k normal disclaimer : I own nothing of the characters just the plot contained here I can only bow and praise Ms Rowling for the wonderful world she has created

Harry Potter and the Lion heart of Griffindor

It was a hot night on Privet Drive; in the smallest bedroom of number four on rather lumpy mattress lay a young wizard by the name of Harry Potter. He was home if it could be called that from his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His thoughts were wandering everywhere this night as he reflected on the events of the last year. 'Well at least Ron and Hermione are having fun' he thought;" just not too much I hope " he muttered, his eyebrows were furrowed in thought, had Hermione really kissed him as they got off the Hogwarts Express that final day of the school term?

'Well that was more than a friendly hug and kiss goodbye that day and her parents didn't seem all that upset to see that occur between their daughter and I' he mused; "But how does she feel about me and how do I feel about her … and if we both like each other then … ohh sweet Merlin what about Ron?" he said with a groan 'Well I guess if he can't understand it I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it ' He thought

Xxxxx F/Bxxxxxxx

As Harry stepped off the Hogwarts Express; Hermione had called out to him "Harry I am going to miss you SO much!" she said as she pulled him into one of her patented bone crushing hugs; "Me too 'Mione "Harry said rather flatly, as she pulled back she paused and gave him an odd look. Then rather suddenly her lips were pressed against his and they just held that sweet kiss for the briefest of moments then it was over and she was gone, leaving Harry standing there thinking; 'Did she just …… Did I just…Did we just. His mind was racing in every direction possible, " ohh man this is this good or bad …"

Xxxxx end F/B xxxxxX

Harry smiled at this memory as he rolled over his mind constantly replaying the scene 'Well I guess she fancies me is all, and I KNOW I love her 'he thought as he lay on his side staring out the window. As sleep came over him he drifted off with the thought of strawberry scented chestnut hair and the most beautiful pair of chocolate brown eyes he remembered. He slept that night mercifully free of the nightmares that had so often plagued his nights for every time one seemed to overtake him he felt her hand brush against his cheek and the nightmare was banished

As Harry lie sleeping his first decent night's sleep of the year, a certain snowy owl was waiting on a young woman's desk for the letter she was writing.

Hermione paused in her writing to see Hedwig standing there she hadn't even heard the owl land on her desk and wasn't aware of her presence till she had nipped playfully at Hermione's hair. "Hedwig!" She said looking up "did Harry send you with a letter for me girl?" Hermione asked the owl, to her it seemed as if the owl was truly considering the question, when she in the soft light from the desk lamp appeared to shake her head as if to say "No, but I knew you were writing him and needed me to come here, silly." ' How does she always seem to know when I am writing to him ' Hermione thought to herself oh well " are you ready for this letter girl?" she asked the owl, Hedwig blinked her large yellow eyes at Hermione and seemed to nod her head as she extended her leg toward Hermione to tie the letter to. As soon as Hermione was done Hedwig hooted softly and nipped her on the finger as if to say, "I know. I love him too "then she was gone merely a increasingly smaller white dot in the night sky

Harry rolled over the next morning to hear to hear the sound of Hedwig hooting at him from the window ledge he grabbed his glasses and put them on as he did so he saw the owl had a letter tied to her leg he got up and went to the window, as he did this she extended her leg to him as if to say ' Here you silly man, it's a letter for you '"ok girl what have you got there I thought you were hunting and I KNOW I haven't written anyone yet, so where did this come from?" he said as he took the letter from her and gave her an owl treat. She nipped his finger and flew to her perch and promptly stuck her head under her wing and was asleep in moments

Harry opened the letter and he saw instantly that the handwriting was the neat

And precise style of the woman he had realised he loved only the night before. He worried she was writing to him to say the kiss had been a mistake and that she would hope they could still be friends; when he decided to read it

Dear Harry,

Hi I know it's only been a few hours since I saw you last on the platform when we said goodbye but I needed to write you and explain my actions; you see Harry the fact of the matter is. Well I like you in fact you could even say that I love you but I have been too much the coward to say anything to you till that moment (I know, not very Gryffindor of me) well I decided that I may not be able to say the words I would be able to show you that I love you

Ok now that that's out in the open I will understand if you hate me and never ever want to even see my face, as I know I am not pretty like some girls at school

But I cant help it I have fought against this feeling since our first year and well I am not like those other girls that are always falling al over you because you are the

" Boy who lived" I never cared about that, I just cared about you just you as you like to say " why won't anyone see past what I am and just see me just see Harry;" Well I DO and I DO love you and I always will you are my best friend and I know I shouldn't get my hopes up but I hope that we may become perhaps more than merely friends.

Ok I have now officially made myself the fool so I hope we can still be friends at the least

With my Love

Hermione

Harry was barely able to sit on the bed and not fall off; he was stunned, she loved him? He thought well then she needs to know I love her "Hedwig? Think you could deliver a note for me? "He asked the owl she pulled her head from under her wing and regarded him with a look of tired satisfaction as if to say 'it's about time you two woke the bloody hell up 'Harry pulled parchment and quill and ink from his trunk and wrote the shortest and possibly the most important lines he would say till his wedding day or so he thought.

Hermione

I don't know what to say accept this I love you too. I may act like I am blind but I do know that these feelings I have for you are much more than friendship which I still feel for you but I don't want to ever lose the bond we have that is now so much more. Please don't say you aren't pretty you are the best looking and smartest witch I have ever met. You see 'Mione your Beauty (yes I did say that) yours is the beauty of the soul I would rather have the woman with the beautiful soul than one that has a pretty face but a shallow soul

With all of my heart and Love

Harry

"Hedwig? Can you take this to Hermione for me and wait for any replies unless she says not to "Harry said as he tied the letter to the proffered leg

As he watched the owl become a smaller and smaller dot against the early morning sky Harry started thinking 'Ok she loves you … now what do you do? I wish Sirius was here to ask advice from.' with that small thought Harry's smile faded as he realized that anyone that had ever loved him had been killed by Voldemort and his insane followers. With this thought running through his mind he came to a decision and he knelt down by his bed and prayed " God, mum, dad, Sirius everyone that loves or has loved me has been killed by that madman; I need help I love Hermione more than my own life and I would lay my life down for her …… but I need your help, I need strength to fight, resolve to win and knowledge to beat him so he can never do this to anyone I love ever again. Thanks for listening I know you cant be here to help me much but I know you will help me as best you can thanks Mum, Dad

As he stood; He moved over to his desk, he grabbed parchment and quill and set to writing quite a few of the letters, Harry had realized he would need help in this world as much as from the next one.

Hermione was just getting up and had barely put on her dressing robe, when she heard the rustle of feathers and looked up, when she saw Hedwig sitting on the window ledge she saw the letter attached to the snowy owls leg, " Hey there girl he read it huh? Was he upset you think?" she said Hedwig merely blinked and shook her feathers and her head " ok Hermione you can do this what is the worst he can say?" she said to herself as she took the letter from the owl. As she was about to open it she heard this small voice in the back of her mind say' you think you are good enough for him silly girl'. As she was reading the letter Harry had written her she felt her heart soar and felt warm and tingly all over her body. Suddenly she jumped up and ran to the kitchen to see her mother " MUMMM!" She called as she tore down the stairs; her mothers' head appeared from the kitchen doorway" 'Mione? Honey what's wrong" she said as she noticed the tears rolling down her daughters face not realizing they were tears of joy "Mum remember the talk we had yesterday one the way home from Kings Cross?" Hermione asked breathlessly

"Y-Yes…. "Her mother began as Hermione cut her off saying "… ok I took your advice and wrote to him and told him how I feel and that I would understand if he didn't feel the same and every thing. …And he wrote back this Morning and well."" 'Mione what did he say? If he said he doesn't think you are pretty I'll kill him myself!" her mother said "Well here you read it and tell me what you think "she said softly as she handed the letter to her mother. As her mother read the letter a small smile began to creep across her face till she was beaming "Oh honey I am SO happy for you! "She exclaimed. "Hmm ok we need to have him over for dinner I believe; your father is going to want to meet the young man that has stolen your heart and given you his in return" Her mother said with a finality.

As Hermione and her mother were talking about how happy they both were now that Harry had told Hermione how he in fact felt; He was writing letters to his Headmaster and asking for help to prepare for the battle he knew was coming he had made a vow that nothing and no one would hurt her hurt his love …his Hermione." My 'Mione…"He said softly with a chuckle; He also had written to Mad Eye Moody and the other Members of the Order he knew he could trust asking for their help in learning anything and everything they would be willing to teach him that might help him rid their world of the evil that was plaguing it.

As Harry was doing all of this and Hermione was chatting with her mother; Albus Dumbledore heard a whistle coming from one of the silver instruments in his office in the Headmasters office at Hogwarts "Hmmm this is a new development." he said with a twinkle in his eye " Fawkes my friend would you be so kind as to get the letter young Mister Potter has written to me?" there was a flash and a single feather landed on his desk " hmm most curious indeed " he said to himself

Harry was just finishing the letter to Moody when there was a flash and the headmasters Phoenix Fawkes appeared perched on the end of his bed " 'lo Fawkes he said to the bird " He knows I am writing to ask for his help huh?" Harry said

The Phoenix sailed silently over to the desk and looked at Harry as if to say "well you know him he seems to know everything ""Ok here's the letter for Dumbledore could I ask a favour of you? I need two others delivered and Hedwig isn't back yet from 'Moines' house and I need these delivered quickly would you please? Harry asked the Phoenix. At this the Phoenix chortled softly and bobbed his head and nudged the letters Harry had just finished " thanks Mate " Harry said and tied the letters to the birds leg "ok off with you; and Fawkes? Thank you Harry said stroking the brightly coloured bird's chest. There was a flash and a burst of Phoenix song and he was gone off to deliver the letters Harry had asked him to

Dumbledore was sitting in his office when the Phoenix returned with not one letter but three attached to his leg "hmm I gather Hedwig is with Miss Granger; my friend, and he has asked you to deliver those for him? The headmaster asked the Phoenix taking the one addressed to him. "Ah I had wondered how long till those two managed to see how much that one loves the other". He said with a chuckle and the twinkle in his eyes seemed to intensify, as this happened he walked to the fireplace in his office and from the mantle took a small pewter jar, taking a pinch of floo powder he called " Griffindor Head of House office!" he stuck his head in the emerald green flames and called " Minerva? Are you free for a few minutes?"