A/N: I was asked if this fic ended after the last chapter. In short, no. I've got plans to finish upon another plot point. I'll keep dreaming about the plot in my head.

.

Fuel Added to the Fire

.

2 July 1999

The clock on the mantle above the smouldering embers had just ticked past midnight when they unglued their lips from each other for the last time. Hermione had settled herself between Harry and the back of the couch as the both lay lengthways, his head above hers, giving him a better view of the fireplace. Their faces both still flushed from their snogging session, they lay in silence. His brain sorted through what had happened since she had turned up on his doorstep. Though he would freely admit that it was struggling under the sheer volume of thoughts that filled it. He finally understood the Old Man's notion of feeling that your mind could get a 'wee bit stretched.'

This whole year and a bit had been a rollercoaster for him emotionally. Even when it came to the one thing that made him feel the happiest in his entire life. It just felt so good to be with her, though he had no idea how it happened. Thinking back the signs seemed to vary wildly from hate to love. Working out his own feelings was traumatic enough, figuring out hers as well? He shuddered at the thought of spending time trying to figure out what happened. But what he did feel as he thought back, was remorse. The night of the funeral rose to the surface of his mind once more, how she was so angry with him, how angry he was and... What he'd done. Sleeping with his ex then confessing undying love to her friend right after? How could she even forgive him for that? Let alone kiss him! I have to apologise.

"Mione?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm really sorry what happened at Potter Manor. I'd take it back in a heartbeat if I could."

She looked confused for a moment before she realised what he was on about. "Oh. You don't have to apologise for that."

He blinked. "What? Why not?"

"Because it convinced me that you loved me Harry."

Now he was totally flummoxed. Her answer made zero sense to him. I must be missing something. "You're going to have to explain that one to me."

"Because Ginny spiked you with a love potion."

"WHAT!?"

"I wasn't too happy myself when I found out."

"Which was when?"

"At Hogwarts."

He put that one aside for later. "But how does that support your conclusion? I didn't react remotely like Ron did."

He both heard and felt her huff. "Because you told me you loved me under the influence of a love potion keyed into somebody else! And there were two potions, only the lust one worked! I told you in my... letters... You didn't open them, did you?"

He sighed. "I thought our friendship was over. I figured you'd still be angry at me so I never opened any. I... told myself that it was to concentrated on studying but... I was scared.

"But-"

"I'd lost everything that night Mione, I knew you were mad and Ron would definitely have been angry after he found out. I almost... I nearly forgot why I even wanted to stay alive, and then Andi came over with Teddy and... It just made more sense to leave. I wanted to be better for my godson, for the only family I had left."

An uncharacteristically awkward silence stretched between them. Until she spoke. "I'm sorry for overreacting as well Harry. I wasn't thinking straight after finding out what you and Ginny did..."

Now feeling distinctly uncomfortable he cast around for another topic. "So uuh, when did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That you err, liked me more than a best friend?"

"You really want to know?"

"Mmmhmm."

"First year."

His mouth fell open. "How long is that?"

"Over seven years."

All he could say was one word. "Why?"

"Really? It's embarrassing."

"I'll tell you my story after yours."

She snuggled further into him. "Well I was fascinated by you before I even met you, so many of the books I bought to ready myself for Hogwarts mentioned you. Then on the train you were just so quiet, nothing like I expected the Hero of the Wizarding World to be. Then you became my hero when you saved me from the troll-."

"Ron was there too."

She snorted. "He was the reason I was there to begin with. Anyway," she pressed on, "I felt like I owed you for my life, so I decided to help you whenever I could. Then we became friends which was something I never had before Hogwarts so… And then you were so scared for me when the Basilisk was on the loose, it was nice for a change, having someone worry about me personally. Then in third year I actually got to see a side of you then no one ever sees. Just how far you would go to protect those you love, you basically sacrificed yourself for me when Remus cornered us. From then on I would follow you anywhere." The embers in the Fireplace crackled in the background.

She continued. "Fourth year was hard for me. You had to risk your neck and I couldn't be there with you in the Task's so I did everything to help. But only Ron seemed to realise I was a girl and you didn't ask me so I went with Krum. A kind of foreign version of you." She giggled slightly. "You stood up for me nevertheless when Ron attacked me, though I was kind of mad at you for not asking me but that was selfish. I was so scared having to watch you go through all of that, then having to face Voldemort… Fifth year I got to see you grow and become a teacher all the while being tortured by Umbridge, but then you decided to go out with Cho. Her existence annoyed me to no end, and the fact that you cut short a date with her to see me made me feel some kind of hope."

"Sixth year I'd given up on being with you that way, as you seemed to be wholly enamoured in Ginny. So I tried something with Ron, but when that went awry, you were there as always."

Harry squeezed her. "Always"

She smiled slightly. "But the last two years just confused me. I couldn't decide during the hunt and we had other things on our minds. Except for around Christmas in the tent, and regardless of our run in with Nagini, Godrics Hollow was special and I was happy it was just us there. That whole year was so strange. It was like I had to be with Ron, but had to hide it for your sake, but I was only hiding how I felt for you." She sighed, alright mister. Your turn.

Now this is going to be uncomfortable. "Err, I feel like we should've been drinking Firewhisky instead of tea for this."

She poked him. "You're not allowed, I saw you drink at the Three Broomsticks. It's not healthy Harry."

It kept me sane... But he conceded to her. "You've got a point there. Ok where do I start?"

"From when you first realised it."

"Ah. Well I only realised it in Australia, when we were on the beach before we found your parents. It just kinda hit me, but I was convinced that you would never feel the same so I kind of tried to ignore it. Your dad knows though."

She sat up so quickly she accidentally elbowed him in the ribs. "Oh, sorry. But what!?"

Harry rubbed his chest. "Well when I met him he was so cold towards me so I figured honesty was the best policy and he would accept me because of that. So I told him." He grinned shyly. "I don't really know what fathers are like so... yeah, Anyway. I suppose I just never realised how I felt, or what it even was. You were one of my very first friends so I just figured it had something to do with that. During the tent around Christmas when we danced I couldn't decide how I felt, I just wanted to do something for you for a change. It was special." She nodded in agreement. "But when you turned away like that… I sort of broke, like I couldn't help anyone. It was confusing but I let it rest, until I figured out what was going on."

He took a deep shaky breath. "Then after I looked at Severus's memories… That really broke me, I had a feeling I would never survive the war but learning that I had to die was just… Then I had to say goodbye to you and… I nearly couldn't leave you but I realised I had to, just to protect you and everyone else. And at least I would get to meet my parents properly. Then seeing you both get together after the Battle just broke me again, I felt so lonely. Until I woke up and, there you were." He looked up at the girl on his lap. How do I even deserve her? And what do we do now?

She stayed upright but leaned against the back of the couch. "How was Europe? You spent at least a year there."

I couldn't dodge that one. "I didn't really do much sight seeing. I spent most of it studying and travelling."

"I missed you."

"I missed you too. But I thought I'd mucked things up good an proper after the party. Every time I came back to visit Teddy and Andi, it gave me to the energy to continue. There were good parts of it, I'll have to tell you about them sometime."

She frowned but then smiled. "I'll look forward to story time with you, I'll always be there now Harry." She looked at the fire which by now was barely smoking. "I'm cold, how about we go to bed?"

He sat up and moved his face within inches of hers. "That's why you're the brains of this operation. Good idea."

After the extricated themselves from each other and the couch, He led her through the empty house. "Where's Andi?" Asked Hermione as they passed the kitchen.

"She's spending the night at hers to keep the wards activated. I was thinking about asking her to move in here but I'm not sure what she'd say. She did grow up here after all."

She seemed to ponder that one. "There's room for all of us."

He nearly tripped up one of the stairs. "What?"

She waved him off. "Urgh, never mind we'll talk about it tomorrow." He shrugged and continued climbing past the next landing.

...

"You've been sleeping in SIrius's old room?"

He paused, hand on the doorknob. "And?"

"Never mind Harry." He grunted and opened the door for her. "Hmm, at least you cleaned it up a bit."

"I had to do something while I wait for the Auror training to start." The room had hardly changed, just cleaner, since the three of them had sought refuge at Grimmarauld Place after the wedding. The room always calmed him as it felt familiar to him, even if it did remind him of how little of an adolescence he'd had. Right now though? He was feeling pretty bloody nervous. He had no clue what he was supposed to do or what he even wanted. Well of course he wanted her, he just wasn't sure if he would be rushing things if he tried anything. As close as they were, it wouldn't affect how they felt if he botched tonight but he was still nervous. His thoughts strayed back to Ginny in his room. No, Hermione is nothing like Ginny. I'll make it special.

"Join me Harry, stop thinking too hard."

He looked around and found her in his bed already without him noticing. "You don't have any PJ's."

"I'm a witch, I'll make do." Gulping at the implications of what she had just said, he moved to the cupboard and extracted his pyjama bottoms. With a moments hesitation he changed in front of her, very quickly. "Where did you get those scars from?" He stood there, wondering what to say. Ginny had asked the same question, but he lied back then, he couldn't lie now.

"Depends which ones."

"The ones on your back." He studied her. She sat upright in his bed with seemingly just a bra on, it didn't distract him enough from the flashes of 'punishment' that Uncle Vernon would give him. I'll tell her another time. He bounded over and jumped on to the bed to startle her, judging by the squeak of surprise he had succeeded.

"Are you trying to distract me Granger? I'll get you for that." They kissed and played on the bed, wrestling and play fighting until they fell asleep from the exertion.

...

.

A/N: What's next for these two?