Thanks to all my fabulous reviewers! Sorry for the cliffie, just couldn't resist! Chapter 2!

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From chapter 1

He tried the handle, and it was locked. Hermione spun around in alarm when she heard the noise. Harry pulled out his key and opened the door. As Hermione heard the key, she thought to herself,

Only Harry has another key…

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Harry threw open the door. Hermione sat on the couch and stared, in shock. After 2 months, though to her it had seemed two years, he was back. Harry was back. She couldn't believe her eyes. They both just stared, not believing what their eyes were telling them. Hermione finally found her voice.

"H-Harry? Is it really you?" she whispered. Harry nodded, then hesitantly walked over to the couch.

"Hermione, I am so sorry." He said, tears running down his face now. Hermione stood up, and they embraced. She started sobbing, and saying over and over,

"I thought you were dead. I thought you weren't coming back. But you came back, you came back…" sobbing, as Harry just held her close to him.

"I am so sorry. So, so sorry." Harry said, stroking her hair. "I have a lot of explaining to do." Hermione looked up at him, and he wiped her tears away with his hand. He gently kissed her on the lips.

"This is a very long story."

"I don't care, I'm just glad you came back." Hermione said, with a half laugh, half sob.

"I always will."

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Harry and Hermione were cuddled up on the couch, and Harry began to tell her about why he didn't come back right off.

"Well, when we disappeared, we went to this sort of room. We actually didn't stop dueling for a week, when I finally won, but--"

"You won! He's dead? Finally? We're safe?" Hermione said, her eyes wide.

"Yes. He's gone."

Hermione started crying again, but this time they were tears of joy. "We're free!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, I suppose we are." Harry mused. "But, after he was dead, I realized I had no clue where I was. I was still distraught from the battle. I mean, if you had just killed your arch enemy, and then were trapped somewhere, wouldn't you be a little confused. To make it all weirder, Fawkes was there. It was his home or something. And he explained to me how since it was his feathers in the wands, and it was the second time they were forced to duel each other, the owners of the wands were transported to a place where it didn't matter if the wands were brothers. He tried to explain how to get out, but I was still dazed and didn't get it. He left, and for all I know, still hasn't gone back. But the last thing I thought right before I was outside was how much I missed you, and how it was pointless to had defeated Voldemort if I couldn't be with you…" as Harry continued to explain in more detail, Hermione just stared at him, glad he was back.

"And so, what happened after I disappeared? And while I was fighting Voldemort? I couldn't really pay attention to the rest of the battle when we were dueling." Harry asked.

"Well," Hermione began, "while you were dueling with him, we all stood around you…"

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Flashback

Harry and Voldemort circled each other, while the others looked on.

"So, are you ready to die, Potter?" Voldemort asked.

"No, but you are!" Harry yelled, and the battle began. As Harry and Voldemort threw curses at each other, the Death Eaters and the Order began to fight in pairs. Ron was the first to fall wounded, and soon many more. Death Eaters began to fall everywhere, the first being Lucius Malfoy. Hermione was locked in battle with Snape, and Neville with Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry and Voldemort were at the center of all the battles, and as time wore on, and as minutes turned to hours, more and more fell. Neville was the first of the Order to fall. Hermione screamed, and with a final curse, finished off her Death Eater. She began to then battle Bellatrix, to avenge Neville. Tonks fell to the ground, her eyes open and staring, but not seeing. Lupin let out a strangled cry, and lashed out with fury. More Death Eaters fell to the ground, but then again, more of the Order were falling too. Ginny was panting hard, nursing a broken arm, but tried to continue to fight. Hermione and Bellatrix were a fury of flying wands, and they were going almost as hard as Harry and Voldemort. Finally, after what had seemed like days, but in reality was only hours, the Order went behind Harry and the Death Eaters went behind Voldemort. The dead lay on the ground, while the wounded on both sides were being cared for as best as they could be. Only minutes after the sides have divided, Harry and Voldemort disappeared. No one could believe their eyes. It was chaos. The Death Eaters cried,

"Master!" while the Order frantically searched for Harry. Soon, dueling between Death Eaters and Order members began. Hermione, however, just said

"Harry come back, Harry come back, Harry…" as more continued to fall.

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"So Ron is doing better?" Harry asked.

"Yep, he's already got his appetite back." Hermione said. Harry laughed, then became serious again.

"Who died?" he asked, looking ready for a long list.

"Do you really want to know?" asked Hermione.

"I have to know."

"Ok, well, Neville, Tonks, Ginny is still unconscious in the hospital, Luna is barely breathing, Cho, Dean…" Hermione said slowly, as the list continued on. After a few more names, she stopped.

"But we thought we saw Ginny move a foot, and Luna opened her eyes just yesterday. Even though she closed them again." Hermione said with false hope. Harry closed his eyes.

"I wish I could just forget about all of this, just for a day."

"Maybe we can." Hermione said. Harry opened his eyes.

"What are you suggesting, Ms. Granger?" Harry asked playfully.

"Well, I haven't had a really good snog in a while…" she said, batting her eyelashes.

"Speak no more." Harry said, leaning over to kiss her. She pulled away, laughing.

"Oh no you don't!" she said.

"Hey!" he said, trying to do puppy eyes.

"That doesn't work on me, Mr. Potter!" Hermione said, but you could tell she was trying to resist.

"Suuuuuure." he said with a grin. He grabbed her and kissed her, and she kissed him back. She put her arms around his neck, while his snaked around her waist. He ran his tongue along her lips, asking for permission to enter. She allowed him, and their tongues began a private duel. As the kiss got more passionate, Ron apparated into the room.

"Hermione, I was rel-" he began, but cut short when he saw who was kissing Hermione.

"Harry!" They broke apart, and Hermione looked guilty.

"You're back?" Ron asked, incredulous. For some reason, he didn't look as happy as he should have.

"And why are you kissing Hermione?" he asked.

"Well, before the battle, we lived together, you know." Harry said.

"Yeah, well, I was going to ask her to marry me!" Ron shouted, coloring.

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What do you think? Sorry, another cliffie. They are addicting, you know. Please R&R, I won't update until you do! looks defiant Review!

Cow