Love Note

by The Hoopla Bones

Hermione's got her first love note ever-but Parvati Patil finds out. She makes a deal with Hermione-help her find the note's author, or have the note shown to everyone. Does Hermione accept? Will she find the note's author? It won't be who you think.

3. Who Wrote It and Epilogue

the author speaks: And the final installment. This may be a bit surprising for some of you, but, well, it's what I had in mind from the very beginning. :) Hope you like it.

Love Note

Chapter Three

"Parvati?" Hermione rolls over and dislodges a pile of scribbled notes, on which things like Harry? Not like him, or Seamus unlikely, going out w/ Lavender are written.

"Mmmhmmm?"

"Are you awake?"

"No."

It is past midnight. They had engaged in some evening discussion in the common room (it is Saturday, after all) and twenty minutes had turned into an hour, one hour into three. Now Hermione blearily shoves away her mug of Butterbeer and smoothes her hair in a vain attempt at tidiness.

Parvati is stretched across an armchair, her long legs draped luxuriously over its arms. Her dusky skin is given a bronze glow by the dying firelight, and her pomegranate lips form an open rose. Mascara smudges mark just below her right eye and one curl slowly spirals out of its pin. Hermione can't look away.

"Parvati."

She opens her eyes and Hermione is falling into them, while all her world and every star in the sky shatters into tiny glass pieces.

"You know who wrote me the note." Slowly, Parvati nods, a Mona Lisa smile curving her lips.

Parvati says, deliciously, "But you do too. You know."

And Hermione is really falling this time, physically falling, and now she shares Parvati's warmth, and she lets her mouth trace Parvati's delicate collarbone.

"I didn't think you'd ever notice me. I wanted you to notice me. So I got your attention," says Parvati. Hermione feels cinnamon flames licking up her body. Parvati smells like lemon and stardust and fire.

"You have my attention, you have it, you have everything. You have me." Hermione buries herself in her black hair.

Parvati kisses her, slow and warm and burning. "I have you? No, you have me."

And Hermione is surprised to realize that she does.

Epilogue

It ends with a note.

When Parvati reaches for her pumpkin juice Tuesday morning, something flutters past her line of vision like a parchment dove. She catches it, and opens it, and reads right there at breakfast:

Dearest Parvati—

I don't really have to tell you this, do I?

I love you.

--Hermione

Across the table, Hermione blows her a kiss.