Disclaimer: Harry Potter is a property of J.K. Rowling.

Author's note: It's been a long time. Kill me now if you must. But if you do that, you'll never know the end of this story. So...don't. You'll find out why if you read.

WHITE LILIES

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: "WHY?"

"Whozare?"

The shadow slowly walked closer to me. My hearts was pumping loudly in my chest. He was now standing behind the curtains. I took my wand immediately from my side table and braced myself. A hand appeared from behind the curtains and whipped them aside –

"Harry!" I exclaimed feeling relieved. "It's you!"

"Oh, hi Hermione," he said beaming. He moved towards my bed and sat right next to me. "Sorry if spooked you. I just wanted to take some fresh air from the balcony before I – before I do something."

"It's alright – I mean, no!" I said. "Why are you here?"

He looked at me questioningly. "What did you mean?"

"I meant you!" I said as a matter-of-factly. "You are not supposed to be here!"

"Why? Because this is a lady's room?" Harry asked. "But I've been here loads of times!"

"Not that!" I said irritably. "I was talking about you, being here and not being where you are supposed to be."

"And where am I supposed to be?"

"At the Ball! Come on, don't tell me you forgot about that."

"Of course, I did not," he said defensively as he lied down on my bed.

I gave him a stern look. "And what do you think you're doing?"

"Uhm, let me see," he said. "I'm lying down here at your bed and enjoying your company."

I sighed. He's making it difficult. Why can't he just leave? "Harry, you need to go."

"But I am not going."

I gapped at him. He's not going? "And why are you not going, Mister?"

"Let me ask you the same question," he said, looking at me. "Why aren't you going?"

"Because I am sick!" I snapped at him. I started to sniff to prove it to him. I thought he knew about my condition. Why is he asking me about it?

"That's all?" he asked. "That's your reason? Well, I'm not going because I don't want to."

"What kind of reason is that?" I retorted. "That's not a valid reason."

"Okay, fine," he said impatiently. "I'm not going because I don't have a partner."

"Don't play games with me, Harry Potter. I know perfectly well that you have a partner."

"No, honestly, I don't have."

"Then what do you call Ginny?" I said, jealousy clear in my voice.

"Ginny? What about Ginny?"

I looked at him incredulously. "Don't tell me you're going to leave her there alone?"

"Wait, wait, wait," Harry said, shaking his head. "I don't understand. What are we talking about?"

"Ginny! Your partner! Your date! Your true love! Your dearest! Your princess! Your soulmate! Your one-and-only! Your precious or – or whatever you want to call her!"

Harry stared at me for a long time, and then grinned. "But Ginny is not my date for tonight."

"What?"

"Look, I didn't ask Ginny to be my partner or date or true love or dearest or princess or soulmate or one-and-only or precious or whatever I want to call her."

I blushed. "You don't need to repeat every single word."

"I'll repeat every single word if that's the only way for you to believe that Ginny is not – her," he said. "Nobody is like her. Too bad she never answered my invitation." He tried to force a smile to his face. I felt guilty because I did the same thing to the lily guy. He might be feeling the same thing Harry's feeling.

"Did you ever find out why she didn't give you her response," I said.

"No," he said, looking up at the ceiling.

"Why don't you ask her?" I told Harry. "Maybe she will tell you the reason why."

Harry suddenly sat up. "You know, you are right! Maybe I should ask her." He suddenly started pacing around my room.

"Yeah," I nodded, thinking that I gave Harry an idea. "You can ask her tomorrow after the Ball."

"No," he said. "Tonight is the right time."

"Tonight?"

He didn't answer me. He stopped pacing and stood at the middle of my room. "Why," I heard him muttered. "Why?"

"Harry?"

He looked at straight in the eye, those emerald green eyes piercing mine. "Why, Hermione? Why?"

After a moment I understood. My jaw dropped and my heart stopped on beating.

"Oh, my god," I said under my breath.

Yep. Keepin you at the edge of your seat. I can't help myself. Please review. I beg you.