Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter. I have already taken this up with Ms. Rowling's lawyers. Now, on with the show!

What a Difference a Year Made

Harry sighed. It had been just over a year since he had defeated Voldemort, gaining the entire wizarding world's respect and gratitude in the process, yet he couldn't help but be disappointed with the way his life was turning out. He was as alone as he had been as a child – the only difference was that he now lived in a comfortable flat rather than a cupboard under the stairs. Unfortunately, he found all the extra space just made his loneliness that much more exaggerated.

He had originally started renting the flat when he and Ginny were looking for a place to start out – a new place for the start of a new life together. It was only a few months into the experiment they realized they were not meant to live together, let alone start the family Harry had always so desperately wanted. He felt the familiar stab of pain in his heart as he remembered Ginny handing him back the engagement ring he had so painstakingly picked out for her with tears in her eyes, begging him to understand.

Still, he bore her no ill will. He knew as well as she had when she gave him the ring back it was for the best. The split had been as amicable as it could be, and for a time he was still able to visit the Burrow with regularity. He could even take the incorrigible Molly Weasley's pestering – she spent months trying to convince Harry her daughter wasn't in her right mind when she turned him down and that he could get her to come back to him. He appreciated the concern, but it became pretty obvious things between he and Ginny were over for good when she started dating Neville.

Harry supposed he could be happy for them – after all, Neville had carried a small torch around for Ginny ever since their fourth year Yule Ball. He guessed the only reason he had ever allowed himself to start fancying Luna was because as Harry Potter's girlfriend, Ginny had been deemed forever untouchable. Neville must have truly found his Gryffindor courage to begin coming around the Burrow with Ginny knowing Harry was always welcome as an adopted son.

Surprisingly to Harry, the reason he stopped frequenting the Burrow wasn't because of Neville and Ginny. It got easier to deal with every time he saw them together – when he saw the way Neville doted on Ginny and how truly happy she was with him, Harry felt he couldn't begrudge them their happiness. No, it was the other pair of lovers that drove him away. He couldn't really say what made the sight of Ron and Hermione together so uncomfortable. He assumed it was just that he was accustomed to seeing them dance around each other and bicker – it was strange to see them happily coupled.

Harry couldn't seem to shake the feeling that they had settled. Not just Hermione, but Ron as well. He couldn't understand how they could be happy in a relationship with how different they were. Hermione was brilliant, ambitious, and loved to learn and try new things. Ron had his own good qualities, but most of them annoyed Hermione.

It got to the point where Harry couldn't go to the Burrow anymore. He couldn't watch Ron and Hermione fight and then kiss and make up every other day. He found himself siding with Hermione more frequently than not, and it was starting to take it's toll on his friendship with Ron. In turn, Harry's constant support of Hermione was making their relationship even more difficult. Ron had always been jealous of Harry and constantly worried about Hermione and Harry's relationship crossing over into a decidedly non-platonic area.

This was a common way for Harry to pass the time. He would lie in bed not sleeping, thinking over the chain of events that led him to his current loneliness. Months had passed since he had answered any owls or invitations that came from the people that he had once called family. It was a decidedly horrible way to spend his time. He was trying to avoid it, but found he wasn't going to fall asleep without a healthy dose of sleeping potion. He downed what he kept readily available on the nightstand, turned out the light, sighed again, and fell into the deep, dreamless sleep the bottle promised it would deliver.

Harry awoke with a start the following morning to a tapping on his window. He grabbed his glasses off the nightstand, swearing when he got them on to find a familiar owl staring in at him. What could they possibly want this time of the morning? he found himself wondering. He shuffled over to open the window, untied the letter, and gave Pig an owl treat. The owl nipped his finger affectionately, and flew into the windowsill before it managed to successfully get out the open window.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle. "Some things never change," he said aloud to the empty room.

He raised an eyebrow when he saw the writing on the note was not Hermione's pretty (and legible) handwriting, but Ron's hasty scrawling that filled the page.

Harry,

I know we haven't talked much lately, but right now I need my mate. Hermione is gone. Don't ask where she's gone. Just come to the Burrow.

Ron

There was a loud crack as Harry apparated into the Burrow's kitchen, which is where he thought it was the most likely he would find Ron. He couldn't help but smile to himself when he found Ron at the kitchen table eating ice cream straight out of the container. Typical, he thought.

"Harry. Didn't expect you so quickly," Ron said, stuffing the spoon in his mouth.

"Well, you made it seem pretty important. Though I'm not sure I want to get into the middle of another fight between you two. If you think I'm going after her to talk her into coming back here for round two, I'm on my way out now."

Ron's face reddened as he replied, "No, mate. The reason I asked you to come is because she's not coming back. Not for me, at least."

"Ron, there's no way you're that thick. Of course she'll be back. You guys always fight, but she always cools off and comes back," Harry said with a touch of disappointment in his voice.

Ron felt as thought he'd been punched in the gut as he took in Harry's voice. Everything was just as he suspected and feared. He had a sneaking suspicion after speaking to Ginny months ago that there was something between Harry and Hermione, whether they were aware of it or not. That suspicion had been validated with Hermione's farewell note, at least on her end. He wanted to know the truth – he needed to know how Harry felt. He had always known there had to have been more between the two friends when he had left them alone during the Horcrux hunt. He guessed if there was, there was really no one to blame but himself.

"Not this time." Ron tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "She left this."

He handed a piece of parchment over to Harry. As Harry tried to take it, Ron seemed to have trouble letting it go. He fought over the lump in his throat to say, "I'm not going to stay for this. I just want you to know I can't be angry. Ginny helped me realize it was going to happen sooner or later. I'll…get over it eventually. Try not to muck it up."

He stood and grabbed his wand off the table to apparate. Harry grabbed his arm. "Hey! What is this? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Harry, honestly." Harry smiled to hear something so Hermione come out of Ron's mouth. He came very close to Harry and continued; "She would rather have died with you than live with me. I was too stupid to realize what that meant a year ago. I understand now. I have to leave now. Like I said, don't mess this up."

Before Harry could get another word in, Ron was gone. He glanced at the letter in his hand and decided to go home to read it. He didn't relish the thought of any of the Weasley clan walking in on him reading something that was apparently so life changing.

Ron,

I think we both knew this was coming. We can't keep having the same fight day in and day out. Yes, I love Harry. I love you, too. I think both of these things go without saying, really. I can't live with the accusations anymore. Mostly because I think there is some truth to them.

Before you go off in search of Harry to try to thrash him, know that I have no reason to suspect he feels ANYTHING for me. I can't help what I feel. I know you're not daft, and that's why I'm writing this right now. I know you saw me cry when Harry stopped talking to us. I know you knew why. Yes, I love both of my boys – but I think you knew even before me that I loved one more, and it wasn't you.

I know that's where your insecurities came from. I don't blame you for them. I don't blame you at all for this. I forgave you for leaving us, but I could never forget. I should never have started a relationship with you while carrying that baggage concerning you. I should never have started a relationship with you when part of the reason I did was because I knew he was happy with your sister.

In time, I hope you can forgive me. Don't hold anything against Harry. We've never discussed anything – I think he's clueless as to my feelings. With me gone, you can be friends again. I wish you the best, truly –

Love Always,

Hermione

Harry nearly dropped the piece of parchment before he noticed the note that was scrawled on the bottom of it.

If you feel the same, Harry, don't let me stop you. It would be hard – but she deserves to be happy. So do you. I'm going to pull a Harry and lay low for bit. I'll need some time. Don't hurt her.

Harry sighed. It had been just over a year since he had to face a truth about himself he wasn't even aware of until Ron, of all people, shoved it in his face. The two men had a slightly strained relationship once Ron resurfaced, but they were finally starting to get their friendship back to what it once was.

Ron was happy now, and didn't harbor any resentment towards Harry for once. He had a successful career as a professional wizard's chess player and a steady girlfriend he had met through Victor Krum while playing a tournament in Bulgaria. They rarely fought, and when they did it was trivial and it blew over quickly. He had told Harry recently that meeting Natasha was the best thing that had ever happened to him and that he was pondering asking her to marry him.

The thought made Harry smile as he lay in bed recollecting the conversation. He took off his glasses, ignored the bottle of sleeping potion on his nightstand, turned over, and snuggled into Hermione's side to go to sleep.

His last conscious thought was of them dancing in the tent in the Forest of Dean at their wedding reception.