Title: Too Late
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Hermione/Harry (one-sided), Harry/Ginny
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 1,046
Summary: Hermione realizes she's too late.
Notes:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Triwizard Tournament – Stage 4: The Maze – Write a romantic story where the love is considered one-sided. Pairing Used – Harry/Hermione, Prompt Used – venomous

During the War Challenge: Prompt 62 – Hermione is really angry at Harry that he went alone to die

Hermione clenched her fists at her side. She lifted one to angrily rub at her eyes, trying to will the tears to not fall.

She took deep, laboring breaths, doing her best to slow down her racing heart to no avail. She knew the only way to calm down was to scream – no not scream, talk – to Harry.

She stormed out of the Great Hall and looked for the wayward savior who wasn't celebrating with everyone else. Not that there was much to celebrate. Voldemort might be dead, but the losses on their side were tragic, especially for Harry. The last remaining link to his parents was gone and a little boy had become an orphan in a single night.

Hermione knew Harry would do everything he could to make sure Teddy was taken care of, and thankfully, Teddy's grandmother had survived the war. She knew something would be worked out between Harry and Andromeda.

Her thoughts turned away from Teddy and their losses, and returned to what could have been lost.

'How dare he go face Voldemort alone! He went there to die alone! How dare him! What if that venomous snake had attacked him? Is that what he wanted? Didn't he think about everyone he would be leaving behind!? Didn't he think about me!?'

Her thoughts were cut off abruptly when she came upon Harry; he was standing in front of the destroyed Room of Requirements, looking lost and forlorn. "Harry James Potter," she ferociously stated, matching towards her prey. She didn't let his expression affect her. Much.

Harry faced her. "Hermione?"

She glared at him. "How could you do that? How could you go die alone? Ron and I have been with you since the very beginning? How could you exclude us at the very end?"

"I had to. It was part of the prophecy."

"Nothing in the prophecy said you had to do it alone. You added on that part all by yourself."

He arched one of his eyebrows, an expression she was inherently familiar with where Harry was concerned. "You would have tried to stop me. The only way to defeat Voldemort and destroy the Horcrux in me was to die, but you wouldn't have allowed me to sacrifice myself. It's why I went alone."

"You didn't know you would be revived. We could have found another way to do it."

He shook his head. "There wasn't any time, and you know that. That last Horcrux was the only thing that stood between war and peace, and I wasn't going to let anyone stop me. I did what I had to do, and you need to accept it."

Unable to bear it any longer, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him close. At one time he would have stiffened at the unexpected contact, but now he took it in stride and hugged her back just as fiercely. "I was so scared. I thought my heart had shattered when I saw you laying prone on the ground."

He rubbed her back. "It's okay. I'm fine."

"Please, don't do anything so reckless again."

"No promises." He let out a watery chuckle, his nose buried in her hair.

She pulled back and gazed into his eyes. "I'm serious, Harry. I'm not sure my heart can take another fright like that."

He lifted a hand and pushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I really can't promise you something like that. It doesn't fit into my personality."

She swallowed nervously, loving the feel of him so close to her. "Harry? We're always going to be together, right?" she asked, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.

He looked at her like she was nuts. "Of course. Best friends forever."

"Best... friends?" Her breath shuddered within her as she pulled away from him, dropping her arms to her side and putting a couple of inches between them.

"Of course," he said, not understanding.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione decided to take a plunge and hope for the best. She met his eyes and hoped he saw what was within them. "Harry, there's something I need to tell you." He waited patiently as she gathered her Gryffindor bravery. "I –"

She was interrupted by Ginny flying down the corridor and throwing her arms around Harry. Her heart thumped hard in her chest – it felt like it was going to thump right out of her chest – when Harry returned the strong embrace.

"We won!" she screamed into Harry's ear.

Harry smiled softly, kissing her on her lips which were tilted up to him.

Hermione closed her eyes, realizing that she really didn't have a chance with Harry. She had waited too long, and now it seemed that Harry's heart fully belonged to Ginny. Hermione knew she could try to encroach on Ginny's territory, but she wasn't the kind of girl that went after other girls' boyfriends.

Maybe if Hermione had told Harry her feelings before he dated Ginny last year, she might have had a chance. She had allowed her fear of rejection to get in the way of her going after who she really wanted. She wasted her attention on Ron, thinking he was more attainable, and had lost the one who had stolen her heart.

Harry ended the kiss, and Ginny rested her head on his chest. He smiled at Hermione. "What was it that you had to say, Hermione?"

She hesitated but finally said, "It's not important. You should go back to the Great Hall and celebrate the light's victory. You're the hero of the hour."

He nodded and grabbing Ginny's hand, he pulled her along with him. He paused when he realized Hermione wasn't following him. "You're not coming?"

She waved him away. "Go on. I'll follow in a few minutes."

He looked at her, trying to read her, but her mask was firmly in place, and he gave up. Hermione watched Harry and Ginny walk away. Her hand rested on top of her heart, and she willed it to not crumble in a million pieces.

Harry might not love her the way she loved him, but at least he was in her life. And she'd do everything she had to in order to keep him as her best friend.