"Do you really love him?" Ginny asked. "You mean you actually love a forty- year-old man? You do understand that no one is going to like that – don't you?"

"So what if he's a little older?" said Hermione stubbornly. "If I don't care about his age, no one else should. And besides, who are they to criticize? Remus and Tonks have been dating for almost a year now. Remus is a year older than Sirius, and Tonks is 25!"

"But you know there's a difference between a 25-year-old girl who dates a forty-year-old man, and an 18-year-old who dates a forty-year-old," said Ginny gently.

"There shouldn't be such a big difference. Why – just because I'm still in my teens? I'm practically a grown-up now. I've graduated from school, I've passed my NEWTs, I've been accepted to Auror Training, and I'm about to rent an apartment of my own – I'm an adult!"

"An eighteen-year-old adult," Ginny said, shrugging. "Look," she added comfortingly as she saw Hermione redden from anger, "I myself really don't give a damn about your age difference. If you love Sirius, and if Sirius loves you, and if you're good together – then I'm going to support you. But I'm not the problem. Your parents and your other friends are the problem."

"My parents are not the problem," Hermione protested. "They're not going to give me a hard time. I'll talk to them, they'll understand."

"Really?" Ginny asked doubtfully. "I know my parents would kill me if I fell in love with a forty-year-old man."

"Okay, it may take some time, but they'll understand."

"What about Harry and Ron?"

"What about them?"

"Aren't they going to be upset? Angry? You know Harry likes you, you know Ron still has some feelings for you – it might ruin their relationship with Sirius. And in Harry's case, it might be crucial, because Sirius is something between a father and an older brother for Harry, and he can't lose him."

"Why do you have to be so negative?" said Hermione miserably.

"I'm not being negative – I'm just being realistic. You have to think about those things before you go into this relationship."

"But don't you get it, Ginny?" said Hermione desparately. "It's too late now. I'm already into this relationship. In fact, I'm so into it, I don't know how I'm ever going to get out... It's not up to me anymore. I belong with him – I can't go anywhere else."

Ginny didn't reply. As Hermione raised her eyes to look at her, she saw tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"Nothing... It's just that..." Ginny wiped her tears, "I guess I'm jealous."

~*~

Harry sat in his room, staring at the wall, wondering what he had done wrong.

Only a few weeks before, everything seemed to go really well. Hermione seemed to like him too, and she was almost his. But now – what had gone wrong? He didn't understand. Was it something he had said or done? As much as he tried to think of something like that, he couldn't find anything.

He had liked Hermione since the middle of their seventh year – a little before she and Ron broke up. And after their break-up, he kept hoping Hermione would notice him, maybe even start to like him...

For a few months, he had a feeling it was really happening. Hermione definitely seemed to prefer him over other guys. They had been kidding around, going out, having long conversations... She seemed to like him a lot, actually. But now... he wasn't so sure anymore. She seemed to be less and less interested whenever he tried to talk to her; when he danced with her, she seemed eager to stop. How come? What was wrong?

"Maybe it's just your imagination," Ron had suggested a few hours earlier, when Harry had asked him about this. "Maybe you're just so afraid that Hermione might not like you, that you start seeing stuff."

"Will it be okay with you if Hermione and I go out, by the way?" Harry asked. He had meant to ask this a long time ago, but it always seemed irrelevant.

"Sure," said Ron. "You didn't think I'd be jealous, did you? Look, Harry, Hermione and I are just friends and nothing more. I went out with her for two years. She was my first love, but it's over now. Around the last month of our relationship, both of us knew it was going to be over soon. We just knew it. I don't love Hermione anymore, mate, you can have her and that will be fine with me – if she's willing to take you."

"Why won't she?" Harry asked.

"She'll have to take into consideration your past experience, right?" Ron answered. "For example, the time you kissed Cho, and you were so bad at kissing, you made her cry!"

Harry punched him. "I've already told you a hundred times, she cried because of Cedric, not because of me!"

"You keep telling yourself that," Ron smirked.

~*~

So now, here he was, behind Hermione's door, trying to calm himself down. It was okay. Everything was going to be okay. She would probably not turn him down... Maybe she had just been in a bad mood lately. Well, here he was to cheer her up!

He knocked on the door silently. No answer.

Maybe she was downstairs? He wondered. But no, he had seen her going in there only half an hour before. He knocked again.

No answer.

Maybe she was asleep. Then he could go in quietly and sit in front of her... so the first thing she would see when she wakes up, would be him, Harry. And then he could tell her what he was there for...

With that thought, Harry turned the doorknob, opened the door silently and stepped inside...

And there was Hermione, all right. Only she was not alone. She was sitting on the bed with someone else. This someone else's arms were around her, Hermione's hands were in his hair, and they were kissing passionately.

It was Sirius.

Harry swallowed hard. He could not believe his eyes. He took a step backwards – and bumped into the door.

Now they finally heard him. Quickly breaking apart, Hermione and Sirius turned to look, and as they saw him, their expressions changed into pure horror.

Harry still couldn't say a word. He looked at them for another long moment, then turned and ran out of the room.

He immediately heard Sirius jumping off the bed and running after him. "Harry!" Sirius called. "Harry – wait! Please wait!"

Harry ran to his room, slammed the door shut and locked it carefully. Three seconds later Sirius was at the door, banging on it so hard, Harry was afraid it might be broken. "Harry!" Sirius shouted. "You don't understand! Let me explain! Please, Harry, don't do this. You've got to give me a chance to explain!"

Harry threw himself on the bed and buried his face inside his pillow. He wasn't going to open that door – no way.

"Harry, please, listen to me. I need to talk to you," Sirius's voice begged. "I can explain, Harry. I know it comes as a complete shock to you, and I'm so sorry – I should have told you earlier – Harry, I swear, it's not something we've been hiding for months. It's only a few days. Harry, please!"

~*~

Hermione stayed in her room, in the exact same position as she had been when Sirius had left. She was too shocked to move. She had just found out something unbelievable, and not in a good way. Harry loved her.

As she was sitting there, she told herself she had been supposed to understand that a long time ago. What about all the times she had caught him staring at her? What about the smiles he gave her, and what about their dance at that party?

She didn't want to understand, obviously, because she was falling in love with someone else, and she couldn't stand the thought she was hurting her best friend like that. She should have, though. As a best friend, she wasn't supposed to ignore the signs. She could have at least lock that damn door!

Through that damn door, which was now open, she could hear Sirius's beggings to Harry. He was begging him to open the door and let him explain. Explain what, exactly? Hermione thought bitterly. It was too late to explain, Harry saw everything and understood exactly what he saw. What could Sirius possibly tell him that would make him feel better?

Harry's expression when he saw her kissing Sirius kept coming back to her. This was how she knew for sure he loved her. There was more than amazement and disbelief in his eyes; there was fury. Disappointment.

Harry was disappointed in her. It was a hard thought... What if things were never the same again between them? Was she about to lose one of her best friends – forever?

~*~

Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm really sorry for lack of updates. I've been really busy... you know what high school's like – and I also take a course in the university. Tough. Oh, and by the way, last week I had my birthday, on March 22nd. So I was really busy! :-) But you forgive me, right? I'm doing my best here, I really am. See you soon – I hope... Bye and thank you so much for your lovely reviews! I love you!

Crazy12: I don't normally thank each reviewer personally, but you really deserve it! Thank you so much for ALL the beautiful reviews I got from you. Don't think I didn't read and appreciate each and every one of them! I want you to know that thanks to people like you, I write as often as I can.

Kisses from

Roni.

Everyone else: You probably understand I can't thank each one personally... but you should know, I read all your reviews and I remember each and every one of you. You are all really great! Thank you and hugs for everyone!