That Smile

xXKourtzXx

Rating: G
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 6
Published: 18/10/2005
Last Updated: 18/10/2005
Status: completed

Set a few weeks after the 'second war'. Ron's recovering in the hospital, and Harry and Hermione are left to spend time together. One night, while in the common room, they come to a mutual understanding, as Harry realizes they actually do hold a spark between them. R & R! "He was hiding the way her smile made him tingle wonderfully, the way her touch caused his heart to skip. He was hiding his desire to taste her lips, to feel the warmth of her caress, the softness of her skin on his. But out of all of his emotions, the one he seemed to have trouble hiding was his love for her."

Chapters

1. That Smile

1. That Smile

That Smile

He sat, and watched. He watched as she smiled her rare, and beautiful smile. The firelight dancing off of her wondrous face, smearing itself on her soft lips.

She turned to him suddenly, her gaze disarming him completely, she continued to smile, causing his mind to go numb.

"Yes, Hermione?" He mumbled, the words tumbling slowly and carefully out of his lips, as if making sure he didn't slur or stutter.

"Harry." She sighed, placing a hand to her hip, giving him a serious stare. "Have you been listening to a word I've said?" She made a cute little breathy noise when she let out her next burst of air. It escaped her lips and brushed across Harry's cheek, causing him to blink slightly, as if his eyes were blurred.

"Sorry, Hermione, I haven't. I've just got a lot on my mind, you know?" Harry sighed solemnly, turning to look into the fire. He watched as the flames danced with one another, illuminating the room, and bathing it in a soft glow.

Only a few weeks before, he was crawling through the mud of a blood-stained battle field. He was seventeen years old, as men twice his age sent flashes of light through the air, only missing him by inches as he used his elbows to dig into the moist earth, bringing him closer to Voldemort.

Ron was still in the hospital wing, recovering from a slightly more serious injury, and Hermione and Harry were left to wait for him to recover fully.

"Yes, I know." She smiled sadly, understanding etched deep in her eyes, as she stared at him, boring into his soul. Her hand ventured toward his, placing itself over his carefully, and giving it a small, reassuring squeeze. "Everything will be alright, Harry." She whispered into the quiet room, her voice hanging in mid air, and resounding softly in Harry's ears.

She watched him carefully, and he could feel her gaze upon him, as if inviting him to return it. And he did so. He carefully turned away from the fire to stare back at her, letting her know with the glint in his eye that he would heal, with time.

"Don't worry about me, Hermione. I'll make it through, I always do, don't I?" He plastered a smile carefully on his lips, trying to hide his deeper emotions. For a very long time, he had been hiding his feelings for her.

He was hiding the way her smile made him tingle wonderfully, the way her touch caused his heart to skip. He was hiding his desire to taste her lips, to feel the warmth of her caress, the softness of her skin on his. But out of all of his emotions, the one he seemed to have trouble hiding was his love for her.

Everything he did, or said just oozed the way he felt. The stares he would give her, the sincerity in his words. He was afraid, that one of these days, he would give it all away. He knew Hermione was a clever witch, much too clever to be fooled for long.

"Yes, but I still worry about you, you know. I'll always worry about you." She continued to watch him carefully, concern etched on her face, making her look slightly motherly.

"Don't, there's no need." Harry returned her stare, speaking softly, yet with a slight note of firmness. "Just promise me one thing."

"Anything." Hermione answered without hesitation.

"Just promise me that, you'll look after yourself, even if we grow apart." Harry didn't like to talk much about the future, but he figured he might as well let her know the thoughts he had been brooding on while he had the chance.

Hermione's facial features changed completely. She went from slight concern, to utter hurt. "Don't say that Harry, please? We'll never grow apart, I won't let it happen." She answered back, mirroring the same firmness in her voice. She had this glint of passion in her eyes, as if her mind was set, and she was determined.

"Just promise me you'll take care of yourself, no matter what happens." He said, giving her a look of reason.

"I promise." She smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him into a kind of side-ways hug. Harry instinctively wrapped his arms around her, drawing her nearer to him, and taking in her wonderful scent.

"Strawberries?" He mumbled into her hair accidently.

“Hmm?" Hermione asked, pulling away slightly, just enough to look up at him.

"Sorry," he murmured.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked, looking at him perplexedly. A slight smile broke across her face as she watched him blush.

"Straw-berries?" He said uneasily, looking back, turning another shade deeper of crimson.

"Oh! Right, my perfume." Hermione smiled and blushed a slight shade of red herself.

A second later, and their eyes met. Hermione smiled that infectious smile, and Harry became entranced by her beauty once more. His brain became befuddled by her wonderful face, while he became intoxicated from the sweet-smelling scent of strawberries.

He sighed happily, watching her carefully, and for a moment, it felt like all was right in the world.

That smile of hers drove him crazy. It sent him soaring, too high to come back down. Surly Hermione knew this.

Next, he did something drastic, something completely insane. He began to lean in towards her, almost as if she was placing a gravitational pull on him. He was closing the gap between them, and all Hermione could do was sit there in shock.

He pressed his lips into hers softly, his lips tingling immediately as they met in a gentle kiss. When he pulled away, coming back to his senses, dreading to see the damage he had caused, he realized there was none. Hermione's smile became broader, more complete. It wasn't as forced, and empty as before.

It was brighter, lighting up her whole face, and she looked at him, with a knowing glint in her eye. It was almost as if she understood exactly why he couldn't hold back.

She leaned back in, placing another kiss on his lips, and before she pulled away, she grinned, whispering softly into his ear. "It took you long enough."

And with that, she winked, got up and left him to ponder what she could have possibly meant by her last comment.

He smiled, touching his lips softly where she had left a kiss, tingles dancing across them. After a few moments of staring into the fire mindlessly, he decided to retire to bed as well, where his thoughts would race in his mind.

Upon reaching the solitude of his bed, he stared at the wall that was bathed with bars of soft moonlight. That night, he would fall asleep to many wonderful thoughts. He would think of Hermione.

He would be left to close his eyes peacefully, dreaming of her only. Dreaming of nothing but her soft lips, her magnificent face, her gentle touch. But most of all, he would dream of the sweet smell of strawberries, and her beautiful smile.

Oh, how that smile drove him wild.

A/N : Just a short story I wrote and edited in an hour or so... I was pretty bored, and this plot just kind of came to me! It’s a one-shot, so please read and review! All of your opinions mean SO much to me! Thanks!