A/N Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. etc own everything, I own nothing!

I have to admit, I jumped onto the Harmony bandwagon very recently while watching the movies with my brother. [I haven't read the books yet, I know I'm horrible haha]. But, I decided to write this, because I just needed to! This is my first Harmony fic, though I've written for Vicley (Station 19), Haylijah (The Originals) and Sizzie (Legacies). Kind of my first time wondering into this fandom, and I'll admit I'm a bit scared lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one-shot AU post-battle. Also, fair warning this came out a lot angstier than I expected. Like, I'm trash for angst, but this is pretty angsty. Hope you enjoy! R&Rs are much welcomed! xx

They stood there, holding hands, Hermione holding both of theirs, as if afraid if she'd let go, they'd all fall apart, her body leaning against the dark haired wizard's slightly. Eventually, Ron pulls away, and she looks at him, a question already forming on her lips, though she's certain he knows.

"I, uh, I'm going to go to join my family," the redhead says softly, loud enough for both her and Harry to hear. She nods, squeezing his hand lightly.

"You want us to come with you?" Harry asks, turning to face his best friend. The redhead shakes his head. "Alright," the dark haired wizard says. "Let us know if you need anything."

"Will do…" And with that, he turns around and starts walking back towards the castle, to join his family in mourning, leaving the two of them on the bridge.

It's quiet between them for a while, though it's not uncomfortable as she presses herself against him.

"Hermione…" he whispers softly, and she can feel his lips against her hair.

"Harry," she whispers back, though she doesn't look up. "It's really over, isn't it? And, everything's changed," she finally says, breaking the silence.

"It is," he asserts in response. "'Mione…" he mutters, and she can't help but smile softly at the nickname.

"What is it?" she asks him, though she still doesn't turn to him. [Partly out of fear, not wanting to face him, and partly because she feels like she's looking at the future, or at least at the possibility of having one].

"We need to talk," he tells her, and she can hear the seriousness of his voice. "W- we never finished our conversation back in the Forest of Dean," he says softly, and she sighs. [Of course. Now, that it was all over, of course Harry wanted to finish that conversation. Her stomach tightened nervously, her mind spinning as she tried to gain control of her thoughts and emotions]. "Hermione, I-" he cuts himself off, and she finally lifts her head to look at him and meets his gaze, her brown eyes gazing into his emerald green ones. "You were right in stopping that conversation when you did," he admits, and she smiles a little. "It wasn't the time."

"Lucky you," she quips, attempting a light-hearted tone. She bites her lip nervously, wondering if she should say something, or just let Harry continue.

"Because now I know the truth. The truth is that you are my best friend. And, I love you, li- like a best friend. You've never given up on me, and I can always count on you," he continues, and her heart sinks with the realization that he wasn't going in the direction she thought he would. [Of course, she loved him, too as a best friend. She loved both him and Ron. But, Harry had always held a special place in her heart, a place only reserved for him. Sure, Ron had been the first to see her as a girl. As more than just the bushy-haired, bossy, bookworm part of the Golden Trio. She'd liked how his eyes would drift over her, she liked how strange it was every time they held hands or hugged. But, then she'd realized it wasn't what she'd imagined. The looks he'd give her were the same as how he looked at other girls. Every girl, really. That was just Ron. And then, the awkwardness when they touched was simply because she and Ron rarely did. Because she was more tactile with Harry, always pulling him in for hugs, or just holding his hand. Because Harry felt safe. And, if neither of those things would have made her realize the truth, the kiss between her and Ron definitely did. Adrenaline had been coursing through her body, and he had been right there, and their lips had met in an adrenaline-filled kiss. And then, the redhead had tried to convey his thoughts on it, but she hadn't let him because they were being chased by Nagini and she wasn't ready to lose him, too. And then, they'd reunited with Harry and all she wanted was to be in his arms, to feel his body pressed against hers once more. One last time. Of course, it hadn't been the last, but the fear was there. Once Harry had left, though, Ron had wasted no time in telling her he loved her very much, but the kiss was awkward as hell. He'd stopped short of saying it was like kissing Ginny. Hermione had just swatted at him, retorted a witty remark, and taken his hand before the castle descended in inferno once more. She'd hoped that once it was all over her and Harry could finally finish the conversation they'd started in the forest]. But, now she isn't so sure, and she looks away again.

"What are best friends for?" she remarks, though she can feel tears prickle at her eyes. Harry doesn't say anything for a little while, just wraps his arm around hers, and she does as well, both of them leaning into each other. Finally, he breaks the silence.

"Why won't you look at me 'Mione?" he asks, and she can feel his breath on her skin, can hear his heart racing, and briefly wonders if it is because of their closeness, or something else entirely. But, she doesn't say anything, and just presses closer to him.

"There's more…" he pauses, and this time her own heartbeat is racing, and her breath hitches low in her throat with a soft, barely audible gasp. Harry takes a deep breath, as if bracing himself before he finally continues. "There have probably been a thousand times I've wanted to kiss you, Hermione Jean Granger, but I can fully point but a few," he mutters after a while and this time she gasps properly, and he squeezes her tightly. "The first time was during the Triwizard Tournament. Practically everyone had forsaken me, except for you. You never gave up on me. I wanted to ask you to the dance, but I was an idiot then. So was Ron, by the way. We were best friends with the best girl, but we- I didn't realize she was also the most beautiful. Not until I saw you walking down those steps. And, Merlin, I wanted to kiss you," he whispers in something akin to wonder. "Take you in my arms and hold you close," he whispers.

"Really?" she can't help but whisper softly.

"Yes. I was a thirteen-year-old fool then, but yes, that was the first time I knew. The next time was after the battle at the ministry our fifth year. After Umbridge's reign of terror. Really, there were probably several times before that I wanted to do it, but after the battle I knew. When Snape was trying to train my mind so I could block it from Voldemort, there was always a memory of you hugging me that would get exposed. When he did it at the Ministry, I fought so hard to block it, because then he would know my weakness," his voice fills with emotion, and Hermione feels tears prickling at her own eyes. "Except, you were never a weakness, Hermione. You were a promise. I knew at the Ministry, when I saw the Death Eater's claws around you, I knew. All I wanted was to keep you safe. I told everyone we all had a reason to fight- something worth fighting for that Voldemort never did… truth is, Hermione, you were it for me," he admits, emotion clear in his voice, and she almost tilts her head to finally face him. But, he continues. "The next time I did was after Battle of the Astronomy Tower. After Dumbledore died, I- I told you and Ron I was going to go hunt for Horcruxes. I wanted to go it alone, I was done putting the two of you, especially you in danger. That whole year, my feelings for you became more and more apparent, especially when you were cross with Ron and wanted to make him jealous…" he trails off, but this time she finally decides to say something on the matter.

"Actually, I wanted to make you jealous, Harry," she finally confesses and feels him still against her.

"Me?" [She can practically see the surprise and shock written all over his face, but she doesn't turn to him].

"Yes. I was going to ask Ron to go with me to Slughorn's party to make you jealous. But then, the whole mess with Lavender happened, so…" she trails off and sighs. "I suppose, I liked you being there for me. So, I never said anything. And, Lavender was really awful, I knew Ron deserved better," she chuckles softly, and he joins in, though their laughter dies quickly. "I didn't want to lose you as my friend, so I was willing to keep my feelings bottled up," she adds quietly, still keeping her eyes trained on the horizon, though not fixed on anything in particular.

"Ron once mentioned- we were talking about Ginny and Dean, and I sort of told him Ginny was attractive. I was trying to get him to see his sister wasn't a kid anymore. I said she had nice skin-" he cuts himself, huffing out a laugh. "What did I know then? And then, Ron went and said you have nice skin as far as skin goes. I said you actually have very nice skin," he adds, and Hermione can imagine him blushing at the memory even as he says it now. "You do. Every time you took my hand, or wrapped your arms around me and pressed yourself close to me, close enough your cheek would touch mine… I always thought your skin was so nice. And, electrifying at the same time. Anyways, I really wanted to kiss you at the Astronomy Tower. When I told you I was going to go off on my own. And, you told me you and Ron were coming with me, and not leaving me alone. It meant the world to me... mostly you…" he admits, and she can practically see his lip trembling. "You stood there next to me, with the promise of never leaving me… and, in that moment, I wanted to kiss you…" he whispers, and she can hear his breathing coming out in short gasps. "I wanted to wrap my arms around you, and kiss you, and never let you go…" he sighs.

"Go on," she whispers, her own heart practically beating out of her chest.

"The next time, was after Ron left. The way he hurt you, Merlin I was so angry at him. For hurting you. For making you so sad. But, I decided to cheer you up, instead. We danced. It felt like… for a moment we could be two teenagers without a care in the world… that we could just be. It felt like I was on fire- everywhere you touched me. You tucked your chin over my shoulder, but then all I wanted to do was lift your head and kiss you. Kiss you and never let you go," he finally tells her, his voice barely above a whisper, and finally she looks up at him, lifting her head to meet his gaze, and she's a little struck by the emotion clear in his green eyes. His breath fans her face, and they're standing so close, their noses are almost brushing. She bites her lip lightly, though she doesn't untangle herself from his embrace. [They'd been close like this before, skin to skin, arms wrapped around each other, but somehow this felt different].

"I never wanted to let you go, either," she whispers. "When Dumbledore- when you were sitting there, and- I wanted to run to you, to hold you, but Ginny beat me to it. I hold no ill will to her, I was too numb to move anyways," she confesses, her own voice coming out in a barely there whisper. Silence settles once again, and Harry takes it as a sign to continue.

"The next time was in Godric's Hollow. I felt like I was drowning, like the grief was pressing on me, like I couldn't breathe. And then, you were there, and suddenly I could. I could never find enough words to tell you how grateful I was for you then," he admits, and her heart sort of breaks as she remembers that night, his quiet sobs, and the way it seemed the grief would swallow him whole. She opens her mouth to say something, but Harry doesn't let her. Now she's standing with both her hands resting on his chest, and his arms are wrapped around her waist, and Hermione had never felt so safe as she does now. [And, it's not just the fact that they'd defeated Voldemort, it's that she's in Harry's arms]. "When Bellatrix- when she- when she hurt you- Merlin, Hermione, all I wanted to do was take you in my arms and never let you go, then kill Bellatrix. I wanted to kill her," he whispers, and she can't help but shudder at the wildness in his eyes, the way he's pinning her to the spot with his piercing green gaze. "But, mostly I just wanted to kiss you and promise to protect you." Hermione takes in a deep shuddery breath as she continues to gaze into his eyes, and despite the piercing way he's gazing at her, there is also warmth, and fondness, and love.

"It's okay, Harry, you did save me in the end," she tells him, letting her own lip tremble slightly before biting it lightly.

"I just- I hate what she did to you!" he snaps, his voice thick with emotion, and takes a step back. "That there was nothing I could do about it," he mutters, sounding pained. "I- we could hear your screams, 'Mione…" he trails off, sounding like he's about to cry, and it breaks her heart. Tentatively, she takes a step towards him, reaches for him, grasping his shirt with her hands.

"Harry, look at me," she tells him carefully, her voice filled with emotion. "Look at me. I'm- I'm okay. I know you hate it, I admit I hate it too- despise it really, but there's nothing you can do about it know," she tells him, gazing deeply into his, willing him to understand. He nods, bowing his head before taking both her hands in his and chastely pressing his lips to her knuckles, and her heart soars as her stomach flutters. And then, he rests them back on his chest and lays his own hands on top of hers.

"Harry," she mumbles softly, still gazing deeply into his eyes.

"Hermione," he drawls, his voice a hoarse whisper, his breath fanning into her face. "The last time… the last time I wanted to kiss you was right before I went to face Voldemort. I wanted- I wanted to feel your lips on mine… just once… I didn't know I would have come back, and I wanted to kiss you just one time. But, that would've been selfish. And, I didn't want to be selfish with you, 'Mione… telling you how I felt, then going to face Voldemort? That would have been cruel," he practically sobs, a lone tear sliding down his cheek and she reaches to wipe it away before cupping his cheek, and he leans into her touch, his light stubble tickling her skin. She opens her mouth to say something, but Harry continues. "So, I just let you hug me, and took comfort from holding you in my arms one last time," he whispers, his voice husky.

"I just wanted to be as close to you as I possibly could. Because I knew what you were going to do. I mean, I was willing to go with you. So, I tried to memorize the way you felt in my arms. Tried to commit you to memory. And then… when I saw you- Hagrid carrying you, and I really thought- I really thought you'd died…" she whispers hoarsely, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "And, it broke me…" she trails off, trying to find words to convey just how much it had affected her, and she inhales a deep, shuddery breath.

"I know… I know, Hermione… me too… it broke me, too," he admits, his free hand reaching to cup her cheek, and she leans into the touch, nuzzling his hand lightly.

"But, it's over now," she whispers hoarsely.

"Yeah… yes, it is. It is over now. And, somehow, we're both alright," he tells her, the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "We're both going to be alright. I love you, Hermione," he adds, and her eyes widen slightly in shock.

"I love you, too, Harry. You're my best friend," she attests. "But-"

"No, no buts, Hermione. I love you. Because you're my best friend and so much more, Hermione Jean Granger," he tells her in a hoarse whisper, and she gasps.

"Really?" He nods. "Tha- that's good. Because I feel the same, Harry James Potter. You mean much more to me than just my best friend. And, I've really wanted to kiss you for a while now, but I always felt li- like you might not feel the same. I thought that you just see me as your bookish best friend. Just books and cleverness," she whispers sadly.

"But, Hermione, you are brilliant." She looks down and bites her lip lightly, but Harry continues. "And, beautiful. And, amazing. And, I really want to kiss you," he whispers huskily, his lips mere inches from hers, and she brushes her nose against his as they lean closer to each other.

"Yeah?" she mumbles against his lips.

"Yeah," he nods.

"Then, kiss me, Harry," she whispers against his lips, and she can feel his breath mingling with hers. And, he does. She meets his lips halfway and reaches to cup his cheek with her other hand, her thumb stroking his jaw while his hands gently cradle her head, his fingers sinking in her tangled mane after he pulls her elastic off, letting her wild curls run freely in the wind. It's a deep, lingering sort of kiss, both of them leaning into each other, their tongues tangled together, as if they'll never be able to get enough of each other. [If she was younger, her mind would probably be screaming. She was kissing Harry! Harry! Her best friend. But, it didn't. Her mind was strangely calm, not buzzing like it normally did]. And, so she continues to kiss him, her lips molded with his, her teeth nipping at his lower lip. When air becomes a necessity, they finally pull away, though her hands still rest on his cheeks, and his fingers are still sunk in her hair. Steadily, she meets his gaze, full of reassurance, and love, and tenderness, and she is overtaken with emotion.

"I love you, Harry. I- I'm in love with you. I think I have been for a long time," she confesses breathlessly, a tentative smile tugging on her lips. Harry gazes at her, his piercing green eyes staring deeply into her brown eyes, and smiles faintly.

"That's brilliant," he chuckles, and pauses, "because I love you, too, Hermione. I'm in love with you. It's always been you. You're it for me," he whispers softly. Slowly, Harry removes his hands from her hair only to take ahold of hers and press her knuckles against his lips, pressing soft kisses to her skin before settling her hands on his chest. And then, he cups her cheeks, his own hands cradling her head gently. She smiles softly, brushing her nose against his.

A comfortable silence descends between them, neither of them moving, neither of them really wanting to leave. [But, of course Hermione's rational side has to return, reminding her the people they both cared about like the Weasleys, their school friends and Dumbledore's Army, the Order and others were inside].

"We should head back inside," she whispers softly against his lips. Harry nods. "Ron will probably need us. So will others," she adds. Again, Harry nods, though he doesn't move. "Harry," she mumbles, trying to coax him to pull away, but he doesn't. She opens her mouth again, but he slides his thumb over her lips, effectively silencing her.

"I know. I just- I need a moment. Just another moment here with you. Before we have to face reality and the bloody war once more," he whispers hoarsely against her lips. She nods.

"Alright."

Finally, after a while, Harry decides the moment had ended, so he pulls away slowly, and so does she, and they turn back to the school that had been their sanctuary for so long. He takes her hand, and she relaxes at the touch, squeezing it back.

"Shall we, Miss Granger?" he postulates nervously.

"Yes, we shall, Mr. Potter," she agrees. And, together they head back, hand in hand.

The halls of Hogwarts are filled with people. Some roaming around, many of them tending to the injured. The entire Weasley family is assembled at one side except for Fleur and Bill, Percy and Ginny. [Hermione guesses they'd likely busied themselves tending to the injured while Molly and Arthur along with Ron stood with George, the remaining Weasley twin, trying to keep him afloat. That was mostly Molly and Arthur, both clearly wrecked, while Ron just sort of stared into space]. Slowly, Hermione and Harry approach them, and Harry is the one to break free of her hand only to put his arms around his best friend. After a few seconds, Hermione, too, moves along in the direction. Molly is the first to notice her, and the weeping Weasley matriarch stands up and rushes over to her.

"Oh, dear," she weeps, her vice-like grip rivaling her own. The brunette wraps her own arms around the older woman and holds onto her, gently rubbing her hands along her back.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Weasley," she whispers softly, her own eyes prickling with tears. "I'm so sorry," she mutters again.

"Oh, Hermione, dear, thank you," Ron's mum murmurs in her ear. They rest in the embrace for a few seconds before finally pulling away, and Molly looks at her carefully, as if scanning her for any life-threatening injuries, "are you alright?" she asks her.

"Yes, thank you," she manages to say, and realizes her throat is dry.

"You should probably get some rest," the Weasley matriarch muses.

"Yeah…" she trails off faintly. She glances over at Harry, who still hadn't moved from his position next to Ron.

"Just as well," she adds with a sigh before returning to George's side. Mr. Weasley lifts his head and meets her gaze wearily, and they exchange a nod. Then, Hermione reaches to rest a hand on George's shoulder in comfort, squeezing it lightly before joining her two best friends.

"Oh, Ron," she whimpers, crouching beside him and wrapping her arms around him in a side hug, resting her head on his shoulder. She feels Harry shuffle closer to both of them, and Harry's other arm goes around her, so the three of them are sitting, arms wrapped around each other in a three-way embrace.

"Harry! Hermione!" The two of them turn to find Ginny walking towards them, and Hermione stands, relieved to see her only close friend other than possibly Luna.

"Ginny! Oh, Ginny, I am so sorry!" she practically sobs as the two of them reach for each other, wrapping each other in a tight embrace. Ginny sobs into her shoulder, and all Hermione can do is hold her while she cries. [She'd seen the younger girl in tears beside her mother earlier, before her and the two boys had gone outside, but she imagines that no amount of distraction was going to make it okay]. Eventually, Harry stands up along with Ron, whose eyes are empty and broken, and the two boys join them. Harry gently uncurls Ginny from the brunette's arms, and wraps his arms around the redheaded girl, who just curls herself in his arms, sobbing. Hermione, for her part, reaches and pulls her redheaded best friend into a fierce, bone crunching hug, and he returns it. The four of them stand like that for a while before Ginny finally calms herself enough to pull away from Harry.

"Thanks, Harry," she sniffles, and he nods, patting her arm gently.

"No problem, Gin. I'm so sorry about Fred," he tells her. Hermione herself untangles herself from Ron, though she grabs his arm, almost afraid he might collapse if someone is not holding onto him. Dean approaches them, almost hesitating, and reaches for the redheaded girl.

"Ginny?" he mumbles softly. Once she takes note of him, she lets him pull her away from the Golden Trio, but not before she turns her attention to them.

"The three of you should go to bed. It's been a long day," she asserts, not leaving any space for an argument. Ron nods.

"What about you, Ginny?" the brunette asks gently. "You should rest, too."

"Later. I need to…" she trails off, shrugging, and gestures around her. Hermione opens her mouth to protest, but Harry squeezes her other hand, and shakes his head. The brunette sighs in defeat.

"Alright, you three." It's Percy now, and Hermione can't help but flinch at the hollowness in his eyes. [She knows he'd been the one to Fred last uttered his words to, that they'd fought side by side when Fred had died. Still, to see the emptiness in his eyes is chilling]. "You should go to bed," he orders, like they were still children and he was head boy. Ron rolls his eyes, but doesn't retort any sort of comeback, and just sighs. As he passes them by, Percy rests a hand on each of their shoulders before going to help with the injured. [Briefly, the brunette wonders if he was compartmentalizing that way, if this was his way of coping, if only briefly, with what had happened].

"He's right, for once," Ron mutters quietly. "Let's just go to the dormitories," he adds, and the two of them nod, slowly dragging their bodies in the direction. Just when they reach the dormitories, they all stop. "I'll see the two of you later?"

"Ron-"

"I'm just tired, woman, calm down," he huffs, rolling his eyes. When she opens her mouth to protest, he sighs dramtically. "Oh, for Merlin's sake! I'm not an idiot. I've known for a while now there was something between you two, I'm not daft. It's all right. You two are my best friends, and you deserve to be happy. Besides, I can't… I can't think of witches right now…" he sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Herms, I told you how I felt after the whole snake debacle. It's all right, I'm serious. You two deserve each other, and I deserve a warm bed," he jokes, and the two of them nod. "Oh, and Harry, you may be Chosen One or whatever, but if you hurt her, don't think I won't hesitate to hex your arse," he adds. Harry huffs out a laugh, and the brunette blushes. Then, they pull him into another three-way hug before Ron turns to his bedroom.

Once again alone, the brunette exhales a sigh of relief before reaching for the dark haired wizard's hand, and he leads her to his own bedroom. They're both so tired, they just remove most of their clothing, tossing it on the floor. A few clothes are resting on his bed, and he hands her a spare t-shirt she pulls on easily before they both head to the showers. They return in record time, and crawl into bed, feeling heavy with exhaustion.

"Come here, you," he says softly, and she curls herself into his side tentatively, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Have you spoken to Ginny about… us?" she asks after a while, glancing up at him. Harry sighs heavily.

"We're broken up, Hermione. But, to answer your question, I haven't exactly spoken to her about this particular- about us. Though judging by the way she was with Dean, I don't think she'll mind. Perhaps, they'll make up," he mutters vaguely. "And, speaking of us, I hope I made my intentions clear to you earlier, Miss Granger," he adds, smiling at her slightly, and she can't help but smile, too, gazing deeply into his eyes.

"Did you now?" she queries coyly.

"Well, in case I did not, I was wondering if you'd be willing to, uh, be my girlfriend? Officially, that is?" he asks her, his fingers caressing her side gently.

"Officially you say, huh?" she murmurs softly. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't be such a bad idea…" she muses cheekily. "You are a great wizard," she adds thoughtfully, though there's a teasing tone to her voice.

"You are always right, aren't you?" he quips, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Brightest Witch of Our Age," he adds quietly, and she can't help but chuckle lightly. "So? What do you say?" he asks in reference to his earlier question. "Will you be my girlfriend?"

She smiles fondly at him before reaching with her hand to cup his cheek, and tilts her head up, her lips mere inches from his. "Yes, yes I will!" she exclaims, half-laughing before leaning towards him and pressing her lips to his. Harry returns the kiss eagerly, his lips molded with hers, and she deepens the kiss, her tongue tangling with his. His fingers once again sink in her tresses, and she leans into him, pressing her body against his. When they run out of air, they pull away, both of them panting lightly. Harry smiles at her before pressing a kiss to her forehead as she rests her hand on his chest. Except, somehow she hadn't realized she was no longer wearing her long-sleeved jumper and jean jacket, leaving her skin exposed. It's Harry's sharp inhale that alerts her, and she lifts her gaze to find pain in his green eyes.

"Harry? What's wrong?" she asks, but he doesn't say anything, and just grabs her arm, turning it carefully. It registers with her then, what he was looking at, and she winces at the look in his eyes. Not just pain, but also a wild rage.

"Harry, please, don't…" she trails off, and a stray tear slides down her cheek.

"Look what she did to you!" he snaps. "And, there was nothing- I didn't- I didn't do anything to save you!" he adds angrily, practically growling.

"There was nothing you could have done!" she practically sobs, sitting up and yanking her arm out of his grip. "Nothing. Sh- they hated me. For what I am! For not being a pure-blood. There was nothing you could have done, so please don't- don't blame yourself…" she cries, tears streaming down her face. "It's done. It's over. I- I'll always have this, it won't heal, but- it doesn't matter because it's over!" she yells, almost hysterically now. "Bellatrix is dead. The war is over," she adds in a soft whimper. The dark haired wizard sighs, his shoulders slumping before he reaches for her. First, he cups her cheeks and wipes away her tears before pressing a tender kiss to her forehead.

"You're right. I'm so sorry for bringing it up. You're right," he mumbles softly. Then, he takes both her hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over her knuckles, and lifts her hands to his lips, pressing tender kisses to her skin. "You're right. I'm so sorry. I love you," he whispers softly before resting her hands on his chest, just above his heart, and she smiles as his heart beats rapidly in his chest. Then, he wraps his arms around her while she sobs, and presses her to him, his lips pressing feather-light kisses to her hair as he mumbles words of comfort in her ear until she eventually calms down. Eventually, they untangle themselves from the embrace, and the dark haired wizard lays back down, pulling the duvet over him and motions for her to join him.

"Let's just sleep now, all right?" he suggests gently. She nods, and shuffles underneath the duvet next to him, resting her head once again on his shoulder and her hands on his chest.

"I- I'm sorry for-" she starts to say, but he cuts her off, turning slightly to her.

"Don't. You have nothing to be sorry for, 'Mione, all right?" he whispers softly. She nods. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she mumbles against his chest before drifting off to sleep.

Thanks for reading! I've edited this story when it was pointed out to me I made a mistake with Harry's eye color. Contrary to that guest reviewer's belief, the mistake was because I was sleep deprived as it was around 2am when I finished this. Also, to note, constructive or kind reviews are much more appreciated than rude comments!

xx