Before I Go…
Harry's heart pounded at a million miles an hour. The giant chess piece grew closer and closer to Ron, and the fear on his face increased. Momentarily, Harry glanced over at Hermione. He could see she too feared for their friend. All seemed quiet, nothing moved, no one breathed for a millisecond in time. Then, like lightening, the queen's sword drew from her statue body and slammed into the side of Ron's horse.
"Noo! Rooooooon!" Harry screamed, fighting feverishly the urge to run instantly to his friend's side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione begin to move .
"No wait!" he cried out. "We're not done playing." She stopped, her eyes darting from him to Ron. Slowly, Harry turned to the giant king piece looming over him and whispered,
"Checkmate."
A pained expression seemed to cross the king as the giant stone sword slipped from its grasp and fell with a loud clang near Harry's feet. The instant it touched the ground he and Hermione both raced to Ron's side.
Hermione knelt down beside the body of her unconscious friend, touching his shoulder gently. Harry joined her.
"I want you to take him and get out of here," he said. "Ron's right. I have to go on alone." She looked at him, shocked.
'He's going on alone? But that could mean…'
"You're a great wizard Harry." She admitted, a sugary pink blush staining her cheeks. Harry's eyes averted to the ground for a moment as he too blushed.
"Not as good as you." He said quietly.
"Me?" she asked with a shocked laugh. "Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Like friendship, and bravery." 'And love,' she added silently. He began to rise, and she felt a knot from in the back of her throat.
"And Harry?" she called out, searching frantically for a reason for him not to leave. "Just be careful!" A smile crept over his face, and he knelt down next to her again, looking deep into her eyes.
Harry didn't know what to make of what he read deep in the chocolaty brown depths of Hermione's eyes. He'd seen them so many times, yet never fully realized how beautiful they were, or how beautiful she was with the orangish glow of the flames dancing across her slightly tanned skin.
"Incase I never come back." He whispered, before leaning forward towards her and gently kissing her lips. Right in that instant he felt like leaving Voldemort and Snape in the basement and spend the rest of eternity drowning in the sweetness of her lips. He knew though that he had a job to fulfill. Slowly, with much regret, Harry rose and walked into the smoke. He left Hermione sitting in a shocked trance, with one trembling hand to her lips.
Harry's heart pounded at a million miles an hour. The giant chess piece grew closer and closer to Ron, and the fear on his face increased. Momentarily, Harry glanced over at Hermione. He could see she too feared for their friend. All seemed quiet, nothing moved, no one breathed for a millisecond in time. Then, like lightening, the queen's sword drew from her statue body and slammed into the side of Ron's horse.
"Noo! Rooooooon!" Harry screamed, fighting feverishly the urge to run instantly to his friend's side. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione begin to move .
"No wait!" he cried out. "We're not done playing." She stopped, her eyes darting from him to Ron. Slowly, Harry turned to the giant king piece looming over him and whispered,
"Checkmate."
A pained expression seemed to cross the king as the giant stone sword slipped from its grasp and fell with a loud clang near Harry's feet. The instant it touched the ground he and Hermione both raced to Ron's side.
Hermione knelt down beside the body of her unconscious friend, touching his shoulder gently. Harry joined her.
"I want you to take him and get out of here," he said. "Ron's right. I have to go on alone." She looked at him, shocked.
'He's going on alone? But that could mean…'
"You're a great wizard Harry." She admitted, a sugary pink blush staining her cheeks. Harry's eyes averted to the ground for a moment as he too blushed.
"Not as good as you." He said quietly.
"Me?" she asked with a shocked laugh. "Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Like friendship, and bravery." 'And love,' she added silently. He began to rise, and she felt a knot from in the back of her throat.
"And Harry?" she called out, searching frantically for a reason for him not to leave. "Just be careful!" A smile crept over his face, and he knelt down next to her again, looking deep into her eyes.
Harry didn't know what to make of what he read deep in the chocolaty brown depths of Hermione's eyes. He'd seen them so many times, yet never fully realized how beautiful they were, or how beautiful she was with the orangish glow of the flames dancing across her slightly tanned skin.
"Incase I never come back." He whispered, before leaning forward towards her and gently kissing her lips. Right in that instant he felt like leaving Voldemort and Snape in the basement and spend the rest of eternity drowning in the sweetness of her lips. He knew though that he had a job to fulfill. Slowly, with much regret, Harry rose and walked into the smoke. He left Hermione sitting in a shocked trance, with one trembling hand to her lips.