The Art of Love

Summary: Sometimes all you need is a little love. H Hr

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its affiliated characters. That all belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: Thank you everybody for such wonderful responses. It means a lot to me to know people are enjoying this story. On to chapter four!

Chapter 4: No Turning Back

Harry could not express to the Grangers how much he appreciated them letting him stay at their house. He also could not express his embarrassment that they had to witness the events that occurred at Number 4 Privet Drive. As soon as they pulled into the driveway and got out of the car, Harry apologized once again for what had happened, and thanked them for all they had done. Jane smiled at his efforts; she thought it was absolutely charming how polite this boy was, yet her heart ached for him and for what he had to endure for most of his childhood back at the Dursley residence.

"Harry, you really don't need to apologize." she said, "I just wish we had known you before now, and maybe we could have taken you in for a couple weeks out of the summer each year. As for letting you stay, there is nothing we would like more." She shot him a brilliant smile that greatly resembled Hermione's, and Harry couldn't help but smile back. As Dan and Jane walked to the kitchen to start dinner, Harry looked around him and drank in the elegance of the Granger household. The two-story, four bedroom, and three and a half bath house was adorned with beautiful décor. The living room was spaciously set up so that the sofa sat perfectly against the back of the rug, which happened to rest in the center of the room. The red and white color scheme was welcoming and relaxing, and Harry marveled at the gorgeous, yet simple coffee table that sat in the middle of the living room, perfectly spaced between the sofa, loveseat, and armchair. The back wall was mounted with books, varying from children's stories to informational pamplets, and Harry smiled to himself as he imaged Hermione sitting in the armchair, curled up in a good book from one of the shelves. As Harry was admiring the living room, Hermione watched him, a silent smile on her face.

"What're you thinking, Harry?" she asked. Ever since he had met her parents, Harry seemed to have forgotten about their almost-kiss on the train. She was hoping it would stay that way, at least for now. Harry turned and looked at her, his emerald eyes glistening in the light from the lamp on the end table.

"Nothing. You're house is simply beautiful." Hermione laughed.

"Thank you," she said, and he nodded at her with a small smile before continuing to look around the living room. Hermione watched as he picked up some books, but she could tell his mind was elsewhere. She was positive it was because he wanted to read the letter his mother had left him; his didn't take his eyes off of it the entire ride home. Hermione watched as Harry subconsciously put his hand in his jeans' pocket, where he had placed his mother's letter once they had arrived. Hermione walked up behind Harry and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned to look at her and she cocked her head to the side, studying him. As she looked into his eyes she saw the anticipation he was feeling, and she bit her lip. He shot her a smile, trying to hide what he knew she had seen, and she smiled back, and then started to walk away.

"Harry," she called, "Come on. I'll show you where the guest room is." Harry, looking slightly relieved , nodded, and the two friends walked up the stairs to the upper floor, which housed all four bedrooms, plus two bathrooms. Once upstairs, Hermione led Harry down a long hallway and turned right. As he walked, Harry noticed the beautiful mahogany doors that stood between him and the rest of the house. He admired the craftsmanship on the doors and crown molding on the walls, and told Hermione again what a lovely home she had. She smiled, and stopped in front of one of the doors and opened it, revealing Harry's temporary bedroom.

A queen sized bed sat against the wall to Harry's right; draped in a simple quilt. Matching pillow cases rested against the headboard, and a elegant dresser resided beneath the window on the back wall. Harry had his own desk and bookshelf, as well as a door that led to one of the bathrooms, which Hermione told him he would share with her. Harry felt a little out of place, he had never slept in such a wonderful room before, and had certainly never slept in such a big bed. Hermione watched as a single tear slipped out of his eye, and she reached out and gently grabbed his hand. He gave her a grateful look and released the breath he had been holding. With a squeeze he let go of her hand and walked over to the bed. He sat down, trying to make sense of the array of emotions he was feeling. There was happiness because of the way everything was working out, gratitude toward the Grangers and their incredible kindness, worry about everything that was to come, and at the moment, above everything else, intense desire and fear to read the letter his mother left him. Harry knew this was the last letter Lily ever wrote in her life, and that alone made Harry's hands shake. Hermione watched him pull the envelope out from his pocket, and she turned to leave. She had gotten just outside the door frame when Harry called for her.

"'Mione, wait." he said. She turned around and walked back into the room, and Harry looked down at the letter. "Do you think you could stay with me?" he whispered, and Hermione's heart gave a lurch toward him. Holding back the urge to give him a hug, Hermione took a seat next to Harry, and took his hand. He took a deep breath. His hands were shaking with such incredible force he couldn't get the proper hold on the envelope to open it and pull out the letter, and Hermione gently extracted her hand from his and took hold of the envelope, making sure that one of his hands was still touching it. She tore back the fold, and pulled out the letter. Harry clenched his jaw, and let out a shaky breath. He took the letter from Hermione timidly, and she grabbed hold of his hand once again. She watched him carefully as he unfolded the letter, and then looked away as he read the words.

October 25th, 1981

My Dearest Harry,

If you are reading this, then I must no longer be with you. If this is the case, I cannot express my sorrow, and I want you to know that I love you with all of my mind, heart, and soul. You are the first good thing to come out of the past few years for your father and I. You may not know this, but the day you were born the doctor looked at me with a smile and told me he had never seen a baby open his mouth so wide. I hope this trait never leaves you, my darling. I hope that when times are hard you are able to stand up and speak for yourself, the way your father does. It is one of the many things I love about him, and one of the many things I know you will wish to do as you live your life. I hope that even though I am not there with you, you are able to find someone who loves you as much as I do, and who will always be there by your side. When times get very hard, remember the words "Mummy loves you," and focus everything you have into the joys you have in life. Always take time to enjoy the littlest thing, my sweet. When someone makes you a cake, eat a big slice. Never let a day go by without watching the clouds, and hug someone every chance you get. You are the highlight of my life, and you are going to make a huge difference in the world one day, I just know it. Promise me that you will treat each day as a gift, and that you will always be loyal to your friends. Remember that true friends are hard to come by, and worth every fight you will share. Never forget how special you are, and how much you are loved. I hope that everything you strive for in life comes true. You are the greatest gift, the most wonderful son, and above all, the person I care for most in this world. I love you so very much, my son.

With all the love in my heart,

Lily.

As Harry read the last line, teardrops stained the parchment, and he quickly pulled it out of harm's reach. Everything he had been through the last fifteen years didn't matter to him at this moment. He clutched the letter to his chest and sobbed, the mixed feeling of happiness and anguish running through his body. Hermione pulled him into a laying position on the bed and wrapped him in a hug, rocking him gently back and forth. His tears stained her shirt but she didn't care; she kept rubbing his back and continued to rock him. After a while, Harry felt his eyes go dry and his sobs cease, and he sat up and felt a headache rush to the top of his head. Hermione sat up and looked at him, waiting to see if he was alright.

"My mother loved me," he whispered. His voice sounded hoarse and tired, and Hermione felt tears well up inside of her as he told her this. "She said so right here, in this letter." Hermione reached over to grab his hand again, and he choked back another sob that threatened to break out. She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder, and he leaned his head atop hers. " She told me when times get tough to remember the words, "Mummy loves you," he barely got the last word out of his mouth, before he was forced to take a breath to steady himself. Hermione looked at him and love filled inside of her. He had been through so much.

"I'm so sorry, Harry." she whispered. "I'm so sorry for everything you've been through. All you have had to endure; nobody should have to go through any of that." Harry gave her a grateful look and now leaned his head on her shoulder. He jumped slightly when there was an unexpected knock on the door. Hermione looked at Harry, who nodded, telling her it was alright.

"Come in," she called and her mother opened the door. She was about to open her mouth to speak when she took in the sight before her; her daughter's best friend, leaning against on her daughter's shoulder, both with puffy, bloodshot eyes, and Harry clutching his mother's letter. Her heart ached at the thought of what must have happened, and she walked over and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. He looked up at her, and she gave him a reassuring smile, and then leaned down to give him a hug. As she did this, Harry felt even more gratitude toward this family and everything they had offered him, and he thanked her for being so kind and helpful. Jane smiled at Harry and told him she understands why Hermione grew so fond of him, and then told the pair dinner was ready when they wanted to come eat. As Jane left the room, Harry turned to Hermione and gave her a hug.

"Thank you," he said. "Thank you so much. Thank you for staying with me, for being there and helping me through it. Thank you for letting me cry, thank you for always knowing exactly what to do to make me feel better." Hermione's eyes grew wide and her heart swelled the more he thanked her, and she once again found herself lost in his wondrous beads of emerald, and the feeling of love took over her body. Harry stared deeply back into her eyes, a smile breaking out on his face as he realized how much Hermione had been there for him. Then, out of nowhere, he snapped out of it, and got up off of the bed and left the room, leaving Hermione alone and confused. She looked around her and felt hot tears swarming in her eyes. She had no idea what she did wrong, but she tried very hard not to throw herself down on the bed and cry herself to sleep. The exhaustion of the day's events were catching up to her now as well, and she felt stupider than ever the moment Harry left her sight. Wiping away the fresh tears that had fallen, she stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her bushy hair did not distract from her red and blotchy eyes, and she quickly pulled out her wand.

"Evanesco," she stated, and suddenly the redness and blotchiness around her eyes disappeared. She looked at herself one last time and sighed. She then turned around and avoided looking back at the spot previously occupied by her and Harry before walking out of the room and going downstairs to the dining room, where she was sure to share a rather awkward dinner, at least between her and Harry.

Harry had seemingly refused to look at Hermione throughout dinner, even though he kept up a very pleasant conversation with her parents. Hermione watched him carefully, making sure not to make it too obvious. When dinner came to a close, Dan invited Harry to a game of chess out by the pool, which Harry gladly accepted. Hermione was glad too, because this gave her a chance to talk to her mother about everything she had been feeling with Harry, and advice on what she should do.

Hermione looked over at her mom, who was currently standing by the sink, washing dishes. Hermione came up next to her and grabbed a washcloth, and started to take the clean dishes out of the rack and dry them. They worked in silence for a moment, before Hermione couldn't take it anymore.

"Mum?" she asked as Jane handed her a cup.

"Yes?" Jane replied, and gave her daughter a smile.

"Um…What do you do if you have feelings for someone, and you aren't sure how they feel about you?" Hermione questioned rather sheepishly, with nerves gathering in the pit of her stomach. Jane looked at her.

"Harry?" she asked, and Hermione nodded. Jane sighed and turned off the sink. "Honey, I believe that you and Harry share a bond most people don't have. From what you have told me, you two would jump off the face of the earth for one another. I think its only a matter of time before Harry realizes he might have feelings for you. Besides, you have to remember he's a boy, and they are rather clueless to this sort of thing," Jane joked with a smile. Hermione pretended to chuckle, but the worry in her stomach wasn't settled. Jane could tell her daughter was thinking hard, and she put a hand on her arm. "What is it, dear?" Hermione shook her head.

"Its an extremely long story," Hermione said. Jane looked out the window for a second, trying to estimate how much time the girls would have before Dan and Harry finished their chess game, and decided it could be a while. Dan was a chess master, and Harry was definitely giving him a challenge. Jane could tell Dan was trying to decide what move to do next by the way his eyes came together - something he almost never did when he played against her. She crossed over to the counter and took a seat at a barstool, and motioned Hermione to join her. When she did, everything was let out.

"Okay, so this year I thought I had a crush on Ron, because he would always tease me and stuff, and I thought that meant he liked me. But then Ron got in a relationship with Lavender Brown, who is just about the prettiest girl in my year, and they were always snogging and cuddling together, and I always got really sad. Harry, well…Harry was always there for me whenever I got upset. He would hug me, make me laugh, do whatever he could to make me happy. One day he even made me cookies," Hermione smiled at the memory of Harry holding her while she cried, and then turned a pillow into a delicious tray of chocolate chip cookies. She also remembered how hard she laughed when he told her this was the only way he knew how to make cookies. "Anyway," Hermione continued, "I started thinking about everything Harry and I have been through, all the ups and downs, and how much we have put at stake for each other, and it hit me that I've had feelings for him all along, I was just too dumb to realize it. As soon as I figured that out, however, Harry got together with Ron's little sister, Ginny, and then I was really confused. Mum, I felt sick to my stomach whenever I saw them together! And then Dumbledore died, and I never saw Harry much. It was strange, I probably only spoke ten words to him the entire last week of school. I just… I don't know, Mum…" Hermione buried her face in her hands, and Jane patted her daughter's back.

"What happened with him and Ginny?" she asked, and Hermione groaned.

"Well, they broke up at Dumbledore's funeral. I went to comfort him because I could tell he was upset, and we started talking about their relationship, and it almost seemed as if he didn't really like her all that much. And then today on the train…UGH!" Hermione sighed, utterly distraught. Her mother let her sit there, gathering her thoughts before she continued. "Mum, Harry and I almost kissed." she relayed, and Jane tried very hard not to smile. Secretly, she was hoping these two would get together. "It was so wonderful, Mum. He even leaned in as if he was going to, and then Ron interrupted." Hermione's frustration with Ron in that event resurfaced. She groaned again as she remembered what Harry did next, and told her mother about the awkwardness between her and Harry for the rest of the trip home. Jane frowned, Harry and Hermione had seemed perfectly fine when Hermione introduced him to her and Dan. When she asked about this, Hermione nodded. " I know, he seemed to forget about it when he met you. He is so grateful for everything you and Dad are doing, he's told me so at least thirty times," both Jane and Hermione smiled at this; they both found this an extremely charming factor in Harry's character. "Mum, when he read the letter from his mother, my heart broke. He was so happy, yet so hurt that she was not here with him. He told me she said she loved him, and that… That made him so incredible elated. I wanted nothing more than to give him a tender kiss right then. And then…" Hermione felt sick as she remembered their second almost-kiss, and her eyes filled with tears again. "Mum, it happened again, another almost-kiss. But this time… this time Harry realized it, and seemed angry at me as he got up and walked out of the room. I don't know what to do!" Hermione exclaimed, completely exasperated and horrified that she had somehow terribly altered her friendship with Harry. Jane sighed, and wrapped her daughter in a loving hug.

"Sweetie, you need to talk to him. You need to ask him what is wrong, and tell him how you feel. That's the only way to get this worry off of your chest."

"But Mum," Hermione pleaded. "What if he doesn't feel the same way?" she asked, ready to puke at the thought. Jane gave her a sad smile.

"If he doesn't, honey, you have to take comfort in the fact that you did all you could." Hermione looked at her mother and nodded, realizing she was right. She leaned over and gave her a hug.

"Thank you, Mum." she said, and her mother nodded before kissing the top of her head.

Hermione laid in bed deep in thought. When Harry and Dan had finished their chess game, Harry announced that he was going to sleep, and thanked the Granger's again for everything, and then walked upstairs without looking at Hermione. The look her mother gave her had made Hermione almost want to scream, and she told her parents that it had been a long day, and she was going to sleep as well.

Now, an hour or so later, Hermione pondered if Harry was still awake. She tossed and turned, trying to decide whether she should get up and go down downstairs, bury herself in a book, and try and forget about everything, or if she should get up, knock on Harry's door, and endure the agony of waiting to see if he opened up. Her mother's words were swarming around in her mind. That's the only way to get this worry off of your chest. Hermione sighed. She knew her mother was right. Mustering up all the courage she possessed, Hermione got out of bed, and walked two doors down to Harry's room. She stared at the door for a moment. A thousand thoughts ran through her head at once. Above all, she knew that he was inside of there, possibly asleep, possibly not. She doubted he was anywhere near as miserable as she was, and she bit her lip as she steadied her hand to knock on the door. Just as she was about to, it opened, and a very messy haired Harry stood before her. He yelled in surprise and almost shut the door in her face, but ultimately gathered himself and stood to face her.

"Hey," she gulped, and bit her lip as he shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"Hey. I was, er, just about to come find you." he said. The two looked at each other in anticipation, wondering who was going to make the first move at conversation. Harry leaned his hand against the doorframe, and Hermione cleared her throat.

"Harry-" Hermione began, and at the same time Harry spoke.

"What's going on with us?" he stated, causing Hermione to stop dead in her tracks.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she asked hesitantly. Harry looked at her. She avoided looking into his eyes. That hadn't been working out in her favor lately.

"'Mione," Harry said, his eyes softening. "Do you want to come inside?" She nodded, and he stepped back, giving her enough room to enter. Once she was inside he shut the door and turned to look at her.

"Er… Hermione," he took a breath and walked closer to her. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, and felt her relax. " I… I don't really know how to say this." She sighed.

"I know what's going on, Harry. This is about the train, and what happened before dinner, isn't it?" He looked at her and didn't say anything, which told her she was correct. "Okay, um… Harry. You may want to sit down." she walked over to the bed and patted the spot next to her. Harry crossed and sat down next to her, and watched her carefully. She closed her eyes and let out a breath. "Harry, I'm going to come out and say it, but you have to promise me you will hear me out." Harry nodded suspiciously, and Hermione continued. "Okay. Remember how upset I would get when I saw Ron with Lavender? Well, I got to thinking… Harry, we've been through so much together. First year you were the one who told Ron I was in danger, and it was you who saved me from the troll. Second year, you were the one I ran to after I woke up from being petrified. Third year, it was you who went back and saved Sirius, and that whole night…I was so scared for you. I was mortified, and looking back on it… I realized I started to get, er, feelings. And then fourth year happened and your name got pulled out of the Goblet of Fire, and I was once again afraid. I didn't want to let you out of my sight the entire year. Each task, Harry, my heart practically ripped out of my chest. And then fifth year happened, and you organized Dumbledore's Army, and I was so proud of you. Then at the Department of Mysteries, with Sirius… God, Harry I was even more afraid than I ever had been before for you. Then this year happened, and I started looking back on all of these things, all of these memories. Harry, I have developed extremely strong feelings for you over the years, and it wasn't until this year that I figured it out. The train, and before dinner… I don't know what that was. What I do know is what I feel. I'm so sorry." her heart was pounding rapidly, and her head was filled so many thoughts that Hermione was beginning to feel as if she might explode. The anticipation of waiting to see what he would say was eating at her. She looked at Harry carefully, who was now staring at the wall in front of him.

"Um. I… I don't really know what to say, 'Mione." he whispered. She closed her eyes, the heartbreak she had been dreading was starting to well up inside of her. "How come you never told me?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I never realized it, and when I had it was too late. You were already with Ginny, and I couldn't bear it if I came between that." she looked down at the ground and Harry shook his head.

"'Mione, um… Wow. Listen, I don't know to say this. I wish you had told me." she looked at him, confusion emerging on her face. Harry took hold of her hands, and looked at her. " 'Mione, listen to me. In first year, you were the first person other than Ron who was nice to me. That was a new thing for me; after eleven years of living under the stairs it was a change for me to have friends. And you were so helpful. When Quirrel announced that there was a troll in the bathroom and I realized you weren't there, I got scared. I had to save you. Second year, when you were petrified; I almost gave up. Without you it almost seemed like trying to find the culprit behind the attacks was pointless. And when you were okay, it felt like a weight I didn't know I had was lifted off of my shoulders. Then third year happened; 'Mione you were wonderful. It was because of you that Sirius survived. It was because of you everything worked out perfectly. You understood the time-turner so well. You figured out Dumbledore wanted us to save Buckbeak and Sirius. 'Mione," he looked her deep in the eyes. "I think it was that night that I started to have feelings for you, too." he told her, a small smile creeping on his face. She looked at him, her eyes growing wide. "In fourth year, at the Yule Ball… Hermione you looked so incredibly beautiful. I wanted to ask you to dance all night. I kept going back and forth; I even asked Ron what he thought I should do." Hermione smiled, and he squeezed her hands. " And then the Department of Mysteries happened… and you almost got hit with the killing curse… I went crazy. Then you were hit by Dolohov… you were laying there, motionless… Hermione, nothing has ever scared me so much. I was petrified when Dumbledore was fighting off all of the inferi the night he died, and I was heartbroken when he did, but even that didn't come close to the intense an utter torment I went through the few seconds I thought you were dead." Hermione looked at him and the anguish on his face, and she reached out a hand to stroke his cheek. He placed a hand on top of hers and they looked at each other for a moment.

"Harry," she muttered, "what are you saying? What were those moments? What was Ginny? And Cho?" He smiled.

""Mione, I'm saying that I return your feelings. Whether or not we should get together just yet, well… I'm not sure. Things are going to be very hard in the near future, and I don't want to make you an even greater target. Those moments on the train and before dinner… That was us allowing our feelings to shine through. Ginny… 'Mione I am so sorry about that. If I had known how you felt, that would have changed things immensely. I've always thought Ginny was pretty, and she was the first girl that made an effort to be with me. We had a good time, but something was missing. The entire time we were together I kept thinking that something else should be there. I think it was you, 'Mione." Harry said, and Hermione smiled.

"Cho?" she asked and Harry shook his head.

"Cho was simply my first crush. Hermione I didn't fully realize just how strongly I feel for you until the night in the Department of Mysteries. I mean, I knew that I thought you were pretty, and I knew that I felt something, but I didn't fully understand it." He was surprised to see a tear fall down Hermione's cheek as he said these words. "What's wrong?" he asked, worried he had offended her.

"Nothing," she smiled. "Its just… You're the first person to tell me I'm pretty." Harry smiled.

"You're beautiful." He whispered. She leaned in and gave him a hug, which he gladly returned. " I'm sorry for earlier; when I got up suddenly and left. I was confused. I didn't know what was going on, and trying to make sense of it all overwhelmed me." Hermione smiled.

" I know, Harry. Its okay." she said, and buried her face in his chest. "There's just one thing that's been bothering me," she said. He pulled away and looked at her, confusion drawn on his face. " I'm not sure I can wait to be with you." she admitted sheepishly. He smiled.

"I know what you mean. I just can't put you in harms way like that."

"Harry," she said, " I'm already in harm's way. Being your best friend comes with that little perk," she joked, but he didn't smile. He pulled away from her and focused his attention on his feet. Hermione mentally slapped herself for saying anything, and put her hand on his shoulder, hoping to make amends. "Listen, if you don't want to be with me, I understand. You broke up with Ginny yesterday, and this is all really new and confusing, but if the only reason you aren't asking me out is because your afraid for my safety, then stop it. I'm already in this with all my heart and soul, and nothing you do is going to change that. Being with you, that'll make it a lot easier for me whenever we're alone," she admitted, looking at her hands to hide her embarrassment. Harry looked at her in surprise, not expecting her to say these words. "I'm sorry," she said, and he grabbed her hands.

"Hermione, don't apologize." he began. "I want to be with you, I do. I'm just not sure it's the best idea, not right now. I honestly believe it will put you in greater danger." Hermione frowned. She knew Harry was trying to protect her, but that didn't change the fact that she felt incredibly disappointed with what he was saying. She nodded, despite everything she was feeling, and got up to go back to her room. She turned to Harry and gave him a curious look. He looked at her back and she smiled, attempting to cover up her previous gaze. He smiled back and she released the breath she had been holding for a while.

"G'night," she said and hurriedly headed toward the door. She barely had her hand on the doorknob when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and felt her breath leave her as Harry's lips touched hers. She kissed him back, enveloping herself in the feel of his lips. His right hand found his way into her hair, something she never thought could feel so incredible, while his left hand gently rested on her face. She practically melted into his arms as he pulled her into a hug, and the blissfulness of a first kiss took over. Harry softly extracted his lips from hers, and planted tiny kisses on her bottom lip for a moment. When he pulled away, Hermione stood where she was, breathless. He chuckled and leaned into her, and whispered goodnight in her ear. She smiled and turned around in a daze. As she entered her bedroom and flopped herself down on her bed, she nearly squealed in excitement. From this point on Hermione knew there was no turning back.

Author's Note: This chapter was really hard for me to write for some reason. The words just didn't flow the way I wanted, and so if it seems choppy I apologize. Thank you again for reading! -M.