A/N: And so we come to the end... bring on the fluff! Lol
"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm starving," Ron said, his hand over his stomach. "I'm going to the kitchens."
Harry and Hermione watched as Ron Left them in the hall.
"Hermione, I'm so sorry," Harry said once Ron was out of earshot. "I should have kept you closer to protect you."
"Harry, stop. There's nothing more you could have done."
"Yes, there was. I could have stopped acting like a prat and come to terms with myself. I was jealous of the soldiers because... well, I realized how I felt about you. After I went to you in Grindelwald's cavern, and you weren't breathing, I was so scared. I wouldn't know what to do if I never told you how much I cared for you. I couldn't imagine life without your smile to brighten the day, or your brain to get us out of the messes that Ron and I put us in. I can't believe that it's taken me six and a half years to realize how I feel for you, Hermione. I'm sorry for that."
Harry looked deep into her eyes, shimmering from tears threatening to spill forth. "Harry-" she whispered before his finger rested lightly on her lips.
"Shhh... it's ok now," he smiled as he leaned down and touched her lips to hers. Right then, the whole world disappeared and everything was right. When he stood, he couldn't believe that Hermione had always believed herself to be plain. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. "Oh! Dumbledore and McGonagall!" Harry exclaimed, remembering.
"What about them?" Hermione asked.
"They've been living a lie all this time. C'mon!"
*********
Harry went to Dumbledore's office while Hermione waited in the halls.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"Can I ask you for some advice on... er... on a little dilemma I have?" he asked.
"Of course, Harry. What is it?"
"Well, see, it's about... ummm... well, let me ask you this... have you ever been in love?" he asked.
"Ahh... yes, I was," he said, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses. "Once," he added, somewhat sadly.
"How did it end?"
"Well, I had to break it off to protect her. I was afraid that harm might come to her because of me."
"Why would that happen, sir?"
"Well, I was threatened once, long ago... but even now that the threat seems ridiculous, I'm not sure that she would take me back. She seemed rather upset with me and told me that I had broken her heart."
"You said that this was a long time ago, though, right? Are the two of you friends now?"
"The best of friends, Harry. The best," he smiled.
"Then why don't you at least give it a shot?" he asked.
Albus paused to contemplate the question. "I'm sorry, Harry, but who is getting counseled here?" he grinned.
"You answered my question, sir. Thank you." Albus watched, bemused, as Harry left the room.
Harry went to Hermione in the halls. "I think he is going to ask. He never told me right out who he was in love with, but..."
"She still adores him, even after what happened. It's so obvious I'm surprised that more people haven't picked up on it. I'm sure she'll forgive him."
*******
"Well, you see, Minerva... when Tom killed his father, a Muggle, he was already under the influence of Grindelwald. He had become the boy's father figure. So when Grindelwald was defeated, he swore to get his revenge on me by destroying someone very dear to me. So, to keep you safe, I had to keep you away."
"Albus, he was always frightened of you. Probably *because* you killed Grindelwald."
"But all the more reason for him to hurt those close to me, and not me, myself. It doesn't matter anymore, though. I'm tired of playing this game, Minerva."
"You know, those things you said really hurt, Albus," she said softly, looking down at her hands, hands that had aged nearly 60 years since the events had taken place.
"I know, Minerva. It hurt me to say them, and then again to see your reaction. I am so sorry. I would spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you'll let me," he said sincerely, taking her hands in his.
Minerva smiled. "There's just one thing I want to hear you say. I want you to fulfill the promise that you made to me the day you left for Berlin."
Albus smiled. "I love you, Minerva, and this still won't be the last time I say it," he whispered.
"I've missed you so much, Albus," she said quietly before they met in a loving kiss, pouring sixty years of hidden love into each other.
********
Somewhere, in a dark misty forest, Lord Voldemort opened his red eyes, waiting for his chance to take revenge on Harry Potter- source of his own demise- and Albus Dumbledore- the cause of his existence as the Dark Lord. He decided once more to call on a family prophesied to him by a young man to be loyal followers once long ago in Germany. He would call on Lucius and he would give his life to honor his Dark Lord.
A/N: Yay! I finally finished it!! Hopefully that's enough fluff to hold me a few stories... lol... now I just need a new idea and time to write... hmmm... well, in the meantime go read more of Isis Malfoy... she writes better HP fanfic... he he... (hey, at least I can admit it!) Now that you've read, go review!!
"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm starving," Ron said, his hand over his stomach. "I'm going to the kitchens."
Harry and Hermione watched as Ron Left them in the hall.
"Hermione, I'm so sorry," Harry said once Ron was out of earshot. "I should have kept you closer to protect you."
"Harry, stop. There's nothing more you could have done."
"Yes, there was. I could have stopped acting like a prat and come to terms with myself. I was jealous of the soldiers because... well, I realized how I felt about you. After I went to you in Grindelwald's cavern, and you weren't breathing, I was so scared. I wouldn't know what to do if I never told you how much I cared for you. I couldn't imagine life without your smile to brighten the day, or your brain to get us out of the messes that Ron and I put us in. I can't believe that it's taken me six and a half years to realize how I feel for you, Hermione. I'm sorry for that."
Harry looked deep into her eyes, shimmering from tears threatening to spill forth. "Harry-" she whispered before his finger rested lightly on her lips.
"Shhh... it's ok now," he smiled as he leaned down and touched her lips to hers. Right then, the whole world disappeared and everything was right. When he stood, he couldn't believe that Hermione had always believed herself to be plain. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. "Oh! Dumbledore and McGonagall!" Harry exclaimed, remembering.
"What about them?" Hermione asked.
"They've been living a lie all this time. C'mon!"
*********
Harry went to Dumbledore's office while Hermione waited in the halls.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir?"
"Yes, Harry?"
"Can I ask you for some advice on... er... on a little dilemma I have?" he asked.
"Of course, Harry. What is it?"
"Well, see, it's about... ummm... well, let me ask you this... have you ever been in love?" he asked.
"Ahh... yes, I was," he said, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon glasses. "Once," he added, somewhat sadly.
"How did it end?"
"Well, I had to break it off to protect her. I was afraid that harm might come to her because of me."
"Why would that happen, sir?"
"Well, I was threatened once, long ago... but even now that the threat seems ridiculous, I'm not sure that she would take me back. She seemed rather upset with me and told me that I had broken her heart."
"You said that this was a long time ago, though, right? Are the two of you friends now?"
"The best of friends, Harry. The best," he smiled.
"Then why don't you at least give it a shot?" he asked.
Albus paused to contemplate the question. "I'm sorry, Harry, but who is getting counseled here?" he grinned.
"You answered my question, sir. Thank you." Albus watched, bemused, as Harry left the room.
Harry went to Hermione in the halls. "I think he is going to ask. He never told me right out who he was in love with, but..."
"She still adores him, even after what happened. It's so obvious I'm surprised that more people haven't picked up on it. I'm sure she'll forgive him."
*******
"Well, you see, Minerva... when Tom killed his father, a Muggle, he was already under the influence of Grindelwald. He had become the boy's father figure. So when Grindelwald was defeated, he swore to get his revenge on me by destroying someone very dear to me. So, to keep you safe, I had to keep you away."
"Albus, he was always frightened of you. Probably *because* you killed Grindelwald."
"But all the more reason for him to hurt those close to me, and not me, myself. It doesn't matter anymore, though. I'm tired of playing this game, Minerva."
"You know, those things you said really hurt, Albus," she said softly, looking down at her hands, hands that had aged nearly 60 years since the events had taken place.
"I know, Minerva. It hurt me to say them, and then again to see your reaction. I am so sorry. I would spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you'll let me," he said sincerely, taking her hands in his.
Minerva smiled. "There's just one thing I want to hear you say. I want you to fulfill the promise that you made to me the day you left for Berlin."
Albus smiled. "I love you, Minerva, and this still won't be the last time I say it," he whispered.
"I've missed you so much, Albus," she said quietly before they met in a loving kiss, pouring sixty years of hidden love into each other.
********
Somewhere, in a dark misty forest, Lord Voldemort opened his red eyes, waiting for his chance to take revenge on Harry Potter- source of his own demise- and Albus Dumbledore- the cause of his existence as the Dark Lord. He decided once more to call on a family prophesied to him by a young man to be loyal followers once long ago in Germany. He would call on Lucius and he would give his life to honor his Dark Lord.
A/N: Yay! I finally finished it!! Hopefully that's enough fluff to hold me a few stories... lol... now I just need a new idea and time to write... hmmm... well, in the meantime go read more of Isis Malfoy... she writes better HP fanfic... he he... (hey, at least I can admit it!) Now that you've read, go review!!