Let Love In

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JKR. No money is being made from this story, it is purely for entertainment. No copyrite infringement is intended

Chapter 1:

You can't always get what you want.

She swore if she heard that one more time, unforgivable curses would result. The only problem was she was the one who was saying it, well subconsciously at least. She supposed she should be in a more pleasant mood, given the aura of happiness in the atmosphere. The curly-haired brunette, however, seemed oblivious to the wedding's frivolity.

Oh, she smiled when looked at and engaged politely in conversations, but Hermione Granger's mind was not on the current ceremony. It wasn't even on Voldemort, as you might have thought. No, it was on her currently tux clad best friend, Harry Potter.

That would be understandable, considering all that he's been through in his 16 years. She's always been worried about him; he is destined to face Voldemort. But she wasn't worrying about whether he was going back to Hogwarts or not, or what he's going to do about the horcruxes and Voldemort.

No, right now she was wondering what had happened between him and Ginny. And she was also wondering why she cared so much. But then she thought back and couldn't remember a time when she hadn't cared. She wondered why she allowed herself to care this much, and mostly, she wondered why she had allowed herself to begin falling for Harry.

All last year she was fighting her feelings, and she even almost convinced herself that she and Ron would work. It was simple enough, given how obvious the red head's feelings seemed to be. But even that didn't work. All they did was argue more. And then she and Harry began arguing constantly. It would have been so easy to forget her feelings for the bespectacled man during those times. It should have been that simple, but it wasn't. It made the moments when they weren't mad at each other mean that much more. His horcrux hunt made her miss him that much more. His suffering made her worry for him that much more. And his compliments made her fall for him that much more.

These thoughts were the reason for her current mood. Well, that and the fact that Ron wouldn't leave her alone. Thankfully he was one of the groomsmen, so he couldn't say anything to her, but he kept staring at her and mouthing words to her (which most of the attendees seemed to notice).

She and Ron had talked after Dumbledore's funeral and she explained that she just didn't feel anything other than friendship for him. He seemed somewhat relieved. Hermione felt that the talk was long overdue, and it was. She closed her eyes and thought back to their conversation.

"Ron, we need to talk," Hermione quietly began.

"I'd rather not talk about Dumbledore," Ron answered darkly.

"What?" she asked completely caught off guard. "No, I meant about us," she finished with obvious hesitancy.

Now it was Ron's turn to be caught off guard. "What do you mean," he finally asked after an uncomfortable silence.

"Well what exactly are we?" Bluntness is the key, she thought.

Ron finally understood, if his blushing and stuttering were any indication. "I-uh…well…we uh…"

Hermione sighed. "Ron, do you like me? I'm tired of dancing around it."

"I..I don't know." Hermione threw him an incredulous look. It was either that or strangle him.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Well sometimes I think I do, and other times I don't." Hermione decided that he was trying to see how far he could push her. "I mean I got mad when Krum went to the ball with you, and when you went with McLaggen to the party."

"Did you want to go with me?" Hermione asked after willing herself to calm down.

"That's the thing. It wasn't that I wanted to go with you. I think it was that I didn't want THEM to go with you."

"Well what was wrong with them?" she asked, mainly referring to Viktor.

"Well Krum is way too old, for one thing." Hermione huffed. "And McLaggen…well he's an ass. I mean he obviously only wanted to date you to get at me and Harry. He probably thought Harry would make him Keeper if he was dating you." Ron's face became strained.

"I can take care of myself, and I already have a dad and don't need a brother," Hermione replied. As soon as the words left her mouth something in her mind clicked.

"Ron, what did you think about Ginny and Dean dating?" Hermione asked, and she could tell that Ron was caught off guard by the subject change.

"Well he was way too old and wasn't good enough for her," he answered in the typical "over protective brother" way.

"Ron don't you see it?" she asked with excitement.

"See what?" he asked, his confusion evident.

"Your reaction to Ginny dating is the same reaction you have with me dating!"

"So?" he answered, obviously not catching on. She barely refrained from rolling her eyes.

"So, you don't like me as more than a friend, you only think of me as a sister!" Ron's grin conveyed his understanding.

"Well wait, what about your reaction to me and Lavender?"

"I hate to admit it, but all last year I… I was trying to make myself like you. I thought you liked me, and we were friends, so I thought maybe something would happen." Hermione looked down, feeling ashamed.

"But why did you get mad when I kissed Lavender?"

"Well I thought you really liked me, so it hurt to watch you kiss some one else, especially some one like Lavender. After you and Lavender broke up, I expected us to get together, but I still didn't feel anything for you."

"Ok, but why did you want to like me? You could have had Krum." Ron looked sick upon saying it.

Hermione hesitated. Ron was not who she pictured having this conversation with.

"If I got with you…I would be able to forget about my feelings for Harry," she said the first part slowly, but quickly spat out the last few words.

"Wait, what?" he asked, even though he heard her clearly. "You like Harry?" The red head was flabbergasted.

Hermione nodded, avoiding Ron's eyes.

"Since when?"

Hermione paused to consider. "I'm not really sure. Sometime last year was when it really hit me, but then Ginny-" she didn't finish. She didn't have to.

"So you thought I-" Ron's embarrassment prevented him from continuing.

"Well why wouldn't I think that? You got jealous of guys I went out with, fought with me at the Yule Ball, dated Lavender to spite me, and got upset when I complimented Harry." Hermione ticked off her list. "Need I add more?"

"Well I guess I was doing the same thing you did." Hermione gave him a questioning look. "I think I tried liking you for the same reason you tried to like me. Well, and I thought you liked me, you know, because you got mad at me for not asking you to the ball.

Hermione sighed. How many times was she going to have to explain this?! "I was upset because you didn't even notice I was a girl, and when you did, you asked me as a last resort. It hurt that you only asked me because no on else would go with you."

"Emotional range of a teaspoon, huh?" Ron quoted her with a smile.

"Actually, back then it was less than that." She gave him a smile in return. "Anyway, who did you like?"

Ron mumbled something that sounded like "oonuh." Hermione paused in thought and then her eyes widened in realization.

"Luna!"

Ron looked around before turning back to her, blushing fiercely as he nodded in confirmation.

"Please don't say anything," he softly pleaded.

"You know I won't. But Ron, its nothing to be ashamed about." She touched his arm. "I think it's sweet."

Ron gave her an uncertain smile. "There's just something about her, you know?" he said, his voice dropping lower than before.

Hermione smiled at her best friend's admission. "I'm really happy for you, Ron. Who knows, maybe you've graduated to a tablespoon." Ron gave her a big grin and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks, Hermione. I really needed this talk. Still friends?" he asked.

"Well I'll need time to heal my broken heart-" she laughed and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Still friends."

She smiled at the recollection, but frowned as she spotted Harry glancing at Ginny, although she really couldn't blame him; Ginny looked stunning. Her long hair fell straight down her back, the ends curled, making it seem softer than normal. Her green dress hung from her beautifully, her slit toeing the line of inappropriate, but never actually crossing it. The emerald gown accented her fair skin and luxurious hair, and the word beautiful didn't seem adequate to describe her.

Hermione looked at herself and sighed, and although she didn't think so, she looked breathtaking. She wore a navy blue dress that hugged her figure perfectly. It was strapless, showing off her tan, smooth shoulders. She wore little makeup; mascara, eye liner, and blue eye shadow that seemed to magnify her chocolate eyes. Her face, with a light kiss of freckles across her nose, looked as flawless as ever, though the brunette would probably never think so. As she walked to the dance floor, her dress made her appear to simply glide across the floor. Even Fluer was impressed by Hermione's incomparable grace and beauty.

"You look really pretty, Hermione," Ron told her as he put his hands on her waist and began moving to the song.

"Thank you," she smiled, "you look quite handsome yourself." They danced for a bit and then she looked around the dance floor.

"Sitting down," Ron said with a smile.

"What?" Hermione asked slightly confused.

"Harry is sitting down," he explained, still wearing the knowing smile. Hermione gave a small, guilty smile and blushed.

"Go ask him to dance," he said, releasing her as the song ended. "You now he probably would never think to ask you."

Hermione gave him a grateful smile and kissed him on his cheek. What Ron didn't tell her was that while Harry was sitting down, his eyes rarely left Hermione, and only flickered to Ginny once. He didn't tell her that Ginny had gone to Harry and begged him to dance, but Harry had politely but firmly declined. Ron smiled, thinking that Luna would be proud to know that she was right. Still smiling, he made his way over to his mom and asked her to dance, silently noting that Dean had taken his advice and asked Ginny to dance.

Ron glanced to where Harry had been sitting and smiled when he saw the now vacant

seat. He put his hand around his mother's waist and held his other hand out, and when she grabbed it, they began swaying back and forth.

"You make an old woman proud, Ronald," Mrs. Weasley said to her youngest son.

"You're still young, mum," Ron said, squeezing her hand.

"So, how are things with you and that Lovegood girl?" she inquired with a twinkle in her eye akin to Dumbledore.

After several moments of severe blushing, Ron managed to say, "Ginny!"

"Honey, she hasn't said a word. A mother always knows when her little boy is," she paused and watched him carefully, "falling in love."

They stopped moving and Ron looked up in thought. "It's nice," he finally said, "this feeling. Love." He gave a shy smile.

"I'm so happy for you, Ron," Mrs. Weasley said as she pulled him in to one of her famous hugs and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, maybe there is some other woman you should be dancing with. Besides, there are plenty of Weasley men to dance with." She kissed him again and sent him off, and a few seconds later was dancing with Fred.

A/N: Well, I am back for my 3rd story. To all of you who don't know me, I encourage you to read my other 2 stories. I really like Dream of Reality, but that's just my personal preference. A thank you to every one who reads this, and of course to those who review. I promise I do check and respond to all reviews, so please let me know what you think. I can promise 2 more chapters, but Real Life is pretty busy right now, what with trying to find a 4-year college to go to. Anyway, hope you stay tuned.