Love's Revelation

Then the miracle had occurred. A boy barely a third the size of the troll was there. "Harry was there," He had burst into the room and started yelling and throwing things at the troll. Then he'd done what Hermione recognized later as the bravest and most stupid thing she could possibly imagine. He'd launched himself onto the back of the troll lodging his wand up its nose.

"For me," Hermione thought. "He did that just for me," No one had ever stood up for her, or come to her aid before except teachers and her parents.

She hadn't believed it at first, but there he was, attacking a creature three times his size for her. Risking his life for her. When the troll had been knocked out, Hermione had looked into Harry's eyes and for the first time in her life, she'd seen someone looking back at her with kindness and friendship.

From that moment on she would have done anything for Harry. She finally had a friend who cared about her. Over the last three years, they had been inseparable, well outside of the time with the broom last year. Hermione, with Harry's and Ron's friendship had blossomed into a confident young woman.

"I'm sorry Harry," Hermione thought for the hundredth time in the last four days. For all their friendship, she knew she'd failed him badly over the years.

"I should have known that bottle was self re-filling," She thought as the memory of their first year adventure. "All the clues were there. Someone was obviously ahead of us. The broken winged key, the knocked out troll, but yet the small bottle was full. If only I'd seen it then, we could have put it in something and waited for it to refill. I should have been there helping him," But she hadn't, she'd went back and left Harry to fight Quirrell alone. Even to this day, she still felt guilty.

"Then the Basilisk," She thought of the day she'd been petrified. "Why did I have to prove I was right? If I'd just told him what I thought it was, maybe Harry and Ginny might not have nearly died."

Last year had been different. Though she almost lost Harry's friendship over the broom that was delivered, she wouldn't have done it differently. It had been a tough decision but it came down to that fact she would prefer Harry mad at her and alive than being her friend until the broom caused his death.

If that broom had harmed or killed him and she hadn't acted, she wouldn't have been able to live with herself. But their friendship had survived and that time she had been there with Harry at the end. He finally had someone beside him when he faced the challenges to save his godfather and it had been her.

Hermione's thoughts turned to this year and the challenges it had brought. She'd helped him get through the first task with the summoning charm. She remembered Harry's flight against the dragon, how she'd raked her skin with her nails in worry as he'd ducked and dodged the giant creature.

"But for all of that, it does not excuse my latest failure. The one that is going to cost Harry his future," She remembered the second task, having searched the grey surface after climbing out of the frigid water; waiting for Harry to emerge. The turbulent following moments would be forever etched in her mind.

The relief of seeing Ron's red hair appear, only to be replaced by anxiety when Harry failed to appear. Then after the longest couple of minutes she had ever endured; the wave of relief that washed over her as she saw Harry's black hair break the surface turned to ice at what followed;

The scream by the Beauxbatons champion, the floating body, Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey's actions. Then Hermione had watched in horror as Harry had collapsed between the two Beauxbatons. She'd tried frantically to get to them but was forced to stay away.

"WHY? Why didn't I go back to Harry? He needed me," It wasn't until the previous day that she'd found the penalty for her latest mistake. She'd first thought he'd ONLY risked his life to save another and had almost died from it, but when Madam Pomfrey hadn't let her see Harry nor would tell her what was wrong with him, she'd really started to worry.

It was in that worry that she'd found out the worst part, at least for her. Two nights after the task had ended; Hermione had been lying in her bed reading book after book trying to figure out what might have happened to Harry.

As she swore to herself she'd never let him down again, she'd realized the truth. Harry Potter had become the most important person in her life. He was more than just a friend, or even a best friend. In the pain of not knowing what was wrong with Harry, she realized she had fallen in love with her best friend.

Hermione thought of that night with its attached misery. She'd even allowed herself to think that maybe Harry felt the same way. She had planned to start hinting at it as soon as he was well.

She even had taken his hand yesterday and for a brief moment she'd seen something in his eyes that had given her hope that he did feel the same. Then she had found out about the bond and that Harry really didn't have a choice in accepting it and her thoughts of them being together were dashed into a million pieces along with her heart.

Her thoughts then drifted back to the previous night when Harry had found her and asked for her help. "He can never be what I might have wanted," She thought.

"But I will still always be there for him," Her eyes watered again as she remembered the last time she'd seen him. He'd walked out of the common room to have dinner with two girls he didn't know, but would spend the rest of his life with. Once he had left, the girl who knew Harry the best went to her bed and cried herself to sleep again wondering what might have been.

While Hermione was lost in her thoughts, back in Professor Dumbledore's office another conversation was underway concerning her and Harry.

"You asked if Harry had anyone he trusts completely," Professor Dumbledore said to Professor Berceau. "What do you have in mind?"

"As I said earlier, we have to fight his self-doubt," Rachelle explained, "Obviously we cannot actually cure it in such a short time, but if there is someone who he trusts absolutely, there is a technique to send the person into the bondimage during the bonding. That person would guide Harry and his bondmates to his heart. If he trusts this person enough he might be able to ignore the images of self-doubt and move on," Rachelle turned to Fleur and Gabrielle.

"I know you tried, but as of right now he doesn't trust you enough. When you are bonded, that trust is something you will be able to build."

"I understand," Fleur said, while Gabrielle just nodded.

"So this Hermione, is that what you said her name was?" Rachelle asked as she turned back to Dumbledore.

"Yes, Hermione Granger," Dumbledore said.

"Could we talk to her? To see if she thinks Harry trusts her? Since she is in his heart already she might be the best hope."

"Of course. Fawkes, could you take this note to Minerva in the Great Hall?" Dumbledore asked the Phoenix sitting on his perch. He picked up a quill and quickly jotted a letter. "Wait for her, if she says Miss Granger is not there, find her for me please. This is most urgent."