CHAPTER ONE: Kisses and Tears
Life goes on as it never ends
Eyes of stone observe the trends
They never say forever gaze upon me
Guilty roads to an endless love
There's no control
Are you with me now?...
The soothing music of the Backstreet Boys brought Hermione Granger to a state of wakedness. She rubbed at her eyes, trying to block out the soft yellow sunlight streaming through her blinds. "It's too damn early for this," she sighed to herself. And suddenly, she remembered: Hogwarts!
Instantly awake, Hermione lept out of bed, clad in nothing but a tanktop and panties. She ran over to her closet and began sorting through it. She needed the absolute most perfect outfit to begin her seventh and final year at Hogwarts. Finally, after tossing about half her clothes, she found exactly the outfit she was searching for. Hip-hugging blue jeans and a sparkly pink top with a butterfly, her favorite. The jeans were low enough and the shirt high enough to show a strip of flat stomach.
"I look good," she told herself confidentally, observing her appearance in the mirror.
Ever since the end of fifth year, Hermione had changed physically. Her once-bushy hair had grown sleek and smooth without the aid of a potion, and now lay in beautiful chocolate waves that stopped at her elbows. Her skin was smooth, and from tanning all summer it was a nice shade of bronze. She'd gotten a rather nice figure, something the boys at Hogwarts seemed to agree with. Not to mention her height -- she'd shot up to an impressive five foot ten. She was, definitely, no longer the awkward bookworm of the past.
Hermione rushed over to her bureau and began applying makeup. First went on pale pink blush, right across the apples of her cheeks. Black eyeliner and mascara, followed by bright pink lipgloss, and to top it off she carefully touched up the polish on her nails. Hermione never used to wear makeup, but her mother had bought her an entire case for her sixteenth birthday and ever since she'd worn the stuff more often. It definitely improved her appearance.
As she stared in the mirror, the song on her custom-made CD switched to the next song. It began to play "Born To Make You Happy," by Britney Spears. Hermione sighed and stared at the mirror long and hard. This song, although one of her favorites, reminded her of her own life... well, her love for that special someone. Harry James Potter.
She'd known and loved him since age eleven, and he had no idea. Well, seeing as his record with women (breaking up up with Cho Chang, Lavender Brown murdered over Christmas break by Death Eaters, and then breaking up with Cho again shortly thereafter) was substandard, she didn't expect much. But nearly seven years! It was too much for a girl to take.
This year, Hermione vowed, things would be different.
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Hermione arrived at Kings Cross and got out of her shiny red Mustang. Ever since she'd gotten her drivers license in late June, she'd been driving herself everywhere. Her parents didn't mind because they knew she was responsible. Hermione picked up her trunk and dragged it through the station and through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4. Instantly her eyes picked out a long, fiery red plait.
"Hiya Ginny!" she exclaimed, rushing over to meet her best (female) friend.
Ginny turned around, grinning widely. "Hermione! God, you look so great!" she added as the two girls embraced.
Hermione dropped her trunk. "Whew. That's heavy. But you look great too!" she added. Ginny was wearing a very short, plaid and pleated skirt and a tight black top with bell sleeves. She had platform white boots and her beautiful hair was pulled away from her face in a long braid.
"Where's your brother and, er, Harry?" Hermione asked, hoping she didn't sound too needy and instead sounded casual about wondering where Harry was. She wanted to see his gorgeous eyes again.
"I dunno, but - oh, hang on, there's Draco!" squealed Ginny. She ran out to meet him.
Draco and Ginny had begun dating the winter of Ginny's fifth year. At first, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been shocked (with reason). But they soon learned the horrible truth -- Lucius Malfoy, Draco's father, had been mentally and physically abusing Draco for years. Draco, too scared of what would happen if he disobeyed his father, had grown into a moody and abrasive young man. Somehow Ginny had uncovered the gentle soul underneath.
Draco, for his part, looked - there was no other word for it - sexy. His platinum blonde hair fell into silvery eyes and over an alabaster-white forehead. Hermione watched as the two of them began making out in the middle of the train station. She felt an odd sort of ripple in her stomach, but pushed it down. It probably didn't mean anything, anyway.
The couple walked over to Hermione. "Hey, Granger," said Draco in his trademark drawl.
"Malfoy," said Hermione, smiling. They still called each other by their surnames even though they were friends. It was their little thing.
"Oh, Hermione, I saw Ron near the end compartment where we usually sit," Ginny informed her.
"Okay," said Hermione, "I'll leave you two alone then," she teased.
Ginny and Draco laughed as Hermione walked away. As she approached the end of the train, waving to people in a friendly sort of way, nervous butterflies fluttered about her stomach. All she could think about was Harry, and Harry's eyes, and the way Harry's mouth moved when he spoke...
"Hermione!"
It was Ron. Hermione grinned and hurried over to him. Ron, who wasn't that much taller than her anymore, gave Hermione a gigantic bear hug. "Hey," he said warmly, releasing her. He surveyed her from bottom-to-top and then gave a trademark cheeky grin. "Hot damn. If I weren't taken I'd be sweeping you off your feet in a second."
"Shut up," Hermione said, but she grinned. "Talking of that, where's Luna anyway?"
"With Harry. Putting the stuff in the compartment." Ron narrowed his eyes. "Is that my sister snogging the shit out of Draco?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron didn't like Draco much, but they had reached a period of grudging respect and civilness. Hermione suspected they were good friends underneath everything, but being stubborn boys they put on a front. "Of course it is, you git, they're dating, aren't they allowed to snog?"
"Not in public!"
"Oh, you're one to talk," Hermione giggled. "I seem to recall you and Luna at the end-of-term party at The Three Broomsticks -"
"Hey, quit it," snapped Ron, whose ears had gone quite red. "Go look for your boyfriend, all right?"
"Harry is not my boyfriend!" Hermione snapped back, but she felt her cheeks flame up. Oh, no.
Ron shrugged, his sleepy blue eyes flashing dangerously. He was ready for a fight. "He should be, what with the way you two make eyes at each other all bloody day. But I suppose he's too bloody busy crying his eyes out over Lavender and ignoring you."
Hermione mouthed soundlessly at him. How dare Ron even insuinate that Harry... and mention Lavender so heartlessly... and how could he accuse her of making eyes at anybody! She suddenly, for no apparent reason, felt her big brown eyes fill with tears. "Be quiet, Ron," she sputtered tearfully, and dashed off into the train.
Throwing herself into the first empty compartment she could find, Hermione slammed the door behind her and collapsed into a fit of tears. The worst part was, everything Ron had said was pretty much true. After Lavender's tragic death, Harry had gone into a state of shock. He briefly dated Cho again, as a sort of rebound, but it only lasted a week or so. Since then, Harry had made no indication he was even interested in girls anymore.
Hermione found herself wondering, as she had thousands of times before, if Harry had loved Lavender. The mere thought of it tore her heart in two. While Hermione became a beautiful young woman and everyone noticed, Harry only had eyes for the pretty blonde Lavender Brown. Hermione tried her hardest to despise Lavender for it, but she had done nothing wrong, and the two of them seemed truly happy.
And now Harry -
Was in the compartment?
"Shit!" shrieked Hermione through her tears, leaping to her feet. Harry stood in the doorway, looking quiet and concerned, as he often did.
"Hermione?" he said blankly. "Are you all right? I saw you run on the train and you're crying..."
"Oh, God -" Hermione swiped at her eyes frantically. "I'm, uh, I'm fine. It's just -"
"Did Ron say something to you?" Harry asked, sounding rather protective.
Hermione sniffled slightly. "Oh, no, it was... oh, it's just everything," she said finally. She didn't want Ron and Harry angry at each other, or Ron angry at her or vice versa. "I guess what's been going on lately has finally sunk in."
Harry stiffened slightly and stared at the floor. "Right." He looked up at Hermione, and his pale cheeks went very slightly pink. "Your mascara is running," he informed her quietly.
"Oh." Hermione gave a shaky laugh. "Damn. And after I worked so long on it, too," she added as an attempt at a feeble joke.
"Did you?"
"Oh. My makeup?" Hermione went pink. Was Harry admiring her? Complimenting her? Or did he think she was stupid for even wearing makeup? Lavender used to wear makeup. "No. Not really. Just enough time to get it right, you know."
Harry's expression was unreadable. "Well," he said, "it's messed up now."
Time seemed to hang in the balance as Harry walked towards her. Hermione felt her entire body seize up and a chill run down her spine as Harry cupped her face in his hand and began to wipe away the mascara on her cheek with his thumb. Oh, God, please kiss me, she thought desperately. They were inches away from each other. She could see every detail of his eyes, every jagged movement the scar made.
"Hermione?" he asked, very hoarsely. "You're not blinking."
Hermione replied shakily, "Neither are you."
"Why were you crying? Really? It can't be because of Voldemort still. You're so much stronger than that, Hermione," he said with too much sincerity. "Please tell me what's wrong. You wouldn't go to pieces over that."
Something in her chest broke. "If I told you," Hermione muttered, "you wouldn't believe it. Or else you'd laugh at me."
"I would never laugh at you," Harry said quietly. His mouth twitched. "Well, not at anything you're crying over, anyway. Except if it were S.P.E.W."
"Harry," she half-sobbed. She sniffled again, very aware that Harry was still holding her head in his hand. "Are you sure you want me to tell you?"
"Yes."
There was something in his eyes... something hopeful? Hermione took a deep breath to steady herself. This, she knew, was it. This was the moment she had been waiting seven years to experience, the moment she'd gone over in her head thousands of times before. Harry was gazing at her, and she was gazing back at him, and the three words escaped from her mouth: "I love you."
And suddenly Harry's mouth was on hers, and the year was off to the best start it could be.
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Okay, well, that's all for chapter one! How'd you guys like it? Please review, flames will be used to roast marshmellows! XD Also sorry to any Lavender fans, but I just needed a random girl to be Harry's dead girlfriend, lol, it's definitely gonna be a plot point later in the story though so don't fret.