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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters; they all belong to J.K Rowlings and Warner Brothers. Although I wish I did lol.
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A/N: Well it's been eight months since I've written anything and I'm happy to say my writer's block is finally broken. I know most of you are waiting on updates from my other stories and I promise you I'll get to those sooner or later. But in the spirit of Christmas I've decided to come out with my very first holiday ficlet. It's not extremely long and I'm not exactly sure how long it'll be. What I can tell you is that it'll cover Christmas break and possibly a little bit after it. This is a pure romance ficlet with a little drama thrown in. They will be much fluff to come soon and in later chapters it will live up to it's rating. Once again this is a Harry/Hermione pairing so if you don't like it don't read it. Anyway I hope you enjoy this. Please review once you've finished - I love to hear what you all think! Enjoy!
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Silent Nights
Prologue: Speechless
Chapter 1/?
By: Sapphire Rose (aka Lily Flower)
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Soft heavenly eyes gazed into me
Transcending space and time
And I was rendered still
There were no words for me to find at all
As I stood there beside myself
I could see you and no-one else
When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe
I fell so deep
When I saw you
When I saw you
I'd never be
I'd never be the same
Only once in a lifetime love rushes in
Changing you with the tide
And dawn's ribbon of light
Bursts through the dark
Wakening you inside
And I thought it was all untrue
Until there, all at once, I knew
When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe
I fell so deep
When I saw you
When I saw you
I'd never be
I'd never be the same
With no beginning
And without an end
You are the one for me
And it's evident
And your eyes told me so
Your eyes let me know
When I saw you
When I saw you
I could not breathe
I fell so deep
When I saw you
When I saw you
I'd never be
I'd never be the same
- Mariah Carey, When I Saw You
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"How do I describe this feeling? Pure ecstasy, blissful, serene. The experience of floating away - away to another plain with you. Far away where we are alone; just the two of us in paradise. Giving so much, one to another, away from what keeps us apart. Where we can become as one; Holding on to our beautiful dream, the two of us forsaking all others. Together, wrapped in our love; swaying with the rhythm of life. Grasping what we can't have; pretending that it's ours alone. No bother from outside forces. Alone, just you and I forever more. But in reality, we must come back. Back to our senses and realization. Back to a world we wish to escape. Awakened to the truth of what's right. What's wrong and what is not ours."
- Becky Garcia, Forbidden Love
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Hazel hues would glance up towards the full moon, high up in the sky on a cold December night. The pure light of the moon shone bright through the misty clouds as an aura surrounded it. An eerie glow came down upon the girl's pale features, the light of the moon reflecting in her eyes. Its mystical hold captivated her all of her senses, it consumed her mind. Her heart longed for the one she knew she could never have. A sigh escaped those perfect lips as she wrapped the warm red blanket tightly around her petite body. She wasn't cold and yet a chill ran up and down her spine. Those hazel orbs never left the fullness of the moon. Her head would tilt back to lean against the wooden frame. Her legs were safely tucked under the blanket, arms wrapped around them. The warmth from the fire tickled her cheek warding off the cold December air.
Finally able to pull her eyes away from the moon, a simple glance around the common room brought her back crashing her to reality. It was past curfew but as Head Girl she wasn't worried about punishment. After seven years Hermione Granger wasn't just the rule abiding, know-it-all, bookworm everyone had associated her to in their first year. After seven years she had learned to bend on some of the rules. In this particular case, Hermione Granger had tossed and turned in her four poster bed unable to get a wink of sleep. Thoughts continually plagued her mind; ones she wished not to disclose at this time. She had retreated to the common room to clear her thoughts. A solitary book lied in her lap untouched. She had been about to read until the full moon caught her attention. She had lost track of the time. To her it seemed like minutes when in reality she had been sitting there for a few hours. Time had stood still in her mind. One gaze at the clock nearby told her it was close to five in the morning. She had nearly stayed up the entire night and yet Hermione wasn't the least bit tired. The sun would rise shortly bringing with it the new day - Saturday.
The weekend had arrived finally, much to the excitement of the student body. Where had the time gone? Into the mists of time she would have thought. Head duties only took up so much of her time, studying for NEWTs didn't seem as important to her as they would have before - she wasn't worried, preparing for Voldemort? She never whatever happened - happened. All she could do was prepare herself as best she could. Besides she had Ron and Harry by her side. Harry. She dreaded the fact that he had to face Voldemort alone. He would be the only one that could defeat Voldemort. The entire weight of the Wizarding World lied on his shoulders. She could only hope and pray that he came out safely and Hermione would do everything in her power to help him. He lingered on her mind for a few moments. Harry. That single word was on the tip of her tongue. She had a longing desire. A dangerous one at that.
Hermione could never be with Harry. It just wasn't meant to be. Hermione was currently with Ron but she couldn't break his heart. She knew if she left him to go to Harry he would feel the pangs of jealousy. Always in Harry's shadow - always his second. She couldn't do that to him. Hermione might not have loved Ron but she still cared for him. She fought these feelings for so long. Hermione outwardly denied them. But alas they had found their way through her armor. What was she going to do? The creaking floor boards from the boy's staircase caught her attention.
From her little nook across from the stairs, Hermione's glance fell on none other then the one that plagued her thoughts. For a reason she didn't know, Hermione held her breath when she saw Harry. Perhaps he wouldn't see her there shaded by shadows. And yet, as if the fates willed against it, the glow of the moon bathed down on her in moonlight.
Harry Potter had awoken with a start. Sitting up in his four poster bed, he raised a hand to his forehead, not because he was in pain but because thoughts had flooded his mind. With a single blink of his eyes the memory of beautiful hazel eyes filled his thoughts. The laughing smile, the soft creamy skin, the sweetest lips, and those eyes all came back to memory in that single blink. He couldn't get the feelings or the images out of his mind. A longing and desire built in the pit of his stomach. With a sigh he shook those thoughts from his mind. They were forbidden by all means. Many a night Harry had found himself dreaming the same thing each night. This night wasn't a difference. With a glance towards the four poster bed next to him his resolve returned to him. He couldn't act on these feelings, he wouldn't.
Glancing towards the clock that read five to five he figured he might as well get up. He had called an early practice that morning for Quidditch. Waking now would give him extra time to prepare. A leisurely stroll to the Prefect's bathroom would clear his mind from these thoughts, or so he hoped. Grabbing his clothes for the day, he threw them over his shoulder. He ruffled his already messy locks of chocolate hair - it could use a cut. A yawn escaped his lips as he made his way down the stairs leading to the common room.
Taking a step into the seemingly empty common room, he was about to make his way towards the exit. Until those emerald green eyes fell on the one person that plagued his very thoughts - Hermione Granger. He stood there completely still. One thought consumed his mind - absolutely gorgeous. Never in all his life could he remember an image that captivated him so. The moonlight only enhanced her beauty in his mind. Harry hadn't realized the perfect silence that had entered the room.
Harry had spotted her, now what? Nothing was said. Hermione attempted to form a sentence but nothing came to her. Why did this have to be so awkward for her? She just wanted things to go back to the way they were before she started feeling for him. His voice was what broke her thought process.
"Hermione? What are you doing up so late or should I say early?"
"Couldn't sleep. What about you?"
"The same."
Silence returned and Hermione found herself fiddling with the book in her lap. She was currently telling herself to get a grip - this was just Harry - JUST Harry. He was just her best friend - that was it - nothing more. She managed a small smile in his direction.
"Where are you off to?"
"Going to grab a shower before I have to start practice."
For some reason the thought of Harry taking a shower sent a thrill to her very soul. Unconsciously she bit down on her bottom lip and instead of answering him she just nodded along. Glancing down at the unopened book in her lap she had to tear her eyes away from him. It was getting harder and harder to bring up the familiar armor around her entire being. But she had to. It was the only way she could put any sort of distance between them.
"I should let you go then, wouldn't want to keep you."
"Yeah…"
Hermione stood up from her perch, tucking the book under her arm as she tried to make her way past him towards the girl's staircase. She was confused and that confusion only grew when she felt the gentlest of touches to her arm. He didn't even have to turn her to face him; she did it anyway, glancing up into those pools of emerald eyes. Her breath was caught in her throat. A similar reaction from him had been masked that Hermione hadn't noticed.
"Is - everything - alright Hermione?"
His voice couldn't be anymore more soothing. It washed over her entire body. She felt weak at the knees - how clique? She wished she could tell him everything that was on her mind, wished she could tell him how she truly felt. But she couldn't. It wasn't right. She hadn't noticed the pauses in his question. To her this was just friendly concern. If only she had looked more carefully into his emerald hues, but she hadn't. Reluctantly she shook her head in response.
"No everything's fine."
And before he would be able to say another word she dashed towards the girl's staircase and climbed the stairs all the way up to her dorm. Quickly Hermione closed the door behind her as she leaned her back against it. It was the only thing stopping her from going back down to him and pouring her heart out. She was about to give into him - she almost did. She couldn't wait for Christmas break, Harry was supposed to go away during the Christmas break that year and Ron was going to Romania with his family. She had opted out, claiming that studying for NEWTs was more important. Only a few more days and she would be left alone in the Gryffindor Commons, away from Harry. Just a few more days and she would be safe from doing anything she would regret later.
Back in the common room Harry was just as dazed as Hermione. Part of him wanted to chase after her but he knew if he had he wouldn't be able to control what happened next. Sighing he made his way to the exit, pushing open the painting and making his way through the hallways of Hogwarts.
Oh Hermione…
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A/N: And that's it for now. Originally this would have been a one-shot but I decided to stretch it. Hence why it's a short chapter. More to come soon and I promise you won't have to wait forever for an update. So with that I'll be closing out. Please remember to review once you're finished - I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!
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Created on ... December 05, 2006