1 CHAPTER SEVEN
Harry woke up in the Hospital Wing and felt groggy. He felt as if he had been hit by an 18-wheeler truck. He reached for his glasses on the bedside table and put them on.
He saw six face staring at him, smiling --- Wood, Alicia, Angelina, Katie, Fred, and George.
"Hey there!" Fred greeted, handing him a box of Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans. "Have one."
Harry reached for the box, took one, and slowly chewed on the bean. Fortunately he got a chocolate flavored one.
"Um... guys?" Harry asked. "What happened during the Quidditch match? All I remember is the Snitch right in front of me, and Malfoy's at my left, and..." he trailed off.
"You were hit by a Bludger," George informed him. "Hermione called out to warn you of an incoming Bludger. I guess you didn't hear it."
"Fred flew towards you, but he wasn't fast enough," Wood continued.
"And you ended up here," Fred concluded.
"So... Malfoy got the Snitch?" Harry asked. Everyone nodded. Harry noticed Wood's grave expression.
Harry struggled to sit up. His head spun around and his stomach felt as if it was being punched, but he didn't care. "Oliver," he began, grabbing Wood's attention, "I'm really, really, REALLY sorry. It's the first match of the season, and I blew it."
Wood stared into Harry's bright green eyes. "It's OK."
"Yeah, don't worry about it, Harry," Angelina said reassuringly. Harry simply nodded and gave Angelina a small smile.
"Looks like you've got a lot of presents here!" Alicia exclaimed. Harry blushed slightly.
"C'mon, let's eat this all up!" said Katie, motioning to the pile of sweets Fred and George and the other Gryffindors brought from Hogsmeade.
Harry pulled off the bedcovers and sat on the edge of the bed. Fred and George passed him the sweets. They ate them all at the same time.
They spent the next twenty minutes munching and chatting and laughing. After a few minutes they started to leave.
"Hey Oliver!" Harry called. Wood approached his bed. "What?"
"Can you ask Ron and Hermione to come here?"
"Sure, no problem!" Wood said with a smile. "Get well soon."
"Thanks," Harry replied. "I hope to get out of here AS SOON AS POSSIBLE."
Wood walked away with a small chuckle.
Harry was left alone, once again, in the Hospital Wing. He propped up his pillows against the wall and sat up with his back rested on the pillows.
I wonder how Ron and Hermione are doing without me, Harry thought.
A few moments of silence made Harry realize how much he missed Hermione. He didn't see her for a whole week since the accident, and he missed seeing her face and hearing her voice.
To Harry's delight, someone knocked at the door and the moment he said the words "come in," in stepped the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Hermione.
"Hey," he breathed. All of a sudden he had difficulty speaking. "Where's Ron?"
"I couldn't find him," said Hermione, shrugging her shoulders.
Hermione dragged a chair from one corner of the Hospital Wing and brought it beside Harry's bed. She sat quietly there for a few moments before asking Harry how he was.
"I'm fine, thanks," Harry replied plainly. "How 'bout you?"
"I'm fine too, thanks," replied Hermione. The two remained quiet for the remainder of the period.
What is WRONG with Hermione? Harry pondered. She isn't normally like this.
"Is anything the matter, Hermione?" asked Harry. Hermione shook her head.
Harry stared deep into Hermione's brown eyes, and he knew Hermione was staring into his green eyes as well. He noticed even more the beauty that was graciously bestowed upon his best friend.
But are you ONLY my best friend? Harry asked himself.
I can't take it anymore! I have to tell Hermione. This is the time. Harry made up his mind.
"Hermione?" he called. Hermione looked up. "Hmm?"
Harry took a deep breath. "I... I've got a confession to make,"
"What is it?" Hermione inquired.
Harry took another deep breath. "I... Hermione, you see... I..."
"Yes?" Hermione prompted gently.
"Hermione," Harry began, "I..."
"I love you Hermione." Harry said it so fast that it puzzled Hermione even more.
"What? I beg your pardon?"
"I said I'm in love with you, Hermione." Harry replied, more understandably this time. "I don't know since when, I don't know why, I don't know how. All I know is that I'm really in love with you."
Harry saw Hermione's eyes twinkle a little. Or was I just imagining things? he thought.
"Hermione, I love you so much. And I was wondering if... if... you know..."
"Yes? Please go on, Harry," pleaded Hermione.
"I was wondering if you would be mine."
"Oh Harry!" Hermione stood up and gave Harry a tight hug.
"I'm in love with you, too, Harry," she said. Her brown eyes were twinkling all right. Harry wasn't imagining anything. "And yes, from now on, I am yours, Harry Potter."
Harry was at a loss for words. He couldn't speak, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. Hermione hugged him once more, and he returned it with much pleasure. Once they released each other, Harry gazed lovingly into Hermione's eyes. "You are so beautiful," he said.
Hermione blushed and bowed her head to hide her scarlet face from Harry's view. But Harry raised her chin with his index and middle finger and started to lean in for a kiss.
Harry's lips brushed against Hermione's. Hermione was immobilized; she let herself be caught up in Harry's kiss. Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist as Hermione ran her fingers in Harry's thin, jet-black hair. Their mouths merged for a few more moments, then they pulled apart.
"I love you," Hermione gasped.
"I love you too," Harry replied.
Harry woke up in the Hospital Wing and felt groggy. He felt as if he had been hit by an 18-wheeler truck. He reached for his glasses on the bedside table and put them on.
He saw six face staring at him, smiling --- Wood, Alicia, Angelina, Katie, Fred, and George.
"Hey there!" Fred greeted, handing him a box of Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans. "Have one."
Harry reached for the box, took one, and slowly chewed on the bean. Fortunately he got a chocolate flavored one.
"Um... guys?" Harry asked. "What happened during the Quidditch match? All I remember is the Snitch right in front of me, and Malfoy's at my left, and..." he trailed off.
"You were hit by a Bludger," George informed him. "Hermione called out to warn you of an incoming Bludger. I guess you didn't hear it."
"Fred flew towards you, but he wasn't fast enough," Wood continued.
"And you ended up here," Fred concluded.
"So... Malfoy got the Snitch?" Harry asked. Everyone nodded. Harry noticed Wood's grave expression.
Harry struggled to sit up. His head spun around and his stomach felt as if it was being punched, but he didn't care. "Oliver," he began, grabbing Wood's attention, "I'm really, really, REALLY sorry. It's the first match of the season, and I blew it."
Wood stared into Harry's bright green eyes. "It's OK."
"Yeah, don't worry about it, Harry," Angelina said reassuringly. Harry simply nodded and gave Angelina a small smile.
"Looks like you've got a lot of presents here!" Alicia exclaimed. Harry blushed slightly.
"C'mon, let's eat this all up!" said Katie, motioning to the pile of sweets Fred and George and the other Gryffindors brought from Hogsmeade.
Harry pulled off the bedcovers and sat on the edge of the bed. Fred and George passed him the sweets. They ate them all at the same time.
They spent the next twenty minutes munching and chatting and laughing. After a few minutes they started to leave.
"Hey Oliver!" Harry called. Wood approached his bed. "What?"
"Can you ask Ron and Hermione to come here?"
"Sure, no problem!" Wood said with a smile. "Get well soon."
"Thanks," Harry replied. "I hope to get out of here AS SOON AS POSSIBLE."
Wood walked away with a small chuckle.
Harry was left alone, once again, in the Hospital Wing. He propped up his pillows against the wall and sat up with his back rested on the pillows.
I wonder how Ron and Hermione are doing without me, Harry thought.
A few moments of silence made Harry realize how much he missed Hermione. He didn't see her for a whole week since the accident, and he missed seeing her face and hearing her voice.
To Harry's delight, someone knocked at the door and the moment he said the words "come in," in stepped the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Hermione.
"Hey," he breathed. All of a sudden he had difficulty speaking. "Where's Ron?"
"I couldn't find him," said Hermione, shrugging her shoulders.
Hermione dragged a chair from one corner of the Hospital Wing and brought it beside Harry's bed. She sat quietly there for a few moments before asking Harry how he was.
"I'm fine, thanks," Harry replied plainly. "How 'bout you?"
"I'm fine too, thanks," replied Hermione. The two remained quiet for the remainder of the period.
What is WRONG with Hermione? Harry pondered. She isn't normally like this.
"Is anything the matter, Hermione?" asked Harry. Hermione shook her head.
Harry stared deep into Hermione's brown eyes, and he knew Hermione was staring into his green eyes as well. He noticed even more the beauty that was graciously bestowed upon his best friend.
But are you ONLY my best friend? Harry asked himself.
I can't take it anymore! I have to tell Hermione. This is the time. Harry made up his mind.
"Hermione?" he called. Hermione looked up. "Hmm?"
Harry took a deep breath. "I... I've got a confession to make,"
"What is it?" Hermione inquired.
Harry took another deep breath. "I... Hermione, you see... I..."
"Yes?" Hermione prompted gently.
"Hermione," Harry began, "I..."
"I love you Hermione." Harry said it so fast that it puzzled Hermione even more.
"What? I beg your pardon?"
"I said I'm in love with you, Hermione." Harry replied, more understandably this time. "I don't know since when, I don't know why, I don't know how. All I know is that I'm really in love with you."
Harry saw Hermione's eyes twinkle a little. Or was I just imagining things? he thought.
"Hermione, I love you so much. And I was wondering if... if... you know..."
"Yes? Please go on, Harry," pleaded Hermione.
"I was wondering if you would be mine."
"Oh Harry!" Hermione stood up and gave Harry a tight hug.
"I'm in love with you, too, Harry," she said. Her brown eyes were twinkling all right. Harry wasn't imagining anything. "And yes, from now on, I am yours, Harry Potter."
Harry was at a loss for words. He couldn't speak, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. Hermione hugged him once more, and he returned it with much pleasure. Once they released each other, Harry gazed lovingly into Hermione's eyes. "You are so beautiful," he said.
Hermione blushed and bowed her head to hide her scarlet face from Harry's view. But Harry raised her chin with his index and middle finger and started to lean in for a kiss.
Harry's lips brushed against Hermione's. Hermione was immobilized; she let herself be caught up in Harry's kiss. Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist as Hermione ran her fingers in Harry's thin, jet-black hair. Their mouths merged for a few more moments, then they pulled apart.
"I love you," Hermione gasped.
"I love you too," Harry replied.
