Disclaimer-Same ole' stuff. Not JKR, don't own Harry Potter, yadda yadda yadda.
A/N - This isn't an update. The last chapter was crap beyond crap. There were too many errors and a lot of it didn't make any sense. Just keep in mind that I wrote the crap-filled chapter and 3:00 a.m. Also I'm adding more to the story so I won't you guys at a huge cliffhanger.
Acknowledgements- 'Sure. Fine. Whatever' is taken from an episode of the X-Files. The 'letting go of that lifeline before it becomes a noose' is from JAG from the "Lifeline" episode. This chapter is loosely based on that episode. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about. On with the highly revised chapter.
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"Look who's here! It's the happy couple." A swarm of students rushed to Hermione and Ron. For a fleeting moment she thought she was going to get run over. She looked over at Ron, who had a smile that can light a Christmas tree. She tried to smile, but she bet it probably looked more like a grimace.
"Come on Herms..." Why must he call me that? He knows I hate it. Ron took Hermione's hand and led them to the center of the room. Hermione looked around the room and wondered how the common room could fit so many people. It seemed the entire 7th year class was here.
"Speech! Speech!" Dean Thomas called out. Everyone around them started to cheer. She covered her face with her hand. This is going to be a long night.
*
This is going to be a long night, Harry thought as he tried to comb his unruly hair. Deciding it was a lost cause; he shoved the brush away and leaned on the counter. He ran the tap and cupped his hand under the faucet. He rinsed his face and grabbed a towel from the rack.
"Let's get this over with."
*
"...And then Herm came out with this mask full of green goo and a towel wrapped around her head." Ron said as the crowd started laughing. Hermione covered her face with her hand. Great Merlin, this can't be happening.
To say Hermione was mad was an incorrect assumption. She was positively furious. The party started off good enough; save a few embarrassing remarks from her lovely fiancé. Then it turned from 'well wishes' to 'let's all make fun of Hermione' time. And her wonderful fiance was having a jolly good time at her expense.
She looked around the room and found he wasn't here yet. She looked at the clock at the mantle. Only 20 minutes! I've only been at this bloody party for 20 minutes. She sighed in boredom and felt Ron clasp her knee possessively. Suddenly the room and the atmosphere was too much to bear, she needed to get out.
She leaned over to whisper in Ron's ear "I need some air." Ron looked at her puzzled, but shrugged and went on talking to Seamus.
She left the portrait hole and took a deep breath.
"Getting some air?" She whipped her head around and her heart stopped beating. There was Harry, looking more handsome than she's ever seen him. He was dressed in a dark green turtleneck that made his eyes shine out and black dress slacks. She took another deep breath and responded.
"Getting stuffy in there." He nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"You look like you need some fresh air. Want to go for a walk outside?" He asked, in what he hoped was a nonchalant tone. She looked towards the portrait hole and turned back to Harry.
"Sure." He nodded and walked up to her. They looked at each other for a second and headed down to the entrance hall.
As they were walking, Hermione couldn't help notice that Harry seemed distracted. He kept fidgeting and clenching his jaw.
"Harry? Are you ok?" He looked at her, and turned back in front of him.
"Just, have a lot on my mind."
"Is it important?" When he didn't answer, she glanced at him.
"Yeah." He stopped and pulled her hand back. She tried not to think of the fluttering in stomach, or the way that his hand was like fir, its warmth spreading all through her body. But all too soon, he released his hand and shoved them in his pockets.
"Harry, what's wrong?" Her heart was beating a mile a minute. What's wrong? He took his hands out of his pockets and set his jaw. She ignored the fluttering and looked into his eyes. She was mesmerized by the sheer emotion in them. It almost felt as though, she could see into his soul...she was positively melting.
Oh, calm down Granger. He's confiding in you and you're thinking about his eyes? Get a grip.
She mentally calmed herself down and looked at him again.
"Hermione, there's something I've got to say. Its been building...its really important...For the past..."
"Well if it isn't my good friend Harry. Jolly good night today isn't it? I feel like skipping..." Draco stopped when he saw Hermione in view. He blushed ten-times red and cleared his throat.
"Sorry Harry, didn't see you had company." Draco looked the two over. Hermione's face was flushing and Harry looked like he was ready to kill, but he put on a forced smile.
Upon Draco's appearance, Hermione jerked her hand away guiltily. Oh Great Gods, what was I thinking? What was I doing? What were we doing? Nothing, she assured herself. We were just talking, nothing more. She discreetly glanced at Harry and found that he was smiling.
"Draco, what are you doing... Oh, I get it. Went off to see...Ginny, you naughty girl. It's after curfew." Hermione jerked her head towards the staircase and found a blushing Ginny Weasley coming down the stairs.
"Harry, be a dear and stop being an arse. You know very well that I have prefect duties tonight. Draco was being kind and helping do rounds. Weren't you luv?" Draco smirked and put an arm around Ginny's waist.
"Always at your service luv." Ginny turned her head and noticed Hermione for the first time.
"Hermione! Harry! So you told her. It's about time." She stopped when she felt Draco jab her ribs.
"I mean...Hermione, I sure you know Draco. Please don't tell Ron about this. Besides Harry, only you know and I want to tell him myself. So please don't tell him."
Hermione stared dumbly at the redhead. When did this happen. Draco and Ginny. Never in a million years...and Harry knew? And all this time, I thought Ginny and Harry were no longer friends.
"Of course not Ginny. I just...wow...when did this happen?"
"A year I think?"
"A year! And you didn't tell anyone?"
"Of course I did. I told Harry. Besides, he was the one who introduced us. I guess it happened, what...about the time you got engaged." Ginny inwardly flinched. Oops. She could see Harry tense up. Draco looked at his friend with sympathy written in his gray eyes. A fact that went unnoticed by Hermione. Ginny cleared her throat nervously.
"So we're off. Got to do those rounds." They turned away, but Ginny turned back around.
"Hermione, isn't tonight your (insert jab from Draco)... I mean...Draco, is that a student out of bed? Come on dear." And with that the couple left, leaving a very confused Hermione looking at their retreating backs.
"Those two, always sneaking off. Never in a million years I thought those two would get together. It was funny how I managed to get them together." He started walking back towards the Gryffindor tower. Just as they were nearing the portrait hole, Hermione grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around.
"Harry, what's going on. I feel like everyone's keeping a big secret from me. What was Ginny telling me? Does this have something to do with what you're going to tell me?" Hermione said in confused tone.
"No, I mean yes. Kind of. Yes?" Hermione nodded her head, signaling him to go on.
"I'm in love Hermione." Her heart sank down to her toes. He's in love? Of course, she thought. With that girl... Suddenly, the hallway was too small for the two of them. She tried to stop the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She swallowed a lump in her throat and tried to regain her voice.
"Love? You're in love." He nodded. He stepped closer to her, the distance between them a few inches away from each other. Hermione breath hitched. He took a deep and looked into her eyes.
"I never knew what love was until I met you. I knew the moment I saw you; you were going to change my life. At first I thought it was merely a crush. At least I thought it was. But as time progressed I knew it was more. You stuck by me when no one else did. You looked out for me when I didn't ask. I wanted to tell you, for so long. But I wasn't sure how you'd take it. After Cedric's death, I was planning on telling you. At the time I thought it was a mere crush, but when I read that letter from Ron...I knew I was in love with you. That I missed my chance. I thought I could live with it. I'd rather have you in my life, than not at all. But unrequited love is a terrible chip on the shoulder. I saw you with Ron at the platform and made a decision. I can't be happy for you two if it was eating me up inside. I thought my love for you will fade. I thought I could stop loving you." He reached up and gripped he by the arms.
"I can't stop loving you Hermione. It's impossible not to love you. I tried, believe me, I tried. I went out with Cho for a while, but she knew my heart wasn't in it, with her. It belonged to you and only you. You helped me survive. You helped me defeat Voldemort. He threatened to hurt you. But I made sure he would never hurt anyone ever again. I made sure he would never hurt you again." He paused for a moment before continuing.
"I don't want you to be in danger. Sure Voldemort is gone, but who's to say another one won't come along. Voldemort knew about you, I don't want you to be in danger. I know that you hate to be protected. And I know that I should let go of that lifeline, for its going to become a noose. I have to let that go. But, I can't stop loving you. That I can't let go. But I can't keep living like this, I can't. It hurts too much. I can't keep wishing that you are with me. I can't keep dreaming. I guess its conveinant that graduation is 3 days away. I can't keep this facade any longer. I can't pretend anymore. I can't pretend that I feel nothing for you. I can't pretend that I don't love you, because I do. I do with every fiber of my being. Which is why I have to say goodbye. Pretending to love you is like denying who I am. And I can't do it anymore. Goodbye Hermione." He released her arms, turned and walked away. He blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. Oh Merlin, did I do the right thing?
Hermione stared at his retreating figure, in shock. Did he just say...? She placed a clammy hand above her heart and felt it beating furiously. He loves me, she thought. Harry Potter loves me. The man that I love loves me. This wasn't to happen. He wasn't supposed to have feeling for her. Everything I've ever dreamed of...Wait a tick...goodbye...no! I can't let him leave.
"Harry!" He stopped, but he didn't turn around. He turned slowly and she could see that he was barely keeping his emotions in check. She ran up to him, stopping short a few inches.
"I can't pretend either." And with that, she pressed her lips on his forcefully. He immediately responded and grabbed her by the waist and pulled her roughly towards him. Their lips sought each other frantically. She placed her hands on his chest, grabbing handfuls of shirt, pulling him closer. He tore his mouth away from her and worked his way down her neck, stopping at her collarbone. She let out a soft whimper and he sucked on the spot harder. Meanwhile, her lips found their way towards his delectable ears and nibbled softly on his earlobe. He emitted a soft growl, which in turn made her switch sides. He made his way to the wall and Hermione fell against it. He put on hand on her waist and leaned his other one on the wall beside Hermione's head. She wrapped one of legs around his waist and she could feel him pressed against her thigh. All coherent thoughts left her head as she reached down and stoked him through his pants. He stopped his assault on her lips and rested his head in the crook of her neck.
His hands reached out and cupped her breasts; she let out a low moan as she arched her way up, leaning into him. She kissed her way to his ear and whispered in a throaty voice.
"Our room now." He nodded, but he didn't stop what he was doing. She felt his hand sliding down her dress, his hands leaving a scorching trail. He hiked her skirt up and when she felt his hand on her bare stomach, she nearly passed out at the sensation. Slowly, his hand trailed lower and lower until he met the elastic of her knickers.
"What the fuck is going on here!"
They broke apart hastily and looked into the dimly lit hallway. It was Ron, and he looked ready to kill.
"I think it's quite apparent what they're doing Ron." Someone said from the other side of the hallway. They all peered towards the voice and found a smirking Ginny.
"Ginny! What...I mean..."
"Relax big brother. I walked in the same time as you." Ron flew back around and took a menacing step towards Harry and Hermione.
"Talk. Both of You. Now." He turned back around and practically flew to the direction of the Head Boy and Girl Room. Harry and Hermione looked at each and followed him.
"Brother's been reduced to caveman tongue dear." Ginny didn't need to turn around to know who it was. She smiled.
"He doesn't know what we know luv."
"And what's that?" He walked towards her and wrapped his hands across her midsection.
"They were meant for each other. And that they love each other."
"Yes, we do know about that don't we?" He kissed her temple affectionately and she smiled contently.
"That we do luv"
*
Hermione couldn't help the shivering as they neared her room. She had never seen Ron so angry. He really looked murderous. But she knew that whatever he said, she would never regret what she'd done. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't know Ron had stopped. Harry put a restraining hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Ron's back.
"I need to speak to Hermione alone."
Hermione turned to Harry and found him nodding. He turned and walked towards the opposite direction. She kept her eyes on him until he turned the corner, an action Ron noticed all too perfectly.
"I think he'll make alone Hermione. No need to see him there." He practically shouted the words.
"Ron, please don't yell in the hall. We don't want to make a scene."
"Make a scene! Make a scene! How could you say that when you were practically shagging him in the hallway?" Hermione ears turned magenta as she took a quick look at their surrounding. There was already a tiny stream of students surrounding them.
She lowered her voice to a deathly whisper. "Unless you want to make a fool of yourself, I suggest we move this to the common room." He looked around and shot his hands in the air.
"Sure. Fine. Whatever." Hermione took a deep breath and whispered the hallway. She let Ron go in first and almost closed the portrait hole behind her when she called out, "I don't care if there's 3 days till the term is over. I will deduct points if you don't vacate the area in 5 seconds." A second went by and she called out, "4" Suddenly everyone was bustling about, trying to get to his or her respective dorms.
She took a deep breath, "Here goes nothing..."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A/N- Hope this one was better than the last. I didn't leave at too much of a cliffhanger, did I? Merely a 10 foot one right. Anywhoo, don't forget to Review. And for the flames, Bring It ON! I live in Arizona; I can take the heat.