1Lusting and Loving
Chapter 2
The Wedding
Love you're news to me
You're a little bit more then I thought you'd be
A mow in my well fed lawn
You're a nightmare beating the dawn
Oh it hit me like never before
That love is a powerful force
Yes it struck me that love is a sport
So I pushed you a little bit more
-And Then You Kissed Me, The Cardigans
Hermione had come to his room the night before the wedding, even more beautiful in the moonlight than she was during the day.
"I've brought you something," she whispered in his ear, waking him up ever so gently.
"What?" he asked, wondering as to why she got him something.
"For your birthday, Harry. You can't have honestly forgotten. Mr. Weasley is taking you to get your apparation test," she informed him.
"Oh, right. You didn't have to, you know," Harry mumbled looking at the ground which Ron had bewitched orange that summer when he was bored with his wand in his hand, afraid that she had knitted him something.
"Yes, I did. You'll like it," She handed him a nicely wrapped box with a smile on her face. Even in the darkness, Harry could see her enthusiastic amber-like eyes watch him as he took the box and started to unwrap it. When the wrapping was off, he opened the box and saw what was inside it.
"Aw, Hermione, That's too much," he told her. "Honestly, that is the best present I ever got, I don't deserve it."
"Yes, you do," she told him as she snuggled against him. Harry felt a something warm grow in his pants that he didn't want Hermione to know of. "I've seen that photo album Hagrid gave you six years ago. I thought you might want something like it,"
Harry traced over the leather book. "Thanks, Hermione," he said to her as he reached his head down to kiss her cheek. However, he landed on her neck. It was the most sensual occasion that ever arose between the both of them.
"I'm sorry," Harry blurted out right away, blushing, "I was aiming for your cheek."
She blushed as well, "That's alright. What do you think?"
"Well, to be quite honest, I thought you knit me something and I was scared." She laughed a tinkling laugh. It was musical and enchanting. "But this is the best present ever."
She smiled. "Well, I have to get going before Ron and Ginny get up. They would kill us both if they found us together in the deep of night."
"Ron likes Lavender Brown now," Harry blurted.
"Well, it didn't stop him being last year, did it?"
"No, but he really likes her now."
"Ginny's still crazy about you Harry. She hates me enough as it is, I don't want her to hate me even more."
"Why does she hate you?" Harry asked quizzically
"Oh, it's rather immature. But, to be quite honest, Ginny is a bit immature. She thinks that I convinced you to break up with her so I could get you myself."
"What am I? Is this a meat market?" Harry raised his voice a bit.
"All nice boys are in the meat market. If you're cute, intelligent, kind and sweet, you are on the list."
"You think I'm cute, intelligent, kind and sweet?" Harry teased, making Hermione blush.
"Well, I'm not so sure about intelligent," Hermione joked. "But you are kind and sweet."
"What about cute?"
"Well…I can't really judge that."
"Why?" Harry asked. "Try me."
"You're my best friend, Harry! I can't judge you!"
"C'mon, Hermione," Harry reassured. "I'll judge you."
"No! You probably think I'm revolting!"
"No, I don't. Your really beautiful, Hermione. And smart and caring. You have so many guys after you. A famous Quidditch seeker was after you!" Harry subtly added this hint, hopefully Hermione might get it.
"I think you're kind of cute. No, Leonardo DiCaprio through."
"Who's he?" Harry asked.
"Honestly, you haven't seen Titanic? My parents and I saw it this summer."
"No, my aunt and uncle don't let me get close enough to a television."
"Oh, he's this muggle actor."
"And you think he's cute?"
"Dreamy. Lavender and Parvarti stole my picture of him, the little bitches."
"Whoa! You have a picture of him?"
"Yes," she said as she blushed. "I keep it under my bed." They laughed at the strange piece of information Hermione just confessed.
"It's getting lighter outside," she commented. "I better get back, night."
She kissed his cheek and left the room with Harry accidentally watching how gracefully and sexually her curves moved as she walked. He tried to get that provocative thought out of his head. She's my friend he told himself.
Right, than why were you looking at her ass when she left? a voice in his head asked him.
Harry repeated she's my friend over and over in his head as he got ready to get back into bed. Ron was long ago fast asleep, due to his being able to sleep in a house with seven children, six of them being boys. As soon as he hit his, pillow, Harry fell fast asleep.
"Have you seen my dress?" Ginny asked frantically as she ran into Ron's room. Her hair was up in very elaborate fiery curls and but she was currently wearing only her bra and panties, both of which were black, lacy and was revealing her feminine anatomy. "No, we haven't, twerp," Ron told her. "And get some clothes on!" He covered his eyes and advised Harry to do the same.
It was the day of the wedding and the whole house was in chaos. Mrs. Weasley was under a lot of stress from the cooking and organizing and was screeching at anyone who walked passed the kitchen. Bill was in the twins' room, pacing in circles and reciting his vows over and over again. Fleur was yelling to the witch doing the makeup that her sister looked like a fucking corpse in French and was complaining that it was so hot outside that her hair will come undone in the middle of the ceremony. The girl doing her hair was assuring her that she would bewitch it so it wouldn't droop, but nothing could calm the bride.
Fred and George were trying to "lighten up the mood" by testing merchandise on a disgruntled Percy, who felt that he was wasting a day at work just to go to his brother's wedding. "I have four more brothers to see married off, I can afford to miss Bill's wedding, mother. However, the minister insisted that I go to the wedding," Percy told to Mrs. Weasley at the door. Charlie snorted at his brother's haughty comment and took his date, Juliet, who worked in Romania with him, by the wrist upstairs. Mrs. Weasley was fawning over Percy, who had announced after breakfast that he was engaged to his school girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater. "It'll be just a small wedding. Just me, Penny and her parents with the minister to wed us in the courtrooms," Percy informed his mother, who looked very disappointed at Percy's plan.
Harry and Ron started to get dressed in their dress robes. Mrs. Weasley picked up new dress robes for Harry, who hadn't used his in three years. They were identical to his old bottlenose green ones. Ron, who was thankful that he didn't have to wear his horrible maroon ones again, wore the black-dark blue dress robes that the twins bought for him. A fully dressed Ginny met Harry in a golden bridesmaid dress when he was done.
"Hey, do you want to meet me after the wedding?" she asked him, lightly touching his left shoulder.
"We're over, Ginny," he informed her, gently pushing her hand back to her side. "It's too dangerous."
"I know," she told him, shrugging her shoulders a bit. "But I still like you, Harry."
"Stop it, Ginny," he said to her firmly. "We can't be together. Voldemort is after me."
"You don't need to tell me that bullshit anymore, Harry," her voice was weakening, sounding like she was about to cry, "You can just go ahead and tell me that you like Hermione."
" I don't like Hermione!" he harshly whispered at her. "Not in that way at least. " He felt guilty about lying to Ginny about it.
Suddenly, he heard a gasp, followed by a ruffle. He saw a bright blue figure dash across the hall.
"That's Hermione," Harry muttered. " I have to get her." He said to Ginny in a louder voice, patting her shoulder, more intent of Hermione.
"She's playing it up, you know. Just trying to suck you up, that bitch," Ginny screamed after Harry but he didn't hear her. The only mission he was focusing on was finding Hermione.
"Hermione," Harry called as he looked for her throughout the Burrow. He checked Ginny's room, Ron's room, Percy's room, the twins' room and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room, but there was no luck,
Harry found her sitting on the third floor stairwell. Mascara lines were running down her face like black rivers. "Are you alright?" he asked her, crouching down beside her and holding her in his arms. She felt so right, so nice. So perfect. I can't love you. I can't love you. I can't love you. Harry repeated the chant in his head over and over again. She looked at him with her amber eyes. "I'm fine. I just don't think that you and Ginny should be together. She'll lose interest in you eventually, want you back and then lose interest in you again and I don't want you hurt. That's all."
"Hey, at least I'm not the only one who thinks so,' Harry smiled, trying to cheer her up. "The Weasleys have tried to set us back up all summer so c'mon Hermione, wash your face and come back down."
"Okay, Harry," she told him. "Thanks for helping me feel better." She hugged him quickly and ran to the bathroom. Harry watched her mesmerized for a few moments. Seconds after he got out of his trance Hermione came out of the bathroom with a clean face. "Hey, Hermione," he called to her. She came running to sit beside him. "What, Harry?" she asked.
"Wouldawannebemadateforthewedding?" Harry asked quickly with his words slurred together into one.
"Harry I didn't understand a word of what you just said."
"Would—you—want to—be—my–date—for—the—wedding?" he asked again, very slowly this time.
"Would Ron mind? He's always fancied me."
"Hermione, you told him in fourth year that the next time there was a ball, he should ask you first. Do you honestly think that he'd still like you if he didn't ask you first thing after the last invitation was sent out? And besides, he's dating Lavender Brown."
"I guess you're right Harry?" she admitted. "Is Ron really dating Lavender?" she added as feminine curiosity kicked in.
"Yes, and mind you, he actually likes her this time. It's not just mindless snogging this time. They shag as well," he joked. Her sparkling laugh intoxicated his mind.
"Well, we best be going down. The wedding will be starting rather soon." She began to gather her skirts before Harry grabbed her wrist.
"You still didn't answer my question earlier. Would you want to be my date for the wedding or not?" Sincerity pooled in his eyes.
"Yes, I would like to be your date for the wedding," Hermione said and smiled, lighting up her face which could belong to angels. "Shall you take me down then?" she played as she offered her arm out to Harry. He got up and took it, both walking down the stairs.
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"Bill and I would both want to t'ank you all for coming to ze eonderful celebration of our new marreege," the blushing and now calmed down bride said to the attendees at her wedding. "We could not be 'appier and we are so glad zat we could celebrate our love with our beloved friends and family. Even zough we are een ze middle of a dark, dark war, zis wedding says zat seemple t'ings like love can conquer and leeve."
"To the bride and groom," Charlie toasted. Everyone else joined him. Harry and Hermione were having wonderful time at the wedding. The ceremony was beautiful with Mr. Weasley saying it. Even Percy, who had not wanted to come to the wedding at all admitted that "It was decent considering all the financial limitations our family has".
"Shut up, Percy, you prick and eat," Bill told him. "Dad, me and Fleur loved it. We can't even think of a more perfect wedding. Want to dance, babe?" he added to Fleur.
In addition to Bill and Fleur, Ron and Lavender, Fred and Alicia, George and Katie and surprisingly Ginny and Dean Thomas, one of her ex-boyfriends,
"She's looking at you," Hermione whispered to Harry. "Sure, she's in Dean's arms but she loves you."
"No, she isn't, she only lusts me. There's a big difference between love and lust. Lust is infatuation disguising itself as love. Love is real, pure love which can never vanish. Anything less is lust," he explained.
"How are you such a big expert on the differences of lusting and loving?" Hermione asked.
"I have fallen as a victim to lust several times," he joked.
"Ginny and Cho?"
"And others," he added.
"Oh really," Hermione perked up with curiosity. "Who?"
"I can't say. She likes some other bloke who doesn't deserve it." He shrugged his shoulders and hunched over, ignoring her eyes.
"Why doesn't that bloke deserve it?" she asked as she put a finger to her chin.
"Because the dense idiot broke her heart."
"How did he go around doing that?" she wondered curiously.
"He went out with another girl to make her jealous. And then, after hurting her, she still goes crawling back to him."
"Want to dance?" she asked randomly.
"What?" Harry tried to wake himself up. He was definitely dreaming.
"Dance. You know, on the dance floor where we move along with the music and try to make sure that Romeo and Juliet over there don't hit us blindly whilst snogging."
"Romeo and Juliet?"
"There's a reason why it's Leonardo DiCaprio's picture that's under my bed."
"Instead of who?" Harry teased.
"You," Harry stared at her wildly. "Or some other bloke," she added hastily.
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"Oh God, You're so bloody sexy," Lavender whispered to Ron as they snogged in his room.
"Remind me why we're here exactly," Hermione whispered to Harry with a wince on her face as Ron's tongue slopped out of Lavender's mouth. They were sitting on Ron's bed. Harry didn't know what was more sickening, Ron's vivid orange room or Ron snogging.
"For moral support," Harry replied her with a grimace. "Although the mate could do with some snogging lessons instead. Voldemort should recruit Ron and Lavender as Death Eaters. It could be the most perfect form of torture available, seeing them snog.
Ron released his mouth from Lavender's face. "I can hear you perfectly, you know," he told them.
"I think he's a good snog," Lavender defended Ron as she made her way beside him, creeping her hand up his arm, "And he's an even better shag." She smirked at Ron and began playing with his tie.
"Lavender! Don't you have any sense of morality?" Hermione asked her in outrage. "I mean, sure say that in private, but not while Harry and I are here!"
"Hermione, you are such a prude. I was defending his ability to snog. PDA is not something to be afraid of, luv," Lavender saucily replied to Hermione, flipping her perfectly straight brown hair behind her shoulder, intensity shining in her hazel eyes. Harry could sense the hatred between the two girls.
"I'm not afraid of PDA," Hermione told Lavender. She leaned to Harry and looked into his eyes for a second before kissing him. Harry liked the soft pressure of her lips against his and of her body resting on his chest. "See."
"Wow, Hermione. I didn't know you had it in you."
"I have a lot in me that you don't know of."
"Well, just because you fancy Ron doesn't mean—"
"I do not fancy Ron!" Hermione interrupted screaming. "What the bloody hell made you think that?"
"Well, you were really upset when we started dating last year. And you went to that party with McLaggen. And—"
"I was getting over somebody else, you twit! I never fancied Ron! You can have him, I don't care as long as you don't hurt him. But don't you dare think that I fancy Ron!"
Hermione stormed out of Ron's room. Harry followed after her, making sure she was okay. He found you in the middle of the hall.
"You shouldn't be that angry at Lavender you know," Harry told her. "I thought you fancied Ron too last year.
"Harry! I'm not some little whiny bitch who'll want to split someone up because she wants them! You know me well enough by now that I wouldn't even think of doing that."
"I know, okay. But, for curiosity, who were you getting over?" Harry asked.
"I can't say. You'd tell him."
"Why would I tell him if you don't want me to?"
"I don't want to talk about it," she said and wiped her eyes. Harry hated seeing her cry. "Don't cry, my love," he absently whispered out loud.
"What?" she asked. "What did you say?"
"Nothing," he told her.
"You said 'Don't cry, my love,'".
"I didn't," he replied.
"Yes, you did."
"I'm not going to bother fighting with you," Harry said. He was embarrassed that she heard him and he was going to leave. He began to get up but she dragged him down.
"Don't leave. I want you to stay with me." Sincerity pooled into her brown eyes. "Please."
"Okay, I will. But I promised Ginny a dance when we were together and I should keep my word, even though we have broken up."
They went outside to the party with Ginny running up to Harry, glowing. Ginny was pretty to be sure but she was missing a quality that divided her from a girlish pretty to a womanly beautiful. Harry realized that she was too immature and too spoiled. She always got anything she wanted eventually, including him.
"I knew you wouldn't back down on your word," she told him smiling, placing her hands on his shoulders to dance. "You're too noble. That's one of the qualities I've always li—"
"Cut the crap, Ginny," he interrupted. "We're not getting back together no matter what you do."
"Why?" she asked in a disturbed tone. "I like you, you like me. It's simple, isn't it?"
"No, it isn't, Ginny. I don't like you anymore to be perfectly honest. And chasing after me like this makes me dislike you even more."
He slipped out of her grip and left the dance floor. That went well, he thought as he tried to find Ron or Hermione. He could hear Ginny's heel clopping behind and her dress ruffling. "Wait!" she called as she tried to catch up with him."
"Ginny, you have a boyfriend. Why don't you dance with him?" he suggested.
"Dean?" she responded surprised. "He's just a pity date for this thing. We're not going out again of that's what you think. I'm a free woman."
"What are you doing?" he asked her outraged. "Why do think we're getting back together? Is it because your family wants it? Is it because you like the thrill of wanting what you can't have? What is it, Ginny?"
"I've liked you for a really long time, Harry," she told him with tears in her eyes. "I've liked you for about five years, Harry. And I always had a secret, wishful hope that someday we would be together, That someday I wouldn't be just Ron's little sister to you. And that day happened…and I was so happy! And then you break up with me out of the blue and I just stand there blank. Everyone thought I handled it well, but I didn't. I've cried myself to sleep every night since the last day of school. I couldn't tell it to anyone either. Not to Hermione because she is your best friend who'll tell you and she convinced you to break up with me. Not to my brothers, especially Ron, because they would've murdered you and I cared about you too much to let that happened. This was my only escape!" she cried holding out her left wrist. He could see tiny scabbed veins all over her wrist.
"Ginny, you idiot! How could you do that to yourself?" he screamed. He had to look away from her because he couldn't bear to see it.
"I can't ever be truly happy when I'm not with you, Harry. I've never been truly happy for the past five years. I've been close but not truly, truly happy. Whenever I'm there, whenever I think it's perfect, I think of you. I think of your brilliant green eyes, think of your smile, think of the way your hair sticks up and I feel terrible all over again." Tears started to fall onto the gold fabric of her dress. "You're my cure yet you're my disease," she whispered. "Either way, I can't live without you."
"Don't be dramatic, Ginny," he told her before he went back to looking for his friends.
"Knew she was going to do that," Hermione said when he told her and Ron about his confutation with Ginny.
"We all spoiled and favoured her," Ron admitted. "Partly because she was the baby, partly because she was the only girl."
"I never really liked Ginny Weasley to be honest," Lavender added to the trio's comments. "Before she turned fourteen and started going out with that Corner guy she was too shy and awkward. And when everyone started to think she was the prettiest bloody thing you ever saw, she got too big for her britches. And she always was stalking Harry everywhere he went. Parvarti and I saw her numerous times. She's just sixteen trying to act twenty-six, making her seem even more immature."
They all remained silent for awhile. Harry was still wondering what Ron saw in her. Sure she was considered one of the prettiest girls in their year but she made Harry feel nervous. It was probably because she kind of flaunted the fact that she was a girl and that added butterflies in his stomach whenever he tried to speak to her. Mind you, they weren't the types of butterflies he would experience when he was near Cho or Ginny or Hermione when he liked them. These butterflies seemed like they were of a completely different species than those butterflies.
"I'm bored," Hermione said to them. "Let's go do something."
"What are we going to do, Hermione? Read?" Lavender responded quite rudely.
"I have an idea of what we can do," Ron spoke up.
"If it involves me naked, I'm out," Hermione told him jokingly.
"No, not quite. Why don't we go swimming in the pond?"
"We don't have bathing suits, Ron and I for one am not going skinny dipping."
"C'mon. Wear your underwear or something. Live a little, Hermione!" Ron said. "You've never taken a risk as long as I've know you."
"Yes, I have!" she responded. "Remember when I went to the Yule Ball with Krum? And when I confounded McLaggen to make you Keeper?" She covered her mouth at what she just said.
"Did you think I wasn't good enough to make Keeper?" Ron asked Hermione angrily. The tips of his ears were turning red. "I'm not rubbish at Quidditch like you, Hermione. I could've done in on my own, just like I did it on my own when you thought Harry slipped me Felix.
"It's not that, Ron," she confided. She put her hand on his shoulder. "I just wanted to make sure that McLaggen definitely didn't make it because I know you, Ron and I know that you are a great Keeper except you choke up whenever you're self-conscious. And McLaggen almost killed Harry when he did play. If you were ahead of McLaggen I knew you would get a boost in your confidence."
"Thanks, Hermione," Ron mumbled. "But, I was wondering—are we going swimming or not?"
They went towards the pond with Lavender ahead leading Ron by the hand. Harry still couldn't believe that he was going out with her. And that they did it. Ron was the last person on earth who Harry could imagine doing it. Hermione walked along side Harry as the moonlight caught her face. Somehow, the moon seemed to make her already radiant features even more radiant.
"This is so stupid!" Hermione ranted at Harry. "Trust Ron to think of something that involves girls in their underwear."
"He's Ron, not an advanced life form," Harry reminded her. "Besides, you've encountered us enough times without our clothes on. Now it's your turn."
Lavender was the first one to go in. Ron stood stunned as she shed her clothes off. Harry took advantage of Ron's weak state and pushed him in after Lavender. Ron splashed Harry, got out, took off his dress robes and jumped back in. Harry followed suit, slightly embarrassed that Hermione was going to see him half naked. He dived in with Ron who was egging Hermione to come in as well. After five minutes of screaming no, she wouldn't be coming in, Ron and Harry debated over who would be taking Hermione's clothes off her and throwing her in.
"Why don't you do it, Harry? We know you want to," Lavender whispered to him saucily. A sly lip gloss grin was planted on her face. He got out but Hermione had taken her own clothes off and dived gracefully into the pond before he could get on land. She smiled at him in the water as she was wading around. He jumped back in, partly thankful that he wouldn't have to undress Hermione, partly worried that she jumped in to avoid him.
Mrs. Weasley found them some thirty minutes later with a red face. Harry was amazed how Ron, who over shadowed his mother's height by at least a foot, would respond so meekly to Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley performed a drying spell on them all. They all came silently house. Harry noticed that the equipment for the wedding had disappeared. Harry and Hermione came in and went to bed to leave Ron and Lavender alone outside to say their non-verbal goodbyes to each other.
Harry got ready to go to bed and climbed in his bed silently. The twins had left to their own flat and Charlie was sleeping on Fred's old cot. Harry lay awake for awhile thinking about how Hermione had began to get really close to him during the day before she avoided him at the pond. He tried to relive every moment to see where he went wrong but he came up with nothing. He turned over on his side to see Hermione sleeping peacefully beside him on George's cot. Her angel eyes were covered by ivory lids and her cinnamon hair was spread around her head like a dark halo. He kissed her head before getting back to bed regretting what he had just done because she was his friend and nothing but.