Chapter 2: Did I scare you?

"H-H-Harry! Goodness, you scared me!" gasped Hermione. Parchment was flown everywhere as she looked at him beat red.

"You know now that you've mentioned it," said Harry smirking. "I really didn't mean to scare you that much, but what I've I done to caused you to be unable to know what to do with me? You have indeed sparked my curiosity." Harry was having a very hard time trying not to bust up laughing.

"Oh, umm…it's-it's nothing. Really, Harry it's nothing. I just thought that I was alone. Umm…eh…how long have you been standing there?" Hermione had successfully picked up all the parchment, and was nervously playing with one of her curls.

"I just got here. I saw you sitting by yourself thought that there might be something wrong. But when you mentioned me, I immediately realized that everything was fine and couldn't help myself from the opportunity to make you jump. From what I see, I made you do a whole more than just jump. I really am sorry. So was there any other reason as to why you jumped like you did?"

"No. Really. It's just like I said before. I thought I was alone, and when I heard your voice I just sort of jumped, I guess."

"So it wasn't because you where thinking of Harry and then were surprised that he was here in the same room with you?"

"RON! Don't tell me you were here as well. It's bad enough that Harry heard it."

"Well, what did you expect? I was minding my own business taking a nap on the sofa. When I woke up you were staring dreamily through the window. You looked kind of mental, really."

And with that, she ran out of the common room. How could she have been so stupid? One blooming sentence she just had to say out loud. Now what was she going to do? She couldn't go back. Ron won't ever let her forget this. No, not something this juicy sweet.

"Oh God," she thought. "Harry. What will he think of this? I mean he doesn't know the whole truth, right? Oh, thanks to Ron he will defiantly come to conclusions. I'm supposed to be his friend. Nothing more than that. Besides, he's got Cho. She's his girl. I'm not supposed to fall for him. It's entirely irrational to think that Harry would even think about me. "

In all her frustration, she decided to take a long walk around the lake. Sure it was raining, but she didn't care. Soon enough, she was soaked through. The rain felt good on her heated face. She found a large rock at sat down, gazing at the lake. The ripples from the rain made small little waves, all bouncing of each other. "This is so much better, all by my self. No one here to bug or annoy me. No Ron here to force me into saying anything I'm not ready to admit. No Harry. No Harry to hear my thoughts. The real ones that I truly feel. Not some made-up voice inside my head telling me that I don't really love him. Cause I do. I really do love him. So what if he knows that I like him. As embarrassing as it is, it's a good thing. I don't have to hide my real feelings for him. I know I'm out of place, but it's true. Maybe now I can be real for a change. I'm always so guarded; it would be good for me. To hell what Ron thinks, I think I know my place now. No more in the background for me. Nope, I'm going to be real. But maybe, I don't have to do it right now. Maybe just a little by little, piece by piece."

She sat there in silence, all by her self. She didn't need anyone but her self right now. The rain kept her company. Eventually she got off her rock. It could've been ten minutes or ten hours, but it had seemed like ages. One thing was for sure, her stomach was growling very loudly. Maybe it was because she missed lunch. Did she miss lunch? She wasn't quite sure of the time.

The rain had defiantly calmed her down. She wasn't frustrated or angry or upset anymore. There was something about the rain that was almost magic. Not like witchcraft magic, no, something more powerful. Just what she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it was there, she could feel it.