Title: I do

Summary: Years have passed since the war with Voldemort and Hermione Granger will soon marry her best friend, but minutes before the ceremony, she asks Harry Potter a question. (Book 7 spoilers. Pre-Epilogue.)

Author: tallshrimp (formerly known as FF-Serenity)

Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Harry Potter and am so not gaining any monetary profit from this.

"Did you ever love me?"

It was a joke—that was his first thought. It was a playful question, asked jokingly, an odd thing to ask, minutes before her walk to the altar. So he smiled.

"'Course I did. Still do."

"I mean romantically. You know: more than a friend, beyond it, not even close to a sibling's love for the other…"

His smile faltered. She didn't notice; she could only see a reflection of him.

"Did you know there's been stories about forbidden love between siblings? Some of it is kinky, mind you, tragic, sappy, etc. etc. but the kinky stories..."

She turned around from the full-length mirror with an exasperated sigh, a chuckle, a smile.

"You're horrid."

For a moment, he didn't say anything, caught up in looking at her. It was a modest dress, he knew enough about fashion to gather that, a white, modest dress. It fit her, it showed off her curves, not clingy, but like a snuggle, and the magic made it seem like glistening water. She fixed her hair differently—of course she would, he thought with a mental bop in the head. He wondered if she used what she had in Fourth Year. Little Hermione… He blinked, and another smile was pasted on his face.

"I know."

She laughed.

"How you became so, I don't know."

"Ron's fault."

She laughed louder. It took a few minutes for both their chuckles to quiet.

"But honestly Harry, did you…ever love me…like that?"

She was serious, he could tell. It was those sparkling eyes of hers.

"I did."

He didn't volunteer when. She didn't ask. She bit her lip though, making it white then pink like her cheeks.

"I liked you before."

"Did you?"

"Yes. It started during Hogwarts. The liking, I mean."

She didn't specify when. He was glad. They looked at each other, brown and green. Her lip had long ago been freed. He smiled, softly. He walked to her, placed his hands on her shoulders. And he did something he had never done before: he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Little Hermione—"

"I'm not little."

"Little, know-it-all, bossy Hermione—"

"If that's supposed to be compliments…"

"I'm happy for you. For you and Ron. You two, together, make me happy."

Did you ever love me?

"And the rest, will be for the toasting." He began to walk away. "I'm off to fulfill the duties as best man." He turned around. "See you next time, Hermione Granger."

She waved and gave him a soft smile of her own.

"Until then, Harry Potter."

She saw him shut the door behind him. Time, she knew, lasted forever.

Did you ever love me?

He waited for a few moments, leaning against the door, before opening it very slightly. She was facing the mirror again, tracing a curl of hair then tracing the embroidery on her dress. He closed his eyes. In the dark, he could see the stars in the sky. There were the trees high above, there was the rippling water near him, and there was Ron. The stabbed necklace lay between them. He could see Ron's troubled eyes, feel each breath, and then he heard his own voice.

"I love her like a sister."

After one last glance, he closed the door. She didn't notice. He made sure of that.

Did you ever love me?

Do you still?