Make Me Believe
If I Told You I Loved You, What Would You Say?
CHAPTER TWO
"Harry!" Hermione screamed, giving him a hard shake.
It was all it took and he woke up. His body seemed to act on instinct, and he instantly sat up, trembling, with his breath caught up. He was looking for some sign that none of it had been real. That everything around him at that moment wasn't a dream. And he found it in her. Their bodies collided, him instantly hugging her, feeling her. Making sure that she was the real thing. She was.
And after the initial shock, Hermione held on to him, rubbing the back of his neck soothingly, while he dug his head in the crook of her neck, and tried to learn how to breath again.
"It was a nightmare," he gasped, sounding like he didn't believe himself.
"You're safe, Harry," she said quietly, looking for something to say. Something to comfort him.
"I saw him again," he found himself mumbling to no one in particular. But she was listening. She was the only person in the room.
"Who?"
"Voldemort." He heard her take a sharp inhale. He chuckled nervously. Merlin, he couldn't get a grip. He was sweating, and shaking, and literally on the verge of losing it.
"The graveyard…" she said absently, her hold on him loosening as she seemed to go over her own train of thoughts. "You were at the graveyard again," she said, understanding, and regaining her previous stature. "With Cedric." Her brow furrowed. "Harry, look at you. One nightmare leaves you looking like you've just come out of the maze. You look like…like…"
"Like I just had a relapse of events? That's what it feels like," he murmured.
"How many nightmares have you had similar to this?" she mused.
"How many nights have there been since Summer began?" he countered darkly. She gasped.
"Every night?" she said, sounding uneasy.
"Every fucking night," he said bitterly.
"Harry, what happens when you wake up?"
"Nothing. This is what happens. Except I don't exactly wake up to you. Sometimes it's my Uncle yelling at me to shut up. Sometimes it's me, myself, and I'm the one yelling."
"Do you go back to sleep?"
He scoffed at her question. She got her answer.
"You need to get some sleep, Harry," she said. "This isn't healthy."
"Neither is having to face dementors, dragons, death eaters and Voldemort himself," he said angrily. "My life isn't healthy, Hermione."
She paused, and bit her bottom lip in thought.
"Do you want me to go?" she asked suddenly.
"No," he said, after a moment. "Please don't."
He sounded stupid.
"Then let's sit properly, atleast," she said. He hadn't noticed. But they were rocking back and forth slightly. Harry felt he had winded her, jumping her like that. He still had his arms locked around her waist, and she had hers locked around him. But she seemed to be struggling to keep in that position.
"I'm sorry," he said honestly, and she just smiled. They readjusted, taking a seat against the headboard. He placed an arm around her, and she smiled at him, laying her head on his shoulder. "Congratulations," he said, not managing to keep the slight bitterness out of his voice.
"Being a prefect?" she asked, though she sounded happy. "I thought it'd be you, you know. Not Ron."
"Hmm," he said, letting her speak her thoughts first.
"You seemed more appropriate for it. Ron's…I dunno how he'll do as a prefect. I thought it'd be you and me, you know. Together." He smiled. "As prefects."
"It isn't, though," Harry said sadly.
"Yeah," she responded, and he was surprised because she sounded sad as well. "It would've been great, you know. But, I guess Dumbledore has his reasons."
Harry scoffed. "Like what?" he almost sneered.
Hermione tightened her grip on his arm, to bring him back to peace. He hadn't noticed their arms were interlocked and she had a hand on his.
"Harry, you're not exactly having the easiest life, now, are you?" she said reasonably. "Maybe he just wanted to lighten your load."
Harry gave it a non-committal thought. "Maybe…" he said slowly.
"But I'm so relieved. I mean I knew they didn't have a case against you, but still," she said, positively beaming, rethinking how he'd returned earlier with the news from his hearing. He kissed her on the top of her head. She blushed.
"The party's still going on, then?" he said, breaking the silence.
She nodded sleepily in his arms.
"You're tired, aren't you?"
She nodded again.
"You should get some sleep."
"No," she said decisively. "I'm already here. It's a long way to my room. By the time I get there I'll be a dead rock."
"You can stay here," he offered.
"Harry, I can't sleep here."
"Just for now. I mean, I think we've got a solid two to three hours before the party downstairs simmers down. So you can take a little nap. I'll be here. I'll wake you up."
"Are you sure?" she asked him.
He nodded solemnly.
"Thank you," she said. "You have no idea how long I've been trying to get away from downstairs."
She was about to peck him on the cheek, but he turned at that moment as well and locked lips with her.
A/N: Okay, so I have no patience whatsoever. Anyway I think it's better, in my opinion as writer, to just start their connection here rather than later on. No promises though on whether a relationship development is immediately on hand. Please do not kill me over the ending. I will go over it in the next chapter, and expand with an explanation of the event. They kissed, all right? *Author's shrug*. Well, until next time! Read and review, please?
