Say You Love Me

{7}

Harry looked at Hermione over his left-over take-away, a fork dangling precariously from his hand as he listened to her tale of being at Severus Snape's home.

"That's what he said... verbatim?" He clarified, looking mildly concerned that Severus had been so forward with her, his comment about her being in swim clothes a shock.

"Yes, I just... I should have hexed him or something, but the worst part about it is that I'm not mad at him for it. I mean, we talked about the war after, so how could I?"

Hermione had a feeling it also had a lot to do with the fact that she was dying and couldn't care enough to hold a grudge against someone who could help her live.

"Have you thought for a moment he may have been admitting a fancy to you?"

Now, he was surely pulling one over on her because Severus Snape wasn't going to fancy a student. Besides, even if he did, she still loved Ron far too much to ever think of loving someone else right at that moment. And even if she did want to love him, she would only be able to do so for a maximum of two years, or never at all if he wanted her in his life longer than that.

"No, Harry, that's.... I can't believe you would even suggest such a thing!"

He looked sorry, but not enough for Hermione to feel better.

"Look," Harry said as he put his fork down and wiped off his hands. "I may or may not have heard him mention once or twice about how he had started to appreciate the way you've grown into being an adult witch."

Now he was certainly joking.

"Harry-"

"Hermione."

She glared at his intrusion over her own lunch: a long-forgotten salad.

"I just think you're reading into it too much. After that offer we talked about my work, the war, and other things. It was... very intellectual. Nothing untoward."

Hermione couldn't help but wonder nonetheless because of how novel an idea it was. Her mind had been so focused on Ron that even the slight idea of someone else liking her was foreign and dissatisfying. That, and he was Severus Snape of all people. Ron would certainly no longer wish to be friends with her if that was who she chose next, but then there was the fact that she really didn't have the time to be exploring anything other than a way to get herself out of this flower-petal mess.

If only the petals had been black dahlia's, then she might have had a chance at saving her life and ability to love.

Harry's voice interrupted her thoughts as they trailed off, "Besides, what would be so wrong with that?" Obviously she'd missed more of what he'd said.

"Are you endorsing a relationship between us?"

Shrugging innocently, Harry continued with eating his lunch.

"Ron and I only split up a few months ago. You've gone completely bonkers, Harry Potter."

He scoffed, "I went there a long time ago, are you only now arriving?"

Hermione laughed, and her throat tickled. She could feel the lodging of something in her throat, the familiar velvet feeling of a petal coming up, and she groaned as the coughs came, too. Harry looked far more anticipatory this time, but still quite upset nonetheless.

Still, being the absolutely amazing man he was, Harry rushed over to her and began to rub her back.

"Merlin, Hermione, I wish there was something that could be done for this," he said as she plucked out an orange petal from her mouth.

"So do I," she said, attempting to keep her emotions in check, the offensive item clutched between her fingers a sight enough to make her want to vomit.

"How long did Luna say this was going to take to fade out?"

"She wasn't sure," Hermione lied, attempting to steer them away from this topic so she didn't have to spend too long lying to him.

He apologized and looked at her with a compassionate look of pity before returning to his lunch.

"Oh," he said suddenly, coming out from a daze of food ingesting silence, "Hermione!"

"What?" she wondered, startled by his sudden outburst.

She looked at him across her desk, feeling the shift in his energy.

"Draco said yes!"

"What?"

Hermione was shocked that not only was he just remembering this information, but the fact that it was such a quick turnaround from when he mentioned a proposal only a little bit ago.

"You proposed already, Harry! How is this only coming up now?" Hermione shot each question in rapid succession, but she was up and giving him a hug in an instant.

"I don't know," he laughed into her shoulder and pulled back, still looking more than thrilled to be engaged. "I just... I've wanted it for so long, now that it's real I didn't think anything of it being different."

Hermione could understand that well enough. Harry and Draco were a very practical couple. They had to be. Most of the world didn't entirely care for them together, but they'd warmed up to it after a couple years of Draco not merely going away like they thought he would. At first, they thought he'd been digging for wealth after being disowned by the Malfoy estate, but after both his parents died and he was left all the money and properties but he still stayed with Harry... people began to believe. Herself and Ron included.

"Aw, did you guys talk about any plans for a wedding, or... are you going to wait?" She asked carefully, releasing him from her grip lest he discover how tense the topic really made her.

Harry didn't seem to notice, however, looking awfully pleased.

"Draco wants to do it as soon as we can, and I think I agree. Sometime in the next few months. I wanted something small, and he agreed only on the premise that it was lavish."

Hermione snorted, feeling relieved but also not surprised. She would get to see her best-friend's wedding! It was a small relief in the haze that was now her life, but at least that was one worry she wouldn't need to have hanging over her shoulders for the next couple of years.

"And you didn't have a problem with it being lavish, did you?"

Harry shook his head. "I told him I have galleons to spare."

"You both do!" She scolded him, then suddenly became serious. "Do you think your parents would have liked him?"

Seeming to have not thought about it before, Harry went into a quiet moment of thought. He shook his head briefly, then said, "I don't think the thought of them not liking him has ever occurred to me. In my head... they would have just... loved me and therefor any decision I would have made."

Hermione agreed with him, "I'm sorry for causing you distress, but you're right. They would have loved him... can't say the same for his parents, however."

Finding this amusing, he replied happily, "The only approval I needed from them was the approval of their son."

"And he certainly gave it to you, didn't he?" Hermione teased as she leaned back in her chair, observing the elated wizard before her.

At least she would get to see Harry at one of his happiest points. The possibility of missing his wedding... doing such a thing would have killed her before the disease did, and Hermione was very glad the two were eager and in love enough to allow her the pleasure of attending. The thought would never sadden her.

"He certainly did," Harry said wistfully, bringing her back to the conversation and their impending need to go back to work soon. Then, almost just as wistfully he added, "I hope you find someone who makes you this happy, too, Hermione. And... I'm sorry it wasn't Ron."

Not knowing what else to say, she smiled a melancholy smile and went back to her salad.

A/N

I love a supportive Harry. He's literally nothing but pure joy and curiosity, and I love him. That is all.