Disclaimer: Harry Potter and other associated adaptations used in this story line are not mine, they belong to brilliant authors who lent me the idea. :)

Author's Notes: Sorry for the long wait! Really busy at school at the moment. Thank you everyone for the support and the opinions you gave, they make me strive to become better. This post is unBETA-ed for now, until my BETAs manage to find some time. Sorry for all the trouble! Please don't forget to review! :)


Chapter 11 – Just Harry

Watch your step, love is broken

I am every tear you cry

Save your breath, your heart has spoken

You already have my life

- Trading Yesterday


Harry was sitting on the front porch of the cottage, waiting for Hermione, who had taken a leisurely walk around the market of Rippleshack. It has already been more than a month since they came here, but it made a huge impact on his life.

A month ago, he would've been panicked to leave Hermione alone, even if she only wanted to do some shopping… or spend some me-time somewhere. But their stay in this village actually made him see things in a different perspective – he learned to trust people a little more and to open up his heart. As he stared into the horizon, the memories of this place kept coming back to him. It seemed as only yesterday when they arrived… it wasn't that good of a start, but he never expected that he would learn to live life like this… see things in a new perspective where everything seemed simple… but one that made you happy.

His lips formed a small smile when he stood up to wave at the figure which was slowly approaching him and he hopped off the porch and walked briskly towards her.

Who would ever think that he would learn new things because of this experience? He never thought he would get to open up his eyes and realize just how much his best friend meant to him. The things he never noticed before… how happy and excited she was when he asked about her hobby and how he actually found it enjoyable to read a book… how her eyes lighted up when they were both do mundane things like walking in the shore… how she concentrated when he taught her something new… they all made him happy, but the best thing that made his heart flutter was when she smiled…

As he approached her, he could still remember how grateful he was of her after all these years. Even after the war was over, she still kept him sane… helped him move forward. When she knew he was being stubborn, she helped him understand the situation and see things in another life. She was his rock… his best friend… the one person who made him smile a lot and appreciate what he had.

Yet his thoughts were interrupted and he was caught off guard when he realized something wrong. Two figures were suddenly behind her, and she turned abruptly to face them when she realized Harry's guarded appearance.

He ran as fast as he could when he saw one man pushing his hood aside, fear gnawing up his insides as he thought of the danger that could be incorporated with them. But as he drew his wand to mutter a spell, a familiar face revealed itself.

Hermione looked frozen from where he stood at first, her eyes betraying the fear that suddenly erupted because of the appearance of the two figures, until the man seemed to unfold before her.

Familiar ginger locks were suddenly revealed and soon, the man's face broke into a smile as the other figure went beside him, still hidden behind the hood.

"Ron!" she shouted, practically leaping up to his neck as he held him in a tight embrace. She clung to him like a child, her smile breaking out into a grin. It was too heartwarming to see… too…

Painful… as he realized what was happening. It seemed odd to see her in someone else's arms. She held onto him tightly, in a warm way that he could almost imagine that huge smile in her face, and the possible tears of joy that he could imagine to be trickling down her cheeks.

"Woah, Hermione. You really are sick," Ron mumbled jokingly as he awkwardly returned her hug.

"Nice to see that you are well, Harry," the other cloaked figure spoke, and Harry barely heard it as he tried to figure out what was happening at the moment. "Oh please Ron, don't take advantage of Hermione's vulnerability."

"Sorry Gin. I was just happy to see both of them," Ron grinned, scratching the back of his head and was surprised then he heard Hermione sniffling in his arms.

"Harry was right, you didn't die," she managed to say in between breaths. "I'm so happy to see you again, sorry for pouncing on you like that."

"Died? Pounced? Merlin Harry –" but Ron never got to finish what he wanted to say when Ginny poked him hard on the ribs, stopping him from making any more comments.

Harry remained as still as he could be, not really knowing what he should do. He kept his mouth shut, listening to his erratic heartbeat as he tried to calm himself.

"Hello Hermione, I'm glad that you finally remembered some things," Ginny said as she pulled down her cloak to reveal her usual features – fiery red hair and a smile that could smite thousands of boys. Hermione beamed at her that Ginny was glad to see her so cheery… and glowing. Perhaps Harry had been a good nanny after all.

She looked further to where Harry stood as she noticed a part of the reunion that seemed far away. He must've been shocked from Hermione's outburst a while ago… or was it something else she saw in his eyes?

"I'm glad to see you, mate," Ron said, breaking the hug and punching Harry playfully in the arm.

"Er – nice to see you too, Ron," Harry said, grinning as he retaliated the action, causing Ron to flinch.

Hermione grinned at the exchange between the two. Ron was the same as always that it surprised her how much she was able to remember about him, including his sarcastic humor and his never-ending appetite for food. Maybe… he was truly important to her, because Harry somehow seemed to be fond of him too.

"Seems like you've been doing well, Hermione," Ginny said kindly as she placed her arm over her shoulders, "I'm glad to see that you've been smiling loads."

"Thanks," she said, trying to remember something about Ginny and feeling a bit sorry that she couldn't. She knew they may have shared some time together, and from the looks of it, she could be one of her close friends… but her mind was currently blank, "I'm quite happy in this place, as Lily."

"Lily?" Ron asked, looking at her like she sprouted horns.

"Yes, Lily. A Healer in St. Mungo's who took a vacation here."

Ron chuckled, thinking that this… Hermione was very different, more positive and cheerier than usual. "So you and Harry disguised yourselves using other names? Brilliant scheme," he said, going closer to her.

"Yes, let's go inside the cottage, then we'll talk," Hermione offered when she saw some villagers looking their way.

"Brilliant, is there any food around?" Ron asked jovially, taking Hermione's hand. Ginny shook her head as she sighed, thinking that Ron sometimes was a shameless glutton. She started following the two and looked at her side when she noticed Harry's tense form, seemingly agitated as he awkwardly started walking. She was about to talk to him when he suddenly spoke.

"Ron, there's something else you need to know," he started, his voice somehow a little impatient to Ginny's eyes.

"What is it mate?" Ron asked, the laughter in his voice radiating as he stopped to look behind him.

"Here… Lily is my wife."


Kingsley Shacklebolt never thought that his credibility was his most valued asset. After being the Minister for six years now, he did not think this was what he was known for. For once, he had made so many campaigns throughout his reign as the Minister of Magic, including banning the use of Dementors as guards in Azkaban prison, building a school for children who were not old enough to go to Hogwarts, reshuffling the Ministry thoroughly, capturing Death Eaters that eluded the Ministry and becoming an instrument in repairing the wizarding world after Voldermort's reign. Overall, he had been successful, an asset to wizarding Britain… but still, he never thought that there would come a day when he would have to make false statements in the Ministry again, after his successful attempt to letting them believe that Sirius Black is in Tibet… and actually get away with it.

He only wished that the lies he said the previous month would not cause too much harm for he knew that a lie was still that… a lie. However, what he said recently was not entirely incorrect this time around. He merely wanted to guard his subjects and make sure they were safe, and told the people who were worthy enough that both of them were assigned to investigate Death Eater activity in France.

Of course, he had to utilize his force to make it appear as if they were visible in some parts of France too, using Polyjuice and spells both to confuse the supposed enemy and to assure their friends and families that they were safe.

Keeping information, disseminating it and controlling it truly were a draining task, and he suddenly felt older than he actually was. Somehow, the thought disturbed him as he pondered more on it. The two people he thought would end up together, long before they were his subjects, were now actually together, freely together, now together to reassure each other that they both truly still existed. The thought nagged him quite a lot as of late, and it intrigued him so much that he actually wrote about it in his journal. Yet what bothered him more was the news he just recently received.

Perhaps his spy had been merely mislead… and read the signs wrongly. He, after all didn't know as much as he did. Yet the Minister's curiosity was aptly ensnared. He never really liked to meddle… but his conscience… and the ghosts of his friends (including Lily and James Potter) have been nagging him to know more about these ... developments. He was personally intrigued by it too, for both the people involved, were close to his heart.

Of course he knew Harry as well – and somehow a strange kind of bond was formed between them after all that had happened in the past. To think one man had sacrificed himself – his whole being just for the good of the people, and that he, as an Auror, was there to see it all. The Minister felt puny compared to the Auror for the vastness of the latter's commission. Surely his verbal concoctions were nothing compared to what the Auror was willing to do to save the world.

It was starting to make some sense. The Auror was no saint after all; he merely had a worldly motivation that was strong enough to make him act the way he did… and for a person who suffered a lot as a child… he still knew how to love a lot. The Minister was told of how much the man seemed to enjoy his best friend's company as they pretended to be husband and wife back in the coast. Perhaps the fleeting exhilaration the Auror might have felt in his heart was his only reward for his burdensome sacrifice.

And now the plot thickens.

He set aside the report he just read and got the journal from his desk. It simply was getting more complex. Still, such petty thoughts were nothing compared to the actual, deeper and frightening events that were currently occurring in the background.

Conspiracies. Revenge. Power.

These were themes that were too common for him now. Yet this new villain had a motive he had seen before - utter destruction. The new force building up now, based on what they know so far; did not care about personal greatness or immortality like Voldemort did... they did not even care about the living, they were consumed with hatred and vengeance.

He truly was getting old for this kind of job. Yet retiring was out of the question. Not when there was still too much of Britain to see, when there were more faces of it that he has yet to analyze – when more events are yet to unfold before his eyes.

All he could do now is put his trust back on the group that once saved this land.

And perhaps he could also depend on a new force, a blossoming feeling, so profound that he could not fully grasp it.

"…could something purely good vanquish it completely?"


"Okay, now, I want to make a toast to Lily and James. May they be blessed with more love and happiness," Romulus' voice chirped, followed by an odd sounding hiccup.

"Cheers!" Harry heard the different villagers rejoice around the bonfire. He knew he was smiling as well, as he felt the slight, almost painful twitch in the corners of his cheeks. It was the least he could do to liven up the atmosphere in contrast to what he felt inside. He felt taps on his back and he nodded gratefully to them as he motioned across him and saw his supposed wife smiling brightly as well. He could not believe that it was only nights ago that she sat beside him, with her head resting on his shoulder, getting comfort, looking content.

So deep was he on his thoughts that he did not notice Callum pour another helping of wine on his glass. He only realized that the cup was filled with the dreaded fluid once more when Romulus spoke, "I also want to make a toast. To Lily's dear brother, we hope he gets to go on more escapades with the ladies so he can leave his sister alone… So poor James here can finally get some!"

Harry heard a subtle choke until a chorus of laughter erupted. He chuckled, pushing the liquid down his throat as he tried to see the humor in it all. He glanced at his mate and noticed his part-grimace and part-smile and saw it. "Stop teasing my brother-in-law."

Then he heard the other man clear his throat, "I am sure brother-in-law has already gotten quite a lot. I don't want my ears to bleed." With that he glared at Harry – an action not missed by his quiet sister.

Hermione frowned, completely clueless about the exchange between the two men, as she heard the phrase once more. Was she so stupid that she still cannot grasp what it meant? She was surprised when Ginny suddenly nudged her and smiled, offering her a plate of food.

"Don't mind them, they're too drunk to even notice the difference between the mouth and the brain," she said knowingly, mirth evident in her eyes.

She nodded, glancing at Harry and suddenly feeling quite strange. She couldn't remember seeing him this openly cheerful before. Maybe Ginny's words held more truth than she thought? She always pictured Harry to be a man without any vices, and she never considered thinking of him in a drunken state. She wondered if he truly could be carried away. She doubted it after a while, realizing he was not foolish – he perfectly knew that they would be leaving the first thing in the morning. That's why Ginny and Ron came to the coast in the first place. They were there to pick them up. They were to bring her to the supposed cure.

If everything goes well, she would remember everything. After which, she would return to London. Everything would be back in its place just as James would be back to where he belonged. No… he would no longer be James… he'd be Harry once more, and he would don that façade… his gentle, emerald eyes would become unreadable again.

But maybe, she would not be as lonely. She would remember the Weasleys, Luna, Neville and Kingsley. She would remember Ron completely and that he was alive and well. She would look back to this place, this camp, this bonfire, this crowd. She would remember his smile… his smile…

"I can't say I won't miss you guys, or else I'd be lying," Callum spoke as he let his glass touch Harry's unmoving ones as he held it firmly in his hand. "After that day you saved my skin… You've earned my respect – and the village's respect as well. When I saw the two of you talking, running around like children, I… somehow felt happy for you."

Harry gazed away from the fire for an instant and looked at the man beside him. He still had a hint of a smile, yet his eyes were narrowed once more, looking serious, almost lonely.

Harry's lack of response did not deter him from talking. "The other people I've met… most of them were just passing by. Not like you. The two of you seemed to make this place your true destination. It was as if, in the few weeks that you stayed here, you made it something like a home, something you can go back to," Callum chuckled as he took another gulp from his glass, "it's rare to find other people like that – other people like me. This place has been like home for me."

A home. He thought himself naïve when he remembered the childish thoughts in his head… In his mind, he often saw a house, warm and quaint – a family waiting for him, a wife welcoming him from the day's work… children… running around dropping their toys the instant they saw their father. Hogwarts… Privet Drive… they were very different… the cottage by the sea was different too. It was no home. Though it looked like one, it was just a hideout. It was nothing but a façade.

"You're still young too, Callum, go find yourself a wife. Settle down," the words suddenly flowed out of his mouth. It was the very same words uttered to him by his superior officer, not too long ago.

"Settle down, Ha!" the man laughed as he grabbed the bottle of wine and poured more on his glass, "that is not the life for me. My doesn't need a – a wife, I feel content with what I have."

I envy you, he wanted to say, yet he remained quiet as he watched the dancing fires before him. He was starting to want … starting to ask for too much. He told himself to forget these childish thoughts long ago… yet, why did he start thinking about it now?

"But I wish you luck, mate. I suppose you are luckier than I,"

"What makes you say that?"

Callum shook his head for a while and debated on whether or not he should say his thoughts out loud. "Well… see, I have been attached to this place for so long, after I stumbled upon it during the last war," he stopped for a while as he laughed yet Harry remained quiet as he listened to the story, "Anyway, my point is that, I often leave and go search for something I do not know … and my only consolation when I end up with nothing is that I can go back to this place I call my home – this home that let me be," he stopped and looked around him, seeing the laughing, dancing and hearing the noise around him, "You two… well, it seems like you can go anywhere yet all you have to do is remember each other and just like that, you have a home… you are complete."

Think of each other… it was no home. All he would be able to think about is how far away she was from his grasp – and how he would be incapable of doing anything.

"But for what it's worth, in case you decide to come back here, we'll always welcome you… or if you get into any sort of trouble… well, I know you're much more capable than I in handling it, but I still owe you one. You saved my life back then and I'd gladly return the favor…"

"Thank you, Callum," Harry replied solemnly, his voice a bit gruff with alcohol, or at least that was what the other man thought. He smiled back.

"Well, now that I've gotten that out of my chest, I must say, James, you better go to your wife," Callum grinned, suddenly looking much younger than he truly was.

Harry glanced at her then, and saw that her expression was still as cheerful. Her gaze was fully focused on Ron, who he seemed to be narrating something extraordinary to her. He then wondered if she enjoyed his stories as much as she enjoyed his. His face darkened a bit, and he was suddenly uncharacteristically moody. It must have been the firewhiskey, it was starting to toy with his head. "She's still absorbed in her brother's tale, I don't want to bother their reunion."

"Oh, but she had been glancing here from time to –"

"I haven't noticed."

Callum shook his head as the events unfolded before him. "Stop acting like a child, or else he'd steal her away from you."

He looked sharply at the man beside him then, surprised at his words, yet expecting them. Odd.

"Come on James, it's obvious that they're not related!" Callum exclaimed, hoping to kid yet ending up not getting a positive reaction from him. "I promise not to tell alright? It's just that… I've noticed him from somewhere…"

Harry silently berated himself for his foolishness. He didn't want to blow up their cover, not now. "He's someone dear to her," he sighed, almost resignedly, "he's also my best friend."

Callum bit back whatever he was going to say wryly, noticing the forlorn look the man beside him had. It was his mind that needed easing, he thought. He could either blame Harry's change of demeanor on the man or on the curiously strong alcohol. Where was the couple he believed so much in? Where were the sparks he often saw? A bit frustrated, he stood up and messed his hair. He then walked casually behind the three people seated across them and paced back and forth

Harry watched the man with slight amusement, not really knowing what he was planning. He was unprepared when Callum suddenly bent down, whispered something to Ginny, causing her to suddenly have a quizzical expression on her face. He then saw her tilt her head slightly and seconds after, she stood up, extending her arm to the host of the camp as if she actually accepted… an invitation to dance? Mere seconds later, they were already at the other side of the bonfire, joining the happy crowd, looking hesitant as to how to go about the task. Yet soon Callum smiled that boyish smile of his once more, and it seemed like the two finally got into the rhythm. Suddenly, he was rid of all his thoughts as he just observed the girl – and Harry was left with no choice but to gaze back at the people across him once more.

Now there were only two of them – his best friends – and they seemed momentarily entranced as he was. He wearily stood up from his seat and approached them.

He sat down carefully beside Ron, without even uttering a word, noticing that his neck was still craned and eager to see what was happening in the dancing area. He merely sighed once more, thinking about Callum's foolishness and still not getting over Ginny's candidness that he actually managed to let out a chuckle.

"You would break your neck if you continue to stare like that," he said, his voice deep and serious.

"Who is he? That's my sister out there!" Ron frowned, having a hard time cloaking his annoyance.

"Honestly! Callum, he's a friend of ours, he helped us settle down here," Harry finally heard Hermione speak as she addressed the now brunette, up close for the first time that evening. Her tone was soft and playful, and instead of eliciting something pleasant from his heart, it resulted to another feeling altogether.

He really was jealous, and he knew it.

He knew he was being irrational – and Callum was right. He was being too immature. All these years spent on earth seemed to amount to nothing after what he had felt that whole night.

"Why don't you join them?" he suggested, sounding almost happy, but mostly for himself as he realized he still actually had it in him to say the words out loud.

"Join them? Are you mad?" Ron muttered, tugging on his fake mustache as he suddenly felt itch in his skin.

"Ginny seems to be popular with the men, doesn't she?" Hermione commented offhandedly, noticing the line that suddenly trailed behind the other dancers. "She seems to be good in holding up on her own." She started to feel slightly envious after seeing the other woman's independence. "I wish I can dance like that."

"Oh? I still remember how you danced with Krum," Ron replied, not losing his wind, until his back stiffened once more, "Although… I know you don't remember. Sorry."

Ron suddenly looked helpless, scratching the back of his head, ashamed of how he just acted. "Mate, maybe you can teach her how to dance again," When he finally got up, he couldn't believe that Ginny just did what he think she did…

"Sorry, mate. Dancing is definitely not one of my talents," Harry looked up at Ron, remembering how awkward it was when he danced with Hermione all those years ago. First, when she taught him to dance for the Yule Ball… those times they shared and how they laughed when he made a mistake, and lastly, that time in the tent when he realized how her eyes shined when they danced. At first, he was hesitant to do it, because he didn't know what she would think. But he remembered that song… that song which they played during one of his dance lessons with her, it gave him courage enough to try it because somehow, he just wanted to see her smile again.

"Well, all right… I'll just check on Ginny."

And just like that they were left alone. Together. Just Hermione and he.

He set his drinking cup aside and sat more loosely, leaning back to see the stars. He wanted to close his eyes but stopped himself from doing so, knowing it would only deepen his thoughts. Yet it was becoming harder for him to look at her when she was so close, especially after remembering all the things they have done in the past few weeks – after realizing how much he had bared and how much she has taken from his heart.

"Is everything all right?" the tone she used as she talked to him was different from the tone she used with Ron. "You seem to look a bit flustered…" and when he heard her voice again, he felt all his anger and jealousy get washed away.

She reached up to touch his face and he fell back, looking almost as if he had evaded an attack, "Sorry. It must be the firewhiskey. It's getting warmer here…"

She looked confused at first yet when their eyes finally made contact, she smiled once more. "Then come, let's walk by the shore," she said as she offered her hand invitingly.

Harry took her hand reluctantly, barely holding her at first, yet finally succumbing to her touch until he almost clutched her hand.

How many days and nights had it been, when they walked by the shore as they did at that moment? Surely the experience might have been unique to them. Now that they were together, with the calm waves and the clear sky as their only witness, he felt everything fade into the background. There seemed to be no festivity going on, there were no villagers, no bonfire, no comrades, no Ron. It was just the two of them. For once that night he was finally calm. His rumbling heart was quiet though still admittedly apprehensive. It was because he knew –in these moments his heart and mind struggle, and his heart had been winning.

He glanced at the woman beside him, and noticed how her smile faded and was now replaced by a frown. Did she actually prefer someone else's company? Was his heart being overbearing? Did he need to let go?

"Do you think… the cure might work?" Hermione asked, her voice barely a whisper. He felt the fear in her voice that he squeezed her hand to comfort her.

Her trepidation was… unsettling, especially because he was feeling the same way. He did not know how to answer her to put her at ease. "The antidote was developed in St. Mungo's. I'm sure it will be all right," he replied.

"I know I should be happy… but I'm not," she looked up to face him and instead saw his downcast eyes. Suddenly she felt as if he carried the same sentiment, "Why James? Are there memories that I'd rather forget?"

She seemed so vulnerable, and it tore him up inside. How could he add to her burden? How could he be so insensitive – he realized that had been thinking all night only about himself.

"Those memories would make you whole again."

"But I feel so empty… why do I feel like I'll never be complete?" her hands slipped away from his and he had to look back to see her standing almost dejectedly behind him. She had unshed tears in her eyes, and her forlorn expression completely contrasted the bright smile she had earlier.

"I'm sorry…"

"No… I'm just … It's my fault," she closed her eyes, blinking away her tears, "I think I may be becoming irrational."

He remained silent as he looked at her. Suddenly, she seemed like a woman with no trappings. Suddenly, he saw her just as a woman who was capable of loving and was desperate to be loved. Her shoulders shook yet she stood firmly on her ground. Amidst everything she was still strong, she was still so bright. She was still so pure and so open… all he had to do was to walk closer and …

She felt it once more – that crushing embrace, just when she needed it. She breathed in deeply, pushing back her tears and reveling in the moment.

His heart won the argument once more… yet this did not stop his mind from retorting.

Once you remember everything, you'll realize that I do not deserve you. I do not even deserve to touch you. When you remember, I would not be able to comfort you like this again. When you remember, you'll realize that this interlude was but a dream, a one-sided fantasy. When you remember, you'll see that these moments were just a passing breeze.

But it didn't matter…not anymore.

"You would remember all those moments that made you happy," he whispered, each word causing a certain ache in his heart, "you'll remember the moments that made you smile and cry. You'll remember the people, the faces, the feelings. You'll remember those you have loved and who have loved you in return."

His words were meant to soothe her yet why did she feel bothered even more bothered by it. "But why, James? Why do I still feel anxious… it's almost as if … you are drifting away."

"I… "He stopped, not knowing how to phrase the words as he loosened his hold and placed his arms by his sides once more. Hermione looked surprised, suddenly feeling colder than she was earlier. "I'm sorry…"

"Is that all you can say? You're sorry?" she said, her voice barely audible. "Why are you always trying to keep your distance?"

He closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. That was just it. He loved her – all of her. He did not just love Lily, her incomplete self, lacking the memories of all the moments she shared with him back when they were young. He loved her - every piece, every bit of her. And it pained him how he could not give her all of him – his past, nor his future. He could only give her James – the side of him that existed only for her. Once she remembers and all of this is gone, this side of him would fade as well and be nothing but a passing memory.

"Since I am to be completed anyway as you say, then why don't you just take it? Take me." She moved closer to him, looked up to him with a defiant expression, "Get everything! Get my soul, my tears… my love…"

It happened before he even thought of it. Her lips were soft as he always imagined them to be, shaking as they were. His eyes were closed yet in his mind he could see her. Hermione Jean Granger, the woman who brought him back to life, the woman he wanted to give his life to… his best friend. As he moved his lips to form a rhythm with hers, he could not help but feel his heart twitching and his stomach knotting up. He always thought that the feeling would be pleasant but oddly enough it felt so … wrong… Yet he wanted it… he longed for it… he needed more…

She leaned further and she felt herself losing her balance. It happened too quickly and she was surprised… she could not even feel the tears in her eyes anymore… all she felt was the beating of her heart. It danced merrily and butterflies were in her stomach … She reached out to touch him, to hold him closer and yet…

He pulled away and the kiss abruptly ended.

And just like that she was brought back to her senses. She was in the quiet shore once more. She opened her eyes to catch her breath, only to see him looking away.

"A few years ago, you loved someone dearly. You loved him so much because even with all your fights, he still made you smile… made you happy. You made it through a few years before finally breaking up… and in those years after you broke up, you smiled less and less. I know you still love him, deep down."

"I cannot be your Ron," he grumbled, touching his hair in agitation. What had he done? What had he done? How could he possibly forgive himself now? How can he move on?

"How can you be? You are Harry," she said, almost like she was still in a daze as she tried to calm her speeding heart. Looking at his frustration, she started to wonder if they truly shared a kiss at all.

"That's it. I am just… Harry." He looked at her then and she froze. His eyes… there was so much pain in them. So much pain…

And just like that he walked away. She felt her knees buckling as her tears fell freely down her eyes. "But I love you," she cried, with nothing but the waves to hear her plea. She loved Ron? How could she? She could not still remember him fully, nor could she remember any feelings she had for him. She was… happy because Ron was funny, he could liven up the place with his stories… but besides that, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"It is you, Harry," she whispered dejectedly, "It is you."


Author's Notes: Thoughts? Please don't forget to click the little button. :) What do you think will happen next? :)