(A/N: This is a short chapter, but it's short for a reason.)
Chapter 12
It had been a week since Harry's return, and things were starting to get back to normal. Harry attended classes with everyone, although he really didn't need them. He still wanted to graduate from Hogwarts, and he figured he could do really well since he knew everything he needed to know about magic. He was very distant from everyone. He rarely smiled. Never laughed really, maybe a chuckle, but never a real laugh. Everyone was silently worried for him. Of course Ron had told everyone in the order exactly what Harry had faced on his journey, so no one really bothered him. He would dissappear for hours and hours. Everyone just figured he was off flying. He did that a lot. He said it helped to clear his mind.
Hermoine and Harry's relationship was strained to say the least. Hermoine had hoped that since Harry had said he loved her that he would open up to her and maybe they would get together or something, but just the opposite had happened. Harry was cold to her. Distant. He acted very sad and scared everytime he would speak to her. Which wasn't very often. Hermoine still cried herself to sleep at night. But little did she know, so did Harry.
Inside Harry's mind a battle was being waged. One part of him wanted to run to Hermoine and tell her he loved her and that he wanted to be with her. The other part wanted to never speak to her again, because he didn't want what he saw in the woods to every happen to her. He loved her too much.
Harry began practicing Quidditch with the team. Much to Harry's suprise, Ron had done a great job with keeping up with the practice's while he was away. The team looked great and looked ready for their 4th straight Quidditch cup. Or at least Harry hoped. They had their match with Slytherin in less than a week. But Harry was supremely confident.
It was just after one of these practices that Hary slowly trudged up to steps to the school. He arrived in the Gryffindor common room to find only Hermoine currently there. She smiled and said Hello to him. She had been trying a lot harder to get Harry to talk to her, but it wasn't working. He just nodded and walked up the stairs to his dormitory.
Down in the common room Hermoine had finnally had enough. Harry had been giving her the cold shoulder ever since he had returned, and she had finally been pushed over the edge. Even if the whole love thing have messed up some things, he was still her best-friend, and he should talk to her. She sat there staring off into space for what seemed like an hour, but it was really only about 20 minutes. She figured out everything she wanted to say to Harry in the time she sat by herself.
While Hermoine was fuming downstairs, Harry was upstairs. He stripped off his clothes and got into the shower. After a long, hot shower, he got out feeling a whole lot better than he did when he got in. He was still depressed, but on the otherhand his muscles felt great. He got out and pulled his towel around him and walked out of the bathroom toward his bed area to get his clothes. Right before he got to his clothes someone came storming in.
"Now you listen here Harry..."Hermoine began yelling, then got quiet suddenly. Her eyes got wide as she realized that Harry was standing in front of her in nothing but a towel. Her face flushed and she got exrememly hot all of a sudden. All Harry did was sigh and ask her if she would turn around while he changed.
After Hermoine turned, Harry put on a pair of boxers and a tank top, which wasn't much more than the towel.
She suddenly remembered why she had come up here and got angry again.
"Now you listen Harry. Ever since you have been back you have been giving me the cold shoulder, and I won't have you doing it anymore. I'm tired of it and I don't deserve it. I know I said some awful things to you, and i'm sorry, but I shouldn't have to pay for it forever." She turned on her heel and headed toward the door, but before she could she heard Harry said quitely,
"So that's why you think I haven't been talking to you?"
She whirled on him, "Well what else would be stopping you from talking to me?"
She was prepared for several answeres. Anger, Hate, Love, any of these, but she didn't get one she was prepared for,
"Fear."
"Fear of what?" Hermoine said shocked. Harry had never been afraid of anything in his life.
"Fear of loving you. I have never truly feared anything. Sure i've been scared, but never really just feared something with all my heart and soul. I do now. I fear that if I love you, and by some miricale you love me back, you would die. Fear that you are going to be put in pain. Fear that you don't want me. But most of all, Fear of losing you."
He had tears in his eyes by the time he was done speaking.
"Oh Harry." Hermoine said, her own eyes filling with tears.
She moved to hug him, but he pushed her away.
"Don't. I can't. Hermoine I can't be close to you. I'm sure Ron had told you what happened to me. And I just can't bear the thought of losing you. Even if it means not knowing you and you hating me." Harry told her turning away from her.
"I could never hate you." Hermoine said as she turned from the room crying.
(A/N: Yes I know Hermoine crys a lot. But have no fear Hermoine will be fully in control and very much in charge very soon.)
She ran straight to the girls dormitories and collapsed on the first bed she could find. It was Michelle's, but Hermoine didn't care right then.
Michelle came upstairs to a scene that was repeated all to much. Hermoine crying her eyes out. Michelle didn't even have to ask what she was crying about she just asked, "What happened this time?"
Hermoine told her between sobs.
"Well there is only one thing I can think that you should do. Go to him. Tell him you don't care what he says. Tell him you love him. Tell him it's not up to him and that you are going to love him no matter what happens." Michelle said matter-if-factly.
"Maybe." Hermoine said.
"No. No maybe. Do It. Now." Michelle said loudly.
"I'll try." Hermoine said.
"No. Try not. Do or do not. There is not try." Michelle said.
(A/N: Yes that was a Star Wars shout-out, I had to do it.)
"Ok Ok." Hermoine said.
Chapter 12
It had been a week since Harry's return, and things were starting to get back to normal. Harry attended classes with everyone, although he really didn't need them. He still wanted to graduate from Hogwarts, and he figured he could do really well since he knew everything he needed to know about magic. He was very distant from everyone. He rarely smiled. Never laughed really, maybe a chuckle, but never a real laugh. Everyone was silently worried for him. Of course Ron had told everyone in the order exactly what Harry had faced on his journey, so no one really bothered him. He would dissappear for hours and hours. Everyone just figured he was off flying. He did that a lot. He said it helped to clear his mind.
Hermoine and Harry's relationship was strained to say the least. Hermoine had hoped that since Harry had said he loved her that he would open up to her and maybe they would get together or something, but just the opposite had happened. Harry was cold to her. Distant. He acted very sad and scared everytime he would speak to her. Which wasn't very often. Hermoine still cried herself to sleep at night. But little did she know, so did Harry.
Inside Harry's mind a battle was being waged. One part of him wanted to run to Hermoine and tell her he loved her and that he wanted to be with her. The other part wanted to never speak to her again, because he didn't want what he saw in the woods to every happen to her. He loved her too much.
Harry began practicing Quidditch with the team. Much to Harry's suprise, Ron had done a great job with keeping up with the practice's while he was away. The team looked great and looked ready for their 4th straight Quidditch cup. Or at least Harry hoped. They had their match with Slytherin in less than a week. But Harry was supremely confident.
It was just after one of these practices that Hary slowly trudged up to steps to the school. He arrived in the Gryffindor common room to find only Hermoine currently there. She smiled and said Hello to him. She had been trying a lot harder to get Harry to talk to her, but it wasn't working. He just nodded and walked up the stairs to his dormitory.
Down in the common room Hermoine had finnally had enough. Harry had been giving her the cold shoulder ever since he had returned, and she had finally been pushed over the edge. Even if the whole love thing have messed up some things, he was still her best-friend, and he should talk to her. She sat there staring off into space for what seemed like an hour, but it was really only about 20 minutes. She figured out everything she wanted to say to Harry in the time she sat by herself.
While Hermoine was fuming downstairs, Harry was upstairs. He stripped off his clothes and got into the shower. After a long, hot shower, he got out feeling a whole lot better than he did when he got in. He was still depressed, but on the otherhand his muscles felt great. He got out and pulled his towel around him and walked out of the bathroom toward his bed area to get his clothes. Right before he got to his clothes someone came storming in.
"Now you listen here Harry..."Hermoine began yelling, then got quiet suddenly. Her eyes got wide as she realized that Harry was standing in front of her in nothing but a towel. Her face flushed and she got exrememly hot all of a sudden. All Harry did was sigh and ask her if she would turn around while he changed.
After Hermoine turned, Harry put on a pair of boxers and a tank top, which wasn't much more than the towel.
She suddenly remembered why she had come up here and got angry again.
"Now you listen Harry. Ever since you have been back you have been giving me the cold shoulder, and I won't have you doing it anymore. I'm tired of it and I don't deserve it. I know I said some awful things to you, and i'm sorry, but I shouldn't have to pay for it forever." She turned on her heel and headed toward the door, but before she could she heard Harry said quitely,
"So that's why you think I haven't been talking to you?"
She whirled on him, "Well what else would be stopping you from talking to me?"
She was prepared for several answeres. Anger, Hate, Love, any of these, but she didn't get one she was prepared for,
"Fear."
"Fear of what?" Hermoine said shocked. Harry had never been afraid of anything in his life.
"Fear of loving you. I have never truly feared anything. Sure i've been scared, but never really just feared something with all my heart and soul. I do now. I fear that if I love you, and by some miricale you love me back, you would die. Fear that you are going to be put in pain. Fear that you don't want me. But most of all, Fear of losing you."
He had tears in his eyes by the time he was done speaking.
"Oh Harry." Hermoine said, her own eyes filling with tears.
She moved to hug him, but he pushed her away.
"Don't. I can't. Hermoine I can't be close to you. I'm sure Ron had told you what happened to me. And I just can't bear the thought of losing you. Even if it means not knowing you and you hating me." Harry told her turning away from her.
"I could never hate you." Hermoine said as she turned from the room crying.
(A/N: Yes I know Hermoine crys a lot. But have no fear Hermoine will be fully in control and very much in charge very soon.)
She ran straight to the girls dormitories and collapsed on the first bed she could find. It was Michelle's, but Hermoine didn't care right then.
Michelle came upstairs to a scene that was repeated all to much. Hermoine crying her eyes out. Michelle didn't even have to ask what she was crying about she just asked, "What happened this time?"
Hermoine told her between sobs.
"Well there is only one thing I can think that you should do. Go to him. Tell him you don't care what he says. Tell him you love him. Tell him it's not up to him and that you are going to love him no matter what happens." Michelle said matter-if-factly.
"Maybe." Hermoine said.
"No. No maybe. Do It. Now." Michelle said loudly.
"I'll try." Hermoine said.
"No. Try not. Do or do not. There is not try." Michelle said.
(A/N: Yes that was a Star Wars shout-out, I had to do it.)
"Ok Ok." Hermoine said.