Disclaimer: Not mine. You know the drill; don't sue.
A/N: Wow, I'm updating almost daily. But it is the school holidays now and I have plenty of free time. However, I might not be able to write so frequently, so I ask patience from you guys, OK? And again, why am I even rambling so much to you guys? *talk show host voice* And without further ado, let's get on with Chapter 3 of the story! =P
^^ means thoughts.
"Mr Potter, if you would be so kind as to PAY ATTENTION!" The icy cold voice of Professor Snape drawled out, causing the other half of the class, where the Slytherin sat, to burst out in laughter.
"Typical Potter behavior," a voice from the back of the class drawled out. Harry, who had snapped out of his reverie, Ron and Hermoine turned around to see their worst enemy, Draco Malfoy, with a smirk on his face.
"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermoine said, as she started to turn back her head. His next few words stopped her, however.
"Well well, the mudblood defending the famous Potter. Hey Potter, I didn't know you like defective goods. Even Weasley here saw the light." Draco gave a satisfied smirk, knowing that he had hit Hermoine where it really hurts. Hermoine felt the back of her eyes burn and quickly blinked back her tears. Her actions did not go unnoticed by the resident hero, Harry Potter. His eyes only saw red, and he reached into his robes to pull out his wand. He set his jaw grimly, his jaw muscle tensed. Before he could say an attack however, Ron beat him to it.
"Expelliarmus!" A flash of light shot out from Ron's wand and hit Malfoy right in the chest.
"Mr Weasley, attacking a fellow student in MY class! Have you no respect for me?" Snape snapped out loud, as he gestured for Crabbe and Goyle to take Malfoy to the hospital wing.
"But Professor, you heard what Malfoy said about Hermoine," Harry cut in hotly. Snape gave a cold smile. "I only heard the truth, Mr Potter." He turned his attention back to Ron. "You, detention for A MONTH, everyday! I will not tolerate fighting in MY class. Fifty points from Gryffindor." Snape walked back to his desk. "Class is dismissed. Mr Weasley, you are to start your detention with immediate effect."
Both Harry and Hermoine gave Ron sympathetic glances as they made their way out of the classroom. As they headed towards the common room, Harry sneaked a glance at Hermoine. Her hazel eyes were unusually bright, and her mouth was pursed shut. She was gripping her books so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Gingerly, Harry reached over and touched her hand lightly.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, I mean, why wouldn't I be all right," she replied, forcing a grin. She averted eyes away from Harry, refusing to meet his sympathetic stare. Slowly, almost unconsciously, Harry closed his larger hand over her small one. Hermoine looked up at him, and she shook her head. "No, I'm not."
Harry took her books away from her, and stepped off the moving staircase, leading her towards a dim corridor. "Harr-," Hermoine started, but Harry stopped her. "Trust me," he said, pulling her hand as he led her down the corridor. After what it seemed like many twists and turns, he took out a key and opened a door. Hermoine gasped.
The room was in shades of red and gold, with a warm blazing fire dancing about in the fireplace. There was a shelf full of dusty old books, a oak table and several comfortable couches and chairs. There was even a four- poster bed at the corner of the room. It looked just like the Gryffindor common room (minus the bed).
"Harry, where. . . how?"
"Dumbledore gave it to me. Remember last year, when the whole OWLs and Voldermort and Quidditch were just too much for me and I almost broke down? Dumbledore thought it would do me good if I spent some time alone. No one knows about this place, not even Filch or McGonagall."
"So this is the place you've been all along?" Hermoine asked, and Harry nodded. What he wanted to add was that it wasn't just the OWLs, and Voldermort, and Quidditch that caused him to be so stressed. It was seeing her with Ron. Harry walked over to a couch and tilted his head slightly, inviting her to join him.
As she sat down, Harry gathered up his courage, and finally blurted out. "Do you still love Ron?" Hermoine kept quiet, instead looking at the fire. Harry didn't want to prod, but he needed to know. "Herm? Do you?"
"I don't know Harry," she finally admitted. Her hazel eyes looked into Harry's green eyes, and he damn nearly forgot how to breathe. "I don't think I love him anymore, but I do miss him." She gave a bitter laugh. "Silly, am I?"
"No," Harry protested. "You're anything but silly. You're an intelligent and beautiful girl."
"Really?"
"What?"
"Am I really beautiful?" Hermoine asked. Harry looked at her, and a small smile crept into his face.
"Yes."
Hermoine gave a wide smile, and reached over to hug Harry. "Thank you, Harry." She untangled herself from him. "You always know how to cheer me up. You're like the brother I always wanted."
+++
"Yes," Harry had replied, speaking right from his heart. Hermoine reached over to hug him, and Harry's heart nearly stopped. He forced himself to calm down. ^Not now, Harry. You can hyperventilate later.^
"Thank you Harry," Hermoine said, finishing the embrace. ^Come back,^ Harry wanted to yell, but he didn't. His heart was soaring to the clouds, but in the next instant, it tumbled right down to Earth again. "You always know how to cheer me up. You're like the brother I always wanted."
Harry's smile faded, and he turned away from her. "Brother," he repeated tonelessly. Seeming clueless to his expression, Hermoine nodded. Harry kept quiet.
Hermoine surveyed her friend's expression; his intense green eyes were fixed on the burning fire. His jaw muscle was tensed up, and she could see stubbles of hair growing on his jaw. His unruly black hair stuck up a little behind, and she could see just a hint of the lightning scar underneath his thick hair that poured over his forehead. He looked very handsome. She could see the resemblance between him and his father. It seemed with each day that past, he had grown up to be more like his father.
"Harry," Hermoine started. "Are you all right?" Harry wanted to assure her that he was fine, but he couldn't. Her words had hurt him more than she would ever know. He swallowed hard, and then gave a grunt. Hermoine frowned. "Harry, what's wrong?"
"I don't want to be your brother," he choked out finally. He turned to her and fixed his gaze on her, trying to draw strength as he attempted to tell her how he felt. "I've kept it inside for so long now, Herm. I've wanted to tell you, but I thought it was just a crush, that it would fade. And then the dementors came and I didn't have a chance to tell you how I felt. Then Viktor, and Ron." Harry stopped at that, looking harder at Hermoine, who seemed to stunned for words. "I love you, Hermoine. Not as a friend or brother. I really do love you."
"Harry, is this a joke?" Hermoine snapped coldly. "Because this is not funny." Hermoine hadn't meant for the words to come out so coldly, but she couldn't stop herself.
Harry stood up and walked towards the door, before pausing. He looked over his shoulder, and shook his head. "I wish it was, Hermoine. I wish I didn't have to fall in love with you. I wish I could think with my mind instead of my heart. But I can't." He reached for the doorknob, before pausing again. "I'm sorry."
+++
A/N: Well, what do you think? Review please please please.
A/N: Wow, I'm updating almost daily. But it is the school holidays now and I have plenty of free time. However, I might not be able to write so frequently, so I ask patience from you guys, OK? And again, why am I even rambling so much to you guys? *talk show host voice* And without further ado, let's get on with Chapter 3 of the story! =P
^^ means thoughts.
"Mr Potter, if you would be so kind as to PAY ATTENTION!" The icy cold voice of Professor Snape drawled out, causing the other half of the class, where the Slytherin sat, to burst out in laughter.
"Typical Potter behavior," a voice from the back of the class drawled out. Harry, who had snapped out of his reverie, Ron and Hermoine turned around to see their worst enemy, Draco Malfoy, with a smirk on his face.
"Shut up, Malfoy," Hermoine said, as she started to turn back her head. His next few words stopped her, however.
"Well well, the mudblood defending the famous Potter. Hey Potter, I didn't know you like defective goods. Even Weasley here saw the light." Draco gave a satisfied smirk, knowing that he had hit Hermoine where it really hurts. Hermoine felt the back of her eyes burn and quickly blinked back her tears. Her actions did not go unnoticed by the resident hero, Harry Potter. His eyes only saw red, and he reached into his robes to pull out his wand. He set his jaw grimly, his jaw muscle tensed. Before he could say an attack however, Ron beat him to it.
"Expelliarmus!" A flash of light shot out from Ron's wand and hit Malfoy right in the chest.
"Mr Weasley, attacking a fellow student in MY class! Have you no respect for me?" Snape snapped out loud, as he gestured for Crabbe and Goyle to take Malfoy to the hospital wing.
"But Professor, you heard what Malfoy said about Hermoine," Harry cut in hotly. Snape gave a cold smile. "I only heard the truth, Mr Potter." He turned his attention back to Ron. "You, detention for A MONTH, everyday! I will not tolerate fighting in MY class. Fifty points from Gryffindor." Snape walked back to his desk. "Class is dismissed. Mr Weasley, you are to start your detention with immediate effect."
Both Harry and Hermoine gave Ron sympathetic glances as they made their way out of the classroom. As they headed towards the common room, Harry sneaked a glance at Hermoine. Her hazel eyes were unusually bright, and her mouth was pursed shut. She was gripping her books so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. Gingerly, Harry reached over and touched her hand lightly.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, I mean, why wouldn't I be all right," she replied, forcing a grin. She averted eyes away from Harry, refusing to meet his sympathetic stare. Slowly, almost unconsciously, Harry closed his larger hand over her small one. Hermoine looked up at him, and she shook her head. "No, I'm not."
Harry took her books away from her, and stepped off the moving staircase, leading her towards a dim corridor. "Harr-," Hermoine started, but Harry stopped her. "Trust me," he said, pulling her hand as he led her down the corridor. After what it seemed like many twists and turns, he took out a key and opened a door. Hermoine gasped.
The room was in shades of red and gold, with a warm blazing fire dancing about in the fireplace. There was a shelf full of dusty old books, a oak table and several comfortable couches and chairs. There was even a four- poster bed at the corner of the room. It looked just like the Gryffindor common room (minus the bed).
"Harry, where. . . how?"
"Dumbledore gave it to me. Remember last year, when the whole OWLs and Voldermort and Quidditch were just too much for me and I almost broke down? Dumbledore thought it would do me good if I spent some time alone. No one knows about this place, not even Filch or McGonagall."
"So this is the place you've been all along?" Hermoine asked, and Harry nodded. What he wanted to add was that it wasn't just the OWLs, and Voldermort, and Quidditch that caused him to be so stressed. It was seeing her with Ron. Harry walked over to a couch and tilted his head slightly, inviting her to join him.
As she sat down, Harry gathered up his courage, and finally blurted out. "Do you still love Ron?" Hermoine kept quiet, instead looking at the fire. Harry didn't want to prod, but he needed to know. "Herm? Do you?"
"I don't know Harry," she finally admitted. Her hazel eyes looked into Harry's green eyes, and he damn nearly forgot how to breathe. "I don't think I love him anymore, but I do miss him." She gave a bitter laugh. "Silly, am I?"
"No," Harry protested. "You're anything but silly. You're an intelligent and beautiful girl."
"Really?"
"What?"
"Am I really beautiful?" Hermoine asked. Harry looked at her, and a small smile crept into his face.
"Yes."
Hermoine gave a wide smile, and reached over to hug Harry. "Thank you, Harry." She untangled herself from him. "You always know how to cheer me up. You're like the brother I always wanted."
+++
"Yes," Harry had replied, speaking right from his heart. Hermoine reached over to hug him, and Harry's heart nearly stopped. He forced himself to calm down. ^Not now, Harry. You can hyperventilate later.^
"Thank you Harry," Hermoine said, finishing the embrace. ^Come back,^ Harry wanted to yell, but he didn't. His heart was soaring to the clouds, but in the next instant, it tumbled right down to Earth again. "You always know how to cheer me up. You're like the brother I always wanted."
Harry's smile faded, and he turned away from her. "Brother," he repeated tonelessly. Seeming clueless to his expression, Hermoine nodded. Harry kept quiet.
Hermoine surveyed her friend's expression; his intense green eyes were fixed on the burning fire. His jaw muscle was tensed up, and she could see stubbles of hair growing on his jaw. His unruly black hair stuck up a little behind, and she could see just a hint of the lightning scar underneath his thick hair that poured over his forehead. He looked very handsome. She could see the resemblance between him and his father. It seemed with each day that past, he had grown up to be more like his father.
"Harry," Hermoine started. "Are you all right?" Harry wanted to assure her that he was fine, but he couldn't. Her words had hurt him more than she would ever know. He swallowed hard, and then gave a grunt. Hermoine frowned. "Harry, what's wrong?"
"I don't want to be your brother," he choked out finally. He turned to her and fixed his gaze on her, trying to draw strength as he attempted to tell her how he felt. "I've kept it inside for so long now, Herm. I've wanted to tell you, but I thought it was just a crush, that it would fade. And then the dementors came and I didn't have a chance to tell you how I felt. Then Viktor, and Ron." Harry stopped at that, looking harder at Hermoine, who seemed to stunned for words. "I love you, Hermoine. Not as a friend or brother. I really do love you."
"Harry, is this a joke?" Hermoine snapped coldly. "Because this is not funny." Hermoine hadn't meant for the words to come out so coldly, but she couldn't stop herself.
Harry stood up and walked towards the door, before pausing. He looked over his shoulder, and shook his head. "I wish it was, Hermoine. I wish I didn't have to fall in love with you. I wish I could think with my mind instead of my heart. But I can't." He reached for the doorknob, before pausing again. "I'm sorry."
+++
A/N: Well, what do you think? Review please please please.