Of All the Things

Of All the Things

By Kaori Lily Marie Otome XIV

Of all the things I’ve ever wanted…

I never thought that you’d be the one,

that I needed the most...

As proven by you and McGonagall, sometimes I don’t think. Sometimes, I am absolutely foolish—sometimes. You’d think being a Seeker, that I notice things around me more clearly.

But I don’t. And I do stupid things and think stupid thoughts.

And of all the stupid things I am, I’m blind. And I’m not talking about my obvious lack of twenty-twenty vision. I miss some of the details. The ones that point me to the right direction.

What could I do without you?

I did more than want you, I needed you. Badly.

Then, to my utter surprise, I got you.

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She is next to me. With a huge smile on her face and a blissful sigh. Of course it would make me wonder if everything was okay. No one would smile like that for no reason. Especially not my Hermione.

“Hermione?” She sighs again. What’s going on?

“Hmm?” She answers so softly, it makes me just want to hug her and just tell her I loved her. But…

“Are you okay?”

“Hm-hm.” Is she lying? These days I’m just so lost in just watching her I can’t tell.

“Is there anything wrong?” Could you say you love me? Why can’t I say it to you?

“No… nothing. Everything’s… perfect.”

A pause. What was that? Nevertheless, I’m glad she’s fine. So I can’t help but smile and I kiss her cheek and wrap my arms around her. Just tell her now! Now! … I mean it!

“Harry?” A worried tone. Oh dear… ugh, did I actually just say ‘oh dear’?! Oh never mind, why is my head wandering off at a time like this anyway?

“Hmm?” I answered the same way as her. Hm. That’s actually… very nice.

“Can I tell you something?”

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I hope it’s what I think it is…or maybe not. Oh God, this is just… love is frustrating, has anyone told you that Hermione? It’s hard to express it. Especially growing up with very few of it.

I don’t deserved you Hermione, I know that. I just hope you haven’t realized it. It may be just the same eternal fortune that I gets me into all sorts of adventures that brought you to me and made you want me. Just a stroke of luck. One of the strange coincidences in my life.

Just… why didn’t I see it sooner? I was so blinded by… well, what I saw. Which was Cho.

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“What?” My face contorts. I am praying with all my heart that its not that we need to break up. Please no… please…

“Um… I-I… well, I’ve been trying to get up the courage to say something.”

Oh… “Say what?” It was an innocent question. Though I can tell she was slightly annoyed for me to cut her off like that. I can tell by the subtle furrowing of her beautiful, elegant eyebrows. My heart is beating so fast… oh I love you Hermione! I do!

“I… I-I love you Harry.”

Then, my heart skips a beat.

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Like I said, I am blind. You were a blessing in disguise, the day we met you. You know that love? You were the smart, know-it-all girl that kept bothering me and Ron for reasons unknown to us. I should’ve paid attention to you closer. I mean it.

There were clues that you had feelings for me before we got together. I just couldn’t see it. Perhaps, refused to. Because I thought I wanted someone else. Her. Her who was pretty. Who was athletic. And pretty. And nice. And pretty. And kind. And pretty. And I wanted her. Just because she was simply… pretty.

It was one of those crushes that you couldn’t really get over fast enough because… it was one of the few you’ve had. Do you even know what I’m talking about? Well… and to prove that I needed so badly… I went to you. To help. Because of her.

And you told me what to tell her. Kind and tender attributes I couldn’t even know she had. Ones that I could easily use to describe you. You. Hermione. Not her. You. And even more to my surprise, that wasn’t the end of it. I started thinking of more words to describe you, just from the top of my head. Friend and lifesaver were there. Though the most shocking was… unrequited love.

Where had that come from? I really am thick, aren’t I, Hermione? You’re probably one of the few people I could really, really talk to. To spill all my secrets. Tell you everything. From my thoughts to my desires.

I wanted lots of things over the years. Family. Friends. A home. Of all the things that I’ve ever wanted… I never thought I could need a Hermione. But that’s what I got. Or more precisely, she got me. I love her, with all my heart. My Hermione.

That’s the difference from her and Cho… Cho, I had wanted but I didn’t need her… not like Hermione. She was just a pretty face. All the wrong reasons.

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Still can’t speak. Too relieved and too much in a dreamy state to answer… just give me a moment Hermione. She’s clearly not having just me nodding. I must be mad. The girl whom I love just confessed her love to me. And I haven’t said anything!

Gulp.

Here goes nothing. I lean in close and hear her give a small giggle as I say, “I know. I love you too. I’ve been wanting to tell you for so long but I didn’t have the courage.”

“Since when?” When? Hmm… I’m not sure. It seems like forever.

“I don’t know exactly. But I know when I realized it.” Yeah. Grin.

“When?” Heh. My, you are impatient, aren’t you love?

“Hmm.. well… if you want to know… Remember when I was asking you how to tell Cho that I like her?”

“That’s the time you realized it?” She’s confused about it. Hmm… yeah… I know. Because she was about heart broken that day. I had thanked her and left to ask someone else… I had heard her sad, sigh and I knew she just collapsed on a chair, regretting telling me all those things. I tried to say it to Cho but I couldn’t and I just went in my own words and then told her I realized that I liked you. She understood and told me the best of luck. Then I just waited. Waited to make a move to finally seek you out.

Now… to explain.

“Yes. You were asking about why I liked her. I could only come up with superficial answers. I liked her for all the wrong reasons. Instead of just her. Then you told me what to tell her. I realized that I felt that way about you. And so much more.”

“Oh Harry…” She’s touched. Smile.

"I'm glad you had the courage." I tell her. Ever grateful. I know I’m being a coward, not being the one to tell her. But it would really kill me if she didn’t feel the same way.

“Me too.”

“I love you Hermione.”

“Me too,” she repeats. I laugh at her and kiss her.

After breaking apart, we look up at the castle. The one on the cliff, towering over the lake which seems so vast. The castle where I found true love.

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I had also said earlier that I miss details that should point me to the right direction? One of those details is Hermione. She was pointing me to somewhere. To herself. To find the love of my life.

I won’t go on about the reasons I love her. I don’t need any. I just know that I do. With all my heart.

Just goes to say… you find things even when you’re not looking for it.

And of all the things I never expected to find… its you. Again. You.

Hermione Granger. My heart, my life, my soul.

Finis.

Of All the Things

By Kaori Lily Marie Otome XIV

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!