Author's note: Whenever I get depressed, I need to read fluff pieces to get me out of my funk. After a rather depressing e-mail conversation with my ex-girlfriend, I was feeling rather blue but couldn't find any fluff pieces that really took my mind off things. So I sat down to write this to see if it wouldn't help me feel better. It's a very short piece of pure fluff, and I know it, which is not macho for guys to write. But if it helps me (and possibly others) then what the hey?
Disclaimer: These characters belong to Ms. J.K. Rowling, who I hope will see the light that Harry and Hermione belong together.
It was a cold winter's day, and as was usual of late, Hermione Granger had forgone lunch and was studying in the library. Contrary to popular belief, it was not her favorite place to be. Lately, that honor had been changed to wherever Harry Potter happened to be at any given moment.
She smiled warmly to herself, as she so often did when thinking about the man she loved. She would never forget the day at the end of last year when he had nervously asked her out for the first time. They had spent the day in Hogsmeade, talking and enjoying each other's company. On the way back to the castle, they were lucky enough to have a carriage to themselves. That was when they shared their first kiss. Their lives had never been the same since, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
Hermione shook her head and snapped herself out of her reverie only to find a single rose, surrounded by a golden glow, floating in front of her. Curious, she took the proffered flower, and as soon as she did, another one floated in the air ten feet in front of her. She plucked the second rose from the air, and a third rose levitated itself another ten feet away. Forgetting about her studies, Hermione followed the trail of levitating flowers until she reached one of the first floor classrooms. She opened the door to find a beautiful forest glade before her. This must be Firenze's divination classroom, she thought.
Stepping deeper into the classroom, she found another rose, and beyond that was a picnic setting. A blanket was laid upon the ground, covered with sandwiches, chilled pumpkin juice and slices of pumpkin pie. There was a rustling sound, and she looked up to see Harry emerge from behind one of the trees.
"What's all this?" she asked with a smile on her face.
Harry grinned and her heart melted. I would gladly die for that grin, she thought.
"I thought you could use a break," Harry replied. "So I asked Firenze if he minded me borrowing his classroom. He said he wanted to get some fresh air anyway, and so, here we are!"
Hermione set the roses on the blanket and glided over to where Harry stood. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his lips down to meet hers.
"I appreciate the thought," she said when they parted. "But you didn't have to go to all this trouble. I would have joined you in the Great Hall for lunch if you had only asked."
"I know," he said softly, gazing into her eyes. "But I wanted to do something special for you, to say thank you."
"For what?"
"For being you." He reached out and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He softly trailed his index finger down her jaw line before taking both her hands in his. She shivered slightly at his touch, amazed that he could bring goose bumps to her flesh the way he did. "Ever since I've known you," he went on "you've always seen me for who I really I am. You've always looked beyond the scar at the boy underneath. Never once did you fawn over my fame or my fortune. You didn't run screaming when you heard that Voldemort was after me. Throughout all the trials I've faced in my life, you've been right there by my side."
Hermione didn't want to interrupt him. If she had one complaint about Harry, it was that he always kept his feelings bottled up inside. Oh, he would always express how he felt about her in the way he held and kissed her, but he never verbally confessed how he felt. She liked this new Harry, and wanted to hear what else he had to say.
Harry took a deep breath before continuing. "You know that I never had anyone who cared for me when I was growing up, like you did, or Ron and Ginny. I never knew what it was like to feel loved, until I met you." He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist. Hermione could see tears welling up in his eyes. "I guess what I'm trying to say, in my own bumbling manner is . . . I love you."
Hermione was openly crying now. She had told him she loved him on several occasions, but he had never been ready to say it back. Though she had longed to hear it, she had never pressed the matter. Although she longed to hear them, she knew he loved her even without hearing the words. But hearing him say them now, and with such obvious emotion, made her heart soar.
"I love you too, Harry," she said. "I always have, and I always will."
Smiling, Harry dipped his head down and kissed her. It started out slowly, as most of their kisses did, but grew in intensity and passion. After a few minutes they parted, breathless.
"Well," Hermione gasped. "I guess we better eat now. I would certainly hate to see all this hard work go to waste."
Harry laughed and led her over to the blanket. They made small talk as they ate their lunch. When they finished, Harry leaned back against a tree and pulled Hermione into his arms. She sighed and settled her head on his shoulder, reveling in his warm embrace.
"Say it again, Harry," she said softly.
He chuckled and held her tighter. "I love you."
"Thank you," she whispered.
"For what?"
"For being you."