Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. What, you think if I did we would have such pairings at the end? *rolls eyes*
A/N: This is a collection of one-shots about moments in DH that I thought could turn into Harry and Hermione being together, if only JK had wanted it to happen. So…hope you'll enjoy! They'll always start with a small part quoted from the book, just to let you know where we are at the moment.
Where Deathly Hallows Could Have Turned Harmonian
Brotherly Love. Or Maybe More…
"She's like my sister" he went on. "I love her like a sister, and I reckon she feels the same way about me. It's always been like that. I thought you knew"
Harry looked at his friend, and knew this was what he wanted to hear. This what would make him relax about how he and Hermione acted toward each other, and he would do anything to keep Ron there with them, now that he was back.
They walked back to the tent, in silence. Harry thought back to all those nights Hermione had cried herself to sleep once Ron was gone, and he felt uneasy. He knew she would be delighted to have him back, even if at first she would be angry at him.
What troubled him was what he had said though. Did he really see Hermione like a sister? Was it all what she was for him?
Thinking back to events of the years passed together, he wondered. All the times she would hug him, or hold his hand, he would feel his heart fill with content. After Cedric's death, the summer had been terrible. But being held so close by her, once at Grimmauld Place, paid him back for all of that. And even that same year, they shared many of those hugs he had come to love and cherish.
Then, there was the Godric's Hollow thing. He could still remember how good it felt to hold her close while they walked away from that graveyard, her arm around his waist made him feel safe, and he had to admit that walking with a girl like that is not what you do with your sister or best female friend. It had something more…sexual, to it. Add the fact it was Christmas Eve, and you get a lovely romantic moment.
And then, the way she had touched his head, he could feel trough that simple gesture that she really loved him. If it was romantic love he couldn't know, but love it was, for sure. And the feeling made him treasure the touch, closing his eyes.
Plus, there was the fact she had become quite pretty, and men started to notice her. Only if you were blind you could not.
Harry tried to shake these ideas from his head, he needed to keep Ron on his side and thinking about possibly liking Hermione in that way was not going to help. But he deep down knew that realization had just hit him and that no, he had no brotherly feelings for Hermione.
The redhead, on his part, was still shaken by what the Horcrux had shown him. One would think destroying it would destroy his insecurities, and make him conquer them, but it was not the case.
He just knew Harry had said those words to reassure him, but while they thought he had the emotional range of a teaspoon, he knew what he kept seeing between his two best friends. True, he had lately received positive hints from Hermione that she might like him, but as the Horcrux figure said, "all what you desire is possible, but all what you dread is also possible".
There was a chance for him, but there was also the chance his two best friends would hook up and leave him behind.
Finally they reached the tent, and inside they found Hermione. She looked at them in shock, moving her mouth without emitting sound, then she stood up.
"He saved my life. He destroyed the locket" Harry said, showing her the Gryffindor sword. Hermione was by now glaring at Ron.
"Hermione, really" Harry noticed her gaze, and addressed it. "He left, ok, but he came back. He saved me when I was going to drown in a frozen pond, to retrieve the sword. Then he stabbed the locket with it" Harry said, trying to convince her to forgive the redhead. He left out the details about the Horcrux taunting Ron.
But the redhead, still looking quite shaken, recalled them himself.
"It was scary. From the open locket, a figure of you and a figure of Harry emerged, and they taunted me about my insecurities. Then, the fake you" he said, looking at Hermione, "wrapped her arms around the fake Harry, and they kissed" Ron ended, looking at his best friends.
Hermione, who was near Harry, looked at Ron innocently.
"Like this?" she said, before lacing her arms around Harry's neck and kissing him hard on the mouth. The raven haired wizard knew he should push her away, but he couldn't. Instead, his arms instinctively closed around her, and he kissed her back. It was pure bliss, nothing like kissing Ginny. That was fun, but this was…wow! Their tongues met, and he felt electricity shoot through his body. As the dance inside their mouths continued, he started caressing her back while she fisted his hair in her hands, moaning slightly as the kiss grew more and more heated. They completely forgot Ron was there the moment their lips had touched.
Ron stood rooted there, his eyes shot open in surprise, he wanted to scream, to run away, bit his legs did not respond.
For excruciatingly long moments he looked at his worst fear become real, this was not a taunting Horcrux, this was real. Harry and Hermione were snogging each other in front of him.
He suddenly fell on his knees, crying. Soon later, the couple stopped kissing.
Harry was too shocked to speak, while Hermione advanced toward Ron.
"Why?" the redhead simply asked, through his sobs. "Why do I always have to be second best?" he asked.
Hermione looked at him, and felt sorry for her friend. But her mind was set. His leaving had been what led her to this.
"Look, Ron, I'm sorry" she softly said. "But it's better for you to know right now that I don't have feelings with you. The accusation you threw me when you left, that I had chosen Harry…well, it was not true, at the moment. I was, indeed, considering how much you had matured lately, and that you and me could have been a good couple together"
Harry flinched at this, not really knowing why.
"But, you left in that way, not caring what Harry was going through, not caring about what I was going through. Yes, we were wandering without a clue, but it's always been like that. Every single adventure, we started without clues and in the end solved them all. So, was so hard to trust Harry and maybe help him find a way to accomplish his mission?"
Ron shook his head.
"But, you left, Ron. And showed me again why I could never be happy with you. This made me sad, and I cried about it for weeks. I really believed we could have worked. But the glaring truth was in front of me, and from there, realizing I was tricking myself and that the one I really loved was in front of me was easy"
Harry's ears perked up at the mention of her "really loving" someone. Was he the one she meant with that? He knew now that he truly loved her, not as a sister but as a young woman.
Ron nodded. "I understand. I've never really thought you'd prefer me over Harry. I guess I've always known I was to be in his shadow once more" the redhead said, wiping the tears still falling on his cheeks.
"It's not a matter of being in Harry's shadow, Ron" Hermione hissed. "Do you honestly think I fancy, no, scrap that, I love Harry because of who he is?"
Ron looked at her, and he shook his head. "No, Hermione. I know it's not like that" he said, defeated. Then he stood up, and walked out of the tent.
"Don't worry, I'm not leaving again. I just need a walk to clear my thoughts" he said, seeing the panic on both his friends faces. That made him feel better. He knew from their expressions that he was still important to them, no matter what they wouldn't leave him behind. And that was enough for him to accept them being a couple.
Inside the tent, Harry walked to Hermione. He hugged her, while she clung to him.
"He's going to have an hard time with this" he said, inhaling the scent of her hair. "But he will cope. I'm sure he will" he said, making the hug tighter.
"I hope so, Harry, because I can't go back to being just friends with you" she whispered.
"Nor can I, Hermione. That kiss…I've been pondering what my exact feelings were for you lately" he said, not mentioning to her his sister comment. "And that kiss destroyed my last doubts. I love you, Hermione. Like a man loves a woman"
She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and looked up at him, locking their gazes. Green met brown, and they both knew what the other really felt.
It were things like this that made them realize their love for each other, and slowly but surely their heads moved closer, till their lips met again. This time the kiss was sweet, gentle, and caring.
Harry savoured it, treasuring the sensations in his heart. He would feed on them, in the dark days that surely were ahead of them, and find the strength to go on and vanquish Voldemort. He owed it to her.
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