Disclaimer: No way are any of the original HP characters mine they totally belong to J.K. Rowlings. You are nuts to even think that I own this, where do you people get your information. Honestly :)
All That She Wants
Chapter 9- I Want You To Love Me
"So what is it you wanted to tell me?" Kelly said with a smile.
Harry grinned, "I'm afraid I need your help."
"My help, what for?" Kelly wondered if he was gonna try hitting on her again, not that she minded. But she didn't want to seem eager or anything so she played it light.
"You see." Harry scratched the back of his neck nervously, "I sort of fell in love with Hermione, and I kinda said some stupid things." He took a deep breath. "Basically she wants me out of her life, but I can't let her get away I need her too much."
Kelly just stood there staring at him not speaking, she too took a breath. "Well if she wants you out of her life, then there's not much you can do."
"Sure she said that, but she doesn't mean it. I see it in her eyes that she too loves me. But Hermione is just so stubborn." He sat down against the wall looking up at her, "I've tried everything but she just won't relent."
"I don't see what this has to do with me though." Kelly's eyes squinted in confusion.
"I think the jealousy route might work." He said carefully. "If she sees me with another girl…she might forget about ignoring me."
"I see." Kelly thought a moment; she really didn't want to help Harry get another girl. But then again it wasn't every day that the school's Lady's Man fell in love. She smiled a bit thinking 'it's about bloody time.' "All right, what do I have to do?"
"Well I need a date to that dance at The Three Broomstcks tonight." Harry's smile was wide and almost pleading.
"Whoa, whoa. No one said anything about a dance. I'm not exactly what you would call the social butterfly, and besides have you seen me dance? I stink. There's no way in Hades am I going to that dance." She said firmly while her arms crossed in front of her, against herself. Kelly saw Harry grinning up at her.
*****
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." Kelly said holding onto Harry's arm.
"Look at it this way, you're helping me out. We don't have to dance; we can just sit at the table looking all cuddly and cute." Harry smiled.
"Okay what's the plan?"
"Well we sit here and look all cuddly every time Hermione looks our way, all right?" Harry said with a confident smile.
Kelly nodded, "I'm only doing this cause you promised me that racing broom."
Harry smiled at the same time making a little pouty face "Aw Kelly I thought we were friends and that's why you were helping me?" He saw her face flush with embarrassment.
"Yeah okay that might be true, but you're still buying me that racing broom." Kelly said sitting down at an empty table.
"Hey I promised I would buy it for you didn't I? And I always keep my promises." Harry said before he scanned the establishment for Hermione. He spotted her in the far off corner talking with a few girls, she looked relatively bored. Harry noticed she looked awfully cute in that knee length jean skirt and light blue peasant blouse. Her hair was wild and untamed as ever. It looked like she had given up on the hair treatment that Blaise provided for her. Harry smiled to himself, thinking she never looked better. The old Hermione was coming back, not the made over Hermione. He loved her for who she was.
Harry saw Hermione turn her head to the left, which wasn't too far from his table. She started moving over in his direction. Harry quickly glanced at Kelly as Hermione reached Justin's side.
"What happened to your hair?" Justin said to Hermione, They were within listening distance of Harry as he eavesdropped on their conversation.
Hermione shrugged, " I didn't like all that work it takes to keep it looking sleek, besides I kinda like the way I look and if you've got a problem with it-" She was rudely interrupted by Justin.
"It looks like a mess, like you haven't brushed it in months. Why don't I take you back to Hogwarts so you can fix it and then we can come back?" He asked with a smile.
"No, I don't want to do that." Hermione said seriously.
"Look it's embarrassing." Justin said, his voice trimming with annoyance.
"Well I'm not embarrassed by my hair, so neither should you be." Her eyes narrowed.
Justin held in his growl, "You look like a freak, and I won't be seen with someone who doesn't take the time to look nice."
Harry looking down at the table, squeezed his fingers together making a tight fist, how dare that fool say those things about Hermione. Harry looked at Hermione through the corner of his eye, to gauge her reaction.
Hermione didn't keep in her growl, she made it very clear that she was angry and that she wasn't going to take his insulting her. She took a breath and calmly said. "Justin, I don't think this is working out." She said with a fake politeness.
"What do you mean?" Justin didn't like where this conversation was going. Sure she may look like a weirdo but that didn't mean he wanted to give her up either.
"You're a smart guy, you know what I mean." She smiled sarcastically.
"You're breaking up with me?!" His voice carried throughout the whole dance; there were people nearby who were watching the couple argue.
"Bingo." Her tone was really sarcastic. "You sound so surprised." She glanced at her fingernails in a way telling him that she was bored and wanted out of this conversation. She turned and started moving away from him
"But…but I didn't even get to kiss you yet." Justin said, he was getting angry that she was just leaving him there.
Hermione spun on her heels, her long hair hung down over her shoulder, as it moved along with her. There was a cold smirk on her face yet her eyes twinkled. "You should have thought of that before you insulted me." She flipped her hair behind her and continued towards the exit of The Three Broomsticks.
"Yeah… well" He shouted to her retreating back. "There are far better females than you Hermione Granger. Who would want a trash like you anyways."
Hermione simply ignored him, not much he could say would have an affect on her. Ron Weasley could come up with better insults than him, the insult didn't bother her. But now Harry, that was a different matter, he did not like that one bit.
It just so happened that a waiter holding a tray with at least eight Butterbeers was walking past Harry's table, almost automatically Harry stuck his foot out and the waiter tripped forward, his tray went flying through the air only to land all over Justin drenching him in the sticky goodness.
Justin was so mad that he was gonna hit the waiter, he made to punch the waiter in the face but as he pulled his arm back he started to slip, his feet flailing out in some weird looking dance and he feel backwards landing with a hard thud on the floor. He couldn't move he was stunned from the fall. His eyes blinked a couple of times as he saw stars.
Harry watched as Hermione went through the door of The Three Broomsticks, he stood up from the table and apologized to Kelly for just leaving her there.
"Ah it's all right, just remember that racing broom." Kelly smiled as Harry politely nodded and also headed towards the door.
Harry pushed the door open stepping out into the cool air, he saw ahead of him Hermione heading towards the shops of Hogsmeade. He quickened his pace to an almost run, attempting to catch up with her.
"Hermione, wait up." Harry called out to her.
"Go away Harry." She said not turning around.
"Never, I will never go away." Harry wasn't prepared for her to stop suddenly and turn facing him, he crashed right into her.
Hermione's hand planted firmly on her hips as she glared up at him, "What do you want?"
"Only you." Harry said very seriously.
She moved her arms to cross in front of her, "Oh really?" The tone of her voice told Harry that she was clearly disbelieving him.
Hermione tilted her head to the side, "You know it's rather funny that just earlier today you were telling me that you love me I was thinking about that all day perhaps you do have feelings for me, I was going to speak with you this evening." She took a small breath and looked down at the ground for a moment then lifted her eyes to his. "But I see you found someone to replace me and rather quickly at that."
"Replace you?" Harry shook his head, "Not at all, it's not what you think."
"You mean I didn't see you getting all cuddly and stuff with that… Gryffindor Kelly?" she said a little colder than expected. She really didn't understand those jealous feelings she had; after all didn't she tell him to leave her alone? She had no right to feel that way.
"Well I was but-" He was interrupted rather rudely.
"Okay." Hermione smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile, "That's all I wanted to know." She turned to walk away, she stopped and turned slightly. "You know for someone to claim that they are in love, and that person is the only one they want, it sure didn't take long for that other person to find someone else."
"Hermione it wasn't like that, you've got to believe me." Harry waited for an answer from her, but he didn't get one. He watched as Hermione disappeared in the crowd. He was such an idiot, now she'll never believe anything he says. "I'm so stupid!" He shouted he shot his fist out punching a small little tree causing it to dent in fall over. He turned around facing the crowd. His head telling him to settle down, it wasn't over yet.
Ron was seated at a bench underneath a small tree enjoying the shade; he was lifting some kind of smoothie type drink to his lips. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the small tree start to fall towards him, before he could react the tree fell smacking him in the head knocking his face into his cup. The cup seemed to be suction cupped to his face and he couldn't pull it off. He jumped up from the bench like a maniac trying to pull the stuck cup from his face. Passers by pointed and laughed, someone screamed and ranted about some crazy boy jumping around.
He was screaming inside his cup as he pulled really, really hard. Finally the cup came lose but as he pulled it the sweet sugary drink spilled all over him; it was even dripping from his face. Girls were giggling hysterically at him, they pointed to the bright red ring that had formed around his face.
"Damn it to Hades!" Ron cursed, he pulled his now soaked shirt from his body, what he didn't see was the hive of Sugar Bees within the leaves of the tree. Ron tossed the shirt onto the tree covering the hive.
There was a faint buzzing sound that Ron didn't notice as he wiped his face with his hands trying to push off the juice. The bees were leaving the hive, crawling inside his shirt to get to the sugary substance. After a few minutes Ron didn't bother to turn his shirt right side out, so he just slipped it on over his head. In a really grumpy mood he started walking down the street of Hogsmeade, he vaguely felt the tickling within his shirt, he just started scratching at his back in several different places. The tickling sensation was starting to drift lower into his pants.
Ron saw a bee climb up out of the collar of his shirt, his eyes went wide. It was then he realized that the tickling inside his shirt and pants wasn't just odd it was bees. He panicked and started hitting himself hard in places all over his body. This agitated the bees, he felt the sharp stingers enter his flesh; he yelped and screamed as he tore the shirt from his body. The bees were angry as well, chasing after him now. "Get away! Get away!" Ron screamed as his arms were waving wildly in the air.
Harry watched as Ron breezed by him waving his arms about and yelling, Harry couldn't help but chuckle. "That boy has clearly lost it." He said out loud and continued on his way.
Ron felt the stinging now in his pants as he started undoing them and pulling them from his body. Soon he was fully naked running through Hogsmeade, waving his arms and yelling. The bees had long sense stopped chasing him so he just looked like a naked crazy fool.
He kept running and running when he crashed hard into something, he fell back landing on his naked rear end. He looked up to see Snape glaring down at him.
"Detention Weasley, a whole months worth for streaking." Snape snarled.
Ron sputtered "but…but there were bees and they were in my clothes and chasing me, see." Points behind him there weren't a single bee in sight.
"Two months Weasley, for arguing with me. And put some clothes on." Snape walked away from the naked idiot still sitting on the ground.
******
Blaise rested her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Sorry honey, but I could have told you that would never have worked. Why didn't you come to me if you were trying to plan something?"
Harry shrugged, "I never had any trouble trying to plan anything in my life, but every time I try some of my old ideas with Hermione, it blows up in my face."
"She really is a stubborn one isn't she?" Blaise sat down on the Slytherin common room couch.
"Well I'm not out of ideas yet." Harry said confidently.
"Oh no Harry, just tell her how you feel." Blaise sighed.
Harry shook his head, "I've already done that it didn't work. This time I have an even better idea." His eyes twinkled, "There is no way she'll be able to resist me."
"Why do I have a feeling this new idea of yours is just screaming the word DOOM!!" She put her fingers to her sinuses.
A hearty chuckle escaped from with in Harry, "oh have a little faith in you're old friend." He stood; it was almost time to put his new idea into action.
Harry opened her door enough for her to see her wand from her room. He glanced around the bathroom once more before placing Hermione's wand on the sink; he knew she often left it lying around somewhere, never really knowing where she had put it last. He heard her foot steps in her room, he could just imagine her looking everywhere for her wand. Harry smiled to himself as he stripped down; he flipped on the shower and stepped inside.
Hermione got down on her hands and knees looking under her bed. "Where in the fates is my dumb wand?" She questioned herself out loud. 'Maybe if you kept it in one place you wouldn't have to look for it now. Ah shut up.' Her head argued. She stood up and dusted off her knees, her hands planted firmly on her hips as she glanced around the room for her wand.
She stepped towards her dresser and opened the drawers. Turning around she leaned up against the furniture and through the corner of her eye she saw her wand. Her head snapped in that direction through the door that was only slightly open. Hermione started towards the door, but the sounds of water running alerted her to someone in the shower, and not just someone. But Harry.
That meant he was naked, she gulped down a breath of air. She couldn't just go in there and get it, what if she saw… something. Hermione felt the heat rising to her cheeks with just the thought of Harry being in the buff, she scratched the back of her neck nervously. She needed her wand though. What to do? What to do? She started pacing back and forth. Okay it was settled; she would close her eyes and feel around for her wand. That way she won't mistakenly see anything she shouldn't. Hermione shut her eyes tight and extended her hands forward feeling around for the door. The door was pushed open and she stepped through it.
Harry turned off the water thinking she wasn't coming. He heard the sound of the door opening. He faced the glass door and saw Hermione, her eyes were tightly closed and she was feeling the air in front of her. She looked so cute that Harry had to stifle a tiny chuckle. Harry quietly slid the glass door open and stepped out onto the tile floor. He reached for the towel on the rack and started to silently dry himself. He wrapped the towel around his waist and watched as she stepped forward cautiously, her hands still feeling the air.
He stepped over by the sink, sitting half way up on the porcelain. Harry saw her hands touch the sink and move around a little. Hermione moved to the side a bit remembering in her mind where the wand was.
The knot Harry tied wasn't very tight and it came undone and the towel fell off, he would have to stand to get it. He was attempting to when Hermione's hands grabbed a hold of his…. "Whoa." The tone of his voice was half surprised as he sucked in a breath at the feel of her hands.
Hermione felt numb, since when did wands make a noise? Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew that was no piece of wood she was holding on to. She gulped down a nervous breath of air. With her hands still holding the assumed wand she lifted one feeling the air in front of her. Her hand came in contact with a smooth yet hard slab of something. Her eyes squinted tighter together as her face also increased in color as she knew who that smooth-yet-hard-slab-of-something was 'oh please don't tell me that was his…' she took another breath 'that I just grabbed'
'Oh my goddess! I'm touching his…' Her mind shouted as she pulled her hand quickly away as if it were on fire. Her eyes snapped open yet she forgot to lift her head. She was staring directly at member that had obviously reacted to her tough. Her face increased even more in color. Why couldn't she bring herself to look away? Why was she having such naughty thoughts? She didn't even realize how long she had been staring, yet she was sure it had been awhile.
"See anything you like?" Harry said, which seemed to snap her out of her trance, he saw as she forcefully turned her head away. He only wanted her to see him, boy what a pleasant surprise that had been. Her hand on him was something he wanted to experience more of.
"What were you thinking?" Hermione said.
"No, what were you thinking Hermione?" Harry's voice clearly told her he was amused.
"What…were you doing in here? Why don't you have any clothes on?" She knew those were stupid questions, but nothing else would come out of her mouth. Her mind had completely gone on shut down.
"I was taking a nice shower that's what I was doing." He wrapped the towel around him, this time securing the knot. "Now what about you, do you often invade a man's privacy like this?" He teased her.
"No…no I needed my wand." She stuttered.
"So you grabbed mine." Harry said with a smirk.
Hermione's head whipped around as she was looking up at him "It was an accident, I had my eyes closed I couldn't see where I was grabbing." She tired to explain.
Harry tilted his head to the side a bit, "Hermione, tell me do I appeal to you at all?"
"What kind of a question is that?" She was getting angry and her eyes narrowed.
"Well I noticed you took a nice long look at me." He said sounding a tad arrogant.
Hermione closed her eyes a moment then opened them, "You sound a little sure of yourself, how do you know I wasn't disgusted by the very thought of you?"
He leaned in closer to her ear, "I could see it in your eyes, yes even though they were lowered. I could see." Harry moved back a little cupping her cheek with a gentle hand. He could see just how frightened she was, he had never seen a fear like that in her eyes before. "It's all right to look at me and like it Hermione."
"It's not that." Her voice surprisingly soft and quiet.
"Then what is it?" Harry's voice was just as gentle.
Hermione took a deep breath, "Its not that you don't appeal to me, I just can't trust you. You really hurt me. How do I know you won't do it again? How do I know this isn't just one of your schemes to get the next girl?"
"You've just got to have faith in me, I know what I had done was inexcusable and you don't know how badly I regret doing and saying all that to you. Hermione, I really love you, why can't you just let me in. Please forgive me." Harry was staring into her eyes; he could see so many emotions battling for dominance.
Hermione's eyes brimmed with tears as she shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't." She tore away from his hold and ran into her room slamming the door and locking it, forgetting all about her wand.
Heart broken and Harry left the bathroom; he got into a pair of plaid shorts and a black t-shirt it was still too early to go to bed. Yet he lied down staring at the wall. He was out of ideas. He closed his eyes, like a flash of lightening he was struck with ideas. He jumped up from his bed going to the desk in his room; he picked up the quill and started writing on a piece of parchment.
*****
Hermione walked through Hogsmeade towards the town square where there was a nice patch of grass and some flowers growing about. She really didn't want to remain at school on this beautiful Sunday; she also didn't want the chance to be confronted by-
"Hermione!" Harry shouted running towards her, "Hermione."
She didn't know what made her stop moving; maybe it was the sound of his voice? But Hermione stopped on the small lawn, turned and faced him. "What is it Harry?"
"Hermione, I love you." Harry smiled wide, he was happy.
"Not this again, Harry please…" Hermione was interrupted.
"Hermione, I love you." He shouted louder this time never faltering in his smile. This outburst caused a few passers by to stop.
Hermione sighed, "Harry no-"
"Hermione, I love you." Harry said in the same tone, the same smile.
Ron saw Harry talking to Hermione, this could be his chance. He would curse that Harry Potter; it would be easy too since he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings. Ron chuckled evilly to himself as he pulled his wand from his pocket and started towards Harry.
Every time Hermione opened her mouth to speak Harry would shout Hermione, I love you. If she wasn't so depressed it would have been funny and she would have laughed out loud.
"I love you Hermione, and I can prove it." Harry pulled a piece of parchment from his front pocket, "I've written you a poem." He smiled.
Hermione was relieved he said something other than I love you, she took a breath then said. "Harry, how does that prove you love me? You write poems to all your girls."
"Okay, you're right." He crumples up the paper and tosses it behind him. As Ron was sneaking up behind Harry, the ball of paper flew hitting him right smack in the eye.
"OWWW!!!" Ron yelled. Covering his eye with his hand as he was sure it was bleeding. Why did Harry have to throw so hard?
"Well if you don't want the poem, than here." He pulled a rose from the inside pocket of his light jacket and held it out to her. "What about a rose, it's beautiful like you?" He said very sincere.
"You sent roses to Jasmine from Ravenclaw at the beginning of the year, how is that special and how does that tell me you love me?" Hermione glanced down at her feet.
Harry nodded, "Yeah I forgot about that." He tossed the flower over his shoulder as well. The flower flew through the air and hit Ron right across the face the thorns stuck into his cheek. Delaying the cursing Ron was getting really mad and he didn't think. He ripped the flower from his face, the sharp pain surged through his body as the thorns tore out of his cheek. His mouth dropped open wide as a loud scream blasted out of him as he shrieked like a girl. Ron's yelling drew an even bigger crowd, as they all stopped to watch what was going on.
Ron was so furious, steam was literally rising from the top of his head. He gripped his wand tightly his knuckles were turning white he was approaching Harry's back. He was gonna do it now.
"Hermione, I was up half the night making these for you." Harry said pulling a round tin from the waistband of his pants holding the tin towards her. "I know how much you love peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies so I baked them for you." He waited; it looked like she was thinking.
"Harry, you always give baked goods to your lady of the week." She said with regret. Harry nodded; he too threw the tin over his shoulder.
The cookie tin spun in the air and hit Ron right in the forehead with such a force it knocked him out, Ron's body fell to the ground, not moving.
Hermione couldn't take this anymore; he was doing everything that he had done with other girls before. She turned and leave when Harry out of no where dropped to his knees hugging her tightly around the waist. She was completely shocked not expecting this at all.
"Please Hermione, don't leave me. Don't go." Harry was hugging her waist so tight., he wasn't going to let go. He rested his forehead against her tummy, his eyes closed. "I need you." After a few moments he still hadn't moved from the position, he felt her hands rest lightly on his shoulders. Harry looked up at her. Hermione gasped at the site of the tears in his eyes. She had never seen him cry, ever.
She continued to look at him; there he was on his knees in front of her holding her tightly. Trying to find someway to make her stay. She lifted a hand gently running it through his hair. She understood now that it wasn't the jokes he made, it wasn't the poems, the flowers, the cookies or even the promises he gave that she fell in love with. He was just Harry, that same vulnerable boy she had met all those years ago, who had no reason to trusting anyone, yet for some odd reason he trusted her. Now here he was with his arms around her trying to prove to her that he loved her. He did, there was no denying that now.
"Oh Harry," She said softly. "What am I going to do with you?"
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Well that's it for chapter 9, I hope you enjoyed it. Now there's only 2 more chapters left of this fic. I know its almost over, *sniffle* anyway, please review. Thanks Ryoko.