A/N: Okay so here's chapter 3 of this challenge! I hope you enjoy it:) Thanks for all the great reviews you guys!
DISCLAIMER : not mine … never will be…
A/N: There's a song in this chapter and even though I don't want to spoil the surprise, I think that if you download it while reading this chapter, the effect will be even greater! It's one of my favourites… Prince - Nothing Compares 2 U
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.
Any blue that could be seen a little over an hour ago was now completely covered with raging, dark, grey clouds. Lightning seemed to strike every five minutes, followed by the boisterous thunders that made Harry feel as if his eardrums were on the verge of breaking. Seeing as he was getting wet anyway, he got up slowly and walked over to couch-swing that was placed at their porch. He sat on it and opened both his arms at his sides, while he rested his head on the back and closed his eyes.
He could feel the constant raindrops falling on his face, and then trailing a path downwards like a gentle stream in the middle of a forest. His raven-coloured hair stuck to his forehead in thick locks, as his hand came up every now and then to clear the raindrops that pooled on his shut eyelids. His black-rimmed glasses were clutched loosely in his left hand.
`Harry you've been a fool. You've let a stupid phobia come in the way of something that was real and special. You've let Hermione go because you couldn't just tell her how you feel. Well that won't apply to me anymore.'
"I'll be damned if I let her walk away from me once more," he vowed to himself as another crush of thunder was heard in the distance. He got up from the swing and went to sit outside their front door. Not that it would do any good as he was still getting soaked to the bone, but at least it wasn't as windy as it was where he was sitting before. He let his right hand travel down to his pocket where he felt a small velvet box. A memory flashed before him.
FLASHBACK
Harry woke up with an intense headache. Still lying in his bed, he pinched the bridge of his nose whilst trying to gather up his thoughts. He couldn't believe that it was already 2 weeks since that blasted night. The alarm went off and he saw that it was already 7 o'clock in the evening.
`I must've been more tired that I thought,' he thought to himself. He came home from work around noon and immediately went to have a nap. However, the smell of pumpkin pie was brought to his attention, taking him away from his thoughts. He went to have a shower before heading into the kitchen.
He reached the kitchen door but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the person inside. He remembered the night when she apparated into the apartment and told him the news of becoming Acting Minister of Magic. The scene seemed to repeat itself as she was standing, once again, in front of the sink. The moonlight cast small lights in her hair that seemed to be dancing as she swayed from side to side. It was then when he realized that a song was playing on the radio. A song that seemed to be written just for them…
It's been 7 hours and 15 days since you took your love away.
I go out every night and sleep all day since you took your love away.
Since you've been gone I can do whatever I want, I can see whom ever I choose.
I can pick my dinner in a fancy restaurant but nothing,
I said nothing can take away these blues.
Cause nothing compares, nothing compares to you.
It's been so lonely without you here like a bird without its song.
Nothing can stop this lonely
Tell me baby where did I go wrong?
I can put my arms around every boy I see, but then they remind me of you.
I went to the doctor and guess what he told me, guess what he told me
He said girl you better try have fun no matter what you do but he's a fool
Cause nothing compares, nothing compares to you.
All the flowers that you planted mama, in the back yard all died when you went away.
I know that living with you baby was sometimes hard, but I'm willing to give you another try…
Nothing compares, nothing compares to you…
As the final strings of music disappeared in the air, he made a move forward but stopped in mid-step when Hermione turned around abruptly. Brown eyes met with green ones. His heart clenched in sorrow as he saw her red-rimmed, puffy eyes and her tear-streaked face. He was torn in two as he saw that she was too, but clearly discarded his hesitation when he saw that she began to sob uncontrollably again. With two giant steps he reached her and took her in his arms. She gave off no resistance whatsoever, which gave him the push he needed to encircle his arms around her waist even tighter. Hermione continued to cry her heart out on Harry's t-shirt but he wasn't complaining. He muttered a quick spell and the radio started playing the same song again. That did it for Hermione. She looked up to him and his heart went out to her, but he was sure that her look of hurt and love was mirrored in his own eyes. She went to pull away but he wouldn't let her, so he tightened his hold on her.
"Damn you," Hermione screamed but Harry kept his position. She kept on repeating that sentence, but each time it became closer to a whisper. She kept pounding on Harry's chest yet he gave no notice of that; he merely concentrated on the way that she made him feel. The sense that he was home; that he was free; that he was just Harry. He knew he should say something, but he didn't actually know how to do it. Instead, led them down to the floor with his back against the kitchen cupboards with Hermione's head resting on his shoulder. He could feel her hot, unsteady breath on him but that was what calmed him down.
"Nothing compares to you," he spoke softly as that part came up in the song. She looked up to him in surprise and he could've sworn that he saw a smile playing on her lips. She reached up and ran her long, delicate fingers through his jet-black hair as he cradled her cheek in his hand. Time simply stopped for the both of them and they felt that they were the only ones that were in the world. It was that perfect picture that your grandmother used to tell you when you were a child for your bedtime story. That perfect moment in time when you felt invincible. When the prince killed the evil monster and freed the princess or when the farm girl finally married the young prince… After what seemed an eternity in time, Hermione spoke up,
"Harry?" she whispered softly, and continue when she felt him nod, "Please tell me…" she trailed off as she felt him stiffen. He opened and closed his mouth several times before his resolve came back to him. He cleared his throat and ran his hand on her back, unconsciously drawing circles. She thrived on this, and drank his scent in. She never knew what to except from Harry Potter.
"I-" he began but Hermione never heard what he was about to say, because at that exact time Ron had decided to make an entrance.
"Can someone give me a hand with the shopping?" he called from the living room, causing Harry and Hermione to jump up and pull away from their intimate embrace.
`I'll have to have a little chat with Ron about his timing,' Harry vowed to himself before storming out from the kitchen, leaving a very baffled Hermione behind him.
`Did I do something wrong?' she thought to herself before running to her bedroom. She didn't know what to think of Harry's behaviour. She slammed the door shut that was heard all the way to the living room.
"Uhh- did I interrupt anything mate?" Ron asked Harry gingerly, but was left with that question hanging as Harry took the shopping to the kitchen. Ron, clearly confused at his best friend's behaviour, followed him into the kitchen but was greeted with the slamming of the door.
"Look I'm sorry! I didn't know you were having a moment with her! I'll just, go to my room…" he informed him but knew that it was useless. Harry listened to Ron's footsteps disappear and let out a sigh of frustration when he heard his other best friend's door close.
"I was this close," he muttered to himself and kicked the fridge with such force that he created a dent. However, that was the last thing on his mind. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. In it was a beautiful emerald ring shaped into an `H'. He held it between his thumb and index whilst turning it so that he could read, once again, the inscription he made for her:
Let me love you and you will have me for ever and a day
He was to give it to her on Christmas but his plans were thwarted. He was going to get her back even if it was the last thing he did! And with that resolve, he walked back to his bedroom.
END OF FLASHBACK
Hermione was snapped out from her daydream when she saw the figure that was sitting outside their front door. She could clearly distinguish his scar even from where she was. His messy, black hair was sticking onto his face from the rain while his hand was, apparently, holding something in his pocket. She wondered to herself what it could be, maybe it was something for her? She quickly discarded that thought as she promised to herself that she wouldn't do this. She couldn't continue this heartache that followed her day and night.
Stepping closer though, she felt all of her self-will walk out of the door as he opened his emerald green eyes and locked a gaze with her. She felt her breath get caught in her throat as she saw the intense look of hurt in his eyes. She knew that she was being ridiculous, but she couldn't help stop thinking the things that she overheard in the office 2 weeks ago "I can't believe how that Hermione Granger ended up with Harry Potter" "Maybe she used a love-potion?" "Does he actually love her?" were some of the things that plagued her thoughts at nights. The final straw, however, was when she asked Harry to tell her that he loved her but didn't that broke her heart into a million pieces.
Her train of thoughts was interrupted when Harry stood up. She could see that he was very, very soaked. No words were exchanged as she offered him her umbrella, which he went under with a grateful smile of thanks. She took her keys out from her bag and let them in the house. Harry closed the front door and went to go to his room when he was stopped mid-track,
"Stay put!" Hermione ordered. She pulled out her wand and cast a drying spell on Harry, "You wouldn't want to catch pneumonia, now would you?" she told him with a knowing smirk while he thrived on the fact that she was speaking to him. At least it wasn't small talk anymore, and for that he was extremely appreciative. "Plus, I don't want you getting the carpets wet!" she added with a teasing smile. He smiled back with the smile that drove her crazy. His million-dollar smile that earned him the title of "Most Wanted Bachelor" in the Witch Weekly. As if just realizing what she was doing, Hermione broke into an expressionless face and started to retreat to her bedroom. However, she was stopped when a firm hand held her wrist, not allowing her to go anywhere. Before she could turn around to tell him off, she heard him murmur,
"Please … we have to talk…"
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading :) neni =)
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