The Centaur Clan

Eighteen- Bulgaria

Hermione shakes her head suddenly. "No. No, don't... don't back off." She thinks of Ron, back at home, and yet this time it's not enough to make her say no. "What if we went on a date?" She asks suddenly.

Harry looks at her, grinning. "Really? You... you want to go on a date with me? What about Ron?"

She heaves a sigh. "I ended things with Ron in our letter, but I can make it official today. I think you're right Harry- we could have something epic." She drains her tea until there's just the tea leaves left. "And I think... I think I want to try too."

He beams, and pure happiness floods from him. "Can I pick you up at six?" He rubs the back of his neck nervously.

Hermione smiles. "Of course- do I need to dress casual or fancy?"

He taps his chin. "Fancy. I'm going to make a good impression."

"How can you make a good impression on someone you've been best friends with since we were eleven?"

He grins at her. "Well, I've never taken you out on a date before, so I want you to know that they aren't rubbish." He releases her hand- she'd forgotten he was holding it. "You'd better sort things out with Ron, and I can get ready for our date."

She gets to her feet, but before she leaves, she pulls him into a tight hug. "I love you, Harry. I don't really know what I feel for you anymore, but I do know that I love you. Thank you for keeping me safe."

He laughs, wrapping his arms around her. "I didn't help much- you did it all yourself."

*          *          *

Ron was awake, and he was at the kitchen table, a coffee mug in his hand. Hermione settles down into the chair across from him, and takes a drink of his coffee. She coughs, nearly spitting it out onto the table. "Bloody hell Ron- this isn't coffee."

He shrugs, taking the mug back. "I know. It's firewhisky."

Hermione stares at him. "Ron, it's ten o'clock in the morning. You can't-"

"Hermione, no offense, but I'm not really in the mood for your control freak side. Okay?"

Hermione looks at him, taken aback. Why was he being so rude? She looks down at his mug of firewhisky, and then snatches it up from his hand, and, ignoring his complaints, tosses it into the sink. "I really don't care. We need to talk about things, and we need to do it now."

Ron glares at her, his eyes and mouth still thick with sleep. "Hermione, what's there to talk about? You went missing, we had to cancel our wedding, and then Ginny and I get letters in the mail saying that you're breaking up with us, and you think you're going to die. Why don't we just leave it at that?"

"I don't understand." Hermione says angrily. "You were so calm about this yesterday- you were nice."

"Because I was relieved that you were alive! But now you're back, and it's time to focus on reality- you pulled a prat move on me, Hermione." He says, his voice rising.

Hermione heaves a deep breath. "You know, you've always had a temper on you." She closes her eyes tightly and regains herself. "We need to talk about this, Ron. You're my best friend, and I can't lose you just because I have different feelings for you now than I did before!"

"Well you already have! So why don't you go cry a river to Harry, who apparently is better than me." He gets up, and grabs the bottle of firewhisky off the counter, storming towards the door and still in his robe.