Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it belongs to JK Rowling, etc etc.

Authors Note: Hey everyone, another Chapter here, hope you all enjoy. Harry's inability to say what he wants to say can actually happen. Just ask me, I've been there. Hell, I'm a permanent resident. Anyway, hope you all enjoy the Harry/Hermione scenes and thanks for the reviews!

Chapter Sixteen

December arrived, bringing with it more harsh weather. It was unlikely to see any Hogwarts student out and about without a large cloak and scarf wrapped around them. The cold even permeated into the castle, giving it a chill atmosphere, and students often found themselves shivering with the cold.

Harry and Hermione continued their study dates, with Neville tagging along occasionally. Whenever he did, Harry always found himself under heavy scrutiny. Neville seemed to watch him like a hawk, but Harry didn't mind. As long as the boy eventually realised he wasn't a threat, he was willing to suffer his attentions. Hermione watched the two with a frown, but didn't say anything.

Harry had taken her aside after his first encounter with her best friend, as he had planned, and told her what had transpired between them, and of Neville's fears. He asked her not to interfere, and to let the Gryffindor learn to trust him on his own, and Hermione had grudgingly agreed.

Currently, the trio was sitting in their usual seats at the back of Hogwarts Library, Hermione sitting next to Harry and Neville across from them. As was expected in the December chill, they had bundled up in thick cloaks and Hermione was wearing a scarf.

Hermione shivered, clutched her cloak tighter around herself as she continued to read from the textbook before her. "Grr, it's so cold," she shivered out.

Harry reached out his hand and started to rub soothing circled into her back and shoulder, in a pretty vain attempt to warm her up. Hermione smiled nether the less. Neville just glowered at him.

It wasn't the first time that Harry had suspected it, but he was almost sure of it now. Neville definitely had a crush on Hermione. It was expected he would be a bit weary of Harry, but after spending a month in his company, Neville should have warmed up to him at least a bit. But it seemed that wasn't the case. The only reason Harry could see was that the other boy saw Harry as someone moving in on his territory.

Harry doubted Hermione was aware of this, and he definitely wanted to keep it that way. There was no telling how she would react to finding out Neville had feelings for her, and that that was the supreme source to his mistrust of Harry, but Harry was pretty sure it wouldn't be kindly. He didn't want to ruin their friendship over something stupid like that. Harry was sure that Neville's feelings where a result of him spending all of his life at Hogwarts with Hermione. It wasn't real, only an illusion he had fallen into, and Harry just need to show the boy.

"I think we better get going," Neville said, beginning to pack up his belongings.

"What?" Hermione said, looking at the watch on her wrist, frowning. "It's not that late."

"I just don't want to be caught going back to Gryffindor tower too late," Neville argued.

Harry thought it was a pretty lame argument, seeing as they had more than an hour left before curfew, and even so, it was pretty easy to avoid being seen when you had the Marauders Map and an Invisibility Cloak. Even so, Harry understood what Neville was trying to do.

"Come on Hermione," Neville went on.

"I'm going to stay a bit longer," Hermione answered, "you can go ahead if you want."

"But..." Neville had blocked himself in a corner now.

"Sit down Neville," Harry said, kicking out the other boy's chair from under the table, "we still have plenty of time."

Neville glared at him and grabbed his bag. "I'm going then," he said, still glaring at Harry. "Bye." And he took off.

Harry sighed. "Sorry Hermione," he said.

"Don't be," Hermione said back, echoing his sigh, "it's not your fault. Why is he being so difficult? Can't he see how nice you are?"

Harry was tempted to tell her, but held back. "I don't know," Harry said, "maybe I can find some alone time with him soon, talk to him one on one."

"Yeah," Hermione mumbled, "maybe."

"Anyway," Harry sat up in his chair, ruffling her hair playfully with the hand that previously been stroking her back, "let's not dwell."

"Hey!" Hermione batted his hand away, scowling good-naturedly at him, her hair now in disarray. "Aw, I bet I look like a hedgehog now."

"A cute hedgehog," Harry returned, leaning forward and capturing her lips with his own. Hermione made a soft mumbling retort against his lips, but then only deepened the kiss.

When they pulled back, Hermione lent her forehead against his. "I'm going to miss you over Christmas holidays," she said, absently taking his hand in her own.

"Me too," Harry said, squeezing her hand. He looked down at their clasped hands, and then met her eyes again. "Hey, listen, I have something I want to show you. It's really private and I've only ever shown it to one person. Interested?"

"What is it?" Hermione asked, grinning at his own grin.

"It's a secret," Harry said, "one that I want to show you."

"Okay."

"Then meet me in the Entrance Hall just outside the dungeons tomorrow night when we normally have our study dates, okay?"

"Okay," Hermione agreed, "but what are you going to show me?"

"I told you," Harry said, "It's a secret. You'll see tomorrow."

"Meanie," Hermione stuck her tongue out at him, shrieking out when he tried to jokingly bite it, and then losing all train of thought as they got lost in another passionate kiss.

(----)

While Harry spent the entire next day planning, Hermione spent it wondering what he was going to show her. She assumed it was something at Hogwarts, something only he knew about. Maybe a secret on that Map he has? Even though she couldn't be certain, she spent the entire day making up extravagant ideas of what Harry's secret was, and by the time she was standing outside the dungeons, she was about ready to burst from excitement and anticipation.

As the clock in the entrance hall chimed for seven o'clock, Hermione started hopping on the spot, craning her neck for any sign of Harry. It was probably pointless to look, as Harry most likely had his cloak on, but Hermione couldn't help herself. She cast her eyes to the clock again, watching as the hands ticked away to show five minutes past seven. He was late, did he forget? A thousand and one thoughts like this flittered through Hermione's mind in just a matter of seconds.

A hand closing down on her shoulder made her jump, and Hermione turned her intense chocolate brown eyes on the assailant. No one was there, but she could still feel the hand on her shoulder. It was Harry.

"Someone should put a bell on you," she said, offhandedly, speaking to thin air.

She heard Harry chuckle.

"So I've been told," he said, and then she felt his hand clasp hers, "come on, this way."

"Do you always travel with that thing on?" Hermione asked, as he dragged her along, down the stone steps and into the dungeons.

"Mostly," Harry answered, "but I don't usually wear it all the time. But I definitely always have it with me. What can I say? I like my privacy."

"Anti-social," Hermione fake coughed.

"Says you," Harry shot back.

"Hey," Hermione said, "at least I admit it. And it's not like I don't try...or I used to try. You're just socially inept."

"I prefer my wording," Harry countered, leading her further into the dank dungeons.

Hermione smiled, enjoying the banter between them. She had never been the most confident person, or the most adept at talking to people, at least not since the Troll incident, but with Harry, she felt free. She could be herself. Sure, at first she was a bit wary, but Harry had a way of making you open up, whether you wanted to or not. It was funny really, how different Harry was to what people believed of him. But he didn't seem to care that most of the wizarding world regarded him with trepidation. In fact, she wasn't even sure he knew.

She supposed that was a little bit cold of him, the way he didn't seem to care about anything other than what was in his little world. What he allowed in. But he wasn't a bad person, far from it, and he was allowed his faults. He didn't seem to mind, so why should she? Harry had shown her a lot more interest than most people she saw everyday, and he didn't even know her when he started talking to her. He had just said he found her interesting. She wasn't really sure what he meant by that, but she wasn't going to pry. Maybe one day, when they where old and living in a little cottage in the countryside, she would ask.

Hermione blushed at her thoughts, but couldn't help but smile. She could definitely see herself spending the rest of her life with Harry. Sitting in a rocking chair, knitting, with grandchildren at her feet, or huddled around Harry's feet as he told them tales of his childhood or some such. Was that love? She didn't know, but whatever it was, she knew it was powerful.

"Hermione?" Harry's voice forced its way into her mind, and she blinked, looking up at him in confusion. "Hermione? You okay?"

"Uh," Hermione looked around, finding herself standing in an unfamiliar corridor, before the statue of a cloaked wizard, "sorry, got lost in thought. What is it?"

"We're here," Harry said, pulling out his wand.

"Here?" Hermione looked around again. The corridor wasn't particularly interesting, why would Harry wasn't to show her this? In fact, she could hardly see much of it, due to the extreme dark that seemed to cloud the area.

"Well," Harry said raising his wand, "not quite."

Then he taped the statue of the dark wizard with his wand and the statue moved with a groan, a snake appeared out of the wizards opening mouth, and then Harry hissed like a snake. Hermione drew back, surprised and a little scared. Was that Parsletongue? The statue jerked backwards with another groan, revealing a hidden passage. What was this?

"Come on," Harry said, grabbing her hand again and pulling her along.

Hermione followed, watching in a sort of mixture of shock and amazement, as Harry led her through the passage and into a large Chamber lit by several lanterns along the walls. She jumped in surprise when the statue clicked back into place behind her.

"Hey," Harry said, getting her attention, "it's okay."

Hermione nodded, looking around the Chamber. She took in the seating area before her and the small kitchen at the back, and then looked up at the curving ceiling, staring at the great snake that seamed to slither above her in the candlelight.

"Harry," Hermione breathed, almost breathless, "what is this place?"

"It's Salazar Slytherin's Chamber," Harry said, with no preamble.

"Salazar?" Hermione gasped. "Salazar Slytherin? This is the Chamber of Secrets?"

"No," Harry laughed, "not quite. It's a secret Chamber like the Chamber of Secrets, but unlike the Chamber of Secrets, this one really was a secret. No Basilisk lives here. As far as I can guess, Slytherin made this to keep his privacy, separate from his known chambers. No one knows it exist except me, Draco and now, you."

"Wow," Hermione mumbled, still staring at the snake on the ceiling.

"Yeah," Harry said, "it's pretty amazing. I started looking for it in my Third Year, after finding the Chamber of Secrets in my second. I figure, if he made one, what's to stop him making another? Hogwarts is a maze of secret tunnels and this is the meeting point. This place has a load of doors that lead into the walls, intersecting all through Hogwarts. From here, I can pretty much get anywhere. Not to mention the cosy little bed."

Hermione was too amazed to get the innuendo; she just nodded along to his words.

"Aside from that," Harry said, after a little cough, "it has a Training room and a Library full of Dark Arts books."

That was enough to get her attention, and she turned a sharp glare on him.

"Dark Arts books?" Hermione asked brusquely. "Oh Harry, please tell me you haven't read them?"

"Hey," Harry said, defending himself, "I'm not an idiot. I only read a few."

"A few?" Hermione gaped at him. "Harry, that was really stupid. The Dark Arts are seductive."

"Not to me!" Harry said angrily and Hermione gasped. "Sorry Hermione, but you seem to have forgotten what the darkest wizard of our age did to me. And what he intends to do. The Dark Arts hold no allure with me. I hate them."

Hermione hung her head. "I'm sorry," she said meekly. "I just...I..."

"Hey," Harry's finger came to rest under her chin and he forced her to meet his eyes, "it's okay. I'm sorry I snapped. I understand, you where just worried. But I want you to understand that I'll never fall to the Dark Arts. Okay?"

Hermione nodded. She felt tears gathering in her eyes and closed them, willing them not to fall. Harry's fingers gently brushing at her eyelids made them snap open, and she stared at him as he wiped away her tears.

"I'm sorry I snapped Hermione," Harry whispered, his face close to her own, "I didn't mean to make you cry. Forgive me?"

Hermione nodded. She closed her eyes and he kissed away her tears, before capturing her lips for a soft, sensual kiss. When he pulled away, Hermione fell into his chest and let him hold her.

"This chamber is my secret place," Harry said, gently stroking her back, "the place I can come to where no one can find me. I'm safe here. Only you and Draco know this place exists. My best friends."

"Thank you for trusting me," Hermione mumbled into his robes, "it means a lot."

"Hey," Harry said, lifting her face to his own again, giving her a little kiss, "I trust you with my life Hermione. You're without a doubt the most important person in my life."

Hermione smiled gently, her cheeks blushing again. Harry smiled back at her. Hermione heart swelled with adoration and joy, the tenderness of the moment seemingly making everything clear for the first time in her entire life.

"I love you," Hermione said.

Harry stared at her in shock, before he pulled back, and Hermione's beaming smile turned into a frown. Harry turned his back to her and tears once again surfaced to her eyes.

"Harry?" she whispered, choking on a sob.

"Erm," He said, hands in his pockets, "I...uh..."

"Harry?"

"You...love me?" Harry said, turning back to face her.

Hermione nodded, although a little meekly. Had she just ruined everything?

"Hermione," Harry said, looking up at the snake, not meeting her eyes. Why wouldn't he look at her? "Hermione, I...I'm not good with feelings. I...can't express myself very well. You...took me by surprise. I..."

"You don't love me?" Hermione asked, tears slowly trailing down her cheeks now.

"No!" Harry said, meeting her eyes sharply, and she finally saw how troubled and angry he looked. Why was he angry with her? "I didn't say that. I just...I really care about you."

"But you don't love me?" Hermione pressed. Could she actually feel her heart breaking?

"I didn't say that either," Harry said, gulping, and taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Dammit! I really suck."

"You..." Hermione frowned.

"Can we talk about something else?" Harry blurted out.

"I...what?" Hermione gasped. "Talk about something else? Just dismiss it like that?"

"You're the one who brought it up!" Harry said, turning around furiously. "You said it. Not me. It's not my fault..."

"I thought...you're blaming me?" Hermione ground out.

"Oh fuck," Harry growled, and the lashed out, kicking the side table angrily.

Hermione jumped back in shock.

"Look," Harry drew a ragged breath, "I really bollocked this all up. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to blame you. I'm not even angry with you. I'm angry at myself because...because I can't...say it." Harry said the last part with his eyes cast down.

Hermiones anger popped like a balloon as realisation dawned. He wasn't angry with her, he was angry with himself. He couldn't say what he felt? Then, did he really love her as well?

"I think I understand," Hermione said, approaching him and placing a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "It's okay Harry. I'm sorry I said it, if I made you uncomfortable. I didn't plan it; it just, kind of slipped out."

"Then you didn't mean it?" Harry asked, looking up at her with his intense green eyes.

"No," Hermione corrected, "I meant it. I just meant that I didn't even realise I loved you until then, with that moment, and I couldn't help myself. You don't have to say it back, I understand. I just hope I didn't scare you away."

"What?" It was Harry's turn to be surprised. He laughed a little uncomfortably. "You could never scare me off Hermione. You mean way too much to me."

"I know," Hermione smiled.

"Hey," Harry said, gesturing to a door to the left, "want to see the bedroom. I have another surprise for you in there."

"Bedroom?" Hermione blinked. "Surprise? Harry, you better not mean what I think you mean!"

Harry burst out laughing. "No," he said, getting control of himself, "not that. I mean - I made you dinner... surprise!" He grinned.

"You made me dinner?" Hermione gasped. "Oh Harry!"

And she flung her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. They spent the rest of the night eating, talking, kissing, and just enjoying each other's company. All was well again.

(----)

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