It Can Only Be

for those of you who still read my stories, I AM SO SORRY! I've been back in school, been busy busy busy. I am going to try and be more timely with my chapter updates, but no guarantees; when life calls you have to answer. Now, on with the story!

Chapter 8: Only Time

Hermione looked out of her window in amazed wonderment. Her heart filled with excitement as she saw the scenery pass before her, the tall trees, the ground covered in snow, the birds flying from branch to branch. The moment was almost surreal.

Harry had taken her on his own private jet which he was flying.

"I owe you a real apology, a proper apology", Harry had said in the grocery store. "Meet me at my house tomorrow morning just before dawn. I want to take you somewhere."

And take her did he. After blindfolding her and leading her to his truck, Harry drove to the airstrip where he kept his plane. By the time they arrived the plane had been fueled, had its mechanics checked and was ready to go. When Harry took off her blindfold, the only thing she could do was gasp.

"My wife and I used to fly together all over Canada. It's where I took her on our first date. She loved the thrill and the freedom of flying, the same kind of feeling that she got from life. I know she's gone, and I miss her tremendously." A tear formed in his eye, and Hermione gently brushed it away with her finger. "She will always have a place in my heart," he continued. "But life goes on, and I know that she would want me to fly again. This is something that is very special to me, flying…and I want to share this experience with you."

"Oh Harry…" she stuttered, almost utterly speechless. For the first time, he had opened up to her, and she felt her heart warm towards him as he took her hand and led her to the plane.

"So where are we going exactly?" she asked.

"Anywhere you want to go; the sky's the limit…no pun intended." Harry cracked a smile as he helped her climb into the cockpit.

"I want you to take me to one of your favorite places in Canada." She knew it was a bit of a risk to ask such a personal question, with the answer possibly very painful and perhaps not yet a venture ready to be undertaken.

But Harry looked enthusiastic. "Your wish is my command then, Ms. Granger."

He started chirping at tower control, reading off measurements and numbers that Hermione would almost certainly never understand, but before she knew it they were moving. Her heart was aflutter as the plane gained speed. Faster and faster they went until Harry tilted back the wheel and the plane began to lift off of the ground. She was nearly breathless as she watched the scenery become smaller, passing by them as they headed off into an unknown destination to her.

She looked over to see Harry's face with mixed emotions. She could tell he was happy to be flying again, but it was painfully obvious to her that he missed his wife dearly, and while he was happy to be in her company, she would never replace her.

Hermione kissed Harry on his cheek.

"What was that for?" he questioned.

"Thank you. Thank you for sharing such a personal and meaningful experience with me. I know this must have been a painful thing to do, but I can't tell you how much it means to me that you're allowing me to share this with you."

He smiled, took her hand and kissed the back of her palm. "You're very welcome Hermione. Now, I want you to sit back and relax. We'll be in our destination in approximately 30 minutes."

"30 minutes? That's all?"

"Well, it's 30 minutes by plane, but it's 4 hours if you try to drive. The terrain is rocky and windy to take a car through, and with the winds gusting it could take even longer."

"How did you get into flying?"

"My father taught me. After my mother died, he wanted a hobby to take his mind off of her. He enrolled himself into the Canadian Pilot Academy and earned his license in a little less than a year. He bought the plane with the insurance money we received from her wrongful death settlement, and from the age of 12 until I met my wife we flew together, pilot and copilot. My dad retired to a log cabin not too far from our properties. One day I'll take you to meet him. People say I look just like him, but I say I look more like my grandfather."

Hermione smiled as she listened. It was wonderful to hear him share such a personal and heartwarming experience with her. It was obvious that he was truly sorry for his words and actions. Maybe the next 6 months in Canada won't be so bad after all.

"So tell me Hermione, why did you come up to Canada?"

"I wanted adventure. I was bored with my life in New York City. Everything was the same, predictable."

"In New York City? How is that possible?"

"It was the same old thing every day. Get up, go to work, eat lunch with my coworkers, go on assignment, go home, work out, eat dinner, call Ron and finish out my evening with him. Even on the weekends, it was so routine. I had these fighting urges to get out and create a new life on my own, and I can do it too. To me, moving to Canada was the hardest part. I was able to prove to myself that I can take such a huge step in any direction and led my heart lead me."

"Who's Ron?" Harry asked, with a hint of envy in his voice.

"He was my boyfriend. I broke up with him when I got here."

"Oh." He said simply. Inside he was pleased to hear such news. "So now that you have the cabin fixed up, what are you going to do?" He changed the subject quickly.

"Yesterday before I saw you at the store I leased a property on Main Street, and I'm turning it into an interior decorating company. It's something that I love to do, I minored in it at college, and I had so much fun fixing up the cabin that I could see myself doing it for a living, even if it was only for a short time."

"So then you plan to move back to the city after your lease is up?" There was some disappointment to his question.

"Yea, I still have a life there. As much fun as it was to up and leave, at some point you just have to return."

"I understand." He really did too.

A short time later Hermione and Harry touched ground in an empty field that looked like it used to be an old airport that had gone bust. He led Hermione out of the plane, took her hand and they began walking.

Before Hermione could ask, Harry told her, "This is one of my most favorite places in the whole wide world. I discovered it on a solo trip out here. No one knows about it except me and the dog…well, you too now".

They walked about a half mile before coming upon a beautiful series of waterfalls, surrounded by patches of snow and pine trees. The air was crisp and clean, and the water made a soothing noise as it dropped from it's highest point into the lagoon. Harry opened up his backpack and brought out a wool/fleece blanket with a plaid pattern on the top and canvas/tarp on the bottom. He laid out the blanket and motioned for Hermione to sit down with him.

"Whenever I felt angry or confused, this is where I would come. I would stay here for hours, just thinking. No one would bother me, not even a squirrel. Time would stand still, and I'd feel like I was the only person living in Canada."

"That sounds so lonely," Hermione answered.

"It's not when your head is filled with ideas, thoughts, opinions that are just waiting to spill out. I find this place almost comforting. I call it Point Harry," he stated proudly.

Hermione giggled, and watched as Harry returned to his pack and began ruffling through it. He produced two Godiva chocolate bars, one for her and one for himself.

"If there's anything I'm a sucker for, it's chocolate. I have these specially delivered every week."

"My, my Mr. Potter, you certainly are the charmer. You fly women out to your secret hiding place and dine them with chocolate. Is there anything you don't do? Hermione teased.

"I can't hold my breath for more than a minute," he teased back.

They laughed together, finishing off their last bite of chocolate. He wrapped his arm around her and they sat together, listening to the water fall and the silence that enveloped them. Hermione placed her head on his shoulder, feeling once again safe and secure like she did when she was little and she would sit next to her Dad by the fireplace and listen to him tell stories of him and her grandfather.

She was starting to zone out, her eyes closing when her lips were greeted to a soft, unfamiliar warmth. Harry's kiss was tender, but strong, and Hermione found her self quickly returning his kiss. His arm reached behind her and pulled her closer to him, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and bringing his chest in towards her. Never in her life had she had a kiss this perfect, this tender yet firm. There was a passion about it that she had never experienced before, not in high school, college or even with Ron.

Harry pulled back from the kiss and looked at her, his eyes sparkling.

"You have the most beautiful eyes, Hermione. You have the softest lips, the smoothest skin and the silkiest hair. You are a true beauty, Ms. Granger, and I would love nothing more than to take you back to my house and make love to you all night long."