Confessions

Confessions 1/?

Stupid Quidditch. Stupid Divination. Stupid everything that separates me from Harry! I sat down in an armchair and pulled out my Arithmancy book but set it back down. I instead got up and walked to the south window, looking out at the Gryffindor Quidditch team practicing and spot Harry, flying high above the others and sigh. It all happened four years ago, when I was clutching onto his waist for dear life on Buckbeak, the hippogriff. Odd as it seems, I fell in love with him then. In our fifth and sixth years, he was always a nervous wreck because of Voldemort, but when he and Dumbledore and a whole bunch of other wizards killed him, he became the Harry that Ron and I knew all through our first four years. I sighed again and leaned my forehead forward on the glass, staring out at him.

"Hermione, what're you staring at?" said Ron, coming up next beside to me. I rolled my eyes in exasperation.

"Nothing," I said and turned around to face him.

"It's Harry, isn't it?" he said, grinning. I felt color creep up into my cheeks but gave it a wave of my hand.

"No, where're you getting that from?"

"It was clear...he's like five feet above the others, you couldn't be just staring at the clouds," said Ron.

"Oh couldn't I?" I narrowed my eyes and went over to sit in an armchair in front of the fire. They were all crazy--practicing Quidditch in December, two weeks before Christmas hols began.

"Tell me the truth...you like him, don't you?"

"So? If you tell him, I swear I'll--"

"Okay, okay, I won't tell him," said Ron, holding up two hands in defeat.

"Good," I crossed my arms across my chest. "So...when does Quidditch practice end?"

"Bet you would like to know, huh?" Ron grinned and sat on the arm of my chair. I wrinkled my nose.

"Must you sit there? Can't you sit...in that chair?" He only shook his head. "So?"

"In five minutes, according to my watch. Want to go down to dinner, no, I suppose you'd want to meet Harry as soon as he comes in the portrait hole,"

"Shut up!" I stood up, walked out of the portrait hole and down to the entrance hall. I decided to go out and watch the last five (according to Ron) minutes of Quidditch practice. How did Ron know I wanted to meet Harry? After what seemed like an eternity, Harry and the rest of the Quidditch team came up the stone stairs, all with their brooms slung over their shoulders and looking very windswept. Harry grinned when he saw me (I hope it was when he saw me).

"Hey, Herm, what're you doing out here?"

"Waiting for you," I replied almost automatically.

"Were you waiting long?" You don't know how long! I wanted to shout.

"Er, no, only about five minutes. So..."

"So let's eat. I'm starved."

"What about--"

"Oh yeah, I guess I'd better change," Harry glanced down at his scarlet Quidditch robes and saw the large mud stain on the side. So, we went back up to Gryffindor Tower and I waited outside the portrait hole for him while he changed, and he came back out with Ron, who was grinning and smirking at the same time.

"So, how was Quidditch practice, Harry?" he said, throwing a smirk to me. What is he acting like that for? I thought.

"Er, it was fine...why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," Ron shrugged and looked away. Harry had changed into the Weasley sweater Mrs. Weasley had knitted for him last year--forest green and jeans. The walk to the Great Hall seemed to take forever--which was okay, considering I was walking with Harry, but with Ron sniggering at everything I said, it got a little annoying after awhile.

"Ron, can't you do us all a favor and go annoy someone else?" I finally snapped when he burst out laughing when I asked Harry what was he going to do after graduating.

"Yes, what is your problem tonight?" said Harry, frowning a bit.

"N-nothing," Ron gasped between laughs. "You know" --snort-- "I think I will go. I've got to, er, meet someone." he ran out of the Great Hall. Harry raised an eyebrow, shrugged and went on about piling food onto his plate.

"So...what were we talking about?" said Harry, looking at me. My knees went sort of trembly under his emerald-green stare.

"Er, I had, uh, asked you what you were going to do after graduation," I stammered.

"Oh, yeah. Well, probably most likely play Quidditch for the Chudley Cannons or someone like that," he said, shoveling food into his mouth. "Wha' 'bou you?" I snorted with laughter at his trying to talk.

"Probably look into the Ministry of Magic for a job or something," I said, shrugging.

"Cool," said Harry. Was it? "So do you know why Ron was acting stupid? More than usual I mean."

"Well, it's because..." I possibly couldn't tell him the real reason he was so I changed it a little bit. "...he's fixed on the idea that I, uh, like you." My cheeks go red.

"Oh, well if that's all," said Harry, looking down at his plate. What was that supposed to mean? I thought. For a minute I stared at Harry staring down at the table, but he looked up and I looked away, hoping he didn't notice I was staring at him.

"So,"

"So," the silence was deafening. Luckily it was filled by Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan who sat down on either side of Harry (as he was sitting in front of me).

"Harry," said Seamus seriously and glanced at me. "Oh, Hermione, hi."

"Hi, Seamus," I said a little suspiciously.

"Weren't we just at practice?" said Harry, obviously as confused as I was.

"Yeah, but we gotta tell you something," said Dean and muttered something inaudible to me. Harry's eyes widened behind his glasses and he turned a bright shade of red.

"No, it's not...well, yeah, I guess it is," he said, and glanced at me. I put my hands up and stood up.

"Fine, I'll leave. I can take a hint," I walked out of the Great Hall and decided to just lean on a wall to wait until Harry, Dean and Seamus stopped talking.

"What're you doing out here, Mudblood?" I heard a familiar cold, drawling voice and rolled my eyes.

"None of your business," I snapped at Draco Malfoy. He raised his eyebrows.

"Had a fight with one of your boyfriends? Which one is it this week? Potty or Weasel?" he seemed to find that extremely funny and snorted.

"Neither, and if you ever say anything like that again I'll shove my foot so far--"

"Miss Granger, Mister Malfoy, not causing any trouble I hope?" said tiny Professor Flitwick, coming in from the Great Hall. I forced a smile and Malfoy's smirk dropped instantly.

"No sir," I said in my most sugary tone. Flitwick smiled.

"Good." he walked off and mine and Malfoy's faces fell.

"Don't you have dinner to eat or something?" I said to Malfoy.

"No," he shrugged.

"Why're you hanging around since you hate me so much?" I said, crossing my arms across my chest, fixing him with my most hateful glare.

"Good point. I'll leave," he said and whipped around, walking off. I snorted.

"Thank God," I muttered and peeked in the Great Hall. Seamus and Dean were still talking to Harry and he seemed to be arguing with them. I sighed and decided it was going to take a while, so I went on up to the Gryffindor common room. Ginny Weasley was sitting at the table, working hard on something on a piece of parchment.

"Hi, Ginny," I said.

"Oh, hello, Hermione," she said, her tongue sticking partly out of her mouth in concentration.

"What's up?"

"I'm just writing a letter to Mum."

"Oh," I sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I couldn't share my feelings with Ginny, since she had an infatuation too over Harry.

"Okay." I first studied my nails, then picked at the table for a while, then stared off into space when Harry followed by Ron (wonder where he came from) came in through the portrait hole.

"Hermione, let me see you for a minute," said Ron with a grin. Harry nudged him hard in the ribs. "Ouch! Never mind." Ron rubbed his chest and walked off, muttering something about elbows.

"Heh, don't worry about him," said Harry, obviously spotting the look of confusion on my face.

"Okay...whatever you say," I shrugged.

"H-hi, Harry," piped up Ginny. Harry smiled at her.

"Hey, Ginny," we exchanged grins--that is, Harry and I. We sat in silence for a while, not really knowing what to say. Ginny was still writing furiously on the parchment, her face reddening for some odd reason and Harry and I were just looking around the common room. I sighed. Harry cleared his throat. Ginny burst out laughing.

"What?" said Harry and I at the same time. Ginny seemed to be a bit...hysterical.

"I-it's j-just you were like, s-s--" she couldn't get the rest out as she burst into a million giggles, her body shaking. Harry exchanged a slightly bewildered look with me and I shrugged. At least someone said something--it was starting to get awkward.

"Hey, Hermione, wanna take a walk?" Harry suddenly said. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Er, sure, I suppose," I was slightly surprised but happy at the same time. As we were walking out of the portrait hole, an arm reached out and grabbed me.

"Hold on," I said to Harry and followed the arm.

"What, Ron?" I hissed. Ron grinned.

"Harry's in love with you," he said. My mouth dropped.

"What?"

"He told Seamus and Dean and they told me," he whispered. "Now go on, you're going to keep him waiting." He pushed me towards Harry, who was grinning.

"Ready?"

"Er, yeah," I was sort of frozen with shock. Was it true? Somehow, something was telling me it was, that Harry really did love me. I didn't really know how to act now that I knew. We started walking somewhere in random, down a few corridors. Harry's hand brushed up against mine a couple of times and my face grew hot in seconds. But if Harry really did truly love me, why hadn't he ever shown a sign? Why hadn't I? As I was musing along, Harry's hand finally closed around mine and I looked up at him in part shock, part total bliss and totally frozen-ness.

"Er," I stammered. He smiled sort of shakily.

"I, just, um, yeah," he blushed and I returned his smile somewhat nervously too. It must be true, the way he's acting and all, I thought happily. I gave his hand a gentle squeeze and he returned it. I hoped on everything Harry couldn't hear my pounding heart or notice how red I was.