One's Mistake
Hermione woke up and did her wavy brown hair in a tight bun just like any other normal morning. Voldemort had been defeated, but in it Hermione had lost color in her vision. The world to her was black and white and gray. 'So this is how a dog sees…' Hermione had thought when she first discovered this. Hermione did not dwell over this fact for long. She was thankful she had any vision at all.
Hermione slipped on jeans and a black tank top. It was nearing the summer months and with it came the roaring heat. Hermione sighed and splashed water on her face. Lately she had been dreading the summer months.
Hermione walked outside and headed to the coffee shop she worked in. She was the manager and got a fair salary, but her life lacked taste. Everyday she would get up and head to 'Heavenly Coffee' where she would drink a cup of coffee then proceed to open the shop. She always ate breakfast here, whether she was working that day or not. She would often sit at a table for an hour, just thinking about life. Sometimes other workers opened and they would see her sitting there and they wouldn't say anything.
Hermione hadn't stayed in touch with many people from school. Only Ron, Ginny, and Harry. The four of them had isolated themselves from the rest of that graduating class. They had lost too much and it was too painful to talk about.
Hermione sipped her coffee today and got going earlier than usual. She opened the shop and soon the coffee shop was buzzing with all the regular morning customers.
Later that evening when Hermione was closing the shop Harry came in.
"Still have time to serve one more cup?" Harry asked. His voice had changed dramatically in the last couple of years. It was lower and showed more friction in it, as well as melancholy.
"Why do you need a pick-me-up at this time of night?" Hermione asked as she finished washing the counters.
Harry shrugged and Hermione didn't question any further. She brewed him a decaf coffee and put it on the table Harry was sitting at. She continued to clean as she dwelled in the silence.
There was an awkward silence. There wasn't much to say at 10 o' clock at night. They were both tired.
Hermione wondered if Harry had came to tell her something or just to say hello. She quickly got her answer.
"Ginny and I got in a fight," Harry started. "She kept telling me how ignorant I was and…" Harry paused for a long moment and sighed. "I told her if she was just going to complain then why doesn't she just leave? And so she left."
Harry and Ginny had been living in a small house for about 6 months. Hermione and Ron both thought everything was going good. Harry and Ginny had had their monthly or weekly or whatever fights, but they usually got over their own stupid-ness. The worst fight they had had was when they got mad at each other and Ginny left for a day. Ginny came back the next night though and they resolved it.
Hermione wasn't sure about this one.
She sat down next to Harry and put her hand on his shoulder. Suddenly they found themselves leaning in.
It was only a quick kiss, and as they broke away they said nothing.
Gosh, what just happened? I couldn't have just…that would be awkward. But Hermione found her heart was beating faster than usual and her hands had become sweaty. This hadn't happened before, her being so nervous around Harry. She looked around the shop and notice she was smiling.
Hermione quickly stood up and resumed cleaning, making she not to smile sheepishly again.
"Thanks for the coffee." Harry threw out the cup and left, leaving Hermione alone and confused in the dim coffee shop.
1 year later nothing had changed. Hermione was a little more cheery some days, but in recollection she was still sad. She had kept the coffee house and had the same routine. Harry came to visit her more and more. Ginny had come back a week after Harry's visit to the coffee shop. But their fights were getting worse and worse. Hermione was pretty sure this was why they never got married—they were afraid they would fall apart and be stuck with each other.
One regular Tuesday evening Harry and Ron were both at the coffee shop. There were celebrating—Harry had just proposed to Ginny and she accepted. True, the engagement party had been a week ago, but everyone's hope were still high.
They decided to go to Hogwarts for a visit. Hogwarts was long closed but the castle was still up. Professor McGonagall had decided to destroy nothing.
They visited the lake. After apperating, Hermione's heart was beating fast but somehow she knew it wasn't from traveling. She knew being around Harry made her anxious. Alas, Hermione was just happy dating Ron.
Sort of.
Hermione knew their relationship wouldn't last. It was dating, not a lifelong commitment however much Ron thought it was.
Harry looked at Hermione and noticed her hair up in a half-pony tail. This wasn't how Hermione usually wore it, Harry realized. Then again, who was he to care?
Harry's heart was beating fast too, although he thought it was just from being back at Hogwarts.
Harry and Hermione exchanged and quick glance and they both smiled gleefully. Ron paid no attention to how bouncy Hermione was when she was around Harry.
Hermione sighed happily. Everything was working out fine. She smiled and looked behind her, where Ron was leaning against a tree and Harry was laying down, looking at the stars.
"Do you remember Astronomy class?" Harry asked neither of them in particular.
Hermione and Ron weren't sure who Harry was talking to. "Yeah…" They both said at the same time.
Harry smiled. "I don't remember much, but I do recall learning about the big dipper and mars." Harry raised his eyebrows and nodded towards the sky. Hermione followed his gaze and saw the stars aligned in a dipper form. Skimming the sky, Hermione also saw a small red dot, glowing. She acknowledged this as mars and wondered is the stars spelt anything in horoscopes.
Harry didn't say anything else for a few minutes. The three of them stayed silent, alone with their thoughts.
Hermione looked over at Harry. Harry looked at Hermione. There eyes never met.
Is she remembering the same night I am?
Does he remember that night in the coffee shop?
Did she think anything of it?
Did he sense I was happy that night?
Am I making a mistake?
Did I make the mistake of not telling him? No! He's happy with Ginny. He never felt anything for me. It was just a stupid kiss. He's marrying Ginny.
Hermione realized the pit in her stomach as she went over the same thing in her mind over and over again: Harry's going to marry Ginny.
It's a good thing I didn't tell him. It would have ruined the friendship I have with Ginny, and it would have made everything more awkward.
So Hermione decided she was glad she hadn't said anything. And she never was going to say anything.
But days rolled on and Hermione realized she wasn't happy anymore. In fact, she was less happy as the wedding date got closer.
Eventually she realized she should have said something to Harry. I will tell him something. She decided.
It was four months until the wedding.
Hermione called Harry on the phone one night. "Hey Harry. You want to talk at the coffee shop tomorrow?"
Hermione got up early the next morning. She would meet Harry there at 7am. She realized she was nervous but she had to tell him something before it was too late. She pulled her hair in a hair pony and wore a skirt that always made her feel dressed up, even though the skirt wasn't that fancy.
She put on a dash of eye shadow, nothing noticeable. She slipped on casual sandals and left her house.
She walked slowly.
"So…I was thinking about…" No. That sounds awkward.
"I'm not sure if you felt anything, but I was sort of…excited after our kiss."
Hermione went over as many possible conversations as she could in her mind, but none of them fit. She knew this would be awkward no matter what.
Harry was dressed in casual clothes. He looked no different from two months ago. His hair was still messy and his glasses where still round.
Hermione smiled as her heart jumped. "Hi Harry."
They entered the coffee shop. They kept it to small talk about work and news. Hermione glanced at the clock. The shop would open in half in hour, she needed to get this over with soon…
Six months later Harry and Ginny wedded. They were far from happy though.
And yet they stayed together, they didn't have kids and most days they were just happy to be alive, but there was no real love in it.
Hermione stayed at her coffee shop and realized the big mistake she had made. She could have just dated Harry, and maybe they would have realized it meant nothing. But, Hermione reasoned, it could have been something else, and that's what they were afraid of.
Hermione eventually lost touch with Ron and Harry and Ginny. The few friends she had where friends from the coffee shop. Harry and Ginny stayed together, ignoring the fact they both knew was true but didn't admit it to themselves or each other—they didn't love each other. Ron disappeared one night, years later without a goodbye. He never came back.
No one held a funeral for him. They were all hoping he would come back. Expecting that one day Ron would just show up and shout, "Hey, I'm back!" That day never came. So instead, they all lived empty lives because Hermione was too shy to tell Harry she had feelings for him, and she was too afraid to leave Ron, (so instead Ron left her). Her one mistake turned into four huge ones that could never be repaired.