Hermione Granger's fingers trembled as a gush of the cold winds of December playfully attacked her. Knocking on the door of her best friend's run down flat, she wondered why it took so long for him to open the door. "For crying out loud." she mumbled under her breath, tucking in a flying strand hair behind her ear, fumbling with the zipper of her hand bag. A couple of teenager muggles walked by and passed her, obviously in drunken states. She rolled her eyes as one of the younger male attempted to give her a slick pick up line. She took out her mobile and prepared to call but the door finally opened.

"Finally." she groaned, entering without even an invitation.

"My my, Hermione Granger. Even at the age of 30 you still manage to get young boys hit on you?" There stood Harry Potter with a smug grin plastered on his face. He didn't make no effort in hiding his built figure by wearing only faded jeans that hung loosely to his waist. Quidditch did him good, as she always thought. His hair was disheveled and damp, the scent of his aftershave filling in her nostrils. He must have known she was coming; it was 1:43 in the morning to be exact, but Harry was so used to it. His home was practically her home ever since Ron Weasley ran off with a veela to live at France. He wouldn't blame her though. He knew she had to seek comfort from someone and he doubted she will go to Ron's sister, Ginny.

Hermione stared at him blankly and frowned. "I'm not 30." she snapped, taking off her boots one at a time. "I'm 28."

Harry Potter chuckled. It was past midnight and yet here he finds her again in his home. She had, yet again, dark circles embedded under her eyes and a cigarette stick on her hand. Before she can even take out her lighter from the pockets of her coat, he snatched it away from her. Breaking the stick in half and throwing the lighter on the sofa, he gave her a look. "Oops, my mistake." he smirked.

"Not helping Harry."

He sighed as she took off her coat, running her fingers through her hair before going off to the living room to look for her lighter. "Hermione, you don't need to smoke at times like these." he told her as he went back to his room. "Besides, I thought you quit?"

She groaned out of frustration, following him to the bedroom. "I did, I did." she insisted. "But Merlin, I was just fine, you know. Doing paperwork at the office all day and coming home feeling satisfied. But then Luna owls me and says that she's doing fine and that she's recently bumped into Ron who is very much happy with his new girlfriend and then I thought of all the memories we had and how we struggled together after the war but still moved in together anyways. And we were really happy with just that, or so I thought, but then he left and I felt so stressed and now that I'm all fine I don't need to hear how happy he is and-" Harry stared at her without saying a word, wiping his hair with a towel. "Am I blabbering again?"

He shrugged. "I usually don't mind right?"

She sighed, slumping her shoulders as she leaned against the vanity closet. Typical Hermione when she knew she wasn't making sense anymore. "Am I not good enough Harry?"

"Oh, Hermione." he set aside his towel and moved towards her. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he whispered, "Of course you're good enough Hermione. You're perfect. Ron's a prat, we've known that since history haven't we?" she sighed, holding onto his shoulders. "Don't blame yourself for what happened to you guys."

"But every time I think about it, I just end up feeling awful."

"Well, I'm always here you know." he teased.

She smiled at his joke stupidly, without even realizing. "Shut it."

Patting her back, he shook his head and jumped to his bed as a little boy would. "If I were you, I'd just sleep it off." he rolled to the side and patted the empty spot next to his king sized four poster bed. "Come." he summoned her. She did as she was told, crawling next to him. He closed his eyes briefly but Hermione coiled against him, feeling vulnerable and alone. He shook his head, wrapping an arm around her arms while the other went beneath his head. "I'm here Hermione." he assured her. "I've always been here. Now stop being so insecure of yourself."

She dabbed him softly on the side. "How do you know I feel insecure? You don't even have your eyes open. I didn't even tell you." She snarled, trying to sound wise.

He grinned. "Please. I don't need to have my eyes open to read what's on your mind. Your actions says it all."

She smiled feeling a bit at ease. "You really know me best."

"I do, I know I do. Now get some sleep. By the time you wake up I'll assure you that you're back at your flat."

She shook her head. "No, don't take me back to my flat while I'm sleeping!" she complained. "I feel so much worse when you do that, it's like sleeping at night to someone I care for and then the next morning they're gone. Just like what Ron did." she frowned. "So don't do that to me."

He chuckled softly. "Have you forgotten that I have work and that you have work?" She leaned her head against his bare chest, feeling his heartbeat against her palm and cheeks. "You know, a couple of my co-workers have been gossiping about me." she wrinkled her nose. Another habit she usually did when she was very annoyed but not to the extent. "The next thing you know, 'The-Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-A-Rebound?' will be the next heading the wizarding world will see plastered on the front page of the Daily Prophet."

"But you're not a rebound Harry." she said weakly. "You know that right?"

"Well, for one, you're not interested in me so how can I be called a rebound?" she smiled. "And if you are, well, let's take it slow woman. You just got out of a divorce."

She wrapped an arm around his waist and inhaled his scent deeply. "I'm sorry Harry." she apologized. "I know I shouldn't be doing this. I know it's wrong for me to come knocking on your door at midnight and past midnight, depressed and a mess but I don't know who else to turn to." she looked at him but his eyes were closed. She looked down at his chest and then where her hand was placed. "And I know this is so petty for me to say but Harry you can't leave me." she shut her eyes and buried her head in his neck. "You can't leave me Harry. Everyone's left me and you're the only person there for me."

"This vaguely reminds me of the time during our 6th year when you cried on my shoulders the night you saw Ron and Lavender kiss." she rolled her eyes and he just laughed, knowing that she didn't want to look back at the memories when they were still in Hogwarts. "Oh come on Hermione, you can't possibly expect me to forget about that do you?" she laughed along with him, kicking her feet off the covers. When the laughter subsided and silence rocked in, he asked, "I'm very blessed that I experienced everything with you two." he smiled down at her. A sincere smile that showed Hermione how thankful Harry was to have the both of them. "And I know you guys aren't perfect. You were always greedy when it came to success and Ron was a jealous prat who would take everything seriously. I should be the one begging for you to not leave me Hermione."

"Have I ever?" she asked. "Even that time when Ron left us to search for the horcruxes, I never had the guts to leave you Harry. I never wanted to. How could I?"

Just being with him at this time and at this moment. Through the hard times, she forgot the fact how he was such a beautiful person in and out. She closed her eyes and let her thoughts wander as they both settled to sleep. For once in many sleepless drunken nights, she finally felt peaceful.

"You're my hero." she whispered before dozing off. "You really are."

Harry woke up to the morning sunlight and a dash of auburn colored hair sprawled on his chest. Hermione's face stayed still on the pillow beside him, her mouth slightly ajar. The sprinkle of freckles across her nose made him smile as he tucked a piece of her hair. She stirred in her sleep, moving towards him. The many nights she's spent in his flat and the many opportunities he's been given to tell her how he feels; he just couldn't do it.

"I think I'm the only hero with a case where he doesn't get the girl."

Hermione woke up. The morning light played with her vision, blurry and inaccurate. But once she was fully awake, she realized that for the first time, she wasn't back in her place but still in Harry's bed. He was next to her, his body illuminating against the sun. She traced a finger along his jawline, sighing heavily.

"I should have fallen in love with you instead."