The Poetry Reading by khermione85626

Rating: PG13
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 6
Published: 08/03/2007
Last Updated: 08/03/2007
Status: Paused

Double-shot. An muggle's view of a scene from Harry and Hermione's life. Years after the
war, a forgotten Harry reads poety to muggles. One week Hermione comes to listen...




1. 1st reading
--------------



**I never** **fancied** **myself as someone who could write poetry. Never really tried
though either. It is more an art for the gifted soul. But I'd be lying if I said it didn't
interest me. In fact once a week I'll head down** **the** **café, not too far from my
flat. They have a poetry reading time, when new poets, or old ones for that matter, can read their
own work.**

**For a few weeks, a new poet has read.** **Goes by the name Harry, just Harry.** **Many
people have been astounded at his** **poems****, but only a handful of people can actually
comprehend** **them****.** **A bit messy looking, but most of us think** **that it**
**might just be his hair.** **Peculiar individual really, all he ever does is read his poetry
solemnly.** **He d****oesn't talk to anyone****,** **if** **possible****.**
**He d****oes not** **even** **acknowledge** **that we sit in awe when he
finishes.** **This week his poem was different.** **There is no other way to describe it.**
**M****eaning can put so much behind words. And after that week I never** **looked at words
the same again, n****or a person, or story.**

**He took the stool and steadied himself. He prepares to read by clearing his throat.** **A
woman enters quietly in the back.** **Dressed well, nice skirt and shirt, rather plain but
stylish.** **Silently she sits down in the far corner. “This is a poem from a while ago.” For a
second he pauses, before continuing just the same.**

**(The following are lyrics from a song by John Mayer called** **Slow Dancing in a Burning
Room****)**

**“It's not a silly little moment,**

**It's not the storm before the calm,**

**This is the deep and dyin' breath of,**

**This love we've been workin' on.**

**“Can't seem to hold you like I want to,**

**So I can feel you in my arms,**

**Nobody's gonna come and save you,**

**We pulled too many false alarms.**

**“****We're goin' down**

**And you can see it too**

**We're goin' down**

**And you know that we're doomed**

**My dear**

**We're slow dancing in a burnin' room**

**“****I was the one you always dreamed of**

**You were the one I tried to draw**

**How dare you say it's nothing to me**

**Baby, you're the only light I ever saw**

**“****I'll make the most of all the sadness**

**You'll be a bitch because you can**

**You try to hit me just to hurt me**

**So you leave me feeling dirty**

**Because you can't understand**

**“****We're goin' down**

**And you can see it too**

**We're goin' down**

**And you know that we're doomed**

**My dear**

**We're slow dancing in a burnin' room**

**“****Go cry about it why don't you?**

**My dear, we're slow dancin' in a burnin' room,**

**Don't you think we oughta know by now**

**Don't you t****hink we shoulda learned somehow.”**

**With that he silently got off the stool and went to sit down at his table. I scanned the room
to see reactions; many people held th****e** **same look on their faces of sorrow found**
**in lost love. The woman s****at silently in the back****,** **streaming salty tears.
Poet after poet followed****,** **but his was the one that stuck in my head. Afterwards,**
**many** **people attempt****ed** **to** **applaud** **the poets. Once I said my
part of a job well done, I started to** **leave****.**

**That was when the scene caught my eye. She** **had finally made it up to him. The
s****trangers began a conversation. “That was beautiful.” A tears still streamed down her cheek.
He looked up and muttered a thank you.** **“How long have you been writing, if you don't
mind?” She was timid in her presence and question. Not sure whether she should even be
there.**

**He shook his head. “No, not all.** **Three years ago****,** **I left everything that
had** **ever** **meant anything to me****,** **in my life.” I****t** **was
strange for him to answer** **any** **questions. I'd often wondered what could spur a
person to become what he was.**

**“Why?”**

**“Why did I start to write? Oh, well I had…”**

**“No, why did you leave?”**

**“Ma'am, I'm sorry****,** **but that is my personal information. If you
don't know already, you aren't meant to known.” He finished gathering his things and
gave** **her** **a sympathetic look.**

**“****The girl, in your poem. Was it because of her?” She looked down at the
ground****,** **as though it would hide her from the answer.**

**He sighed.** **“There was nothing she could do…”**

**“Was it because of her?”** **her head snapped back to look at his face.** **This time
the question demanded an answer.**

**“I couldn't watch everything I loved fall apart.****”** **His eyes met hers for a
flash before continuing.**

**“****You didn't have to.” She took another step forward. He felt himself forced to
look away.**

**“Yes.** **I did. I couldn't stay.” At the sound of this response, her eyes refilled
with the salty tears. It occurred to me at some point that there was something more here. She was
not merely a woman overhearing a poetry reading. She came to li****sten to him read about his
life, about her life, a****bout** **their** **life.**

**“But what about the** **people** **you left behind? What about them?****” She
pauses, gathering her strength again. “** **They** **couldn't** **disappear into a
mist. They** **couldn't** **forget. This was their only life, t****heir only**
**hope****. And you** **deserted** **them.” Her tone was coursed wi****th a bitter
vile that poisoned** **his emotion****s****.**

**“You don't understand…”**

**An awful hackle escaped her lips. “I don't understand? Who was by your side every step of
the way? Who watched as her family** **murdered** **before her eyes? Who helped you get out
of every mistake? Who could possibly understand more?” Her fury pushed every word out of her
mouth.**

**“That was exactly** **why** **I had to leave. I caused all this.”**

**“Don't you dare! Don't you start that with me! We all** **willingly** **fought
in that war. We were not naïve enough to believe that nothing would happen—or that everything would
be bloody perfect.” As she spoke her hands made drastic motions, illustrating her point.**

**He looked away. He could barely stand to face her. A face he'd dreamt of for years,
yet** **in p****e****rson,** **he couldn't handle it. “I know,” he meekly
comments.** **“I** **know all that and more. I also know that we** **were** **naïve
enough to believe that** **what we had was real.”**

**“Wasn't it?”**

**“…I think we were very confused.” He finishes gathering his belongings and walks away from
her.**

**“Liar.” She calls after him, just looking for a reaction.**

**“I can be.”** **He whispers almost to himself.**

**“You are lying.” She was trying to convince** **herself,** **as much as she was trying
to convince him.**

**He paused with his hand on the knob of the café door. “Does it really matter any
more?”**

**Her eyes well again, and the words puff out. “Of course!”**

**“****No****, it doesn't. We've played too many games, had too many scares. You
still don't un****derstand, t****his is the only way it can be****. T****he only
way it can work.” He tries not to show that he is concealing the same emotions that she
h****ol****d****s. E****xcept he told himself, he had a better understanding.**
**“We're still the same spot we were when I left. When I wrote that poem.”**

**“Ye****a, that one and all the others** **or maybe you don't remember them?**
**There were the o****nes about the `love of your life,' then the ones about**
**`****making a mistake,****'** **and** **`****missing out****'**
**on what we had.** **The ones you** **refused to** **tell anyone who they were
about.** **And then there were the ones about your pain, about the disappointmen****t, about
the torture you felt and wanted. Do you remember those?”** **New tears formed in anger.**

**“I do.” And that was all he said as he opened the door and walked outside. I watched her sink
into a chair, and her small form shook so violently in sadness. Yet I knew there was nothing I
could do.**

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