into his bag before heading up to his bedroom to get ready for dinner. He was nearly finished when he heard the familiar sound of Hermione's laughter. He turned just in time to see her and Harry climb through the portrait hole.
They were laughing about something, but stopped dead in their tracks when they came face to face with Ron.
"Hi," Hermione said.
"Ron," Harry said.
Ron looked at the two of them, their hands intertwined. He snickered.
"Romantic afternoon?" he asked them, scornfully.
"Ron," Hermione said.
"Save it, Hermione," he said. "You know I was going to get something to eat, but all of a sudden I think I've lost my appetite."
He turned to walk away from them.
"By the way, you have a leaf in your hair," he said, turning around. He watched as Hermione's cheeks turned red and she put her hand to her hair to pull out the leaf.
He left his two former best friends gaping at him, in astonishment in the common room.