I'm kind of having writer's block right now...

But my holidays are approaching, and I'm sure my ideas will start popping right back up..

Thankfully I have a bunch of chapters stocked for this story..

Thank you for the support!

If you like this better, check out my other two stories... you'll like them too!

Enough talk, let's get to the chapter.

Harry and Hermione were walking down a narrow pathway over the grounds of the castle. They were heading to a small chapel nestled among some woods at the end of the property.

Deciding now was the time to ask some questions, she asked, "So, Harry, are you really a detective, or is it another undercover Auror job?"

Harry stopped, and Hermione had to keep herself from walking into him again. Really, she thought to herself, annoyed that she kept doing that.

He looked at her suspiciously. "Have you been going through my stuff?"

Hermione looked surprised, then she let out a laugh. "You mean I'm right? I was just guessing when I asked if you were undercover. You were an Auror after all, before you disappeared."

There was a pause, and both of them could feel the question hanging in the air. Why had he disappeared?

He cleared his throat, and set off down the narrow pathway again. He said, "When I-" and he paused, shooting her a look, " When I decided to spend some time away from...everything, I joined a detective agency. Closest to what I liked best, but still a Muggle job. And when I heard about this job, it seemed to have some distinct signs of magic. So I came to check it out."

Hermione asked curiously, "Signs of magic? Like what?"

"That's for you to find out," he said, annoyingly. Obviously, he wasn't going to tell her all his detective-gathered info, even for old time's sake.

Hermione exclaimed, "Oh, come on. I'm working with you even though Lady Grey thinks you're with the Board. I'm still trying to convince her that we are really good friends. Were, I mean. Uh, are- that is-"

And Hermione's voice trailed off embarrassingly, and she flushed red, not wanting to look at Harry to see his reaction.

He stopped suddenly and turned, so that she was extremely close to him. His cool eyes looked down at her red face, and said, "We are still friends, Hermione. We're just friends. The way you said, remember?" And he turned away, but not before Hermione caught a brief glimpse of his pained expression.

Her heart squeezed in pain, and she realised that this wasn't going to be easy. One sweet kiss wasn't going to erase all their problems, making them forget why it hadn't worked out sooner.

She walked swiftly after him, calling his name. He didn't stop, but walked faster than ever down the path. She was soon running, and she caught his wrist, barely pulling him to a stop.

He stopped, but still faced away from her. They were almost at the graveyard. They could see the stone chapel up ahead, and the shadows of weathered headstones behind it.

She said, stutteringly, "Harry...I'm sorry."

He gave what sounded like a growl.

She walked around to face him, and put her hands on either side of his face. First he tried to pull back, then he let her, his eyes staring at her apprehensively.

"I'm sorry I picked him over you. You don't think I regret it? That I thought over it every day for the past two years?"

The word seemed to slip out of Harry's mouth before he could stop it.

"No," he said, and a look of dejected sadness came over his face.

Tears welled in Hermione's eyes. Poor Harry. He did not know she had loved him even longer than he'd loved her. She's never told him, so how would he know?

And he thought she'd chosen Ron, and never looked back. And now that she'd ended it with Ron, he thought she was playing with him.

But she couldn't tell him she'd liked him since 6-th year. Because then how would she explain picking Ron? How would she justify it, when even she didn't know why she picked Ron?

Harry was turning away, but Hermione pulled him back. Putting her arms around him in a close embrace, she tilted her face to his, and gave him a soft, deep kiss.

And when she parted her lips, he responded in kind. And their tongues met, exploring each other's mouth in joy and passion. Hermione's hands roamed over Harry's back, as his hands buried themselves in her hair.

Suddenly the kiss changed to one of passion, with Harry delving his tongue deeper into her mouth. They opened their mouths wider and dove into each other, pressing their bodies closer together too.

Harry was tasting her furiously...his tongue tracing her teeth and the inside of her cheek, then darting back to taste her lips hungrily.

Hermione was shocked at how his mood had turned, but she went along willingly, caught in the fire of passion. She held herself close to him, revelling in the feel of his hard chest, that she had been thrown against on occasion.

She bit his lip slightly and pulled, eliciting a low growl from him.

And so it went on, until they had to stop for air.

They broke apart, and Hermione's heart fell to her stomach when she saw that Harry looked the same as ever- heartbroken, dejected, and worst of all, cautious of her.

He still hadn't opened himself to her.

He wouldn't meet her eyes, and her heart wrenched in pain. On one hand was the calculative Harry, with the seductive looks and snarky remarks, making her all hot and bothered in the right places. On the other hand, was sweet Harry, with his insecurities, his love for her, the one she didn't know how to console.

She watched him turn his back on her and head for the graveyard.

Is it too short? :D I certainly think so..

If I get ten reviews for this chapter, I'll post the next chapter tomorrow.

So, review?