Chapter Eleven
Hermione felt the train slowing and her heart sank.
She was cuddled up next to Harry, who was peacefully sleeping. She gazed up at his face pressed against the window, his mouth slightly open.
Some angel, she thought with a quirky smile.
She looked back down at her hand, and fiddled with the ring. She smiled wider at the thought of his promises.
He would always be there for her, and would always be hers. There wasn't anything else she could possibly ask for.
Well, there was one thing. And that was the courage to tell him she loved him. For some reason the thought of telling him brought on this odd pressure in her chest, and a fear she couldn't understand. Her stomach twisted at the thought, making her sigh and sit up straighter as the train began to slow even more.
Harry moved and sat up, his eyes blinking open.
"What's going on?" He yawned and rubbed sleep from his eyes.
"The train is approaching the station." Her voice had no emotion in it. She was afraid to show any emotion. She didn't want to cry again.
"Oh." He got up from his seat and stretched, wondering where Ron had gone.
Hermione reached up and brought her trunk down carefully, trying not to think of the good-bye to come.
The train came to a complete stop. Hermione's heart sank deeper. She took a deep breath and began to haul her trunk out onto Platform Nine and three-quarters.
And from there she saw a mass of students, all cheerily waving good-bye to their friends and hugging their parents. The envy for those students, who were to return next year, came back to her.
She shook it off the second Harry came to stand next to her.
"This is it Hermione."
Did he have to remind her?
"I think I see my parents." And she walked toward them, putting a smile on her face as she went.
She hugged both her parents, and introduced them to Harry again, who had conveniently followed her.
He shook her father's hand with a smile, and her mother's as well.
"Hold my trunk for me Mum, I'm going to go find Ron, alright?" She turned around, took Harry's hand, and searched for the Weasley's.
The second she spotted plump Mrs. Weasley rubbing something off Ron's face, she smiled.
"Honestly Ronald, how do you always manage to get dirt on your nose?" She continued to rub his nose.
"Mum!"
"Oh Harry! Hello dear." She finally let go of her son's face and turned to hug Harry and Hermione.
"Well, how was your last year?" She asked with a polite smile.
"Memorable." Harry said, returning her smile.
Ron rubbed his nose irritably, spotting Hermione and Harry's now rejoined hands.
"Yeah, memorable." He muttered.
Hermione heard his tone of voice, and turned to smile at him warmly.
"Ronald, don't be too long," Mrs. Weasley said, seeing the look on his face, "Your father and I will be in the car." And she left, wheeling Ron's trunk away with her.
"I guess this is good-bye." Ron said plainly after a moment, shuffling his feet.
"I guess so." Harry answered in the same tone.
Tears threatened yet again. Without a thought she ran to Ron and threw her arms around him, knocking him back a step.
"Hermione?" It took him a second before he responded and hugged her back.
"I don't want to say good-bye," She said, stepping away from him, and wiping at her tears.
"This isn't really good-bye you know," Ron said, "We'll see each other again."
"But how soon? A few years? I don't think I could go that long without seeing you two." She glanced at Harry, who gave her a sympathetic look.
"We'll be in touch Hermione, don't worry." Harry added.
"Promise." Ron smiled warmly at her, and hugged her again. "I have to go. Mum and Dad are waiting. G'Bye Hermione." And with that, he kissed her on the cheek and ran from the platform, through the barrier.
She stood frozen for a second, a hand on the cheek he had kissed.
"He better be glad he didn't do anything more than that. I would have had to punch his lights out."
Hermione turned to Harry to see him with his hands in his jeans pockets and a warm smile on his face.
"I suppose…" she looked over her shoulder at the barrier, blinking at it a few times before turning back to Harry.
Reality finally hit her like a rock. That same rock settled rather uncomfortably in her stomach. She stared down at her feet.
"Are you worried that I'll never speak to you again after today?" Harry asked abruptly.
Hermione looked up at him in surprise.
"Well, I suppose so."
Harry took both her hands in his and stepped closer.
"I gave you this ring as a promise right?" He shook her right hand gently.
"Yes…" Where was this leading?
"I promised I'd always be there for you right?"
"Yes…" A twinge of anticipation pulled at her stomach.
"And I promised I'd always be yours, right?"
"Harry, will you just get to the point?" She smiled.
"I was getting there," he smiled back. "As I was saying, I said I'd always be yours, and I meant it. It's just up to you to trust me."
He was right. She sighed.
"You're right. I trust you."
"Good." He smiled and took her in his arms, hugging her tightly. "Be good Hermione, I'll be in touch with you soon okay?" He pulled away, and kissed her.
She didn't want to let go. She prolonged the kiss as long as she could allow it with her parents so close by. She broke the kiss, and Harry leaned his forehead against hers.
She cried silent tears as he watched her from those amazing green eyes.
"Now, no more tears alright?"
Her stomach churned with grief, making her unable to speak. Harry wiped the tears away with his thumbs.
"I'll owl you as soon as I can, okay?" He smiled, hoping it would make her feel better.
"Alright." She croaked.
He kissed her softly. "Be good." And with a smile, he broke away from her and began to walk away.
Hermione stood frozen again, her breathing deeper and her heart rate faster. Now or Never…
"Harry!" She yelled to him as she spun around.
"Yeah?"
"I-" love you. The pressure in her chest was back, along with the fear. She couldn't do it! "I-"
"You what, Hermione?"
"I'll miss you." She said, letting out a breath and feeling incredibly disappointed with herself.
"You too. Remember to trust me," he winked, "Bye Hermione!" He waved and smiled, walking farther and farther away from her. And as he did so, she couldn't help but feel colder and colder the further away he got. As soon as he passed through the barrier, and was completely out of sight, she felt raking sobs coming. But she wouldn't allow herself to cry. Not now. Later, when she could be alone.
With a heavy heart and mind, she rejoined her parents.
And she thought of him all the way home, when she arrived there, and as she unpacking, crying as she went. Something wasn't right in her mind, but she ignored it, allowing herself to wallow in her own sorrow of missing the boy, no… man, that she loved.
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