Chapter 30
Harry was sitting in front of the fire a few nights later, staring blankly into it. He had told himself he was going to prove to Ron that himself and Hermionie weren't crazy, and Emma was. But there was a problem with that. He couldn't figure out what he was going to do. As he sat there with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, he heard someone coming down the stairs.
"Harry?" It was Hermionie, and she sounded tired, "Harry it's nearly 1 in the morning, what *are * you doing up?"
"Thinking." He replied in a monotone voice.
"About what?" She wandered over near him, and sat down in and arm chair. She was wearing her pink bathrobe.
"Ron," He answered to her, sitting back in his chair, but not taking his eyes off the burning embers in the hearth, "I'm just trying to figure out a way to let him know his Emma Angel isn't what he think she is."
"Harry, there is nothing we can do." She said. He looked up at her.
"Have faith Hermionie, Ron isn't *that * stupid." He smiled, "He can't believe her forever. I mean, he has to come to his senses sometime. We've been his best friends for 5 years, and she's been around for less that 5 weeks!"
"Yeah, I suppose you're right, but *when * is he going to come to his senses?"
"That, I don't know yet." He went back to looking into the hearth. Hermionie sighed.
"I'm glad Christmas break is in a few days, we'll have time to sort this all out."
"Aren't you going home for holiday?" Harry asked. She'd hadn't done so in a few years.
"And leave you here alone? Don't think so," Her answered.
"I'm fine on my own." He said, looking back at her. They both smiled.
"I'm not so sure ." She said. Then she raised a single eyebrow at him. "I don't want you left alone with Emma and Ron. I could miss something."
"If you're sure." He smiled. After a silence, he patted the seat next to him on the sofa. "Come sit by me?" He gave her the puppy dog eyes.
"Oh no you don't Potter," She said, "I'm not falling for your little plan. No way."
"You know you want me."
She laughed. "Do not!"
"Don't lie to yourself Hermionie! Come sit by me." He patted the cushion next to him again. He again did the puppy dog eyes.
"Not the puppy eyes!" she said, giggling. That look was like quicksand to her. If he did that to her, she'd do anything he said.
He stuck out his bottom lip, "Pwease?" he pleased.
He looked so cute! And she couldn't help herself. Slowly, she was giving into his plan. 'This isn't a good idea,' She thought. But she moved anyway.
"That's better." He said.
"I can't believe I fell for your puppy eyes." Her said, laughing at herself. She looked over at him, and straight into the green eyes that stared at her. A knot formed in her stomach. There was a long pause at which the two of them stared into each other's eyes. She started to bite her bottom lip. He reached up and ran his thumb along her jawbone, and around her cheek.
"You're beautiful," He whispered, as he watched his own hand moving across her face. She released a disbelieving snort. She reached up and wrapped her fingers around his wrist.
"Don't do that." She said quietly.
"Do what?" He answered gently, looking back into her eyes.
"Calling me beautiful, touching me," He cupped her cheek in his hand that she held. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"But you*are * beautiful," he whispered, cocking his head slightly to one side. She opened her eyes just to look into his. He grabbed the hand that was still holding his wrist. Then he brought both her hands together, and kissed them. "And I mean it." She bowed her head. She was falling again. Falling in love with the boy who lived. Falling in love with Harry Potter, her best friend. Falling for someone she'd liked since 3 year. 'This can't be happening,' she thought as she closed her eyes again, 'I shouldn't be loving him . . .'
"I have to go to bed," She said, getting up, "It's late, we have lessons tomorrow." And she walked toward the stairs.
"Hermionie?" She turned back around, her breathing unevenly paced.
"Hmm?"
"I love you." She stopped breathing. 'Say something,' she thought. 'Tell him you love him too,' said another voice. 'No, no! That's too risky,' said another.
"I know," She sighed, "I know." Then she turned and wandered up the stairs, trying to regain proper breathing. Closing the dormitory door quietly behind her, as to not wake any of the other girls, she leaned against it. Tilting her head back she thought, 'Maybe I can give him one more chance. Maybe he was true to me in saying he wouldn't hurt me again. Maybe he does care. Maybe he does love me,' Breathing out the breath she had been holding while she was thinking, she headed back to her bed. Sleep would be good for her. 'Thank goodness Holiday is in two days,' she thought, as she stared at the stone ceiling and released one more tensed sigh. Relaxing into the mattress and her pillow she began to drift to sleep.
Harry was sitting in front of the fire a few nights later, staring blankly into it. He had told himself he was going to prove to Ron that himself and Hermionie weren't crazy, and Emma was. But there was a problem with that. He couldn't figure out what he was going to do. As he sat there with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, he heard someone coming down the stairs.
"Harry?" It was Hermionie, and she sounded tired, "Harry it's nearly 1 in the morning, what *are * you doing up?"
"Thinking." He replied in a monotone voice.
"About what?" She wandered over near him, and sat down in and arm chair. She was wearing her pink bathrobe.
"Ron," He answered to her, sitting back in his chair, but not taking his eyes off the burning embers in the hearth, "I'm just trying to figure out a way to let him know his Emma Angel isn't what he think she is."
"Harry, there is nothing we can do." She said. He looked up at her.
"Have faith Hermionie, Ron isn't *that * stupid." He smiled, "He can't believe her forever. I mean, he has to come to his senses sometime. We've been his best friends for 5 years, and she's been around for less that 5 weeks!"
"Yeah, I suppose you're right, but *when * is he going to come to his senses?"
"That, I don't know yet." He went back to looking into the hearth. Hermionie sighed.
"I'm glad Christmas break is in a few days, we'll have time to sort this all out."
"Aren't you going home for holiday?" Harry asked. She'd hadn't done so in a few years.
"And leave you here alone? Don't think so," Her answered.
"I'm fine on my own." He said, looking back at her. They both smiled.
"I'm not so sure ." She said. Then she raised a single eyebrow at him. "I don't want you left alone with Emma and Ron. I could miss something."
"If you're sure." He smiled. After a silence, he patted the seat next to him on the sofa. "Come sit by me?" He gave her the puppy dog eyes.
"Oh no you don't Potter," She said, "I'm not falling for your little plan. No way."
"You know you want me."
She laughed. "Do not!"
"Don't lie to yourself Hermionie! Come sit by me." He patted the cushion next to him again. He again did the puppy dog eyes.
"Not the puppy eyes!" she said, giggling. That look was like quicksand to her. If he did that to her, she'd do anything he said.
He stuck out his bottom lip, "Pwease?" he pleased.
He looked so cute! And she couldn't help herself. Slowly, she was giving into his plan. 'This isn't a good idea,' She thought. But she moved anyway.
"That's better." He said.
"I can't believe I fell for your puppy eyes." Her said, laughing at herself. She looked over at him, and straight into the green eyes that stared at her. A knot formed in her stomach. There was a long pause at which the two of them stared into each other's eyes. She started to bite her bottom lip. He reached up and ran his thumb along her jawbone, and around her cheek.
"You're beautiful," He whispered, as he watched his own hand moving across her face. She released a disbelieving snort. She reached up and wrapped her fingers around his wrist.
"Don't do that." She said quietly.
"Do what?" He answered gently, looking back into her eyes.
"Calling me beautiful, touching me," He cupped her cheek in his hand that she held. She closed her eyes and sighed.
"But you*are * beautiful," he whispered, cocking his head slightly to one side. She opened her eyes just to look into his. He grabbed the hand that was still holding his wrist. Then he brought both her hands together, and kissed them. "And I mean it." She bowed her head. She was falling again. Falling in love with the boy who lived. Falling in love with Harry Potter, her best friend. Falling for someone she'd liked since 3 year. 'This can't be happening,' she thought as she closed her eyes again, 'I shouldn't be loving him . . .'
"I have to go to bed," She said, getting up, "It's late, we have lessons tomorrow." And she walked toward the stairs.
"Hermionie?" She turned back around, her breathing unevenly paced.
"Hmm?"
"I love you." She stopped breathing. 'Say something,' she thought. 'Tell him you love him too,' said another voice. 'No, no! That's too risky,' said another.
"I know," She sighed, "I know." Then she turned and wandered up the stairs, trying to regain proper breathing. Closing the dormitory door quietly behind her, as to not wake any of the other girls, she leaned against it. Tilting her head back she thought, 'Maybe I can give him one more chance. Maybe he was true to me in saying he wouldn't hurt me again. Maybe he does care. Maybe he does love me,' Breathing out the breath she had been holding while she was thinking, she headed back to her bed. Sleep would be good for her. 'Thank goodness Holiday is in two days,' she thought, as she stared at the stone ceiling and released one more tensed sigh. Relaxing into the mattress and her pillow she began to drift to sleep.