Chapter 2: Secret

The problem was that things were not all well, for both Harry and Hermione, and it wouldn't be for quite some time.

Harry's P.O.V.

I saw her mutter something, and watched as Ron give a her a strange look-as if she had been indeed talking to herself- he looked at her confused, and made a move to comfort her. She made gestures that meant nothing was wrong, and that she was just being silly, she was obviously trying to take Ron's attention away from her strange behavior. Ron looked amused, and seeing him like this, pissed me off, I would never have let Hermione make me drop a discussion concerning her, something could be wrong, and Ron was just pushing it off, like everything was fine and dandy, when it was clearly not.

Sometimes I wondered if she knew how I truly felt about her, I mean there were many times where I had made it obvious, but she still never seemed to notice. Take for instance, in 6th year, when Hermione had witnessed Ron Snogging Lavender Brown-this was back before Ron and Hermione were even together-she had run from the scene, and I had found her. She was crying and pretended to be practicing a charms spell; finally she asked me how it felt when I saw Ginny with Dean. I remember being shocked that she thought I was interested in Ginny Weasley, when I was so much in love with her.

Of course I had lied about and made it seem like it was extremely painful for me, I should have told her the truth and kissed her, so at least then then I could stop living in wait for her one day realizing that I was the one she truly wanted, not Ron. I panicked though, that if I told her, she might never forgive me, and I would lose her for good, all because of my stupid feelings.

When Ron leaned down to kiss her however, I noticed her turn her head so that he only kissed her cheek. She played it off like it was nothing, but Ron looked extremely hurt by her doing this. I on the other hand couldn't help myself, from doing a silent cheer in my head, and I couldn't help it when my heart raced with hope, a hope that she could love me. I saw her make an excuse for it, and Ron believed her once again,-that git- and she made a run for the bathroom.

When she finally returned half an hour later, she looked as she had finally won a battle with her mind; she was no longer in denial, of whatever it was that was arguing with herself about. I noticed though, that as she returned to Hugo and Ron that the look had quickly vanished, was replaced with a plastered on smile. She was pretending to be perfectly fine, when it was so clear to me that she was far from it. She was pretending for her husband and son that nothing was wrong.

What could be bothering her? Was she pregnant with another child? Did she not want another baby? And now she was going to play it off, and make it seem like she wanted another baby. Whatever it was I had to find out, I had to talk to her alone, just the two of us.

When Ginny, Lily, and I got, I ran to my room searching for a quill and a piece of paper, quickly jotting down a note to Hermione.

Hermione

Please meet me at the Three broomsticks in about 10 minutes, we need to talk its urgent, no excuses, be there ASAP.

Harry

I quickly gave the note to Hermes my Owl. After Hedwig died, trying to protect me, I got a new owl, and named it Hermes, Hermes was a nickname you wouldn't be caught dead calling Hermione, she hated it, and I secretly named my owl after her, knowing she would never be suspicious.

"Hey Gin." I called down to Ginny. "Yes, Harry can you come down to the Kitchen, I'm kind of busy, and I would like to be able to understand what you're saying to me, I can barely hear you." Ginny said. I quickly came down stairs to the kitchen to continue talking to my wife. "Ah there you go Lily, no more snacks until after dinner." She told our daughter, - giving Lily one last cookie-then she turned to me. "Now what were you going to say Sweetheart?" she asked me.

"Um right, well I'm going to meet Hermione at the Three Broomsticks, she looked troubled about something today, and I'm going to see if I can find out what's bothering her, I should be back in about an hour." I told her, knowing she would have no problem with this, Ginny trusted me more than I could trust myself. "Oh alright dear, please do try to find out what's troubling her, you know I hate when my only sister, and best friend is hurt. Tell her I'm here for her as well if she needs me." She told me, I kissed her cheek and nodded at her request. I went to go ruffle my little Lily Pad's hair.

"Daddy you know I hate when you do that, now I have to fix my hair! If you keep doing that, I will never be able to get a boyfriend with my hair messed up." She said pouting at me. I chuckled kissing my little girls cheek, she was just too adorable. "Oh my little Lily Pad, your beautiful, there will be tons of boys at your door; you'll be a heart breaker." I told her. It was true, if she was anything like my mum and her mum, she would have tons of boyfriends. This seemed to make her smile. "Thank you Daddy, now go cheer up Aunt Hermione." She said, shoving me out the door, I chuckled, she was just like her mother, and she was like Hermione and mum in many ways as well.

I apparated to the Three Broomsticks found a table by the window, to sit and wait for Hermione to arrive. Immediately 10 minutes later, she arrived, she quickly found me placing a hand on her shoulder. I drank her in; she looked so beautiful, with her tame curls and beautiful brown eyes, and flushed cheeks, making her even more beautiful. Looking at her I could only hope that she would that would tell me the truth, so that I could find out what was truly bothering her.

Hermione's P.O.V.

I found Harry's note and told Ron I had to go meet a friend for coffee, and he said dinner would be ready when I returned. "Hugo behave for your father, and if the foods really terrible, you don't have to eat it. Your father did not inherit cooking from his mum." I told him in a serious tone, but chuckling a little, but low enough so that Ron couldn't hear us. "Okay mummy and I'll just tell daddy, if it's awful. I love you!" Hugo said. I chuckled and kissed his forehead before apparating. Unlike his father, Hugo loved calling his parents mummy and daddy, and was never embarrassed with it, he loved getting hugs and kisses goodbye and hello from his family. I loved my son and daughter so much, I would never regret my marriage with Ron because of our brought me my children. Sure I had loved Ron, but since Hugo was born, Ron and I had just fought begun to fight more than often. I started to fall out of love with my husband as the days progressed; now I knew that I had always been more in love with Harry than I had ever been with Ron.

Harry was sitting at a table by the window when I arrived; I walked up to him and laid my hand on his shoulder, stirring him from his thoughts. I wonder what he wanted to talk to me about that could be so urgent, did he know something that I didn't, had he figured out what I had just discovered, he couldn't there was no way I was that obvious about it, sure Ron was could thick sometimes, but even he would figure something out, if Harry did. There was only one way to figure out what was up.

"Hi Harry, you said you wanted to talk to me about something?" I asked him, looking into those beautiful green orbs, searching for something, anything, but I once again I found nothing, he was a closed book when It came to letting people know what was on his mind. "I wanted to tell you." he began and noticed I was still standing. "Well sit down first Hermione, I have no idea how long this conversation will be." He said sighing to himself. I sat down and looked at him, nodding my head for him to continue.

"Hermione today you looked like you were hiding something from Ron and Hugo. Hermione forgive me for what I'm about to ask you, but are you pregnant?" he asked, concern filling his face. I looked at him confused, and I was taken back that he would assume that the reason for my strange behavior was because I was pregnant. "Harry, of course I'm not pregnant! I don't plan on having any more kids, Ron and I am happy with just Rose and Hugo." I told him, which wasn't necessarily a lie, but if I had married harry I wouldn't mind another kid. I noticed that Harry was smiling now.

"Oh good that's a great Hermione, I thought that you were pregnant, but didn't want another child. I thought you were pretending to want to have a child, for the sake of Ron, I wouldn't want you to pretend to be happy about that. Sorry like I said I said, it was just the first thing I could think of." He told me, squeezing my hand. I felt that familiar jolt of electricity, course through my body again, once again I reveled in the shock of this simple touch, I wondered if he felt it as well, no he didn't there was no way he did.

"No Harry I assure you that being pregnant was not why I was acting strange to you." I told him, hoping that he wouldn't ask me anything else, and just drop the conversation, I had to leave otherwise I would do something that I might not even regret."

"Oh… then what's wrong Hermione? You can tell me anything you know that, and you don't want me to, then I won't tell, not even Ron and Ginny." He said. He was such a sweetheart to me. "It's nothing Harry, don't worry I'm fine, okay. Now I'll see you later since were um done here." I said looking down again, refusing to meet his eyes again. "No Hermione, don't lie to me, I know something is bothering you, please just tell me. You know I would never judge you, you're my best friend, and I would do anything for you." he said making my heart break, at what I wanted but what he couldn't give me.

"Harry please just drop it! I don't want to talk about it, if I told you Harry you would hate me, you would never look at me the same again." I told him wiping away the tears that were nearly falling down my cheeks.

"Hermione, I could never hate you! Now tell me." He said, grabbing my chin so that I was looking at him, he smiled at me and I felt the blood rush to my cheeks. I faked a smile and he placed his hand on top of mine and laced his fingers through mine, gently stroking my hand with his thumb.

Before I knew what was happening I felt the familiar tug at my heart, and the electricity shot through once again. I grabbed his face in my hands, letting go of his hand. I pulled him to me and I did what I knew I shouldn't have done. I let go of everything for the first time in my life, and I kissed my best friend with all my might, the boy I loved, had always loved, I kissed him.

My lips smashed up against his for the first time, I didn't wait for a response from him, and I just continued kissing him, with no regret. I waited for him to push me away, and look at me with disgust and hate, but I didn't expect him to kiss me back and pull me closer. Our lips caressed each other's, and soon he had his hands tangled in my tamed brown curls, while mine that were once wrapped around his neck, they were now trapped in in his messy Jet black hair.

We kept kissing and then his tongue darted out of his mouth, to trace my bottom lip, seeking entrance to my mouth, which I happily granted him access to. As our tongues met in a dance, they entwined together as one, while our lips continued to caress each other's.

All I could think about while kissing Harry was that I had never been kissed like this before. This was a full on perfect frontal snog. I lost myself in the passion of our snogging, feeling my knees go weak, which had never happened before, man Ginny was one lucky woman. Finally after about 30 minutes of mind blowing snogging, we pulled apart from each other's lips.

"Harry I love you! That's why I was acting strange, I was afraid you wouldn't feel the same." I told him, looking into his eyes no longer afraid, but realizing that I had been right about seeing pain in his eyes, and I had caused it without ever being aware until now.

"I love you too Hermione, in fact I always have, your my love, my soul mate. I have loved you for so long, but you always liked Ron and you thought I was falling in love with Ginny. I have wanted to tell you for so long, but I was afraid like you, that I would be rejected, you would hate me and I would lose my best friend. I only married Ginny because I wanted you to be happy. It broke my heart to see you come to my house crying because of Ron was being a selfish git. Sometimes I hate him, for what he does to you, but he's my mate, you know me I could never hate Ron or anyone for that matter, except Voldemort. Hermione I wanted to tell you that I loved you at the Yule Ball and as I even more so as I danced with you after Ron left. You never left me my side as we hunted down Horcruxes, I couldn't believe it when I had to force you not to go with me, to be killed, but brought back to life to kill Voldemort. You had told me that you would go with me to die, and I should have told you then, not that I would come back to life, I'm glad I can tell you now my love," Harry said giving lips a quick peck.

I had never known, why had I never noticed it before until now, it was so obvious how much he loved me, how much I loved him. I guess we become so blind that we can't see what right there in front of our eyes, what's always been there.

"So what do we do now?" I asked him. "We live with no regrets, let's go and enjoy this, while were still with our spouses and waiting for the time to file our divorces." He said kissing my lips again, and this time we didn't pull apart, we snogged for another good 30 minutes.

This was the start of a beautiful affair, for once I felt carefree and rebellious, I was living my life the way it should be lived without any regrets. This love was all so very real, it was meant to be, it was what should have been all these years. I finally had found the one, my Soul mate, my love; I would love him to the very day I died.