I shot up from my lying position and took in huge gulps of air, my surroundings blurred by my eyesight, and I felt my eyes widening when I realized that I currently resided in the hospital wing. Again.

"Voldemort. Voldemort." I mumbled to myself and when I was about to get up, two small and familiar hands pressed themselves against my chest.

"Easy Harry, easy." I heard Hermione's voice to my right as the questions started popping up in my head and I obeyed when she gently pushed my torso back down onto the mattress.

Feeling the sweat on my forehead, I tried to wipe it off with my left arm only to find it bandaged.

Seeing that my right arm seemed to be okay, I moved the limb to my face and when my fingers touched my forehead, I felt that it also seemed to be bandaged. My pupils dilated in terror.

"Voldemort. I'm hurt. Voldemort. Bandages." I thought and felt like I might collapse straight again if I didn't learn about what had happened.

"Hermione, what happened?!" I croaked when I realized that I couldn't explain any of my circumstances. I tried to turn my head only to learn that this particular movement caused me a lot of pain.

"Don't move your head! Madam Pomfrey said it would slow down your healing process." The brunette told me and as I looked at her, appearance blurred because of my bad eyes, I thought her eyes looked glassy. And puffed.

"Alright, it's too late now anyway.." I mumbled and remained in my position until my best friend would start explaining things.

"I think I'm not the only one who has to explain something.", Hermione said before taking a shaky breath, "But yes, you're right: What happened?"

"What happened is that my stupid idiot of a heroic best friend had to jump off of his broom to win a quidditch match, breaking his arm in the process. Then he had to provoke Draco Malfoy, who then took Crabbe's beater bat to hit a bludger and aim it at his head..", Hermione then stopped as tears sprang free and her sobbing sounded through the room, "There was.. so much blood, Harry. I saw how you collapsed and passed out. I thought that I had lost you forever!"

I felt so guilty as I could make out her beautiful face in such a state of sorrow, sorrow that I had caused. And the worst thing was that I couldn't even hug her right now.

"You PROMISED me to get out of the match unharmed! You PROMISED me! Does that mean nothing to you?!" She cried and hid her face behind her hands, my heart cramping inside my chest at the sight.

"'Mione, please.. I couldn't see that Malfoy would literally try to kill me. Nobody could.." I tried to defend myself but the brunette just continued sobbing.

"And your arm, what about that? That's entirely your fault." She then accused me and I sighed, hating myself so much in that particular moment.

"You're right, that's my fault. Though I at least traded a broken arm for a win for Gryffindor." I admitted and Hermione wiped the tears from her eyes before looking at me again.

"I know why you did that. And I admire your courage Harry, I truly do, but that doesn't change the facts. You still broke a promise." Her voice became shaky again and I reached out my healthy arm for her to take, which she instantaneously did.

"Look, I don't know what to say or to do in order to fix this, but.."

"Just don't break a fuckin' promise to me ever again!" Hermione swore and tears ran down her cheeks again.

"Alright, I won't. I swear this on everything that means something to me." I vowed to her and felt her releasing my arm.

"And I know you won't break this promise at least." She sighed and my heart ached. Her bitterness was absolutely justified.

"Did Malfoy at least get punished for what he did to your heart?" I asked when I realized that we hadn't spoken about the consequences of the snake's actions yet, making Hermione smile weakly.

"What he did to my heart.. Don't you think it's more important what he did to you?" She asked and I sighed.

"No, I'd disagree. I can suffer alone, but if there's one thing I hate then it's when people suffer because of me." I stated and my best friend took a deep breath before responding.

"Malfoy is banned from quidditch for the rest of the year and all of Slytherin's points were deducted. He also got himself into detention until Christmas and not even Umbridge could stop her from imposing the Ferret's punishment!" Hermione told me and I raised a brow.

"Her? Who arranged all of that, if I may ask?"

"Professor McGonagall did it since Dumbledore was nowhere to be found on the match day. The chances are good that.." She explained and my eyes widened.

"He's travelling again! And here I thought he would tell me this time!" I exclaimed and wanted to get up again, only to find Hermione fiercely hindering me from doing so.

"No, Harry, there's nothing you can do right now!" My best friend firmly held me back but I continued trying to get up this time, the vision from Voldemort's perspective springing back into my mind. This was urgent.

"But I've gotta tell him, Hermione! When I was unconscious I had a vision of Voldemort finding and entering the place he's been looking for! There were voices talking to him and I saw the tomb through his eyes, the statues, everything!" I told her with a desperation in my voice that I didn't know I possessed.

"No, this can't be true. The last three days are the worst of my life." Hermione whispered with a panicked voice and my eyes widened in alarm.

"DAYS? How long have I been unconscious, Hermione?!" I asked and the brunette beauty gave me a compassionate look.

"Three days and a bit. It's near midnight now, if you wanna know." She told me and I wanted to face-palm myself. Luckily I restrained myself from doing so.

"Oh my god, seems like you nearly died again, ey?" I thought to myself with a sarcastic undertone.

"And don't you have to be in your dorm by now if it's that late?" I added, but the Brightest Witch of Her Age shook her head with determination.

"Madam Pomfrey offered me the bed next to yours for the time of your stay. That way I can keep an eye on you all the time, even when she can't." Hermione explained and I sighed.

"Oh Hermione.." I looked at her with gratitude but my friend's eyes were still hardened.

"I don't want to be tactless, but you can thank me later. We have more important matters to discuss right now." She guided us back to the original topic and I hummed.

"You're right."

"Right now I've got multiple questions concerning Voldemort: First of all, where is the tomb hidden? You said it was a tomb, right?" Hermione asked and I nodded, something that made me groan in anguish.

"Dammit, I hate Malfoy..", I mumbled, "Fargo Woods, Hermione. That's where the entrance to the tomb lies."

"Fargo Woods?! You mean like Fargo Woods near Stonehenge?" She asked and I sighed.

"I don't know. He just said "Fargo Woods". But at least we got SOME clue now." I said and Hermione nodded briefly.

"Remind me to further investigate this on another day. I'm absolutely convinced that I can find this "Fargo Woods" on a map." She said with determination and I flashed her a quick smile: I loved the fire that burned inside her.

"Okay, and what did those voices tell Voldemort?" She then asked and my face betrayed me even before I spoke the words.

"I don't know. They used the necromantic language most of the time." I told her and a victorious glint passed Hermione's fawn-brown eyes.

"Ha! I told you it would be smart to study the script and the language.", She told me with an I-told-you look, "But, um, what I actually wanted to say is that if we study, you'll understand them eventually."

"Yeah, it truly would be advantageous. Though I already understood a bunch of words, like "I" or "We".. y'know, the basic stuff." I told her, somewhat proud of my abilities.

"Do you know what Voldemort wants from that place? He can't be interested in architecture, can he?" Hermione continued and I chuckled mildly.

"Another question I can't answer. The tomb might be a huge hall, but besides the coffins and the statues there's nothing inside. Or at least my limited perspective didn't allow me to see it." I recapped and my best friend hummed.

"That's truly a bit strange.. Did you see when he entered the tomb? Maybe it's only accessible during a specific time of the day." Hermione mused.

"It must have been shortly before I woke up, because what else would have me shooting up from my bed like that?" I said and the brunette nodded.

"Perhaps he's still there in this very moment. I really wonder what he's up to..", She stated and gathered her thoughts for a second, "But no matter what, you're right: Dumbledore needs to know."

"Exactly! That's why.."

"For god's sake, will you stay in bed?!" Hermione then again stopped me from escaping my hospital bed and this time I accepted my defeat.

"Dumbledore isn't in Hogwarts, it's almost midnight and YOU. HAVE. TO. REST!" The brunette lectured me and despite what her words meant for me, I couldn't help but be amazed by the ferocious care she displayed for me to see.

"Alright, then we'll tell him once he's back." I corrected my statement and Hermione pointed a finger at me.

"And if you're lesions are gone by then." She added and I furrowed my brows.

"Did Madam Pomfrey tell you how long I have to stay here?" I asked and my best friend gave me a compassionate look.

"She said you could go in four or five days. I know you hate to stay abed for so long, but it is what it is.." She explained and I felt several other questions popping up in my head.

"What about the lessons? I must be missing a ton of stuff right now." I asked and Hermione giggled.

"What's so funny?!"

"It's just I never imagined Harry Potter not liking the idea of being absent during classes." She said with a small, cute smile and I groaned.

"The OWL's are awaiting me at the end of the year as well, Hermione! If I want to become an auror, I can't allow myself to be sloppy this year." I defended myself and the brunette just smiled.

"You're already more battle-experienced than most people alive, if I had to guess." She stated and I rolled my eyes.

"You mean because of Voldemort? That's not what I'd call a real fight. More a run-or-die mission. But that's exactly why we've got the Pinions..", I said and then my eyes widened, "Hey, if I've been passed out for three days, didn't I miss the meeting yesterday?"

"Well, yes. But I managed to be a decent substitute teacher, I guess." She again giggled and I beamed at her.

"I'm really proud of you, y'know that?" I stated and thought I saw her blushing in the semi-darkness of the room.

"Thanks..", She smiled brightly before her expression became more serious again, "But I think I've gotta warn you: Umbridge probably suspects something about our group."

"Hm, how's that?" I asked with a hint of fear in my voice and Hermione took a breath to collect her thoughts.

"The toad has decreed a so-called "Educational Decree" which states that all student organizations must seek her permission if they wish to continue. And those who violate the rule risk being expelled, so no Harry, we won't give a damn about it!" She explained and I found myself confused by her last sentence.

"You honestly want to ask her if.."

"No, what I mean is that we have to be more careful. I've already come up with some means to increase the safety of our meetings, but that's a topic for another day." She announced before getting up from the chair she had been sitting on.

"I'll tell the others tomorrow that you're back with us, Mr. Potter." Hermione half-joked and as she was to push one of the thick curtains aside that limited my private space in the hospital wing, I called out to her.

"Wait! Did the others celebrate our victory at least?" I asked, needing to know if I missed the grand party. I always looked forward to those.

"No, you dunderhead! We'll only celebrate once you're able to party again! And I'm REALLY looking forward to this one." The brunette witch declared and I chuckled.

"And why is that?"

"Because Fred and George promised me to play muggle music this time." She smiled lightly and I laughed.

"Don't forget to put my favourites on the set list!" I told her before she bade me farewell and exited my room with curtains as walls.

I heard her footsteps subtly echoing through the hospital wing and a short while later a rustling blanket sounded through the room.

I then heard Hermione sighing and knew it was a sigh of relief: She had me back…

The following days weren't the brightest of my life.

I was practically tied to my hospital bed and the only thing that would release me from this torture was a cured body.

People visited me during the day and unintentionally reminded of how disabled I was, making frustration swell inside of me. I hated it when I couldn't do anything.

But if the daytime was bad, then the nights were cruel. Why? Tempting dreams.

I constantly dreamt of the woman I loved and desired so much, colourful and vivid fantasies that seemed real enough to fool me until I found myself looking at the ceiling of the hospital wing again. Every time such a situation occurred to me, I inched closer to telling her.

It was torture, every time Hermione visited my bedside. My heart screamed to tell her, my brain desperately flooded my mind with the fear that plagued me to counter my heart. And every time my mind won.

"You don't want to confess your love in a fucking hospital bed.." I convinced myself again and again, a lie and yet the truth simultaneously.

And even though I tried to battle it as hard as possible, I knew deep down in my heart that I was done running. The question was just when the dams would break…

On Thursday Madam Pomfrey finally allowed me to leave the hospital wing, my body healed and my mind desperately needing to see something different than the curtains and walls of the ward. Oh, sweet, sweet freedom.

When I returned to the classes, I found it highly interesting to observe the teachers and their reaction to my return.

While Professor McGonagall once again started an angry tirade, reminding the Slytherins of my near demise but also admitting in front of the class that she saw the true values of a true Gryffindor inside of me, Snape didn't make a secret out of the fact that he was most displeased to see me in his classes again. Well, and Umbridge of course managed to be even more radical.

"I think, Mr. Potter, that it would have been better if you had stayed in the hospital wing for a bit longer." She had told the class, but it didn't touch a nerve inside of me. This had to be expected.

"Well, I'm not the Boy-Who-Lived without a reason, professor. I've survived the killing curse, it would be embarrassing to die to a simple bludger." I had cooly responded with a shrug of my shoulders before returning to the silly questions we had to answer in that particular lesson.

Friday came soon enough and so did the weekend. But before I could give in to the temptation of a promising weekend, there still was a quidditch training ahead.

I found it hard to concentrate, my head constantly discussing the issues that plagued me: Like Dumbledore's absence and what he desperately needed to know, Ron and how he still annoyed me beyond belief, Umbridge and her stupid decree, and of course Hermione, Hermione, Hermione.

Luckily, nobody really noticed my lack of focus since everybody else was way too concentrated to spare such thoughts. But even if somebody had accused me of not doing my job properly, then I could always say that I was tired. And I was tired. Tired of running away from my feelings…

The practice session eventually ended and it didn't take long until everybody of the team had taken a shower and redressed. Soon we were marching up the hill to the castle on a frosty afternoon in November, our little group of seven chatting and evaluating the training a bit.

It was already dark by the time we were back inside the castle walls, the torches ignited in their brackets so students wouldn't have to tumble in the dark, and we made our way back to the common room. And the second we entered, the world suddenly was an entirely different one.

Loud, blasting music came from some corner of the room while there had been some kind of stage erected in the centre, the entirety of the Gryffindor territory decorated with scarlet-red and golden objects. It also seemed like every single person of the house was gathered in the common room.

"Surprise!" The entirety of House Gryffindor seemed to exclaim in unison and I just had the time to realize that this must be the rescheduled house party before I felt some hands pushing me onto the stage in the centre.

From the corner of my eyes I noticed that my teammates suffered the same fate as I did and mere moments later our group of seven stood amidst everyone else.

The rest of the students cheered and chanted as we stood united as the team we were, making me grin widely.

Lee Jordan then handed Angelina a megaphone and I knew he expected her to say a few things to the crowd before the celebrations would begin. My mind still had difficulties processing the fact that this was the beginning of what seemed to be a truly promising, entertaining and most joyous night. I pinched my own arm and realized that I wasn't dreaming.

"Ten minutes ago you were walking up the stairs, not suspecting a thing, and now you're at the house party. Those bastards really did their best keeping this a secret, ey?" I thought with a gleeful smile and focused on my quidditch captain.

"First off, I think I speak in the name of the entire team when I say that your surprise for us was WAY more than just successful. I can't imagine what a piece of hard work this must have been to organize, so THANK YOU SO MUCH GUYS!" She addressed our most loyal supporters who cheered in response.

"As you saw during the match against Slytherin..", She shortly paused and a lot of people booed at the mention of our arch-rival, "We had to face unfair obstacles. They cheated and cheated until they had the lead, and neither did they stop their fouls after the game, as you all know."

People briefly looked at me as to check whether I truly was alive and healed or just a puppet magically levitated onto the stage before returning their attention to Angelina.

"But we didn't give up just because some pricks played dirty. No, we saw it as an opportunity to prove our strength, to show everybody that it doesn't matter if you cheat or play fair: The lion will always roar in triumph after a match, remember that." She declared and the crowd wildly clapped, some even chanting "Gryffindor, Gryffindor!" for a few times.

"We all play for our house with the purest conviction and determination, we all want to see the quidditch cup in our hands. But in the end, this team owes the majority of it's points to one single person. He's the one who's willing to risk everything for a win, not even refraining from breaking his bones for us. You all know him, you all love him. Please have a mighty applause for our seeker, HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Angelina handed me the megaphone as the audience raised their fists into the air and started chanting the typical "Potter, Potter!" chant they now did for more than four years.

I then felt Fred and George pulling me up so I literally sat atop of their shoulders, my smile turning into a grin because of their shenanigans. Right now wasn't the time to tell them I didn't like this kind of attention.

"You know, I might be the seeker, but I can't win a match alone. Without these guys I'd be as useless as Gilderoy Lockhart was when he used to teach here! This is a team effort, always remember that, and that's exactly why we'll continue winning in the future!" I declared before the Weasley twins lowered me from my elevated position again.

"I THINK IT'S TIME TO PARTY!" They shouted through the megaphone once they had taken it from me and the crowd cheered one final time before the festivities started.

Butterbeer was uncorked, snacks were handed through the room and the stage was quickly dismantled, giving way for.. a dance floor?!

My assumption became reality when I noticed students soon starting to move to the rhythm, some on their own and some with a partner, making the palms of my hands all sweaty.

"You could dance with her and tell her." A voice inside my head whispered as I got myself a bottle of Butterbeer and hastily took a huge sip of the beverage, my throat suddenly feeling very dry – something that had nothing to do with the temperature in the crowded room.

I talked to a few people before beginning to search for the woman of my dreams, suddenly very aware of the fact that I had last talked to her before the quidditch training – which was quite a time ago in our relationship.

Fortunately, my search didn't last too long as the brunette beauty simply was so stunningly gorgeous that she stood out from every other girl in the room.

"Hey, Harry.", She greeted me, her cheeks a light shade of rosy-pink which looked absolutely adorable on her, "Judging by the smile on your face I take it that you enjoy the surprise party?"

"I'm honestly amazed how you managed to keep this a secret from me and the others. Though I bet it was your organization that made it possible." I told her and she smirked mildly.

"I might have played a part in this, yes."

"You're bloody brilliant.", I chuckled and took her hand, guiding us to a slightly less-crowded corner of the room, "Which can't be said for the music right now."

"Yeah, wizarding world music is a bit weird, isn't it?", Hermione agreed when we both were leaning against a wall, "I never understood what those people liked about the Weird Sisters in the first place."

Indeed, a Weird Sister song was currently blasting through the speakers in the room, to many people's liking apparently.

"Yeah, liking is one thing, but then dancing to such music? I couldn't do that." I chuckled and Hermione smiled at me innocently.

"Will you dance with me tonight? You know they're gonna play our music at one point, the twins promised it." She asked and my heart cramped for a second, her words hitting me like a tsunami.

"Did she just ask you to dance with her?"

"Yes, she did."

"Oh my god, what are you gonna tell her?!"

"Um, yes?"

"I can't dance, Hermione, you know that." I responded and wanted to bang my head against the wall for my stupid answer.

"And neither am I a prodigy. Dancing isn't about being good at it, it's about having fun and sharing a wonderful moment with someone you like." She gave me a soft, encouraging smile and I sighed in relief: This angel just gave me a second chance.

"Alright, I'll do it. Bit only when they're playing good music." I assured her and the brunette girl literally beamed at me.

"Agreed."

We then started talking about anything and everything we liked, casually switching and springing in between topics, and every second was pure bliss for me.

I couldn't get my eyes of her face, the way her lips moved and eyes sparkled was intriguing and simply mesmerizing.

How she sometimes went through her beautiful, loose and tawny tresses with one hand was magical and so was the way her face lit up when something amused her. I just loved that girl.

At some point we left our spot to have another Butterbeer and when we bumped our bottles, we toasted to a happy evening.

For once we forgot the world around us, for once we were free…

"C'mon, it's time to dance!" Hermione happily announced when the first beats of "Sweet Harmony" sounded through the room, the sudden change from rock to electronic music palpable for everybody. Some students stormed off of the dance floor, some others stormed onto the dance floor. How musical taste can vary.

As the rate of my heartbeat increased, I followed my best friend onto the dance floor and looked at her, desperately needing her guidance.

"Just take my hands in yours." She told me after getting my non-verbal message and so I did as I was told. Both our hands were sweaty.

"Now, move to the beat. Feel the energy of the music flow through your body and relax. This isn't a formal dance, after all." Hermione smiled warmly at me and began pulling me a bit towards her as she stepped back a pace, making me automatically follow her.

My eyes were glued to hers as I drowned out the world around us, slowly falling into a rhythm with the Brightest Witch of Her Age.

Leisurely we moved, soft and gentle motions that soon had me smiling at her in a way that mirrored her own smile.

"Is it right or wrong, try to find a place, we can all belong?" The first verse started and I moved a bit closer to my dancing partner.

"I really like this song." I whispered into her ear, my nose sensing the scent of vanilla that lightly hung around her, intoxicating me.

"Me too." Hermione whispered back and when I pulled away from her face I saw her smile widening even more.

"Surely now, we could move along, make a better world, no it can't be wrong.." She then sang along shortly before the chorus, gazing at me with so much affection, so much.. could it be?!

"Let's come together! Right now! Oh yeah! In sweet harmony!" The chorus loudly rang through the speakers in the common room and I tried to inconspicuously move closer to the brunette. My feelings were taking control, the restraint of my mind slowly slipping away.

"Time is running out, let there be no doubt, we should sort things out.." The second verse started and only encouraged my irrational side to continue with whatever I just had started doing.

By now only a few inches separated our foreheads and I could see every tiny detail of her picturesque face, feel her hot breath on my cheek.

Hermione didn't pull back nor did she flinch at our closeness and I suddenly felt very bold. I had to risk it, for I knew this was the best shot I would ever get.

"Play a part, in a greater scheme, try to live the dream, on a wider scene.." As the last line of the second verse sounded through the room I gently let go of Hermione's hands before moving them upwards, brushing her shoulders, her neck, her hair, before I cupped her face and stared into her fawn-brown eyes like I never had done before.

I noticed she was holding her breath, looking at me with a longing in her big, dilated pupils that evaporated all the doubts in the world. Everything was unequivocal suddenly.

I let my instincts take over and leant down, my lips finding hers at once.

Her arms came around my neck instantaneously and pulled me closer to her as our lips tried to devour each other.

No, whatever I imagined a first kiss would be like, it wasn't close to reality.

My nervous system exploded with each movement of our lips, our hunger for more so consuming that the kiss intensified again and again, the woman in my arms clinging to my body with such desperation I never thought was possible to possess.

Soon we were sighing and moaning into each other's mouth, my arms sliding down her body to press her flush against me.

She felt wonderful, soft, smooth, tender, exquisite and kissed me with a fierceness that defied the common belief of a sweet first kiss.

We weren't fireworks, fireworks could be tamed and controlled, no, we were a raging inferno of love, passion and hunger.

I felt elated beyond belief, so many fears and issues dissolving in the matter of one moment, and it only made me snog her harder, love her harder.

Now that my lips had touched hers I felt like I couldn't get enough of them, worship them enough. She was mine, from this moment on until death would claim me.

"Harry." She sighed my name against my lips when I entangled one of my hands in her satin-soft hair, her tone incredibly drugging.

My entire body was tingling and thrumming as her nails dug into my shoulders, disabling me from focusing on anything but the kiss that felt so much better than all the climaxes I had felt in my life combined.

I didn't know how long we kissed, and neither did I care, the only thing I knew was that it did indeed end at one point.

When we both pulled away I let my forehead lean against hers before I opened my eyes and smiled at her warmer than I ever had before. For a second, it looked like her eyes were blue and not brown.

"Harry.."

"Hermione.."

We both said simultaneously, her tone enamoured and loving. It was a new, thrilling sensation to hear her address me with such obvious affection in her voice. It also was abrupt, like this one kiss had changed her entire behaviour towards me – just as it had changed my entire behaviour towards her.

"I'm very sorry to interrupt you lovebirds, but I think you have the right to know that a lot of people seem to be interested in your snogging session." The magically amplified voice of Fred Weasley rang through my ears, making me step a few paces away from the radiant woman I just kissed. I noticed her doing the same.

Suddenly, my surroundings re-materialized in front of my eyes and when I glimpsed, it felt like a hundred people appeared around me and Hermione out of thin air.

Heat sprang to our faces as I figured out that our kiss had been a very public one, my eyes meeting many grinning and snickering faces.

"But anyway, I think it's time to finally congratulate you two for becoming a couple. Half of this house has been dying to see the day you two would finally kiss. And I think you guys aren't disappointed, are you?" The twin addressed the "audience" that began whistling and cheering at the literal invitation.

As my gaze wandered through the masses, I was met with a lot of different reactions: People like Neville and Ginny just flashed us a bright smile, then there were people like Angelina that just shot us a teasing smirk, and then there were the disappointed boys and girls who secretly had wished to be either my or Hermione's romantic partner one day.

"Well, sorry girls.. I'm madly in love with this brunette beauty.", I thought, a bit of pity mixing with the embarrassment of the moment, "Though it serves you boys right to not be with her.. You aren't nearly good enough to deserve Hermione."

"Alright then, it's time to give those two some space again, we don't want to make anyone feel embarrassed here, right?" Fred jested but the crowd seemed to get the clue. Slowly, the masses dispersed again. At least temporarily.

The next few minutes then were spent receiving several, separate congratulations from our housemates, some being close friends, some not-so-close people.

I felt bad for not whole-heartedly listening to the people I spoke with, but I was longing to hold Hermione close to me again, to kiss her again.

"I can't believe it! I kissed Hermione fucking Granger and she kissed me back! She loves me, I could see it in her eyes, feel it within every second of that kiss.. Oh my, I gotta tell her!" I thought again and again, casting glances at the Brightest Witch of Her Age every other second.

When we finally were left alone, I immediately took her hands in mine again as we started swaying to the beat of "Blue Monday", a lot of new people joining the dance floor as well. "Blue Monday" just had everybody dancing, even the purebloods couldn't resist it's magic.

Again I wore the same smile of enamourment on my face that I had already flashed her after our phenomenal first kiss, the music and Hermione's presence a mixture that equalled a religious experience.

The distance between our bodies was significantly smaller than it had been before the kiss, our bodies now frequently touching as we circled around one another.

"How does it feel?" Hermione sang along when the lyrics started, leaning into my ear, and she subtly rolled her hips against mine, the combination of her voice and her movement enough to make the hair on my neck stand. My trousers also felt quiet tight, suddenly.

"To treat me like you do?" She continued with a devilish grin when I stepped on her foot, a consequence of her pleasant surprise.

"When you've laid your hands upon me.." Her hands travelled up my body until they were firmly resting on my chest, sending shivers all across my body.

"And told me who you are?" Hermione slowed down our movements and leant in for another kiss, batting her eyelashes at me innocently as she sang those words. There was no way for me to reject such an invitation.

The way she behaved was emboldening, so when I sealed her lips with mine, I snaked my hands down to her narrow waist and smirked against her lips as I felt her sexy figure for the first time.

Kissing her triggered so many feelings inside of: Happiness, joy, elation, excitement, hunger, satisfaction, arousal.. Oh hell yeah, I was hard as a rock by the time we parted for air.

I kept my hands on her waist and Hermione giggled in amusement.

"I could definitely get used to this." She half-joked and I grinned lovingly at her.

"Me too."

The song continued and so did our dance, her fawn-brown eyes constantly locked with mine and I lost myself in her beauty again.

"You know, I've fantasised about this moment for so long.. How it would feel to kiss you for the first time." I silently admitted when chin rested against the side of her head, eliciting a sigh out of the brunette's mouth.

"I've even dreamt about it." She confessed, making me beam at her.

"Yeah.. That as well. For months have you invaded my dreams now, and every time I woke up I thought that I couldn't have you: I was afraid of losing you as a friend should I dare to kiss you.", I explained and Hermione buried her head a bit deeper in my chest, "So I tried to bottle my feelings up.."

"My reasoning was the same as yours. It hurt, thinking to never be with you like this, but I always tried to soothe myself by telling me that losing you as a friend would hurt even more." She responded and I exhaled deeply.

"Am I happy that these times are over.." I stated and raked my hands through her elegant curls of shiny, tawny hair before cupping her face again and resting my forehead against hers, "Am I happy that I was wrong."

I dropped all my walls and mental shields, displaying all my feelings and emotions for her to see and watched her doing the same.

Summoning all the strength in my body, I knew this was the moment for me to tell her the three magical words.

"I love you, Hermione Jane Granger." I tenderly told her and saw her eyes becoming all shiny at my declaration.

"I love you too, Harry James Potter." She confessed and I found myself reacting in a similar manner as my girlfriend, my heart swelling with so many emotions because of her words.

"Now I stand here waiting.." Bernhard Sumner's voice rang through the speakers and just as the first note of Hooky's bass solo hit my ears, I again felt the irresistible urge to kiss her. And so I did.

This third kiss was far more rhythmical and slower, but not a bit less sensational.

I felt a few happy tears rolling down my cheeks as I caressed my beloved's lips with my own, her skin so soft and sweet it was drugging.

Her ministrations fogged my mind as I found myself trapped in an endless state of blissful happiness, happiness caused by one simple, single truth: I loved her and she loved me. We were in love and now were a couple. She was mine and I was hers until the death of time.

I had found happiness in my life, at last. Something that was worth breathing for. A new motivation to face all the challenges which all had to come yet…


Author's note: FINALLY! Oh my god, you cannot imagine how GOOD it felt to finally write this chapter. My heart was literally exploding when I wrote the kissing scene. The build-up in this story was as long as a marathon and writing the last few scenes here was as satisfying as reaching the finishing line - thus why I only needed a week to write this chapter, despite the intense school week I had: This was BY FAR the most thrilling writing experience so far for me.

Today I don't want to write a lengthy explanation of my choices for the content of this chapter, all you need to know is that I gave it my all to make this chapter as perfect, as poetic and as harmonious as possible. If you have question about the chapter, just write a review and I'll gladly answer them.

Let's see how the story continues from here on.. Hehe.

'Til the next time!

NewOrderFan05