Well, here's another update! Told ya I'd get it up fast! It isn't too long, but I think…or at least I hope you guys will enjoy it! I don't know when I'll be able to update, I'm pretty busy the rest of the week and the weekend. I'm babysitting for my brother tomorrow, he's celebrating his 10 year wedding anniversary. I may be able to write on Thursday but I doubt it. Got plans Friday night and I'm going to the Byron Nelson all day on Saturday. So if I'm not too tired I'll try and write more on Sunday. Don't hold your breath though, you know how I am about updating! I can go months without an update, and then update again in the next few days! We'll have to wait and see, but for now enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 20
A healer by the name of Mary Ann was more than happy to help Harry. She chatted merrily to him while he followed her down the corridor. "We were all pulling for him around here," Mary Ann said as she stepped into the break room. "We all were very attached to him."
Harry let her talk as she fixed Ron's glass of water. "And isn't it so sweet that he woke up to his girlfriend."
"Girlfriend?" Harry asked, saying something for the first time.
"Why yes," she said smiling as she handed him the full glass of ice water. "The young blonde. She came by one night while I was working the late shift."
"She did?"
"Yes, although don't say anything," she said in a hushed tone. "Honestly, I wasn't suppose to let her in. Family only outside of visiting hours." She sighed as they walked back the way they came. "I just didn't have the heart to tell her no. It was obvious how much she loved him."
Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought of Luna and how she always behaved around Ron. Why didn't he see it before? Luna was in love with Ron. "It is obvious, isn't it," Harry said with a laugh. "Unfortunately, Ron's a little slow. They aren't together or anything."
Mary Ann's shoulders slumped. "Oh, the poor girl." She shook her head as she took her position back behind the reception desk. "Well, hopefully now that Ron's awake, he'll catch on."
Ron falling for Luna would be an answer to all his problems. "Hopefully," Harry agreed and held up the drink. "Thanks for the help."
She gave a shrug. "Hey, you defeated V-Voldemort for me. For all of us. The least I can do is get you a glass of water."
Harry was always pleased when he heard someone call Voldemort by his name. During an interview he had taken shortly
after the battle, he encouraged people to do so. Voldemort was gone and no one had to be afraid to say his name again.
"It's my pleasure, Mary Ann," he said with a smile. "Take care."
Mary Ann admired Harry's backside as he walked away. "Mmm-mmm, if only I was younger. That boy is absolutely delicious."
Completely unaware that Mary Ann was checking him out, Harry hurried back towards Ron's room. He was anxious to return, not liking the idea of Ron and Hermione alone. When he opened the door, the sight only lasted half a second, for they both flew apart at his intrusion. They weren't fast enough, because the vision of Ron's mouth on Hermione's was now embedded in his brain.
Harry didn't dare look at Hermione, but kept his eyes trained on Ron. "Your water," he said placing it on the table next to him just a little too hard.
"Er…thanks, Harry," he said looking back and forth between him and Hermione.
Harry clenched his jaw as he tried to control his anger. "I'll see you two at home."
With that said, he stalked out of the room, wanting to get the hell out of there. He kept his head down as he walked towards the lifts and he heard Hermione call his name a moment later. He quickened the pace, passing the lifts and went straight for the stairs.
"Harry, wait!"
He trotted down the stairs and Hermione flung the door open to the stairwell and was right behind him. "Harry!" Harry kept a steady pace, while Hermione frantically few down after him. He was between the tenth and eleventh floor when Hermione finally caught up with him. "Harry, please!"
Harry paused on the flat platform, between the flight of stairs. "Go back to Ron," he said without turning around.
"No," she said firmly. "Not until you let me explain."
Harry snapped. "Dammit, Mione," He cursed as he spun around at her, startling her as she stepped back. Harry grabbed her arms so she couldn't shy away from him. "You were kissing him. Not even an hour ago you were under me, kissing me, letting me touch you."
Hermione trembled under his hands. "Harry."
"I had my fingers inside you," he continued in a whisper. "Or have you forgotten so easily?"
"Of course I haven't," she said shakily as she looked up at him.
"Then how can you kiss…"
"I didn't kiss him!" she cried out as she jerked away from his hands. "I…I was just talking to him. Rambling was more like it, you know how I ramble when I'm nervous. I was nervous being alone with him all of the sudden."
"Hermione…"
"I was in the middle of saying something when he just kissed me out of nowhere," she explained and blew out a breath. "That's when you walked in."
"Were you planning on pulling away?"
"Of course I was, he just caught me of guard."
Harry sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "So now what?"
"I…I don't know," she said shaking her head. "He assumes we'll start up where we left off. I…I'm sorry Harry, I just couldn't say no to him. He…he just woke up from a coma!"
"So…you're just not going to say anything?"
"What do you want me to say? 'Hey Ron, sorry you just woke up from a long coma, but we can't be together because I just fooled around with Harry on the couch."
Harry scowled. "So that's all it was to you?"
"Yes…no…I don't know!" She took a deep breath as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Ron hasn't been around for months Harry, you have. You've been right there every day since the war and…" Hermione looked at him with uncertainty. "What if Ron had been around? Would I be with him or with you?"
"So, you're saying that because Ron wasn't around, I was like some…fucking replacement?"
"No!" Hermione said horrified he would even think that. "Harry, that's not what I meant. I…I'm not going to go and jump into a relationship with Ron, nor am I going to jump into bed with you." She shook her head. "I have to see how I feel with Ron around, I…What if it's just lust between us? What if I'm meant for Ron?"
"You're not!" Harry shot back and then shook his head as he laughed harshly. "For crying out loud, Mione, you couldn't even wake him up! Luna did…not you."
"Don't be silly, that doesn't mean anything," she said although she didn't sound very convincing.
Harry sighed as he turned away from her, taking deep breaths as he tried to calm down. "So let me see if I got this right." He turned back around to face her. "You want to go on like nothing happened between us and see how you feel. You want me to just stand back and wait until you make a decision on who you want to be with?"
"I want you to trust me enough to let me do this," she said as she took a step towards him. "I don't want to hurt Ron…or you."
Harry stared her down, wanting to shake her until she realized what she had right in front of her all along. "Fine," he finally said holding up his hands. "Take your time…figure things out."
Hermione's shoulders slumped with relief. "Thanks Harry…I really…"
Harry didn't let her finish. He reached out and pulled her roughly against his chest. She looked up at him with wide eyes as she placed her hand on his shoulders. She tried to push away, but his arm that was wrapped around her the small of her back was keeping her securely against him. "Harry…"
"Do what you have to do Hermione," he said softly as he moved his head towards her. "But I'm not going to sit back and wait like a good little boy. I want you…and I'm going to do whatever I can to make you want me, too."
Hermione's breath caught when she saw Harry's eyes flicker to her mouth. "Harry," she begged shaking her head. "Please don't."
But he didn't listen. He closed the short distance between them by swooping his eager mouth on hers. If this was going to be the last time he kissed her, then he was going to make it one both of them would remember. She fought him at first, pushing against his shoulders as she tried to jerk her mouth away. He held on tighter and captured her chin with his fingers, keeping her imprisoned as he swept his tongue smoothly in between the seam of her lips. Her whole body went limp and she surrendered.
Harry kissed her passionately as he backed her up against the wall. He plunged his tongue deep into her mouth, over and over again as his hands groped for hers and pinned them up above her head.
She had no choice but to hang on for the ride. How could she deny him when he knew just how to kiss her? Could it be this way with Ron? She felt Harry expertly rub his tongue sensually over her own and moaned with pleasure. No. Not likely.
Harry took one last taste before making himself pull away from her kissable mouth. They were both out of breath as he lowered his forehead to hers. "You better go," Harry finally whispered. "Ron will start to wonder."
He then pushed himself off from the wall away from her and continued down the flight of stairs. Harry grinned when he heard her let out a growl of frustration before storming up the stairs.
He was absolutely crazy about her.