Enough

Vickles

Rating: PG
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 25/09/2004
Last Updated: 10/03/2005
Status: completed

After two months of silence, Hermione gets fed up with Harry and confronts him in the middle of the common room, where the long-awaited time bomb goes off. Definate mood or spirit lifter.

Chapters

1. Enough

1. Enough

Disclaimer: J.K.Rowling rocks, and I would never steal anything from her. I'm just borrowing these for a bit.

A/N: I know I said my next story would be angst, but I'm still working on that one, so, hopefully, that will be next. Anyway, I was cramming for finals and this thought somehow worked its way into my head and I just had to write it. I sent it off to my best friend, Julia, who is a very skilled writer, and had her check it quick. It's pretty short, but she loved it, and encouraged me to post it, so here it is. So, with that out of the way, I hope you enjoy and please review even if you don't!

~*~

Hermione watched him over there as he sat doing his homework, ignoring everyone and everything around him.

Again.

Quite frankly, Hermione had had enough of this. Everyday she watched as one of her very best friends forced himself out of bed, autopilot-ed his way through classes, ate dinner without looking at anyone, and avoiding the concerned gazes of her and Professor Dumbledore, and then did his homework, then went to bed.

It just wasn't right, Hermione thought to herself. Here he was, putting himself through this, this torture, and here she was, doing nothing about it. It was obvious that he needed her right now and she was doing nothing to comfort him, the sympathetic voice in her head told her.

But then her angered voice kicked in. It was the one that was furious with him for ignoring her and Ron for all of this time. It was the one that believed it was about time he take himself out of this pity party. As this voice was particularly loud, Hermione found herself listening to it, and, not another thought in her mind, she strode up to Harry and sat down next to him.

She waited a moment for him to acknowledge her presence, which, of course, he didn't, unless a person were to count the nearly invisible flinch he made when she sat down so abruptly. She gave him another second to even turn his head then, “Stop it.”

Harry looked up, as if surprised to hear her actually talk to him. “What?” he said, his voice barely audible. Hermione wasn't surprised; he hadn't used it in months. He looked at her expectantly.

“Just stop it, Harry.” She repeated, thinking that he would have to know what she was talking about, since it was so obvious.

Harry looked slightly annoyed and confused. “Stop what?” He repeated again, proving himself to be just as stubborn as she was.

“This.” Hermione said, not budging.

Harry turned in his chair, staring her in the eye. “Hermione, what is `this'?”

Hermione was infuriated. Was he kidding? How could he possibly pretend to not know what he was talking about? “All of this! Acting like it's okay that you've ignored everyone for the past two months, hiding from the people who love you! STOP IT!” Hermione barely registered that most of the students in the common room were now looking at them, the ones who knew them surprised at Hermione's unusually rash actions.

Harry seemed to be in shock for a moment, then yelled at her right in the face, clearly not caring who heard him. “Look, I've lost the only person willing to take me from the Dursley's and treat me like I actually have a family! Don't tell me about the people who love me, okay? I have NO ONE!” He screamed the last part less than an inch from her face, and Hermione shook with fear, despite herself. Including Ron, no one had ever yelled at her like that before.

Then the anger came back and she slapped him across the face as the common room watched, unsure of what would happen next. While they had all thought Harry's silence had been bad, they weren't sure what was worse, and knew that an inevitable time bomb was going off.

Hermione stared up at his face, he did tower over her a bit, as he rubbed his cheek in shock, but she had no sympathy. “YOU HAVE ME!” She shouted. Then suddenly those other thoughts and feelings she had ignored came flooding back, and she spoke softly, touching his red cheek as a tear fell down her own . “Now why can't that be enough?”

Harry, coming down from his anger as well, noticed with slight embarrassment at the eyes staring at him, waiting for his response. He barely noticed Ron's face amongst the students. Feeling that what would happen next, no matter what, was something not to be share with every other student, Harry took Hermione's hand and led her out of the common room. He didn't stop until they reached the entrance hall, where a few Hufflepuffs were heading back to their dormitories. Still holding her hand, Harry led Hermione out the door and sat her down on a step, kneeling on the step below her. He held both of her hands and looked into her eyes, trying to ignore how much the tears hurt him.

Hermione looked down at their hands, intertwined with each other. What was happening? “Answer my question, Harry.” She persisted. She felt as his hand gently lifted her chin so she was facing him once again.

“I can't.” He said, hesistantly.

“Why not?” Hermione asked, confused.

It was Harry's turn to look down. “Because I'm scared.”

“Of what?”

Harry looked back up, holding her gaze. “Admitting that you're everything I need.”

Hermione smiled. “See? That wasn't so hard.”

Harry was puzzled. “What?”

Hermione smiled again and brushed her fingers across his cheek. “I know losing Sirius was hard, but you have to realize that we, Ron, Dumbledore, Remus, and me, we're all here for you. And, if you let it, we'll always be enough, because we all love you.”

Harry shook his head at her misunderstanding of his words, and began to hesitate. “No Hermione. You aren't getting it,” he looked at her innocent expression as she waited for him to continue, “You, Hermione, are everything I need.” He prayed that she understood, because he barely understood himself.

No such luck, however. Hermione simply nodded and smiled, a bit more serious this time. “That makes me so happy, Harry. I promise I will always be here for you.”

“That's not what I meant.” Harry persisted. He wasn't going to pretend that this was some silly feeling. He knew what he was trying to say, if only she could understand.

Hermione had a quizzical look on her face, as if trying to solve some sort of problem in her head. “What did you mean?” She asked.

Frustrated, Harry decided there was only one way to make her get it, and, to be honest, it terrified him. Here goes nothing. “I meant like this,” and Harry leaned down and kissed her.

It was as if Hermione's world had come crashing down and rebuilt itself into a beautiful Olympus all in one second. It wasn't until her lungs began sending warning signals to her brain did she let Harry go. She studies his dazed expression and realized that she loved it. She grinned, “Oh, that.” Harry nearly laughed at her clueless ness and nodded.

“So, am I off the hook for being a prat for the past two months?” Harry asked, batting his eyelashes in a not-so-attractive way.

Hermione seemed to ponder this for a moment. “No.” Harry looked at her, shocked, and she giggled despite herself. “But you're getting there.”

“I'll settle.” Harry said.

“Harry?” Hermione asked, more serious.

“Hmm?”

“Can I keep you?” She asked, noting how silly her question sounded, but Harry didn't laugh, but instead looked in her eyes with his own, slightly sad.

“Only if you promise not to let me go.” Hermione nodded and took him into her arms.

And as they held each other it was no longer about who was a prat or what the prophesy said or what was lost. Instead all of those things were forgotten and replaced with something else entirely.

The power he knows not.

Love.

~*~

A/N: Okay, there you go. Like I said, please take about thirty seconds to review! It is greatly appreciated.

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