Again, my apologies for the delay. I know you all wait by the computer for my next installments! Hehe ; ) Thanks for your patience.
I am thinking that there will only be one more chapter after this one. The story is winding down and I think its time to wrap it up. But don't worry. I have a few more ideas for stories, so this wont be the last you hear from me.
Anyway, Enjoy!
P.S. Something funny is going on when I try to upload this chapter and there's a huge chunk of text that is bolded that isn't supposed to be, so I put "" around the things that are supposed to be bolded.
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Hermione had never felt like this before. She was in love with a man who was in love with her! She couldn't remember the last time she felt this happy and content. She had thought it was going to be hard to top how she felt when she found out that she was a witch, but this is definitely better!
At first they thought it best to try to keep it quiet, but the Hogwarts grapevine prevailed yet again and most of the school knew by the next night at dinner. Truth be told, though, she and Harry didn't quite do their best to hide their relationship. They were hardly seen apart. But Hermione didn't really notice the stares they got as they walked hand in hand down the hall or when she lounged with Harry's head in her lap underneath the large tree by the lake in the warm summer afternoon sun or when they couldn't keep their hands off each other or whispering in each other's ears during meals.
"You know, you are turning into one of those couples we all make fun of!" Lavender giggled.
She and Hermione were in the process of packing all their belongings. Tomorrow they would be getting on the Hogwarts Express for the last time and going back home. Hermione wanted to cry every time she thought about leaving the castle and leaving Harry. Why didn't I tell him sooner? We could have had more time together!
"So what are you and Harry going to do after tomorrow?" Lavender asked.
"I have no idea. I think we've been avoiding the subject." Hermione said sadly.
"I wouldn't want to think about it either." Lavender said, throwing her books and knick-knacks into her trunk. "Maybe you two could run away together." She laughed.
"Right. Where would we go? What would we do? Its not practical, I think we just need to sit down and plan out what we are going to do." Hermione said, folding up her dress robes and packing it neatly into her own trunk.
Lavender laughed. "Since when is love practical? This is one thing you cannot analyze or put in a schedule. Love is meant to be spontaneous and messy. Things never go according to plan. You cant put it under a microscope and see what its made of. That's what makes it love. No one knows the first thing about it, you just have to go along for the ride."
"Since when are you so wise about this?" Hermione said with a smile.
"Since when do I know more about something than you do?" Lavender laughed and threw her pillow at Hermione.
The girls gossiped and giggled as they finished packing, talking about the past and the future. The more they talked, the sadder Hermione became, though she never let it show. Crying about it wont make tomorrow stay away. Whining about it wont make tonight last forever. And it was then that Hermione had an idea. She looked at the clock.
"Lavender! We've got to go. The feast is going to start any minute now!" She screeched as she shoved the last of her belongings in her trunk.
She stopped to check her reflection in the mirror before heading downstairs and out the portrait hole and down to the Great Hall. Along the way, she worked out the plan in her head. She had brought her book bag that contained a few books, including her spell book which she began flipping through, looking for a particular spell that she knew would help her.
"What are you looking up? School is over!" Lavender laughed as she peeked over Hermione's shoulder at the spell she was reading. "Hermione? What are you going to use that for?" She asked, confused at what she saw.
"Oh, you'll see, Lavender. You'll see." Hermione smiled a smile that told Lavender that she had something spectacular up her sleeve. Lavender whined the rest of the way to the feast, begging her to tell what she was up to.
She entered the Great Hall and immediately found Harry. She took the seat next to him and greeted him with her killer smile and short, sweet kiss. They enjoyed the feast together, Harry kept whispering little "I love you"s in Hermione's ear and she would squeeze his hand and kiss his cheek. They laughed and chatted with Lavender and Ron and the other Gryffindors around them, never mentioning the dreaded topic of what tomorrow held. All they had was now and that's all that mattered to them.
Finally, Dumbledor stood up, held up a hand to get everyone's attention, and the Hall went silent. He cleared his throat and began. "Another year had flown by. For many of you that means the summer holiday lies ahead of you. Two months of freedom. But for some of you this means that the future lies ahead of you. The future can be a tricky thing. Most of the time we don't know what lies around the corner for us. My hope is that the last seven years at Hogwarts had prepared you for whatever meets you along the way. Not only have we set out to teach you magic, but we also aimed to teach you about life and love. Life has its ups and downs, but as long as you have love, the ups will be higher and the lows wont be so low. Love is the most important lesson you can learn because if you have love, you have it all. Without love, life is meaningless. Love comes in many shapes and forms, but it will find you when you least expect it. It sneaks up on you and smacks you up side the head and knocks you flat on your back, but then it picks you back up again and stands you on your feet." Dumbledor paused. His eyes twinkled and Hermione could have sworn she saw him look in Harry's and her direction and wink. She had the funny feeling that she was speaking strait to her heart. Her eyes became wet with tears as the began to think about what would happen to her and Harry after they left the castle, but another look and smile from Dumbledor gave her a renewed hope. Dumbledor finished his speech by reminding to the students that any parties that may go on in the house Common Rooms should get any provisions from the kitchens they needed before Mr. Filch catches them in the corridors after curfew.
As everyone got up from the tables and headed back to their Common Rooms to celebrate one last time, Hermione leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear, "I have something I need to do. I'll meet you at the party." And before Harry could protest, she slipped away and disappeared into the crowed.
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"Where did she tell you she was going?" Ron asked. He wanted to get on with the celebration, but he also didn't want to leave Harry alone looking dejected.
Hermione had been gone almost an hour and Harry was starting to get worried. What if she's not coming? What if she got scared and changed her mind about us? I don't know if I could take it if she broke things off. Oh, who am I kidding? Why would she stay with me anyway? I don't really know what I'm going to do with my life and she deserves someone who can provide for all her needs. The more and more Harry thought about the future, the more depressed he became.
"Come on mate, have some more mead and she'll be here soon!" Ron coaxed.
"Alright." Harry moaned. But no sooner had he taken the fist sip, then he saw Hermione heading into the room through the portrait hole. "Hermione!" He yelled and waved her over. He greeted her with a big, wet kiss and almost spilled his mead down the front of her dress. "Oops!"
"Harry?" Hermione whispered in his ear, "We need to talk. Can we go up to your room?" Her tone was serious. This scared him. He set down his drink, gave Ron a worried look and took her hand as she led him towards the stairs that led to the boys dorms.
"What's this about, Hermione?" Harry said as she opened the door to his room and checked to make sure no one was there. She didn't answer right away. "Hermione? What's going. . ."
But before he could finish, Hermione had pushed him against the door and sought his lips with her own. The kiss was deep and passionate, but just as soon as it had started, she broke away and backed away from him.
"Hermione? What's going on? You're acting a little strange." Harry said cautiously.
"Harry, we need to talk about us. About our future." She said quietly, not looking him in the eye.
"What are you saying, Hermione? You want to end this? We just got started!" Harry was yelling now. I cant lose her! I cant lose her!
"What? Oh Harry! I didn't mean I wanted to end this!" She cried, coming close to hug him tightly. Whew! He thought That was a close one. "Its just that we hadn't discussed it yet and I wanted to in a private place." She cooed in his ear.
"Yeah. Ok." Harry sighed, relaxing considerably as she held him.
"But before we discuss anything, I wanted to give you something." She said with a twinkle in her eyes as she went over to her book back and retrieved something wrapped in brown paper.
"What is it?" Harry asked a little confused.
"Open it, you git!" She laughed.
Harry sat down on his bed, yanked her down to sit next to him, and then tore open the package in his lap.
It was the diary.
"You're giving me your diary?" He asked, now thoroughly confused.
"Open it to the last page." She whispered.
Harry opened the book to the last page that had been written upon. At the top of the page were the words:
"The Night That Lasted Forever"
"What does this mean?" Harry asked, looking her in the eye. She had an excited look in her eyes that made his heart jump up into his throat and sent goose bumps down his arms.
She didn't say a word, but tapped the page with her wand. More words appeared.
"Harry and Hermione were alone in the boy's dorm, sitting on his bed. . ."
Still confused, Harry read and reread the line. "Ok, I'm still lost." He said, feeling his cheeks redden.
She giggled and tapped the page again. This time different words appeared.
"Hermione inched closer to Harry, kissed him softly, and began to undo the buttons on her dress. . ."
Harry's eyes grew wide. He looked over at Hermione. She scooted closer to him and said in a low, breathy voice, "I've bewitched it to write down what we are thinking, feeling, desiring." Then she brought her mouth to his and kissed him. The shock wave from the simple kiss made Harry weak. He looked down and saw her hands go to the top button on her dress and begin to work their way down.
When she had finished unbuttoning her dress, letting it hang open and exposing her blue satin bra, she reached over with her wand to tap the page again. He stopped her. He wanted to get in on the fun. He pulled out his own wand and tapped the page. These words appeared:
"Harry lifted her dress above her head, leaving her in just her underwear, while Hermione began working on removing his pants."
With a devilish grin, he showed Hermione what he made appear. And just as it said, he lifted the dress above her head and she loosened his belt and zipper of his pants. The feeling of her hands that close to his already straining erection made it almost painful and he wished that she would hurry.
This time is was Hermione's turn, and just as if she could read his thoughts:
"Hermione saw that Harry could wait no longer, so she magically made the rest of their clothes disappear."
And before Harry had even finished reading the next line, his clothes were gone. Wow, she's good! He thought, his heart racing. He tapped the page quickly.
"Harry had to have her. He charmed the door to lock and turned to gaze upon the most beautiful woman in the world. He ravaged her mouth as he laid her back against the pillows."
Seconds after the words appeared on the page he was on top of her, the door locked to insure that no one interrupted. What seemed like minutes later, she broke the kiss and breathlessly fumbled around for the diary. She tapped the page and held it up for Harry to read.
"Hermione couldn't wait any longer. She tossed aside the diary as Harry entered her. He slowly began to move in and out of her, making her feel pleasure as she had never felt before. Every move he made sent sensations throughout her body. Every thrust filled her more and more until she was sure she was bursting at the seams. She called out his name over and over until he sent her over the edge. He came crying out her name soon after and they collapsed together and held each other close."
Harry was overcome with lust and love for the woman lying beneath him. Just as it was written, the diary was tossed aside and he positioned himself above her. She opened up for him, stroking his cheek as he looked into her eyes as he slowly entered her. He stopped a moment, memorizing the feeling of being inside her and the sight of her beneath him. He kissed her softly as he pulled out and sank back in, eliciting a moan from deep within her that encouraged him to continue. He pulled out again, plunging back into her a little harder this time. She cried out. The harder and faster he went, the louder she got. He loved every little sound she made. He felt himself plunging deeper and deeper every time he thrust. He could tell she was getting close to the edge because her nails dug into his back and she tightened the walls around him. With two more hard thrusts she came, calling out his name. He continued to slide in and out while she rode out her orgasm. Feeling her body spasm around him sent him over the edge. His own body shuddered and after one last thrust, he screamed her name and felt himself release inside of her.
He pulled out of her, rolled onto his side, and immediately pulled her to him. Their bodies were sweaty and trembling and their breathing was still ragged. He held her in his arms as he kissed her forehead.
After a few minutes and their breathing slowed down considerably, Hermione raised her head to look into his eyes. "Our story isn't finished" She whispered and smiled. She reached for her wand, raised it, and said "Accio diary." The book flew into Harry's outstretched hand.
He opened it back to where they were before and before she could add the ending to the story he stopped her and said, "Allow me."
He found his own wand, tapped the page and the final bit of their story appeared.
"They lay there together. Harry could only think about this amazing woman next to him and wondered how he ever lived without her in his life and his heart. He never wanted to be without her next to him ever again. He cradled her in his arms until he felt her breathing become slow and rhythmic. Just as she was about to drift off to sleep he whispered in his ear, "Hermione, will you marry me?" Startled, she looked up into his eyes and said. . ."
Hermione read what Harry had written. She stared at the page for a long time. She couldn't speak. Harry grew concerned. Finally he took the diary from her hands, threw it across the room and held her to him once again. She still did not speak. The silence was making his insides twist and contort with fear. For a split second he felt like saying, `Just kidding, love. Haha! I got ya!' But he knew that he couldn't live without her another day and at the moment it just seemed so right, but as he stroked her hair he gathered his nerves and whispered, "Hermione, will you marry me?"
A few seconds went by. Harry thought she might not have heard him and said "Hermione?" She slowly lifted her head to look at him, tears streaming down her face.
"Harry. . . I. . ." She croaked. His heart tightened. He continued to gaze into her eyes, trying to find the answer to his question there. Oh shit. I've screwed it all up!
"HARRY! Harry, mate? You in there?" Ron called from the other side of the door, jerking Harry and Hermione out of the staring contest they were in.
Harry cursed under his breath and sat up. Hermione sat up as well and with a flick of her wand, they were fully clothed again. He made sure that they looked normal before he wrenched open the door, a furious look on his face.
"Harry! Where have you. . . Oh, oops, sorry! Am I interrupting something?" Ron asked looking both embarrassed and amused at the situation he had obviously barged in on.
"Yeah, Ron, now's not a good time." Harry said, attempting to smooth down some of his unkempt hair.
But before he could shoo Ron out of the room, Hermione rushed passed them out the door and disappeared out of site. Harry ran down after her and into the party in the common room. Getting tangled up in the throng of people giving him good byes and good lucks for the future, he lost sight of her and turned to face Ron. His face must have conveyed the frustration he felt because Ron looked a bit frightened and stepped back.
"Whoa, mate. I'm sorry! What happened?" Ron asked, hands held up in defense.
Harry seemed to deflate. He slumped down in a chair in the corner and put his head in his hands. "I did something stupid." He groaned.
"What? It cant be that bad." Ron said, trying to comfort him.
"I asked her to marry me!" Harry moaned. Without waiting to see the shocked look on Ron's face, he continued. "What was I thinking? We've only been together a few days! I've ruined everything, Ron! I scared her off. I was so afraid of leaving tomorrow and loosing her that I just acted irrationally! What am I going to do?"
But before his question was answered, Hermione appeared. She gave Ron a look as to say "Could you give us a moment alone?" and Ron left. Harry stood up to look her in the eyes. Her eyes were filled with tears again. He opened his mouth to say something, to explain his hasty action, but she put a finger to his lips and silenced him.
"Harry, I cant."
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