Declaimer: The world of Harry Potter, it's characters and settings belong to J.K.Rowling. All that this author own is the delusion of what could have happened and find peace in it's memories.

An Introduction- Hello! This is Lola Leddir. I am happy to introduce my next yearly project, " A Love for All Season." which will take place 8 months after the last book of Harry Potter ended, on New Years Eve, epilogue excluded. This story will take the period of a year and a day, following the major holidays of a year and tells the story of how our two favorite characters, Harry and Hermione deals with the four seasons of the year, now that Lord Voldemort is destroyed. I sincerely hope you enjoy it, so until Valentines Day, Happy New Year!

P.S. A note to my Fighting Destiny readers, sorry! I truly intended on updating another chapter by tomorrow, but it will not be likely, seeing that I was focusing on this story the past two days. Just give me some time, I swear I'll update as soon as possible. In the main time, I hope you guys all enjoy this story.

"I'm jaded, stupid, and reckless.
Not sorry, and I'll never regret.
These years spent, so faded and reckless.
Not sorry, and I'll never regret these years.
I'll never regret these years.

Now here I sit, so far away.
Remembering all our memories.
It's times like these that I miss you most,
Remembering when we were so close."

-Jaded by Mest

Memories

By Lola Leddir

A shooting star skittered across the sky over the strangely quiet London. There was barely anyone on the streets of Grimmauld place. Through the windows of various houses, one could see its residents celebrating the end of another year and the beginning of a new one. There was only one thing strange about that night. If one's feet came across number eleven, they would have found themselves laughing at the architecture that had designed Grimmauld Square so many years ago. Apparently, the bloke had been ignorant of the art of counting numbers, for the house number eleven was immediately followed by number thirteen. Yet unknown to the residents of Grimmauld Square, the man who had designed the place was in fact very knowledgeable towards the art of counting. It just so happens that the man was a wizard. It is a fact that Number twelve, Grimmauld Place had always been there, hidden from Muggle eyes.

A sudden pop disrupted the street's silence as a tall man with red hair seemed to pop up from the ground. Turning his attention towards the space between number eleven and thirteen, the man stared, as if deep in thought. Then there was a sudden rumble as the houses of number eleven and thirteen seemed to be pushed aside by a new building that had appeared just as suddenly as the man.

Sighing slightly, Ronald Weasley walked calmly up the stairs, opened the door, and paused as if wondering about a certain problem before entering and closing the door. Inside, the atmosphere was quite different. A crowd of men gathered around the couch and seemed to be laughing. Ron greeted the ladies gathered on the other side of room, obviously catching up on the latest gossip before making his way to the couch, where his best friend Harry Potter and his sister, Ginny Weasley sat.

"And what do you think the New Year holds in store for us?" Harry was asking, one arm around a very red Ginny Weasley as his friends around them laughed at Ginny's display of embarrassment.

"I hear wedding bells," George teased, watching Ginny's face flushing even more furiously.

"Hmm, I don't know, either that, or it'll be little Harry Potters running around the place," Charlie chided in, followed by a lot of hoots and laughter.

Ginny gave Harry an exasperatedly look that clearly said, Great! Now see what you've done!

But Harry just replied with a boyish grin. "What?" he asked innocently. "I-"

But Ginny stopped him with a full-on heated kiss.

"Hey, you two! Save it for the countdown!" Percy hollered, breaking the two apart.

"I guess I'll just go then, otherwise, I'll never be able to wait till the countdown," Ginny said, smiling adoringly at Harry and jumped off of Harry's lap, heading towards Luna Lovegood.

Watching Ginny's retreating figure, all the boys around Harry catcalled.

"Tough luck mate," Bill patted Harry on the back. "The blame is all on Percy this one."

"It's okay," Harry replied, a grin on his lips. "I'll make sure that the waiting pays off."

The guys roared with laughter at this.

A new song started on the Wizard Wireless then and Fleur sauntered up to Bill.

"Let's dance," she said, flashing Bill a winning smile.

"Gladly, milady!" Bill grinned, taking Fleur in his arms and led her away from the rest of the guys, turning back only to give a wink.

"I think Bill is trying to make us other blokes look bad," George commented as they watched the couple twirl around the middle of the living room that Harry had cleared earlier as dancing space.

All the men grunted in agreement. As if the thought had struck each of them all at the same time, George, Charlie, Percy and Neville all got up from the couch. Like in a trance, each walked off to find their respective wives.

Ron, who was standing in the back, walked calmly up to the couch and sat down warily. For some time, the two best friends both remained silent, eyeing the many couples swaying to the music.

"Is she here?" Harry finally asked quietly, all the merriment gone from his eyes as he searched through the room for the only person he had been thinking about the whole night. The Only person that he had not yet, but should have seen already.

Ron caught his eyes meaningfully and shook his head.

"I went to check on her about a hour ago, she was determined to stay at Hogwarts and finish that damn essay. Couldn't talk any sense into her at all. Refuse to come, says that she was working on something big."

"Sounds like her," Harry smiled warily, a faraway look in his eyes.

It was New Year's Eve. Eight months had passed since Lord Voldemort's final downfall. For the sake of everyone else rather than his own, Harry had hosted a New Year party at Grimmauld Place. It was he guessed, a way to reconnected with everyone again.

Everyone had gone separate ways since the war ended. George opened his joke shop again, determined to continue the work him and his brother had started. Neville joined the St. Mungo's force and became the head of the experimental department for healing. From what Harry had heard, he was now working hard on finding the right Herbology properties to cure the affects of the Cruciatus Curse. Bill said good-byes to his friends and family, traveling to the center of France with his wife, Fleur, where he began his new life as the Charms teacher at Beauxbatons. Even his own Hermione left him, traveling back to Hogwarts, determined to finish her final year of magical education. Harry himself, along with Ron began their training as Aurors. Though they had been offered high positions right from the beginning, both had declined, wanting to go through the proper training program like everyone else. Harry felt that after all that he's been through, he really would have preferred going at it the normal way, yet now Harry wondered, if anything will ever be normal again.

The battle between him and Lord Voldemort had changed Harry, matured him on a level that was impossible for people to understand. Well, impossible to everyone, except her. Somewhere inside him, Harry knew that he would probably never reach the level of normalcy he had always desired, the innocence and free of mind that he'd always imagined would be the way of life after Voldemort was gone.

"Oi! Harry!" Ron waved a hand in front of Harry's eyes. "Were you even listening to me?"

"Yeah Ron!" Harry replied, hastily looking up at his best friend. "So, so she's not coming? Even though we haven't seen each other in eight months?"

"Nope. Barking mad, Hermione is. "Ron said, running a hand through his hair as he continued. "Working on New Year's Eve, I ask you! Just told me to get out so she could concentrate. She had that look in her eyes that suggested unpleasantness when I started mentioning about how everyone was dying to see her, so I retreated."

" Guess she's working on something big," Harry sighed.

He got up suddenly, pushing Hermione from his thoughts. "I'm going to go find Ginny," he muttered and left Ron alone on the couch.

"This is stupid you know, it's so obvious he misses you," Ron said quietly, when Harry had disappeared from view.

"I know, but I just can't," Hermione's voice whispered back.

"And what? Hide from him for the rest of your life?" Ron asked to the invisible Hermione next to him. " Come off it! You'll have to face him sooner or later."

"Of course! I know that! In six month or so, when I graduate Hogwarts, I'll manage to get over myself and move on. Then I'll join you two again. It'll be just like old times," Hermione's practical voice sounded a little to Ron's left.

"Are you there?" Ron asked, reaching out as inconspicuously as he could manage. His hand bumped into an invisible piece of fabric and he closed in onto the unseeing material.

"Yes! That's me! Now put your hand down! You look like an idiot!" Hermione's voice hissed and Ron quickly brought his hand down, reminded of how strange it must have looked to have his arm halted in mid-air and his hand closing in on a fist around thin air.

"Sorry, it's just, it feels really weird," Ron smiled apologetically towards the direction where he thought Hermione was. "But you know, it is rather pathetic, watching Harry trying to have fun without you and not succeeding at all. He's a horrible actor."

" I don't know," Hermione watched Harry dancing with a laughing Ginny. "He seems pretty happy."

"Hermione, don't get me wrong, as Ginny's big brother, I'd be pointing you the other way. But I'm also your best friend, and I think that you should give yourself a chance. You never know, Harry might feel something for you too."

Ron could almost imagine Hermione's face as her reply came, now from his right side. "When did you get so deep?"

Ron was about to shoot back a retort, but restrained himself just in time. This little hiding from Harry habit that Hermione had developed can't be healthy. This was serious. She was going to need someone like Harry to help her get through it. " I found myself growing up a bit after a certain bushy-haired witch told me that life was full of unexpected turns and sometimes what use to be the most natural thing in the world can turn out to be the most awkward and unfamiliar. It really made me think. Mione, it didn't work out between the two of us, what makes you so sure that it'll work out between Harry and Ginny?"

"Because she's everything he's been yarning for. She's the living embodiment of what he's been searching for all his life. I understand him, Ronald. Harry never wanted to be the Boy-Who-Lived, never wanted the special attention, never wanted the adoration because he understood that all those things came at a terrible price," Hermione's answer came sadly. "He's lost his parents, he lost his godfather, and he almost lost himself. I think- no- I KOWN that after all that was done, he'd want to move on and throw it all behind. To forget it all, to pretend that he's just another normal guy, even if only for a little while. And-" at this Hermione broke off.

Ron could hear her sniffling. He smiled encouragingly n the direction that he thought Hermione was and felt rather than saw her composing herself. Heard her taking a deep breath and knew that she had wiped away her tears under the cloak, sitting up straighter to discontinue her crying.

" And I can't give him that," Hermione continued, her voice shaking slightly this time. " I've been through too much with him, seen too much. I cared for him enough to sacrifice my chance with him, and it was worth it. I willingly accept my price. In Ginny however-, she will never trigger any unpleasant memories. He'll never hear her waking up in the middle of the night, to hold her as she cry about another nightmare about being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange or breaking through Gringotts. She will never confide in him about how the images of that night on Christmas Eve in Goldric's Hollow still haunts her, because she wasn't there with him. She can't possibly imagine what Harry went though. She'll just be sweet Ginny Weasley, not warrior Hermione Granger, the girl that fought side by side with him." At this, Hermione give a bitter laugh. "I guess, in a way, my love for him was my own undoing. But I know my place now Ron, and I'll be content if he does find that normalcy that he's always been seeking for, even if he cannot find that within me."

Ron felt the corner of his eyes moistening. So this was the confession of Harry Potter's brilliant Hermione Granger. He never could have imagined that Hermione's emotions were as complex as they were. In the back of his mind, he heard the voice of an overconfident 15 year old. Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have! He smiled at the memory and it was at that moment that he decided that Hermione Jane Granger was the bravest witch of her time.

"Hermione? Are you still there?" Ron asked curiously when Hermione became silent. In his mind's eye, he could see her sitting next to him, watching Harry who was still dancing with his own sister.

"Yeah," came Hermione's quiet reply. " I think I'll just go. There isn't much for me here."

"At least stay for the countdown," Ron insisted and mentally hit himself for suggesting it. The count down? What was he thinking?

Hermione seemed to be thinking somewhere along the same lines, for he felt her weight on the couch next to him shifting abruptly. She was now standing, he was sure of it.

"I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me," he said softly, standing up too.

"No more than usual," Hermione laughed softly.

"At least let me see you off," Ron offered.

"Okay," Hermione agreed.

Ron could feel Hermione holding out a hand to grasp his gently, pulling him towards the door. As they winded their way towards the door, they passed by Harry and Ginny. Harry caught Ron's eyes and Ron stared back. FOLLOW ME! He screamed, willing his best friend to use Occlumency for once in his life. But then, Hermione was already leading him away, through the doors and out onto the street. Under the streetlights, Ron reached out and pulled off Hermione's invisibility cloak.

" You didn't think I was going to let you go off without a proper good-bye, did you?" he asked, trying to cheer Hermione up.

Without another word, Hermione grinned through her tears and held out her arms to hug Ron.

"That's my girl," Ron smiled, kissing Hermione on the forehead. "Don't be a stranger now."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Hermione smiled, looking up at him. "Take care, Ron."

"You too, Hermione," Ron replied, knowing that it would be a long time until they see each other again. " Don't hesitate if you ever need to talk."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hermione smiled gratefully up at him. "I'm proud of you Ron, you've come far from that dirty nose, ignorant silly boy I met on the Hogwarts Express."

Ron chuckled at this, but he suddenly stopped when the door behind Hermione opened and Harry stepped out, staring open-mouthed at Hermione.

"Hermione?" Harry asked uncertainly.

Hermione seemed to freeze at the sound of Harry's voice. She looked accusingly at Ron, but Ron just replied with a weak smile.

"I'll leave you two alone," he said quietly in her ear before moving past her, hurrying up the stairs. Stopping to give Harry an encouraging pat on the back, he disappeared behind the door of Grimmauld Place.

"You were going to leave without a good-bye?" Harry asked hurt. "You weren't going to say anything? Eight month had passed and you weren't even going to give the slightest indication that you were here?"

Hermione stayed silent, her eyes determinately fixed between her feet. She felt Harry moving closer to her and fought down the urge to flee. The damage was done; she owed Harry an explanation at the very least. Without another word, she felt Harry's arms wrapping themselves around her. She gave in and held him close too, her eyes closed as she laid her head gently on his chest.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. What more could she say?

They held each other tightly and neither spoke for a very long time. When both of them finally let go, Hermione found Harry looking at anywhere but her.

"Please don't be angry with me Harry," Hermione whispered sadly.

"How can I not be?" Harry jerked away, still determined not to look at her.

"I have my reasons, I really did," Hermione said sadly.

"We've been best friends for seventeen years Hermione," Harry started, looking up at the sky. "If I don't understand your motives, then something is wrong. What's going on Mione? Why are you avoiding me?"

"I-I-" Hermione stuttered. Oh why did he have to ask? Why couldn't he just leave her be?

" What did I do wrong Mione?" Harry asked sadly, and at that moment, he was Harry again. The vulnerable little boy that always showed himself whenever they were alone appeared. Gone was the Man-Who-Conquered, gone was the savior of the Wizarding World, all that was left now was Harry. " Please don't leave me, I don't want to lose you," Harry said sadly. "I've already lost too much."

Hermione cried, tears helplessly pouring out now. She hated crying, especially in front of him. She felt so weak, and she couldn't be weak. She was always suppose to be strong for him, the rational voice beside him. But she couldn't help it. Everything was different now. " I would never leave you Harry."

"Good, because I don't intend on letting you go," Harry said, turning to her abruptly, fixing his emerald green eyes onto hers. Stepping closer to her, he brought his arms around her once again, holding on desperately.

I love you Harry. Hermione thought as she painfully closed her eyes, trying to etch the feel of his body pressed gently against her own forever in her memory. Trying to remember his warm breath tickling her neck. Those were the things that will give her strength. She decided. Memories. The times that she spent with Harry, those will be what will help her move on. And when she finally did find herself again, she would be able to hold onto those precious moments and know that she would at least have one thing that Ginny Weasley will never have: Harry's journey, Harry's understand and- yes, Harry's love. The kind that was more intimate than lovers and far more complex than best friends. And once in a while, she would be able to piece together those memories and escape into a fantasy where things were different.

"I have a resolution to make," she declared determinately.

Harry looked down at her. "Yes?" he asked.

"As the new years approaches, from now on, I will always be there for you, no matter the circumstances. Even though you will have new people in your life now and you may not need me, I'll always be your Hermione. You, me and Ron, we started out this journey together and we will finish it together."

"Was that what you were afraid of?" Harry asked. "That Ginny's replacing you?"

Hermione looked at Harry. She couldn't tell him. It would make things much, much worse. She would be there for him and make things okay, even if everything else would be crashing down in her own world. "No, of course not," she lied. "Ginny has a special place beside you, she will never replace anyone," Hermione finished, choosing her words carefully.

"Good," Harry said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear that had escaped. "Because there will always be this special place in my heart that's reserved for Hermione Granger, and Hermione Granger alone."

Hermione smiled, yet inside, her heart was breaking. He had no idea what it meant for her to hear those words, even if he didn't intended them in the way she had believed.

"10! 9! 8!"

The two looked towards Grimmauld Place as a chorus of voices began to count down the seconds until the New Year's approach.

" You better go," Hermione stepped away from Harry. "Ginny will be wondering where you got off to."

Harry grasped her hands. "She'll understand," he said without any further explanation.

"3! 2! 1! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the residents of the houses on Grimmauld place cried in unison.

And before Hermione knew what she was doing, Harry's had pulled her flush against him and captured her lips with his in a heated kiss. Hermione heard herself gasping in surprise before giving in as Harry brought her closer, deepening the kiss. Her hair automatically tangled themselves in his messy hair as the world around them grew fainter and then disappeared all together. It was just the two of them now, nothing else mattered. All that did matter was each other.

Yet before either of them had registered what was happening, the cheers of the other grew louder again.

Harry and Hermione pulled apart slowly, never breaking eye contact.

"Happy new year Hermione," Harry breathed, a little dazed.

"Happy new year Harry," Hermione replied, finding that her brain wasn't functioning too well either.

However, both of them were brought unwillingly back to reality as the seriousness of what had just occurred slowly sank in.

"I've got to go," Harry backed away apologetically, regret shining in his eyes. "I-I'm sorry! That should never have happened."

"It's okay Harry," Hermione replied sadly. "It was just a spur of a moment. Don't worry about it. I won't ever breath a word about tonight."

Harry nodded. She always knew exactly how to handle things, he thought gratefully, watching her shadow. " I need to go now," he said again, looking a little to Hermione's right. It was far from what he wanted to do, but Harry knew he had to. Save both of them before it was too late.

Hermione nodded in understanding. "Good night Harry."

"Good night Mione," Harry whispered.

He turned around and walked slowly up the stairs. Taking one last look at Hermione, he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

Yes. Hermione decided as she pulled her cloak tighter towards her body. She'll have her memories.

A/N Well, I hope you've enjoyed this one-shot. Leave a review if you would be so kind and thanks for tuning in. As always, keep in love, keep in faith and keep in harmony!