Chapter 4
Why me?
Harry left his thoughts, and went to find Hermione. He found her in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She was sobbing violently. He approached her cautiously.
"Er, Hermione," Harry began nervously.
"Just leave me alone. Go on. Just do it." She snapped.
"But why?"
"I should have known it. You're no better than any of the others."
"Who?" Harry was genuinely baffled.
"I should have known you didn't...I dunno what's wrong with me...perhaps boys just don't..."
"Don't what? I can't see anything wrong with you, in fact, you're perfect..." Harry trailed off, but Hermione started to look a bit brighter.
"Really? Oh, but you don't mean it..."she started to mumble to herself. "Mm, yeah...mm...no...oh, what's the point?"
"Hermione, what would you say if I told you I don't have the foggiest what you're talking about?" Harry was now really confused.
"It's...YOU! I thought...you weren't like Seamus..." Hermione's eyes were full of tears.
"What about me? PLEASE tell me!" Harry was getting desperate.
"...Well...its just...ohIknowyoujustwanttobefriends... butIthought... thatyou didn't..." she blurted out.
"WHAT? I never said...I don't just want to be friends, but I don't know about you...oh God." Harry noticed Hermione looking at him happily. "You know now, don't you?" she nodded.
"Don't worry, I fancy you too. I thought you didn't like me...I...I thought it was me!"
"No. Well, now we both know..." Harry made an indication with his arm.
Hermione started laughing. "What does that mean?" she copied his indication. "What is that supposed to mean?"
They were both laughing now, then they stopped, and got closer sub- consciously, completely oblivious to the stony glares of Moaning Myrtle. Their eyes closed, their heads at an angle, closer and closer they got, their lips almost touching...
"Hm!" Myrtle scowled, and dived into the toilet.
"Well, well, well! Harry! It appears I have a competitor!"
"That makes two then." Harry was a bit annoyed about being interrupted.
"Harry, now where were we? I think we were...here..." and Hermione leant towards him. They embraced, and slowly, their lips touched. Harry's tongue ventured into her mouth, and they passionately kissed. Their tongues were touching, they were hovering in the air, and Harry had never felt so alive.
They kissed for ten minutes, then Hermione thought she would be daring, and moved her hand down towards Harry's crotch. They both felt a strange, tingly feeling, and suddenly Hermione gasped.
OMIGOD, I have given Harry Potter a stiffie!"
They continued to kiss, then, in the dark and distant corners of their brains, they could hear footsteps approaching them, and then they stopped.
Harry broke away reluctantly, dreading who he was going to see. He looked up, and who was in front of him but Ginny and Myrtle.
"Mr. Harry Potter, may I introduce Miss. Ginny Weasley, your girlfriend, who you have been so cruel to."
"EX-girlfriend, Myrtle. If you are going to pry into my private life, please get the facts right. And anyway, she was the one who broke up with me, so calling ME cruel..." he trailed off.
Ginny turned to face Hermione, and calmly said to her, "what are you doing with my boyfriend, you hussy?"
"Correction, Ginny, he isn't your boyfriend." Hermione said smugly.
"Well, I'm not surprised. He isn't the first boy you've been involved with, is he?" Hermione paled.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Ginny."
"Don't lie, you whore. I know you met him in Hogsmeade last weekend. Yes, HIM, Harry, Krum! She's been seeing him for years! AND I have evidence!" Ginny waved a photo at Harry.
Harry looked shocked, and hurt. "Hermione, you know I trust you, but...I just...can't believe it. You...oh, I need time to think."
And with that, Harry walked off towards bed.
After he had gone, Hermione was beside herself with anger.
"I hope you're happy, you spiteful little girl. You have RUINED my life, because you are just so immature."
"I trust you have an excuse for your, ah-hem, 'meetings' with Krum?!"
"Yes, I do." She said bluntly.
"Well then, I would LOVE to hear it. But let me guess, you aren't going to tell me?"
"Got it in one." Hermione muttered through gritted teeth.
"well, don't let me keep you. I have important people to meet," she caught sight of Hermione's face, "oh that's right, I have PLENTY more gossip about you and lover boy. I'm sure the Daily Prophet would LOVE to hear about it!"
"WHY YOU LITTLE..."
That night, Harry lay awake in bed. He was thinking about that fateful day in the Department of Mysteries. He remembered the veil, which was beckoning him. What a nice way to die, he thought. Painless, simple...
Then he started to remember his years at Hogwarts leading up to Sirius' death. He remembered himself writing to Sirius, telling him to help him; he remembered his failed Occlumency classes, all the little details, which might have contributed to his death.
Harry had tried blaming everyone else bar himself for Sirius' death. However, even after two years, the nerve was still there.
He could remember Snape's first words to him, in his sixth year: "How does it feel, Potter, knowing you are a murderer?"
His fists started to clench at the mere memory of it. God, how he hated that greasy haired, slimy man. Snape's eyes glared at him in his nightmares, ever since Snape had betrayed Dumbledore's trust.
Then, he remembered his fourth year, when Hermione had gone to the Yule Ball with Krum. He sometimes wished he were Krum, just so he could have legally held her for just one day.
He walked over to his bed, and opened up a cupboard, where a Pensieve lay. He opened it up, and leaned into it.
Instantly, he could feel himself in the Great Hall, watching Hermione and Krum dance. All of a sudden, he saw Hermione look at Harry's fourth year self, with an oddly longing look. However, his past self was just staring at his shoes. Hermione then turned back to Krum.
Harry walked over to his past self. He remembered how he had felt. At the time, he had felt a strange emptiness, gazing at Hermione dancing with Krum, and her beauty.
She was almost floating round the room in his arms, but all the same, she didn't appear to be in love.
At the time, he thought the emotion was sympathy for Ron, being jealous that Hermione was going to the ball with someone else, but now, he recognised it for what it truly was: love.
"Harry, you idiot!" he silently cursed. "You've fancied her for three years, and never realised it before today."
Then he thought. What if there was a book... "...which helped you to understand girls emotions? Of course! I'll ask Hermi..." then he faltered. She's the one he wanted advice on, so he couldn't just ask her.
He sighed, and turned back over, trying to go to sleep.
Below his pillow, however, Hermione and Ginny were still arguing, four hours after Ginny found them. He heard a shriek, and then several bangs and a loud, vicious shout.
Harry couldn't ignore it any longer, so he went downstairs to help to defend Hermione. On the way there, he saw one of the castle's Valentine's Day decorations, a Cupid, flying through the air. It fired at him, skimming across the top of his head.
He could see Hermione being held in a stranglehold, and ran over to her. Ginny fired a spell at him, which sent him flying up into the air.
Then, he saw a goblet hovering. "Just drink it!" she shouted. "Then, I'll let you down."
Harry sniffed the potion. "Love Potion," he diagnosed.
He quickly Summoned Hermione, and they both sat up in the air. "Sorry Ginny, but I won't let you..."
As he looked at a dent in the wall, he noticed a house-elf sitting there. He heard it whisper 'Imperius' to him.
Harry could hear a command. "Kiss Ginny...kiss Ginny..." No thanks, he said. "KISS Ginny, kiss her." I'd rather not. "KISS HER! NOW!"
Harry fell down onto Ginny, but stopped himself from kissing her. At that point, she gave him an envelope.
"Fine, you don't want to kiss me. Like I care!" she scowled. Then, with a forced smile, she said, "But take this little memento. It won't harm you!"
And with that, Ginny ran off.
Hermione was still floating up there, but Harry left her there. As he went back towards the common room, he shouted,
"Hermione, I thought I could be yours. Obviously, I can't, as you're with Krum. Sorry to disappoint you!"
Back in the Gryffindor common room, Harry was worried. Did he believe Ginny, or Hermione? His instincts said trust Ginny, but that photo was such damning proof...
He decided that he would ask Ginny to see the photo in the morning. Now, however, he would open the letter.
A photo fell out, and both its occupants were moving. They were kissing. Harry looked closer at the photo, to see who the people were.
When Ron returned from detention with Snape (cleaning all the cauldrons WITHOUT MAGIC), he found Harry with his head in his hands.
"Hey Harry, you alright, mate?"
"I thought I could trust her...but I can't..."
"What, you talking about Ginny? Hey, she's only going out with Seamus, and you broke up, didn't you? Why do you care?"
Harry couldn't be bothered to correct Ron, but then he realised. "What? Ginny's going out with Seamus?"
"Yeah, that's right. Come on, mate, it's nearly midnight!"
"I'll be up in a moment."
And with that, Harry was left alone with the fire, pondering. "But if she's going out with Seamus, why does she want me?"
Harry got up, and called to Ron, who was almost at the stairs. "Hey Ron, wait for me!"
The common room was left deserted, without life or movement; apart from figures who were still moving in fragments of a photo, which were scattered in the bin.
Harry left his thoughts, and went to find Hermione. He found her in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. She was sobbing violently. He approached her cautiously.
"Er, Hermione," Harry began nervously.
"Just leave me alone. Go on. Just do it." She snapped.
"But why?"
"I should have known it. You're no better than any of the others."
"Who?" Harry was genuinely baffled.
"I should have known you didn't...I dunno what's wrong with me...perhaps boys just don't..."
"Don't what? I can't see anything wrong with you, in fact, you're perfect..." Harry trailed off, but Hermione started to look a bit brighter.
"Really? Oh, but you don't mean it..."she started to mumble to herself. "Mm, yeah...mm...no...oh, what's the point?"
"Hermione, what would you say if I told you I don't have the foggiest what you're talking about?" Harry was now really confused.
"It's...YOU! I thought...you weren't like Seamus..." Hermione's eyes were full of tears.
"What about me? PLEASE tell me!" Harry was getting desperate.
"...Well...its just...ohIknowyoujustwanttobefriends... butIthought... thatyou didn't..." she blurted out.
"WHAT? I never said...I don't just want to be friends, but I don't know about you...oh God." Harry noticed Hermione looking at him happily. "You know now, don't you?" she nodded.
"Don't worry, I fancy you too. I thought you didn't like me...I...I thought it was me!"
"No. Well, now we both know..." Harry made an indication with his arm.
Hermione started laughing. "What does that mean?" she copied his indication. "What is that supposed to mean?"
They were both laughing now, then they stopped, and got closer sub- consciously, completely oblivious to the stony glares of Moaning Myrtle. Their eyes closed, their heads at an angle, closer and closer they got, their lips almost touching...
"Hm!" Myrtle scowled, and dived into the toilet.
"Well, well, well! Harry! It appears I have a competitor!"
"That makes two then." Harry was a bit annoyed about being interrupted.
"Harry, now where were we? I think we were...here..." and Hermione leant towards him. They embraced, and slowly, their lips touched. Harry's tongue ventured into her mouth, and they passionately kissed. Their tongues were touching, they were hovering in the air, and Harry had never felt so alive.
They kissed for ten minutes, then Hermione thought she would be daring, and moved her hand down towards Harry's crotch. They both felt a strange, tingly feeling, and suddenly Hermione gasped.
OMIGOD, I have given Harry Potter a stiffie!"
They continued to kiss, then, in the dark and distant corners of their brains, they could hear footsteps approaching them, and then they stopped.
Harry broke away reluctantly, dreading who he was going to see. He looked up, and who was in front of him but Ginny and Myrtle.
"Mr. Harry Potter, may I introduce Miss. Ginny Weasley, your girlfriend, who you have been so cruel to."
"EX-girlfriend, Myrtle. If you are going to pry into my private life, please get the facts right. And anyway, she was the one who broke up with me, so calling ME cruel..." he trailed off.
Ginny turned to face Hermione, and calmly said to her, "what are you doing with my boyfriend, you hussy?"
"Correction, Ginny, he isn't your boyfriend." Hermione said smugly.
"Well, I'm not surprised. He isn't the first boy you've been involved with, is he?" Hermione paled.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Ginny."
"Don't lie, you whore. I know you met him in Hogsmeade last weekend. Yes, HIM, Harry, Krum! She's been seeing him for years! AND I have evidence!" Ginny waved a photo at Harry.
Harry looked shocked, and hurt. "Hermione, you know I trust you, but...I just...can't believe it. You...oh, I need time to think."
And with that, Harry walked off towards bed.
After he had gone, Hermione was beside herself with anger.
"I hope you're happy, you spiteful little girl. You have RUINED my life, because you are just so immature."
"I trust you have an excuse for your, ah-hem, 'meetings' with Krum?!"
"Yes, I do." She said bluntly.
"Well then, I would LOVE to hear it. But let me guess, you aren't going to tell me?"
"Got it in one." Hermione muttered through gritted teeth.
"well, don't let me keep you. I have important people to meet," she caught sight of Hermione's face, "oh that's right, I have PLENTY more gossip about you and lover boy. I'm sure the Daily Prophet would LOVE to hear about it!"
"WHY YOU LITTLE..."
That night, Harry lay awake in bed. He was thinking about that fateful day in the Department of Mysteries. He remembered the veil, which was beckoning him. What a nice way to die, he thought. Painless, simple...
Then he started to remember his years at Hogwarts leading up to Sirius' death. He remembered himself writing to Sirius, telling him to help him; he remembered his failed Occlumency classes, all the little details, which might have contributed to his death.
Harry had tried blaming everyone else bar himself for Sirius' death. However, even after two years, the nerve was still there.
He could remember Snape's first words to him, in his sixth year: "How does it feel, Potter, knowing you are a murderer?"
His fists started to clench at the mere memory of it. God, how he hated that greasy haired, slimy man. Snape's eyes glared at him in his nightmares, ever since Snape had betrayed Dumbledore's trust.
Then, he remembered his fourth year, when Hermione had gone to the Yule Ball with Krum. He sometimes wished he were Krum, just so he could have legally held her for just one day.
He walked over to his bed, and opened up a cupboard, where a Pensieve lay. He opened it up, and leaned into it.
Instantly, he could feel himself in the Great Hall, watching Hermione and Krum dance. All of a sudden, he saw Hermione look at Harry's fourth year self, with an oddly longing look. However, his past self was just staring at his shoes. Hermione then turned back to Krum.
Harry walked over to his past self. He remembered how he had felt. At the time, he had felt a strange emptiness, gazing at Hermione dancing with Krum, and her beauty.
She was almost floating round the room in his arms, but all the same, she didn't appear to be in love.
At the time, he thought the emotion was sympathy for Ron, being jealous that Hermione was going to the ball with someone else, but now, he recognised it for what it truly was: love.
"Harry, you idiot!" he silently cursed. "You've fancied her for three years, and never realised it before today."
Then he thought. What if there was a book... "...which helped you to understand girls emotions? Of course! I'll ask Hermi..." then he faltered. She's the one he wanted advice on, so he couldn't just ask her.
He sighed, and turned back over, trying to go to sleep.
Below his pillow, however, Hermione and Ginny were still arguing, four hours after Ginny found them. He heard a shriek, and then several bangs and a loud, vicious shout.
Harry couldn't ignore it any longer, so he went downstairs to help to defend Hermione. On the way there, he saw one of the castle's Valentine's Day decorations, a Cupid, flying through the air. It fired at him, skimming across the top of his head.
He could see Hermione being held in a stranglehold, and ran over to her. Ginny fired a spell at him, which sent him flying up into the air.
Then, he saw a goblet hovering. "Just drink it!" she shouted. "Then, I'll let you down."
Harry sniffed the potion. "Love Potion," he diagnosed.
He quickly Summoned Hermione, and they both sat up in the air. "Sorry Ginny, but I won't let you..."
As he looked at a dent in the wall, he noticed a house-elf sitting there. He heard it whisper 'Imperius' to him.
Harry could hear a command. "Kiss Ginny...kiss Ginny..." No thanks, he said. "KISS Ginny, kiss her." I'd rather not. "KISS HER! NOW!"
Harry fell down onto Ginny, but stopped himself from kissing her. At that point, she gave him an envelope.
"Fine, you don't want to kiss me. Like I care!" she scowled. Then, with a forced smile, she said, "But take this little memento. It won't harm you!"
And with that, Ginny ran off.
Hermione was still floating up there, but Harry left her there. As he went back towards the common room, he shouted,
"Hermione, I thought I could be yours. Obviously, I can't, as you're with Krum. Sorry to disappoint you!"
Back in the Gryffindor common room, Harry was worried. Did he believe Ginny, or Hermione? His instincts said trust Ginny, but that photo was such damning proof...
He decided that he would ask Ginny to see the photo in the morning. Now, however, he would open the letter.
A photo fell out, and both its occupants were moving. They were kissing. Harry looked closer at the photo, to see who the people were.
When Ron returned from detention with Snape (cleaning all the cauldrons WITHOUT MAGIC), he found Harry with his head in his hands.
"Hey Harry, you alright, mate?"
"I thought I could trust her...but I can't..."
"What, you talking about Ginny? Hey, she's only going out with Seamus, and you broke up, didn't you? Why do you care?"
Harry couldn't be bothered to correct Ron, but then he realised. "What? Ginny's going out with Seamus?"
"Yeah, that's right. Come on, mate, it's nearly midnight!"
"I'll be up in a moment."
And with that, Harry was left alone with the fire, pondering. "But if she's going out with Seamus, why does she want me?"
Harry got up, and called to Ron, who was almost at the stairs. "Hey Ron, wait for me!"
The common room was left deserted, without life or movement; apart from figures who were still moving in fragments of a photo, which were scattered in the bin.