Disclaimer: Canon Harry Potter is not mine. I only wish.
A/N: Thank you to my reviewers. You don't know how much I appreciate you kind comments about the story. I put a lot of time into writing and the feedback is really important to me, so thank you!
Well, I think you guys will like this chapter, as I think it includes something you've all been waiting for. Hope you like it ;)
Chapter 6 - How Long Has This Been Going On?
Hermione nervously fussed with her hair as she gave her appearance one last glance in the mirror. She'd managed to get her bushy hair under a little more control than usual. Nervously she smiled to herself, pleased with the result of her efforts. Sighing she sat down on her bed a moment, absentmindedly stroking a purring Crookshanks who hadn't appreciated her earlier start this morning. Nervously she looked down at the floor, trying to calm herself down. She was about to go meet Harry and Ron at the Gryffindor table for breakfast like she did almost every morning. Last night, however, had definitely changed things, and had left her excited but anxious about seeing Harry this morning. What if he pretended like nothing happened? What if it had been only a friendly little kiss?
Her reflection looked back at her with wide brown eyes. Sighing, she tried to clear the thought from her head. No, there had been something last night between them for sure. There was more than friendship in that moment. Lavenders words crept back into her mind, taunting her anew. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, as if physically trying to rid herself of the memory of what that insipid girl had said.
Gathering her courage, she headed down the flight of steps from the girls dormitory and exited through the portrait hole. Taking a steadying breath she headed down several winding hallways to the Great Hall. As she opened the heavy doors she noticed that it was already fairly full and abuzz with chatter, although some people still seemed half asleep. She walked over to the Gryffindor table and spotted Ginny waving at her, gesturing to a place next to her on the bench. Hermione noted that the spot also happened to be across from Harry. Hermione tried to act casual, rather than like the bundle of nerves she truly was.
She slid in next to Ginny on the bench, smoothing her skirt. After greeting her younger friend, she looked over at Harry, her heart pounding. He had been deeply involved in a conversation with Ron on Quidditch, but he turned to look at Hermione the moment he heard her voice greeting Ginny. Harry dropped the forkful of food in his hand. It fell to his plate with a loud clattering noise. He, however, didn't seem to notice as he grinned at her. Their eyes met like two magnets. Hermione felt her face flush and noticed that Harry's did also. She silently cursed her cheeks for giving her away, but didn't seem to mind that Harry's did also.
Ron watched them, looking slightly confused. Ginny smiled in amusement. Other nearby Gryffindors watched the scene playing out as well, though they didn't seem that surprised.
"Good morning Harry," Hermione managed, all too aware of all the people taking interest in their interaction.
Harry smiled nervously. "Hi, how are you? Not worrying about N.E.W.T.s yet at this time in the morning are you?" he asked thoughtfully.
Hermione grinned and shook her head. "No, I did enough of that last night. Thanks again," she replied looking at him meaningfully, hoping he would know what she was referring to.
He must have, as looked down awkwardly, but wore an embarrassed, yet pleased, sort of grin on his face.
"Anytime," he said quietly, a look in his gorgeous green eyes as he spoke took her breath away. The uneasy knot that her stomach had been twisted in since she gotten up this morning began to unwind. She had to resist clutching her hand to her heart, which was pounding so fast she swore it was bound to burst.
The two seemed to have forgotten for the moment that everyone nearby was still listening in and watching them with curiosity.
"Did you to shag each other or something last night?" Seamus commented crudely through a mouthful of food, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Dean and Neville held back laughter, though not very well.
Hermione, who had just taken a rather large sip of pumpkin juice, began to cough violently as she choked on the mouthful of liquid. Harry turned red and then paled in anger. Ron looked positively ill at thought of his two best friends shagging each other. Ginny winked mischievously at Hermione.
"Seamus, don't be such a foul git. I can't believe you would think that of Hermione," snapped Harry protectively, his eyes flashing. Hermione had been irritated by the comment, but was pleased with Harry's reaction. She didn't need protecting, but it was a good feeling to have him watching out for her regardless.
"Sorry, mate. I was just being honest because that's the way you we're looking at each other. I didn't mean to insult to your girlfriends honor or anything," Seamus replied, looking slightly annoyed. He stabbed a sausage and stuffed it into his mouth. Harry still looked annoyed though.
Impulsively Hermione reached her hand across the table and gave Harry's a soothing squeeze, hoping to stop him from furthering the argument with Seamus. Harry visibly relaxed at her touch. He smiled at her warmly; making her heart beat a little faster. She'd been worried that he would be uncomfortable but such an obvious display of affection in front of their friends. She smiled to herself looking down at her plate. She couldn't help but notice that Harry hadn't immediately corrected Seamus when he'd called her Harry's girlfriend.
They didn't see but Seamus gestured to the pair of them and then rolled his eyes comically at the rest of the table, causing the others try to hold back laughter once again. Ron though, still didn't look that amused by what was going on. He didn't look jealous really, more like hurt that he didn't know his two best friends were together. Seamus whispered something to Dean and other nearby Gryffindors that caused a new roar of laughter.
"Don't you all have better things to do then be insufferably nosey?" Hermione protested, her hair seeming to bristle with annoyance.
"Clearly not," Ron said sourly with a mouth full of food. Hermione smiled uncomfortably at him. He looked extremely annoyed by what was going on this morning, and she knew that he felt left out of the loop. What was there to tell him though? She wasn't even sure where she and Harry were at. There hadn't been time to discuss last night's events with him. The Great Hall was not exactly the ideal location for a nice private chat. She started down at her plate of untouched food. Her stomach felt queasy again all of the sudden. In fact, at the moment she felt like she was about to throw-up slugs.
Ginny patted Hermione's shoulder sympathetically; she knew that it wasn't fun to be on her brother's bad side.
"He'll understand; he will," she whispered to Hermione. Hermione gave her a grateful look, hoping that Ginny was right about this. Would he understand? She sighed and looked over at Harry who looked as uncomfortable as she did. He smiled at her, his emerald eyes twinkling. Her stomach did a little flip, but this time it was a good feeling. Suddenly the epiphany hit her like a kick to the chest from a Hippogriff. When she'd broken up with Ron, she refused to given him a reason, or to even talk about ever again. It was because she had loved Harry, even then and somewhere deep inside she'd always known. Emotions were threatening to overtake her. She had to get out of here.
Hastily, she gathered up her things. She looked down feeling slightly guilty for leaving a full plate behind of food that the kitchen elves had worked so hard to make. Well, she'd have to worry about that later. The last thing she needed was to make a spectacle of herself in the Great Hall.
"I am going to go do a little studying before classes start," she announced, attempt to appear unruffled, as she got up from her seat.
Harry looked at her quizzically. She smiled at him, but took off to leave the Great Hall, making her escape as fast as possible, not wanting to look around at the rest of the table. She could feel more than one set of eyes were watching her as she walked away. A sigh of relief escaped as the doors closed heavily behind her.
As she headed down one of the empty hallways of the castle, she heard footsteps pounding on the stone floor behind her. She hesitantly stopped and turned around to see who it was. The footsteps got closer and stopped. She was hoping very much that it wasn't an angry and hurt Ron following. To her relief, it wasn't. She turned only for her eyes to meet a pair of worried green eyes.
"Harry!" she exclaimed.
"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned about her.
She smiled at him, gently placing a hand on his arm.
"Yeah, I'm fine Harry. I just had to get out of there, away from everybody."
Harry frowned slightly. "I'm sorry about that lot. That's what happens when you go to school with people for so long. I guess they figure everyone's business is theirs," Harry remarked, his tone laced with annoyance.
Hermione moved a little closer to Harry, looking up into eyes. "It's fine Harry. Thanks for defending me by the way. You're really sweet."
Harry smiled abashedly. "Ah, it's nothing. It just makes me mad when people say anything about you because you're wonderful."
Hermione beamed.
"Harry, I have to get this out. Last night, it was, well wonderful talking to you and, um... But, what did it mean to you? I mean do you think of me as a friend or…um I don't know. I was well, wondering what you were feeling about us," Hermione babbled. She felt like a completely idiot prattling away like that, but she hoped that she had at least gotten the point across to him.
Harry took a step closer to her without answering her question. She peered up at him anxiously. There was a look that she couldn't identify in his eyes, but something about it thrilled her. He was so close to her now that she could feel his warm breath on her face. Their eyes met for a moment and he gently pulled her into his arms. Hermione shuddered with delight. She had hugged Harry before, but it never felt like this.
Suddenly his warm lips were pressing insistently on hers. Heat swept through her body like a sudden fever. Hermione clung to him, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. She hadn't kissed that many guys before now, but no kiss had ever felt like this.
He pulled away for a moment as if to measure her reaction to the kiss. She started at him dizzy, breathless, and wanting more. He seemed to see nothing to deter him in her expression and kissed her again even more deeply this time. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his messy, dark hair. His hands were on her waist and then back. His touch was amazing.
Gently they pulled apart, and she felt exquisite agony as his warm lips left hers. His kiss had been a better answer to her question than she could possibly imagine.
"I suppose you fancy me then?" she whispered with a little grin, her dark eyes sparkling.
"I wanted to tell you last night. Actually I've known for a long time that I felt more than friendship for you, well since before you started dating Ron. It killed me to see you together, but I thought you were both happy and didn't want to get in the way. But then you guys broke up, and I wasn't sure where we stood, but it seemed like you felt something for me when we came back," he explained.
"Oh, Harry we've both been so think. I think I've felt something for you since, well about 5th year, but I just thought you'd never fancy someone like me. Sometimes I wasn't sure that remembered I was a girl," she admitted.
Harry looked shocked.
"Hermione, how come you don't know how amazing you are?"
Hermione smiled shyly, but his words touched her.
"I can't believe we are finally together," he remarked in a disbelieving voice. Hermione reached up and ran her fingers gently across the side of his face.
"We're really together?" she asked coyly, her heart leaping in her chest.
"Of course we are. I'm not risking so other bloke asking you out. I thought you were the brightest witch of your age Hermione. Do I have to tell you again how I feel," he joked, smiling his charmingly lop-sided smile.
"Maybe you should tell me on more time how you feel," she told him softly. Harry smiled and kissed her again.
-->