Righting the Wrongs He Did

Hermione had been crying non-stop for nearly two days and Harry was worried that she would waste away with Ron gone away. She barely ate and didn't get much rest, even when she slept. Harry noticed that she was losing weight and couldn't hold his tongue much longer. "Hermione?" he started timidly, not knowing exactly what he was going to say.

The puffy eyed girl looked up at him from her place in a chair. It was evening so their daily ration of food was sitting on a plate in front of her, having not been touched. Harry cleared his throat, willing his Gryffindor bravery to come through and help him help his friend. "Hermione, I think you should eat," he told her after a moment.

"I'm not hungry, Harry," she said, her voice hoarse from all her crying.

"I need you to be strong," he told her. "I know he's gone, but you'll have to carry on without him if you want us to survive this search and destroy mission."

"I know, Harry," she sniffed. "But I just can't eat."

"Please?" he asked, all the feeling he could muster in his voice and eyes. He was missing Ron too, but knew that he had to be strong for the world, if not for only Hermione.

"I can't…" she whispered. She pulled a blanket up around herself and hid her face from view, hoping to throw him off his requests of her. Harry couldn't let her end herself like that, however. He was determined to get Hermione through it, Ron or no Ron.

"I don't want to have to put you under the imperious curse," he said gently. "But I will if you don't start eating. I need you well."

Hermione sighed and tried to sit up, succeeding in tipping over her food in the process. "I'm sorry," she said tiredly, looking down at the mess she had made in the floor of the tent.

"It's ok," Harry told her, stooping down to clean up. He made her another plate of food and presented it to her. "Will you eat now?"

She nodded after a moment and allowed her best friend to feed her some bits of potato. Harry really didn't mind feeding Hermione as long as she ate properly. He continued scooping food into a spoon and bringing it to her lips until the entire plate was clean. He cleaned things up afterward while Hermione sat staring at the door to the tent. He could tell she was hoping Ron would appear any moment and apologize to the both of them for being an ass. He knew it probably wouldn't happen any time soon, however.

Three days went by with Harry feeding Hermione her breakfast, lunch and dinner and waiting for her to want to talk about what she was going through. He was a bit relieved when she went to bed every night as he wasn't sure how he could respond to her fears and grievances. He hoped that she would start getting rest, but every morning when they reawakened, she looked just as tired as when she had retired to her room. Harry knew he didn't look much better, but he knew that he had to be strong for Hermione in order for her to heal.

Nearly a week after Ron walked out; she ate her first meal on her own. Harry was immensely relieved and they even chatted a bit about catching an episode of Potterwatch on the radio. They tried for nearly two hours without luck and ended up settling into bed without news of their friends and allies.

Harry started noticing Hermione's actions becoming more purposeful, as though she was finally letting Ron's walking out go…or at least pushing it to the back of her mind. They moved again and it had been 11 days since they had seen Ron, but Hermione refused to talk about him or anything they had done with him, not that Harry blamed her. He wasn't getting much sleep at night due to the necklace that he wore around his neck, but was glad that his best friend was finally getting a bit. He lay awake most of the night listening to her breathing so he wouldn't have to think about the nightmares that the necklace brought him.

On their twelfth day without Ron, Hermione suggested she wear the necklace for a while, Harry didn't want to let her bear the burden, but he really needed some sleep, so he reluctantly handed it over. She placed it around her neck and Harry let himself drift off. He slept until nightfall and was quick to retrieve the necklace when he reawakened. Hermione was crying softly in the corner and he knew she was thinking about Ron. "I don't want you to have to deal with my burdens as much," he told Hermione. "It only brings you down."

"Oh, Harry!" she cried, flinging her arms around him. He let her cry into his shoulder, dampening his shirt and neck a bit in the process. Harry held her until her tears subsided and she was able to breathe normally once more. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Don't be," he told her firmly. He hated that she was going through all of this pain on his behalf. If he had just gone on alone, she and Ron would have been safely at the Burrow, he told himself. He hated seeing Hermione crying. "I'm sorry."

"I wanted to come," she said. "Don't worry about me. I've been a burden and I apologize for that, but I'm here to help you now. If you'll have me."

Harry seriously considered telling her to go home, but he knew she would be upset if he said he didn't need her, so he simply nodded. The most unexpected thing he could imagine happened then. Hermione Granger, his best friend, pressed her lips firmly against his. He knew that it was probably wrong, but he couldn't help responding. His body desperately craved some comfort and was apparently willing to take it from her. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her.

"I've loved you for so long, Harry," she whispered when they finally broke apart. Harry was bewildered. His best friend was in love with him. Why had she then been so upset about Ron leaving he wondered. She seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, however. "Ron's my best friend and it hurts that he would leave us like this, but I think I'm in love with you."

Harry nodded numbly. He was really not good in this kind of situation. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled her close again and covered her lips with his own. She responded enthusiastically and they sank back into the large, cushioned chair that Harry Hermione had been sitting in.

She's your best friend! a part of his brain screamed. But she's in love with you… his more romantic side protested. Harry didn't bother to fight his subconscious as Hermione deepened the kiss, running her tongue along his top lip. If you hurt her, you'll have lost both of your friends, his rational mind told him. But maybe we won't get hurt, the other part said. Don't ruin your friendship, his mind said. And don't ruin a good thing. Hermione loves you. You can learn to love her too. She's willing to die with you, after all.

Harry couldn't fight the feelings that were coming up when he thought of Hermione. He knew their relationship was changed when his hands seemed to slid down her body of their own accord and squeeze her bum. He was definitely going to have to agree with his more romantic side this time and hope to hell the people around him could accept his choice. Their snogging session ended a while later as both of their stomachs growled in hunger.

Maybe this will be a good thing…Harry thought. He smiled at Hermione from across the room. There was only one way to find out.