Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. This fanfiction is not written to make money. No
profit is being generated and no copyright infringement is intended. All events in this story are based on the Harry
Potter series.
Chapter Six
"Oh, Harry, it's horrible!" Hermione sobbed, still clutching Harry. He put his arms around her to comfort her. "It's cruel, terrible-"
"I know, Hermione. It sucks. It really sucks."
Neither of them is a stranger to seeing deaths, for both had fought in the war against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Harry himself killed Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange, Avery, Augustus Rookwood, and Wormtail, and Hermione had her own share of Death Eaters (Lucius Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, and Macnair), and the two of them had killed more Dark wizards in line with their jobs as Aurors, but seeing deaths is still a horrible experience for them, let alone witnessing a cold-blooded murder.
Harry helped Hermione to her feet, for she was still shaking. Then he wrapped his arms around her and Apparated the both of them to a nearby shack, which they had checked earlier, and decided to use as temporary shelter right after witnessing the murder.
When they arrived at the shack, Harry pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, helped Hermione to a small bed in a corner, and conjured candles, which he magicked into the air. Then, since the shack had no table, Harry conjured one, and upon it he also conjured a plate of sandwiches, a jug of pumpkin juice, and a mug of tea.
"Here," he said, handing the mug to Hermione. "Drink this, and you'll feel better."
"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said, accepting the mug from him and taking a sip.
"And we'll eat and rest before we follow him. We haven't had any supper," he said, took one one sandwich, and pushed the plate toward Hermione.
She was still looking shaken. She took another sip of tea and helped herself to a sandwich just as Harry started on his second one. They sat for a moment, eating their sandwiches, and trying to pull themselves together after the terrible event of the night.
"Harry, I'm really sorry for going to pieces like that. I know I should've readied myself for what's going to happen but -" Hermione apologized but Harry interrupted her.
"I know, and I understand, Hermione. You don't have to apologize."
"Yes, but - I shouldn't have reacted like that, I mean - I've seen people getting killed before but -"
"Yeah, I know. Killing Dark wizards or watching them die is far better off than watching a helpless and unarmed man being murdered in cold blood. It's not only you, Hermione, okay? Like you, I have been affected by that murder. Maybe even more so because that was also the way my parents -"
Harry couldn't finish the sentence: Hermione had thrown herself onto him, sobbing.
"I'm s-sorry, Harry! And I know how you feel. I'm sorry for making you remember that sad past." Hermione said in between sobs.
"Hermione -" Harry prized her off him, "Hermione, there's nothing to apologize for!"
"No, Harry. I'm sorry for being stupid -"
"Hermione, 'stupid' and 'you' are the two words I am never going to put in a single sentence when I'm speaking to you, okay? You are not being stupid, you're just being human! And there's nothing wrong with that."
He wiped away the traces of tears in her face, his bright green eyes twinkling as they peered into her chocolate orbs, now shining with tears, and smiled.
"Though if you don't stop apologizing and crying for nothing, I'm going to put 'you', 'being', and 'silly' in one sentence."
Hermione laughed at his words, and wiped away the remaining flecks of tears from her eyes.
"There. You know, you look prettier when you're smiling, so don't cry, Hermione. You'll look like Umbridge."
Hermione slapped him in the arm.
"You always enjoy teasing me!" she said. "And do I look like Umbridge when I cry?"
"Yeah, you're as twisted, old, blanched, and toadlike, like that mad old hag!" Harry replied flatly, and she pinched him hard in his side.
"Ouch! I was only joking, okay?" he said, laughing. "Actually, you still look pretty even when you cry, but I prefer you smiling - ouch!"
Hermione was now tickling him, and Harry twisted and flailed, avoiding her fingers, but she kept on tickling him, until he can't take it anymore.
"Stop!" Harry gasped, still trying to evade Hermione's fingers, but she never relented, laughing at his expression. "P-p-please, Her- ouch! -mione!"
Harry summoned his remaining strength to stop himself laughing, and gasped, "Impedimenta!"
Hermione shrieked as the force of the spell hit her, and she stumbled backward onto the bed. Before she could react, Harry was on top of her, pinning her down, and tickling her in turn.
"Harry - ouch - please stop!" she gasped, but he kept on tickling her.
"It's payback time!" said Harry, with a mischievous grin on his face. "Prepare to die laughing, Hermione Granger!"
Hermione flailed and twisted, but the Impediment Jinx was still operating on her and she couldn't move that much. "Harry please...stop - ouch! stop it, Harry -"
Harry thought she'd had enough, so before he did her any harm, he stopped, grabbed her hands and pinned them on the bed over her head.
"So you surrender now, Granger?"
"Y-yes, Harry," she breathed, still panting. "You win."
Harry smiled triumphantly. "All right, but promise me you'll never do it again, okay? You know I can't stand being tickled!"
"Yes, but only if you promise never to do it again, too. You also know I can't stand it either."
"Okay, I promise." He let go of her hands, and lay down beside her. "And I'm sorry for tickling you."
"Yes, I'm sorry too." she said, and fell silent. Then-
"Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"Did you mean it?"
"Mean what?"
"What you said earlier?"
"Which bit?"
"The bit about me being - oh never mind!"
Harry looked sideways at her. From what he could see of her face, she was blushing. Wait, blushing? Hermione was blushing? What's going on here?
"About you being what? Come on, tell me."
"About...about - oh, crap! - about me being pretty." she finished, now blushing worse than ever.
Harry laughed, and propped himself up by his elbows, the better to look at her.
"Of course I did. I meant it because it was true, Hermione. You are beautiful, inside and out. What makes you think otherwise?"
"I don't know, its just...well, look at my previous boyfriends. They've all cheated on me, and I think it's because they didn't find me pretty."
"Then they're nothing but a bunch of doddery old fools, Hermione. They didn't know what they were missing when they gave you up for some useless whores out in the streets. For me they were the stupidest people on earth!"
Hermione turned to look at him, skepticism etched all over her face.
"You think so?"
"I think so, I feel so, and I know so. You just lack confidence in yourself, Hermione."
"I am confident of myself when it comes to knowledge, logic, dueling, and investigation, Harry but when it comes to my looks, I really don't think I'm that pretty."
"Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror, Hermione?"
"Why, of course I have!"
"Then you're not looking properly. Because if you do, you'll find out that you have no reason to be insecure. It's the other women out there who should be insecure of your personality."
"Why should they be?"
"Hmm, let's think," Harry said in a mock thoughtful tone, "you're smart and intelligent, you're kind, respectful, hardworking, thoughtful, caring, and loving, you're an excellent cook, you're the best female Auror who had ever lived, you're the best student Hogwarts has produced since Rowena Ravenclaw herself, and, of course, you're Harry Potter's best friend and partner."
"Yeah...yeah, I know that -"
"And," said Harry, interrupting her, "you're beautiful, and sexy, and the dream girl of nearly all of the wizarding world's most eligible bachelors. Now tell me, can any other woman beat that?"
Hermione now blushed crimson. "I think that's already far-fetched, Harry. I'm just a simple woman, I'm just Hermione, and not your so-called 'dream girl of the wizarding world'.
"Exactly, and that's what makes you special, Hermione. In your simplicity you bring out the best qualities of a woman, and your simple beauty beats that of the most beautiful woman on earth, even Helen of Troy!"
She is now blushing harder than ever, that Harry could almost feel the heat coming from her. And that's why I love you, Hermione, and because you were always there for me, always by my side, when I thought I was alone.
"So do you believe me now, Hermione?"
She smiled weakly, and took his hand.
"Thanks, Harry. You always know how to cheer me up."
"No! No, no. I wasn't saying all that because I want to cheer you up, Hermione. I said all those things because they were true, every single one of them."
"Yes, but all the same, thanks for being my friend, Harry. You're the best!" with that she hugged him, and he hugged her back, his heart sinking. Yeah, thanks for being a friend, Harry. But she'll never want you to be more than that. She just wants your opinion so that she can be sure that her boyfriend will still like her.
"Okay," he said, as they separated. "We'd better get some sleep. We have a long wait ahead of us tomorrow and the next day."
"Yes, I think so, too." Hermione agreed, and she settled down on the bed next to him. Harry hesitated, but took off his glasses, put them on the table, and lay down next to her. She wrapped her arm around his waist and he conjured a blanket for them. Hermione snuggled closer to him, settling her head between his bicep and chest, and he put his arm around her as well, marveling at how perfectly their bodies seem to fit into each other. Harry tried to calm the frantic beating of his heart, afraid that Hermione might hear it. It felt good to have her snuggled close to him, her soft and warm body pressed against his, and the sweet scent of her hair so close to his nostrils.
"Good night, Harry," said Hermione, taking his hand in hers.
"Good night, Hermione," he said, kissing the top of her head, and wishing for that moment to last forever. With a smile, he fell asleep with the love of his life next to him.
Hermione's eyes fluttered open, looked up at him for a moment, then, snuggling even closer, smiled peacefully as she joined him in the world of dreams.
A light breeze made the candles above Harry and Hermione flicker, but their flames never failed to illuminate the two figures sleeping closely together, whose faces are alight with identical, peaceful smiles, while their souls danced together in sweet embrace.
A/N: There you have it. It's not really that good but I wanted to show them sleeping together while still not realizing that the other reciprocates one's feelings. They try to act as best of friends but deep inside them, they feel a lot more than friendly love. I like to show Hermione as the insecure type, because that's also how J.K. Rowling described her, and that's how I see her character. As for Harry, he's still as ignorant as ever, but he'll know in the end, and when he does, he'll -oh wait! - what am I doing? Just read the next chapters, okay? Anyway, this story is not that long, maybe just a couple of chapters left, depending on my mood and inspiration. Keep the reviews and comments coming!