Chapter 11
Almost as soon as it began, Harry broke contact suddenly. "Hermione I..." he breathed as he looked at her longingly. "I can't I..."
"Shh, I know," she said gently when she saw the look of torment in his eyes.
He sighed as his forehead fell against her shoulder as his arms pulled her closer. "I want to," he croaked. "You have no idea how bad."
She started to run her fingers through his damp hair. "I know, Harry." And she did. She knew who Harry was and he was an honest person and he would never betray anyone. "Do you love her, Harry?"
"No," he mumbled against her neck pulling her even closer. "That's why I can't do this. I have to tell her the truth."
"Then tell her."
He finally lifted his head up and looked gazed at her. "I will. Tonight I'll Apparate to her apartment." He lifted a hand and caressed the side of her face. "And you need to do the same tonight with Victor."
Hermione breathed deeply as her heart fluttered nervously. "I...I know. It's time we both start being honest with them, isn't it?"
"And to ourselves," he added with a small smile. "Why don't we go back out and join the others and spend the day having fun?"
"Sounds good Harry," she said matching the same smile.
Harry turned and was about to head out, but turned back around. "One more thing, Mione," he said softly. "Tonight...we'll meet back in my room...and we'll finish what we started."
She nodded in agreement and with that said they walked back out of the waterfall.
"There you guys are," Ron said who was sitting on the steps with Janey. "Get everything sorted out?"
"Yeah," Harry said as they swam over to them. "We're cool."
"Hey, I got an idea," Janey said with a smile. "Let's have a chicken fight."
Hermione smiled. "That's a great idea!"
"A...a chicken what?" Ron asked confused.
"Are you kidding me?" Janey exclaimed. "You've never heard of a chicken fight?"
"It's where two people get on a persons shoulders, and the two people on top fight each other, and the two people on bottom fight too."
"Yeah," Janey said after Hermione's explanation. "And the girl who falls in the water first, looses!"
"I'm game," Harry said with a shrug. "Mione and I make a good team."
"Let's do it then." Ron said as they both walked back to the deep in. Janey stood behind Ron and he lifted his hands above his shoulders and she took it before he went into the water. Once he felt her legs over his shoulders he stood back up, waist deep in the water. He pushed his hair out of his eyes before he held onto her calves and turned to see that Harry and Hermione were in position as well.
Hermione and Harry won the first round, then Ron and Janey won the second. They went at it for a while; laughing and pushing each other until one of them bit the dust. After a few rounds of a chicken fight, they retired inside where one of Janeys maid whipped them up some sandwiches. They went back out by the pool, slid down the slide, jumped off the diving board and goofed off in the cool water as the hours went by.
It was close to five when Harry and Hermione finally started dry off and grab their things together. "We're leaving already?" Ron asked from the pool who was still playing with Janey.
"We have go," Harry said. "Thanks for a great day, Janey."
"Yeah, we really had a great time," Hermione said as she slid on her flip flops.
"I'm glad you came," she said with a smile. "Don't forget next weekend is my birthday party."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world. You staying Ron?"
"Um...I don't know," Ron said nervously. "Do you have to be anywhere?"
She grinned. "No, you can stay if you'd like."
"I'd love to stay for a little longer," he said grinning back.
"See ya guys," Harry said and waved them good-bye as they walked around to the front to the gate.
Once they were out of site they turned and faced each other. "See you later?" Harry asked.
"You can count on it."
Then with a double pop they both vanished...and were now one step closer from finally being together.
Harry stood at the front of Cho's door to her flat. He had Apparated in front of it a while ago, but still hadn't had the nerve to knock. He didn't know how he was going to do this. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but he knew that if he wasn't honest with her, he would hurt her even more Whenever he felt like turning and walking away, all he had to do was think about Hermione and how he felt when she was wrapped around him in the secluded cave. She was his strength.
He finally lifted his hand and tapped gently onto the door. He waited, expecting to hear footsteps coming towards him, but heard nothing. He knocked again, this time a little louder and stepped back and gave her another shot. He was about to give up on her when he finally heard noises on the other side. "Just a moment," he heard the familiar voice say in a rush and seconds later the door swung open.
Cho's eyes widened with shock when she saw Harry. She was in her robe and her hair was a little mussed. "H...Harry, what...what are you doing here?"
"Hey," he said and studied her. "Were you sleeping?" he asked and looked at his watch. "It's not late is it?"
"No...no of course not," she said uneasily. "Um...it's really not a good time, Harry."
"I know I came unexpected," Harry said. "But I really need to talk to you."
"Can't...can't you come by later? I...."
"Baby? You coming back to bed?"
Harry's stomach dropped when he heard a mail voice inside. "Who was that?" he asked Cho's guilty face who was trying to avoid eye contact. "Cho...."
"Harry," she pleaded. "Please, I..."
He pushed her out of the way and stalked into her one bedroom flat, expecting to see some man...muggle or wizard he didn't know. Anger swept over him in as he saw Victor Krum emerge from the room, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. His first thought was Hermione. She was probably alone...in his house wondering where he could be, not having any clue that he had been playing her with another woman...with HIS girlfriend. The thought made him sick to his stomach.
"Harry," Cho said as he grabbed his arm. "I'm sorry..."
He flung his hand away viciously. "Don't touch me!" He breathed deeply, trying his best to control his anger. He glared at Victor. "How long? How long have you been cheating on her?"
"Harry, this has nothing to do with you," Victor said obviously uncomfortable with the situation.
"This has EVERYTHING to do with me!" he yelled.
"Harry, this is between you and me," Cho said as she started to get annoyed. "I'm sorry I cheated on you, but you deserved it!"
He spun around angrily. "What?! Deserved it??" he bellowed. "I had been nothing but loyal to you!"
"Oh please...I know you have feelings for, Hermione," she said in disgust.
"You know something Cho...you've changed...a lot and I don't know why you didn't have the guts to just be honest with me and tell me how you felt." He then spun around to Victor. "And you...lying to Hermione like that!"
"She left!" he said angrily. "In the middle of the night with no note or anything!"
"Why do you think, Krum! You hardly ever pay her any attention! She was tired of it!"
"And I was tired of her!" he yelled. "I knew...oh, I knew how she felt about you. I tried to ignore it, but it always got in the way of our relationship, ever since those rumors about the two of you started!"
"You're pathetic do you know that? You don't even deserve her! You never did!" He turned to Cho. "And you...you're right...both of you. I do have feelings for Hermione, but unlike you I was trying to be honest with you by telling you in person!"
She gasped. "You...you were coming here...to break up with me?"
"Yes, I did. I wanted to be honest with you! I didn't want to lie to you." He shook his head and let out a harsh laugh. "Looks like you did enough of that for the both of us."
"Harry..."
"Don't," he said sternly. "Just...don't. I don't want to see you again, ever. I didn't want it to end this way, but you brought it upon yourself." He looked back at Krum with hatred in his eyes. "Leave Hermione alone, Krum. I'll be sure to tell her just what kind of person you are. If you ever go near her again, you'll pay."
He then flew out of her flat and slammed the door behind him. He had never in all his life felt this much anger coursing through him at one time. He was furious and he hated that he had to be the one to tell Hermione, but was also glad it was him who walked in on them and not her.
He Apparated to his apartment to find her sitting on the edge of his bed. "Hey, he wasn't home," she said as she stood up. "Which I guess wasn't such a surprise."
He let out a shaky breath. "Mione...."
"How'd it go? Was she mad?"
He shook his head. "She was...I..."
"Harry...what is it?" she asked worried when she saw the pain in his eyes.
"I walked in on her...with another man."
Hermione gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand. "She...she was cheating on you?" When he nodded anger clouded her eyes, similar to how Harry looked when he first found out. "That little wench! Oh, I could just kill her!"
"Mione," he said gently as he reached over and grabbed her hands, looking deeply at her with remorse. "She was with Krum."
She felt her stomach drop as a sickened feeling took over her. "Victor...was there?"
He nodded. "Yes...I caught them, Hermione," he said as he squeezed her hands. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."
She felt her eyes brim with tears, but it wasn't because of what Victor had done. It was the way Harry was looking at her. He looked so caring...just looking in his eyes was enough for her to know just how much he cared for her. "Oh Harry," she cried as she enveloped him in a hug. "Don't be sorry...it wasn't your fault."
He shut his eyes tight as he pressed her closer. "I hate him for how he treated you."
"And I hate her for what she did to you," she said softly. "It's okay. They're nothing. We have each other that's all that matters."
Harry buried his face against her neck. "You're right," he said and then kissed her skin. "Nothing else matters."
Hermione felt chills running down her spine when he felt his hot breath on her skin. Her eyes fluttered close when he kissed her again, slowly traveling his lips up her neck and over her jaw line. He stopped when his lips hovered over hers, their breaths merging together. "I've wanted to kiss you again all day."
Her eyes flickered back and forth from his eyes to his lips. "Well...what are you waiting for then?"
On a heavy sigh, Harry finally filled in the space between them. His lips slanted over hers in a slow, lingering kiss as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. There was only one word that he was able to register once their lips touched....
Finally.
"Mione," he whispered as he pulled back. "I...I've wanted this for so long now."
She smiled softly. "I have too. You have know idea how long I've waited to be with you this way."
"I have an idea," he said as he reached up and cupped the side of her face gently. "Longer than I realized." He then leaned down and kissed her softly again and she sighed in content while she arched up against him. Harry's fingers disappeared in her long flowing hair as he finally tasted her for the first time, kissing her deeply with his tongue. He groaned in satisfaction as he yanked her closer and plunged again as he felt his heart begin to race. Lips still locked, he backed her up to his bed and carefully laid her down on her back, never breaking contact of the kiss as he loomed over her. He slowly lowered his body to hers, letting on his weight press her into the mattress as he finally left her mouth and nuzzled her neck. He closed his eyes tight and concentrated on every part of her that touched him, biting his lip trying desperately to keep his raging hormones in check.
Hermione's fingers got lost in his messy black hair and clutched it tightly when his lips and tongue began to massage her skin. It felt right. Being with Harry this way. When she was with Victor, a part of her noticed how it never felt right. With Harry though, it felt perfect. "Harry," she pleaded and thought she would die if he didn't have his mouth on hers again. He obviously took the frantic tugging on his hair as a sign and once again his lips found hers. Hermione found her hands sliding down the small of his back until she reached the hem of his T-shirt and tugged.
Harry broke from the kiss long enough to have his shirt yanked over his head before it was carelessly tossed aside. There lips met again, as they rolled once so Harry was now on her back and she was draped over his chest. He lifted his hands to push back her hair as he cupped her face, kissing her with the same tenderness he felt in his heart when he was with Hermione. She finally felt him lean back and their lips parted as they both breathed heavily. Harry's hands were still framing her face as he looked up at her, with soul-searching eyes. "You're amazing, Hermione," he told her as he swept his thumb across her bottom lip. "Krum Dumb had no idea how lucky he was to have you."
She smiled. "And Cho Ho was an idiot for not seeing the real you."
He chuckled softly and reached up and kissed her softly. "I think I love you, Hermione."
Her heart ached. "Oh Harry," she said as she kissed him. "I don't think..." Another kiss. "I know. I love you, Harry."
Harry let out a desperate moan as their lips touched again. No one; had ever said that to him before. Cho had said the words, but a part of him always knew that her heart wasn't in it. Now, he found someone who loved him. Not the boy who lived, but just the boy. Just the man he had grown to be. That's all he ever wanted and he finally had it. He never realized that the answer to all his problems had been by his side all this time. He needed her. He always did and always will.