Title: Can't Make You Love Me

Author: Ponderer

Couple: H/Hr

Category: Romance, Drama

Summary: Harry's loved Hermione ever since 7th year and now, five years later, the gang lives together still. Does Harry still feel the same? And if he does, will he ever tell Hermione? Perhaps she feels the same way… other couples include R/L and D/G

Can't Make You Love Me

Prologue

By

Ponderer

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Turn down the lights, turn down the bed

Turn down these voices, inside my head

Lay down with me, tell me no lies

Just hold me close, don't patronize, don't patronize

Cuz I can't make you love me if you don't

You can't make your heart beat something it won't

Here in the dark, in these final hours

I will lay down my heart, and I'll feel the power

But you won't, no you won't

Cuz I can't make you love me if you don't

'Can't Make You Love Me' by Bonnie Rait

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I shouldn't be feeling this right now. I'm supposed to be thinking of someone else this way, certainly not her of all people. I mean, yeah, she's my best friend and I love her like a sister, but not this kind of love. No, this can't be happening. It must be a figment of my imagination. I'm just thinking I love her this way when I really just care for her deeply as my friend. Yes, that's all. Why am I so bloody worried about this?

"Hi Harry," she says.

Oh yeah, I forgot how cheery her voice is when she speaks my name or how excited her eyes look when she comes over to talk. Hell, that's where I'm headed. Okay, let me think rationally. Maybe this is some hormone change I'm still going through. Sure, I'm a red-blooded male and like all the rest, I find women attractive. There's nothing wrong with that.

Than why am I still staring at her, when there are at least ten more beautiful witches in the room?

Damn.

Okay, well, maybe I have bumped my head on something at Quidditch practice. Yeah, that must be it. Those bludgers, wow, didn't see them coming. Sometimes ole Fred and George forget what they should be doing and… she always knows what she's supposed to do. Look Harry, she's doing her homework right now and she's never looked more beautiful. Maybe it wasn't the bludgers then.

All right, maybe Malfoy poisoned me with something. A love potion, we just covered them last week. Yes, that must be it! Honestly, how could I have not caught onto this before? I've been so worried about falling in love with her lately that I can't concentrate on anything else so of course I wouldn't have noticed anything!

No, it can't be that either. If I was having a hard time concentrating then, I must have loved her before Malfoy could have done anything. So, it can't be that. Damn you Malfoy, why couldn't you have given me that damn potion? For once I wish you had done something to me, that way I could change this feeling inside. But, I can't.

Bloody hell, I don't know what I'm going to do. Maybe Ron'll know what to do. I mean, he's liked girls before. He should know what I should do. "Ron, I think I love this girl but I know I shouldn't because she's my friend and I don't want to love her so I've been thinking of different reasons why I feel like this and I came up empty handed," I said quickly and without a breath but Ron seemed to hear every word.

"All right Harry, how do you feel about her? Just forget you don't want to love her, but just explain how you feel about her."

"Well, she's beautiful for one. And her eyes, I could stare into them forever. And the way she comforts me, even when I don't tell her how I feel. It's like she just knows. And whenever she comes into the room, everything seems to brighten. I can't see living without her. I don't think I could," I tell him softly, and he simply nods. He scratches his red head in thought and I wait patiently for his response.

"You love her mate. That's all there is to it."

"I can't love her Ron! She's my best friend!" I exclaim, tired of fighting this feeling I hold inside. Why couldn't this be easy?

"Harry, why can't you love her?" I pause and think of a true reason why because by the look he's giving me, I know he wants the truth.

"Because I know she doesn't love me Ron. You heard her the other day. You know how she feels about love," I reply, beginning to pace the common room while the memory of the day before came rolling into my brain.

--- "Hermione, have you answered that letter yet to the Ministry?" Ginny asked as they all sat around the Gryffindor table at lunch. Hermione looked up thoughtfully and swallowed down her juice.

"Well, not exactly. First I need to tell my parents, as I haven't had the time to explain my plans with them."

"What are your plans than Mione?"  Ron asked, continuing to stuff chicken sandwiches down his throat.

"For starters, college. I simply can't do anything until I get a good college education. Maybe after that I'll work for the Ministry. If not, I'm sure Dumbledore has some position I could fill. I'm sure Hogwarts will need some type of Professor by then. I figure it should be five years from now for sure."

"Well, you won't have anytime to see anyone Hermione! What about raising a family, settling down? I thought you wanted that," Ginny asked, confused.

"I do Ginny, it's just I won't have the time. I mean, love and family is rather silly. Sure, I would love to have it but it's just not logical in my future. Plus, I'll always be so busy. I won't have time to play with any possible children or whatnot. Honestly!" Hermione answered and Harry felt his heart stop. She didn't want a family? Hell, even date? Well, there went any chance he had with her. -----

"Harry, she doesn't know what she was talking about. She's always studying and it's her own fault if she doesn't date. She gets to wrapped up into her studies and it's not good for her. I'm sure once she gets wherever she wants to go, she'll be so lonely. Plus, were you expecting to start a family once we graduate?" Ron asked, smirking but when I stayed silent without moving from my position of facing the fire, he came towards me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Oh mate, I didn't know you felt so strongly about it. I mean, your only seventeen! You have your whole life for marriage and family! What about Quidditch?"

"Ron, none of that matters anymore. Do you know how hard it is to sit and watch you and your family around the Holidays? You know what it's like to be loved and have love. I don't. I just want a family of my own so I can have that too," I explain, hoping I wasn't coming on too strongly.

"Of course you have love Harry! Your like another brother to us Weasleys, you know that! And Hermione…"

"Hermione thinks of me as a friend Ron. That's all there is to it," I answer sternly, looking him in the eye.

"Harry…" he starts more softly but I continue on.

"No, it wouldn't work. She doesn't love me for one, and she's too busy for what I want. So, it's okay. I'll get over it. I'm sure someone else out there wants it too. I just have to find her first. As for Hermione, I'll be fine. I'll move on," I reply, smiling faintly but Ron sees right through it.

"This isn't nothing Harry. You love her and you need to tell her! I'm sure she would understand and hell, maybe she even feels the same!" It was a glimmer of hope that I'd wished for, but it wasn't enough. It was bull and Ron knew it too. So, I shook my head and walked out of the common room. What I needed was a quiet walk along the grounds to forget about my feelings for Hermione Granger.

Author's Note: I really wanted to start another Harry Potter story because people seem to enjoy my shorter stories. And I promise to finish this one! I don't promise anything more than that though. I don't know where this is going, or what's going to happen, or how long this will end up being but I do know I enjoy writing and will do so until the people stop reading. So, be kind and review! Watch out for more soon!

-- Ponderer