After It's Over

gluglug

Rating: PG
Genres: Angst, Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 6
Published: 12/12/2009
Last Updated: 12/12/2009
Status: completed

One-shot. After a nightmare filled night, Hermione and Harry discuss their relationship and their possible future.

Chapters

1. After It's Over

1. After It's Over

Hi Folks - This is a one shot I found on my hard-drive. It takes place after HBP and was written before DH. If only things had turned out like this. Hope you enjoy it!

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After It's Over

Sunlight forced Hermione Granger to open her eyes and she rolled over onto her side away from the window. Something wasn't quite right; her bedroom at No.12 Grimmauld Place didn't face east. Then she remembered that she wasn't in her bed, she was in Harry's. He was sleeping beside her, his messy dark hair the only thing visible above the blanket.

She had come to him in the middle of the night after his screams of agony woke her from a deep sleep. Harry's nightmares were getting worse; they were all variations on a theme - all involving Voldemort torturing and killing someone close to him. Hermione was his latest victim.

It took a relatively long time for Harry to calm down; it took several hugs and reassurances from Hermione that she was indeed alive and that his nightmare wasn't real. She had a harder time convincing him, however, that he wasn't having some kind of vision of the future.

Instead of returning to her room like she usually did after comforting him, Harry had asked her to stay until he fell asleep again. So she did.

She hadn't planned on staying the entire night and she felt a little uncomfortable waking up next to Harry. She looked over at him again and listened to his breathing. From the slow rise and fall of the blanket, she could tell that he was still in a deep sleep. She breathed a sigh of relief that he was peaceful and could sneak back to her room without Harry noticing that she had overstayed her welcome.

But something stopped Hermione from leaving; it wasn't a noise or movement, it was the stillness of it all. The only noise was the steady pattern of Harry's breath; it wasn't often that he was so quiet. He was the type who was always moving, whether flying on his Firebolt though the skies or letting his curiosity get the better of him on the ground.

Hermione liked being still - she loved nothing better than sitting in a comfortable chair in the Black library with a book on her lap. But being one of Harry Potter's closest friends inevitably meant moving around, usually running from danger. Ever since she and Ron had joined Harry on his Horcrux hunt, there had been less time for sitting still.

Hermione thought of Ron. He slept in a room one floor above and she wondered if he had consciously chosen a room away from Harry's when they moved into the house. Six years of being roommates at Hogwarts had made Ron privy to Harry's night terrors. It must be hard to get a good night's sleep with a roommate like that, she thought sympathetically.

If the two of them were still together she might be waking up in Ron's room on the third floor now instead of her current location. Not that they had ever slept together; they were only a couple, if you could call it that, over the summer. Any sexual tension they might have had fizzled out after a few weeks of snogging. When it was clear that it was leading nowhere and their arguing resumed, they mutually decided to end it. To Hermione's relief, they were much better friends now and she was able to focus her attention on Harry's needs.

Hermione was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice that Harry had woken up.

“Hermione?” Harry asked, his sleepy voice startling her. “You're still here.”

She saw him gazing at her with hooded eyes and a slightly puffy complexion, probably due to the tears he shed last night.

Hermione nodded at him and whispered, “Yes, Harry. I'm still here.” She stared back at him, realizing that she probably appeared a bit blurry to him as he wasn't wearing his glasses. Remembering that she was probably an unwelcome guest, she hastily added, “Should I not be here? I must've fallen asleep on you last night. I'm sorry…I should go.”

Hermione was about to move off the bed when Harry grabbed her by the wrist, halting any further movement. “No!” he said, his voice sounding stronger. “Er, I mean, if you want to stay, you can stay. I don't mean to chase you out of here.”

Relieved that Harry didn't seem to mind her presence, Hermione settled back into the pillows as he let go of her wrist only to place his hand on top of hers.

This was odd, she thought. Why was Harry holding her hand?

Not that she minded. In the past, if they held hands at all, it was usually Hermione who did the initiating. She also noticed that he had shifted closer to her, so they were laying merely inches apart. She was suddenly very aware of his proximity and felt her cheeks grow warm. She was glad Harry was visually impaired or he would've definitely noticed her blushing.

“Hermione? Are you okay?” Harry asked.

“Fine,” she replied. “Why do you ask?”

“You're not talking a mile a minute.”

“Since when can't I be quiet?”

“Since the day I met you.” Harry smirked.

Hermione was tempted to smack Harry with one of the soft downy pillows behind her head but she was now too comfortable to move.

“Well if I can't be quiet, you can't sit still.” She shot back.

“That's not true. I'm perfectly content to not go anywhere at the moment.”

Was he flirting with her? Why was he flirting with her?

“It's a nice change.” Hermione said truthfully.

Harry squeezed her hand, his expression now sober. “Hermione, I want to thank you for staying with me last night. I was a right mess, and you took care of me.” He paused. “You always take care of me.”

“Well someone has to.” Hermione replied, not knowing what else to say.

“No, you don't. You don't have to do anything. You know, sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky to have you in my life.” He paused again, looking at her intently. “And sometimes I wonder why you stick around. You're putting yourself in so much danger just being here in this house and I just don't want you to end up regretting your decision or resenting me.”

Hermione was taken aback by Harry's concern. She was also touched that he could ever question why she would accompany him on his journey. Truth be told, she would follow him to hell and back if he asked her.

“I don't think I could ever resent you, Harry. Remember this is my choice.” She paused and a thought occurred to her. “But Ron's doing the same thing. You don't question him about this, do you?”

“It's different with Ron.”

“Why?” Hermione challenged.

“He's my best friend, my best mate.”

“And what am I, Harry?”

“You're my best friend, too. But it's different.”

Hermione sat up, frustrated and pulled her hand out of his grasp. She decided to get straight to the point. “Is it because I'm a girl, Harry?”

Harry nodded, looking uncomfortable. “Yes.”

“But I'm not a girl anymore. I'm eighteen, and in both the muggle and wizarding worlds, that's considered an adult, a woman. And given what we've been though together for the last seven years, I feel a hell of a lot older. I don't need someone protecting me.”

Harry too sat up on the bed, reached for his glasses and put them on.

“But don't you see Hermione? I want to protect you. Part of me wants to tell you to stay behind, so you won't be in danger. But the other part of me knows that I can't do this without you and I thank Merlin that you are here with me.”

“So what's the problem?”

“The problem? If you'll remember - the dream I had last night was so real - Voldemort killed you right in front of me! I used to have that dream about Ginny after we broke up, and then for a while it was about Ron, but lately all I dream about is you dying. And it scares the shit out of me!”

The sheer intensity of his confession brought Hermione close to tears, she didn't know that Harry had had been having nightmares about her before last night. She reached out to touch his shoulder in a gesture of comfort but Harry flinched. Feeling confused and hurt, Hermione got out of bed, rushed to the door and opened it.

“Hermione, wait!” The urgency and pain in Harry's voice stopped her from leaving the room. She could sense him approach her from behind and she soon felt his hands gently grasp her shoulders, sending shivers up her spine.

“I'm sorry,” he said in a whisper. “You wanted to comfort me just now and I just couldn't accept it.”

Hermione found her voice and choked back her tears. “Why can't you accept it, Harry?”

“Because the more you comfort me, the more I need you. It makes it that much harder to keep you at arms length.”

With these words, Hermione turned around to face him. She could see the mixed emotions in his intense green gaze and it took her breath away.

“Why do you want to keep me at arms length if you need me?” She asked in a shaky voice.

Harry let out a sharp breath and looked down at the floor. “Because I'm scared of getting too close to you. If I let you in any further, I'll never want to let go.”

Hermione took a step closer and reached up tentatively to stroke Harry's cheek with her thumb. He raised his eyes to hers and this time he didn't flinch.

“Don't be afraid of letting me in.” Hermione pleaded softly, continuing her caress. “Need me, Harry. I want you to.”

She could feel his breath on her face as he slowly descended his lips to hers, capturing them in a tender kiss. Hermione sighed and tangled her fingers in Harry's hair as his hands landed on her waist. She was about to deepen the kiss when he pulled away from her.

“I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry Hermione.”

The emotional seesaw that Hermione found herself riding hit the ground with a thud. She couldn't stand it anymore.

“Harry James Potter! Don't you dare do this to me! Stop playing games, don't say you want me and kiss me and then apologize two seconds later. I wanted you to kiss me, and you wanted to kiss me, dammit!”

“I'm not disputing that,” Harry said calmly.

“Then why in Merlin's name did you apologize?” Hermione asked exasperatedly.

“Because I shouldn't have kissed you if I'm not ready to start something. You see, I can't possibly build a relationship with you while I need to focus on what needs to be done. It's one of reasons I broke up with Ginny.”

Hermione heard a glimmer of hope in his words; lately he hadn't spoken at all about what his life might be like after the demise of Voldemort.

“So you're actually looking forward to what might happen when it's all over?”

Harry gave her a tentative smile. “I'm not saying that I know what's going to happen, but I have to give myself something to look forward to in case it all works out in our favor, don't I?”

“Yes, you do.” Hermione nodded, relieved that Harry was looking forward to his future…their future? As she pondered this possibility, she felt herself being pulled towards Harry again, his lips inches from hers.

“But, Harry, you just said that you didn't want to start anything until…”

“Until after it's over? Well, it doesn't mean I can't kiss you again, does it? Who knows how many more months this hunt is going to take - I'd like to get little taste of what I'm looking forward to…”

Hermione raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “A little taste, huh? Oh what the hell…”

This time their kiss was less tentative and much more passionate. Hermione felt herself melting into Harry as their tongues dueled and hands found their way over backs and through hair. A minute or so later they pulled apart, breathless. Hermione couldn't recall a time before when she had been snogged so…..senseless. She and Harry had definitely given each other, um, a taste of the future. They gave each other a knowing look that said prolonging their romantic relationship might be a challenge.

“Hermione, do you think we might be able to try to this romance thing in addition to saving the wizarding world?”

“I'm up for it if you are, Harry.” Hermione replied with a reassuring smile. “It's not going to be easy, but nothing ever is with you.” She paused, suddenly remembering the other resident of No.12 Grimmauld Place. “But what on earth will Ron say?”

“Probably `it's about bloody time.'” Ron's voice came from the hallway. “But will you two stop snogging for a moment and make breakfast? I'm starving.”

The End

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