Confessions

Harry was surprised when Hermione didn't pull out of his kiss. He had expected her to step away and get mad at him or something. But instead, she kissed him back, and when they stopped she looked at him with a dazed and somewhat confused look on her face.

"Harry.?" she whispered. "Why. how. what just happened?"

He blushed and looked away. "I kinda just blew the secret that I didn't want Ron to tell you." Hermione looked puzzled. "In other words," Harry continued, "I like you. A lot. I have since the end of last year and.. well. sorry."

Hermione looked even more perplexed, though now astonishment and joy had joined the mix of emotions on her face. "What are you sorry about?"

Harry stared at his feet. "For. for ruining our friendship, for liking you when I'm not supposed to, for kissing you, for liking you when I know you want to be just friends."

Now the perplexed and astonished looks left Hermione's face, leaving only a look of pure elation. "But Harry," she whispered. "You haven't ruined anything. No one ever said you weren't allowed to like me. In case you haven't noticed, you weren't the only one involved in that kiss. And for your information, I would like nothing less than to remain just friends."

Harry stared at her in amazement. "You mean. crap, I'm not good at this sort of thing. er. will you be my. girlfriend?" He hazarded a look up at her face.

She leaned forward and lightly kissed him again. "Is that a good enough answer for you?"

He beamed somewhat shyly. "No. no, I don't reckon I heard that clearly enough. I'm afraid you'll have to say it again."

Just as they were in the middle of clarifying Hermione's answer, they heard voices approaching but were too slow to pull all the way back before Ron, accompanied by Lavender, entered their supposedly private hall.

"Whoa, Harry," Ron said in disbelief. "That was bloody fast."

Harry caught sight of a lipstick smear on Ron's cheek that seemed to be in the middle of a color transformation. Remembering what Lavender had gone shopping for the previous day, he grinned and said, "Look who's talking."

Ron's ears turned the deepest shade of red Harry had ever seen and he began sputtering. "Well, you see, well, we, er. well, you know, I. well. er. yes." He looked down at Lavender as though pleading for help.

Harry and Hermione laughed. "It's ok, Ron," Hermione giggled. "We get the general idea. We can continue this conversation a little later, as it seems you were in the middle of something important."

"Er. yeah," Ron whispered, still embarrassed. "That would be. er. bye." He and Lavender walked away as though they couldn't be going quick enough. Harry and Hermione laughed again but then stopped when they caught each other's eye.

"So I guess this means that. we're going out," Hermione breathed.

"Yeah," Harry whispered. "I guess it does."

They smiled sweetly at each other for a few minutes before Hermione sighed happily and then said, "Well. I guess we should be getting back. They might be worrying that we've killed each other with crumpets."

Harry remembered what they had been doing before this miracle happened and nodded. Then he took Hermione's hand and led her down the stairs in full view of everyone in the pub.