The Love Theorem

trueharmony

Rating: PG13
Genres: Romance, Humor
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 7
Published: 25/03/2013
Last Updated: 25/03/2013
Status: completed

After being dumped for the 9th time, Hermione finally decides to come up with a solution that will accurately predict the outcome of a relationship. But can love really be predicted? Also posted in ffn under the username missbookish07.

Chapters

1. The Love Theorem

1. The Love Theorem

The Love Theorem

‘<3’

A/N: First fan fiction in Portkey!! I hope you like it. Inspired by the story ‘An Abundance of Katherines’ by John Green. Great book by the way! And just to make things clear, this is an AU story, but the characters are still magical. Ron plays for the Chudley Canons while Harry and Hermione are both studying in a muggle university. Oh and Hermione’s nine ex boyfriends were from she was young til she was 21.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns every character you can recognize.

21 year old-Hermione Granger groaned as she felt the blanket pulled from her and the sunlight hit her face.

“Ugh… Harry Potter, bring that bloody blanket back,” she said, shielding her eyes from the blinding sunlight.

“Come on Hermione! It’s been three days! Why don’t you get up and maybe get out of your room?” Harry asked as he stood a few feet away from her, holding a thick, lavender blanket.

Hermione glared at him and waved her hand and the blanket flew back to her, “Well you don’t know what I’m feeling right now! I’ve been dumped. Again.”

“Being dumped isn’t the end of the world Hermione,” Harry said, crossing his arms.

“For you that is! I mean you’re the Dumper, you’re not the Dumpee,” she said, rolling her eyes. She was now sitting up and ruffling her bushy hair.

Harry looked confused now as he sat beside her. “I’m the what?”

She sighed, as if she was annoyed at him and replied, “You’re the Dumper—you dump girls. And I’m a Dumpee—the one who gets dumped.”

Harry laughed and said, “Where in the world did you get that?”

“I read it off somewhere! Now leave me so I can go back to moaning about my terrible, miserable life. My sem break only lasts for seven days and I plan to spend each and every hour of these seven days, moaning about how miserably lonely I am,” she said, pulling him up and pushing him out of her room.

“Come on Hermione! You’re better than this! Those guys that dumped you don’t deserve you!” he said through her door. Hermione rolled her eyes again and collapsed on her bed. “Yeah right.”

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Five days later, Hermione Granger came out of her bedroom with one goal in her mind—to create a formula that can predict the outcome of a relationship.

“Ah, she finally graces us with her presence!” Ron said as he shove food into his mouth.

“Don’t talk when your mouth is full Ron,” Hermione said exasperatedly.

“What are you my mum?” Ron mumbled, after swallowing his food.

Harry came inside the kitchen, with two plates levitating before him. “You finally came out of your room in time,” Harry said, smiling brightly, “Here’s your breakfast.”

Hermione thanked him and started eating.

“What made you stop crying over that Derek bloke Hermione?” Ron asked.

“Well I just realized that crying over him won’t help me,” she said as she buttered her toast, “And I’ve come up with a solution so I can prevent being broken hearted again.”

Both Harry and Ron looked at her, their interest caught by her statement.

“And that would be…” Harry said motioning for her to continue.

“A formula.”

“A formula?” Harry and Ron asked in unison. She nodded.

“Yes, a formula. It’s a formula to predict the outcomes of a relationship. You know, whether it’s just a one week thing or a ten year relationship,” Hermione said in her usual know-it-all voice.

Silence fell over the trio. Ron was the first to break the silence with a laugh. “Kind of like Divination? I thought you hated that class Hermione!”

Hermione smacked him hard and said, “Prat. A formula. A formula is based on numbers, not tea leaves. It’s more like Arithmancy.”

They looked at her incredulously. “Well… You go on with that formula Hermione… I’d best be going—or my coach will kill me,” Ron said.

“Don’t forget your broom. And your sports bag Ron,” Hermione reminded him.

“Bloody hell you really sound like mum,” Ron mumbled as he exited the kitchen. Harry and Hermione chuckled.

“It’s really nice you finally realized that Derek is a big git who doesn’t deserve you,” Harry said as he gathered the dishes to be washed.

“Well, I’d love to stay and chat, but I need to get started on this formula,” Hermione said.

“You’re really serious about this formula thing, huh Hermione?” Harry said, chuckling a bit.

“Well… Let’s just say it’s a way for me to get over,” Hermione replied softly, twirling a piece of her brown hair shyly.

“Okay, as long as you’re fine.”

Hermione nodded and planted a kiss on his cheeks. “Thanks for caring Harry,” she said. She was about to go to her room when she added, “Don’t forget to do those tasks your professor assigned you okay?”

“Sure Hermione,” Harry laughed.

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“Why can’t I make this bloody formula work?” Hermione asked Harry, crumbling the paper into a ball and throwing it against the wall.

“You’ve been swearing a lot for the past few days, Hermione,” Harry said, smiling.

She sighed exasperatedly and replied, “Well I’m sorry for swearing. I don’t know the difference, you and Ron swear all the time.”

“Swearing for me and Ron is common—you swearing? Not really. So, how’s your formula going?” he asked as he picked up the crumpled paper and tried to read it. “The Love Theorem?” he asked as he read the title, and laughed.

“I ran out of names!” she protested, turning a bright shade of red.

Harry grinned as he tried to analyze the graphs Hermione drew.

“Do any of those make sense to you?” she asked.

Harry looked up and gave her one of his famous heart-melting lopsided grins. “Nope. This all seems rubbish to me.”

“Ouch. Thank you for hurting my feelings Potter,” she said in a mock-hurt tone.

“Tell you what. Since Ron isn’t coming home, you don’t need to cook dinner. So why don’t we go out to that little muggle Italian restaurant you love? My treat,” he suggested, crumpling the paper once again.

“That sounds tempting,” she said, as if in deep thought, “Nah, of course I’ll go! Let me just change.”

“Why? You look just fine,” he said eying her too big shirt and grey sweats.

“I might look okay to you but to fancy diners, I don’t. I’m just going to take 10 minutes I promise,” she said, running to her room. She changed into a simple, classic black dress with a red ribbon belt on the waist. The dress fell just an inch above her knees and she wore a pair of blue open toed heels. She twisted her hair into a messy but presentable bun. She grabbed her silver purse and went outside.

“You look brilliant,” Harry said, his green eyes lighting up as she approached him.

“Truly flattered, Mr. Potter,” Hermione replied, smiling sweetly. As they walked to the door, she couldn’t resist picking up the crumpled paper and shoving it inside her purse.

She has not given up on the Love Theorem yet.

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“Tell me more about this Love Theorem Hermione,” Harry said as he nursed his piece of pumpkin pie.

They were currently at a coffee shop that stays open for 24 hours. They had just finished dinner at the Italian restaurant and decided to have coffee and dessert at the coffee shop.

“I told you, it’s just a formula to predict relationships. Simple as that,” Hermione replied, stirring her coffee.

“Don’t get me wrong Hermione but isn’t love like the future? Unpredictable,” Harry said knowingly.

“Well, if my memory serves me right, you took a class that discusses about predicting the future right?” Hermione snapped.

Harry laughed and said, “Well don’t get mad at me. Plus I never did get the hang of Divination. No one really did. Well except for Parvati and Lavender—those girls worship Trelawney’s works.”

“Sorry for snapping at you. It’s just,” she began, looking down at her cup, “This theorem thing maybe silly or pointless, but what if I did discover something? Won’t it be wonderful if you can actually predict if a relationship will last or not? No more tears, heartbreaks,” Hermione said, trailing off… She looked up and met his eyes.

Harry looked at her meaningfully. He gave her a look, a look she wasn’t used to seeing. They held each other’s gaze for a minute. But Hermione broke it, for she was afraid that if she stared longer, she might push herself to cross the boundaries set for a best friend.

“How about we get going now? Ron might be home,” Hermione said, distractedly.

“Uhmm… Hermione, Ron’s in training camp now. He won’t be home until the day after tomorrow,” Harry said, amusedly.

“Oh right. Well, we have to go home… I still need to finish that essay I have to submit on Monday,” Hermione replied, flustered.

What is wrong with me, she scolded herself.

“How about we walk?” Harry, who was already standing up, said and held his hand up.

So they took a walk. They talked about a lot of things, mainly about the Love Theorem.

“Maybe I should add more factors like age and other stuff,” Hermione muttered.

“Maybe you should,” Harry said, chuckling.

As they walked, Harry looked up and said, “A shooting star. Make a wish, Hermione.”

Immediately, she looked up and closed her eyes.

She didn’t know what to wish for but she still closed her eyes. When she opened them, she found a pair of green eyes staring intently at her. “Hermione,” Harry breathed, his face inching closer to hers.

“Harry,” she whispered.

It was a moment that Hermione would never forget. For in that moment, in a deserted street, under the moonlight, Harry Potter had kissed her.

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The next day, she woke up , feeling light-headed. She could still feel Harry’s soft lips against her own…

“For Godric’s sake, Hermione get a hold of yourself.. You’re fantasizing about your best friend,” she muttered. She entered the bathroom connected to her room and splashed cold water on her face. She didn’t want to see Harry. Not just yet. She was afraid. She didn’t want to talk about what happened last night. Instead, she chose to not go out of her room and work on her theorem.

She stayed inside her room the whole day, working on the theorem. Occasionally, Ron would coax her to go out but she would wave him off. That whole day paid off, for finally, the theorem worked. “I can’t believe it works,” she said happily. She had tested the theorem on the nine guys that dumped her… starting from her first boyfriend to the last, Derek.

That night, as she studied her formula, she had the urge to test the formula… on her and Harry. It’s not like they’re an item but it’s worth a try. So she tested it.

One week.

That’s how long they’ll last.

Hermione stared at the conclusion incredulously. “Maybe… we aren’t really for each other,” Hermione muttered. She stood up, feeling the need to drink something… She got out of her room, and went to the kitchen. She spotted a bottle of firewhiskey and was about to get it when someone said, “You’re gonna drink that?”

Hermione turned and faced him, with a hand over her heart, and said, “Merlin, you’re going to kill me Harry!”

“I’m sorry. I was just about to get something to eat,” Harry said, sheepishly.

Hermione nodded. Instead, she opened the refrigerator and got the gallon of milk. She poured it in her glass, while Harry sat at the table, nibbling on some Oreos.

“Well, I’m going now. Goodnight,” Hermione said and she turned to leave, but Harry said, “Hermione, wait. Can we talk?”

She faced him again and nodded, nervously. She had a feeling about what he wanted to talk about.

“Errmm… What happened last night… You know while we were walking home…” he stammered.

“Right…”

“I just want you to know that… uhmm.. well.. that kiss was… I-it meant… It meant something for me,” he said, fidgeting a bit. Then he added, “It meant the world to me.”

Hermione almost dropped her glass. The kiss meant something for him? She almost jumped in joy but then she remembered the conclusion she drew out from her formula.

“Oh,” she said trying to keep her voice flat.

“Oh?” Harry echoed, disappointment flooding his voice, “That’s it?”

“What do you want me to say Harry?” Hermione said, willing her voice not to break.

Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his unruly black hair, “Hermione…I-I love you okay? I loved you ever since we danced in that tent. Hell, I maybe even loved you since first year—and I was just too dense to notice it.”

He loves me.

He loves me.

He loves me.

I can’t believe he loves me.

Hermione felt tears rising. She tried to stop them but failed. Slowly, tears trickled down her cheeks.

“Hermione? Why are you crying?” Harry asked as he stood up and approached her.

But what she said made him stop, just two feet away from her.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” she said softy. “You’re my best friend… And I’m not supposed to feel this way about you…”

“You can’t choose whom you fall in love with Hermione,” Harry said, just as softly. He took a step forward.

“I-I want to give us a shot Harry because I’ve never felt this way with the guys I’ve been with,” she said, smiling sadly.

“But what?”

“It’s silly… B-but remember that Love Theorem?” she asked, and he nodded solemnly.

“I made it work,” she said. He looked surprised but he didn’t say anything. “I made it work,” she repeated, “I tested it with the last nine guys… And it worked like magic. But when I tried you and me..”

She sighed, and continued, “It said we won’t even last a month.”

Silence reigned over the two of them. Hermione avoided Harry’s piercing gaze, and instead stared down at her hands.

After what seemed like eternity, Harry took another step forward and now he’s standing right in front of her. She finally looked up and met Harry’s green eyes. He cupped her face gently and softly said, “Hermione, love is unpredictable. There’s no crystal ball or theorem in the world that can tell you if a relationship will last or not. You just have to have to take the risk and jump and hope that someone will be there to catch you. You just have to find someone who will never let you go.”

“And I really hope you will give ‘us’ a shot… Because I promise you, I will be there to catch you and I swear, I will never let you go.”

The tears were still streaming down Hermione’s face but she gripped his shoulders, stood on her toes, and closed the distance the separated them.

And for Harry Potter, this moment will forever be tattooed inside his mind. For in that moment, Hermione Granger, with tears streaming down her beautiful face, kissed him and made him feel the love he had been searching for ages.

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Hermione woke up with a smile on her face.

So this is what feels like to be in love… She giggled and playfully kicked her blanket. She had been doing this for about five days now, this acting like a love-sick teenager.

As she sat up on her bed, she caught sight of the date on her calendar.

December 30. Exactly a week after she and Harry got together.

Her heart hammered against her chest. She promised herself that she would forget about the theorem and conclusion about her and Harry. But she still can’t fight the rising panic she was feeling. She got up from her bed and made her way to the kitchen. She found the kitchen empty, with no signs of Harry or Ron.

Then, she saw an envelope addressed to her.

She knew what it contained. Godric, she should’ve trusted her theorem. As she opened the envelope, she was thinking of places where she could move after this. There was no way she was going to see his face again.

Dear Hermione,

I know I promised you I’ll never let you go and I hate to fulfill your conclusion but I don’t think we should be involved romantically. It’s not you. It’s me I promise. The truth is, I think I’ve fallen for a certain girl at the university. You’re a really great girl and I like you, but I just want to be with her. But I hope we can still be friends.

With Love,

Harry James Potter

PS: I was just kidding. You’re the only one for me. I love you Hermione >:]

When she reached the last sentence of the letter, she laughed out loud and said, “I’m gonna kill you Harry!”

“Whoa! It’s only seven in the morning and you already want to kill me,” Harry asked, hugging her from behind and planting a kiss on her cheek.

“Would you be so kind to explain this?” she said, grinning madly and holding the letter.

Harry beamed and took the letter. “Oh that. I knew that even after I made that speech and promised you that I will catch you and will never let you go, you would still count the days and see if your conclusion will come true.”

Hermione turned to face him completely and said softly, “I almost believed in it you know.” Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Harry’s face softened and he cradled her face softly. “I’m sorry for that Hermione. I just want you to realize that I love you—and that theorem of yours is just plain silly!” he said sincerely, pushing a lock of her brown hair back.

“I love you too,” she said sweetly and kissed him.

“You guys! That’s just gross… Why do I have to witness you eat each other’s face?” Ron asked as he entered the kitchen.

“Good morning to you too Mr. Grumpy,” Hermione said trying not to smile, “And it’s not like we’re snogging you know.”

Ron just grunted and left the kitchen with a carton of milk in hand.

Before Harry could turn to make breakfast, Hermione held on to him and said, “Thank you.”

“For what?” Harry asked, grinning confusedly.

“For proving me wrong. And of course, for loving me.”

Harry smiled at her once again, his green eyes full of love. Love for her. He pulled her again and kissed her once more.

A/N: Another authors note, I know -_- but bear with me. I just want to say that the letter scene was based from the book, An Abundance of Katherines (by John Green) itself. Apologies for the cheesy ending—I can’t help it XD.