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Harry didn’t know what to do. He had been listening to Hermione cry for hours now. She sobbed at first and now she was sniffling lightly, he hopes that means she is almost done. His heart hurt for her but it also hurt from himself too. Are her tears because she loved Ron and he ran out on them again? He knew Ron had feelings for Hermione but couldn't understand when he started dating Lavender instead.
Harry tried to not watch as Ron rubbed his new relationship in both of their faces. He found Hermione crying more than once last year but at the time he didn't think it was over Ron. Hermione had seemed off all year long. She just wasn't herself and Harry couldn't bring himself to ask why. He wanted to, she had been there for him many times but he didn't think his heart could take it if she was pining over Ron.
So instead Harry spent the year trying to chase after Cho. She at least seemed interested in him unlike Hermione. Cho was also a pretty, intelligent girl but with a bit of a mean streak now that he thought about it. Harry had just used her interest to try and not think about Hermione. When they finally kissed, Harry couldn't help but think of how wrong it felt. He couldn't lead Cho on knowing he felt nothing in the few fleeting moments when their lips touched.
Not when 2 years later the memory of Hermione being pressed against his back when rescuing Sirius still caused him trouser issues. At first, he hoped the feelings would go away, he didn't want to take the chance at losing his best friend by adding romantic feelings. He couldn't take another loss. Everyone he loved or thought he loved left him.
Hermione was the first person to hug him and it always felt different than when others did it. He didn't have anything to go by as to what a healthy relationship should be, the Dursley’s never showed him any affection. Every other relationship for him has been complicated, why would love be any different for him.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear Hermione exit the tent until she slid down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. “I am sorry, Harry.” She said quietly as she wrapped her arms around the one of his closest to her.
“What do you have to be sorry for?” He can’t fathom why she would have anything to be sorry for. She had stayed just like she always had. No matter how poorly he treated her, she stayed.
“I hoped it wouldn’t get this far but…” He could only imagine she was biting her bottom lip as she took a moment to decide what to say, “I knew he wouldn’t last. He wanted to be here because that is what is expected of him but then I think about his efforts towards school work.” He couldn’t help it, he scoffed, “Before you dismiss what I say, listen to me Harry James Potter!” Sighing she starts “No matter what it was, he didn’t want to put any effort in to it. He wanted me to give him my notes, he wanted me to look over his homework and then he wanted me to give him the answers when he was wrong!”
“I guess I can see that.” He says moving his arm from her grasp around her shoulders to pull her closer to him. “I just hoped this time he would stick it out.” Kissing the top of her head, Harry had started doing that when she started leaning her head on his shoulder in fourth year. “I can’t say that I am truly surprised either. He has always relied on his family for everything.” Now he and Hermione only had each other.
Hermione and her parents had a large argument in the Hogwarts infirmary after the Department of Mysteries and threatened her with not letting her back to Hogwarts for her sixth year. After they left, Hermione spoke with Minerva and requested that Amelia Bones be called in as well. She filed for emancipation due to being a distant descendant of the potioneer Hector Dagworth-Granger. Her father never knew there was any magical blood in his family as he was a squib and had been from a line of squibs. The knowledge was lost on him but Gringotts contacted her during the middle of her 5th year when distant relation attempted to access the Dagworth-Granger vaults and the goblins did a genealogy report to see if there were any closer relations. She wasn’t sure what to do with the information until now. It would give her the ability to support herself as well as have a connection to the magical world. It hurt but she knew she couldn’t be separated from Harry.
“So I have to confess something Harry.” She said quietly, breaking the comfortable silence that surrounded them. “It’s important and I have to get it off my chest.”
“Anything Hermione, you can tell me anything you want.”
“I wasn’t crying because I loved Ron.” She sat straighter, too a deep breath and pushed her hair behind her ears. “He was a good friend, when he wanted to be but mostly he was a petty, immature git that drove me crazy with his inability to be a good friend to you. I was crying because even if he comes back, I won’t be able to trust him to stand by you. I won't allow him to hurt me again. I was crying for the loss of the friendship the three of us could’ve had as adults.”
“How is it you always seem to know what I need to hear?” Harry pulled her into a hug as she shivered. “I also see what you mean. It started 2nd year, he didn’t completely believe me about being the Heir. Third year, he was so mad about the broom, madder than I was. He also thought Crooks killed Scabbers. Fourth year, the tournament, need I say more?” Harry sighed, “I considered him as close as I could count to a brother but he seemed to never believe me or trust me.”
“Now the other part of what I want to say.” Turning to look at him, he could see the resolve set in her eyes. “I also couldn’t love Ron because someone stole my heart long ago.” Golden brown bore into emerald green, Harry could feel the trepidation pouring off his best friend. “A messy haired, skinny, green-eyed wizard solidified his place in my heart when he jumped on a Troll to save me.” Hermione said it so fast he almost missed it.
“Me?” Harry squeaked, he didn’t care. If he understood her correctly, she was telling him she loved him. Taking his Gryffindor courage he pressed his lips against hers. It wasn’t a passion filled kiss but it still conveyed a lot of his feelings for her. Since he already had her in his arms hugging her they were close, kissing her amplified their closeness. Pulling back, both of them a bit breathless and flushed, “I have wanted to do that for a while.”
“I am glad. It was going to be long hunt if I misread the situation.” She said shyly, pressing a quick but sweet kiss against his lips.
“This is going to change things though, for a lot of people. I think Molly and Ginny expect me to want to be in a relationship with her once it is all done.” Harry had tried his best to dissuade these thoughts. After seeing photos of Lily when she was younger, Harry couldn’t get how much Ginny looked like his mum out of his mind. That made him a bit sick to think about kissing her let alone being in a relationship with her. “I want a quiet, meaningful life after all of this. I don’t think Ginny would be happy in a quiet life.”
“I want to make a difference but I can also see the draw of a quiet life.”
The pair sat in silence for quite some time. Side by side as they always seemed to do. For once, Harry felt a calmness come over him and he thought he could get used to it. He felt like he could take on the world, anything with Hermione at his side. He knew Sirius would be happy for him. Sirius loved Hermione and told him several times, she would be good for him. He hoped that meant his parents would approve of her too. “Even if it means Ron and his family never speak to us again, as long as you are safe and happy. I will be happy.”
“You and me against the world.” Hermione whispered, “I'll stand with you against the world if needed.”