My One and Only
A FanFic by the Lion of Gryffindor
A/N: Here is a little side project I'm working on. For those who are enjoying "The Heir of the Lion", don't worry, that story is still my main priority. I just had some creative juices flow last night while I was half asleep and I had to put them in a story. Please read and review. Anyway, on with the program.
*Look at her. Its like she gets more beautiful each day that see her. Look at her with him. Why can't she be that way with me? I know its not Ron's fault. He never knew about my feelings; I never told him. I was afraid to. And I never expected him to pick up on them. Ron just doesn't do that. But never in a million years did I expect the two of them to get together. * Harry sighed as these thoughts ran through his head for the millionth time in the past ten minutes. He was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, trying to study for his N.E.W.T.S that he would be taking in just a few months time. However, any thoughts of studying were quickly washed away when Hermione and Ron joined him. His two best friends. He loved them both, but in completely different ways. Ron would always be his best friend. He knew that he could count on Ron, even when they were in the middle of a huge row; Ron would always come around in the end. Hermione, well where did Harry start. She was smart, beautiful, loyal, the list goes on and on. She had always been there for Harry, and he knew beyond anything else, that she always would. When other girls would have run screaming, Hermione screwed up her courage and stayed by Harry's side no matter what the consequences could be. She was there, earlier in the year, when Harry faced Voldemort for the final time. It was her that distracted the Dark Lord long enough for Harry to stun him into the very same veil that claimed Sirius. Harry could honestly say, though he could not tell anyone, that he loved Hermione the way he was sure that his dad loved his mum.
He could tell no one this, of course. He lost his chance with Hermione a month and a half ago when Ron asked her to be his girlfriend. She accepted rather excitedly. When they told Harry, he smiled and told them he was happy for them. That night was the first night in his life, despite all of the hardships thrown his way, that Harry actually cried himself to sleep. At first he felt betrayed, but he knew that it was neither Ron's nor Hermione's fault. Had Harry told Hermione about his feelings before, he may have been her boyfriend, not Ron. Seeing the two of them together made Harry feel lonely.
Not that he didn't have girls throwing themselves at him. He was Harry Potter, after all. "The boy who lived", "The Conqueror of the Dark Lord"; Harry had so many nicknames now that he lost count of them. It seemed that almost every witch in Hogwarts wanted to be with him. Even Cho Chang begged Harry for a second chance. Unfortunately, Harry knew that they wanted to be with the legend, not the person. Hermione was the only girl who knew the actual Harry Potter. She's the only one who ever cared to know the actual Harry Potter, and Harry loved her even more for this.
*I have to tell her. I can't keep these emotions bottled up inside. * Harry thought while watching them. He had to, not to damage her relationship with Ron, but because he felt he would explode if he didn't. Harry stood abruptly and started to put away his things.
"Harry, are you okay?" asked Hermione.
"No, not really. I," Harry felt his courage leaving him. He screwed it up as much as he could and said, "Hermione, could I talk to you in private?" Ron looked put out. "Sorry, Ron, it really is something that I can only discuss with Hermione." Ron nodded. He knew that if it was important enough, he would eventually find out from either of the two of them.
Hermione stood and led Harry to her private study. She was Head Girl, and with that title came certain privileges, and privacy was one of them. She sat on a chaise lounge while Harry turned the chair at her desk around to face her.
"What's bothering you, Harry?" she asked. She was always so perceptive, especially when it came to him.
"There's something I need to tell you. Something I actually should have told you a long time ago, but I never thought it appropriate. Now is probably the worst and most inappropriate times to tell you, but I have to get it out or I feel that I'll burst."
"What is it, Harry?" she questioned leaning forward to grab his hands. "You can tell me anything, you know that."
"Yeah, I know." Tears were beginning to well, and Harry silently cursed himself for it. He didn't want her to see him cry. He closed his eyes and forced them down. He then swallowed the overly large lump in his throat and began to lay it all out. "I love you, Hermione."
"I know, Harry. I love you too."
"No," he said. "I mean I love you. When I look at you, I loose all train of thought. When you smile at me, my heart flutters like a snitch. When you talk, its like the angels singing." Comprehension began to dawn on Hermione's face. "I know that you're with Ron, and I don't expect anything more from you than you've already given. I just wanted to tell you because it tears me up inside everyday."
"Oh, Harry!" she sighed. This was not what she expected. So this is why he never accepted the invitation of any girl, he wanted her. "I'm sorry, Harry. I am with Ron, and I don't know if I love Ron, but I do care about him. I wish that I could return your feelings, but I can't."
"I understand," he muttered. "I don't want this to change our relationship. I still want to be friends with both you and Ron."
"Don't worry, Harry. You and I will always be friends." Then, out of curiosity, she asked, "How long have you had these feelings?"
"Since second year. After you were attacked by the basilisk, I would sneak into the Hospital Wing and spend the entire night by your side, holding your hand. It was in those moments that I realized I couldn't live without you. I was just too afraid to hurt our friendship." The tears came back, and this time Harry couldn't hold them down. He tried to get up and leave, but Hermione grabbed his arm from behind and he turned to look at her. She reached up and wiped away his tears. Then she stood on her toes, and kissed Harry on his lips. Harry almost passed out from the emotional release this caused. Tears continued to stream down both of their faces. When the kiss was over, Hermione wiped her tears away and looked at Harry's beautiful green eyes. She could see the hurt and confusion in them.
"Thank you, Harry, for caring about me the way you do." That was all she could think to say. Harry smiled and nodded. He turned around and left the room. He looked over at Ron who was still sitting by the fire and nodded. He turned up the staircase to his bed. He needed to be alone. He was emotionally torn apart. He knew that Hermione was the only woman he would ever truly love. The kiss they just shared reiterated that fact to him. But he also knew that Hermione had chosen Ron over Harry. Not because She loved Ron more than Harry so much as because of Ron's impeccable timing. He had to reevaluate his life at this point. He knew that he had to get over Hermione, but he also knew that it would be nearly impossible. He had to try somehow. Then, it hit him. He got up, went to the bathroom to wash his face of any signs that he had been crying. He then changed into his new clothes that he picked up in Diagon Alley earlier that year. He put on his finest cloak and left the dormitory in a hurry. When he got downstairs, he saw Ron and Hermione out of the corner of his eye, but didn't look at them fully. They tried to get his attention, but he climbed out of the portrait hole pretending not to hear them.
A FanFic by the Lion of Gryffindor
A/N: Here is a little side project I'm working on. For those who are enjoying "The Heir of the Lion", don't worry, that story is still my main priority. I just had some creative juices flow last night while I was half asleep and I had to put them in a story. Please read and review. Anyway, on with the program.
*Look at her. Its like she gets more beautiful each day that see her. Look at her with him. Why can't she be that way with me? I know its not Ron's fault. He never knew about my feelings; I never told him. I was afraid to. And I never expected him to pick up on them. Ron just doesn't do that. But never in a million years did I expect the two of them to get together. * Harry sighed as these thoughts ran through his head for the millionth time in the past ten minutes. He was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, trying to study for his N.E.W.T.S that he would be taking in just a few months time. However, any thoughts of studying were quickly washed away when Hermione and Ron joined him. His two best friends. He loved them both, but in completely different ways. Ron would always be his best friend. He knew that he could count on Ron, even when they were in the middle of a huge row; Ron would always come around in the end. Hermione, well where did Harry start. She was smart, beautiful, loyal, the list goes on and on. She had always been there for Harry, and he knew beyond anything else, that she always would. When other girls would have run screaming, Hermione screwed up her courage and stayed by Harry's side no matter what the consequences could be. She was there, earlier in the year, when Harry faced Voldemort for the final time. It was her that distracted the Dark Lord long enough for Harry to stun him into the very same veil that claimed Sirius. Harry could honestly say, though he could not tell anyone, that he loved Hermione the way he was sure that his dad loved his mum.
He could tell no one this, of course. He lost his chance with Hermione a month and a half ago when Ron asked her to be his girlfriend. She accepted rather excitedly. When they told Harry, he smiled and told them he was happy for them. That night was the first night in his life, despite all of the hardships thrown his way, that Harry actually cried himself to sleep. At first he felt betrayed, but he knew that it was neither Ron's nor Hermione's fault. Had Harry told Hermione about his feelings before, he may have been her boyfriend, not Ron. Seeing the two of them together made Harry feel lonely.
Not that he didn't have girls throwing themselves at him. He was Harry Potter, after all. "The boy who lived", "The Conqueror of the Dark Lord"; Harry had so many nicknames now that he lost count of them. It seemed that almost every witch in Hogwarts wanted to be with him. Even Cho Chang begged Harry for a second chance. Unfortunately, Harry knew that they wanted to be with the legend, not the person. Hermione was the only girl who knew the actual Harry Potter. She's the only one who ever cared to know the actual Harry Potter, and Harry loved her even more for this.
*I have to tell her. I can't keep these emotions bottled up inside. * Harry thought while watching them. He had to, not to damage her relationship with Ron, but because he felt he would explode if he didn't. Harry stood abruptly and started to put away his things.
"Harry, are you okay?" asked Hermione.
"No, not really. I," Harry felt his courage leaving him. He screwed it up as much as he could and said, "Hermione, could I talk to you in private?" Ron looked put out. "Sorry, Ron, it really is something that I can only discuss with Hermione." Ron nodded. He knew that if it was important enough, he would eventually find out from either of the two of them.
Hermione stood and led Harry to her private study. She was Head Girl, and with that title came certain privileges, and privacy was one of them. She sat on a chaise lounge while Harry turned the chair at her desk around to face her.
"What's bothering you, Harry?" she asked. She was always so perceptive, especially when it came to him.
"There's something I need to tell you. Something I actually should have told you a long time ago, but I never thought it appropriate. Now is probably the worst and most inappropriate times to tell you, but I have to get it out or I feel that I'll burst."
"What is it, Harry?" she questioned leaning forward to grab his hands. "You can tell me anything, you know that."
"Yeah, I know." Tears were beginning to well, and Harry silently cursed himself for it. He didn't want her to see him cry. He closed his eyes and forced them down. He then swallowed the overly large lump in his throat and began to lay it all out. "I love you, Hermione."
"I know, Harry. I love you too."
"No," he said. "I mean I love you. When I look at you, I loose all train of thought. When you smile at me, my heart flutters like a snitch. When you talk, its like the angels singing." Comprehension began to dawn on Hermione's face. "I know that you're with Ron, and I don't expect anything more from you than you've already given. I just wanted to tell you because it tears me up inside everyday."
"Oh, Harry!" she sighed. This was not what she expected. So this is why he never accepted the invitation of any girl, he wanted her. "I'm sorry, Harry. I am with Ron, and I don't know if I love Ron, but I do care about him. I wish that I could return your feelings, but I can't."
"I understand," he muttered. "I don't want this to change our relationship. I still want to be friends with both you and Ron."
"Don't worry, Harry. You and I will always be friends." Then, out of curiosity, she asked, "How long have you had these feelings?"
"Since second year. After you were attacked by the basilisk, I would sneak into the Hospital Wing and spend the entire night by your side, holding your hand. It was in those moments that I realized I couldn't live without you. I was just too afraid to hurt our friendship." The tears came back, and this time Harry couldn't hold them down. He tried to get up and leave, but Hermione grabbed his arm from behind and he turned to look at her. She reached up and wiped away his tears. Then she stood on her toes, and kissed Harry on his lips. Harry almost passed out from the emotional release this caused. Tears continued to stream down both of their faces. When the kiss was over, Hermione wiped her tears away and looked at Harry's beautiful green eyes. She could see the hurt and confusion in them.
"Thank you, Harry, for caring about me the way you do." That was all she could think to say. Harry smiled and nodded. He turned around and left the room. He looked over at Ron who was still sitting by the fire and nodded. He turned up the staircase to his bed. He needed to be alone. He was emotionally torn apart. He knew that Hermione was the only woman he would ever truly love. The kiss they just shared reiterated that fact to him. But he also knew that Hermione had chosen Ron over Harry. Not because She loved Ron more than Harry so much as because of Ron's impeccable timing. He had to reevaluate his life at this point. He knew that he had to get over Hermione, but he also knew that it would be nearly impossible. He had to try somehow. Then, it hit him. He got up, went to the bathroom to wash his face of any signs that he had been crying. He then changed into his new clothes that he picked up in Diagon Alley earlier that year. He put on his finest cloak and left the dormitory in a hurry. When he got downstairs, he saw Ron and Hermione out of the corner of his eye, but didn't look at them fully. They tried to get his attention, but he climbed out of the portrait hole pretending not to hear them.