Why Me?
Hermione was sitting in the common room working on her Transfiguration essay that was due next week. It was a Hogsmeade weekend and Ron and Harry had tried to persuade her to go, but she had adamantly refused, telling them she had too much work to do. In truth, she just felt like being alone, though she would never admit that to them.
She sighed and looked up from her parchment. It was a beautiful day outside, and here she was, inside, feeling miserable. She checked over her essay and realized that she had just written the same sentence three times. Ok, that's it, I need to get out of here, she thought. So she rolled up her mostly completed essay, put it in her bag, and stepped out of the portrait hole.
While walking through the numerous hallways, she contemplated where she should go to clear her thoughts. Maybe some fresh air would do me some good.
As she stepped through the large oak doors that led to the outdoors, she breathed in deeply. Yes, this was what she needed. She began to walk down towards the lake, and observed her surroundings as she went. Birds were chasing each other on the air currents, frogs were sunning themselves on the rocks, and squirrels were playing hide and seek with each other. She smiled to herself and walked down to the lake, towards her favorite tree.
She sat down underneath is and tilted her face up toward the sun, letting its warmth spread over her face. She opened her eyes and looked at the dark green leaves that reminded her of a certain black haired boy and his irresistible…No! Bad Hermione! You're not supposed to think about him like that!
However, once Hermione got started on one train of thought, she found it very hard to get off. She began to think about his perpetually messy hair, his cute smile, his charming-yet-brooding personality, his hero complex, however annoying it got at times, the way he ran his hand through his hair when he was particularly nervous or frustrated, his…Oh good Merlin help me. I'm in love with him! No, I can't like him like that. I'm supposed to like him like a brother. Our relationship is strictly platonic, nothing else!
Then why do you care so much what he thinks about you, a voice in her head asked her.
I don't!
Do too.
Do not.
Do too.
Do not.
Do too.
Ok, well, maybe I do. But he wouldn't ever feel the same. He thinks of me like a sister.
How do you know? Maybe you just think he does.
Come now, let's be realistic. There's no other way he could think of me. We're best friends.
Whatever you say…
Oh, bloody hell, what am I going to do?
"Hermione, are you alright," a voice she knew all too well asked her.
"Of course I am Harry. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Well, you just cursed at yourself, for one thing
"No I didn't. You must be hearing things. And anyway, what are you doing here. I thought you were in Hogsmeade with Ron."
"Well, I was, but it wasn't much fun without you there, especially after Ron went off to go have another face-sucking festival with Lavender. So I decided to come back here, to see what you were doing. Did you finish your essay?"
"Almost. I only have the conclusion left to do. Why?"
"Just wondering. Mind if I join you?"
"Be my guest."
Harry sat down beside her and looked up at the sky. While he was staring off into space, Hermione glimpsed at his profile. Gone was the scrawny, scared little boy that had first stepped onto the Hogwarts Express all those years ago. In his place was a confident man, who knew too much about the world and the way it worked. He had grown a great deal that summer, and through his blue jeans and dark green sweatshirt, she could see a hint of the muscles he had gained from playing quidditch.
"'Mione, can I ask you something," Harry said, shaking Hermione out of her reverie.
"Of course."
"Well, you see, there's this girl I like, maybe even love, but I'm not sure she feels the same way."
At this, Hermione's heart fell, but she didn't let him see it of course. While mentally chiding herself on her stupidity, she asked him, "Have you tried telling her?"
"That's just it, every time I try to tell her, I choke and end up making a complete fool of myself. I don't really even know what I would say."
"Well, why do you like her?"
"There are so many different reasons. She's smart, beautiful, funny, charming, loyal, kind, selfless, and trustworthy, she's always there for me, and I can't stop thinking about her. If anything happened to her, I would lose my reason to live. Her smile automatically brightens my day."
After this speech, Hermione felt like she was going to cry, but she held her tears back for another time. "Next time you see her, take a deep breath, remember how you feel, and tell her exactly what you just told me. That will get her for sure." Hermione forced out a smile.
"Okay, I'll try that. Thanks 'Mione, you're the best." And he walked off towards the castle, leaving Hermione to wallow in her misery.
As the sun began to set, Hermione decided she had better head back up to the common room to finish her essay. As she sat down at her table, she noticed Harry sitting on the couch in front of the fire, talking to Ginny. Ginny was nodding her head in encouragement, as Harry seemed to be trying to find the right words to say. He said something, and then Ginny leaped over and hugged him ferociously. Something in Hermione broke and she ran out of the common room, tears streaming down her face.
Harry had called Ginny over to the couch for a moment in hopes that she could help him figure out the right way to deal with his problem.
"What do you want Harry? I was kind of busy."
"I know Gin, but this'll only take a second."
"Ok then, what is it?"
"I need your help."
"With…?"
"TellingHermionethatIloveher," he quickly muttered under his breath.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Could you repeat that please?"
"Do I have to?"
"Yes," she said, giving him an encouraging nod.
Harry took a deep breath. "I need your help with telling Hermione that I love her," he said, loud enough that only she could hear.
Ginny squealed and gave him a famous Weasley bone-crushing hug. "I knew it! Ha! Ron owes me five galleons!"
Harry raised his eyebrow at her, and she just grinned at him. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione run out of the common room, sobbing, and slam the portrait shut. He looked at Ginny pitifully.
"Well, what are you waiting for, you prat? Go after her for Merlin's sake. Just tell her how you feel. It'll work, I promise you."
Before she finished her last sentence, he was out the door, trying to find out where Hermione had gone.
Ginny smiled, then, with a smirk, yelled across the common room, "Alright, you lot! You all owe me five galleons!"
Hermione kept running until she couldn't breathe. She sat down and tried to discern where she had ended up. The Astronomy Tower. Perfect, no one would even think of looking for her here. And with that thought, she resumed her sobbing.
Stupid git, Harry thought to himself. Why didn't you think to bring the invisibility cloak. It won't do you any good if Snape or Filch catches you.
Then, a sound reached his ears. It sounded like sobbing. I bet that's Hermione, he thought and he began to trace where the sound was coming from.
As he neared the Astronomy Tower, the sound grew louder. He reached the top of the stairs and saw Hermione, sitting with her knees bent to her chest, and sobbing into her hands. His heart ached, and he wished he could make it so she'd never cry again.
"'Mione," she heard a voice call, tentatively, "what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong Harry. Now just leave me alone."
"No, not until you tell me what's wrong. I can't fix it if you won't tell me."
"You can't fix a broken heart, Harry."
He was now sitting down beside her, longing to take her in his arms and make all the pain go away. When he heard this though, the beast in his chest roared in anger. "Who did this to you 'Mione? I swear I'll rip them limb from limb!"
"That would be pretty hard."
"Why? Why would that be hard?"
"Because it's you," she said, so softly that he almost didn't hear.
"What did I do," he asked, now filled with confusion and fear.
"Why do you care? Just go back to your Ginny and leave me be," she yelled, as she began to sob full force again.
"Ohhh…You thought I was in love with Ginny?" He looked at her for a moment, then he began to laugh.
"Would you care explaining to me what's so funny, Mr. Potter?"
"You are," he gasped out, before he began to laugh again.
Confusion replaced her anger. "I am? I don't get it."
Harry finally composed himself then turned to face her. As his eyes locked on hers, she looked down. He gently tipped her head back up, so she was forced to look at him.
"Yes you are. You're the brightest witch of our age, and yet you don't even see what's right in front of you. I can't love Ginny; my heart belongs to another."
"Who," she asked, her voice just barely above a whisper, as she noticed that their faces were less than an inch apart.
"You," he said, as he gently pressed his lips on hers in a kiss. It was short and sweet, but it held the promise of much more.
As she pulled away from him, confusion was still written all over her face. "But why? Why me? Why me, when you could have any girl you wanted? I'm not pretty, or clever, or funny. I'm just the annoying little know-it-all."
"First of all, no you're not. You're very clever, and very funny, and very beautiful. And secondly, all those girls out there, they see me as the boy-who-lived. But you, you always saw me as just Harry. You never put up with my selfishness or my depression. You were always there for me, even when it got you into trouble. That's why."
Hermione looked into his eyes and began to cry again. Harry took her into his arms and stroked her hair. "Shhh, what's wrong love?"
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that," she sobbed into his chest.
He smiled and kept on stroking her hair and rocking her back and forth until her sobs subsided. Then he rested his head atop hers while she listened to the rhythm of his heartbeat.
They sat there, silently, for several minutes, just enjoying each other's company, until Hermione quietly whispered, "We should probably get back before we get caught."
"Probably," he said, as he helped her up off the floor.
As they began to descend the stairs, Hermione turned towards him. "Harry?"
"Yes love," he replied, looking into her moon-illuminated chocolate orbs.
"I love you."
"I love you too, 'Mione." And with that, they walked, hand in hand, back to the common room.