Chapter 13 Hermione's choice

Hermiones pov

She lay miserable on her bed once again. That night had just been too hectic. She had kissed her ex proffessor. Now that she knew had been a mistake. He wasn't what was bothering her, it was her two best friends. She had decided who she was going to attempt to go out with. Although she wasn't as happy as she could have been she was very happy about it. Once they brought back Harry and Ron she would tell them. They had to be alive, they would be fine. Would if only one comes back? Shed ask herself. Who would you want it to be? She knew the answer and it killed her. She was basically afraid that there would be a lot of jealousy between them once they found out her decision. She decided that if that happened she would just ignore it all. Getting off her bed she heard a lot of commotion down stairs. Running into the hallway she leaned over the banister to see everyone huddled around someone being pushed into the kitchen. Hermione ran down stares and into the kitchen.

"Hey Herm!" Called Harry happily. The guilty knot in her stomach clenched as he ran from the crowd around him and wrapped his arms around her. She melted in his arms and started to cry, as the croud in the kitchen went back out to search for Ron.

"Harry..." She whispered into his shoulder so that he couldn't hear her, "I love you."

"What?" He asked as though he couldn't hear her.

"I need to talk to you alone Harry." She said loudly enough for him to hear her.

Harrys pov

Hermione was dragging him to her room, she seemed worried and scared. He squeezed her hand saying,

"It'll be alright Herm. Ron will be fine. And I'm fine now. Everything's going to be alright." He said it like he was trying to convince himself as well as her. Once they were in her room she shut and locked the door and turned pushing Harry onto her bed. She sat down next to him, her hands in his.

"Harry did you get the letter I sent you a while ago, the one about Ron?" She asked.

"No letters about Ron, no, why?" Harry said slowly.

"Harry... um... do you..."

"Do I what?" asked Harry.

"Do you like me..."

"Of course I do, Herm your one of my best friends!" Harry said incredulously.

"I don't men as a friend." She said slowly. Harry stared at her for a minute. How did she know? He'd had a crush on her since her saw her with Krum at the Yule Ball. He had been so jealous but he couldn't show it, Ron would freak. Harry knew that Ron had a crush on her too.

But he couldn't lie to her and everything came out quickly and truthfully.

"Hermione I've loved you like a friend for years, and I've had a crush on you since I saw you at the Yule Ball with Krum. I got so jealous but I couldn't show it cause Ron would freak, he's like obsessed with you Hermione. You are really beautiful, inside and out. That's why I got so mad when Rita wrote that I was in love with you, cause I thought I was, well I am, I think, but if you don't like me like that, I still want to be friends." Harry stared at the ground after that as he suddenly thought of something.

"We cant go out, even if you did." Harry solemly said.

"Harry its the same with me, except I knew I loved you more than a friend when we were in the Department of Mysteries." She spoke quietly. Harry stayed silent, a weird look coming over his face that only did when someone mentioned that place, night, or Sirius, or the prophesy, so she went on,

"I thought about what would happen if one of us died, then I got a thought who would I want it to be out of my two best friends? I couldn't choose one over the other if we were all friends, but I don't know I just felt something different with you Harry. Plus would if the prophesy was about you dieing? And tonight I thought about would if one of them dies? Its horrible to think about it but I knew who I wanted to come back if only one could." Hermione finished and Harry looked up at her. They were still holding hands.

"Ron right?" Harry said jokingly.

Harrys pov

"No Harry, you." Hermione said the obvious.

"But," She continued "Something happened tonight Harry. I made a big mistake." Harry looked puzzled,

"What?"

"Promise not to get mad at me, I didn't know what was going to happen."

"Just tell me, I wont get mad at you." Harry said frustrated.

"Earlier me and Ron were hanging out and he kissed me, and I kissed him back a little. I don't know why, I didn't want to hurt his feelings and he asked me out but I said id think about it. I couldn't say no, I don't want to break his heart. He told me he loved me and that he couldn't live without me. And then it was later right before Ron was taken," She was talking fast wanting to get it all out before he could interrupt, an she was staring at the ground,

"I went to the kithens and Lupin was there and we talked and I asked him what I should do. He said he knew a way to find out if WE liked each other, me and him. I know he likes me but I liked you and I didn't say anything so he grabbed my hand and took me to his room." She looked at Harry who was looking at her.

"He kissed me and before I knew it we were on his bed, and he started to take off his robes. That's when I realized that it was wrong and I pulled away and went out into the hall. That's when I saw Ron at my door as they took him."

Hermiones pov

Harry cleared his throat. "So... what are you going to tell Ron? I'm not mad at you. I've made mistakes, like the whole Cho thing. But if we do hook up we cant tell anybody."

"I know," Said Hermione, "Ron would freak out, ill just tell him I want to be no more than friends with you both." Harry said,

"Not only Ron but I don't want Voldemort to find out."

"Why not?" Hermione asked but she thought she knew the answer.

"Because I don't want Voldemort to use you to get to me like he used Sirius, and that ended up killing him so lets not go down that road again." He move closer to her on the bed an glanced at his watch, it read 9:37 (am). Harry looked so tired yet so awake. She leaned in and gave him a big hug. He hugged her back and they both feel back onto the bed. They were holding each other and staring at each other.

"Hermione I love you, will you be my girlfriend?"

"YES" She said automatically, "I love you too." They both leaned in and kissed. It was way better than with Ron or Lupin. Those times she hadn't wanted the kiss with every part of her body. She hadn't pushed herself against them liked there was no tomorrow. She wasn't madly in love with them.