I MADE A MISTAKE!

So, in a lot of my fanfictions I like to keep it as close to the books as possible. Keep the people who were killed dead and all of that. In my last chapter I mentioned Lavender, and I'm sure I mentioned her somewhere else as well, and I tried to edit and fix it, but it might not have saved...

GUYS- LAVENDER BROWN IS DEAD.

She was killed by Fenrir Greyback in the Battle of Hogwarts. My mistake. Please give a moment of silence for Lavender before you continue reading this chapter.

Thank you.

The train ride seemed to fly by. They were all together- Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Neville.

Neville was sitting by Ginny- it seemed like something might be kicking off with the two of them. If Harry hadn't have asked Ginny to the Ball, then she said she would have gone with Neville. They were looking at a photo album together, laughing and pointing at the memories all of them had made so far.

Ron was, naturally, sitting next to Luna. Luna was reading a book beside him- not a book, the Quibbler- and Ron had his arm around her shoulders. They had a matching pair of those weird glasses that Luna got from the magazine, Luna was wearing hers and Ron's were pushed up into his flaming red locks. He was playing Exploding Snap with one hand against Harry, who was also playing with one hand.

Harry was sitting by Hermione. They were the furthest in, right next to the window, and Hermione's arm was pressed against the compartment wall. Hermione was dead tired from all of the late night studying and was trying to fall asleep on the ride there. Hermione was leaving with her parents to spend the first few days of holiday with them, but would be back on Christmas day. Hermione was sleeping now. Her head was on Harry's shoulder and he had his arm around her. She was tucked in beside him, crammed against the wall, though she said she didn't mind. Her hair was supposed to be in a bun, but it was falling out, so long frizzy locks fell out everywhere. Her mouth was open and her lips were chapped, and some of her hair had fallen onto her face.

Harry thought she looked cute.

"I WIN!" Ron hollers in triumph just as the lady with the trolley comes up and knocks on the door.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" She asks and everyone leaps to their feet. Harry shakes Hermione slightly and she opens her eyes the tiniest bit.

"Are we at King's Cross?" She asks tiredly, rubbing her eyes and stretching.

Harry shakes his head. "No, it's just the trolley. Do you want to share what I get with me?"

She smiles. "That sounds awesome."

"Any particular favorites?"

She hums to herself, thinking. "Chocolate Frogs sound delicious."

He gets up. "Be right back."

He returns with Pumpkin Pasties, Berty Bott's Every Flavored Beans, Cauldron Cakes, and lots of Chocolate Frogs. He dumps them on the table in the pile while the other four in the compartment do the same, each making their own food pile.

Ron unwraps a Chocolate Frog and takes a huge bite of it, looking at the card. As soon as he starts reading the card he chokes on his chocolate and Luna has to thump him on the back. "Bloody hell! I'm on this Chocolate Frog card?"

"Are you really?" Ginny asks in amazement and Harry and Hermione look to see.

Sure enough, Ron was standing there, grinning and waving.

Ron Weasley

Helped to save the Wizarding World along with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger from You-Know-Who. Talented Keeper at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Everyone tears into the chocolate frog cards to find that Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville all had a card. Neville's talked about him slaying Nagini, and Hermione's praised her highly on her knowledge and cleverness. Harry's mostly talked about him being the Boy Who Lived, but he was still overjoyed when he read it.

Much too soon the train slows to a stop at King's Cross, and they all climb off of the train. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley await them all on the platform, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Ginny, boys!" Mrs. Weasley hollers, opening her arms wide. "Come on now, let me have a look at you- and Hermione! You look so beautiful, as always."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione says, hugging the witch. Mrs. Weasley continues to hug her kids and Hermione pulls Harry over to her parents.

She beams at them. "Mum, dad, I don't know if you remember, but this is my best friend- and boyfriend- Harry."

The parents and Harry all share a look and mentally decide not to tell Hermione that they had all talked while she was unconscious. They both smile and pretend they're meeting after a long time.

"Harry, so nice to see you- are you being good to my daughter?" Mr. Granger asks and Mrs. Granger whacks his arm playfully before shaking Harry's hand too.

"Of course he is, he's a good boy- Hermione talks so much about you." She says, and Hermione blushes to her roots.

"Mum." She whispers. "That's one of those things that we don't share."

Mrs. Granger laughs. "Alright alright- but Hermione dear we must be getting home, we have a lot to do, and you're only staying three days with us!"

"Kick your old mum and dad to the curb, eh?" Mr. Granger asks, laughing.

Hermione rolls her eyes, smiling, and gives them a slight nudge. "Go to the car please- I need to say goodbye to Harry."

Mrs. Granger smiles and turns away, but Mr. Granger smirks. "Don't get too lovey dovey- I don't see anywhere sanitary nor private for baby making."

"Greg!" Mrs. Granger whacks him on the arm again and pulls him along, and Hermione turns back to Harry, blushing bright red. Harry smiles- she looks adorable.

"They're a little embarrassing, but-" But Harry cuts her off with a swift kiss on the lips. Her lips are chapped, but for some reason, Harry didn't mind it. He kisses her and they move their lips in rhythm, ignoring the people around them. He opens his mouth wider and smiles into the kiss, wrapping one arm around her waist and dipping her down.

And then he breaks away, pulling her back upright, and if she was blushing then, it was nothing compared to now. He smirks at her red face and leans forward to whisper something in her ear. "I really, really like you Hermione." He whispers.

"I really, really like you too, Harry." She says.

"I'll see you in a few days, Mione." He says, and his voice sounds deeper and huskier, to his boyish delight. He pulls away and winks at her, walking back to the Weasley's and leaving Hermione smiling and blushing as she walks towards her parents.

Harry approaches Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Arthur laughs. "When your father was in school, he as the same way with Lily." Arthur says, nodding towards Hermione, who gets in the car. "A real ladies man."

Harry grins and piles his stuff in the car, and shamelessly feels proud of how he was somehow able to sweep Hermione off of her feet before she left.

~~~~~

"I can't take this anymore!" Harry groans from his bed. He was sharing a room with Ron, just for the holidays. The spare bedrooms that he and Hermione had taken as their own were currently being used by Charlie, Bill and Fleur.

Ron glances up from a copy of some wizard comic book and raises an eyebrow. "Can't take what?"

"It's agony, Ron, pure agony without Hermione here." Harry says, flipping over so that his head hangs over the side of the bed.

"Dra-ma-tic," Ron sings, and Harry throws a pillow at him, which he catches. "Mate, Hermione and her parents are coming for the holidays tomorrow morning."

Harry sighs. "I know! It's taking so long!"

And then they hear a tap on the window, and Harry looks up to see an owl with a letter outside the window. Harry gets up and lets the bird in, which he takes the letter from and let's it into Hedwig's old bird cage before sitting down.

"To Harry." Harry reads aloud.

Dear Harry,

I'm really sorry, but I'm not going to be able to make it to Christmas with you and the Weasleys. I tried, honestly I did, but something came up, some personal issues, and I can't be there.

I'm really sorry and I know I let you down, but I'll find a way to make it up to you I promise.

I really really like you,

Hermione.

Harry groans in sadness and frustration. Now he wouldn't see Hermione for another week or so back when terms started up again. He falls back into his pillows, crushed and irritated, and puts his hands to his face.

"What's wrong mate?" Ron asks, concerned, and Harry throws the, now crumpled, letter from Hermione, his way. Ron reads it quickly and then laughs.

"What's so funny about my girlfriend not coming to Christmas?" Harry demands, shoving his face in a pillow.

Ron snorts. "Did you read the other side of the paper?"

Harry lifts his head. "Other side?"

Ron tosses it back and, sure enough, there is another side.

Just kidding. No way am I passing up an opportunity to see you.

-Hermione

Harry grins now, and he hugs the letter to his chest, which probably looks really weird but at the moment he didn't care. "Thank Merlin."

Ron just shakes his head and goes back to his comic, but Harry on the other hand, stares at the ceiling, thinking about Hermione. "Hey, Ron."

"Sup."

"I need you to be serious."

Ron grins. "Why? Are we doing roleplay? I be Sirius and you be... Lupin!"

Harry cracks a smile, but keeps his eyes glued to the ceiling, where a poster of the Holyhead Harpies is hung up, with players dashing around and throwing the Quaffle. "No, Ron, be serious."

"What do you think I'm doing?"

"I mean no joking around." Harry says stubbornly.

"It's pretty hard to act like Sirius without joking around..."

"Ron."

"Alright, alright- what's on your mind?"

Harry thinks over what he wants fro a second, twisting it and turning it in his head until he likes it. "I think I'm going to tell Hermione I love her."

Ron stays silent for a second or two before speaking. "Wow. I know how big of a deal love is to you. That's a big step, mate."

Harry nods. "Well it's hard not to be serious about love when it's what saved your life and kept you alive for so long." He says. "And I... I really, really don't want to mess up with Hermione, you know? I want what we have to be real, and to last... but I'm afraid that I shouldn't tell her that I love her yet. I want to like hell, but if I do... I don't want my words to be empty, you know?"

Ron smiles. "Yeah, I get what you mean. I think you should wait until you're absolutely sure that you love her in that way, and then you should tell her. Because I think you guys are going to make it. Honestly."

"Make it?"

"I think- and this might sound dumb but I don't care- I think you two will get married some day." Ron says, and it sounds like her expects Harry to laugh at what he says, but Harry doesn't. He smiles instead.

"Marry Hermione?" He grins. "I think I'd like that." And then he throws a pillow at Ron. "Now do it."

"Do what?"

"You know what."

"Say I love Luna? Cause I already told you I do."

Harry grins. "Nope. You know what. Do it."

Ron grins too. "What, you mean... make a joke about Sirius that I thought of while you were claiming your love for our best friend?"

"Yes."

"Fine, but this one isn't very good- You said it's hard not to be serious about love... is it also hard not to be Padfoot about love?" Ron asks and ducks as another pillow gets thrown at his head, making him laugh.

Harry laughs too. "That was terrible."

"Thanks?"

"Anytime, mate, anytime."

Alrighty, that's all for this chapter. I have two things to say.

One- I have a bug bite on my leg and it hurts a lot.

Two- Make sure you read the bold part at the top of this chapter!!!!!!

Thanks!

Magisky