Just Us

Author's Note: This is just a thought that came to me randomly…I just wanted something that was not only in character, but that also represented what Harmony is to me. Hopefully you'll all enjoy this - `stories' per say aren't always my strong point, so be gentle ;)

No, kidding - just enjoy the story and let me know what you think, good and bad!

-Sarah

It had been two months.

Two long, utterly uneventful months.

Hermione glanced over at Harry, who, once again, was silently brooding.

After finding the infamous locket, things had gotten quiet; the next horcrux remained a mystery. They had many theories as to what might be a horcrux and where said horcrux might be located, but still, nothing was solid.

Therefore, it had been a very long two months.

Bill's wedding had been a small, private ceremony a few weeks after school had let out. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had had little contact with anyone since that time. It had taken roughly two weeks to track down the locket and they had still to figure out how to remove the soul fragment and keep all limbs intact.

Hermione sighed and continued staring out the window. Things were changing in ways she had never thought would come to be. Ron's interest in her had waned in the weeks they had spent, day and night, working together. It was confusing, but Hermione was proud. Ron was finally beginning to realize just how important he was in this war. He no longer argued with Hermione over petty things. He had finally grown up and Hermione was proud to call him a friend.

If only the maturity hadn't come with such a high price as death.

Hermione stood from her place at the window. Stretching, she made her way towards Harry. Sitting next to him on the couch, she remained silent.

“Hey,” she said quietly after a few moments.

“Hey,” Harry replied, gaze not breaking from the flickering flames of the fire.

“I was thinking,” Hermione began, “That we should get out of here for a bit. I'm starting to go mad and I'm an indoors kind of person. I can't imagine how crazy this must be driving you and Ron,” she laughed softly.

“That would be nice, I suppose,” Harry cracked a grin at her. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, we could always stop and have lunch at the Burrow; you boys could play a game of quidditch. I'm sure Ginny would be glad to see you and Ron before term starts up again,” Hermione suggested, throwing him a side glance.

“Yeah, that does sound fun; and a good meal to boot!” Harry's spirits lifted greatly. “Have you told Ron about this?”

“No, I think he's still sleeping,” Hermione checked her watch. “It's just after ten-thirty; we could still make it there this afternoon if you're up for it. I can fire call Molly after I drag Ron out of bed,” she said, getting up from the couch.

“I can make the call, Hermione,” Harry offered. “You'll probably need all the time you can get trying to get that oaf up.”

“Thanks, Harry,” Hermione laughed and made her way to Ron's room.

~

Forty-five minutes later (Thirty of which had been spent trying to wake Ron), the trio apparated to the front gate of the Burrow.

“Sure feels good to be home,” Ron grinned, pushing the gate open. “Don't you think?”

“Yeah,” Harry replied, Hogwarts flashing through his mind. He cast a glance at Hermione, trying to read her thoughts on Ron's innocent, yet implicating question.

“Lovely,” she whispered, a far away look passing briefly over her expression.

“Ron!”

At the sound of Molly Weasley's shouts of joy, Hermione was snapped out of her reverie; the turrets of Hogwarts vanishing with the wind.

“Oh, dears!” Molly smiled, tears of joy shone in her eyes, “It's so good to have you all here. Harry, dear, how are you? Oh, everyone's so excited to see you all!

“Fred and George brought a whole bag full of things to show you. Charlie and Bill and Fleur were able to make it for lunch, even with such short notice; even Arthur was able to get away from work! So lucky really! And of course Ginny's very excited to see you.” And with this she gave Harry a rather pointed look. “She's missed you so much.”

“Mum,” Ron whined, “when's lunch? I'm bloody starved and Hermione didn't give me a chance to eat breakfast!”

“Well, you only rolled out of bed fifteen minutes ago,” Hermione arched a brow at him.

“Just a few more minutes. Go in and say your hellos and it will be done!” Molly smiled at the three and ushered them inside.

“Ronnikens!” The twins exclaimed as they descended upon their brother, broad smiles plastered across their faces.

Harry shook hands with Charlie, asking him how Romania was treating him, while Hermione embraced Bill and Fleur, inquiring as to how their honeymoon had been.

After exchanging pleasantries and laughing at the twins antics, the group moved into the dining room for lunch.

“Ginny!” Molly yelled up the stairs as she passed to put a casserole on the table.

A few moments later Ginny appeared at the foot of the stairs, beaming.

“Harry,” she breathed, embracing him in a tight hug. Harry pattered her, somewhat awkwardly, on the back. As she pulled away she brushed a kiss on his cheek.

Next she wrapped Ron in a hug which he readily returned.

“How's your summer been, Gin?” Ron asked.

“Oh, kind of boring, but I've managed,” Ginny laughed, releasing her brother.

“Hermione,” Ginny said dryly, turning to the girl in question, and gave her a quick, stiff hug.

“As lovely as your little reunion is, we're starved,” the twins complained in unison.

“Hey!” Ron cried out in fake indignation, “That's my line!”

“Eh, sit down and shut up, you big baby,” Charlie laughed and the family began their meal.

~

After an afternoon of laughter, food, memories, and a game of quidditch, the trio sat outside, watching the sun set.

“Thanks for thinking of this, Hermione,” Ron smiled as he stretched out on the grass. “It's so nice to come home.”

“Maybe you should stay the night, Ron,” Hermione suggested. “You need to be with your family before we really get into the thick of things.”

“What about you and Harry?”

“We've got plenty of research to do,” Harry piped up, “and you hate researching. It sounds like it's a win-win to me.”

“Really, Ron,” Hermione began, choosing her words carefully. “I just don't want you to regret not spending what time you have with your family. We don't know what's in store for us or anyone else.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Ron said quietly. “I suppose I'll go tell Mum then,” he replied and got up, dusted the grass from his jeans, and walked towards the house. A few seconds after Ron disappeared from view, another, more flowing head of red hair appeared in the doorway.

Ginny made her way towards Harry and Hermione in the ever-darkening night.

“Hey guys,” she said, sitting next to Harry on the grass.

“Hi, Ginny,” Harry smiled at her.

“Have fun today?”

“Yeah, I really needed this,” Harry replied. “We all needed this.”

“You're still flying really good,” Ginny began and Hermione tuned her out.

Harry was listening attentively to Ginny's tales from the summer and Hermione couldn't help but be disgusted by how she gushed about the latest record from the Weird Sisters. They were in a war. What difference did that record make? Ginny was still just a little girl in so many ways. But Harry needed that. He needed to do something that would take his mind off of the war - and right now, he looked rather relaxed.

“I should really go. I've tons of work to get done, maybe you should just stay the night as well, Harry. I'm sure Mrs. Weasley would be only too happy to have you stay,” Hermione rambled, getting to her feet. “I'll see you tomorrow!” She called over her shoulder as she made her way to the front yard. For some strange reason she felt like she would suffocate if she stayed a moment longer.

“Hermione!”

She could hear Harry call her name but continued walking. As she stepped across the threshold of the front gate, she disapparated with a `pop' and appeared in the small foyer of their cottage in the outskirts of Godric's Hollow.

Hermione berated herself for leaving in such haste as she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom.

“Hermione?” Harry's voice rang out from behind her. She stopped and turned to find him standing at the base of the stairs, confusion written across his face.

“What the hell was that? What's wrong?” Harry asked, taking a few steps towards her.

“Nothing, I just had an idea is all,” Hermione lied. “You know me, always thinking about the next horcrux.”

“Really? Care to share?” Harry asked, looking at her skeptically.

“Well, it's really only a half-formed inkling. Nothing exciting by any mea-”

“Why do you keep pushing me away?”

She instantly fell silent, his question catching her by surprise.

“Why do you keep pushing me toward all of these other girls? First Cho, now Ginny? Granted I was a bit infatuated with Cho, but why Ginny?”

“I-”

“Don't say you didn't,” Harry cut her off, “because she told me that you had given her advice on how to be more attractive to me while we were dating…in the little that we talked,” he finished, ears burning slightly in embarrassment.

“I thought that's what you wanted. Pretty, athletic, funny; I just wanted to you have some normalcy in your life; I just wanted you to be happy,” Hermione shrugged, looking apprehensively at him.

“Normalcy,” Harry laughed bitterly. “I'm not normal, Hermione. I never will be.”

“You and Ginny could work though,” Hermione smiled hopefully.

“Why do you keep doing this?” Harry asked, becoming angry.

“Doing wha-”

“Why are you pushing me away from you?” He shouted despairingly, grabbing her by the shoulders. His gaze bore fiercely into hers and for a moment she couldn't breathe.

“I'm not! I-I never meant to-”

“Don't lie to me!” Harry snapped, cutting her off. “I don't want any more meaningless distractions. I don't want Cho, I don't want Ginny, I don't want any one-”

“Stop,” Hermione whispered, instinctively raising a hand to cover his mouth in order to prevent him from speaking any further. She knew what he meant to say. “Please, don't.”

“Hermione,” he sighed, loosening his grip, “I can't lose you. This past year proved that; I don't work without you.”

“You'll never lose me,” Hermione told him, brushing her hand across his cheek in a tender caress. “I mean, how can you lose yourself?” She laughed, tears sparkling in her eyes.

“So what is this?” He asked, his eyes searching hers.

“This,” she replied, taking his hand and placing a chaste kiss on his palm, “is just us; just Harry and Hermione.”

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