'Cause I Am With You

and a special note to katie: Dude, I SO cannot believe you read this, considering the ship. I am also surprised you didn't start a flamin' me ;). Kidding. I'm still stuck with the agreement to see the seventh movie with you, aren't I?

chapter six: flying

Later that morning, Harry and Hermione went downstairs to the Leaky Cauldron for breakfast. Harry hadn't eaten since the morning before, so he was starving. After eating, they took a walk through Diagon Alley. Harry reached for Hermione's hand, and she squeezed his.

"You know we'll have to go back to the Burrow," Hermione said quietly as they passed Quality Quidditch Supplies. Harry pretended to act preoccupied with window shopping the Quidditch merchandise. "Harry!"

He sighed. "I know, I know. But we can't."

"Harry, I don't want to sound like I'm nagging, but you know as well as I do that we cannot fight with Ron. We need him. You need him."

Harry didn't argue. He didn't want to lose Ron, and he knew that deep down. But it was his pride that kept him from going back to Ron, and he also knew that was keeping Ron from doing the same thing.

"We also have to talk to Ginny," Hermione added.

"I really hoped you wouldn't have said that."

"Harry, she's your ex-girlfriend, my friend, and Ron's sister. We can't just ignore her altogether."

Harry pulled Hermione into a kiss. "Hey, how about this," he whispered against her lips. "We stop talking about Ron and Ginny for a minute, and we go up to my room?"

Hermione grabbed his hand and pulled him behind her.

Ron was on his Cleansweep, flying around the fields, that morning. Flying tended to clear his head, when he was alone. Flying during a match made him stress and worry, which made him remember Hermione helping him get back on the team. He truly thought she did that for him, but he should have known better.

Everything Hermione did was for Harry. He knew that if Harry and Ginny hadn't been together during Dumbledore's funeral, Hermione would have been crying on Harry's shoulder. Ron couldn't really remember a time she ever let him comfort her. She had always turned to Harry.

"And I thought you were my best mate, Harry," he muttered, more sadness than anger in his voice.

Ron knew he wouldn't stay mad for long, but he knew that deep down. Right now, he was still mad. He kept seeing Harry snogging Hermione in his mind. Hermione had been smiling, Harry never looked happier, but what got him even more was that they looked right together. They didn't look awkward or wrong, they just looked...perfect. That's what made him even more upset.

How had he not seen this before? He remembered sitting next to Hermione at the Quidditch matches, and she would be screaming for Harry. She never got that short with Harry if he needed homework help. She never argued back at Harry with the same anger she did with Ron.

During the summer before fifth year, when he and Hermione were alone together, Ron thought he would finally make his move, but it was near impossible. All Hermione would want to talk about was Harry. Harry was almost an obsession with her. And the look of sheer disappointment on her face when she found Ron was Prefect and not Harry.

How through that whole year he tried to be alone with her, tried to ask her out, but whenever he'd finally get that subject going, she'd turn the subject back to Harry. Sitting by the fire on the nights Harry had detention with Umbridge, Ron thought about kissing Hermione, but when he would move in, she would stand up and say something about Harry.

Ron flew back down to the ground and started walking in when his mum came running out.

"Ronald, you and Ginny have visitors."

Harry finally caught his breath as Hermione rolled off of him onto her back. That had been the most intense snog session he ever had. She definitely surpassed Cho and Ginny in the snogging department, and Harry thought the smile on his face would never go away.

"Yowza," Hermione said, catching her own breath.

Harry fixed his crooked glasses (he was going to take them off, but Hermione wouldn't allow him to part his lips from hers), and he propped himself up on his elbow to look down at her.

"You, Miss Granger, have, literally, magical lips," he said, brushing strands of her hair from her sweaty forehead.

"You're not so bad yourself." She winked at him. "Viktor was a good kisser, I'll give him that. McLaggen was superb--"

Harry's jaw dropped. "You kissed him?"

She smiled and kissed him. "I'm joking." She licked her lips. "Hmm, I can see why Cho liked you so much."

Harry kissed her back. "I wish we could never leave this bed. I just want to stay here and snog you all day."

Hermione touched her finger to her lips and had a pondering look. "That would be nice, but eventually, they might kick us out of here. Oh, and there is your 'saving the world' deal."

Harry leaned down and pressed his lips hard into hers. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. She kissed the tip of his nose when they pulled away.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

Harry hesitated, but he really wanted to know. "Now, nothing did happen between you and Ron, right?"

"Harry, I told you nothing did."

He nodded. "I know, I know, but he seemed more upset for someone who only lost their crush rather than former love."

"You mean like Ginny?" she asked, quietly.

Harry shook his head. "I didn't love her. I cared for her, but it wasn't love."

"Like with Cho, you were infatuated with a pretty face."

"You know me too well." Harry rested his head on her shoulder. "But now, I love a pretty face."

"If you mean me--"

"And I do."

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes. "We have to go back to the Burrow."

Harry groaned. "I know."

"Harry--"

Harry sat up. "Then let's go get this over with." He got up to put his shoes on and to comb his hair.

"I didn't mean now."

"Then when? We're going to have to get this over with soon, you know."

Hermione got up, straightened out her clothes, and she put on her shoes. "Okay, okay, then we'll go now."

Harry walked around the bed to her. He pulled her into his arms, and she hugged him back.

"Hopefully, they've cooled down by now," Harry said. "I mean, it has been a day."

"It seems longer than that to me."

Harry took her hand. "Ready?"

"Let's go."