I Think I Love You by wolf33

Rating: G
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 4
Published: 30/04/2004
Last Updated: 30/04/2004
Status: Completed

Harry hears Hermione tell Ron she loved him (Ron) while listening in on their conversation. Or
did he?




1. untitled
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Disclaimer: If you think I'm J.K. Rowling, I think you need your head examined! (Just a joke
folks, please don't take offense.)

A/N: This is a lot lighter than my other fics, though likely not as original. Anyway, I hope you
enjoy it!

Behind a cluster of bushes crouched a seventeen-year old boy, who was, at the moment, witnessing
something he ought not to be seeing. He knew this, but in the end had decided the possibility of
'listening in' was far to tempting to forego. Maybe it was because the conversation that
was now occurring between the two people he most loved would have a serious impact on the rest of
his life.

Hermione Granger was standing in the arms of his freckled, red-headed best friend, Ron Weasley.
For the moment she looked perfectly content, as did he. Ron clearly loved her, but then again the
boy already knew that. The reason he was here, spying shamelessly, was to determine if *she*
really loved *him*.

"I'm so torn in two Ron, I just don't know what to do," Hermione was saying.
"You both mean so much to me. How can I choose?"

"I know," he replied, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Then he turned her
around to face him. "Hermione, I love you. The question is, do you love me?"

*It's amazing,* the boy thought, *how we still share the same thoughts, even when
competing with each other.*

Hermione didn't answer for a minute, then suddenly broke down in tears, sobbing into
Ron's shoulder. "I don't know, I just don't know. I mean, I know I love you, I
just don't know if I *love* you."

"Shh," Ron soothed, rocking her back and forth. "Why don't you tell me how
you do feel about me, and how you feel about Harry? Maybe that will help you choose."

She pulled away, swiping at her eyes. "Alright then, I'll give it a try." Sitting
down, she mumbled "Where to start?" The boy just barely heard.

"Ron, you're somebody with whom I can be whoever I want to be. If I'm mad, I can
scream at you and it's okay. Lord knows I've abused that privilege. You're such a good
friend - a good listener, and you give great advice. Since forever, you've always been the
first to stand up with me when Malfoy is being a git - like he's ever not!" Hermione
paused when she heard Ron chuckle. "You can always make me laugh, and I love to hear
*you* laugh. And you've taught me how to have fun, relax, have a good time."

When he was sure she was finished, Ron risked a joke. "You forgot to say that I'm dead
sexy!" The boy in the bushes starting choking at this, and had to put a hand to his mouth to
muffle the sound. Hermione swatted at Ron playfully

"I forgot to say that you're a daft prat, is what you mean!"

"Maybe, but I'm a *sexy* draft prat." They stared at each other for a moment,
then both collapsed on the ground in hysterical laughter. The boy couldn't help but want to
come out and laugh there with them.

After a while, Ron got serious again. "Alright, now do Harry."

Hermione stopped laughing. Rolling over, she fixed her eyes on the sky up above. The boy tuned
in just a little more.

"Harry is... Harry scares me. He brings out the part of me I don't let anyone else see,
and that scares me to death. It's not that I don't trust him, I do. I don't know what
holds me back. I guess it's because he makes me feel like I'm flying and falling at the
same time. On one hand, he makes me a better person, lifts me up and makes me feel *good*
about myself, but then I remember the way he talks, and how kind he is to everyone, and everything
he's been put through - everything that's expected of him. It makes me think *Yeah right,
Hermione. You'd never have a chance at being big enough to fill his shoes. Thank your lucky
stars he even considers you a friend.* But all that - all that is what makes him so special.
Harry is so serious Ron; he's really nothing at all like you. With him it's all or nothing
- and even knowing him is like vowing 'for better or for worse' - you know that as well as
I. And... and I just don't know. You and him are like flowers, neither more lovely than the
other but both lovely in a unique way."

Sensing the dramatic atmosphere she had just created, Hermione tried to lighten the mood.
"Oh, and I forgot to say that he's dead sexy!" It didn't work.

Everyone and everything seemed to fall silent at that moment, all lost in their own separate
worlds, each pondering, questioning, wondering. The boy in the bushes was no longer there either,
he was alone in a dark room, clinging to the arm of his best friend, the woman he loved, not
wanting her to leave him. But still, she kept pulling away. The words she had just spoken seemed to
be playing in this dimension he had conjured like a broken record, and he thought them through,
though he wasn't sure he wanted to.

But all these thoughts froze, and he was back behind the bushes, when heard that same voice call
out a single word.

"Ron," Hermione had begun to speak. "I think I love you..."

And that was all the boy heard, playing repeatedly on that same broken record. He stood and
fled, unnoticed, his emerald green eyes flickering back only once to the speaker of the words that
had just torn his heart in two.

*****

"Harry!" Hermione called as she knocked on the door to the 7th year boys'
dormitory. She knew he was in there, she had watched as her owl flew into his open window, only to
return minutes later with the letter she had written, crumpled and tear stained but with seal still
intact. *What could have gotten him so upset?* She wondered.

If she was worried before, his lack of response to her now had her really anxious.

"Harry, are you in there? It's Hermione, please let me in." She tried again,
desperately. "I have to talk to you," she added.

To her surprise and immense relief, the door swung open, albeit suddenly. The relief on her face
faded and was replaced with worry as she took in, with even greater shock, his tear-stained cheeks.
In the seven years she had known him, Hermione didn't think she'd ever once seen Harry
cry.

But she had little time to process this as he spoke, his voice broken. "What more is there
to say?" Harry asked. Then, before she could reply, he slammed the door in her face.

Hermione stood there, her mouth opening and closing, a pained expression gracing her face. Being
Hermione LeAnna Granger, however, quickly got her over this. With a new air of determination, she
muttered alohamora, and let herself into the dormitory.

"Harry James Potter," she shouted, admittedly enjoying the bossy no-nonsense tone of
her voice perhaps a bit too much, "What in Merlin's name is the matter with you?"

Harry started slightly at the sound of his voice, but did not bother to look up at her from
where he was sitting, on the edge of his four-poster. Relentless, Hermione marched over to him and
poked him in the chest with her wand. "Well, spit it out."

"Ouch!" Harry called out as she shoved her wand into his stomach. Without thinking,
Harry's head flew up to meet her eyes with an angry glare. A few moments later, realizing
he'd been caught, he looked away again. "I heard you," he mumbled angrily.

Satisfied to having gotten what she wanted, Hermione's voice softened. "Heard me
what?" she asked, confused.

He stood up, grabbing a shoe he spotted on the floor and hurling it out the window. "You
and Ron. I heard you say you loved him."

The first thing Hermione felt at this confession was anger with him for spying, but being a
usually level-headed person, she quickly pushed it aside in order to deal with the issue at hand.
"I can't say I'm not disappointed with you for not respecting Ron's and my
privacy..." she watched as guilt washed over his face, then quickly passed, "but,"
reaching over, she took his hand, ignoring his resistance. "You don't have the whole
story, Harry."

"What do you mean, the whole story?" Harry asked. "I heard you tell Ron that you
thought you loved him..."

Hermione cut him off. "And if you had stayed a moment longer, you would have heard me
finish with 'but I *know* I love Harry.' You can ask him if you want!" She was
yelling; she knew it. If only she could learn to control her emotions. Worse yet, she could feel
the tears begin to wet her cheeks. *Please don't cry, please don't cry.* She pleaded
to herself. Why was it that when she needed it the most, all her level-headedness flew right out
the window.

"You really love me?" The shock on Harry's face was evident. Hermione was
surprised he could speak.

"Yes, you incorrigible git!"

Slowly, the look on Harry's face changed to one of wonder. "You really love me?"
He inquired once more, but this time with much less doubt.

"How many times do I have to say it?" The look on his face was so adorable, Hermione
almost laughed despite her tears.

"A million," he spun around to face her, but stopped suddenly when he noticed she was
crying. "Hermione, I'm sorry if I've upset you..."

Yet again, Hermione interrupted, her anger completely disintegrated. "Do you love me,
Harry," she questioned.

"With all my heart," he replied truthfully.

"Then how could I ever be upset?" One day she would eat those words, Hermione knew.
But at that moment nothing mattered, save for the absolute bliss she felt as Harry took her into
his arms and spun her around, he laughing and she squealing in rapture.

A/N: Well, I had fun writing this! It made me feel all fuzzy inside. Please, feel *free* to
*drop me a line* and tell me *what you think!* Gracias!