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 5
"So Harry, what did you and Hermione do in Hogsmeade?" Ginny asked, propping her elbows on the kitchen table in Harry's apartment.
"Not much. Just walked around," he answered blandly.
"Yeah? How come? I would've thought that you'd probably rejoicing because you got to be with her again after a year," she said, taking a bite out of an apple.
"Well... you know I want much more than being with her," he replied.
She sighed. "Harry, you know that you can't keep on hoping forever. You'll have to move on some time. I mean, it's been a year. Besides, there are lots of girls out there."
"I don't care. I just know that Hermione and I are meant to be. I strongly believe that and I'm not going to stop trying," he said firmly.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "You'll be 80 and you'll still be single. Is that what you want?"
"Aren't you supposed to be supporting me in my decision? Instead of doing so, you're discouraging me," he said, sitting beside her.
"Because that's what best friends do. I don't want to see you get hurt. I know how much breaking up with Hermione hurt you. What if you two aren't really meant to be and you wasted your whole life fighting for it? Is that what you want to happen? Waste your life on hopeless dreams?"
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He smiled at her. "Thanks for knocking sense into me when I need it, Gin."
"No problem, Harry. Anytime."
**
Hermione looked through the papers that she needed to finish by the end of the week. She got a blank piece of parchment and began writing something on it, while reading whatever it was on one of the papers. She bit her lip in concentration.
"Ahem."
Hermione looked up, a bit startled. "Harry! Wh – what are you doing here?"
"Making sure that you're not working too hard again," Harry answered, sitting on one of the chairs in front of her desk.
"You know it's important that I work hard," Hermione reminded him.
"Yeah. But you must remember that I promised to stop you from being a workaholic," Harry said evenly.
Hermione grinned. "Ooh. I almost forgot about that."
Harry became serious all of a sudden and Hermione knew what was coming. "Hermione, I came here to talk to you about –."
"Harry, let's not talk about this now. I mean, I have a lot of work to do and it's not really that important and –."
"Not that important? Hermione, we're talking about us here."
"There is no us anymore, Harry," Hermione said quietly, looking away.
Harry stood up. "You're right." Then he headed for the door and left.
Hermione watched him walk away angrily. She sighed. She felt bad because she knew that she rejected him again. She didn't want to do so, but she had no choice. They're broken up. They were over. There's no going back. She sighed again and banged her head a little on her desk.
"Ms. Granger, I don't suppose there's a good reason you're banging your head on the table?"
Hermione looked up and stood up so fast that her chair toppled over. "Professor Dumbledore!"
**
Harry rushed out of the Ministry of Magic office and hurried outside. He was walking so fast that he bumped into someone.
"Ow!" the person said, rubbing their arm.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, stopping to attend to... "Parvati?"
She looked up and her frown changed into a big smile. "Harry!" She leaned forward and gave him a hug. "Do you work here, too?"
"No, no. I was just visiting a friend," Harry answered. "How have you been?"
"Good. Actually, great," Parvati said, grinning. "How about you? I haven't heard from you ever since graduation."
"I'm fine. I'm a Quidditch seeker for the Canons," Harry said.
"So I heard," Parvati said, nodding. "How's Hermione? Was she the one you were visiting?"
"Uh, no," Harry said hesitantly.
"Is something wrong?"
"Hermione and I broke up on graduation day."
"Oh. I... I'm sorry. I didn't know," Parvati said soothingly.
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault," Harry said.
"Well, whose fault was it?" she asked frankly.
"Uh, kinda mine, but not really. It's a long story," Harry said. "So... I was thinking that we should get together some time..."
**
"Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said, walking in her office. "How wonderful it is to see you again."
"Uh, yeah. What brings you here unexpectedly, professor?" Hermione asked, waving for him to sit.
"Just visiting a friend," Dumbledore said. "I came across Harry as I was coming up. I assume he was here to see you?" Hermione nodded. "Well, he didn't look very happy."
"Er, that would be because things didn't go the way he was hoping it would," Hermione said.
"Which would be about your relationship with one another," Dumbledore stated. Hermione's cheeks turned pink. Of course Dumbledore would know about their situation. "No need to be worried, Hermione. I understand your position. But are you sure that's your decision?"
"I don't quite understand, professor. Of course I'm sure that that's my decision," Hermione said. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at her. "You're probably right. I'm not sure."
"Why is that so?" he asked. Hermione shook her head to show that she didn't know or that she didn't want to understand her feelings right now. "Hermione, is it because maybe you aren't over Harry?"
"That's not true," Hermione said at once, but weakly. "That's not true," she said again, this time much quieter. "I'm over him."
"It is not good to lie to oneself," Dumbledore said. "You're merely pretending to believe what you want to believe and not what is true." Hermione looked down and didn't say anything to that. She didn't want to say anything for fear of telling the professor more than what is necessary. "Hermione?"
She slowly met the professor's eyes. And as soon as she looked straight into the eyes of the professor, she regretted doing so. For she knew that he was right. As he usually was about everything. But she didn't want to admit that she wasn't over Harry. She wanted to believe that she was over him in the past year that they've been away from each other. Everyone thought that she hadn't thought about him in the slightest, when all she could think about was he. She just couldn't forget that easily. Tears stung her eyes as she looked away from the professor again.
"Hermione, listen to your heart. It knows the right path," Dumbledore said after a moment's silence. "Well... I shall go now." He stood up. Hermione stood up as well. "It was good to see you again, Hermione."
"It's good to see you again, too, professor," Hermione said quietly. Dumbledore smiled slightly and left her standing in front of her desk.
**
"Sure. I'm free tomorrow evening," Parvati said.
"Perfect," Harry said, smiling.
"Okay. I'll see you then," Parvati said then went in the building.
Harry grinned and apparated to the Weasley home. Ginny and Ron were there and noticed his happiness.
"What are you so happy about?" Ginny asked, propping her elbows on the table.
"I saw Parvati a while ago when I went to the Ministry and –," Harry said.
"You went to the Ministry of Magic office?" Ron asked, interrupting him. "What were you doing there?"
"Er... I was visiting Hermione. Anyway, I –," Harry replied.
"Really? Did you eat lunch together?" Ginny asked.
"No," Harry said impatiently. "So I met Parvati and we agreed to have dinner tomorrow."
"You're going on a date with her?" Ron said approvingly. "Nice going, man. She's a chick."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Why are you meeting her?"
"For old times sake," Harry answered, grinning widely.
"Are you sure that's your reason or is that a way to make Hermione jealous?" Ginny said frankly.
Harry smiled disappeared. "What are you talking about, Gin? This has nothing whatsoever to do with Hermione. Parvati's my friend and from what I recall, we used to have this thing with each other before. There's nothing wrong with pursuing other options, right?"
Ginny looked down. "Right." Then she left the kitchen.
"Right?" Harry repeated, facing Ron this time.
"Well... yeah," Ron said hesitantly.
"Ron, I'm doing this because Parvati and I haven't seen each other in a long time. It's a friend thing and maybe something more," Harry explained.
"I didn't say anything, Harry. I'm not even implying anything," Ron said. "You do what you want to do."
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 5
"So Harry, what did you and Hermione do in Hogsmeade?" Ginny asked, propping her elbows on the kitchen table in Harry's apartment.
"Not much. Just walked around," he answered blandly.
"Yeah? How come? I would've thought that you'd probably rejoicing because you got to be with her again after a year," she said, taking a bite out of an apple.
"Well... you know I want much more than being with her," he replied.
She sighed. "Harry, you know that you can't keep on hoping forever. You'll have to move on some time. I mean, it's been a year. Besides, there are lots of girls out there."
"I don't care. I just know that Hermione and I are meant to be. I strongly believe that and I'm not going to stop trying," he said firmly.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "You'll be 80 and you'll still be single. Is that what you want?"
"Aren't you supposed to be supporting me in my decision? Instead of doing so, you're discouraging me," he said, sitting beside her.
"Because that's what best friends do. I don't want to see you get hurt. I know how much breaking up with Hermione hurt you. What if you two aren't really meant to be and you wasted your whole life fighting for it? Is that what you want to happen? Waste your life on hopeless dreams?"
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He smiled at her. "Thanks for knocking sense into me when I need it, Gin."
"No problem, Harry. Anytime."
**
Hermione looked through the papers that she needed to finish by the end of the week. She got a blank piece of parchment and began writing something on it, while reading whatever it was on one of the papers. She bit her lip in concentration.
"Ahem."
Hermione looked up, a bit startled. "Harry! Wh – what are you doing here?"
"Making sure that you're not working too hard again," Harry answered, sitting on one of the chairs in front of her desk.
"You know it's important that I work hard," Hermione reminded him.
"Yeah. But you must remember that I promised to stop you from being a workaholic," Harry said evenly.
Hermione grinned. "Ooh. I almost forgot about that."
Harry became serious all of a sudden and Hermione knew what was coming. "Hermione, I came here to talk to you about –."
"Harry, let's not talk about this now. I mean, I have a lot of work to do and it's not really that important and –."
"Not that important? Hermione, we're talking about us here."
"There is no us anymore, Harry," Hermione said quietly, looking away.
Harry stood up. "You're right." Then he headed for the door and left.
Hermione watched him walk away angrily. She sighed. She felt bad because she knew that she rejected him again. She didn't want to do so, but she had no choice. They're broken up. They were over. There's no going back. She sighed again and banged her head a little on her desk.
"Ms. Granger, I don't suppose there's a good reason you're banging your head on the table?"
Hermione looked up and stood up so fast that her chair toppled over. "Professor Dumbledore!"
**
Harry rushed out of the Ministry of Magic office and hurried outside. He was walking so fast that he bumped into someone.
"Ow!" the person said, rubbing their arm.
"I'm sorry," Harry said, stopping to attend to... "Parvati?"
She looked up and her frown changed into a big smile. "Harry!" She leaned forward and gave him a hug. "Do you work here, too?"
"No, no. I was just visiting a friend," Harry answered. "How have you been?"
"Good. Actually, great," Parvati said, grinning. "How about you? I haven't heard from you ever since graduation."
"I'm fine. I'm a Quidditch seeker for the Canons," Harry said.
"So I heard," Parvati said, nodding. "How's Hermione? Was she the one you were visiting?"
"Uh, no," Harry said hesitantly.
"Is something wrong?"
"Hermione and I broke up on graduation day."
"Oh. I... I'm sorry. I didn't know," Parvati said soothingly.
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault," Harry said.
"Well, whose fault was it?" she asked frankly.
"Uh, kinda mine, but not really. It's a long story," Harry said. "So... I was thinking that we should get together some time..."
**
"Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said, walking in her office. "How wonderful it is to see you again."
"Uh, yeah. What brings you here unexpectedly, professor?" Hermione asked, waving for him to sit.
"Just visiting a friend," Dumbledore said. "I came across Harry as I was coming up. I assume he was here to see you?" Hermione nodded. "Well, he didn't look very happy."
"Er, that would be because things didn't go the way he was hoping it would," Hermione said.
"Which would be about your relationship with one another," Dumbledore stated. Hermione's cheeks turned pink. Of course Dumbledore would know about their situation. "No need to be worried, Hermione. I understand your position. But are you sure that's your decision?"
"I don't quite understand, professor. Of course I'm sure that that's my decision," Hermione said. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at her. "You're probably right. I'm not sure."
"Why is that so?" he asked. Hermione shook her head to show that she didn't know or that she didn't want to understand her feelings right now. "Hermione, is it because maybe you aren't over Harry?"
"That's not true," Hermione said at once, but weakly. "That's not true," she said again, this time much quieter. "I'm over him."
"It is not good to lie to oneself," Dumbledore said. "You're merely pretending to believe what you want to believe and not what is true." Hermione looked down and didn't say anything to that. She didn't want to say anything for fear of telling the professor more than what is necessary. "Hermione?"
She slowly met the professor's eyes. And as soon as she looked straight into the eyes of the professor, she regretted doing so. For she knew that he was right. As he usually was about everything. But she didn't want to admit that she wasn't over Harry. She wanted to believe that she was over him in the past year that they've been away from each other. Everyone thought that she hadn't thought about him in the slightest, when all she could think about was he. She just couldn't forget that easily. Tears stung her eyes as she looked away from the professor again.
"Hermione, listen to your heart. It knows the right path," Dumbledore said after a moment's silence. "Well... I shall go now." He stood up. Hermione stood up as well. "It was good to see you again, Hermione."
"It's good to see you again, too, professor," Hermione said quietly. Dumbledore smiled slightly and left her standing in front of her desk.
**
"Sure. I'm free tomorrow evening," Parvati said.
"Perfect," Harry said, smiling.
"Okay. I'll see you then," Parvati said then went in the building.
Harry grinned and apparated to the Weasley home. Ginny and Ron were there and noticed his happiness.
"What are you so happy about?" Ginny asked, propping her elbows on the table.
"I saw Parvati a while ago when I went to the Ministry and –," Harry said.
"You went to the Ministry of Magic office?" Ron asked, interrupting him. "What were you doing there?"
"Er... I was visiting Hermione. Anyway, I –," Harry replied.
"Really? Did you eat lunch together?" Ginny asked.
"No," Harry said impatiently. "So I met Parvati and we agreed to have dinner tomorrow."
"You're going on a date with her?" Ron said approvingly. "Nice going, man. She's a chick."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Why are you meeting her?"
"For old times sake," Harry answered, grinning widely.
"Are you sure that's your reason or is that a way to make Hermione jealous?" Ginny said frankly.
Harry smiled disappeared. "What are you talking about, Gin? This has nothing whatsoever to do with Hermione. Parvati's my friend and from what I recall, we used to have this thing with each other before. There's nothing wrong with pursuing other options, right?"
Ginny looked down. "Right." Then she left the kitchen.
"Right?" Harry repeated, facing Ron this time.
"Well... yeah," Ron said hesitantly.
"Ron, I'm doing this because Parvati and I haven't seen each other in a long time. It's a friend thing and maybe something more," Harry explained.
"I didn't say anything, Harry. I'm not even implying anything," Ron said. "You do what you want to do."