Abundant Skies
Chapter four: Slipped
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Well.. Thanks for the great reviews! You guys are absolutely fantastic! And, well, I read one, and.. No, I am not making this fanfic because I feel sorry for Harry. That's a bit mean, isn't it?.. Well, if you must know, I was first a Hermione/Harry shipper, but Cassandraclaire's (She's brilliant, talented.. If you haven't read it, go now! Draco Dormiens, to me, is the mother of the DM/HG/HP love triangles..) Draco Dormiens, converted me. Well, and I've always wanted to write a Harry/Hermione fic, so here it is.. I'm sorry I'm so mean to Harry in my other fics.. I just love love triangles, and well.. Someone's got to win and someone's got to lose, right?
So, no. I am not writing this fic because I feel sorry for Harry. Sorry if it seemed that way!
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Ron pestered Harry about it the next morning, on their way to breakfast. Harry was annoyed, irritated, and tired.
"Well, well?"
"What?" Harry said, as they walked down to the common room.
"Last night.."
"Nothing happened last night." Ron's face fell, while they went out of the portrait hole.
"What?! Nothing happened? You've got to be bloody kidding me! You didn't tell her?!"
"I told you, we're just friends.."
"That's bollocks, Harry."
Harry cast a glare at his friend, as other students came out from the Gryffindor portrait hole.
"You mean, I ditched on a perfectly good studying night, for YOU, and you didn't do anything?!"
"There was nothing to do, nothing to say. I keep telling you, but you won't bloody listen," Harry said, irritated.
"That's because YOU'RE LYING!! I'M NOT A DIMWIT, HARRY!" Ron said to him, getting frustrated.
"You're sure acting like one."
"Would you shut up, you chicken?!" Ron said, as they turned the corridor. "At least I have the guts to tell a girl how I feel!"
"Telling that Ravenclaw girl that you thought she had nice hair doesn't count."
"So? I've told lots of girls how I've felt about them."
"Like who?" Harry snorted. "And Ginny doesn't count, neither does a cousin, or your mum."
Ron rolled his eyes, "I know that."
"Well then, who?"
"I..Uh.. Lavender," Ron stuttered.
"You're lying to me, Ron Weasley," Harry said.
"No I am NOT."
"Prove it then. Tell me what you said to her."
"That-I-uh, that I thought she was pretty."
"Right," Harry snorted.
"You don't believe me?!"
"No."
"Fine," Ron said, then he halted. Harry stumbled back, curious at what his friend was going to do. Ron scanned the corridor, and spotted Lavender Brown, who was with Ginny and some other Gryffrindor girls.
"Lavender!" Ron shouted, and Lavender looked up, and so did her friends.
"Yes?"
Harry started laughing, as he saw Ron turn completely red.
"I-Uh," he said. "I think you're pretty," he mumbled. Lavender raised an eyebrow.
"What? I couldn't hear you," she called out.
"I- I said I think you're pretty!" Ron called out, and Harry burst into laughter, so did the other girls around her, and Ron looked mortified.
Lavender smiled, despite her friends who were laughing their pretty little heads off.
"Thank you," she mouthed to him, and Harry didn't think it was possible for him to turn even redder, but Ron flushed a deep crimson. Finally, when the laughter quieted down, Ron turned to Harry, the blush in his cheeks slowly residing, and placed a triumphant grin on his face.
"See?" They started walking again.
"Now, it's your turn."
"What? I've gotta shout 'I love you Hermione' across the hall for hundreds of people to hear?" Harry snorted. Ron halted in his steps, and Harry realized his mistake, mortified. He had slipped. Ron turned to him, gaping, but then smirked wildly.
"Harry.." He said. Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"You love her?" Ron asked, pronouncing each word slowly, as if trying to still process it in his mind. Harry's lips were pressed into a firm line, mentally punching himself; how stupid could have he been? But now.. Merlin, even if he tried covering it up, Ron wouldn't believe it. He hated it that Ron was so stubborn.
Harry didn't answer, as he walked down the corridor. Ron soon caught up with him, still smiling like a madman.
"I can't.. You LOVE her? Like, in that way??"
"Get off it, Ron," Harry said. "It's none of your business."
"None of my business?" Ron said incredulously, as if it was the most insane thing he had ever heard.
"You're my best friends, of course it's my business! And even, what a bad friend I would be if I didn't help you two-"
"No," Harry snapped. "No. No helping. No nothing."
"Why not?! She's the girl of your dreams and you know it!" Harry sighed, tired of this.
"Ron, just let it go. Please."
"Harry, if you'd just let me help, you'd be together in no time-"
"No Ron!" Harry said suddenly, his voice rising. Ron stopped.
"I don't need help, I don't need anything. Just stay out of it."
"But don't you want to be with her? Don't you want her to be your-"
"Yes!" Harry shouted, fed up. "Yes I do! I want to be with her, I want to tell her how I feel, but I can't! I CAN'T!"
Ron stared at Harry, before finally speaking.
"How long?" He asked, quietly.
"The summer."
Ron nodded, took one last look at his friend, as they entered the Great Hall. They reached Hermione, who was chatting with Lavender and Ginny, as Harry sat down beside her, and Ron on his other side. Lavender blushed, as did Ron, when they saw each other. Hermione smiled, raising an eyebrow.
"Did something happen?" She asked them, and Ron chuckled, looking at both Lavender and Harry, who was staring at his empty plate.
"You don't want to know," he told her. Hermione resisted the urge to ask why, so she just took a slice of an orange and an apple, placing it unto her plate. As she bit into her apple, she noticed how quiet Harry was. She swallowed.
"Harry?" She asked. "Are you alright? You didn't stay up too late last night, did you?"
Harry couldn't help but smile at her concern, her brown eyes flickering with worry.
"I'm fine, Hermione," he said to her, grabbing a muffin and putting it on his plate. Hermione nodded, her gaze still lingering on Harry. She had a feeling that he wasn't being honest with her, and although she wanted to ask him if he was sure, she didn't. If he wanted to tell her, he would tell her. But it did bother her to see him this way; she was itching to ask him what had happened. Was he mad at her for last night? That couldn't be it.. But then what was it?
She sent Ron a questioning look, and he only shrugged, before returning to his conversation with Dean.
Hermione mostly kept quiet at breakfast, but Harry and Ron were always chatting away about something. But Harry barely spoke so far. She was beginning to worry.
"Harry," she said, her voice quiet and gentle. Harry felt as if she had melted everything inside him. She was leaning towards him, and they were so close.. He could smell the faint trace of vanilla on her skin.. He felt butterflies erupt in his stomach.
"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked him. Harry only smiled.
"I'm fine. You shouldn't worry about me, Hermione," he said, turning to her. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"You're just.. Being unusually quiet, that's all," she said. Harry grinned.
"I'm fine." She nodded, slowly, before looking at him one last time and turning back to Ginny.
After breakfast, they headed to their classes, prepared for another day full of work.
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At dinner, Harry was back to his usual self. Almost. Ron hadn't mentioned a thing about Hermione, and his situation with her, and that was good, really. But it seemed strained. He felt as if Ron had to tell him something, ask him something but couldn't. Harry just tried to ignore it; if it was terribly important, Ron would tell him.
Ron caught up with Hermione in the corridor, while Harry had already gone up to the dormitories.
"Hey," he said to her, and she smiled back.
"Hey."
There was silence between them, while Ron checked to see if there was anyone behind them. No one. Good.
"Uh Hermione?" He said.
"Yeah," she answered.
"How do you feel about Harry?" Hermione almost halted at his words, but she kept walking, although she had slowed down.
"Well.. What do you mean?" She asked him, giving him a questioning look.
"I mean.. Uh, how am I supposed to say this? Do you like him?"
"Of course I like him. He's my best friend." Hermione knew what he meant, but she needed to play dumb; he couldn't possibly know about her feelings for Harry, could he?
"No, I mean.. Do you like him, like him? I mean like, do you fancy him? Are you taken with him-"
"I get it, Ron," she said. She laughed, nervously, hoping he wouldn't sense nervousness in her voice, or denial.
"Don't be ridiculous, Ron. We're just friends. That's all we are, just friends." Ron didn't know if he was just imagining it, but he thought he had heard sadness in her voice as she said the last comment.
"You can tell me the truth, Hermione," he urged. "I won't say anything." Hermione's eyes darted everywhere but her friends gaze. Surely he would be able to see through her.
"Ron, what are you on?" She asked.
"I'm just saying.. You know, you and Harry-"
"-Are just friends," she said. Ron sighed, looking at her.
"Are you sure?" He asked her. "Are you sure that, you know, you don't, like him? Maybe, you know, love him?"
"I love him," she said, confused. "Of course I love him, he's my friend."
"I mean, as something besides that?"
"I don't know what you want to hear, Ron," she said.
"But me and Harry are just friends. Just friends. Us becoming anything else or more than that would just make everything worse, complicated. We," she sighed. "We, you, me and Harry, might cease to be together as we know it, if it went wrong."
"How would you know if you don't risk it?"
She looked at Ron. "What are you saying?"
He shrugged. "Just, you know.. I guess I let my mind wander to possibilities sometimes.. 'Cause you know, Harry, after Cho.."
Ron noticed Hermione's eyes went dark and cloudy, as she swallowed hard. The reached the portrait hole, and said the password, "Cosmic dust."
She gave Ron an uncertain, unreadable look, before she went inside, and he followed after her.
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Hermione didn't know what made Ron bring up the subject, or what triggered the conversation.. But it seemed he knew something. Could he know her feelings for Harry? Why else would he have asked? But.. Hermione thought she had been pretty secretive so far, just sneaking glances or sometimes staring.. Maybe Ron had seen her. What if someone else had seen her? What if he told Harry? Hermione shifted on her bed, her body warm underneath the heavy covers. She was getting worried; maybe Ron had told him. Maybe that was why Harry had been so quiet at breakfast..
Hermione groaned, putting her hands on her temples. She hoped that she was wrong. That Ron had just been asking because, well because of what he said. She hoped he didn't suspect anything, or seen anything. And, if it was the reason why Harry had been so.. She sighed.
This was why she couldn't tell anyone. Why she didn't tell a soul. Perhaps Harry had been feeling so uncomfortable around her, not knowing what to say. It all fit.. Her heart sank at the major possibility it could be true.
She hoped she was wrong, she prayed she was wrong. She didn't want to taint their friendship, damage it. She didn't want awkward silences between them, she didn't want blank conversations, just talking to eat up time. She didn't want either of them worrying what to say, when it just came so easily now. She didn't want things to change. She didn't want him to know..
But even if she wanted to be with him so badly, she couldn't risk their friendship. It was too pure, too innocent. She knew she had the friendship with Harry that other girls longed for, and she didn't want to throw it away. And even if it would work out.. What would happen if they broke up? What would happen if something went wrong and they couldn't talk to each other anymore?
She knew what she had to do. She had to stay away from Harry, as hard as she knew it was going to be. Maybe, if she stayed away from him, she would be mute to her heart's desires. Maybe, it would just fade away, that it was just a silly little crush that she mistakenly thought was 'love.' Maybe everything would be back to normal; she would just like Harry as a friend, and she wouldn't feel those reactions her body seemed to have when she thought of him, or was around him. Yeah. That was it. She would stay away from him. It would just turn out to be a silly little crush.
She wanted to be close to him, yet she wanted to keep him from an arm's length. It pained her, but that was what had to be done. But then Ron's question rang in her ears, echoing, persisting to get through. 'How would you know if you don't risk it?' She cringed, hearing his voice in her head. She felt a heavy weight place on her heart, shutting her eyes closed tight.
She hated it that he had asked her that question.
She hated it that he could possibly know.
She hated it that now she had to stay away from Harry, without being too suspicious.
But most of all, she hated it that he could possibly be right.
Chapter four: Slipped
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Well.. Thanks for the great reviews! You guys are absolutely fantastic! And, well, I read one, and.. No, I am not making this fanfic because I feel sorry for Harry. That's a bit mean, isn't it?.. Well, if you must know, I was first a Hermione/Harry shipper, but Cassandraclaire's (She's brilliant, talented.. If you haven't read it, go now! Draco Dormiens, to me, is the mother of the DM/HG/HP love triangles..) Draco Dormiens, converted me. Well, and I've always wanted to write a Harry/Hermione fic, so here it is.. I'm sorry I'm so mean to Harry in my other fics.. I just love love triangles, and well.. Someone's got to win and someone's got to lose, right?
So, no. I am not writing this fic because I feel sorry for Harry. Sorry if it seemed that way!
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Ron pestered Harry about it the next morning, on their way to breakfast. Harry was annoyed, irritated, and tired.
"Well, well?"
"What?" Harry said, as they walked down to the common room.
"Last night.."
"Nothing happened last night." Ron's face fell, while they went out of the portrait hole.
"What?! Nothing happened? You've got to be bloody kidding me! You didn't tell her?!"
"I told you, we're just friends.."
"That's bollocks, Harry."
Harry cast a glare at his friend, as other students came out from the Gryffindor portrait hole.
"You mean, I ditched on a perfectly good studying night, for YOU, and you didn't do anything?!"
"There was nothing to do, nothing to say. I keep telling you, but you won't bloody listen," Harry said, irritated.
"That's because YOU'RE LYING!! I'M NOT A DIMWIT, HARRY!" Ron said to him, getting frustrated.
"You're sure acting like one."
"Would you shut up, you chicken?!" Ron said, as they turned the corridor. "At least I have the guts to tell a girl how I feel!"
"Telling that Ravenclaw girl that you thought she had nice hair doesn't count."
"So? I've told lots of girls how I've felt about them."
"Like who?" Harry snorted. "And Ginny doesn't count, neither does a cousin, or your mum."
Ron rolled his eyes, "I know that."
"Well then, who?"
"I..Uh.. Lavender," Ron stuttered.
"You're lying to me, Ron Weasley," Harry said.
"No I am NOT."
"Prove it then. Tell me what you said to her."
"That-I-uh, that I thought she was pretty."
"Right," Harry snorted.
"You don't believe me?!"
"No."
"Fine," Ron said, then he halted. Harry stumbled back, curious at what his friend was going to do. Ron scanned the corridor, and spotted Lavender Brown, who was with Ginny and some other Gryffrindor girls.
"Lavender!" Ron shouted, and Lavender looked up, and so did her friends.
"Yes?"
Harry started laughing, as he saw Ron turn completely red.
"I-Uh," he said. "I think you're pretty," he mumbled. Lavender raised an eyebrow.
"What? I couldn't hear you," she called out.
"I- I said I think you're pretty!" Ron called out, and Harry burst into laughter, so did the other girls around her, and Ron looked mortified.
Lavender smiled, despite her friends who were laughing their pretty little heads off.
"Thank you," she mouthed to him, and Harry didn't think it was possible for him to turn even redder, but Ron flushed a deep crimson. Finally, when the laughter quieted down, Ron turned to Harry, the blush in his cheeks slowly residing, and placed a triumphant grin on his face.
"See?" They started walking again.
"Now, it's your turn."
"What? I've gotta shout 'I love you Hermione' across the hall for hundreds of people to hear?" Harry snorted. Ron halted in his steps, and Harry realized his mistake, mortified. He had slipped. Ron turned to him, gaping, but then smirked wildly.
"Harry.." He said. Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"You love her?" Ron asked, pronouncing each word slowly, as if trying to still process it in his mind. Harry's lips were pressed into a firm line, mentally punching himself; how stupid could have he been? But now.. Merlin, even if he tried covering it up, Ron wouldn't believe it. He hated it that Ron was so stubborn.
Harry didn't answer, as he walked down the corridor. Ron soon caught up with him, still smiling like a madman.
"I can't.. You LOVE her? Like, in that way??"
"Get off it, Ron," Harry said. "It's none of your business."
"None of my business?" Ron said incredulously, as if it was the most insane thing he had ever heard.
"You're my best friends, of course it's my business! And even, what a bad friend I would be if I didn't help you two-"
"No," Harry snapped. "No. No helping. No nothing."
"Why not?! She's the girl of your dreams and you know it!" Harry sighed, tired of this.
"Ron, just let it go. Please."
"Harry, if you'd just let me help, you'd be together in no time-"
"No Ron!" Harry said suddenly, his voice rising. Ron stopped.
"I don't need help, I don't need anything. Just stay out of it."
"But don't you want to be with her? Don't you want her to be your-"
"Yes!" Harry shouted, fed up. "Yes I do! I want to be with her, I want to tell her how I feel, but I can't! I CAN'T!"
Ron stared at Harry, before finally speaking.
"How long?" He asked, quietly.
"The summer."
Ron nodded, took one last look at his friend, as they entered the Great Hall. They reached Hermione, who was chatting with Lavender and Ginny, as Harry sat down beside her, and Ron on his other side. Lavender blushed, as did Ron, when they saw each other. Hermione smiled, raising an eyebrow.
"Did something happen?" She asked them, and Ron chuckled, looking at both Lavender and Harry, who was staring at his empty plate.
"You don't want to know," he told her. Hermione resisted the urge to ask why, so she just took a slice of an orange and an apple, placing it unto her plate. As she bit into her apple, she noticed how quiet Harry was. She swallowed.
"Harry?" She asked. "Are you alright? You didn't stay up too late last night, did you?"
Harry couldn't help but smile at her concern, her brown eyes flickering with worry.
"I'm fine, Hermione," he said to her, grabbing a muffin and putting it on his plate. Hermione nodded, her gaze still lingering on Harry. She had a feeling that he wasn't being honest with her, and although she wanted to ask him if he was sure, she didn't. If he wanted to tell her, he would tell her. But it did bother her to see him this way; she was itching to ask him what had happened. Was he mad at her for last night? That couldn't be it.. But then what was it?
She sent Ron a questioning look, and he only shrugged, before returning to his conversation with Dean.
Hermione mostly kept quiet at breakfast, but Harry and Ron were always chatting away about something. But Harry barely spoke so far. She was beginning to worry.
"Harry," she said, her voice quiet and gentle. Harry felt as if she had melted everything inside him. She was leaning towards him, and they were so close.. He could smell the faint trace of vanilla on her skin.. He felt butterflies erupt in his stomach.
"Are you sure you're alright?" She asked him. Harry only smiled.
"I'm fine. You shouldn't worry about me, Hermione," he said, turning to her. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"You're just.. Being unusually quiet, that's all," she said. Harry grinned.
"I'm fine." She nodded, slowly, before looking at him one last time and turning back to Ginny.
After breakfast, they headed to their classes, prepared for another day full of work.
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At dinner, Harry was back to his usual self. Almost. Ron hadn't mentioned a thing about Hermione, and his situation with her, and that was good, really. But it seemed strained. He felt as if Ron had to tell him something, ask him something but couldn't. Harry just tried to ignore it; if it was terribly important, Ron would tell him.
Ron caught up with Hermione in the corridor, while Harry had already gone up to the dormitories.
"Hey," he said to her, and she smiled back.
"Hey."
There was silence between them, while Ron checked to see if there was anyone behind them. No one. Good.
"Uh Hermione?" He said.
"Yeah," she answered.
"How do you feel about Harry?" Hermione almost halted at his words, but she kept walking, although she had slowed down.
"Well.. What do you mean?" She asked him, giving him a questioning look.
"I mean.. Uh, how am I supposed to say this? Do you like him?"
"Of course I like him. He's my best friend." Hermione knew what he meant, but she needed to play dumb; he couldn't possibly know about her feelings for Harry, could he?
"No, I mean.. Do you like him, like him? I mean like, do you fancy him? Are you taken with him-"
"I get it, Ron," she said. She laughed, nervously, hoping he wouldn't sense nervousness in her voice, or denial.
"Don't be ridiculous, Ron. We're just friends. That's all we are, just friends." Ron didn't know if he was just imagining it, but he thought he had heard sadness in her voice as she said the last comment.
"You can tell me the truth, Hermione," he urged. "I won't say anything." Hermione's eyes darted everywhere but her friends gaze. Surely he would be able to see through her.
"Ron, what are you on?" She asked.
"I'm just saying.. You know, you and Harry-"
"-Are just friends," she said. Ron sighed, looking at her.
"Are you sure?" He asked her. "Are you sure that, you know, you don't, like him? Maybe, you know, love him?"
"I love him," she said, confused. "Of course I love him, he's my friend."
"I mean, as something besides that?"
"I don't know what you want to hear, Ron," she said.
"But me and Harry are just friends. Just friends. Us becoming anything else or more than that would just make everything worse, complicated. We," she sighed. "We, you, me and Harry, might cease to be together as we know it, if it went wrong."
"How would you know if you don't risk it?"
She looked at Ron. "What are you saying?"
He shrugged. "Just, you know.. I guess I let my mind wander to possibilities sometimes.. 'Cause you know, Harry, after Cho.."
Ron noticed Hermione's eyes went dark and cloudy, as she swallowed hard. The reached the portrait hole, and said the password, "Cosmic dust."
She gave Ron an uncertain, unreadable look, before she went inside, and he followed after her.
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Hermione didn't know what made Ron bring up the subject, or what triggered the conversation.. But it seemed he knew something. Could he know her feelings for Harry? Why else would he have asked? But.. Hermione thought she had been pretty secretive so far, just sneaking glances or sometimes staring.. Maybe Ron had seen her. What if someone else had seen her? What if he told Harry? Hermione shifted on her bed, her body warm underneath the heavy covers. She was getting worried; maybe Ron had told him. Maybe that was why Harry had been so quiet at breakfast..
Hermione groaned, putting her hands on her temples. She hoped that she was wrong. That Ron had just been asking because, well because of what he said. She hoped he didn't suspect anything, or seen anything. And, if it was the reason why Harry had been so.. She sighed.
This was why she couldn't tell anyone. Why she didn't tell a soul. Perhaps Harry had been feeling so uncomfortable around her, not knowing what to say. It all fit.. Her heart sank at the major possibility it could be true.
She hoped she was wrong, she prayed she was wrong. She didn't want to taint their friendship, damage it. She didn't want awkward silences between them, she didn't want blank conversations, just talking to eat up time. She didn't want either of them worrying what to say, when it just came so easily now. She didn't want things to change. She didn't want him to know..
But even if she wanted to be with him so badly, she couldn't risk their friendship. It was too pure, too innocent. She knew she had the friendship with Harry that other girls longed for, and she didn't want to throw it away. And even if it would work out.. What would happen if they broke up? What would happen if something went wrong and they couldn't talk to each other anymore?
She knew what she had to do. She had to stay away from Harry, as hard as she knew it was going to be. Maybe, if she stayed away from him, she would be mute to her heart's desires. Maybe, it would just fade away, that it was just a silly little crush that she mistakenly thought was 'love.' Maybe everything would be back to normal; she would just like Harry as a friend, and she wouldn't feel those reactions her body seemed to have when she thought of him, or was around him. Yeah. That was it. She would stay away from him. It would just turn out to be a silly little crush.
She wanted to be close to him, yet she wanted to keep him from an arm's length. It pained her, but that was what had to be done. But then Ron's question rang in her ears, echoing, persisting to get through. 'How would you know if you don't risk it?' She cringed, hearing his voice in her head. She felt a heavy weight place on her heart, shutting her eyes closed tight.
She hated it that he had asked her that question.
She hated it that he could possibly know.
She hated it that now she had to stay away from Harry, without being too suspicious.
But most of all, she hated it that he could possibly be right.