Author's note: Alright guys, there you go… let me know what you think! Enjoy!

"So, I guess this is it then?"

            We were standing at the train station, waiting to be picked up. Well, I was waiting to be picked up. Oliver would board a train at platform 7 ½ to go up to train with Puddlemere all summer.

            I didn't have any tears left. I'd spent them all as we boarded the train home from Hogwarts then slept in Oliver's arms for most of it. Now, I was dry-eyed and didn't know what to say.

            He nodded and it looked like he was fighting the urge to throw his arms around me and never let go. "I guess so."

            I stared at him. I had no witty saying, nothing that I could throw out there to lighten the mood. What was I going to do all summer? I had made fun of girls who were obsessed with their boyfriends – the ones that had their whole lives revolve around their boyfriends. But now I was quickly becoming one if I wasn't careful… "So, I won't see you in less than two months?" I asked.

            He nodded. "I guess so."

            "Hermione!"

            I turned and looked. My parents were moving across the platform towards us, waving like mad.

            "Brace yourself…" I joked.

            They swooped down on me and hugged and kissed me to death before turning to Oliver.

            "And you must be Oliver?" my mother asked hesitantly.

            He smiled brilliantly and stuck out a hand. "Oliver Wood. Nice to meet you." He shook hands with them both and I was glad to see that they were impressed with him.

            "Oliver's been recruited to be on Puddlemere's reserve team. It's like being recruited onto Manchester United's reserve team," I added, seeing their confused faces.

            "Oh, that's wonderful, dear…" Mum replied.

            "Congratulations," Dad added.

            "Thank you."

            We stood awkwardly and I glanced at the clock then at the train before my parents finally caught the hint.

            "Well, we're going to go wait in the car, Hermione. We'll see you in a bit. It was nice to meet you Oliver," Mum said, dragging Dad off.

As soon as they were out of sight, Oliver moved towards me. "I'll miss you."

            "I'll miss you too," I said, hugging his waist.

            He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me back. "I'll owl you as often as I can…"

            The train whistle blew.

            "That's my train. I should go. I'll owl you as soon as I get in… let you know how cramped my quarters are…" He kissed me.

            "Okay. I'll see you in the fall then." I didn't want a big sappy goodbye. Visions of my chasing the train popped into my head and I shook them off with a mental shake.

            He nodded. "In the fall." He kissed me again, long and deep this time, then got onto the train. "I'll miss you!"

            As the train started off, I waved, yelling, "I'll miss you too!" then walked back towards the car, feeling heartbroken. He was gone.

¤                                              ¤                                              ¤

My summer stretched before me – a summer of sitting on the porch swing reading books with no Oliver to steal them and hide them in the tops of trees with his broom or tickling me until I whacked him with the book and lost my page anyway… I sighed. It was going to be a long summer… Already I'd been here three weeks and I missed him. I had even started seeing him… he'd appear in crowds and in my dreams and mirages around the house… very crazy stuff… even in the wizarding world…

He'd sent a owl to talk about his living quarters but they had become erratic – I hadn't heard from him in a week. I had this sinking feeling that Ron had been right. But that wasn't right… Oliver had promised me! He'd promised that we'd keep in touch!

"Dear, would you like us to heat you something up before we go or just fend for yourself?" Mum asked from inside, breaking through my miserable thoughts.

"I'll fend for myself, thanks…" I tried to sound as cheerful as I could… They were going away for the night to a friend's country home and I really wanted them to go… they'd been smothering me since I'd gotten home. At first it had been nice but now it was just too much… I needed time alone… time to wallow…

They came out with bags for the weekend and kissed me before going down the steps to pack the car.

"We'll be back tomorrow evening, alright Hermione? Call if you have any troubles…" Dad called as they pulled out of the drive, down the street, round the roundabout and were gone.

I watched them go then kicked back in the porch swing, making it drift slowly back and forth as night fell and the stars came out. It wasn't fair. Life just wasn't fair… and it wasn't fair that I was finding out that it wasn't fair this young… These were supposed to be my young and carefree times as a teen – go out and have the time of my life…

I kicked off again, pushing harder and a little voice inside my head snarked, "Oh, yes, Hermione… Lots of fun to be had…"

"Oh, shut up," I replied savagely and jumped off the swing and went inside. I made myself a sandwich and took it up to the roof where my telescope was set up. Well, at least if I wasn't doing anything all summer, I would be able to get prepared for the next year… I sighed. Even that wasn't sounding like as much fun anymore…

Looking through my telescope, I picked out Cassiopeia, the Pleiades, Orion, Antares and marked them down on my star chart. And there were Taurus, Virgo, Leo… I started to relax as the information flowed smoothly down on the chart.

"Schoolwork during summer holidays, Hermione? No wonder they call you a bookworm…" a Scottish voice drawled.

I looked up. "Yes, well… when there's nothing else to do…" He was hovered on his broomstick this time, just three feet away from me.

"I missed you…" He held an arm out to me.

I sniffed. "I missed you too…" And started towards him.

This was the point where he'd fade away and I'd be left on a darkened rooftop.

"I missed you more," he challenged.

"That's impossible," I replied, reaching out to him.

And found myself in his arms.

"You're real!" I yelled.

Surprised, he fell off, taking me with him. I landed on his chest. "Of course I am, Hermione…" he said, laughing.

I hit him on the chest. "I can't believe it! You're real!" I sat up. "Why haven't you written to me in the past week?" I asked accusingly.

He watched me seethe and grinned. "I've been busy. This was the first time in a week that I've had a night off! I've been moved up to back-up Keeper for Puddlemere… They've been training me like mad! We really want to do well this year…"

I threw myself at him. "God, Oliver! I thought you'd forgotten me! I thought Ron had been right!"

He looked puzzled. "Right? Right about what?"

            "That you'd gone off and become some bigshot and had no time for me because I was just Hermione Granger and nothing compared to the women that you'd meet out there…" I gulped. 'I will not cry, I will not cry,' I repeated to myself. I could handle this. But I couldn't. It wasn't fair. Tears fell down my cheeks against my will.

            "Just Hermione Granger?!" he half yelled. "I'd take you over a million Quidditch groupies!" He wiped a few stray tears away. "You're my girl, Hermione and that's not going to change…"

            I blinked. "Really?"

            He laughed. "You want proof?"

            I narrowed my eyes at him. "Yes."

            He spread his arms. "I just flew four hours to see you and will have to fly four hours back so I probably won't sleep tonight and I have practice at six tomorrow so I'm giving up a whole night sleep for you!"

            I smiled. "Derailing your whole training for a girl, Mr. Wood? What would your coach say?"

            He smirked. "He's not going to know… now come here. I didn't come all the way here just to talk about Quidditch. I haven't even gotten a proper kiss hello!"

            A few minutes later, we broke apart.

            "Are you hungry?" I asked, looking over at my abandoned sandwich.

            He nodded. "Starved, in fact."

            I took his hand. "Come on. I'll make us a late dinner." 

            He grabbed his broom, I grabbed my books and discarded food, and we went inside.