Chapter Nine

"Harry," she said softly, for a moment she didn't think he heard her. Then he stood up straighter pulling his new muscular six foot one body to its full height. His back moved a sign of deep breathing, he was pulling himself together. Not a very good sign.

When he turned around his face was emotionless. He was blank and looking very much the warrior he was born to be. The face of the Harry she had known just a couple of days ago was gone, in his place standing someone she had no idea how to talk to.

"Harry," she said again trying to coax a reply out of him.

He said nothing only stared at her though she wasn't even sure he was seeing her.

She tried again "Harry," he just stood there staring at her. Seeing he was going to not say anything she decided to take matters into her own hands. She walked over to him and touched his arm gently, still no reaction. Her patience was starting to thin out and she stood right in-front of him in his space. He stepped back a little and looked down at her. He still wasn't saying anything.

"Harry? What wrong with you? She asked her tone stone cold.

He still stared at her and his silence was starting to infuriate her.

Deciding he wasn't going to talk to her Hermione took his hand in hers and looked pointedly at Remus and Tonks, and then they disappeared.

Harry didn't even care that he was being taken against his will to go somewhere with the one person in the world he was in love with but was also in need of avoiding. They arrived at the destination Hermione had chosen. Harry noticed it was the park close to his house, the same park where Dudley and his goons used to bully him. He snorted inwardly and thought, "Perfect place to talk to me. Thanks."

Hermione walked over to one of the swings and sat down. He didn't move just stood where they had landed. She didn't say anything for a while just looked at him. Deciding he still wasn't going to sit down or talk to her she opened the conversation.

"What's going on Harry?" she asked him seriously. He stared at her and said nothing. She looked down and the next time she lifted her head tears were in her eyes and she was blinking hard to keep the tears from dropping.

"I don't get you Harry James, one moment you are all caring then the next moment you are acting like this. I honestly thi-"

"I'm sorry Hermione," he cut her off in the middle of her rant quietly.

She stared at him for a moment in shock that he had actually spoken.

"Excuse me?" she asked not certain she had actually heard him.

"I said I'm sorry Hermione," he repeated a little louder this time his green eyes on her brown ones looking sad. That was the first emotion he had shown since she had started talking to him at the café. When Hermione didn't say anything just stared at him as though he had grown another head with a horn he continued. He figured this would be the best way for him to just say what was on his mind and in his heart. He couldn't stand to see the tears that were so close to falling from her eyes. "I really have no right to react the way I did today and I am sorry you had to be on the receiving end of that. I just have a lot going on with my life right now and I can't seem to put everything in order. I have these feelings that I do not understand. I can't even begin to fathom what they mean. I am feeling things that I shouldn't… and most likely it will end badly, but I can't stop what I'm feeling even though it's wrong. I just can't stand aside and watch someone take-," he stopped abruptly just as he was about to tell her how he felt.

Unconsciously he had been moving closer and closer to Hermione. They now stood inches apart from each other with him looking down at her, his eyes staring down into hers and hers into his.

Hermione had never seen Harry's eyes looking so intense and as they stared into her brown eyes, they were like sharp emeralds. They seemed to be searching for something within her and she felt as though he was seeing right through her. All the way to her soul. She inhaled deeply inhaling his scent in the process leaving her a little disoriented and light headed. She closed her eyes and mentally shook herself awake and out of the daze he was putting her into.

"Harry, its okay to feel new emotions, you don't always have to have an interpretation of what you are feeling. Sometimes you just need to let what you are feeling take over. You are growing and you need to feel, confusion, anger any kind of emotion is bound to be bombarding you especially because your magic is growing, your abilities are taking control and you just need to have them lead you until your magic has reached its full potential. Of course you will also need to control it this way you won't become power. It's part of growing up and I doubt you'd ever feel something that would end up being dangerous to the point you are thinking. You have to start thinking about yourself Harry. I know you like taking care of others but who will take care of you? You have to try and take care of yourself at some point you know?" she said seriously a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

He still hadn't moved away from her and she could feel his body heat. Her brain wasn't functioning well and she hoped she had said things that made sense. Harry moved closer to her and hugged her tightly, burying his face in her brown curls, making his voice muffled when he spoke.

"I am so sorry Hermione. You don't deserve the kind of treatment I have been giving you. You are my best-friend in the entire world and I just can't bear the thought of losing. Not even to another-," he stopped again. Why can't I just tell her?

Hermione moved a little away from him and looked at him studying his expression. He wanted to tell her something, she was pretty sure of that. Her heart wanted it to be how much he was in love with her but her mind, being the only rational part on her body at that very moment denied that possibility. She knew he was one of the most handsome guys at Hogwarts and she was sure he could get any girl he wanted and he wouldn't date or even give a girl like her a second glance.

"You won't lose me Harry. I am always here and always will be," she told him conveying all of her feelings in her voice. Her eyes were now connected to his. He stared into her eyes for a while saying nothing only reveling in her beauty.

"Hermione you can't guarantee that don't you know?" he asked his voice soft.

"I know but with you around I know I will always be safe and of course you will always protect me though I might need to protect you once in a while," she said a smile in her voice.

Harry smiled and pulled her back to him and hugged her again. He could feel his body getting excited so he pulled back and kissed her forehead though he wished he could kiss her soft lips but she was taken. Speaking of that…

"Anything you want to tell me Mione?" he asked wiggling his eyebrows suggestively; a smile on his lips, the playful Harry she knew was back.

"About what?" she asked innocently though she had an idea what he was talking about.

"You know the movie star looking guy in the café," he said lightly though his eyes had lost a little of their light. His smile never faltered though it looked a little forced all of a sudden.

She had known the topic was going to come up at some point and she had figured "the movie looking guy" as Harry chose to refer him as was the reason Harry had stormed out of the café, but that couldn't be true since he didn't feel that way about her. She blushed when she realized Harry was staring at her waiting for a reply. She cleared her throat and looked at him.

"He is my cousin. He is visiting us from New York. He was born here but he moved there with his mom and dad when his father got promoted and his company went to the U.S. Business is better there. He is a Muggle with only the gift of Telekinesis. He knows about me being a witch, since our great grandmother was a witch. He-," she stopped when she saw Harry staring ay her. His mouth was slightly ajar and he seemed to have stopped listening. "Harry?" she said.

He blinked and looked her in the eye.

"He's your cousin?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied not sure where this was going.

"You never told me you had a brother," he said.

"You never asked," she said with a smile. His eyes were shining again and her knees were starting to weaken again. It was not fair that he could do that to her.

"Do you have any other family members I should know about?" he asked.

"I have an aunt, an uncle, two-," she didn't finish because she could see his eyes were now fixed on her. He was staring at her mouth with an intensity she had never seen.

"Harry?" she asked.

He didn't respond, but his eyes flickered to hers a moment before he brought his head down and kissed her. She stood still for a second in shock then every thought in her mind flew away and she was kissing him. He tasted fantastic. He swept his tongue across her bottom lip asking for entrance and she gladly granted it. His tongue swept hers in a fight of dominance. She could feel his body pressed against hers and she could feel how excited he was getting. She moaned when he pushed his body into hers making her feel his manhood, in return he groaned when she ground her front into his hips. A gasp escaped her mouth when he pulled her even closer and let his hands roam to her behind. When breathing became essential she pulled away and smiled at him with her eyes closed. He laid his head on her shoulder in her hair, inhaling her scent.

When Hermione opened her eyes Harry still had his head buried in her hair on her shoulder. She stepped back, instantly missing the warmth of his body. He looked up at with a look that had fear written all over it.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. I don't want our friendship to be messed up," he said running a hand in his hair a sure sign of frustration. "I shouldn't have kissed you. I-," she cut him off.

Harry don't apologize unless you didn't mean to kiss me," she said looking at him. "I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't want to."

"Hermione-," he started.

"I know about the dangers Harry, but-,"

"I know you know Hermione but I don't want to put you in danger," he said his eyes drilling into her.

"I know Harry," she said but he didn't let her finish.

"Hermione, what about Ron?" he asked.

"What about him?"

"He's in love with you," he said.

"But I don't love him Harry," she said trying to have him read she loved only him.

"I saw you together at the funeral you know?"

She knew he would bring that up and knowing Harry and his "honor" streak he wouldn't jump into a relationship with her if he knew Ron liked her.

"I'm sorry Mione I have to go," he said and took her hand. He apparated her back to the café and gave her chaste kiss on the lips and another on her forehead then apparated himself away leaving a stunned Remus and Tonks behind.

A/N: I am so sorry it took this long for me to update. I didn't know how to proceed with the story. Thank you all for reading. Please review. Thank you to those who reviewed and added my story to their favourite alerts and so here it is. Thanks read, and have fun… xoxo