Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Foreword: I've gotten a few reviews concerning Hermione's state of dress. Um, honestly, I was just describing what she was wearing in one of the Harry Potter movie promos where she wore the exact same outfit. Anything else was really based upon your own interpretation of it. Perhaps it's my fault for not writing more clearly, but regardless, if you disliked what she wore, it was because you, as the reader, imagined it for yourself. So shame on you. This chapter is completely unbeta'd, but I wanted to publish this as soon as possible. Expect for a cleaner, more well-written version in a couple of hours. Now, please enjoy Chapter X. I can't believe we made it this far!

From the End to the Start

Chapter X

"I'm not too sure about this Hermione." quipped Harry, his voice hesitant and nervous.

A hearty chuckle escaped Hermione's lips, evidently amused by Harry's behavior, "Oh come now Harry, I'm right here with you. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Well, this is my first time..."

"If it makes you feel any better, I never did this before as well."

"But..."

"Shh," Hermione gently hushed, "Just enjoy it Harry."

"..."

"..."

"Wow, this is a lot – erm – hotter than I expected."

"Ow!" Hermione cried out suddenly.

Harry worriedly looked over to her, "Are you okay Hermione?"

"I'm fine. Went a little too fast there is all."

"I like this Hermione. I like this a lot."

Harry's glowing smile was infectious as it quickly spread to Hermione's thin lips, "I do too. We'll have plenty of other chances to do this when you come stay with me Harry."

"But what about your parents?"

"What they don't know won't hurt them."

The two of them grinned excitedly, Hermione was looking forward to it. She brought the mug of hot coffee to her lips and sipped a small portion of the delicious, caffeinated nectar. Hermione drank the liquid slowly, having nearly burned her tongue when she consumed it too fast earlier. Harry, on the other hand, was gulping down the coffee as if it was water and wondered how he was able to withstand the heated liquid flood into his throat. The young witch shook her head exasperatedly, simply marking it as one of Harry's odd quirks.

Hermione and Harry sat in the kitchen of Number Four Privet Drive, enjoying a fresh brew of morning coffee after Harry found an unopened can in one of the Dursley's cupboards. The two of them, having never tried it before, had decided to do just that. Harry never had coffee on account of his upbringing with the Dursleys while Hermione was explicitly told by her parents to never drink it as they told her it was bad for the teeth. However, curiosity had finally gotten the two of them to try out the mysterious drink that they had often seen others consume.

"Are you sure you won't get in trouble Harry?" Hermione asked worriedly, hoping their actions wasn't one that would lead to trouble from Harry's horrid relatives.

Harry shook his head as he reassured her, "They wouldn't notice at all. My uncle and aunt would rather have tea. They only have coffee if Uncle Vernon brings a guest over that does drink it. But that's only once in a blue moon."

She accepted that explanation, ceasing her doubts over the insignificant matter. When Hermione finished her mug, Harry courteously took the empty cup from her and proceeded with the cleaning up. Even as she pleaded to help out, Harry wouldn't budge from the manner and continued on with his task. Hermione frowned at his polite display but knew she wouldn't be able to deter him. It wasn't often that Harry took on the role as host so it probably made him happy to become one when he had his own guest over.

While Harry busied himself on the sink, Hermione took the chance to wander about Number Four Privet Drive. According to Harry, Petunia Dursley was taking a trip into town with several of the other housewives in the community, Vernon Dursley took off for the local golf course to play a few holes with a client, and Dudley Dursley was ravaging about the neighborhood with his so-called 'friends'. Whatever the case may be, they wouldn't be home for several hours. Hermione supposed that it was a good thing; she didn't feel particularly in the mood to deal with those insufferable ingrates.

When Hermione stepped into the living room of the Dursley abode, she was immediately reminded of a house making magazine picture. While Hermione had to admit that the décor was tastefully well-done, she didn't feel welcomed in the realm she had entered. It was if she was being told that she was only meant to look into the room not actually be in it. Nevertheless, she made her way to the sofa and plopped herself down, picking up the remote control for the telly to turn it on. As she channel surfaced numbly, Hermione took notice of the photographs that were atop of the fireplace mantle and found the Dursleys smiling warmly into the camera, but not one of the photos contained Harry; the fury of her dissent rose, but she immediately quelled it. Sighing, Hermione focused her mind on the programs that were on television instead of her thoughts on Harry's relatives.

Hermione soon grew disinterested with what she was watching. Instead, she focused on the soft, soothing noises of running water that echoed from the kitchen and filtered out the incessant chatter stemming from the television set. As her mind went at ease, Hermione really wondered what Harry and herself could possibly do. They could work on Harry's school assignments, but she really didn't feel in the mood to do such a thing. This was the first time that they were together in a non-magical setting and for once, she was at a loss on what to do. She briefly speculated what a normal teenage boy and girl would do in her situation but...those ideas weren't very appropriate.

"It never struck me that you were one to watch television Hermione." Rang Harry's chuckling voice as he entered through the hall.

Broken from her meditative state, Hermione lowered the volume and turned to Harry, grinning, "I am a muggleborn Harry."

"True, but I figured you more to have lived your life free from the electronic media and spend your day in your room reading book after book."

"Ha ha. Very funny Harry." Hermione remarked sarcastically, rolling her eyes, "Well, you're not too far off anyway. I only watch the news and all."

"My aunt mostly watches the soaps." He commented when he took a seat on the armchair on the far side of the room.

Hermione looked at her friend oddly, trying to determine why he had made his placement in the room. When she observed him, his eyes remained focused on the telly, refusing to make eye contact with her. Needless to say, Hermione was confused by Harry's strange actions. Curious, she asked, "Harry, are you alright?"

Still avoiding meeting her gaze, he replied curtly, "Yeah. I'm fine."

She frowned, clearly seeing through his lie, "How many times do I have to tell you? I can..."

"...see right through me. Yes, yes. I know Hermione. Really, I'm fine." Harry interrupted, his voice attempting to broker that it was the end of the conversation.

Unfortunately for Harry, Hermione wasn't one to back down. While she would now normally have waited for Harry to come speak to her about whatever issues he was having, there was a clear distinction between now and before. Analyzing the data presented, Harry's problems seemed to have a connection to her hence his inability to look at her. Normally, Harry would have not done such a thing. Whatever issue Harry had, Hermione was resolute that it could be solved if they simply talked about it now, "I'm not buying it Harry. It's about me right? I won't be offended, so let's just talk this through. You're acting real weird."

"I'm not the one being weird!"

Hermione eyed him quizzically, "What have I done to warrant being labeled as weird?"

Suddenly, Harry's face flushed a slight red. His whole body went rigid as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. If they were not in the middle of what she believed was a serious conversation, Hermione may have made the connection that Harry looked like a little boy having been caught with his hand inside the cookie jar. Harry finally turned to her, looking straight at her with those green eyes that Hermione often admired and declared, "You kissed me."

"I kissed you on the cheek. I did it before at the train station and the year before that as well. What's so odd about that?" Hermione had to laugh internally. It was a little cute that Harry was so innocent in those matters. It was slightly strange though with Harry having kissed Cho and she having kissed him on the cheeks plenty of times before. What was the difference now?

"You didn't kiss me on the cheek! You kissed me on the lips!" Harry pointed to his lips, "Earlier, when I complimented you. I mean, what was that? Friends...don't normally kiss friends there right?"

Hermione was, to say the least, flabbergasted. As she reviewed the event in question, Hermione recalled having closed her eyes when she had leaned in. There was certainly a possibility that what Harry said was true. In fact, there was no reason to even doubt Harry. For all that he was, Harry wouldn't lie about something like this, especially to her. So if Hermione truly had kissed Harry, then Harry, with his little experience of the opposite sex, was truly confused as evident with how he was currently acting. Being the more mature companion, Hermione decided the course of how she was going to go about this 'crisis', "In some cultures, a sign of close friendships is a peck on the lips as thanks or greetings, even between the same sexes."

"Oh." Harry stated plainly, "So...that was just some weird French custom you were doing or something?"

Hermione shook her head and laughed, "No. I guess I accidentally kissed you on the lips instead of the cheek."

"So it wasn't on purpose?"

"Why? Do you want it to be?" Hermione asked teasingly, a little surprised with herself with how bold she had become, "It was just a kiss Harry."

Harry didn't reply, opting to remain quiet. As the terse silence continued, Hermione bit down on her bottom lip, believing she had said the wrong thing. It was not like she had intentionally kissed the boy on the lips, why was such a simple thing making Harry behave in his current manner? She opened her mouth to rid away the tense quietude, but Harry beat her to punch by softly stating, "It was nice Hermione."

"What was nice?" She asked dumbly, her eyes widening at the implications of Harry's statement.

"That kiss," Harry elaborated, "It was nice. It wasn't like that when I was with Cho. It felt...right, I suppose. Better even."

Hermione was absolutely stunned. Her heart raced at the compliment as a magnitude of fierce emotions erupted within her, many of which were foreign and unknown. As she stared at Harry, who was now looking at her to see what her reaction to what he said, Hermione felt conflicted. A part of her was mortified that her best friend liked a kiss with her. However, another fraction of her personality was actually accepting of this new occurrence. In fact, if Hermione was honest with herself, with the intimacy that she shared with Harry, why would she be surprised that a kiss between each other felt wonderful?

She silently began dissecting her recent feelings towards Harry. There was something about him that changed and she couldn't accurately label what it was. However, one thing she did know was that she felt some form of attraction towards Harry now more than ever. Hermione knew it was normal to find one of her male friends to be attractive, after all, she had thought Ron could have been a suitable partner until just recently, but honestly, she had never expected to become attracted to Harry. But once again, she didn't feel at all surprised that she did. Currently, her feelings towards Harry were filled with confusion and doubt, and she was afraid where it may lead. But despite all of this rationale of her conflicting emotions, Hermione simply couldn't resist the sweet temptation that was currently dangling in front of her, "Well, I find it all unfair. I wasn't even aware that I did kiss you..." Then uncertainly she asked, "Would you...would you like to kiss me again Harry?"

Hermione didn't know how or when it happened, but already Harry was already on the sofa. His nervousness was prominent as he stammered jumbled words that hardly made any sense but he heard them nevertheless, "Well, I wondered – sometimes – how it would be like to kiss...you. It's not like I have any experience with that sort of thing. Especially with Cho not being a very welcoming memo-"

Smiling, she placed a finger to Harry's mouth, stopping his rant. Smirking coyly with her eyes filled with heated curiosity as she was on the verge of fulfilling an old fantasy she didn't know she had, Hermione plainly said, "So kiss me Harry."

Before she knew it, she was on top of Harry with her lips upon his. Immediately, her mind went blank as she lost herself in the euphoria of their kiss. Hermione felt Harry's hands on her hips, prompting her to wrap her arms around his neck. A moan escaped her and in the midst of it all, Harry took the opportunity to enter her mouth. This new sensation sent chills of pleasure throughout her entire body, feeling warmer as time progressed. Not wanting to be upstaged, Hermione charged head-on, ferociously battling for dominance. Unknowingly, one of Hermione's hand ran through the Harry's hair, gripping it roughly between her fingers.

Neither Hermione nor Harry knew how long they had been going during their rather passionate embrace. Lost in their own little world, they were unaware of the front door of Number Four Privet Drive opening. Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway, stopping for a slight moment before continued forward. It wasn't until the footsteps stopped at the threshold of the living room and hall was Hermione and Harry slightly aware of the new presence. Then suddenly, Dudley's booming voice erupted, "B-BLOODY HELL!"

The pair jolted in surprise, pulling back from what they were doing and turning their heads towards where the shout originated from. Dudley stood there, looking much more muscular than fat, with his hands within his jacket and eyes unnaturally open staring her and Harry. Hermione looked down her state of dress, noticing her white shirt having ridden up to below her breasts, bearing her open midriff. She quickly pulled down her shirt, looking embarrassed. Harry's clothes, already being baggy, didn't look like it was in state of chaos and for that, Hermione was envious.

"D-Dudley! What are you doing home?" Harry awkwardly asked, "You told Aunt Petunia you and Piers were heading to the arcade..."

And for a brief seconds, Hermione witnessed a rare moment; Harry and his cousin were speaking civilly, their past conflict having been forgotten, "We were, but I left my wallet..."

Harry nodded, "Ah...well...this is Hermione Granger. My best friend, you met her a few days ago."

"Yeah...I remember." Dudley muttered, glancing at Hermione, his expression slightly surprised by her new look, "Good morning."

"Umm...good morning." Hermione politely replied back.

"Right, well, you can't keep your friends waiting."

Dudley nodded, "Right. I'll be...I'll be off now." He quickly left at a speed that didn't seem possible for someone of his weight and build.

It wasn't until they heard a door slamming shut did Harry and Hermione relax. They shyly glanced at one another as the impact of what they had done came crashing down on them. Hermione admonished herself, disbelieving that she fell prey to the bane of teenage existence: raging hormones. As she gazed at Harry's thoughtful expression, Hermione wondered if they did something irreversible. It would kill her that after all her work, they would drift apart nonetheless. That was her worst fear and Hermione tormented herself that she acted upon her confused attraction to Harry. But she couldn't help it, the temptation had been too much.

"Harry..." She started cautiously, "Are you alright?"

"To be honest, I'm bloody confused." Harry exasperatedly confessed.

Hermione chuckled, ignoring his curse, "I know what you mean...I'm the same."

"It's just...I never expected this to happen. I mean, you're my best friend. Best friends don't do what we did."

"True. It certainly isn't normal." Hermione admitted, "But when are we ever normal?"

Harry frowned as memories of the past sprung to mind. He laid back on the couch, staring idly in front of him, "It's just...it's just that I'm not really sure what's going on anymore. Lately..." He gulped, "Lately, I'm starting to see you as more than my best friend."

Those simple words ignited something within Hermione. As she gazed contemplatively at her best friend, Hermione knew she was starting to see him more as a man rather than the young boy who relied on her. But they were both confused over these new emotions and didn't know where to take them. Even Hermione, having two years more years of experiencing and had underwent her own romantic entanglements – if you counted that horrid mess of a courtship with Ron as 'romantic – was at a loss on how to proceed through this.

"So what exactly are we Hermione? Does this make us boyfriend-girlfriend? Or was this all just a big mistake?"

And like that, Hermione was struck with realization. She immersed herself on how she felt in the heat of the moment and realized that it didn't feel odd, in fact, Hermione felt absolutely at ease when the two of them were snogging. In fact, Hermione felt more excited than she had ever been than when she had kissed Ron. It wasn't a mistake. But Hermione wasn't sure if she was willing to commit to a relationship with Harry. There was a war going and there were plenty of secrets that she had that she was still unwilling to share just yet. But even with her worries that clouded her mind, Hermione maintained a tranquil smile. She scooted close to Harry and wrapped her arms around him, leaning up to kiss him on the cheeks, "Harry, why do we need a label? Even you have to admit we have something that really can't be defined."

"I know that Hermione. I don't know what I would do if I lost you like I almost did in the Ministry. Everything is changing and I accept that. But, I don't want to change what we have. Hermione, it would kill me if our friendship was ruined."

Forcing back the mistakes of her past behind her, Hermione understood where Harry was coming from. She was afraid as well, "It would kill me too Harry. Look, we shouldn't forget what happened, it would only make things worse. So let's just accept things as it is."

"So are we a couple now or...?"

"No," Hermione stated simply, "Even I'm not sure if I want to be in a relationship with you Harry for the exact same reasons as you have. So how about this, we'll be more than best friends, but less than lovers?"

"More than best friends, less than lovers?" Harry asked puzzled, "What does that mean?"

Hermione shrugged, "I don't know about you, but I like those kisses. You're..." She turned slightly red, "...pretty good at those."

"Thanks." Instead of a cocky grin, Harry smiled rather bashfully, "So are you."

"Let's say, if we ever feel like it, and it's appropriate, we can – umm – snog? Take it casually, I guess?"

"But we're not a boyfriend or girlfriend?"

"Nope. We're best friends first."

"I guess, if it's alright with you, we can do that..." Harry frowned, "But...what if you find a bloke you like or something?"

Hermione simply loved how caring Harry could be, "Then we can stop. Same goes for you if you find a girl you want to be with."

"Doubtful."

"It's just a what-if scenario Harry."

Slowly, Harry nodded. Hermione watched him weigh in the pros and cons in his head; trying to think of any reason to deny or accept the sudden transition of their relationship. Hermione couldn't blame him, she was more unsure of what to make of her suggestion. But, whatever the outcome may be, Hermione was willing to accept it. All they wanted for each other was for the other to be happy. Harry turned back to Hermione and smiled broadly, "More than best friends, less than lovers?"

"More than best friends, less than lovers."

And the two leaned in to kiss again.

Afterword: I was having a difficult time with this chapter at first because I naively believed that I should follow a certain structure. However, I came to realize that I am the author of the story. I am allowed to write it however I pleased! Thus, with that in mind, I was able to finally complete Chapter X. Funny enough, this chapter was also another one of those chapters where the characters did things on their own. I wasn't planning on having this development occur so quickly as I had planned for it to happen in a few more chapters, but when I wrote this, I felt compelled to make it happened. It just felt right that I should do it now rather than later. Hopefully, I satisfied my readers.

Also, I realized the development of Harry and Hermione's relationship seems abnormal from the norm. I can understand that, but honestly, I'm trying to keep things in perspective here. These are two people who have been best friends for a long time who starting to show more outward attraction to one another. A multitude of factors were put in place that ensured that this occurred. Speaking from experience, I've seen this relationship between Harry and Hermione to be completely viable. Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Please let me know what you thought of the chapter. I pray that I don't lose any readers ha ha.