A/N: Here it is; the final installment of Like Father, Like Son! Thank you all very much for all of your totally awesome reviews! They really do encourage me to put the next chapter on time or even early!
Make sure you look out for my next story, which I still don't have a title for!
Please Review!
"Pure love is a willingness to give without a thought of receiving anything in return."
-Mildred Lisette Norman
Chapter 12 - True Love
The first five days of the week went surprisingly fast, her days spent with Harry and Aurora fun and eventful. She really learned a lot about Harry in those five days that cemented the fact that she was in love with him.
And then came the sixth day, which was two days before the start of school after the refreshing winter break. She, Harry, and Aurora, had gone down to Hogsmeade for the day before the two seventh years came back to the castle a bit early so Harry could go to Quidditch practice while Aurora hung out with Klaus.
So Hermione was left all alone in her room, already dressed in her pajamas for a nice night in with a good book. She opened the top drawer of her bedside table and reached down for the next book she was going to read, having finished the previous one the night before. But instead of a heavy book, her hand came into contact with a light stack of papers. That's odd, she thought to herself as she pulled the papers out, which were bound together with a rubber band. As she peeled the rubber band off and caught sight of the untidy scrawl marking the papers, she remembered what they were. They were the papers she had copied from Harry's 'Top Secret' drawer. Hermione debated with herself as she looked down at them, trying to decide whether or not she really wanted to do this. She and Harry were getting along really well, and she was pretty sure she was going to tell him her feelings the next day. But she was a very curious person and would've been grateful for any more insight she could get.
Still, it was wrong to do, and her morals won out in the end…until she saw her name and the word 'love' right next to each other on one of the papers. Then she was reading them like a crazy woman, her eyes moving as quickly as possible across the pages as her brain absorbed the new knowledge at an incredibly fast pace.
Most of the papers looked like journal entries and letters written to her, while the rest were made up of incredibly detailed drawings of her. She never knew Harry was such a good artist. She never really took more than a cursory glance at the drawings though, and her eyes blazed a trail through the letters and journal entries. A few, though, looked important or cute enough to slow down and actually enjoy. She had two favorites, one from fourth year and one from their current year.
The first one was dated October 23, 1994, and read:
Dear Hermione,
I fell in love with you today.
It was quite sudden, really. I had noticed how beautiful you were earlier this year but I didn't really harbour any feelings for you. Then you woke me up during my ceremonial nap in Charms and told me, "That's not such a good idea, you know. This class could affect the rest of your life."
I guess you were right, in a sense. That class did affect my life, but in a way different than how you thought it would. It was that scene right there that made me realize I was in love with you. I had been eyeing you since third year (Why wouldn't I? You're beautiful!) and that incident had pushed me into the realm of love. You were the first girl I had met at Hogwarts who didn't turn into a ditzy flirt when talking to me. You also weren't afraid to wake me up and tell me why I shouldn't sleep in class. You showed that you were strong and independent, which I find incredibly attractive. Then I remembered you were the smartest student in the school and the rest is history.
I've decided I'm going to make you fall in love with me no matter how long it takes. I hope it doesn't take too long, but…my life motto is, "Never Give Up."
You hold my heart, Hermione. I love you.
Love,
Harry
Hermione thought the letter was beautiful and very romantic. To have fallen in love with her at such an early age and never give up in his pursuit for her heart. And she was surprised Harry would partake in writing letters and journal entries to keep his past intact for as long as possible. He (especially at that age) didn't seem to think too much in regards of the future. Then she realized with a small start that he always had when it came to her.
She wiped away the happy tears that had collected in her eyes and continued through the letters, not slowing down to truly read a letter thoroughly until she came across one that was written only a few weeks ago. It read:
Dear Hermione,
I thought I was in love with you yesterday, but what I felt then is nothing compared to how I feel for you today. And I know that tomorrow I'll find myself thinking the same thing about today.
You opened my eyes last night after the Quidditch match. I've been an arrogant, insufferable git and I've deserved everything that's come my way in terms of you being cold towards me. But just like that day I fell in love with you three years ago, you've changed my life for the better. Because I've decided to change. If that's what it takes to win your heart, I'll do it. I'll do anything.
And I'm not gloating or anything, but I think you're falling in love with me. I don't know how long it'll be before you admit it to yourself then gather the courage to tell me, but don't worry. I have no problem waiting.
Forever yours,
Harry
Hermione was staring down at the letters in her hands, her heart swelling in her chest. The other letters and journal entries had been a lot like those two, and they made her realize that there was no denying it: she was ready. Ready to love him with the depth that he loved her. Ready to open up and face her fears. Ready to trust him with her heart. Ready to spend her life with him.
Hermione jumped off the bed, threw on a robe and a pair of slippers, and hurried out of the room, set on cornering Harry after his Quidditch practice ended and dragging him into a broom closet to snog him senseless after confessing her undying love for him.
***LFLS***
Harry walked through the castle with his broom slung over his shoulder, a scowl on his face. The Quidditch team had been flying like a bunch of first years and the practice had ended early after Ginny had been flirting with him and as a result had had her nose broken after a bludger smashed into her face.
Ron was taking her to the Hospital Wing while Harry was taking the long route back to his dorm, trying to get rid of his anger before he had to face Hermione.
He arrived at the common room to find it empty, devoid of Hermione's presence except for the warm fire and the lingering scent of her perfume.
He was about to just go into his room and shut himself away for the night when a breeze came through Hermione's open window and blew a stack of papers off of her bed and onto the ground. Harry set down his broom and hesitated for only a second before entering her room to organize the papers for her. After all, he had been in her room before…just never without her there.
He organized the papers without really looking at them, for they all seemed to be covered in writing-they were probably some of Hermione's notes. Then he came across a very detailed drawing of Hermione chewing the end of her quill in thought. That's odd, he thought to himself, this looks just like the drawing…in my…top secret drawer.
With hands that were shaking in mounting anger, Harry looked at the rest of the papers he had picked up. They were indeed the contents of his top secret drawer.
So it had been Hermione who had gone in his room, and not only that, but she had copied the contents of his drawer.
The drawer filled with papers he was going to save for a very special moment in their lives.
***LFLS***
The entrance to her and Harry's common room in sight, Hermione sped up. Her enthusiasm hadn't died despite it being almost an hour since she had left. Her enthusiasm would never die.
She arrived back in the common room out of breath to find Harry sitting in the common room looking down at some papers. He looked up and she breathlessly said, "Harry, I-w-what's wrong?"
Harry had stood up and was now walking up to her and thrusting the papers into her face. "Care to tell me where you found these?"
Hermione's smile slid off her face as a look of disbelief replaced it. She had left her door open-how stupid! Even more stupid, she had snooped around his room and come across them in the first place. "I-I…"
"So you decided you could just go into my room when I wasn't there," said Harry. "I can't believe you, Hermione."
She was like a fish out of water. "I-I…you just did the same though, didn't you?" she said defensively, unable to think of anything else.
"Your window was open and a breeze blew these on the floor," said Harry coldly, his usually-beautiful emerald eyes as hard as she had ever seen them. "I was picking them up for you."
"I…oh," was all she managed to say, ashamed of herself.
Then he exploded. "You 'oh'?!" he yelled in her face. "You go into my room and snoop around before deciding to copy the contents of a drawer that says 'top secret' and all you have to say for yourself is 'oh'?! Merlin, Hermione! Do you think you're so high and mighty that you can just do what you want and not apologize for your actions? Or are you just so daft that you think you can get away with it because you're you? Did you think there wouldn't be any consequences for your actions? Because there are!" he shouted, hurt evident in the way his voice cracked.
Hermione was seething over the way he had called her daft and acted as though she was an idiot. In her angered state she wasn't thinking logically at all and the only thought that was crossing her mind was that he hadn't changed at all. And that broke her heart. She spat, "I just wanted to see what kind of stupid, cheesy crap you write when you're crying about how lonely you are! I was going to post them around the school!" she said, trying to think of anything that would make him feel as much pain as she was feeling at the moment. "I never wanted to be your friend, I was just doing it to humiliate you! Because I hate you, Harry Potter! I wish I never met you! The least you could do is leave me alone, but you're too much of an idiot to understand me when I say that!" she finished, her eyes brimming with tears, the pain of her shattered heart making her chest and stomach twist and knot.
Harry's eyes were filled with tears too-hot, burning tears-and his mouth opened as he squinted his eyes to try to stop the evidence of his heartbreak from falling. They stared at each other, both hearts shattering more and more as the seconds ticked on, before Harry crushed the papers in his hand and turned around.
Hermione felt like it was a major turning point in her life as Harry got closer and closer to the portrait hole. He hesitated for only the briefest of moments before exiting and that feeling passed. But it all felt different, it all felt so…wrong…as she stood there and let the tears fall.
***LFLS***
Aurora was walking through the castle with Klaus, the pair on their way back to the dormitory, when she saw Harry walk across the hallway in front of them, a very lost look on his face. Aurora told Klaus to go on without her and ran after her brother, catching up to him right outside an empty classroom, which she dragged him in to. "Harry, are you alright?"
He looked up at her, confused, seemingly unaware of anything around him. "She hates me," he said quietly and thoughtfully to himself like he was still trying to figure it out.
Aurora's heart sank down to her feet. This couldn't be good. "Who?" she asked quietly, though she already knew the answer.
He finally seemed to notice she was there and looked at her oddly before he grimaced and grabbed at his chest. He gave a choked sob and drew in a shaky breath before saying, "Were you a part of this?" Then he yelled, "Are you pretending to be my friend too so you can humiliate me?"
"Harry," she said with disbelief, her eyes filling with tears. It wasn't the question that made her sad but the realization that Hermione must've said that to him. Her brother was heartbroken and hers was hurting in response.
Harry broke down and hugged her, sobbing into her shoulder, their roles reversed from two days ago. Aurora was at a loss as of what to do. She had never seen Harry cry before and had really never expected him to, let alone this desperately. Luckily, she was a woman, so she had her woman's intuition to help calm her brother down. She rubbed his back and made soothing sounds, telling him it was alright. After a while he cried himself out, pulling back with a sniffle.
When she asked him what had happened he explained everything and told her exactly what she had said, every word etched into his memory. "Harry," she said sympathetically after he had finished.
"Sorry for accusing you of being in on it," he said, his knees drawn up to his chest as they sat on the ground with their backs against the wall.
"There's no it to be a part of," Aurora explained. "Hermione just said that in the heat of the moment. You know she didn't mean it, right?"
"Maybe not the whole pretending to be my friend thing," said Harry thoughtfully. "But she seemed pretty adamant about the fact that she hates me."
"She didn't mean that either," said Aurora sincerely, trying to salvage whatever was left of the situation.
"Yeah," said Harry to appease his sister, though they both knew he didn't believe what he was saying at all.
"You should go to bed," said Aurora. "I find it's always better to sleep off the tears."
"Good idea," said Harry, who really did look exhausted.
They both stood up and Aurora gave Harry a quirky smile before saying, "Remember, love makes people do stupid things."
And with that, she left, leaving Harry to think, Love? But I didn't do anything stupid…
***LFLS***
The next morning, Harry woke up and headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast, his feet dragging. He didn't want to wake up and go down to breakfast and pretend everything was alright. He didn't want his chest to feel like it was going to break from the pain he was feeling when he saw Hermione sitting at the end of Gryffindor table by herself, poking at her food with little enthusiasm.
He spotted Luna and decided to sit next to her to get her take on this. Before he could even sit down, though, she stood up, grabbed his hand, and led him out of the Great Hall and into an empty classroom without saying a word.
"It looks like it's time for your last lesson, Harry," Luna said quietly and sympathetically, a sad look on her face.
Harry looked up at her, an accepting look in his eyes.
***LFLS***
Crack!
Aurora's hand met Hermione's cheek, sending her staggering back. Hermione rubbed it gently and her sad eyes met Aurora's as she said, "I deserved that."
"You deserve that and many more," said Aurora angrily, her hand stinging. "I cannot believe you said that to him!"
"I know," said Hermione with a sigh, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"Obviously you weren't," said Aurora, her voice so cold it sent shivers down Hermione's spine.
"I'm sorry," she said, unsure of what else to do but apologize.
"Why are you apologizing to me?" Aurora asked. "You should be apologizing to Harry!"
"He probably hates me," said Hermione sadly. After crying for quite a while the night before, she realized how incredibly stupid she was for not only taking his papers, but for not thinking through what she was going to say before she said it. If her heart hadn't felt as though it had literally been torn in half, she would've realized that he was understandably angry about the invasion of privacy and was not actually his old self. "I definitely wouldn't blame him if he did. I'm such an idiot."
"He doesn't hate you," said Aurora. Hermione looked up at her with a small flicker of hope in her eyes. "He cried last night." So that didn't exactly make Hermione feel any better, now she just felt worse. She looked down at the floor in shame and Aurora continued. "He still loves you, you know. That's what I mean when I say he cried. If you just apologize and explain to him…"
"I'm scared, though," admitted Hermione.
"Well, scared or not, at the very least you have to apologize to him," said Aurora.
"You're right," said Hermione with a determined nod.
"Right now," said Aurora.
"Right…now," said Hermione with quite a bit less determination.
"Go," said Aurora firmly, pointing at the door.
"Right," said Hermione, nodding as she left the room.
***LFLS***
Harry walked forlornly through the halls, half-heartedly looking for Hermione. He really didn't want this conversation to take place…to admit defeat.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Hermione was looking for him, for she rounded a corner at breakneck speed and when she saw him she looked visibly relieved. "Harry, I'm so sorry," she said with complete sincerity. "I wasn't thinking straight when I said those words to you…I'm sorry."
"I understand," he said, his stomach squirming as he thought about what he was going to do. "And I'm sorry about yelling at you too. I might have overreacted a bit." Hermione shook her head, about to tell him how she really felt about him. But he started talking again. "But now…I think if it hasn't happened by now, you'll never love me." She opened her mouth to tell him otherwise, but he just kept going on. "So I've made my decision. It isn't right for me to keep pressuring you and it hurts so much for me to keep loving you without receiving anything in return, so I've decided to let you go. I hope you find happiness with someone else. Excuse me if I don't feel like being your friend anymore, because it hurts to have you so close but just out of my grasp." Hermione tried to speak, but her throat had closed up, her eyes filled with tears. Harry gave her a quirky smile, touched her hair, and said, "Your hair is beautiful."
And Hermione let him walk away, unable to find the ability to speak. Almost a minute after he had rounded the corner, Hermione softly whispered, "But I love you too."
***LFLS***
A week later Hermione found herself in her room, bags under her eyes, staring up at her ceiling in thought. It had been the most miserable week in her life.
Harry hadn't spoken even one word to her and seemed to be actively avoiding her, for whenever she went into the same room as him or tried to sit next to him, he would leave or look at her weird and move seats.
She sighed and stood up with her book to go to the common room and read in front of the fire. As soon as she got out there she tensed up, for Harry was in there, and trudged on, plopping on the sofa in front of the flames. She sat there reading, the tension growing thicker and thicker as they stayed in the same room together longer and longer. Finally, Hermione had a chance to tell Harry how she felt, but he seemed to be very irritated at the moment, swearing at his homework every few minutes and frequently rubbing at his eyes.
She thought he was mad at his homework, but was proven wrong as he slammed his book shut and demanded, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Hermione sat there, willing herself to stay calm. The last time she had gotten angry at him it had ended in them not speaking for a week. "I just came out here to read."
"That's great," said Harry sarcastically, obviously to his wit's end. "All you've wanted me to do for years is leave you alone, and now that I am you won't stop trying to come near me! Is this some form of payback for the last three years, is that it? I'm sorry for that, I really am! Please…just leave me alone, Hermione," he finished pathetically, no heat in his voice.
Hermione stood up and walked until she was standing right in front of him, looking down into those emerald eyes so full of pain. She gathered her courage and softly, finally, said, "But…I'm in love with you, Harry."
A flicker of hope flared in those beautiful eyes of his before they went back to their dark, lifeless green. "You're a sick woman," he said to Hermione, whose mouth fell open in shock. "This is how you're going to be?" he asked icily. "You're set on paying me back in the cruelest way possible, telling me something I've wanted to hear for three years? You disgust me, I never knew you could stoop so-"
Crack! Hermione's hand met Harry's face, almost knocking him out of his chair. He shot up with surprising speed and grabbed Hermione's wrist, stopping her shaking hand from connecting with his face again. He was about to shout at her to not hit him when he stopped because there were tears pouring down her face, her lips quivering and her shoulders shaking. "Y-you told me," she said as cried, not bothering to wipe the tears off her face. "You told me t-to hit you if y-you ever h-hurt me again," she said, taking uneven breaths.
"W-what?" he asked, taken aback.
"Ever since the dance," she said, still crying, "I've been in love with you. I was going to tell you when you found the papers. But apparently I disgust you," she spat, tearing her hand out of his grip.
She turned around and began marching back to her room, shoulders squared, when Harry's hands grabbed her arms and turned her around before he smashed his lips against hers in a searing kiss, his hands wrapping around her back to hold her in place.
Hermione threaded her fingers through her hair, smiling into the kiss as she responded just as passionately.
Harry tasted Hermione's tears on her lips and he tightened his hold on her, vowing to never let anything hurt her again.
They lingered a bit before they broke the kiss, both of them panting and their faces red. "I love you too," said Harry.
Hermione smiled and used her sleeves to wipe the tears off her face before saying, "I already know that."
"I know," said Harry, still holding on to her. "I've always wanted to tell you when you loved me too."
Hermione's smile grew even wider and she gave Harry a chaste peck on the lips before pushing him down on the couch and bringing his bag over to him. She sat on his lap and pulled out her book, resting her back against his chiseled chest. Harry wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head and they fell into a comfortable silence as they both read, content with just being with each other at that moment.
They had taken what was probably the longest, hardest path to happiness, but somehow they had found their way.
Epilogue - 17 Months Later
"Harry, pizza-flavored ice cream, now!" yelled Hermione from the couch as Harry shook his head in their kitchen, a pile of boxes around him.
Thank Merlin for magic, he thought as he transfigured the vanilla in their freezer to pizza-flavor.
"What took you so long?" Hermione demanded, irritated as she snatched it out of his hands and took a bite, moaning in ecstasy as the cool pizza flavor soaked her taste buds. Lily, Helen, and Katharina all gave Harry sympathetic looks but he just smiled back at them before turning back to his wife.
"Sorry, love," he said with a quirky smile. "I'm going to go help the guys now."
He turned around to go help James, Sirius, Remus, Robert, and Ron move he and Hermione's stuff into their new home while the ladies fretted over his eight-month pregnant wife, who let out a very distinct upset huff. Harry resisted the urge to sigh-it looked like she was having another mood swing-and turned back around. Hermione's lower lip was trembling as she looked down at her hand, playing with her wedding ring. Harry crouched next to her and took her hand in his before whispering, "What's the matter?"
Hermione met his eye, tears brimming in hers. "Am I not beautiful to you anymore? Is that why I don't get a kiss?"
Harry smiled and leaned forward, capturing her lips with his and making it the hottest, kinkiest kiss he could with an audience present, showing her just how attractive he found her and what he wished he could do to her at that moment. When he pulled back it was to find her panting with her face flushed, and he cocked an eyebrow at her and smirked before standing up and exiting the room.
As he helped the men do the moving, he reflected on his life so far with Hermione. They had gotten together in January of 1998, married on Christmas Eve of that same year, which turned out to be the same time Hermione got pregnant with their first child, and were in the process of moving into their first home together at the moment.
The couple's parents were shocked about Hermione being pregnant, though that was an understatement for Robert, who had to be physically restrained from hurting Harry after the happy couple had informed them of the news. According to him they were far too young to have kids and Harry was to blame for Hermione putting her career on the backburner in favor of raising a family. Then Harry yelled at him that they were married and that this parenthood was planned, that they were both in favor of raising a family over anything else, and that they were adults now and had to accept the fact that they could do what they wanted and were well-aware of the consequences of having children so soon. Harry also told him that he was no longer the one that was supposed to be the prime caretaker of Hermione, but Harry himself as her husband should be.
Needless to say they didn't talk for about a month.
But they made up after that, Robert realizing Harry was right, and they had moved on.
Everyone else had been awesome about Hermione being pregnant, especially Aurora. She visited them at least twice a week every summer and holiday, loving to spend as much time as she could with her best friend and brother. She and Nicholas had been going out for a little over a year at the moment and their relationship seemed to be doing nothing but getting stronger with each passing day.
Hermione's eight months of pregnancy had been crazy for both of them, especially since they both had full time jobs (and now Harry had two). Harry was in fact the seeker for the Appleby Arrows, the team he had grown up watching, while Hermione had just finished her healer training.
After all the moving was done (which was much easier with magic than by hand, Robert Granger surmised) and he had bade everyone thanks and goodbye, Harry went back in the sitting room to find it empty but for Hermione, who was passed out on the sofa with her swollen ankles and feet set up on a pillow. He was just about to levitate her up to bed when he remembered that using magic on a pregnant woman was a bad idea, so he decided to transfigure the sofa into a bed for convenience.
Although it was only ten to eight, Harry then transfigured his own clothes into pajamas and crawled in with Hermione after carefully tucking her in, not wanting to wake her. But as soon as he kissed her forehead goodnight her eyes fluttered open and a lazy smile made its way on her face, and she brought Harry's head down a bit to kiss his lips softly, leaving her delectable taste on them. "I love you, Harry," she said softly as they settled back down to go to sleep, feeling comfortable doing so in the new house now that all their stuff had been moved in.
"I love you too, Hermione," he said just as quietly in return, gently rubbing her swollen stomach.
He watched her fall asleep, just admiring how beautiful she was before he decided to settle down for himself. His wife snuggled into him in her sleep as he pulled her closer, her nose just barely brushing his own.
Everything may have been jumbled and hectic at the moment, but as long as they had each other, Harry knew they were going to be alright.
A/N: *Sniffle* It's over…
I hope you all loved it, because I know I loved writing it!
Once again, thank you very much for all of your supportive reviews and feedback and I hope you continue with that for this very last chapter of Like Father, Like Son!
And as for my next story, I'll give you all just two tiny hints as to what it's going to be like before putting up the first chapter in a few days.
First, the Genres: It's going to be a Romance/Drama with just a tiny smidge of angst.
Second, the Title: 'I Miss You, Hermione' (No character death…I promise!)
Thank you all, please review!