(…)

November 5th, 2004

Harry is looking at the yard. His arms are crossed and he's making a face. It's been three days since Ron last showed up at his door. And he's not sure how he feels about it. Ron made it perfectly clear that he wouldn't give up until Harry forgave him…

Since Rachel is with Tessa today, he decides to visit Draco and Ginny. Fetching some pasta he cooked yesterday, he apparates to their place. The kitchen is empty and he leaves the food there. Then, he walks silently inside - he knows better than to make noise in a house with a baby.

There's no one at the living room. Which is not that strange. At this hour Draco is usually training and Ginny is at their room with Linda. Maybe she knows something about Ron.

Harry climbs the stairs and before he calls to Ginny, he hears voices. Stopping on his tracks, he frowns. It's Ron talking. And he's crying. Harry inhales deeply, his feet already making him go down, but his curiosity spikes when he hears:

"And Harry is never going to forgive me." Ron says, sobbing. "I sent her away and I lost Harry and now I feel like there's nothing else for me, Gin."

Harry gulps and moves closer to the open door. He listens.

"Ron, don't talk like that. Please. You have an amazing job and a life in Paris. I'm sure you'll meet someone else."

"I know, but there's just one Harry." A small silence. "Besides, without Hermione there everything is harder and even when she comes back… she has Gustave. They have their own life and such. I- I was thinking about traveling again. Going away. Maybe I should disappear." He whispers. Ginny sighs heavily. "I'm serious. It's like I was born to only screw things up."

"Give it time, Ron. And that's not true. You have an amazing heart. The best intentions. You just don't know what to do with them. And yes, occasionally you screw up big time." They share a small chuckle. And after a brief silence, Ginny says, "Mum always says you have the biggest heart."

Ron snorts. "Well, maybe she's mistaken. What was I thinking, Gin?" He asks and Harry can tell that he's crying harder. "I should have stayed the fuck away from Tessa."

"Yeah, you should have." She says. "But you didn't kiss her alone. Tessa also has a part in this." A longer silence fills the room. Harry ponders if he should leave. If- "She really said she loves you?" Harry widens his eyes, even more curious now.

"Yeah." Ron sniffs. "Fuck." He mumbles. "It was so hard sending her away. I wanted so much to kiss her. Tell her I loved her too."

Harry is incredulous. So, they really love each other.

Ginny clicks her tongue. "You have to let this go. You know it's her or Harry."

"I know. I've made my choice. But I don't know what else to tell Harry. He's never going to open that fucking door."

"Do you blame him?"

"No. I don't. And the worst is… I'm not sure I would forgive myself if I were him."

Harry makes a face at the statement. True. They keep talking but he decides that he's heard enough. Silently, he goes down the stairs and heads to the kitchen. He takes the food he brought - he doesn't want Ginny to know that he was there - and he goes back to his place, his mind full with what he just heard.


November 8th, 2004

Harry and Draco are drinking some beer, watching a Quidditch match. Draco came to his place for this because Harry was alone and Ginny didn't want him screaming inside the house with Linda asleep - she says he gets too excited when there's a match happening.

The match is pretty good and Draco is pumped up about the way his direct rival is playing. But Harry is only partially watching it. His mind is elsewhere. He keeps thinking about what he heard.

Ron was so sad in that conversation with Ginny. Harry never heard him talk like that. So broken. It was like he was ready to give up on everything. And now he understands why he hasn't showed up at his door again.

And Harry can't help feeling bad about it. Yes, Ron screwed up. But the fact that he rejected Tessa because it could mean that Harry wouldn't forgive him was a strong indication that he regrets what he did.

Harry sighs, sipping on the beer. Draco looks at him.

"What's wrong? I know you're not paying attention to the game."

"I'm thinking." Harry says. "About Ron and Tessa."

Draco widens his eyes and gives more of his attention to Harry. "What about them?"

"Well, I accidentally heard a conversation between Ron and Ginny." Draco tilts his head. "From what I gathered, Tessa went after Ron. Said she loved him and all that."

Harry sips on the beer again.

"Yeah, Ginny told me about it." Draco says. "She's worried about Ron."

"He sounded completely wrecked." Harry admits, making a face. Draco sips on his beer. "What would you do in my place, Draco?"

Draco opens his mouth a bit, surprised by the question.

"Well," He clears his throat, "I- it's hard to tell. I mean, yeah, they betrayed you but it's not like you were madly in love with Tessa, is it?"

"That's not relevant. We were together and they chose to have this thing-"

"I know." Draco says fast. "And they were completely wrong about it. This is not up for debate, mate. They fucked up. The thing is… does forgiving them will make you feel bad? You have to ask yourself that."

Harry tilts his head. "I'm not angry at Tessa anymore." He says calmly. "Fuck, I know how much I thought about Hermione while we were together. It's hard to blame her." Draco points a finger at him, giving him some reason. "But I'm not ready to forgive Ron."

"I always thought your friendship was…" Draco trails and Harry squints at him. "Well, to be honest I envied you at Hogwarts." He shrugs.

It's the firs time Harry is hearing this.

"I knew it." He provokes Draco. They chuckle. And Harry feels a tug at his chest.

"I mean, mate, you're not perfect either." Draco states.

"Yeah." He runs a hand through his hair. "I'm not ready to forgive him but I don't want him to be miserable either. I mean, if they love each other…"

He keeps thinking about this. That Ron and Tessa love each other. That they want to be together. And there's nothing really stopping them. And fuck, Harry knows how terrible it is to love someone and not be with that person-

"Talk to him, then, Harry." Draco says, "It's simple as that."

Harry exhales heavily. Most of the times life is pretty simple. Our emotions make it difficult.

"Maybe." He whispers.

"What about you and Hermione?" Draco asks.

And a heavy silence fills the room.

Harry avoids thinking about her. "Well, she's still away with her boyfriend, isn't she?" He says this bitterly.

"Are you going after her when she gets back?"

"You and your fucking questions." He mumbles.

Draco laughs, yelling at the game. Someone's head got hit by a Bludger and they both make a face of pain at the sight of it.

"So?" Draco insists.

"I don't know. To be honest I'm a bit pissed at her." Draco raises both eyebrows. "I'm sure she knew about Ron and Tessa."

Draco whistles lowly. "Probably."

"Yeah, probably."

And after that they start to talk about other things while watching the game. However, Harry's mind is still on Ron and Tessa.


November 9th, 2004

Harry opens the door and walks to the car with Rachel. Tessa is there to fetch her for the weekend. And it's been a while since he last saw her. She looks terrible. Clearly sad.

"Hey, sweetie!" Tessa smiles and hugs Rachel tightly. "We're going to have so much fun!"

Rachel yells in excitement, already entering the car. Tessa smiles shyly at Harry and straps the little girl inside properly.

"Harry." She acknowledges him and moves to enter the car.

"Can we talk?" He stops her and she opens her mouth, surprised. She glances at Rachel inside, "It'll be fast."

Leaving her door open, she nods and walks to him for them to talk within a safe distance from Rachel's hearing shot.

"I- is everything alright?" Tessa asks, crossing her arms.

"Do you love Ron?"

She widens her eyes so much that Harry's afraid they might pop out. And her chin trembles. Tessa gulps.

"Harry, I-"

"Just tell me."

She looks down, wiping some tears. "I do. I love him."

Harry inhales deeply, shaking his head.

"Well, he loves you too."

Her head snaps back up, their eyes meeting. "I-" She's at a loss of words. "I tried talking to him, but-" Tessa stops, making a face. "Your friendship means more to him, Harry. And I understand."

Harry crosses his arms. "Even if I'm not ready to forgive him… I don't wanna stop two people who love each other from being together."

Tessa is dumbfounded. And with a small smile, Harry waves at Rach and walks back to the house. Tessa stays frozen on the spot for a few more seconds.

Harry can see that she has a smile on her face when she enters the car, though.

He feels good about it.


What sounds like a beating drum wakes him up and Harry immediately rises to his feet, his heart pounding inside his chest. He dozed off on the couch and-

Ron is outside. With a drum. That he's playing and singing a song. Asking for forgiveness.

Harry shakes his head, laughing, actually relieved that it was nothing serious. Or dangerous. He pockets his hands and keeps listening to the song that has no rhythm whatsoever. Belatedly he realizes that Ron is singing it in Parseltongue. Harry laughs out loud at this.

And shaking his head, he goes to the front door.

Ron freezes when he opens it.

"Fuck off, Ron." He says in a playful tone. "I'm not forgiving you, but I'm just going to say this…" Ron gulps, listening without moving, like a statue. "Go be with Tessa, maybe this way you can leave me alone." Harry waves a hand to emphasize his words.

Ron has no reaction and they keep staring at each other.

"Are you serious?" Ron asks after a long silence. "Harry, I-"

"Piss off, Ron." He says, smiling. "Yeah, you acted like a jerk and all that, life sucks, yada yada." Harry rolls his eyes. Ron has no idea how to respond. "It's fine, mate." Harry says more seriously. "I- I want you to be happy." He shrugs.

With a flick of his wrist, Ron disappears with the drums and all the other instruments that Harry's only noticing now. And suddenly, Ron hugs him, tightly, patting his back. Harry hugs him back, also patting his back.

"I won't stop asking for you forgiveness." Ron says when they separate.

"You better not." Harry answers. "Now, fuck off."

They chuckle. And with that, Harry enters his house. After a while Ron is also gone.

Harry sighs. There's a smile on his face. And he feels good about it.


November 12th, 2004

He asked Ginny for Tessa's new address. And now he's here. At her front door. Trembling. Feeling like he might faint at any minute. Harry gave them his blessing. But Ron spent the entire weekend thinking about it, thinking if being with Tessa is what he truly wants.

And it is.

When she opens the door there's no doubt left.

They stare at each other. And, slowly, a wide smile spreads across her face.

He smiles too.

And on the next second they're kissing. And then they're entering the flat together.

And then… Ron can't describe his happiness anymore.


December 1st, 2004

They're finally back from their trip and Hermione can't stop smiling. She's so incredibly happy. The moment she began to be part of the Hôpital's staff, she was allowed to take two weeks off. She and Gustave didn't think twice. And what started as some nice vacations, turned into heavy work.

The Village where they were had no Healers whatsoever. The children were sick. The adults dying young. There were no elders. And Gustave sent a message to the Hôpital, asking if they could stay there a bit longer, if it was of their interest that they taught some basic healing. The Head of the Hôpital agreed and pushed them to stay for two months.

Hermione has to admit that it was exhausting but incredible. It filled her with purpose. They saved so many lives. She can't quite describe what it means to her. And the gratitude the wizards and witches showed them- Her heart swells by just remembering it. Not to mention that she gathered a lot of informations for her research - on new ways to heal head trauma.

And it all felt so perfect, so right that… they're coming back home with a new relationship status.

They got married.

Well, they kind of eloped. But it was amazing. Just the two in a small village by the sea. It was like a dream. She loved every second of it. They kept their engagement a secret and when they saw the opportunity… it was impossible not to take it.

She never thought she would feel this good after all the mess with Harry. But Hermione realized that time truly heals everything. And now she can't stop looking at her wedding band. Gustave gave her an engagement ring that she's also wearing and its diamond is perfect. Not too big and not that small. The sight of both rings always bring a smile to her face.

So, as she unpacks her stuff, she sings a song, glad. Gustave went to his place to fetch all of his things. They decided that Hermione's apartment is bigger and better for them to share this new life - Gustave lives in a typical bachelor's pad that she refuses to move into.

And now, she can't wait to tell her friends.

She gulps. It… she's a bit nervous about Harry's reaction. It's not like they still owe anything to each other, but it does feel strange to be married to another man and only sharing with him now. Also strange to think that- Hermione used to imagine that if she ever got married her last name would be Potter. She purses her lips. She didn't take Gustave's last name.

But before she can think more about this, she hears an apparition inside.

"Hermione?" It's Ron.

"Hey! In here!"

Ron enters the room with a huge smile on his face and they hug tightly.

"Oh, I missed you!" He exclaims, kissing her cheek. "Fuck, you look good!"

"You too!" They're both beaming. "So, what's new? How's Rach? I miss her so much! I'm thinking about going to Harry and Tessa's later tonight."

Hermione takes a step away from him and resumes her unpacking. She's going to wait to see how long it will take him to notice her wedding band.

"Well, I don't think you'll be able to do that." She looks at him. He has a strange expression on his face. She immediately feels cold inside.

"Rach's fine, right?"

"Yes." He says fast. "She's fine. Everyone is fine."

Hermione gulps. "Okay. What is it, then?" She tilts her head, crossing her arms and paying attention to him.

"You've been gone for more than two months." He begins, "Things changed a bit."

She chuckles. "Why all the mystery? It's not like everything is upside down now, is it?"

Ron purses his lips, raising his eyebrows. And her heart starts to beat faster. Hermione's not sure she's ready to listen what he has to say because a lot is going through her mind-

"Harry and Tessa are over."

She can feel her mouth opening on its own. Ron waits for a reaction. But she's in shock.

"What?" She whispers the word, her insides churning.

"For a while now. Since your birthday." Her eyes widen. "I tried to tell you but the owl couldn't find you and I'm now sure the patronus didn't either." She might be shaking a bit.

"How?" She asks, gulping. Her mind is working so fast. And her heart is squeezing inside her chest-

"They decided to end because they don't love each other, Hermione. Come on." He says as if it's obvious. "You could see it too, couldn't you?"

Hermione wets her lips. "The only thing I saw was them being affectionate towards each other. Laughing and hugging and raising a beautiful daughter together, Ron." She's a bit pissed. "You always talk as if I should see something that-"

"You closed your eyes to reality."

"I did not!" She snaps. "Fuck!" She's annoyed now. There's a pressure on her chest. She shakes her head. "How's Rachel? Harry? Tessa?"

With the initial shock gone, she's finally catching up to what this truly means to Rachel. They sure are splitting the days with her.

"Rachel is fine. It was a bit hard at first but Harry and Tessa came up with a nice routine. I'm not sure how Harry is, but Tessa is great." He opens a small smile.

Hermione widens her eyes.

"Are you two together?" She asks, panicking. This is crazy.

Ron's smile gets wider. Hermione feels like falling.

"Yeah."

"Oh, I need to sit down." She goes to the armchair that faces the bed. Ron sits on her bed and they waste seconds looking at each other. Until she finally asks, "How come Harry didn't murder you? Does he know about the kisses?"

"He knows. Tessa told him when they broke up." Hermione closes her eyes, she's dizzy. "He didn't take it that well. He punched me and stuff."

She snorts. "I don't blame him."

Ron makes a face. "He hasn't forgiven me yet." He sounds sad now. "But I'm not giving up. I go to his house every day to beg for forgiveness."

"Oh, my. Ronald Weasley." She opens a side smile. She knows it's a big deal for Ron to grovel.

"I know. But I'm willing to do anything for our friendship not to end. And now that I'm with Tessa I feel like things will fall into their rightful place." He gives Hermione a pointed look. "Harry's very single now."

She might be sick. This is so overwhelming.

And instead of saying it to him, she raises her left hand between them.

It takes Ron a few seconds. Then, he gasps.

"Don't tell me this is a wedding ring."

Their eyes meet.

"It is." She smiles. Her emotions are all over the place but the happiness she's feeling because she married Gustave is bigger than anything else. And this notion relaxes her. Hermione exhales heavily. "I'm happy, Ron." She says to him in a simple way, shrugging a bit.

He smiles at her and stands from the bed, opening his arms. She hugs him and he squeezes her.

"If you're happy, then I'm happy too."

And just then they hear Gustave apparating inside.

"I'm here, wife!" He calls from the living room.

Ron snorts. "Come by my place later. Tessa's there. She wants to talk."

Hermione nods, but she feels cold inside. And she stays in the room when Ron leaves. She hears him congratulating Gustave and they share a laugh and some words.

And before Gustave can enter the room and question her, she darts to the bathroom. Closing the door, she inhales deeply. She's shaking a bit. Hermione was not expecting this. At all. Apparently they had a clean break up. Things are well. Rachel is fine.

She looks at her reflection in the mirror. There's an inevitable talk with Harry ahead of her. The notion frightens her. Fuck. Hermione lowers her head, gulping. Now that he's not with Tessa, it… it changes things a bit. It was like their relationship was a shield that sustained a strong barrier between her and Harry. But-

Doesn't matter. She splashes some water on her face. It doesn't matter because now she's married. And she loves her husband. And Harry's her friend. And they'll have a mature talk about everything. And that's it.

She nods to herself.

"That's it." She whispers.

Unfortunately, Hermione doesn't quite believe her own words.


She knocks at Ron's door and when Tessa opens it, Hermione has to admit that this is a bit odd. But because of how happy they are, she soon forgets the initial awkwardness. Tessa hugs her tightly. Ron is watching Draco's Quidditch match and they sit together in front of the screen he owns.

Gustave is not there because he's exhausted. He worked yesterday and tomorrow they need to be at the Hôpital, so, when Hermione left the flat he was already knocked out.

She has a lot to talk with Tessa, but they're both ignoring the impending conversation for the moment. And when Sofia scores for Draco's team, Hermione makes a face. She points at her and says to Tessa:

"Harry used to hook up with her."

Tessa widens her eyes, "No shit." Then, she tilts her head, "You're way more gorgeous."

Hermione snorts, annoyed. She was so jealous of Sofia. And now that he's single, he'll date again. She shuts down the thought. But it stays inside her. The fact that Harry's next lover is going to be a new woman in his life. A woman that will be with him and Rachel- She exhales heavily. Angry.

Shit.

"We need to talk." Tessa interrupts her thoughts. They share a look and Hermione gulps at the way Tessa holds her hand, her fingers on the wedding band. Hermione only nods.

And the game ends. Draco caught the Snitch.

Ron whistles, celebrating, and then, he switches off the screen. Hermione prepares herself for what's to come. Even when she made up with Tessa, they never talked properly about Harry. Because of Tessa, Hermione shoved all her feelings for Harry inside a fucking box that now she's going to open and she's not ready. Not ready at all.

Tessa fetches them some more wine and Hermione decides that she should initiate this talk.

"So," She sighs, pointing at them, "I cannot believe this."

Ron snorts and Tessa smiles. They share a look and hold hands. Ron kisses her hand and Tessa's eyes glint with sheer happiness. Hermione never saw her like this. Ever. She purses her lips. Her heart is beating fast.

"Mi, I'm sorry I didn't open up to you about this." Tessa looks down and then back at Hermione. "It was hard for me to understand what I was feeling and I didn't want to create more problems. I tried to ignore the obvious pull between me and Ron, but it got unbearable." She exhales heavily. "And when he took Ingrid to Draco and Ginny's," Tessa shakes her head and Hermione opens a small smile, "it was like a wake up call. I had to ask myself what the hell I was doing with my life if I was so fucking jealous of Ron with Harry by my side."

Hermione looks down. It's so hard to wrap her mind around this.

"Yeah, well, maybe if it wasn't for you realizing something and-"

"It's not like that." Tessa cuts her. "Harry wanted to end things too, Mi. He- I don't think he wanted to be with me at all."

Hermione blinks a few times. "I thought you and Harry were fine, Tess." She says slowly, "I mean, you seemed happy."

"Well, I guess we did if you didn't pay enough attention." They share a look. Maybe Hermione didn't want to pay attention. "I mean, Harry is very thoughtful, and when things got better, we were really trying." Hermione can see that this bothers Ron. And Tessa knows it, so she squeezes his hand. "But at first we only fought, Mi. And then, when we stopped to fight, it was clear that we didn't care enough even to be angry at each other. We fell into a natural routine while taking care of Rachel. It was all for her."

Hermione nods. Of course Rachel would come first.

"And how are things with her?" She asks Tessa, a bit tense.

"Fine. I mean, way better than what I imagined. Rachel is such a smart little girl. I think she can tell that things are good now, in a way." Tessa shrugs. "While still together we tried our best to shield her from our problems and I think it worked. She misses you, though." Tessa smiles, Hermione does too. "She's with Harry today, but tomorrow I'm back at London and I'll stay with her, speaking of which, you need to see my new place!"

Hermione nods, excited. "I'm happy things are good, Tess. If… if you weren't working as a couple there was no sense in staying together, right?"

A silence follows her words. Ron and Tessa share a look. And now Tessa seems sad.

"I'm-" Tessa begins, Hermione sees the way she squeezes Ron's hand. "Mi, I'm sorry."

She frowns. "Sorry?"

"I- Harry tried to end things with me on the night of Draco and Ginny's wedding." Hermione doesn't move, but inside she's hot and cold, it's like her heart wants to split in two, break out from her chest. A strong emotion takes over her and the need to cry rises up to her eyes, but she holds her tears back. "I asked for a second chance on that night. And he thought you and Ron were together, but truth is… he never stopped loving you, he said so to me when we broke up."

Hermione looks down, pressing her lips together, suffocating her own emotions. "I don't think this changes things now, Tess." She whispers. Inevitably a tear falls from her eye and she brushes it away fast. "He chose to be with you-"

"Because of Rachel. Not because he loved me." Tessa is clearly nervous. "And now you're married and-"

"Stop." Hermione says in a low voice, more tears are leaving her eyes, but it's like they have a will of their own, she's not aware that she's crying. "Life goes on and I love Gustave. We're here today because of the choices we made. I chose to marry him." She gulps. "When you woke up Harry chose to be with you. And that choice made it pretty clear to me that I wasn't in his heart anymore."

"That's not true." Ron says. "Harry has always been crazy about you-"

She stands from the couch, angry now. "Enough." She can't deal with this. Not right now. "Tess, I understand what you're saying but you don't have to be sorry. Honestly." She takes Tessa's hand, smiling at her cousin. "I'm happy for you." They both open smiles at her. "But I do need to sleep. I have to work tomorrow and things are going to be so crazy that I can't even think properly now."

Tessa nods and hugs her. Hermione closes her eyes, truly shaken. She's trembling a little. To hear that Harry is in love with her is- She sighs, hugging Ron next. And he takes her to the door.

"Hermione." He says in a tone she recognizes. Hermione rolls her eyes, crossing her arms and staring at him.

"Ronald."

He opens a mischievous smile.

"You're going to talk with him, right?"

Hermione would take a Portkey right now. In fact she thought about this the entire day. But she needs to ground herself more. She needs to think a bit, be alone for a moment - which she wasn't able to since she arrived.

"Of course I will." There's no doubt in her mind. She needs to see how he is. She needs to be sure that he's fine. Not to mention that she misses him. His face. His bright smile. His laugh.

"When?" Ron is pressuring her. And she raises an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to tell him to forgive you, Ron. This is your own mess."

He makes a face. "Well, I was hopeful." Ron clicks his tongue. "Do you think he's going to be all hugs and kisses with you? I doubt it a bit."

This takes her by surprise. "Why?"

"He surely suspects that you knew about me and Tessa." It takes a moment for the information to sink in. And it makes her nervous. "Not to mention that you're married now."

She sighs. "He can't be mad at me because I married my boyfriend." Ron makes a face, telling her that she's right but that won't stop Harry. "Regardless, yeah, we need to have a talk. Maybe I'll go by his house tomorrow. I mean, I can see Rachel and Tessa's new place then visit Harry."

"That sounds good." He says, squinting. Then, he hugs her. "Good luck."

With a chuckle and shaking her head, she leaves for her flat. And Hermione puts all her thoughts and emotions away for now. She needs to rest and work tomorrow. She can deal with everything she's feeling at the right moment: when talking to Harry.


December 2nd, 2004

He's running on the treadmill in his basement. Harry keeps going, as fast as he can. He doesn't want to think about anything else except the effort he's making while he runs. He's already dripping sweat but he can't stop. He won't stop. Earlier today Ron showed up again and Harry listened to his reasons while he cooked. He seemed to be in a good mood. In fact, since Harry told him to go be with Tessa he's changed a lot.

Tessa changed too. He met her a few times since that day and one time she hugged him tightly, a discreet 'thank you' whispered in his ear.

Harry can't deny that he's happy for them. And he's glad that no bad feelings remain inside him. Yeah, he hasn't forgiven Ron yet. And he figures it will take some time until he does, but he's more open to it. It's tough to admit it but, he misses Ron. He misses the way they were all meeting all the time.

But his life has changed drastically too. For the best. Since he and Tessa broke up it's like a ton has been lifted from his shoulders. They don't have to pretend anymore. Rachel is happy with the routine. And Harry has more freedom inside his own house. He sees Draco and Ginny a lot more. His mood also changed a lot. He feels more joyous.

And the idea of the restaurant is becoming more serious. For it to happen he only needs to tell the investors that he wants it. And deep in his heart he already knows he does. Even if the idea frightens him a bit, it also gives him new life, a new kind of purpose. Something that's his. Something that he created practically from nothing. It's a good feeling.

The only thing that still nags him is… Hermione. She should be back by now. And he can't help wondering if she knows about him and Tessa. If she cares.

Harry stops running, breathing heavily while he tries to calm down his heart. He didn't try to talk with Hermione while she was away. The one time he considered it, Ginny told him that she was unreachable. So, he put that thought away.

However, today, since he woke up he's been thinking about her. Thinking if he should reach out. If she'll. He's a bit lost. Harry wants to tell her how much he loves her. He wants to tell her that he wants her. But things are not that simple. He knows.

And he's still pissed at her.

He takes off his t-shirt and tosses it atop the washing machine. With a towel he dries his chest and neck, climbing up the stairs. It's fairly cold outside, but the house has a permanent heating spell that keeps it warm. And Harry realized that this run before going to bed relaxes him a lot. He just needs to take a shower now-

Stopping on his tracks, he raises his eyes to be sure that he saw right. And he stops breathing for a moment.

Hermione is there.

Inside his living room. Smiling at him. And she looks as gorgeous as ever in a simple blue dress.

"Hey, there." She says softly.

Harry gulps, not moving. It's dead silent and there's only a lamp lit in the living room, so, it's pretty dark, but also cozy. Hermione doesn't move either. And they keep looking at each other.

It's an endless moment.

She looks well. And also unsure of what to do. He doesn't know what to do either. But his whole self is aware of her presence, aware that this conversation is going to be different from the ones they had for this past year since Tessa woke up. And it sends a shiver down his body.

"Hey." He finally reacts. She inhales deeply and he takes a few steps closer to her. He notices the way her eyes roam over his chest. "I- I was wondering if you were back already." His heart is beating so strongly, pounding.

"I arrived yesterday." She says, also taking a step closer to him. "And heard some very intriguing news."

Despite everything, he snorts a chuckle. Both relax instantly. But then-

"It shouldn't be that intriguing to you since you knew about Ron and Tessa, right?" His tone is not welcoming and Hermione changes her posture fast. She's more serious now.

"I knew they had shared two kisses, Harry." She says bluntly. And the confirmation makes the anger inside him go up a notch. "Before you get angry at me-"

"Too late, I'm afraid." He makes a face.

She makes a face back at him. "It was not my place to tell." She says through her teeth. He crosses his arms. "Tell me what good would come out of it? Can you imagine the shit show? Your reaction and then-"

"Spare me, Hermione. You didn't tell me because you don't care anymore. You don't care about me or Rachel. You have your perfect life in Paris and that's all that matters to you. As long as things don't disturb your peace-"

"Oh, that's rich, Harry." She snorts, shaking her head. "I don't care? The perfect life?" Her voice is higher now, she looks livid. "Since I've moved to Paris I never stopped thinking about you and Rachel! But you were with Tessa again, weren't you?" She sounds bitter now. "You cannot blame me for moving on!"

"I'm not!" He takes another step closer to her, very angry. "I'm just saying that you could have showed some-"

"Some what?" She moves closer to him too, their eyes locked. "What did you want from me? Eternal devotion while you were with my cousin that you said you didn't love anymore?" He sets his jaw. "Did you want me to keep checking to see if you had broken up? So I could come back crawling to you after you confirmed my worst fears?" Harry bites on his lower lip, his heart squeezing inside his chest. "I never stopped caring!" She yells. "I never stopped-" Hermione doesn't finish and he raises an eyebrow. She looks down, shaking her head, frustrated.

"You never what?" He prods her, closing the gap between them. He doesn't touch her, though. Hermione doesn't move away either.

"It doesn't matter." She whispers.

Her answer angers him a bit more. "Fuck, Hermione, what are you even doing here?" Her head snaps up for her to look at him, their eyes lock again. "Are you even my friend still?"

She inhales deeply. "Of course I am. For fuck's sake, Harry!" She almost shouts. "I just don't know what the fuck you want from me. Do you want me to apologize because I didn't tell you about Ron and Tessa?" He makes a face. He doesn't want that. "Because I won't." She raises an eyebrow in defiance.

"You're impossible." He says.

"Yeah, well, I am."

They keep staring at each other, both angry. Harry's mind stopped working seconds ago. They're so close. Closer than they've been for a long while-

And her eyes fall to his mouth. And his to hers. And then they're looking at each other again-

Harry doesn't think. He pulls her to him, his hand cupping her cheek, his other arm around her waist. Their mouths meet in a long awaited kiss. They don't move. It's much like the first kiss they shared. It feels monumental. And this time no doctor is going to call him to say that Tessa moved a finger or whatever the fuck.

He moves his mouth against hers and Hermione opens hers. And then they're kissing eagerly. Softly but desperately.

It feels like heaven. It burns hot like hell.

And he feels crazy. He's been wanting to do this since they shared that last kiss. An eternity ago. Harry traps her lower lip between his teeth and she lets out a soft moan. They keep kissing, their tongues meeting slowly, very provocatively. He hoists her up, her legs wrapping around him, her dress going almost to her hips. It's just like riding a bike. He doesn't even know how many times they did this. She kisses his upper lip and then his lower lip and he can't help smiling. She smiles too and he walks to the table, settling her down there, positioning himself between her legs.

Her nails dig into his naked back. He groans, deepening the kiss. Devouring her. Savoring her. He missed her taste. Her softness. Her smell. And her hands on his hair. He knows he'll look like a scarecrow when they separate. And it makes him so fucking happy. He would die for her kisses.

His hands move to her thighs and he squeezes her, wanting more.

However, even if Hermione is corresponding the kiss he can feel some hesitancy from her. He leaves her mouth to rub his cheek on hers, their chests moving up and down fast. She lets out a small moan and he grunts, mad. He's getting hard pretty fast.

Again he squeezes her thighs under the dress, but when he's about to move further, she shoves him a bit and he stops. Hermione lowers her head, looking down. His hands are still on her thighs and hers are on his hair.

"Harry."

"What?" He asks in a low voice. "What?" He gently moves her head up, their eyes meeting again. He can see the want. He can see the desire. The longing. But Hermione is serious. He squeezes her thighs again, leaning to her, his nose bumping on hers, a smile on his face. "What, honey?" It comes naturally to him. How they used to call each other, their life together.

"I- Harry." She repeats his name. She's not making sense.

He kisses her again, this time slower, their mouths moving with certainty. Her nails again digging into his back, his hips moving to hers, his hands going up to-

"Stop."

Hermione pulls back, blinking many times.

He frowns. "Hermione." He calls her and she looks into his eyes. "I love you." She closes her eyes, a few tears running down her cheeks. "I never stopped." He touches her forehead with his. "I never stopped." He repeats, desperate. He needs to get this out of his chest. "I tried ending things with Tessa. I wanted you. I always knew my choice. It was always you. It's always going to be you." He gulps. She's openly crying now, her eyes filled with an emotion that he doesn't understand. "I should have moved to Paris to be with you." He gives her a peck. "The biggest mistake of my life was not asking you to stay." Hermione sobs, tugging on his hair. "I love you. Fuck, I love you so damn much. I'm in love with you. I'll always be in love with you."

Their mouths meet again and he bites on her lower lip, moving his hips into hers, his erection meeting her core.

She moans, but pulls back and this time she uses a spell to shove him a few feet from her.

He opens his arms, not quite understanding. But he waits. She has something to say. Hermione looks up at the ceiling, still on the table. She inhales and exhales deeply. But she says nothing and he starts to get anxious. Harry's not sure what she's thinking-

"You know," Hermione begins, "On the same day that Tessa woke up I was ready to ask you to move to Paris to be with me. I was going to ask you." Her voice comes out as a lament. And his throat closes. He had no idea. "I- staying away from you was torture, Harry. Sheer torture. I kept it together because I had so much work to occupy my mind that-" She shakes her head, "I convinced myself that it was the life I wanted. As you said, the perfect life." Their eyes meet and he takes a step closer to her. "But I would have gladly left Paris if you had asked me to."

He inhales shakily. "Hermione-" She raises a hand to stop him.

"But then Tessa-" She purses her lips, Harry closes his eyes. "I saw the way you looked at her, Harry. How you talked to her. Smiled at her." He shakes his head. He wants to deny her words but he knows he can't. He was indeed fascinated when Tessa woke up. But-

"I- I thought she wouldn't come back to us, Hermione. It was very… overwhelming."

"I know." She whispers, looking down now. "I'm not blaming you or anything like that, I'm just saying that… I had the perfect life with you. I really did." He purses his lips, trembling a bit. "But when we ended things, I- it was my fault." She lowers her head and Harry takes a step to her, hurt. "I couldn't let go of Tessa." She sobs, shaking her head. "And you were right. You were one hundred percent with me, fully committed to our relationship." He gulps and they share an intense look. "Moving to Paris wasn't the right choice at the time. But then when Tessa woke up it felt like my only salvation, Harry. I felt that the least I could do was stay out of your way." There's a small silence between them. His emotions are all over the place. There's a lot he wants to say, but Hermione continues, "If you think that now I have the perfect life, you have to know that this life cost me a lot. This life I have now cost me you." He's biting on his lower lip, anxious. "But it happened. We both moved on. It's been more than a year since we last were a couple." He doesn't like what she's saying- "I married Gustave, Harry."

He feels instantly cold. From head to toe. All his blood goes to his feet. Then back up. And he- he can't breathe. He tries swallowing but he also can't-

"What? No, it-"

She raises her left hand in front of her. He can see the wedding band. And a diamond ring. His chin trembles, Harry doesn't even notice the tears running down his face.

His heart breaks. Oh, into a billion tiny pieces.

"You-" He sobs, looking down, lost. He's completely lost. Then, he crouches, feeling dizzy, a hand over his heart. "Shit." He's crying harder. No. It can't be. No.

He feels her hands on his arms, she's there crouching with him, crying too.

"I- Harry." Her voice comes out shaky.

"I lost you." He whispers, numb. "I ruined everything."

"No, of course not. You didn't. Life just went on." She inhales deeply. "We both moved on."

"I chose to stay with Tessa because I- I saw how happy you were in Paris with your new life and I felt like I shouldn't intrude. I-" He sits on the floor, holding his head with both hands.

Hermione also sits, her hands on his knees. Harry can see the rings on her finger. It- it burns inside him.

"I don't know what to say, Harry. I never- I thought you wanted to be with Tessa. I- when you got together I just- I convinced myself that we were done." She sobs.

His eyes go to hers and he can see what she isn't saying. That she sacrificed what she felt for him in the name of his happiness with Tessa.

He covers his face with both hands, breathing deeply. "What a fucking mess." He sobs, wiping his tears with force. "I'm so sorry."

Hermione is married now. This changes everything. It-

"Do you love him?" He asks, "For real?" And with all the courage he has, he looks at her face, observing her expressions-

"I do." She whispers, making a face, more tears running down her cheeks. "I- we got married a month ago and-" He closes his eyes, Harry doesn't want to hear this, but he doesn't stop her, "Gustave was there, Harry. He was there while I was trying to pull myself back together. And I just-"

"It's okay." He says in a low voice, opening a sad smile. "I understand." He does. "I- After everything I still chose to try with Tessa and I can only imagine what that meant to you." She looks down, sad. "But you were never my second choice. Never." He takes her hand and puts it over his heart. "You're my first and only choice, Hermione." She exhales heavily, their eyes glued. Then, she touches his forehead with hers.

Harry gulps and closes his eyes, inhaling deeply. She stays there, her body close to his. And after a long time, when he feels brave enough, he looks at her again. There's pain in her eyes.

"Are you happy, my love?" He asks in a low voice, his hand going to her cheek.

Hermione leans to his touch. "I am."

"Then I also am." He whispers.

And she makes a huge effort not to cry. "I- Gustave and I-"

"I know. I know." He sighs. "Can I just hold you? Just for a while?"

Hermione visibly gulps. But she moves to his lap, her arms around him, his around her. It's an intimate embrace. And he fully enjoys it while it lasts. He knows this is some kind of goodbye. Another one. Maybe she kissed him tonight, but he knows she won't do it again.

He closes his eyes and feels her breathing. Feels her heart close to his. He inhales her scent and it makes him happy. It makes him complete. Harry has no clue for how long they stay in their embrace. But it sets things right in his world. It brings him back to reality. It soothes his soul.

And even if this is painful, it was all that he needed.

Maybe after more than twenty minutes she moves back to look into his eyes. She's crying. He's crying. She wipes his tears and he does the same with hers.

"I saw Rachel today." She says. They're a lot calmer now. "She seems happy."

"She is." He exhales and squeezes her in his arms. "I have a gift for you."

Hermione frowns but she stands from the floor with him. Harry takes her hand in his. At the moment he doesn't care that she's married. He doesn't care that they can't be. He intertwines their fingers and takes her to the study. Then, kissing her hand, he takes the white balloon at the corner, handing it to her.

"Our little tradition." He winks at her. She takes the balloon and also kisses his hand. There's a smile on her face. "And well," He clears his throat, "You know Tessa is finally publishing her book, right?" Hermione nods. "The photos are amazing." He opens a side smile. "It all gave me an idea… You've talked a lot about your researches and I know how important they're, I know how much they contribute to magical healing. So, I sought out an editor and a publisher, and since I'm Harry Potter and all that, they listened to me. I just opened a door, but they loved what you're doing, they're interested in publishing it, if you feel like it, of course-"

"Are you serious?" Her eyes are bright. "Are they willing to publish my research?"

"Yes." He smiles.

"Oh, Harry." And she puts her arms around him again, squeezing tightly. "This is- I have no words. Thank you so much. It means so much."

"I know." He kisses her shoulder. "I'm glad you liked it." She kisses his neck in answer. "And well, there's another thing." He inhales deeply and pulls her to the desk, from a drawer he takes out a photo album. "It's… I put together copies of all of our photos. This is our lives, Hermione. Or our life together."

Her mouth is hanging open and she releases his hand to look at the album. The first photos are of them at Hogwarts. Then, when they first went to Paris. There are photos with Tessa before he went to the Auror training. The three. And then, Rachel. Hermione and Rachel and Harry. Their little family. She's crying while she goes through the photos in silence. The tone changes when Tessa is back at the photos. Now they're all together. Harry and Hermione not a couple anymore, but always near.

The last photo is one they took at Harry's last birthday. The two of them in an embrace.

Hermione is shaking when she closes the album. And she turns to him. Then, she's moving closer, her lips on his. It's a loving kiss. Tender. They stay in the moment for as long as they want. They're not in a rush.

They're saying goodbye.

He holds her closer, and she smiles in the middle of their kiss. He smiles too.

"I love you." He repeats when they separate. "I love you with all my heart." He cups her face. "It's all yours. All of it. I'm yours. No matter what happens. You have me forever."

"I love you too." She's crying. "Thank you so much for these gifts."

"You're welcome."

When she steps away from him, more tears roll down his face and he inhales deeply.

And then, she's gone.