Title: The Search is Over
Disclaimer: All familiar characters and events are from JK Rowling and the only thing I own is the plot… Don't sue me or anything I don't get anything from this except maybe reviews. Thanks for the really nice reviews…
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Chapter 6: Separate Ways
"Harry, what would you say if I tell you that I want to go out of the country?" Hermione started. She thought maybe it she should tell Harry about her plans.
"Did Viktor ask you?" Harry said a bit sternly but he did not let go of her in his arms.
"No, it has nothing to do with him. I actually told him that we're better off as friends. I had a little chat with him awhile back and I told him the truth that things are still the same and that I don't have feelings for him," Hermione explained.
"So what did he tell you?" Harry asked. His spirit was soaring high. It was relief that he wasn't too late. She wasn't going with Viktor.
"He said its okay. It's going to be closed chapter in his life. He's a real sweet guy but I don't love him. It was like reliving the day I said no to Ron," Hermione replied.
"You just don't know how happy you made now," Harry said.
Hermione sat up and looked at him. "Why, for dumping Viktor?" she asked. She then raised an eyebrow.
"Well, yah," Harry admitted. "I thought you were going with him or something. I… I just can't bear the idea of you two being together and I don't know what life is like without my bestfriend."
Hermione chuckled nervously. "One day Harry, you'll find the right girl and you'll marry her and I can't possibly live with you and your family. We have to move on with our lives. We can't be all clingy on each other. We're both adults now, well, actually we should have realized that a few years back," Hermione said. She knew in her heart what she said was true and that she had to deal with it, they had to deal with it. She didn't like the idea of Harry marrying someone else but from what he told her. There's already a new girl and she couldn't wait on the sidelines forever she eventually needed to move on with her life.
"Why do I have a feeling you want to leave me or something? I need you Hermione. I don't know what life would be like without you. I don't know what I'll be if I don't see you first thing in the morning. I don't know what life is without my best friend," Harry muttered.
A single tear rolled down Hermione's cheek. Her heart was telling her not to ruin what the two of them have but her mind told her that she needed to think about herself and what she had been missing all these time.
"You know I love you, don't you?" Harry asked.
"Yes I do. I love you too," Hermione said. 'I'm in love with you. I wish you feel the same way but I guess we're just not meant to be,' she thought to herself.
"Then why are you talking like we're not going to see each other again. Are you going somewhere?" Harry said with a worried tone.
From up far they saw a small white figure flying towards them. The two new the familiar sound Hedwig made when letting them acknowledge her presence.
"What's Hedwig doing here?" Harry said. He held out his hand but it landed on Hermione's shoulder. "You do know I'm your master?" Harry asked the owl.
The owl hooted as eager to get rid of the letter tied on her leg.
"Where's this from," Hermione said as she took the letter from Hedwig. She could not believe her eyes. It was a letter from the Institute in Salem. She read the letter to herself while Harry read from behind her.
"They want me to fly there tomorrow," Hermione said excitedly showing Harry the plane ticket that was attached to the letter.
"You never told me you were leaving. Is this what all this leaving talk is about?" Harry said defiantly. "You didn't even tell me you applied. I thought you were just planning on teaching I didn't think you'd be going to Salem tomorrow."
"I applied long ago I didn't expect their reply and well finally they did. And besides you have your mind set on Quidditch I didn't want to spoil it for you. I guess I already did, haven't I? One happy moment in my life and it upset you. I didn't plan this to happen now," Hermione said.
"No, I'm happy that you got hired to teach in a prestigious institution but why now? Why do you want to leave me now? When I finally realized that…I-" Harry almost told her that he loved her.
"When you realized what? Tell me Harry, what did you realize just now?" Hermione asked.
"That…" Harry stammered. "I realized that I love you. That all this time I was in love with you and not with those other girls I dated," Harry admitted.
Both of them were standing in front of each other. They didn't even notice Hedwig leave for the Malfoy Owlery. They just stared at each other for the longest time.
"How can you say that to me when I'd be leaving for America tomorrow?" Hermione asked him, her eyes blurry with tears. "Why now?"
"Then don't go! I love you. Okay, I don't want you to go because I need you. I know I may sound selfish but I can't live without you," Harry pleaded. He was almost in tears. Hermione could see the pain in his heart reflected in his gloomy eyes.
"You are being selfish. You have been living your life for many years. I'm just there to reassure you. Give this one to me, Harry. Let me live my life for myself and I will let you live yours. I will admit to you that even before we graduated in Hogwarts I have always had feelings for you up until now and those feelings bound me to you like a rope. I no longer recognize myself, Harry. I need to love myself before I can love you without boundaries or limits. Come to think of it. All that I did those past years was to love you while you went around and dated all those girls. I patiently waited for you. I'm too tired of waiting Harry," she finally said as tears fell down her cheeks.
Harry knew that it was painful for her as it was for him. And all this was his fault. He knew what he had to do and let her go. "I don't want you to go but I do want you to find yourself. It's okay Hermione. I'll let you go but I want you to wait for me. I'm giving you all the time that you need and I'll wait for you till you're ready. I'll follow you wherever it is that you have to be. I'll wait for you like you patiently waited for me," Harry said and he held Hermione in a tight embrace.
Hermione held on to Harry as if it was the last time she would ever hold him.
"But the wedding, did you tell Ginny?" Harry asked. His face was still buried under locks of her brown hair.
"I'd probably ask for that weekend off. I have to get my work done in the ministry before I leave. I also need to tell Arthur about it," Hermione said her head rested on his chest.
"I want you to be on my first game. Just be there like you always had when I played for Gryffindor. Be there to watch over me and make sure I'll be okay," he muttered.
"I'll be there. I'll have to delay my trip for a few hours but I'll be there to watch you. Thank you Harry," she said. She held him close remembering how it felt to be in his arms. She didn't need her Pensieve to keep this piece of memory because it would truly be a night that she will never forget. The night Harry finally told her that he loved her.
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Harry was inside the Quidditch field. It was England versus Ireland for the opening game. Both teams were tied at 150 points each. Oliver Wood was already exhausted from guarding the posts but he had to stop the other team from making any more goals.
Harry was having a hard time looking for the golden snitch and it was a lot harder because he was scanning the crowd for any sign of Hermione. She still wasn't with the Weasleys in the highest stand. Last night was a life turning event. The thought of her leaving actually gave him the courage to tell her that he loved her. It was also the night that he let her go.
"Harry! Find the snitch! We need to end this game," Couch Stalimier called out from their team area.
The Irish Seeker was following his every move. Harry knew that he had to focus on finding the snitch. "Hermione's here. She'd keep her promise," he told himself as he zoomed of to the other side of the pitch. He flew a level higher from where the players were. He had to trust Hermione. She would never break a promise to him.
Harry saw a glint of gold flying around the middle goal post of the Irish team. His mind was racing. The Irish Seeker had not seen it yet but if he made his way to it the other Seeker will notice and follow after it.
Harry dived down the middle of Beaters and Bludgers flying everywhere. As expected the Irish Seeker followed him. Just as the Irish Seeker was in the middle of the Beater-Bludger chaos, Harry made his way to the Irish goal post. The snitch was circling around the left hoop and was Harry was already darting after it, when he heard Hermione's voice.
"You're going to win this one Harry!" Hermione yelled out from the screaming crowd. She was in the highest stand with all the Weasleys. She was late from instructing the new witch that would take her position.
She watched as Harry flew around the Irish goal post with the Irish Seeker tailing from behind him. Harry took another stiff dive and the Irish Seeker followed him. He then made a crucial lift and went after the snitch. The Irish Seeker was not able to pull up and met the ground face first.
Harry caught the snitch and the crowd went wild. England won 300 to 150. Harry's teams all went up to congratulate him. A lot of people wanted to greet him and commend him for a job well done but he wanted to see Hermione first.
Harry flew up the stands to meet the Weasleys and Hermione.
"You were brilliant Harry!" Ginny said. She gave him a hug. Many claps on the back by the other Weasleys, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie, Percy and Ron followed it.
"Where's Hermione?" he asked them.
"Harry, after you caught the snitch she left but she wanted me to give you this," Ron said as he handed Harry a tear-stained envelope with his name on it.
Harry opened the envelope and inside was a letter written in Hermione's neat handwriting.
Dear Harry,
By the time you're reading this, I have already apparated to the airport. I know that for sure England will win because they have you as Seeker. I didn't want to stay because I might not have the courage to leave you. Just remember that even if we're not together I will always make sure to check the prophet for Quidditch news. I'm having a very hard time saying goodbye because a part of me wants to be there with you. But you know that I want this job and that this will be my time to rediscover myself. Thank you for respecting my decision and I love you even more because of it. I'll count the days till Ginny's wedding because I'll be able to see you again. Be counting the days till we'll be together again.
With much love,
Hermione
A single tear rolled down Harry's face. She was gone or at least for a while. He wished he could take back the words and stop her from leaving but he knew that she needed the time away.
When Harry finally realized what he really wanted and accepted the truth that day seemed a bit to late because she had decided to live on her own or was fate trying to test their relationship.
"Are you all right mate?" Ron asked him.
"I'm fine. Just didn't expect she'd leave without personally saying goodbye," Harry said.
"Believe me mate if you did she might not be off to that plane and I know you agreed with her decision so I think this is for the best," Ron said to him with a sympathetic pat on the back.
"I can't believe she's off to another place without me. I don't know how things will be for me now without her," Harry admitted. "Maybe she went to our apartment I'm going to see if she's there," he said before he tried to get pass Ron.
"Give yourselves a break. She'll be back to you just give her time to think," Ron said.
He didn't have the heart to tell him off or to argue. A part of him was aching. A part of him had gone and he had no one to blame but himself for it. "I'm going to hit the showers. See you guys later," Harry said absent-mindedly and he flew back across the pitch to the team's locker room.
He got there and the whole team cheered for him. Everyone was in high spirit only he was too sad to join in the festivity when the girl he loved so much had gone off to teach in another country. He knew that he would miss her a lot. She wasn't just any girl. She was his best friend, his family, his love, and his reason for living. He received claps on the shoulders, and commendations for his brilliant performance.
He hit the showers and stayed there for the longest time. He let his tears wash off with the water. He wished that somehow all his loneliness would go away. His body was growing numb but his heart was still aching with the longing for that one girl he let go.
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It was so hard walking of the stands and Apparating to the apartment she and Harry once shared. She longed to stay there a little longer but she knew that if she really wanted to go she had to leave soon before Harry would have the urge to go home. She would have an even harder time leaving with the sight of Harry longing for her to stay. She gave the apartment one last look before she apparated carrying Crookshanks basket with the ginger cat sleeping soundly inside in one hand and her small magical suitcase in the other.
She went through the secret passage in the airport where witches and wizards board the plane. She went pass a wall between the phone booths and the comfort room. From across the passage were a number of witches and wizards waiting for their flight to whichever destination they were heading. She stared at the signboard saying "Flying High The Wizarding Sky… Wizard Air." The idea of flying reminded her of Harry. She remembered how free he seemed to be every time he was up there in his broomstick. It did not matter what broomstick he was using. He was definitely born to fly.
The pleasant smile of the flight attendant welcomed her. After being inspected she was asked to enter a passage, which led to wizard airplane. It was her first time to be in one. She was used to traveling with her parents using muggle airplanes. Crookshanks had been placed in a compartment were other pets were placed. The wizarding airplane was not even half full. Hermione found a seat near the staff room at the back of the plane. She sat near the window. The sweet voice of the flight attendant filled the area telling the passages that after a couple of hours they would be in Salem. She and Harry went on trips to Greece and Italy before but they agreed on flying the muggle way. She started imagining riding the Wizarding Air with Harry by her side. She had only been away for barely and hour and she was missing him already. Hermione slept the rest of her trip and before she knew it, she was in Salem.
Hermione got off the plane with Crookshanks' basket and her suitcase. She looked around the unfamiliar place that she was in. She followed the crowd of wizards and witches coming out of the familiar area near the restrooms and the phone booths. After getting through the wall she was outside the muggle airport with many people busily getting ready for their trip off or waiting for their love ones to pick them up. She saw a girl probably the same age as her with straight brown hair carrying a sign with her name on it. She strode off to where the girl was standing with the rest of the people waiting for their love ones.
"Ms. Granger?" the cheerful greeting of the girl. "I'm Alex. I'll be driving you to the Institute." The girl took hold of her suitcase and Crookshanks' basket.
Hermione smiled at the girl and followed her to a black Mercedes.
"I know you'll like it here Ms. Granger and all your future students in the Institute are really very excited to meet you personally. Actually I'm also part of your class," Alex said as they drove off the airport.
Hermione was still quiet. She was thinking about Harry and how he's doing that time.
"I volunteered to pick you up from the airport. See, I'm a student assistant in the institute. I'm a very big fan of yours and Mr. Potter only he's not here but still it's a great honor to be driving for you," Alex exclaimed.
Hermione only smiled at her from the rear view mirror but her mind was still wondering how Harry was holding up.
[A/N]: To my dear readers… I know I took forever… And the chappy sucks…I hope I would improve on the next chapter… Thanks for reading and of course thanks for the reviews and suggestions from the previous chapter. I know that it doesn't make sense that when they admit their love for each other then someone decides to leave but you know my mind is really weird so just trust me on this one.