Author's Note: These stories are all one-shot, 1000-word responses to the Summer Writing Series Challenge, so each one is not related to
the next.
Summer Writing Series Challenge (June 22)
Challenge: Someone is tired of watching Harry and Hermione tiptoe around their relationship, and slips
them Veritaserum.
Title: True Love
Word Count: 1,004
"Here," Hermione said, handing Harry a butterbeer. "It's the last one. We'll have to let Mrs. Weasley know we're out."
"Thanks." Harry took the bottle and opened it, then set it down, playing with the cap subconsciously.
She sat in the chair next to his, scooting it a little closer, and pulled the top off her bottle of water. "It's quiet out here."
He nodded, his eyes fixed upward on the stars.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, taking a sip of water.
He shrugged. "Fine, I suppose." He looked out over the back lawn that once belonged to his godfather, watching the tiny, green lights flickering by.
They sat in silence for a minute, with the solemn stillness surrounding them. She inadvertently spun her bottle in her hand while he counted the fireflies. With a sigh, he set the cap down and took a sip of butterbeer.
"You've got a lot on your mind, don't you?"
"Yes," he answered softly, taking another sip.
"I'm here you know, if you want to talk about it."
"I know." He set the bottle on his knee and picked at the label. "Thanks."
They sat quietly again, with only the noise of the nocturnal bugs and the oblivious neighbors breaking the silence.
"Harry," she said finally, "can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"You don't blame yourself, do you?"
He didn't answer at first, but took another long sip from his drink. He held the cool liquid in his mouth for a moment, before swallowing. "Yes," he said with resignation. "Yes, I do."
"But Harry, it wasn't your fault! Voldemort lured you there. It was a trap. You didn't know…" She took a drink of water and sighed.
Again the tranquility encompassed them, each lost in their own thoughts.
"You miss him terribly, don't you?" she asked a minute later.
He nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "It's been a year. I should be over it."
She moved her chair closer and gently clasped his hand.
"It takes time. He was a good man, Harry. And your parents were good people, too. Voldemort will see his end because of what he's done. I don't care what the prophecy says…you will live, and you'll have a normal, happy life when he's gone."
Harry nodded again, wanting to believe her.
"There's something else, isn't there?" she asked with concern, trying to read his face.
He didn't want to answer, but his mouth opened uncontrollably and said, "Yes." In a fight to keep his mutinous tongue occupied, he raised his butterbeer to his lips and finished the drink off.
She squeezed his hand affectionately. "You can tell me. What's on your mind?"
He turned his head slowly and looked at her. "Hermione," he said, inwardly admonishing his disobedient voice, "I'm in love with you. Madly in love with you. I can't help it, but I am. The only time I'm happy is when I'm with you, or thinking about you. I love your smile, your deep brown eyes, your hair…I love that you're the smartest witch in school. I love walking down the halls with you, and sitting by you in class. You make me feel whole, worth while. You give me something to live for."
"Harry…?" she said in astonishment.
"I'm sorry," he said, looking down. "I don't want to ruin our friendship. I was content just loving you from afar like I've done for the past year. I didn't want to tell you, but something just came over me…"
She smiled shyly. "But…why are you telling me this now?"
"I don't know," he said, shaking his head. "I just...I can't help myself."
"That's really sweet," she said. "But..."
"No, wait..." he interrupted. "I mean I really can't help myself." He looked down at the bottle in his hand. "You don't think...?"
She followed his eyes to the bottle and gasped. "Veritaserum?"
He nodded.
"But who? Why?" Her brow furrowed in concentration, and he knew she was trying to solve the puzzle. "Why would someone leave it for you while everyone in the house is gone? It's only the two of us here…"
He thought for a moment. No, it couldn't be…
"Hermione…how do you feel about me?"
"Harry, I don't think that will help us figure this out. We need to find out who gave this to you, and why, and tell Dumbledore. But I've been desperately in love with you since the end of fifth year...probably longer if I really wanted to admit it to myself…and I can't bear the thought of losing you or living without you." She gasped again and held her hand to her mouth. "Me too?" she asked weakly.
The corner of his mouth turned up.
"Do you really feel that way?" he asked.
"Yes," she squeaked, biting her lip.
"I love it when you do that, too," he said and smiled. "I think someone intentionally set us up."
"But who would…why…?"
Harry shrugged. "Ron? Ginny? Dumbledore? The whole Order? They've been around us enough…they must have known. No one else would have access to the drinks."
Hermione nodded dazedly. "They knew all along…and they did this to make us confess," she said, growing slightly angry. "It's completely underhanded! They had no right..."
"Aren't you glad, though?" he interrupted, setting the bottle down to take her other hand. "Isn't it better now that we both know?"
She looked away and sighed. "Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Harry," she laughed, "I couldn't lie even if I wanted to."
He smiled and looked at their entwined hands.
"Now what?" she asked.
"I don't know."
"Anything else you want to confess?" she said with a grin.
He frowned. "I failed that last potions exam because I was watching you and thinking about us…not because I didn't study," he said quickly, wincing at his own declaration.
"Harry!" she laughed. "Alright, I won't ask anything else until this has worn off."
"When we find out who did this…" he said, trailing off.
She smiled. "I'll thank them."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A/N: Before you fuss, I realize that my rendition of the effects of Veritaserum is not exactly canon. I clumsily wrote
this without reviewing the books first. So, that in mind...just pretend that they got a really, really low dose, like
maybe one drop instead of three, or maybe it's a variation of the serum, sort of like you have Claritin, Allegra,
Benadryl and so on for allergies...all essentially the same goal and purpose, just different chemical make-ups. :)