It's been a few days since I've sat down and written anything. I didn't get the reviews I wanted, even though I have now surpasses 3,000 hits with only 16 reviews. Oh well. Once again, J.K. Rowling owns everything but the plot.

Chapter 4

Harry was staring into the hurt and betrayed eyes of his former lover. This was surreal, he thought. How is this even happening? Out of all the girls in the club, this is the one he ends up with. Harry ran a hand through his hair, then looked Hermione in the face. Her beautiful, angry face.

Then he started laughing. Laughing uncontrollably. A confused look swept across Hermione's face before she joined in on the laughing too. This was too dreamlike for the both of them. Before long, however, the reality of the situation came back to Hermione.

With a hesitant and innocent tone in her voice, Hermione asked, "Harry, why did you leave all those years ago?"

Didn't Hermione know, Harry thought. She was the one that left. "Because you left, Hermione. You left me after that night. You made me realize what you meant to me. You made me realize you weren't just my best friend. You were my love. I had taken you for granted all the years we had been friends. I never acted on my feelings because I didn't know that's how I felt. It took something like that to make me understand what you were. My love."

Hermione stood stunned at this confession from Harry. After a moment, she finally chocked out, "Pancakes."

"Uhm, excuse me."

"Pancakes. That's why I left." Hermione said.

Harry studied Hermione for a moment, trying to decipher what the hell she meant. "The reason you left was…pancakes?"

Hermione recovered and said, "I had left to get stuff to make pancakes in the morning. I was going to surprise you."

"Why don't we go to my apartment and talk?" Harry said. He was just trying to figure all this out.

Harry and Hermione apparated to his apartment and Hermione took a seat on his couch. Harry returned with two glasses of wine and sat down. He still couldn't believe it. Hermione was in his apartment. Hermione Granger, the witch he thought he had lost, was on his couch.

"So, pancakes are the reason we haven't seen each other in four years?" Harry asked.

"It would seem that way." Hermione said, taking a sip of her wine.

Harry and Hermione sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting for the other person to break the ice. Hermione finally spoke, nearly too quiet for Harry to hear, "I've really missed you."

Harry smiled sadly, and looked at Hermione, who had tears in her eyes. "I've missed you too, Hermione."

A relieved smile took over Hermione's face. Now that the ice was broken, Harry asked what Hermione had been doing since that day.

Hermione took a deep breath before answering, "Well, I went back to Ron's apartment to retrieve all my stuff and found Lavender Brown still in our bed. I found a new apartment and lived off of what savings I had before I could find another job. I started working at Flourish and Blott's three years ago and have been working ever since. I've made a few friends since then. I don't ever talk to the Weasleys, well except for George. He's still friendly to me. I don't really do much. I go to work then usually read in my spare time. That's about it."

"You still don't shut up, do you?" Harry said with a smile.

Hermione shot him a glare, but then her face melted into a smile. She was so relieved that they could talk without there being awkwardness.

"Well, what about you, Mr. Chosen One?" Hermione asked teasingly.

"I stayed with Neville for a few days after you left. I got a house in Liverpool and started teaching at some private magical school. They're all little spoiled brats, but it's better than sitting around doing nothing. I got another owl. I started going to the Hog's Head a lot, and I'm good friends with Aberforth now. I'm a pretty boring guy these days."

Hermione smiled at Harry and they relished in a comfortable silence. Harry took Hermione's wine glass and dropped them off. He returned and sat next to Hermione on the couch, and Hermione cozied up to him wordlessly. They both felt like they were in heaven. They eventually feel asleep in each other's arms, with a smile on their faces.

Harry woke up on the couch alone, but then turned to the kitchen to Hermione making pancakes. "Hermione would do something like that. Just to freak me out." Harry thought.

Hermione looked at Harry with a grin, knowing exactly what she was doing. "Bad dream? You look like you were scared." She asked with a sly smirk.

Harry just glared at her and got up to go to the bathroom for a shower. Harry showered, then walked out of the bathroom with just a towel. From her place over the stove, Hermione could see him coming out of the bathroom. She gazed at his physique as he strolled to his bedroom, and thought, "My god he hasn't changed."

"Something burning?" Harry called out from the bedroom, and Hermione looked down at the pancake she had been cooking.

"Oh, uhm, no!" Hermione called back as she tossed the now blackened pancake into the garbage. Hermione set the table for the both of them, and they sat down to a comfortable breakfast.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Harry asked, shoving a forkful of pancakes into his mouth.

"Well, I was thinking we could go to Hogsmeade. I could go shopping." Hermione answered back.

"It's a date then." Harry proclaimed with a wink.

Well, here's the new chapter. Harry and Hermione finally are talking again, and the story's moving along now. I feel this chapter was at least better than the previous one and longer too. So, you know what to do. Review, please. PLEASE?