Chapter 12 – Confessions

Hermione was in a state of worry on the morning of the interview. But she was like that before every interview that she did. Visions of embarrassing herself on TV in front of millions of people. She didn't bother to get dressed in anything that looked presentable, as it would be pointless, when she got to the studio she would be given something to wear anyway. Instead she pulled on a pair of black jogging bottoms and a grey sweatshirt with a black heart print on it.

She ate a late breakfast alone, as Ginny had already gone to work before Hermione had gotten out of bed. After breakfast an owl arrived carrying the portkey that would take her to the studio where her interview would be held.

Arriving at the studios she was met by two women and a man who took her to a styling room where her hair was washed, conditioned, blow-dried and styled. She was dressed in a smart but sexy outfit and her make up was done in a light way.

After a quick preparation Hermione was taken to the green room to wait until the interviewer introduced her. It was only a fifteen-minute wait but it seemed to drag on forever.

But finally a runner came through into the room and got her to go through into the studio. She walked into the lighted room with an audience sat behind the cameramen. The interviewer, Joel Stanley, had stood up to meet her at the door that she walked through. He then led her to the sofa where she sat and the interview commenced.

"Welcome Hermione Granger, author of the two famous best sellers. How are you dear?" He asked with, what he tried to pass off as, a charming smile.

"I'm good thanks; it's nice to have a day away from the laptop." Hermione answered him with an equally false smile.

"So the question I think that everyone wants to know is that are your books actually just an account of when went on for you at Hogwarts?" Joel started off the interview and Hermione relaxed talking about her book she could handle, that she would be fine with.

"Well it's based on what went on at Hogwarts but it's not an actual account. The characters are not real and the plot had been fictionalised. School was my inspiration and the stories that me, Harry and Ron remember are what fuel it but it's not what happened word for word." Hermione explained.

"So after your first book you got a lot of money and of course that would have happened again once the second book was released, how does it feel to be the youngest millionaire witch in over three hundred years?" was Joel's next question.

"It's strange really. I mean I don't really feel any different than I did when I was just out of Hogwarts and had nothing. Luckily I had almost finished writing the first book when school had finished so it was only a few months before it was published. But I only just moved out of the flat I've been staying in a few months ago. The only thing that's different is I don't go bankrupt when I go on a shopping spree with friends." Hermione answered, earning her a small laugh from the audience.

"The fame must have been nothing to you being best friends with Harry Potter throughout Hogwarts."

"Yeah I guess so, but I don't suppose I'll ever get used to it fully. It's still really weird when I pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV and I'm there. It's like way would anyone care what I have to say. But it's nothing new so I've have time to learn to live with."

"But doesn't the gossip bother you I'm sure you're aware of the rumours going around about you and Oliver Wood, does that get to you?" he asked leaning forward awaiting the answer.

"Yes, it's annoying I guess. I mean it's my life and unless I want people to know about what's happening in it I'd rather it not have to read all about it."

The interview continued and Hermione thought it was going well until the question that she really didn't want to answer cropped up.

"So Hermione," Joel asked, "this thing with you and Oliver, just what is going on?"

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed. She opened her mouth and the automatic response came from her mouth.

"Oliver and I are just old friends from school I bumped into him a few months ago and we've been catching up."

The interviewer gave a small sigh and picked up his cards to read the next question but Hermione stopped him. She was tired of lying to herself, to Oliver and to everyone else.

"No wait, that's not true." She said. "Yes Oliver and I were in a relationship while I was in my seventh year. When I finished school we broke up so we could both get on with our careers. I bumped into him a few months ago and we have been catching up. When he was injured I offered him a place to stay as he rents out his house when he's playing Quidditch."

"So are you two in a relationship now?" Joel asked eager to know more.

"Unfortunately no." Hermione said sadly. "I messed it up quite spectacularly. A few weeks ago he asked me to start a relationship with him and, stupidly, I was ignoring my feelings so I turned him down. It took him leaving for me to realise how much I care for him but unfortunately he didn't want to know. It's just really, really bad timing on both of our parts."

"So that's it for you two?" the interviewer asked her sadly.

"Yeah I guess so, there's not that much that I can do really, except maybe hope that he is watching this and that perhaps someday he'll forgive me."

"But how do you feel about him?" Joel pressed.

"You know what? I think I might love him." Hermione said quietly and a collective 'awww' went around the audience.

--

Hermione returned home that evening to find Ginny waiting for in the hallway. There was a shocked and admiring expression on her face.

"What?" Hermione asked with slight panic.

"What was that?" Ginny squeaked.

"What was what?" was her next question.

"What you did on TV today, it's just like one of those Muggle shows that you watch in the evenings."

"Was it too much? Once I started talking I couldn't stop, what did I say? I can't remember it all." Hermione babbled.

"Well then you're very lucky I recorded it aren't you?" Ginny smiled as she walked in to the living room and turned on the TV.

Hermione watched in horror as her face appeared on the screen and the interview started.

"Oh god! Did I really say all of that? I sound pathetic!" Hermione wailed as Ginny click the TV off.

"'Fraid so buddy." She laughed as Hermione collapsed down onto the sofa in depression.

"Everyone's going to think I'm an idiot." She moaned out from where her face was buried in the cushions.

"No they're not." Ginny reassured her, "They'll think it's sweet."

"And what about Oliver? What if he saw it?" Hermione asked sitting bolt upright looking panicky.

"Well so what if he did? Isn't that what you wanted? This way he'll know how you feel, that you're sorry."

"NO! He can't watch it! No, yes he should watch. Oh I don't know!" Hermione moaned.

--

Oliver, as it happens, didn't actually get to watch the interview at the time as he was in practise but luckily, three of his team mates were watching it and each recorded it so he wouldn't miss the woman he had spent the night discussing in great detail confessing that she loved him.

One of them, a guy called Liam one of the two beaters on the team, caught up with Oliver that evening and asked him back to the flat that a few of the members of the team shared. As he walked through the door he realised that the whole team was there.

"What's going on guys?" He asked, "I didn't know we had a meeting tonight."

"We don't Oliver; we need to talk to you. There's something we think you should see." Emily, one of the chasers, said to him.

--

Half an hour later the TV was turned off again and the room was thrown into silence.

"Oh wow." He breathed.

"So what are you going to do man?" one of the guys asked him.

"I don't know, I really do not know." Oliver replied honestly.

Oliver grabbed the tape and walked from the room wordlessly. He needed a little time to think this one through. It wasn't everyday that someone admitted that they loved him on national television. There was nothing to tell him how he was supposed to react to that. It would take some serious thought.

--

Hermione's interview was the talk of the town for the next few days; she couldn't turn on any of the wizard channels or newspapers or any of the wizard towns with her's or Oliver's name being mentioned.

The worst of it was when Hermione was sat out at the café in Diagon Alley that she went to regularly and an old witch came up to her and patted her shoulder.

"Don't you worry love." She sympathised, "You'll get over him with time."

All Hermione could do was give a weak smile as the witch walked away, happy in the knowledge that she had shared her wisdom with her heartbroken girl.

Oliver was having an equally hard time, witches were giving him disapproving stares, and it seemed everyone had some advice to give him.

"Go to her, duck, love won't wait forever."

"She seems unstable, mate, I'd get out while you're not being stalked."

"I hope that you don't leave her hanging for too long, don't want to break the poor girls heart now do you?"

"Life's short play Quidditch while you still can. She'll still be waiting for you in a few years when you get bored of it."

Oliver seemed to spend his days in an utter state of confusion. On the one hand he did have feelings for Hermione and would love for it to work out but on the other she had hurt him by rejecting him and then made him out to be the bad guy on TV was it so simple to move on from that one. In two weeks she had changed all her feelings for him, from not wanting to be with him to loving him. If she could change her mind that easily once then what's to say she wouldn't do it again. How long until she got bored of him constantly travelling around for half of the year and wanted to settle down in one place?

--

Finally he decided that just thinking about it wasn't good enough he needed to talk it through. Talk to the only person who could aid him in this decision. He needed to see Hermione.

--

It was seven thirty, the sun was setting casting shadows over the gardens. The flowers were closing up for the night and the air was getting a cold edge to it. Hermione was sat on the swing that hung from the oak tree near the rose garden. The scent just reached her and was soothing as she rocked back and forward on her heels.

She closed her eyes and took in the silence. The peaceful, calm serenity of it. She wished that she could stay out here forever. But like all good things they drew to a close. There was movement from behind her and she sprung up to see who the intruder was.

"Hermione?" Oliver called softly. "I think it's about time we talked."

"Yeah." Hermione whispered. "I guess we should."

A/N – Next week I'm in Germany so this will be my last update until next weekend as this week looks pretty hectic and i need to get my packing done over the weekend, the week after I have half term so I'll have a whole week in which to finish this fic, as it's nearing its end soon. So let me know what you think and all that

Thank you, you wonderful people –

GrissomCainefan
Aimee
Fuzzypuff
Angryteabag
GalPower
Romy Griepp

A/N 2 - out of a matter of interest are there - a) any male readers reading this or b) any one that knows of a good story written by a guy, because my time on I have only ever come across female writers and it would be cool to be the other half of the populations ideas and so on. If you could let me know in a reveiw or e-mail I would love you forever. (in a platonic way of course)