Falling for you
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley or any other character. The only thing that's mine is the plot.
- The last thing Hermione wants is to fall for someone... again. -
Chapter 2
Hermione covered her mouth with her hand, almost spilling her drink. She couldn't believe that this would happen to her now, in a time she didn't expect it the most.
"Hermione... I... It's great to see you!"
Hermione opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She was just feeling too speechless. She closed her mouth and looked around for Cho. She needed some backup. But Cho was nowhere to be found. She looked back at him again.
"Hermione? Aren't you happy to see me?"
"I... I..."
"Harry! There you are! I've been –," Ron stopped talking as soon as he saw Hermione. "Hermione!"
"Ron," Hermione nodded. "If you two will excuse me, I have to look for my friend." Hermione eased her way between a surprised Ron and a breathless Harry and looked for Cho on the dance floor. When she found her, she pulled her away from the crowd.
"What's the matter?" Cho asked once she saw Hermione's face, a cross of worry and nervousness.
"Harry's here," Hermione whispered urgently.
"What?" Cho asked, surprised. "Where?" She craned her neck to look around.
"By the bar. With Ron," Hermione replied.
Cho turned to look at the bar and saw Ron, his red hair standing out, and then there was Harry. It seemed that they were discussing something very serious. Probably Hermione. Cho grinned and faced Hermione. "Well? What did you say?"
"Nothing."
"What? Why?"
"I have nothing to say to him," Hermione said stubbornly.
Cho sighed. "Hermione, you'll have to face him sooner or later."
"I don't care. I don't want to face him," Hermione said, crossing her arms on her chest.
"He's your best friend!" Cho said indignantly. "How can you stand not talking to someone who has been in your life for seven years? How can you not forgive him for something you didn't even hear his explanation out for?"
Hermione's eyes stung with tears. She knew she had been wrong when she didn't even hear Harry explain what happened. She regretted that. But she couldn't do anything about that now. It was done and she can't take it back. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was just really hurt before and couldn't think straight. I'm going home." She turned around and headed for the entrance of the bar.
She was almost there when she felt a hand on her arm. Her heart beat faster because of nervousness. She looked up and saw that it was Ron. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you leaving already?" Ron asked.
Hermione nodded. "I have no business here, anyway."
"Hermione, if you don't talk to Harry now, you'll never be able to talk to him again," Ron told her quietly.
Hermione looked up at him. "What are you saying?"
"Exactly what I just said. If you're sure that you want to not see him again anymore, he will disappear on you," Ron said. "Do you want that?"
Hermione looked down. Then she slowly looked at Ron. "If that's what he wants to do then... fine. I see the decision's been made." She turned around and walked out of the bar, leaving Ron watching her with sadness in his eyes.
Harry jogged to Ron. "Where's Hermione?"
"She left."
Harry hurriedly went out of the bar and went after her. He saw her walking down the street in her elegant, spaghetti-strapped, black dress. "Hey, you shouldn't be walking out alone at night."
Hermione jumped and put a hand on her chest. "Harry! You scared me!"
"Did I?" Harry smiled slightly.
"Yeah," Hermione said, her breathing much more normal. "What are you doing here?"
"I went after you. I don't want you going home alone," Harry explained.
"What about Ron?" Hermione asked, quietly this time, remembering the status of their relationship.
"He understands," Harry said.
Hermione didn't say anything to that. She merely walked and looked ahead, avoiding Harry's probing eyes.
"Hermione..." Harry began slowly. "I... I want to say –."
"I'm sorry, too," Hermione interrupted. "I shouldn't have let it go this far."
Harry nodded. "I want you to know that what happened wasn't intentional. Blaise was drunk. It just so happened that –."
Hermione held up a hand. Tears were starting to leak from her eyes. "I don't need to here this."
"Okay. Fine," Harry said resignedly. "I'm sorry."
"Let's just forget about the whole thing," Hermione answered hoarsely.
"Hermione..." Harry began.
Hermione stopped walking and faced Harry. Harry looked at her. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly. Harry wrapped his arms around her and held her close, comforting her.
**
"Where have you been last night, young lady?"
"Young lady yourself," Hermione said, smiling a little. Cho raised her eyebrows.
"Harry happened to disappear, too, so Ron and I spent the evening together," Cho told her.
"I was with Harry. We went for a walk and chatted," Hermione said.
"You guys are back together? Oh my gosh! I'm going to –."
"We're only friends, Cho." Cho frowned. "I just can't get back together with him."
"Why not?" Cho said, pouting.
"Because we're already broken up. I broke up with him. I'm not just going to go back on my word," Hermione explained. "What are you doing here, anyway? It's eight in the morning."
"I went here as soon as I could because I thought you got back with him," Cho said. "But now that I'm here, I might as well stay longer."
Hermione shook her head. "I have to go to Ron's in a while. I'm having breakfast with them."
"Okay. I'll leave when you leave."
**
Hermione apparated to the Weasley's house, in the kitchen. When she got there, there was no one around. She went out to the gardens and saw Harry standing there.
"Hey," Hermione said.
Harry looked at her and was surprised for a moment. "Hi."
"Where are the others?" she asked.
"Out for shopping."
"All of them?"
"Only Ron and Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. Fred and George are coming from their shop."
"I see," Hermione said, nodding. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing. Just enjoying the breeze," Harry replied. He sat down on the grass and Hermione sat down beside him. "So how was your year last year?"
Hermione shrugged. "Oh you know, work."
"How about boyfriends?" Harry asked slowly.
"Um... none," Hermione answered.
"Really?" Harry asked, surprised. "How come?"
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Because..."
Hermione smiled and shrugged. "There wasn't time, I guess. I was busy with work."
"Wow! I'm really surprised. Are you sure?"
"Harry!" she said, shoving him a little. "There's nothing surprising about that."
"Yes, there is. A girl like you... never mind."
Hermione cleared her throat and looked around. "I wonder what time they'll be coming back."
"I know. They've been gone for hours," Harry informed her. "Do you wanna walk around for a while?" He offered his hand to her.
"Sure," Hermione said, taking his hand. They stood up and walked around, hand in hand.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley or any other character. The only thing that's mine is the plot.
- The last thing Hermione wants is to fall for someone... again. -
Chapter 2
Hermione covered her mouth with her hand, almost spilling her drink. She couldn't believe that this would happen to her now, in a time she didn't expect it the most.
"Hermione... I... It's great to see you!"
Hermione opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She was just feeling too speechless. She closed her mouth and looked around for Cho. She needed some backup. But Cho was nowhere to be found. She looked back at him again.
"Hermione? Aren't you happy to see me?"
"I... I..."
"Harry! There you are! I've been –," Ron stopped talking as soon as he saw Hermione. "Hermione!"
"Ron," Hermione nodded. "If you two will excuse me, I have to look for my friend." Hermione eased her way between a surprised Ron and a breathless Harry and looked for Cho on the dance floor. When she found her, she pulled her away from the crowd.
"What's the matter?" Cho asked once she saw Hermione's face, a cross of worry and nervousness.
"Harry's here," Hermione whispered urgently.
"What?" Cho asked, surprised. "Where?" She craned her neck to look around.
"By the bar. With Ron," Hermione replied.
Cho turned to look at the bar and saw Ron, his red hair standing out, and then there was Harry. It seemed that they were discussing something very serious. Probably Hermione. Cho grinned and faced Hermione. "Well? What did you say?"
"Nothing."
"What? Why?"
"I have nothing to say to him," Hermione said stubbornly.
Cho sighed. "Hermione, you'll have to face him sooner or later."
"I don't care. I don't want to face him," Hermione said, crossing her arms on her chest.
"He's your best friend!" Cho said indignantly. "How can you stand not talking to someone who has been in your life for seven years? How can you not forgive him for something you didn't even hear his explanation out for?"
Hermione's eyes stung with tears. She knew she had been wrong when she didn't even hear Harry explain what happened. She regretted that. But she couldn't do anything about that now. It was done and she can't take it back. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was just really hurt before and couldn't think straight. I'm going home." She turned around and headed for the entrance of the bar.
She was almost there when she felt a hand on her arm. Her heart beat faster because of nervousness. She looked up and saw that it was Ron. She closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Are you leaving already?" Ron asked.
Hermione nodded. "I have no business here, anyway."
"Hermione, if you don't talk to Harry now, you'll never be able to talk to him again," Ron told her quietly.
Hermione looked up at him. "What are you saying?"
"Exactly what I just said. If you're sure that you want to not see him again anymore, he will disappear on you," Ron said. "Do you want that?"
Hermione looked down. Then she slowly looked at Ron. "If that's what he wants to do then... fine. I see the decision's been made." She turned around and walked out of the bar, leaving Ron watching her with sadness in his eyes.
Harry jogged to Ron. "Where's Hermione?"
"She left."
Harry hurriedly went out of the bar and went after her. He saw her walking down the street in her elegant, spaghetti-strapped, black dress. "Hey, you shouldn't be walking out alone at night."
Hermione jumped and put a hand on her chest. "Harry! You scared me!"
"Did I?" Harry smiled slightly.
"Yeah," Hermione said, her breathing much more normal. "What are you doing here?"
"I went after you. I don't want you going home alone," Harry explained.
"What about Ron?" Hermione asked, quietly this time, remembering the status of their relationship.
"He understands," Harry said.
Hermione didn't say anything to that. She merely walked and looked ahead, avoiding Harry's probing eyes.
"Hermione..." Harry began slowly. "I... I want to say –."
"I'm sorry, too," Hermione interrupted. "I shouldn't have let it go this far."
Harry nodded. "I want you to know that what happened wasn't intentional. Blaise was drunk. It just so happened that –."
Hermione held up a hand. Tears were starting to leak from her eyes. "I don't need to here this."
"Okay. Fine," Harry said resignedly. "I'm sorry."
"Let's just forget about the whole thing," Hermione answered hoarsely.
"Hermione..." Harry began.
Hermione stopped walking and faced Harry. Harry looked at her. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed quietly. Harry wrapped his arms around her and held her close, comforting her.
**
"Where have you been last night, young lady?"
"Young lady yourself," Hermione said, smiling a little. Cho raised her eyebrows.
"Harry happened to disappear, too, so Ron and I spent the evening together," Cho told her.
"I was with Harry. We went for a walk and chatted," Hermione said.
"You guys are back together? Oh my gosh! I'm going to –."
"We're only friends, Cho." Cho frowned. "I just can't get back together with him."
"Why not?" Cho said, pouting.
"Because we're already broken up. I broke up with him. I'm not just going to go back on my word," Hermione explained. "What are you doing here, anyway? It's eight in the morning."
"I went here as soon as I could because I thought you got back with him," Cho said. "But now that I'm here, I might as well stay longer."
Hermione shook her head. "I have to go to Ron's in a while. I'm having breakfast with them."
"Okay. I'll leave when you leave."
**
Hermione apparated to the Weasley's house, in the kitchen. When she got there, there was no one around. She went out to the gardens and saw Harry standing there.
"Hey," Hermione said.
Harry looked at her and was surprised for a moment. "Hi."
"Where are the others?" she asked.
"Out for shopping."
"All of them?"
"Only Ron and Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. Fred and George are coming from their shop."
"I see," Hermione said, nodding. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing. Just enjoying the breeze," Harry replied. He sat down on the grass and Hermione sat down beside him. "So how was your year last year?"
Hermione shrugged. "Oh you know, work."
"How about boyfriends?" Harry asked slowly.
"Um... none," Hermione answered.
"Really?" Harry asked, surprised. "How come?"
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Because..."
Hermione smiled and shrugged. "There wasn't time, I guess. I was busy with work."
"Wow! I'm really surprised. Are you sure?"
"Harry!" she said, shoving him a little. "There's nothing surprising about that."
"Yes, there is. A girl like you... never mind."
Hermione cleared her throat and looked around. "I wonder what time they'll be coming back."
"I know. They've been gone for hours," Harry informed her. "Do you wanna walk around for a while?" He offered his hand to her.
"Sure," Hermione said, taking his hand. They stood up and walked around, hand in hand.