A/N: This is slightly AU and has scenes from the Deathly Hallows movie.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, books or movies.

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He couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand seeing them together anymore.

As Harry sat there watching the Snitch floating in front of him, his thoughts drifted to the last few days. The arrival at the Burrow, the Wedding, their first night at Grimmauld Place and now them together playing the piano; her trying to teach him 'For Elise'.

They grew closer, he noticed that, but right now, he couldn't stand it. Maybe it was because he envied them, because Ginny wasn't with him and he had no one he could be like that with.

But maybe there was another reason.

Of course, Harry missed Ginny. She was the only normal thing he had left and he was desperately gripping to any normalcy left in his life. But that was it; he wasn't in love with her. Not that he knew anything about love, but he knew enough to know that it wasn't something he felt for Ginny.

So it wasn't that he couldn't be close to anybody right now. His problem was… he couldn't be close to her.

The only constant person in his life, Hermione Granger. When everybody left, she was there. When everybody doubted him, even his supposed best mate, she believed in him. And when everybody saw him as this great Hero, she saw him as Harry, the boy she was nagging to do his homework.

He would be lost without her. She was his anchor, his guardian, his best friend and somehow the love of his life.

But hearing and seeing Ron and Hermione together like this every day, he lost hope. They could never be together.

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(Excerpt from the Movie "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1)

"You are brilliant, Hermione. Truly." Harry patted Hermione's hand, while declaring that.

Hermione blushed lightly. "Actually, I'm highly logical, which allows me to look past extraneous detail and perceive clearly that which others overlook."

"Yeah." He nodded. "There's only one problem, of course." The light went out. Harry and Hermione glanced around in confusion.

"The sword was stolen." Ron stated as he stepped into the room. He relit the room with his Deluminator, his usually brilliant blue eyes dull. "Yeah, I'm still here. But you two carry on. Don't let me spoil the fun." He said an edge present in his voice.

Harry closed the book and turned on the bench to face him. "What's wrong?" He asked in annoyance.

"Wrong? Nothing's wrong. Not according to you, anyway."

Harry was growing from annoyed to angry in mere seconds. "Look, if you've got something to say, don't be shy. Spit it out."

"Alright, I'll spit it out. But don't expect me to be grateful because there's another damn thing we've gotta find." Ron's voice was rising.

"I thought you knew what you signed up for."

"Yeah." Ron breathed. "I thought I did too."

"Well then, I'm sorry." Harry got up from his seat. "But I don't quite understand." He rounded Ron while talking. "What part of this isn't living up to your expectations? Did you think we were gonna be staying in a hotel?" Hermione got up slowly from her seat and followed Harry. She had been silent, she was too shocked by what was happening between her two best friends and she feared it would turn even nastier. "Finding a Horcrux every other day? Thought you'd be back with your mum by Christmas?"

"I just thought after all this time we would've actually achieved something. I thought you knew what you were doing! I thought Dumbledore told you something worthwhile. I thought you had a plan." Hermione was standing next to him by that time.

"I told you everything Dumbledore told me." Harry tried to defend himself. "And in case you haven't noticed, we found a Horcrux already." He gestured to the locket currently hanging around Ron's neck.

"Yeah." Ron waved off. "And we're as close to getting rid of it as we are to finding the rest of them, aren't we?"

"Ron." Hermione stepped up to him, trying to get her hands around the chain. "Please, take-" But he shoved her away. "Please, take the Horcrux off. You wouldn't be saying any of this if you hadn't been wearing it all day." She began to sound as desperate as she felt, tears evident in her eyes and voice.

Ron shoved her away again. "Want to know why I listen to that radio every night and day? To make sure I don't hear Ginny's name, or Fred, or George or Mom."

"You think I'm not listening, too?" Harry intercepted, his voice loud. "You think I don't know how this feels?"

"No, you don't know how it feels!" Ron shouted. "Your parents are dead! You have no family!"

And as Ron said that, he cracked a nerve in Harry. Harry lunged himself at Ron.

"Stop! Stop!" Hermione cried.

"Fine, then go!" Harry exclaimed as he pushed Ron away. "Go, then!"

"Fine." Ron stated and ripped the chain over his head.

"Ron." Hermione tried quietly as Ron began to gather his things.

Ron finally looked at her. "And you?" He waited a moment. "Are you coming or are you staying?" Hermione gaped at him, trying to form words as she looked at Harry for a fleeting moment. Ron followed her gaze. "Fine." He looked at her once more. "I get it. I saw you two the other night."

"Ron, that's-" She paused for a moment, her voice cracking. "That's nothing." Ron glanced at Harry for the last time before fleeing out of the tent. "Ron." She stopped again but deciding to follow him out. "Ron, where are you going?" She cried exasperated.

Harry stared at the tent flap, listening to the faint shouts of Hermione calling after his now former best friend until he heard the final noise of apparition echo through the forest.

He knew it was over.

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The next few days waere spent in silence. He was watching her and his heart was crying out for her, but he couldn't bring himself to say something. His heart broke at the lost and tearful gaze she had.

As he was wandering around not far from the tent, he heard the radio playing a song. He went back into the tent and sat down on one of the chairs, again watching as Hermione sat next to the wireless, with her knees tucked under chin and her face wet with tears.

And suddenly, he couldn't do it anymore. So he stood up and strode over to her slowly. He stopped in front of her and waited for her to look at him. When she did, he extended his hand in an inviting manner. She glanced at his hand before taking it, allowing him to lift her off her seat. Harry grabbed the chain of the locket gently and pulled over her head, setting it down next to them.

He led her to the center of the tent and moved his arms and shoulders in turn causing her to move them too. She understood immediately; he wanted to dance with her. She smiled slightly at the silliness of his dance moves but slowly began to dance with him.

Harry grinned and twirled her. It was a good idea after all. She twirled him and he twirled her in turn.

They moved in random patterns, sometime close to another sometime with extended arms. After another twirl, he pulled her close, resting his chin on her shoulder. She sighed inaudibly, wrapping her arm more tightly around him, mimicking him in resting her chin on his shoulder.

She felt save for the first time in weeks. She had noticed Ron's looks when she was next to Harry. She felt him growing more and more jealous over the weeks, but she wouldn't have expected him to leave like that. She always thought he cared for her, but leaving had shown her, that he cared more for himself than he did for her or Harry for that matter.

"Hermione…" Harry whispered and when he pulled away to look at her, she saw it. She saw it in the depth of his eyes. She saw what he's been trying to show her through his actions and what he's been too afraid to tell her all along. He loved her.

"Oh, Harry…" She breathed, touching his cheek. He leaned into her touch and Hermione sighed. "We can't. You know we can't."

"Why?" Harry asked, desperation in his eyes. "Why? You know what I feel for you!"

Hermione stepped out of his embrace. "There's Ginny… and Ron." She turned around.

"I don't love Ginny!" He spun her around again. "And you know that too." He gripped her arms.

"But she loves you! And I don't think she's ready to let you go just yet." She pushed his hands off her.

"Well, I don't care. Even if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't get back together with her. I couldn't, not when I don't love her, not when I love you!" He shouted the last words. She sucked in her breath.

She shook her head to gather her thoughts. "But Ron… he wouldn't understand it. You know how jealous he is."

Harry groaned in frustration. "I don't care about Ron, just like he doesn't care about me… or you for that matter. And do you really want to resign yourself to Ron just because he's too much of a prat to be happy for us? Could you really live like that? You know how Ron is, you know how much you bicker and fight. That wouldn't change. He would hurt you and then leave because he couldn't stand the tension. You don't want a life like that. Don't you want to be happy?" He stepped up to her, his voice grew soft again. "I can make you happy. I would care for you, every day for the rest of my life. Cook for you, rub your feet while you tell me about your day. And when we fight, I would stay to dry your tears." He cupped her cheeks.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She could see it. She could see Harry standing in the kitchen, preparing her favourite meal before coming over to her to listen closely while she told him all about her work day.

But that would be then, the future. But right now, there was still a war raging on.

A tear rolled down her face as she took his hands into her own. "I can see it and I think I want that, but we can't." Harry opened his mouth to respond but Hermione interrupted him. "At least not right now. There's still a war to be won and a wizard to be defeated. We can't be distracted by that. You have to understand that."

Harry rested his forehead against hers, inhaling her scent in that process. "I do and you're right. But at least it's something to hold on to, something to look forward to." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "I love you and exactly that keeps me going."

Hermione just gripped him more tightly, hoping that they both lived long enough to see what other possibilities the future held for them.

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He couldn't believe it. The war was won and Voldemort defeated, but here he was, sitting by the dark lake in Hogwarts, moping. Everyone was happy and celebrating. A fairly small number of people died and Harry was glad that at least nobody he loved died. So he should be happy and celebrating too, but he couldn't. Not when the image of Hermione and Ron kissing displayed in his head over and over again.

Ron had come back, in the process saving him and destroying a Horcrux. Harry was grateful for that, but that didn't mean he would be welcoming him back. But with Hermione being Hermione, Harry had no other choice than doing exactly that.

But there was an everlasting tension present in the tent. Hermione was angry with Ron, Ron tried to stay clear and Harry just felt like he had lost his chance with Hermione, because they never talked about them again.

And then the battle in Hogwarts and the kiss. He didn't even remember how it happened, he just remembered looking over and seeing her locked in a tight embrace with Ron.

And since then the image was a constant in his head.

Harry had been sitting there for the last few hours, it was already the next morning, but didn't know what time exactly it was.

He sensed her before he could see her. "Harry? What's wrong?"

He turned to see Hermione standing behind him. She had showered and changed, her hair in order for the first time since Fleur's and Bill's wedding. "Nothing. I just came out here to think, you know?" He shrugged and hoped she would go again, but it was Hermione after all, she had more patience than that.

She sat down next to him. "About what?"

"Ah, you know, just life and the future." He said nonchalantly.

She moved to take his hand, but cocked her eyebrow when he moved it away. "Harry, be honest, what is wrong?"

"You know what's wrong." Came the mumbled reply.

Hermione sighed. "Is it because Voldemort is dead and you feel like you've done your purpose?"

Harry's head snapped to her. "Wha-… No! I'm fine with the whole Voldemort thing. He's dead, the world is safe again and I'm free to do whatever I want. It's not about that at all." He glared at the lake again.

"Well then, tell me." She began to feel annoyance creeping up at her.

"Well if you don't know it, then I won't tell you!" He huffed and stood up.

"Harry, don't act like that!" She jumped up.

"Like what?" He spun around to her.

"Like a spoiled child who didn't get his lollipop." She grinned slightly.

Harry glared at her. "Ha bloody ha!" He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Hermione sighed and stepped up to him. "Harry…" She tucked at his arms to take his hands. "Please, tell me."

"You kissed him." He mumbled.

"What did you say?"

"You kissed him. I saw you kiss Ron." He repeated.

"Oh." She blushed. "Well, that was nothing."

"It didn't look like nothing." He crossed his arms again.

She sighed. "Harry, will you please believe me? It was nothing."

"If it was nothing, why did you kiss him?"

"Because I had to." She responded.

"That's bullshit!" He exclaimed.

"No, it's not." She cried. "You know there was always something between us. Always that unresolved tension and I just wanted to see how it feels."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Well I hope it feel good, because you looked like you had loads of fun while doing it!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and got closer to cup his cheeks. "No it didn't feel good. And it didn't feel right. Not even close to how I felt when I was dancing with you." He avoided her eyes.

"But you haven't even kissed me yet." He murmured again.

She smiled. "I know. I couldn't. I had to get this with Ron out of the way first. That's why I told him, that we couldn't be together."

Harry's eyes widened. "You did?" She nodded, the smile still on her face. "When?"

"While you were sitting here, moping." She grinned at his blush. "He was angry at first and tried to argue with me. Told me how it was always you and how he was sick of it." Harry grimaced. "But I told him, after all this time, after all you've had to endure, that you deserve to be happy for once and that it was our task to be happy for you whatever you do or make you happy. And I make you happy, right?" He nodded. "Then I'm gonna be with you. And that he understood. And he's sorry, by the way, for being such a prick."

"Hermione…" He sighed and moved until her hands fell off his face. "You don't have to be with me just to make me happy. I want you to be happy, too."

"Harry, can you please stop?" She cried exasperated. "Don't you know that you make me happy? Don't you see how I feel about you? For Merlin's sake, I love you, you dolt! So please stop being a git, believe me and be with me." Harry stared at her with wide eyes. "Oh bugger!"

And she grabbed his face and kissed him. After Harry got over his momentum of surprise, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and kissed her back with all the passion he could muster up.

Hermione pulled back to look at him. "I love you, okay?" He nodded. "And I want to be with you, because you make me happy, too."

He kissed her again, more gently this time. "I love you, too."

She grinned. "I'm glad. Come on." She wrapped her arm around his waist. "Let's go back, I believe we have indeed something to celebrate."

They began to walk back to the castle arm in arm. "And about that cooking you told me about… I want you to make me Lasagna first. I love Lasagna."

Harry laughed, feeling more happy than ever, because now he had a life to look forward to. A life spend with the most beautiful and intelligent woman he ever met. His anchor, his guardian, his best friend and… the love of his life.

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