Chapter Ten
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Harry and Hermione made it to her house, and looked upon a dismal scene. Hermione's relations were visible through the picture window. There were so many friends and relatives of her mother their, morning her death. Hermione could barely stand as she realized she was expected to join them. Harry sensed this and supported her by her elbow, keeping her erect.
"Harry?" Hermione said, her voice quivering.
"Yeah Hermione?"
"I don't think I can do this." She said, turning to face away from him. He pulled her towards him and looked into her eyes.
"Hermione. I know you can do this. I don't want to tell you it's not hard, or that it will, or should be, easy for you, because I know this will be one of the hardest things you will ever have to do. I know you can do it though, and I'm here for you." Harry said, never breaking eye contact. Neither one blinked. "Okay 'Mione?"
"Yes. Yes, let's go. Just don't let me go."
"I promise I won't.Unless you want me to."
Hermione and Harry entered the house, joined by his arm under hers. Many people headed in her direction, but they all stopped when her dad spotted her and made his way over.
"Hermione dear," Art Granger said, squeezing her. He noticed that Harry was still attached to her arm, having kept his promise. "Hello Harry, nice to see you again." He said politely, half wondering exactly why the boy was here.
"Dad, it's okay if Harry stays with us right?" She asked. Her relationship with her father had always been strained; they got along mostly to please her mother. They had both loved her dearly, and did everything to make her happy, including try to maintain a relationship with one another. This was extremely trying and the attempted relationship had dissolved when Hermione had gone to Hogwarts mostly against her father's will.
"Of course dear. I don't know where we'll put him though. He may have to sleep on the floor in your room," As Mr. Granger said this, he watched their faces closely to see if their were any signs that the two might be more than friends and found this arrangement odd. Seeing nothing to suggest it, he was satisfied. "Yes, we'll make him up a bed next to yours. If that's okay Harry?"
"Yes Sir, just fine. Thank you." Harry answered politely, never having spoken to Mr. Granger much. He knew of Hermione's difficult relationship with him. Harry was going to miss Mrs. Granger though, with her sweet ways and interest in anything having to do with Hermione's life. Her pride she held in her daughter was always evident, and she never pressured Hermione to try as hard as she did.
"Dad, if you don't mind I'd like to just go upstairs for a while. I haven't had a moment to think since.since I found out," Hermione asked hopefully.
"Sorry dear," clearly overusing the term of endearment that was unnatural to him. His tongue didn't accept the word as his own, and it was clear it meant little to him, more than a formality he was unfamiliar with. "I'm afraid I think it best for you to keep up appearances. Just stick around talking to her friends for a while. They really need it."
Mr. Granger left to speak with someone else, leaving both Harry and Hermione with a feeling of anger in the pit of their stomach.
"That's just like him," Hermione said quietly. "He never cares about what I want. It's always how others see his family." The hurt of feeling unloved by her father was clear in her voice and Harry was burning up with dislike. It reminded him so much of the Dursleys and their need to seem perfect to the outside, to do everything correctly, according to etiquette and courtesies.
"Don't pay him any notice 'Mione. There's nothing wrong with what you want," He said, trying not to say it too loudly and fiercely as he wanted to. He paused and contemplated voicing his next though. "Hermione, you know you never have to come back here if you don't want.I mean, you can live with Sirius and I, you know that right?" He stopped when he saw the look on her face. "Don't worry, I'm not suggesting I support you financially or anything. You will never have any trouble finding a job, and if you had a trouble getting started, I would gladly loan you whatever you needed. If you really don't want to come back her, don't ok?"
"Thanks Harry, but I don't know. He is my father. My mother did love him, and he does mean something to me. Thank you so much."
Hermione was starting to feel that maybe she could trust Harry again. She began to realize just how much he cared for her, and how much he was willing to do for her. Yet somewhere in the back of her mind, she didn't think she loved him. She'd never really had a wonderful conversation with him, the kind that left her giddy. The kind that made her never want to stop. *
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A.N. Thank you all SOOOOO much for your reviews. Really, I LOVE getting them. And don't worry, Snape will be back soon!! Really, this is after all classified as Hermione-Snape.this whole harry thing kind of took me by surprise.I mean I knew Harry would be another option for Hermione, but I didn't really know how.Well I do know though! Sometimes I write things by whim even though I've totally planned out the whole story. Without making major changes though. Anyway here's to getting some Hermione- Snape in next time!!
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Harry and Hermione made it to her house, and looked upon a dismal scene. Hermione's relations were visible through the picture window. There were so many friends and relatives of her mother their, morning her death. Hermione could barely stand as she realized she was expected to join them. Harry sensed this and supported her by her elbow, keeping her erect.
"Harry?" Hermione said, her voice quivering.
"Yeah Hermione?"
"I don't think I can do this." She said, turning to face away from him. He pulled her towards him and looked into her eyes.
"Hermione. I know you can do this. I don't want to tell you it's not hard, or that it will, or should be, easy for you, because I know this will be one of the hardest things you will ever have to do. I know you can do it though, and I'm here for you." Harry said, never breaking eye contact. Neither one blinked. "Okay 'Mione?"
"Yes. Yes, let's go. Just don't let me go."
"I promise I won't.Unless you want me to."
Hermione and Harry entered the house, joined by his arm under hers. Many people headed in her direction, but they all stopped when her dad spotted her and made his way over.
"Hermione dear," Art Granger said, squeezing her. He noticed that Harry was still attached to her arm, having kept his promise. "Hello Harry, nice to see you again." He said politely, half wondering exactly why the boy was here.
"Dad, it's okay if Harry stays with us right?" She asked. Her relationship with her father had always been strained; they got along mostly to please her mother. They had both loved her dearly, and did everything to make her happy, including try to maintain a relationship with one another. This was extremely trying and the attempted relationship had dissolved when Hermione had gone to Hogwarts mostly against her father's will.
"Of course dear. I don't know where we'll put him though. He may have to sleep on the floor in your room," As Mr. Granger said this, he watched their faces closely to see if their were any signs that the two might be more than friends and found this arrangement odd. Seeing nothing to suggest it, he was satisfied. "Yes, we'll make him up a bed next to yours. If that's okay Harry?"
"Yes Sir, just fine. Thank you." Harry answered politely, never having spoken to Mr. Granger much. He knew of Hermione's difficult relationship with him. Harry was going to miss Mrs. Granger though, with her sweet ways and interest in anything having to do with Hermione's life. Her pride she held in her daughter was always evident, and she never pressured Hermione to try as hard as she did.
"Dad, if you don't mind I'd like to just go upstairs for a while. I haven't had a moment to think since.since I found out," Hermione asked hopefully.
"Sorry dear," clearly overusing the term of endearment that was unnatural to him. His tongue didn't accept the word as his own, and it was clear it meant little to him, more than a formality he was unfamiliar with. "I'm afraid I think it best for you to keep up appearances. Just stick around talking to her friends for a while. They really need it."
Mr. Granger left to speak with someone else, leaving both Harry and Hermione with a feeling of anger in the pit of their stomach.
"That's just like him," Hermione said quietly. "He never cares about what I want. It's always how others see his family." The hurt of feeling unloved by her father was clear in her voice and Harry was burning up with dislike. It reminded him so much of the Dursleys and their need to seem perfect to the outside, to do everything correctly, according to etiquette and courtesies.
"Don't pay him any notice 'Mione. There's nothing wrong with what you want," He said, trying not to say it too loudly and fiercely as he wanted to. He paused and contemplated voicing his next though. "Hermione, you know you never have to come back here if you don't want.I mean, you can live with Sirius and I, you know that right?" He stopped when he saw the look on her face. "Don't worry, I'm not suggesting I support you financially or anything. You will never have any trouble finding a job, and if you had a trouble getting started, I would gladly loan you whatever you needed. If you really don't want to come back her, don't ok?"
"Thanks Harry, but I don't know. He is my father. My mother did love him, and he does mean something to me. Thank you so much."
Hermione was starting to feel that maybe she could trust Harry again. She began to realize just how much he cared for her, and how much he was willing to do for her. Yet somewhere in the back of her mind, she didn't think she loved him. She'd never really had a wonderful conversation with him, the kind that left her giddy. The kind that made her never want to stop. *
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A.N. Thank you all SOOOOO much for your reviews. Really, I LOVE getting them. And don't worry, Snape will be back soon!! Really, this is after all classified as Hermione-Snape.this whole harry thing kind of took me by surprise.I mean I knew Harry would be another option for Hermione, but I didn't really know how.Well I do know though! Sometimes I write things by whim even though I've totally planned out the whole story. Without making major changes though. Anyway here's to getting some Hermione- Snape in next time!!