Disclaimer: None is mine, except maybe characters that you've never seen. And the plot, that's totally mine.
(A/N I know I know, I haven't been writing or posting, but I'm starting school up again in a few days and I really did leave myself in a pickle with the last chapter. "Where to go from here?" I thought to myself, but I think this may work...)
Ginny was sitting in the Slytherin common room in the dungeon, joined by the likes of Blaise Zambini, Pansy Parkinson and some other students Draco had recruited. They all stood in the spots they had rehearsed in, all fully dressed in costume. They sat there and waited. Finally it happened, Hermione Granger's head popped into the fireplace, looking anxiously around, seeing if she recognized the room she was in. Ginny, fully disguised as an old woman walked over to her.
"How can I help you dear?" The old woman asked Hermione.
"Well, yes, er, I was wondering if, er, you could help me with some, er, romantic problems..." Hermione stammered out. She was obviously very nervous in front of the old woman, who wore traditional black robes and had her grey hair in a bun. The old woman just smiled at Hermione, and nodded her head.
"Of course I can help you my dear, that is, of course, my job. To help poor unfortunate souls such as you find true love. Please, step into my office." The old woman said.
Hermione stumbled out of the fireplace awkwardly, stepping over her own feet. She finally stood and dusted off her robe, standing up with perfect posture. She then looked around and saw a carefully decorated room. It looked like a medieval dungeon; it was cloaked all over in colorful tapestries and there were several fireplaces. She also noticed many students, mainly Slytherin's, in the parlor.
'Yeah, I'm the only one besides these bollocks to actually believe this stuff works.' Hermione thought to herself. She shook her head and followed the old lady into a small room decorated the same as the large parlor. Hermione noticed a small fireplace in the room and two red, plush chairs that surrounded a small round table. The table housed a crystal ball and a stack of Tarot Cards.
"Sit down my child" the old lady started, "My name is Madame Birch, healer of broken hearts and mender of broken dreams; what is it you wish for me to do dear girl?"
"I want that certain someone to feel the same way, Madam, like it says in your advertisement. I want him to love me like I love him, to yearn for my touch as I yearn for his..." Hermione said, looking fanciful and dreamy. Madam Birch's look of disbelief brought Hermione back down to Earth. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I just, er, got carried away." Hermione said, looking down at her feet, trying to hide the scarlet in her cheeks.
"It's quite alright dear, really, it is, but I must ask who this person is." Madam Birch said, looking quite sternly at Hermione.
"Oh, it's uh, Harry, Harry Potter." Hermione said, looking up to Madam Birch only to see a smile across her lips.
"Oh, Mr. Potter has been very popular in the office this year; everyone seems to be in love with him..." Madam Birch said condescendingly, staring down Hermione as if she were just a small girl with an even smaller crush on the neighborhood hero.
"No, it isn't like that. I've known Harry for going on six years, I have known all along!" Hermione said, now standing up to defend her feelings. She felt encompassed with passion, to think someone had the nerve to doubt her devotion to Harry!
"Now now child, calm down," Madam Birch said, motioning for Hermione to sit down. "It isn't that easy anyhow. According to the cosmos my dear, Harry is already spoken for by someone else." Madam Birch said calmly as she stared into the crystal ball. "Ah yes, spoken for indeed, they will get married three years after he graduates and have many children, I can see it all here!"
"S-s-spoken for?" Hermione muttered, on the edge of tears. Hermione, though she though Divination was an absolute crock, could not resist looking up some fundamental principles the summer before she ever started the course. She remembered what Madam Birch must be talking about; the Soul mate Prophecy, which stated that some individuals are predestined to be with someone before either is born. The cases are quite rare, and Hermione had never heard of one outside of her text books.
"Yes, yes, written in the stars as they say." Madam Birch said, bringing Hermione out of her own thoughts. "Better you hear it know and get over this childish crush now," Madam Birch started. "IT IS NOT A CHILDISH CRUSH; I AM IN LOVE WITH HARRY POTTER!" Hermione screamed at the old woman, then turned and left the room. She stormed past Draco and Pansy, obviously in couples counseling, and stood in the fireplace in which she had entered.
"Gryffindor Commons!" Hermione shouted as she through the Floo Powder into the grate. She zoomed through the network and landed in the common room, which was abnormally full. She plopped down on the closest couch, hoping no one would notice her, and began to sob into a pillow. She heard footsteps coming closer and felt a hand on her back. She turned her head and saw it was none other than Harry, his emerald green eyes big with concern.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" He asked, helping her to her feet and embracing her in a hug.
Hermione pulled out of the embrace and looked at his face. He had such a youthful expression just a year ago, but now he looked as if he had aged five years, his jet black hair now had a few sparse gray spots and his eyes had huge purple bags under them. He looked nothing like his sixteen years, though, she thought, he had been through more in those sixteen years than most in their entire lives.
"Harry, I wish, I wish I could tell you, but I can't, I can't do it..." Hermione said, desperately wanting to let Harry know the truth. She lowered her head into her hands and began to sob again.
"You can tell my anything, anything, you hear me. I can handle it no matter what it is, don't worry about that." Harry said, picking Hermione's face up in his hands, tipping her chin up so their faces were equal. "I mean that, anything."
"Oh Merlin, Harry Potter, I love you!" Hermione said, tired of trying to hide her true emotions. She didn't want to pretend anymore that he was nothing but a good friend to her; she wanted him to know what he meant to her, how she dreamed of him late at night.
After all, the Prophecy would come true no matter what.
"Her-Hermione, do you mean that? You, really love me?" Harry said, tears welling up in his eyes, not expecting that statement to come from her lips.
"Yes, yes I do love you. You mean so much to me, I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you. I want to be there for you no matter what, both emotionally and...physically..." Hermione said, blushing profusely at the end of the statement.
Harry just sat there, slack jawed, and staring.
Hermione started again, "But it'll never matter Harry, you have a Soul Mate Prophecy with Ginny. I can never ever matter to you like you matter to me." Hermione said softly, becoming fully aware of the audience that was starting to gather. She didn't care; she needed this to be off of her chest.
"Hermione, I don't have a Soul Mate Prophecy with Ginny, or anyone. A person can only have one prophecy and I have mine with Voldemort; I am free to love, and marry, anyone who I wish." Harry said, looking sweetly down onto Hermione.
Hermione looked up, dumbstruck at what Harry had said. He didn't have a Prophecy with Ginny, he wasn't going to marry her and he knew how she felt. Hermione felt sick to her stomach and got up and ran to the lavatory. Harry ran after her and even ran into the girl's lavatory.
"Hermione, it is okay, I feel the same way. Hermione, would you be, be my Valentine." Harry said to a closed cubicle door. Hermione opened the door and went into his arms. She just sat there in his embrace for what seemed like an eternity. She stood up and nodded, agreeing to be his for Valentines Day, and, she thought, maybe forever.
"There is something I don't get, who would trick me into believing that you had a Soul Mate Prophecy?" Hermione said.
(A/N AHHH! Climax is done, now we just have to do some cleaning up. Maybe one chapter more, maybe two, but it really is dwindling. I hope you liked this chapter, it went fast writing it. Reviews are appreciated as always!)