Alternate Realities
Summary: Harry would tell Hermione he loved him but he couldn't – anyone he loves, Voldemort hurts. He didn't want to take that risk with Hermione. But what would happen if he did take the risk?
A/N: This story might get confusing because I had a confusing idea. Now, basically, there are two stories going on at once. This is a "What If?" story, so there will be two worlds, like an alternate reality. I think you'll understand once you read, if not, please review and tell me.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling and sadly never will be. All characters in this story are hers and everything you recognize is hers too. Anything that's new is mine. The plot is loosely based on two movies, Spiderman II and Sliding Doors, so it's not completely my idea.
Chapter 1
"Harry, no, please," pleaded Hermione.
Harry turned slowly to face her. Her face was shining with tears. He had to go, Voldemort was waiting for him.
"Please, don't go," said Hermione. She swept a strand of hair out of her eyes. He'd always loved how her hair fell into her eyes and how she swept it away without a care. He had always loved her. He'd loved her for seven years, ever since the day he'd met her.
Hermione stepped closer to him.
"Don't leave me."
Harry looked down at the ground. Bravery was not enough to face Hermione. He couldn't tell her that he loved her. He didn't want to leave her that way. If he died, and she had known that he'd loved her, she would be even more depressed than she would be otherwise.
"Please…"
Hermione tried to catch Harry's eyes but he wouldn't look at her. He couldn't look at her, it was too much. He couldn't be sure if he would ever see her again.
"Harry," Hermione's voice was shaking and she could barely piece sentences together.
"I have to go," said Harry bravely. He turned towards the portrait hole and went to face his doom.
"No, don't leave me like this," said Hermione. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back around to face her. "I – I…"
Harry forced himself to look at her. She was still beautiful even with tears running down her cheeks and a runny nose. If there had been different circumstances, he could have kissed her.
He opened his mouth to say something but there was nothing to say.
Hermione was trying to hold back her tears.
"I have to go," Harry repeated, "I have to…"
"No – wait," said Hermione.
Harry closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. He didn't have time for this. No matter how much he loved Hermione, he didn't have time to waste. He had to go and he had to go now. She seemed like she had something to say, but what could possibly be so important right now?
Harry opened his eyes to see that Hermione was very close to him; he could feel her breath on his neck and saw her chocolate brown eyes gazing up at him.
"I never knew I could feel like this," said Hermione as she reached up and brushed Harry's bangs out of hi eyes face. "I never knew I could –"
She stopped abruptly as they felt the ground rumble beneath their feet. Hermione laid her hand on Harry's arm to keep herself steady. He felt a tingle under his skin, a very peculiar sensation that he got every time he touched Hermione.
"There's something I need to tell you that I've never said before," Hermione said in almost a whisper. "I need to tell you before you go."
"No," said Harry, he didn't want to hear it, "Tell me when I get back."
"But what if you don't get back? What if you –"
"I won't," Harry reassured her. "I'll be back tomorrow and I'll be right here, standing next to you."
Hermione's eyes filled with more tears. "No, Harry, listen."
Harry shook his head and looked away, "Tell me when I get back," he said with finality. He pulled his arm away from her and stepped backwards.
Hermione bit her lip and gazed at him, memorizing his features, his every move.
"Listen to me," said Hermione. Harry shook his head again and didn't look at her. He didn't want to know. If she told him anything it would just make things worse, it would just make everything harder for him.
Harry stepped backwards again, slowly inching his way towards the portrait hole. He was using valuable time.
"Harry, before you go…"
"Tell me when I get back."
"Just one kiss."
A kiss. That was not what he had expected at all. He looked into her eyes and saw that she had meant it, she wasn't playing games. He couldn't say that he'd never wanted to kiss Hermione – of course he had. But, he never actually thought that she'd be the one to want to kiss him.
"No," said Harry, he couldn't do it.
"Do you love me, Harry?"
"I…" he began. Hermione looked at him; he didn't know what she wanted him to say. "I…"
Hermione didn't wait for him to finish. "I love you, Harry."
"I don't."
Hermione was openly sobbing; she turned away from him.
"It will be better this way. Voldemort only goes after those who I – who I love. I don't want to take that risk. You've already risked too much for me," said Harry.
"So you do love me?" she asked hopefully.
"No and I… I never have."
He couldn't look at her; it was much harder to lie to Hermione when looking into her eyes. He turned away and walked slowly towards the portrait hole again. He didn't want to leave, especially not like this, but he had to. It was the only way.
As he reached the portrait hole, he turned back around to see that Hermione had collapsed onto the floor sobbing. Seeing her cry like that brought tears to his own eyes. He had suffered so much loss in his life and he didn't want anyone else to suffer the kind of pain he had. But – no, he couldn't love her.
"Goodbye Hermione. I – I'll see you later."
With that, he turned away and walked valiantly towards the portrait hole, not looking back and hoping that she wouldn't say anything.
"I love you, Harry," said Hermione quietly and Harry could barely hear her, "I will always love you."
Harry kept walking, out the portrait hole, down the stairs and out the front door and into the cool summer breeze. He had just done a horrible thing.
He had just made Hermione cry and he might never see her again.
"Harry, no, please," pleaded Hermione.
Harry turned slowly to face her. Her face was shining with tears. He had to go, Voldemort was waiting for him.
"Please, don't go," said Hermione. She swept a strand of hair out of her eyes. He'd always loved how her hair fell into her eyes and how she swept it away without a care. He had always loved her. He'd loved her for seven years, ever since the day he'd met her.
Hermione stepped closer to him.
"Don't leave me."
Harry looked down at the ground. Bravery was not enough to face Hermione. He couldn't tell her that he loved her. He didn't want to leave her that way. If he died, and she had known that he'd loved her, she would be even more depressed than she would be otherwise.
"Please…"
Hermione tried to catch Harry's eyes but he wouldn't look at her. He couldn't look at her, it was too much. He couldn't be sure if he would ever see her again.
"Harry," Hermione's voice was shaking and she could barely piece sentences together.
"I have to go," said Harry bravely. He turned towards the portrait hole and went to face his doom.
"No, don't leave me like this," said Hermione. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back around to face her. "I – I… I love you."
But then again – what if he didn't come back and she might never know? What if he really didn't have a chance to tell her? What if she would never know the truth?
At those words, when she said that she loved him, Harry knew that maybe it was meant to be. She would probably be better off knowing the truth; it was too hard to lie to Hermione anyway.
"I love you too, Hermione," said Harry quietly. He knew then that he had made the right decision.
Hermione gasped and a ghost of a smile shined on her face. She opened and closed her mouth, as if trying to say something.
"Oh, Harry…" she said and flung her arms around him and pulled him close. They stood in each other's arms for a while before Harry remembered that he had to go.
"I have to go," repeated Harry and let go of Hermione. The smile faded from Hermione's face as she saw the sadness in Harry's eyes.
"Wait."
"No, I really have to go."
"Just one kiss."
Harry was surprised to hear this. Yes, they loved each other, but a kiss… That was different. But, if he never got to see her again –
Harry cupped Hermione's chin is lightly kissed her on her mouth. He meant to leave after that but Hermione grabbed him and passionately kissed him, deepening the kiss. She had been waiting so long for this and so had he.
The ground rumbled beneath their feet and Harry pulled away, his eyes closed, and sighed. Now, he was absolutely sure that he had made the right decision.
Tears were again running down Hermione's cheeks but she was smiling. Smiling and sobbing.
"Don't worry, I'll be back."
"You have to come back," said Hermione.
"I will, I promise."
Harry knew that it probably wasn't smart to make a promise that he probably couldn't keep but he said it anyway. It was make him fight harder. He would fight for Hermione and his love for her. And if he didn't return – well, at least she would know the truth.
"Goodbye Harry, I love you."
"Goodbye Hermione," said Harry and kissed her one last time. After he pulled away, he looked at her, memorizing everything about her so he could picture her in his head while he was fighting.
"I will always love you," said Harry and he turned away towards the portrait hole. He stepped through and just as it was closing, he heard Hermione call after him.
"I'll never forget you Harry. I'll love you forever!"