It's all in the stars . . .
As the sun set slowly below the horizon, Harry Potter walked to the top of a nearby hill. He strolled along, making his own path through the tall knee length grass, glancing at the nearby trees; their leaves sitting stagnate on their branches. The hill he approached was a few minutes walk from the Burrow, and as he stopped at the pinnacle of the knoll, Harry watched the daylight die in the sky, as it surrendered itself to the darkness of night.
He was alone, and stood silently. He just turned of age in the wizard world, and was spending the rest of the summer with his living family; the Weasley's. They were always the closest thing to his real family, and he always felt grateful that he met Ron in first year.
Harry was trying to calm his mind. His mentor, the old man he always looked for to advice and the right answer, Albus Dumbledore, was dead. He passed only a month earlier, and the reality was still hitting Harry hard. Since the Headmaster's death, Harry's mind was reeling with the prospect of completing his quest to destroy Lord Voldemort alone. He knew his friends Ron and Hermione would help, but not having Dumbledore there made the task seem impossible.
He just finished his evening meal with the Weasley's, and his friend Hermione. She was staying with the Weasley's as well. The meal went nicely, and Harry masked his true emotions, as he usually did these days.
Harry felt lost in the frenzy of events that occured over the past two years. In that time, he learned of the Prophecy, and he lost both Dumbledore, and his godfather Sirius. Sirius' death always hung over him like a rain cloud, because regardless of what people told him, not matter how many times, he still felt he was the cause of it.
As stars began to poke their way into the amethyst sky, Harry took a deep breath of the cool summer air, and looked to the ground. The ground held no rocks, only course grass. It was shorter on the top of the hill, and only reached Harry's ankles. Harry crouched down, and lay down on his back, so he could watch the stars come into place. He stretched out his legs, and allowed his head to fall gently into the grass so it was pointed upwards towards the heavens.
The ground was cold, but soft from the grass. A slight dew covered every blade, but Harry didn't mind getting a little damp. He looked high into the night sky, and found the one star that currently existed in the violet sky, and wondered why his life couldn't be as simple. To have a normal life, his mother and father, and no scar on his head. It was because of that scar that caused all these problems in his life.
Harry closed his eyes, and tried to shut his mind, emptying it of all its problems. He should have no worries now. Finding Horcruxes and defeating Voldemort would not be happening tomorrow, so he should take this time and not worry. It was hard though. As he opened his eyes again, and stared at the stars as they came into place, he kept being reminded of Dumbledore and Sirius, and just how alone he really was.
He lay there for hours, or at least it felt like it. The obsidian night was speckled with stars. Harry gazed at them, and felt like he was falling into the sky. A light wind gushed, and the leaves on the far off trees broke the silence quietly, and he closed his eyes, his mind continuing to morn the loss of Dumbledore and worry over the monumental tasks that lay ahead of him.
`Harry?' a soft voice said from a short distance. Harry opened his eyes slowly, to see a shady figure standing nearby.
`I'm here' he said quietly, closing his eyes again. The rustling of grass could be heard, and Harry felt someone lay down next to him. He opened his eyes, and smiled at the young brown haired woman, who smiled back lightly. She turned back, and fixed her eyes on the stars above, saying nothing to the green eyed man she lay next too. She stared for a few minutes before speaking.
`Have you ever wished upon a star?' Hermione asked wondrously, still looking skywards. Harry glance over.
`Too many times' he admitted. It was true. He had, in fact, already wished on a star high above them, one of the brighter ones. He wished for things this next year to be alright. He hoped, in wishing for something simple, the chances of it coming true would be higher.
`I do too, more these days than ever. Do you think wishes can come true?' she asked, folding her hands on her stomach, and looking at Harry calmly.
`I don't know' Harry answered pessimistically, his eyes going back to reading the night sky. Hermione remained quiet, and they continued to sit in quietness, the stillness of the night surrounding them entirely.
`I know why you're up here' Hermione stated all of a sudden. Harry turned his head to see Hermione giving him a thoughtful look. He gave an understanding smile.
`I just can't see how I'll do it' Harry said, still looking at Hermione. She moved her hand over, and grasped his. Her hand was warm, and was surprisingly steady. Harry hadn't noticed his hands were shaking until her hand was placed in his.
`It's not just you that will do it Harry, we both will' she responded tenderly. Harry was glad she came. Somehow, he had a feeling that she purposely waited coming out here to find him. When he left the table after dinner, he told everyone he was just going for a short walk, and would be back. Hermione said she would come, but Harry asked to go alone. He needed the time alone, but was glad she was there with him now.
`Thanks Hermione.' He gave her hand a squeeze, and she smiled at him, putting her head on his shoulder, and moving closer to him. Harry would normally ask what she was doing, but it felt so right to have her there like this, the stars above, the grass swaying slightly, making no noticeable sound. He moved his left arm over, and placed it behind her neck. She moved slowly, and sighed softly as she placed he head on his shoulder, cuddling up close to Harry.
`Are you alright?' Harry asked hesitantly. Hermione was his friend, but she was getting very close. It felt so natural to Harry though, as if they always did it, but he wanted to make sure. Hermione closed her eyes again, and took a breath, moving her hand that still clasped Harry's onto her stomach. Harry felt shivers in his chest at the move, and was sure his hands were shaking more.
Harry always liked Hermione, and over the summer, he came to like her in ways that were more than a friend. He found certain things about her just made his mind turn to jelly, and his feet and hands tingle. Her trade mark bushy hair, which at first looked slightly crazed, now reminded him of how different and wonderful she was compared to everyone else, and what set her apart from other girls, physically that is. Plus, he did like how it looked when she walked, it slowly swaying from side to side, or when she studied or read and it cascaded down the sides of her face and framed it perfectly. Her brown eyes could be warm and caring, passionate and determined, all at the same time to Harry, and he could never grow tired of looking into their depths. And although she wasn't shaped like Pansy Parkinson, Harry found when she was outside her Hogwarts robes, he had a hard time looking anywhere else.
`I've never been better' Hermione responded simply, curling up closer to Harry, her head right next to his. Her hair fell right next to his face, and he could smell the honeysuckle her hair gave off. His head swam in it, and his mind calmed down almost instantly. He closed his eyes, and slowly inhaled again, allowing himself to drown in the smell of the night, and her sweet flowery scent. He opened his eyes again, and gazed back at the stars.
This is what he wanted, and it took Hermione to do it. His mind was at peace, thinking of nothing else except Hermione, laying down next to him. He pulled her closer, and she gladly accepted, her hips lying slightly over Harry. Hermione moved her head up, towards Harry's ear.
`Harry' she breathed.
`mm-hmm' Harry replied.
`What are you thinking now?' she asked, looking back up at the stars.
`How much I like laying here' he admitted. She smiled, and her eyes looked back at him.
`I like it too' she said sleepily, nuzzling her face next Harry's, opening her eyes slowly, to see Harry looking right at her. They stared at each other for a moment, both beaming at each other warmly.
`Harry?' she whispered. Harry thought she looked beautiful, her brown eyes full of affection. Harry noticed she moved a little closer. Their noses were almost touching.
`Yes?' Harry quivered.
Little by little, they inched closer, eyes still staring into each other. As Harry came to feeling Hermione's breath, he closed his eyes. His body was shivering all over. His mind was worst than blank, it was lost. He couldn't think. All he could do was plunge forward, his trembling lips meeting a set of equally trembling warm lips.
As they connected, Harry felt like he was on a rollercoaster ride. His stomach was doing back flips, his chest, arms, and legs all radiating with shivers. He put his free hand to the side of her smooth cheek, and she placed her hand on top, dampening the shakiness.
Harry tilted his head slowly, Hermione doing the same, and they deepened the kiss, Harry's hand still shaking on the side of Hermione's face. Harry was absorbed in the kiss, it was all he could feel. The sound of the night, the feel of the grass, the stars above, all of it was not there now, only Hermione. It felt like this moment had been waiting for years to happen.
Hermione turned on her side, and her hand moved to Harry's chest. The kiss slowed, and they parted at what Harry felt was the perfect time. Harry opened his eyes slowly, to find Hermione doing the same. She raised her head only slightly, and looked down at Harry, giving what Harry thought was the cutest of smirks, her cheeks full and red, her eyes full of happiness, and her hair falling on either side of Harry's head. Harry could think of nothing more to do than smile back pleasantly, and she lowered her head, giving him a small peck on the lips, and placed her head back on Harry's shoulder. Harry's hands had stopped shaking now, and his free hand was happily holding Hermione's hand. His other arm was still placed behind Hermione's neck, but his hand was tenderly placed behind her, caressing the small of her back.
Harry couldn't believe what just happened. He kissed Hermione. More over, the kiss was just . . . amazing. It was a rush, but warm and everything he thought a kiss should be. He never could have imagined a kiss that was so wonderful, that just felt so . . . perfect. Hermione even knew just to give a smile afterwards, not to continue. One kiss, it was all that was needed on a night like this. Harry couldn't stop a wide smile from spreading across his face. Hermione made a very un-Hermione giggle, and Harry looked at her.
`What?' he asked brashly.
`See, wishes can come true.'
A/N - Thanks folks for reading, please review and let me know what you think! Thanks!
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