Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to the great J.K. Rowling, and the song The Safe Side belongs to Chris Cagle.


“It’s my letter from Salem University in America!” Hermione called out, after the owl carrying her letter flew off.

“Oh, that’s great ‘Mione,” Harry responded in a falsely cheery voice. Too bad it didn’t work.

“Harry, what’s wrong?” Hermione asked him.

“Nothing, I’m fine. So you got accepted, that’s great!”

“Don’t change the subject. What’s wrong Harry? I’ve been your best friend for seven years, you can’t lie to me,” Hermione said concerned.

“There’s nothing wrong!” he said louder than he meant to. “I’m going to bed, I’ll talk to you in the morning Hermione.” And with that he left her in the common room with a confused look on her face.

What was he suppose to tell her? The truth? Oh yeah that’d go over well. “Hey Hermione, what’s wrong is that I’ve been in love with you for three years and I don’t want you to go. I’d rather smash your dreams and keep you here for my own sake” “Yeah that’d go spectacularly,” he thought bitterly.

So much had happened to Harry in the past year. He’d killed Lord Voldemort the most evil wizard of the age, graduated (Just yesterday in fact), and realized that he was a complete coward. That’s right, the great Harry Potter, Savior of the Wizarding world, was afraid of his best friend. No. Hermione wasn’t just his best friend; she was a beautiful, intelligent, witch that he was in love with, who was leaving in a few days. She was moving to Massachusetts, thousands of miles away.

He’d had feelings for her for years, and just recently he’d figured out that he loved her. “Perfect timing,” he said sarcastically to his empty dorm room. He flopped back on his bed in hopes that sleep would take him and end his thoughts.

No such luck. He got out of bed and crept down the stairs to the common room. There she was, sitting in front of the fire reading a book. “Just do it,” he thought. “Just walk up to Hermione and tell her that you like her.” “No,” he debated with himself, “she doesn’t see me the same way I see her, she probably thinks of me like a brother.” “You don’t know unless you ask her. Where’s that Gryffindor courage? Where’s the wizard the defeated Voldemort?”

By the time Harry had screwed up his courage enough to approach her, Hermione had already left for bed.

Defeated, he turned on his heel and walked back to his dorm.

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Have you ever wondered what life would be like If you'd only went left instead of taking that right? If you had waited just ten more minutes to leave the house, Would it all be different?

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“Harry.......Harry!”

“What, huh?” Harry mumbled groggily as someone shook him awake. It had been two days since his conversation with Hermione about the letter. Aside from mealtimes, he had been fairly successful in avoiding her.

“I’m leaving today, you’re still taking me to the airport right?”

“Oh, yeah of course Hermione” He stretched in his bed, looking around at his room for the last time. “What time is it?”

“About eight,” Hermione said. “You want to walk down to breakfast with me?”

“Sure, don’t we always?”

“Yes, but I prefer asking a person to assuming that I already know their answer.” Hermione said before leaving the room so that Harry could get dressed. All of their things had long since been packed and were undoubtedly waiting for them on the train. Harry pulled on a pair of jeans and a green sweatshirt over his black t-shirt.

Hermione was waiting for him in the common room, and smiled when her eyes met his. He smiled back, wishing that her eyes held more than friendship in their depths. After breakfast the pair took a walk around the grounds, admiring what would be, in a few hours time, their former home.

“I’m gonna miss this place you know,” Hermione said softly.

“Yeah me too, but hey, you’ve got a new school to look forward to. You’ve been obsessing over this Salem University place for months.”

“I know, but Hogwarts is my home. Besides, it’s going to be weird without you around everyday…and Ron.” she said quickly.

“So, when does your plane leave?”

“About three hours after we get back to platform nine and three-quarters.”

“Well, we could grab a bite to eat before you have to go then. The three of us I mean,” he finished.

“Right, the three of us…” Hermione said quietly.

Did she want to go to dinner with just him? “Probably just wishful thinking on my part,” Harry thought.

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Every decision, everything we choose has a consequence whether we win or lose. Nobody knows that any better than me I left her standing at the station with a ticket and a dream…

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The trio hung out together as if it was just another day. When they got off the train, Harry wasn't really paying attention to his surroundings; his mind was elsewhere. Hermione was going to be gone in just a few hours, and Harry still hadn’t been able to bring himself to talk to her privately. He was afraid that she’d reject him.

Of course she’d be nice about it, it was just her way. But still, it would only make their last few hours together until she came back, awkward. “No, it’s better this way,” he told himself, never believing his words for a minute.

"So where we going? I'm starving," Ron said, breaking Harry out of his thoughts.

"How does Italian sound?" Hermione asked.

"It's your going away dinner 'Mione, so it's your choice," Harry told her.

"Great! I've been looking forward to chicken scalopini all day," she said happily.

"Chicken what?"

"Never mind Ron, you'll see," Harry told the red head.

Dinner went off without a problem. This problem was, of course, the feeling Harry had been harboring for days which felt uncannily like taranchulas crawling about his insides.

"I'll see you later at home Harry, mum said you were gonna stay in Bill's old room." Ron said. "I'm gonna miss you 'Mione, stay in touch, alright. I'll come visit after I get my apparating license." And with that he pulled Hermione into a tight hug, then left.

Hermione's plane was leaving in two hours, this was it. If Harry was going to tell Hermione how he felt, he needed to do it now.

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She's the train that I didn't take. The big commitment I just couldn't make for fear of breaking my heart, I didn't risk the ride. She's the lesson I learned the hard way. Now being lonely is the price I pay. The river of regret runs deep and wide, here on the safe side.

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“I’m going to miss you Harry” she told him as they stood in the airport, waiting for her flight to be called.

“I’m going to miss you too Hermione” he said trying to be casual.

“You know, I get my apparating license soon. I could come visit, if you wanted me to.”

“That’d be great” he said. This time the words coming from his mouth were completely sincere. “Hermione…”

“Yes Harry?”

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I still remember the night she left She said she didn't want to lose me, but she had to find herself. I could've stopped her, or got on board with her. But now it's too late to reconsider.

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“I…”

He wanted to tell her that he loved her. He wanted to hold her and tell her not to go. He wanted to kiss her with everything he had. But he didn’t.

“I really am going to miss you. I expect constant owls until you can apparate,” he said, adopting a cheerful, joking, tone.

“Well you won’t have to worry about that, I expect the same from you.”

The silence that followed her words was awkward and little sad. What would happen if he just told her, right there in the airport? Would it make a difference?

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She's the train that I didn't take. The big commitment I just couldn't make For fear of breaking my heart, I didn't risk that ride. She's the lesson I learned the hard way. Now being lonely is the price I pay. The river of regret runs deep and wide, here on the safe side.

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He stared down into her honey brown eyes. They seemed to be questioning him. He didn’t know what to think anymore. He wished that he could read her as well as she could obviously read him.

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Sometimes the greatest risk of all Is never taking one at all.

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For some reason unknown to him, he didn’t care anymore. He had already lost his parents, and Sirius; he didn't want to add her to the list. He didn’t care if things were awkward. He didn’t care if she laughed in his face. The thought of her leaving was eating away at him. Without thinking, Harry took a step closer to Hermione. She looked at him still, her eyes never leaving his.

She didn’t look shy, or embarrassed. Confusion flickered in her eyes briefly, but she held his gaze. Harry leaned his head down and kissed her. She didn’t pull away.

When he broke the kiss, Harry searched her eyes for an answer. The confusion was gone, he was certain of that;it was replaced with something that Harry had only ever seen in old photographs: love.

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Oh I don't want to be alone, here on the safe side.

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A/N: Please review (it takes about 20 seconds), good or bad, it's much appreciated.