Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or plot associated with Harry Potter.
Chapter 1
** Hermione's POV **
I should be happy. In fact, yes, I am happy. It's not everyday that a girl is proposed to.
But, I just don't think I am as happy as I should be.
It was everything a girl could have dreamed for. A warm summer day at the park followed by picnic by the beach. After the picnic, we strolled along the shore in moon light. He got down on one knee, held out the ring and proposed in song. It was devastatingly romantic.
But something was wrong.
It wasn't Harry.
Sure, Theo is a wonderful man. He really is. He is a little unorthodox, mind you, but wonderful none-the-less. You can say that I learned long ago not to judge people by how they look.
I can still remember the first time I brought him to meet Ron, Ginny and most importantly Harry.
And the shock that was plastered onto their faces.
He buzzed up with a scrappy sex pistols t-shirt and a pair of 'way too old' jeans. He kept in his eyebrow ring, but decided to wear his glasses instead of his contacts because it made him look more 'civilized' opposed to his shaggy Mohawk that he insists must naturally grow out.
I know what you are thinking, I have finally gone crazy.
But before you judge, in his left hand he had, a bouquet of hand picked daisies and a branch of his parent's dogwood tree (which was 20 minutes out of the way, but he was still on time) and a heart warming smile on his face.
Maybe that's why I said yes. I know that no one else will ever go through so much trouble for me. No one else will ever say 'I love you' for no reason. No one else will ever enchant flowers to my desk because Tuesday is tulip day. No on e else will ever write a song, just for me and me alone. No one else is Harry.
I knew that they were expecting the white collared, stuck up oxford boys that I usually bring to meet the friends.
But I was tired of them all.
Tired of the bar scene.
Tired of the snooty ministry type.
Tired of the insecure jerks.
I was tired of hoping Harry would come around and sweep me off my feet.
It is pretty silly of me to hold on to a silly infatuation for 7 years. But I knew it was time to let go when he responded to my confession.
It was 3 months before the end of 7 th year. Coincidentally, it was also just after the defeat of Voldemort. I don't believe I have ever been more relieved to find out that he survived. I knew deep down in my heart that he would make it, but there comes the time when your logic clashes with your instincts. Through out the entire war, I have never been more scared in my life.
I was afraid that he would die without knowing how I felt.
Maybe that wouldn't have been such a horrible thing.
He was still sleeping when I came in. His wounds were still unhealed, bones still broken, bruises still present. Yet he had this beautiful peaceful look on him. He had never looked better in my eyes. Of course, I couldn't really see because they were clouded by my tears. I remember I held on to his hand so tightly that night as a fell asleep beside him, waiting for him to arouse.
That very morning, I woke up to someone bumping me awake. Harry.
" Good morning sleepyhead " he said with a lopsided grin.
I wasn't able to contain myself and I just flung my arm around him, sobbing. My hand was still clutching his. I couldn't contain myself. He was awake.
"Harry… you're… Voldemort… you… alive…"
Crying does not make your thoughts more coherent.
We must have stayed like that for hours. He kept on whispering comforting words in my ear to hopefully stop my crying while brushing my hair with his fingers like a child. And somewhere between my chokes of breath, I said it.
"I love you so much"
Then I felt it.
He stiffened. His fingers immediately withdrew from my hair. His other squirmed out of my hand.
Then I heard it.
"Uh, Hermione… I think we should just stay friends. I don't think I see you in that kind of light."
My genuine smile from seeing Harry awake staggered, but I managed to plaster on a fake before he noticed.
"I meant as my best friend, silly. Who would want to be with you?" My fake smile still stuck on my face. Fortunately it was enough at that moment to keep me from crying again.
"Oh thank god, I thought we had a problem there for a moment."
I would have probably been able to survive the day a little better if he didn't have such a huge sign of relief right then.
"Don't worry. We are fine."
Fine. They should probably change the definition of that word in the dictionary.
And he smiled.
So, everything stayed the same, the way things were. Or at least, I tried to keep it the same. I can't exactly continue to fawn over him after we declared eternal friendship and only friendship.
But thinking back on it still stings. The pain never could go away. Every night when I thought I was healing, he would bring some random 'one-night-chippie' to his room and occasionally he would forget the silencing charm. That's the minus of living with your best male friends. That is also the reason why you move out.
I have always wanted to be that chippie he brought home. Even if it was only for one night. But it never happened, and never will.
I really didn't expect to end up with Theo. I thought it would only take 2 weeks before he would brush me off like Harry did to all his Quidditch fan girls.
But Theo didn't.
He saw me. He saw right through me. And he loves me. He truly loves me.
That's why I said yes.
***
Author's note: This is the re-write of my other story, Alcohol...
I didn't expect myself to actually finish the chapter today. But since i did, you get it now.
I hope you liked it better than before.
And please review when finished reading. Thank-you
~ Creepy Susie