Author : Emily ( m_m_26@hotmail.com )
Category : Harry / Hermione romance; graduation; waff -y ( warm and fuzzy feeling )
Spoilers : MINOR for the first book... I quote it actually..... ; Also for Mena's story... Gotta read em !
Author's Notes : Hope you love this ! By the way, please read my friend Mena's story or at least most of it to get some of this... It's VERY good.... très bien.... Must read it anyway !
I KNEW I LOVED YOU
By Savage Garden
The 7th years sadly looked at the platform decorated in red and gold : the colors of the winning common-house that year : the Gryffindors. Harry and Ron hugged each other, forgetting their "masculinity" for a small moment which they knew might be their last REAL chance to be together without planning. Ron was moving away to be a manager for his all time favorite Quidditch team. No one was really surprised though.... Hermione was going to go wherever Harry wanted and Harry didn't know what he was going to do. No one was surprised at those two either. EVERYONE knew that they would EVENTUALLY get together.
"Hermione Granger, our valedictorian, is coming up to give a speech... Let's give the only student ever to have completed ALL of the courses offered at Hogwart's an applause ! " McGonagall smiled into the microphone, immensely proud of her favorite student. Ron and Harry clapped and hooted "GO HERMIONE ! !" They WOOed and yelled until a disgruntled Snape sneered at them.
Hermione came to the Podium with fingers crossed. But.... 'Great Wizards !' she exclaimed in her head ! She had forgotten her speech cards in the Library ! ! She looked nervously around at the different groups. Crabbe, Goyle, and the infamous Draco Malfoy at one end sticking their tongues out at her. Harry and Ron, her best friends ever at the other smiling at her. Ron gave her the "V for Victory" sign and she smiled. 'One of the Weasly's' she thought to herself. She looked at Harry and remembered the very first time she saw him... And the speech came to her.
"Friends," she looked at Ron and Harry who realized her ordeal and that she had everything back under control In the same instant, "Teachers," she looked at McGonagall with a daughterly grin, "and enemies" she laughed at Draco.
"We all came to this school, dear Hogwart's, fully expecting to be taught magic. Some knew what we were getting into... " she smiled at Ron who was comforting Ginny who was bawling reminding her that she will still see Him ! Remember Percy ?? "And there were the...... others." Harry caught her eye and they shared a laugh.
"However," she continued, not breaking her gaze with Harry, "we also learned friendship.... and love." She forced herself to look away when the 1st years started giggling. "I know that you have all heard this speech on MANY first and last days of schools, but I want you all to know that though we went to Hogwart's for logical purposes.... there were other reasons for going... More important reasons..."
Draco interrupted loudly saying, "What could be more important than MAGIC ???" Hermione narrowed her eyes with an evil glint and whispered into the mic, "Wait till YOU fall in love Draco...." Knowing what she said and what she knew... she caught Cho's eye and winked.... A slight murmur went up through the gossip mill and Cho, laughing nervously with a bright red blush on her cheeks chuckled, " I do NOT know what she's TALKING about ! ! ! "
"And so, fellow students, I give the mic to the beloved Dumbledore." There was applause and the old headmaster took the stand.
"I will now call upon the graduating class.... Hannah Abbot..... Susan Bones..... Terry Boot......." and so on down the list till....... " Hermione Granger ! ! !" Harry and Ron hooted once more until AGAIN the vicious but ( in his own twisted way ) happy snarled at them.
She stepped up and got her diploma and pulled the old headmaster into her arms for a tight squeeze of a hug and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed an uncharacteristic shade of pink and gave one back with a whisper of "Trying to make Harry jealous ??" She laughed and walked to her place.
When Harry went up, she screamed for him and didn't care what anyone else thought; she loved him. He was placed right in front of her in the front row. Neville was beside her. He was getting nauseous so they quickly shifted places silently.....
{ Ooohsss....... and music }
( Harry and Hermione smiled at each other and squeezed each other's hands before blushing at a "scolding" Professor McGonagall who was smiling at the couple with tears running down her face in happiness for both the two sweethearts and also all her other students who were going to be gone next year. Hermione and Harry locked hands and looked into each other's eyes before Harry lifts up her hand as if to kiss it. But at the last second he flips it over and studied it, palm up )
Maybe it's intuition....... Some things you just don't question
( He studied it and started to say something about Divination, but Hermione also started to say that it's all rubbish.... Harry laughed a second and shut her speech up with a kiss.... )
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant
And there it goes, I think I've found my best friend
( [ black and white like in a memory; all these different scenes are all over the screen as Harry and Hermione remember them together ]
- Harry smiling at a babbling Hermione when they first met on Hogwart's Express when she was helping to search for Neville's toad and their eyes locked and she realized who she was staring at.... and who she had fallen in "love" with
- Hermione crying down the hall during the first book before "The Three Musketeers" and right before the Troll incident; Harry TOTALLY ignores Ron as he looks down the hall at her with sympathy and empathy.
- Them holding hands as they turn the time turner.
I know that it might sound... More than a little crazy, But I believe......
( [ still black and white ] *
He turned to Hermione.
" I wished for you," he said quietly.
" What?"
" When I was little. Every night I used to pray to the stars and the moon that there was someone in the world who loved me." He said, reaching for her.
" I did love you!" she said, catching his hand in hers. " I loved you when I read about you in the Magical History books--and somehow, I loved you before that."
Harry smiled at her, his features very soft and handsome in the starlight. " I know," he whispered.
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
( [ paired scenes are in split screen; still in black and white ] :
- Hermione reading about him in The Magical History Books and sitting back and smiling ; Harry daydreaming in his closet at the Dursley's ; they both sit back and smile at the same time
- Harry's face when he realized that Hermione loved him ; Hermione's face as she realized who was at her door on Christmas { HARRY, duh ! } ; they "cross the line in the split screen" and kiss )
There's just no rhyme or reason
( [ black and white memory still ] Hermione with her big pile of books with her head down at the library exasperated with Harry rubbing her back..... In the background, Ron sighs in "disgust."
Only a sense of completion
( [ black and white still ] Them hugging after a long cry together with smiles.)
And in your eyes, I see the missing pieces..... I'm searching for,
I think I've found my way home
( Harry looks at her, their minds back at the present : graduation. He sees that she is thinking of him having no family to go home to in her eyes. He tilts her chin gently to look at him and says, "You are my true family.... I love you." )
I know that it might sound...More than a little crazy...... But I believe
( She realizes he knew what she was thinking, he always did. " I know," she managed through tears and a smile. "I love you, too." )
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
( "I always have......" )
( McGonagall looks sadly at the two and Dumbledore comes over and comforts her with an awkward hand and arm. She smiles at her friend and silently thanks him with her eyes. )
( * from book # 1 as a black and white memory. Things in *s are thoughts:
"But Harry, what if You-Know-Who's with him ??"
"Well, I was lucky once, wasn't I ??" said Harry, pointing to his scar. "I might get lucky again...."
Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him.
"Hermione...." *she fit so perfectly in my arms*
"Harry---- *I love you* You're a great wizard, you know." *How'd that come out?*
"I'm not as good as you...." said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him. *she felt so good... why am I thinking this ?? This is you BEST FRIEND Harry ! Get with it ! And WHY am I embarrassed around HERMIONE ??*
"Me !" exclaimed Hermione. "Books ! And cleverness ! There are more important things - friendship and bravery * and love *.... Oh Harry ...."
* I love you...* they thought simultaneously. )
A thousand angels dance around you
( [ black and white : memory of class in second year ] :
Hermione and Harry get scolded for passing notes in class. All of a sudden, two cages FULL of Cornish Pixies get loose and fly all over the room ( not exactly ANGELS but.... deal with it ). Harry smiles at her spinning around in a circle grinning and time slows. She catches his eye and realizes what he's looking at... his best friend..... that wants to be so much more. )
I am complete now that I have found you
( [ present again ] : They walk off of the stage with much applause holding hands [ close up of the hands] )
{ key change }
I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life
{ repeat and fade as story ends }
( Hermione and Harry run out by the maze and sit on the hill to watch the sunset. "Shut your eyes," Harry whispered. Hermione scrunched her eyebrows together, looked at him oddly, but complied. He touched his scar and made a fist with the same hand. He lowered it to his lap and opened it to reveal a gold energy ball with wings that had a striking resemblance to the Golden Snitch. He put two fingers to her heart, or to be precise, where her amethyst necklace he had given her was, and brought them down to the energy revealing some of Hermione's energy : a tiny lavender orb, also with wings. He put his two hands together putting all the energy into one fist. He gently took her hands and placed it on his own full fist. There was a sudden flash, and she let go, as if she had felt something move in his hand. Harry opened his hand just as Hermione opened her eyes. They both looked down and saw two rings, enGAGEMENT rings. One was pure gold with an amethyst stone in the middle and four diamond side pieces. The other was solid gold. Hermione slowly picked up hers and examined it with awe. Harry showed her the inscription.... "Love always, H." in his writing. He looked at his... " Love always, H." in HER writing. He put her ring on her and his ring on himself. "Well... ?" he asked.
The only answer he got was Hermione fairly jumping on him kissing him. The camera pans to the cheering crowd at the celebration which appears to be cheering for Harry and Hermione... The camera pans one last time to the kissing couple with the now RISING sun....
( HEY ! It's Hogwart's, it's called symbolism, and WRITER'S BENEFITS ! ! )
* : This section is a direct quote from Mena Baines' story; her permission was asked before quoting it and it is actually the inspiration for this whole fan fiction.