Thank you to everyone who reviewed chapter 17. Wow I have 60 reviews that mean a lot to me guys.
Hope you like chapter 18 and review good or bad…
Chapter 18 – Love can conquer all
Harry turned around as he heard voices close by. Spotting Sirius and Remus standing by the steps, he gave them the
Thumbs up sign showing everything was going to be just fine. With one last sniffle Hermione raised her head and
Sighed "So you hungry?" she asked him softly getting up from the floor. "Starving actually" he laughed.
"Well then we better get going, I'm sure they are hungry as well," she said nodding her head in the direction of
Remus and Sirius. Hermione smirked as she turned to look at them "Yes I knew you were there" "I would have to
Worry if Harry gave signs behind my back to thin air" she said smugly as she walked past all three boys who sat
Mouths opened wondering when on earth she got eyes in the back of her head. " You guy's coming or you just going
To stand there" she called as she walked away humming a favorite muggle tune she loved so much.
As they watched her walk away Sirius shook his head "Man if I didn't know better I would say she was Lily, Man
They act so much alike its scary" Harry chuckled "Hermione can be very hard to gather sometimes. I've known
her for seven years now and I still don't get her sometimes". He said. "Good luck with that" Sirius added.
Lets go eat" and they headed off to the dinning hall. Hermione felt much better spite fact they were still no closer to
Going home, she was safe and things between her and Harry seemed to be getting back to normal.
Spotting Alice she waved and made her way through the group of kids chatting in the entranceway. Hermione smiled
As she sat down next to Alice and waited for her plate to appear. She jumped when Alice grabbed her arm.
"Lily did you hear about Hillman?" Gulping she nodded her head no as her plate arrived. "Umm what happened?"
"Well a prefect found Hillman hanging from a staircase near the Hufflepuff common room this morning" she said
quite worriedly "And to make matters worse he doesn't remember what happened" Grabbing the goblet of pumpkin
juice Hermione winced "Do they have any clues to who did it?" "Not a one can you believe it" Alice huffed.
Silently thanking the heavens above Hermione gave Alice a weak smile. The last thing she needed was Harry in
Trouble. "I just can't believe someone would hurt him Lily, he is wonderful and kind" Alice sighed as her
Expression turned dreamy. "I'm going to sit with him after dinner, I will nurse him back to health and then he
will Surely noticed me" She grinned. Hermione's face fell "Alice you can't tell me you like Hillman"
"Lily" she growled "You're my best friend, you know good and well I don't like Hillman I love him" she beamed.
"Alice as your best friend, I think your making a huge mistake. He is not so nice once you get to know him"
"Neither is James Potter" she spat looking very angry at the moment. Hermione gasped, "This has nothing to do with
James and you know it"
"Granted James has done some awful things in the past but he has never called me a Mudblood"
It didn't take long for the words to sink in. Alice gasped, "He was the one who destroyed our room," she said
More as a statement then a question. Hermione nodded "Yes I found out a little while ago, I didn't want to believe it.
Neither but it's true Alice" she whispered "Please don't say a word" Alice nodded as her lower lip trembled,
"Why can't I ever like a decent guy? What is wrong with me?" "Nothing at all" Hermione heard someone whispered
a few seats down. "I'm never going to date anyone from Hogwarts" Alice stated. Turning to her left she noticed the
smile fade from the face of a certain boy, smiling Hermione patted the arm of her friend " Never say never Alice"
Hermione spotted the boy getting up to leave, here's to the future she said to herself.
Watching the boy get up she slowly slipped her wand under the table. Just as the he said goodnight, Alice rolled her
Eyes to the comment and moved to take a sip from her goblet. 1,2,3 Hermione counted just as the boy began to pass
Them and pointed her wand toward Alice's cup, throwing pumpkin juice all over the unexpecting boy. Alice paled
As Hermione covered her mouth to keep from laughing. The boy stood there, pumpkin juice dripping from his face
And chuckled, "I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened. One minute I was taking a drink, then your wearing it"
Alice rambled on as she desperately attempted to clean him off, blushing like mad. "There is no need for this really"
The boy smiled "I was going to take a bath anyway" he shrugged. Holding out his hand he grinned "Pleased to meet
You I'm Frank" "Frank Longbottom, you sit behind me in charms" Alice said. Hermione watched the pair and smiled
Harry walked in the hall followed by Remus and Sirius. Quickly scanning the room for Hermione he found her with
Alice and Frank. Hearing Harry call her she looked up and waved "Alice I'll see you back at the dorm" she said
They didn't even respond as they continued to laugh and talk. Feeling as if the nothing else could go wrong she made
Her way over to the guys "Glad to see you could make it" she laughed
"What's going on over there?" asked Harry motioning his head in the direction of Alice and Frank.
"Just two people having a chance at love" grinning at Harry she shrugged her shoulders. "Remus is that Alice martin
with Frank Longbottom?" Sirius didn't even try to hide the surprise "I believe you were wrong my friend, looks like
Alice would give him a chance" Remus bit his tongue to keep from gloating. "Ah, Who cares?" was all they heard
As he stopped away to the table clearly annoyed about being wrong. Sighing Remus followed his friend possibly
To console his bruised ego. "Let's go eat shall we" Harry said grabbing her hand only to be stopped when she didn't
Move "Go ahead I've already eaten. I think I'll have that walk around the lake" "Mione"he growled in a low voice
"It's just a walk for Merlin's sake Potter. Get a grip" "Ill be alright, and I promise not to be too long" tapping the end
of his nose. "Fine, but watch yourself love" he warned before reluctantly letting her hand go. "Always" she called
before she walked out the door. Harry stood in the doorway watching till she was out of sight. Growling he headed
for the table, so much for eating with his girlfriend. He didn't know how much more he could take of this distance
lately, he missed her and between the different classes and the mess they were in didn't leave much time for them.
He sat down between Remus and Sirius with a thump and began to stab his meat forcefully. "You alright mate?"
"Perfect" he mumbled still stabbing his meat. Both shrugged, carrying on with their meal. The sun was beginning to
set leaving the lake glowing in the softest orange hue. Hermione closed her eyes taking in the fresh smell of
the blossoms. She loved the lake at sunset; something about the lake calmed her. She and Harry would come down
to the lake after dinner with Ron and Luna sometimes to wind down. It was her favorite place at Hogwarts.
Thinking about Ron and Luna made her sigh. "Amazing how it looks the same huh?" he said coming behind her.
"Yes, always so beautiful" she whispered. Wrapping his arms around her waste he kissed the top of her head
"That you are," he said causing her to playfully hit his arm "I meant the lake silly" she blushed.
"And I meant you" he spoke softly as she laid her head on his chest "What happened to dinner?" she asked
"Dinner isn't nearly as important as being together" "For once I agree" was all she said. They stood there together
watching the color dance on the lake in silence. Harry wondered how long would it take for peace to come in their
time. Would there ever come a time when Voldemort couldn't hurt them? How many nights can they have like this?
"Hermione, are you happy?" he asked breaking the silence "Of course I am" she answered turning around to
face him properly. Searching his eyes she grabbed his hand "What kind of question is that?" she asked.
"I need to know that you are happy with me" "Harry" she whispered, "I could not be any happier than I am now"
"Never doubt my happiness when it comes to you," Gently leaning down he captured her lips in a soft kiss.
The kiss seemed to drown out all their fears. In that moment James and Lily didn't exist, Voldemort wasn't a
Threat, neither worried about going home. All that remained were two people, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger
proof that love could surely conquer all.
Well there it is folks chapter 18. Hope you like it and please review good or bad. Chapter 19 will be up soon.