Candy Floss and Broken Hearts Competition

14. (tragic) write about your OTP's proposal in which the asked character says 'no'

The ultimate Patronus Challenge : Write a totally emotional and heartbreaking one-shot about your OTP

The New Year Zodiac Writing Challenge Dragon:3. Alt, write about a big fight between a couple.

The Ministry of magic Leadership Skills Task: Write about a character motivating themselves to do something they don't want to do.

Genre:tragedy

Word count:1509

Hermione looked at the box in her hand and smiled. It wasn't conventional, but their relationship wasn't conventional at all. A student and a teacher? That was severely frowned upon, not that she cared. She loved him with all her heart and she knew he did the same. He didn't use her, of that she was sure; what was there to use if they just kissed? He was the perfect gentleman. And she loved him, but she knew that he would never ask her to marry him, no, he was certain one way or another she will find a young man that will sway her off her feet and that she will leave him. As if!

After all this time together he still believed that one day she will leave. She had missed him so much this summer, it was the longest they had been apart, but she couldn't be with him; he had Death Eaters over and she had to spend time with her parents too before going to the Weasley's, but now, now she had managed to get a way for a bit and she was going to see him. Make him a surprise at Hogwarts.

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Severus sat dourly looking through his new classroom. He had wanted for so long to be the DADA professor and now, he felt nothing. He wasn't happy,he wasn't even angry, he just couldn't feel anymore. What Albus had asked of him, was too much, too much.

And he couldn't tell anyone, not even Hermione. She would hate him forever for what he was going to do, she wasn't going to understand and the time when he could tell her would never come for him. He was going to die in the war, of this he was certain.

And she, she would move on eventually, find someone else, marry him…and for the first time in years, Severus cried. He couldn't, he didn't want to imagine her saying 'yes' to another man, even if it was inevitable.

She would never marry him, not after what he would do and before, he couldn't trick her, he couldn't , he wouldn't. She was the only one who had ever seen the real him and now, now he had to push her away; he couldn't stand the thought of her rejection after, after what he would do, he wouldn't survive it. His heart was already broken, he didn't want it heart, well her heart, he had given it to her a long time ago.

"Severus?"her sweet voice woke him up from his musings. But that couldn't be possible, she couldn't be there. And yet, she was. He wiped his eyes and removed any evidence of his tears; she would notice if there was even the littlest bit.

"Surprise!" she said, closing the door behind her.

"The headmaster had finally given you the position you've always wanted! I am so happy for you!"she said , smiling at him. And he felt like crying. Because it was now or never, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon. He thought that perhaps he would have more time, more time to be with her before he pushed her away for good.

"It seems so"he said in his usual cold tone.

"Oh, don't be like that! It's a wonderful day and while I am sure hadn't given you the position on pretty eyes," Severus snorted 'pretty eyes , indeed'

"What are you doing here?"he asked, hating himself for what he was going to do.

"Well, I wanted to surprise you and ask something of you, but I see that you are not in a good mood, so perhaps…"

"Ask!"he snapped at her, hurt in his yes. But she didn't notice, too shocked by his behavior.

"I...I… I wanted to, to ask you, if…" she stammered and Severus' heart clenched, she had never been that nervous in his presence.

"Spit it out girl!"he managed to shout.

"If you would marry me" she finished quietly, not looking at him, red in her cheeks.

And in that moment, his heart shattered. If he didn't feel so numb he would laugh, he had feared for nothing her rejection, he was going to refuse her; the woman of all his dreams and he was going to…

"No" how he managed to say it, he would never know because all his being screamed 'yes', but he said to himself that it was for the best, for the best; but even he didn't believe it.

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"No"

A whispered word, but Hermione heard it like it had been shouted. She felt like crying. What had she expected really? A kiss? A 'yes'? PErhaps, but she had known it was too much too ask.

"Why?"she asked, tears in her eyes.

"Because Miss Granger, I don't want to"

"What?That's it? You don't want to? Don't want to?That's all that you've got to say?" she said, hurt and anger in her voice.

"Miss Granger…"he started to say

"No, no miss Granger? Since when am I, miss Granger?"

"Since forever. You've always been just miss Granger for me. A nice distraction, a relaxation and nothing more."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing, did he really think she would believe him?

"You're lying"

"I am not. I needed a distraction and you provided it"

"For almost two years?"she whispered, still not believing him.

"Yes, but I must confess I am tired of you and your constant babbling and your smiling self. It ends today. Now please leave, you have bothered me enough. And don't ever think calling me something else but Professor, miss Granger, if you don't want to find yourself in detention that is."

"You can't be serious!"Hermione shouted,"You are lying!" she repeated.

"I am not!" he snapped at her."Get out!"

"No, something must have happened, I am not leaving you, not until you tell me…"

"Tell you? I have nothing to tell you Miss Granger and you have no right to ask me of this!"

"No right?!" Hermione was furious.

"I am your girlfriend! I have every right to know why you suddenly are breaking things with me!"

"I have never considered you my girlfriend. Everything has been in your head. For the brightest witch of her generation you didn't even notice being used or anything really."

"You!You are …"Hermione's anger had faded, leaving only tears and pain behind.

"I am going to leave now. I don't like fighting with you. And you are wrong. I notice. And you know what? You're going to regret this , Professor and I won't be there when you realise it" she said and walked away from him and from his life.

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"I know,"Severus whispered brokenly, I know I'm wrong. And I am so sorry Hermione, so very sorry"

And he crushed to the floor, tears falling on his cheeks.

How he regretted it, but what could he do know? He could go to her, confess everything, but that would destroy everything he'd done to keep her save, she would not be safe with him. And there was the fact that the headmaster had told him not to tell anyone… He couldn't break his word...and more tears fell from his eyes.

Without her, he...couldn't live without her; he loved her so much. She should have said 'yes', how, how had the refuse come out?

His heart was no longer beating. It was gone the moment she had left through the door.

And he felt dead inside.

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Outside the door Hermione cried too, for her, for him, for everything. It was supposed to be one of the happiest day of her life, he was supposed to say 'yes', but all she could hear now was his whispered 'no', again and again and again.

She was broken, but so was he. She didn't believe for one second his words or hers. She would always be there, watching, waiting, waiting for him to come to her, to take back everything he said, to be like their fight had never happened; but she knew that her wish was impossible. For whatever reason he thought that it was better if they were apart, despite the fact that they had always been stronger together and he never, never had gone back on his words. Still she hoped, because what was left to do but hope?

And even if she knew his words were false, she couldn't help but cry more, because they had felt real, their fight had been real; he was a master in controlling words and emotions and he had controlled her. Had she not known him as well she did, she would have believed it, but no matter how hard he tried, he could never fool her. Still the tears fell because nothing would ever be the same again. Not without him in her life.

He was supposed to say 'yes' and still in her ears rung his 'no'.

She felt dead inside.