Harry held Hermione as she cried to him once again. Her boyfriend, well, ex-boyfriend, Draco had just broken up with her, again. Harry told her time and time again to just forget about Draco; move on. He wasn't worth it, and she deserved better. She'd always say she felt better after crying on Harry's shoulder. But then she'd always go back to him, when he apologized and swore it would never happen again.
Shushing her sobs away, Harry remembered what Ron had said to him earlier.
"Just tell her, mate. Tell her you love her. Let her know how you feel about her. Don't just sit on the sidelines, secretly thrilled everytime Malfoy breaks her heart and sends her running to you. Maybe if she knows, she won't go back to him, and maybe she'll realize she loves you back."
Harry stroked Hermione's hair as her sobs began to wind down. He closed his eyes and whispered, "I love you."
Hermione continued crying. Should he say it again, louder this time? No, he couldn't do that to her; she was in love with Malfoy. There must be a reason she hadn't heard him. Louder, "What did he do this time?"
"He, he promised not to ever go back! He swore he quit, left it all for me, and then I found this in his pockets!" A fresh wave of sobs began as she handed Harry a parchment, on Death Eater letterhead, mentioning a meeting for last night.
Harry wasn't surprised, Malfoy would change for no one. He didn't even bother to keep track anymore, of the times that Draco had hurt Hermione with one thing or another. They'd broken up more times than he could truthfully recall.
Harry continued to hold her, until her small body finally stopped shaking, till her sobs had quieted, and her tears had all fallen. When she pulled away from him, he looked into her eyes, bloodshot from crying. He felt a tingling in his stomach; it was getting harder and harder to keep his feelings for her to himself. Although he had no problem, whatsoever, sharing his feelings for Malfoy, he didn't say them this time. He'd said it all before. She never listened. She just loved him too much.
He stared into her eyes, and the tingling grew more frantic as her head moved towards his, their lips almost touching. What was she doing? Was she really going to kiss him? This was it, this was really it! She pressed her soft lips against his, and the tingling grew into electrifying shocks, surging through his whole body. Just as suddenly as the kiss began, it stopped. Hermione pulled back, looking horrified.
"I'm so sorry, Harry! I didn't realize what I was doing! I didn't mean to kiss you!" She scrambled away from him, making her way to the door.
'I've got to do it now, this may be my only chance!' Harry thought to himself.
"Hermione, don't go!"
She stopped, turned back to him. "Why?" she asked quietly, hanging her head in shame.
"Because I love you!" There. He'd finally said it.
"I love you, too, Harry," Hermione replied, her eyebrows knit in concern. "You're the best friend I ever had-"
"No! I mean, I LOVE you, dammit! I'm in love with you, okay? It kills me to see what you let that ferret put you through, it kills me to see you go running back to him every damn time! Don't you get it, Hermione? I LOVE YOU. I do. Not him. He wouldn't do that to you, if he did." Harry turned around and started to walk away when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned back, looked into her eyes.
"Harry," she said barely above a whisper. "I-"
She never got to finish. The door burst open. Malfoy.
"Draco!" she exclaimed.
"Hermione," he said as she threw herself into his arms, crying all over again. "I'm so sorry, baby. I swear, this is really it for me. I don't want to hurt you anymore, I love you. Please come back to me, please give me another chance."
Sobbing into his chest, Hermione said, "No, not again, Draco. I can't handle it anymore. I love you so much, but it just has to be over now. I-"
Draco pushed her away from him but held her at arm's length. "Look!" he shouted, pushing up his shirt sleeve to reveal a raw and bloody spot where his Dark Mark had once been.
Hermione gasped, staring at his forearm. Then she looked into his eyes, "You...you really did that, for me?"
"Yes, for you. I love you, I'm so sorry." She fell into his arms again and they kissed. "Let's go," he said, pulling her by the arm to the door. She nodded, but then turned back.
"Harry?" she asked.
"Just go," he said, emotionless. "Go."
She looked at Harry pleadingly, silently begging for his understanding. But she didn't see her best friend anymore when she looked at him. Only hurt and disappointment. Disappointment in her. She cast one last look at him, then followed Draco.