Hi Guys

This is the final chapter, hope you enjoy it

Sirius xoxo

CHAPTER 5

Hermione walked slowly around the grounds and then stopped by the Rock they had nicknamed 'Their rock'. She sat and started thinking back, she started to laugh about one particularly funny memory the trio had experienced.

"Am I interrupting something?" Hermione jolted at the interruption even though she knew whose voice it was.

"No Harry, not at all."

Harry seemed nervous and Hermione immediately sensed it.

"Harry, I was just leaving, you can have some privacy if you want?" Hermione started to get up off the rock when Harry stopped her in her tracks.

"Actually, I have been looking for you,"

"Oh really, you found me, what was it you wanted?" Hermione tried to sound calm and casual but it wasn't coming through in her voice.

"It's been a good seven years hasn't it?"

Harry was staring out over the lake waiting for her response.

"Yeah Harry, we've had our ups and downs but overall, it has been good." Hermione was looking down at her hands fidgeting in her lap. She wasn't quite sure where this "talk" was going and that was making her even more nervous.

"You know Hermione, I never did thank you properly, for what you did?"

"It's OK, don't mention it, we all did what we had to do." Hermione was looking at Harry and now took the time to really look at him.

He was much taller than her and had filled out quite nicely. Obviously living with Sirius now had agreed with him.

"No Hermione, I have a lot I need to say. It's just getting it all out the right way, that's the problem," Harry laughed nervously.

Hermione thought that maybe he wanted to clear the air before they left so she quietly waited.

"It's OK Harry, I know it's hard and really you don't need to say anything." Hermione continued to look at Harry when he turned to face her, his green eyes were piercing into her chocolate brown ones. He moved so he was kneeling in front of her still holding eye contact.

"No actually Hermione, there's a lot I need to say," he slowly reached forward and held her hands in his and he marvelled at how small they were.

"Hermione, I listened to your speech and I realised a lot of things. You have always been there for me, right from the beginning of first year. You have never treated me any differently to any one else. You became my best friend," Harry was on a roll so he continued in case Hermione wanted to interrupt.

"You said to me in the hospital that I had no idea of what love is?" Hermione even had the decency to blush as she remembered that argument, like she could ever forget it.

"Well, you were wrong Mione. I know what love is and have experienced it for quite some time now," Hermione wasn't really ready to hear all about how Elizabeth means everything to him although she thought it might help her to get over him, knowing he was so deeply in love with someone else.

"Yes Harry, Elizabeth is lovely and I wish you both all the best." She started to get up, as she didn't want Harry to see her start crying but Harry held her still.

"No Hermione, you don't understand at all. There's only been one person I have deeply loved for so long. She is loving and kind and would never love me for my money or fame. She has stood by me through thick and thin and even when everyone else doubted me, she never did. But you know what's truly amazing, she risked her life to save mine. She almost died so that I could live. She was the one who defeated Voldemort, not me."

Hermione stared at him, not believing what she was hearing. Harry slowly stood up and brought her with him. They were standing so close that Hermione had to look up to look into his eyes. Harry continued,

"You see Hermione, I do know what love is, because I had to hurt the one I loved, to save her life. Voldemort knew how much she meant to me and he tormented me with dreams of her death and torture over and over again, night after night. It was something I couldn't deal with and I made the decision to keep her safe by pushing her away. After her family had suffered, I couldn't take the chance that I would lose her too. Believe me, I wished everyday I could hold her and love her, especially when she was suffering so much, but it was a risk I couldn't take, it was too much for me to loose, it's sounds so selfish doesn't it?"

Hermione was still trying to process all this new information and was still too scared to believe he was talking about her. He was standing so close, she could smell him and it was wonderful.

"Harry…" Hermione couldn't put anything into words, and his closeness was sending her mad.

"Hermione, do you understand what I'm trying to tell you, do you know who it is that I love with all my heart?" Harry questioned her.

Hermione could only shake her head, still too scared to believe this was true. Harry leaned in closer and told her the words she so longed to hear but thought she would never hear.

"It's you Mione, it always has been you, but the question is, could you love me after everything I put you through?" Harry was very nervous and anxiously awaited her reply.

"Harry it's you who doesn't understand." Harry deflated thinking he had lost her forever. He knew it wasn't her fault, he knew he had hurt her so badly.

"I would risk my life to save yours again and again if I had to. You see your not the only one who had dreams about losing the one you loved with all your heart. The problem was, my dream was my reality every single day. I had to watch you from a distance and it broke my heart more than you could ever know. But the love I have for you Harry is so strong that I could never stop even if I wanted to."

"I love you Mione, and I will make it up to you I promise, we will never be apart again, that is, if you will have me?"

"I love you too Harry and I wouldn't have it any other way, but..." She had tpo ask, she knew it would nag her until she asked him.

"but...?"

"Harry, what about Elizabeth?, I really believe she loves you."

"Hermione, for some strange reason Liz knew how much I loved you before I even realised it and she called me on it, I couldn't lie so I told her how much I loved you. I can't say she isn't hurting but she also understands." Hermione felt bad for Elizabeth, she knew too well how it felt to watch the one you love love someone else.

Harry leant forward ever so slowly and she knew what was coming, finally.

Harry gently touched his lips to hers and she responded to him instantly. She wound her arms around Harry's neck to hold onto him, as it felt as if her knees were failing her. Harry's arms were holding her tightly around her waist and she could feel his strong body pressed into his. It was amazing how they seemed to fit together as one.

Their kiss intensified and then it happened, the fireworks exploded and the electric currents were running up and down their bodies. They both felt the exhilaration. They parted and Harry said one word, "Wow," Hermione laughed and hugged him with all her might.

Never did she believe she could feel so happy. She looked at Harry's face and saw her own feelings mirrored there. She lent up to kiss him one more time and when their lungs were screaming for attention, they broke apart.

They sat down on 'their rock' and talked about their lives and the life they would now be leading together. There were some more tears and quite a few more laughs and when the sun started to set over the lake, they decided to head back to the castle. Finally Hermione felt that she found her home, in Harry's arms, where she belonged.

Back at the castle in the Astronomy tower, Professor Dumbledore, Sirius, Luna, Ron, Ginny, Draco and Professor McGonnagel stood and were watching the scene at the lake unfold. Professor McGonnagel had tears in her eyes, as did Luna and Ginny. The boys were laughing and cheering, knowing that those two had finally come to their senses. Ron was quite pleased that Draco had lost their bet and was waiting for him to cough up the money. Everyone started to leave and made there way down the stairs to leave Hogwarts for the final time.

Professor Dumbledore turned around to see two ghostly figures smiling near him, he looked out of the window towards Harry and Hermione and turned back and smiled, "All is right with the world now James and Lily, they have found their home."

That's all folks !!!

Hope you enjoyed it, as always review if you like !

Sirius xoxo