Chapter 5
Harry came to visit her, just as he said he would. It was just a bit earlier than she expected.
Sitting at her desk on Monday night, looking through some books, trying to find extra information to divulge to her class the next day, she was startled by the quite, yet certain knock on the door. By the certainty she knew it couldn't be a student.
She'd heard the rumour the student say about her. They wouldn't ever come to her private rooms looking for her.
Sighing, and dipping her quill in the ink jar until she returned she stood and went to the door, smoothing down her skirt as she went, hoping it wouldn't be a member of staff wanting a late night chat with her. She really didn't feel up for it.
However, she was pleasantly surprised, and slightly nervous, when she opened the door to the green-eyed man who was watching her with a strange look on his face as she opened the door wider, ushering him in.
He took a seat uncertainly on the corner of her bed, looking around the room, his eyes hesitating momentarily on the books she had open on her desk.
He turned to look at her again as she closed the door. "I can leave if you're too busy."
"No, of course not. It's fine Harry." Feeling both irritated and hurt that he cared if she was busy or not, and making it sound so impersonaly, she moved over to the desk and shut the open book, staring at the cover for longer than necessary.
"How have you been?" His question was careful... quiet.
She forced a smile and turned to him. "Fine. Keeping busy."
He nodded, obviously not sure what else to say.
It shouldn't be like this between friends.
She felt she would cry.
"How have you been?"
He shrugged. "Busy..."
They both fell silent, during which time Hermione stared determindly across the room at the wall, not meeting his gaze.
"He's been worried about you."
This time there was something else in Harry's voice. Protection? Anger?
She dropped her hazel eyes to meet his green. "I don't want to see him."
He didn't look away. "Why not?"
She felt momentarily stunned by his question.
Why not?
Why was she refusing to meet his enemy from school? Refusing to have anything more than an aqueintance relationship with the man?
She stared him at. "Would you-" She stopped herself, feeling tears just behind herself. "Would you like me to, Harry?"
He was silent again... just... watching her. Than he shrugged.
"I just want you to be happy, 'Mione."
Now the tears did come, and once again she used her best friend as a solid form to realise her tension. He let her do it. Let her wrap her arms around him and sit next to him on the bed, let her fall back, taking him with her to the comfortor. His hands moving along her back soothingly, brushing her hair away from her tear stained face. Whispered calming words in her ear.
She felt warm and protected in his arms.
She lay like that with him for some time before he moved away from her. Not uncomfortable with the situation, just so he could talk to her properly. He now smiled slightly. Painfully.
"Are you in love with him?" There was no accusation in his tone.
She shook her head, rolling to the side to see him better. She felt rumpled in her skirt and blouse. Longed to crawl under the blankets and sleep. She felt exhausted.
"I don't know."
He swallowed. Obviously fighting with himself.
Than he said the thing that shocked her most of all. "You know... I always sort of knew."
She sat up.
"After the war, you two seemed different than in school. I didn't want to say anything but-"
"What-" she cut him off but stopped herself. Her heart was hammering, and her breath seemed short. "What are you talking about?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair before he turned to her again. "I didn't think you and Ron would get as far as you did... It seemed... sort of forced."
Her heart was breaking. "I did love him, Harry."
His face took on a sort of shocked expression. Was he surprised with himself? Or had she taken it the wrong way? "I didn't mean that. I believe that you loved him, it's just-"
She stopped him, placing a hand to his cheek. She looked deep into his suddenly troubled eyes... than smiled.
Because she suddenly knew. She saw the truth.
"I know, Harry. Thank you."
It seemed like a lot was lifted from his shoulders at that moment. He relaxed at her touch and gently, wrapping an arm around her waist, guided her back down to the bed again. Holding her hand he lay next to her and watched as she closed her eyes, just enjoying the contact she never realised she missed so much.
"Would Malfoy make you happy?" He asked suddenly, after a long comfortable silence passed between them.
She opened her eyes. "How would you feel about it."
He furrowed his brows. His brilliant green eyes dulling slightly as they were shadowed from the lamp light. "I already told you, if you're happy, it doesn't matter."
She smiled, leaned foward, and gave him a small kiss on the lips.
He looked shocked to say the least, and her smiled grew at this. "You're the most wonderful person I know, Harry. You'll make someone very happy one day."
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Harry stayed the night with her. Slept next to her as she fell asleep in her teaching clothes, forgetting all about lesson plans and bratty students as he held her hand until morning.
He left, giving her a small kiss on the forehead and whispering that he would come visit again soon. Secretly, she knew he meant he would visit after her and Draco straightened things out.
If that ever could happen.
But she seemed to be newly resolved. With Harry's blessing, she felt she could do anything.
The student's rumours and back talking didn't bother her so much anymore, and soon they seemed to stop all together because of this reason.
When the staff went to the Three Broomsticks for drinks some nights she no longer turned the offer down, no longer said she was busy marking papers. She had a good time with them all.
She was beginning to enjoy life again.
It all suddenly seemed less confusing and dark.
But through it all, her mind always rested on the blonde man who she knew was still worried about her.
Harry told her he had stopped sending letters to her door. And soon, because of Harry's persuasion, she was recieving letters from Draco during breakfast when the post owls arrived for the students.
She loved reading them, and her heart sped up when she looked down at the letter, recongnising the perfectly scrawled writing.
They were always simple letters. Short, but sweet. On the odd occasion he would drop a hint that he missed her. That he wanted to be with her. But he never came out and wrote just that.
But she knew he did.
And she missed him too.
The staff was growing increasinly curious to the identity of her mystery man... but she always just smiled and brushed away their questions with a shake of the head. At one point she had called him her "special someone" and as the words slipped from her mouth she knew it to be true.
The need to see him was growing increasingly stronger, and her lips burned whenever she thought back to the tender moment they shared at his apartment so long ago. He had kissed her so carefully. But at the time she was feeling guilty. She had to return to her husband.
Her heart hurt whenever she thought of him, sitting alone in his big house. In that impersonal sitting room. Everything so clean... those dark rooms that seemed to hide secrets.
She smiled more than ever when she recieved a letter from Harry pronouncing that him and Draco had lunch one day and had got along fine. Though curious to how they actually got in that situation he did not say. But her questions were answered when she received a letter from Draco shortly after.
He had come to "Potter" in hopes to establish a state of understand... so that he could be with her. "No matter how much I like the thought of you keeping you to myself."
He was going to come and visit her.
She felt flushed and excited at the prospect.
She felt happier than she ever had in so long.
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AN: well...I think only one more chapter left...
What did you think of this one?