It is SO great to be back!

Chapter 10: What Happens at Dinner

Her life returned to normal after that. Well, as normal as it could possibly be. Luna and Ginny dragged her around Upper East Side while Ron asked to go out to lunch in Brooklyn. She accompanied Harry to go see the Empire State building and Draco to Wall Street. By the end of the week, Hermione had managed to see more of New York than she had before they came. She'd been thrown into schoolwork and then the 9/11 and then her career in rapid succession that she'd forgotten to enjoy being a tourist.

On the day of their follow-up dinner, Hermione decided to visit Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade bombing. Charles had been acting weird the whole week and so she asked harry to come with her instead. The rest wanted to see the Wizarding side of New York anyway. They decided to separate and meet up at Broadway to watch Wicked before dinner.

"We're here," Hermione announced, feeling a small lump build inside her throat. It was the first time since the incident itself that she visited the site.

"Death Eaters?" Harry asked. "They caused the 9/11?"

"Yeah," Hermione replied, walking beside the wall which held the names of the casualties if the tragedy. "They said you were working on something important so you couldn't come."

"I was," Harry nodded. He followed her wordlessly. Hermione continued to walk, feeling all of the emotions she'd felt on that day.

"It was the one time," she whispered, her breath hitching.

"Sorry?"

Hermione caressed a name on the wall. "The one time I used magic since I left," she clarified. "My best friend—she'd been here for an interview."

"Joanna Anderson," Harry read out loud the name she'd been holding.

"She was very lovely," she said fondly. "A bit like all of you, really. Sarcastic, like Draco; quirky, like Luna; straightforward, like Ron; reckless, like Ginny; and caring…like you."

Harry smiled.

"She also had that saving-people-thing in her," Hermione added with a laugh. "She was a graduating History major. Several companies had heard of her and wanted her on archaeological trips and research ventures.

"Charles and I were juniors, stuck in NYU. We saw the news and…I knew I had to come," Hermione finished, her voice cracking a little. Harry laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "It was lucky that Draco gave me that beginner's Firebolt."

"Did you find her?" Harry asked tentatively.

"Yes," Hermione nodded. "She'd been hit by debris. I tried to heal her, but it wasn't enough. And she didn't want me to waste my potion on her since she was a—hopeless case. I wanted to get her out, but it was too risky to move her.

"Instead, I told her who I was. She told me to stop worrying and save other people instead. She told me that she didn't hate me even though it was Death Eaters that caused all of it. A wizard had saved her when she was young and she was happy to…go after meeting and thanking another one."

Hermione began crying freely. It was lucky that Harry was there to catch her when her knees started to buckle.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Hermione," Harry comforted, drawing circles on her back. "It's not your fault. You managed to save more people. And you managed to tell her the truth."

She held on tighter to him, his words comforting her. In that moment, she was able to forgive Harry for not turning up when she needed him the most.

"That was fun," Ginny said when they were seated in a restaurant at Queens.

"Yeah, I can't believe Muggles think we're like that," Draco replied. "Seriously. I have not seen that much glitter in my life."

"To be honest, Draco, no one even believes that you guys exist, so that's Broadway imagination for you," Charles said truthfully.

Their waiter arrived and after giving their orders, Charles began asking questions like he was the Muggle version of Arthur Weasley.

"Can you do wandless magic?" he asked.

"Yes, but it takes years to master," Draco replied.

"Can you fly?"

"On a broomstick, yes," Ginny replied.

"Wait, what are your actual jobs then?"

"I'm an Auror," Ron replied. "Sort of like a wizard policeman."

"Naturalist," Luna replied. "I find almost unknown and unheard-of creatures and plants."

"I play Quidditch," Ginny replied. "It's like soccer on broomsticks. Also a consulting Auror."

"Mine was the only real job," Draco replied.

"And is it true that you all saved the wizarding world?"

Feeling modest, they just nodded.

Ginny was regaling Charles with stories of Quidditch when their food arrived.

"I'm so glad that we had this time together," Charles said after their plates had been cleared. "I just…I'm just so happy that Hermione finally had time to meet you guys again. And I'm so glad to have met you. And I uh…sorta have an announcement."

Hermione's blood chilled. He wasn't—? He couldn't!

But he was.

"Hermione Jean Granger," he began. "Also known in New York as Little Miss Priss From London Whose Cab I Stole."

She laughed and tears spilled over her eyes.

"You are my best friend, my girlfriend, my…everything."

On one side of the table, Harry was trying hard to compose himself. This was not how he planned it.

"I have loved you from the day I told you my story. You continue to be the only person I have shared my past with."

Ginny, Luna and Draco smiled. The girls were teary-eyed; finally someone had enough courage to profess their love for their friend. Ron, however, looked over worriedly at Harry.

"Nothing has changed, even when you told me that you 'd been hiding part of yourself from me. I understand why you did that and I realized almost immediately that I still love you, no matter who you are."

Hermione smiled at his words.

"You are such a beautiful, strong, smart and stunning woman…and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Without hesitation, Hermione replied, "Yes!"

Draco, Luna, Ginny, Ron and Harry applauded. The girls were obviously immensely happy for her. Ron, however, knew that Harry felt differently and Draco had only begun to notice it as well.

"You okay, mate?" Ron whispered as the girls gushed over Hermione's ring.

Harry nodded, his entire body still stiff. His jaw was set and his hands clenched into fists. He counted down from ten, breathing heavily on every count.

"Waiter!" Draco called. "Bring us your finest wine for this lovely couple right here."

Harry stood up and put on a fake smile.

"I think I had too much to eat," Harry said in a jolly voice, patting his stomach for effect. "I'll just step outside for a bit."

Hermione was suddenly distracted from her moment of euphoria. She threw Ron a look and his face was enough for her to follow him outside. She found him leaning on a brick wall and kicking it with the back of his foot relentlessly.

"Hey," she said softly. "What's the matter?"

He looked at her and laughed sardonically.

"I'm fine," he said a little too firmly.

"You're not," she said.

"I am," he insisted.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what the problem is, Harry Potter," she said, folding her arms on her chest and raising an eyebrow at him. They stared at each other for a while, but Harry shook his head, ready to give in.

"I lost," Harry finally said, tossing his arms dramatically in the air.

"What are you talking about—?"

"I love you, Hermione," he said. She froze on the spot. "I've loved you longer than he probably has, and yet you still choose him."

"W-Well, I don't see you asking," she said defensively.

"I was going to," he replied, taking out a blue velvet box from his coat and thrusting it into her hand. He slid down the wall in defeat.

Hermione opened the box and gasped. The ring was beautiful. It was a simple gold band with a small jade stone in the center. She slumped down on the sidewalk next to him.

"Why?" she managed to choke out after a few moments.

"I tried telling you several times how I really felt but I choked," Harry replied. "I'll be here waiting, remember? I told you that."

"I never forgot," Hermione whispered. "I remember every single stupid thing you said to me. I thought you'd forgotten."

"I never did," he admitted. "I tried, but I couldn't. Astronomy Camp, when we literally slept together; that Victory Ball, I was ecstatic when McGonagall nearly forced us together; the Valentine Ball, I got to dance with you twice. Those were probably the best nights of my life."

"Mine too," Hermione admitted. "Tell me something…when we had that sleepover…did you or did you not come down and…sleep with me again?"

"I did," he said after a moment. "I couldn't resist. I wanted to be with you again. I liked having you asleep in my arms. It makes me feel that you're safe and that you're…mine."

Hermione wiped her eyes. This was ridiculous. Abso-bloody-lutely ridiculous. She'd been engaged no less than five minutes ago and now here they were, professing their love for each other. "Why had you been insistent on making my life miserable?"

"I had to keep a cover," he said. "I knew hurting you wasn't okay. I didn't want you to find out. I denied my feelings and pushed them away. At the same time…I pushed you away."

Another awkward silence stretched between them, filled by the sounds of New York night life.

"I loved you, you know," Hermione finally said. "Luna knew everything. You have no idea how much it hurt me, seeing you with girl after girl after girl. Knowing that you've overlooked me a dozen times, the only girl who could have known exactly how to love you."

"I thought it was nothing," Harry confessed. "I'd had the inclination to ask you out, but I was so afraid that we'd lose this friendship. We were so amazing as friends, you know? I was so scared that a relationship with you might turn out just like every other one I had."

Hermione wiped her tears with her wrist. Hearing this from Harry himself was…surreal. She wanted to believe that this was not true, after all the trouble she'd gone through, trying to forget him and everything that happened between them. She wanted to forget them as easily as she thought he had.

"But Hermione, I'm ready to try again," Harry said, grasping her hand and looking directly in her eyes. "I'm ready to take that risk with you."

He continued to look at her with pleading eyes. "Choose me, Hermione," he pleaded. "Marry me."

Hermione closed her eyes to prevent herself from doing anything drastic. She was not a teenager anymore, both of them weren't. They had to be responsible adults.

"Harry, I love Charles," she said. The fact of the matter was, she really loved Charles. And Harry had been five minutes too late. She shook her head and returned the velvet box to Harry.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She stood up and held herself together, putting on a brave face to enjoy some wine with her friends and her fiancée.