Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to JK Rowling.

A/N : Hi all. Thanks for reading and reviewing my story.It has been great fun trying to put together a story like this and I'm really loving it. Keep the reviews coming! Really appreciate you all reading my story.Hope you enjoy this chapter!Cheers!

Decisions

"Hey, are you ready to go?"

Harry found himself standing at Hermione's door, waiting to have a night out. Their relationship was growing each day, with them spending more time together after work. They had even begun snogging but hadn't slept together yet. Although Harry didn't mind that, he occasionally struggled to uphold his promise to himself that he wouldn't sleep with her under false pretences.

"I'm done. So what do you have planned for tonight?"

Hermione found herself dressed for a night out, in a brown sweater that she found accentuated her eyes and a pair of jeans and her hair tied back in a ponytail. She had without a shadow of a doubt fallen deeply for her partner at work now. The only problem, she felt, was why he never invited her over to his place. They always met up either at the Ministry after work or at her place on a weekend like today. She was tempted to ask him why but felt that he would tell her in time to come.

Harry smiled. "Well I thought we could maybe catch a movie. Then perhaps a walk around the park and see where that takes us."

She nodded with a faint of a smile on her face as she took his arm and they stepped out of the house.

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Feeling an arm around her, she turned around in surprise. "James! What are you doing?"

He smiled down at her, his eyes twinkling. "You were shivering. I'm keeping you warm."

She snuggled into him as they walked around the park close to her house. The cold weather made the walk slightly bad but she didn't mind. Not with James around. She had never felt better ever since Harry left.

They stopped and sat down on a bench which Hermione almost immediately closed her eyes in the comfort James provided.

He kissed her forehead and saw her snuggle even more into his arms. A thousand thoughts went through his head, but one stood out from all. He knew that Ron and Luna's wedding was a few weeks away and that he should probably go for the sake of his best friend. The only question that remained was if he was to go as Harry James Potter or James Evans.

The movement of her head upwards broke his train of thought as she moved to kiss him. I really should tell --

His intended action got cut off when she starting to pepper her lips over his and slowly moved down his jaw and onto his throat. Her hands rounded about his shoulders and wrapped around his neck.

"Hermione, may-maybe we should go back to your place instead." Harry stuttered.

Hermione nodded her consent and sprang to her feet, dragging Harry along, totally unaware of the troubled look on his face.

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Upon reaching her door, an impatient Hermione took her wand out discreetly and whispered "Alohomora" before pocketing the wand and pulling Harry into her house.

"Oh I want to ask you something first before anything. Ronald, my friend that I've mentioned quite a few times, has a wedding coming up the week after next. I was wondering if you like to go with me?" Hermione asked as she put her arms around his waist.

That was it. Harry didn't think that she'd be the one to mention Ron's wedding. He always figured he'd be the one to tell her in his own time and not be forced to do so.

"James?" He looked down at her face, worry etched all over. "Are you ok? You look kind of pale."

"'Mione, we've got to talk. We should talk. Maybe you should sit down." Harry said in what he hope was a calm voice while running his hand through his hair.

Hermione, confusion clearly apparent, sat down on her couch, looking for an explanation from James.

"'Mione, I'm not who you think I am. You don't really know me yet. Well, actually you do but that's not the point. Wait…that is the point. Oh dear Merlin, I was never good with words. Maybe I should just show you instead."

Hermione, still confused, tilted and nodded but wasn't still quite clear what he was getting at. Things became a whole lot clearer when she saw what happened and her mouth dropped at the sight of the man she thought she trusted change in front of her very eyes.

James' blonde-tinted hair changed to black while his skin became slightly lighter. Soon enough, the man standing in front of her was a man she had not seen in over 5 years. Harry James Potter.

"Oh how could I have been so stupid! Your habit of running your hand through your hair when you were nervous and your name! James Evans as in James Potter and Lily Evans! Oh I've been so stupid! And you called me Mione! You were the only one who called me Mione. And your eyes! No wonder they were so familiar.I should have realized that!"

Harry rushed to her, and held her arms in his arms hoping to calm her down only for her to shout "Don't you touch me! How could you! Go off like that 5 years ago and not write to us at all! Now you come back but you pretend to be somebody else? How could you! Do you know how worried we were for so long, how afraid we were that something had happened to you after you left when we didn't get a single owl from you or how distraught we were when after 4 years, 4 long years before we realized that we had to commit to the idea that you were either dead or missing? So don't you dare say you are sorry and you better not dare to say that you understand what we went through when you certainly can't!"

Harry slowly backed away during Hermione's outburst and ended up near the door. Seeing Hermione stop to take a breather, he quickly cut in before she could continue her tirade. "'Mione, you have to understand what I was going through when I left. You and Ron weren't there when I had to face Voldemort. I know I left without telling you and that I refused to tell you anything about the duel when I came back. But you have to listen to my side of the story and frankly, you aren't in the right frame of mind to hear me out right now. Even though you didn't want me to say it, I'm sorry. I'll send an owl in a few days time if you want to hear why I left. I hope I'll see you soon 'Mione."

Hermione stood at the side of the couch, hands using it as support as she cried before slumping onto the ground, allowing her sobs to cover the unmistakable sound of apparition.

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Harry turned around once he closed the door. Taking in a deep breathe, he looked around before he apparated back to his place even though he lived nearby.

Appearing in his living room, Harry leaned onto his bookshelf, his focus falling on a picture with Ron, Hermione and himself in it before he left. The very last time he saw his friends before his left. He picked it up and stared intently at the picture.

Was it a mistake leaving at all? Was leaving worth having Hermione and Ronald mad at me? Was it all really worth it?

A voice very much like Dumbledore's rang out in reply in his head. Does it really matter if it was worth it Harry? What's done has been done and now we all have to live by our decisions.

Sighing, he placed the picture frame back onto the shelf. He moved up into his room where he began writing his letter to Hermione, inviting her to his place should she want to hear him out. Other than that, he could only wait.