Dearest Hermione,
Sixteen years have passed now since the happiest day in our lives. We can still remember how it felt like to have you in our arms for the first time, how it felt to become parents.
Ever since we watched you grow up and were with you all the time, supporting our one and only daughter with everything we had. You were and still are such a delight for both of us, honey.
There is no praise, no expression of gratitude that we haven't told you yet, because you are the most wonderful thing that ever happened to us.
Hermione, it pains us so much that we cannot see you on this special day of your life, but love always finds a way. Always, little princess.
A radiant young woman you are now, charming and too brilliant for your own good, and of course the most beautiful woman this world has ever seen. But that's what all the parents tell their daughter, as you very well know :-)
We are so proud of you Hermione, so, so proud, and we can't wait to have you back with us in London to see what our wonderful daughter experienced at her magical school.
Know that we think of you all the time on this special day in your life and wish you all the luck in the world for the happy and fulfilled future that surely awaits you.
We love you more than you could imagine. Mum and Dad will always be there for you, no matter what.
All the love in the world,
Your parents
P.S: We hope you like your present because WE can't wait to go to a REAL concert with you, now that you're old enough ;-)

I sat on a couch in the common room, with my Crookshanks curled up in my lap, and couldn't stop smiling at the letter in my hand.

I had already lost count of how many times I had read the letter, my parents birthday cards always so heart-warming and precious to me.

They had given me a ticket for the Reading Festival of 1996 as a present, and it seemed like my parents had invited themselves along as well – not that I minded. No, not at all.

"I can't wait to see you again for Christmas.." I mentally sighed and petted the ginger cat in my lap.

It was clear to me that I would return home to my parents this Christmas, even if I hadn't spoken with them about these plans until now. Not being able to celebrate a birthday with the family truly hurt.

"But not everybody is far away from me right now..", I thought to myself with a broad smile as I put the ticket for the Reading Festival back into the envelope, "Harry is here."

I knew he wouldn't be up until in an hour, since we practised our defence skills yesterday evening and that meant he would sleep longer, but I couldn't wait to see what he planned for me today.

He didn't give me any hint on what he had prepared for me, but I knew he was up to something. And to be honest I was very excited to find out.

Harry seemed to be focused on me even more than usual these days, his attentive eyes always locked on me, and I was certain that he had come up with something really impressive, something that was so personal and unique that size and prize didn't matter any more: Harry's work was magic. Harry was magic.

The things he knew about me, the way he treated me, the looks he gave me.. oh, the looks.

Just thinking about his brilliant emeralds gazing at me made heat rise in my belly, especially when I recalled how he sometimes dared to glance at my feminine areas when he thought I didn't notice it.

"He wants me.. and I want him." I silently whispered to myself and blushed furiously when I realized that it had been the first time I spoke those words aloud. But they changed nothing.

No matter how much I sometimes craved to get physical with my best friend, I would NEVER disgrace our platonic perfectness for some kind of pleasure. If we were to become more, then because of love.

"But I don't know if I love him.. Or rather STILL don't know." I mused as I continued raking my hand through Crookshanks thick fur, a certain thought suddenly crossing my mind.

"Why don't you give yourself the best present ever this year?", I thought and my eyes narrowed in determination, "At the end of the day you make a decision: You either risk going all the way with him or stay friends forever."

It might have only been two months since I seriously started feeling more than just a girlish crush for my best friend, but that didn't stop me from standing at the edge to an abyss which promised insanity and would most probably be all-consuming.

This feeling of being torn and unsure and disorientated drove me crazy, it fogged my mind and blinded me, making me lose trail of the truth. What truth didn't matter: I just wanted back my peace of mind…

"Good morning, birthday girl." Harry greeted me when he came down the stairs almost an hour later, his smile radiant and hair damp, a combo that made my stomach churn pleasantly.

"Sixteen years, Hermione, dammit! You're nearly a woman now!", He exclaimed as he stormily embraced me before he chuckled, "I can still remember the eleven-year-old, bushy-haired girl I met four years ago. You've changed so much.."

"I hope for the better." I lightly giggled into his shoulder.

"Without a doubt. You're the most amazing person I know." Harry stated and I could tell he meant it. My heart fluttered.

"Enough of that flattery now.", I sheepishly said as I stepped away from him, "Though I appreciate your kind words, I really do."

I flashed him a quick yet honest smile and watched Harry's eyes glittering merrily for a second.

"So, I take it you've been up for a bit already, ey?" He then asked after a moment of silence and I nodded.

"Yeah, I knew my parents would have a letter for me even before breakfast, so I got up early. Well, my excitement woke me anyway, so it wasn't a big deal.. Oh, and thanks again for allowing me to borrow Hedwig. Without her I'd never get any birthday cards from my parents." I explained but Harry shrugged it off.

"It's no big deal to me, Hermione. It's not like I write a letter every day and neither do you.. Though you do it far more frequently than I do.", He chuckled before his eyes sparkled with curiosity, "And? What did your parents get you this year?"

"A ticket for the Reading Festival next year." I proudly said before showing my best friend the ticket in question.

"Woah, you're going there alone?" He asked and I smiled in amusement.

"No, you dunderhead. My parents are coming with me of course."

"Oh, right.. I could have seen that coming." Harry scratched the back of his head and it truly looked adorable.

"Um.. don't expect such a big present from me." He added with a whisper and I crooked my head slightly.

"Harry.. presents don't have to be big in order to be good." I told him and he sighed.

"You're right.. Though you still have to wait until the evening to get your present." The raven-haired wizard then gave me one of his teasing smiles and I rolled my eyes.

"I really am curious what you're up to this evening." I sincerely told him and Harry shrugged his shoulders.

"Well then, let's get the day started. You won't find out until I allow you to find it out." He grinned at me cheekily and guided me towards the exit of the common room.

"You're mean, Potter." I remarked and his grin only widened.

"I'm only mean to the people I like." He countered and I laughed.

"I bet it's a highly successful concept."

"It actually is. You seem to like me despite my meanness."

I didn't know how to respond to that, so I just shoved his side in a not-so-gentle manner and laughed…

At breakfast quite a few people congratulated me, including the twins, Ginny and Neville of course, but even a few Gryffindors to whom I had never spoken before did so, which perplexed me a bit.

I became even more perplexed when I saw Harry's angry eyes fixated on a bunch of the people that had congratulated me.

"What is going on with him?" I asked myself mentally but decided not to dwell on the thought as yet another person suddenly stood in front of me.

"Hi Hermione, I heard it's your birthday today.", Luna Lovegood kindly smiled at me, her voice as eerie as always, "May all your wishes come true in the future."

"Thanks Luna." I smiled at the blonde girl. I liked her, despite her tendency to be a bit special at some times.

"Though if I think about it, you don't have to worry about your wishes. According to the latest horoscopes in "The Quibbler", something wonderful will have happened to all the people born in September before the year's end." Luna's smile only widened and although I very much wanted to tell her that horoscopes are just stupid nonsense, I restrained myself. She looked so happy just because she thought something wonderful would happen to me.

"I hope so too, Luna." I replied politely and saw Harry grinning mildly from the corner of my eyes. That prick.

"Well then, I hope you have a great birthday, Hermione. See you around." The Ravenclaw bade me farewell before walking back to her house mates, even her gait as unique as the girl herself.

"Now, since when does the birthday girl give presents?" Harry teased and gently elbowed my side, making me lock eyes with him.

"And what present did I just give, if I might ask, Mr. Potter?" I played along and he smirked slyly.

"You didn't force your opinion about horoscopes on Luna." Harry explained and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Well, what can I say? I'm quite happy right now, there's no need to ruin the mood."

"You're even happy with all those random people congratulating you?"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"They're just trying to get on your good side. Those boys didn't even know your birthday until the people who knew congratulated you here in the Great Hall." Harry said with gritted teeth and my eyes widened a bit as realization hit me.

"Did he just indirectly say that he doesn't like it when I'm giving other boys my attention?!" I thought and glimpsed multiple times.

"Focus Hermione, focus. What was he saying again?"

"Harry, I'm very capable of knowing when a person is just trying to get on my good side and when not. No need to worry." I couldn't suppress a slight grin as I saw the relief in his eyes.

"You should rather worry about Transfiguration now. Professor McGonagall said she would let us write an essay for her in today's lesson." I added and Harry groaned.

"Oh, I completely forgot about that." He admitted and I clicked my tongue.

"Seems like you were more focusing on my present than on your schoolwork." I teased and he raised a brow.

"Do I hear satisfaction in your voice, my lady?" He asked.

"Yes, you do." I giggled before getting up from my seat and leaving the Great Hall just for the fun of messing with my best friend…

The school day passed smoothly until the forth and fifth lesson, which were taught by Umbridge.

Apart from Harry's outburst in our first lesson there hadn't been any other conflicts in her classes so far, the raven-haired wizard restraining himself for my sake. Which didn't mean that he was emotionally uninvested.

"Good day, class." The ministry witch "welcomed" us with her usual greeting. And of course her repelling smile wasn't waiting for too long.

"Good day, Professor Umbridge." The class responded in the manner she had taught us to do and I barely resisted rolling my eyes.

"Today you will be working on chapter five of Slinkhard's "Defensive Magical Theory" and answer the following questions." The question appeared on the board as usual.

"Wands away, please." She added when she saw some brave students inching closer to the wand in their bags and with a disappointed and collective groan the class fell silent.

It didn't take long for me to answer her tasks since I had already read the entire book in my first week back at Hogwarts and so I soon thought about how I could use my time productively.

"Where could Harry possible teach us students a bit about the REAL DADA?" I found myself thinking, the question being one of the major unanswered subjects at the moment.

"The Shrieking Shack?"

"Nah, it's too old and far too close to a collapse."

"The Chamber of Secrets?"

"Ew, I couldn't think of a more unfitting place."

"The Forbidden Forest?"

"God no, in the end these acrumantulas are going to eat us!"

"Professor, I have a question."

"Yes Professor, I have a.. wait, what?!"

I turned to the source of sound and found myself looking at Seamus Finnigan, his hand raised into the air.

"Yes, Mr. Finnigan?" Umbridge replied in her sickeningly sweet voice.

"Can you explain to me why it is propagandistic to use defensive magic?" He asked and I felt my eyes widening slightly, the question even more intriguing than the situation had been when Seamus had raised his voice.

"You are referring to Slinkhard's opinion on the usage of defensive magic, am I right?" Umbridge asked and her smile grew.

"Yes, madam."

"It is propagandistic to use defensive magic because only those, who seek to harm our society and try to spread lies say it is necessary to practice defensive magic." She explained and I felt like a spark had suddenly ignited a fire inside of me, a chain reaction even so.

Thousands of thoughts flashed through my head simultaneously as I forged a plan to dismantle her web of lies in front of the class. The opportunity was just too good to be real - like an additional birthday present.

"Um, Professor, could you define propaganda please? Not that I understand this term in a wrong way, he he." I played the innocent one and watched as Umbridge glimpsed a bunch of times to gather her thoughts.

"Propaganda, Miss Granger, is the systematic dissemination of political and ideological ideas and opinions with the goal of manipulating the general opinion of the public." She probably recited some book and I hardly managed to suppress my smirk. Gotcha.

"Well, this definition perfectly matches with the books intention then, doesn't it?" I stated and heard the gasps around me as Umbridge face turned red.

"Are you insinuating that a ministry-approved book is propagandistic?" She asked with a shrill voice and I nodded firmly.

"Yes, I am. You might look at the curriculum in Beauxbatons or in Ilvermorny, it seems like Hogwarts is currently the only wizarding school not teaching defensive magic, which makes me wonder if something is wrong in THIS country. Or with it's political organs." I confidently said and Umbridge clenched her hands to fists.

"This brazenness has earned you a week of detention, Miss Granger." The professor said with her girlish voice and I felt my heart skipping a beat. I didn't think about that.

"Isn't a student allowed to express distrust in the current government?!" I asked with a raised voice, trying to save what already was lost. But I was a lioness of House Gryffindor. I would fight or lose, but never run.

"And twenty points from Gryffindor." She added and I rolled my eyes.

Slam.

My body instinctively winced in fright as I turned my head to see Harry's fist slammed on the desk, his head as red as blood.

"Answer her question!" He growled with an authority I didn't know he possessed, his emerald eyes burning with a fire that was contagious. He truly was the fire of rebellion.

"It seems like you haven't learnt your lesson, Mr. Potter. Another week of detention is appropriate, I think." Umbridge said with a dangerous tone a few moments of shock later, but Harry just laughed at her mockingly.

"You have just demonstrated to all of us that Hermione is right. The ministry is nothing but a corrupt, propagandistic and so very dysfunctional government." He stressed every syllable, relishing in their effects. The room became unnaturally quiet the next moment.

"OUT! ALL OF YOU OUT! THIS CLASS IS DISMISSED!" Umbridge then screamed with a furiously red face and the second the words had left her lips was the moment the majority of the students started cheering.

The ministry witch stormed out of her classroom as people started packing their bags and I found myself smiling brightly despite the detention that would soon await me: Resistance proved to be effective.

"Hermione, you're a bloody genius. You outplayed her so perfectly, that's so.. woah, dammit you're amazing." He loudly exclaimed, eyes full of admiration and I found myself blushing under his intense stare.

"Thanks.. Harry. Though it's your fault she stormed off, so you're the genius here." I shyly smiled at him and he laughed.

"Hey, everyone! Aren't we the greatest prefects ever?" He asked the crowd of students with a wide smile and almost everybody voiced their agreement somehow. A cancelled lesson was a joy for every student, no matter the age or house.

"You seem to forget that we've still got detention." I remarked a while later when my best friend and I were walking back to the common room, the crowd in front of us still excitedly talking about the happenings of the most recent lesson.

"We'll find a way to make it endurable. I don't intend to let her play her stupid games with us.", He declared before taking a breath, "You know, I myself wouldn't have snapped if it wasn't for the fact that she wronged you. Your father told me to protect you here at school, and I'm planning to keep that promise."

"Oh Harry.." I sighed, so very touched by his sense of loyalty, and took him by surprise when I just threw my arms around him in the middle of a corridor, not caring what other people might make it out to be.

"You might not be a knight in shining-white armour, but you are MY knight.." I whispered and ever so slowly he bent down his head before kissing my scalp, a tenderness caressing my hair that warmed me from the inside, like a hot chocolate on a cold winter day.

"That's all I've ever aimed to be." Harry half-joked with a chuckle and I closed my eyes temporarily, allowing myself to relish in the moment for a few seconds. I just wanted to forget the world around me…

The rest of the schoolday passed even quicker and before I knew it, it was time for dinner. Which meant present time for me.

I was sitting in an armchair in the common room and watched as my best friend hastily came down from his dorm, a parcel that was no doubt my present in his hand.

"It is book-sized, so it could be a book. Mh, but Harry never just buys me ANY book. He always seems to find things that I need although I don't even know that I need them." I thought and locked eyes with him, the expressive pair of emeralds sparkling brightly.

"Close your eyes, 'Mione." Harry said with an excited smile and I noticed he was quickly hiding my present behind his back before I might get another glimpse of it.

"Ok.." I pouted lightly, not liking the idea of waiting any further for what was rightfully mine. But I complied nonetheless, trusting the raven-haired wizard with my life.

I felt him then gently blindfolding me with some fabric, which had me giggling heartily.

"Harry! We're not at a children's birthday party, for god's sake!", I exclaimed, "You're gonna embarrass me in front of all the people in the common room with your nonsense!"

"The common room? I think the entire castle is more appropriate." He remarked with a smirk that I didn't need to see. He smirked. I just knew it.

"WHAT? Harry James Potter, what are you up to?!" I asked, my voice shriller than usual.

"I just want you to be surprised, that's all.", My best friend tried to calm me, "Now, give me your hand. We don't need the birthday girl to run against a wall or something like that."

I reached forward with my left hand and my fingers touched something that definitely wasn't his hand. It felt more like a steal beam under the fabric of his clothes.

"That's my hip, Hermione."

"Oh, sorry.." I mumbled, my cheeks quickly becoming very hot, and I felt Harry's hand taking my hand off of his hip.

"But that was your hip? What are you made of? Iron and granite?" I babbled, not being able to suppress the words, and Harry chuckled.

"Nah, more like flesh and bones." He replied good-humouredly as I was lead across the room.

"I hope your present is extraordinarily good, or I might fear you have to pay for the embarrassment you're putting me through." I threatened when I heard the sound of the Fat Lady's portrait swinging open, my best friend seemingly unimpressed by my threat.

"A wise woman once said: It's not my fault you feel the way you do." Harry recited me and I realized it was better to just shut my mouth now. This time he had won, although I wouldn't tell him that.

"Why does he remember EVERYTHING about me?! Honestly, he can be so scary sometimes.." I thought to myself as the two of us slowly walked through the castle, our hands still connected.

It took us a while to be where Harry wanted us to be, but eventually we stopped, somewhere in the big, big castle.

"After you, my lady." He lightly laughed in amusement and I could hear the sound of a door being opened before he gently tapped my shoulder, a silent sign for me to walk forward.

A few paces later I stopped, the smell of a very, very good steak invading my nostrils.

"Did he prepare a dinner for me?!" I thought, excitement shooting through my veins at the mere thought of my best friend making such an effort just for his bookworm of a best-friend.

The door closed and a few seconds later I felt one of his hands on my shoulder, his fingers warm and reassuring.

"You can take off the blindfold now."

I did as I was told and felt my eyes widening, an unknown force making my heart freeze for a second.

"This can't be real, can it?" I thought to myself as I was standing right in the middle of the living room of my parents house.

The table was laid with everything a ceremonial meal needed, from the raw mass of selectable side dishes to the brightly lit candles and the warm fire roaring in the fireplace. The only thing missing were my parents.

"What in the name of Merlin is this place? Am I.. home?!" I asked my best friend at my side, who only shrugged his shoulders with a broad smile before presenting me my present, which I eagerly took.

"I'd like you to open it after dinner, if you can wait so long that is.." He said with a teasing grin and I rolled my eyes briefly.

"You can't tell me that you have no clue what this place is. We're at Hogwarts, are we not? How is it that I'm suddenly at home, standing in front of the table in the living room, hm?" I asked again and Harry snickered.

"Sounds like you're unhappy."

"No I'm not! Just utterly confused!" I laughed and nudged his side lightly before stepping closer to the big window front at my right. I could even see the garden outside from here.

"This room is called the Room of Requirements. It is a room that can take any shape you desire and as well is capable of always fulfilling the needs of the person in need of the room." Harry explained and my eyes widened again.

"Incredible! How is it that I've never read about this before?", I asked aloud, "Though that means that this.. isn't real?"

"Yes, it isn't. Just a copy of your real living room in London. Although even you have to admit how deceivingly real it looks."

"So you made the room look like home just for me?", I asked with big eyes as I turned away my gaze from the "garden" and instead locked eyes with the raven-haired wizard before me, "That's so sweet of you, really. This alone would have been present enough for me."

"I just wanted to be sure that I meet your high standards, my lady." Harry teased and I punched him gently.

"Stop that nonsense and dine with me, honourable sir." I countered before leading him to the sumptuously full table.

"Hey, but no matter how extravagant this room's magic might be, it still shouldn't be able to create food out of thin air." I narrowed my eyes on the temptingly perfect steak on my plate and heard my best friend chuckling.

"Well, that part IS real. All the food is, in fact. Because, just as you said yourself, no magic can replace a real meal. That's where I came in handy." He winked at me as he took a seat at the opposite end of the table.

"Don't get me wrong, this is all beyond awesome.. but when did you possibly do all this?" I asked and Harry chuckled with sparkling eyes.

"I might have skived Divination when you had Arithmancy in your last two lessons today." He innocently confessed and I laughed because of his playfulness.

"You! I.. can't believe you would do such a thing." I giggled and he raised his hands in defence.

"I hope the missus can forgive me for my crimes.", He said before taking a deep breath, "Speaking of crimes.. I also did something that you certainly wouldn't approve of."

"And what would that be?"

"I might have.. had some help with all the preparations."

Like on cue, there was a loud crack in the room that nearly made me drop the parcel in my lap, a familiar house-elf now standing next to me.

"Dobby only helped Harry Potter because Dobby wanted to help!", Dobby exclaimed with an overly-excited voice, nodding his head vigorously, "Any friend of Harry Potter is a friend of Dobby too, dear missus."

"Did Harry pay you for your work?" I inquired to know nonetheless, my sense for equality not even missing on my birthday.

"Yes, he did, missus! Dobby also told Harry Potter about the Come-And-Go Room so that he had a place where he could celebrate your birthday." Dobby explained and my eyes widened yet again.

"So that's how YOU know about the room!" I exclaimed and pointed a finger at my best friend.

"Yup. All the credit belongs to Dobby." Harry said and raised his glass symbolically.

"Harry Potter is too kind to Dobby." The house elf said with an emotional voice and glassy eyes, making me put a hand on his tiny shoulder.

"You poor elf. Come on, sit with us." I invited Dobby to dine with Harry and me, the elf's face lightening up immediately.

"No wizard or witch ever offered Dobby to eat with him or her!" He squealed in delight as he sat down next to me and Harry widely grinned at me.

"Hermione is one of a kind, Dobby. She's the nicest, fairest and kindest person I know." Harry said, his eyes shimmering warmly as he admiringly looked at me, making my body tingle subtly.

"You're making me feel uncomfortable with all these compliments.", I giggled slightly when I responded, "Let's eat before the food gets cold."

"Well then: Happy birthday, Hermione." Harry toasted to me and Dobby followed his lead, making me blush. I quickly loaded my plate with food to distract myself…

My "birthday dinner" truly was one of the most exquisite meals I ever had in my life, thanks to my best friend's and Dobby's excellent cooking skills and dedication to their self-selected task.

We talked leisurely about a lot of things, but I couldn't stop repeating how amazed I was because of the room's magic. It truly was magnificent.

When dinner was finished, Dobby bade us farewell, as he was direly needed in the kitchens to wash up all the dirty plates and cups the students of Hogwarts had left after their dinner.

"I hate it that house-elves have to do all the work here in the castle." I complained after Dobby's form had disintegrated right in front of our eyes, a sigh escaping the raven-haired wizard's lips.

"I really don't understand it." Harry said and I raised a brow.

"Can't understand what?"

"Why this world is so full of unfairness and injustice." He elaborated and I agreed with a hum.

"C'mon, let's talk on the sofa. It's more comfortable there." I suggested and didn't wait for my best friend's response. I got up and walked to the sofa in front of the fireplace, leaving my present on my seat.

Harry was soon seated next to me, his gaze directed at the orange flames in front of him.

"I.. have something, well, a bit more sinister to discuss with you, if you don't mind." He stated and I immediately felt alarmed: Whenever Harry said such a thing, it never was to be taken easily.

"Of course I don't mind. Shoot it out, it seems to be important." I told him and patted his back lightly.

"I dreamt of the dark place that Voldemort is after last night." He confessed and I gasped.

"Again? But you told me that it doesn't happen more than once a week nowadays, right?"

"Yeah, and I firmly believed that it would stay that way. Until I was proven wrong last night."

"So you mean.. it means something?"

"Yeah, whatever he's after, he's getting closer to finding it."

His statement made us both fall silent for a moment, the prospect of our most dangerous enemy getting closer to his goals more than a bit unnerving.

"I want you to teach me how to read necromantic runes, and runes in general." Harry than suddenly announced and I glimpsed multiple times.

"How comes that?" I asked, not really prepared for such a scenario.

"Every time I have this visions, I see runes on the coffins and hear voices whispering things. I have to know what they say." He explained with an urgency that made me forget any reason to object.

"Fair point. VERY fair point.", I agreed and crooked my head, "But when should I teach you? It's not like we have a lot of free time these days.."

"I could ask Professor McGonagall and see if I can still join your Ancient Runes course. I would bloody well give up Divination for that.", Harry suggested, "Which means we spend less free time in total. Though you still have to teach me the necromantic runes."

He gave me his most handsome smile and I felt my knees going weak under his stare, those oh-so short hair making his blazing green eyes even more attractive than they were before his haircut in the holidays.

"Of course I will." I answered, my voice somewhat raspy, and I realized it was the physical desire that blossomed inside my body that made my voice sound differently.

"That's exactly what makes you such a wonderful person: You do everything to help the people who are dear to you, no matter what. I know that I'm repeating myself constantly, but I don't know what I would do without you. It's.. hard to put in words how glad I am that you are in my life and I hope that one day.. I'll be able to repay you for everything you've done for me." He took my hand in his and watched my face as his words sank in. I literally felt my heart melting.

"Now, c'mon, it's time for you to open your present." Harry announced after a few moments of silence and made my parcel zoom across the room with an Accio.

Eagerly I took the box from his hands and unwrapped my present at a speed that reminded me of the good old days when I was in elementary school, impatiently tearing the gift wraps away every Christmas.

"What.. is that?" I asked Harry when something that looked like a photo album lay in my lap.

"This is something like a photo album in the muggle world. Just that you'll see that it works a bit differently.", He explained and gently guided my hand to open the first page, "See these black rectangles? That's where the photos will appear."

"And how do I make them appear there if I don't glue them to the right spot?"

"Here comes the really fascinating part: You just have to touch one of those black rectangles and think of a memory you want to have a photo of and said photo will appear. Remember though, the more accurate the memory the better the photo. That's the only downside." I felt my pupils dilating more and more with every word that left his lips.

"That's so amazing! So much happens here at Hogwarts that we don't have a photo of and I.. you really outdid yourself this time, Harry.", I confessed, "But where did you get this from?"

"I might have snuck off to Diagon Alley one day with Dobby's help." He admitted with a cheeky grin and I gasped.

"You did not!"

"Oh yes I did. 'Hope it was worth the risk." My best friend looked at me expectantly and I smiled warmly.

"Oh yes, it absolutely was. There are so many important moments in my life that I don't have a photo of, and you've changed that."

Memories, that was the keyword right now as hundreds of scenes in the past flashed through my mind, all of them connected to the raven-haired wizard next to me.

All the important moments in my life here at Hogwarts were associated with him, my one and best friend. And that had a reason.

He was the one who never stopped believing in me, who had rescued me time and time again from lethal situations, who had made me feel valuable and respected.

All those photos would be photos of him and me, I realised, because who else was with me all the time, who else made me feel the way I felt?

He knew me inside-out and by heart, all the facades of the person I was. And still, he stood by my side.

I raised my eyes to his, taking in the relaxed contours of his face, and met his gaze.

Harry always looked at me with patience, like he was waiting for me to give him an order. He was loyal and unyielding, protective and caring. Yet I couldn't put it in words how this made me feel.

"Thank you for this gift.", I almost whispered, "I don't have words for how this makes me feel right now."

The raven-haired wizard just smiled at me for a moment until raising his voice again.

"Sometimes the things we don't say are a lot more expressive and meaningful than the things we do say."

Click. I found the answer to my question, at last.

There was no word in any language strong enough to convey the strength of the feeling I tended for my best friend, no, only actions could.

I felt like I just had completed a puzzle and inserted the last puzzle piece that made the entire picture depicted on the puzzle make sense and enabled me to see the picture as a whole, and not as a thousand tiny fragments.

Just like with the finished puzzle I now saw the ultimate truth in it's entirety, all the memories of me and my best friend connecting and revealing an ulterior epiphany: I was in love with Harry James Potter.

I truly was, there was no remaining doubt about that now: I chose him.

Not as my friend or the sibling some said he was to me, no, I chose him as my everything…


Author's Note:

I didn't think this chapter would turn out this long. I actually planned it to be around 2k words long, now you've got 6k words. 'Hope you don't mind.

In a week the Easter holidays will start and I plan to use the time to give this story some progress, which (hopefully) means for updates.

I hope you like the way this story is taking as the amount of remaining and unanswered question is gradually decreasing right now, and I hope this clarifies a few things here and there - Because for me personally, it always is important to have no "dead ends" in a fanfiction, or in general, literature.

Write a review if you want to share your impressions about the chapter with me and 'til the next time!

NewOrderFan05