"She's like a sister. I love her like a sister."

You don't know if those words are true. The boy you consider to be family is sobbing before you as his biggest fear is revealed. You've always known about his inferiority complex; you never realized how deeply it ran. The girl he loves - the girl you both love, if you're honest - very obviously loves him back. She cried for him. For days - weeks - she was heartbroken over the boy you think of as a brother.

But she's not your sister; she's never been your sister.

You love him too much to even admit out loud that you want what he so clearly has. You want his loving family, his wonderfully overbearing mother, his warm and comfortable home, the beautiful girl who blindly adores him. He's your brother; he offered you his home as your sanctuary, his family as your own. Barely having anything himself, he gave you so much without realizing it.

But she has always stuck by you. You gave her your friendship and she gave you her heart and soul. Never once did she doubt you; not when students claimed you were the Heir of Slytherin, nor when you were put in the Triwizard Tournament, not even when it came to choosing between Ron and you. She chose you. How could you not love her for that?

Not like a sister. Never like a sister.

It's been a long time since you've fallen for her - now that you're admitting it to yourself. The little things were what did you in. The way she lit up when she learned something new. How radiant she became when she got a spell down perfectly. Her wit, her caring nature, the bossiness that came from respect and love. She is everything good and kind in the world.

And Ron - Ron doesn't deserve her. To be fair, you don't believe you deserve her either, but Ron purposefully goes out of his way to hurt her. When she went to the ball with Krum (you weren't happy about it, either), he ruined her night out of jealousy. Ron, who had mocked her familiar endlessly, called her a know-it-all, wounded her self-esteem, constantly argued against her and brought her down, has earned her love. It slowly destroys you, burns you from the inside to see her transform around him. To laugh and be free like she's never been before. The love you have will incinerate the friendship you have with Ron, along with his entire family. That's your biggest fear.

Ginny turns out to be the answer to your prayers.

You fall for her while you're repressing feelings for her. Ginny's beautiful, full of life; she understands you, never pressures you, and doesn't question when your eyes stray toward the brown-eyed girl in the corner. You feel light around her and it's easy to forget you keep dreaming of soft, bushy hair.

It won't help anyone at this point to admit how you really feel.


Six years after the war (and your realization of falling in love with Hermione Jean Granger), you watch the love of your life marry your best friend. You sit with your wife on your arm, your newborn son bouncing happily on her lap as the newlyweds circle around the dance floor, completely and obliviously in love. You grin and offer well-wishes. You genuinely mean them, you think. You are at peace with your life - in love with your woman and your son. It no longer burns to watch her kiss him.

And all is well.