Here is the penultimate chapter – I hope you enjoy!

Chapter Six

Nearly two weeks went by and the night of the storm was not talked about again between Harry and Hermione. They especially had not talked about it to Ron, as they knew he would make fun of them and the teasing would never end.

It was Valentine's Day, the most romantic day of the year. This was the day Harry was planned on telling Hermione how he felt. Little did Harry know that Hermione was planning on doing the same thing.

"Morning" Hermione said, as she came into the kitchen, all set for work.

"Morning" Harry smiled "Happy Valentine's Day, Hermione."

"Same to you" Hermione replied, casually "Although it's not exactly a happy occasion this year. I have no boyfriend, no one seems to be interested in me."

"Oh I'm sure that's not the case, Hermione" Harry said, sweetly "And if it makes you feel any better, my love life is just as dead in the water."

Hermione chuckled "Both in the same boat then. We can be miserable together" she said, grabbing an apple and putting it in her bag.

"So I thought" Harry began "Seeing as though neither of us has anything planned tonight. Why don't you and I stay in, get Chinese for dinner and wallow in the depressed state of our love lives."

Hermione giggled "And you promise we make it as un-Valentine's related as possible?"

Harry nodded "Promise."

Hermione grinned "Then sure, would love to."

Harry grinned along with her "Great, so that's a date then" and he laughed as he realised what he had said "Well not a date, just y'know …"

Hermione interrupted him "Harry, i'd stop yourself now if I were you" she giggled and kissed his cheek "I'm off to St. Mungos, see you later."

"See ya" Harry said and watched her disapparate.

Hermione was so stressed as she apparated into the flat that evening.

"Harry, are you home?" she continued talking even though she had got no response "I swear to god if Sarah asks me to do one more report on the injury effects of accidental magic, I'm seriously going to get the heaviest object I can find and throw it at her hea…" But Hermione was stopped short as she came into the living-room.

There was Harry sitting on the sofa, Chinese takeaway laid out on the coffee table, complete with wine. The curtains had been drawn and the room was lit by candles and the table lamp near the sofa.

"Aww Harry!" Hermione smiled, amazed "Wow, it looks so nice in here!"

Harry grinned "Well I got all fifteen of your text messages saying how bad a day you were having, and I know we said we were going to make this as unrelated to Valentine's Day as possible, but" Harry grinned "I thought it would bring a smile to your face, and it worked!"

Hermione was indeed smiling "Thank-you Harry, it's very thoughtful. I'm just going to get changed and I'll come back in a second."

Hermione returned to the room, dressed in jeans and a purple top, and they sat eating their Chinese, fighting over the last spring roll by the time they had consumed the rest.

"Anything worth watching on the TV?" Hermione inquired, and picked up the remote, flicking through the channels only to find romantic comedy films on.

"Should've guessed this is all they would put on on Valentine's night."

Harry chuckled "Well put one on if you want, I don't care."

"Really?" Hermione looked surprised "Are you sure?"

"Well you have control of the remote, so there is no point in me arguing. Or you could be really nice and put some sport on for your favourite room-mate?" Harry gave her his best pleading look, but this failed magnificently.

Hermione laughed "You've got no chance, mister" and out of the many films that were on she went for Love Actually.

Harry sighed and thought in his head 'Was worth a try'.

Hermione was crying happy tears by the end, having cuddled up to Harry ages ago.

"I love that film" Hermione said as she switched off the TV "Just so cute, they are all happy in the end. So what did you…"

Hermione looked up at Harry to see he was fast asleep.

Hermione giggled to herself, as she sat up to look at him properly.

"Oh that's just typical!" she said quietly.

Hermione cleaned up all of the takeaway rubbish and came back to see Harry was still spark out. Deciding not to disturb him, Hermione moved Harry so he was lying down on the sofa and she placed a throw over him. Bending down to give him a kiss directly on his lightening bolt scar.

"Goodnight Harry. Shame our Valentine's didn't end exactly how I had hoped" she whispered, disappointedly, before blowing out all of the candles and turning off the light, before heading to her bedroom for some sleep.

...

"You fell asleep?" Ron exclaimed, incredulously, and laughed heartedly as Harry told him all about the previous night's event in the canteen of the Ministry. (A/N: Yes, I bet that place has a canteen, lol)

Ron was still laughing "Oh Harry you complete dolt! You had the most romantic night of the year to finally tell the woman you love, how you feel, and what do you do, go and fall asleep?!"

Harry shook his head in embarrassment "I know! I really messed up" he pushed away the plate of the last remains of his cottage pie, no longer feeling hungry "Just going to have to think of another way to tell her."

Ron rolled his eyes and began eating the rest of Harry's food, even though he had already had a full helping of cottage pie himself.

"Will you two just get a move on already, honestly, how hard can it be to say 'Hermione, I love you.'?"

Harry sighed "You don't understand, it's not as simple as that."

"Yeah, yeah I've heard all the excuses already" Ron said, before giving a small smile "I'm going to have to bang your two heads together if it doesn't happen soon, y'know."

"Hermione, you'll never guess what?" Harry said, as he came bounding into the kitchen that evening after arriving home from work, where Hermione was sat with loads of medical books spread around her on the table.

"What's that?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

"Ron hasn't planned anything for his birthday! So I thought, why don't you and I plan a surprise party for him here in the flat?"

Hermione grinned "Yeah that's a brilliant idea! But could we plan it all in two days?"

"Yeah should be alright, I'll talk to some of Ron's work colleagues and I'm sure I can persuade some of my Auror lot to come. Why don't you invite some of your trainee Healer friends and of course we need to invite all the Weasley's."

Hermione nodded "Okay, yeah we'll do that, but I'll have to call people about it tomorrow, got to keep revising for this practical exam I have in the morning."

Harry came to sit in the chair next to her "Do you need any help, I can test you if you want?"

Hermione shook her head "No it's okay, I need to do this myself but thank-you for offering." She looked at him apologetically "Actually Harry, I know this is going to sound mean but, would you mind going out for the evening, so I can be on my own? I just need some peace and quiet to revise."

Harry got up from his chair "Yeah no problem, don't worry, you need to study and I completely understand. I'll go and have a drink with Neville, Dean and Seamus, see if we can come up with a guest list for the party."

Hermione raised her eyebrows in a 'yeah sure that's what you'll be doing at the pub' kind of way.

Harry caught her look and laughed "Okay, I doubt we will get that far."

Hermione just rolled her eyes and laughed as she carried on reading through one of her books.

"I'll see you later, try not to work yourself too hard Hermione, make sure you get plenty of sleep tonight."

"I will do Harry, don't worry" and Harry rubbed her arm comfortingly, before disapparating away.

Despite Hermione's doubts, Harry did spend the entire evening at the pub with the guys making a guest list for the party, all of them thinking of names of people Ron knew, and the four of them sent messages to everyone inviting them to the party which would be held on Ron's birthday itself, which was luckily a Saturday, so there would be no work the following day. Harry knew Hermione would be proud that he had sorted it all out; it ultimately saved her the job of doing it. However, after the list had been compiled by the guys, all four of them drank a heck of a lot of firewisky and butterbeer.

Harry apparated back to the flat, very drunk.

"I'm…home!" Harry shouted, loudly.

Hermione rushed into the hallway "What time do you call this, Harry James Potter? I stayed up waiting for you, it's almost 2:00am! You have work in the morning!"

"So!" Harry said, defiantly, as he stumbled towards her and draped his arm around her shoulders "You have … very … pretty hair, y'know."

Hermione rolled her eyes "And you have had too much too drink, come on, bed."

Harry grinned, mischievously "We don't have to sleep, if you know what I mean" he winked at Hermione.

She sighed and ignored him boyish comment, looped her arm through Harry's, dragging him to his bedroom. Hermione just about managed to get Harry to lie on his bed.

"Now you go to sleep now" she kissed his forehead, took off his glasses for him and walked out of the room.

"Hermione…sweet, sweet 'Mione" Harry mumbled to himself before falling into a deep slumber.

Harry awoke with the sunlight streaming in through his bedroom windows. His head was pounding and his mouth was very dry, his stomach was grumbling having not eaten anything for so long. Harry grasped around for his glasses, located them on his bedside table and put them on, contemplating what had happened the previous night.

Harry looked at the clock; it read 11:12am.

Harry groaned, 'Oh heck!' he thought 'I'm up way too late to go into work now' and he went to use the loo before heading into the kitchen to find food to stop his stomach from grumbling.

Harry spotted a note on the breakfast bar.

Harry,

I don't know what time you will read this, but I've taken the liberty of calling in sick for you. You were in such a drunken state last night I suspect you wouldn't be fit enough to go to work. I did try waking you up this morning but you didn't seem to want to budge so I just left you to sleep off your hangover.

I don't know what time I will be home tonight, I've still got to stay at St. Mungos this afternoon after my exam this morning. I just hope I've revised enough, I'm really worried.

As you're home all day, you can do some tidying up and clean the flat. After all we have a party here tomorrow.

Hope you are feeling okay, if not then you only have yourself to blame. I've made some hangover potion for you, it's by the fridge.

Remember it's your turn to cook tea tonight. See you this evening.

Love Hermione xx

Harry sighed and felt very guilty, he should have woken up this morning and been there to make sure Hermione was alright and not worrying too much for her exam. Harry had every confidence that she would be fine, but Harry knew Hermione would still fret about it. She had even taken the time to make hangover potion, when she could have been doing some very last minute revising.

Harry really appreciated all that she did for him, not knowing how he could ever repay her for everything she had done for him. Harry took the hangover potion and downed it in one, knowing it tasted absolutely vile.

Doing as Hermione had instructed, Harry cleaned the flat from top to bottom and made sure the place was tidy. Harry had also gone out to buy groceries to cook dinner that evening.

It was all cooked ready by the time Hermione came home at 5:45pm. She came into the kitchen, dropping her bag full of heavy medical books.

"Hey!" Harry said, enthusiastically, automatically hopping off his stool to come and stand in front of her "So, how did it go?"

Hermione had looked very calm and collected but that was all about to change.

"I passed!" she exclaimed, happily and Harry hugged her, joyously.

"Oh that's brilliant!" Harry said, lifting her off her feet momentarily "Well done Hermione, I'm so proud of you!" he kissed the side of her head, before withdrawing from the hug "I knew you could do it."

Hermione smiled "Thank-you! I'm so glad I did it, I really did not want to have to re-take the whole module again."

"So what does this mean, in terms of your healer training?" Harry asked, keenly.

"I just need to pass one more exam in May, then I will be a fully qualified Healer" she grinned brightly at Harry "I'm so close now, I can actually see it happening!"

Harry looked at her proudly "You will do it Hermione; I would be willing to bet my entire year's wages on it."

Hermione blushed "Don't tempt fate Harry. Anyway" she came to sit down and eat her food "What happened with you today?"

Harry told her the full story of what he had been up to and also how he had arranged for tomorrow morning for them to go and pick up all of the party decorations.

"We are going to have to come up with a way of keeping Ron away from the flat for the day" said Hermione, as she finished the last of her food "You know how he loves coming over on Saturday's."

"Don't worry, I've got that sorted" Harry told her "Luna will be with him all day and then I've arranged to turn up at their flat at 5:00pm and invite them over for dinner, but of course it will be the party."

Hermione looked impressed "Brilliant plan Harry, it's going to be such a great day tomorrow! I really can't wait!"

Harry grinned. He knew all too well that Ron's birthday party wasn't the only reason why it was going to be a great day. Question was, would his plans go awry again? Just like on Valentine's Night?

...

Valentine's Day was initially going to be when they would reveal their feelings, but I thought that would be too cliché and I wanted to drag it out a bit longer :P Anyway, the next chapter will be the final chapter.