Disclaimer: I doubt that Herons and Girrys would have celebrated if I owned Harry Potter. Seriously. I'd be the one celebrating if I owned it. xD
A/N: Just a short little thing on the aftermath of Harry's return in the 7th book.
It Was Supposed to Be This Way
by Hermione Potter
I thought I was being paranoid. You know, imagining things. Easy for me, I got over that sort of thing.
I sit here and thinking back. Think back to just a week after everything had happened. After everything had ended.
I thought it as more than enough time to let him be alone. To let him know that I knew he needed his space. I thought he would finally come to terms with it all.
He had been in Ron's room, alone and undisturbed as the rest of the Weasley clan was downstairs having the third festive meal of the day. It as only evening. Who knew what would happen later on when there was more food. But I didn't care. I needed to talk to him. After all this time, I knew he needed to talk to me, too.
I remember creeping inside. He was sitting on the bed, facing the window, his back to me. I was surprised he hadn't heard me. He must have been so deep in thought. That's what I loved about him. He was such a deep individual. It made my heart flutter watching him.
I remember coming behind him and reaching out my hand to graze the tip of his shoulder. He was wearing a worn black shirt, a few of the buttons left undone to reveal a green t-shirt underneath to match his eyes perfectly. Another sigh escaped my lips as I saw this.
Finally, after moments, my fingers came to touch the roughness of his shirt. His muscles tensed under my hand, realizing that there was another person in the room. He snatched my hand and held it in a firm grasp, unrelenting. My hand felt tiny in his calloused, overworked hands.
When he turned to look at me, his expression changed from calmness to surprise. The muscles in his face contorted as his lips broke into a small smile. "Sorry. A bit out of habit," he apologized, letting go of my hand. I instantly missed the touch. The touch I longed for all this time.
"Why aren't you downstairs with the others?"
"What?" I must have been thinking too much.
"Why aren't you with the others? Eating? Celebrating?" He repeated, looking down at me. Good Godric, I've missed his wonderful eyes. The color of grass, of cut jade, of a sea of emeralds. It was now that I didn't realize how magical his eyes could make me feel with one look.
"I didn't feel much like eating. Besides, I wanted to be near you," I finally admitted it. This had gone on for months.
"I'm sor"
"No! Don't say anything." By now we were standing, facing one another. "Just don't say anything," I whispered, looking up at him. "I've been waiting for this time. Us, alone."
"Loo-"
Again, I cut him off. This time with my mouth against his.
Merlin, how could I go on without this? It felt so good. His lips were so soft against my own. I could feel my lips caress his own, making him understand how much I loved him.
But it was short-lived.
I felt his hands on my arms, pulling away. "W-We can't do this."
I found myself laughing. "What? Don't be ridiculous, Harry. Of course we can! It's all over now! He's gone. The world's at peace! You can be happy now. You can be normal."
"That's it. I-I don't want to be normal. This whole time I've been gone, I've changed. We all have. We can't go back to the way things were," he explained. I felt his hands squeezing my shoulders.
"No! You don't mean that! Don't you remember what you said to me? The kisses we shared? Doesn't that mean anything to you?" I tried to make him grasp this concept.
"There isn't an us anymore."
I stood there. Flabbergasted. Crushed. Heartbroken. Lost.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, looking away from me.
I clenched my eyes shut and pulled myself away. "You're wrong." With that, I ran from the room, trying hard to not cry.
My eyes opened at the memory. Sighing to myself, I look to the cot near my own to see that it's empty. In that short time, I didn't hear her creep out. It was barely dawn.
Growing curious, I grabbed my sleep robe and tied it around my waist before creeping out of the room and down the hall. The bathroom was open. She couldn't have gone in there.
Nearing the stairs, I saw the faint light of the kitchen. Coming down the stairs, I made sure to skip the ones that had creaks. After being in the house for so long, I knew where everything was.
"Are you all right?" That was her.
Leaning against the wall near the stairs, I pressed my ear closer to the threshold of the kitchen. Who was she with? Ron, maybe?
"What do you think?" It was Harry.
"I think, no. Therefore I needed to make sure so I could know," her voice carried amusement in words.
"Sod it," he chuckled, his laugh rough, making my skin chill. Merlin, he was so sexy.
"I can't sod it, and you know it." Her voice was serious.
"Just drop it. I'll be fine by the morning," he sighed, turning on the sink. I could hear the sloshing of water into a cup. Maybe he was thirsty.
"That's a lie. You haven't slept in days. Weeks even. Don't think I don't hear you rummaging around down here every night," she chastised. I hadn't heard anything when I was sleeping.
"So what? There's nothing to worry about. So I have a bit of insomnia. Sue me."
"You don't have to act in front of me. You know that no matter what I worry about you. Whether you like it or not, I always worry over you."
There was a bit of movement and then silence. Straining to hear, I leaned over and peaked to see. My eyes widened at what I saw.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this. You…You were supposed to be with him. And…"
"Shhh," she pressed her finger to his lips, coaxing him to silence. My heart stopped at how close they were, their bodies in close proximity and their noses barely brushing.
"Who says?" She smiled, looking at him.
"Says everybody," he replied, bringing his hand up to grasp her own, pressing the most gentle of kisses to her palm.
He had never done that to me. Had never looked at me the way he looked at her. It was all urgent kisses, bouts of lust.
I couldn't stop watching.
"Since when are we ones to follow the crowd?" She kidded, looking him in the eye.
"Good point," he whispered, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers.
I had to cover my mouth to keep from gasping. When had this happened? When?!
It was like watching a train wreck. I couldn't stop. He was holding onto her as if his life depended on her, his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her flush against him. A hand lost in the bushyness of her hair. Her arms were secured around his neck, leaning against him. It looked as if they had been doing this forever.
He pushed her against the sink and broke the kiss, heavy breaths escaping his mouth. He had never kissed me like that. I could hear my heart cracking.
"God, I love you." No. He couldn't.
"Harry…" It seems as though she couldn't believe it either.
"Hermione…I don't know where I'd be without you. I'd be dead somewhere by now if it weren't for you. You and Ron," he whispered, gripping her night robe for dear life.
"Don't you dare say that. You know I would have never let you leave me behind, Harry. Not after what happened that night," she whispered to him, cupping his face in her hands.
I was dying to know what she was talking about.
"Let's get married." What the fuck?
"Harry! Stop joking!" She laughed, pulling away.
"I'm serious, Hermione. Let's get married. I'll make you the happiest bride."
"Now, Harry…" He silenced her with a short kiss before pulling away once more. "Say yes."
"Yes."
I couldn't watch or listen anymore. I ran back to my room, ignoring the creaks in the floorboards. When I had gotten to my room, I buried my face in my pillows, trying with all my might to not sob.
How could he have possibly fallen in love with her? How?
It was supposed to be me. I was supposed to be Mrs. Harry Potter.
And I remain, Ginny Weasley while she becomes Hermione Potter.
A/N: What'd you think? :]
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