THE FINAL CHAPTER

[A/N]: I promised completion and now I have delivered! I hope you enjoy it. Comments appreciated. I own nothing. Yadda, yadda.

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Momentarily, Harry wondered if he should try mentally preparing exactly what he wanted to say, though, the idea was quickly discarded as he realized he had basically winged it the entire day. He supposed he shouldn't change suit now. He had gotten here speaking plainly, straight from his heart, with little or no time to calculate his thoughts, let alone his words. He figured he might as well finish in the same fashion. There was also the troublesome fact that he wasn't completely sure what he wanted to say. All he knew was that something forceful was compelling him forward. He was not privy to his heart's agenda and the fear that he couldn't trust the words that would spill from his mouth was very real. Still, standing there, secretly watching the back of Hermione's head, he could feel the adrenaline and anticipation coursing through his veins. Before today, the last time he had been this close to her was the morning he had thrown her out of the flat. The memory seared deep in his core, immediately conjuring a sour taste on his tongue.

It had crossed his mind more than a few times how odd it was that he had not once ran into her after all this time. He frequented Diagon Alley and other popular places in the Wizarding world, regularly bumping into former classmates and mentors, but Hermione had never been one of them. In fact, every now and then he had found himself stopping in at the Ministry of Magic, claiming to simply be paying a visit to some old friends. Deep down, he knew the real reason he felt compelled to visit, but never once had he caught even a glimpse of her. He vaguely remembered overhearing Mr. Weasley mentioning to Mrs. Weasley that Hermione had resigned from her position at the Ministry, but it was a long time ago and he hadn't caught any of the specifics. He assumed she had simply taken a job in another department, because the thought of her completely leaving the Ministry was absolutely bonkers.

Harry ran a hand nervously through his hair. So much had gone wrong; so much had led to this point. He had never felt so unsure and so certain at the same time, ever. He had long ago lost count of just how many times his life had been completely uprooted and changed. This situation was just another notch on the belt as far as he was concerned. And, at this point, he really had nothing left to lose. The thought, while depressing, was oddly comforting.

He stared down at his shoes and kicked at a clump of dirt. He realized that at any moment Hermione could get out of the car, or even just twist around and see him, standing there, feet away. It made him nervous and he suddenly became aware that it had come time to make a decision. He couldn't just stand out here forever.

He had anticipated at least a few moments struggle with his choices, so he was terrified and extremely surprised when his feet started moving towards Hermione's auto with no prompting. He wanted to stop, to wait, to think things through a bit more. Everything was happening too fast and he still wasn't even certain how he was feeling, let alone what he wanted. These thoughts were completely ignored by his body, however, because within seconds he was standing at the door. His heart hammered in his chest as his fist rose and rapped lightly against the window. This was it.

Hermione's head turned slowly. She had been expecting her parents, or possibly Ron, or even Mrs. Weasley. In fact, she would have expected anyone to be tapping on her window except the person that met her gaze.

For a moment she was certain she had completely lost it. She swore her eyes were fooling her, but as she continued to stare, his presence became increasingly real. Her mind was racing, desperately trying to formulate a logical reason why he would be out here knocking on her window. Unable to come up with anything, curiosity broke through her fear and, keeping her eyes on his the entire time, she slowly lifted the handle and pushed the door open.

Harry bent down, leaning in through the open door to meet Hermione's eyes. Neither of them said anything, both seemingly waiting for the other to break the quiet. After an agonizingly long amount of silence, Harry glanced up nervously at The Burrow. He wondered what kind of chaos was going on inside, now that the wedding had been called off. A large knot lodged itself in his throat and he swallowed hard, but to no avail. The uncomfortable lump remained.

"Can I sit?" he asked, nodding at the backseat then giving another quick glance towards the Weasley's home.

Hermione didn't answer, but she scooted towards the opposite door to make room for him. Harry slid in next to her, closing the door as he pulled his legs in. Again, silence filled the space between them, though both had become keenly aware of just how close the other was.

Harry cleared his throat and Hermione watched him expectantly.

"I can't believe you're here," Harry said, staring at the passenger seat headrest in front of him.

"I can't believe I'm here," Hermione responded, her voice a dry whisper.

Harry brought his hand up to itch the back of his head, brushing her arm with his own in the process. The contact made his breath catch and out of the corner of his eye he saw Hermione stiffen. The uneasiness between them saddened him. Once again, he was reminded of how painfully messed up everything had become.

"It's been a really long time," he sighed.

"I know," she breathed.

"I don't know what to say. I don't know what you wanted me to say," he continued.

"I know."

"I don't even know if I believe you."

Hermione opened her mouth, desperate to convince him that what she'd said in his room was the truth, but as she did he turned to face her and she lost her ability to speak. His eyes, familiar emerald orbs she'd longed for, revealed his hurt, but they were soft. The rage and hatred that she had seen there only an hour ago had vanished. She knew what was happening. Harry was getting closure. He was setting his affairs straight before reciting his vows. He was purging Hermione from his life. Suddenly, she felt sick.

"I can't trust you," Harry said slowly, letting his eyes leave hers and fall to the small space of empty seat between them.

"I know," Hermione choked, closing her eyes and willing the pooling wetness back.

Harry paused then sighed heavily.

"You know, I broke her heart back there. She didn't deserve it; she didn't deserve it at all."

Hermione nodded stiffly, but the words he'd spoken hadn't properly registered. Her eyes flew open and she found he was now staring into her face again. What he had said still made no sense, but something deep in her core fluttered in nervous, hopeful anticipation, like the first time she'd held a wand.

Harry knew he had far surpassed the point of no return. It was time to come clean not only to Hermione, but to himself. His brain needed little prompting. Almost as immediately as he had resigned to the fact that it was time to confront his feelings, the words began tumbling out in rapid succession.

"But, what she does deserve is to marry someone who is willing to devote all of him self to her; to loving her fully and unconditionally, to making her happy. I can't be that person. I can't be that person, because despite all logical, sane reason - I'm in love with you, Hermione Granger. I can't give her everything she deserves, because a part of me - a big part of me belongs to you. I really hurt her. I hurt her because I'm broken. I've been broken for so long, I didn't know any better. But for some reason, around you, even in these circumstances – I'm whole. It confuses the hell out of me. You confuse the hell out of me. And I'll have you know that this – all of this – doesn't make us anywhere near close to even."

Hermione stared at him, her jaw hanging open slightly as she struggled to catch every syllable he uttered. Her mind buzzed, desperately trying to piece the sentences and phrases together to make something sensible. Surely, this was not really happening. Surely, she had officially lost her mind and soon enough would be occupying a bed at St. Mungos in-between Mrs. Longbottom and Gildroy Lockhart. This was a fantasy, a dream, anything other than reality.

"And… time," Harry continued, pulling off his bowtie. "I'm going to need some time. I'm going to need a lot of time, actually. I'm going to need to start over - to start new. We have a lot to figure out. We have a lot to talk about, a lot to work out."

He tossed his bowtie down onto the seat between them. Damn thing had bothered him all day.

Hermione's eyes remained glued to him, unblinking. They were suddenly wide and red and wet as realization passed across her features. A tear rolled down her cheek. Harry reached over and wiped it away with his thumb.

"Well, you don't have to cry about it," he said softly, letting a small smile slide across his face as he recalled using the same line so very long ago in their shared kitchen as they discussed the future.

Hermione looked up at him, still unable to make sense of what was happening, unable to identify the feeling of relief that was washing over her. In an attempt to clarify the situation, Harry pulled her close, running his fingers over her wet cheeks then resting his forehead against hers.

Hermione struggled to find her voice.

"But, I don't deserve you. I don't deserve forgiveness. Harry, I'm so sorr-" she began as free-flowing tears spilled down her face. Halfway through her apology she was silenced as Harry pushed his mouth hard against hers, breaking through two lost and lonely years. She grabbed desperately at the back of his head, pulling him into her, tasting mint and salt and the slightest trace of whisky.

After a few moments, holding her face with his hands, Harry pulled away. As he came into focus, she realized his eyes were uncharacteristically wide and glassy. He blinked and two tears streaked slowly down his face. Hermione reached up and brushed them away softly. He laughed quietly, shrugging sheepishly then looked into her eyes with striking intensity.

"You didn't deserve a lot of the things you endured during our time at Hogwarts, but you stood by me even when I was wrong, even when I was leading you into seemingly certain death. My problems and my burdens dictated your entire childhood. There are a lot of things that I don't know. I don't know why you did what you did and maybe I never will. I don't know when I'll ever completely forgive you, but if you are sincere and we work on it, eventually I will. I don't know where I'll be in a year, or a month, or even tomorrow, but I do know that I love you, Hermione and I believe when you say that you love me too. I have always loved you. And, I've discovered, in the most unfortunate way, that I will never, ever love anyone more than I love you."

He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and they both shook gently, letting their tears wash away the pain, the distance and the time. Things were far from fixed and wounds were far from healed, but right here, in this moment, it was nice to pretend that they were or, at the very least, could be. As usual, he was letting her off the hook. Not completely, but enough to give her hope that things between them could one day return to how they were meant to be. He was giving her the chance to earn his forgiveness and she swore to Merlin that one day she would. They clung to each other long after their eyes had dried; neither wanting to be the first to let go. Both, silently vowing they'd never let go again.

There was no certainty, no promises - but there was hope; a resilient, bright flame of hope that had lighted the way for them since they were eleven years old. There was possibility and history and chance and there was a future with blank pages and chapters waiting to be filled. Their story was far from finished.

[A/N]: And THAT, ladies & gentlemen, is THE END.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, especially those who have stuck with me since my very first chapter post. I had an amazing time writing this and sharing it with you. I hope that it met your expectations, or at very least took you away from reality, if even just for a short while.

Now that the story is completed PLEASE share it with other Harry/Hermione fans. As my first long, completed fic, I'd love to get all the feedback possible. Your reviews have already helped my grow immensely as a write! THANK YOU ALL! (: