Do You Love Me?

Chapter 6 - Do You Love Me?

He was staring at her. She was getting ready for bed. She moved from her old bedroom to the bathroom across the hall quickly. She didn't even have a change of clothes. She had removed herself so completely from their house six months ago. He had to give her his pajamas and t-shirt. It irked him beyond belief.

The magical warp had yet to begin so Harry felt the anticipation of the event and nothing else. He would be in complete agony a few hours from now.

Only the bare minimum of words had been exchanged between the two during their ride on the Knight Bus back from the War Veterans' charity event. They ate their dinner in silence barely looking at each other.

Something was going to happen tonight and it would change everything about their relationship.

He loved her once. She loved him now. But until they were on the same page, until they saw beyond those neatly-scripted words and into each other's souls, there would be no moving forward.

He tapped on the cold marble floor evenly and equally. His prey was coming his way.

“Harry, stop staring at me.”

“Why?”

“Because it's bothering me.”

“Why?”

“I don't like when you stare at me like that.”

“Why?”

“Harry, stop asking me why.”

The dark tones of the living room loyally depicted the dark mood of their master. Harry and Hermione could barely make out the contour of each other's faces. Yet Harry's green eyes shone brightly even amidst the lack of light.

She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips in his pajamas. The pants were a soft gray that clung to her curves. The t-shirt fit her well though it was a bit long. He hated seeing her in his pajamas. It taunted him with something he wanted and yet with something that he knew that was forbidden to him. Tendrils and wisps of curly brown hair had escaped her hair tie. The gaze of her warm brown eyes disconcerted him. Oh, would she ever be his after what she had done to him?

And boy did he want to make her angry.

“I want answers.”

She had felt this was going to happen. He was trying to provoke her. It was so Harry of him. Yet he would never move so low as to insult her. He was sitting on the beige sofa as she towered over him. Yet witnessing the intensity of his gaze left none to doubt who was the master of the conversation.

“I don't think I'm ready to give them to you.”

Harry leapt up, paced awhile, and then turned to face her.

“Hermione, if you don't give me any answers, I'm going to stop waiting for you.”

“You can't give me an ultimatum,” she whispered.

“Watch me.”

The words echoed through Hermione's mind and she started talking.

“I was afraid.”

She looked at him and he saw tears in her eyes.

“Don't you dare cry.”

“What?”

“You don't get to cry. You don't get to act like the victim each time we have a conversation. You left me. You hurt me. You were the one who reached for my heart and pulled it out of me when you went away. No, you definitely do not get to be the victim.”

Hermione sank to her feet against a wall staring at the sofa and the ground behind Harry.

“I didn't know you loved me.”

“I asked you to marry me.”

“And that's supposed to mean something,” she asked fiercely looking up at him in indignation.

“I asked you to be mine forever. Yes, that bloody means something.”

“Everyone said we were meant to be. I hated that. Predictable. There was no magic to it. We would be Harry and Hermione. You didn't even have to woo me. That's it, right? Harry and Hermione are perfect for each other. Let them get married. How did I know you didn't feel the same way? Do you know how it was supposed to be?”

Harry gritted his teeth and stared down at her. He ran a hand through his messy, short, black hair only leading it into a further state of disorganization. There was a minor hint of stubble on his chin.

“Well, let me tell you. We were supposed to secretly pine for each other. Hoping and yet to scared to admit we were in love with each other. We would have misunderstandings on the way but we would always make it up to each other. You would fervently deny to all of our friends that we were in love because you would be too tentative about my feelings. I would gossip with my girlfriends about you. About how much I love you. Then lightning would strike. And one day, you would arrive at my doorstep in the rain, seize me and kiss me and ravage me. So that mind, body and soul, I would be yours,” Hermione recited unflinchingly.

Harry blushed at the extent of Hermione's imaginings.

“You've read too many romance novels. Real life isn't like that.”

“Who says it isn't? We're still learning what real life is about. Just because we've known each other our whole lives doesn't mean that you're not obligated to court me.”

“Woo? Court? We are not in the Middle Ages. Did this come in a job description that I didn't read?”

“It's not funny.”

“I'm not laughing.”

“We've kissed less than a dozen times.”

“You never told me you loved me,” Harry finally said. Merlin, he hated how weak he sounded.

Hermione closed her eyes.

“I didn't realize it. I was just so mad at you because I though you were taking me for granted. I love you, Harry Potter. I have since you saved me from that troll in First Year. When I moved out six months ago, I didn't realize I was giving up the best thing in my life. I'm sorry I suck at these relationship things. And I'm sorry that you're just as bad at it as I am too. Forgive me,” she said laughing bitterly.

“That's it? You're supposed to say that and it's supposed to be alright? Merlin, you didn't even look at me when you said you loved me. You didn't even look at me when you asked my forgiveness. You can't even look at me.”

Hermione opened her eyes and stood up. She approached Harry and grasped his shoulders.

“Harry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm only asking for a second chance at us.”

“Don't be condescending.”

Harry moved out of Hermione's grasp and once again he occupied the sofa he had earlier. Hermione kneeled at his feet.

“I don't know you anymore. Hermione, we fought once together alongside each other in the War and I knew and I felt completely that you were the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with but now I not too sure anymore.

“Hermione, do you now how many times I've told myself that I hate you and that I'm bloody Harry Potter and I can have any girl that I want.”

“Harry…”

“But I can't escape you.

“Yet this doesn't mean that you get to enter my life again without a price. You know that once a person has disgraced themselves in my eyes that I am not quick to forgive. I'm going to protect my heart this time.”

“So what do you propose we do?” she asked wanting to hold his hand, touch him, hug him and kiss him.

“Start from the beginning,” he said taking a heaving breath and cocking his head to one side.

Tentatively, Hermione reached out a hand. Harry shook it.

“Hi, I'm Hermione Granger. Healer and Resident Idiot.”

“Harry Potter. Auror. Aspiring romantic.”

Hermione couldn't help smiling at that one.

Harry knew they had a long way to go. He never said he had forgiven her.

(A/N): What do you think? Am I doing a bad job? I really did have very few reviews last time. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you too much.

So once again thanks to all of my anonymous reviewers, rainbow star, awaltzforanight, mushypeas, Julesy, Jester on Fire, Bra4goten, zam, alakazam, autumnRose, gingercat, harry_mione_love, CrimsonTemplar, Mrs. Felton, mathiasgranger, jennyberry_84, Kiera, NicholePotter86, Brimrin, MyUsedRomance, PrettyPrincessD, izzieq, Tank03, Minnimione, KataGrangerPotter, JordanLee, Hermy1, alayneni and debs.

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