Summary: Harry and Hermione deal with many things that have happened between them. When the time comes, they realize that some things are meant to be. Post-Hogwarts with flashbacks during their seventh year. Harry/Hermione

Previously…

Harry set down two white porcelain bowls on the dining room table. The metal pan of lasagna was cooling on the counter that divided the dining room from the kitchen. He dished out a serving onto both of their plates as Hermione took her seat across from his place at the table. She appeared a little sweaty for the work in the bathroom. Even with her bangs matted against her forehead from the sweat, she was still beautiful in his eyes and she would always be. The table was set with a single white candle separating their places. He did not want to over do it and decided against music. Tonight, Harry did not come to Hermione's apartment tonight to seduce her but to help her to feel happy and comfortable in any way he could.

Continued Chapter 3

Harry and Hermione talked while they enjoyed their delicious dinner. He mentally noted that her eyes lit up as she ate and told him several times that she enjoyed his cooking. The dinner turned out perfect in every way and it seemed to have completely relaxed her. Hermione comfortably sat at her end of the dining room table and was absent-mindedly swirling the wine in her glass. Harry knew something was on her mind and almost asked what it was but thought better of it.

Hermione probably had her mind on her divorce. She and Ron had came to a mutual agreement several months ago to end their failed marriage, even though it was Ron's idea. Harry was surprised when Ron told him that their divorce was final because Harry didn't even know Ron was considering it. Hermione seemed content with their decision but it didn't make it easy on her. Both of their families encouraged them try to become best friends again. They had seen each other a few times since the divorce but Harry was always there to make things less uncomfortable. The trio of friends knew their friendship would just take time to heal.

Harry came back to the dining room to clear the last few dishes. Hermione got out of her chair and stretched her arms up as she purred. The stretch gave Harry a nice view of her prefect bosom hidden his old jersey. He tried so hard to deny that he was still head-over-heels in love with Hermione; of course, she didn't know that.

With both of their glasses in his hands, he returned to the kitchen to wash dinner dishes. Hermione leaned against the doorframe and spoke, "If you keep spoiling me like this, I might not let you leave. Now, if you don't mind. I think I am going to take a nice hot bath and hop into my pajamas for our slumber party."

"Okay, I'll just finish these up and get things set up in the living room. Take your time, use some bubbles, and enjoy your bath. I'll be fine," Harry stated as he started running the hot water for the dinner dishes.

He heard her feet approach him as he started to work and felt her lips on his cheek to give him another kiss. But this kiss was a lot slower or maybe it was just his mind saying it was. She left him alone in the kitchen to take her bath. He made to turn the water from hot to cold and splashed some on his face to cool him off. It took quite a bit of self-restraint not to join her in the bathtub. "I will not seduce my best friend. I will not seduce my best friend. I will not seduce my best friend."

He shook his head and looked out the small-paned window over the sink. With a deep sigh, he said, "It's going to be a long night. Why did I let her go to begin with?"

His hands started to process of cleaning the dishes and his heart filled with pain as he thought back on the night that he made that fatal choice….

Hermione dragged Harry from his dormitory after a few hours of studying with some light snogging. They headed down the stairs to go locate Ron for dinner but stopped halfway on the stairs when they heard Ron's voice from their common room, which was still out of sight.

"Nothing is wrong, Ginny."

The youngest Weasley's voice spoke, "Yes, there is and I will bug you until you tell me what is bothering you. And you know I can."

Harry turned to Hermione as she held his arm back to stop him from continuing down the steps. She raised a finger to his lips to silence him so they could listen to what was bothering their best friend.

"Its nothing," replied Ron.

"Is it about your break up with Lavender last week?"

"No, not really."

"Is it about the Quidditch match coming up next weekend?"

"No, just leave me alone."

Ginny continued her questions. "No way. Okay, is it a girl?"

Nope. Harry shook his head in the hallway. Ron hadn't mentioned any girl to him.

Ron stated, "Yes, but no more questions. It's complicated."

Harry froze in shock. That was news to him and remained unseen by his best friend and the younger sister. Why hadn't he said anything to me about a girl problem?

Ginny's voice interrupted Harry's train of thought. "Oh. So it's about Hermione?"

Merlin where did that come from? Harry felt Hermione's hand drop off his arm. He looked at her in a questioning manner. She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head that indicated she didn't know what Ginny meant by the question.

A sigh from Ron came from the common room with the sound of his feet started to pace around the room, which Ron had always done when something big was eating at him. "Yes. Now go away."

"Not a chance. What are sisters for?"

"To annoy the living hell out of their brothers."

"No, that just one of the perks of the job. A sister's main responsibility is to stick their noses in their brothers' complicated problems."

He halfheartedly chuckled. "Go figure."

"Now, spill it. You need someone to talk to. And obviously you haven't said a word to Harry or I'm sure I would've heard about it before now. So big brother, I'm the next best person and being a girl point in my favor."

Harry was not sure if he still wanted to hear this. Something told him to drag himself and Hermione back up stairs and wait until they were done talking. As he was about to follow through with that thought when Ron spoke again.

"Yeah, I haven't spoken to Harry. I mean I can't. How can I tell my best friend that I'm in love with his girlfriend, who just so happens to be my other best friend, and that I have been in love with her since our fourth year?"

Harry rested the back of his head against the cold stonewall behind him and closed his eyes with a slight wish that he was dreaming all of it.

Ginny spoke again. "Yet, you asked Lavender out at the end of the summer?"

"Yeah, stupid mistake number one."

"No, that was stupid mistake number two. Your first mistake, my thick-headed brother, was not telling her how you felt to begin with."

The sound of Ron plopping down on the couch cushions came from the still distant common room. Harry slowly opened his eyes and saw a tears running down his girlfriend's face. He silently cursed to himself and banged his head on the wall behind him, which still went unnoticed from the two people in the other room.

When Harry had entered the relationship with Hermione, he had a feeling that they really liked each other but didn't count on falling in love with her in the process. I did this to myself. I shouldn't have said 'yes' when she asked me out; since, I had a feeling she felt this way about him.

Ron began, "I know I know. You're right on both counts. Now, I'veblown my chance with her. I could've had the greatest witch on the face of the Earth. And I gave it up like that. I am so stupid."

"Yes, we've covered that."

"So, what do I do now? I really thought Hermione was the one. Ya know."

"If you really believed that, why did you ask Lavender out?" Ginny inquired.

Because Lavender relentlessly flirted with Ron when she 'happened' to be in his neighborhood one day a couple weeks before the beginning of school. Harry was so frustrated and repeatedly ran his hands through his always-untidy black hair in the dark staircase. Hermione kept shaking her head as if she did not believe what they were saying.

Ron finally responded, "Another stupid reason. I guess I was afraid Hermione didn't feel that way about me. And Lavender made it obvious that she did. So, I figured I would date Lavender till Hermione showed some hint of liking me."

"Yes, Ron. That was very idiotic idea. Do you want to know why?"

"Sure."

There was the sound of footsteps and another plop on to the couch. Ginny probably took a seat next to her frustrated brother. "Because, my dearest brother, Hermione did like you in that way. She was expecting you to ask her out before the school year started. Even the twins had a bet when you were going to ask her. Then Bill won the bet when you didn't have to guts to do it.

"Hermione was very hurt when Lavender told her that you two were a couple. You made it ten times worse for her by having to find out from Lavender and not you, Ron. So, I think we are up to three stupid things you did."

"I really screwed up. Didn't I, Gin?"

"Oh yeah, you did. I spent all of that night trying to calm her down. She cried until the sun came up and wanted to go back home for the remainder of the summer. Luckily, I talked her out of that and told her she needed to get used to you guys dating before she had to be around it constantly here."

Ron was quiet for several minutes. Then he spoke, "The thing I don't understand is when Harry came into the picture. He never mentioned anything about liking her."

"The day before we started school, she came into my room with a small smile on her face and told me that she had asked Harry out and that he said yes."

Ron's voice rose two octaves and almost to the point of yelling. "She asked him out?"

"Yes. You didn't know that?" she asked.

"No, Harry approached me the same day I guess and told me they were dating. I just assumed he asked her and not the other way around. But I was distracted with Lavender to really let the information sink in. Then they never really acted as if they were dating until that day on the Quidditch pitch with the confrontation with Malfoy. That was the first time I ever saw them that close to each other, let alone lips joined in a hot snogging session."

Ginny commented, "You are just being real stupid this year. Aren't you?"

Ron ignored her question. "If she liked me, why'd she ask Harry out? I don't get it. If she was upset with me, why didn't she hex me or yell at me till she was blue in the face?"

"I guess she fell back on the 'make the guy you like jealous' plan."

"Well, I guessed it worked because I am now extremely jealous of Harry. I blew my one chance at love. Now, what?" Ron sighed and the common room became eerily silent.

In the staircase, Harry looked toward the girl he loved with all his heart. Hermione's arms wrapped around her body and tears ran down from her closed eyes. He couldn't stand to see her so very sad. He ran his finger down her check as her body shook with quiet sobs. Harry couldn't hurt her any more by his selfishness of wanting her for himself for quite possibly the rest of his life when she loved Ron.

He softly spoke, "Now, he gets his chance. Your plan to make him jealous worked, Hermione. Unfortunately, I fell in love with you along the way. That was my stupid mistake for thinking you wanted that to happen. I knew you asked me out to make Ron come to his senses. But I should've said 'no' then."

Hermione eyes flew open. " Harry…"

He interrupted her. "No, don't apologize. It is okay. You go to him. He loves you. Give him the chance that he wants. You two are my best friends. I promise to support you. Just give me a couple days. Okay?"

"But"

He put a finger to her soft wet lips. "Shh. Just a couple days and I'll be fine."

Harry raised her chin so he could look deep into her intoxication brown eyes one more time. He knew at that moment he would never be fine but he couldn't ruin their happiness. He placed a tender kiss on her damp cheek and whispered into her ear. "Thanks for the chance you gave me and for making me the happiest guy in the world during this last month. I'll cherish that time with you in my heart always."

As tears fell down his face, he climbed up the stairs to go back into his dorm room and closed the door behind him. He didn't get to hear what Hermione said next. "But Harry, I am in love with you."

Harry put the dishes away from dinner and went to the living room to get everything ready for the 'sleepover'. As he leaned over to pull the pillows off the couch, the sound of a knock came from her front door.

He opened the door of Hermione's apartment and found his other best friend. "Hello, Ron."

…. To be continued …