Tim Colon Tim Colon 2 620 2003-07-14T04:05:00Z 2003-07-14T04:05:00Z 1 3834 21858 Personal Use 182 51 25641 10.3501 Clean MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
Disclaimer and Thanks: We all know I don't own Harry Potter. An amazing English lass named Jo Rowling does. I just take all her creations and try to do them justice.
Thanks for all the kind reviews. They really give some incentive to put out quality work! Enjoy the next chapter!
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Blinking his eyes, Harry Potter awoke to find himself lying in the grass. It took a moment for him to register where he was, and more importantly WHO he was with. In a rush, it all came flooding back into him, and for the first morning in a very long time, he did not feel the horrible hopelessness pressing in on his heart. The sorrow was still there, and the large part of Harry that had been forced to grow up early knew it would always be with him………..but now it was no longer the staggering weight that had threatened to crush him. Lying in the damp grass that sunny morning, he smiled. He wasn't alone.
Feeling the weight on his chest shift, Harry looked down and saw a brilliant pair of brown eyes staring back at him. A faint blush was on her cheeks, one he knew was mirrored on his own -- but there was also that small smile, the one that had driven him to distraction for years. God, he loved that smile; loved being the cause of it. Reaching out, he gently caressed Hermione's cheek. There were so many things going through his mind at that moment, and he wanted to say the right things to let her know what he was feeling.
Trying desperately to get a handle on his emotions, Harry bent his head and captured her lips with his own. Her eyes closed as his lips touched hers, and he marveled at how something like this, something that had been totally alien to him yesterday, now seemed as natural as breathing. He let himself fall into the kiss, opening all of his senses to her, letting her wash over him. Emotion coursed through his body: need, love, peace. He was AWARE of Hermione now; in a way he hadn't dreamt possible. There was a connection; felt, not seen, that went beyond words. When he pulled away, he knew what to say to her at last.
"You're amazing." Her blush deepened, and Harry let out a soft chuckle in spite of the tenderness of the moment. "And you are even more beautiful than usual when you blush like that," he said with an impish grin, green eyes twinkling. He marveled at his own daring. She made him WANT to make her smile, make her blush. It wasn't a new feeling; but he could now get past his own shyness to do it……….a little. He hugged her to his chest.
"Stop it!" Hermione exclaimed, cheeks flaming. Harry's chuckle turned into a full blown laugh. The tone was pure Hermione; she may as well have been lecturing Harry and Ron in the common room. Pulling her close to him, Harry smiled as he hadn't smiled in months. After a moment, when her cheeks had returned to their normal color, Hermione smiled back.
They lay there for several minutes, just reveling in the feeling of holding each other in the sunlight. Harry's only thought was that he wished he could save this moment, this exact moment, and make it last forever. He marveled that he could have thought his feelings for Cho Chang were love. THIS was love, wonderful and terrifying and exuberant.
At last he stirred, and was again met by those amazing eyes. "I love you Hermione Granger. I'll never be afraid to say it again. I was a fool to hide it for so long." He knew his face must be glowing like the sun, but he didn't care. He needed her to know.
"I love you too Harry. So much. All the times I nearly lost you…………." Her voice broke, and Hermione hugged him to her tightly.
"I'm sorry I have put you through all this," he spoke softly. "All the time I was so caught up in myself, in MY pain, that I never realized………I didn't see……….you were hurting too……………"
A finger on his lips quieted him. "It's ok. I think I was hiding from you as much as you were hiding from me." Her eyes bored into him. "But I'm done hiding my feelings. And I know now that telling you how I felt last night was the smartest thing I have ever done."
Harry's mouth turned up in a small smile as he stared off into the trees. "It seems like a dream now. I know its not, but part of me still expects to wake up. I'm done hiding, too." His face turned serious, thoughtful. "I don't know what is going to happen now. I don't think anyone knows for sure, even Dumbledore. But," he said, eyes looking up to meet hers, "I know we'll be together when it happens. I'm never letting you out of my sight again." He smiled again, and it lit up his entire face.
Hermione looked at him calmly for a moment. Then, smiling playfully, she turned around and started running back towards the Burrow. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Harry was staring but not following. Placing her hands on her hips, she called out in exasperation, "Well?! I thought you weren't letting me out of your sight again?" Arching an eyebrow theatrically, she dashed off into the trees, giggling madly.
Grinning, Harry took off at top speed, Hermione's laughter echoing in his ears. A moment later, an old man dressed in grey robes faded into view in the glen, looking down at the matted grass where the two teenagers had spent the night in each others' arms. Albus Dumbledore smiled wistfully, staring at the rapidly retreating back of the young wizard he thought of as his adopted son. May you know many more days and nights like these, he thought. If anyone deserves happiness it is you, Harry. The Professor only wished a different road awaited his young charge.
Flourishing his wand, the Headmaster of Hogworts murmured a spell and disappeared.
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Breathless, he finally managed to catch the surprisingly fast young witch near the stream he had crossed the evening before during his wild flight. Carrying her gently to the ground with him, he pinned her down and smiled mischievously. A wicked gleam lit his eyes as Harry brought his arms up………and proceeded to tickle Hermione senseless.
Oh, they had gotten into tickling bouts before, but this was different - Harry felt as if the golden sunlight washing over them both was being absorbed into his body. Fear, doubt, worry………..they were all consumed in the warmth of the newly acknowledged love in Harry's heart. It's been there all along, he realized. I just chose not to see it for what it was. I've been a fool. He vowed then and there to make every moment with Hermione count, starting now. Grinning, he continued his tickling assault.
She squealed in a most satisfactory way; very un-Hermione-like. She gave as well as she got though, and they were soon both gasping for breath, agreeing to call a temporary truce. Smiling, Harry gave her a quick peck on the lips, nothing like the earlier deep kisses they had shared. He discovered with interest that he liked both kinds. Kissing her made him feel alive; energized. Kissing her made him feel like………he was home. Right then he could gladly have stayed there with her all day, just kissing her until their lips were bruised and the sun was no longer in the sky.
Practicality won out however. Sighing heavily, Harry got to his feet and helped Hermione to hers.
"We'd better get back. The sun's been up for a while, Ron and everyone will be waking up soon if they haven't already." A slightly worried look, not quite panic, crossed his face. "How are we going to tell them? This is very…………"
"Sudden, yes." Hermione looked towards the Burrow, her brow furrowed in thought. So cute, Harry thought to himself absently. Mentally chiding himself, he focused back in on what she was saying.
"Mrs. Weasley already knows." Seeing Harry's look of surprise, she added, "Well, she knew I had feelings for you. I guess I couldn't hide it from everyone as well as I thought. So it won't be a surprise to her. I think Ron is the one we have to worry about."
Harry looked at her closely. She appeared worried; tentative. He made up his mind suddenly. "We'll just tell him the truth," he told her. "There is no reason not to. We are all best friends, I'm sure he'll be shocked, but he'll get over it."
She gave him one of her special smiles. "Let's go then." Looking down at herself with distaste, she gave a small noise of disgust. "We need a shower, fresh clothes, and food. At least I know I do. We'll tell Ron after we've cleaned up."
"Ok. Ready when you are." Holding out his hand to her, Harry waited for her to clasp it with her own before walking the remaining way to the Burrow and his adopted family.
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It didn't appear that anyone was awake yet when they made it back to the house. They separated at the side door of the living room, Harry moving upstairs quickly and silently while Hermione made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water. She had just turned the tap when the sound of a throat being cleared quietly behind her made her jump.
"Kind of early for a stroll, wouldn't you say?"
Turning around slowly, Hermione winced when she saw the lanky form of one Fred Weasley idly watching her from the bathroom door. He looked like a cat that had just been given an entire aviary to play with. Trying to remain calm, she gave him her best smile. "What are you talking about Fred?"
"Well, your clothes are wet, torn, and dirty. Your hair is a mess, and then there is the fact that when I went to bed last night and passed Ginny's room you weren't there. That seemed rather curious, especially when I found out Harry wasn't in Ron's room. I figured you two must have gone for a walk. Oh, he added, almost as an afterthought, I just saw the two of you walk up to the house from the direction of the woods too." He looked smug, Hermione thought. Panic rose inside her.
"I am not sure what you think you know Fred, but I assure you that --"
"That's enough Fred." The voice of Fred's mother cut through Hermione's tension like a knife. Letting out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, the young woman looked over to where Mrs. Weasley was now glowering at her son.
"If you don't hurry, you're going to be late opening your own store. George is off meeting with your distributors this morning. I swear, one day you'll learn responsibility, and I hope to be alive to see it!" Her tone was one of long sufferance. It amazed her that her sons had become so successful so quickly - they were already planning on opening another location of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Soon they would move out and get homes of their own, she thought with a tinge of sadness. None of those thoughts kept the exasperation out of her voice, however.
Hermione stifled a giggle. Fred, properly chastised, scooped the remainder of his slice of toast from the kitchen table, and after a final sly look at Hermione, disapparated without another word. Hermione suddenly became very interested in her shoes as she felt the gaze of the formidable Molly Weasley settle upon her. Expecting a rebuke to be forthcoming at any moment, Hermione opened her mouth to be the first to speak, but the feel of a hand on her face stopped her.
Tilting Hermione's head up to look in her eyes, Ron's mother smiled kindly down at her. "It's ok dear. I'll make sure Fred doesn't tell anyone about what he knows." Molly looked slightly flustered, but quickly calmed again. "I want you to know - I am happy for you and Harry. You have both been too lonely for too long. Be good to each other. And………break it gently to Ron. I think you know my son has had a crush on you for a while now."
Turning scarlet, Hermione nodded. "I don't want to hurt him Mrs. Weasley. I love Ron too, just not in the same way that I love Harry."
Ron's mother held up a hand. "There is no need to explain my dear. I know how these things work, and I know you and Harry don't want to cause Ron any pain. You may have to deal with his temper after you tell him, but he will calm quickly. I know my youngest son very well. It will be all right, you'll see." Surprising Hermione, Mrs. Weasley bent down and gave her a light kiss on the forehead.
"Ron could not ask for better friends. You will always be welcome in this house. Now, get that glass of water you're wanting and then go get cleaned up while I make us a spot of breakfast. You look a fright." Smiling kindly, the matriarch of the Weasley clan watched Hermione climb the stairs. Letting out a sigh, she sat down heavily at the kitchen table. She had seen this coming. Unfortunately, the foreknowledge wouldn't make what was going to happen any easier for her son.
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Feeling immensely refreshed after his shower, Harry made his way downstairs to discover breakfast waiting at the Weasley table. Ron was sitting alone at the moment, eating a large pile of scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast with orange juice. Mouth watering, Harry plopped down at the table and helped himself to a plateful of breakfast. He noticed Molly Weasley looking at him, a strange mixture of fondness and sorrow on her face. Uncomfortable meeting her gaze, Harry dropped his eyes and let his mind wander as he ate. After a moment of being lost in his own thoughts, he realized Ron was speaking to him.
"So what do you want to do today Harry? I have some money saved up, and I was thinking we could head to Diagon Alley and see what's new at Quality Quidditch Supplies. I am sure Hermione will want to visit Flourish and Blotts, and then we can…….."
Realizing Harry wasn't paying attention, Ron cleared his throat loudly. "You ok mate? You 're awfully quiet this morning."
Harry looked up from his plate with a panicked expression, dreading what was coming. He was about to open his mouth when Hermione walked downstairs, wearing a nightshirt and with her hair still in a towel. Harry thought she looked amazingly attractive. After a half-mumbled 'good morning,' she sat down next to him at the table, seeming uneasy.
Ron knew something was up, but he couldn't figure out what it could be. His two best friends were acting like they had been caught stealing. What the hell was going on?
Inside his head, Harry was trying frantically to think of a good way to tell Ron about himself and Hermione. Ideas were formed, scrutinized, and discarded just as quickly. How do you tell your best friend you're in love with your other best friend; that nothing will ever be the same in your sacred group of three ever again? Would any answer be good enough? Would he gain the love of Hermione at the expense of his friendship with Ron?
The answer came to him then; simple, appropriate, and perfect. Gathering his courage, Harry slid his hand across the table and slowly, calmly, picked up the hand of the woman he loved. Hermione gave a start, looking down with amazement at the hand holding hers. She looked carefully into his eyes, questioning. Harry nodded once, gently. Smiling, she nodded back. Together they both turned their heads to look across the table at Ron, eyes hoping, pleading.
Ron watched the exchange in silence and confusion. Why was Harry holding her hand that way? Why were they looking at him like that? It almost looked like -
"No." Shaking his head, the youngest Weasley male stood up abruptly, knocking the chair over in his haste. "No. What? How? No!!!!"
Stricken, Hermione reached out to him, eyes watering. "Ron, let us explain. Harry and I are…….."
"No!!!!!!!" Crying out, Ron fled up the stairs, slamming the door to his room. Silently crying, Hermione looked at Harry, her hand still held firmly in his.
"What have we done?" she whispered.
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"I'm coming in." Harry opened the door slowly, his eyes finding his male best friend as he sat near the window, back turned. He walked slowly over towards the bed, desperately wishing he could think of something to say, something that would bridge the distance now between them. I have to make him understand, he thought. There had to be a way to make him see! He stopped inching forward when he heard Ron speak.
"Get out. I don't want to talk to you right now Harry. Just go." The redhead turned to face him, eyes wet and all the hurt in the world in his eyes. "Go."
Harry hadn't expected this. Knowing Ron well, he had expected white hot rage, yelling, screaming, even perhaps a punch to the jaw. This was far worse. He wasn't prepared for this Ron. He didn't know how to deal with this……….coldness. Turning away, his own eyes watering, the young Gryffindor left the room, quietly closing the door behind him. He wished he hadn't heard the choked sob that left his friend's throat as the door shut.
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She found him in the back yard, standing near the Weasley's cherry tree. He wasn't moving - just staring off into the distance. Coming up behind him, she slipped her arms around him, wondering if he would pull away. Part of her was dying inside, and she knew if he did pull away, she would lose what little hope remained in her heart that this could somehow be made right.
When Harry didn't pull away, Hermione breathed a smile sigh of relief and dared to rest her head on his shoulder. She felt him relax in her embrace then, and his hands came up to clasp hers warmly.
"He's so hurt," Harry said. "I never imagined this would affect him so badly. I guess I suspected he had feelings for you, but not like this. Not like this."
"His mother is going to talk to him. She thinks he will be ok. Ron just needs time." A lone tear rolled down her cheek, falling on Harry's shirt.
"But what about us?" he exclaimed. "Will WE ever be ok again? The three of us? I mean………I knew this would change things, but I never thought he'd react like this."
"Let's give him the time he needs," Hermione told him, wiping her eyes briskly with the back of her hand. She was in her practical mode; Harry had seen it enough times to know. She couldn't hide the pain lurking just below the surface of the façade though. He knew her too well to not see it. She was looking at him rather intensely now, he noticed.
"Don't you DARE say we shouldn't have done what we did Harry. Don't you dare say you regret what happened last night. I will never regret it." She leaned in quickly and kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you Harry, and last night you told me you loved me too. We will find a way to make this work. Ron will come around, I know it."
He smiled then; the genuine smile he showed to very few other people. "Well, I am sure the smartest witch Hogworts has ever seen will find a way, if anyone can," he said playfully. God, even at a time like this, she could make him smile. Leaning in close to his new girlfriend, Harry tried to push his remorse aside as he gave her a kiss of his own.
They broke apart, still smiling. "Smartest witch, huh? When did Harry Potter the eternally tongue-tied around women learn to flirt like this?"
"You must be a bad influence on me," he deadpanned, trying to keep a straight face.
That did it. They both burst into laughter, realizing in their present situation, it was either laugh or cry. Hermione recovered first. An idea had come to her, one she was eager to see if Harry would agree with.
"Let's go for a walk in the woods. I can pack us some food; we can have lunch by the stream. It will give Ron's Mom time to talk to him, and hopefully he will be willing to at least talk to us by the time we get back."
Harry seemed to hesitate for a minute, but then he nodded and took her hand timidly in his own. She would never tell him, but she found it totally endearing that he could be so sure with her one moment, and then shy the next. She knew he wasn't totally sure how he should act around her in their new relationship, and that was ok - she wasn't sure either. But it would be fun learning.
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The rest of that morning was magical for Hermione. She and Harry walked, hand in hand along the water, talking about their years together at Hogworts; the laughter they had shared and the obstacles they had overcome, together and with Ron. She held his hand tightly as they spoke of Sirius: his gruff nature, his good heart, and ultimately his sacrifice.
As he spoke with Hermione, Harry felt the pain of his past lessen. It felt good to get his feelings out in the open with someone. She listened closely to him as he spoke, never interrupting him. She didn't try and make light of his grief. Holding his hand, she merely supported him by listening and showing she cared.
Harry knew he would always miss Sirius, always regret Cedric. But he thought he could try and move forward now, in large part thanks to the amazing woman he was now with that dared to love him. The more he thought about it, the more Harry realized what an amazing gift she had given to him. Not just herself, as precious as that gift was. This was more. Hope.
The rest of the morning passed quickly, and as lunch time came they spread a blanket near the water. Harry propped himself up against a tree that had managed to thrive near the water's edge, and was startled when Hermione sat down in between his legs, her back to him. They leaned against the tree as they ate lunch, not speaking very much at all - just enjoying each other's company. The water sang merrily over the rocks in the stream bed as it rushed past and quiet contentment settled over the young couple like a warm blanket. Harry found himself just looking at her, noticing small things for the first time: how one strand of hair always hung just ahead of her left ear, and how the freckles on her nose seemed to vanish when her face was screwed up tightly in thought (He found that painfully cute.)
It was sometime during his fascinating examination of Hermione's face that he realized she was staring back at him and had been staring for some time. How long exactly, he couldn't be sure. It may have been hours; he knew he could spend at least that long just gazing into those soft brown eyes………..
Harry felt as if he were outside his own body watching as his face came closer and closer to Hermione's. The kiss started out as most of their previous ones had; soft and sweet. He tasted her lips, reveling in the feelings flowing through him in a flood. Soon though, he slammed back into himself as he found that his body yearned for more. He wanted to devour her; jump into her skin. He breathed in the scent of her - she smelled like cherries, and grass, and the chocolate she had eaten with him moments ago. His need for her was a physical pain, raging through him. Moaning low in his throat, Harry deepened their kiss, daring to brush his tongue against her closed lips and feeling elation when they parted before his insistence. He felt his control spiraling away from him in a tidal wave of desire and desperate longing. The only sound was the rush of the water, the only witnesses the trees; the only people in the entire world him and her.
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Hermione was drowning in a sea of emotion and emerald green eyes. He was holding her so tightly! What had started as a gentle embrace was turning into something much more. Scared and elated, she followed Harry's lead as the kiss became something more primal. Her body was on fire, her love for him a tangible thing about them. A soft whimper escaped her lips as they tried to compress years of repressed longing into the span of minutes.
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It was going too far, and Harry knew it. He loved Hermione, but this was too fast. Wrenching his head away, he pulled her head to his chest and sat gasping for breath; for sanity. After several deep breaths, he started to recover. It was with some embarrassment that he realized in her position she would definitely be able to tell exactly HOW much he had been enjoying what they had been doing. He tried to move away, but to his surprise he found that Hermione wouldn't let him. She even settled more firmly on his lap. Looking deep into his eyes, she smiled in satisfaction. There was something more there too, he thought in mild disbelief. She almost looked……….smug!
A soft giggle escaped her lips before she could stop it. "I like knowing I can do that to you," she said softly, kissing him one more time gently on the lips. "I was always Hermione the bookworm. Never the beautiful Hermione that made men lose control."
"You were more than just a smart girl to me………..I have always thought you were beautiful."
"Really?" she asked him, gifting him with an angelic smile.
"Yes. But it isn't just your body that is beautiful. You're the most beautiful PERSON I've ever known Hermione. I love you."
She found it hard to see him clearly through the sudden tears. "I love you too Harry."
They held each other then in silence, two teenagers discovering the sweetness of love. The lone witness to their embrace sighed softly to himself from his vantage point behind a nearby tree. As he turned away to head back home, Ronald Weasley digested his mother's words and tried to ignore the ache in his heart.
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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed Chapter 3. They just keep getting longer! A note on OOCness: I have tried to keep everyone as in character as possible. I apologize for any deviation - to get H/Hr together like they deserve to be (yes I said DESERVE!), I of course have had to take some artistic license. This is also my own take on what COULD happen, if things went down a certain path.
Love it! Hated it! Let me know! =)