Stay

To those who keep reading my stories, thank you. I enjoy to be able to entertain you. If you like my story, please comment. If you don't, tell me what you dislike and maybe I can fix it. I love feedback!

I apologize for not writing in so long - drama, you know?

I am not a pop fan. I do not listen to pop music on a regular basis. I heard this song while watching TVD recently, and found that it is a beautiful song. This story is my interpretation of it. I hope you enjoy.

~greyeyes7

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Rihanna's "Stay."

They stared at one another, not saying a thing. There was complete silence. She looked up at him with her beautiful toffee eyes. He looked down at her with his bright blue orbs. Tension could be felt in the air, yet they were comfortable with one another.

Her eyes were welled with tears, though she refused to let him see her cry. He noticed, anyways. He noticed everything about her. How couldn't he? She was always there, even when she didn't mean to be.

His eyes flashed, daring her, begging her to come a little bit closer. He wanted her near to him. She wanted him closer, but she couldn't speak.

He stepped a small amount forward. If she leaned forward, she could close the gap. She couldn't stop the need to be with him, but she didn't want to make herself hurt more.

He leaned over, pushing her silky, honey curls away from her ear. Whispering, he said, "Tell me, love. What is it that you want?"

"Please," she whispered back, her soft breath tickling his ear and causing his red locks to sway.

"Please what?"

She leaned back, and grabbed his face in her delicate hands. She looked into his eyes, their lips only inches apart, their breaths intermingling. They stared for a moment, him in anticipation, her mind oddly blank. "Stay. I want you to stay."

His hands crept towards her head as he began to cup her jaw line. He pushed her head up with the slightest touch, causing her lips to lightly brush his own. Then, his lips went to her forehead. Her arms wrapped around his stomach as his went around her shoulders. Her head found placement in the crook of his neck as he rested his head on her own.

"I can't. You know that, love. I just cannot. I have to leave. It will be safer for the both of you, you know that."

"I know," she said into his chest, barely audible, "But I need you."

She collapsed backwards into a sitting position on the bed, her head in her hands. He knelt down on the ground by her feet, grabbing her hands away from her beautiful face. "You are the strongest person that I've ever had the pleasure to know. You don't need me—not nearly as much as I need you."

"I do need you, desperately."

"No, you don't. Don't lie to yourself."

There was a pause before she said, "You're going to get hurt."

"I can take care of myself."

"Can you? They're all going to be after you."

"I realize that. But leaving will make sure that you're safe."

"I'm never truly safe."

"You're safer without me than with. Look at my hair, love. They hate me because of it. They hate me because of my hair, my name, my parents, my family. They hate me because of what I can do."

"They hate me because of my blood."

"They hate me because I love you." They were both frozen at his admital.

"You what?"

"I love you. I always have, I suppose. From when I first met you, there was something different about you. I love you, and I always will. That's why I have to leave. I have to protect you. I have to love you, and if that means leaving to keep you safe, so be it. I would rather be torn from you for a little while and to die knowing that I love you and that you're safe over staying for a short period with you before they take you from me. I can't let that happen. Listen, love. This was never meant to be something serious. This was always meant to be small and contained. From the beginning, I guess I felt that there was something more than physical attraction. I knew, but I ignored my feelings. Now I know. I know for sure—there's something about you that makes me sure. I can't live without you. I know that to make sure I can have you forever, I have to let you go for now."

"You really love me?"

"Yes, I do. With every part of my being. I know that we weren't meant to turn out this way, and I understand if you don't want to continue, but I just want you to know that I love you."

She stood and pulled him to his feet. "I love you, too." He picked her up by the bum and wrapped her legs around himself, placing her lips directly on his.

"I have to leave," he said, her head resting on his.

"I know. I just want you to stay."

"I'll be back," he slowly lowered her to the ground, keeping her in his grip.

"You better be."

"Love?"

"Yes?"

"When I see you again, would you like to continue?"

"Continue…this?"

"Sort of. Just this time, you will know that I have feelings for you. That I love you."

"Would anyone else know?"

"You know that they can't."

"Why not?"

"It isn't safe."

"You know what isn't safe? Running off with your brother in the middle of wartime, pissing off basically everyone. You know what isn't safe? Being of dirty blood yet standing here with you. You know what isn't safe? Loving one another. But I will love you forever, no matter how dangerous it is."

He leaned over and gently kissed her swollen lips. "Forever, no matter what."

"No matter what," she repeated.

"Goodbye," he said, and like that, he was gone. She sat on his bed and cried. The sheets smelled of him. She knew it was not the last goodbye she would get, but she still worried for him. If he only had stayed, she wouldn't be in such pain.

He could feel her pain along with his own. He felt a hot tear streak his cheek and quickly swept it off his face. He wished that he could wipe her tears, and he hated hearing her sobs through the door, but it was necessary. He loved her. People do crazy things for love.

He walked down the steps of the tower, rushing through the empty common room, and pushing out into the corridor.

Seeing his brother, he called out to him, "Ready?"

His brother responded, "Of course. You?"

"As I'll ever be," he responded, thoughts on the sobbing brunette in his bed.

"Let's go then," his brother said. They bounded down the corridor, dodging all potential threats including an evil cat and several ghosts. They went down a long hallway and found a brick that was a bit off color. Tapping it three times, the bricks melted away into a secret room.

She sat down for her exam. She was nervous, as always, but she was not focused on her nervousness. Her eyes were red and puffy, her lips were swollen. No one noticed the tear stains on her cheeks, all too focused on the mean woman in all pink standing before them.

Sitting down, parchment appeared. Within the minute, the sound of scratching quills filled the air.

Her mind drifted, as it never did during an exam. She was only focused on her red-headed lover. She worried for him.

Suddenly, a loud sound erupted from the corridor. The whole class followed the pink-clad woman out to the corridor, where there was a disaster of a swamp that appeared to consume the area.

There were two identical figures zooming through the air that the puffy-eyed brunette tried to make them out. One came flying towards her.

He landed inches away, and a pair of familiar lips enveloped her. There was a collective gasp of those who were closest to the pair, the others all focused on the large amount of magic displayed.

"I love you, Hermione," he said.

"I love you, too, Fred," she responded.

He hopped back on the broom, winked at his one and only love, and took off with his twin brother, leaving her. All he could remember was the smile of pride that she gave while looking at him. That kept him going at night. That kept him hopeful. If only he could stay.

If you liked this, I might make it a full story!