Everytime I Hear Your Name
---------------------
Summary: When two people break up for reasons that aren't mutual between the couple, one of them usually ends up dwelling over the relationship that was lost. In this songfic, Harry and Hermione are those two people, and she broke up with him. And Harry is finally starting to get over her, or maybe not.
----------------------
Harry Potter finished buttoning the last button and tugged at the tail of his shirt to get out all the minor wrinkles. He ran a hand through his messy black hair and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. The wizard wireless was playing a muggle song, called `You and Me'; Harry didn't pay any attention to it. It used to be their song, but he wasn't going to think about it. It was the first night he'd been out with his friends since they broke up. He knew she wouldn't be there, her new life kept her too busy for friends, and apparently boyfriends, but he wasn't going to think about that. He headed for the bedroom door and passed his dresser where their picture was set on, among others. But he never gave them another look; he wasn't going to let himself think about her tonight. Turning the radio off, he shut off all the lights with a wave of his hand; he'd gotten pretty good at wandless magic. He apparated to Diagon Alley, and made his way down the street toward his destination. It was dusk, the last light left over from the sun was about to sink below the horizon, and the street lamps were beginning to flicker on. He looked around at the little shops crammed together on the blocks. So many of the places they used to go to. He glanced at the window of Flourish and Blotts, not giving a second thought to what he knew the signs in the window were for. Her book, her work of art, as he always called it. It should be called that, all great artists spent their time on their work, and that was just what she did, spent all of her free time writing that book. It was a wonderful piece of work, all the work she put into it went to good use. But he just wished it hadn't taken her from him, but he wasn't going to think about that tonight. He reached the newly opened little club at the end of the street. Upon entering, he immediately spotted his best friend's fiery head of hair, and his wife, and waded through the crowds over to his friends. Ron saw him and stood.
"Harry! You made it! We were beginning to think you weren't coming."
"Nope, I said I would, and here I am." Ron's wife, Luna stood for a hug, which Harry bestowed.
"It's good to see you again, Harry. We've missed you," Luna said.
"You were all right, it was time for me to stop moping around."
"Exactly, and on that note, there's someone I want you to say hello to, Harry." Harry sighed.
"Ron, just because I'm here, doesn't mean I need to meet every single eligible witch I see."
"No, you've met her already. Here, I'll be right back, I've got to go find her." Ron left, and Harry and Luna sat down.
"Who is he looking for?" Luna smiled.
"You'll see."
"But I've met her?"
"Yep. A long time ago. I think you probably met her when you were eleven." Harry's expression fell into a frown. Not her. He couldn't handle seeing her tonight. Luna sensed that's what he was thinking and said quickly,
"No, no, no, Harry, not her. Someone else. Do you really think we'd bring your ex-girlfriend here to meet up with you the first night you're out since the break up?"
"No. But I told myself I'm not going to think about her tonight."
"Good for you. Plus, it's not like she'd come anyway, she's so busy with all the publicity from her book." Harry nodded, and glanced up, only to freeze when he saw his friend return with the girl he'd promised. She smiled.
"Hi, Harry." He recognized her immediately. Who couldn't forget that fiery red head that he used to date way back in sixth year?
"Hey Ginny. So you're the girl I'm supposed to meet tonight." Ginny smiled and was about to answer, but Ron beat her to it.
"Yeah, Ginny's in about the same boat you are, Harry, she just broke up with a guy too, and when she came to visit today, I thought, why doesn't she come with us tonight?"
"I…don't really want to talk about it, Ron, could you drop the subject?"
"Yeah, sure. But really, Ginny, you're a hell of a lot better off without Malfoy."
"I said I didn't want to talk about it, Ron, don't mention him." Ron stopped when his sister glared at him.
"Anyways, how about them Cannons?" Ron said, changing the subject. Later that evening, while Luna and Ron were dancing, Harry and Ginny were sitting talking.
"I'm working at the Prophet now, trying to dodge covering that damn book coming out, but it looks as though my boss'll make me cover the story, with the interviews and press releases and everything. Because according to him, the public wants to know all about the recollections of the defeat of the Dark Lord told firsthand. Why couldn't you have written it, I'd much rather work with you than her."
"How come you don't like her anymore? You two used to be really good friends in school."
"I don't know, she just irritates me. I guess it all started when you and her started going out in your seventh year, always going off, find Horcruxes together, and I just got jealous, and the jealous built up inside of me for months, I just began to hate her, and I still do, but I don't think for the same reasons anymore." Ginny looked at her watch, and sighed. "Well, Harry, I should get going, I've got to get up early in the morning." They both stood up and hugged.
"Hey, Ginny, would you like to go out sometime?"
"Sure, here, I'll give you my number, you can call me." She pulled out a pen and wrote her number on a napkin and handed it to him.
"I'm home after five."
"Alright, I'll give you a call. See you later."
"See ya."
Finally got over that song of ours; stopped chasin' little red sports cars,
To check the license plates and back wood drivin' by your place.
Back makin' the rounds at our old haunts: Honky Tonks, restaurants.
And seein' some of our old friends: it feels good to dance again.
And I can finally smell your perfume and not look around the room for you.
And I can walk right by your picture in a frame and not feel a thing.
Ginny left, and soon after, Harry left with Luna and Ron. On their way back to the apparation spot, Ron and Luna were talking, and they stopped when they came to Flourish and Blotts, and looked at the picture in the window. Harry didn't look at her smiling back at them, a modest smile, obvious to everyone that she didn't really like all the attention.
"I still can't believe she wrote a book, she's famous, almost as famous as Harry."
"I always knew whatever her profession would be, it'd be something to do with books."
"I'm happy for her, happy she's a success, but I just wish that to get there, she didn't have to leave behind her friends."
"That's Hermione Granger for you though, she's changed. Friends are only something that would get in the way of success, there's never any time for them anymore. Right Harry?" But Harry wasn't listening. He was doing fine all evening long, kept telling himself he wouldn't think of her, then he heard her name. Memories came back to him, and he was back where he was six months ago, when they were together, when he was happy.
"Look, Harry, it's raining." Harry stood behind Hermione and wrapped his arms around her.
"Looks like our walk will have to be postponed for another time."
"Who says?" Hermione said, leaning around to look at her boyfriend.
"Well, you did, you said it's raining. And you're right, it's raining, actually, scratch that, it's pouring."
"We can still go for a walk." Hermione pulled herself from Harry's arms and grabbed his hand, dragging him toward the door.
"But it's raining outside, `Mione," He whined. Hermione laughed.
"What, are you going to melt, Mr. Potter?"
"I just might, you never know."
"No, only wicked witches and wizards melt in the rain, and you're not wicked."
"Oh, but I could be. I could show you just how wicked I am." He gave her a mischievous and seductive grin. Hermione smiled and rolled her eyes.
"Harry James Potter, is that all you think about? Sex?"
"No, I'm thinking that that walk in the rain might not be such a bad idea with you in that white shirt." Hermione smacked him on the arm. She pulled out her wand and pointed it at her shirt. It instantly turned black. She gave him a smug look.
"There, ha."
"Oh, I'll get you for that." Hermione turned and ran outside, Harry close behind her. When he finally caught up to her, he got a chance to show her how wicked he could be.
------------
"Harry, do you ever think about the future?" Harry and Hermione were lying outside in the grass at Hogwarts staring up at the clouds passing over them.
"Of course, I think everyone does at point in time."
"What do you think about?"
"I think about…us, being together, I think about what I want to do with my life, if I ever get a chance to live passed the day I face Voldemort." Hermione sat up and leaned over Harry.
"You'll live, Harry, you're going to make it. And I'll be standing there with you, through it all, I'll be there with you to celebrate after you see his lifeless body fall, never to terrorize the world ever again."
"I wish I could be as confident as you."
"You can be. Just, think about what you need to do, think of all you have to live for, the future you want to have."
"I want that future to be with you."
"It will be, Harry, it will be."
-----------
"Harry?" Harry was brought out of his daze when he heard Ron call his name.
"You all right?" Harry nodded.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing." He started to walk away, and Luna and Ron gave each other uneasy looks before following him.
But when I hear your name,
I feel rain fallin' right out of the blue sky.
And it's the fifth of May, and I'm right there starin' in your eyes.
And nothin's changed, and we're still same.
And I get lost in the innocence of a first kiss,
And I'm hangin' on to every word rollin' off of your lips:
And that's all it takes, and I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.
*~ 3 Months Later ~*
"I think it's great that you've found someone new, Harry." Harry nodded and took a drink of his butterbeer. He was talking with Molly at the Burrow, he was helping celebrate the fourth birthday of Ron and Luna's first child, Julia.
"And I'm really happy that that someone new is my daughter. I always thought you two seemed to go good together. You're just what she needs to get over that horrid Malfoy boy."
"Oh, Draco Malfoy's not all that bad anymore. He's changed, Molly."
"That's what Ginny keeps telling me, but I refuse to believe it. But anyways, that's all in Ginny's past, what's present is you two. You know, you remind me a lot of how your parents were at your age."
"Really?"
"Yes, you're a lot alike. Is there a possibility of wedding bells in the near future?"
"Well, it's way too soon to be talking about that, Molly. We've only been going out for three months."
"But you've known each other for so much longer than that."
"Molly, I never asked Hermione to marry me, and we were going out for three years, I'm not about to ask Ginny after three months. I'm sorry."
"But you two weren't meant to be. Oh, I've got to go, Julia's about to open presents. Are you coming?"
"Yeah, in a little bit." Harry went back toward the house, where he found Remus sitting in one of the lawn chairs.
"Mind if I join you?"
"Go ahead." Harry took a seat in the other chair and they both stared out at the party.
"Don't you want to go join everyone?"
"Not really, I should ask you the same question."
"I'm tired of everyone talking to me about Ginny. I want them to leave us alone." Remus smiled.
"You know that'll never happen, Harry. Especially with Molly."
"She was just talking to me about Ginny. She asked if there were wedding bells in the near future." Remus laughed.
"What did you tell her?"
"I wasn't going to ask her yet, it was way too soon to be talking about weddings."
"Good, I'm glad to hear that."
"She told me that Ginny and I remind her of my mum and dad."
"The only way you are similar to your parents is your appearance. Other than that, Ginny Weasley is nothing like Lily Evans. Though you are a hell of a lot like your father. If you want my opinion who is very much like your mother, you know who'd I say?" Harry nodded.
"Let me guess, the one I let get away." Remus nodded.
"I always thought you two would get together and stay together, and not because you reminded me of Lily and James, but because she seemed the right person for you."
"Oh well, that's over and done with, and I'm not gonna think about her. It took me too long to get over her, and I'm not going to think about her."
---------------
"Did you have fun today?"
"About as much fun as you can have at a little kid's birthday party." Ginny smiled and leaned her head on Harry's shoulder. She sighed.
"What's the matter?" Ginny sighed again.
"Nothing, just thinking."
"What about?"
"You wouldn't want to know about it."
"Try me."
"No seriously, Harry, you don't want to know. I mean, what boyfriend would want to know when his girlfriend is thinking about her ex-boyfriend?"
"Oh I see." Ginny sat up.
"See, I told you, you don't want to know."
"You still love him, don't you?" Ginny shrugged.
"No."
"Liar. I can see it in your eyes." Ginny sighed yet again.
"It doesn't matter, I'm not with him anymore."
"But you want to be."
"I want this to work between us, Harry, but…"
"But if you and Malfoy are meant to be together, then what's the point of trying to make this work between us?"
"I don't know if he's who I'm supposed to be with, what if I'm supposed to be with you?"
"Then it wouldn't be this difficult." Ginny smiled.
"When did you get so insightful about these things?"
"I used to date a girl who read all the time, it was bound to rub off on me."
"Do you ever wonder if you did the right thing? Breaking up with her?"
"Actually, she broke it off with me. But yeah, I used to. But I tell myself not to think about her anymore. Because I know if I do, I'll never stop." Ginny nodded and smiled. Harry said, "You know what I think Ginny?"
"What?"
"I think you should go work it out with him."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"You know, I think I just might."
"Let me know how it goes."
"I will. And thanks, Harry."
Got someone special in my life: everyone thinks she'd make a great wife.
Dad says he thinks she's the one: reminds him of Mom when she was young,
But it's way too soon to be talkin 'bout rings; don't wanna rush into anything.
She's getting over someone too, kinda like me and you.
And she talks about him every once in a while, and I just nod my head an' smile,
'Cause I know exactly what she's goin' through: yeah, I've been there too.
After Ginny left, Harry turned on the TV to watch the wizarding news. It was mostly the every day news, so and so did this, so and so did that, gave some money for it, etc. Getting to the entertainment, he heard the newscaster say her name.
"We're here with Hermione Granger talking about her new book that was just released a few days ago. How are you this evening, Hermione?" Harry looked up and saw his ex-girlfriend's beautiful face on the screen as she smiled.
"I'm just fine, Ken, just fine, I'm happy to be here." The interview went on to talk about the book, and what her inspiration was to write.
"Well, I've always wanted to write since I was a little kid, and I've been addicted to the written word for as long as I can remember, so becoming an author was just a long time coming, I guess."
"But what made you write this particular book?"
"Ken, if you had seen all the things I've seen, you'd want it written down too so history knows the truth, not just bits and pieces that they've taken and manipulated to make it more pleasing to the viewers' wants. I've seen what happens when rumors and legends overpower the truth, and I didn't want that to happen with this whole world-changing event. I wanted to paint the picture of what the people were like, their struggles, and what it was like to see Voldemort fall."
"People have said this book is all part of a publicity stunt both for you and for Harry Potter, what do you have to say about that?"
"That's it's a lie. I just told you why I wrote the book, it has nothing to do with publicity. Believe me, the publicity is the last thing on my mind with this book."
"What does Harry think of this book?"
"I don't know, I haven't spoken to him in a long time. The last time I saw him I was still in the middle of writing."
"But I thought you two were an item?"
"You know, I really don't want to get into my personal life like this, Ken. It's none of anyone's business but my own and his."
"Well, we're almost out of time, so we'll say goodbye to Miss Granger, and thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule and speaking with us."
"Thanks, Ken."
"And that's our broadcast for this evening ladies and gentlemen, tune in tomorrow for our broadcast at six." Harry tuned the TV out once Hermione's interview was over, the mention of his and her relationship got him thinking and remembering again.
"Here, read this." She handed him the page she had just written, and he took it and read it.
~ When I look back on how we were then, I can't believe what we've become, and how much we've lived through. When I first started school, I was excited about learning magic, being able to do spells and enchantments, and learning all about the history of the world that I had been oblivious to three months prior. I never thought I'd befriend two boys; one who was destined to defeat Voldemort, a destiny that he'd been given since the day the bastard killed his parents. I never thought that at the end of the year, we'd fight to keep Voldemort from gaining the Sorcerer's Stone, to keep him from killing the muggle borns in our second year with basilisk turned loose in the school, that in our fourth year, Harry would battle for his life and witness Lord Voldemort's return to his body, that in our fifth year, we would face Voldemort again, and lose one of our friends, that in our sixth year, we'd deal with the death of our headmaster at the hands of our Potions master, and that in our seventh year, we'd go on a hunt to the ends of the earth searching for pieces of Voldemort's soul, and to witness his death that spring. When I think back on all that, I can't believe that we've lived. And not only lived, but have become different people that who we were when we were young, naïve, and ignorant eleven year olds. Thieves, spies, murderers. That's what we had become by the end of the war, and now that it's over, we're on the mend, living each day as it comes, seizing what we've been given and never letting it go. ~ Hermione had a worried look on her face when Harry got done reading, waiting for his critique on her writing. He smiled.
"It's absolutely outstanding."
"Really? You think so?"
"Yeah, it's…amazing writing, `Mione. I didn't know you wrote with so much passion, but it doesn't surprise me that you do."
"I'm glad you like it. I was worried whether you would or not."
"It's great Hermione."
-------------------
As Harry's mind went back to those times, it kept recalling other times together with Hermione, and didn't bother to shut it brain off from those memories.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes, Harry, I'm sure. If we die tomorrow, I want to know that we lived all we could tonight. I want you to take the memory of tonight with you tomorrow, give you something to come back to. I know I will." Harry smiled.
"I will too." He continued kissing her, and they made love for the very first time, hoping that it wouldn't be the last.
-------------------
When Harry dodged the killing curse from Voldemort for what felt like the hundredth time that night, he leaned against a tree, panting, trying to catch his breath. Where did Ron and Hermione go? He hoped they weren't captured, or worse, lying dead in the woods. He heard Voldemort's mocking voice try and coax him out from behind the tree.
"Come on Harry, we've had this conversation before, remember, in your fourth year? Come out and play, face me like a man, not like a child hiding behind a tree." Harry didn't move, not yet, just wait a little while.
"Come out from behind that tree and fight me face to face, like the way your father died. He put up a good fight, Harry, but a Potter is never any match for the Dark Lord. Don't worry, you'll be with your parents and godfather and your stupid headmaster soon, even quicker if you come out from behind that tree." Harry was trying to think of what to do next when he saw them. Ron and Hermione were behind a tree on either side of Harry. Hermione looked pale and ready to pass out, Ron had a cut above his eye, and the blood was running down the side of his face.
"You're friends are gone, Harry, you're all alone, what are you waiting for?" Voldemort said, giving it one last try. Harry came out from behind the tree finally and pointed his wand at his adversary and shouted,
"AVADA KEDAVRA!!" At the same time, Ron and Hermione did the same and the three spells coming from the three wands combined and shot towards a shocked Voldemort, and hit him directly in the chest, killing him instantaneously. It was completely still as Ron and Harry took a couple steps closer to Voldemort's body to see if he was for sure dead. They both looked at each other and grinned.
"He's gone, Harry. You did it!"
"I couldn't have if you two hadn't combined the spell with mine. Hermione, he's gone! Look…" Harry stopped mid-sentence because when he saw Hermione standing where she was when she cast the killing curse, he saw the dark red stain of blood on her side and on the hand she was holding there to slow the bleeding. Her face was ghostly pale and without a single word and a glance at Harry, she started to fall to the ground, unconscious. Ron and Harry both shouted,
"HERMIONE!!" They both ran to her, and Harry caught her before she hit the ground.
-----------------
"Where am I?" Hermione said when she woke up in the hospital wing at Hogwarts.
"Hospital wing," Harry said.
"How long have I been here?"
"A few hours. Do you remember what happened?"
"Yeah. We killed Voldemort and I passed out. One of those Death Eaters used a stronger sectumsempra spell on me and sliced my side open. I guess I lost so much blood I passed out."
"That's what Madam Pomfrey said. Oh my God, Hermione, I thought I'd lost you."
"I'm fine now, right?"
"Yeah you are. But when you passed out there, and I saw the cut, I thought you weren't going to make it. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't."
"You'll never lose me, Harry. I'll always be there. I love you. I'll love you till the day I die. Even if we don't end up together or anything, you'll always hold a special place in my heart."
"I love you too, Hermione. Till the day I die."
--------------------
Now he'd done it. He'd gone and thought about her again. He had to see her. Had to talk to her. What was it the sign in the window of Flourish and Blotts said? Her book signing was tomorrow at four o'clock. He'd have to go, and be able to talk to her. And he wouldn't take no for an answer.
And when the conversation turns to you,
I get caught in a "you were the only one for me",
Kinda thought, and your face is all that I see.
I know I can't go back but I still go back.
And there we are, a point down by the riverside,
And I'm in your arms about to make love for the first time,
And that's all it takes, and I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.
The line into the bookshop stretched out into the streets when Harry got there. He was glad he thought of that concealer charm Hermione had taught him for when he went into crowds so that people wouldn't instantly recognize him because of his scar. He stood in line for over an hour before he finally got a chance to set foot in the store. At the back, he saw her. She signed a little note in the book, and stood for a picture with a fan. She repeated the process with everyone in the line. Finally, he reached the front of the line, and saw she looked just as beautiful as ever. Her genuine smile made her face glow, her curly brown hair falling past her shoulders, and her chocolate brown eyes sparkled like they always did. When it was Harry's turn to have Hermione sign his book, he slid it over to her, and without looking up, she said,
"Who's this for?"
"For my friend."
"What would you like me to write?"
"Um, what do you think?" Hermione gave an annoyed look without glancing up at Harry.
"I don't know, you know him or her…"
"Her."
"Her better than I do."
"Hmm, how about this, `Your friends miss you, and want to see you again, and wish you hadn't forgotten them while you became a success.'" Hermione's smile fell and she looked up. She recognized that voice. Her jaw dropped slightly. Even with the concealment charm on his scar and the sunglasses hiding his bright green eyes, she could tell it was Harry.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered. He shrugged.
"Getting my book signed. Why else would I be here? I'm just like everyone else. Are you going to write that down?" Harry said, nodding at the book, prompting Hermione. She wrote it, and handed it back to Harry and she stood, and the photographer took a step closer to take the picture. Harry put his hand up and shook his head.
"No thanks, I don't need a picture. It was nice to meet you, Miss Granger." He held his hand out for her to shake. She shook it, and when Harry let go, Hermione felt a piece of paper he left in her hand. She sat back down and opened it below the table.
Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron after your book signing is done. I want to talk with you.
Harry
Hermione looked up to find that Harry had disappeared.
So I'm thinkin' 'bout the words I left unsaid.
Stop tryin' the change the things I can't change.
In my heart I know you're gone, but in my head,
After the book signing, Hermione made her way to the Leaky Cauldron. It was the perfect place if you didn't want to be noticed. She exited Diagon Alley and came in the back door, waiting a little while for her eyes to adjust from being outside. She saw him sitting at a table against the wall, feet up on the table leaning back in his chair, a butterbeer in his hand.
"I was beginning to think you weren't going to come," Harry said when Hermione reached his table.
"I almost didn't, and I still don't know if it was a good idea to come. What do you want?"
"I wanted to talk to you." Hermione sighed and took a seat next to him. Harry took his feet off the table and sat up in his chair.
"What about, Harry?"
"About why we broke up." Hermione sighed.
"What?" Harry said, getting defensive.
"Harry, haven't we been through this?"
"Apparently not, because I still don't know."
"We grew apart! It happens sometimes."
"That's it? We grew apart? That's all you can say about it?"
"Well, what do you want me to say? That it was all my fault?"
"Yeah." Hermione glared at him.
"That's what you want, is for me to lie and say it was my fault just to make you feel better?"
"No, I want you to admit the truth!"
"It's not the truth, it wasn't even my fault!"
"Yes it was, you left me, remember?"
"Yeah, but I didn't see you trying all that hard to keep me from leaving."
"I couldn't, because that damn book took you away from me! I was a little tired of having a relationship with your answering machine!"
"If it was all my fault, if it was such a one-sided relationship, why didn't you end it?"
"I didn't want it to end, I thought that maybe once you finished with the book, that things would change. Shows how naïve I am, I guess. And you know, it wasn't just me that you ditched too, it was your friends, you don't even talk to Ron and Luna anymore. Ginny has to interview you for the Prophet and she's just dreading meeting with you!"
"Harry, you knew when I started this, that it would take up a lot of my time, and there would be all this other stuff I had to deal with, that I wouldn't have a lot of time to be with you and our friends."
"That's your excuse then?"
"It's not an excuse, it's just…" Hermione let out a noise of frustration. "I don't even want to discuss this anymore, Harry. Everything I say you're just going to turn back on me."
"That's it then, you're just going to give up?" Hermione didn't answer him.
"Cuz' the Hermione Granger I know never gives up at anything."
"That's the Hermione Granger you know, I don't even know that girl anymore. She doesn't exist."
"I think she does, she's just hiding, or has been pushed so far back in your mind that you've forgotten about her." Hermione stared at the floor, trying to fight back the tears that were trying to surface. She drew a shaky breath and looked up at Harry.
"Harry…I'm tired of doing this…I'm tired of fighting with you. I can't do it anymore," she stood up to leave. "Do me a favor, leave me alone, don't come looking for me. Get over me."
"I thought I had, until I kept hearing your name. I had stopped thinking about everything, pushed it from my mind, until I heard your name. I keep hearing it everywhere, and everything gets brought back to mind, to where I can't stop thinking about you anymore."
"Well, you're going to have to try harder, because I don't want to see you again."
"You don't mean that…"
"Yes I do. You're not the only one who's had a hard time getting over this relationship. Getting over you was one of the hardest things I've ever done. And I don't want to have to do it again. Goodbye Harry, I wish you the best." With that, she turned and left the pub, leaving a depressed Harry behind at the table.
I feel rain fallin' right out of the blue sky.
And it's the fifth of May, and I'm right there starin' in your eyes.
That's all it takes, and I'm in that place.
And there we are, a point down by the riverside,
And I'm in your arms about to make love for the first time.
And I can't explain, but I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.
Harry took his time coming home. He'd made detours on his way there, going to some of the old haunts they'd had as a couple. Finally, two hours later, he apparated home. When he stood in the living room, he finally opened up the book Hermione had signed. He hadn't read what she had written, and he found that she hadn't written what he'd asked her to write. On the title page it read,
I'm sorry for everything, and I'm sorry that this took me away from you. You'll always, always hold a special place in my heart. Good luck in the future, Harry.
Love,
Hermione Jane Granger
Tears began to form as he read what she had penned. Underneath her name she wrote a P.S.
P.S. Turn to page XII
He turned there, to the dedication page. It read,
To my best friends, the two men that have been there for me since we were eleven, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. We've been through so much together, and I know I'd never have made it through without your kindness, humor, strength and love. Thank you for everything, I love you both.
Seeing those words Hermione had written, mixed together with the note she'd written in the front and their conversation just hours before made the anger boil in him. He threw the book as hard as he could and it hit the wall with a huge THUMP and fell to the floor. He collapsed into his favorite armchair and ran his hands through his hair. Leaning his head back, he closed his eyes, the anger started to subside. He could've sworn he felt someone standing next to his chair, but figured he was just imagining things. It became clear that he wasn't imagining things when that someone spoke.
"That's no way to treat a book, no matter how pissed off you are." Harry's eyes flew open and his jaw dropped when he saw who was standing next to him. She tossed the book at him, and he caught it.
"See, now there's a dent in your wall from throwing it," Hermione said, giving him a stern look.
"What are you doing here? I thought you didn't ever want to see me again?" Hermione sat down in the chair across from Harry's.
"I got all the way home when I realized I was full of crap. And I also realized that I want to see you again, I don't want to cut you completely from my life. I still love you." Harry didn't say anything; he just let Hermione keep talking.
"You were right about that I've forgotten who I am. I kept telling myself that I was different from other writers because I wasn't caught up in the fame of writing a popular book, but in the end, I was just like them. I had cut my friends, my boyfriend, everyone close to me out of my life, and I had become a different person. And, you know, I don't really like that person much. She doesn't suit me. And you were also right about that it was my fault. I was distancing myself from you in effort to finish this book when I should've kept you close." When Harry again didn't say anything, Hermione went on.
"I'm so, so sorry, Harry. Can you ever forgive me? Can you give me a second…well, third chance?"
Every time I hear your name.
"Please, Harry, at least say something. Yell at me, cuss at me, hex me, just say something."
"I'm sorry too," Harry finally said. Hermione was slightly taken aback by that something that Harry chose to say.
"Harry, you have nothing to be sorry about, it was my fault."
"But you were right too, some of it was my fault, I didn't try too hard in keeping us from drifting apart."
"Maybe we're both at fault. Can we forgive each other?"
"I can forgive you if you forgive me." Hermione smiled.
"Done." Hermione nodded at the book.
"Did you read what I wrote?"
"Yeah, and it's not what I told you to write. That's not very good of an author who does book signings if she doesn't write what the fan wants. I hope you didn't do that on anyone else's book." Hermione smiled and shook her head.
"Well," Harry stood up and walked over to Hermione's chair. "Since we had a big fight, and we made up, you know what happens next, right?" Hermione laughed.
"You haven't changed a bit. Aren't you a little old for these immature trains of thought?"
"Hey, keep in mind, I'm still a teenager."
"How so?"
"My age still ends in -teen. I've only got only a few more months till I hit twenty." Hermione laughed again and stood up too.
"Well, I suppose then we should indulge those teenage urges then. Does that mean when you turn twenty that you'll abandon all these thoughts?" Harry shook his head.
"Never."
"I figured that." Harry gave her a feather light kiss; the sparks were still there, just as strong as ever. Without opening her eyes, Hermione smiled.
"I love you," she whispered. "I'll love you till the day I die."
"I love you too, Hermione. Till the day I die."
Every time I hear your name.
A/n: Hope you enjoyed this little (well not so little it's 18 pages on Microsoft Word) songfic of mine. I'd gotten this great idea for it when I had heard the song, Everytime I Hear Your Name by Keith Anderson on the radio. I absolutely love this song! Well, hope you liked it! Please review!!
Husker_fan_2006
-->