Authors Notes: Haha…you guys thought I'd never be back after I finished "Never Expected" but here I am! Heh. Please come back and visit my page often, I'll be posting more short stories inbetween my massive load of homework. J I love you guys and your reviews. As Always Peace, love and coffee. Always ~ Aly
Forever is Never Enough
Hermione Granger found herself lost in the thick pages of her psychology book. She sat
in a small New York Café, her legs propped up on the chair across from her, a small grin
playing on her lips as she sipped her steaming latte. She shut the book gently and glanced
across the street to the towering buildings, a clear blue sky reflecting in their windows. She
thought about her life, everything was on track, after everything she'd left behind, all those
words she'd left unsaid, and every memory she tried to erase, …she'd done it.
She graduated with top marks in her class, head girl, and prefect. She attended
multiple award ceremonies celebrating her vast knowledge and esteemed education, but
nothing could fill that void in her life. Nothing but Harry.
*
The Graduation ceremonies had ended, the parties were nothing more than a few
stains on the Gryffindor carpet and all that was left was a feeling neither one could deny.
"Harry, listen, I never told you…" she said looking down.
"Never told me what?" he said staring at her.
"Well, I never told you,….that……I never told you…" It made no sense, Hermione was
always so articulate with her words, so precise and elegant.
She sighed, "I never told you Good Luck on a real bright future." She smiled half
heartedly.
"Well, Good Luck to you too, 'Mione." He grinned taking her bags in his arms before
carrying them off to the Train Station home.
Hermione silently criticized herself for her idioticy. She sat in the train compartment
with just Harry, Ron had long since run off, chasing after Lavendar. The two were making
small talk, and laughing about close to everything, it was hard to believe it was the end of an
era. Goodbye Hogwarts, hello new blossoming life. As the train lurched to a stop Hermione
felt her heart sink to her knees, she never told him. Later on, when all the luggage was out
and hugs and tears were all that was left she found herself left with only Ron and Harry.
She hopelessly wrapped her arms around the two of them and kissed both their cheeks
twice over, for luck.
"I love you two prats." She cried silently.
"I love you too." Ron whispered hugging her tightly, then he turned, promising to keep
in touch and never ever forget.
Harry stared at Hermione trying to read her deep troubled thoughts.
"Did you mean it?" Harry asked innocently.
"Mean what?" she said looking away hurt.
"That you love me?" he whispered.
She looked up in to his eyes, seeing a mixture of confusion, love, desire, and a feeling he
might never find.
"I always have, I always will." She breathed as his face came to hers and she knew she
couldn't have forced her eyes to open if she tried. His lips brushed hers cautiously first. He
was scared, breathless, and trembling. She knew the feeling all too well . She perched up on
her tiptoes and laid a hand gently on his cheek tracing his jawline with her fingertips. She
knew every curve of him, every detail so well that she needn't open her eyes. His lips slowly
met hers and she titled her head so slightly as he finally took the brave step and wrapped his
arms around her waist, letting go of all fear, all tears, all emotion, all feeling. He just wanted
to live the moment for once, and he did. He lived for her.
Then just as it came, it left. Leaving only the fierce truth behind, left to mingle where
their kisses once were.
She looked down, goosebumps all over her arms, and a tear in her eye.
"Goodbye Harry."
"Come with me!" He cried.
"Where?!" she laughed.
"To Paris, come on Mione, I want to see the world no sit around here!"
"Harry no. I have a future, a life, and a very esteemed job looking me in the eyes."
"I'm looking you in the eyes, Hermione, I'll give you all that and more."
*
Hermione sighed and opened her book back up, only finding herself unable to read
the words…Paris had been so beautiful. They had stayed up night after night, whispering,
giggling, and being together. They walked on the painted beaches, and spent every minute
together, making up for lost time. Paris was an alive city, full of people, of witches and
wizards, and excitement. They had spent days just wondering around the town, glancing in
shop windows, buying tiny little trinkets they admired. Hermione had spent the entire
summer in little sundresses and sandals, drinking bubbly drinks, watching sunsets,
windowshopping, having romantic dinners, and sleeping by the ocean next to Harry. She felt
that perhaps if she could full her head with a thousand memories, she would never have to
leave, but it wasn't so. For all the time they had spent together, they had secretly drifted
apart, falling in love with the city instead of each other, simply afraid of being alone. Harry
would look at Hermione full of guilt for the foreign female he was with on nights when a
witch recognized his scar. The city was so beautiful, so perfect, and the foreign girls hung all
over him, and worshipped him, and whispered long enough in his ear to lure him
away…….
The day Hermione found out was a rather horrid one. She stared him in his guilty eyes,
full of sadness, and remorse, but he'd opened a wound Hermione could never close.
**
"How could you?" she whispered.
"I … I fell out of love with you Hermione, we were together too often, you were too
good, too perfect, you put me to shame with your awards and intelligence and I'm just a
washout nobody who defeated Voldemort in his seventh year. The glitter is gone in my life
Herms! And those girls, they just idolized me, and I think I just needed that ego boost, and
they gave it to me. I never meant to hurt you. Its just…you're so much…smarter…better."
"How dare you compare your accomplishments to mine! It was never a contest Harry,
you made it that way!" She cried
"You don't get it! I feel like nothing compared to you! At Dinner people congratualted
you on your accomplishments not me!"
"I'm sorry Harry, I'll stop being intelligent for you."
"YOU DONT HAVE TO FLAUNT IT IN MY FACE HERMIONE!"
"You flaunt it in your own face! I never say a word!"
"You are the most selfish, inconsiderate person in the world Hermione! Just stop
winning awards for once! Let me have some glory every now and then!" He knew it was
childish, but he needed an excuse for why he had cheated on her, and placing the blame on
her seemed easier than accepting the truth.
"Fine Harry, FINE!" She cried.
"No, its not fine! I don't want to be with you anymore!" He screamed without even
thinking.
The anger evaporated from her eyes, she looked at him, devasted, crushed, lost,…
"No Mione, no…I didn't mean that…I swear it, I didn't…"
But it was too late, she had slammed the door when she left, and a picture of the two
had shattered all over the floor. Harry had stayed in Paris for only two days after she had
left. Because after she had left, there was nothing left.
*
So Hermione had given up on the wizarding world and joined an esteemed college in
New York where she worked for hours and hours a night and had top grades and several
awards for her dedication. She was studying to become a doctor. She was going to find a
cure for any disease life could throw at her. She was going to make a difference.
She pushed Harry as far away from her mind as she could. The pain was
overwhelming to even mediate on and she felt the only way to deal with was to pretend she
never knew a wizarding life. She even stopped talking to Ron. It was just too much, too
many what ifs, and not enough memories to cover up the scars inside.
Sipping the latte, she grinned and turned the page, finally concentrating again. She
pushed her wire frame glasses ontop her sleek shiny hair and let her cinnamon eyes focus on
the words.
Then it happened.
Tell Me you've had troubles sleeping
That you toss and turn from side to side
That its my face you've been seeing
in your dreams at night.
"Mione?"
She placed her book down carefully and forced her trembling hand to adjust the latte
in its saucer before turning to face him.
"Well, if it isn't Harry Potter." She said in monotone.
"Mione, you look excellent." He said taking her hands in his and helping her up. She
pulled her hands back and stared at him forcefully. Then he realized he couldn't make up
for what had happened. His voice dropped, and he stared into her eyes.
Tell me that you wake up crying
and you're not sure exactly why
Tell me that something is missing
in your life
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry can't fix a thousand tears Harry. You know that." She whispered walking over
to the cashier to pay her bill. Harry reached into his pocket and handed the waitress a
couple galleons.
She looked at them confused.
"Whatyya traying te do 'ere Buddie?!" she yelled.
Hermione couldn't surpress a laugh as she handed the waitress three dollars.
"You aren't in the wizarding world anymore." she said coldly.
"Mione…when you left that night…..when you slammed the door, I knew….."
"Harry! Shutup already! I don't need your empty promises, Goodness knows I listened
to enough of them when I was younger!"
Tell me that you live for loveThat forever is never enough
That you waited all your life to see
That you want somebody to believe…….
"No, this is different, just hear me out."
"Will you kindly get out of my way?" She shot back, gathering up her books into her
tan knapsack and throwing it over one shoulder. "I'm in a hurry."
"You weren't a minute ago."
"Well, I am now, Move Harry."
"When you left….."
"I'm too old for this Harry." She whispered pushing him out of the way and adjusting
her sunglasses ontop her head.
Tell me that its not just meThe wind was getting colder as she headed back to her apartment. Then the rain came,
pouring down in buckets, so cold and harsh it dampened Hermione's soul and she felt her
very insides freeze up.
"I'm not going anywhere until you listen to me!" he cried loudly.
She spun around. "Then you better talk while I walk because I'm a little too busy for
your childishness!" Her wet hair stuck to her face and Harry though it was beautiful.
His feet quickly fell in sync with her own as he tried to explain.
"When you left I didn't know what to do. The picture fell, ……..and
shattered…and…."
She was staring straight ahead ignoring him. Soon enough she was walking up the
steps of her house and turning her key in the door. She walked inside greeted by a black cat
and the smell of cinnamon and vanilla.
I could've sworn I saw you smile at me
Standing in the pouring rain
At loss for words and running out of time
I said this crazy thing.
"Mione, you aren't even trying to listen to me!" He yelled.
"Why should I Harry!? You lied and cheated and made me believe that all your
promises were real, and I gave up everything for you! I GAVE UP EVERYTHING!
EVERYTHING I WORKED SO HARD FOR AT HOGWARTS I KISSED GOODBYE SO I
COULD KISS YOU AND THEN YOU CALL ME SELFISH!" She was screaming, one strand
of her wet hair on her bottom lip.
At loss for words and running out of time
I said this crazy thing…
Crazy thing I said……..
He grabbed her arms and spun her around, pinning her against a wall.
"When you left, that picture of us shattered, and I stayed up until the next morning
mending everysingle shred of glass. It symbolized something to me Hermione. That even
though I screwed up and ruined everything, just like that picture, that if I put my heart into
it, I could fix it. I know I screwed up Hermione! I was only NINETEEN! I was a stupid kid, I
didn't know what I wanted until it was gone, and I was too immature to understand my
feelings for you, but I've grown, and there wasn't moment when I drew in breath without
thinking of you and there wasn't one night when I didn't dream about being here right now,
with you, so close." He voice broke and he dropped to a whisper. " There wasn't one night
that I didn't regret being so stupid, and I didn't regret loosing you Hermione, because I love
you, and I never ever said it because I had too much pride, but I don't now! I love you! I
NEED YOU MORE THAN THE AIR MY PATHETIC LUNGS TAKE IN EVERYTIME I
BREATHE!"
Tell me that you live for love
That forever is never enough
She stared at him, confused, broken, but lovingly. With trembling fingers she reached
up and retraced his jawline, and lips.
That you waited all your life to see
that you want somebody to believe
Then he closed his eyes and she touched both of those, then ……ever so gently and
silently she placed kisses from his eyes to his lips and when their lips met again, for the first
time in four years she knew it had changed. He had grown, she had learned, and now, they
were back at one, with nothing to give, and nothing to loose, only love. Gently, they kissed
one another, with much fear, anxiety, and hope. Hope that the other one was living for love.
Tell me that its not just me
She reached up and held his face between hands gently as he kissed her back. She
could feel his lips gently trembling on her own and she felt his strong arms silently slide
around her back.
Hold me now and tell me
that you do believe in love
for some day
The kiss continued, Harry running his fingers through her soft wet hair, Hermione
holding him tightly, and when it was finally ended she leaned her head on his chest,
allowing all of her intelligence and analytical perspective fade away so all she could feel,
hear, see, and taste was love, and a moment that would last forever.
Tell me that something is missing
in your life
She heard his steady heartbeat in her ears and she thought that the most beautiful
sound. She pulled him as close to her as she could and breathed in his scent. Then backed
up to look into his eyes. She knew it was not just her, that he was feeling the same intensity
and love she was. They made it, they finally overcame all the obstacles placed before them
with a Divine hand to realize they couldn't live without each other. Nothing could change
that. She loved him, with everything in her. And as Harry looked down at her small framed
face he kissed her forehead gently, his heart felt it might explode.
"I love you 'Mione, I always have and I always will."
"You were what was missing in my life, Harry."
He kissed her forehead again and said his next sentence slowly and carefully, wanting
her to fully understand what he was feeling right now.
"I've been everywhere, seen close to everything, but nothing could ever …EVER… fill
that void, nothing but you. You're all I want."
She tightened her grip on his hand and touched his bottom lip with her other.
"I love you……forever."
Tell me that you live for love, that forever is never enough……..
Tell me that its not, just me.
