I'm so sorry it took so long and I'm going to let you know right now, that this chapter isn't very long. But I wanted to get it out there because I felt so bad for taking so long! Hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 8
Harry woke up smiling even before he opened his eyes. The crazy events that occurred during the night swept through his mind in quick flashes. Hermione pushing him against the stone wall, his mouth attacking hers, hands groping and bodies rubbing. His grin widened and he pulled her closer.
"Sleep well, mate?"
Harry's eyes flew open and looked over to see Ron staring at him on the other side of the fire. Ron had a blank look on his face as he studied him, than Harry looked down to see that he was wrapped around Hermione. "Er…" He rolled onto his back, but froze when Hermione turned with him, mumbling in her sleep and snuggled closer.
Ron lifted a brow as Harry propped himself up against the cave wall, but trying not to wake Hermione in the process. By the time he was situated, Hermione was still asleep but her head was now in his lap.
"Something you want to share, Harry?" he asked and Harry thought he caught a look of amusement in his eyes.
"Er…we were just…what I mean is…"
"Harry," he said as the corner of his mouth tilted up. "You woke up grinning like a fool. Either you were having a wet dream or something happened between you and Hermione."
He could lie. Just say he had some dream about a mystery woman and mistook her for Hermione, but he knew he couldn't. It would only make matters worse. "Ron," he said not even knowing he began to strum his fingers through Hermione's hair. "Since the summer, I've noticed…things between the two of us."
Ron gave a quick glance to Harry's stroking hand. "Since the summer? This has been going on since the summer?"
"No, not at all, I just started noticing little things since then, I…we finally talked about it last night while you slept."
"I see. Did you kiss her?"
Boy did I ever! "Yeah, I kissed her," he said looking down at her for a moment. "Ron, I hope this doesn't bug you, both of us value as a friend."
Ron was silent for a second staring at the fire. "Is it just snogging between you?" he finally asked.
Harry thought he felt Hermione tense in her sleep, but the question distracted him. Of course not," he said narrowing his eyes. "You think I'd risk my friendship with her for a quick snog?"
"No," he answered truthfully. "But being her friend I had to ask anyway."
Harry relaxed again letting out a sigh. "So, are you okay with it?"
Ron studied him a second as he crossed his arms. "What if I'm not?"
"Then that would suck," he said as he let out a sigh. "Because I would lose a best friend."
"Meaning me or Hermione?"
"You," he said without any hesitation.
Ron stared at him for a awhile, as if he was trying to look through him to see if he meant what he said. "Good answer," he finally said with a grin. "As long as you two are happy, then I'm okay with it."
Harry let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. "I'm glad."
Ron looked at Hermione sleeping and chuckled. "Funny, how things don't turn out the way you plan it."
Harry grinned when he thought of the girls he wanted. Cho and Ginny were a distraction to see what was so clearly in front of him the whole time. "I never thought I'd be with Hermione this way." Harry smiled down at her, brushing strands of hair out of her face. "Now I can't think of her any other way."
"I always thought I felt that way about her," Ron said. "I always assumed one day Hermione and I would get together, but instead I fall for Luna."
"Thank Merlin for that," he grinned.
"So can I ask you something?" Ron asked. "Is Hermione a good kisser?"
This time Harry was positive he felt Hermione tense. "Oh, I don't know. I guess she's all right."
Hermione gasped as she shot up. "Harry Potter!"
"Oh, why good morning, Hermione," he said with a grin. "I didn't realize you were awake."
"Oh, you little sneak!" she hissed slapping him on the arm.
"Me?" he laughed as he grabbed her and yanked her on his lap. "You were the one that was pretending to sleep while you eavesdropped."
"He does have a point."
"You stay out of this, Ronald Weasley," she warned.
He grinned as he held up his hands in surrender. "Yes, mam."
She glared back at Harry. "Now you better rethink your answer Harry, or I…"
Whatever she was going to say was muffled against his lips. He kissed her long and hard and left them both breathless. "That answer better?"
She blushed. "Much better," she said leaning into another kiss.
"Hey, hey, hey," Ron said firmly "Just because I'm okay with you two doesn't mean I need to see you two sucking face."
"Ron!" Hermione shrieked as she pulled away.
"Well, it's not fair, my girlfriend is off at Hogwarts."
"Sorry," Harry said slipping his arms around her waist as she snuggled back against his chest. "We'll try to keep it to a minimum."
"Appreciate it," Ron muttered but couldn't help but smile slightly at the two of them. "You two are pretty darn cute, I have to admit."
Harry beamed at him then looked at Hermione to see her beaming at me. "Sorry Ron," he said as he leaned down and kissed her firmly, yet softly on the mouth.
"Okay, sorry I brought it up," he said as they pulled away. "Anyway, now that we're up, what's the plan for today, Harry?"
He sighed as he collapsed against the wall. He hated having to get back to reality, he wished they could have a few more hours of normalcy before they headed off. "I guess we should head to the safety cabin and meet up with Tonks and Lupin. They need to know that all the Horcruxes have been destroyed. We'll do what we normally do and apparrate a safe distance from the cabin and walk on foot."
"I'm starved," Ron said as he stood up and douched the fire. "Hopefully Tonks will have made some breakfast. She's getting better at it don't you think? A lot of improvement from the first meal." He touched his eyebrows warily. "Have they grown back yet?"
Harry chuckled at the remembrance of Tonk's dinner exploding and taking out Ron's eyebrows in the process. "They look fine, Ron," he said giving Hermione a nudge so he could get up on his feet, then helped her up. "Let's gather up our belongings and head out."
Harry had a feeling that the next couple of days were not going to be easy. His scar was tingling, something it had been doing all throughout the trip. But the sensation was getting stronger, which meant that the final battle was approaching and approaching fast.
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A/N: AGAIN..I KNOW it was a short one, so you DO NOT need to inform me of that in the reviews, okay? I promise the next one will be longer and hopefully sooner!