Breaking the Curse in Love
by faithful2thecall

Rating: PG13
Ship: Harry & Hermione
Canon: Books 1 - 6
Genre: Angst, Romance
Status: Complete
Length: 2,291 words in 1 chapter
Published: 14 Feb 2006
Last updated: 14 Feb 2006

This is just a little one-shot based on a Valentine's plot bunny that I was forced to AK. Harry feels miserable on
Valentine's Day about his seemingly cursed history when it comes to love of all types, and Hermione has to help him out
of it. Post-Hogwarts. Lupin/Tonks also present. MAJOR CHARACTER DEATHS referenced.

From the Unofficial Portkey Archive: https://portkey-archive.org/story/5759/

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1. Breaking the Curse in Love

A/N: Though I'm not a big fan of reading one-shots this little one-shot plot bunny popped into my head. I finally had to
shoot him to put him out of his misery. I'm still working on the next chapter of “The Music of Love” and will have it up
as soon as possible. This happens to be an extremely busy couple weeks of school for me.

Warning: Major character deaths

Other Ship: Lupin/Tonks

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies. The characters aren't mine. The plot is though.

Breaking the Curse in Love

Harry sighed deeply as Hermione sat down beside him in the living area of the flat that they shared in London. She
grabbed his hand reassuringly as she turned to look at him.

“What's wrong, Harry?” she asked, concern clearly etched across her face.

“If it wasn't for how cursed I feel at love, I'd feel even more pathetic than I already do,” Harry replied flatly.

“Just because it's Valentine's Day doesn't mean you have to get all depressed about not having a girlfriend,” Hermione
scolded him.

Harry looked up at her as tears formed in his eyes. “People I love either break my heart or end up dead,” he said
deflatedly.

Hermione gave him a reassuring hug. “Just because none of your girlfriends have lasted longer than two weeks doesn't
mean you're cursed at love,” she told him. “We all lost people in the war, Harry. They wouldn't want you to feel guilty
about their deaths. They knew what they were getting themselves into. Our parents, Sirius, Dumbledore, Ron, Ginny,
Moody, Hannah, and all the others. Not everybody that you love breaks your heart or dies, though Harry. What about
Remus? Hagrid? Molly and Arthur?”

Hermione paused for a moment before adding hesitantly:

“Me?”

Harry turned away before Hermione could see the look on his face. She would have seen a mix of emotions overcome Harry
as the tears started to flow freely down his cheeks. He knew she was right. He knew that those that had died in the war
wouldn't want him to blame himself, but he couldn't help but feel guilty. He didn't want to Hermione to see the pale
shade of red that appeared on his cheeks when she asked him if he loved her. He only wished that he could tell her how
much he loved her, but he was sure that she didn't love him the same way, and he didn't want to ruin things between
them.

Hermione knelt next to Harry and wiped his tears. “It's natural to grieve the loss of those we love, especially around
holidays, but we need to try to move on as best we can. We'll never forget them, but we can't let losing them keep us
from moving on with our lives,” she said softly.

Harry looked at her with a sad smile. “I know,” he said through his tears. “It's just so bloody difficult to do. I can't
help but wonder how things would be different if they had survived. What would Ron and Ginny be doing? Would we have
families of our own? Would I have…found love?” Harry asked before starting to cry again.

Hermione handed Harry some tissues. “I thought that you said that you weren't going to get back with Ginny after the
war?” Hermione pointed out.

“I wasn't. I was just figuring that if we hadn't lost so many people in the war, then maybe I wouldn't be so cursed in
love,” Harry said as he tried to regain his composure.

Hermione cupped Harry's cheek. “Don't worry, Harry. You'll find love when the time is right,” she reassured him as her
cheeks turned a pale shade of red.

Harry smiled weakly. “I suppose you're right, as always,” he said as calmly as he could.

“I'm not always right,” Hermione insisted. “I wasn't right about Draco sixth year, was I?”

“That's one thing I wish you were right about,” Harry said dejectedly.

Harry pulled Hermione up into a hug.

“I look bloody miserable right now, don't I?” he inquired.

“I was going to recommend that you wash your face before we go out for dinner tonight,” Hermione said with a slight
smile.

Harry couldn't keep from chuckling. “If I hadn't been hurt so many times, I'd say this is the most dismal I've ever
looked,” he added.

“Even with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks, you're still more fanciable than ever before,” Hermione said before
realizing the possible implications and covering her mouth.

“What did you just say?” Harry said in bewilderment.

“Um…nothing,” Hermione replied lightly.

“Don't lie to me, Hermione,” Harry told her. “You know perfectly well that you can't lie to me, because I know you too
well.

When Hermione didn't answer, Harry decided to let the subject rest, and left the room to go wash his face. He returned
to the living area a couple minutes later and found Hermione with her jacket on since they were going to a muggle
restaurant that they both liked.

Hermione drove them to the restaurant, since she was more familiar with driving. Once they arrived at the restaurant the
maître`d showed them to their typical table in the back corner, where they were unlikely to be disturbed.

As was their custom when they visited this restaurant, Hermione ordered the Caesar Salad and Harry ordered Fettuccini
Alfredo. They both ordered a glass of Merlot as well.

In the years following the battle, they had made a tradition of having a private meal together on Valentine's Day, much
to the chagrin of whomever they may have been seeing at the time. Their tradition had led to the end of more than one
relationship over the years.

Harry noticed that Hermione was having more problems than usual holding eye contact while they were talking. This struck
him as a bit odd, but he tried not to dwell on it too much, as he figured that she fancied somebody else and was letting
her mind wander to him tonight.

The thought left him feeling envious of the lucky git that had stolen Hermione's heart from him. Though, he did have to
admit that it had never really been his to begin with.

Harry sighed as he helped Hermione put on her coat. She looped her arm through his and they walked out to their car to
drive home.

Harry kept trying to inconspicuously sneak glances at Hermione on their way back to their flat. He noticed that after he
had done so three or four times that she had a sly smile on her face. She wasn't glancing at him, though…or at least not
to his knowledge.

When they arrived back at their flat, Hermione turned and smiled at Harry before climbing out of the car and making her
way inside. Harry followed her while trying to reign in his thoughts. The smile that Hermione had given him seemed
different than any of the smiles she had ever given him. Harry had no idea why it was different though.

Harry started a fire in their fireplace, and they sat down next to each other on the loveseat and made small talk for a
while. Eventually, Hermione placed her hand on Harry's leg. Harry glanced curiously at her and tried to act like he
didn't notice, but his efforts were unsuccessful.

“What's the matter, Harry?” Hermione inquired innocently.

“Umm…nothing,” Harry lied.

“You know perfectly well that I know that there's something bothering you,” Hermione told him. “Now, what is it.”

“I was…well…a…bit curious as to why you put your hand on my leg,” Harry stammered.

Hermione smiled up at him coyly. “Why should it make you so nervous, Harry?” Hermione asked sweetly. “I've put my hand
there before without you getting nervous. Is there something you wish to tell me?”

“No…No, nothing,” Harry stammered nervously.

Hermione smiled up at him knowingly. “Well, there is something I want to tell you,” Hermione told him in a tone of voice
that Harry had never heard from her before.

It sounded…husky, in a sense. Harry's mind went into overdrive at the thought that Hermione might actually want him to
be more than her friend. As much as he tried to pass off the thought, it refused to go away.

“What is it?” he asked weakly.

Hermione scooted even closer to him, so that their thighs were touching. “Harry, I can't keep this a secret any longer.
I've felt this way for years, but I have to let it out now. I know that you're going to find this hard to believe, but I
need you to trust me. I love you, Harry James Potter.”

She started to move closer, as if to kiss him, but he quickly stood up and walked across the room.

He turned back towards her with tears in his eyes. “Please, no, Hermione,” he pleaded with her. “Tell me you didn't mean
it. Tell me that you had a bit too much to drink. Anything. Anything but what you just said.”

Hermione crossed over to Harry and cupped his face. “I do love you, Harry. And I know that you love me too. I can see it
in how you treat me. In how you hold me. In how…”

“No, Hermione!” Harry cried out, interrupting her. “I don't want to lose you too! You mean too much to me! I couldn't go
on if I lost you!”

Hermione pulled him into a tight hug. “You won't lose me,” she told him reassuringly. “I'm not going to break your
heart, and I plan on living a long, happy life with you.”

“Our parents probably planned on living long, happy lives too,” Harry countered.

“Most people do, Harry,” Hermione stated. “You're not the only one who's had a tough life growing up. Lots of people
have.”

Harry turned away again. “You're going to change the wizarding world. You don't need the distraction of a family.”

Hermione grabbed Harry's shoulders and spun him back around. “You're my family now. Making it official won't be doing
anything but acknowledging the way things already are. Having a family won't distract me from what I'm going to do,
it'll give me someone to share it with. Besides, I'm not asking you to marry me now; I'm just telling you that I love
you,” she told him. “Though, I certainly wouldn't mind getting married to you,” she added under her breath.

Harry overheard her last mutterings and had to chuckle, as much as he tried to resist it.

There was a pregnant silence between them for a couple of minutes as they looked at each other while Harry thought about
what Hermione had said.

Hermione turned and started to walk away, but Harry grabbed her, spun her around, and quickly lowered his lips to hers.

The kiss was the most amazing thing that either of them had ever experienced. They tried to say everything that they had
been holding in for years in that kiss. Neither of them wanted the kiss to end.

Their need for air required that it did, however.

When they finally unlocked their lips from each other and regained their breaths, Hermione looked up at Harry with a
smile. “I suppose that means that you're willing to give us a try too,” she said cheerfully.

Harry smiled tenderly at her. “Yes, Mione,” he told her. “It was wrong of me to try to protect you in the way I was
trying to. I was also being thick by not realizing that you felt the same way towards me. Even if we weren't together,
you'd be a target for those who want to try to pick up where Voldemort left off because of your connection to me. I love
you, Hermione Jane Granger.”

Harry leaned in and they started to kiss again. He soon felt Hermione's tongue brush across his lips, seeking entrance.
He obliged gladly, and explored her mouth with his own tongue.

They were startled by somebody clearing their throat from the fireplace, and they quickly broke apart. They turned in
the direction of the noise, smiling guiltily, but holding hands to see Lupin smiling broadly at them.

“I believe Ron would have said that `It's about bloody time you two got together',” Lupin stated amusedly.

Hermione glanced up at Harry in concern and squeezed his hand, but he looked down at her with a smile.

“For once, he would have been right too,” Harry replied cheekily.

“I figured I'd pop my head in to see if the two of you wanted to join Tonks and I for lunch tomorrow. I was figuring I
might even `pop the question' then,” Lupin told them.

“I think Ron would have told you two the same thing he would have told us,” Harry replied with a smirk.

Hermione smacked Harry's arm playfully. “Don't tease poor Professor Lupin like that, Harry,” she scolded teasingly. “You
may make him lose his nerve.”

Lupin laughed, “Hermione, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me `Professor' anymore? Don't worry, though,
I've waited a long time for this moment, and I'm not going to lose my nerve now.”

Hermione smiled guiltily, “Sorry, I keep forgetting that, Lupin.”

Lupin smiled reassuringly. “Don't worry about it,” he told her. “That was all I dropped in to do, so I'll let the two of
you…enjoy…the rest of your evening.”

Lupin disappeared before either of them could say a word.

Harry smiled sensually at Hermione. “Shall we follow his advice?” he asked huskily.

Hermione winked at him. “I'm sure we will enjoy ourselves,” she replied seductively.

Harry picked her up and carried her off to his bedroom so they could enjoy the rest of the night…uninterrupted.

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