Please don't kill me. I know it's been a long time. I'm sorry for the wait. I can't promise for a regular update but what I can promise is that I won't abandon this story. Thanks for those who took time leaving a review. I appreaciate it a lot and it inspires me to keep on writing.

On with this story, again please forgive my mistakes in grammar.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I just use it for my own entertainment.

Chapter 6: Standing Up

The mini study room of Hermione looked busy with all of her things flying out of the room into the boxes in the living room. Everything was in motion, except the two people standing rigidly, facing each other. The silence and tension in the air between them seemed to last forever. The asked question was still waiting for an answer.

"Yes. It's true." Hermione finally confirmed, breaking the silence . She looked resigned but determined at the same time.

Ginny just stared at her for moment, different emotions playing on her face - shocked, denial, sadness, anger, curiosity, and pain.

"Since when?" Ginny said in a measured tone.

Hermione stood up straighter a bit. "Just after Ron's marriage proposal to me." She said quietly.

Ginny nodded stiffly. She removed her gaze from her and walked further into the study room. She studied the moving objects for a bit, it looks like she was trying to control something, but Hermione knows Ginny. She will spit it out anyway.

Finally, Ginny turned her gaze back on Hermione, who wishes she hadn't done so, because of the accusation and anger that's showing on her eyes. "Why? What's lacking with Ron? Was it money? He got plenty of that now. Fame? He's a Quidditch player, he's just as famous as Harry is. So tell me, Hermione, why did you decide to follow another man, when Ron was kneeling in front of you laying his heart out for you. Tell me. Was it the sex then? Were you not satisfied by Ron? Is Harry that good in bed then?" she said, her tone flat, and her face carefully indifferent. The only indication of her anger was the fire in her eyes.

Hermione couldn't believe what came out of Ginny's mouth, too shocked to respond immediately. She has never heard Ginny used those words before, let alone to her. She's the closest female friend that she had. She knew she and Ron had never been intimate, so having her accused her of such a thing, even if it was true, broke her heart. Suddenly, something inside her snapped. Her own face flushing in anger. "You have every right to be angry with me because Ron's your brother but I will not let you judge me like that. Have you always thought of me like that? You're my friend. I would have thought you know me better than that. " Hermione said, her voice pained.

Ginny chuckled bitterly. "Friend? To tell you the truth I don't know anymore. I trust you more than anyone and you chose to betray my brother! You lied to him. You lied to me! Why did you have to do that? What does Harry have that Ron doesn't? Help me understand why! " Ginny yelled finally, face flushing red, unable to hold her anger any longer.

Hermione glared at her, unable to stop the tears in her eyes. "I love Harry! I love him not because he's got money or because he's famous!" Hermione snapped. "And how I wish he weren't either one because he never care for those things at all. I wish he had a normal life. I wish he never had to undergo all those hardships. I wish he never had to shoulder the burden of the whole wizarding world. How I wish everyone would stop demanding more from him. All I wish is for him to be happy because he deserves that more than anyone else. It just happens that he loves me too." Hermione said heatedly, wiping the angry tears off her face.

"Oh, and you felt like you're the one who can give him that? Or you decided as always to fix all of his problems? You think you can solve everything? Ron's life is so much easier now, a life that doesn't need sorting out. Was that why you decided to throw yourself at Harry because his life is more twisted?" Ginny said scathingly.

Hermione gasped. "How dare you? How could you say something like that?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, please Hermione. You said it yourself, I know you. You couldn't help it. You like butting your nose to someone else's business."

"I don't go butting my nose in someone else's business and Harry's life is not twisted!"

"Oh, yeah? What do you call sleeping with his best friend's girlfriend is? " Ginny retorted.

Hermione winced at those malice words but she decided to be mature about all this. Taking a deep breath, she tried to explain her part patiently, wanting her friend to understand.

"Ginny…I know what Harry and I did was wrong. But we didn't mean for any of it to happen. For a long time, I have loved him, loved him more than life itself. I knew I loved him but I never thought that that love was something more. I was satisfied being his best friend, his most trusted friend. I was contented in knowing that I'll always be by his side, someone he could rely on anything and anytime. All I ever wanted was for him to be happy and I knew I'll do anything just to make sure of that. I never thought of being anything else to him.

"But then Ron proposed to me and I found myself seeking Harry through the crowds surrounding us. All I could think about while Ron was kneeling in front of me, waiting for my answer, was how Harry will feel about it. I couldn't answer right away because I was thinking how Ron and I being married will affect Harry. He's always been my priority and I know him more than anyone else. I knew that if I get married, everything' s going to change, and knowing Harry and his noble self sacrificing thing, I knew he would distance himself from me and leave because he knows as well that he is my priority. And I couldn't have that. So I was there, with these thoughts and when I looked at him he was leaving, confirming my worries and I just panicked. Flashes of the battle came rushing back at me and I completely forgot about Ron. All I knew at that time was I have to get to Harry."

Hermione met Ginny's eyes. "I did find him. The relief that went through me at that time…I knew I couldn't marry Ron then. I loved him but I am not in-love with him. I'm in-love with my best friend that the thought of being committed to someone else like a marriage sent me to panic.

"We argued that night. He was telling me to go back. That he's fine, but I could see the pain in his eyes saying that, how even though it hurts him, he's trying to look happy for me. But I know him so well and was able to see what he's really feeling so I decided to tell him the truth. That I don't know if the love that I feel for Ron is the right kind of love. For some reason that got him angry which lead him blurting out his hidden feelings for me. Suddenly I understood everything I feel for him. It scared me but I could see that he's scared too and that's when I finally admitted it to myself. I'm in-love with him. Always have been." Hermione looked at Ginny, eyes pleading.

"I know… I know it's not right Ginny. We shouldn't have done it. We should have waited. But…we couldn't help it. All the feelings that we were hiding, denying, they all got off, broke like a dam and came gushing out. Both of us tried to fight it. On my part I've been unconsciously fighting it but it was a losing battle when from the start." Hermione finished. She said her part. It's up with Ginny whether she'll accept it or not.

Ginny stayed silent, seeming to process everything she told her. Hermione waited patiently for a response and she finally gave her a pained look. "When I saw Ron in his flat last night, almost passed out drunk, I felt indignant for you. I was so angry and annoyed at him for acting like that. I thought he's being an idiot. I shook him and cast an Aguamenti spell directly on his face to wake him. When he did, I told him how you don't deserve to have a drunken husband. 'Husband?' he said, chucking sadly. 'There won't be a wedding anymore. Hermione chose Harry. I saw them and then they told me everything. So don't tell me I can't act like this because I have every right to act like this!' he shouted at me. I didn't want to believe him at all. I didn't. I waited until morning, when he's not drunk anymore and asked him again if everything that he told me that night was true. He hesitated, but he finally told me it's all true. Still, I didn't want to believe him. I didn't think you can do something like that. That's why I went here to find you, desperately hoping for you to deny everything. But then again, you couldn't really lie. It's not like you to lie, so a confirmation coming from you…" She let out a shaky breath, fighting her own tears.

"Why, Hermione? You know what he'd been through. You know how he's trying his best to be the perfect boyfriend to you and a loyal friend to Harry. How could the two of you do that to him?"

Ginny was shaking her head. "You said that you couldn't help it. No. You should've fought it! If you two were really his friends then you should have fought what you felt for each other. You should have fought harder. You shouldn't have hurt him like that! He loves you! Both of you!"

Hermione shook her head. "That would only hurt him more. Lying about it would hurt him more. What will we gain from lying and denying our true feelings? The three of us will only be miserable."

Ginny rounded on her, eyes blazing. "Well if you really care about him you should've chosen to be miserable than hurt him."

Hermione's self control was slipping, angry tears came rolling down her face. "Why is it when Harry and I chooses to be happy we have to apologize for it. Why can't we love each other like other people? Why do we always have to be happy for someone else and not be happy for ourselves or them for us if it will not benefit them? I am so tired of making everyone around me be happy and me having to lie and deny about my feelings. Maybe what we did was wrong but Harry and I deserve to be happy like everyone else. If you can't accept that then I don't care anymore. Society be damned! Harry has sacrificed a lot for this world already and he deserves to be selfish. I've sacrificed a lot. We're not going to deny ourselves anymore." She said heatedly, chest heaving in angriness.

Ginny looked taken aback in disbelief. "So you're all going to throw it all out? You're going to turn your back on our family who' s let you in and considered you both as part of it. The family who loved and cared for both of you? Do we mean so little to you?" Ginny said, voice shaking in anger and pain.

Hermione sobbed, the pain of hearing those words from Ginny, it's like she's giving her the last option to choose. She loved the Weasleys so much. They have taken her and Harry like their own. The thought of hurting them, of not being part of them brought so much pain and lost. But her love for Harry was so much deeper. He's willing to sacrifice losing the only family he knew to be with her. So she's going to sacrifice everything to be with him.

She finally looked at Ginny. Pain, sadness, and regret in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I consider all of you as my family. And if you ever considered Harry and I as one, I would hope that in the future, you could all find it in your hearts to forgive us."

They stayed silent for awhile, staring at each other. Finally, Ginny nodded and started to leave the room. She paused at the door and turned to her. "I told Harry when we broke up, the reason why we can't be together anymore was because he didn't or couldn't trust me enough to confide in me. Something he never hesitates with you. He always sought you out whether he's troubled, or happy, or when he needs to make a decision, he couldn't do it without asking you about it first. He never really needed me. He never tell me anything. At least not anything important. It was so ironic actually that the only secret he had that I knew then that he couldn't tell you was his real feelings for you. I told him so. He didn't deny it and I didn't think he could. I don't think you know how painful that was to hear from the man you loved." She said brokenly and hurried out of the apartment to disapparate.

Hermione collapsed on the chair, and broke down. She cried for her and Harry. For Ron. For Ginny. For all the Weasleys. For the pain that will cause them. For the guilt inside her, knowing that even through all these pain and suffering, she wouldn't change a thing. Not a single thing. Not if she gets to be with Harry.

At the Ministry, Harry was finishing up his reports about carefully thought out tactics on how to invade the new loose Death Eater hideout. After receiving Kingsley's urgent message, they've spent all morning discussing the new information from the intelligence department. There were certain attacks to most of the purebloods, particularly to those death eaters on paroles. Harry was particularly interested in this new information because it could be related to Hermione's kidnapping two years ago. Harry was still searching for the head behind the kidnapping. He never stopped searching and he won't ever stop until he finds them and make sure they will be locked up in Azkaban where they couldn't hurt Hermione anymore.

Hermione.

Just the thought of her brought smile to his face. He didn't know it was possible to be this happy. At the back of his mind, there's some guilt for being happy, but it fails in comparison to the sense of completeness he feels whenever he thought of Hermione. He has done more than enough for the wizarding world, he deserves some happiness.

"Good to know you still got your good mood. You were smiling the whole day. And now you're also humming." Kingsley said, standing by the door to his office. He walked toward him and sat in front of his desk, smiling at him. "Does this have something to do with your distraction last meeting?"

Harry blushed but couldn't help the smile on his face. "Sorry about that. And yes. That's still the reason and I hope it will always be."

Kingsley whistled. "Boy, you got it bad. I'm not going to ask who the lucky lady is but you can bring her at the Ministry Ball in August."

"What got you thinking it's because of a girl?" Harry asked.

Kingsley raised his eyebrow at him, not fooled one bit.

Harry laughed, shaking his head. "I'll have to ask her first, of course but if she accepts then why not." Harry admitted.

Kingsley nodded knowingly but got his eyebrow raising again at the sight of Harry gathering his things as if he's getting ready to leave.

Harry stood, folded his cloak on his arm and handed him his reports. "I'm still doing some research but so far these are some of the things I've found and came up with. I'll pass on another one as soon as I completed my research."

"You're already leaving?" Kingsley asked, bewildered, as he took the papers.

Harry was already heading out. He looked back at Kingsley over his shoulder and nodded. "Yeah. I've somewhere else to go and someone's waiting for me." He couldn't help the sudden wonder and satisfaction at saying those words.

"You really got it bad, Harry." Kingsley said with a shake of his head. He was really surprised because there's not a single day when Harry didn't work overtime. He sometimes work even on his day off. Despite his surprise though, he's quite glad that Harry was able to find happiness with someone. He deserves it more than anyone else he knew.

He gave Harry a pat on the shoulder. "I'm happy for you, son. It's about time. "

Harry looked surprised at the gesture. "Thank you." He said with a small smile.

Kingsley gave him another pat, before they headed to the elevators together.

Upon reaching the Atrium, he flooed directly to Hermione's flat. He was immediately greeted by moving objects, floating through the air, sorting themselves into boxes. Only Hermione could do packing in an organized and precise way. Almost everything was already sorted.

With a smile on his face, he went to find Hermione.

"Hermione?" he called, walking through the living room.

"In here, Harry." Hermione called back from her bedroom.

He made his way to her bedroom. Upon seeing her, a huge smile broke into his face.

"Hey." He greeted and immediately took her in his arms, burying his face on her neck, breathing in her scent, before giving her neck a small peck. "I missed you." He whispered, pulling his face from her neck to look at her.

Hermione gave him a soft smile and leaned in to kiss him properly. "I missed you too." She said softly before pulling out from him to continue her sorting. "I'm almost done packing. What's left to do is deciding which furniture I can take with me. I don't think you'd like to change some of your furniture?" she asked playfully.

"You can bring everything to Grimmauld Place if you want. I'll get rid of all the furniture there if that's what you prefer. I just want you to feel at home as possible." Harry said sincerely.

"Yeah? We'll see then." Hermione smiled at him. Before she turned her back to him to get back to packing.

If it's another person who was observing her, it would seem like she's just busy but because no one knows her as much as Harry, he immediately knew something was wrong with her. Although she's smiling, it didn't quite reach her eyes. It looks like she's putting extra effort to be cheerful in front of him. Something's really bothering her and Harry's stomach dropped in worry that she might be not as happy to be moving in with him.

"Hermione?" he said hesitantly.

"Hmm?" she answered distractedly, without looking at him.

Harry's heart was beating so fast with the sudden fear he's feeling. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Hermione stiffened a bit before she turned to look at him. A guilty expression on her face.

Harry took her hands on his, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I can tell something's bothering you. If you're not sure about moving in me, you don't have to. I can wait. I understand. You don't need to do this for me if you really don't want to." He said to her in, he hoped to be, a reassuring voice. Inside though, he felt so scared, so insecure.

Hermione looked at him in surprised before her expression turned soft upon seeing the vulnerability in Harry's eyes. She smiled at him before she pressed her lips to his, in hope of easing his worries.

"I want nothing more than to be with you. Of course I'm happy and excited about moving in with you!" said against his lips.

Harry's body visibly relaxed at that. "Really? You don't think it's too soon?" He said shyly, resting his forehead to her.

Hermione chuckled. "We've been practically living together since we're eleven years old. Then there's the Horcrux hunt. We're just going back to how it always used to be. Well, almost how it always used to be."

Harry held her tighter to him. "Well I'm glad that you said almost. I don't think I'll be able to go back not kissing and touching you. And I don't plan on letting you go ever anyway." He said playfully.

He could feel Hermione smiling under his neck. "I would hope not." She said softly, giving his neck small kisses.

Harry shivered, he knew what she was doing. She was trying to distract him. It might have work but his concern for her weigh more than his need. "Seriously, though, Hermione. I know something's bothering you. What is it?" Harry persisted.

Hermione let out a long sigh and smiled sadly at him. "I wasn't going to tell you because I don't want you to feel bad. And really it's not something I can't take."

She pulled out from him and sat on her bed, a rueful expression on her face.

"Ginny went to see me here today. She…found out about us from Ron. Let's just say, she wasn't very happy. Not that I expect her to be but…" she trailed off, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

Harry's heart clenched in pain for her. He sat beside her and lifted her to sit on his lap, wrapping her in his arms in a protective embrace.

"What happened?" he asked softly.

She curled more in his embrace, seeking comfort. "I know that she didn't mean what she said, that she' s just angry but it still hurt to know how little she thinks of me. Hearing those words from her…she's the closest female friend that I have. How could she think that the reason I chose you is because of your fame or money? She even went as far calling your life twisted and that the reason I'm with you is because I love sorting out other people's problems."

Harry felt a sudden indignation for Hermione. An urge to protect her from people who wants to inflict any form of pain to her. He knew how Ginny could lose her temper easily. She was a Weasley, after all. But he never thought she could go as far as practically call Hermione a gold digger and a meddler.

"I'm sorry she said that. But you know better. I know you better than her. You're the most loving, loyal, brave, intelligent, clever, brilliant and beautiful girl in the whole world for me. Don't let her words affect you so much." Harry said, holding her gaze.

Hermione smiled softly at that. "I know. As I said she might have said those things out of anger." A blush tinged her cheeks and looked at Harry in shyness. "I, uh, kind of lost my temper with her as well. It's just a part of me snapped. When she said we should have chosen to lie and live in misery instead of hurting Ron. I realized she might have been angry at me not only because of Ron but because you chose me. I realized she might still be in-love with you. And the possessive part of me just kicked in, I guess. Although I was feeling guilty, I was not about to regret being with you. Nor do I plan on letting you go for her." She said sheepishly.

Harry laughed at that. He rather liked hearing Hermione acting possessive of him. "I'm glad to hear you say that because I don't plan on letting you go for anyone either. You're stuck with me, Granger." He teases.

"Good. Because I'm not going anywhere, Potter."

Harry couldn't help it. He grabbed her face and kissed her thoroughly. He shifted and laid Hermione in bed, hovering above her. He took both of her hands above her head, his own hands entwining with hers as he devoured her lips, nipping and slurping them like their some juicy fruit. He shifted and kissed the side of her jaw, and nibbled his way down to her neck, sucking gently on the soft skin behind her neck, wanting to leave a mark. She let a low but long moan at that, fueling his desire more. He grabbed the back of her knees and pulled her towards him to press their groins together. The contact made both of them groan at the same time.

"Let's make a memory here in your apartment. I want to make love to you here." He growled in her ear.

She lifted her head and kissed him hard, before she started pulling his shirt above his head. Both were lost in their desire.

They were wrapped around each other afterwards, legs tangled. Harry kept on kissing Hermione's forehead while his hand was stroking her back absentmindedly. Hermione let out a contented sigh, nuzzling his neck with her nose and giving him small kisses. He shivered in response, tightening his hold on her.

"I just remembered. Teddy will be staying with me tomorrow."

Hermione lifted her head a bit to look at him. "Yes. It's Saturday tomorrow. What's your plan?"

Harry's hand reached to brush her hair from her face, tucking it behind her ears in affection. "I was hoping you'd accompany us to the zoo."

She leaned in and kissed his chin. "I'd love to." She said, smiling.

After awhile, with the help of Kreacher, Hermione had successfully moved in with Harry in Grimmauld Place. Kreacher prepared a special dinner for Hermione as a welcome gift. She hugged the poor house-elf in gratitude and was surprised when he returned it back. Hermione met Harry's eyes at that, he looked as surprise as she was.

Smiling happily, Harry wrapped Hermione in his arms when she stood up. "Welcome home, Hermione."

Author's Note: There you go. The next chapter is almost finished. Hopefully I can post it by next week or so. Please leave a review. I'd love to hear from you guys.