A/N: This is a chapter to string along that tension just a little bit more!!

Sure enough, he found her in the library surrounded by large stacks of books despite the fact that the new semester had yet to begin. He smirked feeling a warmth of familiar happiness as he approached her stealthily, thanking whatever power was watching over him that she was on her own. But they couldn't do this here. The library was far too quiet a place, but he was no going to give her a chance to run off again. Without announcing himself, he walked up, grabbed her hand and proceeded to drag her from the library.

A squeak escaped her throat, but as they passed by the stacks of books, Harry felt the resistance against his hand lessen and finally cease. When they reached a portrait that led to a little used secret passage that led to the fifth floor, he dropped her hand and turned to look at her for the first time. She was wearing a mask of mixed emotions that Harry couldn't quite make out.

"We need to talk," he began, measuring her reaction.

"I agree," she replied simply.

"You've been avoiding me."

"No, I haven't—" she began, trying to look aghast and failing.

"Yes, you have." His realization was stern and it brought with it, a haze of uncomfortable silence.

Finally Hermione spoke up. "What do you want from me Harry?"

He looked up at her in surprise. "I would have thought that was simple enough to guess."

She made an annoyed noise of disghust.

Wide eyed he blushed. "Not that!" he said outraged. He lowered his head in embarrassment. "I want a chance."

"A chance?" she scoffed, causing him to look up to confirm the hurt in her voice was reflected on her face. It was. He waited patiently as she fought to bring her words to the surface. "Here's what I don't get, Harry, the little inconsistency. This might be hard for you to hear and you might never want to speak to me again after I say it let alone carry on with the proposition you are about to make. But here we go." She took a deep breath and looked into Harry's green eyes.

"Harry, you haven't spoken to Ron or Kate. You call him not good enough for your sister, but look at his track record! He has only ever been with one other girl, and she broke his heart, not the other way around. He is head over heals for your sister. Moony! And yet, he is still not good enough!"

"What does this have to do with—" he began, not wanting to talk about his sister and best friend, but she cut him off.

"It has everything to do with this!" she motioned frustrated between them. "Why should I trust that it is me you actually like, Harry Potter, why? You are with a different girl every few weeks. Don't think I don't know! I hear you and Ron talking. Yet you fail to see these flaws in yourself, though you crucify Ron who has a much better track record. I want to trust you, I do, because well, I've always been a bit smitten with you, but I don't want to become part of your wreckage. You and Ron have been the best friends I have ever had. I don't want to risk loosing that friendship over a weeks worth of snogging."

Harry regarded her for a few moments, trying to find the words to say, trying to suppress the hurt anger that was bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. "I know that I have been that. I know I've been a jerk and broken hearts. I wish I could make you forget that, because I know that this time will be different." His words were sandpaper. After a few deep breaths he calmed himself an continued. "The thing is I haven't been able to get you out of my mind for quite some time now. There has been no room for anyone else there. And, none of those other girls have ever been in my heart, not since the debacle with Cho back in fifth year. But you, you have always been there. You are one of my best friends! I have loved you like a friend since first year. And now," he took a gulp. He was about to break every rule of dating that Sirius had ever taught him. But he knew it was the right thing to do. "I feel that love changing into something that isn't entirely friendly. Hermione," he took her hands in his and force her eyes to meet his, "I am falling in love with you. I don't think I can be just your friend anymore.

"I don't want to feel pressured by that, but I just needed you to know. And you can ask anyone, I have never said that to anyone before this moment. Only you."

She looked at him dumbfounded with tears sparkling un-shed in her eyes, not having expected anything close to what he had said. She had been hardened for his outrage at having been called the male equivalent to a slag. She had expected his anger at be called a lesser man to Ron. Being told that he was falling in love with her, however, was not one of the things she was expecting. Now the ball was in her court. For a moment she just let it sink in, mulling over the news in her head before answering. "Wow," she responded stupidly.

Harry chuckled a little uncomfortably.

"I need a little time to think about this," she said finally, dropping his hands and stepping back a little.

Harry nodded a little disappointed, dropping his eyes and mentally beating himself.

"That's not a no, but it isn't a yes." The words sounded funny escaping her lips because no formal question had ever been asked. "I think the holiday will give both of us time to think about whether or not this is really what we want."

"I understand." He couldn't keep the melancholy out of his voice.

She leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and hug, testing the way it felt before pushing away.

As she was turning to leave Harry had a sudden thought. "Hermione!" He called taking a few steps toward her. "On Christmas Eve, we are having party with everyone from the Order at Grimwald Place. Dinner and such, I would like it if you would come. You can apparate onto the stoop, you wouldn't need special transport."

She looked at him tiredly. Harry inwardly grimaced at the look. "I don't know. Maybe," immediately holding up her hands in preemptive defense, "but I don't want you to think of that as hinge point of my decision about us. If I show, I show. If I don't, I don't. It doesn't mean anything either way."

"No, I know!" he hastened to save. "It's just all of our friends will be there and you are the only one without parents in the Order, so I thought…" He let his sentence trail off as he realized that he was beginning to ramble. A fog of discomfited silence followed, choking out the air in the passage but neither could manage to leave.

"I leave tonight," Hermione finally broke in.

Harry nodded and looked at his feet.

"Take care of yourself." Hesitantly, she came forward, giving Harry a light kiss on the lips this time, releasing it before he had a chance to react. By the time he opened his mouth to respond, the tapestry was already swinging closed.

Taking a deep breath and trying to squelch out the last bits of excitement that was threatening to well up inside of him and fan the small hope that trying to take hold in his chest. He couldn't be happy. Not yet. despite what she ahd said, Christmas Eve would tell the tale. With a cautious bounce in his step he turned and headed back up to Gryffindor Tower to finish packing for his impending holiday departure.

~*\/*~