Chapter 10 - Song Lyrics and Eyes (Prompts)

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The moment they Apparated back to the Burrow, Harry and Hermione stayed close, hands clasped as they looked unto the building that was usually filled with laughter. Harry dreaded going back inside, and he knew from the way she held his hand, that Hermione was feeling the same thing.

"Can you believe it's been over a year since we were students at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked softly, her tone contemplative. "Over a year since we have gone to the library, hung out at the common room, attended classes, gone for Quidditch matches. Feels like a lifetime, doesn't it?"

Harry squeezed her hand lightly in agreement, only to get a light caress in return when her thumb stroked the rough skin of his hand gently. He chose to ignore the light shiver that traced up his spine, blaming the chilly weather and the fact that he didn't wear adequate clothing to keep himself warm.

"I feel too old."

He couldn't help but let a smirk grace his face. "You're nineteen." Sometimes, he just didn't get her balmy logic.

"Exactly," she said seriously. "Already I was a year older than everyone else in my year. Imagine me doing my N.E.W.T Exams two years older than everyone. It's a horrid thought."

He looked at her in question. "You're going back?"

"Of course," she said confidently, without even a smidgen of doubt. "Aren't you?"

"Dunno," Harry mumbled, hesitantly. "I haven't really thought about it."

"You should. Even with your impressive résumé of killing a Dark Lord who intended to be a cruel dictator; that could only take you so far without a good education."

"Are you seriously trying to sell me the idea of going back to Hogwarts by downplaying what I did last night?"

She smiled brilliantly at him. "I'm simply saying that doing one more year wouldn't hurt."

"You think I'll have trouble finding a job?" he asked cheekily which only earned him a light slap on his shoulder. Harry winced for good measure.

"Honestly! Just because you're the 'saviour of the wizarding world' will not guarantee you a free pass for the rest of your life. And..." she continued quickly before he could say anything else, "I don't care if you do get a free pass and people actually get on their knees and beg you to come work for them. You need to complete your education, Harry."

"I have a feeling that we'll have to agree to disagree on that," he said smugly, mostly to irritate her.

Hermione huffed at his stubbornness, which only served to amuse him to no end. "Well, I won't rest until I convince you of the benefits of finishing your studies."

Harry smiled good-naturedly. "I thought you would."

"Come on," Hermione said amidst her own smile as she led him closer to the Burrow.

Harry stopped her. "Wait. What if Ron asks where we've been?"

She bit her lip thoughtfully, before letting out a tired sigh. "We'll just...say we went for a walk."

His eyes immediately fell onto their entwined fingers. "Then I guess we shouldn't walk back like this."

Hermione scoffed, her fingers tightening around his. "Don't be silly. It's fine."

He looked at her sceptically. It really wasn't. "If Ron sees-"

"He won't." She seemed so sure of herself. "Besides, remember what the Sorting Hat said in sixth year? About all of us sticking together?"

"I missed those song lyrics, funny enough," Harry mumbled dryly, the memory of Draco kicking him in the face burned brightly into his brain.

Hermione smiled sadly at him. "But what it said was true, wasn't it? We overcame Voldemort. And we did it, because we all did it together. Ron knows this."

He shook his head. She was wrong. She didn't see his face when he tried to destroy the Horcrux. She didn't see the lack of trust in his best mate's eyes every time he saw them together.

"Look, Ron is a big boy." She stepped before him and lifted his face gently so she could look him directly in his eyes. "He knows there's nothing between us."

Harry looked back, unusually aware of how close they were. He heard the words, understood them, but he couldn't help but feel that they were wrong. How could she look at him like he was the most important person in her life, treat him like she couldn't bear to be out of his sight, then tell him that Ron, or anyone else for that matter, didn't see how much they cared for each other?

Harry was briefly aware of how her fingers lightly caressed the stubble on his chin as she continued to look at him intensely. He was also very much aware that he had taken a step closer to her, and that his hand was squeezing hers so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. And he couldn't help but notice when her eyes fell to his lips for a brief second before she let out a shaky breath and stepped away from him, her hand falling to her side.

He would have concentrated on all those little things, if it weren't for the sound of a twig being snapped that caused them both to look up and let each other go. All they saw was Ron's retreating back as he made his way back to the Burrow.

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