What is up, home slices? This is fic number 7 for me here on so I hope that means it's lucky. :o). I wasn't planning on writing any more stories since the last book is coming out in a couple days but then I figured I might as well get out some last minute stories before the end comes ((sounds dramatic… I know)).

DISCLAIMER:: Yeah, right, I own everything. I am sooooo rich.

Psh.

It all belongs to J.K.

SUMMARY:: It's the night before the Trio leaves to hunt down the Horcruxes and everybody is having trouble sleeping. But what will happen when Harry stumbles upon his two best friends discussing something much unrelated to war and tragedy…?

A MIDNIGHT MEETING

The sky outside was a misty, dark blue and sprinkled with shining dots. Harry lie in a not-so-comfortable cot set up in Ron's bedroom. It was almost midnight now and he hadn't gotten a minute of sleep yet. He had been at the Burrow for three days now and Bill and Fleur's wedding had gone on the previous evening without a hitch. Harry had been thoroughly enjoying his time with the Weasley's but there was always the looming threat in the back of his head reminding him that he eventually would have to leave and go after the Horcruxes with Ron and Hermione.

Harry rolled onto his back and looked up at the almost entirely orange ceiling. The next day, at around six o'clock in the morning, he would set off with his two best friends to Godric's Hollow. His nerves were on end and had been keeping him wide awake for the past week and he knew that tonight wouldn't be any different. Then, just as he was about to swing his legs over the edge of his cot and leave the room, he saw the tall body next to him sitting straight up, and stepping out of his own bed.

Ron was sneaking out of the room, making sure not to awake what he thought was a sleeping Harry. Harry, on the other hand, was watching him closely. Harry immediately threw off his covers and got out of the bed. Where was Ron going? Was he having trouble sleeping too? If so, why didn't he just stay and talk to him? Ron would know that he never slept anymore. Yet there he was, creeping down the long, narrow staircase and towards the living room below.

Harry kept close to the walls and when he saw Ron stop on the bottom-most step, he too froze where he was, about ten steps behind. He was just wondering why Ron had ceased moving when he heard a voice coming from the living room.

"Who's there?" Hermione whispered fiercely into the dark. Ron shifted slightly until he could be seen by the firelight that Hermione had preserved in a jar on the coffee table. As Ron moved Harry could see that Hermione had her wand drawn and was pointing it at Ron's chest. "Oh! It's you, Ron." She said in what Harry could tell was a relieved tone and she lowered her wand. Harry sensed that Hermione was shocked to see Ron standing near the staircase in his oddly matched blue and orange pajamas but Ron didn't seemed to be surprised at the sight of Hermione sitting on the couch wearing her white, knee-length, cotton nightgown with a blanket pulled around her shoulders. Was Ron expecting to run in to Hermione? Did he want to talk to her more than he wanted to talk to Harry?

"Hey Hermione." Ron whispered back to her as he walked towards the couch and Harry crept down a few more stairs to get a better look at the scene unfolding before him.

"What are you doing up so late?" Hermione asked him as Ron sat down next to her. The couch was set up to so that its side faced the staircase giving Harry a clear view of both of their faces in the firelight. Hermione was looking at him inquisitively but Ron was just staring into the enclosed fire.

"I could ask you the same thing." He said with a bit of snap in his voice. Hermione looked away from him quickly, looking slightly ashamed. "I couldn't sleep." He said more gently. Harry wondered what this weird gentleness in Ron's voice could be. He had never, to Harry's knowledge, tried to make up for being snappish with anyone.

"Me either." Hermione replied softly.

"Thinking about tomorrow?" Ron asked knowingly. It was more of a statement, than a question. That's why he had come down the stairs; he must have known that Hermione would be down here because she couldn't sleep. That still didn't explain why he had gone looking for her in the middle of the night though. They couldn't be meeting because they were…

"No." Harry thought firmly. "Hermione was too shocked to see him. They're not having any secret meetings behind my back. And they're definitely not together. They would have told me, if they were. Wouldn't they?" Harry's thoughts subsided for a moment, however, when Hermione spoke up again.

"It's silly," She said and her voice sounded like it was much farther away than it really was. "But I seem to have convinced myself that if I don't sleep maybe tomorrow will never come." Ron looked at her suddenly and his brow was furrowed. Harry couldn't help but feel anger rising in his chest. Hermione had been the one to convince him to let them come! She wanted to join him on the journey and now she was saying that she didn't want to go?

"Hermione, you know that we've promised Harry that we won't leave him. You can't just back out now!" Ron said firmly his voice rising a little bit. Harry felt a rush of gratitude towards Ron and he temporarily forgave him for not waking him up to talk.

"I know. I know." Hermione sounded like she was close to tears now. "I'm not planning on leaving! I'm just… I'm just…"

"Just what?" Ron asked curiously and for a split second, Harry could have sworn he saw Ron move closer to her.

"I'm just scared, Ron." Hermione seemed to be having a real problem controlling herself and keeping her composure. It was as if those words were the hardest she'd ever had to say. She still wasn't looking at Ron, but staring at the fire. Ron, on the other hand, was staring right at her with a worried expression on his face.

"Of dieing?" Ron said in his quietest voice yet.

"Not exactly. It's just that I'm scared of leaving my family behind, leaving your family behind. I'm scared of never getting the chance to see them again before I die." Hermione said and Harry saw a single tear run down her cheek. Ron moved one of his large hands and brushed the tear away with surprising grace. Harry sat momentarily stunned at this gesture. Had Ron actually just done that?

"You won't die." Ron assured her returning his hand to rest on his lap.

"Oh, Ron, don't be stupid." Hermione snapped and brushed the newly fallen tears away herself. Harry couldn't help but feel angry at Hermione once more. It had taken a lot of courage from Ron to perform such a gentle, caring act and she was just brushing it off as if he had annoyed her. Ron, too, seemed to be irritated by this lack of gratitude.

"I'm not being stupid, Hermione." He spat. "I just have hope, that's all."

"Yes… Hope." Hermione said slowly and then turned and looked at Ron as if she hadn't seen him sitting there before. "Sorry for snapping, Ron."

"It's ok. It's nice to have something so normal happen. It reminds me that I'm not leaving everything behind." He said with a sly grin.

"Ron… do you know what I am most frightened of?" Hermione said suddenly, forgetting to whisper.

"What?"

"I'm scared of dieing before telling… someone… how I really feel." She confessed, her quiet tone returning. Harry had expected to see more tears fall but he saw none at all. Hermione was looking at the fire quite intently now and once again Ron was staring at her profile.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Me too." Ron said and it was his turn to stare into the fire while Hermione turned to look at him. This Not-Looking-At-Each-Other-Game was starting to get on Harry's nerves.

"What?" She asked. She sounded anxious and almost hopeful.

"Well, I'm scared of dieing and never getting to tell… um… you… how I feel." Ron said stammering a bit. Harry felt his stomach drop. This could only mean two things: Ron would either tell Hermione that he really, really liked her or he would tell her that he found her to be really, really annoying and bossy. Harry wasn't sure which one he preferred yet.

"Tell me? What is it you want to tell me?" Hermione asked her voice shaking slightly as Ron finally turned to look at her.

"I'm not going to tell you until you tell your 'someone' how you feel." He said and Harry rolled his eyes. It was so obvious that whatever it was that Ron wanted to tell her, Hermione wanted to confess her true feelings for him too. It was all very romantic and was making Harry feel slightly nauseas.

"Alright I promise." She agreed.

"Oh! You do?" Ron sounded shocked by her agreement, as if he had been expecting her to snap at him.

"Yes. Now tell me!" Hermione demanded in her usual bossy manner. Harry felt his breath catch in his throat and figured that Hermione's heart was beating just as fast as his own. This was it. This was the moment he had been waiting for since that day in Herbology last year. Ron was finally going to tell Hermione that he liked her. Everything was about to change.

"Um… well… I… I…I…" Ron stuttered and stammered for what felt like ages. Harry felt his patience beginning to wear thin but luckily Hermione knocked him out of his reverie by placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Ron?" He looked up into her eyes and Harry could tell that he had finally made a silent decision with himself.

"I like you." He finally breathed. He spoke so quietly that Harry had to lean forward a bit to hear him better.

"Yes, I know that. We are best friends after all." She said removing her hand from his shoulder. For being the best witch in their year Hermione could be really thick sometimes.

"No, I mean… as more than a best friend. Hermione… I think I'm in love with you." His words seemed to float up the staircase to where Harry stood and slapped him across the face. Ron had said it. It was true. Ron loved Hermione.

"You are?" Hermione's voice cut into Harry's thoughts once more.

"Yes?" Ron seemed prepared to take back his confession as soon as possible if Hermione did not approve. A smile had spread across Hermione's face, however, and Ron looked at her surprised.

"Ron… I… I think I'm in love with you too." She said happily. Ron and Harry both looked at her stunned.

"Really?" A dumb, lopsided grin crossed Ron's face.

"Yes!" Hermione nodded infectiously and Ron let out a deep sigh of relief.

"Oh! Great! So…" Ron leaned back against the couch seemingly quite proud of himself but now thinking of what to do next.

"So…" Hermione repeated also leaning back against the couch.

"Can I kiss you?" Harry felt his stomach flip.

Had Ron really just asked that?

"May I kiss you?" Hermione corrected.

Apparently, he had.

"I asked you first!" Ron said dumbly.

"Oh, Ron! I meant… oh, never mind!" Hermione began to explain but must have figured that it would be a losing battle. She just sat up straighter, Ron following her movement looking at her closely. "The answer is yes." She said in a sweet, quiet voice that Harry had never heard her use before. Ron's eyes seem to shine, the light of the flame enhancing the blue in his eyes. He looked at her for a moment longer; he then shut his eyes tightly and moved towards her and caught her lips with his. Harry felt his insides drop onto the floor once more. They were kissing. His best friends, Ron and Hermione, were actually sitting in the living room of the Burrow, kissing. Ron's hand moved on top of Hermione's hand as the blanket fell off of her shoulders. His hand then continued to move upward, resting on her forearm. It wasn't like the many kisses that he had shared with Lavender the previous year; Ron wasn't attempting to 'eat her face' as Ginny would have said. He caressed Hermione's skin as her hand moved behind his head and her fingers twisted into his red hair.

It was over. Their trio was finally over. They didn't need him anymore, and after they split apart from this kiss they were going to realize it. They were going to forget all about Harry and not want to continue on the journey with him. They were going to stay here at the Burrow, and then return to Hogwarts hand-in-hand as a happy, cheerful couple and write him the occasional letter telling him all about how their perfect life was going, with no worries… just each other…

"Wow." Ron breathed after he and Hermione split apart from each other. Her hand left his hair and landed on his shoulder once more. Ron moved his hand downwards until it rested on Hermione's free one.

"Yeah." Hermione breathed her agreement as she continued looking into his eyes.

"What happens now? I mean, with Harry." Ron asked and Harry shot back into reality. They hadn't forgotten about him after all! Or were they just going to discuss how they could continue on without him?

"I'm not sure we should tell him. I think we should wait to be a couple until after we've destroyed the Horcruxes." Hermione recited as if she had come up with this idea while she and Ron had been snogging. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about this. Why would Hermione think it would be best not to tell him? Not that it really mattered, considering he already knew. He didn't like the idea of his best friends keeping such a big secret from him. Then again, he didn't mind the idea of them not being a couple until they had destroyed all the Horcruxes.

"Well what's the point in that?" Ron asked thickly. "We might be dead by then! I think we should tell Harry and we should be together no matter what's going on. We just don't have to be disgusting about it like-"

"You and Lavender?" Hermione interjected.

"Yeah." Ron said and Harry could see the blush creeping up Ron's neck. Harry thought about the prospect that Ron had just brought up. He supposed that he would be able to get used to it, and it would be better than them trying to keep it a secret. Right, he was going to go back up the stairs now. He had heard all he needed to hear.

"Alright. When do you want to tell him?" Hermione asked and he suddenly got an idea.

"Tell me what?" Harry asked as he continued down the remaining stairs and stepped into the living room. The two of them turned quickly, each removing their hand from the other's body.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed and Ron shushed her.

"Tell me what? What is that you two want to tell me?" Harry asked trying to hide his amusement.

"Well…" Hermione started bravely but lost her nerve quickly.

"Um.."

"We just…"

"We're in love." Ron finally declared and Harry put on a look of mock surprise.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed again, this time making sure to keep her voice quiet.

"Sorry, Hermione but there's just no point in trying to prepare him for it. We're in love, Harry." Ron repeated a little more unsure than he had been before. It was all Harry could do to stop from laughing at them. Now that he thought about the situation, it was all quite funny.

"Yeah, I know. But what else is new?" He asked walking over to the couch and sitting on the coffee table so that he was facing them.

"WHAT?!" They both exclaimed loudly and Harry put a finger to his lips to quiet them.

"You might want to be quiet. You'll wake up your Mum." He whispered.

"Yeah… right…" Ron murmured looking down at the ground.

"But… Harry… how could you know?" Hermione asked. She had obviously overlooked the possibility that he could have been standing on the staircase listening to their entire conversation.

"Hermione, I'm pretty sure everybody knows. It's just taken you two forever to figure it out." He said honestly. Well, it was true.

"Oh." Hermione said as she followed Ron's action and stared down at her bare feet.

"Right." Ron repeated.

"So what happens now?" Harry asked as if he didn't already know the answer.

"Well, we don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, mate. We won't act like idiots-"

"You mean you won't act like you and Lavender." Harry interrupted and he couldn't even suppress the grin that had spread across his face.

"Yeah… nothing like that." Ron said and his ears burned crimson.

"How do you feel about it, Harry?" Hermione asked in that same sweet, quiet voice she had used when she told Ron he may kiss her. After hearing her speak that way to him he forgot all about being angry at her.

"Well I don't really have much choice in it, do I? You guys are in love, remember? It's your decision, not mine." He said looking past them and at the wall behind them.

"But, Harry, we want…we want your-" Hermione stammered.

"My blessing? My permission? Don't be ridiculous, Hermione. I mean, I wanted Ron's permission before dating Ginny but that's just because she's his sister-"

"And Hermione might as well be yours." Ron spoke up.

"What?" Harry couldn't help but be surprised by Ron's response to this.

"Well, we're practically a family already, aren't we? Harry, you're like one of my brothers, you know, except not evil. I thought you already knew that." Ron said softly and Harry felt his face go hot.

"I did... I just…"

"So do we have your permission?" Ron said his voice much stronger than it had been before.

"What?"

"To be together. To date. Whatever you want to call it. Do we have your permission, mate?" He asked again, his eyes boring into Harry's.

"Oh, right. Yeah, of course! You might as well enjoy some happiness while you can." Harry said coming out of the moment of shock. Ron had called him his brother. He had called him family.

"Thank you, Harry." Hermione whispered.

"No problem."

"Ready for tomorrow, then?" Ron asked as though desperate for a change in subject.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Harry replied truthfully.

"Right. I guess we should all go back up to bed, then." Ron said and he and Hermione stood up from the couch

"Wait." Harry said as they both headed towards the stairs and he too stood up. The pair turned to look at him curiously. "Did… did you mean it?"

"Mean what, mate?" Ron asked.

"Did you mean it when you said we were a family?" There was a note of pain in Harry's voice. Ever since he had lost Sirius he had been so desperate for a family. It was the one thing he had wanted all his life. He wanted to feel like there were people who loved him, people who cared enough about him to die for him just as his mother had done.

"Yes, Harry. We are a family." Hermione said and she walked back over to him and took his hand in hers.

"Yeah, mate. You don't have to have red hair to be a Weasley." Ron said also walking over to him and clapping him on the back.

"Yes. Let's go to bed." Harry finally said and the three of them headed back up the stairs. When they reached the landing where Ginny and Hermione's room was located Harry stopped a few steps below the other two.

"Goodnight Harry." She whispered down to him.

"'Night Hermione." He returned. She then turned her attention to Ron.

"Goodnight Ronald." She said her sweet voice returning. Ron smiled at her and leaned down and kissed her quickly. Hermione blushed deeply, turned, opened the door, and disappeared behind it. Ron looked down at Harry and shrugged. Harry chuckled to himself as he and Ron continued up the stairs until they reached the attic bedroom. They both slid back into their beds, finally tired and ready for sleep to take hold.

"Goodnight Ron." Harry said as he pulled the covers over himself.

"Goodnight Harry." Ron replied with a yawn as he shut his eyes and almost immediately began snoring.

"Goodnight… brother." Harry murmured as his eyes closed and his thoughts drifted away from all those of Horcruxes and Voldemort and instead rested in a place where he was with his two best friends, with Lupin, with Tonks, with Fred and George, with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, with Moody, with Ginny, with Sirius, with his parents….

He was with his family.