Hermione's POV
Hermione left the dorm in a hurry. It was only six AM, but she needed to go take a walk. She thought to herself: *Good thing classes don't start until Monday; I need time to figure some things out. * She walked out to the lake and started skipping stones.
"Hermione?"
She turned around and saw Harry.
"Oh, hey. Your up early."
"So are you."
"Yea, I just wanted to sort out some stuff. It's only the second day back and I feel like I've been overwhelmed with all these decisions and feelings." Hermione could feel hot tears threatening to spill over her cheeks. She turned away from Harry, not wanting him to see her cry. "Um.." Hermione sniffled trying to contain her tear, "I'm going to head to breakfast ok?" She wiped her tears and gave him a small smile.
Harry's POV
Harry wanted nothing more than to be able to comfort Hermione. He had done it many times before, but this time, it felt as if he was facing a stranger. Hermione was no longer the little girl who would come crying because someone had called her a beaver. Harry realized that he really didn't know why she was crying, and it just hurt him even more to know that he couldn't help her.
Hermione turned to leave, and before he knew what he was doing, he had reached out and grabbed her arm. She turned around in surprise, but Harry pulled her into a hug.
"Don't go, talk to me, please." He gently smoothed out her hair.
Hermione nodded and Harry lifted up her face to wipe away the tears.
The two of them walked towards the quidditch field, and sat down on the bleachers. Harry cradled Hermione in her arms, rocking her back and forth as she let all her problems spill.
Hermione's POV
"Harry, I really don't know what to do."
"Shh..it's ok." Harry comforted her. Hermione looked up at Harry, as if suddenly seeing him for the first time. His eyes were a mix of worry and content; his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her closer to him. She felt his warm breath caressing the back of her neck. Caught in the moment, she leaned up and kissed him. He tasted like warm chocolate, his lips pressed softly against hers. She deepened the kiss, not knowing why, only hoping that Harry would return it and not push her away. The kiss was deprived of passion, only full of longing for the one she could never have.
Harry's POV
Hermione looked up at him, and he saw the look of confusion and longing in her eyes. He suddenly realized how close they were to each other, their faces only inches apart. She suddenly leaned up and kissed him. At first, Harry was stunned, but he returned the kiss. Her lips tasted like strawberries, sweet and delicate. This was the moment he had always been dreaming of, holding Hermione in his arms and never needing to let go. Finally he broke off the kiss, chuckling slightly to himself. "Wow."
Hermione looked puzzled. "You know, it isn't nice to laugh at someone right after they kiss you."
"It's just that, I've been waiting for that for so long, and I never thought that it could happen between us." Harry explained. "I don't know what I'm feeling, but I know that as long as you are there, everything will be fine."
Hermione sighed.
"Don't you get it, Hermione? I've liked you for so long, and these two days back to Hogwarts have been hell. All I think about is you, and I can't concentrate on anything else. I need to ask you something, and please don't break my heart." Harry caught his breath. "Hermione, will you go out with me?"
Hermione's POV
"Uh, yea sure Harry." Hermione smiled unsurely. *What is there to be apprehensive about? Harry is my best friend, we will be perfect for each other. Besides, why waste my life waiting for someone I will never have when everything I need is here in front of me? * Hermione knew Harry would never let her down, Harry is safe, Harry is everything she would ever need, or is he?
"You don't seem too sure about that," Harry's smile shrunk.
"No-no, I am. I'm just feeling a little tired, that's all." She smiled reassuringly.
"Ok, well do you still feel like going to breakfast?"
"Yea, go ahead, save a spot for me?" Hermione asked.
"Anything for you," Harry swept down in an unbalanced bow, causing a fit of laughter to erupt from Hermione. He stood up with a foolish grin on his face and walked off towards the Great Hall. "See you later." He called back, but she was gone.
Draco's POV
Draco woke up and remembered what had happened just a few hours ago. "Jesus," Draco muttered under his breath, "what have I done?" He tried to get back to sleep, but he couldn't forget the pained look that was evident in Hermione's eyes. He grabbed his robe and hurried out of the room, wanting to apologize to Hermione. He didn't know why, but he felt that she deserved an apology.
Draco swung open the heavy doors and walked out into the bright sunlight. He squinted, looking around for Hermione, and spotted a shadow sitting on the quidditch bleachers. He moved closer and saw that instead of being one person, it was actually two people. Hermione and Potter?! Draco placed himself behind a bush and muttered a charm. His eyes suddenly focused right on the couple and he saw that they were wrapped around each other snogging. He felt like a dagger had cut him in two. The only girl that he had possibly truly liked was making out with his only enemy. After awhile, Potter got up and left, leaving Hermione sitting on her own. Draco stood up from his hiding spot and walked over to the lonely girl.
"Granger?" Draco tapped her shoulder, causing her to jump.
"What the hell?" When she saw that it was he, she got up and stormed away.
"Granger, wait!"
"Why don't you just tell it to my arse 'cause I am not listening!" She started to walk off, but was pulled back by a strong hand. "Let go of me!" She screamed struggling against him.
"I'll let you go if you listen to me." Draco replied stonily.
"I'm listening." Hermione looked straight into his eyes, making him feel like he was melting under the ray of hatred and annoyance.
"Um, well.."Draco shifted uncomfortably and blurted, "I-just-wanted- to-say-I-am-sorry."
Hermione stared at him like he was some mutant animal.
"I'll go now.." Draco muttered and wandered off, feeling like a complete idiot. Something about her just made him drop his arrogant- bastard-attitude, and without it, he felt utterly alone and uncomfortable.
Hermione left the dorm in a hurry. It was only six AM, but she needed to go take a walk. She thought to herself: *Good thing classes don't start until Monday; I need time to figure some things out. * She walked out to the lake and started skipping stones.
"Hermione?"
She turned around and saw Harry.
"Oh, hey. Your up early."
"So are you."
"Yea, I just wanted to sort out some stuff. It's only the second day back and I feel like I've been overwhelmed with all these decisions and feelings." Hermione could feel hot tears threatening to spill over her cheeks. She turned away from Harry, not wanting him to see her cry. "Um.." Hermione sniffled trying to contain her tear, "I'm going to head to breakfast ok?" She wiped her tears and gave him a small smile.
Harry's POV
Harry wanted nothing more than to be able to comfort Hermione. He had done it many times before, but this time, it felt as if he was facing a stranger. Hermione was no longer the little girl who would come crying because someone had called her a beaver. Harry realized that he really didn't know why she was crying, and it just hurt him even more to know that he couldn't help her.
Hermione turned to leave, and before he knew what he was doing, he had reached out and grabbed her arm. She turned around in surprise, but Harry pulled her into a hug.
"Don't go, talk to me, please." He gently smoothed out her hair.
Hermione nodded and Harry lifted up her face to wipe away the tears.
The two of them walked towards the quidditch field, and sat down on the bleachers. Harry cradled Hermione in her arms, rocking her back and forth as she let all her problems spill.
Hermione's POV
"Harry, I really don't know what to do."
"Shh..it's ok." Harry comforted her. Hermione looked up at Harry, as if suddenly seeing him for the first time. His eyes were a mix of worry and content; his arms wrapped around her waist, holding her closer to him. She felt his warm breath caressing the back of her neck. Caught in the moment, she leaned up and kissed him. He tasted like warm chocolate, his lips pressed softly against hers. She deepened the kiss, not knowing why, only hoping that Harry would return it and not push her away. The kiss was deprived of passion, only full of longing for the one she could never have.
Harry's POV
Hermione looked up at him, and he saw the look of confusion and longing in her eyes. He suddenly realized how close they were to each other, their faces only inches apart. She suddenly leaned up and kissed him. At first, Harry was stunned, but he returned the kiss. Her lips tasted like strawberries, sweet and delicate. This was the moment he had always been dreaming of, holding Hermione in his arms and never needing to let go. Finally he broke off the kiss, chuckling slightly to himself. "Wow."
Hermione looked puzzled. "You know, it isn't nice to laugh at someone right after they kiss you."
"It's just that, I've been waiting for that for so long, and I never thought that it could happen between us." Harry explained. "I don't know what I'm feeling, but I know that as long as you are there, everything will be fine."
Hermione sighed.
"Don't you get it, Hermione? I've liked you for so long, and these two days back to Hogwarts have been hell. All I think about is you, and I can't concentrate on anything else. I need to ask you something, and please don't break my heart." Harry caught his breath. "Hermione, will you go out with me?"
Hermione's POV
"Uh, yea sure Harry." Hermione smiled unsurely. *What is there to be apprehensive about? Harry is my best friend, we will be perfect for each other. Besides, why waste my life waiting for someone I will never have when everything I need is here in front of me? * Hermione knew Harry would never let her down, Harry is safe, Harry is everything she would ever need, or is he?
"You don't seem too sure about that," Harry's smile shrunk.
"No-no, I am. I'm just feeling a little tired, that's all." She smiled reassuringly.
"Ok, well do you still feel like going to breakfast?"
"Yea, go ahead, save a spot for me?" Hermione asked.
"Anything for you," Harry swept down in an unbalanced bow, causing a fit of laughter to erupt from Hermione. He stood up with a foolish grin on his face and walked off towards the Great Hall. "See you later." He called back, but she was gone.
Draco's POV
Draco woke up and remembered what had happened just a few hours ago. "Jesus," Draco muttered under his breath, "what have I done?" He tried to get back to sleep, but he couldn't forget the pained look that was evident in Hermione's eyes. He grabbed his robe and hurried out of the room, wanting to apologize to Hermione. He didn't know why, but he felt that she deserved an apology.
Draco swung open the heavy doors and walked out into the bright sunlight. He squinted, looking around for Hermione, and spotted a shadow sitting on the quidditch bleachers. He moved closer and saw that instead of being one person, it was actually two people. Hermione and Potter?! Draco placed himself behind a bush and muttered a charm. His eyes suddenly focused right on the couple and he saw that they were wrapped around each other snogging. He felt like a dagger had cut him in two. The only girl that he had possibly truly liked was making out with his only enemy. After awhile, Potter got up and left, leaving Hermione sitting on her own. Draco stood up from his hiding spot and walked over to the lonely girl.
"Granger?" Draco tapped her shoulder, causing her to jump.
"What the hell?" When she saw that it was he, she got up and stormed away.
"Granger, wait!"
"Why don't you just tell it to my arse 'cause I am not listening!" She started to walk off, but was pulled back by a strong hand. "Let go of me!" She screamed struggling against him.
"I'll let you go if you listen to me." Draco replied stonily.
"I'm listening." Hermione looked straight into his eyes, making him feel like he was melting under the ray of hatred and annoyance.
"Um, well.."Draco shifted uncomfortably and blurted, "I-just-wanted- to-say-I-am-sorry."
Hermione stared at him like he was some mutant animal.
"I'll go now.." Draco muttered and wandered off, feeling like a complete idiot. Something about her just made him drop his arrogant- bastard-attitude, and without it, he felt utterly alone and uncomfortable.