Hey!!! It's me again!! Thanks to all my reviewers, especially Moe: The Unblocker of writer's block, Kit, Annonymous, and Hermione and Harry forever!!!!
Chapter 9: You Must Love Me
There was a great resounding joy throughout the lands. The Sorting had taken place a few weeks later, Hermione being sorted into Gryffindor, much to the detest of Ginny.
"Stupid old hat," she growled as she sat next to Harry at the sorting ceremony. "Must be losing its mind to sort her into our house." They were in the Great Hall in Hogwarts, and were seated at the the high table next to Cho and Roger Davies, Ernie and Hannah Abbot, and Draco sat on the end, Pansy Parkinson seated next to him.
Harry grinned, got to his feet, and applauded as she sauntered over to them and took a seat next to Ron, who winked at her, and joined hands with Lavender Brown.
As Justin Finch-Fletchley was sorted into Hufflepuff, he didn't make his way over to the Hufflepuff table, but went and stood in front of Harry. He made direct eye contact with him, and then stuck out his hand.
"Thanks, Potter," Justin said. "I'm sorry about… I was so rude… thank you."
Harry grinned, and shook Justin's hand. "No need to thank me."
When Justin left to go sit at his table, his gaze focused on Hermione, who was smiling at him.
After everyone was sorted, there was going to be dinner and dancing. Ginny wasted no time in grabbing Harry's hand, and steering him out onto the dance floor.
"So," she whispered, as she drew her arms up, and around his neck. "What about our wedding?"
Wedding.
Harry had proposed to Ginny the day he met Hermione. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It really did. But now, thinking back, it seemed like his--- his duty. Ginny was a wonderful girl. She was pretty, shy, and for the most part, extremely nice.
But then he saw the way she treated Hermione and the Muggle-borns, and it was if a light was turned on his brain. A light turned on by Hermione who seemed to have taken his heart hostage.
"Hello?" Ginny asked.
Harry snapped his dark emerald eyes back onto Ginny. "Our wedding," he repeated.
She giggled. "Yes, Harry, our wedding. I've been waiting years for you to propose, and you just now remembered about it?"
"I'm sorry, Ginny, these past few days have just been hectic."
"I understand," she said and planted a kiss on his nose.
When the dance ended, he cleared his throat. "Can we talk about it later? When we're uh… alone?"
She nodded. "Oh, my father is calling me over." She nodded to Mr. Weasley who was beckoning her. "I won't be long, okay?"
He grinned, and squeazed her hands.
"Harry?"
He looked up to her.
"Aren't you at going to kiss me good bye?"
Harry grinned. "Of course." And he kissed her lightly.
Ginny smiled at him, and hurried off to her father.
So, Hermione supposed this was it. Ginny had been right. They had won the war. But she wasn't sure she could ever win Harry's heart. She watched him kiss her, and it was like a knife to her heart.
However, her feet started walking her over to him. She tried to turn away, but couldn't, and her mouth formed words she didn't want them too. Why did her subconscious have to so stubborn? "Harry!" she called.
He turned to her and smiled. A nice, warm, handsome smile. Pang in the heart… he felt yet another. He got them quite often when she was around.
"We did it," she whispered, and drew her arms up around his neck.
He gave her a deep hug, breathing her in, and whispered, "Yeah, we did."
She wished she could hold onto him forever, but she let him go with a small sigh. She had laid her feelings on the table. It was up to him now. "The Gryffindor kingdom is so beautiful," she said. "I'm looking for a house… or I might go into the dorms in the castle."
"Move into my castle," the words tumbled out of him like a waterfall.
Hermione gave a small gasp and turned to him. "But… Ginny…"
"It's the least I could do."
"Oh," she said, tears shining in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" he whispered.
She shook her head. "Nothing."
"Do… do you want to dance?" he asked.
She wiped her tears away the best she could. "Sure."
He grinned, and put his hands on the curves of her hips, and she drew her arms up around his neck.
"Harry!" Ginny had arrived on the scene.
"Ginny," Harry gave a small smile.
"You don't mind if I cut in, do you?" Ginny sneered at Hermione.
"As a matter of fact, I do." Hermione sneered back.
Harry opened and closed his mouth. What was going on here?
"Oh yeah?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah," Hermione replied. She didn't care. If she was going to lose Harry to Ginny, she at least deserved one last dance.
"Kindly remove your hands from my fiancée before I break them off," Ginny said through clenched teeth.
"Whoa,
alright, okay!" Harry said, and he removed himself from Hermione. "Everyone,
Ginny, Hermione, let's act civil, shall we?"
"Harry, I am your
fiancée and she has to accept that!" Ginny yelled.
"I promised Hermione a dance, Ginny. Calm down."
"Fine," Ginny arched a brow, and sat down, her arms folded.
"I'll be right back, okay?" he asked, and lead Hermione onto the dance floor. "Sorry about her," he said as they began swaying to the music.
Hermione shook her head. "Don't worry about it. She loves you, Harry."
"Yeah, she does." Harry said. He looked back at her, and found her dancing with Malfoy. Malfoy of all people! Malfoy!
"I've been thinking," she said. "I destroyed your world. That's why… I'm going to leave Wizard London."
Harry froze. Leave? She couldn't leave!!
"Destroyed it? Hermione, you saved it in every way possible!"
"I'm not a homewrecker," she said. "I can't come between you and Ginny. Just promise me you'll take care of them?"
"You can't leave." He said.
"I have a friend in Bulgaria." Hermione said. "I'll be heading out tomorrow morning."
"You can' leave!!!" he shouted.
"Harry, please, Ginny---"
"But I LOVE YOU!" he shouted.
The whole hall froze and turned to him. There. He had said it. He'd just have to face the concequences.