Let The Truth Be Told

Chapter 12

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"WAIT!!" screamed Hermione.

"What?" said Lavender sitting down.

"oooh!" could be heard from under Hermione's bed.

"Get up, Lav!" screamed Hermione, running over to her bed.

"Why?" asked Lavender thoroughly confused.

"Just get up!" Hermione repeated, pulling Lavender off the bed.

Just as Lavender got up, Hermione lifted her bed skirt and peered under.

"What is she doing? Has she gone mad?" whispered Ginny.

"I think I know what's going on..." Lavender said, leaving the room quietly.

Hermione stuck her head under her bed.

"Are you okay?" she whispered her voice full of concern and worry.

"I'm alright..." Harry coughed. "At least she didn't jump onto the bed." Harry smiled.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah...but why don't we just tell them? You know, before they inflict further pain on me."

"If you really want to, I mean, they will give us a lot of grief for you being in my dormitory."

"Mione, you're worth it."

Lavender came back, but this time Ron and Seamus were with her.

"What's going on? Did someone find Harry?" Ron asked.

"I think so," Lavender said with a mischievous grin on her face.

Ginny's eyes sprang wide open. "OH!!!"

"A bit slow today, are we?" asked Lavender.

Hermione stood up, but kept her head down. Her ears were bright pink. Harry's head popped out from under the bed.

"Hi," he waved sheepishly.

Ron, Ginny, Lavender and Seamus looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
Harry crawled out from under the four-poster and stood beside Hermione, blushing as bad as, if not worse than, she was.

"This should be good," said Ginny.

"So what's this all about?" asked Ron trying not to laugh.

"Well...we umm...we were..." Harry stuttered. "We were...just...studying!"

"That's right...studying," Hermione confirmed.

"Studying for what?"

"Herbology." "Potions." They answered together.

"Well, first we were studying potions, then Herbology," Hermione said.

Harry just nodded.

"And by 'studying' you mean..." said Ron.

"You know...reading...and stuff," said Harry.

"Only if reading now means snogging!" laughed Lavender not being able to hold it in any longer.

Harry and Hermione turned beet red.

"Our plan worked!" exclaimed Ginny jumping up and down.

"So, what's going to happen now?" asked Ron.

"Nothing... really," said Hermione.

"I'll bet you, Lav, that Hermione won't be in the library much anymore," said Ginny.

"Yeah, she'll be with Harry...all the time."

"They could still be in the library," Ron said. "But they'll be 'studying.'" Ron added with a wink and everyone laughed.

"Sod off!" Harry said.

"So this question comes to mind...why was Harry in Hermione's dormitory?" asked Seamus, changing the subject.

"Oooohhh, scandalous!" said Ginny.

Harry and Hermione blushed horribly again.

"We were..." Hermione started.

"Studying?" mocked Ron.

"No, we just fell asleep. That's all!" Hermione said, glaring at Lavender who opened her mouth to say something, but stopped.

"Well, now that they're together...mission accomplished!" exclaimed Ron.

Ron took Lavender's hand in his and the two began walking out of the room.

"Wait..." said Hermione. "What's this all about?"

"Huh?" asked Lavender.

"This...you and Ron? Since when?"

"Oh! Ron...well...it's been a while...we just kept our secret much better than you two. Less than a day and we all know," Lavender said smiling.

"Well," Harry said walking over to Hermione and putting an arm around her and kissed her temple. "I love her too much to keep it a secret."

Hermione blushed and smiled and hugged Harry back.

"Awww, that's so sweet," Ginny said. She nudged Seamus hard in the ribs and said, "Why can't you be sweet like that?"

"You and Seamus?" asked Harry surprised.

Ginny just nodded and practically dragged Seamus down the stairs into the common room.

"Looks like we'll be occupied this Christmas after all..." Lavender trailed off, a small smile on her face.

"Well, we'll be going too, then. Don't want to disrupt your 'studying,'" said Ron, winking again.

"Shut up! We really did JUST fall asleep," screamed Harry as the door was closed behind Lavender and Ron.

"It's all right, Harry, they're just being dumb," said Hermione soothingly and tugged at his arm, trying to calm him down.

"I know, but still," said Harry turning to face Hermione, has expression softening. "So what do you want to do?" he asked sheepishly putting his forehead on Hermione's.

"What? You want to kiss me?" she asked smiling.

"I was thinking about it," whispered Harry.

They both closed their eyes and leaned in just as the door opened and they heard a flash and they sprang apart, surprised.

"Gotcha!" said Ron. "That one's for Fred and George." He closed the door.

"That was random...did he just pull a Colin?"

"Mione," said Harry. "You know how much I love you right?"

"I don't know," joked Hermione.

"Oh really?"

"Well...why don't you tell me?"

"One word for you...well three, really," said Harry.

"And they are..."

"Always and forever."

They leaned in again. This time, there were no interruptions. It was just them. Knowing each other for such a long time and becoming such great friends wasn't the single greatest thing that could have happened to Harry anymore; now, they shared a bond that could never be broken. They had found their other half, the half that so many people spent all their life searching for and never found. They were among the lucky ones. They were the only people in the world and nothing but this one kiss mattered. Harry pulled Hermione closer by wrapping his arms around her waist. They melted into each other. After what seemed like forever, they reluctantly broke apart.

"I love you, too, Harry."

The End...:D