quirkysmuse | Harry Potter, "If there was no magic" Hermione/Harry

Fandom: Harry Potter
Title: If There Was No Magic
Challenge: Magic
Word Count: 400
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Hermione/Harry
Summary: Harry seemed to think the situation was worse than it was – Hermione had willingly come to be with him, causing the end result to be quite anticlimactic.

If There Was No Magic

At first there had been no magic – hardly a spark, but as they got older – as peaceful times turned to boredom, things did not always stay the same as they should.

"I'm sorry," he clutched her head softly to his chest.

But Hermione thought he really had nothing to apologize for. "We can't stay kids forever." From her tongue encased in words, youth began to dry away and they were here – in a time meant for serious lovers leaving childhood awkwardness behind.

Here, in Harry's arms, everything was real – and yet guiltily, he shared her feelings.

"But I'm sorry it had to end between you two – I feel responsible." Even as an adult Harry was always taking the burden of others, having it become his own when it was not.

"Nothing really ended," assured Hermione, snuggling closer to him. Residual warmth from recent activities radiated on her fingers without even touching him. "We’re still the same – only a few things have changed." She looked into his eyes with a serious expression, adamant for him to understand. "Ron and I are still friends."

Harry looked away, feeling that this situation should be tense - that he and Ron should be fighting and that the whole world would feel the disruption as he 'took' Hermione away. And although he seemed to think the situation was worse than it was – Hermione had willingly come to be with him, causing the end result to be quite anticlimactic. They were older, more mature – and something like this really didn’t fray nerves that many would expect.

All three of them had been too close for such pettiness anyway.

Hermione tore herself from his arms and stood in front of him, the sunlight through his bedroom window making her body appear warm and glowing without any spells or incantations.

"Listen, stop beating yourself up over this, Harry. It didn't end badly... it really didn't." He saw her frown with a faraway look her eyes – a look that turned from regret to resolution. "In the end, there just wasn't any more magic."

Harry pouted, seemingly unconvinced. "I don't understand. If you can't feel that with Ron, what makes you think you can feel that with me?"

Hermione smiled. This time, she was glowing without sunlight. With the assuredness in her voice and the delicacy of her touch, his worries began to dissolve away.

"Harry, you are magic."