True Feelings
Hermione lay awake on her bed, scratching Crookshanks, and wondering whether or not to rewrite her herbology essay for the third time. It was her usual dream that got her up at 6 like this. The same dream she continued to have ever since he had saved her from the troll. Even though there were two saviors, there was only one in particular that caught her eye. In this dream she would reveal her true emotions, true feelings to Harry…her best friend, Harry Potter.
She shuddered at what would happen if either Harry or Ron found out. These feelings she had could ruin their years of friendship. And she almost let it slip with that one kiss.
A soft tapping on her window distracted her from he ever-lasting heartbreak. A great snowy white owl with a letter in her beak sat outside waiting patiently for Hermione to let her in. She walked up to the window with a smile spread across her face, being so happy to her from him. She took the letter and opened it carefully so not to damage it. She read it to herself, slowly, savoring every word. She frowned as she read about Bill's tragedy. But her happiness returned as she read Harry's request to stay. She felt like she was walking on air as she reread the line over and over again making sure it didn't change.
She sat down at her small desk after finishing the letter again. She was about to write a letter making it ok, when she forgot about her parents. 'They wouldn't mind,' she thought, 'they don't even know I like him as much as I do.' Unfortunately, she would have to wait until her parents woke up around 10 to ask so she set the parchment down and began staring at her watch. 'I can't wait that long. There's gotta be something to pass the time…'
She took her wand out and tapped on the bottom drawer of her desk. It opened revealing a stack of letters, all from Harry, not love letters or anything, just plain old letters saying how are you and how was your summer and stuff like that, but she saved them all. At the beginning she had some of Ron's but she soon felt they were unnecessary. And underneath this stack of almost five years worth of letters was her diary. Again, she pulled out her wand and tapped her diary twice. It opened revealing about a hundred pages of her innermost thoughts. She had it before she went to Hogwarts, probably since her 8th birthday. This diary was a magic one, though, because as you continue to write, it will continue to expand, so it would always be full. Because of it's age, it had some of the pages beginning to fall out from rereading them again and again and even some of the ink was starting to fade away but she still used it.
She wrote quickly, not being able to hold in her thoughts:
Dear Diary,
I heard from him again- the guy I have a slight crush- the same slight as in he is slightly famous. Harry Potter- Harold James Potter-I love you so much but I can't bear the consequences of telling you how I feel. How can I keep this from him when he'll literally be living with me for a week? When Ron was around it was ok because it was the three of us…and not the two of us…alone. And then the kiss- what happens if he brings it up in front of my parents? But he has to come here next week- after having the chance to leave his family but having it cancelled and having me as his only resort- I have to. I wonder what Dudley was taunting him about? Did he see me kiss him? Oh no- if he knows then Ron does too. By the time I get back to Hogwarts the whole school would be chanting it. Maybe he doesn't remember. It was just on the cheek. A casual kiss. Dudley could have been taunting him about something else.
Hermione paused for a second as another piece of paper popped out. She continued on the next page:
My dreams will probably never come true. He'll never like me the same way I like him… It reminds me of that Muggle song by Paulina Rubio that I heard in Muggle studies. It went like this: I only want to be the one you love\I only want to be the one you want\come and get me baby\let me loose inside your soul\I only wanna be your every need\I wanna be the girl in all your dreams\I'll do anything to be the one you love… I love that song as much as I love him but he'll never know…never.
I will always love you—
Hermione
As she finished the entry she heard her parents walking around in the kitchen. She got up quickly, and clumsily bumped the desk and had everything on it fall to the floor. 'Oh whatever, I'll clean it later. I have to ask my parents right now,' she thought as she raced down the stairs. She went directly to her mom who controlled most of the household, "Mum, is it alright if my friend comes over next week to stay until school starts and then you can drop us off at the train. He won't be that much of a bother."
Hermione's mom turned abruptly at the mentioning of the word 'he'. "Who is 'he?"
Hermione realized only too late that she had said he. Her mother was every strict with boys saying she could not have a boyfriend until after she was 16. Unfortunately she was only turning 15 in September. Hermione knew she couldn't lie to her mother. She hesitantly said, "Harry Potter, a boy from school. Just a friend."
Her mother eyed her suspiciously, mentally connecting the words 'boy' and 'friend'. Since she was a Muggle she hadn't heard about his life and all that he'd been through. She paused for another moment, "Did you finish all your school work?"
Hermione nodded.
Her mother sighed, "I guess it's alright but don't do anything stupid."
Hermione nodded again, "Thanks, mum"
She raced back up to her room and, ignoring the pile that had fallen from her desk, grabbed a piece of parchment and quickly, but quite neat as usual, wrote a letter to Harry. She sealed carefully and handed it to Hedwig who was still in her room observing Crookshanks. She grabbed it with her beak and flew off out of the open window. Hermione continued to stare out the window, a love-struck look in her eyes
* * *
Harry was finishing up his Potions essay when he felt a nibbling on his ear. Hedwig had returned and dropped Hermione's letter on his bed, without him noticing. He walked to his bed and casually picked it up. It read:
Dear Harry ('Hermione always did formal letters', Harry thought)
Of course you can come over, Harry. Mum said sure so I guess we'll be picking you up around 2 on Monday (the Muggle way because I know what happened when Ron picked you up before). My parents agreed to take us to Diagon alley for some shopping. Hopefully Ron will be back in time to meet up with us at the King's Cross to get on the Hogwarts Express. I'm sending Bill my best wishes as well.
Hope to see you soon,
Hermione
Harry felt his face growing red. He was going to spend a full week with Hermione Granger…