The Truth Lies Within

Chapter One

Hidden Secrets

"PUDDLEMERE SCORES! And it’s thirty to twenty with Puddlemere in the lead," shouted the commentator.

"Yes!" Harry did a loop in the air before resuming his search for the golden Snitch. A glint of gold…could it be? Yes, the Snitch was hovering just above the opposing team’s Keeper’s head. Harry made a dive for it, but then-

"Avery scores! The game is tied at thirty." It wasn’t like Wood to miss many blocks. Harry stole a glance at his former captain and immediately regretted it. He had lost the Snitch. Wood was staring at the stands and Avery, a Chaser on the opposing team, had taken advantage of it.

Harry followed Wood’s eyes, and saw a very pretty witch sitting in the front row.

"Oliver!" Harry yelled. Wood looked at Harry. "Stop goggling at the girl and keep your eye on the game!"

"Thanks, Harry!" Oliver shouted back.

Harry again went back to looking for the Snitch. He could see the other team’s Seeker out of the corner of his eye. She was following him. When she wouldn’t leg up, he decided to do the Wronski Feint.

He went up. She went up. He dived down, going faster and faster on his Firebolt 3000. Just when everyone thought he was going to crash, he tore upwards through the sky, leaving the other Seeker to come crashing down. He was free to look for the Snitch without worrying about the other team’s Seeker catching it.

There…he saw it next to Wood’s knee. He went pelting toward Wood ("Harry, what are you doing?!") and grasped the minuscule winged ball in his hand.

"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch. And Puddlemere has won the game, 180 to 30. This is Sarin Hall, signing off."

"Great match today, Harry," Hermione said, not looking up from her book as he came into the house they shared with Ron, Ginny and Lavender.

"You were there?" Harry squeaked. He had thought she was working at Flourish and Blotts, as she was the new manager there.

"Of course, silly. You’re my best friend. Why wouldn’t I go?"

Harry felt ashamed he’d even asked that question. He left it at that and headed towards the stairs so he could change out of his muddy Quidditch clothes. But when he passed Hermione, she grabbed his arm. He couldn’t help the tingles all over his body that were aroused from her touch. He looked at her. She’s so beautiful, he thought. Stop it. She’s your best friend. But he knew he had given in to those feelings long ago.

"Aren’t you going to answer my question?" Hermione asked, breaking Harry’s train of thought.

"I…I…uh…I thought…" Harry stammered.

"Come on, out with it," Hermione beckoned.

"I thought it was rhetorical," Harry said, coming up with an excuse on the spot.

"Well, it wasn’t rhetorical, so answer it. Why wouldn’t I have come to your Quidditch match?"

"Because you had work?"

"That’s never stopped me before." There was a long pause as if Hermione was contemplating something. "Harry," she continued, "I think you should get some rest you’re obviously not thinking straight."

"Yeah, I probably just need some rest," Harry lied, for he knew that it was much more than lack of sleep that stopped him from thinking clearly. He went up to his room anyway, just to humor her.

Harry lay on his bed looking up at the ceiling.

"Bye, Harry!" Hermione had said on their last day at Hogwarts in their fourth year. Then she kissed him. Harry brushed his fingers against his cheek, recalling how good that felt. That’s when it happened. That’s when he fell in love with Hermione.

Hermione watched Harry walk up the stairs. She had felt the tingles too. She remembered when she started liking Harry back in fifth year. Hermione had just gotten back from Bulgaria, where she spent the summer with Victor Krum. Then he broke up with her.

When she got back to school, she was so depressed that she wouldn’t talk to anyone; her friends, her teachers…she wouldn’t even raise her hand in class.

Finally, Harry managed to make her tell him what was bothering her.

"Victor-broke-up-with-me-for-another-girl." Hermione had said in between sobs.

"Hermione, look at me." She tried, but her vision was so blurred from her tears that she couldn’t.

"I can’t," she said. He gently took her face in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"How about now?" he asked, still holding her head up. She nodded. "Listen to me, okay? No man is worth your tears, and the only one who is will never, ever make you cry." Then he hugged her for as long as he could hold on. She needed him and he would be there for her.

"Thanks, Harry. I feel much better now." Then she smiled and turned away.

Hermione recalled that day so vividly; it was as if it were yesterday. Wouldn’t you remember the day you fell in love with your best friend?

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I'd be living in Scotland with my husband and kids, and wouldn't be still in college, writing simple fanfics. So, don't sue me. You probably wouldn't get much anyway.

Chapter Two

Uncontrollable Outbursts

"Hermione…Hermione…HERMIONE!" Hermione Granger was being rudely awakened by Ronald Weasley, if one could call it awakened when she wasn't even sleeping.

"What?" Hermione said, snapping out of her reverie.

"You were just staring at the stairs, not blinking or anything."

"I was?" Hermione squeaked. She had no idea how long she'd been staring, or when Ron showed up.

"Uh…yeah!" Ron paused. "It's Harry again, isn't it?" he said with a grin.

"Is it that obvious?" Hermione sighed.

"Yeah it is," Ron said as he sat himself in the armchair and put his feet on the footstool with his arms behind his head. "So when are you going to tell about this 5-year long obsession of yours anyway?"

"You insufferable git! I can't tell him! Besides, it's only been four years, not five," Hermione countered before turning back to her book.

"If you never tell him, how will he ever know?" Ron asked, before laughing silently.

"Is my Ronniekins I hear?!" cried a squeaky voice from the kitchen. Lavender Brown came bouncing into the living room and sat on Ron's lap, giving him a big wet kiss on the mouth.

Hermione groaned inwardly. Ron and Hermione had gone out with each other for a little while during their 6^th year. Hermione finally decided that the relationship wouldn't work since she was pining over Harry. When Hermione broke up with Ron, he was devastated. She explained that she had a crush on Harry and couldn't have a relationship with Ron while having a crush on him. Hermione hated Ron being miserable, so she set him up with Lavender Brown and they'd been together ever since. Unfortunately for Hermione (and Harry and Ginny), they were a little too together.

"Lav, sweetums," Ron said, "have you heard? Our Hermione's been pining over our dear Harry again."

"Is that so?" Lav said from her spot on Ron's lap with a grin on her face. "You know Hermione, you really should tell him."

"I just went through this with Ron. I can't tell him!" Hermione said in a huff. She slammed her book and dashed up the stairs with it before Lav or Ron had a chance to say anything more about her crush on Harry.

Hermione made her way up to her room, but on her way she noticed that the door to Harry's was slightly ajar. It wouldn't hurt if I just took a little peek. She cautiously opened the door just enough to see him lying peacefully on his bed. Oh, he looks so cute when he's sleeping. If only I could be in that bed with him…

Harry listened again. This time he was sure he heard footsteps, and they were on their way up the stairs. He quickly closed his eyes and took a sleeping position. He heard his door open more than it already was and he opened one eye enough to look at his intruder but still look closed. It was Hermione. Oh what he wouldn't give to have her come over and share his bed. He closed his eye again and decided that he really should get to sleep so he would be well rested for practice tomorrow.

*************

"So Oliver," Harry said as the Puddlemere United team was getting ready for practice the next day, "did you ever find out who that mystery girl was at the match yesterday?"

Oliver looked at Harry in confusion. "What 'mystery girl?'"

"The one you were goggling at, of course! The one who made you miss the saves."

Now the whole team had turned to look at Oliver. "Oh…well, no…not really…no." Oliver stammered as someone knocked on the door of the locker room.

"Who is it?" one of the Beaters asked of whomever was standing on the other side of the door.

"Oh!" exclaimed a female voice. "My name is Ariella Chickering. I'm a sports reporter for the Daily Prophet. May I please speak to Oliver Wood?"

Oliver let out a sigh. "Don't worry, guys," he whispered. "I'll get rid of her quickly so she doesn't mess up our practice." He made his way to the locker room door and opened it. What he saw made his jaw drop and left him utterly speechless. This reporter was the witch he saw in the stands yesterday. She's even more beautiful up close, he thought.

"Hi, Mr. Wood. As I said before, I'm Ariella. I don't believe we've met," she introduced as she held out her hand.

Oliver took her outstretched hand and shook it. "No, I don't believe we have," he said with a smile.

"Mr. Wood, I'd like to get an interview with you, if that's at all possible," Ariella said as she released his hand.

"Yeah, sure."

"Is 5 o'clock on Wednesday at the Leaky Cauldron okay?"

"It's a date…. Uh, I mean…. It's an interview."

Ariella blushed. "Then I'll see you on Wednesday." She disapparated with a pop.

"Way to go, Oliver!" and catcalls could be heard throughout the locker room as he closed the door and stepped back into the confines of the room.

"Oh, sod off! All of you!" Oliver said as he went to get his broomstick.

"I think it's great that you've found someone, Oliver," Harry said as he retrieved his broomstick as well.

"You want me to see if she has a friend for you, Harry?"

"No thanks, I've already got my eye on Herm- … er, someone." Harry blushed at his almost confession and quickly went outside to the pitch.

"Hey Potter!" Oliver called as he ran to catch up with Harry.

"What?" Harry said innocently.

"You like Hermione, don't you?"

Harry sighed. Oh well, might as well tell him the truth. "Yeah. But can you not tell anyone? I don't want anyone to know."

"Sure Potter." Oliver smiled. "I'll keep it a secret."

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, guys, and I'm sorry it took me so long to update. Lost floppy disks, no hard drive copies, and severe writer's block kept me from continuing. But I'm glad you've decided to keep reading. It means a lot to me. And please review! Constructive criticism and praise is always helpful in keeping me going. Love ya lots, hpchk86