Chapter 11. Goodbyes

Disclaimer. I believe I can fly. I believe I can touch the sky. I think about it every night and day. Spread my wings and fly away. I know you sang it! I don't own the song nor Harry Potter. (:

Harry was lying in the truck seat. The rain was still drumming the truck's roof. He looked at his watch, they have been waiting for almost two hours.

"This is the worst trip ever," Harry said loudly.

Hermione was watching the rain near the truck's door. She looked at the frustrated Harry. "Think of it as an adventure."

Harry laughed. "We should have this documented and written. We should earn pounds from this," Harry said.

Hermione laughed. "Look at how beautiful the rain is."

Harry sat down and looked outside. He saw Hermione's profile looking outside. Not as beautiful as you, he thought. He shook his head violently with that thought, think of Ginny, he told himself. "You call that beautiful? That is why we kept on getting nowhere," Harry said exasperatedly.

Hermione looked at Harry. "Sometimes, it's not about the getting to the destination, it's about the trip."

She got off the truck and stood in the middle of the pouring rain. "What are you doing," shouted Harry.

"Standing," Hermione answered simply.

Harry said crossly, "I know you're standing in the middle of the rain. Get inside, you'll get wet!"

"When was the last time you played in the rain?" Hermione asked.

"I never did that," Harry answered truthfully.

Hermione looked at him and walked toward the door of the truck. "You never played in the rain?"

"Not because I wanted to," Harry answered," Harry said. "I get caught in the rain and I had played a few qui- soccer matches while raining," he paused. He got his tongue before he could spill his favorite sport. "But I never played in the rain because I wanted to." Hermione looked at him bewildered.

Hermione shook her head and pulled Harry out of the truck. "We'll get wet," Harry exclaimed and tried to get back to his temporary sanctuary.

"You've got spare clothes, why do you have to worry about getting wet." Hermione pointed out.

Hermione jumped into a water puddle, making Harry trousers entirely wet. Harry looked at Hermione as if she had grown two heads. "You will be paying for that, wifey."

A few minutes later, there are two adults frolicking in the rain, jumping on the water puddles and trying to get the other one wetter than the other. It looks like the rain has no plans to stop. It was a downpour, but Harry and Hermione were totally enjoying themselves.

Harry sat down in the truck step and watch Hermione who was standing under the rain. Her hair was completely wet, plastered in the back of her head. Her face was directed upwards, her eyes closed and her lips moving. Is she praying, thought Harry, or was she meditating. She looks like a nymph. No, she looks like a goddess who landed on the middle of the rain.

Harry smiled when he saw Hermione opened her eyes and started to walk towards him. She sat beside Harry and sighed. Harry got a whiff of Hermione's sweet smell of rain. He never knew that rain could smell so sweet. Harry doesn't understand if it was the rain that got through his head, Hermione's sweet scent or the craziness and happiness that he felt when he was with her.

Harry pulled Hermione towards him. Her body closed to his. Hermione looked at him surprised, but anticipating. Hermione's mind was telling her to pull away. He's getting married, her mind kept on telling her. But she could not pull away, his intent gaze was on her. Harry held her chin and started to inch towards her rain-kissed lips.

When Harry's lips touched Hermione', he thought he heard thunderclaps. She thought there was an earthquake. His hands gripped her small waist, pulling her closer towards him, and he kissed her. He really kissed her. The kiss was hot and passionate. Wanting for more.

Harry felt her hands ran upwards towards his neck into his messy wet hair. Harry didn't expect that Hermione would kiss him back. But she did. His tongue seeks for an entrance, he licked her bottom lip and he felt her lips parted against his. This boosted his confidence and deepened the kiss. He certainly did not expect passion, not from either one of them. When was the last time a kiss left him reeling? When was the last time a kiss left her clinging for her dear life? Both of them could not remember. Both of them suspected that no kiss has ever made them feel what they are feeling now.

No, stop it Hermione. Hermione heard her senses telling her to stop and she did. She pulled away and was breathless. She does not know what to say. Harry was staring at her, still holding her waist. They did not notice the rain has finally stopped. They barely heard the driver who was noisily clambering back to the truck.

"They already cleared the tree on the road," he said loudly. You could change your clothes now, lovebirds."

Hermione grabbed her bag and quickly walked towards the gasoline station's comfort room. She needs to be away from Harry. We can't be together, Hermione thought painfully.


Hermione's eyes were closed, Harry can't say if she's sleeping or feigning sleep. When he got back to the truck, Hermione was already in that position, her hear resting on the wall of the truck and asleep.

Harry does not know what to say to her, after the kiss. What could I possibly say to her, Harry thought. I don't want to apologize. Should I apologize for something wonderful?

When the two men got off the truck, Hermione woke up. But she was not looking at Harry.

"Where I am taking you?" asked the driver.

Hermione let Harry told the driver that the next block would be fine. They could both walk towards their hotel after that. When they got off the truck and after fervent "thank yous", Hermione started to walk away fast. Harry ran after her.

"Hermione," Harry called.

Hermione took a deep breath and turned to Harry, with a smile. "What?"

"What hotel are you staying," Harry asked. Is that the only thing you could say, Harry want to hit himself. Hermione told the hotel's name and he was surprised. "I'm staying in the same hotel."

He walked next to her. Nobody was saying anything, until Harry decided to break the silence. "Hermione, I just wanted to say that-,"

But Hermione cut him off, "There is nothing to say. You don't have to explain anything. It was just a spur of the moment."

Hermione faced him and extended her hand, "So this is it. We're both here. Thank you for the adventure."

Harry looked dumbfounded but shook her hand. He wanted to do more than shake her hand. He wanted to hug her and tell her that he felt different when he's with her. But instead, he just held her hand. Hermione pulled her hand out of Harry's clasp and started to walk towards the hotel again. Harry followed behind her.

As they neared the hotel, Harry saw a familiar figure standing on the front of the hotel.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER! Where have you been?" Ginny asked angrily but was in the verge of tears. Ginny ran towards him, and already hugging him tightly. "I was so worried. I was about to call your dad so that they could look for you."

"Just had several mishaps on the way," Harry explained simply. He looked around and saw that Hermione was already walking towards the hotel of the lobby. He didn't know that Hermione stopped when she heard Harry's fiancée call him by his full name. He saw her disappear in the hotel's entrance.

"Just when did a Cardiff trip took two days," Ginny demanded. She started to walk with Harry towards the hotel. She was explaining what she has done and what they would do today. She insisted that Harry should visit a healer or a muggle doctor to make sure that there is nothing wrong with him after Harry's "disappearance". But Harry's mind was somewhere else.

Harry was busy the entire day, he had a muggle doctor appointment. He insisted that he was okay but Ginny's more persistent. He just agreed to go to a muggle doctor instead of a healer to prevent questions he will face from the wizarding public about his disappearance. Ginny on the other hand, has arranged for food and cake tasting, as well as checking the flowers. She also arranged for short meeting with the wedding planner and dinner date with her several of her family's friends who are staying in Cardiff. Harry wanted to look for Hermione and talk to her for the last time but he could not do that with Ginny by his side.

The next day, after having breakfast with Ginny and another group of family friends, Ginny and Harry went to the church where they getting married. Once they were back in the hotel, Harry went to the reception counter and asked if there is still an ongoing seminar. The receptionist said that the seminar has just ended and the delegates have already left.

AN: Thanks for reading! :)