She stood, looking out over the grounds of Hogwarts, she saw the memories of the seven years passed. The Whomping willow which looked to be taking its anger out on an unlucky sparrow, Hagrid's cabin, the green houses and the Forbidden forest, all marked one adventure or another that she had taken with Harry and Ron. Tonight was the last night she would be at Hogwarts the leaving feast had just taken place and graduation was to be held out on the grounds tomorrow. Hermione had found everything she wanted while at Hogwarts, her knowledge, her love of learning, friends that had proven themselves time and time again, but love had escaped her.
She and Ron had decided that their tempers ran to high to ever be able to establish a decent relationship, and the friendship they had treasured for so long was to remain exactly that, a friendship.
A few weeks ago she had started receiving letters by a mysterious owl, from someone claiming to know her well, and would like to make their intentions known. Unfortunately the letter was delivered via Lavender who had taken the privilege of opening it, which meant that by the next morning the whole of Gryffindor knew. At first Hermione held little interest in the admirer, letting the letters go unanswered for the first week, but as she realized quite how alone she was she responded. It was nice to open up to someone unknown, who had positive feelings towards her. Hermione talked of her friends and their issues but avoided using their names. He responded with advice, sympathy or an alternate theory. It was the alternate theories that made her respect him, not many go against what she believed, but they would also infuriate her. Such as when he guessed who she was referring to, during a discussion about Ron, she said that he and Lavender were bound to get together. His reply was that although they may be sexually compatible, Ron would tire with her pointless babble and look for someone else, suggesting Luna would be a good match.
As the days worn on, and the letters kept being exchanged, the end of the year drew closer. The admirer requested that Hermione meet him, should she feel obliged to do so, at the Astronomy tower after the leaving banquet.
So she was standing hands on the ledge of the window sill, watching the sun go down over the forest, trying to guess who this boy was. It could be anyone from Snape to Dennis Creevey, and there were many great, good and unsavory options in the bunch.
She heard a cry from down below, she leant over to see Ginny tackled to the ground and then tickled by Draco Malfoy, which then turned into a fierce make-out session
Leaning back, giving the couple below some privacy, " Oh… Why is everyone else finding it besides me?" Hermione spoke out loud to what she presumed to be an empty room.
"We will see about that" said a voice from behind her. Hermione jumped and started to turn around. "No, please stay where you are" the voice begged urgently.
Hermione stayed looking out over the grounds. She knew that voice, but who the devil was it. Suddenly a pair of hand rest gently on her hips, "Do you trust me not to hurt you?" the whisper came in her ear.
"Yes… but why can't I see you?" Hermione said with an inquiring tone.
"I want you to fall in love with the guy in the letters and me, without first seeing me, I want you to love me because of what I am through my letters and tonight, not because of your previous ideas of me" he said as his hands travelled up her side.
"Will you let me touch you?" The idea was absurd at first. Let a stranger touch her without knowing them. Ridiculous. But as Hermione went to say no, she realized that everything this person said and did made her trust him. What the hell it was her last night at school, why not make it one to never forget; whether it was a mistake at the end, or a tremendously great occurrence, she would never forget it.
"I will" she got out, as a pair of lips placed tiny butterfly kisses up one side of her neck and arms encircled her waist. God the sensation, the goose bumps that came up on her arms, what was he doing to her with just kisses.
If truth be told there was some validity in the claims of Hermione being a virgin and inexperienced, but she refused to be known as a prude. She had had very few opportunities to do anything during her time at Hogwarts what with killing Voldemort and protecting Harry and all that. Boys were further down the list of her priorities. She always held to the fact that it had to be the right person and the right time and the right feeling felt for her and by her, to give anything to a boy.
Well these were the feelings, the heart racing as the hands came up on either sides of her chest.
"Oh..", came the noise from Hermione's mouth.
"Turn around, but please don't open your eyes. As Hermione turned, the hands slid up her arms, her neck and into her hair. The gentleness that was there before disappeared as lips connected with hers in a searing kiss, her knees gave out, and a spiraling star pattern started behind her eye lids. Clinging to the arms that now kept her upright, she let, what she was now thinking was a god, slowly tease and nip at her lips asking for entry, a sigh on her part let his tongue slide in, delving into her mouth, the intimacy of the moment was almost too much for both of them. The over whelming sensation of coming home for him nearly made him cry, while she wanted more of this boy, this man that she wished she had met years ago.
The stranger pulled back, holding Hermione at arm's length they both caught their breath. Hermione was so tempted to look at him, it took a lot of inner conversation to convince herself that she should let the stranger control the night, and to enjoy it.
She could tell he was staring at her face, slowing he raised his hands, tracing her lips with his fingers and then up the side of her neck and cheek and across her eyelids.
"Will you promise not to run, when you open your eyes?" the stranger asked as though nervous.
Her nod was quick and sure, this person who ever he was deserved with all the effort he had put in, to gain an answer from her.
"Open" he whispered.
She opened her eyes and the man who stood before her was the stranger she had fallen in love with over the past weeks, but also her best friend of seven years.
"Harry!" Hermione squeaked out. " Wha.. what?....Wha?" Harry came foreward and touched his fingers to her lips.
"Shhh" he said quietly smiling. "Relax, I know it's a lot to take it, but please give me a chance to explain. Hermione stared up into his green eyes; she had never been able to deny those eyes anything.
Even though her mouth stayed shut, her mind took a very twisting journey examining what clues she could have missed over the last weeks that would have lead her to the conclusion that letter writer was Harry. It quickly became clear that everything pointed to him, but how could she have been so blind, she felt for the first time ever with in the halls of Hogwarts totally and utterly stupid.
The signs were there, the late night talks with Harry by the fire, recollecting on the events of the passed the years, then something would remind her that she may have an owl waiting for her in her room; she would quickly make an excuse to disappear up the stairs. The letters sometimes said that if she wished to correspond that night he would be in his room awaiting her reply. But other nights he would say that he would regrettably be unavailable as he was assisting a friend with this or that.
Hermione realized that the nights that her admirer was unavailable, were the nights that Harry spent with her by the fire, doing school work or just talking.
Harry watched with trepidation as Hermione worked out how exactly the wool had been pulled over her eyes in this matter.
"Darling, let me explain, my most guarded and precious secret" Harry asked softly.
She nodded and he lead her to a bench on the far side of the astronomy deck.
He sat staring out at the stars that had been the silent observers of their adventures of their adolescence.
"I have had growing feelings for you since the end of fourth year, I came to realize how much time and effort you spent me, it was helpful, but more often than not disregard. I started to realize that I was taking for granted my most important asset. The girl, or I should say women", smiling, glancing at her. "that showed kindness and loyalty that I was hardly deserving of. I have realized over last three years, that when it came down to a crunch, you were always next to me, always doing everything you could to help me succeed. This year when it came to its head, again you were next to me willing to die for me. And even though the final battle was the ultimate test of our friendship and the culmination of all our efforts, it was after, for the past six months that I realized I needed you in my life whether its killing mad soul splitting devils, or just making me remember my potions books on the table, or asking to walk, or just talk about good and bad things that occupy my thoughts."
He turned to her now and took her hand, and stared into her eyes, holding her gaze he continued.
"I have kept feelings a secret for your safety, please believe that if it weren't for that you would known far sooner. If Voldemort had somehow seen me doing anything with you that over stepped the bounds of friendship, he would have had he top death eaters after you within seconds, I would have sacrificed our race and the magical world to save you, and if he had come across that information, either my entering my head, or a Slytherin had reported us holding hands or something to their parents and then passed it on. I was only thinking of the danger I would have put you in. Hermione you must understand I did not mean with this scheme to deceive you."
He looked in earnest at her hoping that would understand.
"Harry…" she said quietly, "why did you send all those letters, why did you not just tell me?"
"I thought you would not even consider me, if I just out right told you. I wanted you to fall in love with the man of the letters, who is also your best friend, but I've always worried that you see me as only the eleven year old that you met on the train our first year."
"Harry you have grown, as I have, and my affection has change just as yours has. The man of the letters made me worthy of love, even though I had lived through such terrible things, he admired me for me, he loved me, and I could feel it. And…" she shyly lifted her gaze to his, "to find out that the man in the letters, is none other than incredibly handsome, astonishingly kind best friend, has made happier than I have been in six years."
Harry's eyebrows raised a little, wondering why she had taken such little effort to convince. But he wasn't about to argue. He lent a little forward to test the waters, she closed the gap.
And in closing the gap she jumped on his lap, causing him to nearly lose his balance. To say he was surprised was an understatement. But she soon drew his attention back to the kiss.
A kiss with which they shared their feelings, their memories of each other, and the hopes they had for the future. It was chaste, because neither felt that something that was so deeply rooted in their lives, should be rushed or go un-treasured. Time for the passionate moments would come later.