Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I only own the merchandise.

Author's Note: Hi everyone. Sorry for the long silence. I was on holiday, visiting family since my major exams are over. Then I needed a holiday to recover from the holiday. Don't you just love and at the same time, hate your family?

Harry woke up with the sunlight streaming through the window in his eyes. It took him a while to remember where he was and longer before he sat up.

'Nnngh.'

He winced as his head throbbed. Eyes squeezed shut against the pain, Harry groped blindly on the nightstand for his wand. A simple charm, and the pressure on his skull was gone.

He briefly pondered showering and dressing but decided against it.

'What for? I've nowhere to go,' he thought, lying back down on his bed. Just then, a brisk knock sounded at the door.

'Harry, dear, are you awake? There's hot breakfast ready downstairs in the dining room if you want it.'

'Thanks, Mrs. Thomas, I'll be down in five minutes.' Darn. There went his chance of lounging in bed.

After showering and dressing, he lingered by the window, looking down on the main street of the little town. It was filled with people going about their business. Out of idle curiosity, he glanced at the clock and blinked. It was 7 in the morning.

Why the hell am I awake so early? He grumbled to himself. It's not like there's anything special to see…

His heart stopped.

There was a familiar head in the street in the same shade of brown he knew so well.

Harry wasn't aware of flinging open the door, of dashing down the stairs and brushing of a startled Mrs. Thomas. The next thing he knew, he was standing in the street with the crowds of shoppers.

Harry's eyes darted left and right frantically.

Could it be…

There! Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the woman disappear into the throngs of people to his left. He blindly pushed past, sight fixed on her, ignoring the little voice in his brain telling him that he could be stalking a perfect stranger, that it was just too much of a coincidence…

Then she turned her head.

Harry was riveted to the spot. Even from the distance, there was no doubt that she was Hermione. The spell was broken when she turned away and vanished past a burly man in beige.

Harry was galvanized into action, legs pumping as he tried to follow her as quickly as he could. Finally, they left the main street where he could see her clearly.

For the second time that day, his heart stopped.

Hermione wasn't alone. With her was a little girl, aged about five or six. Harry had not seen her earlier because of the crowd.

Frozen to the spot, he watched as Hermione and the girl turned off the street down a little pathway which presumably led to their home.

He felt as though his heart was shattering into pieces.

Deep inside of him, though he never admitted it, he selfishly wished that Hermione was as miserable as he was. Harry hoped that she would experience the suffering that he had gone through as he searched for her to no avail.

But it seemed that Harry's place in Hermione's heart was not as permanent as her place in his heart. She was probably married and that was her daughter.

He rubbed his face, suddenly feeling very old and tired. It was time to wake up from the daydream he had been living for the past five years. Hermione had already moved on and so must he.

Harry finally confronted the memory that had haunted him for the past five years.

9th of January, 5 years ago

A 20-year-old Harry paced around his makeshift tent, brow furrowed in anger.

'Hermione, I am not letting you go out there tomorrow!'

She stood to the side, biting her lower lip in the manner he usually found so adorable.

'Just because I'm your girlfriend, Harry James Potter, doesn't mean that you have to be so overprotective!' she retorted hotly.

'I'm not being overprotective! I…I just don't want you to get hurt.'

Harry fondly touched her cheek but Hermione pulled away. The soft green shade in his eyes hardened into twin emerald flames and his jaw tightened.

'Merlin, Hermione, if you're going to be so damn difficult…'

'I'm not being difficult, Harry! You and your goddamn saving people thing, what the hell makes you think that I'm so helpless?!'

Blazing emerald eyes met furious hazel ones.

Harry broke eye contact first, looking away.

'Hermione, this is Voldemort we're up against. That bastard hurts anyone close to me. I can't afford to lose you, you know that.'

Hermione softened and she squeezed his hand.

'Harry…I know. It's just that I don't want you to go out alone there. Don't you understand? I don't want to sit here and worry myself sick waiting for news. I want to help you.'

He exhaled and rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily.

'Hermione, listen to me. Hermione…' She knew what he was going to say and stepped away angrily.

Harry snapped.

'Damnit!' He roared. 'I need some time to think!'

Storming out of the tent, his mind in a maelstrom of emotions, he found himself in an unfamiliar part of the camp.

A head popped out of the tent on his right.

'Harry?'

He scrutinised the face. It was Romilda Vane. Seeing her should have set off alarm bells in his head, considering what she had resorted to in chasing him in his sixth year but Harry was too angry with himself to care.

'Romilda.'

She stepped out of the tent, pulling off her robe and revealing a low-cut dress underneath it.

'You look thirsty. Would you like a Gillywater?' she purred seductively, stroking his forearm.

Harry looked blankly at her, seeing none of the lust in her eyes.

'Alright. Fine. A small Gillywater.'

She pulled him into the tent in one fluid movement and pushed a glass into his hand. Harry downed the drink in one gulp and was pleasantly surprised to find it seemed to clear his head.

'Another glass?'

Harry nodded, holding his glass out. After downing it, and the next, time seemed to pass in a blur and he gradually lost control of himself. The last thing he remembered was Romilda's face coming dangerously close to his.

Harry awoke the next morning with a pounding head. There was a warm weight resting on his chest and he rubbed his eyes blearily.

What happened last night? He seemed to have no recollection whatsoever.

Then the memories came rushing back.

Arguing with Hermione…leaving the tent…Romilda! The drinks he'd consumed!

He realised he was lying naked in bed with Romilda.

Before he could react, his mind struggling to grasp the enormity of what he'd done, Harry heard a sound outside the tent flap.

No! He tried to move, to hide the evidence but his body refused to respond. Harry sat there, frozen, awaiting the inevitable.

Hermione walked in and stopped short, her eyes taking in and comprehending the incriminating scene that lay before her.

Harry could only watch as hurt and anger filled Hermione's normally gentle eyes and she bolted from the tent.

Only the sight of her retreating back spurred him into leaving the bed, hastily dressing as he did so.

'Hermione! Wait! It's not what you think…I can explain…'

Even as the words left his mouth, he cringed at the feebleness of them. To make matters worse, Harry's shouts had aroused the entire camp. Wizards and witches cloaked in black robes streamed out of their tents, blocking Hermione from view.

By the time Harry had fought his way through the throng, it was too late.

A search of the camp with Ron and Ginny yielded nothing. Harry had wanted to search again but the sudden attack launched by Voldemort on them forced him to abandon it.

Luckily for all those fighting on the side of the Light, Harry channelled all his emotions into the Final Battle and the Dark Lord was annihilated.

Though Good had triumphed, all was dark in Harry's soul.

Present day

Harry came back to the present with a start. The sun was setting in the horizon, painting the skies with streaks of red and orange.

And now he had a problem.

A part of him wanted to walk away, to wipe Hermione from his being and to begin life anew. That was what anyone would advise him to do. It was the perfectly sensible solution.

Of course, that was impossible to do.

Hermione had played such a major part in his life. If he were to rip her out, it would cause irreparable damage to himself.

That was certainly not a viable option.

And there was always seeking her forgiveness.

Romilda had been killed in the Final Battle, removing that particular problem. It now only lived in Harry's mind.

And Hermione's.

Harry still loved her. Selfishly, he wanted her back in his life. Something he knew was not possible, given the existence of that little girl.

In a flash, Harry knew what he had to do.

He would seek closure. Harry would have Hermione back in his life, but only as a friend.

With only the slightest hesitation, Harry started off down the winding path, just as the sun finally sank beneath the horizon.

Author's Note: Whew, this is the longest chapter I've ever written. Sorry if the ending seems a little rushed, I'm feeling a little pooped. I promise the next chapter won't be so rushed!