My Anchor

My Anchor

By: Nettie

Harry Potter smiled, even here, at the Burrow, things were sticky and humid. Someone sat next to him, he looked up in surprise, it was just beginning to get light, he had thought everyone was asleep.

Hermione was sitting next to him, they hadn't really talked much since both of them had arrived at the Burrow, a week before, Harry was mainly doing things with Ron, to keep his mind off the Rise of Lord Voldemort, and she was immersed in her books.

"Want to go for a walk?" he asked, almost timidly.

Hermione inwardly smiled, "Sure," she said softly, and took the offered hand.

They walked up to the apple orchard in silence, then Harry said something that had been on his mind all summer. "Is this really worth it Hermione? All of this? Should I just go and surrender to Voldemort? Then no one will get hurt."

Hermione's brown eyes flickered with emotion, her grip on Harry's hand tightened and she whirled to face him, her face set with fury. "Harry James Potter! If you EVER a say that again..." she trailed off, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Hey, 'Mione, don't cry," he said, brushing the tear away, his fingers trailing down her cheek.

"Harry, if you even think of surrendering to Voldemort," she shivered suddenly, and more tears trickled down her cheeks. "Your the only one who can defeat him, don't you see? You are the key, if you give up..." she turned her back, tears silently streaming down her face.

"But he'll kill you, and Ron and everyone who I actually love and care about, just to get to me!" Harry yelled. "If I surrender, then you will be safe."

Hermione stopped crying abruptly. He has said you, not you all, you, was it possible? No...

She turned to him. "Harry, he'll still kill us even if you do surrender.So don't you DARE even THINK about surrendering."

He was now staring at her with the strangest expression on his face, thinking hard. THIS was Hermione, he reminded himself sternly. She's your best friend...and your...your seeing her as a...as a....as a girl. He looked down, a blush tinging his cheeks.

"Harry Potter!" she said sharply. "Look at me right now!"

Harry looked, she was looking furious, defiant, sorrowful and beautiful, so beautiful. Her large brown eyes were glistening with tears, her long tangle of curls were all over, down to her waist. She was somehow terrifyingly beautiful. She wasn't like Cho Chang, his old Crush, she was different, she was Hermione and she was beautiful in her own way.

"Promise me Harry," she said, enraptured by his mesmerizing Green eyes. "Promise me you will never give up, you'll never surrender to him, no matter what happens."

"He'll kill you," he said. "I can't let that happen 'Mione, he'll destroy the only girl I actually love." What was he saying? though Harry. DID he love her? Yes, of course he did. Hermione was his Anchor, the one who was always there, the one who got him out of scrapes, the true Gryffindor.

Hermione blinked, did he mean what she thought he did. "I don't care." she said softly, tearing her eyes away from his, and looking at the ground. "I've lived enough...if he tried to kill me, I'd fight back, and I might die...I might not. Now promise me!"

He knew that he couldn't say no, but he wanted to. "All right, I promise."

Hermione nodded, her eyes still on the ground, not wanting to meet his.

"'Mione--Mione look at me." His fingers traveled to her chin and tilted her face to look at his.

Green eyes met brown, and suddenly Harry's mouth was on hers, their tongues entwined. They both crashed to the ground. Hermione was painfully aware of where their body's touched., a burning desire filled her legs, her back, where his hands were, and her chest, which was crushed against him. Harry finally broke the kiss, both of the were breathing heavily.

Harry was on top of her, his forehead against hers, his arms around her tightly. their legs were tangled together. "Do you know," he said, softly, brushing a curl away from her face. "How long I have loved you?"

She smiled, that beautiful shy smile of hers, but didn't answer.

"I've loved you ever since the first time i saw you , though I didn't know it... I didn't even know what love was...I think I realized I loved you since you lit Snape on fire in our first year, I pushed it away. I love you Hermione, I love you so much."

She leaned forward so that her lips were almost touching his ear. "I love you too."

He drew back, astonished, then a genuine smile flew across his face. "Say it louder," he said playfully.

"I am not!" she said stubbornly.

He put on his puppy dog face. "Please?"

"Fine, I love you,"

"Louder,"

"No!"

"Yes."

"God Dammit! HARRY POTTER I LOVE YOU!" her yell rang trhough the orchard.

"I think the whole world knows now," he whsipered in her ear.

She grinned and kissed him. "Good for them."

A/N: ::sigh:: What can I say? I really am a true romantic at heart. You are allowed to flame me, but if it is just to say: H/H sux! R/H ROOLE! I will laugh my head off at you and display your flame on my site, where I will allow others to ridicule you. Review, this is really my first romance fic, though I liked how it turned out.