Thanks guys! Thanks for all the lovely reviews. I really do appreciate hearing what you all think even if it's something that I might like. So, if you have any constructive criticism at all, I'd like to know what I'd need to work on.
Well, this very well may be the end of 'The Unexpected Turn of Events.' The final chapter because it's basically how I envisioned, at least the first chapter, of how Harry and Hermione may possibly get together. If I feel like the end was a cliffhanger-ish ending, I'll give you an epilogue if you so desire one. Thanks for everything, especially for reading!
Chapter Three: Just Below the Surface
Harry walked right beside Hermione as they walked hastily up to the Gryffindor Common Room. Their breathing was ragged and short and neither of them spoke because of this and because both were too afraid of what would be said as well. Harry didn't want to talk right then anyway; he was too busy thinking about what just happened and what was going to happen when they reached their destination.
As they reached the seventh floor landing and rounded the corner, the Fat Lady's portrait came into view. Hermione walked defiantly up to the Fat Lady and said as gracefully as she could under the circumstances, "Sphinx."
The Fat Lady smiled generously and swung her portrait open to the two, bearing the portrait hole. Harry let Hermione go in ahead of him and then climbed in behind her. As he emerged from the hole, he stood there awkwardly staring at Hermione. She too was staring at him, biting her bottom lip out of nervousness and because she was deep in thought. Harry could sense that she was analyzing what happened the night before and down in the Great Hall just a couple of minutes ago.
Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably, "Ah, Hermione--"
"No," Hermione said holding her hand up to stop him. "Don't talk right now, I want to tell you to know something."
For some strange reason Harry felt considerably more anxious when he heard her say that. "Please, after you." Harry said meekly.
Hermione looked down at the deep red hearth rug and then back up at Harry. "Okay, well when you kissed me last night as a last resort to make me be quiet that really hurt my feelings."
"Hermione, I didn't," Harry interrupted; he wanted her to know his sincerest apologies.
"Harry, please let me finish," Hermione said softly, trying to control all her conflicting emotions. "Then when I rushed up to my room I started to think a little bit more. I know it wasn't all your fault and it's partially mine as well because I kept pursuing, lecturing and yelling at you so much lately. But I feel as though that gave you no right to embarrass both of us in the middle of a crowded Common Room. It was really inconsiderate, you know." Hermione's cheeks were flushed at this point and Harry's guilt was doubled when he found out actually how much he had hurt and humiliated Hermione.
He waited a couple of seconds before he spoke just to make sure that she had finished what she was saying. "May I speak now or haven't you finished?" Harry asked as politely as he could, but couldn't get the courage up to look at her yet.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her nod her head, "Okay then." Harry walked over to the large fireplace and leaned against. "I'm really, truly sorry, Hermione. It was a rash and intolerably ignorant thing for me to do, especially when many of our housemates were in the room." He sneaked a glance at her slightly; she was standing where she had been ever since they had arrived there. Her arms were crossed and her head was bowed, no doubt she was too embarrassed to look at him.
"Go on," Hermione said still not looking up at him. By the tone in her voice, Harry deduced that she must be trying to hold back tears.
He slowly walked towards her because of this, "Well, when you started yelling at me, I guess I sort of was fed up with hearing about making up and forgiving you thoroughly. So, I started of thinking about ways to get you to be quiet and after a minute or so hearing you berate me, I chose whatever was off the top of my head and that turned out to be the rashest one, too." Harry was finally in front of her and she still wasn't looking at him. He didn't know if he should touch her or not. He was afraid that if he did touch her that she would back away in fear and anger yet he knew that she might crumble and finally look at him, too. "I sorry for being an insufferable git towards you lately," he said softly so she would just be able to hear him.
Hermione sniffed, "Well, I've probably been the same way towards you, as well."
Harry tilted his head slightly, "Nah, you've been a great friend who cares about our friendship enough to confront me even during one of my nasty mood swings."
She still wouldn't look at him, so Harry took another step closer to the point where they were only inches from one another. He started to raise his hand to touch her shoulder when she spoke again.
"You would've done the same thing if I were you in the situation," Hermione spoke shakily.
Harry stopped what he was doing, "I guess so." Instead, he raised Hermione's chin to look at him for the first time since their talk began. Her deep brown eyes were fiery and soft at the same time and they seemed to pierce his very soul when they looked at him. Harry smiled slightly, "There you are, it's quite difficult to apologize to you if I'm not able to see you."
Hermione smiled at this, "Sorry about that."
"You don't need to apologize for anything," Harry said as he finally took his hand away from her chin. "After all, I'm the git who should still be apologizing."
She laughed now when he said this, "You've always been a better person than I have, Harry."
Harry shook his head and looked down at his feet, "No, I've always thought of you as the better person, Mione. You're absolutely brilliant, too!"
"But you're a loyal and great friend, Harry, you've always been." Hermione said in a manner where she was determined to make him see that.
He just shook his head even more, "I'm sorry, Hermione. Really, I hope you could forgive me for what I've done."
"I already have," she said softly while grabbing Harry hand, which made his head shoot up to look at her.
She was smiling in a small, content way and her eyes were sparkling. "I think it's my turn to apologize to you for the stunt I pulled down in the Great Hall."
"No worries, you don't have to." Harry said blushing because of the memory of them kissing in front of the entire school.
Hermione squeezed his hand gently, "But I want to. Harry, it's wrong for me to make you just apologize to me when I did the same thing to you only with more people witnessing it. That would make me a hypocrite. So I'm genuinely sorry for putting you through that."
Harry smiled, "Well, I reckon you got me back and even topped mine!"
Hermione slap his arm playfully, "Shut up!"
"What, is Ms. Granger too embarrassed of kissing the Boy-Who-Lived in front of everyone in Hogwarts?" Harry teased while laughing slightly.
Hermione smiled at him mischievously, "Oh! Now you're going to get it!"
Harry prepared for her to do something to him and after a minute of waiting became impatient. "Well, are you going to get me back or aren't you?"
"You'll just have to wait," Hermione said positively glowing.
Harry, though, looked a little restless, "Right, well, I guess I'll just have to get you… NOW!"
Harry started to tickle Hermione incessantly and her giggles soon echoed in the room.
"Say 'mercy' and I'll stop!" Harry commanded while tickling her to make her see her ultimatum.
Hermione continued to laugh, "I'll never quit!"
"Have it your way, then." He continued to tickle her, but Hermione must have tripped over something because the next thing Harry knew he was on top of a laughing Hermione.
Harry gazed into her captivating eyes and the smile on his face slowly began to disappear. His heart began to race for a reason he didn't know of and his breathing became shallow once more.
"Harry," Hermione whispered as her eyes searched his.
Harry came back to reality abruptly and quickly became embarrassed, "Oh my!" He hastily tried to find his footing and once he did, he slowly pulled Hermione up.
Her cheeks were slightly pink, which caused Harry to blush profusely. "I'm dreadfully sorry, Hermione I didn't mean to--"
Harry's remark was smothered when Hermione kissed him gently. He was caught off guard and very surprised by the unexpected reaction from Hermione. But slowly, Harry began to relax and kiss her back.
Harry backed out of the kiss and looked down at his feet, "I suppose you did that to shut me up?"
Hermione made him look at her before she spoke, "Harry, if I wanted you to be quiet, I would've told you so."
Harry didn't comprehend it as soon as she said it, but a couple of seconds later, what she said had sunk in. "W-what?" He stuttered in disbelief.
She began to blush slightly, "Well, to be quite honest Harry…" Hermione paused; she must've been trying to think of the right words to say. "Harry, I don't know how to put this without making it sound cheesy, but here goes nothing- I've had a crush on you for the longest time and I would've never imagined in my life that you would kiss me or look at me the way you just did while we were on the floor! We've always been platonic friends and well, I guess I never thought it would go past that no matter how much I wanted it to."
Harry was baffled by what he was hearing. He would've never thought that Hermione liked him more than just a friend and he didn't even know what he was feeling to tell her if he liked her back or if he didn't. All of a sudden Harry couldn't breathe.
Hermione seemed to notice this right away, "Are you all right, Harry?" She asked with anxiety clearly in her voice.
He nodded his head as he walked over to the couch apprehensively. He didn't know why he so weak all of a sudden. Hermione sat down next to him and looked at him curiously. Harry soon regained his breath and composure and looked at Hermione.
"Are you okay, now?" Hermione asked looking over him and feeling his forehead.
"Yes, I just lost it there for some reason."
"Well, you're burning up, you know." Hermione said as she pulled her hand away from his head.
Harry didn't say anything; he didn't know what to say. He looked back at Hermione who was still looking over him as though he was her sick patient. He smiled to assure her that he was fine. As though someone had whispered it into his ear, Harry knew how he felt. He was never good at knowing too much about his own well-being. Harry had loved her for such a long time, longer than he would've even guessed. Ever since their second year when she was lying in the Hospital Wing, petrified, and all he could do was hold her hand and talk to her. Then life got in the way and Cho Chang came into the picture; she was the reason he never noticed Hermione in the light she saw him in, at least not until now. But he knew his subconscious self had always loved her the way she loved him.
He turned his body to look at Hermione and grabbed her hand and cleared his throat. "Hermione," he finally looked into her eyes, her soft eyes, "just now when you told me what you felt about me I didn't know what to say, do, or think, to be honest." She looked away from him and down at their entwined hands, but Harry picked her chin up, "I didn't know if I felt the same way about you… until I really thought back and as though the time-turner, per se, opened my eyes to what has always been right in front of me, you."
Hermione's eyes began to fill with tears, causing them to become fierier than ever. Harry couldn't help his desire to wipe away the stray tears that had escaped her eyes, so he leaned forward and brushed them away with his fingertips lightly. She smiled brightly and pulled him into a mind-blowing kiss that contained so much emotion that it felt like… like they had finally connected on a level they would've never dreamed of reaching, uncontainable love.
Even though no one else had witnessed their first real kiss, which had been their fourth kiss, Harry knew for a fact that he didn't want anyone else come across them kissing again for a long time.
Well, that's the end folks! Hopefully you all enjoyed reading it just as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you feel any part was cheesy, predictable, or just completely stupid, please tell me so I could make some changes. I want my story to be a pleasant read for anyone who reads it. Thanks so much for reading and I hope to have another story out soon enough, when ever inspiration comes across my path, really. Thanks again!