Summer Writing Series Challenge (July 12)
Challenge: Single Story Week: Harry/Hermione receives an anonymous gift/card/letter that they think is
from the other...but it's not.
Challenge Conditions: Each day we'll post a challenge topic as usual, but each consecutive day you
will continue your story from the day before...and on Friday you'll have a 6000+ word story that flows from
beginning to end and includes each of the daily challenges as given.
Title: A Not-So-Deceitful Letter
Word Count: 1,235
It was three o'clock in the morning. The sun had yet to rise and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was encased in darkness. The castle was quiet and no soul was awake. Well, they weren't supposed to be, anyways. A rustle of clothing and shuffle of feet pierced the stillness.
"They are going to kill us when they find out," a male voice whispered.
"Why would they? They should be thankful we're doing this," another voice, this time a female, whispered back matter-of-factly. "I mean, they're practically put on this earth just to be with each other. Everybody can see that, except them. We're just going to give them a little push in the right direction, that's all."
They were crouched in a dorm, the Head Girl of Hogwarts's to be specific. The girl, a sixth-year Gryffindor, straightened and tip-toed over to the nightstand and placed two objects on it, careful not to wake the occupant of the room who was sleeping peacefully in the four poster bed.
"There, it's done," whispered Ginevra Weasley to the figure beside her, Ronald Weasley, when she returned to their original position by the door. "Everything's in place. Now, let's go back to bed and get some rest for what remains of the night."
~ * ~ * ~
Hermione Granger woke at exactly seven o'clock in the morning as her alarm clock went off. Not that she could have told that it was seven from the clock, for it did not show the time as a regular clock that you may find in the non-magical world, but phrases like "Time to do homework." Currently it read, "Time to wake up."
As Hermione swung her legs over the side of her bed thinking about the two-feet long Transfiguration paper, she noticed something on her nightstand that wasn't there last night when she went to bed. There lay a single red rose and a light pink envelope with her name on it.
She looked at the rose questioningly and then picked up the envelope. Inside there was a letter, delicately folded in half. Unfolding the letter she read:
Dearest Hermione,
I have a confession to make. As I could not find the courage to tell you this in person, I have decided to tell you in this letter. So, I'm going to be bold and just say it.
I love you.
And I'd like to more than just your friend. You don't know how long I wanted to tell you that. There's also something I'd like to ask you.
Will you go out with me on a date in Hogsmeade this Friday?.
With Love,
Harry
Her Transfiguration paper that's due in two weeks very much forgotten, Hermione sat on her bed in a daze.
Harry loves her. He loves her, and not just in the platonic way. He actually loves her. And he asked her on a date to Hogsmeade on Friday.
How long had she waited for this day, not that she ever thought that it would come. The day when Harry returned her feelings. The day when Harry told her that he thought of her as more than just a friend. It must have been in her third year when she first realized of her love for her raven-haired best friend.
But she knew that he didn't love her that way. Which is why she never admitted her feelings to him, fearing rejection. Now that he's admitted his love for her, there was nothing stopping her from snogging him senseless.
Grabbing her bag, the rose, and the letter, she practically ran out of her room to find Harry. When she entered the adjourning Head Boy's dorm, she was disappointed to find that Harry had already left for breakfast.
Making her way down the stairs, Hermione couldn't help the goofy grin plastered on her face. She walked through the hallways down to the Great Hall humming happily.
When she spotted Harry sitting at the Gryffindor table piling breakfast onto his plate, she all but ran across the Great Hall to Harry like a madwoman. She unceremoniously pulled Harry from his seat and kissed him full on the lips.
When they broke apart from the kiss, she said breathlessly, "YES! Yes, Harry. I'd love to go to Hogsmeade with you on Friday and I love you too!"
To say that Harry was shocked was a huge understatement. Looking at Hermione oddly, he asked, "Y-you love me? What are you talking about?"
Hermione felt her smile fade at his words. "What do you mean what am I talking about? You asked me to go to Hogsmeade with you on Friday, didn't you?" Hermione said waving the letter in front of him. "Didn't you say that you love me?"
Harry took the letter from her hand and scanned it. His face paled when his eyes fell upon his name at the bottom. He opened his mouth to say something but closed them again when nothing came out.
Hermione watched Harry's reaction closely, half expecting him to suddenly smile and yell, "I was just kidding! Of course I love you!" But when his face paled and his eyes rescanned the letter, she knew he wasn't playing with her. She was suddenly very aware of the whole school staring at the pair of them.
"S-so you didn't w-write this?" she asked softly.
When Harry shook his head dumbly at her, Hermione felt her heart break. Harry didn't love her. This was just someone's idea of a cruel joke. She felt the tears well up in her eyes.
"B-but, if you didn't write this, then who did?" she asked weakly.
"We did," said a voice from across the table. As she turned to look at the speaker, she felt her last hope die. She had to get out of here, away from everyone. She ran, tear falling freely down her face, not hearing Ginny calling after her.
Ron looked apologetically at Harry said, "I'm so sorry mate, we were just trying to get you guys together. It wasn't supposed to turn out like this."
With one last look at Ginny and Ron's guilty faces, he ran after Hermione. He found her sobbing under a tree by the lake. As he approached, she turned toward him.
"L-look, I'm really sorry, Harry. I-I didn't mean to embarrass you in there. It's just that I really like you-"
"And I really like you too."
"-and I shouldn't have kis- w-what?"
"I said I really like to you too." And then, Harry kissed her. Hermione felt her eyes flutter close as their lips touched.
When Harry pulled away, he was grinning widely. "Scratch that, I love you, Hermione. I'm sorry I didn't tell you in there, I just so surprised."
"Oh Harry! I love you too. I always have. Ever since third year, with our adventure with the Time-Turner."
Harry looked a bit taken aback by the lengthiness of the time she hid her feelings but instead of commenting on it, he asked, "So, is our date on Friday still on, Ms. Granger?"
"But of course, can't let that wonderfully romantic idea, that must have taken Ron hours to come up with, pass by that easily, can we? By the way, what are going to do to them for this trick?" Hermione asked with a wicked grin.
Harry laughed. "I think we should thank them. After they go through a very lengthy guilt-trip."