Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: Here's a one-shot of Harry and Hermione while I make up my mind on what to do with "Leave Your Fears Behind". I can't decide if I should do a closing chapter and do a sequel about the DA, or simply continue on the same story.
In the mean time, here's this. I hope you like it.
OBLIVIOUS
Harry and Ron were in the kitchen of Grimauld Place. Harry was standing by the stove making breakfast, while Ron sat at the table reading about the latest quidditch games on the paper.
"Morning," Hermione said as she walked into the kitchen. She ruffled Ron's hair as she walked by him and blew him a kiss.
"Morning," Ron said smiling.
Harry turned and grinned at her. "Morning, Mione, sleep well?"
"Yes, thanks. Something smells good," she said as she walked up to him to see what he had on the stove. Her hand rested on his lower back as she leaned against him.
"Breakfast will be ready soon. Why don't you get a cup of tea?"
"Thanks, Harry, you're the best." She leaned closer to him and kissed his cheek. Her hand dropped from his back and she patted his bum.
"You just touched his arse again!" Ron said suddenly.
"And?" she asked as she winked at Harry.
"I know you're not daft, Hermione. You can't go around touching a bloke's arse!"
"I was just saying thank you Ron," she explained as she poured herself a cup of tea. "Besides, Harry's is the only bum I touch."
That was the beginning of each day at Grimauld Place.
The war had lasted almost a year, and when it was over, they had decided to move in together and they had finished their seventh year. Now Harry was training to be an Auror, Hermione to be a Healer, and Ron was playing professional quidditch.
Since school had ended, Harry and Hermione had started acting even more peculiar than when they had attended Hogwarts. Ron looked at his friends and frowned a bit. It was obvious that they fancied each other, but they refused to acknowledge it anytime it was brought up. And it wasn't just him thinking so.
Hermione sat at the table and Harry put a plate of food in front of her. She smiled her thanks and started eating. Ron's plate was piled higher and he wasted no time digging in. Harry sat down with his own plate and filled Hermione's glass with juice. He then ran his thumb softly over her chin. At her questioning look, he showed her the bit of jam sticking to his thumb. He brought it to his mouth and sucked on it. Ron's eyes bulged but they didn't notice.
"Thanks," she said absently and continued eating.
"What time do you have to be at practice today?" Harry asked Ron as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Ron decided to play along.
"Ten. Luna should be here soon since she wanted to go along and watch."
"How are things going with her?" Hermione asked him.
"Brilliant," Ron said as he smiled. "I think I'm going to ask her to move here permanently. She's always here to begin with. You don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all. I think its great mate," said Harry. "I'm happy for the both of you."
"When are you two going to get together?" he asked watching them closely.
Hermione sighed. Harry looked like he wanted to throttle his friend.
"Good morning," Luna said walking into the kitchen and saving Ron. "Hello, Ronald."
They all looked up at her and smiled. Luna could apparate into any place without much of a pop, so it was no surprise to them that she was suddenly there and they hadn't heard her.
She leaned down and gave Ron a lengthy kiss. When she was done, Ron's smile could have lit the room. Then she kissed Harry and Hermione on the cheek. She served herself a cup of tea and settled at the table giving them a serene smile.
"How are you Luna?" Hermione asked smiling back.
"Good now that I'm here. What were you talking about when I walked in? You and Harry seemed a bit out of sorts."
"Oh, just the usual morning banter between friends. Since Harry and I seem to be the only single people left in our group, everyone seems to think we should get together."
"Oh, that! Well of course, it makes sense."
Hermione rolled her eyes and didn't say anything more, just continued eating the wonderful breakfast Harry had cooked. It was no use arguing with them.
"Not you too, Luna," Harry said looking pointedly at her.
"Blimey Harry, it's not like you two aren't perfect for each other," Ron said as he finished his breakfast and took his plate to the sink.
"Just because Hermione and I get on rather well doesn't mean it's more than friendship."
Hermione took her napkin and cleaned the corner of Harry's lips absentmindedly. Harry just smiled his thanks at her. Ron rolled his eyes and Luna just smiled that serene and knowing smile again.
"See what I mean?"
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Ron! I was just cleaning off a bit of food from his lips," Hermione said in exasperation, getting a bit tired of the conversation. Honestly!
"That just proves what we're saying."
"How do you figure that?" Harry asked as he filled Hermione's glass with more juice.
Maybe he was wrong, Ron though looking in amazement at his friends. They were both daft!
"It's the little things you do for each other all of the time. It's the way you look at each other, like there's a secret only you two know about. It's the endless winks. And let's not forget the bloody touching," Ron explained.
"What touching?" Hermione wanted to know. She was looking at Ron as if he had suddenly grown two heads.
"It's so natural to you both that you don't even notice when you do it, but you're always touching each other," Luna said as she finished her tea and also stood up. "I bet you anything people that don't know you assume you're together by the way you act around each other."
"That's rubbish," Harry said as he got up from the table and put his plate in the sink.
Ron shrugged his shoulders. "If believing that makes you happy…" his words trailed off as he walked away.
"This is nothing new by the way; it's been going on for years!" Luna said smiling at them as she followed Ron.
"Bloody hell, when will this end?" Harry asked no one in particular as he paced the kitchen.
"Don't worry about it, Harry," Hermione said getting up. She walked up to him and lifted her hand to touch his face, but dropped it at the last second. She turned around and grabbed her plate.
Harry watched her and frowned. She had never hesitated to touch him before. He didn't like it. He didn't like what their friends were implying. He didn't like being put in a position where he had to think about everything he said or did around Hermione because it was taken out of content.
Hermione started doing the dishes the muggle way and that alone told Harry how upset she was. Harry mumbled his goodbyes and walked away, leaving her alone in the kitchen. She sighed and shook her head. She had a feeling things were going to take a turn for the worst as far as their friendship was concerned.
~*~
She'd been right.
The past couple of weeks had been hell. Harry avoided her like the plague. She had stopped spending time with her friends. Other than a curt "hello" as they passed each other by, they hardly spoke to each other. She wasn't eating or sleeping well. Harry was always in a bad mood. If Ron noticed the changes, he was smart enough not to comment on it. Luna kept her mouth shut as well.
Hermione finished her shower and put on her robe. As she was walking down the hall to her room, she met Harry as he was walking out of his room. He seemed surprised to see her and stepped to his right to let her go by. Hermione, seeing him, had also stepped to her left. Without thinking, they both move to the other side at the same time.
"Care to dance?" she asked awkwardly.
"If we dance, they'll have us married by next weekend and we can't have that, now can we?" he said a bit angry at the situation.
Hermione, not liking his attitude one bit, just walked by him and down the hall to her room. She closed the door before Harry could say anything else.
He slammed his hand against the bathroom door. Inside her room, Hermione was leaning against the door and flinched when she heard the noise. A small tear rolled down her cheek and she hung her head in despair.
Harry stepped into the bathroom and took off his clothes. He took a shower while calling himself every awful name he knew. He was frustrated, he missed Hermione, and he had acted like a right wanker taking his frustrations out on her. Now he'd probably have to get on his knees and grovel.
He finished his shower and went to his room. He lay on his bed for a long time, wondering where things had gone wrong. It was now up to him to make it right, he knew. Hermione was proud and would not come to him after his little tantrum in the hallway. He glanced at his bedside clock and noticed it was close to nine. She would still be up going over notes from her classes or reading material that wouldn't be used for months. That was his Hermione, always a step ahead.
He got up from the bed and walked out of his room before he lost his nerve. He stood in front of her door for a moment, willing his nerves to calm down. Taking a deep breath, he knocked softly on the door. A few seconds went by without an answer. He tried knocking again. After a full minute, he tried the door handle. He pushed the door opened and noticed her room was in darkness. Hermione wasn't there.
He walked into the room and her scent surrounded him immediately. It was a mixture of her perfume and the vanilla candles she was so fond of burning in her room. He decided to wait for her, since he knew sleep would not come until they talked.
~*~
Hermione was tired and cranky. It was close to midnight and she was just getting home. She had left while he was in the shower and had walked for more than an hour. After that, she had gone to the St. Mungos library to do some research. Just like in Hogwarts, she had access to the library any time she wanted. It paid to be a hero in the wizarding world.
She walked up the stairs quietly and reached her room in no time. She looked down the hall towards Harry's door, but noticed no light coming from the bottom. It was just as well, she thought. There wasn't much she wanted to say to him at the moment. But she had to admit that she missed him and she hated not talking to him.
She twisted the knob and pushed her door open. There, sitting in her reading chair fast asleep was the cause of her anger. She closed the door softly behind her. Not sure what she should do, she sat on her bed and watched him. She knew they had to talk at some point but he looked so peaceful as he slept that she didn't have it in her to go and wake him. Instead, she grabbed a throw from the bottom of her bed and covered him softly. A little while later, as if sensing her presence in the room, he stirred slowly and opened his eyes.
"Hermione," he said softly.
"It's past midnight, Harry. Maybe you should go to bed."
"I wanted to talk with you."
"It's a bit late."
Harry noticed the throw and took it off. Leave it to Hermione to take care of him even when he was acting like a git. He got up and went up to her and sat next to her on the bed. "At least let me apologize for being such a git."
She looked at him and a very small smile lifted the corner of her mouth. "You acted worse than that."
"All right, I'll admit I acted more like a wanker."
"I'd say that's closer to the truth."
"I am sorry, Mione. I had no right to take my frustration out on you. It's not your fault."
"I hate this Harry. I hate being backed into a corner and not being able to do much about it."
"I know how you feel and I think it's time to do something about it."
"You're right of course. I cannot go another day like this."
"I don't like the awkwardness between us. We've never acted like this with each other and it's making me crazy."
"Ron and Luna are entirely at fault. We were just fine until they made us feel bad about our actions with each other. Now I can't be around you without thinking twice about doing or saying something to you."
"I've been thinking about this a lot and I think I have a solution."
"What is it? I'm willing to do anything."
"I'm glad you're saying that because it's going to require that you give a lot."
"I'm listening."
Hermione brought her legs up and sat with her back resting against the headboard. Harry sat sideways to better look at her.
"I think we should start seeing each other."
"What?" she asked clearly surprised by his suggestion.
"I should have used the word pretend in there somewhere."
"Oh," was all she said. She wasn't disappointed, she told herself clearly. Not disappointed at all.
"All of our friends seem to think we belong together. I don't think they are going to stop bothering us until we give in. So we're going to pretend to `go out' until they leave us alone. After a while we'll `break-up' and that will be the end of it. No one will say another word." Harry looked at her expectantly and waited for her reaction.
She thought about it for a few minutes and Harry could almost see the wheels turning in her head. She was examining his suggestion from every possible angle and drawing possible conclusions.
"I thinks it's brilliant, Harry!" she finally said and surprised him by throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly.
He smiled as he returned her hug. He had his Hermione back.
She finally pulled away and smiled sweetly at him. "I've missed those hugs."
"Me, too. And I've missed you, Mione. Perhaps a bit more than I would have thought."
"Aw, Harry, that's sweet of you to tell me. I missed you, too. Now tell me about this plan of yours and when it goes into action."
~*~
The very next night they went out. Harry told Ron he had finally asked Hermione out on a date and he was ecstatic. At home, things were back to normal and they were both relieved. It wasn't long before the rest of their friends found out. They went to dinner, to the movies, to the park, or simply stayed at home in each other's rooms. They had a blast doing all of it.
Two weeks went by and they were able to refuse the many invitations to meet with friends claiming they needed their time alone together. However, Ron decided to have a small gathering at the house and invited all of their closest friends. Harry and Hermione had no escape this time. They would have to face them all at once as a `couple' and that meant `acting' like one. So far they had avoided that very thing. While they had been spending a lot of time together, they had been able to keep the physical part out of their charade.
Hermione walked over to Harry's room the night of the party and knocked softly on it. He opened it and smiled appreciatively at her as she walked in. She was wearing skin-tight jeans, a sleeveless top, and strappy heels.
"You look fantastic, Mione."
"Thank you," she said as she smiled nervously. "I think we should talk."
"I figured you'd be coming by and that's why I haven't gone down yet. From the sound of things, everyone is already here."
"Oh, Harry, what are we going to do?"
"Act like a couple in love, that's what. We have to make them believe we're together, otherwise they won't leave us alone."
"What exactly does that entail?"
"Holding hands, sitting close together and smiling at each other a lot. You know, things couples do."
"Do we have to kiss?" she asked nervously.
"It's a possibility."
"Bloody hell, Harry, I didn't think it would get to this."
Something suddenly occurred to him and he didn't like his thoughts. "Are you interested in someone downstairs?"
"Of course not, silly. Why would you even ask that?"
"Oh, I don't know. You just seemed repulsed by the idea of having to kiss me."
She could tell he was a bit upset by his tone. "It's not that at all!"
"Then what is it?"
"I'm scared of what this could do to our friendship is all," she finished softly.
"Mione, nothing is going to happen." He walked up to her and hugged her tightly. "We're going to be okay."
"You promise?" she asked leaning back and looking into his eyes.
"I promise."
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers for a few seconds. When he lifted his head back he was smiling at her.
"Now that the ice is broken, I'm going to go down first. I'll see you soon."
He dropped his arms from around her and walked out of the room before she could formulate a single, coherent thought.
~*~
Knowing she couldn't really stay in his room much longer, Hermione took a deep breath and went to join her friends. When she walked into the living room, a chorus of hellos greeted her. She smiled as she made the rounds and talked to all of her friends. After a while, she had to make her way towards Harry or risk giving them away. He was talking to Dean and Seamus.
"Hi," she said as she slipped her hand into Harry's and smiled at them.
"Hi, love." Harry dropped a quick kiss on top of her head. "Having fun?"
"Yes. How about you guys?"
She spent a few minutes talking to them, and then spotted Luna across the room.
"Harry, I'm going to go talk to Luna for a bit." She gave him a quick peck on the lips, smiled at her friends, and walked away.
Harry's eyes followed her all the way, noticing how well she filled the back of her jeans. Hermione's body, while not voluptuous as some other girls he knew, was fit and rounded in all the right places. She was beautiful to him. He noticed his friends had also stopped to look at her and frowned. He didn't want anyone looking at her with lust in their eyes. Other than him, of course. He cleared his throat loudly, and the other too looked back at him a bit embarrassed.
Hermione reached Luna who was smiling knowingly at her. She gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You look really nice, Luna. No wonder Ron can't seem to keep his hands off you!"
"I try. But you're no so bad yourself. Harry was looking at you like he could just grab a spoon and eat you up. However, you're going to have to do better than that if you want the others to believe you, you know."
"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked unable to hide her surprise.
"You and Harry. You better step up the acting or no one will believe that you're a couple."
"Acting? Where did you get that idea?"
"Must be the seer in me," she said vaguely. "Remember the spotlight is on you tonight. So far, you're not fooling anyone and it would be a pity to see this plan of yours go to waste."
Before Hermione could say anything, Luna winked at her and walked towards Ron.
Hermione was more than surprised by Luna's words. She walked towards the kitchen and poured herself a glass of firewhiskey. After drowning it, she poured a second one. If she had to kiss Harry in front of their closest friends, she needed some fortification. She didn't want to think about the way her lips had tingled when he'd kissed her earlier.
As she was finishing her drink, Harry walked into the kitchen and smiled at her.
"There you are," he said walking up to her.
"We seem to have a problem," Hermione said and told him about her conversation with Luna.
"Bloody hell! Do you think she told Ron?"
"She didn't give me that impression; she just more or less suggested that we step it up."
"What do you think?"
"I think she might be right. Since the party started we haven't really spent any time together. We've been talking to everyone but each other and that can open the door for speculation."
"Then we have to spend the rest of the party wrapped around each other's arms."
Hermione swallowed hard and sighed. "I guess you're right, Harry."
He didn't miss her hesitation. "Unless we're back to square one and you don't want me to kiss you. If that's the case, we might as well forget about this."
Hermione could hear the disappointment and hurt in his voice. She hadn't meant she wouldn't like it. It was actually the contrary. She was afraid she would like it a bit too much. So she did the only thing she could think of to make him feel better. She walked up to him, brought his head down to hers, and kissed him.
Harry was so surprised by her actions that it took him a moment to respond. When Hermione was about to pull back, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her fully against him, deepening the kiss. One of her hands went up to tangle in his hair, while the other one stayed close to his heart.
Harry traced the curve of her lips with his tongue and she opened her mouth willingly. He moaned softly into her mouth at the first contact of their tongues. They kissed hungrily and forgot all about their plan. The fact that they were alone in the kitchen and no one could see them escaped their minds. It just wasn't important right then.
Minutes passed and they couldn't stop. His hands were roaming over her back, her waist and her hips. He pushed her against the counter without breaking the kiss and Hermione whimpered as she felt his hard body pressing against her softer one. Harry finally pulled back slowly and rested his forehead against hers. Both were breathing hard and their pulses were soaring.
"You sure pack a punch in your kisses, Mione," Harry said as he tried to regain control over his body when all he wanted was to kiss her again.
"You're one to talk. It's a good thing I'm pressed against the counter. I don't think my legs would hold me up otherwise."
"Is this normal for you? Do you always feel like that when you kiss other blokes?"
Harry hated to ask, but the jealousy he felt inside at the thought of someone else kissing her was tearing him apart. Now that he knew what her response to his kisses was like, he didn't want her to kiss anyone else. He didn't stop to think about the meaning of his feelings.
"Honestly, it doesn't. Kissing is always been nice, but I didn't know it could be so pleasurable," Hermione answered him sincerely. She figured there was no point in hiding how she felt since her response had been enough to give her away.
"At the risk of sounding like an arrogant prat, I'm glad it was with me."
Unable to help himself, he lowered his head again and took her mouth in another mind-boggling kiss. Hermione gave her mouth more than willingly. Consequences be damned. They would worry about that later.
~*~
Ron walked into the kitchen followed by Luna. She ran into his back with an oomph when he stopped suddenly. She peered around his shoulder and giggled softly when she noticed what had made Ron stop like he had.
Hermione was sitting on the kitchen table, with Harry standing between her legs, and they were kissing passionately. It didn't escape Luna's attention that they were indeed alone and that the people they needed to convince were all out in the living room. Maybe the gods were smiling down on them at last and they had finally figured out that they were crazy about each other.
"Bloody hell! Go up to your room if you can't control yourselves in public!" Ron said and the pair broke apart startled by his words.
Hermione buried her face against Harry neck and her cheeks burned with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. Her breathing was just as labored as Harry's and she wanted to throttle Ron for interrupting. She should hex his arse! Of all the damn timing. Honestly!
Harry glared at his best friend as he put his arms protectively around Hermione. "Don't look then!"
Luna giggled even more and she winked at Harry. "Don't mind us; we just wanted to get more drinks for the party. Carry on!"
"I don't want to see them carrying on!" Ron protested. "My two best friends were kissing like sex-starved teenagers."
"Oh, you're one to talk," Hermione said as she finally lifted her head and glared at him. "Don't make me hurt you, Ron; I'm sure Luna wouldn't appreciate it."
Harry laughed at her and Luna joined him. A mad Hermione was a force to reckon with. The tips of Ron's ears turned a bright shade of pink. Luna grabbed a couple of bottles of firewhiskey from the counter and gave them to Ron.
"Leave them alone, Ronald." She turned to look at her friends and winked at them. "Carry on!" She turned Ron around and pushed him out of the kitchen, giggling the whole time.
"It's probably best if we rejoin the party. People must be wondering where we went to," Hermione said.
"You're right, but I have to admit this was worth it."
Before she could ponder what he meant by that, he took her hand and led her back out to the living room. Hermione wasn't surprised by the looks they got as they walked back in. She was sure she looked thoroughly kissed and she was surprised to notice it didn't bother her at all. And while she wasn't about to dwell on why she felt that way, she was glad they noticed.
~*~
By the time the last guest left, Hermione was sure there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that she was most definitely `Harry's girl'. Harry had kissed her senseless so many times that she had actually lost count. He didn't leave her side once. He then walked her to her bedroom door and that's where they were now. She was leaning against it, and Harry was standing in front of her with one hand resting by her head for support.
Ron walked by them and said a quick good night as he headed towards his room. Luna followed a few minutes later. She winked at them.
"You're even making a believer out of me!" she told them as she went by.
Harry chuckled and smiled down at Hermione. "That's an accomplishment."
"I'd say. Did you have fun tonight?"
"I would have to say I had a very pleasant and enlightening evening."
"Care to explain that statement?"
"You, my beautiful girlfriend, are a great kisser and I have to be honest and say I'm looking forward to more."
"You are?" she asked surprised by his words.
"Yes I am. I know this started as a way of getting people off our backs, but I have to say it's been quite enjoyable."
"You're not so bad yourself, Mr. Potter. You have a wicked mouth."
"Are you openly flirting with me, Miss Granger?" he asked playfully.
"By Merlin I think I am!" she returned just as mischievously.
"I know no one is watching now, so this might seem as overkill to you, but I can't seem to help myself," he told her before moving closer and capturing her lips with his again.
He kissed her until her knees buckled and her brain turned to mush. She broke the kiss and fumbled with the doorknob and finally got the door to open. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pulled him into her room. She locked the door behind and put up a silencing charm around the room. He seemed surprised.
"Mione?"
"Stay with me tonight."
He couldn't hide his surprise. "Are you sure?"
"No, but I still want you to stay."
"What more do you want?" he asked as he wrapped his arms around her once more.
"You. I want you, Harry."
"If I stay, it will change everything. You know that right?"
She didn't even hesitate. She would wonder if she had gone mad some other time. Now she only wanted to be with him. It felt right.
"I want you to stay. Do you want to stay?"
"You have me," he said as he lowered his head and kissed her again.
He moved them over to the side of the bed and proceeded to remove her clothing little by little, kissing every inch of skin he exposed. By the time he was done and she was naked in front of him, she was wet and desperate for him. So she tortured him the same way. He lay her down in the middle of her bed and lay on his side next to her.
"I can't believe we're really going to do this, Mione," he said as he bent his head and captured one hard nipple into his mouth.
She gasped as her fingers curled around his arm. "I know, but it feels right. Don't you think?"
He pulled away from her and kissed her lips softly. "Nothing's ever felt this right in my life before."
He then proceeded to show her just how much he wanted and treasured her.
~*~
Hermione waked up slowly and stretch against Harry. She was spooned against his chest and his arm was draped lazily around her waist. Some muscled protested as she moved and she smiled at the memory of the previous night. Harry had made love to her not once, but three times, and each time it got better. She could say she was instantly addicted to his loving.
She sighed a bit, wondering what would happen now. So many years of close friendship had brought them to this moment. She knew she loved him. But was she in love with him? Were Luna and Ron right? Had it been there all along and they just didn't notice?
She felt Harry stirring behind her and burrowed deeper into him. His hand moved up to cover her breast while he nuzzled her neck. "Morning, Mione."
"Morning, Harry. Sleep well?"
"Like a baby."
He continued caressing her and kissing her back and shoulders. When he proved between her legs and felt her wetness, he smiled wickedly as he lifted her leg and entered her softly from behind. She gasped when she felt him fully sheathed inside of her and clenched her muscles around him, making him moan with need.
This time their loving was slow and lazy. There was no big hurry and no desperation. Harry took his time with her, moving in and out of her slowly while his hands roamed her body building up her passion little by little. After a while, he pulled out of her and she protested.
"I want to see you when you come," he explained as he turned her on her back and lay on top of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he entered her again. This time he quickened his pace. Their eyes were locked together as they moved as one. He kissed her again as his hand moved down between their bodies. As he thrust into her, his fingers played with her, bringing her closer to the end. He lifted his head just in time to see her fall apart in his arms. A moment later, he followed her.
They were both panting hard and Harry lay his head on her chest, willing his heart to calm down. Hermione was stroking his back lovingly and he knew then that he would never let her go. He was in love with his best friend, and instead of being afraid, he was happy with the revelation.
It made sense all of a sudden. He had been in love with her for years. Ron had been right. They were constantly doing little things for each other. Did that mean she loved him back?
He lifted his head and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and a smile adorned her lips.
"Mione," he said and waited for her to open her eyes.
"Yes, love?" she responded as she looked at him.
"I think we need to talk."
"Having regrets already?"
"Actually, yes." He felt her stiffen in his arms. "My one and only regret is that this didn't happen sooner."
"Oh." Her body relaxed once more.
"I love you."
Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "I know you do, Harry."
He shook his head. "I don't just love you. I'm in love with you."
Hermione's tears felt freely at that point. "You are?" she asked softly.
"I am. And I think I've felt like that for a long time. I don't want to pretend anymore, Hermione. I want to be with you and I want the whole world to know that I love you."
"Oh, Harry, I love you too. I don't know when, and I don't know how, but it's been there all along."
"This means that as of today you're officially my girlfriend, right?"
"Yes!"
"Mione. My Mione."
He brought his head down and kissed her again.
~*~
Down the hall, Luna snuggled closer to Ron as he slept peacefully. There was a small smile on her lips. She had been right. The gods were smiling down on them after all. She knew deep inside that Harry and Hermione had just realized their love for each other. Everything had come full circle and she knew from that point on that their lives would finally be complete.
Life was good at Grimauld Place.
The End
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