Teetering on the Edge
She sat on the over-stuffed sofa in the Gryffindor common room, scribbling furiously on a small roll of parchment with a black quill. The light from the glowing fire reflected off her tear-stained cheeks, and she sniffed as she continued to write. It was late, maybe one or two in the morning, and the common room had been deserted many hours before. More silent tears streamed down her face leaving thin, curvy paths down her cheeks. Thoughts rushed through her mind as she scribbled down what she had been pondering the entire day. She wasn't sure what she would do. With thoughts like these, she was afraid of what she would do. It seemed her life was crumbling before her very eyes. The one person she had lived for, loved for, someone she would very nearly die for had betrayed her and torn her heart into two bitter, broken pieces. She hurriedly wrote the last line of thought on the parchment.
'..there art thou dead.'
She looked down at what she had written, and you could practically see the wheels churning, rumbling round and round in her head. She was pondering the outcome of her current situation, and as horrid as it seemed, each time she pondered it, it became more and more appealing. With one quick nod she proceeded in signing her name to the parchment.
'Hermione Granger.'
_____________________Flashback___________________________
Hermione sat in her room working diligently on her Transfiguration Essay that had been assigned as over-the-holiday homework. She sat at her desk flipping through the many pages of her text book, then, picking up her white, ink-tipped quill, she scribbled a bit, and returned to her book. Suddenly, she heard loud banging on the staircase and heavy footsteps heading toward her bedroom door. She swivelled around slowly in her chair and stared open-mouthed as Harry Potter and Ron Weasley stepped into her bedroom.
"Oh my gods!" she screamed. "What are you two doing here!?" Harry and Ron smiled at her, then Harry finally spoke up.
"We thought you needed a break from here. We're taking you back to the Burrow." Hermione's eyes instantly lit up, and she hugged them both quickly before reaching under her bed and pulling out an empty trunk. With one swish of her wand, the trunk was instantly filled to the brim with clothing and other necessities, and she was ready to go. The all clomped down the stairs and Hermione kissed and hugged both her parents who waved and watched her go.
When they arrived at the Burrow she received a very warm welcome from the entire Weasley clan, including Bill and Charlie who were home for the summer. The twins grinned and hugged her, and she was 'passed' around from family member to family member for a hug. No one seemed to notice Harry so Hermione assumed he had been there already this summer. After the informal greeting, Ginny and Hermione rushed to their room to unpack Hermione's things and get settled in.
About thirty minutes later, Ginny, Hermione, Harry and Ron were all outside. Harry and Ron were whizzing about on their broomsticks passing a quaffle back and forth as Hermione and Ginny lay out to 'catch some rays' as the muggles called it. They were lying on plastic lawn chairs with a pitcher of lemonade on a table between them.
"Humph," Ron grunted as he caught a quaffle that Harry had passed him. "Not so hard, Harry," Ron rubbed his stomach where the quaffle had hit him.
"Oh, sorry Ron," Harry said flying in Ron's direction to check on his friend. While Ron was nursing his aching stomach, Harry watched ever so intently as Hermione rubbed tanning oil over her long, smooth legs. He smiled slightly, eyes heavy-lidded, and a small string of drool dangled from the right corner of his mouth.
"Oy, Harry, wake up," Ron said snapping his fingers in front of Harry's face. He quickly snapped out of his trance and turned to Ron, wiping away the string of slobber. Ron followed Harry's gaze to a slightly bronze Hermione wearing a white and pink polka-dot string bikini.
"She has gotten very...spamtastic, hasn't she?" he said, eyeing Hermione. Harry gave Ron a strange look.
"Spamtastic..?" he asked laughingly. Ron blushed a bit.
"What? I heard it on a muggle TV show," he answered defensively. Harry held his hands up in mock defeat, laughing.
"Yes, Ron, she has gotten a bit spamtastic." Hermione finally caught sight of the gawking boys and waved up at them.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked, shielding her eyes from the blazing summer sun and squinting a bit. Both boys flew down toward her and landed with a soft thud. Ron sat on the edge of Ginny's lawn chair while Harry took a seat with Hermione.
"Just wondering if your skin is supposed to be that red.." said Harry. Hermione worriedly glanced down at her body before Harry began tickling her mercilessly.
"Harry!" she screamed in between fits of giggles, "Stop it!" He finally ceased the tickle-torture and leaned down toward Hermione's ear.
"Let's take a walk," he whispered and hoisted Hermione out of her lawn chair and they took off down an old, grown-in path that led to a small creek. As they walked, Harry stole a few glances out of the corner of his eye, as did Hermione.
"So, how's your summer been so far?" he asked.
"It's been okay, how about you?" They continued the small talk as they made their way down the path. They finally turned a corner and came to a slow-moving stream. They sat down at the edge, Harry rolled up his pant legs, and they stuck their feet in.
"Wow, this water's cold!" she gasped, slowly putting her feet into the water. Harry turned to look at her.
"You've certainly grown-up, 'Mione," he said eyeing her deliciously golden-bronze body.
"Thanks, Harry, you have too." Hermione scooted a bit closer to him. Harry smiled down at her.
"Hermione, I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time now, and when I saw you sitting at your desk working on your holiday homework with ink smudges on your fingers and face, I knew I had to." Hermione knew exactly where this was headed.
"Hermione, will you be my girlfriend?" He eyed her hopefully as he awaited her answer, but he didn't need one when she leaned in and gave him a soft peck on the lips. When she pulled away she kept her face close to his, and when she spoke he could feel her lips lightly brushing against his own.
"Yes, Harry Potter, I'll gladly be your girlfriend."
_____________________________________________________________
After weeks of holding hands and stealing kisses, Harry and Hermione found themselves back at Hogwarts. Her relationship with Harry hadn't changed her 'go-getter' attitude, and she had turned down many a snogging session to work on essays and the such. Hermione sat in the common room writing a potions essay as Harry and Ron sat deep in conversation about a recent quidditch match.
"..then I saw the snitch, and I was all: 'Oh my gods, I have to get it!' So, I dove straight down, and I could have sworn I was going to hit the ground, but I pulled up, like, a centimeter away from a broken skull, and I had it!" said Harry hurriedly while using various hand gestures to describe the excitement and danger of his 'death-defying' dive. Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes.
"Shouldn't you two be working on your potion's essay?" she asked swirling around in her chair to face them. Harry stopped in mid-sentence of his commentary to stare at Hermione. Ron spoke first.
"We'll finish it in time, won't we Harry?" he said. Harry nodded and walked over to Hermione. He put his hands around her shoulders, hugging her from behind and nuzzled against her neck.
"We'll be done, baby, don't you worry," he said softly and kissed her neck. She smiled and laughed and continued writing as Harry continued his chat with Ron. After a while, Ron got tired and went up to bed, leaving Harry and Hermione alone. Hermione finally put down her quill, stood and stretched, then plopped down beside Harry on the common room couch. She lay her head on his shoulder and snuggled up to him. He put a possessive arm around her waist and sighed deeply.
"Harry," she said softly into the cotton of his shirt, "how long do you think we'll be together?" Harry seemed to be contemplating his answer as he nibbled lightly on his bottom lip. He looked up at the ceiling, then to all four walls, back down at Hermione, then up to the ceiling again. Hermione giggled and smiled up at him, knowing he was just teasing her.
"Hmm," he began, "forever." It was spoken as a statement, not a question, and Hermione smiled widely and nuzzled closer to him. She was completely and totally content with just cuddling all night long, but Harry had other things on his mind, He moved her body so she was sitting on his lap and lightly kissed her neck. He traced her jaw-line with butterfly kisses until he reached her mouth, cuing the start of an all-out snog fest. After a while, Hermione and Harry were worn-out so they went their separate ways with huge, devilish grins on their faces.
When Hermione entered her dorm she could hear the soft snores of her fellow dorm-mates. She quickly changed into her pajamas and slipped beneath the warm cotton sheets of her four-poster bed, savoring the fresh taste of Harry's chocolate lips on her own. She was glad Harry hadn't pressured her into going all the way. She knew she wasn't ready, and as of now, being only in their sixth year at Hogwarts, they seemed to both be content with a few good snogs each day. Hermione turned over onto her stomach, one hand above her head, and the other by her side, and slipped into a deep and surprisingly dreamless sleep.
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The pressure was on and little did Hermione know as Harry became more and more impatient with their snog fests. Late one evening, in the Gryffindor common room, as Hermione and Harry commenced in their nightly ritual, Harry pulled away from her with heavy-eyelids and puffy, red lips.
"Hermione," he began as she stared intently at him, "how much longer are these innocent snogging sessions going to last?" Hermione's eyes turned curious and her mouth quirked into a frown. "I mean, 'Mione, I do believe I love you, and if your really not ready then I'll wait, but we both have...uh..." He cleared his throat as he found a sudden interest in a piece of lint on his shirt, "...needs." Hermione finally caught on and looked at Harry with slightly sad eyes.
"Harry, I love you too, but, we're only sixteen, and there will be plenty of time for that. I really don't think I'm ready yet." Harry nodded and glanced down at the same piece of lint he had been so interested in only seconds before. Hermione put a finger under his chin and lifted his lips to her own.
"But when I am ready, Harry Potter, you will be the first to know." Harry smiled before capturing her lips for their last good snog before bed-time.
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Weeks had passed since that conversation had occurred and they hadn't talked about it since. Hermione was in the library running her fingers over a row of old, dusty books when she came across a title she didn't recognize. It was a black, leather-bound book. On the spine, in gold Elizabethan style lettering was written "Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare." She pulled the book down and took it over to an empty table. She sat down and ran her fingers over the cover bringing off a generous amount of dust. She opened to the first page. It was a character list printed on old, yellowish paper.
"Hmm...I've heard of this writer..." she mumbled as she continued to flip through the pages. She decided it was interesting enough to check out for a little extra-curricular reading so she did, and then headed back to her dorm room to start reading.
After she had finished the first three acts, she stood from her seat at her desk and stretched. She walked over to the door leading down to the common room and opened it, only to reveal Harry standing with a bottle of champagne and two wine glasses leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe. She smiled back at him and opened the door so he could come in. He walked in and set the glasses on the desk. Since there was no one else in the room he popped the cork out of the bottle and poured the bubbling liquid into the glasses. He picked them both up and carried one over to where Hermione sat on her four-poster. She took the glass, he made a little toast, and they sipped the champagne. They stared at one another and Harry was the first to speak.
"I thought you needed some time off from school work," he explained before he caught sight of the heavy, leather-bound book laying on the desk. He picked it up and began flipping through the pages.
"What's this?' He asked, "I don't remember this being assigned in any class of ours.."
"William Shakespeare.." he read off the cover. Hermione walked over to where he was standing and took the book from him.
"I found it in the library this afternoon," she said, "it's about these two lovers who can't possibly be together because their families are old rivals. I've only read the first three acts so I don't know how it ends yet." Harry nodded and took the book from her. "It's very romantic," she continued. Harry smiled down at her.
"More romantic than me?" He asked, placing a feather-light kiss on her nose. "No, she answered, "Of course not." She crushed her lips to his and he lay the book back down on the desk, forgotten. They lay down on the bed and drank some more champagne, quietly chatting about school, quidditch, and future plans for their lives and their relationship. After they had finished the bottle of champagne they were both feeling a bit tipsy. Harry lay with his head on Hermione's stomach as she ran her fingers through his unruly hair. He caught her hand and pulled it to his face, placing small kisses on each of her finger tips. She giggled and he rolled over onto her and traced her jaw with kisses. She brought her mouth up to his and kissed him, the slight taste of champagne on his lips. Harry moved his hand to the hem of her shirt and ran his fingers over her stomach. She laughed again and her arms snaked around him, fingers tangling in the short hair at the nape of his neck. He moved to kiss her neck and she gasped when he found that oh-so-deliciously-sensitive spot at base of her neck and shoulder. He softly kissed his way to her collar bone. She kissed his neck and ran her nails along the skin of his back. Things continued to get hotter and heavier until Hermione began feeling the affects of the champagne start to wear off. By this time they were both shirtless, and she could feel Harry's cold fingers undoing her skirt. She swatted his hands away gently, and he leaned up on his elbows to give her a strange look.
"Harry, I'm not ready for that yet," she said softly and she could feel his muscles tense beneath her soft hands. Harry pulled back slightly, and she covered her bare chest with her arms. He was not at all smiling, and she could feel the frustration and anger radiating from his body. She smiled weakly, looking pleadingly into his eyes, hoping that somehow he would understand.
"Hermione, how much longer am I going to have to wait," he began, very nearly yelling, "you let me get this far then tell me you're not ready?" She felt her body go cold as he rolled off her and stood to put his shirt back on. Tears were forming in her eyes as she pulled on her own shirt and stood up.
"Harry, I'm sorry, but I'm really not ready," she said pleading with him, He looked down at her and saw the tears forming in her eyes. His stern gaze instantly softened. He stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips.
"I know, 'Mione, don't apologize to me, I should be the one apologizing to you," he began, "I'm being selfish and not even considering your feelings." He leaned down and nuzzled against her neck. "Please, forgive me?" he mumbled into her hair and she nodded her answer. Harry pulled back and smiled.
"I'd better go," he said, "it's getting late." He kissed her lightly and picked up the champagne bottle and glasses. Hermione opened the door to let him out.
"Goodnight, 'Mione," he said kissing her on the cheek.
"'Night, Harry." He walked out and she closed the door behind him. She walked over to her desk and sat down, opening "Romeo and Juliet" to continue reading the last two acts.
_____________________________________________________________
After she had finished she wiped the tears from her eyes.
'I can't believe a priest is going to suggest a plan like that!' Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as she thought about the two lovers killing themselves for one another. She stood from her desk, closed the book, and glanced at the large grandfather clock standing beside her desk.
"Hmm...only nine-thirty," she said, "I suppose I can go ahead and return it." She picked up the book, throwing on her cloak on, and headed out the door toward the library. She exited through the portrait hole and made her way down to the third floor. When she turned into the library and proceeded to the shelve she had gotten the book off of, she heard a loud bump and a pleasurable moan elicited, more-than-likely, from someone of the female persuasion. She grimaced and was about to leave when she heard the girl moan Harry's name.
She walked curiously down a row of books toward the voices and moans. She slowly peeked around the book shelf and saw something she would never forget.
Harry way laying atop a petite red-haired girl whom she instantly recognized as her best friend Ginny Weasley! She stared open-mouthed as she witnessed Harry and Ginny doing something that she really didn't want to see. Harry moaned in pleasure as he bit down on Ginny's shoulder. Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes and one single drop rolled down her cheek. She turned to run and Harry quickly caught a glimpse of her bushy, brown mane turning the corner out of the library.
"Shit," he said under his breath, and pulled away from Ginny. He pulled his pants and shirt on and exited the library leaving a very bewildered red-head behind.
Hermione ran as hard and as fast as she could with tears pouring from her eyes. She ran into the common room, falling onto the over-stuffed couch. She put her face in her hands. Thoughts frantically ran through her mind. Finally, she picked up a piece of discarded parchment and pulled a black quill out of her cloak.
She sat on the over-stuffed sofa in the Gryffindor common room scribbling furiously on a small roll of parchment with a black quill. The light from the glowing fire reflected off her tear-stained cheeks and she sniffed as she continued to write. It was late, maybe one or two in the morning, and the common room had been deserted many hours before. More silent tears streamed down her face leaving thin, curvy paths down her cheeks. Thoughts rushed through her mind as she scribbled down what she had been pondering the entire day She wasn't sure what she would do. With thoughts like these, she was afraid of what she would do. It seemed her life was crumbling before her very eyes. The one person she had lived for, loved for, someone she would very nearly die for had betrayed her and torn her heart into two bitter, broken pieces. She hurriedly wrote the last line of thought on the parchment.
'..there art thou dead.'
She looked down at what she had written, and you could practically see the wheels churning, rumbling round and round in her head. She was pondering the outcome of her current situation, and as horrid as it seemed, each time she pondered it, it became more and more appealing. With one quick nod she proceeded in signing her name to the parchment.
'Hermione Granger.'
Harry ran frantically all the way to Gryffindor Tower. When he got through the portrait hole and into the common room, he saw Hermione folding a piece of parchment and putting it in the pocket of her cloak.
"Hermione, I can explain," He said walking toward a crying Hermione. She scoffed at him through her tears.
"Explain?" She asked incredulously. "Harry, how could you explain something like having sex with my best friend in the library!? And with Ginny? What was going through your mind? You said you'd wait on me." Harry felt his heart break, a strong feeling of regret and guilt washed over him. Her voice became much softer, barely over a whisper. "I thought you were forever..." Harry sat down beside her on the sofa and took her hand in his.
"Please, Hermione, try to understand," he began solemnly. She quickly pulled her hand away.
"Yeah, Harry," she said nodding, sarcasm dripping from every word, "I understand perfectly. Go back to your whore, Harry, tell her I said 'hello'." She jumped up off the couch to leave but Harry grabbed her cloak. She jerked away from his grip, leaving her cloak in his hands, and ran out of the common room. Harry sighed heavily when a piece of parchment fell out of the pocket. He opened it and read:
Romeo and Juliet: IV.ii.68-108
"I do spy a kind of hope, which craves as desperate an execution as is desperate...thou hast the strength to slay thyself...for no pulse shall keep thee to this native progress, but surcease. No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest. The roses in thy lips and cheeks will fade to wanny ashes, thy eyes' windows fall like death when he shuts up the day of life...in the morning comes to rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead!"
-William Shakespeare
Hermione Granger
"Suicide..." he mumbled before jumping off the couch and following after her.
When he finally found her, she was standing atop a railing, balancing like a tight rope walker. Tears still streaming down her face. She walked slowly along the rail, her arms swaying at her sides. She tilted back and forth, left and right. She was facing away from him. On her left was the floor of the corridor, with empty picture frames lining the wall. To her right was seven story drop, straight down into the Entrance Hall floor. As she leaned a bit more to the left, he saw her suck in a quick breath. As she leaned to her right and glanced down, she released it slowly. She seemed to be weighing her options by the sway of her body.
'I have to stop her,' thought Harry before taking a silent step in her direction.
"Hermione," he said, and watched in horror as she looked into his eyes before losing her balance. Everything else seemed to be in slow motion. She waved her arms frantically trying to regain her footing.
"Harry!" She screamed as he rushed toward her. She began her fatal plummet to the ground as Harry threw his arms over the railing, reaching and grasping for the impossible. Tears flooded his eyes and blurred his vision as he saw her small form falling away from him. He turned his face away before he heard her body hit the ground seven floors below him, and he sank to his knees against the banister as the same words flew through his mind over and over again.
'..there art thou dead.'
A/N: *tear* I was sooo crying when I wrote that! That took a looot of will-power for me to make a one-shot that long! Well, I hope you liked it and please, PLEASE review! I need a boost in self-esteem and it only takes a second! Please! I'm begging you!
She sat on the over-stuffed sofa in the Gryffindor common room, scribbling furiously on a small roll of parchment with a black quill. The light from the glowing fire reflected off her tear-stained cheeks, and she sniffed as she continued to write. It was late, maybe one or two in the morning, and the common room had been deserted many hours before. More silent tears streamed down her face leaving thin, curvy paths down her cheeks. Thoughts rushed through her mind as she scribbled down what she had been pondering the entire day. She wasn't sure what she would do. With thoughts like these, she was afraid of what she would do. It seemed her life was crumbling before her very eyes. The one person she had lived for, loved for, someone she would very nearly die for had betrayed her and torn her heart into two bitter, broken pieces. She hurriedly wrote the last line of thought on the parchment.
'..there art thou dead.'
She looked down at what she had written, and you could practically see the wheels churning, rumbling round and round in her head. She was pondering the outcome of her current situation, and as horrid as it seemed, each time she pondered it, it became more and more appealing. With one quick nod she proceeded in signing her name to the parchment.
'Hermione Granger.'
_____________________Flashback___________________________
Hermione sat in her room working diligently on her Transfiguration Essay that had been assigned as over-the-holiday homework. She sat at her desk flipping through the many pages of her text book, then, picking up her white, ink-tipped quill, she scribbled a bit, and returned to her book. Suddenly, she heard loud banging on the staircase and heavy footsteps heading toward her bedroom door. She swivelled around slowly in her chair and stared open-mouthed as Harry Potter and Ron Weasley stepped into her bedroom.
"Oh my gods!" she screamed. "What are you two doing here!?" Harry and Ron smiled at her, then Harry finally spoke up.
"We thought you needed a break from here. We're taking you back to the Burrow." Hermione's eyes instantly lit up, and she hugged them both quickly before reaching under her bed and pulling out an empty trunk. With one swish of her wand, the trunk was instantly filled to the brim with clothing and other necessities, and she was ready to go. The all clomped down the stairs and Hermione kissed and hugged both her parents who waved and watched her go.
When they arrived at the Burrow she received a very warm welcome from the entire Weasley clan, including Bill and Charlie who were home for the summer. The twins grinned and hugged her, and she was 'passed' around from family member to family member for a hug. No one seemed to notice Harry so Hermione assumed he had been there already this summer. After the informal greeting, Ginny and Hermione rushed to their room to unpack Hermione's things and get settled in.
About thirty minutes later, Ginny, Hermione, Harry and Ron were all outside. Harry and Ron were whizzing about on their broomsticks passing a quaffle back and forth as Hermione and Ginny lay out to 'catch some rays' as the muggles called it. They were lying on plastic lawn chairs with a pitcher of lemonade on a table between them.
"Humph," Ron grunted as he caught a quaffle that Harry had passed him. "Not so hard, Harry," Ron rubbed his stomach where the quaffle had hit him.
"Oh, sorry Ron," Harry said flying in Ron's direction to check on his friend. While Ron was nursing his aching stomach, Harry watched ever so intently as Hermione rubbed tanning oil over her long, smooth legs. He smiled slightly, eyes heavy-lidded, and a small string of drool dangled from the right corner of his mouth.
"Oy, Harry, wake up," Ron said snapping his fingers in front of Harry's face. He quickly snapped out of his trance and turned to Ron, wiping away the string of slobber. Ron followed Harry's gaze to a slightly bronze Hermione wearing a white and pink polka-dot string bikini.
"She has gotten very...spamtastic, hasn't she?" he said, eyeing Hermione. Harry gave Ron a strange look.
"Spamtastic..?" he asked laughingly. Ron blushed a bit.
"What? I heard it on a muggle TV show," he answered defensively. Harry held his hands up in mock defeat, laughing.
"Yes, Ron, she has gotten a bit spamtastic." Hermione finally caught sight of the gawking boys and waved up at them.
"Why are you staring at me?" she asked, shielding her eyes from the blazing summer sun and squinting a bit. Both boys flew down toward her and landed with a soft thud. Ron sat on the edge of Ginny's lawn chair while Harry took a seat with Hermione.
"Just wondering if your skin is supposed to be that red.." said Harry. Hermione worriedly glanced down at her body before Harry began tickling her mercilessly.
"Harry!" she screamed in between fits of giggles, "Stop it!" He finally ceased the tickle-torture and leaned down toward Hermione's ear.
"Let's take a walk," he whispered and hoisted Hermione out of her lawn chair and they took off down an old, grown-in path that led to a small creek. As they walked, Harry stole a few glances out of the corner of his eye, as did Hermione.
"So, how's your summer been so far?" he asked.
"It's been okay, how about you?" They continued the small talk as they made their way down the path. They finally turned a corner and came to a slow-moving stream. They sat down at the edge, Harry rolled up his pant legs, and they stuck their feet in.
"Wow, this water's cold!" she gasped, slowly putting her feet into the water. Harry turned to look at her.
"You've certainly grown-up, 'Mione," he said eyeing her deliciously golden-bronze body.
"Thanks, Harry, you have too." Hermione scooted a bit closer to him. Harry smiled down at her.
"Hermione, I've been meaning to ask you this for a long time now, and when I saw you sitting at your desk working on your holiday homework with ink smudges on your fingers and face, I knew I had to." Hermione knew exactly where this was headed.
"Hermione, will you be my girlfriend?" He eyed her hopefully as he awaited her answer, but he didn't need one when she leaned in and gave him a soft peck on the lips. When she pulled away she kept her face close to his, and when she spoke he could feel her lips lightly brushing against his own.
"Yes, Harry Potter, I'll gladly be your girlfriend."
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After weeks of holding hands and stealing kisses, Harry and Hermione found themselves back at Hogwarts. Her relationship with Harry hadn't changed her 'go-getter' attitude, and she had turned down many a snogging session to work on essays and the such. Hermione sat in the common room writing a potions essay as Harry and Ron sat deep in conversation about a recent quidditch match.
"..then I saw the snitch, and I was all: 'Oh my gods, I have to get it!' So, I dove straight down, and I could have sworn I was going to hit the ground, but I pulled up, like, a centimeter away from a broken skull, and I had it!" said Harry hurriedly while using various hand gestures to describe the excitement and danger of his 'death-defying' dive. Hermione huffed and rolled her eyes.
"Shouldn't you two be working on your potion's essay?" she asked swirling around in her chair to face them. Harry stopped in mid-sentence of his commentary to stare at Hermione. Ron spoke first.
"We'll finish it in time, won't we Harry?" he said. Harry nodded and walked over to Hermione. He put his hands around her shoulders, hugging her from behind and nuzzled against her neck.
"We'll be done, baby, don't you worry," he said softly and kissed her neck. She smiled and laughed and continued writing as Harry continued his chat with Ron. After a while, Ron got tired and went up to bed, leaving Harry and Hermione alone. Hermione finally put down her quill, stood and stretched, then plopped down beside Harry on the common room couch. She lay her head on his shoulder and snuggled up to him. He put a possessive arm around her waist and sighed deeply.
"Harry," she said softly into the cotton of his shirt, "how long do you think we'll be together?" Harry seemed to be contemplating his answer as he nibbled lightly on his bottom lip. He looked up at the ceiling, then to all four walls, back down at Hermione, then up to the ceiling again. Hermione giggled and smiled up at him, knowing he was just teasing her.
"Hmm," he began, "forever." It was spoken as a statement, not a question, and Hermione smiled widely and nuzzled closer to him. She was completely and totally content with just cuddling all night long, but Harry had other things on his mind, He moved her body so she was sitting on his lap and lightly kissed her neck. He traced her jaw-line with butterfly kisses until he reached her mouth, cuing the start of an all-out snog fest. After a while, Hermione and Harry were worn-out so they went their separate ways with huge, devilish grins on their faces.
When Hermione entered her dorm she could hear the soft snores of her fellow dorm-mates. She quickly changed into her pajamas and slipped beneath the warm cotton sheets of her four-poster bed, savoring the fresh taste of Harry's chocolate lips on her own. She was glad Harry hadn't pressured her into going all the way. She knew she wasn't ready, and as of now, being only in their sixth year at Hogwarts, they seemed to both be content with a few good snogs each day. Hermione turned over onto her stomach, one hand above her head, and the other by her side, and slipped into a deep and surprisingly dreamless sleep.
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The pressure was on and little did Hermione know as Harry became more and more impatient with their snog fests. Late one evening, in the Gryffindor common room, as Hermione and Harry commenced in their nightly ritual, Harry pulled away from her with heavy-eyelids and puffy, red lips.
"Hermione," he began as she stared intently at him, "how much longer are these innocent snogging sessions going to last?" Hermione's eyes turned curious and her mouth quirked into a frown. "I mean, 'Mione, I do believe I love you, and if your really not ready then I'll wait, but we both have...uh..." He cleared his throat as he found a sudden interest in a piece of lint on his shirt, "...needs." Hermione finally caught on and looked at Harry with slightly sad eyes.
"Harry, I love you too, but, we're only sixteen, and there will be plenty of time for that. I really don't think I'm ready yet." Harry nodded and glanced down at the same piece of lint he had been so interested in only seconds before. Hermione put a finger under his chin and lifted his lips to her own.
"But when I am ready, Harry Potter, you will be the first to know." Harry smiled before capturing her lips for their last good snog before bed-time.
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Weeks had passed since that conversation had occurred and they hadn't talked about it since. Hermione was in the library running her fingers over a row of old, dusty books when she came across a title she didn't recognize. It was a black, leather-bound book. On the spine, in gold Elizabethan style lettering was written "Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare." She pulled the book down and took it over to an empty table. She sat down and ran her fingers over the cover bringing off a generous amount of dust. She opened to the first page. It was a character list printed on old, yellowish paper.
"Hmm...I've heard of this writer..." she mumbled as she continued to flip through the pages. She decided it was interesting enough to check out for a little extra-curricular reading so she did, and then headed back to her dorm room to start reading.
After she had finished the first three acts, she stood from her seat at her desk and stretched. She walked over to the door leading down to the common room and opened it, only to reveal Harry standing with a bottle of champagne and two wine glasses leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe. She smiled back at him and opened the door so he could come in. He walked in and set the glasses on the desk. Since there was no one else in the room he popped the cork out of the bottle and poured the bubbling liquid into the glasses. He picked them both up and carried one over to where Hermione sat on her four-poster. She took the glass, he made a little toast, and they sipped the champagne. They stared at one another and Harry was the first to speak.
"I thought you needed some time off from school work," he explained before he caught sight of the heavy, leather-bound book laying on the desk. He picked it up and began flipping through the pages.
"What's this?' He asked, "I don't remember this being assigned in any class of ours.."
"William Shakespeare.." he read off the cover. Hermione walked over to where he was standing and took the book from him.
"I found it in the library this afternoon," she said, "it's about these two lovers who can't possibly be together because their families are old rivals. I've only read the first three acts so I don't know how it ends yet." Harry nodded and took the book from her. "It's very romantic," she continued. Harry smiled down at her.
"More romantic than me?" He asked, placing a feather-light kiss on her nose. "No, she answered, "Of course not." She crushed her lips to his and he lay the book back down on the desk, forgotten. They lay down on the bed and drank some more champagne, quietly chatting about school, quidditch, and future plans for their lives and their relationship. After they had finished the bottle of champagne they were both feeling a bit tipsy. Harry lay with his head on Hermione's stomach as she ran her fingers through his unruly hair. He caught her hand and pulled it to his face, placing small kisses on each of her finger tips. She giggled and he rolled over onto her and traced her jaw with kisses. She brought her mouth up to his and kissed him, the slight taste of champagne on his lips. Harry moved his hand to the hem of her shirt and ran his fingers over her stomach. She laughed again and her arms snaked around him, fingers tangling in the short hair at the nape of his neck. He moved to kiss her neck and she gasped when he found that oh-so-deliciously-sensitive spot at base of her neck and shoulder. He softly kissed his way to her collar bone. She kissed his neck and ran her nails along the skin of his back. Things continued to get hotter and heavier until Hermione began feeling the affects of the champagne start to wear off. By this time they were both shirtless, and she could feel Harry's cold fingers undoing her skirt. She swatted his hands away gently, and he leaned up on his elbows to give her a strange look.
"Harry, I'm not ready for that yet," she said softly and she could feel his muscles tense beneath her soft hands. Harry pulled back slightly, and she covered her bare chest with her arms. He was not at all smiling, and she could feel the frustration and anger radiating from his body. She smiled weakly, looking pleadingly into his eyes, hoping that somehow he would understand.
"Hermione, how much longer am I going to have to wait," he began, very nearly yelling, "you let me get this far then tell me you're not ready?" She felt her body go cold as he rolled off her and stood to put his shirt back on. Tears were forming in her eyes as she pulled on her own shirt and stood up.
"Harry, I'm sorry, but I'm really not ready," she said pleading with him, He looked down at her and saw the tears forming in her eyes. His stern gaze instantly softened. He stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips.
"I know, 'Mione, don't apologize to me, I should be the one apologizing to you," he began, "I'm being selfish and not even considering your feelings." He leaned down and nuzzled against her neck. "Please, forgive me?" he mumbled into her hair and she nodded her answer. Harry pulled back and smiled.
"I'd better go," he said, "it's getting late." He kissed her lightly and picked up the champagne bottle and glasses. Hermione opened the door to let him out.
"Goodnight, 'Mione," he said kissing her on the cheek.
"'Night, Harry." He walked out and she closed the door behind him. She walked over to her desk and sat down, opening "Romeo and Juliet" to continue reading the last two acts.
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After she had finished she wiped the tears from her eyes.
'I can't believe a priest is going to suggest a plan like that!' Tears rolled freely down her cheeks as she thought about the two lovers killing themselves for one another. She stood from her desk, closed the book, and glanced at the large grandfather clock standing beside her desk.
"Hmm...only nine-thirty," she said, "I suppose I can go ahead and return it." She picked up the book, throwing on her cloak on, and headed out the door toward the library. She exited through the portrait hole and made her way down to the third floor. When she turned into the library and proceeded to the shelve she had gotten the book off of, she heard a loud bump and a pleasurable moan elicited, more-than-likely, from someone of the female persuasion. She grimaced and was about to leave when she heard the girl moan Harry's name.
She walked curiously down a row of books toward the voices and moans. She slowly peeked around the book shelf and saw something she would never forget.
Harry way laying atop a petite red-haired girl whom she instantly recognized as her best friend Ginny Weasley! She stared open-mouthed as she witnessed Harry and Ginny doing something that she really didn't want to see. Harry moaned in pleasure as he bit down on Ginny's shoulder. Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes and one single drop rolled down her cheek. She turned to run and Harry quickly caught a glimpse of her bushy, brown mane turning the corner out of the library.
"Shit," he said under his breath, and pulled away from Ginny. He pulled his pants and shirt on and exited the library leaving a very bewildered red-head behind.
Hermione ran as hard and as fast as she could with tears pouring from her eyes. She ran into the common room, falling onto the over-stuffed couch. She put her face in her hands. Thoughts frantically ran through her mind. Finally, she picked up a piece of discarded parchment and pulled a black quill out of her cloak.
She sat on the over-stuffed sofa in the Gryffindor common room scribbling furiously on a small roll of parchment with a black quill. The light from the glowing fire reflected off her tear-stained cheeks and she sniffed as she continued to write. It was late, maybe one or two in the morning, and the common room had been deserted many hours before. More silent tears streamed down her face leaving thin, curvy paths down her cheeks. Thoughts rushed through her mind as she scribbled down what she had been pondering the entire day She wasn't sure what she would do. With thoughts like these, she was afraid of what she would do. It seemed her life was crumbling before her very eyes. The one person she had lived for, loved for, someone she would very nearly die for had betrayed her and torn her heart into two bitter, broken pieces. She hurriedly wrote the last line of thought on the parchment.
'..there art thou dead.'
She looked down at what she had written, and you could practically see the wheels churning, rumbling round and round in her head. She was pondering the outcome of her current situation, and as horrid as it seemed, each time she pondered it, it became more and more appealing. With one quick nod she proceeded in signing her name to the parchment.
'Hermione Granger.'
Harry ran frantically all the way to Gryffindor Tower. When he got through the portrait hole and into the common room, he saw Hermione folding a piece of parchment and putting it in the pocket of her cloak.
"Hermione, I can explain," He said walking toward a crying Hermione. She scoffed at him through her tears.
"Explain?" She asked incredulously. "Harry, how could you explain something like having sex with my best friend in the library!? And with Ginny? What was going through your mind? You said you'd wait on me." Harry felt his heart break, a strong feeling of regret and guilt washed over him. Her voice became much softer, barely over a whisper. "I thought you were forever..." Harry sat down beside her on the sofa and took her hand in his.
"Please, Hermione, try to understand," he began solemnly. She quickly pulled her hand away.
"Yeah, Harry," she said nodding, sarcasm dripping from every word, "I understand perfectly. Go back to your whore, Harry, tell her I said 'hello'." She jumped up off the couch to leave but Harry grabbed her cloak. She jerked away from his grip, leaving her cloak in his hands, and ran out of the common room. Harry sighed heavily when a piece of parchment fell out of the pocket. He opened it and read:
Romeo and Juliet: IV.ii.68-108
"I do spy a kind of hope, which craves as desperate an execution as is desperate...thou hast the strength to slay thyself...for no pulse shall keep thee to this native progress, but surcease. No warmth, no breath, shall testify thou livest. The roses in thy lips and cheeks will fade to wanny ashes, thy eyes' windows fall like death when he shuts up the day of life...in the morning comes to rouse thee from thy bed, there art thou dead!"
-William Shakespeare
Hermione Granger
"Suicide..." he mumbled before jumping off the couch and following after her.
When he finally found her, she was standing atop a railing, balancing like a tight rope walker. Tears still streaming down her face. She walked slowly along the rail, her arms swaying at her sides. She tilted back and forth, left and right. She was facing away from him. On her left was the floor of the corridor, with empty picture frames lining the wall. To her right was seven story drop, straight down into the Entrance Hall floor. As she leaned a bit more to the left, he saw her suck in a quick breath. As she leaned to her right and glanced down, she released it slowly. She seemed to be weighing her options by the sway of her body.
'I have to stop her,' thought Harry before taking a silent step in her direction.
"Hermione," he said, and watched in horror as she looked into his eyes before losing her balance. Everything else seemed to be in slow motion. She waved her arms frantically trying to regain her footing.
"Harry!" She screamed as he rushed toward her. She began her fatal plummet to the ground as Harry threw his arms over the railing, reaching and grasping for the impossible. Tears flooded his eyes and blurred his vision as he saw her small form falling away from him. He turned his face away before he heard her body hit the ground seven floors below him, and he sank to his knees against the banister as the same words flew through his mind over and over again.
'..there art thou dead.'
A/N: *tear* I was sooo crying when I wrote that! That took a looot of will-power for me to make a one-shot that long! Well, I hope you liked it and please, PLEASE review! I need a boost in self-esteem and it only takes a second! Please! I'm begging you!