I really love this chapter – lots of h/hr cuteness! :)
I'm not feeling very well today but I've still spent my time writing this up for you guys, plus it eased my boredom of resting in bed all day.
Chapter Five
"So, I see you have painted my old bedroom?" Ron noted, as himself and Harry were in the kitchen, Harry serving out lasagne onto four plates.
It was Wednesday night and Ron and Luna had been invited over for dinner.
"Yeah, took us all of Sunday" Harry informed him.
"Mate, i've got to ask, why is it painted the most boring colour there is?" Ron said, aghast "I mean of all the colours, why go for magnolia?"
Harry laughed "Hermione couldn't make up her mind. First she wanted red, then like a raspberry colour, then purple, turquoise, yellow…eventually she gave up and decided on a neutral colour."
Ron just rolled his eyes "Girls eh? So indecisive!" and laughed, before calling out to the girls that dinner was ready.
After the four of them enjoyed their meal, Ron and Hermione got into an argument over who should go to the local Blockbusters to get a DVD for the four of them to watch.
"I'm not going!" Ron objected "I want to stay here, why can't you go?"
"Because Luna and I want to chat."
"Do you?" Harry asked, intrigued.
Hermione sensed his tone "Yeah, and it's girl talk."
"Oh heck, not girl talk!" Ron moaned "Why do women always do this?"
Hermione and Luna laughed.
"Harry, you wouldn't mind going with Ronald would you?" Luna said to him, kindly.
"I suppose not" Harry said, getting up off the sofa "Come on Ron, let's leave them to it."
"Aww Harry, you give in too easily!" and the girls heard no more as the guys disapparated out of the flat.
Hermione turned to Luna, expectantly "So, Luna, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"You, actually."
"Me?" Hermione looked a bit perplexed "Have I done something wrong?"
"It's more like what you haven't done" Luna said, with a small smile "I know about you and Harry."
Hermione's raised her eyebrows "Me and Harry? What are you talking about?"
"I know you have feelings for him, Hermione."
Hermione blushed "What makes you think that?"
"Just the way you act around eachother: all the looks, the close contact, the way he keeps complimenting you, and you do keep blushing every time Harry is mentioned, or does something linked with you."
Hermione burrowed her face in her hands before looking at Luna "Is it really that obvious?"
Luna giggled "Yes" she smiled "So, you do feel something for Harry then?"
Hermione could not deny it anymore "I do, Luna I really do. I just can't stop thinking about him!"
Luna felt intrigued "What I don't understand is, how can you feel so strongly for Harry, after not long having broken up with Chris?"
"I honestly do not know" Hermione replied, truthfully. "Maybe I've always felt this way about Harry, it just took the two of us actually living together to finally bring the feelings to the surface."
Luna smiled "So what are you going to do? You have to tell him."
Hermione sighed "I know, it's just…i'm worried how he will react. If Harry doesn't feel the same way, it will ruin everything! I don't want to jeopardise our friendship."
"But how do you know Harry doesn't feel the same way, unless you ask him?"
"No, I can't do that, Luna. I'm too scared."
Luna was watching Hermione carefully; she could see how much this was affecting her.
"It's like these feelings have taken over my life!" Hermione confessed, at last opening up to everything she had been feeling. "I wake up thinking of Harry; I go to bed thinking of him. He's always there if I need him, he's been so helpful, so kind, thoughtful, generous. Harry's got all the qualities of a guy who I would want to spend the rest of my life with…" Hermione put her hand to her mouth, not believing she had blurted out the last part.
Luna did not react at all surprised; she just looked dreamily at Hermione "You really love him, don't you?"
Hermione nodded "Yeah, yeah I really do. I'm in love with Harry Potter!" She looked back, helplessly, at Luna "And I don't know what to do!"
Luna gave Hermione a sympathetic smile and brought her into a hug.
Ron and Harry returned fifteen minutes later, complete with bags of popcorn and more wine.
"Of all the films to go for, why did you pick a horror film?" Hermione asked, as Harry put it in the DVD player.
"Don't blame me, it was Ron's idea" Harry said, as he came to sit next to Hermione. He lifted her legs momentarily (as she had had them laid out across the entire sofa) so he could sit down. Hermione put her legs over Harry's and reached for their bowl of popcorn, Ron and Luna had their own on the other sofa they were sharing.
As the horror film progressed, Hermione went from hiding behind her hands, to hiding behind a pillow, as well as screaming and jumping in fright at certain points. By the end of the film, Hermione had moved so she was sitting right next to Harry and occasionally buried her head in his chest. This did not go unnoticed by Ron and Luna, who were grinning at the pair of them.
When Ron and Luna left not long later, Harry and Hermione finished the last of the wine in the living-room.
"It's a good thing we can all apparate" Harry said, as he sat back down on the sofa "Would hate to be caught out in this weather" he indicated the very heavy rain which was pounding on the windows outside. Harry decided to change the topic of conversation, as Hermione seemed to be pre-occupied with her thoughts.
"Did you and Luna sort everything out that you had to talk about?" Harry asked, curiously.
Hermione turned to Harry with a small smile "Kind of."
"Can I ask what it was you were talking about? You know you can tell me anything, Hermione" Harry said, kindly.
"I know, but I'd still rather not say" Hermione said, bashfully.
Suddenly there was a bright flash of light from outside, followed by a loud rumbling of thunder. A thunderstorm had begun, just as forecast.
"Oh great!" Hermione said, sarcastically, yet anxiously "As if the film wasn't enough to keep me from sleeping tonight!"
Harry looked at her understandingly, knowing how much Hermione hated thunderstorms.
"It'll be okay Hermione, it will soon pass. You're perfectly safe indoors."
"You can't be sure" Hermione argued "You hear about these people who have narrowly escaped death, when a lightning bolt strikes the roof and comes through into the bedrooms when they're asleep."
"Hermione, that won't happen, trust me" Harry tried to say reassuringly, and said with interest "How come you're so frightened of thunderstorms?"
"When I was ten years old" Hermione began "A large lightning bolt hit the tree in the back garden of the house. I saw it happen from my bedroom window. It just freaked me out, I've been scared ever since."
"Well I'm not surprised" Harry said seriously "That would've scared me too."
Hermione then jumped in fright as there was another sound of thunder.
"Listen, Hermione..." Harry began tentatively, before suddenly the whole room descended into pitch blackness.
"Oh no, not a power cut!" Hermione shrieked, getting more fearful and clinged to Harry's arm.
"Lightning must have hit some power cables nearby" Harry said, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkened room, but he could still see where Hermione was sitting next to him "You okay?"
Hermione gave an unconvincing response.
"I think we should both go and get some sleep" Harry suggested "We may as well as there is no electric to watch TV or anything. I got an early start in the morning too."
"And me" Hermione concurred.
Harry could just vaguely make out Hermione getting up off the sofa "Night then Harry" she said anxiously, dreading going to sleep.
"Hermione, wait" Harry reached out to stop her leaving, catching her wrist gently. Both of them feeling their hearts beat faster at the touch.
"Y'know, if you feel you want to…if you get scared too much, or you can't get to sleep…then … just come and see me, okay?" Harry offered, sweetly.
Harry could not see it, but Hermione was smiling directly at him.
"Thank-you, Harry" and their small contact was lost, as Hermione left the room with her wand illuminating the way.
The thunderstorm raged on, getting worse and worse as the minutes ticked by. Harry was wide awake, tucked up in his bed. He was not scared of the storm in the slightest, but one thought was keeping Harry from sleeping. Hermione. He was worried how she was doing, if she was okay, hoping she wasn't too scared.
During these worrying thoughts of no more than fifteen minutes, the door to his bedroom creaked opened. Harry turned over in his bed to see Hermione standing in the doorway, shivering, and looking frightened.
"Harry?"
Harry smiled "Come here" he said, kind-heartedly.
Hermione came and sat on the empty side of the bed, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, giving a jump in fear as thunder was heard outside again.
"Hermione, what are you doing?" Harry inquired, with a slight laugh "You can get under the duvet, y'know."
"No, I couldn't do that" Hermione said, bashfully.
Harry frowned "Why not?"
"It would be weird" Hermione said with a blush "Us, sharing a bed."
"Nah it won't" Harry said, thinking nothing of it and patted the space next to him "Come on, get in" he smiled at her.
Hermione gave in all too easily, and got into the right side of the bed and faced Harry.
She giggled "Hi."
Harry chuckled "Hi to you too."
"Listen, Harry, I just wanted to say thank-you" Hermione said, seriously "For not taking the Mickey out of me because of the trouble I have with thunderstorms. I should try and get over it, I'm not a little kid anymore."
Harry smiled at her, considerately "Don't worry about it Hermione, everyone is afraid of something. I'm always here for you, you know that."
Hermione smiled gratefully, before silence fell between them for a minute or so. Hermione turned onto her side facing away from Harry, wanting to go to sleep, but was failing miserably. She started shivering again, as her nerves had been torn to shreds by the sounds of the storm outside, as well as the fact that Hermione was feeling very cold. She was regretting wearing her thin strapped lilac nightie instead of her pyjamas.
"Hermione, are you cold?" Harry asked, worriedly as he could hear her shivering.
"No, no I'm fine, really" Hermione tried to reassure him.
"No you're not" Harry said, knowing her all too well, and he moved over in the bed so he was close behind her "Look at you, you're shivering" Harry rubbed her arm in concern, as she continued to shiver further.
"Okay" Hermione admitted "Maybe I am a bit cold."
Harry gave a knowing grin. He then acted on impulse and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling Hermione closer to him. They were lying fully against each other.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione asked in surprise at their very close contact.
"I'm sorry" Harry said, whilst reluctantly starting to pull away, worrying he had crossed the line "Just thought I'd try and keep you warm, I'll stop…"
"No" Hermione used her arm to grab hold of Harry's and positioned it back around her "It's fine" she smiled as Harry cuddled up to her, resting his head between the crook of her neck and her shoulder.
Neither of them could quite believe this was happening; they were lying so close to each other. Both of their hearts were beating erratically, bright smiles remained on their faces.
'Harry is spooning me!' Hermione thought, animatedly, in her head.
"Feeling better?" Harry interrupted her train of thought.
Hermione nodded "Much" she put her hand over Harry's, which was resting on her stomach. "This is … nice" Hermione commented out loud before she could stop herself "I mean…nice to not feel cold anymore" she tried to correct herself. Hermione was right in one aspect though; she definitely did not feel cold anymore, she was now feeling more hot than anything.
"I'm glad" Harry said, not knowing what else to say.
Another loud crack of thunder, as well as the lightning illuminating the room for a second, brought an end to the calmness that had settled between the pair, as Hermione gave another shudder at the noise, gripping onto Harry's arm around her waist.
"Shhh, its okay" Harry snuggled closer to Hermione, if that were at all possible, before making a bold move and kissed Hermione's bare shoulder.
Hermione blushed and had closed her eyes momentarily at the contact, she felt so glad to be in Harry's arms.
After another bout of thunder and lightning, Hermione shifted positions and moved onto her other side, now facing Harry again. It was still pitch black in Harry's room, but Hermione could still make out Harry's facial features, he was gazing at her with a concerned smile.
"You alright?"
Hermione smiled back in return "Yeah, just getting tired now."
"Just close your eyes" Harry said, quietly "And you'll fall asleep in no time" Harry started rubbing her arm softly, again.
Hermione tried just that, this lasted about seven seconds, before her eyes shot wide open again at hearing more of the storm raging outside. Hermione could not stop herself, she moved closer to cuddle up to Harry.
Harry automatically wrapped his arms protectively around her, saying soothing words to try and keep Hermione from getting even more frightened.
"Just go to sleep" he said gently "Shhh, I'm here sweetheart" and he kissed her forehead.
Harry then, internally, panicked 'Sweetheart? Where did that come from?'
Hermione had heard him loud and clear, she beamed and still continued to snuggle up to Harry's chest, as she did just as he had suggested, and closed her eyes. Just by listening to Harry's gentle heartbeat, a minute or so later, Hermione fell fast asleep.
Harry looked down at seeing Hermione asleep, and smiled knowing she was okay and no longer scared.
"This is what I want' Harry thought in his head 'I need to stop putting it off' he then carried on thinking but as if he was actually talking to Hermione 'I need to find a way to tell you…' Harry kissed Hermione's forehead and whispered out loud this time, so quietly that it was barely audible "I love you."
...
Reviews are still very welcome, they will help cheer me up from feeling ill.