So sorry this took me so friggin' long to update! I got caught up in Pacific Dawn and couldn't tear myself away long enough to write this! Anyway, I had the original ending ready to go like a few weeks ago, but I hated it so much I decided to re-write it. So here it is and I hope you enjoy it.
Oh, and check out my site: http://s3.invisionfree.com/MichieFiles
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Her words stung him flat, like the feeling of falling from a high place,into a body of water--stomach first. He blinked, not sure exactly what to say next. Her tone seemed so empty, but deep at the same time. But only one thing came to his mind.
"Can we talk? It's important," he said slow and calm.
Hermione tried not to give him the satisfaction of her being in a better mood by his words. After all, this talk could bring on something even more terrible than anything that happened in the past couple of months. Still, something encouraged her, making her feel peace for once since they began this escapade of unwavering arguments with one another.
"Harry, whatever it is, just please, spare me the hurt and distress of another possible fight."
There came that stinging sensation all over again. Harry was so close to her. He stared up at her, not wanting to blink for fear she might flee the scene when his eyes flipped open again. He wanted the same thing as her, to be best friends like they always were. Only now, things were different, and hopefully about to change. His feelings for her were beginning to make sense in his head as he watched her through his crystal green eyes. Deep down he knew she felt the same things he was feeling, but how to reach her would be the hard part. She has been so mad at him, with good reason.
"Look, I'm sorry." Harry clenched his jaw closed, trying to hold everything else back that he was feeling.
Hermione's eyes felt suddenly hot hearing those words from her best friend's mouth. She was sad, for all the time they missed spending with each other, but happy all at the same time. At least now, they can try to pick up the missing pieces and work on getting things back to normal again, as they once were.
"Harry--" she whispered in response. If she spoke any louder, it would be her undoing. Now it was hard to speak at all, trying to hold back the emotions from pouring out for all to see.
He managed a slight smile of relief, gritting his jaw, feeling total remorse for the way he behaved.
She still just looked down at him as they silently agreed to never let anything come between them again. Without much thought to it, Hermione found herself leaning forward over the railing.
Harry instinctively matched her movements and before they knew it, both of them were in a lip lock, in front of a massive bunch of people.
Hermione framed Harry's face with her hands and ran them softly up and down as the two of them pressed their foreheads together in exchanging adoring glances. Parvati and Lavender looked on, snickering to each other, while Colin Creevey snapped the camera wildly at them. The flash knocked something back into Hermione's senses.
Hermione blinked, and felt the floor beneath her, as real as anything else she saw with quick eyes around her. She divested herself of her day-dreaming, and mindful plotting, and stepped up to the guard railing. Harry stared at her with deep questioning in his eyes. "Are you alright? You blanked out for a minute there."
She looked at him with embarrassment behind her eyes, feeling awfully brainless for letting her mind wander, and at the worst possible time. With a clenched jaw she stared at him, never blinking. She pointed her head behind her and, "Meet me on the ground," she choked out before turning swiftly around to walk down the steps to the safety of the grass.
A few short proceedings later, Hermione exited the stairs to find Harry standing directly in front of her, holding his
broom in his hand.
"I could have brought you down here on my broom, you know."
Hermione folded her arms uncomfortably, feeling all thoughts escape her mind as she tried to say something back. "You know how terrified I am of flying," she said quietly with not much certainty in her words, and the inability to look him in the eyes. She started to walk forward, leaving Harry a little bit behind her. Now, she was in control, showing just how irritated she was at him.
Harry jumped to a pace and caught up with her. "Are you going to talk to me, or just give me vague answers until I drive you to complete madness?"
Hermione stopped and turned to look at him. His face was tense, serious. Sure she felt awful for doing this, but it was a first reaction after being discarded the way she was just before the game started. "Harry, if you have something to say to me, just say it," she answered petulantly.
He looked at her, still very seriously, then around at the crowd gathering on the field. With a quick step, he grabbed her arm and pulled her gently across the field, and into the changing room, neither of them saying a word. Hermione's face was enough to tell she was still confused, but it didn't matter at this point. All Harry's teammates were too busy celebrating their victory to be rushing in to change out of their uniforms any time soon. Hermione stepped in after him, confused, as he shut and locked the door behind them.
Gently, Harry leaned his broomstick against the wall, while leaning against it himself. His stare made Hermione uncomfortable at first, but she then softened with realizing he really wanted to talk.
The features in her face lightened, and she no longer held that tense, angry look she had just moments ago. "Harry, what is it?" Her voice came smooth, yet strong.
Harry sighed and left the comfort of the wall he was leaning on, to sit down on the bench beside Hermione. He straddled it, and reached out for Hermione's hand, tapping the bench in front of him with his other hand.
She hesitantly moved forward, clutching Harry's hand in hers as he gently pulled her to sit down.
She lowered herself slowly into the same position as Harry, but facing him head on. "What's this about, Harry?"
He grinned at her, for the first time in a long time. "Shh. Give me a chance to start, alright?"
Hermione nodded understandingly and waited for him to begin with his speech, or whatever it was he was going to say.
"Hermione, I'm sorry, for every mean thing I've said to you or about you over the last few months."
She sat still for a moment and took his words in. Almost instantly, he reached out and took her hands in his and stared down at them, lightly stroking his fingers over hers. She stared meaningfully at him as he did this. "I'm sorry too, Harry." Her eyes started to feel warm, and grew to feel iron-hot all of a sudden. Tears brimmed in her eyes, finding little strength to hold them back. A star-like tear raced down her face, finally escaping the prison-hold of her eyes.
After all their time apart, he came to realize something: how much he missed her. And now she was on the verge of breaking down into nothing. She was mumbling something he couldn't hear quite clearly. "What was that," he asked softly, still holding her hands as she sobbed quietly.
She looked up and sniffed back her emotions, trying not to look at him until she got herself under control. Moments passed in complete silence, and Harry waited for her patiently, not taking his eyes off her. He reached up and smoothed away the lingering tears from her face with such gentleness.
Hermione turned her eyes to him, feeling his hand on her face. "I missed you Harry," she muttered louder this time.
He smiled brighter this time, and felt an impulsive want in his stomach. In a swift flash, Harry closed the gap between them and kissed her. After a few slight motions with his mouth, he pulled back to observe her reaction.
She sucked in a breath and just stared at him for a bit. He had a different expression on his face, one she couldn't read. But she liked it, and knew it was a good one. Slowly, her own expression turned into a smile, matched with a shine in her eyes no one would recognize. Hermione slouched a bit in her spot and ran her cool, soft fingers, up his arms to his shoulders.
Harry watcher with a close eye trying to figure her out. She seemed amused, yet curious. Her body moved in closer and she gently pressed herself into him, latching her arms around his neck in a soft, yet craved for, hug.
The two of them stayed like that for quite some time. Harry clung to her, hiding his face in her hair down on her neck. Hermione breathed deeply, feeling her nerves calm from a few month's worth of stress. It all melted away.
Instinctively, both of them pulled away from each other. Hermione slid back on the bench a bit as Harry inched into her. She found herself on her back with Harry looming over her. Once again, he closed the gap between them and leaned down to kiss her, still holding himself up with his arms. That soon changed as Hermione pulled him down completely on top of her. He found a comfortable spot for both him and her and stayed like that. He wrapped his arms around her back, to keep her head off the hard metal bench. Her hands ran through his silk-black hair, slipping through her fingers like satin threads.
Hermione challenged him by parting her lips a bit. Without hesitation, he met her challenge and tasted the sweetness of her mouth for the first time. She had a hint of peppermint to her, and it was definitely a good thing.
For a while, they explored each other, both by mouth, by touch, and in an emotional aspect. Harry had brought the two of them up to a comfortable sitting position, with Hermione on his lap and her legs hanging off the back of the bench.
They finally stopped their exploration of each other and took some time to manage in a few words. Well, Hermione did anyway.
"Don't you think we should slow down and talk about this," she asked dazedly as Harry continued to trail kisses down her jaw line and onto the sensitive spots on her neck. She shivered.
"What else is there to say?" he said, stopping his assault on her soft skin for a few brief moments. "I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember, so I've said all I need to say."
Hermione froze like a popsicle in the arctic. Harry's words raced through her mind, and he was back to kissing her neck and occasionally, the corner of her mouth. She was simply stunned. No two ways about it. Then she managed the strength and will to push him away.
"What? Did I say that wrong," he asked with a soft voice and a smile.
He brought his forehead to hers and rested it there as he looked at her. "I," he paused to give her a light kiss on her left cheek. "..love..," another kiss on her other cheek, "…you." He finished off, kissing her soft lips.
Hermione smiled into his kiss and watched him when he pulled away.
"What," he asked seriously, and cluelessly.
She smiled some more and kissed his forehead. "Oh nothing. I just realized the reason we had been at each other's throats the way we were, was because of unresolved feelings toward each other."
Harry's eyes lit up before her. "You mean-"
Hermione nodded. "I feel exactly the same way about you," she finished with a smile.
Harry leaned in and kissed her desperately, with an extreme amount of passion.
Just then, there was a loud slam against the door. Harry pulled away and smiled. Moments later, the door flew open after someone muttering alohomora.
It was Ron. Clearly he had been looking for Harry, and began to panic after seeing no sign of him.
"Harry! We've been looking all over for-oh. Hi Hermione! Harry, listen, we're all going out tonight and-"
Harry stared at him with a smile, waiting for it to come clear to him who was attached around his waist. Ron's expression changed drastically.
"Did I interrupt something? Because I can come back later and-" He started to step backwards slowly before Harry put a hand out to him, gesturing for him to come back. "Alright, are you two going to tell me what I missed?"
Hermione smiled brightly. "No," she teased. "Too many details to fill you in on. Obviously you can see where we're at now. Clearly we're getting along just fine."
"Oh. So, Harry, you coming with us?" Ron asked anxiously, waving off the little situation.
Harry looked at Hermione for a few long moments, then back at Ron. "No."
"No? Harry have you gone mad? You're the one that won the cup for us, you have to come!"
Harry shook his head at Ron. "Ron, you guys will be fine without me. Besides, I have something else to celebrate instead of another victory over Slytherin. That's old boring news."
Ron sighed and gave Hermione the pleading look.
"Oh don't look at me! You heard the man, now go have fun Ron!"
He sighed some more and dragged his broom behind him as he exited the changing room.
Harry stood up, still holding Hermione firmly around his waist. She jumped down and linked arms with him, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked out of the dark lonely room together. Both of them felt it just then. This was the start of something new, and the pain and frustration was finally over. It was all over.