Chapter Seven
"I'm so sorry," Hermione repeated softly.
"It's not that bad, Padma and I weren't very close. To tell the truth, I was actually going to break up with her soon."
Hermione wasn't sure she believed him; she knew that Harry and Padma weren't very close, but the idea that Harry would want to break up with a girl as pretty as Padma was ridiculous.
They both stood silently in the vestibule for a moment, before Harry said, "Shall we go back to the reception then?"
Hermione nodded and walked back to the main room with Harry.
They sat alone together at the wedding party table for the remainder of the night. Hermione thoroughly enjoyed herself with Padma gone.
Harry and Hermione talked all night. The more time Harry spent with Hermione, the more he wondered why he had ever let her go. He knew he was falling in love again.
Harry knew what he had to do, but he was nervous. He knew that Hermione had moved on, he knew there was no possible way that she still had feelings for him, but he had to get it out in the open.
"Hermione," Harry began, "I need to talk to you."
"We are talking," Hermione said with a teasing grin.
"I need to talk to you about something serious," Harry said, heart pounding in his chest.
Hermione looked up at him with questioning eyes.
"Harry! Hermione!" a voice yelled, startling them both. They looked up to find Ginny standing in front of them.
"Ron and Lavender are getting ready to leave for their honeymoon, everyone's outside. Don't you want to tell them goodbye?" Ginny said.
Harry and Hermione followed Ginny outside and watched Ron and Lavender get into a large carriage, similar to the Beaxbatons carriage they had seen in their fourth year. They smiled and waved goodbye to the Ron and Lavender as the carriage disappeared.
Guests began to disapperate. "Hermione, I really need to talk to you," Harry said.
"Well, we can't stay here, it'll be completely deserted soon," Hermione said. "We could go on a walk."
"Okay," Harry said. The two walked for a while. They slowly walked along a sidewalk surrounded by trees. Harry remained silent.
"Harry, wasn't there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Hermione asked.
Harry stopped walking and looked at Hermione. Her face shone in the moonlight, and she looked beautiful. He took a deep, calming breath, and took her hand in his. "Hermione," he began, "I just wanted to tell you that I think I still love you."
Hermione drew in a deep breath, taking his words in. It was as if her dreams had come true, as if her prayers had been answered. Harry still loved her. 'No, he can't possibly still love me,' Hermione told herself. Harry was probably just upset that Padma was gone and was looking for another girl, and Hermione just happened to be there.
Harry looked at Hermione; she seemed upset. "Hermione, are you alright?" he asked.
Hermione nodded. "Harry, you don't know what you're saying," Hermione said, her voice breaking. "You're just looking for a girl to replace Padma."
Harry couldn't believe Hermione would think such a thing. "Hermione, you have to believe me, I never loved Padma. I didn't even really like her. You're the only girl I've ever loved."
"Then why did you break up with me?"
"I was stupid," Harry said. "I was afraid."
Hermione could no longer control the tears pouring down her cheeks. She didn't know what to do or what to say. All she knew was that she needed to be alone to collect her thoughts.
"I have to go," she said softly, and with that, she disapperated.
Hermione apperated to her flat. She lay down on the couch in her living room and felt the hot tears pouring down her face. She didn't know why she was crying. She should be happy; Harry told her he loved her. She was just so afraid of getting hurt again. Hermione knew that she could trust Harry, but she couldn't keep the doubts and worries from surfacing into her mind.
* * *
Harry was left standing alone in the shadows. 'What was that all about?" he wondered. He had hoped that she would say she loved him too, he had expected her to politely say that she was only interested in being friends, but she had just left with no real explanation. Harry had no idea what this meant. Was she offended? Had he just taken her by surprise? Was she afraid to hurt his feelings by telling him she didn't feel the same way? Harry's curiosity was overwhelming. He decided to wait a day, then ask her what was going on.
* * *
The next morning Harry sent an owl to Hermione asking her to contact him as soon as she could, but by the next morning she had not answered and Harry was growing impatient. He went to her flat and knocked on her door.
The door slowly opened and Hermione looked out at Harry, surprised to see him. She opened the door wider and said, "Come in."
Harry stepped through Hermione's doorway and glanced around the flat.
Hermione guided him over to the couch in the living room.
"Hermione, I think we need to talk," Harry said once he was seated. "The other night I told you I loved you and you just left, and I just couldn't stop wondering why you left. I know this may seem forward of me and all, but--"
"It's not forward, you have a right to know," Hermione said. "I'm sorry I left so suddenly. I guess the reason I left was because I was so surprised, and I needed to think."
Harry was relieved to hear this.
Hermione decided that this was as good a time as any to tell Harry how she felt about him. "Harry, to tell the truth one of the reasons I was so surprised was because, well, I still love you too, and I was so surprised to hear that you felt the same way." She felt relieved that she had finally gotten that out.
Harry stared for a brief moment, hoping he had heard her correctly.
"I love you, Harry," Hermione said softly, as though she had read Harry's mind. Hermione moved over on the couch, closer to Harry.
The two slowly leaned in, until their lips met. Harry's hands gently caressed Hermione's waist, as Hermione ran her hands through Harry's hair. Their kisses were slow and passionate, and both Harry and Hermione quickly lost track of time, completely unaware of anything but each other.
"I'm so sorry," Hermione repeated softly.
"It's not that bad, Padma and I weren't very close. To tell the truth, I was actually going to break up with her soon."
Hermione wasn't sure she believed him; she knew that Harry and Padma weren't very close, but the idea that Harry would want to break up with a girl as pretty as Padma was ridiculous.
They both stood silently in the vestibule for a moment, before Harry said, "Shall we go back to the reception then?"
Hermione nodded and walked back to the main room with Harry.
They sat alone together at the wedding party table for the remainder of the night. Hermione thoroughly enjoyed herself with Padma gone.
Harry and Hermione talked all night. The more time Harry spent with Hermione, the more he wondered why he had ever let her go. He knew he was falling in love again.
Harry knew what he had to do, but he was nervous. He knew that Hermione had moved on, he knew there was no possible way that she still had feelings for him, but he had to get it out in the open.
"Hermione," Harry began, "I need to talk to you."
"We are talking," Hermione said with a teasing grin.
"I need to talk to you about something serious," Harry said, heart pounding in his chest.
Hermione looked up at him with questioning eyes.
"Harry! Hermione!" a voice yelled, startling them both. They looked up to find Ginny standing in front of them.
"Ron and Lavender are getting ready to leave for their honeymoon, everyone's outside. Don't you want to tell them goodbye?" Ginny said.
Harry and Hermione followed Ginny outside and watched Ron and Lavender get into a large carriage, similar to the Beaxbatons carriage they had seen in their fourth year. They smiled and waved goodbye to the Ron and Lavender as the carriage disappeared.
Guests began to disapperate. "Hermione, I really need to talk to you," Harry said.
"Well, we can't stay here, it'll be completely deserted soon," Hermione said. "We could go on a walk."
"Okay," Harry said. The two walked for a while. They slowly walked along a sidewalk surrounded by trees. Harry remained silent.
"Harry, wasn't there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Hermione asked.
Harry stopped walking and looked at Hermione. Her face shone in the moonlight, and she looked beautiful. He took a deep, calming breath, and took her hand in his. "Hermione," he began, "I just wanted to tell you that I think I still love you."
Hermione drew in a deep breath, taking his words in. It was as if her dreams had come true, as if her prayers had been answered. Harry still loved her. 'No, he can't possibly still love me,' Hermione told herself. Harry was probably just upset that Padma was gone and was looking for another girl, and Hermione just happened to be there.
Harry looked at Hermione; she seemed upset. "Hermione, are you alright?" he asked.
Hermione nodded. "Harry, you don't know what you're saying," Hermione said, her voice breaking. "You're just looking for a girl to replace Padma."
Harry couldn't believe Hermione would think such a thing. "Hermione, you have to believe me, I never loved Padma. I didn't even really like her. You're the only girl I've ever loved."
"Then why did you break up with me?"
"I was stupid," Harry said. "I was afraid."
Hermione could no longer control the tears pouring down her cheeks. She didn't know what to do or what to say. All she knew was that she needed to be alone to collect her thoughts.
"I have to go," she said softly, and with that, she disapperated.
Hermione apperated to her flat. She lay down on the couch in her living room and felt the hot tears pouring down her face. She didn't know why she was crying. She should be happy; Harry told her he loved her. She was just so afraid of getting hurt again. Hermione knew that she could trust Harry, but she couldn't keep the doubts and worries from surfacing into her mind.
* * *
Harry was left standing alone in the shadows. 'What was that all about?" he wondered. He had hoped that she would say she loved him too, he had expected her to politely say that she was only interested in being friends, but she had just left with no real explanation. Harry had no idea what this meant. Was she offended? Had he just taken her by surprise? Was she afraid to hurt his feelings by telling him she didn't feel the same way? Harry's curiosity was overwhelming. He decided to wait a day, then ask her what was going on.
* * *
The next morning Harry sent an owl to Hermione asking her to contact him as soon as she could, but by the next morning she had not answered and Harry was growing impatient. He went to her flat and knocked on her door.
The door slowly opened and Hermione looked out at Harry, surprised to see him. She opened the door wider and said, "Come in."
Harry stepped through Hermione's doorway and glanced around the flat.
Hermione guided him over to the couch in the living room.
"Hermione, I think we need to talk," Harry said once he was seated. "The other night I told you I loved you and you just left, and I just couldn't stop wondering why you left. I know this may seem forward of me and all, but--"
"It's not forward, you have a right to know," Hermione said. "I'm sorry I left so suddenly. I guess the reason I left was because I was so surprised, and I needed to think."
Harry was relieved to hear this.
Hermione decided that this was as good a time as any to tell Harry how she felt about him. "Harry, to tell the truth one of the reasons I was so surprised was because, well, I still love you too, and I was so surprised to hear that you felt the same way." She felt relieved that she had finally gotten that out.
Harry stared for a brief moment, hoping he had heard her correctly.
"I love you, Harry," Hermione said softly, as though she had read Harry's mind. Hermione moved over on the couch, closer to Harry.
The two slowly leaned in, until their lips met. Harry's hands gently caressed Hermione's waist, as Hermione ran her hands through Harry's hair. Their kisses were slow and passionate, and both Harry and Hermione quickly lost track of time, completely unaware of anything but each other.