Chapter Twelve
Harry kept saying to himself that he would reveal his feelings for Hermione the next time he saw her, but he kept changing his mind. He wanted Hermione to know how he felt, but he was so nervous.
Hermione had already decided to give up on her plan to fall out of love with Harry. Over the next few days, she also decided to give up on her plan to ignore her feelings for him. Hermione decided to stop denying her feelings, and tell Harry she loved him. The problem was, she was just too afraid of the consequences to tell him. The whole situation was just so confusing and frustrating; frequently, Hermione fought the urge to cry out in frustration.
Harry felt the same way. He just wanted her to know that he loved her; but he was so terrified that she wouldn't feel the same way, that he continued to keep his feelings hidden, though he ached to tell her. He finally made up his mind to just get it over with and talk to her on Friday night.
After their last class Wednesday afternoon, Harry walked back to the common room with Hermione. They sat at a table together, and Hermione began to help Harry with his Potions homework. "Hermione," Harry said after a grueling half hour of Potions.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Um, I have something I need to talk to you about."
"What is it?"
Harry glanced around the crowded room. "Well, I'd rather tell you when there aren't so many people around."
"Oh, okay," said Hermione, very curious as to what Harry wanted to talk about.
"Can you meet me in here this Friday at midnight?"
'Wow,' thought Hermione, 'it must be pretty important if he's having me meet him here at midnight.' Could it possibly be what Hermione hoped and dreamed about? Hermione was sure that it wasn't. She knew that Harry would never love her the way she did him.
Aloud she said, "Sure."
* * *
Harry must have gone over what he was going to say to Hermione a thousand times that Friday. He was so uneasy that he didn't take in a word that any of his teachers said that day. At about nine, Harry tried to get some sleep before he met Hermione, but he was unsuccessful. He lay awake in his bed listening to Ron and Neville snore and thinking about Hermione.
Hermione remained in the common room, waiting for the room to clear out and for midnight to arrive. She attempted to read a book, but found that she couldn't concentrate on it at all. Hermione looked at her watch every ten minutes, anticipating the midnight hour.
Harry lay in his bed wondering what time it was. He took his wand off his bedside table and whispered "Lumos". He pointed the tip of the wand to his watch and saw that it was ten minutes to midnight. He listened hard, and could still hear voices in the common room. He sighed and laid his head against his pillow.
Hermione glanced at her watch for the hundredth time. It was exactly midnight. She glanced over at the small group of first years still remaining in the common room. They were happily conversing, and it didn't sound like they were going to bed anytime soon.
Harry could still hear people talking downstairs, but he decided to go down anyway. He had to be on time. They could just talk about something else until the people lingering in the common room left.
Harry deftly climbed out of bed and padded down the stairs. Hermione looked up and saw him descending the staircase. He made his way over to her.
"I don't think those first years are going to bed soon," Hermione said.
"Do you mind if we wait a little longer?" Harry asked. "I really don't want to talk with them around." Harry sighed, his plan was already falling apart.
"I don't mind at all, we don't have any classes tomorrow," Hermione said.
Thankfully, it wasn't much longer before the first years left.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Hermione asked once the first years were out of earshot.
Harry looked down. He ran his fingers through his hair. He rubbed his eyes. He cleared his throat.
Hermione would have laughed if it wasn't such a serious moment (at least she thought it was a serious moment. Why else would Harry ask her to meet him in the common room at midnight?)
Harry looked back up at Hermione; into her sparkling chestnut eyes. "I love you," he whispered.
Hermione was taken aback. For the longest time she had desperately wished that Harry would say this to her, but she didn't think he would actually say it. She sat there stunned as her dreams came true. She wanted to tell Harry that she loved him, too, but she was so shocked and elated that she couldn't manage to get the words out.
Finally she managed to stutter, "I love you, too."
Harry was stunned. Hermione loved him? He couldn't believe it. Hermione loved him.
"You do?" He said with disbelief.
Hermione nodded. Then a thought popped into her head: was Harry playing a cruel trick on her? Was he only joking when he told her he loved her? But Hermione looked into Harry's jade green eyes, and she could tell that he was sincere.
"I've loved you ever since our first year," Hermione said softly.
Harry was surprised that he hadn't noticed this before. He didn't say or do anything. He couldn't say or do anything. He felt too numb to move. Never in a million years would he have guessed that Hermione loved him back.
Luckily, Hermione wasn't to numb to move. She slowly leaned across the table and softly brought her lips to Harry's.
Harry was a little surprised at first, but very glad that Hermione was brave enough to make the first move.
He leaned into her kiss and gently reached up to softly touch her face with his fingertips.
Hermione couldn't believe what she was doing. 'Am I really kissing Harry Potter?' she wondered. 'Or is it all a dream?' Hermione squeezed her eyes shut tightly, afraid that if she opened them, she'd wake up and realize she was only dreaming. 'That's the only explanation,' she thought, 'I must be dreaming. That's the only way this would ever be happening.'
Hermione slowly pulled back. She opened her eyes and found herself staring directly into Harry's loving green eyes. As she leaned in for another kiss, she thought blissfully, 'I'm not dreaming. Thank God I'm not dreaming.'
The End.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: *wiping away tears* Well, that was the last chapter, what do you think? I'm kind of sad to end it, this fic has been a lot of fun to work on.
Anyway, please review and tell me what you thought of it. I'll see about writing another H/H fic in the future, but I don't know how long it'll take. While you're waiting you can read a few of my others if you haven't already. They're not great, but they'll do in a pinch. Actually, I like The Venetian Triangle, it's very weird. But anyway, this is one long Author's Note. Sorry about that.
Until we meet again,
~Super Nova~
Harry kept saying to himself that he would reveal his feelings for Hermione the next time he saw her, but he kept changing his mind. He wanted Hermione to know how he felt, but he was so nervous.
Hermione had already decided to give up on her plan to fall out of love with Harry. Over the next few days, she also decided to give up on her plan to ignore her feelings for him. Hermione decided to stop denying her feelings, and tell Harry she loved him. The problem was, she was just too afraid of the consequences to tell him. The whole situation was just so confusing and frustrating; frequently, Hermione fought the urge to cry out in frustration.
Harry felt the same way. He just wanted her to know that he loved her; but he was so terrified that she wouldn't feel the same way, that he continued to keep his feelings hidden, though he ached to tell her. He finally made up his mind to just get it over with and talk to her on Friday night.
After their last class Wednesday afternoon, Harry walked back to the common room with Hermione. They sat at a table together, and Hermione began to help Harry with his Potions homework. "Hermione," Harry said after a grueling half hour of Potions.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Um, I have something I need to talk to you about."
"What is it?"
Harry glanced around the crowded room. "Well, I'd rather tell you when there aren't so many people around."
"Oh, okay," said Hermione, very curious as to what Harry wanted to talk about.
"Can you meet me in here this Friday at midnight?"
'Wow,' thought Hermione, 'it must be pretty important if he's having me meet him here at midnight.' Could it possibly be what Hermione hoped and dreamed about? Hermione was sure that it wasn't. She knew that Harry would never love her the way she did him.
Aloud she said, "Sure."
* * *
Harry must have gone over what he was going to say to Hermione a thousand times that Friday. He was so uneasy that he didn't take in a word that any of his teachers said that day. At about nine, Harry tried to get some sleep before he met Hermione, but he was unsuccessful. He lay awake in his bed listening to Ron and Neville snore and thinking about Hermione.
Hermione remained in the common room, waiting for the room to clear out and for midnight to arrive. She attempted to read a book, but found that she couldn't concentrate on it at all. Hermione looked at her watch every ten minutes, anticipating the midnight hour.
Harry lay in his bed wondering what time it was. He took his wand off his bedside table and whispered "Lumos". He pointed the tip of the wand to his watch and saw that it was ten minutes to midnight. He listened hard, and could still hear voices in the common room. He sighed and laid his head against his pillow.
Hermione glanced at her watch for the hundredth time. It was exactly midnight. She glanced over at the small group of first years still remaining in the common room. They were happily conversing, and it didn't sound like they were going to bed anytime soon.
Harry could still hear people talking downstairs, but he decided to go down anyway. He had to be on time. They could just talk about something else until the people lingering in the common room left.
Harry deftly climbed out of bed and padded down the stairs. Hermione looked up and saw him descending the staircase. He made his way over to her.
"I don't think those first years are going to bed soon," Hermione said.
"Do you mind if we wait a little longer?" Harry asked. "I really don't want to talk with them around." Harry sighed, his plan was already falling apart.
"I don't mind at all, we don't have any classes tomorrow," Hermione said.
Thankfully, it wasn't much longer before the first years left.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Hermione asked once the first years were out of earshot.
Harry looked down. He ran his fingers through his hair. He rubbed his eyes. He cleared his throat.
Hermione would have laughed if it wasn't such a serious moment (at least she thought it was a serious moment. Why else would Harry ask her to meet him in the common room at midnight?)
Harry looked back up at Hermione; into her sparkling chestnut eyes. "I love you," he whispered.
Hermione was taken aback. For the longest time she had desperately wished that Harry would say this to her, but she didn't think he would actually say it. She sat there stunned as her dreams came true. She wanted to tell Harry that she loved him, too, but she was so shocked and elated that she couldn't manage to get the words out.
Finally she managed to stutter, "I love you, too."
Harry was stunned. Hermione loved him? He couldn't believe it. Hermione loved him.
"You do?" He said with disbelief.
Hermione nodded. Then a thought popped into her head: was Harry playing a cruel trick on her? Was he only joking when he told her he loved her? But Hermione looked into Harry's jade green eyes, and she could tell that he was sincere.
"I've loved you ever since our first year," Hermione said softly.
Harry was surprised that he hadn't noticed this before. He didn't say or do anything. He couldn't say or do anything. He felt too numb to move. Never in a million years would he have guessed that Hermione loved him back.
Luckily, Hermione wasn't to numb to move. She slowly leaned across the table and softly brought her lips to Harry's.
Harry was a little surprised at first, but very glad that Hermione was brave enough to make the first move.
He leaned into her kiss and gently reached up to softly touch her face with his fingertips.
Hermione couldn't believe what she was doing. 'Am I really kissing Harry Potter?' she wondered. 'Or is it all a dream?' Hermione squeezed her eyes shut tightly, afraid that if she opened them, she'd wake up and realize she was only dreaming. 'That's the only explanation,' she thought, 'I must be dreaming. That's the only way this would ever be happening.'
Hermione slowly pulled back. She opened her eyes and found herself staring directly into Harry's loving green eyes. As she leaned in for another kiss, she thought blissfully, 'I'm not dreaming. Thank God I'm not dreaming.'
The End.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: *wiping away tears* Well, that was the last chapter, what do you think? I'm kind of sad to end it, this fic has been a lot of fun to work on.
Anyway, please review and tell me what you thought of it. I'll see about writing another H/H fic in the future, but I don't know how long it'll take. While you're waiting you can read a few of my others if you haven't already. They're not great, but they'll do in a pinch. Actually, I like The Venetian Triangle, it's very weird. But anyway, this is one long Author's Note. Sorry about that.
Until we meet again,
~Super Nova~
