I Love to See You Cry ~hotsleekeyz~

Chapter 23

Decrepit

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Saturday came and Harry, together with Hermione took their first Auror training. The day passed without Harry talking to Hermione.

They were only three in an empty classroom on the fifth floor but the training went through without one saying a word aside from their incantations. It was all too hard for Hermione, though actually harder, because she was losing a friend. . . only because her husband sees that Harry was being a hindrance for them to have a harmonious relationship. Sure thing marriage will always have is ups and downs but its not normal to have a third party involved with it.

Hermione and Harry took a rest after training and they sat far away from each other. Hermione mended a wound that she got when she wasn't able to get out of way of Harry's spell. The trainer, Dumbledore's old, trusted friend, eyed them meticulously, seemingly irritated by the silence that won over through the room.

"Is there anything that bothers you two? I suppose you are company as Albus told me. Anything wrong?" asked the old man.

"None sir", came the reply of both Harry and Hermione.

"You two, I've gone through that phase. . .adolescence---that awkward stage where love starts to bloom as your body responds to the change of the level of hormones and ---"

"We're fine sir", spat Harry irritated.

The old man smiled. "Ah. . .denial. That is the first stage of love, or most often, the whole thing o fit. I'll leave you two now. I expect you two would talk after I've gone. Training again next week, ayt? See you two around."

The old man left and gently closed the door behind him.

Harry and Hermione were left with only each other. Hermione was wincing in pain as her wounds slowly closed-up before her eyes.

Harry broke the silence and said, "You should have been quicker. Look at what happened to you." Harry still kept his eyes away from Hermione.

Hermione immediately turned to Harry's direction and glared at him. "You could at least ask for an apology!"

Harry then gave Hermione his death glare. "I can't understand what you want me to do! You told me last time not to say sorry ever again and now that I'm not telling you that I'm sorry, you get angry"

"Well I guess you're old enough to decipher that this is an extremely different case. You make it seem it's entirely my fault!"

"Of course it is! Auror training is not for delicate girls. I bet your husband will blame me again for those scars. Well come to think of it, you deserve them. You deserve to get hurt."

"I'm not delicate and I would be most glad if Draco will hurt you after knowing what you did. . ." Hermione stood from her seat and said, "I give up!"

"You don't scare me one bit Hermione Granger! Tell that ferret boy to kill me then! It would be a pleasure to meet death from the hands of the handsome Dark Lord", yelled Harry at Hermione who was close to tears as she made wide strides towards the door.

Hermione was at the door already when she turned again to Harry and yelled back, "Harry, I'm sick and tired of this. I've just settled my problem with Draco and now I have to deal with you. . . Don't make it seem that I'm not affected by all this because I am Harry!. . . Just in case you haven't noticed."

Hermione slammed the great wooden door shut. Once out of Harry's sight, Harry said to himself, "If this is the only way to make you happy with him, then so be it. I will never regret what I'm doing. . . even if I have to make you cry. . ."

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Harry entered the quarters witnessing Hermione lying on the couch with her head resting on Draco's lap. Draco was then striking his thing fingers through Hermione's smooth curls when he noticed Harry enter.

Hermione immediately sat up straight to stop Draco from getting any closer at Harry only that Draco was quicker and that he stood opposite Harry in no time.

"Potter! How dare you hurt Hermione? You must be able to get it through your thick skull that she's a woman and that you are NOT supposed to hurt her!"

Harry didn't mind Draco and continued walking briskly towards his room.

"Scarhead! You're not going anywhere unless you apologize to her", continued Draco with his fierce eyes fixed firmly on Harry.

"I won't! I don't have to", yelled Harry without even looking back at Draco.

"And why is that so? You were the one who caused her scars!" Draco spat while Hermione tugged him away to stop him from hurting Harry.

Harry turned around to the couple and shot a death glare at them. "In case you weren't informed, I promised her that I'd never be sorry for anything again. If there's anything that I learned from her, it's to be stone- hearted. . . only that."

Draco aimed his firm fingers towards Harry to conjure some wandless spell when Hermione pulled his hand just in time before Draco could have actually summoned.

"Stop it! Haven't you had enough fights these years? Coz I tell you, I'm sick and tired of all of these and I don't have any more ideas how to keep you two in good terms. So please, stop this nonsense for me!" yelled Hermione with tears forming at the corner of her eyes while her head was aching in stress.

Draco pushed Hermione away from him and ordered, "Move back Hermione. . .I shall teach Potter a lesson"

Harry found his wand fast and aimed it perfectly at Draco. Draco did the same. They stood there, waiting for each other to make the first move. If looks could kill, they would have blasted each other off.

Hermione, on the other hand was still and frozen. Her resolve shattered and she wasn't able to think what else to do that could stop them from killing each other.

Then Harry initiated. . . "Accio table!"

The table flew rapidly through the air towards Harry's direction. When it was inches away from him, he kicked it fiercely to Draco. . .

Effortlessly, Draco held out his right hand and signaled for the table to stop. The table seemed to obey when it stopped in midair. Draco then gestured his hand to the side and the table flew off to the bookshelves, causing some books to fall down near where Hermione was.

In a second, Draco gave his response. . . "Crucio!"

The word pounded in Hermione's ears. It can't be. It can't be. Draco just imposed one of the Unforgivable Curses!

Harry rolled on the floor in agonizing pain. He was writhing violently and helpless. Hermione immediately ran to him and screamed at Draco crying. "Stop it! You don't know what you're doing Draco! That was on of the Unforgivable Curses! Are you out of your mind! You could be sent to Azkaban!"

Draco at that lifted off the curse and Harry lay flat on his back again while the excruciating pain began to subside. He tried as much to get up. "Don't worry Hermione. . . He will not go to Azkaban. . I'll not tell a soul."

Harry's voice was full of suppressed anger and disgust, Hermione could tell. She knew very well that tone just the way he spoke to her when they broke-up months before.

Harry stood up and started to walk limping towards his room.

Draco was filled with anger. His eyes glinted and emitted a spectrum of colors and in a second talked in Parseltongue.

Harry turned to Draco and glared back. "I don't care who you are Draco and I won't apologize to that mudblood!"

Hermione left her mouth hanging open. It was actually Harry's first time to coin the word 'mudblood' from Draco's vocabulary. Hermione didn't know how to react further. It couldn't have been that bad. . . or was it already? Draco doing the Cruciatus Curse and Harry calling her the name that she always felt weak at . . it didn't make any sense!

As if nothing happened, Draco walked to Hermione and clutched her shoulder kindly. "Hermione, I reckon you still want to continue hearing about Quidditch practice. Come. Let's go to our room now. It's getting quite late."

Hermione simply let Draco lead her the way. She was still in a state of shock. If there was anything of that sort that would soon happen thereafter, she's sure bound getting a phobia out of it.

Once in their room, Hermione rested her head over Draco's lean chest and she soon fell asleep while Draco animatedly narrated how he was able to get the Snitch through all his team players whom he asked to block him the best way they could.

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First match between Slytherin and Gryffindor came a week after the incident inside the quarters. The match lasted for half a day since the weather was bad. Snow started to melt and the fog reduced the visibility.

Harry was able to grab the snitch before Draco did and the Gryffindor crowd cheered hard for their win.

Harry crept silently away from the crowd that celebrated with Professor McGonagall.

Harry didn't want the attention anymore. He didn't want it. . . not that time.

Hermione caught sight of Harry and ran to him as fast as she could. When at last she was near him, Hermione put a caring hand over Harry's shoulder, but hesitantly. Harry turned his head to see who it was.

"Did you come running after me just to reprimand me for not letting your husband catch the Snitch first?. . ." Harry glared for a while and continued with a disgusted look. "You're sick."

"Of course not! I'm here to congratulate you. . . and could you just stop referring to him as my husband? Nobody else is supposed to know about it!"

"You're done congratulating me with your senseless reminder. You've done what you wanted to do so could you leave me alone now? I could walk back to the castle on my own."

"Well I'm not leaving you until we have talked about this."

"For your information, it wasn't I who started the fight."

"It doesn't matter who started it. The thing is, I want to thank you for forgiving my shortcomings. . . and Draco's as well."

Harry started to walk away from Hermione when he said, "I'm doing nothing."

Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to her. "Harry, could you talk to me like a man? So just you know, I will not sacrifice our friendship--- not now. I've already given up being a lover to you and I'm not allowing you to take this friendship away."

Harry stared into Hermione's eyes and lost the hate he had for her. His voice was on the verge of shattering. "I thought that if we grew a distance away from each other, you'd be happier with him. I guess I'm wrong. . . coz whatever I do to get farther away from you, you always come around. I've been sacrificing our friendship so that there will be an end to this curse. . . that you and Draco will forever be in a perfectly requited love relationship; so that there's no chance for him to awaken his evil side. . . and I tell you Hermione, it's anything but easy. Not at all. . ."

"You don't have to do that Harry. We're friends remember? We should be helping each other out not like what you're doing when you're trying to carry the responsibility over the prophecy. Every thing will come as it is. I'm not afraid of what's going to happen next anymore. . .and I order you not to do anything to alter that prophecy", said Hermione convincingly with a smile.

Harry simply stared at Hermione and tried to repeat the words in his mind. "You're ORDERING me?"

"Yes, as Head Girl, I have the authority to fully implement the rules---not unless you want me to take points from Gryffindor and your win today would be put into waste. . .", said Hermione in a sing-song voice that matched her sly grin. She laid out her hand to Harry and asked, "Friends?"

Harry promptly took Hermione's hand and shook it. He then pulled Hermione to him and hugged the vixen-like girl tight in his arms. Hermione did the same and it was as if not one of them would ever let go again---as if it was the last time. As the cool breeze brushed against their skin, Harry whispered Parseltongue into Hermione's air just as Hermione responded in a childish giggle.

"I can't understand Parseltongue Harry. . . remember?" Hermione whispered teasingly.

"Then I should teach you how. . ." came Harry's reply in a harsh, ragged voice full of desire for the woman who was once hers.

Harry locked Hermione's lips with his own. Hermione didn't stop him. She allowed him to take her lips and blow her mind away in that divine kiss. Hermione still wanted Harry, no doubt about that. Even at the slightest touch of their lips she assured herself that there was still something else than friendship that was going on between them.

A couple of first year boys came running chasing each other, passing by the couple. One of them leant on to his mate and asked, "Isn't that the Head Girl? She must be lucky to have Harry Potter as his boyfriend."

Hermione pulled away from the kiss as she heard the two kids talking beside them. "You two better go where you're headed." Hermione said in a matter-of- fact tone with a warm grin on her swollen lips. She bent down to the two little boys and gave them a peck on the cheek each. The two blushed at once. Turns out that they were fancying the Head Girl. Embarrassed, the first years ran off as fast as they could. Harry drew himself closer behind Hermione who had her back against him.

"I wish they won't tell anyone about this. Draco might know"

Hermione filled the air with her silence. Without looking back at Harry, she replied, "Don't worry. There won't be a next time. . ."

Hermione walked away from Harry towards the crowd of Slytherin supporters who were cheering for their good-looking Seeker.

~Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns characters, setting, etc. Except: the plot is mine.~

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haha. I'm sure you're wondering what Hermione's doing. No, she's not playing with either blokes. Hermione at this point is true to Draco only that there's something else that surfaces when she's taken away by the moment. That's natural for anyone especially when you never really had the chance to talk about your break-up, or have a nice break-up, that is. And yeah, to those who didn't get the last part, Hermione assured Harry that that was the last time he'd get a kiss from her. That's because she loves Draco too much already and that she was actually headed towards the Slytherin crowd, leaving Harry alone to his thoughts. You'd see there that Hermione's trying to shrug everything between Harry and her that even if she admitted to herself that she still wanted Harry, she chose Draco over him.

Hey guys, just a few more chapters and this is done! More action, suspense, and mush are up for the next chapters. I'm sure you'll love the different genre of the installments.

For next chapter, "Face of Wraith", Pansy Parkinson comes back to Draco's scene and seduces him to get laid with her again after some time. When Draco refuses, Pansy pulled off some good reasons why Draco should do it again with her. . . (oh no Draco. Don't do it! Ack!) And Hermione gets too surprised that Draco is actually a . . . A PROFESSOR? Since when?! And yes, just before the next match against Slytherin and Gryffindor, an omen shows itself to the couple and threatens Hermione of her life (again). In the middle of the Quidditch match, something very terrible happens. . .

Okay, I'm giving the plot off. For now, please, PLEASE give me your reviews! Please! I'm getting fond of reading them over and over. I can't get enough of it! They're all wonderful!

Ciao!