AN: Wow, final chapter already! Thank you everyone again for your reviews.
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Luna and Ginny watched Harry make his way over to where Hermione was sitting, just then Luna put her fingers against her temples and started to mutter under her breath.
"You will kiss Hermione, you will kiss Hermione."
"Let's go," said Ginny and grabbed Luna's sleeve to pull her in behind the book shelves to watch without being noticed.
Harry pulled out a chair and sat in front of Hermione, who didn't even look up. Harry watched her scratch away on her parchment with her quill.
"Hermione?"
"Yes?" she said keeping her head down.
Harry took a small deep breath. "Do you have a feelings for me?"
Hermione's quill tip snapped off and there were ink blots everywhere.
"Sorry?" she said looking rather nervous while tapping her parchment with her wand. The page was clean again.
"I was-I was just wondering, because, well-"
"If you're talking about what happened before…I'm sorry, I didn't-."
"No, no it's not that, you see, I was talking to Cho..."
"Oh," said Hermione looking back down at her work.
"She said that she felt like she was in competition with you...for me."
Hermione stopped writing and gave a nervous laugh. "That's ridiculous Harry...besides I don't have anything to stand up against Cho...I'm not pretty like she is, and she's in Ravenclaw so-"
"Hermione I already told you that you're not ugly."
Hermione gave a polite smile. "You're saying that because you're my friend," she said and continued writing.
Harry frowned and stood up. "Come here," he said grabbing onto her sleeve.
"Harry-my notes!"
"Nevermind your notes they'll be there when we get back," he said, steering her shoulders in front of him. He grabbed her chin and pointed her face in the direction of a window, to see herself and Harry reflected clearly. Ginny and Luna followed closely behind to watch.
Harry stood next to Hermione and looked at her reflection. "When people see you," he began, "they see Hermione Granger...the brainy know-it-all from Gryffindor," Hermione smiled and looked down only to have her chin pulled up again by Harry. "But when I see you...I see Hermione Granger, a beautiful girl... who's smart and funny and just so happens to be my best friend."
"You think I'm beautiful?" said Hermione turning to face him.
"Yes...I do."
Ginny heard a crunching noise and a sigh. She looked over at Luna who had conjured up a bag of popcorn and stared longingly at Harry and Hermione. Ginny turned her head back and lifted her hand to grab a handful of popcorn.
Hermione pursed her lips and looked as if she was about to cry.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," said Harry quickly, raising his hands to Hermione's to stop her from hiding her face.
"No it's not that, what you said was lovely, it's just-"
"Just what?"
"No one's called me that before," she said quietly.
"What about Viktor? I'm sure I've heard him say it tons of times."
"Yes but...to hear it from you," Hermione sniffed and wiped her eye with her free hand, "it means so much more."
"Well, you deserve to hear it."
Hermione sniffed and smiled and Harry smiled back. Suddenly she started to laugh.
"Wh- what's so funny?"
"Oh nothing," said Hermione waving it away.
"Tell me."
"Well, this is the exact same place we were standing in my dream."
Ginny choked on a piece of popcorn and started to cough while Luna clapped her on the back.
"What dream?" asked Harry.
Hermione turned slightly pink and looked at Harry's shoes when she realized what she had just said.
He looked down on the top of Hermione's head. "What dream?" he asked again with a laugh.
"Wha- um...the-the dream?"
"Was it a bad dream?" Harry asked with a slight note of concern.
"No! No not at all...It's really no big deal."
"Hermione, you're blushing."
"Blushing? Don't be silly," Hermione started to wrench her tie lose and fan her face,
"Warm in here isn't it?"
Ginny straightened herself up. "Uh oh...she's going down."
Luna started digging out a piece of popcorn from her teeth. "Do you think we should make a distraction?"
Ginny was looking around trying to find something, then her eyes went wide. "Madam Pince."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," said Luna.
"NO! Madam Pince is coming!"
"Excuse me you two!"
Harry turned around and Hermione looked over his shoulder to see Madam Pince standing there with her hands on her hips. "The library is meant for study purposes, if you wish to chat up a storm please do so in your OWN Common room. Unless, Miss Granger, you decide to spend another night?"
"That was harsh," said Luna.
Harry turned around to face Hermione. "I should probably go meet Ron."
"I have to get back to my homework," said Hermione looking at her abandoned notes.
"I'll see you then?"
"Yes," was all Hermione could say as she watched Harry walk out of the library, "Harry?" she called out.
Harry stopped and turned around.
"...Thanks," she said with a shy smile.
Harry grinned, gave a small nod and continued on his way.
"I don't believe it!" said Ginny, "they were this close. Setting those two up is like trying to get Snape into a party dress!"
Luna burst out laughing. "That's Hilarious!"
Ginny stared at her, "Okay Luna, calm down. We'll just have to try something else," said Ginny chewing the corner of her lip. "But what?"
Harry entered the common room and found Ron sitting near the fire.
"Harry, I saved a seat for you!" said Ron taking a textbook off the seat closest to him, "So what did you have to talk to Hermione about?"
Harry sat down and stared at the fire. "I just wanted to know if she liked me."
"Of course she likes you...you're her friend."
"No," said Harry shaking his head," I mean REALLY LIKES me."
"You mean if Hermione has a crush on you?"
"Yeah but, I don't think it's a crush."
"I wouldn't worry about it," said Ron, "She probably just feels closer to you, friend wise that is."
Harry frowned. When Ron said that he had sparked something in Harry's memory about his dream, didn't Hermione say something about being closer to him? All of the sudden Harry's stomach did a back flip and he sat up straight in his chair.
"You all right?" said Ron staring curiously at Harry's reaction.
"Is it almost lunch time? I think I'm hungry."
Ron checked his watch, "In a few minutes yeah, but by the time we get down there it should be."
Harry nodded, "Let's go then," he said. He was hoping that getting food into his stomach. would push the thought of the dream actually meaning something, out of his mind.
They walked instep towards the Great Hall, unfortunately they had a least 5 minutes before lunch began. With a heavy sigh Harry took his seat across the table from Ron, and looked at a bunch of first years trying to cram the last bit of homework they could do before lunch began.
"Here comes Hermione," said Ron shoving his bag off the seat next to him.
"Thanks," she said and met Harry's eye, "Hello Harry," she said with a warm smile.
"Hi," he said returning the gesture.
Hermione had only sat down for a few seconds when a tiny first year tapped her on the shoulder.
Hermione turned around, "Yes?"
"Er- sorry to bother you but," the shy first year looked at her fellow students who nodded desperately back at her, "um, Professor McGonagall told us to come and see you if we were having any troubles with our homework- are you good at Transfiguration?"
Hermione looked at the poor first years and looked back at Ron and Harry and smiled.
"I will be glad to help you, " she said standing up. "Now, what's the problem? Beetles into buttons?"
"No," said the first year, "matches into needles."
Harry could tell that Hermione was smiling, even with her back turned. She was the only one to turn a match into a needle during their first year.
"Hello!" said Ginny and Luna walking briskly towards the table and taking a seat next to Harry, while Luna took a seat on the other side of Ron. Ron and Luna stared at each other.
"Er- shouldn't you be eating with Ravenclaw?" said Ron
Luna kept staring at him, "....Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful eyes?"
Harry and Ginny snorted a laugh while Ron's cheeks turned slightly pink and he looked away.
There was a laugh off in the distance that caught Harry's attention. Both Ron and Harry turned their heads to the Ravenclaw table where Cho was laughing with her friends. Ron turned around and shook his head, muttering something that sounded like 'airheads'.
But Harry kept looking at Cho with his eyebrows furrowed, and then he looked at Hermione, who was describing the wand movements with her hands, while the first years looked on, and others took notes. He smiled a little bit, then looked back at Cho. She tossed her hair back and the sunlight caught her shimmering hair as it landed softly on her back. He frowned a little, then looked back at Hermione, who was nodding and tucked a few strands of loose hair behind her ears. The sunlight giving her face a warm and soft glow. Harry smiled again, and watched her offer praise to one of them who had answered a question right. Hermione laughed and playfully bit her lip, Harry found himself laughing softly too. And Ginny noticed.
She also noticed that Harry had stopped looking at Cho and was focused intently on Hermione, his elbow on the table and the side of his face resting in the palm of his hand.
"Harry?" she asked quietly.
"Mmm?"
"What are you thinking about?"
Harry slowly sat up straight in his chair, as if he just realized something for the first time. "I have to go to the library," he said slowly as he stood up.
Ginny smiled. "The Divination section?"
Harry finally took his eyes off Hermione and looked down at Ginny, "I need a second opinion," he said with a smile and started to walk away.
"OY! Where are you going?" called Ron.
"The Library," shouted Harry, battling his way through a crowd that was entering the Great Hall.
"You just came from- you have a bad influence on him!" said Ron changing his direction to Hermione.
Hermione looked up at just in time to see Harry exit the Hall.
Harry walked into the completely empty library and walked straight into the Divination section brushed his fingers along the spines and stopped at the large green book and opened it to page 258.
Harry moved his index finger down the paragraph labelled:
Kissing your Best- Friend
Harry took a deep breath and continued to read.
Kissing your best friend is always a good omen. If you are kissing a close friend, then it represents your respect and adoration for your friend. You are seeking some intimate closeness that is lacking in some waking relationship. You may have romantic feelings for him or her.
Harry stopped and looked up. He remembered what Hermione had said in his dream: "I feel close to you Harry."
Harry cocked his eyebrow. Maybe that dream was telling him much more than he thought. He suddenly thought about what Ron and Cho had said. True, Hermione was the only girl in his life, and Ron was right about Cho never measuring up to Hermione because...
Because she never left him. Harry felt his heart swell up. He snapped the book shut and tapped the spine against his chin. He thought about them in the library earlier to day when they had almost kissed, he thought about her helping those first years, her face filled with warmth and beauty. And then, he thought about what he would do without her.
He pushed the book back into it's shelf. His dream was telling him that he needed Hermione. And what started out as a silly dream, was actually speaking volumes. It was what made him go look for her the day he found her in that abandoned classroom, it had told him...that he was falling in love with his best friend.
Harry exited the library and walked towards the great hall. The students were starting to file out from lunch and Harry just managed to see Hermione walking out.
"Hermione? Hermione!" he called out.
Hermione stopped and turned around, "Yes Harry what is it?"
"I need to talk to you," he said, he could feel his heart speeding up, as well as his breath.
"Harry, can it wait? I'll be late for Arithmancy."
"No it can't," there was a slight hint of desperation in his voice.
"Harry what's wrong?"
"Do you remember today in the Library? When we almost kissed?"
"Er- yes," she said trying hard not to blush.
"I wanted kiss you, I really did, and when I told you that you were beautiful? I meant it! Every word, " Harry tried to steady his breathing as he walked closer to her, " And when Cho said that she was in competition with you and with Ron when he said you were the only Girl in my life-"
At that moment Ron had walked out, and when he heard what Harry said he turned around and walked right back in the Great Hall.
"And I realised why that was," Harry continued, giving up on slowing his heart beat, "...because I didn't want any other girl in my life...I only wanted you."
Ginny and Luna popped there heads out from behind the door and Ron's head slowly appeared just above Luna's.
Hermione stood there blinking with her mouth slightly opened
"What are saying Harry?"
Harry took a deep breath and looked straight into Hermione's eyes ," I'm saying...I'm falling in love with you. I feel it, ' said Harry patting his heart with his hand "right here."
Hermione felt her eyes watering and she looked at her shoes.
Luna sniffed and dabbed her eyes with her robe, while Ginny sighed. Ron looked down on them with disgust and looked up at Harry and Hermione again.
The bell rang and Hermione closed her eyes tightly, she looked up at Harry again and was about to say something when Professor Vector called out from behind her.
"Miss Granger? Are still a member of this class or no?"
Hermione pursed her lips, "I'll be right there," she called over her shoulder, " I-I have to go," she said. Harry face fell as he looked at his shoes and nodded.
She began to walk away when she suddenly stopped and turned around, and started to run towards him. She jumped and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips.
Harry's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the floor, the students in the hallway whooped and clapped. Ron's jaw dropped and Ginny clapped with excitement, while Luna pushed Ron's mouth closed with her finger and smiled.
They broke from their kiss and Harry slowly lowered Hermione back down to the ground. A single tear rolled down Hermione's cheek and Harry wiped it off with his thumb. Hermione smiled as placed her hand over her heart.
"Right here," she said quietly.
Harry gave a relieved laugh as he released her to go to Arithmancy class. Hermione began to slowly walk away, glancing over her shoulder occasionally to smile at Harry, who waved at her just before she entered her classroom.
"So," said Ginny appearing at his side, " I see your dream came true?"
Harry turned to face Ginny and saw Luna pull Ron away from a near by suit of armour muttering something about Nargles.
"Yes...yes it did," said Harry and followed Ginny back into the Great Hall with Ron and Luna, suddenly feeling much lighter than before.