Disclaimer: I don't own anything, all J.K Rowling.
Author's note: Just a small one shot fanfic I wrote of Harry and Hermione, right after the infamous line that all made our little shipper hearts jump.
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She hesitated, but recognized the dismissal. She picked up the book and then walked back past him into the tent, but as she did so, she brushed the top of his head lightly with her hand. He closed his eyes at her touch, and hated himself for wishing that what she said was true: that Dumbledore had really cared.
Harry kept his eyes closed, savoring the brief warmth of human touch that Hermione had granted him. But it didn't last long. Quickly his fingertips became numb and the rest of his body slowly followed. The cold wasn't as bad as the heavy beating of his heart. If only he could shut it off. Everything. His constant thinking, it was enough to drive him mad. But even worse that that, his emotions were starting to take a toll on him. How much longer could he try to pretend that this was going to be a successful mission? That Hermione wasn't in danger with him? That the Weasly's, Remus, Tonks, everyone would end up just fine? And Ginny - he quickly stopped there. His fear that somehow Voldermort would eventually find out that she meant something to him was beginning to lay heavy on his already overstuffed heart. He would find her, use her, hurt her to get to him. Somewhere in the back of his mind and deep in his gut, a place he only let himself visit once a year because it was so painfully truthful, he was more scared of the impact it would have on the Weasly family, instead of him, if anything would happen to her. They were so close, losing one of their members would be devasting. And he would be responsible. How would he be able to live with himself? His relationship with Ginny had been brief but it was a happy, normal time in his life. Slowly he was beginning to think it was one of the rare times his life would ever be normal, and the fact that he held on to his feelings for Ginny was because he craved a regular life. But why fool himself any longer? Deep down did he still love her?
Harry quickly got up and tried to shake the thoughts away. Why was he adding more heavy thoughts? In the end he would always love Ginny, she had become his family, but would he be IN love with her...
A noise made him spin around, he peered out in the darkness breathing heavily. He shut his eyes and let the biting cold into his lungs, it calmed him down, refreshed his mind. He turned to the tent, he could see through the slit Hermione curled up into an armchair holding a cup of tea. She was starring into nothing, deep in thought like him. A slow strange smile creeped on his face. It surprised him, he thought he had forgotten how to. Especially now, after having seen his parent's grave, his destroyed home and nearly having killed them both. But he smiled. It was comforting knowing that there was still one person here with him, in a lonely tent, in the cold, lost in their thoughts about the people they cared about.
He sat back down to continue the watch. But he kept glancing back to Hermione, as if expecting Voldermort to show up and seize her. The thought sent shivers down his spin. He couldn't believe how close it had been, how close they both came - and because of him. All the thoughts he briefly had shut out rushed back in. But something else came that suddenly overwhelmed him more that anything.
Loneliness.
But not his. His had been constant his whole life. No, it was Hermione's. It seeped into him so heavily he forgot to breath. How could he have carried on so long without comforting her? Here he was, worrying none stop, thinking how to protect himself, how to find the Horcruxes, feeling sorry for himself, throwing his misery on his two best friends who have always stood beside him. Yes Ron had left but in the end, could Harry blame him? But Hermione, there she was, scared to death, dealing with how the one boy she cared about had abandoned her and the one she stayed for was barely acknoweldging her. And worse, her parents didn't even know who she was anymore. She was so alone. But she didn't complain, she still looked after him, put aside everything for him.
She was still here.
This realization was so powerful to Harry that for once, everything slipped out of his mind and he just basked in the warmth this thought had created for him. He wasn't alone, he would never be if she was there. And he knew she would never leave him, they had created a bond that was inexplicable to anyone else but them. And letting himself think it, not just subconsciously know it was there, was a giant comfort. He got up, he went into the tent and saw that she had went to lie down on one of the bunks. She was sleeping lightly. He had to be there for her now, it was his turn to make her his number one priority, to make her feel safe, to vanish her loneliness. That's what best friends do. Because she was his best friend, on another level than Ron.
She was still here.
He quietly walked to the bunk and laid down beside her. He felt her stir, but she didn't turn around and ask him why he wasn't doing the watch or sleeping in his own bunk. And as the comfortable silence filtered into their tent, slowly she inched closer. He turned and but his arm around her, pulled her close and tried to convey all the emotions he had to her, to make her feel like everything was all right and that one day, they would be laughing again with all their friends and the only worry they would have is if they should drink butterbeer or fire whiskey.
"Thank you Hermione"
She took his hand, squeezed it. That was enough to know that she as well, was trying to cure his loneliness. And for the first time in weeks, they both slept.