DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling (Harry Potter series), George Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion), Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner (My Fair Lady, the musical) various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, Warner Bros., Inc and the MGM movies. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
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My Fair Lady- The Fairest Lady
"H... H... Hermione?" Harry gasped.
Hermione rose from the couch and gave Harry a lovely smile with a little hint of sadness. "Of course. I would have thought you'd know me anywhere after we lived together for half a year. I guess I have been expecting too much."
"Do you know how worried Malfoy is?" Harry exploded. He deliberately put the blame on Draco. "He woke up this morning and dragged me out of bed because you disappeared! He said that if I don't find you, I won't be allowed to enter my own house! What made you leave our flawless care?"
Hermione was more or less disappointed. She had hoped that it was Harry instead of Draco who was so concerned. However, the manners and facial expression skills Harry taught her during her stay helped her to control her disappointment.
Parvarti stood up. "Harry, be a good boy and sit down. Have a nice and proper chat with Miss Granger. I must sort some things out for my husband, Thomas." Parvarti turned to Hermione just before she left the lounge. "And, Hermione, I'll give you the full authority to throw my manner-less brother out should he be rude to you. I suggest that the subjects you two talk about are limited to weather and health."
Despite of her sadness and heartache, Hermione managed to keep her face straight. She didn't understand why it was so difficult to leave a man who had treated her so unjustly. She didn't know why she had wanted to please the man, who had been mean and cruel to her, so much. She didn't understand why she should feel disappointed upon hearing that Harry wasn't concerned about her leave at all. There were so many things she didn't understand, just like the night when she first gotten her vowels and danced with Harry. But Hermione figured that she would never find out the real answer.
Like Hermione, Harry's face also masked his concern and anxiety. He just stood and stared at Hermione. He had the urge to grab her and drag her back home with him and keep her there forever. Why he had such thought, Harry had no idea. After all, wasn't he the man who would never let a woman in his life?
"How do you do? Would you like a cup of tea, Mr. Potter?" Hermione's voice snapped Harry out of his trance.
Harry stepped nearer to her. "Come back home with me. Malfoy and Lavender miss you. Come with me."
Hermione began to recite a series of speech Harry had taught her to make her manner more presentable. "No? Well, let us talk about the weather then, Mr. Potter. Do sit down! The weather is fine today isn't it?"
Harry was losing his temper. He grabbed Hermione's hands ferociously. "Hermione! Quit talking nonsense! I taught you all of them and don't just recite them back to me. We don't need a manner lesson today, we need a serious talk to sort our personal life out! What are you going to do, out in the world on your own? Come back to my house with me. I'm sure Malfoy, at the very least, would offer you some suggestion. You'll starve to death being on your own!"
"What do you care if I starved to death or not?" Hermione pulled her hands out of Harry's grasp and stared at him defiantly. "You didn't care when you gave me lessons. You didn't care when you prepared me for the ball. Why should you care now? Never cared about me. You had been mean and nasty and cruel. Draco's sympathy was all I lived on for the past months. Last night, you had been worse than ever. Yes, I helped you to win your bet. I got past Dumbledore. I got my Hogwarts graduation certificate. I did it all, but a bet is what I am. I am nothing more than a bet! I did so much for you. I tried so hard to please you. Yet, you never paid me one compliment. Not last night, not the night before, not a single day while I lived in your miserable house! I'm sick and tired of you. I don't want to go on like that anymore."
"It is compliment you want, isn't it?" demanded Harry. "Why didn't you say so in the first place? Well done, Hermione. You did great last night. Now will you come back?"
"No. I can manage without you. I don't need your compliments. I don't need your sympathy. Do you know what I realized last night when I left your house?" asked Hermione. "What a fool I was. What a dominated fool to think you were the earth and sky. What a fool I was...what an addle-pated fool. What a mutton-headed dolt was I. No, my reverberating friend. You are not the beginning and the end. There'll be spring every year without you. England still will be here without you. There'll be fruit on the tree and a shore by the sea. There'll be crumpets and tea without you. Art and music will thrive without you. Somehow Keats will survive without you. And there still will be rain on that plain down in Spain. Even that will remain without you. I can do without you. You, dear friend, who talk so well. You can go to Hartford, Hereford and Hampshire. They can still rule the land without you. Windsor Castle will stand without you. And without much ado, we can all muddle through without you. Without your pulling it, the tide comes in. Without your twirling it, the earth can spin. Without your pushing them, the clouds roll by. If they can do without you, ducky, so can I. I shall not feel alone without you. I can stand on my own without you. So go back in your shell. I can do bloody well without you!"
Harry was dumb-struck. He never thought that Hermione would say so much in one go. "What would you do then? What would you live on?"
"I can marry Ron," said Hermione, though she knew that it wasn't what she really wanted. "I can teach people how to speak properly. I can start my own school of witchcraft and wizardry. I can do what ever I set my heart on doing."
"Ron? You are going to marry Ron?" Harry was angrier than he had ever been before. "Ron wouldn't take good care of you. He has no money of any sort! Don't come back to my house a year later in rags and expect me to give shelter to you, your husband and your miserable children, Mrs. Weasley! You'll have enough children to give rabbits a run for their money!"
"At least Ron loves me," said Hermione. "Not like some stupid oaf standing in this room, who doesn't care about me at all. If I can't have the man I love, I'll go for the man who loves me!" Shocked by her own words, Hermione rushed out of Parvarti's house.
Harry's jaw dropped as he stared after Hermione. Did she just told me that she loves me?
Mean while, Parvarti was back in the lounge. "Harry, where's Hermione? Oh, don't stand there like an idiot! Answer me!"
Harry was still out of his mind. "She... left...."
"I can see that. Did you sort out the problem?" asked Parvarti.
"I don't know," Harry whispered. "Things got more complicated than ever." With that, Harry walked out of Parvarti's house. No, Harry floated out of Parvarti's house.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harry drifted along the streets towards his house. He was absolutely miserable. His mind kept repeating Hermione's words. "If I can't have the man I love, I'll go for the man who loves me!"
Who said that Harry didn't love Hermione? Who said that Harry didn't care about Hermione? Of course Harry did. Why else would he walk around as if he had just lost his soul to the devil?
Harry knew that he was knee-deep in denial. He knew that he had loved Hermione the day she arrived in his house and asked to be taught. He denied his love for her for the past half a year, just because he vowed that he would never give up his carefree bachelor life. What a stupid vow he had made. Because of that vow, Harry kept his distance from Hermione. Because of that vow, Harry hurt and wounded Hermione. Because of that vow, Hermione left him. Because of that vow, Harry lost the woman he truly loved. Because of that vow, Hermione would marry Ron, his best friend.
Harry entered his dark and miserable house on Wimpole Street. The house was so dark that it was scary. It had always been light and colorful while Hermione was there. Harry knew, without Hermione, his house would be as silent, boring, dull, dark and damp as those time it had been before Hermione had been there.
No one was home. Draco obviously was still in the Ministry of Magic. Lavender and other servants probably went out to search for Hermione. Harry was along in his depressing house.
"Damn...Damn...Damn...Damn..." Harry cursed loudly. "I've grown accustomed to her face. She almost makes the day begin. I've grown accustomed to the tune. She whistles night and noon. Her smiles, her frowns, her ups, her downs are second nature to me now. Like breathing out and breathing in. I was serenely independent and content before we met. Surely I can always be that way again. And yet I've grown accustomed to her looks. Accustomed to her voice, accustomed to her face. But I'm so used to hear her say "Good morning" ev'ry day. Her joys, her woes, her highs, her lows are second nature to me now. Like breathing out and breathing in. I'm very grateful she's a woman and so easy to forget. Rather like a habit one can always break and yet. I've grown accustomed to the trace of something in the air. Accustomed to her face."
Harry realized how miserable he would be without Hermione by his side. Hermione had long became a part of him. Taking Hermione away from him would be like cutting his legs off. His life would never be the same again without Hermione there. He had parted from Hermione only an hour ago, but he began to miss her already.
Harry threw himself into his favorite couch and closed his eyes, hoping to see Hermione again in dream, if not in reality.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After Hermione left Parvarti's house, she went to a park near by. She was also very miserable. She still couldn't believe what she told Harry. "If I can't have the man I love, I'll go for the man who loves me!"
Was that true? Did she really loved Harry? Hermione had no idea what would come out of her mouth when she opened it. Maybe she was in love with Harry. Would that be the reason that she wanted to please Harry all the time? It must have been the reason.
Hermione buried her head in her hands. What would she do now? Should she go to Ron and marry him, as he had offered? Or should she return to the house on the Wimpole Street and see how Harry was doing? Hermione felt as if she had been torn in half. She knew that she would never be truly happy with Ron, but she would be humiliating herself if she go back to Harry.
After an hour or so, Hermione made up her mind. She would marry Ron, but not before she had one last look at Harry. Hermione picked herself up and began to walk towards the direction of Wimpole Street.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I've grown accustomed to the trace of something in the air. Accustomed to her face."
That was the first thing Hermione heard when she stepped into Harry's house. She intended to hide herself from everyone in the house at first, but not after what she heard Harry saying.
He loves me, Hermione's eyes began to fill with tears. She peeked through the door into the lounge and caught sight of a sad looking Harry throwing himself into a couch.
She saw Harry closed his eyes and muttered something like, "Seeing Hermione in my dream."
Hermione could no longer contain herself. She showed herself in the door way and said, "Mister, yesterday you say you would teach me to be a shop keeper. I thought I would take up the offer and here I am. I would pay for my lessons too. How much money would you like for a lesson?"
Harry thought he was dreaming. But he wasn't asleep yet. How did that happen?
"Two pounds a day and more extra! How am I going to find all that money? I earn one pound a day at most! How am I going to find two pounds and more for you? I'm not even allowed to work after this. You... you meanie!" Hermione's voice drifted in Harry's ears once more, even though he had opened his eyes this time.
Harry turned around. He couldn't believe his eyes. He saw Hermione standing in the door way, as beautiful as the day she went to the Hogwarts ball.
"Hermione!" Harry whispered.
The Hermione in front of Harry didn't disappear. Instead, a smile broke on her face. "Yes, Mr. Potter?"
Harry ran towards Hermione and hugged her tightly. "I thought you'd never come back! I will never ever let you go away again! I love you so much...."
Hermione began to sob. This time, however, she was crying tears of joy instead of tears of sadness.
The two were too much into their own world that they didn't hear people returning.
"Eww! Get a room!" Draco Malfoy's fake mockery was the first thing to remind Harry and Hermione of their presence.
Hermione blushed and attempted to get out of Harry's grasp. However, Harry was too strong to be pushed away.
"Go to your own room, Malfoy. Or you can go to Ginny Weasley's room. I'll be glade if you are going over to the Weasleys'. You can tell Ron that Hermione would continue to stay here," answered Harry, still hugging Hermione.
"For how long?" asked Draco gleefully.
Harry pulled away and looked at Hermione intensely. "Indefinitely."
Draco smiled. "That's a good answer." Suddenly, he remembered something. "Oh no! My date with Ginny! I must go to the Weasleys' right now!" With a pop, Draco was gone.
Harry chuckled. Upon seeing that no other people was in the lounge, Harry pulled Hermione into a deep kiss.
When the kiss ended, Harry whispered in Hermione's ear, "The fairest lady is you, Hermione Granger Potter."
"Hey!" Hermione hit Harry playfully on the arm. "I didn't say that I'd marry you!"
Harry grinned. "Too bad, because you are."
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**__The End__**
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A/N: So this story is finally done. I'd like to thank a lot of people for the accomplishment of this story. First of all, I'd like to thank Shooting-Star, who had first posted this idea in the Challenge section of Portkey.org. This story is really for her, even though I can't tell if she's still reading this or not because I haven't received her review for so long. I hope I have blended the story of My Fair Lady and Harry Potter together well enough to get an Acceptable from her. Second, I have to thank my first Beta, Meghan. She had only done one chapter for me and had to leave because of her illness at the time. Now, a very big thank you must go to Stella, my Beta from chapter 4 to chapter 6. She is the pickiest Beta I have ever met in my life, but she really did her job well. Getting my fics back from her was like getting my English essay from my teacher. It's a pity that she can't do the last two chapters for her school is starting and she's very busy. Therefore, I had to do my own Beta for these last chapters. I do hope that I have improved since the first two, where no one, not even myself, read over again before being posted. And last, but not the least, I have to thank each and every one of you, my readers. Be you the one who always drop a line after each chapter, or be you the silent reader, I would never have done this without you. I know my story isn't good, but thank you for being patient enough to sit through my chapters and encourage me all the time. Thank you and I shall work harder for the next story I'm currently working on.