Chapter 21
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Hermione was glad to be home. She missed her house, but mostly, she missed her parents.
"Hermione!" Mr. Granger called out, emerging from the stairs.
Hermione rushed forward to give her father a warm embrace. "I missed you so much!"
"We missed you, too, honey," her father told her.
Hermione released herself from the hug and looked up the stairs. "How's mom?"
"Not so well. Her fever's still high. The doctor said she just has a mild case of cold, but we are still worrying," he answered.
"May I?" Hermione asked, motioning for the stairs.
"Of course. She's waiting for you," her father replied. "Come, Ron, I want to show you something," he said, approaching Ron.
Hermione made her way up the stairs and stopped in front of the master's bedroom. She sighed and slowly turned the knob of the door. "Mom?" she whispered, peeping inside.
"Hermione!" Mrs. Granger exclaimed. She was on her bed, looking very pale. But aside from that, she looked okay. Hermione heaved a sigh of relief.
"Mom," she said, approaching her mother and giving her a hug as well. "I missed you."
"I thought you'd never return," her mother said.
Hermione straightened up and sat on the bed beside her mother. "That's not possible. I just needed time to think about my life," she replied.
"But you could have talked to us, honey," Mrs. Granger responded.
"Mom, don't start," Hermione said, smiling.
"Fine. Well, were you able to think about your life?" her mother asked.
Hermione looked out the window. Then she looked back. "More than you know," she answered, grinning.
"So, what do you plan to do about Harry?"
Hermione took a deep breath. *Harry.*
***
Going down to get her mother some water, Hermione entered the kitchen and saw Ron and his father playing chess. Actually it wasn't normal chess.
"Wizards' chess?" Hermione exclaimed, as Ron's queen finished off her dad's bishop. "Where did you get that?"
"Arthur gave me," her father answered. "I figured who else could I play it with, but Ron? The best chess player at Hogwarts."
Run blushed. "That's more of an overstatement, Mr. Granger," he said.
Hermione chuckled as she walked past them to pick up a glass and get some water from the fridge. "Don't forget to clean up your mess," she called out, walking out with the glass of water.
Coming out of the kitchen, Hermione dropped the glass as she saw the one person standing by the door. "Harry!"
"Hermione, can we talk?"
***
"What are you doing here?" she asked, moving backwards to avoid stepping on the broken glass.
Mr. Granger and Ron emerged from the kitchen and they were both speechless when they saw Harry.
"I heard you've come back, and. and." Harry can't seem to find the right words.
"Um, we'll just--- go," Mr. Granger said as he dragged Ron back to the kitchen.
Hermione stood there, unable to look Harry in the eye. They both avoided each other's gazes, until Hermione couldn't contain himself anymore and began to speak. "Harry, I'm sorry."
Harry looked up. "No, Hermione, it was my fault. I shouldn't have been so hard on you," he said. "I had some mistakes too."
Hermione sighed. "Why don't you sit down," she said, motioning for the couch.
"Hermione, after one week, I've realized that---," Harry began.
"Don't," Hermione butt in. "Don't say it."
Harry curled his eyebrows. "Say what?"
"Don't tell me you still love me," Hermione answered immediately.
Harry shifted uncomfortably. "That wasn't what I was going to say."
"It wasn't?" she asked.
"Just let me finish," he replied. "I deserve if it you'll decide never to talk to me again after this. I deserve it if you don't want to see me again. Because I judged your actions falsely. I was so blinded with jealousy that I went out of control."
"Jealousy? Harry, you said you were blinded with love. You were afraid you would lose me. And you thought Draco was taking me away from you," she answered.
"I've always loved you, Hermione. But whenever I saw you and Draco together, I couldn't help myself to notice how well the two of you get along. That you almost treated him as you treated me," he said.
"Draco's my friend, Harry. I've told you that so many times and you didn't believe me. You actually didn't want him to be my friend. You didn't trust me enough to believe I wasn't stabbing you behind your back," she responded. Then Hermione stood up and turned her back on him, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I wouldn't blame you if you didn't understand. If it wasn't clear. Because I didn't make it clear. Maybe you're right. I was so into accepting a new friendship that I showed him as much kindness as I show you. That was enough of you to doubt."
Harry also got to his feet and held Hermione by her arms. "What's going to happen between us, then?"
Hermione turned around and looked up straight to Harry's emerald green eyes. "The only way for us to solve this is by being true to ourselves," she told him. "Tell me, Harry, what do you feel when you look into my eyes?" she asked him.
Harry looked deep into her eyes and found out that he didn't even need to look deep at all. The answer lies inside his heart. "Hermione, I love you." Tears suddenly rolled down from her eyes. She turned around and began to pace away from Harry. And he knew what she was thinking. "It's okay, Hermione, I understand," he said, following her.
Hermione turned to face him. "No it's not okay, Harry. I can't tell you I love you back, and I can't risk hurting you again." Hermione buried her face on Harry's chest and continued to sob. Harry wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair.
"You can't hurt me more than once, Hermione," he whispered to her ears. Hermione looked up despite her crying. "Because I've finally accepted that we don't belong together."
"Harry-please, stop being kind," she said, tears streaming down her face.
"Love is a two-way process, Hermione. And I can't force you to love me back if you don't," he said. He then brought his hands to Hermione's necklace and lifted it for her to see. "I think the one who gave this to you is the person whom your heart belongs to."
Hermione looked up, eyes wide in surprise. She couldn't believe that Harry just told her that. She took the pendant from Harry's hand and looked at it. Suddenly, she remembered what Draco had told her about the necklace. She straightened up and clutched the pendant tightly inside her hand. She closed her eyes and placed it over her heart. And the first person that came to her mind was not Harry, it was Draco.
"Professor Dumbledore told me that the Mirror of Erised shows us nothing more or less than the deepest and most desperate desires of our hearts," Harry told her when she opened her eyes.
Hermione breathed heavily in surprise. "How did you know?"
"The Minister of Magic told me," he whispered. "You're not the only who's seen him, Hermione. He knows about the necklace, and he's the one who taught me what I should do. I can't bend your will when your heart speaks the truth."
"You mean---," Hermione started.
"Yes, Hermione. If you think of someone else when you are with me, it means that you are not happy, that you long for someone else. If you are with him and you feel nothing different, when there is no void inside your heart, then your life is complete. He is the one for you."
Hermione threw her arms around Harry and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."
"I want you to be happy, Hermione. Even if it's not with me."
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
Hermione was glad to be home. She missed her house, but mostly, she missed her parents.
"Hermione!" Mr. Granger called out, emerging from the stairs.
Hermione rushed forward to give her father a warm embrace. "I missed you so much!"
"We missed you, too, honey," her father told her.
Hermione released herself from the hug and looked up the stairs. "How's mom?"
"Not so well. Her fever's still high. The doctor said she just has a mild case of cold, but we are still worrying," he answered.
"May I?" Hermione asked, motioning for the stairs.
"Of course. She's waiting for you," her father replied. "Come, Ron, I want to show you something," he said, approaching Ron.
Hermione made her way up the stairs and stopped in front of the master's bedroom. She sighed and slowly turned the knob of the door. "Mom?" she whispered, peeping inside.
"Hermione!" Mrs. Granger exclaimed. She was on her bed, looking very pale. But aside from that, she looked okay. Hermione heaved a sigh of relief.
"Mom," she said, approaching her mother and giving her a hug as well. "I missed you."
"I thought you'd never return," her mother said.
Hermione straightened up and sat on the bed beside her mother. "That's not possible. I just needed time to think about my life," she replied.
"But you could have talked to us, honey," Mrs. Granger responded.
"Mom, don't start," Hermione said, smiling.
"Fine. Well, were you able to think about your life?" her mother asked.
Hermione looked out the window. Then she looked back. "More than you know," she answered, grinning.
"So, what do you plan to do about Harry?"
Hermione took a deep breath. *Harry.*
***
Going down to get her mother some water, Hermione entered the kitchen and saw Ron and his father playing chess. Actually it wasn't normal chess.
"Wizards' chess?" Hermione exclaimed, as Ron's queen finished off her dad's bishop. "Where did you get that?"
"Arthur gave me," her father answered. "I figured who else could I play it with, but Ron? The best chess player at Hogwarts."
Run blushed. "That's more of an overstatement, Mr. Granger," he said.
Hermione chuckled as she walked past them to pick up a glass and get some water from the fridge. "Don't forget to clean up your mess," she called out, walking out with the glass of water.
Coming out of the kitchen, Hermione dropped the glass as she saw the one person standing by the door. "Harry!"
"Hermione, can we talk?"
***
"What are you doing here?" she asked, moving backwards to avoid stepping on the broken glass.
Mr. Granger and Ron emerged from the kitchen and they were both speechless when they saw Harry.
"I heard you've come back, and. and." Harry can't seem to find the right words.
"Um, we'll just--- go," Mr. Granger said as he dragged Ron back to the kitchen.
Hermione stood there, unable to look Harry in the eye. They both avoided each other's gazes, until Hermione couldn't contain himself anymore and began to speak. "Harry, I'm sorry."
Harry looked up. "No, Hermione, it was my fault. I shouldn't have been so hard on you," he said. "I had some mistakes too."
Hermione sighed. "Why don't you sit down," she said, motioning for the couch.
"Hermione, after one week, I've realized that---," Harry began.
"Don't," Hermione butt in. "Don't say it."
Harry curled his eyebrows. "Say what?"
"Don't tell me you still love me," Hermione answered immediately.
Harry shifted uncomfortably. "That wasn't what I was going to say."
"It wasn't?" she asked.
"Just let me finish," he replied. "I deserve if it you'll decide never to talk to me again after this. I deserve it if you don't want to see me again. Because I judged your actions falsely. I was so blinded with jealousy that I went out of control."
"Jealousy? Harry, you said you were blinded with love. You were afraid you would lose me. And you thought Draco was taking me away from you," she answered.
"I've always loved you, Hermione. But whenever I saw you and Draco together, I couldn't help myself to notice how well the two of you get along. That you almost treated him as you treated me," he said.
"Draco's my friend, Harry. I've told you that so many times and you didn't believe me. You actually didn't want him to be my friend. You didn't trust me enough to believe I wasn't stabbing you behind your back," she responded. Then Hermione stood up and turned her back on him, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I wouldn't blame you if you didn't understand. If it wasn't clear. Because I didn't make it clear. Maybe you're right. I was so into accepting a new friendship that I showed him as much kindness as I show you. That was enough of you to doubt."
Harry also got to his feet and held Hermione by her arms. "What's going to happen between us, then?"
Hermione turned around and looked up straight to Harry's emerald green eyes. "The only way for us to solve this is by being true to ourselves," she told him. "Tell me, Harry, what do you feel when you look into my eyes?" she asked him.
Harry looked deep into her eyes and found out that he didn't even need to look deep at all. The answer lies inside his heart. "Hermione, I love you." Tears suddenly rolled down from her eyes. She turned around and began to pace away from Harry. And he knew what she was thinking. "It's okay, Hermione, I understand," he said, following her.
Hermione turned to face him. "No it's not okay, Harry. I can't tell you I love you back, and I can't risk hurting you again." Hermione buried her face on Harry's chest and continued to sob. Harry wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair.
"You can't hurt me more than once, Hermione," he whispered to her ears. Hermione looked up despite her crying. "Because I've finally accepted that we don't belong together."
"Harry-please, stop being kind," she said, tears streaming down her face.
"Love is a two-way process, Hermione. And I can't force you to love me back if you don't," he said. He then brought his hands to Hermione's necklace and lifted it for her to see. "I think the one who gave this to you is the person whom your heart belongs to."
Hermione looked up, eyes wide in surprise. She couldn't believe that Harry just told her that. She took the pendant from Harry's hand and looked at it. Suddenly, she remembered what Draco had told her about the necklace. She straightened up and clutched the pendant tightly inside her hand. She closed her eyes and placed it over her heart. And the first person that came to her mind was not Harry, it was Draco.
"Professor Dumbledore told me that the Mirror of Erised shows us nothing more or less than the deepest and most desperate desires of our hearts," Harry told her when she opened her eyes.
Hermione breathed heavily in surprise. "How did you know?"
"The Minister of Magic told me," he whispered. "You're not the only who's seen him, Hermione. He knows about the necklace, and he's the one who taught me what I should do. I can't bend your will when your heart speaks the truth."
"You mean---," Hermione started.
"Yes, Hermione. If you think of someone else when you are with me, it means that you are not happy, that you long for someone else. If you are with him and you feel nothing different, when there is no void inside your heart, then your life is complete. He is the one for you."
Hermione threw her arms around Harry and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."
"I want you to be happy, Hermione. Even if it's not with me."