Chapter 12

Disclaimer - Not mine.

A/N - Wow. So, not gonna lie, some of your reviews have been…a bit rough to handle. This chapter has been ready for ages now...but I went through a period of complete self doubt - wondering if this was good enough...if I should even post this or just forget it and move on. I mean, I'm a grown woman and I know I shouldn't let the opinion of strangers affect how I see myself. Still, it wasn't easy.

In the end though, I realized that ultimately, I'm writing this for my own pleasure and satisfaction. I wouldn't be happy leaving most of you hanging. (I know I hate abandoned stories) So I decided to go ahead and post this. I'm aware that some of you will still hate it or find fault with it and that's fine. You guys are entitled to your opinion.

Either way, I feel like I've given this my best effort even though I know some of you will disagree with that too. In the end, I'm happy with how this story turned out and I guess that's what matters the most.

Please let me know what you think - and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you guys shouldn't point out errors or mistakes or disagree with me on the direction of the story. All I'm asking for is for you to 'Be gentle.' :)

Thank you once again to Maria aka MarsPotter for her help and encouragement. I definitely wouldn't have found the courage to post this without her support and pep talks!

This is it, this is pretty much the last chapter...although I may have an epilogue/outtake or two that I may post in the future. I'll keep you guys posted...so maybe click on the subscribe button in case you're interested in any future/possible updates.

Days passed. Or was it weeks? Years perhaps? He had no idea. Time dragged on. All around him, life went on. And that made absolutely no sense whatsoever. How could life just go on when his entire world seemed to have caved in on itself?

Funnily enough, on the surface of it all, nothing had changed. They still had classes and homework assignments. They went down to the Great Hall everyday for meals and to the library for research after school. Quidditch practice went on as usual and he made the entire team run through the drills. They even discussed strategies for their upcoming match against Slytherin.

Ron, Hermione and he still spent most of their time together - just like they had since the troll incident in first year. Hermione and Ron even helped him fine-tune his plan to confront Professor Slughorn - he was quickly running out of time and would have to act soon in order to get the old goat to reveal all his secrets.

Yup, on the surface, everything was the same.

Under the surface though, that was an entirely different cup of tea. Under the surface, everything had changed! He was just going through the motions, his actions sluggish like he was in a daze or was walking underwater. Everything felt colorless. Dull. He couldn't help but feel that if Voldemort suddenly appeared in front of him, he would just hand him his wand and give up.

He missed Hermione. Even though she was right next to him for most of the time, he fucking missed her, like he would miss a lost limb! What the hell was that about, huh? How could you miss something that wasn't lost and hadn't been yours to lose to begin with?

It felt like someone had torn out a piece of his chest, reached inside and ripped out his heart! Simple things like breathing hurt. He couldn't even sleep because every time he did, all he dreamt about was Hermione. He'd turned into a fucking zombie - not that those were real except in Muggle movies - wandering around the castle after dark. In his opinion, whoever had said that falling in love was the best thing to ever happen to them was a filthy lying arsehole who didn't know shite about love!

The worst part of the whole thing was that Hermione didn't seem to be suffering at all. She was her usual studious, industrious, focused self. Was she a bit quieter than usual? Sure. But he'd attributed that mainly to the normal post break-up awkwardness (not that they'd actually broken-up. I mean, how could they break-up if they'd never really gotten together in the first place?) combined with the quickly approaching end of year exams.

Fuck his life! He couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why such things happened only to him. Why did he always fall for girls that were totally and completely unavailable? Cho had been hung up on Cedric; Ginny was - even still - hung up on the boy-that-lived (A persona that people had made up in their minds regarding him and that was never to be mistaken for Harry himself. It was a high standard...a standard that he could never hope to live up to, no matter how hard he tried. The boy who lived was, after all, the ultimate saviour of the wizarding world...and Harry was no saviour...just an ordinary boy.)

And now, history seemed to be repeating itself again. Despite the fact that Hermione had admitted to being wrong about her and Ron, she still clearly wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship with him. And that put her squarely in the 'unavailable' category in his book.

And this time… this time it was much, much worse. Because this time, he'd fallen much harder than usual. This time, it wasn't just an infatuation or a silly schoolboy crush. This time he'd fallen in love (the everlasting kind) and per the usual pattern, the girl involved seemed not to care about him in the slightest. (Well okay, he was exaggerating there. He knew just how much Hermione cared about him. She just seemed to care in a way that was entirely different from the way that he cared about her. And that just fucking sucked.)

Thankfully he had a distraction coming up. (He was frankly getting a bit sick of moping around while at the same time pretending that he was doing just fine.) Today was the day he was going to put his 'Get Professor Slughorn to reveal his deepest, darkest secret' plan into motion and tricky though it promised to be, he was actually looking forward to doing something other than hours and hours of brooding.

"Hey mate." Ron walked over just as Harry was getting ready to step out of the common room. "All set?"

"Yeah, I think so." Taking a quick peek around to make sure no one was paying any special attention to them, Harry showed Ron the bottle of Felix Felicis that he'd been saving for just this occasion.

"Good, good. So, you have everything figured out, then? And er...please don't take this the wrong way, but you're sure you can do this, right? Because all your plans have a tendency to unravel spectacularly." Ron questioned cautiously in that special tone that he'd perfected over the course of the last few days. The one that sounded gentle and sympathetic - like he was afraid of saying something wrong and inadvertently triggering the fucking apocalypse. (Merlin, he fucking hated that tone!) "Have you talked to Hermione yet?"

Just like that, Harry's mood soured. "What's there to talk about?" He asked dully. "She doesn't love me. The end."

Ron frowned. "I...uh...wasn't talking about that. I meant, have you had a final discussion with her regarding today's plan? Just to make sure that there are no loopholes…?"

"Oh." Harry looked away sheepishly. "Uh, no. I haven't spoken to her today."

Ron sighed. "You know what? You really should. And not just about the plan for tonight. Although, you should definitely discuss that with her too. But once that's done, I think you need to talk to her about your relationship as well. I can't bloody handle your moping anymore. Clearly you're miserable without her. Just talk to her and sort this mess out, why don't you?"

"Ugh, don't start with that again." Harry groaned. This had become a sore topic between the two of them over the course of the last few days. Harry wanted to avoid the topic of his and Hermione's so-called 'relationship' and subsequent break-up like the plague. Ron, on the other hand, felt like both of his best friends were being stupid and childish and that they should just discuss the matter like grown-ups so that they could kiss and make up. Merlin, what Harry wouldn't give for things to be that simple.

"Blimey Harry, how can you not see that she cares about you? It's obvious to everyone else but you. She's head over heels for you, mate."

"No she isn't." Harry insisted stubbornly.

"Ugh!" Ron exclaimed frustratedly. It was obvious that his patience was running out. "How do you know? Has she told you so herself?"

"She doesn't need to, okay? She's happy that your sister snogged me. How much more clear can she be about her feelings; or lack thereof; than that?" He snarled back. Ron was of the opinion that he was misunderstanding Hermione's words or at least misinterpreting them. But he couldn't be more wrong.

Harry knew Hermione - she didn't randomly say things she didn't mean. If she said she was happy that he and Ginny were together then she probably meant it. And that really sucked.

"Mate, have you seen her?" Ron snarled back, choosing to ignore Harry's foul mood. It was an art that he'd perfected over the course of the last few days.

"Of course I ha…"

"No, I mean have you really seen her?" Ron interjected urgently. "As in, looked her in the eye? Or...I don't know...have you really spoken to her since you guys broke-up? Have you taken the time to ask her how she's been, really?"

He couldn't say that he had. To be honest, he was deathly afraid to ask such questions. What if she'd already moved on from their so-called 'relationship'? What if she was, Merlin forbid, happy without him? He'd never be able to survive such a discovery. But he couldn't say that to Ron. He'd never understand.

Ron could see that he wasn't making much of a headway with him. "Harry, she's miserable." He groaned in frustration. "Merlin, how can you be so blind? Can you not see the tiredness, the sheer desperation in her eyes? She's making herself sick, pining over you! I can't believe you haven't noticed."

"She can't be miserable." Harry insisted. Of course she wasn't. Ron had to be wrong. She had absolutely no reason to pine over him. Did she? No. No! He wouldn't allow Ron to get his hopes up again; not when they were just going to be dashed anyway. "Why would she be?"

"Because she loves you, you idiot." Ron muttered in exasperation.

"No, she doesn't."Harry stood firm in his opinion.

"Yes, she does." Ron persisted.

"No. She doesn't." Harry spat angrily.

"Argh!" Ron clutched giant chunks of his hair in both his hands and rolled his eyes upwards, as if he were praying for patience. "What do you mean she doesn't love you?" He questioned, sounding like he was at his wits end. "Merlin help me Harry, you're driving me completely nutters. You guys have been all lovey-dovey and inseparable ever since Slughorn's party. Several people - myself included - have caught you in compromising positions all over the school. You've been practically shagging each other silly every chance you get. It's clear to everyone, even me, how very much you love each other..."

"You don't get it!" Harry almost screamed, finally reaching the end of his proverbial rope. "That's...that's all fake." There. The cat was finally out of the bag. And honestly, it was liberating. The burden of lying to his best friend, of constantly pretending (at least in the beginning…) was finally over. He felt free. Not better - nowhere close; the heartbreak was still all consuming - just a little bit less burdened by the lies.

"Okay, okay. I'm sure you're right." Ron spoke placatingly, speaking calmly and gently as if he were trying his best not to spook Harry. Truth be told, it reminded Harry of the way Hagrid spoke to Grawp. (Sodding hell, Ron was handling him like Hagrid handled Grawp. Bloody fucking perfect!) "Why don't you tell me why you think she doesn't love you? And what do you mean by 'fake'?"

Now that the truth was partially out, there was no point in hiding the rest of it. Merlin, he just hoped Hermione would forgive him though. He was betraying her confidence in the worst possible way - by outing her secret to the one person she'd probably never want to reveal it to. Oh well, it was too late to back out now. "Hermione was never in love with me. We weren't even really dating." he sighed.

"What? Harry, that's...that's mental, that is. You're not making any sense." Ron exclaimed, frowning in confusion. "I...I saw you guys. How can you say you've not been dating?"

"It was all just a pretense. Mainly because she wanted to make you jealous." Harry spat, his stomach twisting with jealousy. Why Ron? Why not him?

"What?" Ron's breath escaped in a whoosh. "I...I don't know what to say. She wanted to make me jealous?"

Harry nodded, feeling the overwhelming urge to throw up. This was it. Ron would probably come to his senses now and break things off with Lavender. Then he and Hermione would get together, get married and live happily ever after. He would be alone and miserable, standing on the sidelines and bearing witness to their wonderful life together. Forever. Nope, he couldn't do it. He really couldn't. He'd rather die first.

"Bu...but you...you kissed her." Ron sounded bewildered, not that Harry could blame him. "And don't tell me that it wasn't real because I saw it with my very own eyes dammit! And believe me, I wish I hadn't; in fact, I've been wanting to scrub out my eyes ever since; but I know a real kiss when I see it. More importantly, I know you. Both of you. So don't tell me that wasn't real. I wouldn't believe you anyway."

"What can I say…?" Harry responded despondently. "The first kiss was...it was just practice so that the pretense would seem more believable. But then...after that the pretense just kept getting easier and easier. At least for me. I...I kept finding some excuse or the other to keep kissing her."

"I can't believe this, Harry. And here I was feeling left out. I was actually jealous of you."

Harry's feeling of despair worsened. "Jealous because you wanted to be with her yourself...?" He asked hesitantly even though he was a hundred percent sure he didn't want to hear Ron's answer.

"What? No! At least not anymore. I meant what I said to you after the Quidditch match. I...I thought I loved her for the longest time but now that I'm with Lav...I know what being in love really feels like and what I felt for Hermione…that wasn't it. Don't get me wrong, I do love her in my own way...but I've finally figured out that it's not romantic. I love her more like I'd love a friend or...or a sister."

Okay that didn't make any sense. "Then why were you jealous?" Harry questioned.

"Lately you and Hermione have been so bloody close, it almost felt like you were in your own little world. I don't know...it almost felt like, all of a sudden, you both didn't have any time for me. Like neither of you needed me anymore. I...I just felt left out, is all."

Harry sighed. "Well, I guess we've all been idiots then. I don't think either of us meant to make you feel left out. At least I didn't. I'm sure she didn't either, considering that she set out to make you notice her."

"I still can't believe you guys were faking all of it." Ron breathed.

"Yeah, in retrospect, I can't believe it either. I mean, how stupid was I, not only to go along with the whole thing in the first place but then to go and start believing in it myself…" He scoffed.

"So," Ron ventured tentatively, "Is it safe to say that you're in love with her then?"

Harry winced. "Yes. Hopelessly. Or at least I think so."

"Don't do that." Ron frowned. "Don't be tentative, not about this. Be sure. Because if you end up hurting Hermione because of your sodding back and forth bullshite, so help me, Harry, I'll punch your teeth in."

"Okay, okay jeez. Relax, will you?"

"Ha! Look who's talking." Ron teased, giving him a mock stern look.

Harry grinned reluctantly. His friend had a point. He'd been wound up so tight over the last few days, he had no business telling anyone else to relax, really. "It's just...I don't actually know what love feels like."

Ron winced sympathetically. "I'm sorry mate. Sometimes I forget you had such a lousy childhood." Then he paused, his eyes lighting up with a dawning realization. "Do you think that's why you're having so much trouble believing that someone could love you? Because you've never had someone love you in an unconditional, selfless way…? Or...is it that you refuse to believe she loves you because you want to protect yourself from further heartbreak?"

What? Could Ron be right? His staunch disbelief that Hermione didn't - couldn't - possibly love him; did that stem from a need to protect himself from further heartbreak? More importantly, when and how had Ron become so wise and all knowing?

"Let me see if I can help." Ron continued, oblivious to Harry's inner musings. "Being in love - it's the best and at times the worst feeling in the world. You want to see the person you love all the time, spend all your time with them. If they're not around you miss them incessantly. Just one sight of them makes you happy. But most importantly, you feel like you would do anything, say anything just to make them happy…" He trailed off.

"So, you love Lavender then, huh?" Harry questioned.

"Oh, sod off," Ron muttered, his cheeks suspiciously flushed. "This isn't even about me. It's about you and Hermione. So, did any of that feel familiar? Do you feel like that about her?"

"Yes. To both those questions."

"Well, then I'd say it's safe to say that you're in love." Ron thumped Harry on the back, giving him a cheeky smile. "Now for the love of God, go talk to Professor Slughorn. And once you have your infernal memory, go find Hermione and sort this whole mess out. Because it may not be clear to you yet but it is crystal clear to me that you both are crazy about each other."

"I dunno mate. I think I probably took our pretense a little bit too seriously. I don't...I don't think she ever fell for me the way I did for her. Or she wouldn't have been so okay with me supposedly getting together with Ginny would she? And I can't even blame her. This was entirely on me. She...she was pretty clear about her motives right from the start…"

"You're wrong, Harry. I think you're just too close to this entire matter to be able to see it clearly. But as your best friend - yours and Hermione's, I can definitely tell you that she's not as okay with all of this as she'd have you believe. You'll see. In fact - and Lav will probably murder me for telling you this but I feel like I have to - Parvati told Lavender that she has caught Hermione bawling her eyes out pretty much every day since you guys had your falling out."

His heart soared for a brief instant. "She has…?" The very next moment, the rest of Ron's words sunk in. Oh no. She'd been crying every day? He didn't like that. He didn't like it at all. Hermione was one of the strongest people he knew. She hardly ever cried. And if Lavender was to be believed she'd been crying everyday for the past few days. Why? Did it have something to do with Ron? Or could Ron be right…? Could she have been crying because of...him? Not that that would make him feel any better. He never wanted to be the cause of her misery.

"I'll talk to Hermione once I'm done talking to Professor Slughorn." He resolved.

"Good. That's good. Because if you don't, I might just have to lock you guys in the Room of Requirement until you both admit that you love each other."

Harry's face flamed with embarrassment. If only Ron knew what they'd already been up to in the Room of Requirement...

Thankfully, Ron didn't seem to notice Harry's reaction. He just went on talking blithely, completely unaware of his discomfort. "Now get on with your plan, mate. You don't want to lose out on this opportunity."

"Right." Harry unstoppered the bottle. "Here goes." He raised it to his lips and emptied the vial into his mouth. The instant the liquid went down his throat, he felt a frisson of energy run through him. He felt wonderful and powerful. All was right with the world again. He could do anything he wanted. Anything.

Ron was eyeing him curiously. "Well? How do you feel?"

"Excellent. Really excellent."

"Good. Go on then. Go see old Slughorn and get the dodgy memory so that you can concentrate on the things that really matter. Like Hermione. And love."

Right. Slughorn first, then Hermione. But no. That didn't seem right. Hermione had to come first, right? Right. "Right. I'm off to see Hermione." He made his way towards the portrait hole.

Ron's face screwed up with panic. "No, no, no. Harry, focus. Slughorn. The memory. Any of that ring a bell?"

Harry felt a bit disoriented, like he'd been the unfortunate recipient of an ill-timed Confundus.

Ron had to take a hold of his shoulders and shake him. Literally. But that seemed to do the trick.

Harry winced sheepishly. Right. Hermione - even though she was the most important person in his life - would have to wait just a tad bit longer. He had somewhere else to be.

"I'm gonna go see Hagrid now."

"What?!" Ron exclaimed. He looked like he was going to have an apoplectic fit. "No, Harry, you've got to speak to Slughorn first. Remember the plan…?"

"I know. But I've got a really good feeling about this, about Hagrid. I feel like it's the place to be tonight. Do you know what I mean?"

"No!"

"Well, trust me, I know what I'm doing. Or, I guess Felix does."

"Bloody hell, Harry, what in Merlin's beard are you doing?"

Harry didn't bother to respond. Somehow, he just knew, in his gut, that this was what he needed to do...where he needed to be. He felt confident; though he couldn't explain why; that he would accomplish his task before the night was over.

Just before he stepped out of the portrait hole, he almost ran into Hermione as she was making her way back from the library. The minute he saw her, he had an almost overwhelming urge to grab her and kiss her. So he did. Again, he just knew it was the right thing to do. And bloody hell, it was amazing. It felt like he was coming home; after a prolonged and tedious absence. He couldn't help but moan in appreciation and go back for a second kiss. Then a third.

"Ahem." It took a while for the noise to sink in. Bloody Ron. He appreciated the prat for keeping him in line but did he have to do it now, when he finally had Hermione in his arms again? Git!

Finally, he forced himself to pull back. Hermione looked thoroughly flustered. And completely ravished. Fuck! He didn't want to leave. But he had to. He pulled her in for one last snog, squeezed her shoulders and instructed, "You. Stay right there. Don't go anywhere, in fact, don't even move. I'll be right back and then you and I need to have a very long, very important, long overdue talk." He smirked at her gobsmacked expression, gave her a rakish wink and sauntered out the portrait hole.

Harry still felt 'good' - almost like he'd indulged in too much Firewhiskey. He felt a bit too chirpy and sassy and bold - completely unlike his usual self. But the potion had worked like a charm. He had the memory. Finally.

But he didn't really care about that right now. He'd called Dobby, given him the vial and asked him to hand it over to Professor Dumbledore for safekeeping. Harry would go visit the Headmaster later so that they both could go over the memory in minute detail. But right now, all he wanted to do was to see Hermione. He had this overwhelming urge to find her, to talk to her. And boy was he dying to kiss her again...

For some reason though, he couldn't make himself go back to the common room. Just like earlier, when instead of going over to Professor Slughorn's office like he'd intended to he'd had the overwhelming urge to go to Hagrid's instead, he now felt like he had to head over to the Prefect's bathroom. After a few futile attempts to change course he gave in and stomped over to the fifth floor statue of Boris the Bewildered. Bloody stupid potion, taking over his body. He didn't need to take a bath, he needed to talk to Hermione, for Merlin's sake.

He hated being so out of control. He should be allowed to make his own bloody stupid decisions, shouldn't he? But...well, the potion had helped him out earlier. He never would've gotten the true memory without it guiding him about what to say and do. So maybe he should trust in its effect's one more time…? Right then.

"Squeaky Clean." He grumbled, not entirely happy with his decision still.

The door to the Prefect's bathroom slid open noiselessly. Harry stepped in, still a bit in awe of the fact that he was officially allowed to use it now, courtesy of his position as the Gryffindor Quidditch captain.

First thing he noticed - the room smelled amazing, fragrant with the aroma of various bath oils and potions. The taps were running, spewing out multicolored bubbles into the enormous white marble tub. In the incandescent light from the candles in the chandelier, Harry could make out the hazy silhouette of a girl, her curly hair pinned up on her head, a few tendrils sticking to the back of her neck and her bare shoulders due to the humidity. Bollocks! The room was occupied and he'd pretty much just barged in without any compunction.

"I'm sor…" He trailed off just as the girl turned sideways in order to grab a washcloth off the ledge. He sucked in his breath, his jaw dropping open in stunned appreciation as he finally took in her identity. Hermione.

Bloody fucking hell. It was immediately obvious to him that she was completely and totally naked, even though he could only see the top of her shoulders and the slopes of her breasts above the water. Her pale skin was misty with perspiration, her cheeks flushed from the heat in the room. She made for a stunning vision. Simply and mind bogglingly beautiful.

As he contemplated his next course of action, Hermione's hand - the one holding the washcloth - disappeared under the water. There was a distinct sound of water splashing around and then a low, breathy moan. "Oh, Harry…"

Holy fucking shite! Was she…? Oh sweet Merlin. He'd died and gone to heaven. He must have.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop the husky groan from escaping his lips, instantly alerting her to his presence. She started, almost jumping out of the tub in fright. She turned around, instantly reaching for her wand. The next instant, she was poised and ready to fire a spell, unconcerned with her nakedness. Had he been an intruder, he wouldn't have stood a chance.

Shocked silly though he was, he couldn't help but admire her presence of mind, even in this kind of situation. Even Professor Moody - the real one, not the imposter - would've been proud of her. He certainly was.

Her eyes met his across the room. Slowly he could see recognition dawn on her face. Even across the distance, he could clearly make out the myriad reactions she was experiencing. First shock, then fear followed by shame and horror at being caught in such a compromising position. And by him, of all people.

She paled. "Harry!" She shrieked. "Wh...what are you doing here?!" She scrambled around, flustered, looking for a towel to drape around herself. "Actually, never mind that. Close your eyes first. Or… or turn around."

He couldn't though. His brain had totally short circuited. He couldn't walk or move or even blink, much less say anything. His eyes were too busy feasting on her, in all her naked glory. And she was. Glorious. Heartbreakingly so. The one and only time they'd been intimate with each other, he'd been too distracted. Too nervous. Too occupied by what they'd been doing at the time...by everything he'd been feeling. He hadn't taken his time to just look at her...to observe how staggeringly beautiful she was. And her beauty was even more accentuated here, now, at this moment in time. Maybe it was the light in the room or simply the fact that he finally knew what she meant to him... how he felt about her. Whatever it was, he could safely say that she'd never looked more beautiful in all the years that he'd known her.

And then to know what he'd so inadvertently interrupted. Sweet Merlin...

"Wh..why are you looking at me like that?" She questioned, seeming completely unnerved.

"Because you're so bloody perfect…" He breathed.

Hermione flushed.

Then she jerked back suddenly, her face screwed up in alarm. "Wait a minute, why are you here? Why aren't you with Professor Slughorn? Oh Harry, I hope you didn't forget about your plan." She fretted.

Oh, right. That. It took some effort but he finally managed to shake himself out of his stupor. Bugger, he'd completely lost the plot, hadn't he? He had come in here with the intention of clearing the air between them and finally coming clean about his feelings for her. Instead, he'd taken one look at her and completely lost his bloody marbles. He'd been this close to just jumping in the tub with her, talking be damned. In fact, if not for her opportune question, he might have done just that.

An idiot, that's what he was. A complete and total moron. He averted his eyes; ashamed beyond belief at his utter lack of self control. "S...sorry." He stuttered in embarrassment. "I..er..I got the memory."

"You did?" She squealed excitedly, seemingly forgetting the situation they were currently in (that she was very much naked...and that he was decidedly not) "Oh, Harry, I'm so glad!"

He gave her a self conscious smile. "Thank you."

"Well? Did you see it? What was it about?"

"Oh. No. I...I haven't seen it yet."

"What? Why not?" She immediately went into lecture mode. "Harry, you shouldn't dawdle. Not about this. You know how important it is."

He almost rolled his eyes. And yet, somehow the remnants of the Felix Felicis potion in his system seemed to warn him that this was not the time or the place for such a reaction and that it would almost certainly be ill received. "I know, Hermione. I already asked Dobby to take it to Professor Dumbledore's office before I came here. I intend to go over there in a bit and talk to him about it. But I told you before I left that we needed to talk and I think that for now, that is a bit more important."

"Oh." He could almost sense her shutting down...pulling away from him mentally, if not physically. She picked up her towel from the edge of the tub and wrapped it around her body. She might as well have donned a suit of armor, for how untouchable she seemed in that moment.

Harry hated it, hated the barriers she'd erected between them. It hurt, almost as if a vital part of his soul had been torn away. He clenched his hands into fists at his side, barely stopping himself from reaching for her. But he didn't want to seem too desperate or too needy, even though he absolutely was.

Taking a deep breath she finally looked at him again. "Wh...what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

No beating around the bush then. Just simple, direct and to the point. Well, he shouldn't be surprised. This was Hermione he was talking to. He decided that it would be in his best interest to approach the topic head-on as well. Still...he needed some clarity on a couple of things before he bared his heart and soul to her completely. "We'll get to that in a minute but before we do, can I ask you a question?"

"Uh," She looked everywhere but his eyes. "Sure." Her reluctance was hard to miss.

"Why didn't you wait for me like I asked you to?" He didn't know why that was so important but his instincts were still guiding him and he was giving them free rein for the moment. "Didn't you want to talk to me?"

"Uh...I...I didn't know what to think after that kiss. Frankly, it...it was rather unnerving." She glanced away, her cheeks pinkening with self consciousness. "I...I just needed a moment to gather myself."

Her entire demeanor reflected uncertainty. And that broke his heart. He never wanted to make her feel less than she was. She was magnificent - and not just in the way she looked. She was the sweetest, most caring, most intelligent and loving person he'd ever known. She was his best friend, his family, his whole world. The remnant of the Felix Felicis potion in his blood was urging him to lay down his heart at her feet. And yet, the butterflies in his stomach wouldn't let him just tell her about his feelings. What if she didn't feel the same way about him? What if she just thought of him as her friend? Even worse, what if declaring his feelings resulted in her pulling away from him? He never wanted to lose her. Still... this couldn't go on. He had to know one way or the other. And preferably before he went totally out of his mind. He took a deep breath and once again let his instincts take over.

"What do you think I want to talk to you about Hermione?"

"I don't know." She seemed harassed. "Maybe about what happened with Professor Slughorn?" He shook his head. "No? Oh... it could be something to do with Ginny." Was it just his imagination or did she seem a bit upset about that prospect? No, something was definitely bothering her. Her eyes were definitely a bit shinier than they'd been a moment before. "Although to be honest, I don't know if I'm the right person to talk to about that. I...I don't." She stopped abruptly and took a deep, shuddering breath. "I can't, Harry. Please don't make me do it, not if you care about me even a little." She turned away, burying her face in her hands.

His heart pounded with a mix of triumph and tenderness. She cared about him too, he was almost sure of it now. "Can't what, Hermione?" He asked, gently turning her back around to face him.

Her eyes sparked with ire. "I know you think of me as this bloody perfect know-it-all who always has all the damn answers to all of your bloody questions and the solutions to all of your infernal problems. And I know I'm your best friend, of course I am, so naturally you'd want to come to me with all your issues and I definitely don't want that to change as far as things are concerned but I honestly don't know if I can talk to you about your girl problems anymore Harry." She finally paused for a breath, deflating visibly. "At least not right now. May...maybe in a few months when I've...when I've…" She trailed off helplessly.

He almost stopped breathing. "When you've...?" Usually when she was mad, he made it a point to stay far away from her. Well she was clearly mad now. And yet he couldn't help but push her. He felt like he had to, like he didn't have a choice in the matter. He had to hear the end of that sentence. "When you've what, Hermione?"

"When I've finally gotten over you, alright?" She practically screamed.

"Gotten over me?" His breath left him in a whoosh, his heart singing with relief and joy.

Unfortunately, she mistook his query for confusion. And the fact that he was confused by her confession just seemed to set her bristles on edge. He was terrified that at any moment, she was going to erupt in an epic explosion of rage, the likes of which Hogwarts had never experienced before. Merlin help them all, but most especially him.

Instead of raging and yelling at him though, she blinked, almost seeming to be on the verge of tears once again. "I...I...this silly plan of mine seems to have backfired spectacularly on me causing me to have feelings for you. There, now you know." She turned away from him again, her shoulders drooping in defeat and resignation. "Will you leave me alone now at least?"

Never! His heart rebelled at the very thought. He'd rather cut his own heart out of his chest than leave her alone. Hell, he'd rather face down a firing squad led by Voldemort himself and consisting of Bellatrix, Lucius Malfoy, Umbridge and Filch rather than be even a teeny bit alienated from Hermione.

Before he could tell her that though she just went on (as per her usual habit), completely oblivious to his own train of thought. "I...I know you don't love me back, at least not like that and I'm okay with that, honestly. I...I just need some time to align my head to this new reality and to get used to seeing you and Ginny together. Once I do that, maybe then I can help you sort out any issues with Ginny. Until then, maybe you should talk to Ron."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "And you think you can do that; just get over me and be okay with me being with someone else; that easily?"

"I… I never said it was going to be easy. I mean, I got over Ron but then, in retrospect, I don't think I was ever in love with him, not like I'm in love with you." Oh how he loved hearing her say that. And yet, she wouldn't let him get in a word edgewise. "Bu...but you're also my best friend. And I don't ever want to lose you. So no matter how tough it gets, I'll do everything in my power to put my feelings aside, I swear to you Harry."

"Okay, that's enough of that, you silly girl. For someone who's supposed to be the smartest witch of our age you seem to have completely missed the plot on this one. I never ever want you to put your feelings for me behind you."

"Wh...why not?" She mumbled, flustered.

"Because I'm insanely, completely and totally in love with you too." He declared simply, feeling as if a thousand ton weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.

She blinked. "You are?" She whispered wonderingly, almost disbelievingly.

He just nodded wordlessly.

"B...but what about Ginny?" She questioned, looking bewildered. "In the classroom...you-you guys were kissing..."

"No!" He almost shouted in his rush to clarify the situation. "No…" He made an effort to make his voice calmer, more rational. "She kissed me, not the other way around."

Hermione still looked uncertain. "But you like her, don't you? Or at least you did, until very recently. I...I don't blame you. She's so pretty. Slim, tall...with glorious fiery hair. She's athletic like you and isn't afraid of anything. How...how can you not like her? She's perfect for you."

"No she isn't." Harry refuted firmly. "She doesn't even really know the real me, not like you do. What she thinks she loves is the Boy who Lived. And you know more than anyone, that's not who I am. I...I admit, it took me way too long to see you Hermione, but I see you now. The way you care for me, the way you go out of your way to put my needs before your own...there could never be anyone else that's more perfect for me. And don't even get me started on how bloody beautiful you are. Merlin, you're just stunning - inside and out. I...I've been blind for way too long, but not anymore. You're the one for me, Mione. Now and forever. Not Ginny. Never Ginny."

The next thing he knew, Hermione gave an excited squeal and jumped right back into his arms.

"I love you, I love you, I love you so much…" She smothered his face with kisses. "Merlin Harry, I love you." Her voice was filled with wonder and unadulterated joy.

He could relate. His whole body was buzzing with happiness. He couldn't believe his luck. This amazing girl (woman) who could have any guy she wanted in the whole wide world actually loved him - Harry. The whole thing felt surreal.

But he wasn't going to argue with her or question the validity of her emotions. He may be dumb but he wasn't that dumb. He cupped her cheeks tenderly. "I love you too, Hermione. So bloody much."

"Oh, Harry." She melted into him, her lips touching his tenderly.

Finally!

Then she pulled back abruptly. "I am going to hex Ginny to hell and back. How dare she make a move on my boyfriend?"

Boyfriend? His heart exploded with joy. Yes, please!

He'd missed this; missed her. Though they'd still spent most of their time together over the last few weeks, he realized he'd gotten used to this new dynamic that they'd established in recent times. And it wasn't just the physical aspect of their relationship that he'd missed (although he'd be lying if he said he hadn't missed that) but more so the intimacy that it had created between them.

One thing was clear - now that he had her, he was never letting her go. Ever. He didn't want to freak her out by saying so out loud, but he was sure that he was going to marry her one day in the not so distant future. He was going to make a life with her; and hopefully make many beautiful babies too - babies who would grow up to be smart, sassy and gorgeous, just like their mom. She was his family - from this moment on until forever.

Of course, he still had to defeat Voldemort before he could get started on any of that. But for the first time ever, he wasn't afraid. He knew; with her by his side; he could succeed at anything - even defeating the most evil and dangerous wizard of their times.

His tongue eagerly slipped between her lips to duel with hers. Throwing caution to the wind he ripped off her towel, picked her up and tossed her back into the tub.

She flailed around, spluttering in surprise. He chuckled, unable to regret his actions even a tiny bit. She would be mad at him, so be it. She would probably want revenge but that was acceptable as well. Right now all he cared about was the fact that they were alone in the prefect's bathroom and that they had a ton of lost time to make up for.

He gave her a sexy grin. "So… Miss Granger, what naughty things were you up to before I got here, I wonder?"

"What? No...nothing." She denied, flustered.

"No?" he whispered with a smirk, "Oh well, I guess I was mistaken, but I could've sworn I heard you moaning my name just then."

Hermione blushed, then smirked right back. "Wouldn't you like to know…"

The End

A/N - Thank you so much for reading, liking and reviewing the story - it means a lot to me. Hopefully, I've made up for some of the disappointment of the last chapter in this one...at least a little bit. Either way, I'm glad you came along with me for this ride. I'm not marking the story as complete (even though it pretty much is…) because I have a few snippets/outtakes/deleted scenes that I may decide to post a bit later. Or who knows, I might be enticed/inspired to convert those into a full blown epilogue. We'll see how I feel about it in the future. For now though, this is the end.