A/N: Thanks for everyone who took the time to review the first chapter! I'm glad that you like it! I hope I do this challenge justice!! :)
Euro: Yeah I have changed my username in the forum from Love's Fool >> neni =)
DISCLAIMER: not mine… never will be …
Harry apparated outside the apartment's door but had yet to open it. To be exact, he had apparated there 10 minutes ago, but was still contemplating whether or not he should just go in there and give Hermione the parchment. He had somewhere read that it's easier to write your feelings down and give it to the person, but it's more important to tell them.
"God!" he sighed in frustration as he ran a hand through his hair, "Okay, I'm going inside and we'll talk about this, whether she's ready or not," and with that he made to open the door. He couldn't just apparate inside the house because there were protection wards set up so unwanted visitors would stay out. Of course, all those who were actually living in the house could apparate if they wanted to, but they only did that in emergencies.
FLACHBACK
Harry was sleeping on the couch in the living room when he heard a soft pop in the kitchen. He lurched upwards and his heart skipped a beat. `We only apparate if there is an emergency' he thought, and quickly rushed into the kitchen to see what was happening.
Inside the kitchen stood a lonely figure, which Harry immediately identified as Hermione. She stood in front of the sink, opposite her the huge window that had a view of Muggle London. Seeing as it was night, the lights from the city made it look as though it was magical. The way the small lights flickered and played on her silhouette made Harry's heart tug with love. A soft sob, however, pulled Harry out of his train of though, and looked up to see Hermione's shoulders trebling slightly. Before he even made a step forward, she started
"It's nothing Harry. Honestly, I'm alright."
"We don't apparate inside the apartment unless there's something seriously wrong. Now please tell me what it is," he pleaded with her.
"Harry honestly! It's just that … oh! I know that I shouldn't have apparated but I couldn't help it! There's a wild crowd of reports outside our apartment, waiting for me!" with that she turned around gingerly, and Harry could feel relief all of his body as there was a wide, genuine toothy grin plastered on her face. Before he could ask what the hell happened, she continued, "I've been appointed acting Minister of Magic! I'm the youngest witch with this title in over 500 years! Can you believe it?" she squealed and ran up to Harry's open arms. He twirled her around the room, thanking God that it wasn't anything serious…
END OF FLASHBACK
"Oh no!" he grumbled, "Damn, I've left my keys inside the house!" What was he to do? He couldn't apparate because if Hermione were to hear his arrival then she would certainly avoid him. `If she's inside, that is!' he added in an afterthought. `Maybe I could…' he trailed off as he reached into his black leather jacket and took out his wand from the inside pocket.
"Alohomora," he softly whispered and waited. And waited… and waited … `Well I can scratch that idea!' he thought impatiently. `I guess the only thing to do is…' He pressed the doorbell and waited for his call to be answered, yet no one seemed to be home. "Of all the days…" he said furiously, and pressed his ear onto the white, wooden front door. No sound could be heard. "I'll just… wait then," he concluded after his many failed attempts of going inside the apartment. Turning around, he leaned his back on the door and slid down to the floor. He tipped his head backwards and with eyes half shut, he watched idly as people came and went from the street. The good thing about their apartment was that it could be found in Magical and Muggle London, as it was on a corner that joined the two worlds. Seeing as it was close to the Christmas holidays, many people were up and about. Children holding their parents from their hands were chatting away excitedly about their presents, couples were passing with their arms intertwined, holding hot chocolate in their free hands. He could just make out the soft music in the background, which made him remember his most terrible night of all. The night where he felt the world disappear under his feet…
FLASHBACK
Hermione walked into the apartment whilst having the mail between her teeth and packages taking up both of her hands. She closed the front door with her left foot as she went to put the packages down on the floor. Just as she was about to succeed, a certain green-eyed man came up from behind her and placed a mistletoe over her head, causing her to jump in shock and lose balance, throwing down all the packages.
"Harry!" she screamed, "look what you've done!" she scowled, and bent to pick up the mess.
"Come on love, I didn't mean to scare you! I just wanted to get you in the Christmas mood with some mistletoe!" he informed her, giving her his best puppy eyes. She never could resist that. His face broke into a smirk when he saw that she had conceded and continued, "See? You never could resist my charm and thoughtfulness!" and ducked as she swatted him with her free hand. Her giggles filled the entire apartment and Harry thought how he wished he could have made her this happy every day.
"Come off it Harry! Just help me pick these packages off the floor and we'll get started with decorating the Christmas Tree"
"Wouldn't Ron and Luna want to help us?" Harry asked,
"They told me to go ahead with it because dinner at Luna's dad would take much longer than they thought. They said that they would be in charge of decorating the rest of the apartment though," she informed him as they started to decorate the tree. Harry went over to the radio and popped a CD inside. The first few strings of music floated in the air, causing Hermione to turn around and give Harry a very seductive grin. "Well wouldn't you know, Harry Potter does know how to turn a girl on," she finished, as the first words came on from the song Santa Baby. He went up to her and placed his hands on her hips. They were so close that they felt each other's hot and rapid breaths on their faces. He leaned in so that their noses touched, but just as they were about to kiss, Hermione pulled away. "Later boy," she told him with a low, husky voice.
"God Hermione, you'll be the end of me!" he told her with a chuckle. They spent the next two hours decorating the tree and re-arranging the ornaments so that it could be just right. They sat back on the couch and stared at with satisfaction.
"I think it's safe to say that we just won Best Tree Decorators," Hermione enlightened Harry, who he in turn, cuddled up close and brought his arms around her shoulders. She leaned her head on his chest and was content to listening to his steady heartbeat. He gently toyed with her auburn locks as she drew circles on his lap. Not a word was spoken during this time, as their silence said it all. He remembered reading somewhere that you could sit in silence with your best friend for hours, and when you left you would feel that it was the best conversation you ever had. Well that's what he felt now. He was stirred out of his thought when Hermione said something so softly, that he wasn't sure if she had even spoken.
"What was that love?" he asked, while playing with her fingertips.
"Do you love me?" she asked again, this time a little louder than a whisper. Harry felt as if the air from his lungs had vanished. Reason wasn't kicking in and he felt like he was about to panic.
`Of course I love you!' he thought, `I love you more than life itself! How could you even ask such a thing?' he wondered to himself. Of course, never telling her this must have played a major part. Just as he was about to answer she continued,
"I realize that we've been together for only a month, but it has been the best month of my life!" she told him as his mind urged him to say that it was the same for him. However, he stayed silent. "Harry; Darling," she continued whilst turning around so that she could place a soft hand on his cheek. "I've been wanting to hear those three little words come out from your mouth for so long. I know that you're scared that everyone that you love will be taken away from you, but I can assure you that you're stuck with me no matter what! I can't stand being away from you, don't you see?" she pleaded with him, and her eyes held such promise and love that he couldn't tear his emerald gaze away from her. "Don't worry. All I'm asking from you is that you tell me how much I mean to you. Actions do speak louder than words, but sometimes I just need to her the words. I just need to know how much I mean to you. A woman needs to hear these things because then her insecurities will come into play…' she finished tenderly, while having a look in her eyes that showed that she was waiting for his response.
`Well tell her something you dork!' he thought… He wanted so much to tell her that he loved her, yet something always held him back. He knew for sure that she was the one, nevertheless he always had the fear that if he told somebody that he loved them, they would surely be taken away from him. He had told Sirius that he loved him mere months before he went through that cursed veil. He couldn't risk that. But was this fear more important than the angelic creation before him?
"That's a no-brainer Hermione," he told her. She threw her arms up in frustration and got up from the couch to pace in front of him.
"But you still haven't told me those words." She kneeled in front of him and took his hands in hers, despite the fact that they were colossal compared to hers. "Please Harry…for us?" she resulted in a plead.
Harry knew that it would be so easy for the words to come out. What better way was there to tell somebody that they loved them than in a time of comfort, need and an atmosphere of love? But it wasn't that easy for him. From a very young age he taught himself never to express himself. He learnt to keep everything to himself. However, when someone made such an impact in his life, he knew that he should show them how he felt, rather than tell them. To tell someone how much they mean to you is a very difficult thing, especially when you're Harry Potter. Yet the thing that confused him the most was that he knew what he felt in his heart and soul for her was very true. `The bottom line is,' he concluded in his thoughts, `is that I'm scared she'll be taken away from me…' however, he was abruptly taken out of his thoughts when Hermione stood up suddenly, yanking her hands out of his hold.
"Right," she started with an expressionless face but with bright, shining eyes that he knew all too well, meant that she was holding back tears. He felt his heart tug at the sheer thought of that. "You silence says it all… I'm sorry Harry, but if you're not ready to tell me yet, then I'm afraid that we'll just have to-" she paused a bit, in hope that he was interrupt her, but carried on after a few moments of silence, "we'll just have to give us a break," and with that she ran off to her room, leaving a very distraught Harry in the living room.
"But I do love you," Harry whispered ever so softly, before putting his head in his hands as a new round of tears came flooding out.
The day after that night was awkward to say the least, and it had continued throughout the rest of the days. If they were to talk to each other, it would be simply small talk. This confused Ron and Luna, but who were they to pry in their private lives?…
END OF FLASHBACK
`I have been so stupid!' Harry thought to himself. He hadn't even finished his thoughts, when he felt a drop of rainfall on his head. Looking upwards, he noticed that the sky decided to tear open at that moment, causing torrential rain.
"Great," he mumbled as he began to get soaked.
A/N: I know, this is a terrible place to stop this chapter isn't it? But unfortunately, (or fortunately, I dunno:p) this is how I split up the chapters! :P I'm really sorry if there are many mistakes in grammar/spelling, but until I fix my email, I won't be able to send it to my beta:( Hope you liked it though! neni =)
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