Unofficial Portkey Archive

Hey everyone! Here's the next chapter. I know I said I had two chapters left (I think I said that) but I decided to split this one into 2, so there will be a total of 10 chapters in this story, this being chapter 8. I've been wanting to do a fic with this song for a long time, and as I looked through my iTunes for a song for their meeting, I saw this one and was like "Perfect!" Haha, I got pretty excited, not gonna lie. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews. For those who read this right away, I will reply to your reviews from last chapter at some point today-in case you read those, haha. Well, enjoy!

CHAPTER EIGHT: LIVING PROOF

She hangs up the phone and her heart starts to pound
Someone just told her an old friend's in town
And a million old feelings come rushing in
Start tearing to pieces what it took years to mend

She's living proof true love never dies
Through all of the heartaches and all the goodbyes
She just can't forget it Lord knows she's tried
She's living proof true love never dies

"Living Proof" RICKY VAN SHELTON

"Harry?! What are you doing here?" I shriek as he walks towards me.

He lifts my bag from my shoulder and puts it on his own. "Come on, I'll give you a ride."

Too surprised to object, I numbly follow. The inside of his SUV is cold-it's been sitting here for awhile.

"How long have you been here?" I half-accuse.

"Awhile." He replies, turning onto the road.

"How long is `awhile'?"

"I woke up, went to your parents' house looking for you, and they said you got on a train back home. `Urgent work thing.' I've been here since three in the afternoon, waiting on your train." He says all this casually, and not as if I hadn't just wasted his entire day.

My stomach squirms uncomfortably. "What are you doing here?" I ask, barely above a whisper.

We pull up to my house and I vaguely realize I'd never told him where I live. Stalker.

He hops out and grabs my bag and opens the door for me and Jasper.

He whistles. "Come on, Jake."

Jake?

He rouses a puppy from the very back of the SUV, sleeping in a dog bed. The black and brown puppy sees Jasper in my arms, stops mid-yawn and starts barking quietly.

"Jake is…your puppy?" I say slowly, my mind buzzing. What?

"Yeah, pretty cute, huh?" He replies, picking the little bugger up in one hand and taking my hand with the other to lead me to my own door. I don't feel the presence of my wards that I put on the house, and knowing exactly who broke through them, I get irritated.

Feeling slightly off put but the entire weird situation, of Harry hosting me at my own house, I turn around as he turns all the lights on.

"Harry…what are you doing here?" I ask again, demandingly this time. I was getting answers. "Does Ginny know you're here?" I throw out, wanting to surprise him that I knew more than he probably thought I did. At the same time, I want him to think I am ignorant and not the type of person to break up a family-that I wasn't the disgusting person I am. That I had no idea the other night in my drunken state.

"I didn't tell her." He responds with a shrug.

"Why are you here?" I ask a third time, leaving no room for him to deflect the question.

Finally, for the first time, he looks at me fully. "To see you. To ask you why you left this morning. Why did you come to me last night? Why didn't you tell me you were in town in the first place?" He fires back several questions at once, yet his voice is surprisingly even. Too even.

Jasper and Jake play quietly in the background, but neither of us pays attention. Harry's eyes are blazing.

He's angry. He's angry and he's acting calm.

This wasn't good.

"This isn't a good idea." I say, knowing the futility of it.

Harry won't be dismissed. "Maybe it isn't. But me leaving isn't either. We're talking-you owe me that."

His words sting.

Mustering up my own anger for him invading my private life, I take a step forward and eye him as an opponent. My fingers flex for my wand.

"Okay. Let's talk. What do you want to talk about?" I spit out furiously. Why am I so upset? Isn't this what I've been wanting?

"You left me a year and a half ago. Why?" He asks, crossing his arms across his chest determinedly.

I answer, my eyes dropping to the floor, "We've already talked about that."

"No, you talked and left. You never got to hear me out. And I've wait patiently for you to come back for almost eighteen months now. I deserve an explanation." His jaw is set.

* * *

My hands are shaking, heart racing. Her dismissal only fuels the anger that has been boiling under my skin ever since I woke up this morning. When I found that she wasn't there, horrified, I had thought it might have been a dream. Then I found her clothes strewn all over my room. And a note written undeniably in her hand. I had gotten dress and shot straight over to her parents' house. This was exactly what I needed. You don't have that sort of passion with someone you don't love anymore. She loved me. When her mum told me she went home, I was out of town in fifteen minutes. I knew it would be a long wait-I had called the stations. I was prepared to wait. She wasn't running away this time. I'd be at the finish line to greet her.

When she came to me last night…I was shocked. I was out having a drink with Ron-sober for the most part-and suddenly in walks a very erotically-charged Hermione. When she saw me, pure lust burned in those cinnamon orbs. She had confidently sauntered over, pulled me down and kissed me fiercely with so much heat that I thought I was going to combust.

It hadn't taken long to realize she was in fact drunk. I felt bad, like I was taking advantage of her. I had tried to stop her, talk to her, but dammit, when she wants some, there's no stopping her. I convinced myself she wasn't doing this because she was intoxicated. No, she would have searched me out had she been completely sober. Perhaps the alcohol had been a little liquid courage. Having a fierce sex drive and not getting laid for a year and a half had played a role as well, I'm sure.

Waking up to an empty bed confirmed my fears-she had sought me out because she was drunk. Guilt for taking advantage was only short-lived as my anger settled in. The drive here helped me think everything through. I had hours to be sure that this was the right course. I'm tired of waiting.

She was shocked to see me, no doubt. I didn't want to make a scene, so I played it cool.

Now we're here, alone, and she can't leave. I put a ward on the house so she cannot Apparate out of it.

She wasn't going anywhere, and I was getting my answers.

"Well, I don't know what you want me to say, Harry." Hermione retorts stubbornly. "I tried to help you. Obviously I succeeded. So why are you here? Go home. Go home to your baby."

This throws me for a loop. "What in the hell are you talking about?" I ask, dumbfounded. Baby?

Hermione throws up her hands, exasperated. "Ginny. She told me about you two."

Whoa. "What?!" I repeat again, still confused.

"I saw her while doing my Christmas shopping. She told me you moved on. That she was pregnant. Well, she implied it. I thought Jake was the child but apparently that is your dog. Either way, you're happy. Don't screw this up over me." Her voice is suddenly soft and her eyes watery.

I shake my head as I make a mental note to hex Ginny into her next lifetime. "I've never been with her. She must have been…I dunno why she would tell you that. I haven't been with anyone else. I've been waiting for you." I say, my voice trailing off in the end.

Now it is her turn to be shocked. "Oh. She was vague…I just assumed…" Her face floods with embarrassment and for a second, it is hard for me to remember that I'm angry with her. A slight understanding for her leaving settles somewhere in the back of my head, but I refuse to acknowledge it. She was nowhere near off the hook.

"That doesn't matter. You still left me. You broke my heart." I tell her, my voice rising with each syllable.

"I'm sorry. I was giving you a chance to move on. I've been just as manipulative as that wretched redhead. I took advantage of you, Harry. Of your loyalty. You've been obligated to me for too many years." She says, tears coming down her cheeks.

"Hermione…stop being ridiculous. I love you. I've always loved you. I have never in my life ever felt obligated to you-except for S.P.E.W-but even then, I supported you." I tell her, exasperated by her thickness. Was this really why she left? She hadn't been clear that night on my birthday. Everything had been a blur.

She closes her eyes and shakes her head as if she is trying to drown out my voice. I close the distance between us and shake her enough so she opens her eyes. "Stop. Don't do that. I am being serious." I tell her, grabbing her face between my hands and forcing her to look at me.

"You wouldn't know you felt obligated, Harry. You're too good. You wouldn't know. You'd be happy to be with me forever. Don't see you that? That's why it is so bad. I've been in love with you for years, and I used sex to get you to love me back, but I wasn't trying to. I just wanted to make you forget for awhile."

I can't help it. I let go of her and take a few steps back. My temper is at a boiling point. I begin to shout, "YOU AREN'T LISTENING TO ME. CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME?! IF YOU WANT TO FEEL BAD, FEEL BAD FOR LEAVING ME, FOR BREAKING MY HEART. I'VE BEEN A MESS FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF-FEEL LIKE SHIT OVER THAT BECAUSE YOU SHOULD!" My voice grows hoarse. "Don't you doubt the way I've ever felt about you, or the way I feel about you now. Don't insult my feelings, Hermione." I threaten quietly. "I'm not some stupid, innocent little boy. I know exactly what I feel."

My words render her speechless.

But not quiet. She bursts into hysterical sobs. My cool exterior vanishes and I rush over to hug her. Her tears stain my shirt, but I don't care. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled." I apologize, pulling her closer.

"I'm sorry." She manages to say through her cries. "I was trying to do what was best. I was trying to save you from regrets later in life, in case you know…you realized you didn't really want me."

I rock her slowly back and forth. "It's you, Hermione. It's always been you, ever since I met you on the train. You aren't the one with the impulsive saving-people thing, Hermione. That's my job, so stop it." I joke, earning the small hint of a smile. "And anyway, you've been saving me since we were eleven. You've been there for me when no one else has. How could I not love you? Hell, you've never given me a chance-not because you were there, but because you've outshone every other girl on the planet in every way." I clarify so she doesn't get any ideas.

Finally, once she calms down, Hermione shrugs out of my embrace.

"Surely you can see part of my view on this, Harry? Can't you understand my side at all?" She asks, and I know she's going to be hurt by my answer, but I'm leaving no wiggle room.

"No. You have no argument. No excuses. You acted like a damn bitch, and I'm not going to give you the slightest edge on seeing sense with your argument so you never do it again. I already forgave you, I will forget, but I will never excuse." My words are honest but not mean. I think she understands; I hope she does anyway.

"I don't know what to even say right now." She admits, still at a loss for words. "I'm sorry I put you through that. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. If it's any consolation…I've been in hell myself."

I smile. "It's not as much of a consolation as you would think. I hate seeing you upset." I confess.

Hermione takes a few steps away and turns around to face me. "Where do we go from here? To go back to how it's been…I dunno. There's just so much…"

"You told me, the night you left, that you loved me and to never doubt that. But things might have changed for you, and I can live with that. If you don't want me, then that's okay. Just say it, and I'll go. I'm not going to make you love me. I'm not going to make you be with me. I'm not going to beg. You know how I feel-I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember. If you love me, then Hermione, we can make it. I know we can. I want it all. But if that's not what you want, then tell me now. You aren't going to break my heart again. I don't have the strength to withstand it. So you tell me." I reach into the pocket of my jacket and pull out a small box. "Merry Christmas."

Hermione takes the box and wordlessly opens it. Inside, a silver key lay against blue velvet.

"I already have one of these." She says softly, fingering the key lovingly.

"I'm asking you to come home. Move in with me. I want to be as public as it can get. I love you. I don't want to wait for anything else." My voice is confident, demanding. "So you need to tell me exactly what you want, Hermione."

You answer the door and I say hello
If you don't want to see me just tell me I'll go
But I can't love without you it's only pretend
There's no love like your sweet love can we try it again

We're living proof true love never dies
Through all of the heartaches and all the goodbyes
I just can't forget you Lord knows I've tried
Well we're living proof true love never dies

"Living Proof" RICKY VAN SHELTON

Well, what did you think? Short, I know, but that's how I want to keep this fic (can't you tell? It went from a 3 shot to 10 chapters…I can't help myself sometimes ) PLEASE review-I'll update faster, I promise. I have the rest of the story completely finished, kinda sad really. I don't want to stop writing it! Anyway, thanks so much for reading, and I'll see you all next round!

REVIEW!

*~Archie~*

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