Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Back to School	By : aneener8d Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Harry/Hermione Views: 118401 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. All rights reserved to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. No profit is being made. Purely fanfiction.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Back to School

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

Summary: Hermione is back at Hogwarts to complete her education as an Eighth Year. But wait… is that Harry Potter?… as the new DADA Professor?! What’s Harry to do when all he can dream/think about is giving Hermione detention and seeing her in her school uniform... or more specifically without her school uniform?

Author’s Note: Valentine’s Day… yeah I know clichéd… but I had to put it in… the whole chapter is a bit clichéd so y’all might hate, but it was a necessary evil. I promise!

A bit of limes with a smidgen of CRACK! and FLUFF resulting (hopefully) in WAFF. Admittedly I’m not too familiar with the CRACK! genre and I’m not a big fan of it either, but from my understanding it is when there are unlikely situations happening and results in chaos (?). Well, no chaos here, but I think some of the things happening could be considered CRACK-ish. I’m not too sure…

Sorry for the delay… I didn’t mean for this chapter to take so long to write. I’m actually surprised I’ve gotten so far. Anywho~ thanks for the continued support (reviews, follows, and etc).

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Chapter 5:

“Harry James Potter!” Hermione’s voice echoed through the halls of Hogwarts, bouncing off the stone walls and traveling throughout the school. “Will you stop?! You are being incorrigible!” she reprimanded.

Harry winced at the sheer volume of her voice before looking around the halls once more, to make sure no one was around, before placing another quick kiss on Hermione’s lips; a goofy smile adorning his face. He wasn’t sure where his boldness was coming from, but the fact that Hermione had not opted to magically rebuke him seemed invitation enough. In Harry’s opinion, Hermione’s resistance seemed weak at best and he couldn’t seem to find it within himself to stop. It wasn’t really as if he was taking advantage of her, she could, in all honesty, do some real nasty things to him if she put her clever mind to it. However, her refusals were half-hearted and gave Harry the confidence he needed to continue to pursue her.

Harry pulled the bouquet of wild flowers he had been hiding behind his back and placed them into Hermione’s hands. He then bent his head once more and gave Hermione’s right cheek a kiss. When he pulled away he gave Hermione a dashing smile before treading backwards, making his escape. Harry waved his hands animatedly at Hermione whilst laughing in a most carefree way he had never known until that moment. Once he saw a small smile mixed with incredulousness and amusement come upon Hermione’s face he turned on his heels and ran down the hall- remembering that his class started in two minutes and he would have to run down at least three flights of stairs to his classroom.

It had been a week and a half since he had found Hermione in his office. A week and a half since she agreed to go to Hogsmeade with him on Valentine’s Day. A week and a half since his plan to “woo” Hermione bore fruition to his current actions. He smiled to himself as he made his way down the first flight of stairs towards his classroom.

What had begun as daily flower gifts to Hermione (as a way to show his intentions) had quickly escalated to finding Hermione when she was alone, stealing a couple of quick kisses, giving her the bouquet of flowers, and then dashing off before she could do anything to stop him. It was her fault really. The whole thing had started innocent enough, but how could Harry be expected to control himself when Hermione was…so tempting…

When he had given her the first bouquet (daisies he had ordered via owl post), she had pulled him into a platonic hug of sorts to thank him for the unexpected surprise. Harry had gotten caught up in the moment and had not released his hold on her until she started to jab his stomach with her fingers. By the fourth bouquet (tulips he had somehow managed to conjure with transfiguration), a hug had become customary and again getting too caught up, he placed a gentle kiss on Hermione’s cheek. At first she didn’t comment on it, but by the seventh bouquet (orchids once more delivered via owl post) when his kisses had become bolder and landed precisely on her lips, she began to sputter about in shock but found her arms empty as Harry had made a quick retreat. Now having just given Hermione her eleventh bouquet, Harry found even three kisses was not enough to satisfy his ever growing desire for her.

He knew that just because Hermione was not fully resisting his advances that it did not mean he had full reign to do as he liked. However, could he really be blamed when Hermione would make the most alluring face (at least in his eyes) of mixed incredulousness, surprise, annoyance, and a hint of amusement every time he gave her flowers or kissed her? Harry would lose all sense of propriety at that point and it was by mere self-control he did not push her up against the stone walls or drag her into an empty classroom to have his way with her.

Harry finally arrived at his classroom with about twenty seconds to spare. He took in a deep breath to compose himself. He knew he would be flushed, not only because he had sprinted down three flights of stairs to get to his class on time, but also because he remembered the soft feel of Hermione’s lips against his own, the way her body fit so perfectly in his arms. He took in another deep breath and shook his head to stop the dangerous thoughts, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of his class. Finally, he took one last deep breath before he turned the knob on the door and walked into his classroom to begin his lesson.

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“Harry! Will you please cease these unspeakable behaviors at once?!” Hermione all but shrieked through clenched teeth. It was becoming beyond difficult to think whenever Harry deemed it necessary to lavish her with these kisses and hugs. It was taking all of Hermione’s strength to keep Harry’s body from melding indefinitely with hers- using her arms to at least keep their upper bodies from touching- seeing as how Harry’s legs seemed to have already interlaced with her legs.

“Please Hermione. I’m already at my limit.” Harry whispered into Hermione’s ear. Harry emphasized his need by brushing his hardened arousal against Hermione’s stomach- moaning into Hermione’s ear at the much needed friction.

Hermione’s breath hitched at the contact, the bold statement of want and need that Harry was making with his continued movements. They were friends. They weren’t supposed to be doing this; she wasn’t supposed to be feeling… so good. The word PLATONIC screamed out in her mind- trying to warn her of what might happen if she let Harry continue.

When she felt the first stirrings of arousal tingle along her body before pooling around that area, she knew she needed to do something. She needed to stop him… needed to make it known these advances were unwanted… needed… needed for him to help release the tension bundling up there…

“Harry… please…no…” her protests sounded weak even to her. It didn’t surprise her that her refusals went unheard as Harry applied sweet, sweet pressure in that area with his upper thigh. The hardened muscle of his quadriceps further arousing Hermione- the thought of such powerful muscles rubbing against her- between her soft thighs… Hermione let out an involuntary moan and sigh.

Harry’s lips caught Hermione’s lips in a hungry kiss. Greedily taking in Hermione then fucking her mouth with his tongue- hinting at what he wanted- no- what he needed to do with his aching appendage located further south.“Tell me you want it… tell me you want me just as much as I want you.” Harry moaned into the kiss. He hoisted Hermione up so that their hips aligned- supporting Hermione against the stone wall. He began to frantically rub his arousal against Hermione’s core eliciting sweet sounds of approval from Hermione.

“Hermione…”

“Hermione…”

“Hermione, are you feeling alright? You’ve been staring at that Ancient Runes scroll for the past ten minutes. Would you like me to escort you to the Infirmary?” Nathaniel asked in concern.

Hermione’s face scrunched up before she lightly shook her head to rid herself of her thoughts. “No. I’m fine. I was just… I was lost in my thoughts for a bit. I’ll be okay.” She could feel her face redden with embarrassment, remembering her wantonly ways in her daydream. Though she would never consider herself a prude, she certainly had never had those types of thoughts before. She wanted to bury her head into her arms until her embarrassment dissipated, but figured that would only bring more unwanted attention.

“You’ve been kind of out of it recently… are you sure there is nothing I can help you with?” Nathaniel asked.

“No…it’s nothing. Really.” Hermione answered. “I’ll admit my mind has been preoccupied as of late, but it’s nothing to be worried about.” Hermione finished. She wasn’t really sure whether she was trying to reassure Nathaniel or herself. A heavy silence blanketed around Hermione and Nathaniel as they sat in the Library. Hermione continued to stare at her scrolls, though not really reading it, as Nathaniel continued to stare at Hermione.

“Why do you let him do that?”

“Huh? Why do I let who do what?” Hermione asked, perplexed at the seemingly random question Nathaniel asked.

“You know… Potter… you let him just do whatever he wants. I’ve seen it… before classes… him taking liberties with you. And all you’ve done so far is scold him a bit before he leaves. I just don’t understand. I’ve heard you explain that he’s only a friend millions of times and yet…” Nathaniel’s voice trailed off. “You shouldn’t let him push you around. Just because he’s the Harry Potter shouldn’t mean he gets to…”

“He’s not pushing me around.” Hermione said defensively. “I also don’t know what you mean by the Harry Potter, he’s just Harry…”

“There you go again, you’re always defending him.” Nathaniel pointed out- interrupting Hermione. “He may be your friend but I…”

“I’m not defending him… I’m just… I don’t know… I don’t really know how to explain it.” Hermione cut in. “It’s just… I’m happy for him. For the first time, since I’ve known him, he’s actually doing something he wants to do, not something he thinks is required of him. I’ve known him for so long, and besides Quidditch, I don’t think he’s ever taken time for himself, to act his age.” Hermione tried to explain.

“I know it may be difficult for you to fully understand, but with Harry, I just… he deserves to be happy, finally. And yes I am a little annoyed by his behavior, but it’s harmless really. How can I fault him when he’s sacrificed everything for us? It’s not like he’s actually taking advantage of me… I just…” Hermione’s voice trailed off when she couldn’t form the words to further explain herself.

“I’m sorry Hermione; I guess I just never saw it like that.” Nathaniel responded empathetically.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. I know you’re just concerned that I’m being taken advantage of, but I assure you, if I felt remotely uncomfortable with his advances I would have put a stop to it.” Hermione said firmly, giving Nathaniel a reassuring smile. “Come on, let’s get back to work. I still have to work on the Charms essay due two weeks from now, and I’m afraid I’m terribly behind schedule.”

Hermione smiled at Nathaniel before she looked back at her Ancient Runes assignment. She sighed deeply once she saw she had accomplished next to nothing and placed her full attention on her work. Hermione became so immersed in her school work that she failed to see the dark expression of annoyance and jealousy mar Nathaniel’s face. It lasted only a second, so when Hermione had looked up to Nathaniel with a question about a particular rune, all she saw was the pleasant smile that always adorned his handsome face.

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It was finally Valentine’s Day and Harry could not seem to hide his excitement. From the constant looks of amusement he was getting from the student body as well as the professors, he was quite sure everyone else also knew of the importance of this particular day. He knew he and Hermione were technically only going as friends, but he was hopeful that by the end of the day they would be more.

He whistled as he made his way towards the Gryffindor Tower. He noted that many of the students were already making their way down towards the main entrance, so as to start their respective dates. He picked up his pace, wanting to be able to start his own as soon as possible.

Harry had to admit that in previous years, he had never understood why so many students had been so caught up on such a commercial holiday. To him it had just been one of those days that girls seemed to get extra weird and the decorations a bit too frilly for his taste. Especially after the whole Cho Chang thing… Harry shuddered at the memory.

He realized now why he had not fully enjoyed himself in previous years. It had been because he had not been able to spend the day with the one he truly wanted to spend the day with. He realized now, Valentine’s Day wasn’t just a showy and annoying holiday that people used to flaunt their current status of having a significant other. No, it was a beautiful holiday which gave people the opportunity or courage to finally act upon their feelings. How could anyone ever find fault with a holiday that gave him an excuse to act as boldly and lovingly as he wanted?

Harry had just climbed the last stair leading to the Gryffindor portrait when he saw the portrait door swing open. He saw Hermione step out and their eyes locked onto one another. Harry’s breath caught in the back of his throat seeing Hermione. To any objective viewer, Hermione did not look any different than normal. Her outfit was sensible with light Valentine’s Day undertones. She had on a pleated pink and black plaid wool skirt with thick black tights and sensible black boots that ended just under her knees with no heel. Underneath her black woolen coat was a gray cashmere sweater. To top it all off, she had a matching set of dark gray, woolen muffler, hat and mittens. Nothing extraordinary, but to Harry she was beautiful. He could tell she had forgone any cosmetics and it just seemed to highlight her beauty.

Harry carefully made his way to Hermione. He couldn’t help but feel a bit pitiful in his (slightly too big) dark blue jeans, (slightly too big) dark burgundy v-neck sweater, and the sensible shoes he wore daily to and from classes. He had a black wool coat with a white muffler and black leather gloves. He realized his outfit almost announced to the world their platonic status, but the wide smile he saw on Hermione’s face made him forget everything and he in turn smiled at Hermione.

“You look absolutely breathtaking.” Harry said as he presented Hermione with a single yellow rose with a red tip. Hermione’s shy smile made Harry’s heart flutter as she took the rose. “It means friendship. I looked it up.” Harry said, but kept the only other meaning of this particular rose to himself. ‘Falling in love’ that was what the book had said. How perfect for the occasion, Harry thought.

They made their way down to the Great Hall in a comfortable silence, not needing useless chatter to fill in the void. Harry was having trouble keeping his pace lax, in his excitement to get to Hogsmeade. When they finally reached the Main Entrance, Harry saw the long line of students and heaved a great sigh, mentally. The line was moving slowly to his great displeasure, but he managed to keep his mood positive and the feel of Hermione standing next to him helped to keep everything in perspective.

Finally their turn, Harry could barely contain his excitement. He helped Hermione into the thestral-drawn carriage before he climbed in himself. He noted two more couples already inside the carriage. They looked to be either sixth or seventh years, but Harry could hardly make out their faces- not really caring to do o either. He took his seat in front of Hermione and as soon as he was settled, he felt the carriage move towards Hogsmeade. Hermione chatted amicably with the other students all the while Harry looked on with interest at how natural it seemed for Hermione to be there as his date.

The carriage bumped along the uneven dirt road leading to Hogsmeade. Harry could tell that the other students were a bit uncomfortable with his presence but he made a show of ignoring the secret glances his way as he spoke amicably with Hermione about the past week. Mid-sentence in telling a particularly silly story about a first year in one of his classes, Harry and the occupants of the carriage heard a big thud before they all began to slide toward the passenger side*. The carriage came to an abrupt halt as the thestrals made heavy breathing noises, followed by a shrill shriek that only Harry and Hermione seemed to be able to hear*. The three couples made their way out of the carriage to investigate what had happened.

Upon exiting the carriage, Harry saw that the back wheels of the carriage were stuck in mud, with the passenger side leaning heavily to the side due to the dip in the road. Given the cold weather and the lack of snow since January, Harry wasn’t sure why there was mud. It seemed that there was just someone out there to ruin his date with Hermione. Surely enough, even after many attempts, magically (by Hermione), to get the carriage unstuck, it would not budge. The three couples had decided to make their way down to Hogmeade by foot. However seeing the piteous state of the thestrals, Harry decided (with only a doe-eyed pleading from Hermione) to stay and help the magical creatures. Though the other students had offered to help, Harry told them they should be on their way if they wanted to get to their reservations at Madame Puddifoot’s Tea Shop on time.

Harry made his way behind the carriage and plunged himself in the thick mud. The mud was surprisingly deep and Harry chose to ignore the way it seeped into his shoes. Harry began to push the carriage as Hermione helped by pulling it from the front with the thestrals. The carriage would not move and Harry had to question if it was mere coincidence that it was his carriage that got stuck in a puddle mud that seemed to not have affected anyone else.

Suddenly the carriage jerked forward and Harry, who had placed his whole weight on the carriage to push it, lost his balance. Hermione, who acted on instinct, dove forward to catch Harry before he fell completely in the mud. However, Harry’s weight proved to be too much for Hermione and both Harry and Hermione found themselves buried deep in the mud. After about a ten second pause, Hermione began to shake in a fit of laughter.

“Well, on the bright side, the thestrals are out.” Hermione said in amusement.

Harry nodded in agreement before struggling to stand up. After what seemed like hours, he finally managed to balance his weight on his feet. One would think after the numerous abusive years with the Dursleys, the seven years of fighting for his life, and finally getting rid of a murderous, psychotic bigot he deserved at least one day in which he would be able to impress the love of his life. But, sadly, that was not the case.

The sound of Hermione’s laughter did not recede and though he was not hurt physically, he felt his pride had taken a brutal beating from life. He couldn’t imagine the day getting any worse and so he took in a deep breath before he reached into his back pocket and retrieved his wand. He helped Hermione out of the mud before he too stepped out. With a quick spell, he was able to get rid of most of the mud from his and Hermione’s clothes and hair. Hermione helped by casting a drying spell and then a warming spell so that neither of them would catch a cold.

Harry and Hermione sent the thestrals on their way back to the castle before they made their way towards Hogsmeade. They took a leisurely pace due to both Harry and Hermione having exerted too much energy on an empty stomach. Looking at his watch, Harry saw that it was passed two o’clock and they would most likely not be able to find a seat at the Three Broomstick. When they finally arrived at Hogsmeade, Harry saw that the streets were deserted, but judging by the raucous sounds coming from the Three Broomsticks and the continuous chatter coming from Madame Puddifoot’s Tea Shop, Harry could only assume both locations were packed with patrons.

In a silent agreement, the pair made their way down the street and headed straight towards the Hog’s Head. The disused pathway had not been properly de-iced and so Harry made sure to hold onto Hermione- lest she fall and break some bones. They had made it safely to the door but suddenly Hermione’s body began to jerk back and forth in Harry’s arms. Hermione, who had slipped on the ice, held onto Harry, trying to find her balance. Harry was able to keep his balance and just barely managed to keep Hermione safe in his arms. Just when he was helping her find her balance, the door to the Hog’s Head swung open and knocked Harry in the back. His body leapt forward and in turn Hermione’s body fell back. Harry managed to make sure Hermione remained in his arms so that the fall would not hurt her terribly, but the soft thud he heard alarmed him.

He slowly sat up and was on a kneeling position next to Hermione. His arms were still around her and so he helped her up so that she was no longer lying on the cold floor. “Are you alright?” Harry asked in concern.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I bumped my head a bit, but it’s not anything to worry about. How are your arms? I think they cushioned most of my fall…” Hermione asked.

“They’re fine. I’m more concerned about you.” Harry responded. At Harry’s response Hermione gave him an annoyed look before she reached around herself and took hold of Harry’s arms. She inspected his arms and though she couldn’t definitively conclude anything, she did determine that they were not broken.

“I’m sorry Hermione. Maybe we should head back to the castle before this date takes you to the infirmary with broken bones.” Harry said- simply defeated by the unfortunate events that seemed to follow him around.

“I don’t see why you’re sorry, when it was my fault everything went from bad to worse. It’s not like you made the carriages stop and I was the one who pleaded with you to help the thestrals. AND it was my clumsiness that led to me falling.” Hermione reprimanded. “I hope you aren’t blaming yourself for these unfortunate events.” Hermione said with a finality which threatened Harry to think otherwise.

“Come now Harry; let’s not talk of going back to the castle. I’m hungry and I demand you feed me.” Hermione said in jest, putting on airs of haughtiness in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Harry smiled weakly, unable to stay pessimistic when Hermione was willingly staying with him to see this date through. Hermione smiled widely at Harry and began to chuckle. Harry truly perplexed at Hermione’s behavior gave her a questioning look. Hermione simply shook her head. Harry, realizing he wasn’t going to be getting an answer, helped Hermione up and together, they made their way into the Hog’s Head.

Upon entering the establishment, Harry and Hermione nodded their greetings to Aberforth, who in turn, simply nodded once in acknowledgement. They seated themselves near the fireplace and began to warm their stiff bodies with the warmth emanating from the fire. Once they were settled, Harry made his way to the bar and ordered two warm Butterbeers as well as two warm sandwiches with chips. Though it wasn’t an ideal Valentine’s Day lunch, he could hardly complain when they were actually getting fed something.

Once the food and the drinks came out, he brought it to the table where he had left Hermione to warm up. They dove into their foods, ravenous from their trials and tribulations. Once they were fed, Harry ordered another round of warm Butterbeer after taking their used dishes back to the counter. He settled in his chair next to Hermione and they began to relax in front of the warm fire.

Hermione leaned heavily into Harry and used him as a pillow of sorts. Hermione let out of a small sigh of pleasure as she cuddled deeper into Harry. “Hermione?” Harry whispered- trying to gauge the lucidity of Hermione’s faculties.

“Mmmm?” Hermione responded.

“I think we should head out if we want to make it to the carriages on time.” Harry said softly.

“Just a little while longer…” Hermione responded with a yawn. “You’re just so comfy.” Hermione finished.

“Alright. I’ll wake you in twenty minutes and then we’ll head out to catch one of the last carriages back to the castle.” Harry said. He then rested his head on Hermione’s head and slowly closed his eyes- too tired to keep them open any longer. The pair had dozed off for what felt like a minute or two before they were rudely awaken by a loud shout.

“FIRE!” a deep voice rang out from across the room. Though the Hog’s Head had been vacant, save for the handful of wizards who looked to be taking naps in little pockets of the room, at the warning shout, chaos broke out. Aguamenti was shouted out from five different areas of the room and water gushed out of wands in every which way and doused not only the small amount of fire that had been in the fireplace, it also drenched all of the occupants of the establishment.

Harry and Hermione who had been startled awake, remained standing, frozen in their spots. They had fallen victim to the cross fire of water and having sat closest to the fireplace, they were completely soaked. Harry looked over at Hermione as Hermione’s gaze fell upon Harry. One look at each other and they both broke out in a fit of laughter.

“Harry… I think this is the absolute worst date I’ve ever been on- including that dinner with McLaggen!” Hermione said with a laugh. “I absolutely love it! Don’t you feel as if somehow… this outing just seems to… I don’t know… sum us up…? It’s only with you that we can take a perfectly fine idea and somehow always end up bruised and soaking wet!” She finished with another bout of laughter.

Harry let out a groan in between laughs as he managed to look at the clock. They had missed the carriages back to the castle. “Come on Hermione, let’s dry up and start walking back to Hogwarts. We need to make sure we get back to the Hogwarts grounds before curfew.” Harry said still in the afterglow of gaiety.

Hermione nodded her response and with a flick of her wand, both Harry and Hermione were dry again. “I think that shower got rid of the last bit of mud that was encrusted in my hair.” Hermione joked. She then took Harry’s hand in her own and walked out of the pub into the dark street. Upon inspection, Harry saw that the ice was no longer on the pathway and though he thought it weird he didn’t comment on it. They walked along the deserted streets once more and made their way towards Hogwarts.

Hermione came to an abrupt stop and Harry, who had not been paying attention to the road, bumped into Hermione. “What’s wrong?” Harry asked in concern.

“Let’s… go that way.” Hermione said indicating the broken path towards the Shrieking Shack. Harry could hear the slight hesitancy in Hermione’s voice, and though he too was hesitant, led Hermione through the broken fence and down the road.

They had not visited the Shack since that night, almost a year ago. They walked in a solemn silence as they remembered the last time they had ventured to the broken-down Shack.

“You know, I was really glad when we found out Professor Snape was on your side the whole time. It’s just… just sad you know…? I wish…”

“Yeah, I know.” Harry replied. How could he not know? The sheer amount of love and devotion Snape must have felt to protect the child that looked exactly like his school-days tormentor. The sacrifice of life and friends in order to protect a world that had already turned their backs- labeling him the lowest of lows- a traitor.

They had made their way into the Shrieking Shack- illuminated by Harry’s wand. Hermione transfigured a small bookend she found on the floor into a jar before filling the jar with a bluebell flame. Hermione then took a seat in front of the flame. She patted the floor next to her to indicate she wanted Harry to take a seat next to her. He was anxious to get back before curfew, but took a seat anyways.

“I know it’s not the most ideal way to end the night, but… well… I just want to spend some time with you.” Hermione explained. “After years of having you constantly nearby, I’m having trouble getting used to not having you all to myself.” Hermione said softly- just barely above a whisper, unwilling to break the silence.

Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione. “I’ll always be here for you. No matter what.” Harry said in response. Hermione nodded and then let her head rest on Harry’s shoulders.

“I know to you my feelings may be something of a recent development, but to me it’s been there for so long, I can’t even remember a time in which I wasn’t in love with you.” Harry began. His voice held conviction, almost desperate to convey his feelings to Hermione. “I’m not going to lie and say Ginny or Cho meant nothing to me. I’m sure my infatuations with Cho and Ginny had meant something to me at some point in time, but I’m sorry to say that I still knew deep down it wasn’t the type of love that would have lasted.

“You… you always meant something more. I knew it for so long, but at the time I didn’t know how to differentiate between all of my feelings. Sometimes I fooled myself into believing my jealousy wasn’t jealousy but an older-brother type protectiveness- like how Ron acts around Ginny’s boyfriends. You held such a great part of my heart I didn’t even realize until it was too late that it was the type of love my parents had for each other- the type of love Snape had for my mom.” Harry’s voice trailed off softly at the mention of Snape and his parents.

“By the time I had realized, you had started to show an interest in Ron. It was such a confusing time and there was just so much going on I chose to ignore what my heart had already known. At some point I wanted to act on my feelings towards you, but I feared that I would not survive against Voldemort and I didn’t want to burden you so I began to hide my love away. I would tell people you were like a sister to me- I would keep my distance from you- distract myself with other people and things.” Harry’s voice held a bitterness he could not fully hide- remembering how he had to quash his feelings for Hermione to save his friendship and a budding relationship between the two people he held most dear.

“I even fooled myself into thinking I was glad it was Ron you loved. So glad that you couldn’t be taken away completely because Ron was my best friend and that you’d at least be taken care of if I was no longer around- that if there was a slight chance I did survive, it wouldn’t be weird for me to always be around you, my best friend, my pseudo sister-in-law.

“Sometimes I wonder if that was the reason I grew to have feelings for Ginny. I always reasoned that I could grow to love her the same way I love you. You know I wasn’t even surprised or hurt when Ginny told me about Anthony. I mean how could I possibly blame Ginny for falling in love with Anthony Goldstein when I was in love with you the whole time we were dating? I’m sure it was easy for her to fall in love with Anthony- I’m sure she knew on some level that I wasn’t in love with her.” Harry took a hold of Hermione and pivoted her around so that they sat face to face.

“I know I can’t promise you everything you’d ever want. I’ve been so stupid so many times- even when you stayed so trusting of me. But how could I not fall in love when you’re so perfect and you know me so well? How could I possibly contain this feeling inside when I’ve witnessed your unconditional love and sacrifice? I know to you it was a platonic love at the time, but I just… I feel that maybe… just maybe if you allow it, it could become something more.” Harry finished. He looked straight into Hermione’s eyes- almost challenging her to refute his claims. “I just… I just wish you’d consider a future with me, as my wife.”

Hermione’s eyes widened in surprise. Surely he didn’t mean… and yet Hermione could see the seriousness in Harry’s eyes- the conviction he felt, the desperation to somehow convey his love towards her. Before she could even realize what she was doing, she saw Harry’s face change from anticipation to an almost disbelieving smile that stretched across his face. She began to wonder why he was smiling so maniacally when she finally registered her head was nodding in the positive.

Harry began to wipe away the tears that were falling from her eyes- tears she hadn’t even realized she was shedding. Surely she was not sad. She didn’t feel a dull ache in her heart that was always associated with sad tears- no she felt a fluttering in her heart that seemed impossible to contain. The feelings were bursting out from deep within her and she had no clue as to what the feelings were. Unable to label the feeling, she acted in the only way her brain seemed to want her to act in. She leapt from her spot in front of Harry and somehow landed in his lap, her arms wounding tightly around Harry’s neck. She buried her face in the crook of where Harry’s neck met his shoulder and began to cry.

“Hermione! What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Are you regretting your answer? Please Hermione, please stop crying.” Harry cried out in desperation, unsure of what to do. Hermione just let out another wail before she continued to cry.

Hermione continued to cry. She had no idea why she was crying, just that she couldn’t seem to stop. She barely registered Harry pleading with her to stop crying. To be honest it was getting slightly annoying because she didn’t know why she was crying and she didn’t know how to stop the damn tears. In an attempt to make him stop, she did the only thing that came to mind. She lifted her head from the crook of Harry’s neck before she forced her lips onto Harry’s lips. The feel of Harry’s slightly chapped lips made the fluttering in her heart increase tenfold. Her crying finally stopped but her body continued to be uncooperative as she couldn’t seem to stop kissing Harry.

Her mind kept telling her to stop, but instead her traitorous tongue snuck out and delved into Harry’s slightly opened mouth. She deepened the kiss, leading Harry’s tongue into her own mouth. She couldn’t seem to get enough of Harry as Harry invaded her senses.

Harry finally overcoming the shock of Hermione’s warm body pressed up against his as she literally fucked his mouth with her tongue, delicately pushed Hermione away. Their lips finally disconnected and the pair took in deep breaths of air.

As the air filled her lungs, Hermione’s brain began to function again. Her face reddened at the thought of what she had just done. She began to shrink in her seat (Harry’s lap- which she still had not managed to realize). She looked up to Harry and seeing the loving way gaze directed towards her, she simply hugged Harry once more.

“I’m sorry.” Hermione said- though it was muffled by Harry’s shirt.

Harry’s heart fell with a thud in his heart. He could feel the ache of rejection making its way all over his body. “It’s… it’s okay…” Harry said weakly- unsure of how convincing he sounded.

“I’m sorry for making you worry. I… I was just overcome with so much emotion that I kind of lost sight of everything.” Hermione said against Harry’s neck, having inched her head back to the crook of Harry’s neck. “I… I don’t know how to explain it. I… I love you too.” Hermione said, finally picking up her head and looking Harry straight in the eyes. She then placed a gentle kiss on Harry’s lips.

“I finally understand why I never did anything when you gave me those kisses. I finally understand why I could never say no to you. I had always thought this, this love I feel for you was just a mixture of sympathy and admiration for everything you do for your loved ones. But now… now I finally see that it wasn’t something as simple as that. It was something so much more.

“I love you so much.” Hermione said as she placed another gentle kiss on Harry’s lips. “It seems so surreal, but I can’t help but imagine a future with you, a family, a house, everything… together with you.”

Harry pulled Hermione into a tight embrace. He could feel his heart thumping uncontrollably in his chest. “If this is a dream I hope to never wake up.” Harry said softly against Hermione’s ear.

They sat in a tight embrace- long after curfew had passed, simply content to be in each other’s warm and loving arms.

*AN: So… do you hate me for doing that? If you’ve read Morning After it’s something to be expected from me, but if not…

I just didn’t want to drag out Hermione’s uncertainty to Harry because I think Hermione would know Harry enough to know that he had probably brooded for a long time before letting his feelings be known. It’s not that Hermione is being flaky… it’s more of a sudden realization… that perhaps all those moments that they’ve shared in all seven books doesn’t equal loving Ron, but quite obviously equals loving Harry! And plus, not only did she daydream about Harry, she practically told Nathaniel she likes him… I mean she said she was not uncomfortable with Harry’s advances!

This chapter was, by far, the hardest to write so far! As I mentioned before I didn’t want Harry to become too OOC but I needed him to be romantic yet spontaneous and I’m not sure how much of that came off. GAH! I’m losing my mind! It didn’t help that this chapter was so DAMNED clichéd! Blah. I actually have no idea how the end of this chapter came about. I was just writing and all of a sudden I have a distraught Hermione attacking Harry! It just happened and I wasn’t going to change it so voila!

I’ll try to be better about getting these chapters up faster, but I can’t promise anything.

*When I say passenger side I mean the “Driver’s side” in most cars, but because the setting is in the UK, it’s all mixed up and so if you are facing forward it is the left side.

*I know that thestrals can’t be seen unless the witch or wizard has seen death, but there was no mention of hearing the creatures- and seeing as how no one has ever heard them shriek whilst going towards the castle, I’m going to have it so that students can’t hear them unless they’ve witnessed death.
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