Hermione stared blankly at the photo album of pictures. She sighed as she flipped the pages. Each of the pictures were taken by, of course, Colin Creevey. He's another story, which still kind of freaks her out. A few weeks ago she heard from Parvati Patil that Colin just hooked up with Oliver Wood. It was just disturbing and wrong, but Hermione still thought Oliver was too old for him. She shuddered at the thought. Snapping out of her thoughts, she went back to searching through the album.

She was carefully turning the pages, treating them like a newborn baby. To her, they were the most precious to her. She wouldn't dare to rip one single page. And, she was oh so very careful not to lick her fingers to prevent the pages from sticking together as she searched. She knew how Harry despised teachers that did that to his papers. Yes, Hermione paid extra attention to Harry. But, Harry was just what she thought about every minute of every day.

There she was, with Harry at The Three Broomsticks, sitting under the tree at the park, smiling and laughing together like there was no tomorrow…

Unfortunately, there was a tomorrow. As Hermione flipped and turned the pages of her unforgotten past, she seemed to grow sadder, not filled with happiness at the remembrance of her days before all she could think about was Harry. Harry, Harry, Harry.

Her vision blurred quickly, as tears welled up in her eyes. Her whole body seemed to shake, just as everything around her was shaking with evil. Hermione hastily slammed the photo album shut and stared at the wall. There she was, staring at the wall. The smart, know-it-all Hermione Granger, the sixteen-year-old witch-the best in her year-was staring at the wall. For her, that was something serious.

She remembered being an innocent first year, now she was almost seventeen. She had to make choices now. Hard choices. It was all too much for her, too much. She sighed, closed her eyes and let the tears fall.

Harry Potter was also sitting in his dorm room. He was thinking too, not about his past yet, but about his future. Was he going to defeat Voldemort? Was he going to live happily ever after? What was he going to do now? The questions flew across his mind. Earlier he had spoken to Dumbledore about his dilemma, and he had said that it was best for Hermione and Ron to stay back. Hell with Ron. But there was one thought that was the most important to him. What was he going to do without Hermione?

He loved her. Not only as a best friend. He knew that his feelings for her had deepened within the past three years, but he was unsure of it at first. Until now-he was sure he loved her. Hermione only liked him as a friend, though. Hermione never, ever could love him as much as he did, right?

Wiping her eyes and carefully placing her album of her and Harry back into the top drawer of her dresser, she reluctantly climbed down the stairs to the common room. No one seemed to be there. She glanced at the clock. 12:13. So that's where everyone was. At lunch. Everyone except the miserable, bushy-brown-haired, red eyed, moping girl. Or so she thought.

Hermione made her way to one of the couches and sat down. It was no use going to lunch when she was so depressed. Hermione sighed again and hugged her knees with her arms. Then, she sat in thought again, staring into the fire.

"Crap!" Harry cursed at himself for being late for lunch. He thrust his wand into his pocket and almost bolted out of his dorm, and down the stairs. There he found a certain girl not at lunch either. He walked closer, and saw that it was Hermione. "Mione?"

There was his voice. The voice that made her heart leap every time she heard it. Hermione turned to face Harry. "Hey, Harry." Her voice was barely audible.

"Mione, what's wrong?" He could tell that something was wrong by the volume of her voice. It almost killed him seeing her so-sad.

"Oh, Harry, it's nothing," she said. "I'm fine." Her voice cracked and soon enough, fresh tears were streaming down her cheeks again. She turned away from Harry and stared back at the fire, hoping he hadn't seen them. She wasn't about to be seen crying in front of him. But, he did see her. "Really I am. Don't worry about me," she sniffled. Great. He knows I'm crying. I'm a pathetic baby and here I am, crying in front of him.

Harry went over to the couch and sat down next to her. "Are you sure?"

Hermione once again began trembling and her voice was faulty. She decided she shouldn't talk much, or she'd soon be sobbing into the next week. "No," she said, and it was barely even a whisper.

"What's wrong?" he repeated. "You can tell me. I'm here for you, Mione."

Tears were pouring down her face now. "Harry, I-I c-can't."

Harry took his hand and gently turned her head so that he could stare into those brilliant big brown eyes of hers. He wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Please." He whispered.

She continued to act stubborn. "No. I-I j-just can't, H-Harry." Yes I can. I love you and soon you're going to leave me here alone. I love you, I love you, I love you. There.

Harry stared at her in the most innocent and cute way that Hermione had ever seen. It seemed to make her forget everything around her. She was totally swept off her feet, stuck in Harry's emerald green eyes.

Hermione gasped and started sobbing like mad. "Y-you're leaving m-me h-here and I-I'm n-not sure what will h-happen t-to you!" she managed between gaspy breaths. "Y-you m-might not c-come b-back!" She covered her face with her hands, and continued sobbing uncontrollably. Except that didn't do anything good.

Harry felt a pang of guilt and sadness at the same time. She was worried about him. It was almost like she loved him, only that couldn't be true. She supposedly loved Ron. After all, they were together.

"Mione, I'll do all that I can to come back to you." Crap! Did he just say that? "Er-Don't cry about me! You'll be okay, and I'll be o-"

"No I-I won't b-be okay! You'll b-be off f-fighting V-Voldemort and I'll be h-her waiting, n-not knowing anyth-"

"I love you."

"anything! W-wait, w-what did you j-just s-say?"

Harry repeated it again. "I love you."

Hermione froze. Were her ears deceiving her? This was really evil of her mind. Nonetheless, she loved Harry more that anything. One more glance in his eyes told her that she had heard correctly. She spun her body around and threw her arms around Harry's neck. Harry gladly hugged her back tightly. Hermione sobbed into his chest.

"I l-love you too," she answered, her voice muffled. "More t-than you c-can imagine."

Suddenly, he remembered Ron was her boyfriend. Crap. "But, Mione, what about Ron?"

Her shaking was slowly receding and her voice was growing stronger. "Hell with Ron." She looked up at him again. "I'll break up with him for all I care about him." Harry leaned down and kissed her softly on her lips. Hermione returned it.

And for that moment, Harry could only think of Hermione, his Hermione, his new girlfriend. For a while, Voldemort and his future slipped out of his mind, and he could only love and cherish the beautiful young woman wrapped in his arms.