AN: I am slowly coming back! So since it has been a while I thought I would warm up my writing skills with a few one shots before picking back up with Two Veela's. I promised if you all stuck by me that once August was over you would get updates on the story again and I keep my promises. The break from writing fanfiction has been good for me, it's allowed me time to do original work amongst other things. Now it's time to warm up and hit the story again, thank you all for your patience!

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Love Comes Softly with Four Little Words

Harry Potter stood facing death with so much peace it was unbelievable. It was a long trek from the battered castle to the snake's lair and it gave him enough time to realize many things.

The most notable thing worth mentioning is a love that almost brought him to his knees and would carry him those last few yards.

Ginny was incredible and he knew she loved him a lot more than he loved her back. He didn't understand why until that last conversation before he left.

It took four words for him to know the true love of forever. Four tiny words that filled his heart and soul and he had to walk away from it.

He kept hearing it over and over again. "I'll go with you!" "I'll go with you!" "I'll go with you!" It pounded in his brain with each footfall. He had known love all along because Hermione had been by his side always.

There was a time after Sirius died that he wondered if he was in love with his best friend and knew that truthfully he was but he pushed the knowledge away. She was meant for another and he couldn't steal that from his other best friend.

Then there was Ginny and the other Weasley's who had been his family since he was 11, he couldn't do that to them. Everyone knew it was Ron and Hermione for life and Harry Potter was the best friend of both; certainly not the one who stood between them.

However, since he was looking death in the red slits of eyes right now he could finally admit it after hearing those four words. He was irrevocably and totally in love with Hermione Granger and she'd never know it now.

But Hermione was smart and her parting words suggested maybe, just maybe she might know. She also let him know just how much she loved him. She'd face certain death and stand at his side.

Why he was so surprised in that moment Harry didn't know because she'd faced certain death to stand at his side many times. He guessed he should have put the pieces together when she stayed with him instead of leaving with Ron.

He needed to put Hermione far from his mind because there were two steps left. Harry wouldn't put it past Voldemort and his mind reading capabilities to hurt her once Harry was dead. No, he must protect her as his final and only act of love.

It wasn't but a few moments later that Voldemort raised his wand; there were few words left to say and Harry needed to concentrate in order to protect his 'Mione. A few taunts and that scaly hand rose up and Harry closed his eyes. He saw warm brown ones inside his head there to help him face what he must. The power he knows not, the only weapon Harry had over Voldemort was Hermione's eyes with him in those final seconds helping send him on.

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The fight was over and Harry stood victorious in that screaming silence before the roar of the crowd reached his ears. His eyes though only sought out a pair of warm, chocolaty brown eyes.

And there she was! Her arms around him and the feeling was unbelievable. She made it through alive and so did he and now they had a chance.

He wanted to clear the air with Ron before approaching Hermione and it took forever to find him in the Hospital Wing. Harry's worries were laid to rest however when he saw Ron leaning worriedly over in a chair by Lavender's side as she slept.

Harry left silently and passed Luna and Neville walking hand in hand as they searched the castle for anyone wounded. He only silently waved, there was someone more important now that he must see.

He stopped and pulled out the map to find her. He looked for a long time and then he smiled, "Gotcha!"

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Harry reached the lake and made his way around to where she was but stopped suddenly when he heard her sobs. Then he ran the rest of the way and wrapped her in his arms.

Hermione pulled away and stunned Harry with her next move. She slapped him right across his left cheek just like she'd done with Malfoy all those years ago. Had they ever really been that young?

"Harry James Potter how could you?" Hermione yelled at him sobbing all the while.

"Hermione?" He asked ignorantly.

"You had to know! I couldn't have been clearer and you still let Hagrid lay you on the ground, you heard my scream I know you did. You still let me think I'd lost you!" She cried out in grief and panic.

She started punching his chest as she lost herself in hysterics, seeing him lying dead on the ground. Harry just wrapped his arms around her and held her until the sobs wore down to sniffles and hiccups.

"You are why I came back 'Mione. I had the choice to go on or return and face more pain. The thought of going on without you was more painful than any Cruciatus curse could ever be. I love you and I couldn't go on so I came back hoping to kill him and free us all. Also hoping that you would give me the chance to show you that I love you so much." Harry said as he looked into those brown eyes and wiped the last tears from her cheeks.

"I love you too Harry." She said simply and then they shared a kiss of two best friends who have discovered love together.

"I'll go with you. I'll go with you."