Authors Note: Just wanted to say a quick 'thank you' to everyone who has been reading this story - the response of marking this story as a favourite or subscribing for an alert - has truly been overwhelming. I am so pleased that my writing has received such a positive response and that you are enjoying it! A big thank you to those who have reviewed - it really brightens up a writer's day!

Also, I wanted to add that the final line of this chapter was taken from DH2, hence I do not own it. But I did think it was a brilliant thing for Harry to say and wanted to reuse it in a completely creative way, while making no financial gain.

Enjoy!

Chapter 4 – Tugging and Pulling At Confessions

"Hermione…" Harry said, interrupting her desire to exit and breath in the fresh, cold winter air in hopes of it clearing her mind. Her name uttered by his lips in such a warm way. His voice felt as if a physical hand was placed on her shoulder to prevent her from exiting the tent. It made Hermione stop and pause.

Her head screamed to her feet to keep moving, to reach out and push forward the flap of the tent. To walk out into the cold winters night to gain clarity and come back when they both had time to calm down.

Yes, this could all very well be the result of traveling together and needing some sort of escape. It's an emotional mirage of sorts, Hermione tried to convince herself.

She knew the moment she insinuated any denial on her part, it would most likely have horrible consequences. Not necessarily the loss of a friendship – that was impossible - but it would be the loss of a chance at true happiness. It would allow for regret to enter her life and his, a chance for someone to take him away from her, in the way that she wanted to have him for so long now.

Maybe denying it would be a step too far, but perhaps making up some sort of excuse not to deal with this now would be better, she continued to plot a rational, logical reaction.

While Hermione Granger prided herself on not failing at anything, she was certainly failing at coming up with a strategy.

But she paused in her thinking – what if we stopped with these ridiculous games and just spoke the truth? Would it be that horrible to be together throughout this entire ordeal?

Her more positive thoughts quickly turned negative as she remembered that Voldemort would use their feelings against them. It would be another weapon in his arsenal and the point of this journey was to weaken him, to ultimately destroy him.

Maybe he won't realize anything has changed. This isn't necessarily a new development. It just so happens that it is the first time we are talking about it. And there has been no indication that Voldemort tried to enter Harry's mind.

It was a tug and pull. Her heart tugged a bit and made complete sense. But her brain tugged a bit harder and seemed to matter more. Yet, than her heart tugged back with more effort – this could not go on any longer, she would go completely mad!

Harry stood there patiently, waiting for Hermione to turn around and look at him. He wanted to face her when he told her what was racing through his mind, what feelings he had buried inside himself.

Well, she doesn't even have to look at me; she can just turn around so I know she is willing to listen. Or maybe this is as much of a reaction as I am going to get?

He was determined that they were going to have this conversation tonight, no matter if she left the tent. He would follow her. She wouldn't Apparate anywhere. She could run, but he would run after her. She could hit him, and he would stand back up again. She could protest and scream at him but he wouldn't have any of it – they were going to discuss this.

So many things were beyond his control – the death of his parents, of Sirius, of Professor Dumbledore, this bloody prophecy, Ron leaving – but there were things he could control. That they could both control. They had the ability to steer their relationship in whatever direction they desired. They had the ability to use words to articulate those feelings. No one was preventing them from doing any of this but they themselves.

What complete rubbish, Harry thought. They were idiots – for so long – for denying themselves a chance at something they both never had before.

Hermione decided that this had gone on for too long. This evening's ping-pong game of emotions had gone on for too long.

Procrastinating isn't going to get rid of the situation nor would it resolve it, she thought. It would still be there if she left. And knowing Harry, he would probably follow her this time around. But more so, the denial of feelings had gone on for too long. Sure, it could be added to teenage indecisiveness and emotional immaturity. But it could also be said that they were too scared in the past.

Now, being faced with a possible future rather than a definite future – it put things into more of a perspective. And maybe it was supposed to be this way, that in these moments of chaos and darkness, they were supposed to admit to each other these feelings that would emit light and clarity.

Most definitely feels that way; after all everything happens for a reason – even if we cannot see it now, Hermione thought.

"Hermione…," Harry called out for the second time, with a bit more desperation in his voice, but still the same warmth that could only come from him uttering her name. Hermione started to get a bit flustered.

She mustered up the courage to turn around, to face Harry, to face her hearts hidden desires. Hermione's eyes made their way up from staring at the ground to staring into Harry's emerald eyes. She knew she was going to give it all away. However, she put up a fight not to, as demonstrated by the displeased frown she faked on her face. She closed her eyes, and let out a sigh that seemed to release the frustration and fear she had bottled up.

"Hermione," he continued, as if confirming that she was indeed facing him, looking into his eyes, confirming that this long overdue conversation was going to occur.

Harry seemed out of breath, as if he just finished running, but all the excitement and anxiety made him feel this way. Hermione always made him feel this extra pinch of happiness, excitement – it was almost a sort of secret potion.

"Hermione," Harry said for the fourth time, this time with a slight smile that hung on his lips and eyes, a little more confident now that she had turned around - "when I look at you its easier to breathe."

Harry realized he would be able to survive this, to tell her the thoughts that overfilled more than one trunk in his brain. Hermione was stunned that he mustered the courage to walk down this path. She was shocked he was so straightforward, but it was good – they wasted enough time.

Harry began to walk towards her, knowing that this was not the sort of conversation two people had a cross a room. He gently took her hands into his, once again, giving them a gentle squeeze. A reassurance that it was all right – they didn't have to be afraid anymore.

In this moment, Hermione knew that there was no escape. There was no escaping his glance. There was no escaping this conversation. There was no escaping the possibility of having their lives altered, she thought wanting to release a smile, but hid it reluctantly.

"This prophecy, this war, this hunt for Horcruxes…there are moments when I cannot deal with the pressure and the uncertainty," Harry continued as he held her hands in his, his thumbs caressing the backside of her hands, which began to tremble considerably.

"….but than I see you and I can breathe again. I can breathe and trust that what we are doing is right…I can gather strength to keep going."

Who knew this boy could be so articulate and romantic at the same time? But she began to refuse to give into her feelings once more. Hermione could not grasp the true powers of Voldemort, what he was and wasn't capable of. She refused to give in because it would only pose a danger to them, their feelings would be used as a tool against them.

Focus, Hermione, focus. Horcrux. Voldemort. Horcrux. Voldemort.

Hermione kept repeating this mantra in her head, but it was not working. All she really wanted to do was reach out to Harry, caress the side of this face and reveal to him that he too made it easier for her to breathe, made it easier for her to exist in this world of darkness.

The conversation would end with a much long overdue kiss, a kiss that only occurred in her dreams. But she was fighting her feelings. She had to; logic dictated that revealing such feelings would only lead to a loss in focus on the task at hand. But she was getting lost in his green orbs.

Hermione wanted to keep walking out of the tent and into the night to protect herself and their friendship, but she couldn't move. Harry said it all. Nothing could be taken back. Her reasons for protecting their friendship turned into nonsense. Tears began to well up in her brown eyes. She waited so long to know what was in the heart of Harry Potter, to know that what she was feeling wasn't some ridiculous crush, to know that her feelings were not just an imaginary story in her brain.

And now she knew.

Harry stood there, clenching his feet nervously, debating in his head whether he did the right thing in admitting this to her. He searched her eyes desperately to gain a clue as to how she was feeling. Hermione had that same frown on her face this entire time. But as the seconds went by that felt like hours, Harry realized that he had to continue if she was not willing to say anything.

He did not know what the future held for him. He wanted to believe it would be him who would come out alive but Harry wasn't a fortuneteller. He did not want to die keeping this from Hermione, from letting himself be loved by someone else…possibly.

"Hermione, my pain, my agony with these Horcruxes ends when I'm with you. When I realize I'm not alone in all this."

She saw Harry standing there, vulnerable, scared but honest, not backing down or apologizing for his feelings. It wasn't something Harry had blurted out in the heat of the moment. These were feelings and thoughts that had been between them in this silence for a long time. His green eyes pleaded with hers to say something. To acknowledge his words. His feelings.

"I think I have known this for a while….and-and I think you have as well, Hermione."