Harry Potter walked around Hermione's room, making sure everything was in order for her return that afternoon, that her sheets were clean, there were towels in her bathroom, and that there was no dust in sight. Maggie had already cleaned it and declared it ready, but Harry had to be sure that everything was perfect.
Hermione had been on a detailed studying tour in the Amazon for almost a year now. She wrote often, but reading letters and seeing her in person were two different things. Harry had not really realized how much he cared for her until she had gone. Since then not a day had gone that he had not wished for the day of her return. Today.
Harry walked out of Hermione's room in the large four bedroom apartment that he, Hermione, and Ron had shared after their graduation from Hogwarts, four years ago. After Hermione had left, Ron and Harry could not afford their lavish living space, and opted for turning the fourth bedroom from their study into another living quarters. Marguerite Chabert, one of Hermione's co-workers and Ginny Weasley's best friends, was looking for a place to stay after moving out of her parents' house, and moved in with the two boys. Maggie, they found, was not near as responsible or neat as Hermione and did not yell at them when they didn't clean up their messes, so Harry and Ron had to form their own cleaning habits.
Ron sat on the couch in the living room, reading the Daily Prophet. He looked up at Harry when he came in. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.
Harry nodded. "Why are we picking her up at the airport, anyway?"
"Because it's too dangerous to apperate over such a large distance. Do you know where Maggie is?"
Harry rolled his eyes. Ron had a little crush on Maggie. No worse that yours on Hermione, he thought. "I think she went to get some work done at the office."
"It's Saturday!" Ron cried. "She's almost as bad as Hermione!"
"I can't wait until she's home," Harry sighed.
"Someone's sweet on Hermione," he joked. Harry said nothing. "You really do like her, don't you?"
Harry nodded. "A lot. I think I've always liked her, but I don't know. The last few years my feelings have just intensified for her."
"Do you love her?" Ron asked.
"I don't know," Harry said softly. "I think I might."
"Why didn't you tell her before she left?" Ron asked.
"Because I wasn't sure. And I was scared of rejection." Harry looked down at his feet. "And by the time I got the courage she had been offered this expedition, and it's such a good opportunity. I wouldn't want her to turn it down because of me."
"That's so knightly of you, Harry," Ron joked. "Well, she's back now. Her plane lands in about thirty minutes, so we should get going."
"Ok," Harry said and walked toward the door.
"Do you want to pick her up some flowers or something because you're so knightly?" Ron asked sarcastically.
"Shut up," Harry said and punched his shoulder.
***
The airport was crowded. There were people everywhere, getting on flights, getting off flights, eating, hugging. Harry and Ron walked to Gate 23, where Hermione's flight was landing and sat in the red plastic chairs, waiting.
"This is the right gate? The plane's landed. Where is she?" Ron asked.
"Uh, they're probably… how should I know!" Harry snapped.
"Bite my head off."
Harry sighed. "Sorry, I'm just…"
"Nervous?"
Harry nodded. "How is it that can you read my mind?"
"How about the fact that we've been best friends for about eleven years?" Ron suggested.
"I guess that has something to do with it… they're unloading the plane now," Harry whispered the last part, playing with the flowers they had bought for Hermione on their way to the airport.
They watched a old lady with a cat in her birdcage get off the plane, then a mother with three young children, all begging for candy. They saw a man with a business suit and a briefcase, then a teenager with baggy jeans. Then they saw Hermione.
She had a dark, dark Caribbean looking tan and was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top with a pair of simple sandals on her feet. She looked like their Hermione, but different. She looked as if she had grown up. She had gained muscle in her arms and legs, and had lost much of her roundness in her face. Her face lit up when she saw them.
"Harry! Ron!" She cried and ran into Harry's arms. He tightened his grip on her. She smelled so good and just being so close to her formed a knot in his stomach. "I've missed you so much," she whispered.
"We've missed you too," Harry said softly. She pulled away and gave Ron a hug too.
"You guys have changed so much!" she cried. "You're both so handsome!" She smiled.
"You've changed too," Harry said. "You're so pretty." He frowned. "You've lost weight, though," he said, concerned.
She shrugged. "You don't really get much good food in the rain forest. I'm so sick of termites and fruit. I want some real food."
"Let's go get something to eat in celebration of your homecoming," Ron suggested.
"Good idea," she said as they walked through the crowd to the exit. "Then let's go back to the apartment. I haven't slept in about twenty four hours."
They got in a taxi and told the driver to take them to Hermione's favorite restaurant, La Libertá, an expensive Italian restaurant.
Once they had ordered the started to talk about Hermione's trip. "What kinds of animals did you see?" Ron asked.
"Well, I saw a lot of monkeys and jaguars and such, but I really specialized in magical animals, like the yeilce and eipnikpmup. How are you guys?"
"Same old," Harry said; he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"Ron, how's your family?" Hermione asked.
"Well, Penelope had the baby," he said.
"Really?"
"Yep. Caroline Ann Weasley. Eight pounds, six ounces." Ron said proudly.
"You're an uncle!" Hermione laughed.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked.
"Oh, nothing. I just can't picture our Ron an uncle!"
"I think we've all grown up quite a bit over the last year," Ron noted.
"Yes, we have," Hermione muttered, looking down at the table.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked. Hermione looked up and nodded. She smiled, but he could tell it was false. She looks nervous, he thought.
Their dinner came, and it was delicious. Hermione must have been right about being badly fed in the jungle; she inhaled her food. They were waiting for their check when Harry saw Hermione playing nervously with her fork.
"Are you all right?" he asked again.
She looked up at him and shook her head. "I have something to tell you. And Ron," she said, looking over at him.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Oh, uh, I probably should have told you this before, but it didn't seem like the right time and uh, it's hard to tell people this, especially you two, you're like my family, and…"
"Hermione, sweetheart, you're rambling," Harry pointed out.
"Just spit it out. It'll be easier that way." Ron suggested.
"Uh, ok. I will. Oh god, uh…" She took a deep breath. "I'm getting married."
Harry felt like someone just punched him in the nose. The words bounced around in his head and he half heard what Hermione said after that. She was marrying a muggle named David who was in South America on business.
"Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Huh?"
"Please say something," she pleaded.
He looked at her. What am I supposed to say, he thought harshly. The woman I love is marrying someone else. What are you supposed to say in this situation. But he had to say something. "Congratulations," he said, his voice unsteady.
"Oh, yeah! Congratulations, Herm. We're happy for you," Ron said, looking at Harry.
"Oh, thank you!" Hermione cried. She walked over and gave them a hug. Harry suddenly felt nauseated.
"Excuse me," he said and walked to the bathroom. There he vomited up his entire freshly eaten mean, his breakfast, and everything he had eaten before that. He felt like something was tearing at his insides and ripping him in about eight different directions.
***
The taxi ride home was mostly in silence. Hermione asked both of them numerous times if they were ok, and each time they answered that they were fine. After a while, Hermione started to doze off, and laid her head on Harry's shoulder.
"How are you doing?" Ron whispered, not to wake Hermione up.
"All right," Harry lied.
"No, you're not."
"You're right, I'm not all right. How can I be? The person I'm in love with is engaged to some stupid muggle asshole." Harry hissed.
Ron bit his lip. "I really don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything at all," Harry snapped and turned around to face the front of the cab. He reached over and stroked Hermione's hair and she smiled in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. Why can't I have you? He asked himself. It's not fair. He closed his eyes. It's not fair.
***
When they arrived home, Harry carefully carried Hermione from the taxi into the apartment building.
"Wake her up and put her down," Ron hissed while they were waiting for the elevator. "You're making it worse."
Harry shook his head and tightened his grip on her. "No." He vowed not to speak to Ron the rest of the night.
Ron sighed and got in the elevator after Harry. They rode to the seventh floor in silence. When the doors opened Ron unlocked their apartment and they walked inside and found Maggie on the couch, reading the newspaper Ron had been enthralled in earlier.
"Hey, where've you been?" Maggie asked.
"Out to dinner," Ron whispered.
"What's wrong?" she asked quietly after seeing their sad faces. Ron and Harry exchanged a look.
"You tell her," Harry said and went down the hall to Hermione's bedroom. He laid her down on her bed. He leaned down and kissed her nose. She smiled in her sleep.
"Harry?" she mumbled in her sleep.
"Yeah?"
"I missed you," she muttered deliriously. She rolled over.
"Good night," Harry whispered.
"I love you," she whispered with her head on the pillow.
Harry looked at her. What did she just say? That she loved him? He couldn't believe it.
"What did you say?" he asked, sitting on her bed.
"Huh?" Hermione asked, waking up. "Why'd you wake me up?"
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean too."
"Tomorrow we'll go and have lunch with David, so you and Ron can meet him. Ok?" she whispered, now fully awake.
"Ok," Harry said. "Night sweetheart."
"Night."
Harry left her room and walked to his own. He threw himself on his bed and cried. I love you Hermione, he thought. And maybe you love me in your sleep. Why can't you love me when you're awake?
A/N: Ok, I'm sorry about that. That really stunk. It was so predictable. I think I'll
probably finish it, but I promise it'll get better. I had a dream about this. I get my
stories from dreams, it's weird. I dreamed Voi Che Sapete and Fate too. Please review! It
makes me feel loved! And, I have a really long story to upload, but it won't let me
because I have to use notebook to upload my stories. Please email me if you can help.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Percy Weasley, Penelope Clearwater, and Ginny Weasley belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, and whomever else they belong to.
Maggie Chabert, Caroline Ann Weasley, and David all belong to me!
Hermione had been on a detailed studying tour in the Amazon for almost a year now. She wrote often, but reading letters and seeing her in person were two different things. Harry had not really realized how much he cared for her until she had gone. Since then not a day had gone that he had not wished for the day of her return. Today.
Harry walked out of Hermione's room in the large four bedroom apartment that he, Hermione, and Ron had shared after their graduation from Hogwarts, four years ago. After Hermione had left, Ron and Harry could not afford their lavish living space, and opted for turning the fourth bedroom from their study into another living quarters. Marguerite Chabert, one of Hermione's co-workers and Ginny Weasley's best friends, was looking for a place to stay after moving out of her parents' house, and moved in with the two boys. Maggie, they found, was not near as responsible or neat as Hermione and did not yell at them when they didn't clean up their messes, so Harry and Ron had to form their own cleaning habits.
Ron sat on the couch in the living room, reading the Daily Prophet. He looked up at Harry when he came in. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.
Harry nodded. "Why are we picking her up at the airport, anyway?"
"Because it's too dangerous to apperate over such a large distance. Do you know where Maggie is?"
Harry rolled his eyes. Ron had a little crush on Maggie. No worse that yours on Hermione, he thought. "I think she went to get some work done at the office."
"It's Saturday!" Ron cried. "She's almost as bad as Hermione!"
"I can't wait until she's home," Harry sighed.
"Someone's sweet on Hermione," he joked. Harry said nothing. "You really do like her, don't you?"
Harry nodded. "A lot. I think I've always liked her, but I don't know. The last few years my feelings have just intensified for her."
"Do you love her?" Ron asked.
"I don't know," Harry said softly. "I think I might."
"Why didn't you tell her before she left?" Ron asked.
"Because I wasn't sure. And I was scared of rejection." Harry looked down at his feet. "And by the time I got the courage she had been offered this expedition, and it's such a good opportunity. I wouldn't want her to turn it down because of me."
"That's so knightly of you, Harry," Ron joked. "Well, she's back now. Her plane lands in about thirty minutes, so we should get going."
"Ok," Harry said and walked toward the door.
"Do you want to pick her up some flowers or something because you're so knightly?" Ron asked sarcastically.
"Shut up," Harry said and punched his shoulder.
***
The airport was crowded. There were people everywhere, getting on flights, getting off flights, eating, hugging. Harry and Ron walked to Gate 23, where Hermione's flight was landing and sat in the red plastic chairs, waiting.
"This is the right gate? The plane's landed. Where is she?" Ron asked.
"Uh, they're probably… how should I know!" Harry snapped.
"Bite my head off."
Harry sighed. "Sorry, I'm just…"
"Nervous?"
Harry nodded. "How is it that can you read my mind?"
"How about the fact that we've been best friends for about eleven years?" Ron suggested.
"I guess that has something to do with it… they're unloading the plane now," Harry whispered the last part, playing with the flowers they had bought for Hermione on their way to the airport.
They watched a old lady with a cat in her birdcage get off the plane, then a mother with three young children, all begging for candy. They saw a man with a business suit and a briefcase, then a teenager with baggy jeans. Then they saw Hermione.
She had a dark, dark Caribbean looking tan and was wearing a pair of jean shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top with a pair of simple sandals on her feet. She looked like their Hermione, but different. She looked as if she had grown up. She had gained muscle in her arms and legs, and had lost much of her roundness in her face. Her face lit up when she saw them.
"Harry! Ron!" She cried and ran into Harry's arms. He tightened his grip on her. She smelled so good and just being so close to her formed a knot in his stomach. "I've missed you so much," she whispered.
"We've missed you too," Harry said softly. She pulled away and gave Ron a hug too.
"You guys have changed so much!" she cried. "You're both so handsome!" She smiled.
"You've changed too," Harry said. "You're so pretty." He frowned. "You've lost weight, though," he said, concerned.
She shrugged. "You don't really get much good food in the rain forest. I'm so sick of termites and fruit. I want some real food."
"Let's go get something to eat in celebration of your homecoming," Ron suggested.
"Good idea," she said as they walked through the crowd to the exit. "Then let's go back to the apartment. I haven't slept in about twenty four hours."
They got in a taxi and told the driver to take them to Hermione's favorite restaurant, La Libertá, an expensive Italian restaurant.
Once they had ordered the started to talk about Hermione's trip. "What kinds of animals did you see?" Ron asked.
"Well, I saw a lot of monkeys and jaguars and such, but I really specialized in magical animals, like the yeilce and eipnikpmup. How are you guys?"
"Same old," Harry said; he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"Ron, how's your family?" Hermione asked.
"Well, Penelope had the baby," he said.
"Really?"
"Yep. Caroline Ann Weasley. Eight pounds, six ounces." Ron said proudly.
"You're an uncle!" Hermione laughed.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked.
"Oh, nothing. I just can't picture our Ron an uncle!"
"I think we've all grown up quite a bit over the last year," Ron noted.
"Yes, we have," Hermione muttered, looking down at the table.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked. Hermione looked up and nodded. She smiled, but he could tell it was false. She looks nervous, he thought.
Their dinner came, and it was delicious. Hermione must have been right about being badly fed in the jungle; she inhaled her food. They were waiting for their check when Harry saw Hermione playing nervously with her fork.
"Are you all right?" he asked again.
She looked up at him and shook her head. "I have something to tell you. And Ron," she said, looking over at him.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Oh, uh, I probably should have told you this before, but it didn't seem like the right time and uh, it's hard to tell people this, especially you two, you're like my family, and…"
"Hermione, sweetheart, you're rambling," Harry pointed out.
"Just spit it out. It'll be easier that way." Ron suggested.
"Uh, ok. I will. Oh god, uh…" She took a deep breath. "I'm getting married."
Harry felt like someone just punched him in the nose. The words bounced around in his head and he half heard what Hermione said after that. She was marrying a muggle named David who was in South America on business.
"Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Huh?"
"Please say something," she pleaded.
He looked at her. What am I supposed to say, he thought harshly. The woman I love is marrying someone else. What are you supposed to say in this situation. But he had to say something. "Congratulations," he said, his voice unsteady.
"Oh, yeah! Congratulations, Herm. We're happy for you," Ron said, looking at Harry.
"Oh, thank you!" Hermione cried. She walked over and gave them a hug. Harry suddenly felt nauseated.
"Excuse me," he said and walked to the bathroom. There he vomited up his entire freshly eaten mean, his breakfast, and everything he had eaten before that. He felt like something was tearing at his insides and ripping him in about eight different directions.
***
The taxi ride home was mostly in silence. Hermione asked both of them numerous times if they were ok, and each time they answered that they were fine. After a while, Hermione started to doze off, and laid her head on Harry's shoulder.
"How are you doing?" Ron whispered, not to wake Hermione up.
"All right," Harry lied.
"No, you're not."
"You're right, I'm not all right. How can I be? The person I'm in love with is engaged to some stupid muggle asshole." Harry hissed.
Ron bit his lip. "I really don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything at all," Harry snapped and turned around to face the front of the cab. He reached over and stroked Hermione's hair and she smiled in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. Why can't I have you? He asked himself. It's not fair. He closed his eyes. It's not fair.
***
When they arrived home, Harry carefully carried Hermione from the taxi into the apartment building.
"Wake her up and put her down," Ron hissed while they were waiting for the elevator. "You're making it worse."
Harry shook his head and tightened his grip on her. "No." He vowed not to speak to Ron the rest of the night.
Ron sighed and got in the elevator after Harry. They rode to the seventh floor in silence. When the doors opened Ron unlocked their apartment and they walked inside and found Maggie on the couch, reading the newspaper Ron had been enthralled in earlier.
"Hey, where've you been?" Maggie asked.
"Out to dinner," Ron whispered.
"What's wrong?" she asked quietly after seeing their sad faces. Ron and Harry exchanged a look.
"You tell her," Harry said and went down the hall to Hermione's bedroom. He laid her down on her bed. He leaned down and kissed her nose. She smiled in her sleep.
"Harry?" she mumbled in her sleep.
"Yeah?"
"I missed you," she muttered deliriously. She rolled over.
"Good night," Harry whispered.
"I love you," she whispered with her head on the pillow.
Harry looked at her. What did she just say? That she loved him? He couldn't believe it.
"What did you say?" he asked, sitting on her bed.
"Huh?" Hermione asked, waking up. "Why'd you wake me up?"
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean too."
"Tomorrow we'll go and have lunch with David, so you and Ron can meet him. Ok?" she whispered, now fully awake.
"Ok," Harry said. "Night sweetheart."
"Night."
Harry left her room and walked to his own. He threw himself on his bed and cried. I love you Hermione, he thought. And maybe you love me in your sleep. Why can't you love me when you're awake?
A/N: Ok, I'm sorry about that. That really stunk. It was so predictable. I think I'll
probably finish it, but I promise it'll get better. I had a dream about this. I get my
stories from dreams, it's weird. I dreamed Voi Che Sapete and Fate too. Please review! It
makes me feel loved! And, I have a really long story to upload, but it won't let me
because I have to use notebook to upload my stories. Please email me if you can help.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Percy Weasley, Penelope Clearwater, and Ginny Weasley belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, and whomever else they belong to.
Maggie Chabert, Caroline Ann Weasley, and David all belong to me!