Hey all! I want to thank Izzieq, stars4ever, and allyeinstein123 for the reviews on the first 5 chapters, they mean alot :) This story is infact finished with a sequel already started, so I plan to update quite frequently! pllllleeeeeease review and enjoy chapter six. I promise there'll be some Harry/Hermione coming shortly :)
Chapter Six
A Shoulder to Cry On
They sat there together on the swing for a few moments until her sobs slowly decreased to small sniffles.
" You want to tell me whats wrong?" Harry asked. Hermione lifted her head from his shoulder and let out a small laugh as she touched his shirt.
" Look, I got your shirt all wet..."
Looking down at his shoulder he shrugged it off and smiled. " You're more important than a ruddy shirt 'Mione."
Hermione gave him a small smile and turned her attention to the street. The heavy rain was now beginning to slow down and was becoming more of a light drizzle.
" So why don't we get out of the rain here and you can tell me what happened..." Harry offered. He then stood up and offered her his hand.
" Ok." she softly replied, taking his hand. He then proceeded to unlock his front door and lead her into his house. The moment she stepped in it took her breath away. It was beautiful! It was no mansion or fancy estate but it was still beautiful. The floors were dark oak and ran throughout the entire first floor, even up the stairs which spiraled up to her left. A cream coloured carpet ran up the middle of them and continued up to cover the second floor. To her left was a cozy living room with a big bay window and the walls were filled with many moving pictures. Wanting a closer look she made her way up to them and realized many were of Harry, Ron and herself taken throughout their time at Hogwarts. Her eyes rested on one in particular, taken at the end of their sixth year. In the picture she and Ron were seated by the lake, their hands clasped together and big smiles rested on each of thier faces.
" That's one of my favourite pictures of the two of you togther" Harry said, breaking the silence and coming up behind her.
Taking her index finger she placed it on the picture and trailed it downwards. " You know back then I thought that Ron and I would be together forever...kind of funny isn't it?" she laughed. She continued to walk on looking at each of the pictures that hung on the wall. " I mean, I don't even know what made me do it...I guess something in the back of my heart hoped that there was still something there..."
" What did you do?" Harry asked as they both made their way over to the dark red couch and sat down.
Hermione's breath became quick and heavy as she began to fiddle with her fingers. Harry placed his hand on her back rubbing it up and down to show comfort.
" It's ok 'Mione, you can tell me" he urged.
" Everything was going great...we were laughing and talking, I-I thought it was like old times again, you know?" she began.
Harry nodded signaling for her to continue.
" I guess you were right....I do still have feelings for him. I don't know what came over me, honestly!" she went on, " One moment we were talking the next I was leaning in to kiss him!."
Harry's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he heard this piece of information. " You-You kissed him?" he choked out.
"No...I tried to though, he pushed me away" she mumbled. " So then we get into this huge row and find ourselves in the middle of street yelling at eachother...."
" Then what happened?" Harry softly asked.
Hermione stayed quiet for several seconds before taking a deep breath.
" I told him I still loved him."
Harry went completely silent and must have been shocked since his hand had stopped rubbing her back. His reaction reminded her of Ron's when she had told him except that Harry's hadn't been drained of all it's colour.
" Oh, Hermione..." Harry sighed pushing his hands through his untamed hair.
" He said....he said he didn't love me anymore.."she softly muttered, putting her face in her hands.
Hermione felt Harry's arm wrap around her shoulders as he brought her into a warm hug. " I'm sorry, Hermy." he softly said into her ear as he stroked the top of her head. She was so content at being wrapped in his comforting hug that she didn't even feel like protesting on his nickname for her. If truth be told, she kind of enjoyed it when he called her 'Hermy' although she would never admit that to him.
" I am so stupid..." she replied.
" You're not stupid" Harry soothed.
" I am stupid to have let him go...." she murmed. Her breathing was now becoming more relaxed and her sniffles were becoming less and less as she rested her head on his shoulder.
" You made the choice that you felt was best for you at the time...maybe you two just weren't meant to be..." he replied softly. " You'll find someone who will make just as happy if not more one day, 'Mione."
" You think so?" she asked, looking up at him.
" I know so" he grinned.
* * *
Feeling a ray of light shine on her face Hermione finally struggled to open her sleepy eyes. A moment of confusion set
in as she looked around the bedroom in which she slept in. It wasn't until several seconds later that she realized
she in Harry's spare bedroom and then it all hit her like a heard of hippogriffs..... her almost kissing Ron, their
huge row, her declaring she still loved him and him smashing her heart into a zillion tiny piences. She sighed as she
slowly sat up. She couldn't blame him for what he said, infact she was more ashamed and embarrassed than anything.
She knew it was her own fault she got in this mess and she would have to live with the heartbreak and guilt of seeing
the great guy she let go marry someone else.Setting her feet onto the soft white carpet beneath her feet she
unwillingly stood up and headed to the small bathroom that was attached to her room and began to get dressed.
Twenty minutes later she finally decided on her favourite pair of worn out jeans with a simple white tang top. She charmed her usual out of control hair into straight shiny strands that ended just past her shoulders. This was something she had been practicing over the last few years when she was in France, different charms that would do wonders to her hair. She then started to find a new appreciation for style, something that her old self would have huffed at. Harry must have noticed this because his eyes were set on her in a way she had never seen before as she made her way into the kitchen.
" Something wrong?" she asked, curiously looking around the fairly large kitchen. Harry shook his head and went back to his cereal.
" No, I just didn't really realize your new sence of style until now. Who are you and what happened to Hermione?" he joked.
Hermione let out a soft chuckle as she sat infront of him.
" This?" she asked tugging on the strap of her tang top, " let's just say the stores in Paris can make any girl love shopping"
Harry snickered a little and continued eating.
" You hungry?" he asked, looking up and sliding the cereal box her way.
" Im starving!" she replied, pouring some of the cereal into a bowl. " Thanks for letting me stay here lastnight by the way."
Harry gaver her a half smirk and shrugged it off. " It was no problem, really."
" I just don't know how I am going to handle going back to the burrow. Ginny told me Ron is selling his place so he and Luna can move in together which means he is staying at the Burrow for a bit..."
" You can stay here with me if you like, I have the room"
Hermione pursed her lips together and shook her head quickly. " Thanks Harry, but I don't want to intrude or-"
" Hermione, we have been friends since we were eleven, believe me you aren't intruding! Like I said, I have plenty of room."
Nervousness kicked in as she started to fiddle with her napkin. " It's just-well.....you know...." she mumbled.
" No buts 'Mione, go retrieve your belongings from the Burrow today and stay in the spare bedroom!" Harry replied in a final sort of tone that told Hermione she had no other choice. Besides, maybe it would be good for her to be away from Ron and the business of the Weasly household as the 'big day' approached. " Ok?" he asked, eyesbrows raised.
Hermione sent him a thankful smile as she slowly nodded. " Ok, thanks Harry...It won't be too long I assure you, I am heading back Paris next week, September the first."
This seemed to catch Harry of gaurd and a look of surprised crossed his face.
" You aren't staying?"
" What gave you the impression that I was? Harry, I have to get back to work..." she reasoned, " I took some vacation time just to come here."
" I don't know. I guess when I saw that you were back I just assumed you were back to stay..."
" I wish I could...really I do." she replied softly, now fiddling more with her cereal than eating it. Praying Harry would drop the subject she kept her eyes fixed on her spoon which she was swishing back and forth in the milk from her bowl.
" Well, why don't you? You can get a job at the paper here-"
" And write for what? The Daily prophet or The Quibbler? I don't think so" Hermione replied, her tone rising slightly. Sighing she plopped her elbows on the table and rested her head on her hands. " I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap like that Harry, I am just frustrated with myself that's all..."
Harry sent her a quizzical look as he stood up from the table and levitated his bowl into the sink. " you done?"
Hermione nodded and watched as he levitated her bowl into the sink as well.
" Epulae Lavatium" he said with the flick of his wand. Instantly bubbles started to form in the sink as the blue scrub brush began to self clean Harry and Hermione's dirty dishes.
" You know that would have taken you five minutes to do yourself" Hermione lectured, trying to surpress her smile.
Ignoring her remark Harry sent her a playful glare. " So, what's frustrating you with work?" he asked, not budging off of the subject they were on before.
Hermione's shoulders sagged a little and she was going to tell him not to worry about it when she looked into his big green eyes. If there was someone who she could trust then it would be Harry. if she could trust him with the "Ron incident" she could trust him with this.
" Promise you won't tell Ron or anyone else?" she urged. Harry nodded dumbly and returned to his seat infront of her, waiting anciously for her to continue. " I am not happy with my job...."
Harry sat still for a few moments not sure whether she was joking or not. Surely the big news couldn't be that!
" So what's the problem? Why don't you move back here?" he asked again.
" I can't do that! I mean, I fought to get this, look what I gave up for this and now I am going to walk away from it? Then what will I do?" her voice started to become flustered at the thought.
" There are many things for you out there 'Mione! You must have other dreams or goals...."
Hermione sat there silently, looking at the ground. " I do....I guess I just feel ashamed that I put Ron through all that for something I don't love anymore.."
" If you don't love doing what you do anymore you should find something that will! You were one of the top witches in our class Hermione, I doubt you'll have trouble finding work" he assured her.
" Maybe your right, Harry...maybe it's time I came back to the place I have been avoiding for five years....maybe it's time I move back home."