A/N – Harry potter is owned by JK Rowling. I'm just playing with her toys.
This is not the end of the story; I have a few more things to add. I hope that you continue to read on
When Harry is responding to Ginny, he is paraphrasing the song "Save Me" by Queen
##
Harry's emerald eyes transfixed her, as though they could see in to the very depths of her soul. All her defences were stripped away. Here at last was the absolute truth, Harry Potter was in love with her and it spoke to her feeling for him because she was in love with him. There was no pretending, no dancing round their feeling for each other.
Hermione leaned forward and rested her forehead against his, fighting the urge to kiss him and slap him silly. He spoke in the softest, sweetest voice she had ever heard 'I can't ask you for anything Hermione, it would be unfair of me to expect you to drop everything and run to me. I have hurt you enough but unloading this on you and I'm sorry truly I am sorry, but I couldn't go on not telling you how I felt, how I feel.' He lifted his head and kissed her forehead and said 'I'm moving to Hogwarts at the end of the term. I'd love to see my best friend at least once before I go.'
She smiled a sad smile at this last comment, knowing deep down inside that it would be too hard for her to see him go but just as hard to not see him. There were a few weeks left before he left so she could build up to it. She cleared her throat and said, 'we'd best get back.' They stood up; she instinctively took his hand, interlacing her fingers with her own. They way they had done countless times before. They walked in silence, both waiting for the other to say something but both too afraid to start the conversation. They walked to the far end of the village, Harry asked 'Ready?' she nodded 'ok, hold tight' instinct took over and she grabbed hold of Harry and said 'wait' he looked at her, her deep chocolate brown eyes holding him transfixed to the spot. She put her hand on his cheek and said 'you've always been there for me Harry, never asking for anything in return. Its only fair' she kissed him, softly at first, and then with a little more urgency that screamed this is what you could have had!
As their lips met, every synapse in his body seemed to fire at once; the rush of endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin made him feel like he was glowing. All the pain and sadness he had felt vanished. In this single moment of her lips on his, the world was as it was meant to be. There were no nightmares or suicidal thoughts, no arguments, not complaint, and no mistakes. For hours after their kiss both Harry and Hermione would swear that they could still feel the others lips against their own. When the kiss ended Hermione spoke in a soft whisper 'I will never forget the moment I fell in love with you Harry, and I'll never forget them moment you felt the same' Harry rested his forehead on hers and said, 'let's go'.
##
The sound of Harry and Hermione's arrival cause the three Weasley's to stop shouting at each other. Arthur spun round to see Harry and Hermione coming into the kitchen and said in his usual cheery tone 'Harry! Hermione, it's great to see you up and about. My children have something that they need to talk with you both about.' 'Dad!' said the siblings together. 'Arthur rounded on his kids and shouted 'no more lies, Ron. No more secrets Ginevra. Either you tell them, or I will. Alone or together but you will tell them right now.'
The newcomers to the kitchen looked at their spouses and then to their father-in-law before Harry asked, 'can someone tell me what is going here?' the siblings started yammering incoherently, Arthur turn to his children and gave them a look that turned their blood to ice and stunned them to silence. 'Ron, living room now' said Hermione, while Harry intimated for Ginny to sit. Arthur put his hand on Harry's shoulder 'I didn't know about any of this Harry, I give you my word I didn't know about any of it.' He walked away looking deject and thoroughly ashamed of his children.
Harry wandlessly cast a silencing charm before sitting across from his wife, she started to talk but he held up his hand to stop her. 'Arthur is one of the most honourable and respectable people that I have ever met. The only time I have seen him this angry was when he punched Malfoy, you two must have some serious explaining to do, so please what do you have to tell me?' Ginny couldn't look him in the eye. With her voice faltering she said 'I erm, I did something really stupid Harry, a couple of times actually but you have to believe me I did it for the best of reasons.' He replied 'well what is it? It can't be that bad if it was for the best of reasons.' 'I know that you and Hermione are best friends, and all through school everyone thought that there was more to it even though you both denied it, I never once thought that you would notice me.' her eyes welled up and her voice grew think with emotion. 'You looked at her like she was the only person in the room, and no one else would ever come close to replacing her. She had your heart from the very beginning and poor little Ginny Weasley could never compete, who could?'
'Ron told me about the hunt and what he saw in the Horcrux, he told me how you promised him that there was nothing there between you and that you loved her like a sister. Is it true, what Ron said?' Harry nodded 'He left us; he walked out because the Horcrux amplified all his fears and he wasn't strong enough to fight it. When he did come back and he destroyed the locket we both saw his darkest fear, that Hermione would choose me over him. Maybe she would have done if I had shown any romantic feelings for her. Hermione made her choice, Ginny and I made mine.' Silent, fast tears fell from her eyes, 'what if you didn't make the choice? What if someone made it for you? Would you stay with me?' she asked, a glimmer of hope burned in her eyes 'You're not making sense Ginny, which choice was made for me?' she sat in silence for a moment before saying 'choosing me'
##
'You need to calm down Hermione' pleaded Ron. He had seen his wife annoyed, angry, and pissed off; now he was seeing her incandescent with rage. 'You had better tell me what your father meant right now or so help me Ron a hexing will be the least of your worries.' Ron was panicking 'right, you're gonna want to sit down then' Hermione walked to the couch and sat down then fixed him with a stare that was a few shades from murderous. 'Don't make me start counting Ronald or there will be hell to pay.' 'erm, well it's... it's just that...' he began but Hermione cut in 'I have just spent the afternoon with my best friend telling me why he tried to kill himself, if he can have the courage to pour his soul out to me about why he did it then you can tell me what you to halfwits have messed up.'
This was like a red rag to a bull for Ron 'yeah Prince Harry can't do any wrong can he? My sister was distraught because of him, but all's forgiven isn't it?' Ron paced in front of the fireplace, growing more and more agitated. 'Listen Ronald, sit down and for once in your life and behave like an adult.' He stopped in mid stride and glared at her. He sat at the other side of the couch, and took a couple of deep breaths 'Hermione, do you love him?' before she knew what she was saying the words escaped her lips 'yes, I love him.' her words could not have hit him any harder, deflated and defeated he slouched against the back of the couch. He said 'The Horcrux was right, who would pick me over the chosen one?' Hermione snapped back 'I did' Ron sighed and shook his head 'no, Hermione, you didn't'
##
'Please explain what you mean, I've had a long and tiring day, I'm not in the mood for riddles.' said Harry as he rubbed his weary face. 'During the battle I couldn't find you, I looked everywhere. I saw Ron and Hermione on the staircase and she was in bits and Ron was numb. He said that you were going to the forest and Hermione wanted to go with you. I knew then that I could never stand a chance of getting you back. You went to die for her, how could I compete with someone that you would willingly die for?' Ginny looked so small and vulnerable as she told him about the battle with Bellatrix. 'It was after she died that I saw it, the one chance, my only chance to win you back. I found a bottle of the love potion that Fred and George sold. Lavender always had a few, when I fell on the floor when mum pushed me away from Bellatrix curse; I saw it under the table. At breakfast a day or so after the battle I poured some into your pumpkin juice, it was a little after when we got together. I swear that was the only time, Harry.' He couldn't look at her without wanting to throw up; he felt sullied, used, treated like a piece of meat. He wanted to put his hands round her slender neck and squeeze the life out of her. He wanted to shout and rant and destroy things, instead he sat silently staring at the person he thought that he loved. After what seemed like an eon Harry spoke 'It started off so well, everyone said that we made the perfect pair, Ginny. All those years of care and loyalty were nothing but a sham, we lived a lie. I believed the lie!' he stood up and walked over to her and took her hands in his and knelt in front of her. 'What happened to the girl I almost died saving in that chamber, Ginny?' His soft and understanding tone broke her resolve. She wept uncontrollably as he pulled her from the chair and held to his chest and let her weep.
##
'When you said that you would go into the forest with him I knew that I had lost you, and the thing is I can't hold it against either of you. Over the years I resented him because he had the fame and the gold that I wanted, and then when his name came out of the goblet I hated him for it. I watched how the girl I wanted stood by him through everything, even when he dated other girls. Never once did you leave his side, and he never saw it. When he told us that he was a Horcrux and had to die, I understood.' Hermione grew irritated with him, 'I don't mean to be rude, Ronald, but what did you mean I didn't choose?' he ran his fingers through his hair 'once a week since the morning after the battle, I have been giving you a small dose of love potion.' He never saw the punch that she threw at him, knocking him unconscious.
