"Hermione?" Harry said "what are you doing in here?"

"Reading" she said looking up and he saw that she had been crying

"I take it you saw Ron and Lavender then?" Harry asked

"Yeah" she said nodding "I am such an idiot"

"No you're not Herm" Harry said "you're the smartest person like ever, well for our age anyway"

"Not like that you idiot" Hermione said "to think that Ron could ever like someone like me when there are people like Lavender"

"Because he is blind" Harry said "or stupid, or cursed or maybe all three" and Hermione laughed which was strange as she had tear marks all down her face

"Thank you Harry" she said stepping closer to him

"No problem" he said nervously and then pulled her into a hug

"Harry" she said after a while "you can let go now"

"Sorry Hermione" he said 'I am not' he thought 'am I?"

"You're still hugging me Harry" Hermione said

When he let go off her he could see a look in her eyes that he had not seen before, it was hurt Ron had hurt her and she was expecting Harry to do the same to her by letting her think he cared for her and then going off with someone else.

"Hermione" Harry said "I am not Ron" and he brushed the hair out of his face "I am not blind, or stupid or cursed and I can honestly say I would want you over any other girl I have ever met"

"What?" Hermione said confused

"If I had the choice of being anywhere with anyone in the world ... or sitting back down by the lake or in the common room with you ... I would choose you every time Hermione Granger"

Hermione could believe what she was hearing her best friend, her first crush Harry Potter was as good as telling her that he was in love with her and she did not have a clue what to do next her brain had gone to mush, she could not form words in her mind but they only thing that kept going around in her head was 'I love him, I love him'.

"I understand if you don't feel the same way" Harry said downhearted and turned to leave

"Harry" Hermione said but he ignored her and left the room and began walking down the hallway "Harry!" she shouted giving chase to him

"Harry come back" she said but he was determined not to turn back as he had made a fool of himself he had told her how he truly felt how he had felt 8 years ago when he met her and since then trying to hide the feelings he had for her because she had feelings for Ron and only Ron after all he was just the guy that would fight for them and protect them how was he suppose to know he would fall in love with her.

"Harry" she said pulling on his arm and as he turned around she kissed him she then let go of his arm and clasped her hands around the back of her head as his locked around her waist.

"What was that for?" he said when they broke apart

"Being a good friend" Hermione said "for being there when I needed you and showing me something I should have seen from the beginning"

"What?" Harry said

"That I shouldn't have given up" Hermione said "on you as easily as I did"

"What do you mean?" Harry said

"As soon as I met you" Hermione said "I wanted to get to know you better, whether it be as a friend ... or something more than that"

"How long have you felt like this?" Harry asked

"When you saved me from the troll" Hermione said "when we were first years"

"That was so long ago" Harry said "why did you not tell me?"

"I was worried you would not feel the same way" Hermione said "and there were other people to take into consideration"

"Like Ron" Harry said "but not now?"

"Now I have waited 8 years for you" Hermione said "torturing myself because I could be distracting you from what you need to do, to stop Voldemort"

"You where never a distraction" Harry said "Herm you were the reason I kept fighting"

"So what do we do now?" Hermione said

"I do not know" Harry said "but I want to kiss you again"

"Me two" Hermione said and they did

"Are we going to tell Ron?" Harry asked

"Not right now" Hermione said "let's work out what this is before we tell anyone"

"Ok" Harry said "what do you want this to be?"

"I want to be with you" Hermione said "the rest of this stuff will just fall into place"