Author's Note: Sorry to anyone that is mad at the way I finished the last
chapter. I will fix that right away now. I think the turn out of this
chapter will be better then the last one for Harry. Though make sure you
read everything, because there is still a little bit of stuff that needs to
be worked through in this chapter. Once again, thanks for the reviews and
keep them coming.
Chapter 5: Revelations
Hermione sprang out of her seat as if she had just sat on a pin and races towards the stairs leading up to her dorm. She couldn't face Harry now, not yet. She had just about reached the door, when she felt herself being pulled backwards.
She looked back to find Harry dragging her by the shoulders back to were they had just been sitting. She tried to struggle free and get to her room, but he was too strong for her. Hermione was forced back into her chair, icy tears streaming down her cheeks.
She knew, even before looking up that he was hurt deeply by her dismissal. She felt her heart freeze as she forced herself to look into his eyes. The pained numbness that Hermione saw in them was the same tragic emptiness that she had seen many times over the past summer. The same look he got every time he thought about that Sirius was dead. How could she cause him so much pain? Did he love her that much?
Harry glared down at Hermione, heart hammering against his chest. He couldn't have just heard her say what he thought she had. There was no way the after the last two nights they had spent together, that she could just not want it anymore. There had to be an explanation. He slowly said, "Sorry, but I think I misunderstood you. What was that?"
"Harry, I...," She looked away from his piercing gaze. How was she going to get out of this? She couldn't stand to say the words again. Her throat burned as she even though about them. It had been almost overwhelming the first time.
"I still don't understand what you said," Harry called out to her more forcefully. He wanted to know what was going on with her.
Hermione tried to swallow, but found her thought incredibly dry. She knew that he was still staring at her, waiting for her answer. Though he didn't mention it, Hermione knew that he also wanted her to give him an explanation, but this wasn't as easy as it sounded. She had a reason, but she couldn't tell Harry. She had promised not to mention anything about it to him.
She tried to say something to Harry, to relieve his suffering, but when she opened her mouth only a small squeaking sound came out. What could she tell him except what she promised she wouldn't tell him that could make this any better?
Harry asked her again, "Hermione, please say something to me. I'm not understanding what you are telling me."
"Oh, Harry! I can't do this. I can't date you! That's all there is to it!" Hermione blurted out as Harry pleaded for the information from her. She tried to slide off her chair and attempt to escape again, but Harry held a firm grip on her shoulder.
Harry's chest rose and fell very fast, as he rasped for breath. How could she be telling him this? They had just spent two amazing nights together, and now she wanted out of something that she hadn't even given a proper chance? "Hermione, please don't say that. I love you! I have never loved another the way I love you. And I know that you love me too. I could feel it in the way you kissed me and held me. You can't really want to stop it!"
She started to sob softly as she rocked back and forth on her seat. It was true, all of it. She did love Harry, and she knew that he loved her back. And truth be told, Hermione didn't want it to stop, and she didn't want to say it. But she couldn't tell him that. It would just make it all harder and more complicated. So instead, she replied, "It won't work. I haven't been able to tell anyone, and you are hiding it to, so it can't be that strong if we are hiding it!"
"You think for a second I wouldn't tell people?! If it would get you to just realize how much I care, I would shout my love for you from the tops of the highest tower, to let the world know what I feel for you! I you want me to do it, just ask!" Harry snapped at her, starting to get annoyed at her attitude.
Hermione meekly whispered, "Harry, please. That's not what I meant. Don't go doing anything crazy. It's just, even when it was just Ron, you didn't even say anything to him. You just pretended to be doing research when he came down last night. And today you waited till him and everyone else were gone before you did anything. That's all."
Temper not subsiding much at the weak attempt of an apology, Harry let out a snort and glared on intensely at her. "I only didn't tell Ron yet, because I figured that I would give you some time to think things through before we went public. Obviously that was a mistake." He said dryly.
"Can't we just finish this in the morning? Give us some time to think, just sleep on it?" Hermione pleaded.
Harry laughed somewhat darkly and scoffed, "Just what you need, more time."
"Harry please! You are the one that pulled me back here. You have to work with me if we are going to figure anything out."
Eying Hermione, as she still looked away, into the shadows of the slowly dying fire, he came to a decision. "Fine, if you want to leave so badly, you just have to do one thing for me," pulling her head forwards, so her eyes were forced to look into his, he continued, "Looking into my eyes, tell me you don't love me." Hermione let out a small gasp. "If you can do that, then you are free to leave this room and relationship right away.
Horror struck, she shook her head the little bit it would move under the pressure of Harry's gripping hand. "I can't do that Harry. You know I love you. That is one thing I can't deny." With these words, his grasp loosened, as she was free to look away once again.
"If you admit to loving me, then what is the problem? If you won't tell me you don't love me, then I need another explanation."
Hermione swallowed again and tried to come up with something to say. The only though that came to mind would be the forbidden truth. She couldn't betray her promise, but she had to say something to Harry. She decided to go with most of the truth. The part she could say, without giving over hidden information.
"I want to end it, Harry, because I don't want to wreck our friendship. If we continue, and we break up, it could be the end of all relationships between us, friendship and beyond. I just can't take that chance. Please try to understand. I am doing this for the best. This way, we will always be friends." She ended, while wiping away a few tears with her sleeve.
"So basically, you don't think that we can work? Or that we even have enough maturity to stay friends if we don't?" Harry asked questioningly.
Hermione move back in her chair and glanced around the still disserted room. "I don't know what will happen, but there is a large possibility of it being bad."
"There is also a high chance that it could be great!" Harry retorted very matter-of-factly.
"I don't know if I can chance it Harry!"
Harry looked straight at her, "Hermione, I promise, if you just give us a chance, I will do everything in my power to make it work out and if by some default it one-hundred percent can't, we will still be friends. I love you to much to not at least be friends."
Hermione felt as though her heart had skipped a beat. There was no way she could continue trying to end something that seemed to be destined to happen, despite her fears. She nodded at him and said, somewhat shyly, "Alright, I will, just so long as you uphold your promise."
"Always and forever," Harry assured her with a smile. Pulling her into his arms, he gave Hermione a kiss goodnight and released her, so she could go up to bed...
Author's Note: There you all go. You didn't have to wait to long, and now everything is patched up between the two of them. Hope that that was a satisfactory ending to the chapter and the little conflict that Harry and Hermione experienced. Also, please keep reviewing. I have really enjoyed hearing what you have to say so far.
Chapter 5: Revelations
Hermione sprang out of her seat as if she had just sat on a pin and races towards the stairs leading up to her dorm. She couldn't face Harry now, not yet. She had just about reached the door, when she felt herself being pulled backwards.
She looked back to find Harry dragging her by the shoulders back to were they had just been sitting. She tried to struggle free and get to her room, but he was too strong for her. Hermione was forced back into her chair, icy tears streaming down her cheeks.
She knew, even before looking up that he was hurt deeply by her dismissal. She felt her heart freeze as she forced herself to look into his eyes. The pained numbness that Hermione saw in them was the same tragic emptiness that she had seen many times over the past summer. The same look he got every time he thought about that Sirius was dead. How could she cause him so much pain? Did he love her that much?
Harry glared down at Hermione, heart hammering against his chest. He couldn't have just heard her say what he thought she had. There was no way the after the last two nights they had spent together, that she could just not want it anymore. There had to be an explanation. He slowly said, "Sorry, but I think I misunderstood you. What was that?"
"Harry, I...," She looked away from his piercing gaze. How was she going to get out of this? She couldn't stand to say the words again. Her throat burned as she even though about them. It had been almost overwhelming the first time.
"I still don't understand what you said," Harry called out to her more forcefully. He wanted to know what was going on with her.
Hermione tried to swallow, but found her thought incredibly dry. She knew that he was still staring at her, waiting for her answer. Though he didn't mention it, Hermione knew that he also wanted her to give him an explanation, but this wasn't as easy as it sounded. She had a reason, but she couldn't tell Harry. She had promised not to mention anything about it to him.
She tried to say something to Harry, to relieve his suffering, but when she opened her mouth only a small squeaking sound came out. What could she tell him except what she promised she wouldn't tell him that could make this any better?
Harry asked her again, "Hermione, please say something to me. I'm not understanding what you are telling me."
"Oh, Harry! I can't do this. I can't date you! That's all there is to it!" Hermione blurted out as Harry pleaded for the information from her. She tried to slide off her chair and attempt to escape again, but Harry held a firm grip on her shoulder.
Harry's chest rose and fell very fast, as he rasped for breath. How could she be telling him this? They had just spent two amazing nights together, and now she wanted out of something that she hadn't even given a proper chance? "Hermione, please don't say that. I love you! I have never loved another the way I love you. And I know that you love me too. I could feel it in the way you kissed me and held me. You can't really want to stop it!"
She started to sob softly as she rocked back and forth on her seat. It was true, all of it. She did love Harry, and she knew that he loved her back. And truth be told, Hermione didn't want it to stop, and she didn't want to say it. But she couldn't tell him that. It would just make it all harder and more complicated. So instead, she replied, "It won't work. I haven't been able to tell anyone, and you are hiding it to, so it can't be that strong if we are hiding it!"
"You think for a second I wouldn't tell people?! If it would get you to just realize how much I care, I would shout my love for you from the tops of the highest tower, to let the world know what I feel for you! I you want me to do it, just ask!" Harry snapped at her, starting to get annoyed at her attitude.
Hermione meekly whispered, "Harry, please. That's not what I meant. Don't go doing anything crazy. It's just, even when it was just Ron, you didn't even say anything to him. You just pretended to be doing research when he came down last night. And today you waited till him and everyone else were gone before you did anything. That's all."
Temper not subsiding much at the weak attempt of an apology, Harry let out a snort and glared on intensely at her. "I only didn't tell Ron yet, because I figured that I would give you some time to think things through before we went public. Obviously that was a mistake." He said dryly.
"Can't we just finish this in the morning? Give us some time to think, just sleep on it?" Hermione pleaded.
Harry laughed somewhat darkly and scoffed, "Just what you need, more time."
"Harry please! You are the one that pulled me back here. You have to work with me if we are going to figure anything out."
Eying Hermione, as she still looked away, into the shadows of the slowly dying fire, he came to a decision. "Fine, if you want to leave so badly, you just have to do one thing for me," pulling her head forwards, so her eyes were forced to look into his, he continued, "Looking into my eyes, tell me you don't love me." Hermione let out a small gasp. "If you can do that, then you are free to leave this room and relationship right away.
Horror struck, she shook her head the little bit it would move under the pressure of Harry's gripping hand. "I can't do that Harry. You know I love you. That is one thing I can't deny." With these words, his grasp loosened, as she was free to look away once again.
"If you admit to loving me, then what is the problem? If you won't tell me you don't love me, then I need another explanation."
Hermione swallowed again and tried to come up with something to say. The only though that came to mind would be the forbidden truth. She couldn't betray her promise, but she had to say something to Harry. She decided to go with most of the truth. The part she could say, without giving over hidden information.
"I want to end it, Harry, because I don't want to wreck our friendship. If we continue, and we break up, it could be the end of all relationships between us, friendship and beyond. I just can't take that chance. Please try to understand. I am doing this for the best. This way, we will always be friends." She ended, while wiping away a few tears with her sleeve.
"So basically, you don't think that we can work? Or that we even have enough maturity to stay friends if we don't?" Harry asked questioningly.
Hermione move back in her chair and glanced around the still disserted room. "I don't know what will happen, but there is a large possibility of it being bad."
"There is also a high chance that it could be great!" Harry retorted very matter-of-factly.
"I don't know if I can chance it Harry!"
Harry looked straight at her, "Hermione, I promise, if you just give us a chance, I will do everything in my power to make it work out and if by some default it one-hundred percent can't, we will still be friends. I love you to much to not at least be friends."
Hermione felt as though her heart had skipped a beat. There was no way she could continue trying to end something that seemed to be destined to happen, despite her fears. She nodded at him and said, somewhat shyly, "Alright, I will, just so long as you uphold your promise."
"Always and forever," Harry assured her with a smile. Pulling her into his arms, he gave Hermione a kiss goodnight and released her, so she could go up to bed...
Author's Note: There you all go. You didn't have to wait to long, and now everything is patched up between the two of them. Hope that that was a satisfactory ending to the chapter and the little conflict that Harry and Hermione experienced. Also, please keep reviewing. I have really enjoyed hearing what you have to say so far.