AUTHOR NOTE:

Hi all. This is set in the universe after the final battle but not following on from the Epilogue because lets face it if we had our way Harry and Hermione would have been together from the start.

DISCLAIMER:

I do not, nor will I ever own Harry Potter or any such works affiliated with JK Rowling.

XXX

It all started with a collision. Not just of the body but of the mind and the soul.

I didn't see it coming it seemed like a normal day at Hogwarts, I was making my way to Care of Magical Creatures first thing Monday morning with my two best friends, one a six foot tall ginger haired Quidditch fanatic and the other the saviour of the Wizarding world.

With the threat of Voldemort over since the great battle of Hogwarts at the end of what would have been our seventh year life has gotten much simpler while we complete our education and yet it's become so much more complicated at the same time.

With the threat of death hanging over our heads last year we didn't have time for anything other than training for the inevitable war. Now that we had the time to slow down and enjoy life I almost felt like I didn't know what to do.

My role as one third of the Golden Trio seemed obsolete; I had done my duty and kept the other two thirds of the trio alive. What did they need me now for?

I watched as they jokingly pushed each other around as we descended from the Great Hall and into the crisp morning air.

Ron had hinted in recent days that he wanted to take our friendship to another level, a level I was quite sure I didn't want to reach. Don't get me wrong I love Ron, I do, just not the way everyone wishes that I did.

He pushed my buttons and knew how to drive me absolutely mental, and everyone just comments that we have so much 'sexual tension' building up between us that we were perfect for each other. I think they're barking mad.

That 'sexual tension' everyone claims we have seems more to me than just pure annoyance and frustration.

But with Harry, things are starting to seem so much more, well, alive.

Since defeating Voldemort Harry has seemed much more care free and happy. At night I can still see the ghosts hidden in his eyes but there seems to be a huge weight that was lifted off his shoulders. Following the war Ginny threw herself at her 'saviour' but Harry had politely told her that he wasn't interested in a relationship. Although he never told me why.

I was pulled out of my musings when a hand came to rest on my shoulder. I looked up into two of the most piercing green eyes I have ever known.

"You alright there Mione?," Harry inquired with a nickname reserved solely for him as he looked down from his towering six foot three form to my average five foot six.

"Of course Harry just thinking about everything that's been going on lately," I replied smiling up into his face.

He smiled back and nodded his head accepting my answer before he lowered his hand to my lower back to nudge me along towards Hagrid's Hut.

My back started to feel the beginnings of tingles when his hand accidentally grazed a small section of my skin between my shirt and skirt.

I jumped away quickly ignoring Harry's quizzical stare and raced ahead of himself and Ron stopping just at Hagrid's Hut.

What the hell was that!

I shook my head trying to get the feeling of Harry's bare fingertips against the skin of my lower back out of my head. It was just the tingles of being touched somewhere by one of my best friends that I haven't ever felt before.

"A 'right gather round everyone," came Hagrid's booming voice from around the back of the Hut.

I walked around to see Hagrid standing with about half a dozen Thestral's behind him.

"Today we are just g'ing over the basics of the Magical Creatures you can find here in the Forbidden Forest… now raise your hand if you can see the creatures standing behind me," Hagrid said looking out over the mixed Seventh year Gryffindor and Slytherin.

More than three quarters of the class raised their hands; I wasn't surprised too many of us had seen death this past year.

Hagrid went onto explain some of the aspects of the life of a Thretsal before splitting us up into groups of two to alternate between interacting with the creatures and following Hagrid to the other side of the hut where Hagrid had managed to convince some Centaurs to address the class.

I saw Ron coming towards me to ask to be my partner but he was quickly blindsided by Lavender grabbing his hand and pulling him to the other side of the Hut.

He gave me a wistful look before following her around. I breathed a sigh of relief before turning to find Harry smiling down at me again.

"Looks like it's you and me then Mione," he said grabbing my hand and pulling me towards one of the Thretsals.

My hand started to sweat in his and I prayed that he wouldn't notice. As we got closer to the creature it started to paw at the ground and I hesitated to go toward it remembering all too well the power of those creatures from our little escapade to the Ministry.

But Harry didn't feel my hesitation and continued on forward still gripping my hand I stumbled to keep up but my foot snagged on a jagged rock.

I squealed as I went to tumble forwards and noticed Harry quickly spinning around to grab me before I hit the ground which only resulted in him pulling me toward his body and us tumbling backward.

I opened my eyes which I had squeezed shut through the fall to see that I was bare millimetres from Harry's face. I could feel the heat of his breath on my face and saw his pupils dilate my eyes flickered from his eyes to his mouth and I felt my heartbeat quicken.

His breathing became shallow as his eyes searched my face and I felt his pulse quicken beneath me.

What on earth was happening I felt myself lick my lips which Harry followed with his eyes.

This seemed to snap me out of my trance and I quickly rushed to get off Harry's body.

"Oh Merlin I'm so sorry Harry," I said scrambling to my feet.

I watched him languidly climb to his feet still keeping his eyes on my face.

"It's alright Mione are you alright?" He said watching me closely.

I nodded and went to side step around him as his hand shot out to grab my elbow.

"You're hurt," he said looking at my arm. I looked down and noticed that in the fall I must have scraped my arm on the ground, funny I didn't feel a thing then and right now all I could feel was Harry's hand.

"It's ok it doesn't hurt too much," I replied looking from the gash to Harry and back.

He ran his thumb just under the cut softly causing me to look back up into his eyes.

"You alright there Hermione?" The thundering voice of Hagrid came from behind us.

Harry startled let go of my arm and walked towards the Thretsals as I turned back grabbing the arm that Harry was previously holding.

"Yeah I'm ok Hagrid just took a bit of a tumble that's all," I said smiling as I gestured to my elbow.

"Well alright then as long as you're ok," he said.

I smiled and nodded my head before turning back to see Harry staring intently at the Thretsal while stroking the creatures head.

What the hell just happened?

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I ignored Harry for the rest of the day not willing to talk to him about what had happened at Care of Magical Creatures.

But I couldn't avoid him forever and was cornered when he came waltzing through the Head Dorms later that night, when I had thought he was already in bed.

"Mione," he breathed as he looked up and saw me sitting in the common rooms couch looking over the homework for the day.

"Harry, hey I thought you were asleep," I replied looking back down at the parchment in front of me refusing to look into his eyes.

I felt him sit down next to me but I still refused to look into his eyes for fear that I would fall back into today's earlier trance.

A trance I refused to acknowledge, because it couldn't be what I thought it was, could it?

I was bought out of my musings by a hand on my arm and I snapped towards Harry once more.

"Mione we need to talk," he said.

I took a deep breath, talk? Talk about what!

"Oh, we do? What about Harry did you need some help with your homework?" I asked him.

Harry smiled and shook his head sliding across the couch to be closer to my body.

"No, I think you know what I want to talk about," he said.

"Mione what happened today at Care of Magical Creatures?"

I shook my head at him, "I don't know what you're talking about, I took a fall, you caught me and that was pretty much that."

I could feel my stomach start to clench at my words, I knew that was a lie, well not a complete lie but still there was definitely something more.

"It was more than that Mione… do you know why I refused to get back together with Ginny?" he asked.

"You wanted to spend some time just as you after the war?" I replied.

He laughed, "Close but no. I didn't want to be with her because I had feelings for someone else." I drew in a breath and looked into his eyes.

"You… you do?" I asked searing his green orbs.

"Yes, I do. I've been in love with my best friend for a long time." I stared at him in shock and refused to blink.

He couldn't mean what I thought he meant, could he?

"What, what are you saying Harry?"

"I'm saying that I Harry Potter am completely head over heels in love with you Hermione Granger."

Before I had a chance to do or say anything else I felt his lips descend on mine and lost all coherent thought.

His lips felt like silk and sparked a tingly feeling all throughout my body.

But unfortunately it was over before it had barely begun and I opened my eyes, when did I close them, to see Harry looking at me curiously.

I swallowed trying to regain my bearings and my thoughts which seemed to have miraculously disappeared.

"Well that was nice," I said and watched as Harry's face broke out into a huge smile.

"Yeah, I would tend to agree," Harry replied.

"So what does this mean Harry? I mean if we keep going with this we're going to have some pretty annoyed people on our hands."

"Who cares, Mione I love you… more than a friend more than any man has ever loved a woman. What I feel for you is nearly eight years' worth of trust, loyalty and love. When I think about the fact that I could have lost you to this war my heart constricts and I lose my breath. Mione without you, I'm nothing and if we make a couple of Weasley's upset. I don't love Ginny, in fact I was only ever with her because I thought you were in love with Ron. But after today, looking into your eyes and seeing the relief when you knew you were partnered with me and not with Ron. Well it just strengthened my resolve."

My jaw was hanging open I was sure of it, I couldn't believe what Harry was saying.

"Just tell me Mione do you think you could forget about everyone else and just live for us?"

I closed my jaw, yep I was sure there was a bit of drool there too, and looked into his eyes. His beautiful eyes told me all I needed to know.

"I've been in love with you since the day I met you Harry. Sure it didn't start off as the kind of all-encompassing love that takes over your life but it did grow into that kind of love. I only ever gave Ron a second look because I knew I would never feel this way for me and now… I honestly don't know what to do now that I do know that you love me and that I love you."

Harry's eyes seemed to darken at my declaration and before I knew it his hand raised to cup my face and pull my lips back towards his.

"Thank god," I heard him mutter against my lips before everything was thrust back into the back of my mind and all I could see, hear, feel, taste or touch was Harry.

Slowly he lowered me onto the couch while deepening the kiss, I felt his tongue run along the seam of my lips begging for entrance which I immediately granted.

I gasped in surprise as I felt his right hand leave my face to run down the side of my body and under my shirt caressing the skin he found there.

"Do you want to move this to the bedroom?" I gasped out as his hand started to venture further north towards my breasts.

"You sure?" he panted out bringing his head just far enough away from my face to stare into my eyes.

"I'm sure."

Quicker than lightening Harry jumped off my body and pulled me to my feet and pulling my lips back to his once more while backing me up towards the stair case.

Climbing the stairs was proving to be difficult as Harry proceeded to push me up against the wall.

Eventually with a growl he gave up and lifted me up into his arms causing me to wrap my legs around his waist and feel the bulge of his arousal pressing into my most intimate area. I groaned in response which only seemed to strengthen Harry's resolve for getting me into a bedroom.

We crashed through the door to his room as he raced us to the bed kissing my lips, face and neck which my shaking hands reached to the buttons of his shirt and proceeded to take it off his body.

As my head hit the pillows on the bead I stopped to take a breath and admire his chest, it was ripped and toned with a soft tan covering the skin. I sighed in contentment as I reached my hands up to run over his quivering muscles.

I heard him moan above me and grab my hands pinning them above my head.

"As amazing as that feels and as much as I want you to continue this is all for you love… I want to show you how much I love you," he said before leaning back down to give me a deep kiss leaving me breathless before trailing kisses down to my neck and sucking on a spot just under my ear causing me to moan out loud. I felt Harry smile against my neck and proceed to kiss down my neck to my collarbone.

I felt his hands undoing my blouse and before I knew it the offending material was torn from my body and beautiful lips replaced it.

"Oh merlin," I moaned out loud as his lips continued to suck, kiss and lavish my body with soft yet firm fingers coming around to my back to undo my brassier. I gasped in surprise and went to cover my chest before Harry grabbed my hands once more.

"Don't, you're perfect Mione… so beautiful," he whispered against my skin and I pulled my hands back to rest behind my head and in his hair.

I sighed as his body covered mine, the rough texture of his pants rubbing against my nearly bare legs and the feel of his bare chest on my own causing a hot flush all over my body.

I felt him pull my right nipple in between his lips and caress my areola with his tongue while his right hand caressed my other breast.

"Oh Harry," I moaned thrusting both hands into his hair and pulling on it tightly causing Harry to bite down ever so slightly on my breast causing me to moan out loud again.

He switched sides suddenly paying homage with his mouth to my other breast and my head started to feel dizzy, surprised that so much could come from barely touching on the upper half of my body. I could feel myself getting wet and went to rub my legs together in need.

Harrys hand stopped me while his mouth and hands massaged my breasts into puddles his other hand slipped down to the top of my skirt and undid the button. His mouth and other hand followed soon after both kissing and touching down to my skirt before pulling it off entirely leaving in just my plain white knickers.

I wish I had worn something a bit sexier but by the looks in his eyes as he stared on my body sexy underwear may not have made much of a difference.

"You're beautiful Mione, a goddess… may I?" he gestured to the white underwear I still had on, I could barely form any words to respond so I just nodded my head shyly, my chest heaving and breath coming in short gasps.

His hands went to either side of my panties and slowly dragged them down my legs the cool air hitting my centre causing me to gasp and shiver.

Harry began to kiss back up my legs his hands following along burning a hot trail behind him. The closer he got to my centre the quicker my breaths came. I looked down to see him staring intently into my face, his eyes burning with intense passion and his mouth in a quirky side grin.

"You look so wet Mione, is that all for me?" he said his hands coming up to lightly careers my folds causing my back to shoot up off the bed.

"So wet, so beautiful, I wonder if you taste as good as you look." I barely had time to look into his eyes again before his tongue tentatively licked along my slit.

"Oh Harry," I moaned causing him to smirk against my most private parts and lick me again, this time with a bit more pressure.

His nimble fingers found my clit and pressed in hard as he continued to lick up and down, I started to writhe unable to control the feeling he was evoking in my body. His other hand started playing with my entrance before pushing his finger in and curling it in a come hither motion.

I felt him everywhere and the slowly building pleasure in my body sped up to incredible speeds. Before I knew it I was pushed over the edge with Harry lapping me up with incredible skills.

I saw stars behind my eyes and felt my body leave the bed as Harry pulled himself up to be level with my face once more.

"Did you like that love?" he asked with a satisfied smile on his face. I nodded and turned to look into his eyes before grabbing his face and bringing him in for a soul searing kiss.

I lowered my hands to fumble with his buckle, a task proving harder than it should and I made a noise of irritation as I pulled at the belt.

Harry chuckled and lowered his own hands to take care of the belt and trouser zipper before I helped him push the offending items off his body revealing him to me in all his glory.

Hard and wanting I reached out and touched him bringing a hiss from between his teeth.

"Oh Mione," he moaned encouraging me to grip onto him harder and started to stroke him up and down causing him to pulse and harden even further.

I stroked him for another minute more before Harry grabbed my hand to still it shaking his head.

"Feels too good Mione… I want this to last," he said pushing me back down to lie fully on my back positioning himself at my centre.

"Are you sure?" he asks one more time rubbing his penis against my opening coating it in juices.

"More than anything," I whimper back, my hands going to his shoulders and pulling him down for another kiss.

He leans in and kisses me deeply his tongue massaging mine as he slowly pushes in. It felt like nothing I had ever felt before, not painful in the normal sense but different, kind of uncomfortable but not unwelcome.

I felt him pause before he hit my maidenhead and he pulled away from the kiss slightly to whisper "I love you" before pushing all the way in.

I moaned loudly a tear leaking from my eye involuntarily before Harry kissed it away.

"I'm sorry Mione," he murmured against my face, peppering it with kisses "I love you so much."

I pulled him back into a kiss and nodded at him, "its ok, you can move now."

He deepened the kiss once more and pulled out nearly completely before thrusting back in causing us both to moan.

He repeated the process and I started to pick up on his pace meeting him thrust for thrust my hands roaming all over his back and down to his buttocks pushing him in harder, deeper.

"Oh Harry, more," I moaned and he quickened his pace pushing harder and faster hitting a spot inside me I never knew I had.

"Oh Mione, you are so perfect… fuck so tight." He moaned back and I felt myself coming closer and closer to the edge once more.

"Fuck, I'm close Mione," he moaned one hand coming down to flick and press on my clit as he thrust into me faster and faster, hitting the spot over and over and before I knew it I was tumbling into ecstasy with Harry right behind me moaning my name as he thrust into me two, three more times.

He collapsed on top of me both of us gasping for breath my hands running up and down his muscular back.

"I love you too Harry," I said in response to his earlier declaration, "I always have and I always will."

Harry lifted his head from my shoulder and leaned in to kiss me a huge smile across his face caressing my cheek with his hand.

"Hermione you were… that was…"

"I know," I responded cutting him off mid-ramble.

"I don't care what Ron or Ginny or anybody has to say I can't live the rest of my life without you Mione," with that he leaned over to grab his pants and pulled out a small box, I gasped.

"It's not exactly what you think Mione," He opened up the box to show a very simple, gorgeous ring with a ruby surrounded by two sapphires.

"Our birthstones," I whispered.

"Yes, I bought this with you in mind, with us in mind… a promise ring that one day you and I will be married, we will have a family and grow old together," Harry said slightly blushing, or perhaps it could be just the heat from earlier.

"Will you wear it," he asked looking on hesitantly.

"Of course I'll wear it you silly man!" I exclaimed grabbing him for a kiss before he slid it onto my right hand's third finger.

"It's going to be a long road ahead once we finish our education here Mione but there is no one I want to share this with more than you."

I admired the ring sparkling on my finger before turning to look into his eyes.

"Forever Harry, you and I we'll make it."