A/N: this is for Crimson Daemon Cat's contest. It takes place after Harry's seventh year, and after Voldemort's defeat. In celebration, Dumbledore sends the graduating class on a trip to the English Channel, on the last weekend of school, for all the old friends to celebrate before they go about on their real lives.
Disclaimer- I don't own anything. The characters, or the lyrics.
When they arrived at the hotel, it was late. Almost everybody headed to their hotel room(they were to live like Muggles, well sort of), but Hermone had dragged me out of the hotel to go look at the city.
"But Mione, it's almost midnight. We have all of tomorrow to explore!" I had complained.
"It's not the same when it's light out. Plus, don't you think it's romantic?" she had counteracted. I always loved it when she argued with me.
"I suppose you're right." I had grumbled, but I was only trying to make her happy. I couldn't ruin anything about this trip, because at the end, I was going to propose. I had even bought the ring. It was tucked away safely in my pocket. But now, as I look back on it, it was the most romantic evening I had ever had. Ever.
I was tired so when I found a bench outside of a jazz club, I sat down. Hermione however didn't. "I love this song," she had said with a mischievous smile. And their right in front of Harry in the middle of the street, she started to dance. She was the most beautiful thing in the world when she danced. Her body moved so graceful, across the ground it looked like she was floating.
Slow dancing on the boulevard,
In the quiet moments,
When the city is still dark
I look back on these moments now, and think of what a fool I was. I let her go. And now I'm here. Back at the same spot where she had danced five years ago. The jazz place is still here, but abandoned. And there is the bench where I sat that night and held her in my arms. The bench where my world fell down on top of me. And I can feel her. And I hear her name wherever I go. And I see her face in my head. And I can't sleep because of it. And that is why I had to come here to this spot.
Sleepwalking through the summer rain,
In the tired spaces
He could still hear her name
*Flash back*
The song ended and she collapsed on the bench next to me, breathing hard but still grinning from ear to ear. I smiled back at her and said, "You are so beautiful Hermione. I love you," but then she started crying. "What's wrong Mione?"
"I love you. I love you so much, I never want to leave you, ever."
"I nev-" but she cut me off.
"I have to go to America. Dumbledore got me a full time job in America. And I have to leave Monday morning."
"Monday? This mond- oh no- Hermione, Hermione. I-I love you." I stuttered.
And with that she started to cry even harder, she wrapped her arms around me and she cried into my chest. She just cried until she ran out of tears. And then she lay there still. So I scooped her up and brought her up to our room, and lay her down on the bed. I layed down next to her, and tried to sleep. But sleep did not come to save him from his sorrow. He lay there the whole night thinking of her until finally sleep had mercy, and let him slumber.
When she was warm and tender
And you held her arms around you,
There was nothing but her love and affection,
She was crazy for you,
Now she's part of something that you lost
For all you know,
This could be
The difference between what you need,
And what you want to be
Yeah, what you want to be.
He knew what he wanted, what he needed. Hermione. The obvious choice was to go with her. But that would mean giving up his whole life. All his friends, his Auror work, his house, was all here. He could never ask her to stay. Hermione's dream was to become a teacher. He could not take that away from her. He knew in his head that he would have to stay, and separate from his one true love.
Hermione knew the same.
The next day, he spent every moment with her that he could. They went to the boardwalk, and he won her a bear. They went jetskiing and came back dripping wet, and hungry. They went out to lunch and chatted the whole time, but never reached on the subject of her leaving. They knew it was their last day together.
That night we went to the banquet dinner that was planned for all the seventh year graduates. Hermione had worn a diamond dress that lit up the whole room, but not as much as her smile.
When the dinner was done, she whispered in his ear, "Let's go to the beach."
"Wearing this?"
"So?" she had said.
"Alright, but I'm not going in. It's going to be freezing."
"Ok, I'll go in then."
Night swimming in her diamond dress,
Making small circles move across the surface
Stand watching from the steady shore
Feeling wide open and waiting for
The next morning they woke up together, and Harry picked up her suitcases and they left. The whole way was silent.
They got to the port key Dumbledore had set up for her and some other people who needed to go to America.
He put down her suitcases, and held her tightly in his arms. "I'll write you," she said. "I love you. Good bye" Harry stayed silent. He could not bring himself to say good bye, because that would mean she was really leaving.They then hugged and Hermione picked up her suitcases and walked toward the portkey .
She started to spin away. "NO DON"T GO!" he yelled, but it was too late. He was alone in the room and Hermione was gone. He stayed there, for hours and hours he stood and looked at the spot where she had been.
Then he collapsed on the floor and cried. He cried until he could cry no more. And when the silent sobs stopped racking his body, he stood and turned away. He opened the door of the room, and stepped out. He turned back around and said, "I love you too."
Then he left.
Something warm and tender
Now she's moving further from you
There was nothing that could
Make it easy for you
Every step you take reminds you that she's going…gone
And for all you know
This could be,
The difference between what you need, and who you want to be
Harry got up from the bench and walked back to his hotel room, it was late. Two o'clock. As he walked down the hall way the silence screamed at him. Always, always he heard.
Why didn't you try to stop her?
Every word you never said, echoes down your empty hallway
And everything that was your world had just come down
The next day Harry walked out of his hotel room and back to the bench in front of the abandoned jazz shop, with the amazing view of the beach. And he cried. He had not cried since the day when she left him. He had not seen her since then. Although he was a wizard and it would be easy for him to apparate to her house in America. He knew he shouldn't, because it would just make it harder for him and her.
Day breaking on the boulevard,
Feel the sun warming up your second-hand heart
Light swimming right across your face and you think
Maybe someday, maybe someday
For all you know
This could be
The difference between what you need and what you want to be
"Harry?" he heard his name being called. He turned around.
"Hermione."
"Oh, Harry! I missed you so much!" she said excitedly. "I have someone I want you to meet." A man walked up and put his arm around Hermione. "This is my fiancée, Cory. Cory this is my old school friend, Harry."
"Hello Cory nice to meet you." Harry tried to smile, but all it did was twist his face up. Hermione saw this and left quickly, "Bye Harry. C'mon Cory," She left again.
As she left he whispered to himself, "Don't go." He then dug around in his pocket for the ring that he had gotten for her five years before.
He held it in his hands and let the sun cast a reflection of it onto his face. "Good-bye" he said, and tossed the ring into the ocean. He turned around and walked home.
Girl, what you want to be.