AN: H/H fluff up ahead! To all my D/H shippers, apologies, but I needed a fluff break. :)

Disclaimer: Do you actually think I'm J.K. Rowling? Or even if I write half as well as her? Gaaad, wish you do. *ehehe…*

Dedicated to: CharmedHpfanatic, who so very much loves H/H fluff. And to Catherine, my protégé. Sorry, Cat, won't be there in June.

It's been a while

Harry blinked. Hermione? he thought, bewildered.

There, halfway across the room, was Hermione Granger, his old friend from Hogwarts. Yes, her hair had grown longer, and she carried herself with the grace of a Frenchwoman, but there was no doubt, that it was her. He made his way through the laughing, talking crowd, smiling to himself. How long has it been? Eight years?

How have you been doing?

"Hello, Hermione."

The pretty, brown-haired woman glanced up in surprise. "Harry? Hello!" She moved, as if to hug him, then suddenly stopped, settling for a chaste handshake instead.

Harry, whose heart had leapt into his throat when he thought she was going to hug him, felt it drop down to his stomach.

"How are you?" he grinned at her, trying to make his eyes twinkle once more… the way she liked them to. Hermione smiled uneasily up at him. "I'm doing pretty well… France was very… interesting. And well…"

An awkward silence, during which Hermione sipped punch, and Harry searched for something to say. Finally…

"Do you miss me?"

Hermione looked up sharply. "Harry, please, don't…"

Harry watched her closely… she looked uncomfortable. "Because I miss you, Hermione." he whispered.

"I miss your smile, and your voice… I miss your letters, and your presence. I miss your kisses, and the scent of your hair." Harry took her hand in his own. "I miss you so much."

Hermione was silent, then she jerked her hand away as if she had been burned. "I'm sorry, Harry. Things aren't… the same between us anymore." She looked up at him with sad brown eyes. "I can't… love you anymore."

"Do you remember the time we danced in the rain? We were laughing, and when I pulled you close, you kissed me… and you told me to never let you go." Harry watched Hermione, admiring the way her hair fell softly onto her shoulders, noting the way her lips pursed slightly at the mention of that wonderful night.

"You told me to never let you go… but you pushed away from me yourself. I let you go, Hermione… and there's never a day that passes by that I don't regret opening my arms and letting you walk away into the rain."

Harry's voice grew softer, and he began to trace the rim of his glass with one finger.

"Hermione… I've tried to love again. I've tried to heal my heart and let it take on another girl." Harry touched Hermione on the hand, and she didn't try to pull away. "You were the only one I've ever truly loved."

"I didn't know you were going to be here tonight, at Parvati's party." Hermione whispered. Harry took her hand in his, ignoring the crowd around them. All he saw was this one beautiful woman, with downcast eyes and soft hair.

"It's been such a long time, Harry…" Hermione continued to avoid his gaze, but her hand still lay in Harry's outstretched one. "It's been… eight years. Eight years of distance, and broken friendship. Eight years of chance at a new life."

She glanced up into Harry's burning emerald eyes. "How am I supposed to love you again?"

Harry took her hand in his, and held it to his chest. There, Hermione could feel his heart beating beneath her fingers, and the rhythm soothed her in some way. "This is how, Hermione." Harry's eyes held a sad smile.

"I've always wondered what you would be doing in Paris." Harry's voice sounded conversational. "Falling in love again, starting over a brand-new life with some handsome French man who could speak twenty different languages, and who's actually read Hogwarts, A History."

Hermione managed a small smile, and Harry twinkled down at her. "I'm sorry, Hermione."

"Are you back here for good?" he asked, and Hermione's eyes darkened. "No. I'm leaving tomorrow… for Paris once more. I don't even know why I even went to this party…" She laughed uneasily, then looked away. "I have… business."

Harry sighed softly. "I knew this was too good to last." He stroked her palm, and Hermione felt a warm shiver run down her spine. "Have you been getting any sleep lately?" he asked her, and Hermione blinked in surprise.

"Actually… no. I'm kind of an insomniac." Hermione replied, still surprised. Harry's voice was wistful as he looked down at her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been thinking of you… now look at that, my thoughts have been keeping you up at night."

"I just wanted you to know, Hermione, that I've missed you since the day you walked out of my door… eight long years of pining for the girl who I still loved with all my heart." Harry smiled sadly. "I think I'm still in love with you, Hermione."

"I want you back in my life… I want you beside me, and in my arms, with your arms around my neck and a smile on your lips… please, Hermione…" Harry's voice held the traces of eight long years past, eight long years of unrequited love.

Hermione stared at him. "Have you forgotten your past, Harry?" Her voice hardened ever so slightly. "Have you forgotten the fights we had, and the broken furniture, and the raised voices?"

Harry's eyes darkened. "Yes, I do! And I've paid for those mistakes with the biggest loss of my life…" Sadness crept into his voice once more. "I lost you, and you were the best thing that had ever happened to me."

"I'm sorry I took you for granted. The eight years apart taught just what it was like to live without love… It was so empty without you…" Harry spoke with a silent plea.

"We were in love." Harry whispered.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Love? We'd fight every two weeks, and the furniture would crash around us, and one of us would storm out onto the street and get drunk that night, stagger home, and forget everything the next day. That was love?"

Harry sighed. "No, Hermione. Our love was in our nightly star-gazing, in our eight-hour long conversations over cups of tea, in our kisses and touches. That was love."

"We were teenagers, Hermione! Impudent, rash and easily annoyed… it's been eight years, and time smoothes things out. The only thing time hasn't mellowed is my love for you." Harry caught her other hand in his, and looked deep into her eyes.

"All I need right now, to be the happiest man in the world, are three simple words from you." Harry's gaze was intensely full of love. "But the catch is… the words have to be spoken with truth."

"And I don't know if you still love me, Hermione. What I do know is, I'm madly in love with you."

"Please…" Harry's eyes were bright with hope.

Hermione stared at him. "Eight years…" she whispered. "Can love stand eight years of staying apart?"

"Hermione! True love can stand eternity, and to the ends of the earth!" Harry flung his arms open wide, a beautiful smile on his face, eliciting stares from the rest of the crowd. Hermione blushed around at them. "Give me a chance, Hermione."

Hermione sighed. "Harry, I really don't know…"

Harry suddenly caught her by the wrists, and placed a finger gently across her lips. "Ssh. Don't spoil this… I want to remember you like this, forever and ever. I know you'll be leaving tomorrow, going back to your handsome French husband…"

Hermione let out a splutter of indignation.

"But I just want you to know… that I haven't forgotten you. And I never will. I've never stopped loving you…" Harry took in a deep breath. "And I never will."

"I was afraid of telling someone I loved them… because at a young age, I usually lost all those I've loved. I was afraid of the consequences, and what those three words meant… but now, eight years have come and gone, and what I feel hasn't diminished… so I could say, with all my heart and soul…"

Harry grinned at her. "I love you, Hermione!"

He took her hands in his, among the staring crowd, and smiled into her eyes. "Please tell me you love me too."

Hermione said nothing, but instead, pulled him close for a kiss.