Another one-shot, set in 6th year... Because Harry and Hermione need to resolve their feelings in HBP.

Disclaimer: Sadly not mine. A girl can dream, though...

Warning: I haven't read HBP in months, so the setting after the Felix Felicis scene may not be completely accurate. Of course, seeing as Harry and Hermione never have this talk in the book, this whole story is AU.

"Hermione!" Harry called out in desperation.

The brunette whirled around to face him, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Yes, Potter?"

He stood completely still, shocked at what she had called him. She waited a moment, then turned to go. Ron was already moving down the corridor.

"No, don't go!" He cried, and grasped her arm, pulling her to him.

"What do you want?" She snarled, and his heart pounded. This was not his Hermione.

"Look – I'm sorry," he said pleadingly. "I know I didn't deserve to win, you did. Take the Felix Felicis – I'll tell Slughorn I cheated – just don't be mad at me... I can't stand it when you're mad at me."

Hermione's face slowly relaxed, and she smiled slightly.

"You can keep the Felix Felicis, Harry."

"Will you still be mad at me?" Harry asked anxiously.

"No," Hermione said with a smile, and pulled Harry into a warm hug. He clutched her tightly, worried that if he let her go, she might take their friendship with her. They stood like that, totally still, clinging to each other, for a few minutes, ignoring the passing students who stared and exchanged whispers about them.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said softly into Harry's neck. "I – I was being stupid."

"You could never be stupid," Harry whispered.

"Yes, I can – the way I acted was irrational. I just suppose I was jealous. I'm not used to being beaten," she admitted.

"I won't do it again," Harry promised. "I don't want to lose you."

"Harry," Hermione said, looking up at him in surprise. "You won't lose me."

Harry's laugh was harsh with unspoken pain.

"I never thought I'd lose Sirius either."

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione hugged him tightly. She noticed he had tears in his eyes, and made a sudden decision. "Let's go for a walk."

"All right," Harry said softly.

He let her lead him through the castle and down to the lake. Hermione stopped in a sunny area and sat down with Harry.

"Talk to me, Harry," she said softly. "You can tell me everything. I won't tell a soul."

And it all came pouring out. All his feelings of guilt, of inadequacy... His fear that Voldemort would take him over again and he would hurt her and Ron, his fear that he wouldn't be able to defeat Voldemort, and his fear that he would watch them all die, like Cedric and Sirius had.

Hermione held him in her arms, whispered soothing things to Harry. She didn't bother with logic now, all that mattered was emotion. She promised to be there for him, promised to be strong, and reassured him that he shouldn't blame himself.

When Harry was done talking, he collapsed in her arms, tears trickling down his cheeks. He drifted off to sleep, and she followed him soon after. They lay in the grass, wrapped in each other's arms, totally carefree.

For the first time in a long time, Harry didn't have any nightmares. Instead, his dreams were filled with sunshine, gently rolling waves, and soft, warm skin against his – Hermione. He woke up and looked at the girl in his arms, who was gently waking up at the same time.

"Hey," he said softly. Hermione smiled at him. It was the most genuine, gorgeous smile Harry thought he had ever seen.

"Hey yourself," she responded.

What happened next Harry really couldn't help. After all, he was just a teenage guy, with his arms wrapped around a beautiful girl who happened to also be his best friend.

He kissed her. It was short and sweet the first time, just a brushing of lips that nevertheless tingled pleasantly.

"Harry," she breathed happily. "Are you - is this... real?"

"I hope so," he whispered, and kissed her again. Hermione was warm and sweet, and smelled of freshly baked apple pie and the breeze he felt when flying.

She was kissing him back quite eagerly now, using her tongue. Her hands slipped around to clutch at his messy hair and pull him even closer. Their bodies were now flush against each other, and they both trembled at the sensation.

The wild kiss slowly grew more gentle, until they both slowly pulled away, breathing deeply. Hermione was smiling at him. Her brown eyes were sparkling, her cheeks flushed, and her lips slightly swollen from his kisses.

"That was really nice," she whispered.

"We should do that more often," Harry agreed.

"Indeed. Commence with the snogging." Hermione said mischievously.

He obediently tugged her back to ravish her mouth again.

"I always knew it was going to happen," Professor McGonagall said proudly as she watched from the window.

"I thought it would be in their seventh year, just like James and Lily," Madam Pomfrey sighed as she reached into her pocket.

"I warned you to rue the day you bet against Severus Snape. Fifty galleons, I believe it was," Severus Snape sneered at his colleagues.

"You don't even like Potter," Pomona Sprout pouted as she handed over her money.

"No, but I can see an easy money-making scheme when I see one," Snape replied. He took his money and left the other Professors to watch the love struck teens in the grass, muttering something about how old age brought on perverse and voyeuristic tendencies as he went.

"Oh, look, Neville. They must have caught wrackspurts," Luna said airily as she glanced at Harry and Hermione, still entangled in each other's arms on the grass.

"Oh. Wrackspurts," Neville said, a little bemused as always.

"I think you might have some too," Luna said, staring at Neville. "Here, I'll get them for you."

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Neville opened his mouth in surprise, and was delightfully startled when she began searching for wrackspurts with her tongue.

"Maybe we can look at the book together," Harry mused as he held Hermione in his arms. Somehow she fit perfectly in his embrace.

"I'd love that," she admitted.

"Great," Harry grinned. "Now come on, Miss Prefect. We better get to class. Don't want to be too late, do we?"

Laughing, they walked back to the castle, not even noticing Dean and Ginny snogging in an alcove near the classroom.

They arrived to Charms a few minutes late, but nothing could stamp Harry's feeling of simple joy. He held Hermione's hand for most of the class period, never thinking of letting go.

Ron was eagerly chatting with Lavender Brown and proudly showing her how to do the spell properly. Harry and Hermione grinned at their friend, glad that Ron was growing up. Lavender hung on the redhead's every word, and Harry and Hermione exchanged knowing looks.

Between chuckling over Ron's behavior and completing his charm, Harry didn't notice his classmates whispering about him and Hermione and making jokes about what kind of charming they had been doing. He wouldn't have cared anyway.

Being with Hermione was the most natural thing in the world.

He didn't know what the future had in store for him. But he knew that she would be there to face it with him. It was enough.