It was odd, even for her to be here on this day standing beside the man she was completely and utterly in love with, watching him offer someone else his hand in marriage. Hermione encouraged him with a smile, she watched him kiss her cheek and savoured in the feeling.

He turned to Ginny and Hermione felt her heart break as the girl looked upon harry happily. It was Harry's 21st birthday party, four years after the defeat of Voldemort, five years since Hermione fell in love with him.

She couldn't exactly pin point the exact moment she fell in love with harry, Hermione believed it was around the time that Hermione had been kidnapped by Voldemort himself that she truly fell in love with him. He alone had rescued her, against all better judgement, everyone he knew telling him she was dead, he never gave up on her.

No, it was much earlier than that and you know it. She thought hopelessly, it would have been the day before you set off on that quest. Hermione thought back to it, that day in august of what was heading into their seventh year of school. Harry ran into her room and proclaimed to her out of breath.

"Hermione!" he exclaimed as he burst through the door to her room having no shame in the fact that his hair was drenched and he was clad only in a towel that hung loosely around his hips. Hermione let out a scream of shock as she reached for something to cover her naked body. She saw his eyes squinting to try and focus on what he was actually seeing.

She noticed he wasn't wearing his glasses and was therefore struggling to see her and therefore Hermione didn't feel the total need to cover herself as quickly as she felt before. Harry noticed her pause and frowned slightly, Hermione blushed when she noticed his eyes locked on her body. She felt vulnerable under his intense gaze and harry as if realising what he was doing looked up blushing.

"'mi…'mione I… I didn't mean to im sorry… not that you don't look amazing… be-because… argh Hermione please cover yourself up… I may only be your best friend but I am a guy… and I can't think straight with you… being so…" Hermione immediately grasped her towel which was at his feet and felt his eyes staring into the back of her head as she bent down then stood up, fastening the towel around her.

"Ha-harry… did you want something?" Hermione asked and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. He leant in and once more retreated his eyes holding confusion in their emerald depths.

"I want… we need to leave, as soon as possible, we must go Dumbledore is gone and I am left with all of this." He motioned helplessly around him as if that clarified his point. "you don't have to come… I would never be able to get over losing you." he whispered and Hermione closed her eyes when his hand came up to tenderly stroke her face. he dropped his hand and Hermione saw the pain in his eyes. The pain confused her.

"I have always followed you, into battles, into mysteries… I am your best friend; I would never leave you… I am not leaving you… and you cannot stop me Harry James

Potter." She stated firmly and Harry laughed running his hand through his messy black hair, the strong muscles on his chest moving as he did so.

"You know… I can almost make out every detail of you from this close." He whispered and Hermione blushed once more hoping her desire would not show.

"You scared me harry, walking in like that! I was starkers!" she exclaimed and harry looked guilty. "I hope I didn't scar you for life." She teased and harry frowned.

"You would never scar someone Hermione… you would bless them, heal them… you are the most beautiful witch I have ever met… in mind, body and most of all soul." Harry stated and then he smiled awkwardly and left the room.

Yes Hermione thought to herself, definitely that moment. Harry looked once more to Hermione whom simply smiled again and nodded her head trying to hide the pain in her chest. Harry looked into her eyes intensely for a moment as if searching for something and then he smiled sadly and turned back to the pretty red head before him.

Hermione felt all the feeling in her body leave her as he bent down on one knee and produced a very large, what Hermione thought was over zealous ring, but Hermione knew it was just what Ginny would want.

Hermione was surprised when harry outright refused to give Ginny his mothers ring, lily potters ring was beautifully carved out of the finest goblin silver, and lilies themselves encompassed the diamond centre which had sapphires surrounding it, Hermione thought it was the perfect ring, the inscription saying true love, forever and always. L&J. harry had once said to Hermione on their quest that when he found love, the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with he would inscribe hers and his initials on the ring, just like his father before him had.

Hermione was confused to say the very least but, she didn't dwell on the fact. All that consumed her now was uncontrollable, unimaginable sadness. She sat heavily on one of the sofas in Grimmauld place and gulped down her glass of fire whisky taking the bottle from the bar beforehand and pouring herself another heavy glass. She heard cheering as the newest couple to be married embraced to raucous applause and Hermione turned away from the scene not wanting to look upon it.

Hermione and Harry, through the years, for some reason or another had come to a weird living arrangement. His permanent residence would be Grimmauld place whilst hers would be Godrics hollow: the perfectly remade one that is. The thing that made it interesting is that every morning without failure they would meet up at one of the houses and have breakfast together. Then almost every evening they would have a light snack together or dinner depending on their plans for the evening.

It seemed that not a day went by where the pair would not write a note to each other at meal times or during breaks at their respective jobs. Not a day where they wouldn't at least see each other. Hermione knew, that the moment this happened, the moment another woman became the centre of Harry's life this all would change.

Would she even be allowed to stay at Godrics hollow anymore? Would Ginny want harry spending so much time with her? No Ginny is a very jealous woman. Truth be told, after the 'quest' as harry and Hermione called it, Ginny had been very cold and distant toward Hermione, probably due to the amount of time and the severe emotional attachment she and the love of her life seemed to share.