The rain slashed against the windows of the Gryffindor common room. Thunder
rolled outside, occasional crashes and booms causing Hermione to jump
slightly.
Hermione looked down at the gaudily wrapped box of Honeydukes best chocolates she had been given by her boyfriend, Ron Weasley, for their 12 month anniversary. She sighed. It was a nice gesture, to be sure, but they had been going out for a year, and all he could think of for a gift was a box of chocolates and a card that said, "Dear Hermione, We made it! Love Ron".
When she'd been in her first few years at Hogwarts, she had always had a thing for the tall red head. He'd seemed like a blustering, slightly clumsy boy, but she knew he had a good heart. When he had gone to the ball with Padma Patil in fourth year, she had been nearly green with envy even though she was there with an international Quidditch hero. She had been satisfied to see the expression of jealousy on Ron's face when he saw her walking in with Victor Krum, but had not realized that he was jealous because he liked her; she thought he just wanted to be the first to get to know the famous Krum.
After their fifth year, during the holidays, Hermione had gone to stay with the Weasleys. She and Ron had spent a lot of their time writing to Harry, who was caged with his aunt and uncle in Little Whinging, but had been spending a lot of time alone. She remembered her first kiss with Ron so well. It had been in the garden, when they were degnoming the premises. One of the gnomes had bit Hermione's hand, and Ron simply walked over and healed it with a stroke of his wand (which Hermione found incredible, he was usually so clumsy with his wand). After healing it, he had leaned forward, gently tilted her face towards him and kissed her. The memory still ran tingles down her spine. She had to admit that Ron was a very good kisser, but that was about it. He'd spent more time flirting with the other Gryffindor girls than he had spent with Hermione, and the time they were together they spent making out. He wasn't interested in talking and deep conversations as they'd had the summer before their sixth year. It was more a security for him, so when people saw him, they immediately thought, "Oh, that's the guy who's going out with the Head Girl."
Yes, Hermione reminded herself with a small smile of satisfaction. She, the Mudblood, had become Head Girl. Ron had missed out to Harry, but he didn't care because as he liked to remind Hermione, "I don't need more responsibility."
But lately, Ron had stopped flirting quite so much, and was starting to keep to himself a lot. He seemed moody and surly, and looked like he was strained a lot of the time.
She sighed again. They had only been back a week, and already she was more lonely at Hogwarts than she had ever been.
A pair of hands reached around and covered her eyes. "Guess who!" crowed a triumphant voice.
She smiled. "Get your hands off my eyes before I hex you, Harry Potter."
"Yeesh, touchy," teased Harry, quickly removing his hands. He sat down in a cushiony armchair beside Hermione.
"Why are you still up?" Hermione asked, looking at her watch. "Its well past midnight."
"I could ask you the same question," Harry replied. "I know the thunder isn't just keeping you awake like it's kept me up. Well, the thunder, and your boyfriend's snoring." At the mention of Ron, Hermione tensed up slightly. He was asleep while she sat out here on their twelve-month anniversary alone?
"Everything ok?" Harry asked. He looked concerned at the mixed expression of wistfulness and irritation on Hermione's face.
She sighed and decided to tell Harry the truth. After all, Harry was her best friend in the whole world now, since Ron had become so aloof.
"I don't know what is up with Ron," she confessed. "He seems so distant and bored whenever we're together, and doesn't seem to want to be around me anymore. I can't help wondering if maybe he isn't interested in us going out anymore."
"Does that bother you a lot?" Harry asked. Hermione paused. Harry had a point. What Hermione would die before admitting is that she secretly thought a lot about someone else. She knew that it was unfair to be thinking of another boy when she was technically going out with Ron, but as she had never admitted it, it couldn't really be cheating.
"I don't know," Hermione replied. "Most of the time now when I see him, I guess I'm kinda pissed off at him."
"Well, talk to him about it. Mayeb you need a break." Harry reached for her hand. "It's not easy to do, but it isn't worth all the bother and worry if you aren't happy."
Hermione smiled ruefully. "Maybe I should.I think I'll talk to him tomorrow and see what he wants. Maybe we can sort something out."
Harry hugged her and then got up from his chair. "I think we had best be off now, its nearly two o'clock and we have school tomorrow."
Hermione and Harry left the common room and split for their separate dormitories. She watched as Harry opened the door to his room and then waved to her as he entered. She sighed and shook her head to clear it as she got into her own bed.
Her insides still melted with the thoughts of that special person she had begun to fancy. She couldn't in all honesty say that it was a recent fancy; she'd liked him since they'd begun Hogwarts together, but it had kind of been hidden away when Ron came into the picture. She had a photo of him in her diary, so every time she opened her diary, there he was, smiling and waving up at her.
She loved him with all her heart, from the waves of his messy hair to the stunning green of his emerald eyes that seemed to hide every feeling he had, unless you knew how to read them. She loved the way his body seemed to not be perfectly straight, white and muscled like Ron's since he'd begun working out, but more tanned and strong with muscles from Quidditch. She loved the way his smile lit up his whole face, and how beautiful he looked when he was crying, laughing or concentrating on something. She loved how deep and sensitive he was. And how he didn't act all macho, but rather, acted like the perfect human being he was.
Hermione was in love with Harry Potter.
Hermione looked down at the gaudily wrapped box of Honeydukes best chocolates she had been given by her boyfriend, Ron Weasley, for their 12 month anniversary. She sighed. It was a nice gesture, to be sure, but they had been going out for a year, and all he could think of for a gift was a box of chocolates and a card that said, "Dear Hermione, We made it! Love Ron".
When she'd been in her first few years at Hogwarts, she had always had a thing for the tall red head. He'd seemed like a blustering, slightly clumsy boy, but she knew he had a good heart. When he had gone to the ball with Padma Patil in fourth year, she had been nearly green with envy even though she was there with an international Quidditch hero. She had been satisfied to see the expression of jealousy on Ron's face when he saw her walking in with Victor Krum, but had not realized that he was jealous because he liked her; she thought he just wanted to be the first to get to know the famous Krum.
After their fifth year, during the holidays, Hermione had gone to stay with the Weasleys. She and Ron had spent a lot of their time writing to Harry, who was caged with his aunt and uncle in Little Whinging, but had been spending a lot of time alone. She remembered her first kiss with Ron so well. It had been in the garden, when they were degnoming the premises. One of the gnomes had bit Hermione's hand, and Ron simply walked over and healed it with a stroke of his wand (which Hermione found incredible, he was usually so clumsy with his wand). After healing it, he had leaned forward, gently tilted her face towards him and kissed her. The memory still ran tingles down her spine. She had to admit that Ron was a very good kisser, but that was about it. He'd spent more time flirting with the other Gryffindor girls than he had spent with Hermione, and the time they were together they spent making out. He wasn't interested in talking and deep conversations as they'd had the summer before their sixth year. It was more a security for him, so when people saw him, they immediately thought, "Oh, that's the guy who's going out with the Head Girl."
Yes, Hermione reminded herself with a small smile of satisfaction. She, the Mudblood, had become Head Girl. Ron had missed out to Harry, but he didn't care because as he liked to remind Hermione, "I don't need more responsibility."
But lately, Ron had stopped flirting quite so much, and was starting to keep to himself a lot. He seemed moody and surly, and looked like he was strained a lot of the time.
She sighed again. They had only been back a week, and already she was more lonely at Hogwarts than she had ever been.
A pair of hands reached around and covered her eyes. "Guess who!" crowed a triumphant voice.
She smiled. "Get your hands off my eyes before I hex you, Harry Potter."
"Yeesh, touchy," teased Harry, quickly removing his hands. He sat down in a cushiony armchair beside Hermione.
"Why are you still up?" Hermione asked, looking at her watch. "Its well past midnight."
"I could ask you the same question," Harry replied. "I know the thunder isn't just keeping you awake like it's kept me up. Well, the thunder, and your boyfriend's snoring." At the mention of Ron, Hermione tensed up slightly. He was asleep while she sat out here on their twelve-month anniversary alone?
"Everything ok?" Harry asked. He looked concerned at the mixed expression of wistfulness and irritation on Hermione's face.
She sighed and decided to tell Harry the truth. After all, Harry was her best friend in the whole world now, since Ron had become so aloof.
"I don't know what is up with Ron," she confessed. "He seems so distant and bored whenever we're together, and doesn't seem to want to be around me anymore. I can't help wondering if maybe he isn't interested in us going out anymore."
"Does that bother you a lot?" Harry asked. Hermione paused. Harry had a point. What Hermione would die before admitting is that she secretly thought a lot about someone else. She knew that it was unfair to be thinking of another boy when she was technically going out with Ron, but as she had never admitted it, it couldn't really be cheating.
"I don't know," Hermione replied. "Most of the time now when I see him, I guess I'm kinda pissed off at him."
"Well, talk to him about it. Mayeb you need a break." Harry reached for her hand. "It's not easy to do, but it isn't worth all the bother and worry if you aren't happy."
Hermione smiled ruefully. "Maybe I should.I think I'll talk to him tomorrow and see what he wants. Maybe we can sort something out."
Harry hugged her and then got up from his chair. "I think we had best be off now, its nearly two o'clock and we have school tomorrow."
Hermione and Harry left the common room and split for their separate dormitories. She watched as Harry opened the door to his room and then waved to her as he entered. She sighed and shook her head to clear it as she got into her own bed.
Her insides still melted with the thoughts of that special person she had begun to fancy. She couldn't in all honesty say that it was a recent fancy; she'd liked him since they'd begun Hogwarts together, but it had kind of been hidden away when Ron came into the picture. She had a photo of him in her diary, so every time she opened her diary, there he was, smiling and waving up at her.
She loved him with all her heart, from the waves of his messy hair to the stunning green of his emerald eyes that seemed to hide every feeling he had, unless you knew how to read them. She loved the way his body seemed to not be perfectly straight, white and muscled like Ron's since he'd begun working out, but more tanned and strong with muscles from Quidditch. She loved the way his smile lit up his whole face, and how beautiful he looked when he was crying, laughing or concentrating on something. She loved how deep and sensitive he was. And how he didn't act all macho, but rather, acted like the perfect human being he was.
Hermione was in love with Harry Potter.