Title: Out of My League
Author name: karenkate_kitty
Author email: karenkate_kitty@yahoo.com
Category: Romance
Subcategory: General
Summary: Yet another fluffy song fic from yours truly. It's Harry's POV this time. On his 5th year at Hogwarts it's just another day in the library with Hermione. One Shot fic no continuations unless I get lots of reviews wanting one.
DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
[n/a]: Words in |**| are song lyrics
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I woke early that day. I promised Hermione I'd meet her in the library so I could catch up with my lessons. Being a prefect and a Quidditch captain has some major disadvantages. Ron and I were too worked up last night after Quidditch practice. Hermione once again saved my ass by doing my routine rounds for me. She has been awfully helpful. I just don't know how exactly I'll be able to repay her for all the things she's doing for me. I guess I should get a move on or I'll be getting some lectures from her if I come in late.
I had to hurry in taking a shower. Good thing there was no one in the prefect's bath. I had to run around wild in there because I left my clothes by the locker bench or was Mourning Myrtle playing tricks on me again, I think I remember bringing it with me close to the showers. I had to get my books from the dormitories before heading to the library. There I met Ron who was getting prepared for his trip to Hogsmeade.
"Oi, Harry aren't you going to Hogsmeade today?" he asked me.
"Sorry mate, Hermione is helping me with my school work today," I told him.
"Well, I'll just bring back something for the both of you. I'll probably bring some butterbeer back with me." And with that Ron got out of the boys dormitory.
Right after I grabbed all the books I needed, I made a dash to the common room and then I ran off for the library.
As I made my way in I saw Hermione at her favorite place near the big cathedral type window. With just enough sunshine coming through, I thought she looked very lovely that day. Come to think of it since we left for our summer holidays a few months back I've noticed a lot of changes in her. Physically, her hair is a lot tamer than it used to. Her skin was a bit tanned, maybe from her trip to Italy with her family. She wasn't able to visit Bulgaria like Viktor asked her to but he visited her instead. I stayed with her family for the rest of my summer holiday that was after their trip from Italy. So I had to stay with the Dursley's while the Grangers were away. As I stayed with them before the start of term I had a lot of fun. Hermione and her parents were very hospitable. I almost felt like I really belong to a family and a muggle one at that. The Grangers were almost like the Weasley minus the magic. I guess I realized the joys of being muggle with them. The Dursley's made me feel otherwise when I am with them.
When Viktor visited the Grangers he was stunned to see me staying with Hermione's family. I can't quite describe the look on his face when I opened the door for him. He probably didn't know whether to smile at me or to frown. The week went fairly well. It wasn't really that bad. Probably because the Grangers were always around their daughter and adding up to it was my presence. But before Viktor left to go back to Bulgaria he had asked her to be his girlfriend. I really don't know what her answer was but she did tell me that he would keep in touch. That's when it damn hit me in the face. I like Hermione! I like my best friend. I've probably gone bonkers already. But that's the inevitable truth. I wanted to shake the feeling off but it was all but a futile attempt. I couldn't tell Ron, he'll probably strangle me to death because it's quite evident that he likes her to and probably even longer than I have. I couldn't think of anything to do so I owled Sirius about my whole dilemma instead. My godfather told me that I was just like my father. I wonder why he said that. It wasn't really any help but he did say that what is meant to be would end up together eventually. I got even more confused. This is probably more exhausting than thinking of how to defeat Voldemort.
How long have I been standing here by the library door? Hermione was staring at me. She was probably thinking about why I was standing here all this time just staring at her I must really look awfully stupid. She motioned for me to go to the table. Ok… this is getting very weird for me. She's my best friend right? Why am I acting like a total dork around her?
"Harry, why were you just standing there? We could have started Ancient Runes a while ago. You kept me waiting, you know?" she scolded me as she moved a loose strand from her face.
|*It's her hair and her eyes today
That just simply take me away
And the feeling that I'm falling further in love
Makes me shiver but in a good way
All the times I have sat and stared
As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair
And she purses her lips, bats her eyes
And she plays with me sittin there slacked jaw
And nothing to say*|
I was mesmerized. Her eyes where twinkling from the little sunshine coming from the window. Her hair was cascading down her shoulders. My mouth must have been hanging open now. She smiled at me! God what beautiful smile! I swear I haven't seen an angel before but if were to describe one I swear it would look exactly like Hermione. Those lips, so red, I wish I could kiss those beautiful lips!
|*Coz I love her with all that I am
And my voice shakes along with my hands
Coz she's all that I see and she's all that I need
And I'm out of my league once again
It's a masterful melody
When she calls out my name to me
As the world spins around her
She laughs, close her eyes
And I feel like I'm fallin but it's no surprise*|
"Harry is anything wrong with you?" her question knocked me back to reality. "Are you sick? If you are maybe you should go back to your dormitory and rest. We'll do this later." She's worried about me. She cares for me! Maybe because we've been friends for a long time nothing more. Who was I kidding? She has a Viktor Krum whose head over heals for her. I'm just me, plain ole Harry, one of her best friend, just a regular boy. Maybe that's why I like her so much. She accepted me for who I am not because I was who they call the-boy-who-lived. Is that good or bad? If she thinks I'm just a regular kid then what am I compared to Krum?
"Hey, Harry?" she asked. "We won't finish anything if you just stare at me all day," she whispered so no one could hear.
"I'm sorry. It's just that…" I couldn't finish what I was about to say I might make a big fool out of myself.
I started taking Ancient Runes with her. I wanted to take Arithmancy to and drop Divinations but I wasn't allowed to, instead they just let me take one more subject. I chose Ancient Runes because the class was a lot longer than Arithmancy so that meant more time with Hermione. I've been trying to spend more time with her preferably alone, Ron doesn't find anything wrong with it because Hermione and I are both Prefects and we have an additional subject together. Ron and I also spend a lot of time together during Quidditch practice so it just makes up for all the time Hermione and I spend together. But we still hang out, the three of us that is if the schedule permits. That meant being together during Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner subjects that we have together and Hogsmeade weekends, unless there are any tutoring sessions with Hermione like today. We have so much going on but we still try very hard to get together, the three of us.
We were almost done with studying. It took me a lot of effort to focus on studying my lessons and fight my urge to just look at Hermione's face, study her beautiful features and drift into my daydreams about holding her in my arms. When we were just about done, she stood up.
"Let's go Harry!" she said putting all her books in the bag. "It's still early we can still go to Hogsmeade to look around."
"That's a great idea," I told her as I stuffed my things in the bag. "Let's meet in the common room after getting all our stuff in our rooms."
"Okay," she agreed and we walked out of the library.
When we reached the Portrait hole we said together, "Phoenix Tears," and it opened. We got up the stairs and went to our separate rooms. I placed my bag a top my bed, then I faced the mirror and straighten my robe. "I see young Harry is off somewhere. Is it with the lovely Ms. Granger?" Lenoir, the enchanted mirror asked me. I can't believe it. Even the mirror figured me out. I just smiled.
I got out of the boys dormitory and dashed down to the common room. Hermione was probably still in her dormitory. I sat by the foot of the stairs leading to the girl's dormitory. After a while of waiting someone tapped my shoulder. It was Hermione and she was as beautiful as ever. I stood up and I instinctively took her hand in mine. She didn't seem to mind, probably because we are friends. I couldn't control myself from shaking a little; having her so close gave me this strange sensation that I couldn't quite explain. Before we reached the carriage we would be riding for our trip to Hogsmeade she stopped, faced me and examined me.
"Are you sick or something?" she said as she placed her hand over my forehead. "You've been shaking and you seem awfully cold."
I couldn't tell her why I was shaking and cold. The only reason I could think of was I'm a nervous wreck. "I'm okay. Don't worry about me," was the only thing I could say and I gave her a smile just to reassure her I'm okay. I guess that was enough for her so we had a move on and got in the carriage.
|*Coz I love her with all that I am
And my voice shakes along with my hands
Coz it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea
But I'd rather be here than on land
Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need
And I'm out of my league once again*|
On our way to Hogsmeade we talked and laughed and there were times when she just looked out her window and I would just stare at her again. It's like swimming in whirlpool of emotions not knowing where to go but I only know one thing. I'm falling for her and I couldn't think of anyway of stopping myself.
We got to Hogsmeade safely and I helped her get off the carriage. We walked around the stores. We visited Zonkos, the joke shop. I told her that Ron might be there, looking for new things we can use on Draco. She didn't like the idea of playing tricks on other people but since it was Draco who was involved she didn't argue about it. With no luck of finding Ron there, we went to the Three Broomsticks instead.
Surely we did the right thing because he was there with his other siblings, the seventh years Fred and George and Ginny their youngest and only sister who was now in fourth year. Hermione and I went to their table and from the look on Ron's face he was surprised to see us but I also think he was glad because he smiled. I sat beside Fred and Hermione stayed on Ginny's side.
Fred, George, Ron and I engrossed our selves in a discussion about Quidditch. Ron being our new keeper was almost as good as our former captain Oliver Wood. Hermione and Ginny were probably talking about girl stuffs since they were most of the time giggling.
I suddenly focused my attention to the glass window of the Three Broomsticks. From there I saw Hermione's reflection. I stared at it as she moved her hand putting a loose hair strand back in place. She wet her lips that looked so sweet. I felt my throat dry up when she batted her eye lashes that made her eyes lovelier.
|*It's her hair and her eyes today
That just simply take me away
And the feeling that I'm falling further in love
Makes me shiver but in a good way
All times I have sat and stared
As she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair
And she purses her lips, bats her eyes
And she plays with me sittin there slacked jaw
And nothing to say*|
Fred and George's snickering got my attention. They basically saw what I was looking at but they didn't say a word to Ron nor to Ginny about it. They probably know what's wrong with me by now. Actually I'm thinking that maybe it wouldn't take a while before I would be walking around Hogwarts and people would look at me and they would just know, like I'm wearing a big sign saying, `I'm in love with Hermione Granger,' hey wait a minute did that just come up? Am I in love with her? Now I'm screwed. This would change everything. And what if she doesn't like me? She has Viktor Krum after all, the Quidditch star player. And again, I'm just Harry her best friend. And what will Ron say about this?
We all got back to Hogwarts before nightfall. Thank God Fred and George kept shut about what they saw. I guess I did the right thing by giving them my prize money from the Triwizard tournament last year.
When we reached the common room I stayed on the couch in front the roaring fire. Ron made his way to our dormitory. He was easily exhausted because he was in Hogsmeade probably longer than the rest of us. I saw Hermione coming my way. My heart just made a summersault and my stomach was lurching. Here we go again. The common room was almost empty. We didn't have to make rounds tonight because it's a weekend and it's usually the heads of the house that are to make the rounds.
Hermione sat beside me in the couch. It was basically just made for two people to sit on. I can still smell the sweet fragrance of her hair. It's raspberry, I think. I don't know exactly what I'd do. She is sitting beside me, my best friend, the girl who put Snape's robe on fire that trampled Professor Quirrell who was jinxing my broom during my first Quidditch game and she gave me enough strength to push through in looking for the sorcerer stone, these all took place on our first year. She, who got petrified because she wanted to help us figure out who caused the muggle born students to be petrified in our second year. The girl who rode the hippogriff with me so we can help my godfather escape in my third year and she was the one who got in all the trouble of helping me get through the Triwizard Tournament by training with me. She did all that in just a span of four years. She did that all for me. Not because I was the Harry Potter or the boy who lived, she did it because I was Harry one of her best friend.
|*Coz I love her with all that I am
And my voice shakes along with my hands
Coz it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea
But I'd rather be here than on land
Yes she's all that I see and she's all that I need
And I'm out of my league once again*|
"Harry, I need to ask you about something?" she said as she looked at me straight in the eyes.
I just stared right back at her. From the looks on her face I think she was blushing. "Sure what is it?" I answered.
"What would you do if you finally realize you like someone?" she asked me. I think she was a bit uncertain as to whether asking me was the right thing to do.
"I really don't know? I mean I really can't say, it has to depend on what your relationship to that person is," I answered. I'm not sure if it came out right.
"What if he's a friend of yours? A best friend?" She said and from how she said it I think she didn't mean to add the best friend part.
"Well, it's two things it's either you get comfortable with him and you tell him what you feel or you wait for him to actually acknowledge you as someone he should treat as more than a friend," I answered. Wait, is she talking about Ron?
"What if he's too shy to tell? What if he just stares at you blank? Should I tell him I like him to or…?" she was saying but at that moment I couldn't stop myself I had to kiss her. My lips pressed to her soft ones. They were sweet just as I imagined them to be. I held her close to me. I think she's crying now. I just have to know why.
"Hermione, did I hurt you? Why are you crying?" I asked her.
"No, Harry you never hurt me. I'm… I'm just so happy right now. Too happy that it actually made me cry," she said sincerely.
"I'm so happy to," I told her. Actually I'm more than happy I'm ecstatic.
"I love you Hermione," I just had to say it before I loose the nerve to do so.
She didn't answer me. She just looked up at me and she kissed me. That's all that I could remember. Heck! I don't know what will happen tomorrow. What Ginny or Ron will say and what everyone would say, specially the Slytherins. What matters right now is I have Hermione. And she loves me and that's all that I'll ever need to know. I'll face anyone who thinks we shouldn't be together. I looked into her beautiful brown eyes and I told her that nothing or no one could keep us apart.
---the end---
[n/a]: Hmm…. That's about it. Hope yah like it.
It's a Stephen Speak song again, just love their songs a lot.