Author's Note: So it has been requested to have a chapter 8 in Hermione's POV and I would like to say that the request has been granted. If you would like to read Hermione's POV please let me know in a review with your email address listed. Due to the fact that is weird when it comes to email addresses being listed in a message, be sure that when you are writing your email address, to have it directly written out. For example, username at yahoo . com. Sorry for the inconvenience but this appears to be the only way that works. Thanks for the requests and reviews, keep them coming!

The story will always be in Hermione's POV unless otherwise stated.

CH. 9 Out of Reach

Harry's POV

It has been 4 days since my kiss with Hermione and all attempts at winning her back had been foiled at the seams. Hermione had made herself scarce these past few days by constantly being with McLaggen and remaining out of sight. I had not had the opportunity to speak two words to her besides 'please stop' in the past week and my patience was wearing thin.

"Just look at him putting his filthy hands all over her like a piece of meat. Disgusting little wanker," I said in irritation, staring across the hallway at Hermione and McLaggen who currently had his arm around her shoulder.

Draco took a look down the hallway in the direction I was staring at before rolling his eyes and looking back down at his mobile. "How long are you going to keep doing this to yourself mate? Obviously McLaggen fancies Granger for god knows what reason and the feelings mutual. Get over it. You are starting to look bent with that stupid look in your eye," He replied.

"I am not bent you tosser. I was with Cho for a year if you recall," I asserted shaking my head in irritation.

"Oh yeah, about that. She keeps complaining to Rebecca about the two of you getting back together. Apparently, in her eyes you are not broken up. You are just going through a phase."

"No, we are done. Bloody idiot she is. And why are you talking to Rebecca about Cho and I?"

"Well you know, Rebecca and I are fuck buddies and sometimes we talk."

"Wow, how considerate of you to talk to the girl you are shagging every once in awhile. Right gentlemen of the year you are. And aren't you 'with' Ginny now? That would be messed up of you to continue to shag Rebecca, even for your standards."

"We aren't fuck buddies anymore and how many times must I tell you not say that I am seeing her in public. It will ruin my image."

"Of you being the campus man whore?"

"I prefer the term 'ladies man' thank you very much."

"You are with Ginny. Why don't you just own up to it."

"Who is Draco shagging now?" Ron interrupted coming up to the locker beside me.

"No one," I quickly answered changing the subject. Draco murmured "your sister" under his breath and I punched him hard against his shoulder. Telling Ron that one of his good mates is having sex with his younger sister was just asking for trouble.

"Oh. Well, how is the Hermione front going?" Ron asked turning towards me.

"Unsuccessful. She still refuses to talk to me. She either walks the other direction when I come near her or conveniently has to leave when in the same room as me. I am not giving up that easily," I responded looking across the hall at her once again.

Hermione was laughing at something that McLaggen said, placing her hand against her beautiful mouth to control her laughter. McLaggen drew her in closer to his embrace and I felt like punching him in his stupid face. I was truly debating going over there when a girl's body blocked my view of them. Looking down at the face I rolled my eyes and started going in my locker.

"Why aren't you returning my calls Harry Potter?" the high-pitched voice known as Cho demanded.

"You're a smart girl in some areas, you should be able to understand. But in case you don't, I will help you out. You said that responding to calls was a part of a boyfriend's duty, therefore I am doing the opposite," I replied looking for my textbooks. I could hear Ron and Draco snickering beside me.

"Ugh fine, maybe I've been hard on you at times. I forgive you, now can you just please stop this nonsense."

"It is not nonsense. We are through Cho, I don't know how I can make it any clearer."

"Is this because of that bitch Granger? What could you possibly see in her?"

"Don't ever call her a bitch. She is a far better person than you could ever dream to be. Now, if you don't mind, I have business to attend to before class starts," I said nodding goodbye to Draco and Ron before walking away from Cho.

"Draco, Ron, could you talk to Harry?" I heard Cho say as I walked further down the hallway.

I had more important things to think about besides a completely delusional ex-girlfriend. Like finding Ginny for instance.

Spotting Ginny across the courtyard chatting with her dance teammates, I quickly ran up to her.

"Hiya Harry!" Nicole and the girls on the team announced in greeting as I approached the group.

"Hello ladies," I answered back politely looking towards Ginny.

"We heard about you and Cho. We are so sorry Harry. If you ever need to talk I am here," Nicole said with a smile.

"Uhh thanks. Do you girls mind if I borrow Ginny for a second? I need to talk to her about something," I responded grabbing Ginny's arm to follow me.

She waved goodbye to her other teammates before moving off to the side with me.

"Now that you are single again, you are more fancible than ever. Apparently, you have become the talk of the school," Ginny said folding her arms across her chest.

"Really? I didn't notice," I replied with a frown.

"Of course not. You never notice these things. The dance team is going batty about it. Nicole more specifically as you just saw. Anyways, I know why you wanted to talk to me and the answer is no."

"But you don't even know what I am going to talk to you about."

"Save it Potter. Hermione is my best friend. If she doesn't want to talk to you, she has her reasons and I respect her wishes."

"I have to talk to her Ginny. She has to understand that she can trust me again and that I would do anything to be with her."

"I am going to tell you something, a secret if you will, that you must never repeat to a living soul. And if you do, I will just deny it."

"Agreed. What is it?" I asked curiously.

"When you hurt Hermione that dreaded day when you were both 12, it really broke her. More than she lets on. From that day on, she hasn't trusted anyone but me. It's hard for her to open up to people and you scare her because she really does care for you. If you really want her, you have to do something to prove that she can trust you. But if you hurt her again, I will cut your bloody balls off got it?" She said pushing me with a finger for emphasis.

"Got it. Do you think it would be possible for you to arrange for Hermione and I to meet up alone? No McLaggen or you, no distractions, no escapes."

"I could because I am that brilliant. Now, here is what we have to do…"

Lunch time—

I was waiting alone in an empty classroom for Hermione to arrive. Ginny had organised a place for Hermione to meet up with her in order to help her with maths homework that she had been having difficulty with. I smiled at the thought. Leave it to Ginny to come up with a mastermind plan.

"Ginny? Where are you?" Hermione asked in the dark.

I quickly closed the door, standing against it as I turned on the lights. She immediately turned around to focus on me. Her beautiful brown eyes looked at me in shock before her face turned to anger.

"This is the only way that I could get for you to talk to me without running off. Don't get mad at Ginny, she was only trying to help. Now just don't even think about trying to escape. We aren't leaving here until we have a nice long chat," I asserted.

"I can't believe her and you! Don't you get it? If I wanted to talk to you I would have. I don't have anything to say to you," She replied in frustration before crossing her arms across her chest impatiently.

I looked longingly at her breasts that had been pushed up due to her arm crossing. I shook my head, trying to rearrange my thoughts before speaking again. It would not bode very well for me to develop an erection when I was trying to get her to trust me again.

"Good, because I have a lot to say to you. You can trust me okay. I know I broke you heart, more than you will admit. And I can't change what happened, but I can try to make amends with it if you will let me. I miss you. I miss us. I miss running home after school and going out to that park and watching you read for hours under our favourite tree. I miss seeing that look in your eyes when you are proud of me for getting an answer correct. Most of all, I miss how I feel when I am around you. That feeling like there is no place else in the world that I would rather be than with you. I need you in my life and I promise I will never forsake you or our relationship ever again," I finished looking at her perfect features.

She sighed and took a seat at one of the desks. "Harry, I do miss you too. But I really don't think I can trust you. I would love to, I really would. I really appreciate you trying and everything, but I don't ever want to feel that feeling again. And everytime I see you, I feel myself wanting to open up to you and be around you again and its wrong. We can't go back to the way we were, all we can do is focus on the future. I can accept you as a classmate or an acquaintance but as friend, I just don't really see that happening right now."

I clenched my fist in frustration and walked towards the desk on the right of her and took a seat. "No, I refuse to accept that. I want you and I am not giving up that easily. I don't want you as just my friend. I want you as my best friend and hell I want more than that. Be with me, screw McLaggen."

"You can't have your cake and eat it to and I think that it's about time that you understood that. I think what truly hurt the most was the fact that you acted as if nothing happened. I mean I don't blame you completely for acting that way since I wasn't supposed to know what happened technically. You just came over the next day and thought that you were going to act normal around me. What were you planning on doing? Using me? You can't just go around kissing people and tossing them aside as if they mean nothing. Did I mean nothing to you?"

"You meant everything to me and I was too bloody stupid to see it. If I could go back and beat the shit out of my younger self I would. Believe me. But like you said, we cannot change the past and we need to focus on the future. I want my future to be with you," I practically pleaded with her.

"Well I don't."

And with those three words, I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

After school in the locker room—

It was before football practise and I felt more dejected than ever. I honestly never thought that I could feel this low. For the first time in my life, I really didn't want to play football right now. I wanted to lie down on my bed, blast music, and throw my football at my bedroom wall until Sirius came in to my room shouting his head off at me. I methodically went through the motions of tying my shoelaces while my thoughts were elsewhere.

"So Cormac, seriously are you with Granger?" Seamus asked walking up beside McLaggen at his side of the locker room.

"Yes, I am truly with Hermione," He answered with a grin coming to his stupid face.

"It must be true what they say about bookworms I am amusing? Is she good in the sack?" Seamus asked playfully.

"It's only a matter of time before I can answer that question. If her kissing technique is any indication, I would say she is a pure sex kitten," McLaggen responded with a laugh.

Bawling up my fist in anger I walked over towards him. "Shut your bloody mouth before I permanently close it for you," I said softly, barely controlling my anger.

"Why are you so worked up? I heard you aren't even friends anymore. Something about you screwing her over at age 12."

"She told that?"

"Of course, she tells me everything. She is my girlfriend after all. And I will shag my girlfriend whenever I damn well please."

"You lay a fucking hand on her McLaggen and it will be your last. Do you hear me?" I shouted pushing him against the locker. Ron came in between us and held me back and Dean grabbed a hold of the struggling prick.

"What seems to be the problem lads?" Our coach said walking in to the locker room looking immediately between the two of us.

"Nothing," we both said in unison, staring daggers at each other.

"There better not be. I don't want to see anything but team cooperation. We have a championship to win and there can be no distractions. Check your problems at the door. Got it? Now get out on the field and do some drills," He answered before heading back out the locker room door.

I shrugged Ron off of me and gathered my stuff and left. McLaggen was a complete asshole and if Hermione couldn't see it, the least I could do was protect her from him. There was no way in hell that idiot was getting near my Hermione.

Looks like Cormac is finally showing his true colors. Poor Hermione. Can't a girl catch a break? Let's see what is going to happen between Cormac and Harry next. Will there be a showdown? Click to the next chapter to find out!