Hermione Granger and the Two Lovers

Chapter Seventeen

Hermione leaned towards him and tilted her head as she had outside Lupin's class...

*~*~*~*~*

Harry jerked away at the last second. Hermione's eyes snapped open and she gave Harry a questioning look. This cannot be happening.

"Hermione," Harry said. "You deserve so much better than me." Hermione stood in total awe. Why was he doing this to her?

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked stupidly.

"WHAT DO I MEAN?! HOW CAN YOU ASK SUCH A QUESTION?" Harry bellowed.

Hermione's eyes welled with tears as she sat down on a step. She sat silently, not knowing what to say.

"Hermione," Harry said at almost a whisper. "I don't want to break your heart again. I know how hard you've been taking it."

How could he know? Was he using Legilimency? No, that would take a very powerful wizard.

Hermione stared up at him. "But, how do you-" Hermione said, but then stopped, realizing the answer. "Ron," she muttered. "Ron told you, didn't he?" she asked angrily.

"Actually, no," Harry answered. "The morning after we arrived, I accidentally opened the door to the common room and I saw you crying. I panicked and ran back into the boys' dormitory." Hermione sighed. Ron had kept his promise not to tell anyone. "The train incident was a dead giveaway, though."

Hermione chuckled as she let tears flow freely onto her robe.

"If you so worried about breaking my heart, then why don't you just not break it?" Hermione asked through her tears.

"Hermione, I've learned everything I know about girls from Sirius. He and my dad were the biggest examples of players that I know of." Harry told her. It was true; they did seem to have a tendency to flirt with any girl they could find.

"Hermione, who do you really see yourself with, twenty years from now?"

"You!" Hermione wailed through her tears. She was sure that it sounded like 'Ooo'.

"Well, Hermione, your mind is 'hopelessly mundane', to quote Professor Trelawney. You're meant to be with Ron," Harry informed her.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "Hermione, I was there when you woke up, and I was there while Ron went to get Madame Pomfrey, but Ron made a bigger sacrifice than I could have.

"Ron spent every night in the hospital wing, by your bedside. I don't think he's slept since you've been there. I came in one morning and he was holding your hand, just sobbing. He loves you! Why can't you see that?!"

There was a long pause. They both waited for the other to say something. Harry broke the silence and said, "You love him, too, Hermione."

How dare he! He had no right to tell her whom she loved, even if it were true.

Hermione got to her feet and stared Harry directly in the eyes. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHOM I LOVE!" Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs, and dashed up the stairs, careful not to trip and fall again.