I Still Love You
Description: Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were the talk of the school in their Hogwarts school days: Not only were they very best friends; they were childhood sweethearts, too. But after they go their separate ways and life intervenes, will their paths ever cross again? Will the love that they've held secretly in their hearts ever be rekindled?
A/N: This story is much different from my usual writing style, so please read everything carefully, it kinda skips about. This story is based off of the song I Still Love You by the McRaes.
1941
Harry Potter was sweet on Hermione Granger-and the whole school held bated breath, waiting for the day when he would finally ask her to go to a Quidditch match with him or on a date to Hogsmeade for a butterbeer. Everyone knew that they would be the perfect couple: after all, their love was seen by all and they had been the closest friends for so long.
So it was to no one's surprise-but to everyone's pleasure-when Harry finally asked Hermione to go to Hogsmeade with him on Valentine's Day. The romantics said it was a day planned by God himself, the cynics said it would never last, but all were curious to see what would come about from Harry and Hermione going out together.
When Valentine's Day arrived, everyone from year three up went to Hogsmeade, many swearing they were only going for fun despite the fact that their eyes darted about everywhere, searching for the anticipated couple. Thankfully, Harry and Hermione were blissfully unaware that anything was out of the ordinary. In fact, the notion that they were sitting together at the Three Broomsticks, holding hands and laughing while sharing a butterbeer with two straws, seemed completely normal. True, they had never openly admitted their feelings for each other, but now that their love had been shown, it seemed like second nature to them both. All the girls of the school watched from the shop window as Hermione in her medium lengthed skirt and bobby pinned back bushy hair sat jiggling her Mary Jane clad foot, blissfully unaware of anything except her love's face. Harry was unaware of everything, too, as he watched the soft peached skin of the love of his life, her shining brown eyes, and her melodic laughter that filled the air whenever he spoke.
When it was time to leave, Harry paid for the butterbeer and walked with Hermione out of the shop, holding hands gently. They stepped out into the cold and walked up the hill before being greeted by a flurry of soft snowflakes. Hermione's cheeks were tinged pink with the cold, while Harry's dark hair was covered with the small crystalline forms. Hermione let go of Harry's hand and spun around in the snow, giggling with mirth and dancing to the beautiful rhythm with which the gift from above fell. She spun around abruptly to find Harry directly behind her. He took her two hands in his own and looked down into her eyes. She blushed out of necessary manners and leaned towards him. He leaned his head down slowly, slowly, slowly, until their lips were mere inches away. And then, to the delight of the watching school, Harry kissed Hermione, taking her breath and her heart away. When they broke away, her heart pounded and she knew that he was the one she was going to marry.
The next four months were heaven on earth for the couple. They spent every waking moment together, fishing in the lake, making cotton candy with an old machine, and taking moonlight walks underneath the stars. Before either knew it, graduation day was upon them, Hermione as Valedictorian and Harry as Salutatorian. They gave their final speeches and went to the Class of 1941 party before packing their things and preparing to enter the real world.
The night of the party, Harry and Hermione snuck off early, having scheduled previously one last walk around the lake. They walked silently, hand in hand, not knowing what to say to each other. Harry led them to a large boulder protruding over the lake and sat down, allowing Hermione to sit in his lap. They watched the moonlight glistening over the water until Harry tilted Hermione's chin up towards his head and looked into her glowing brown eyes. He kissed her soft lips and held her to his beating heart before letting her go with a sad look. Fear filled her eyes and she gave him a knowing look, asking him what was wrong. He told her that he had been drafted, and that in one month's time he would be leaving her behind to join the English army in fighting at the front. The very next morning, he would be leaving for training camp. She began to cry and begged him not to leave, knowing all the while that it was his civil duty as an English citizen and that to refuse would ensure a certain punishment. All she could think about, though, was the fact that Harry was her best friend and love, and the war would certainly tear them apart, separating them with distance, pressure, and possibly death.
Harry knew that Hermione would take the news hard, and it broke his heart to see the tears pooling in her eyes. He held her close, rocking her back and forth until she fell asleep from teary exhaustion. He held her and watched her sleeping until daybreak, when he conjured up a blanket and a pillow for her and left her reluctantly, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead before he went away down the twisting path of destiny.
When Hermione awoke the next morning, she found herself alone on the rock, her arm curled gently beneath her body and a pillow under her head. A lavender colored envelope sat in the palm of her hand. She sat up quickly and read it.
Dearest Hermione,
I love you so, so much, and I hope you will never forget that. It broke my heart to have to leave you like that last night, but I couldn't bear to have to say goodbye for what may be the final time. I don't have a long time to write; please pardon the fact that this letter is so short, but time could never allow me enough to tell you of my love. Don't forget to remember me, no matter what you do. How do I love Thee? Let me count the ways…
Ever Yours,
Harry
Hermione read the note over and over again, her tears staining the parchment. As the sun crept upon her, it made her face glisten with the tears she feared would never stop.
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Over the next month, Hermione wrote to Harry daily while he prepared for war. She wrote about how much she missed him for a week or two before she just wrote things such as the weather, or who was doing what, just filling up space as an excuse to stay in contact with him. Her letter writing continued for a year or more as her life went on without Harry. She became a trainee at St. Mungo's, quickly becoming a certified mediwitch two years later. As time dragged on, her letters to Harry become less and less frequent. He had replied to her letters at first, but after a year she had lost all contact with him. Finally, after faithfully writing for almost three years, Hermione tearfully wrote her last letter, sure that Harry must have been killed, having not written her back. Little did she know that all her heartfelt letters had been either lost or misdirected, and Harry had no clue that Hermione was contacting him. In fact, he gave up on writing to her, too, and began to live a separate life from the one that he had imagined at Hogwarts.
Hermione, working at the hospitals, fought to help wounded soldiers. One day in the closed ward, Hermione met Sgt. Steven E. Wright from downtown London. He was a wizard like Harry who had been wounded at the front. Hermione nursed him back to health, daily becoming more interested in him as his health improved. He had a great sense of humor and was a good listener and a good speaker. Hermione couldn't help but fall in love with him. True, Harry was still in her heart, but he had apparently forgotten her. When Steven was released, he asked Hermione to go on a date. They both fell in love, and, six months later, they were married in a small country church.
Meanwhile, Harry was touring Europe, seeing everything he could see. His heart was still with Hermione, but he tried to forget her as he met new and exciting people. He went to Ireland and met a beautiful girl, Katie O'Flaugherty. They married despite the fact that Hermione was still on his mind. Harry and Katie had a good marriage, producing three beautiful boys: James, Michael, and Tyler, and a porcelain-skinned girl named Lily. Steven and Hermione had a son named Harry James and a daughter named Laura Elizabeth. They both lived good productive lives despite the fact that their minds often wandered back to their first loves.
So their lives went separate ways; que sera sera.
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