living quarters

chapter 5

"Honeydukes!" Harry exclaimed loudly, looking like a child into the window.

"Shall we go in?" I grinned. He looked at me and nodded exuberantly.

I opened the door, which resulted in a chime, and we walked in.

It looked the same as when I had come in as a student, but I had never felt older.

A few kids roamed around, but because it was summer, the place was pretty dead.

I plucked two lollipops off of a stand. "How about we buy these?" I asked, holding them up to Harry.

"Those look great!" He said, strolling up next to me.

I smiled, and proceeded to pay for them at the check out. We exited the shop and continued down the street.

I pointed ahead at Zonkos. "Let's head in there!" I said.

Harry trailed behind me as I entered the store.

"Ginny?" I exclaimed as I saw the girl working behind the counter.

"Hermione!! Harry!!" She said loudly, running out and giving us both hugs.

"You work here?" I asked, stunned. She had grown up a lot since I last saw her.

"Yeah, since I don't go back to Hogwarts for another few weeks, this is my summer job!" She said proudly.

I smiled at her. "Well, brings you two to Hogsmede this fine day?" She asked.

"Hermione brought me here as a surprise!" Harry chimed.

"Oh! Do you two hang out often?" She said.

"Yeah, we actually live together!" I laughed.

Her smile faltered a bit. "Wow, er, living together! So are you two, um..."

"No! Definitely not!" Harry said quickly. I looked over at him, surprised by how fast he responded.

"Ok, good, because you know, you never really talked to me again after the battle, and I had been, er, meaning to ask you if you wanted to pick up where we left off. Plus, it would be totally weird if you two were dating! I couldn't see it!" She laughed gingerly.

And Harry grinned at her. "I totally agree! That would never happen!"

But I wasn't grinning at all. I looked between the two of them and felt my ears get hot.

Something was brewing inside of me.. was it... jealousy?

Suddenly I spun on my heel, bursting out of the shop. "Hermione!" Harry called loudly.

But I ignored him and instantly apparated back to our apartment.

I stood there for a moment, and then proceeded to sit down.

Why would Ginny say that? It wouldn't be weird, how could she not see us together.

I then grabbed my curly hair and shook my head. No, I don't care, because I don't have feelings for Harry and Ginny is my friend.

Saying that to myself made me feel a bit better, and I grabbed a cup of tea and a new book and curled up in the chair.

About twenty minutes later, I heard a loud snap and turned to see Harry standing behind me.

I closed my book and got up. "Listen Harry... I'm really sor-"

I stopped dead, starring at his face. "Is that... Lipstick?" I said, looking at his lips and observing the red smeared color.

Harry went red. "Well... She kissed me... I tried to stop her, but she wouldn't... So I apparated back..."

"Why would you let her say those things about me?" I snapped. "Like it would be weird if we were dating, and she couldn't see us together? Because I would bet Merlin's Hat that she said that because she thought I wasn't pretty enough for you!" I yelled.

Harry looked taken aback. "Sorry, I just didn't really think you cared about what she said.." He said meekly.

"What, I don't care about what one of my best friends has to say about my relationship status? About my looks?" I said loudly.

"We're not dating! So why does it matter?" Harry said, raising his voice to meet mine.

"Because we live together! And I have to see you everyday and I care about what you think of me and I care about you! And I would never say that to you you because I don't believe a second of what she said!" I screamed, my voice echoing around the tiny room.

I felt tears brimming in my eyes. Harry looked at me, almost shaking. "Look, I'm sorry...." And then he stopped.

Our eyes met and something changed.

"Screw it, NO. If I'm going to be sorry about anything it's going to be this."

And he walked up to me and took my head in his hands and he kissed me.

There we were, Hermione Jean Granger and Harry James Potter, kissing in the living room of our apartment.

A weight seemed to lift of my shoulders and I kissed him back, and everything that was wrong in this moment because right.

I cared because I had feelings for him, and even if I didn't want to admit it yet, I loved him.