Title: Magical Words
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Hermione/Adrian
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 476
Summary: Adrian's biggest fear is stopped from coming true by magical words.
Notes:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Herman Wintringham - Bronze - Write about a character and their role during any Wizarding War.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: February Event - My Love - Prompt Used -first i love you's
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: [Writing Club!] The Word Prompt Express - Prompt Used - 28. Apple
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: [Writing Club!] Hermione Pairing Challenge - Hermione/Adrian Pucey
200 characters in 200 days: 187. Adrian Pucey
Adrian sat the cut up apple in front of Hermione. Even the sight of her favorite fruit didn't put a smile on her face.
He sighed, taking the chair next to her. He didn't reach out to touch her, not knowing how she would react to it. "Will you talk to me?"
"I thought I knew what I was getting into when I started dating you. I knew you were pretending to be a Death Eater and bringing back valuable information to the Order of the Phoenix, and I thought I could handle it..." she trailed off as she tightly shut her eyes. Adrian still saw the tears seep out, though.
"But?"
She took a shuddering breath, her shoulders shaking with the effort. "But every time you're called, I worry. When you have to stay away overnight, I can't sleep. I keep thinking this is the time you'll be discovered as a spy, and you'll never come home to me. I can't keep living with the constant terror."
Adrian swallowed. Hermione was the reason he was a spy. Even before he worked up the courage to tell her how he felt, he wanted the world to be a safer place for her, and if him being a spy made it happen sooner, he was all for it. And if she couldn't handle it, it would break his heart, but he would still do the spying for her safety. At the same time, he wished he never became a spy because he was losing the only person that had ever meant anything to him because of it. "Hermione, I love you, but I understand –"
He stopped when her eyes quickly opened, and she looked at him with a blurry gaze. "You love me? It's the first time you ever said that."
Adrian blinked. "Really? I felt it forever; I can't believe I did say it sooner."
She laughed shakily. "Trust me. I would have remembered hearing those words from you. And I would have said, 'I love you too,' and I know I've never said it to you."
"Until now," he breathed.
"Until now," she echoed.
She leaned forward and touched his lips gently with hers. When she pulled back, he noticed the tears had stopped even though her cheeks were still wet.
He cupped her cheek. "Hermione?"
"And now I've realized I can't walk away from you. It's awful to live in a constant state of fear, but we not being together won't erase the fear. And now that we said the magical words, I could never say goodbye. I love you."
He grinned. "I love you too. And now we've said it twice."
Hermione nodded. "I'm planning to say it every single time I see you."
He leaned closer and brushed his nose against hers. "Good because I'll never get tired of hearing it."