"We've been friends
For a long, long time
You tell me all your secrets
And I tell you mine
She's left you all alone
And you feel like no one cares
But I am there…
I've always been there…"
The rain was coming down in sheets, pouring down the windows and ricocheting off the skylights. Hermione Granger let out a sigh of frustration as the lights flickered off, then on, for the umpteenth time that night. She set her book down on the side table, and reached for her wand to set a charm on the lights to keep them on. Just as she was about to speak the incantation, thunder sounded, cracking like a whip, nearly making her jump out of her skin. She cursed under her breath, and flicked her wand, the lights finally staying on for more than a minute at a time.
Sighing, Hermione curled back up in her favorite chair, opening her book and trying to concentrate on the words in front of her. She couldn't concentrate now, though, and looked at the clock again. It was nearing midnight. Where was he?
Suddenly, the lock in the front door clicked and the door opened. The sound of the wind whistling was suddenly much louder and clearer as Harry stepped through the open door, bringing a cold gust of air with him. He shut the door behind him, shaking his head like a wet dog.
Hermione shivered as the cool air hit her, and the movement caught Harry's attention. His head snapped up in dismay, and his shoulders slumped upon seeing her.
"I'm sorry," he apologized softly.
She nodded. "Pretty bad storm out there, hmm?"
He hung his dripping coat up on the coat rack and stepped out of his muddy shoes. Then, he made his way across the living room toward Hermione. "It sure is. I thought I was going to get blown away walking home."
The look on her face was icy, suppressing anger and disbelief. "Why, may I ask, did a fully capable wizard like yourself walk home in this storm when he knew fully well that he could Apparate?"
Harry looked at the floor. He knew that she was going to unleash hell on him any minute now, and he knew from past experience that it was best to say as little as possible. "I needed some time to think about things."
"You needed time to think about things? Were you, by any chance, maybe thinking of the time? Were you thinking, 'Hmm…I told Hermione that I would be home no later than ten and maybe I shouldn't walk in almost three hours late knowing that she would be sick with worry' ?!" She yelled, not even paying attention to the fact that Ron was sleeping just one room over.
He hung his head. "I'm really sorry, Hermione, but I told you, and I needed to think about some…things."
She blew out a breath between her teeth. "Like what, Harry? What could you possibly be thinking of to keep you out in this storm this late?"
I was just wallowing in self-pity, mourning the fact that you'll never see me as more than your best friend even though I am hopelessly in love with you. Yes, Potter, that would go over real well. Harry finally raised his head and looked her in the eye, the anguish and pain showing clearly in his eyes. "Cho broke up with me, Hermione."
Hermione stared at him. Her mouth opened and shut, and she was pretty sure she probably looked like a fish, which would have been quite amusing in any other situation. Except for the fact that Harry was watching her reaction carefully.
"She…she what?" she asked softly. "Why?"
He leaned back into the couch, swinging his feet up.
"Well, as you know, we met for dinner earlier. She seemed really nervous about something, but I couldn't figure out what. We sat down to eat, and she was very quiet during the entire meal. I asked her what was wrong, and she sighed. 'Harry,' she said to me, 'I don't think this is working out. You and me, I mean. I don't think we should see each other anymore.' " Harry looked suddenly uncomfortable as he felt Hermione's intense gaze upon him.
"She didn't give you a reason?" Hermione asked, becoming angry on her friend's behalf.
"Well…" he started, "She said that she felt I wasn't putting my whole self into the relationship, it was as if I…as if I-I loved someone else,"
Hermione's mouth formed into an 'o'. "I'm so sorry, Harry," she began, but he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
"I'm not really affected by it, actually." He avoided telling her the real reason he had returned home so dejected.
"I think I had known that I wasn't in love with her-never had been-for a long time now. She just beat me to the punch," Harry motioned for Hermione to come sit next to him. She uncurled herself from the chair and padded across the room, sinking into the plush couch next to Harry.
"So if this all happened over dinner, which was around six, why are you just coming in now?"
Damn. He didn't look at her. "I --err-- went to the Three Broomsticks to have a few drinks…" he trailed off.
Hermione shook her head at him. "Why, Harry? I thought you just got through saying that you weren't affected by the break up."
She was not making this easy on him. He was a fool to think he could trick her into thinking this was just some petty nothing with Cho. Harry nodded. "I'm not…I was thinking about the reason Cho broke up with me. About how she said she felt I loved someone else. She didn't know how right she was."
Hermione looked up at him, trying to mask her curiosity and slight disappointment. So he did love someone. She should have figured…all that affection and concern for her over the years was nothing more than friendship. Why would it have been?
"So…can I ask who the lucky girl is?" she asked, forcing a false smile onto her face, and not catching the disappointed look in Harry's eyes.
Suddenly, there was a clap of thunder, and Hermione jumped towards Harry. Laughing a little, he pulled her closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, bringing her to his chest in a warm hug. Closing his eyes, he whispered in her ear.
"That's not important…not now, anyway."
Hermione's eyes closed at the sensation of his warm breath against her ear. She laid her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around him and getting comfortable. It was amazing how fast he could calm her down. "I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier, Harry…its just that I was going out of my mind with worry when you didn't come home when you had said you would. And especially in this storm…you don't want to know some of the things I was thinking up that could have happened…"
She felt him nod against her head.
"Not a problem, sweetheart, not a problem."
Hermione felt more content that she had in a while, and unbelievably comfortable. She soon felt herself nodding off, and before she knew it, she was sound asleep.
People are talking, talking bout people
I hear them whisper, you won't believe it
They think we're lovers kept under cover
I'll just ignore them, but they keep saying we
Laugh just a little too loud
Stand just a little too close
We stare just a little too long
Maybe they're seeing something we don't, darlin'…
Ron Weasley rolled over in his sleep, and unfortunately, rolled himself right off his bed. He hit the floor with a muffled thump, cursing all the while. After untangling himself from the blankets, he glanced at the clock. It was about seven in the morning, but it certainly didn't look that hour outside. The rain was still coming down in buckets, although the thunder and lightening seemed to have taken a break. It was dark and overcast.
He stretched, then made his way down the hall, thinking he would make some breakfast for Harry and Hermione before they woke up. He reckoned that Hermione hadn't gone to bed at any early hour last night, seeing as she was waiting up for Harry. And it was a given that one did not go to bed without the other. Well, not with the other, but without the other going to sleep as well. Although he was sure they would both love to go to bed with one another, but that was a completely different story.
He discovered, though, upon reaching the living room that they certainly had gotten some sleep last night. They were spooned together on the couch, looking quite comfortable, and quite asleep. Ron grinned. Could it have finally happened? Was it possible that the "Most Eligible Bachelor" (five times running in Witch Weekly) and the smartest witch ever to have graduated Hogwarts could have finally come clean about their feelings for each other? The ones that they clearly were trying to squash down into nothingness in their denial?
Ron grinned. His mind was telling him that it wasn't likely, but his eyes were telling him otherwise. He would have to have a talk with Harry as soon as he got his lazy self up. But, he decided, for now…for now, he would let them sleep. He would have his fun later.
Harry shifted in his sleep, and tried to roll over, but soon realized that he couldn't. Without even opening an eye, he quickly deduced that he was on the couch, just judging by the crick in his neck. What was he doing on the couch?
Then it all came back to him.
Damn.
Hermione stirred, slowly opening her eyes. She felt a strong arm wrapped around her, and the memories of last night came flooding back to her. Harry, the storm, Cho…oh, Merlin. Today was going to be a long day.
"Hermione?" Harry said softly.
Damn.
He was awake. There goes sneaking off the couch and pretending last night didn't happen, she thought. She yawned. "Hmm?"
"Did you sleep well?"
"As well as one can on the couch," she responded, smiling a little bit.
"I'm sorry about that. I should have just brought you to your bed when you fell asleep, but I was just too comfortable," he said apologetically.
Hermione laughed. "You don't have to apologize. I slept just fine,"
"Well I'm glad one of us did," he said with a grin. "I have a bit of a crick in my neck that might just require a massage later to make me feel better,"
She snorted. "Nice try, Harry. Maybe if you're good. You go shower and I'll make breakfast."
"Okay," he agreed. "Make sure to make bacon!"
Hermione giggled, but didn't make any effort to get off the couch so Harry could get up. She was just too comfortable. He didn't seem in too much of a hurry, either.
Eventually, Harry sighed. "Hermione? You need to get off the couch before I can."
"Right." Hermione blushed a deep red and swung her feet off the couch. She missed his warmth immediately, as did he hers. She started for the kitchen, flicking her wand this way and that, Harry watching her from the living room, amused. She was rummaging around in the refrigerator for eggs when she heard the shower go on in the bathroom.
Hermione sighed. She had been able to live with Ron and Harry since their graduation from Hogwarts without giving herself away (or so she thought) but she was beginning to weaken. And watching Harry date Cho for what seemed like years (but in reality was only a few months) only added to her torture. Hearing that they had broken up last night had seemed like a blessing in disguise-until he revealed that he did, in fact, love someone else. Lucky witch.
She crossed the kitchen, the tile floor feeling wonderfully cool against her bare feet. Reaching the sink, Hermione began to fill a pot full of water to boil for tea. A couple walking around the lake outside caught her eye. In spite of the rain, they were walking hand in hand; heads tucked close together in deep conversation, only stopping momentarily to share a kiss. She sighed, thinking, will I ever have that?
Somebody singing interrupted her thoughts. Hermione giggled, realizing that Harry was singing along to the radio in the shower. She crept down the hallway, pressing her ear against the door to hear what he was singing.
"Standing across the room, I saw you smile
I said I wanna talk to you for a little while
But before I make my move my emotion starts running wild
My tongue gets tied and that's no lie
I'm looking in your eyes
I'm looking in your big brown eyes, ooh yeah
And I've got this to say to you, hey
Girl I want to make you sweat
Sweat till you can't sweat no more
And if you cry out
I'm gonna push it some mo-o-ore
Girl I want to make you sweat
Sweat till you can't sweat no more
And if you cry out
I'm gonna push it, push it push it some more…"
Hermione stifled a laugh, and turned to go back down the hall towards the kitchen. Just as she turned the corner, Ron Apparated in and sent her about a foot into the air. Her hand flew to her throat. "Ron!"
He laughed and strode across the kitchen to the fridge, where he busied himself getting out ingredients to make breakfast.
"Where were you?" she asked him, pulling out a kitchen chair and seating herself.
"I just had to go out to get some things, nothing important," he replied, his voice slightly muffled. "When did you two finally wake up?"
"Just a few minutes ago, as a matter of fact. I was going to make breakfast, and Harry's in the shower," she answered. The fact was made clear as Harry's voice floated into the kitchen.
" A la la la la long
A la la la la long long li long long long…"
Ron started to laugh. "He's still listening to that Muggle music, eh?"
Hermione nodded, giggling. "Of course. Would you expect anything else from him?"
Ron nodded his head in agreement. Pretty soon, the spicy smell of bacon filled the room, and offered a little bit of warmth to the dreary day. The sizzling of the bacon on the stove and Harry's distant voice in the shower were all that could be heard until Ron broke the silence.
"You two looked pretty comfortable this morning, if I may say so, myself," Ron said casually, peeking over his shoulder at Hermione, whose face had turned pink.
"Ron, it wasn't what you're thinking. I had been waiting up for Harry, and when he came in he was miserable and I was just comforting him and we fell asleep--"
Ron cut her off. "Wait-Harry was miserable, you said? Why?"
Hermione sighed. "Cho broke up with him last night. Told him that he was in love with someone else, wasn't putting his whole self into the relationship, you know the drill,"
Ron nodded, a sudden look of understanding coming into his eyes. "Ahh. I see. I wonder who he's in love with?" he asked, pretending to be mystified. Hermione didn't catch the sarcasm in his voice.
She threw her hands in the air. "My thoughts exactly! Was he seeing another girl while he was dating Cho?"
Then Hermione sighed, and put her head in her hands. Almost as if speaking to herself, she whispered, "Who could he possibly be in love with that we don't know about?"
Ron quietly pulled out a chair, and sat across from Hermione. He took her chin in his hand and made her look at him. "You love him, don't you?" he asked her softly.
Hermione stared at him for a moment, taken aback, before answering. "What would make you think that?"
Ron shook his head, chuckling a little. "Herm, it's quite obvious,"
Her face paled. "Does Harry know?"
"No," Ron said, "But I can assure you that he wouldn't mind."
"Wouldn't mind what?" Another voice joined theirs, and they turned, startled, to see Harry coming down the hall, towel in hand.
He rubbed it vigorously over his head and cocked an eyebrow at Ron. "What wouldn't I mind?"
Luckily, Ron was a quick thinker, and immediately jumped up. "Wouldn't you just love to know? Hey, mate, want some bacon? Just finished cooking, perfect timing,"
Harry grinned at the prospect of breakfast, and made his way over to the counter to fill his plate. Hermione shot Ron a look of relief, mouthing "Thank you,"
Ron nodded, winking.
Harry came over to the table with his plate and sat across from Hermione. She looked up at him, grateful that he was occupied with his food, and studied his face. His damp hair was flopping into his face, covering the scar that he was so famous for. Her eyes traveled along the contours of his jaw line, marveling at how beautiful he was. She didn't often use that adjective to describe men, but that was the only way he could be described.
He glanced up, and their eyes met for a brief moment. He gave her a smile, and then returned to his food. Hermione got up to get her own plate of food, a little too willing to get away from Harry. Her stomach was currently jumping about, and she needed a minute to gather her thoughts so if he tried to talk to her she wouldn't sound like a stammering idiot.
Watching the two of them, an idea suddenly came to Ron. He would have to talk to Ginny about it, but it just might work…yes, it just might work.
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If this story seems familiar to you, that is because I posted it on Schnoogle, under Elizabeth_Golden…it's not plagiarized! I did rewrite this chapter, though, and it's different from Chapter One on Schnoogle. :)
"What If I Said" lyrics belong to Anita Cochran, "Something to Talk About" belongs to Bonnie Raitt. Harry Potter and Co. belong to J.K. Rowling. The song Harry is singing does not belong to me either, but I don't honestly know whom it's by.
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