A/N: Sorry to leave you all hanging at the end of the last chapter, but I tried my best to get this one up as fast as I could. Enjoy!

CHAPTER ELEVEN: ALMOST PERFECT

"That was a pretty good performance you put up Harry, considering you haven't played in nearly a year," Ron complimented, slapping him on the back.

"Quidditch isn't something you just forget,"

The two were discussing the friendly pickup game that had just taken place. Ron held the position of Keeper on the local Quidditch team. It wasn't professional or anything but they did play in a league, and Ron had invited Harry to join him for the team's first practice of the season. When Harry had arrived no one had a problem with him joining in. Everyone seemed to know about his days of Quidditch at Hogwarts, and how he had the chance to turn professional but had chosen to work as an Auror instead.

And as luck had turned out for Harry there was only one seeker on the team at the moment, which had left him free to take up his old position when they had scrimmaged.

"You could have been a bit faster, though," Ron added in a joking tone. "You nearly let the other team's seeker beat you. I think you've lost your touch,"

"There were a few saves you should have made," Harry pointed out to his friend.

Ron looked at him in mock indignation. "Hey, I did – "

When he stopped in mid sentence, Harry followed his gaze to see what had caused it. It was Ginny, standing by the change room doors, waiting for them. It probably would have been more accurate to say she was waiting for Harry.

"What are you doing here?" Ron growled when they reached her. His seemingly good mood had vanished.

Ginny bit her lip, clearly trying to decide whether she wanted her brother to know the reasons for her being there. "I came to watch your practice," she said simply.

Ron looked like he didn't believe her, but said, "well, it's over now so you can head on home,"

She held her ground. "I need to talk to Harry,"

"No, you don't. You've already said too much. So why don't you – "

"Ron, I'll see you back at the flat," Harry cut in gently.

Ron looked ready to argue some more, but soon realized it would be a futile attempt, seeing the intense look his friend was giving Ginny. He threw his hands up in defeat and stalked into the change room.

"It's nice to see my brother's temper hasn't diminished over the years," Ginny commented when he was gone.

"He thinks you're interfering with my life,"

"Am I?" She knew she would get an honest answer from him.

Harry gave a small shrug. "You just gave me some perspective, is all,"

"Is it true you're quitting the ministry?" She hoped she didn't sound too happy.

"Already have. I handed in my resignation this morning,"

It was one thing to hear from Ron that he was thinking of quitting, but to hear Harry say the actual words was something altogether different. Sometimes his devotion to the ministry rivaled even Hermione's.

"You look surprised," he said, seeing her expression.

"I didn't expect you to actually listen to me,"

Harry chuckled. "You can be pretty persuasive when you want to be, Gin." Then in a more serious tone he continued by saying, "there was a lot of truth in what you said to me. You were right I don't even really know who Harry Potter is outside the life of an Auror,"

"Well, he's a good person. Slightly overprotective and rather annoying at times, but you get used to it," she said, not bothering to hide her smile.

His eyes were fixed on hers when he spoke next. "I was sort of hoping you would help me find out who he is,"

She caught the meaning behind those words, but tried to act as if she hadn't. "Harry, I'm your friend, of course I will,"

His gaze never left hers. "That's not what I meant, Ginny, and you know it,"

This was exactly the sort of thing Ron had warned her about. Damn him. "You know I would do anything for you, Harry," she said, reaching out to touch his arm in a reassuring way, "but I'm with Colin,"

"You don't have to be,"

She was surprised to find herself saying, "I want to,"

She could feel his frustration as he pulled his arm free from her touch. "Ginny, I did what you asked. I'm done being an Auror. I'm out of the ministry completely. What more do you want from me?"

"I never asked you to do those things for me. I wanted you to do them for yourself. Harry, you deserve so much more, but you were never going to find it being at the beck and call of every ministry member twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week,"

He had never felt more stupid in his life then he did at that moment. What an idiot he had been. How could he have completely misinterpreted her intentions like that?

"Harry, I'm sorry. I never meant to give you the wrong impression about us,"

"No, it's my fault. Why should I think a couple of civil conversations would change anything between us?"

"Things did change," she insisted. "We're friends now,"

"If Hermione hadn't told you what had happened in Romania, would you even be standing here, talking to me?

She could have answered that easily. It would have been 'no', and that's why she couldn't bring herself to say it. Harry seemed to have come to the same conclusion for he was already walking by her, heading for the change room doors.

"Harry!" She didn't want to leave things like this.

Turning around to look at her, he said, "I think I liked things better when we weren't talking," before opening the door and walking inside.

"Don't touch it, Gin," Harry grimaced.

"Sorry," she apologized, removing her hand from his face. "Why didn't Madame Pomfrey just heal you?"

"She's hoping this way we learn a lesson from it," he said, gingerly reaching a hand up to examine his bruised jaw.

Hermione was standing away from them, biting her lower lip. "You shouldn't have fought him," she said when she couldn't remain silent any longer.

"He hit me first,"

"You could have walked away,"

Harry stared at her in disbelief. "He deserved what he got. Why are you defending him after what he did to you?"

"I'm not,"

They heard the curtain behind them pull aside and Ron stepped out. He looked about as bad as Harry. Madam Pomfrey had fixed his nose but he had a split lip and the beginnings of a black eye forming under his right eye.

Harry took one look at him before standing up and putting a protective arm around Hermione, trying to lead her out of the room. She didn't resist until she heard Ron calling to her.

"Hermione, please, wait," he pleaded.

"Come on," Harry urged her.

She wouldn't move. It took her some time to decide before she finally said, "Harry, it's okay. I'll see you back at the Tower,"

Harry did leave – eventually – but only because Ginny was there to see to it.

"I'm glad we don't go beating each other up every day," Ron said, rubbing his newly healed nose.

His tone was light, as if they were having any ordinary conversation.

"Does it hurt?" She asked him.

"A little," he admitted, nodding his head.

"Good. Then maybe you can feel a fraction of the pain I'm feeling,"

He flinched because he knew he had deserved that. "Hermione, I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry I hurt you. I never wanted this to happen,"

"You mean you never wanted me to find out," she corrected him.

He vigorously shook his head. "That's not it,"

She felt her anger returning full force. "Yes it is. I don't know why I didn't figure it out for myself – the way you were acting. Maybe I did know, I just didn't want to see it,"

"Mione – "

"Don't call me that ever again. You've lost that right,"

"I don't want to lose you," he said in a hoarse voice.

He looked close to crying and that's what started the tears flowing down her cheeks.

"You already have," she choked out.

Several tears were trickling down his face now. She had never seen him cry before, and that's why it took her a moment to recover in order to push his hand away when he placed it on her cheek.

She fled the hospital wing at that moment, knowing if she stayed there a second longer she would give in and forgive him, when she knew he didn't deserve her forgiveness.

She never looked back either. Even if she had, she doubted she would have seen much through her tears.

It took nearly a whole minute of knocking continuously before Hermione finally got a response from anyone inside. Harry answered, and to say he looked awful would have been a most severe understatement.

"Ron's not here," he told her in a deadpan voice.

She could smell the liquor on his breath when he spoke.

"Can I come in anyway?" He looked like he could use some company.

"Suit yourself," he said, spreading his arms, gesturing for her to come in.

Hermione closed the door behind her before following Harry over to the couch where he took a long swig from a bottle.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, settling down beside him.

"If you don't mind, Hermione, I don't feel much like explaining how much of an idiot I am,"

"Welcome to the club," she muttered, resting her chin on her hands.

He regarded her for a second before speaking. "I thought you and Ron had worked everything out,"

She sighed and sank back into the couch. "Ron doesn't know what he wants. He thinks he does, but he hasn't thought anything through,"

"That sounds like Ron," Harry said, taking another drink.

"Have you seen Ginny?"

"What makes you think I've been to see her?"

"It's just that I figure she's the only one who could make you drink like this,"

"Maybe this isn't about her," he said, though the tone of his voice suggested otherwise. "But I don't walk to about her or Colin. They can both go to hell,"

"I feel the same way about a certain other member of the Weasley family. Mind if I join you," she said, indicating to the half empty bottle in front of him.

Harry passed it to her with no protest whatsoever, showing Hermione how out of it he really was if he didn't care that she was drinking.

She took a large gulp from it and nearly choked. "God, that's awful," she said wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "What is it?"

"Whisky," Harry said, taking the bottle back from her.

"It's horrible,"

But that didn't stop her from taking another drink from it, and another… until she and Harry were laughing uncontrollably at things she had no clue as to what they were laughing at.

"I do believe you're a little drunk, Miss Granger," Harry said to her.

"I am not," she slurred.

To show him that she was perfectly capable of handling her liquor, she stood up – and the second she was standing she swayed on her feet and would have fallen over if Harry's hands hadn't caught her around the waist to steady her.

"A bit unsteady, are we?" He teased.

"Shut up, Harry. You're not much better,"

She gave him a little shove to prove her point. It worked; only she hadn't planned on him taking her down with him.

Soon they were laughing hysterically again, with her lying on top of Harry on the living room carpet. When they finally stopped, there was an awkward pause only to be broken when Harry leaned up and kissed her. She found herself kissing him back, pressing her body into his. She let Harry's hands roam her back until they found their way underneath her shirt.

It did not take long to happen, but neither one would remember later on how they had somehow managed to stagger drunkenly into Harry's room and onto his bed.

It was after midnight when Ron showed up at Gillian's apartment. It was hard to put out of his mind what Hermione had said to him earlier that day. He knew he wanted to be with her, and that she wanted the same thing, but her whole little speech of him needing to figure out what Gillian meant to him was all he had been able to think about since their conversation.

He cared about Gillian a great deal, and he did love her. He wouldn't have proposed to her if he hadn't. But it wasn't the same love that he felt for Hermione – that he had always felt for her.

He felt the little nagging doubt creep into the back of his mind again. What if he was scared to let go of Hermione? He wasn't really sure he believed that, but then again, he wasn't sure about much of anything anymore. But he would do what Hermione had asked. If their relationship was going to work this time, he owed her that.

Gillian answered the door, looking as if she had been sleeping. "Ron, what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, but I needed to tell you something and it couldn't wait,"

She looked concerned. "What is it?"

"My dad got me a posting at the ministry,"

Her tired state disappeared immediately. "Really? Ron, that's wonderful!" She congratulated, throwing her arms around him. "This time I'm sure if you give it a chance, you'll like it there,"

"I might as well, right? I mean I can't play amateur Quidditch for the rest of my life, now can I?"

"Not if you want to be able to support a family. I think it's great that you've finally decided to settle down and do something with your life," she said, hugging him even tighter.

"I should probably get going," he said, pulling out of the embrace. "I'm sure you've got a busy day at the Prophet tomorrow,"

"Goodnight, Ron,"

They kissed briefly before she went back in and closed the door.

He walked away from her apartment even more nervous then before because now he knew what he had to do. He had known all along, really. He had just needed to make sure that he wouldn't spend the rest of his life regretting the decision.

He wasn't getting a job at the ministry. He hadn't even asked his father to find him one there. He had made it all up to see how Hermione and Gillian would react. And even though Hermione nagged him constantly about gaining a little responsibility and making something of himself, she had been against his taking a job there. She knew how unhappy he would be. She wanted him to find something he enjoyed, even if that something took a little longer to find.

He had tested both of them, though he doubted very much that either of them would appreciate it. He was sure to get an earful from Hermione, even when she had passed with flying colours whereas Gillian had failed miserably, just like he had thought she would. Ever since he had known her she seemed intent on making him find some direction in his life. Once they had gotten engaged, it seemed to become a never-ending mission for her. She had never tired of telling him of any openings that came up at the Prophet, even when he had never expressed any interest in writing.

He wanted to go to Hermione's now. It didn't matter that it was late. This was too important to wait. But he couldn't very well go over there and tell her what he had done. Knowing Hermione, she would be furious. Not only that, he wasn't sure what to say to her. It had been a long time since the two of them had been together. He wanted to start things off on the right foot with her. He wanted everything to be perfect this time.

He apparated back to his flat, hoping Harry would be around because he desperately needed some advice, not the least of which being how he was going to break the news to his family and to Gillian.

It was silent in his apartment. All the lights were on but no one was around, which meant Harry was probably still up, just in his room.

He headed down the hallway where the bedrooms were. Harry's door was open, but there was no light inside. He was lying in bed, sound asleep. He was somewhat disappointed that his friend wasn't still up and nearly passed by the doorway when someone rolled over in the bed beside Harry.

He felt something in his chest seize when he realized who that someone was.

Hermione.

He wasn't sure how long he stood there, watching his two best friends sleeping naked in the same bed, but once the initial shock of it wore off and the reality of what he was seeing kicked in, he found himself hanging onto the wall as if for dear life. His legs no longer seemed capable of supporting himself. He knew he was in no state to apparate, but he didn't care and ended up doing it anywise, knowing if he stayed there a second longer he would be sick.

Sorry. I left you with another cliffie, but I couldn't help it!