Unrequited by excalibos

Rating: PG
Genres: Angst
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 6
Published: 11/02/2006
Last Updated: 15/02/2006
Status: Completed

Harry’s thoughts following book 7 and dealing with his feelings. Warning: Anvils ahead with
implied Harry/Hermione. Chptr 2: She knows him too well. She knows something is wrong, but how do
you get the latest “Greatest Wizard of the Age” to open up if he doesn’t want to acknowledge
something is wrong? Set during the year after the Final Battle. I hate plot bunnies >:/




1. Unrequited
-------------

**Unrequited**

By Excalibos

Rating: PG for the story/PG-13 for language in the song

Summary: Harry’s thoughts following book 7 and dealing with his feelings. Ron/Hermione, implied
Harry/Hermione.

Author’s Note: The story just demanded writing as I listened to this song. I am a confirmed
Harmonian/Pumpkin Pie-er, but the idea just wouldn’t go away. This might be in violation of rule 2;
I wasn’t sure how far the line can be pushed. If it’s not cool, I’ll pull the story. Hopefully you
will enjoy it, even if it is a bit of a downer.

Disclaimer: JKR owns the characters, James Blunt owns the song. But no one can own my words or
my mind but me. Love it, hate it. Review if you want. Flames will be laughed at and discarded.
Constructive criticism is most welcome. Peace all.

You're Beautiful

by James Blunt

*My life is brilliant.*

*My life is brilliant.*

*My love is pure.*

*I saw an angel.*

*Of that I'm sure.*

*She smiled at me on the subway.*

*She was with another man.*

*But I won't lose no sleep on that,*

*'Cause I've got a plan.*

*You're beautiful. You're beautiful.*

*You're beautiful, it's true.*

*I saw your face in a crowded place,*

*And I don't know what to do,*

*'Cause I'll never be with you.*

*Yeah, she caught my eye,*

*As we walked on by.*

*She could see from my face that I was,*

*Fucking high,*

*And I don't think that I'll see her again,*

*But we shared a moment that will last till the end.*

*You're beautiful. You're beautiful.*

*You're beautiful, it's true.*

*I saw your face in a crowded place,*

*And I don't know what to do,*

*'Cause I'll never be with you.*

*You're beautiful. You're beautiful.*

*You're beautiful, it's true.*

*There must be an angel with a smile on her face,*

*When she thought up that I should be with you.*

*But it's time to face the truth,*

*I will never be with you.*

***********************

Harry stood at the rampart of the Astronomy Tower, his gaze holding steady on two distant specks
that occupied the space beneath a long-familiar tree. He could just make out the mane of chestnut
brown against the black robe of the larger, red-headed figure, who was running his hand up and down
her back. Harry watched for a long moment, his heart seeming to tear itself from within, before he
spun around and slumped to the floor. He pulled his knees against his chest as his eyes began to
water as the thoughts he had forbidden himself to feel began to pour over him.

When had this happened? When had he fallen for the bossy, bushy-haired, book-loving girl that
always insisted that he be more careful? How could he have fallen for the one girl that his best
friend in the world wanted to be with? He thought back over his life with her, and realized that
his first true experience with magic had been because of Hermione, on the train to Hogwarts. She
had never, save that first meeting, ever looked at him as anything other than Harry, not the
Boy-Who-Lived, not the Chosen One, just Harry. She knew him well, knew when he was being reckless,
when he was troubled, when he should share his problems even though he often didn’t want to. It was
as if someone had created Hermione to fill in the missing parts of himself.

His reverie broke when he noted with some distaste that he was sitting in almost the same place
he had lain frozen the night Dumbledore had died. Across the tower, embedded in the stone
battlements, resided a plaque with a simple inscription.

*It is on this spot that Albus Dumbledore, one of the greatest wizards ever to live, was
struck down.*

*"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our
abilities."*

*Albus P.W.B. Dumbledore*

*1840-1997*

Harry let his head drop with a thud against the wall behind him as tears tried to force
themselves past his self-control. His eyes stole heavenwards as he let his mind drift to days long
past, when his heart hadn’t belonged to Hermione. An overwhelming sense of loss filled him as his
mind drifted to those moments following the death of Voldemort.

*The darkening skies betrayed nothing of what had happened at the house near Godric’s Hollow.
Harry knelt on the damp ground of his parent’s backyard, exhausted beyond belief as he stared at
the body of Tom Riddle. The sound of newly fallen rain reached his ears mere moments before he felt
the drops of cleansing rain pour from the sky. He lifted his face to heaven as he felt the years of
tension and anxiety wash from him and collect around the body of the once-Dark Lord Voldemort. The
body rested, splayed indignantly at the bottom of a small crater that had formed when Tom’s magic
had suddenly exploded, the energy from the blast having knocked Harry reeling.*

*Harry sat on his heels, his face uplifted, when he suddenly began laughing. He began
laughing, truly laughing, carefree for the first time that he could remember. “I’m FREE! I’m free,”
Harry shouted before his attention was drawn to a pair of headstones, chipped in the battle. His
voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m finally free. You can rest now, Mum…Dad. No one’s after me now. I
can finally just be Harry. I…I’ll never forget what you gave up for me, I swear.” Tears flowed
freely as he stood, as uncaring of his image as he had been for most of his life. He slowly began
limping back to his parent’s house, when he saw something that cut him deeply. Ron was kissing
Hermione. This wasn’t very odd, as they had started seeing each other not three months before,
although that had, for some unknown reason, unnerved him. What had caused Harry to stagger
backwards was…*

*Hermione was kissing him back.*

*Harry felt something inside begin to wail in agony. It wasn’t the strange beast he had felt
rearing its head when he had watched Ginny and Dean together. This was different. Deeper somehow.
All Harry knew was that he couldn’t breathe, that he felt like when the gillyweed had worn off in
fourth year. He was drowning, and he finally knew why.*

*He loved Hermione.*

Ron and Hermione had become a much closer couple following the Battle of Godric’s Hollow. They
were seen to wander the grounds of the newly rebuilt and reopened Hogwarts, quite often
hand-in-hand, no one existing except the other. Harry had managed so far to conceal his feelings;
he had, after all, become quite skilled at that thanks to the Dursleys. The bombshell had burst
though when Ron had spoken to him last night.

*“Hey Harry. You asleep?”*

*“I was. What’s up?”*

*“I just…well, I’m going to ask Hermione to marry me. I was just wondering if you had an idea
on how I could do it.” Harry felt his blood freeze at those words. His breathing hitched before he
could regain control, and he could almost feel Ron’s confused look. “You alright, mate?”*

*“Yeah.* *I’m alright,” Harry whispered after a moment’s pause to conceal his emotions.
“Just…Just ask her. You know Hermione. She doesn’t much like beating around the subject, does
she.”*

*“Yeah, you’re right,” Ron chuckled. “Hey Harry. If she says yes, you know you’ll be best man.
Right?” Harry didn’t respond. He simply pretended to be asleep.*

Harry watched a falcon wing its way around the castle, searching for prey, and allowed a sigh to
escape. He thought of the plans he had come up with, ways of telling Hermione how he felt, ways of
letting her know that she was loved by him. All of his plans had come crashing down around his
ears. He could never do that to Ron, not after all they had been through. He felt a wetness sliding
down his face, and wiped his face with his sleeve. He thought he had been crying; however, at that
moment, the heavens burst forth in a torrential downpour. He didn’t move, although he heard the
cries and squeals of those down below. He could see them in his mind running hand in hand,
Hermione’s wand quickly casting water-repelling charms on the both of them. They would reach the
entrance hall, share a quick kiss, and then head for the common room to talk to him. Except he
wouldn’t be there.

Harry patted the Marauder’s Map, wrapped in waterproof bindings and hidden in his pocket. He had
made sure he wouldn’t be found in this spot, even bringing his invisibility cloak with him. He
thought wearily that there would be no finding Harry Potter lest he wish to be found. The rain beat
down upon him, soaking him quickly. The rain was cold for early May, but Harry couldn’t help but
feel that some angel somewhere had taken pity on him for a moment. He carefully withdrew a small
picture from his robes, one that Ron had taken of Harry and Hermione on their hunt for Riddle’s
Horcruxes. Picture-Harry was looking at Picture-Hermione in amusement as she tried to hold onto a
yowling Crookshanks, who was adamant about not getting in the washbasin next to which they were
kneeling. Harry couldn’t help but laugh as the photo images of the two of them were suddenly
drenched by the irate half- kneazle.

He stood again and looked out over the expanse of the lake, remembering the hours he and
Hermione had spent walking around the perimeter, sharing toast after his name had been pulled from
the Goblet of Fire. As the wind lashed him with rain, he closed is eyes to more fully enjoy the
memories of their times together. He watched in his mind’s eye as Hermione Granger descended the
staircase, dress of blue wafting around her, giving her an almost ethereal grace.

“How could I have been so blind? How could I not have seen what was right in front of me,” he
asked the heavens. Their only reply was to rumble and flash.

Harry rested his head on his folded arms as he leaned on the ancient battlements. There wasn’t
anything he could do, not this time. This wasn’t a dark wizard that deserved to die, or a monster
trying to hurt people. This was Ron… Ron and Hermione. And as a cold hand clenched his heart, he
accepted a bitter truth.

“He makes her happy. She loves him.” Harry stood, his back ramrod straight, and buried what he
felt. He could no more hurt Ron and Hermione than he could have joined the Death Eaters; it just
wasn’t in him. He turned to head back into the castle, when he found himself staring into brown
eyes that had haunted his dreams every night for the last few months.

“Harry, why in the world are you out in this weather? You’ll catch your death,” Hermione
chastised. Harry allowed a self-deprecating smile as he put his hand on her shoulder. He patted it
as he walked to the door, turning in the entrance to answer her, as she still had not moved. He
tried to ignore the look in her eyes, the look she always gave him; that look of caring and worry
and something more, something he could never accept now.

“It’s nothing, Hermione. Just a saving-people thing.”



2. unrequited 2
---------------

**Unrequited**

by Excalibos

Rating: PG

Summary: She knows him too well. She knows something is wrong, but how do you get the latest
“Greatest Wizard of the Age” to open up if he doesn’t want to acknowledge something is wrong?

Author’s Note: That is it. I hereby declare open season on all Plot Bunnies. Use of unnecessary
violence in their apprehension or removal has been approved. Seriously though, I actually had this
idea pop into my head almost literally moments before I got an email from the Mod Gods asking me
very politely to add another chapter/epilogue of warm fuzzy goodness. So, this is not me caving to
pressure.

I swear.

Stop looking at me like that.

I’m not kidding. ;D

Disclaimer: Characters, locations, etc. are the intellectual property of JK Rowling, and are
hereby used *WITHOUT PERMISSION! MWAHAHAHAHA!* Sorry. The song is by Hoobastank, and is
their’s as well. Nothing is mine, save the dark scarred corner of my imagination that these ideas
slither from. Love it, hate it. Review if you want. Flames will be laughed at and discarded.
Constructive criticism is most welcome.

*The Reason*

*by* *Hoobastank*

*I'm not a perfect person
There’s many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know*

*I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you*

*I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That’s why I need you to hear*

*I've found a reason for me,
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is You*

*And the reason is You*

*And the reason is You*

*And the reason is You*

*And the reason is You*

*I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know*

*I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you*

*I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you*

******************

Hermione picked listlessly at her food, her mind able to engage in small talk with Ron while
trying to make sense of the jumble of thoughts running rampant through her subconscious. It had
been three days since the strange incident on the Astronomy tower and Hermione was still trying to
figure out what the short exchange had meant. Harry had, as usual, not said a further word about it
and was, in point of fact, being an absolute git about things. The fact that he actually wasn’t
being awful, Hermione was admitting to herself only very reluctantly, wishing instead to paint her
best friend in a poorer light. It was the only way she could be mad at him without her conscience
berating her shrilly.

The object of her musings chose that moment of introspection to saunter through the doors of the
Great Hall, a grin on his face as Ron waved him over. Ron was, as usual, oblivious to Harry’s
emotional state but Hermione was sure that she would be able to discover what was wrong if she
brought it up quietly at the Gryffindor table. Harry exchanged pleasantries with several members of
Hogwarts’ student body as he approached, allowing Hermione time to try to finalize some kind of
plan. Anything would be better than jumping in blindly, of that she was certain.

“Good Morning! And how did our resident ‘Hot Couple’ fare last night,” Harry asked as he sat
across from the pair, a wicked gleam in his eye. Ron almost choked on the orange juice he was
trying to guzzle and Hermione slapped him hard on the back without pulling her attention from
Harry.

“And just what is that supposed to mean, Harry Potter,” she snapped, wincing internally at the
pathetic inability to hide her irritation with him. Harry’s grin twitched, his green eyes darkening
for a moment, as they often did when he felt strong emotions. He shrugged as he reached to grab a
pair of bagels and some fried potatoes. Ron finally stopped gasping for air and went back to
eating, unable to completely disguise his chuckle.

Hermione shot him a harsh glare before returning her attention to Harry. “Well?”

“Didn’t mean anything by it, Hermione. Just asking how the both of you slept. That’s all,” Harry
replied, the wicked, teasing gleam having quickly resurfaced. Hermione could feel her irritation
start to rise again but she quickly tamped it down. Harry had become quite adept in the last few
days at diverting her attention from his problems by getting her upset about other things. But she
was Hermione Jane Granger, by Merlin, and would not be so easily tricked this time.

“That’s all right then. I slept very well; those final papers for Professor Vector are a lot
harder to work out than I thought, so I was absolutely exhausted by the time I went to bed.” She
noticed Ron was only paying slight attention as she talked about her favorite subject, but she
continued to focus on Harry. The raven haired boy quickly swallowed a mouthful of bagel.

“How about you, Harry? Any bad dreams, or something else, maybe? You’ve not seemed yourself in
the last few days.” She smiled inwardly as she detected the slightest wince in Harry’s features.
Something *was* bothering him. She just needed to find out what it was.

******************

Hermione screamed in frustration as she joined Ron in the Room of Requirement, her robes
billowing behind her as she stormed through the door. Ron jumped backwards hastily, the candlelit
dinner in front of him forgotten in his haste to put distance between himself and an enraged
Hermione Granger.

“Now, Hermione, I’m sure that whatever I’ve done now isn’t worthy of you being this hacked off,
but I swear I’ll make it up to you,” Ron blurted, desperately putting his chair in Hermione’s line
of fire.

“OOOooo, that no good, gormless, imbecilic, completely full of himself PRAT!!”

“Been talking to Malfoy again, eh?” The look that Hermione shot at him convinced Ron that
keeping his big trap shut for the moment would greatly improve his chances of seeing the next
Quidditch game with every piece of himself intact. The arrogant Slytherin had double-crossed the
Death Eaters by secretly giving out the location of their main stronghold and the hidden escape
tunnels beneath it. Tunnels that had allowed the Order and a huge force of Aurors to rush in as a
diversionary attack while Harry was busy with Voldemort. Draco had been given a commuted sentence
in exchange for his assistance and joined the returning students for their NEWT year of Hogwarts.
Hermione lowered her gaze and collapsed in the chair that had already been pulled out in
anticipation of her arrival. She dropped her head into her arms, giving Ron enough courage to kneel
in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Hermione, luv, what is it? What’s wrong? If Malfoy didn’t say anything to you, then who did?”
Hermione raised tired eyes to meet the concerned blue eyes of her boyfriend.

“It’s Harry. And it’s not so much what he said. It’s what he *won’t* say. I know something
is bothering him, Ron, but he won’t tell me. This is worse than that Christmas at Number 12. At
least then, he finally talked to us. It’s like he’s completely shut himself off.”

“What are you bloody well talking about? Harry hasn’t been acting strangely at all, Hermione.
And even if he were, the bloke is deserving of a bit of down time. Saving the world isn’t something
you just put down when you’re finished, like a book. These things can take time,” Ron argued, his
fingers wiping away a tear that had begun to trek across Hermione’s cheek.

“There’s something else, Ron. About a week ago, I found Harry at the Astronomy tower.”

“A lot of people go there to think or…stuff, Hermione,” Ron stated, confusion written on his
face. Hermione huffed in agitation at her boyfriend’s thick-headedness.

“He was standing in that horrid rainstorm, Ron. No slicker, no repelling charm, no nothing, just
looking out over the lake. And when I asked him what was wrong, all he did was pat me on the
shoulder and leave.” Ron smirked, but Hermione’s glare quickly made him stop.

“He was probably just thinking. Like Neville gets down in the Herbology gardens. Now *that*
bloke could forget what *YEAR* it was when he starts puttering around down there.”

“That’s not all. He told me it was nothing. That it was just a saving-people thing. Then he
left. No explanation or anything. He just left. And now he’s acting like it is any other year or
something. Like we *didn’t* just fight a huge war, or that he had to bury more of our friends.
It’s like he’s in… denial or something.” Ron brushed a hair out of her face as he tried to think of
something to say.

“Didn’t you say that to him?” Hermione looked at him quizzically. “The saving-people thing? That
night we went to the Ministry to try and rescue Sirius.” Ron saw Hermione’s eyes widen a moment
before confusion set in again.

“But who is he trying to protect now? And why won’t he tell us?” Ron shuddered as a horrid
thought came to him.

“What if it’s us he’s trying to protect? What if he’s leaving, and that’s why he was looking
over the lake…He was wondering where to go.” Hermione’s lower lip trembled at the thought of Harry
leaving without telling them why. Swiftly, she kissed Ron’s forehead and bolted toward the
door.

“You don’t mind if we…”

“Reschedule? Not at all. Go fix Harry; you’re better at that feelings stuff than I am. I’ll
clean up here.” Ron watched the door until the latch clicked into place. He turned, melancholy
bursting in his chest, to the table and slowly extricated a tiny velvet box. He opened the lid to
view the simple diamond solitaire winking at him in the feeble flickering flames of the candles.
With a sigh he snapped the box shut and stuffed it back into the pocket of his robes. A muttered
curse later, he was striding purposefully toward Gryffindor Tower, irritation pouring off him in
waves.

“What are you planning, Harry? Better hope Hermione talks some sense into you, or I’ll have to
manually input the arguments against such a damn fool idea.” A group of second years bounded out of
his way in terror.

*******************

Harry Potter was staring out the window next to his bed, the setting sun coruscating off the
waters of the Black Lake. A long tentacle emerged from one end of the loch and seemed to wave
forlornly at the fading light. Harry too felt a desire to say goodbye to something that lit his
world. His thoughts were rudely interrupted by Hermione’s entrance into the room. The door almost
blew off its hinges as she passed over the threshold, her wand pointing right at him.

“You know, Hermione, destruction of school property is grounds for expulsion. I don’t
think…”

“Just shut it, Potter,” Hermione hissed as she stalked over to Harry, magical energy seeming to
flow from her, disturbing the air around her. Harry felt a surge of anger rise up inside, and he
stepped right up to Hermione, refusing to back down from her glare.

“I don’t like your tone, *Miss Granger*. This is the **boy’s** dormitory, in case you
hadn’t noticed. And I don’t care if the founders thought girls were more trustworthy or not. Unless
you have permission to be in here… **I WANT YOU OUT!!!**” Harry finished in a roar, spittle
flying in a Vernon-esque way as he pointed his finger at the door. His entire body trembled as he
tried to ignore the voice inside him, demanding that he should be kissing her instead of
threatening her.

“If you even **THINK** of leaving this castle without saying a word to either Ron or myself,
I will hunt you to the ends of the Earth, Harry James Potter.” Hermione whirled toward the door,
only to find a strong grip preventing her.

“What the bloody hell are you talking about, Hermione?” Harry’s expression was blatantly
confused, causing a tidal wave of guilt to wash over Hermione. The emotional rollercoaster of the
last few days, combined with Harry’s tirade, caused the dam of tears to break loose. She rushed
forward, crushing him to her until he felt his ribs start fusing together. Air soon became a
precious commodity and he gently loosened her grip. Once again, Harry stubbornly refused to
acknowledge the small version of himself dancing around the very ribcage that had been crushed
moments before. Hermione sniffed brokenly before looking Harry in the eye.

“It’s just that, well, you scared me on the Astronomy tower. I didn’t know what you meant, and
then Ron, of all people, remembered that I had said that same thing to you three years ago. So we
got to talking, and the only reason that we could come up with for you not telling us what was
wrong… was that we were the ones going to be hurt. And the only way you could really do that is if
you left us without any explanation or goodbye.” Hermione’s heart plummeted as Harry refused to
meet her eyes. The nagging voice of reason in her head was shouting I-told-you-so’s as loudly as
possible, but all she could do was pull Harry’s face around by the chin, forcing him to look at
her. “If you’re not leaving, which I can tell is true by the confusion on your face, then why are
you acting this way? What could you do that could hurt us like that?”

“Don’t ask questions you aren’t prepared to hear the answer for, Hermione,” Harry whispered, an
intensity in his gaze that she had never seen before. He was almost pressed against her at this
point, barely a hand’s breadth away, and his eyes were almost hypnotic. “There’s a reason curiosity
killed the cat, so just let it go.” Harry brushed by her as he tried to leave, but this time it was
*Hermione* who stopped *him*.

“I want to know, Harry,” the bushy-haired girl whispered as her eyes again filled with tears,
her hand gripping his arm as if it were a life preserver. Harry tried to ignore the feelings that
started to well up inside him until he heard what she said. “You know that no matter what happens,
no matter what you have to face, I’ll always be there. I’ll always be your friend. What could you
ever do to Ron and I that would make us so upset with you?”

Harry’s face had turned from her again, but not before she glimpsed a tear forming at the corner
of his eye. Hermione’s anxiety over the situation skyrocketed; Harry was notorious for not allowing
people to see him cry. She could see the struggle in his features as he wrestled with his own
thoughts, deciding whether to tell her or not. His answer, given in what was barely more than a
whisper, answered her questions in a way she had never anticipated.

“I fell in love with my best friend.” The look of defeat on Harry’s face as he slumped onto the
trunk at the foot of his bed was heartbreaking, a defeat so profound that it seemed that Harry
would never recover. Hermione’s heart clenched as she knelt in front of him, gently placing a hand
over his own clenched fists. His breath hitched at her touch, but he was quick to compose
himself.

“You were never supposed to find out. You were supposed to be happy with Ron, have lots of
little Weasleys. You weren’t supposed to know,” Harry grated out, tears now beginning to flow
freely. “How can you two be happy if you’re constantly worried about me, about how I feel? I didn’t
want that; I **don’t** want that. Merlin knows that Ron doesn’t deserve that. I was just going
to pretend that everything was fine, and that would be that. You’d be happy and he’d be happy, and
that would be all that mattered.”

Hermione could only stare at Harry wordlessly as his words penetrated through the arguments she
had come up with for a variety of responses, but this… This was something else entirely.

Harry Potter loved her. **He** was *in love* with *her*, Hermione Granger. The
questions of how and when rushed through her mind, as she could only stare at Harry. Her thoughts
were nothing but a confused jumble as she tried to think about the ramifications of this little
revelation. Ron would go spare, and she *knew* she would always be on guard not to do anything
to upset Harry. She cared too much about Harry to hurt him like that.

Hermione covered her mouth to prevent the gasp that almost escaped. Harry’s head snapped up to
look at her, with her eyes wide and hand covering her mouth, and stood up morosely. He hadn’t ever
looked this bad, even when he had brought back Cedric’s body, she couldn’t help but think. What
neither she nor Harry noticed was the ‘third person’ was standing out of sight, just beyond the
doorframe, an expression of sorrow on his face that could easily match the occupants of the room.
He quickly ducked back down the stairs to conceal himself.

Harry put his hand on her shoulder before he walked out the door with a muttered “I’m sorry.”
Hermione only acknowledged the words with a whimper as her mind was rushing faster than it ever had
before.

Just how much did she care for Harry Potter?

So much of her life had revolved around him for so many years. Protecting him, helping him and
being someone he could always turn to, those things had been her focus outside of class. She had
been the one to pick him up every time he had been hurting, one of the few he could tell everything
to. She had always stood by him, in good times and bad. And he had done what he could to stand by
her, even if he didn’t always agree with her. He…

He was the reason for everything she had done over the last eight years. The reason for almost
half her life’s choices, half her decisions.

She felt the tears well up just as a certain red-head strode through the door. She felt his arms
wrap around her as he tried to comfort her, but all he could do was fail miserably. She knew he was
holding her and all she could feel was how much she wanted to make Harry stop feeling so down.

Ron carefully brushed a strand of hair off her forehead when she finally looked at him. The look
in her eyes spoke volumes. “I guess this certifies that I don’t have the emotional range of a
teaspoon anymore, doesn’t it.” She looked at him confusion etched in her face. “Go to him,” Ron
whispered, his head dropping so he wouldn’t have to look in her eyes. “Somehow it just seems… right
or something. I dunno. Just… just remember that I do care for you, Hermione.”

Hermione reached out and touched him on the cheek, trying to convey how she felt without words.
Ron smiled and helped her to her feet, and with a parting glance, she tore off down the stairs to
find her best friend… and her reason to be. Ron smiled sadly at her departure before turning to
look out the window. “Take care of her, mate. You deserve *something* good, after all this
time.”

************************

Ironically, she found him standing atop the Astronomy tower, once again looking over the Black
Lake. She approached slowly trying to remain quiet, but Harry seemed to instinctively shift to his
left, giving her room beside him. She walked over and leaned against the parapet, her eyes drinking
in the sight of the grounds of Hogwarts at sunset. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered as the sun
painted the horizon in pinks and reds.

“Yes, it is. Always has been. I just never really had the time to see it.” She looked up at
Harry only to find his eyes upon her, not the sunset. She felt the blush creeping into her cheeks
as he turned away, a matching blush staining him. “Sorry. That was uncalled for.”

Hermione reached out and touched him on the cheek, turning his face back around. She could feel
the grin on her face burst forth as brown eyes bore deeply into green. In a quiet voice, she
whispered, “Harry, we need to talk.”



