DH compliant, minus the epilogue!

First, I just want to say hello to everyone - so hi! :)

This is my first fan fic...this is Trio-Centric, the love and relationship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. If you don't like stories about the 3 of them in a relationship I suggest not reading then.

Please feel free. to give me suggestions as I've never done a fan fic before! Chances are great this story will end up being really long as I have a billion ideas and scenes…but we'll see.

Rated M for future chapters...there will be language and drama and sex.

thanks for the reviews so far :)

WHERE THINGS STAND NOW (the beginning)

Hermione sat at the kitchen table in the Burrow her brow furrowed in concentration. She flipped the pages of the book in front of her, her eyes never glancing up. Her spoon hanging limp in her finger tips, hovering above her now cold bowl of porridge. Her lips were parted slightly and moist from the pink tongue that kept escaping from between them.

Deeply engrossed in her book, Forbidden Fruit: A look of Love and Lust Through the Ages, she didn't even notice that Ron had entered the room until he sat down across from her and tossed a chunk of crust at her book. Crumbs littered the pages and fell onto the table and she looked up with a start.

"Must be a good book to ignore food."

Hermione shut the book quickly and placed it in her lap, her cheeks pinkening. She tugged at a piece of hair that had fallen loose of her pony tail and decided to change the subject away from her book.

"Seen Harry? Is he coming down today?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders, swallowing a mouthful of porridge.

"He's up in bed right now, doesn't seem like he'll be joining us anytime soon though. Another bad day."

Hermione sighed, setting her spoon down and pushing her bowl away. Harry had his good days and his bad days. Most of his days were filled with the bad ones though. He felt guilty about all the deaths that had happened from the war. He had this hero complex that made him feel bad that he couldn't save everyone. He knew that he had done good and saved generations of people from a life plagued by someone dreadful but it still didn't lessen his unneeded guilt. The only time he really seemed fully happy was when Andromeda brought Teddy by for visits. He could be utterly depressed but the moment little Teddy showed up he was bright eyed and bushy tailed, down on the ground romping around with the baby. Sadly not much else seemed to pull him out of the depressive moods, despite efforts by everyone.

Everyone was rather depressed the days and weeks after the war. Now, nearly five months later with most of the Death Eaters put away or in hiding, things had calmed down and people were going on with their lives. Hermione thought over the changes the past few months while looking around the kitchen in the quiet house that used to be loud and bustling with people at all hours.

George was now living, alone, above his shop. He was doing relatively well considering he lost his twin. He said he needed some time to adjust and wanted to keep busy whenever he felt melancholy. Now, should he feel a pang of loss at 3am he could simply go down into the shop and work away without anyone knowing. He told Hermione that working on the creations that Fred and he had planned made him still feel connected.

Ginny was off for the summer with Charlie exploring dragon reservations. It was rather insisted upon by her mother who was aghast to find out she had a relationship with a Slytherin she had grown close to during the last year when Harry, Ron and Hermione were away. She refused to name who this special someone was though.

Percy was welcomed back into the family with open arms and he is currently living with Bill and Fleur helping out where he could while everyone recovered from battle wounds.

Molly and Arthur kept busying fawning over the "Golden Trio" and were adjusting to an almost empty nest and the loss of many loved ones.

Ron was, well, Ron. He kept a lot in but he had his moments where you could tell the pain was unbearable Hermione thought. They hadn't discussed their relationship in any great length and seemed to of resorted back to almost a friendship, but with a bit more flirting. They had done light pecks on the lips since the war ended but nothing more. Now it had been a little over five months since their initial kiss and Hermione was getting frustrated in more ways than one.

Hermione sat there watching him eat for a moment then stood up. "I'm going to go check on Harry then I guess go down to the lake for a while. Want to join me out there a little later?"

Ron nodded his head, flashed her a smile, and went back to his food. Hermione looked at the top of his head a moment longer and then left the kitchen and headed up to the room Harry was now occupying. It used to be Percy's room, but Harry had taken it over at Molly's insistence.

Hermione walked to the room and listened outside the door. Nothing. She knocked gently and slowly pushed the door open, peeking her head inside.

"Harry, mind if I come in?"

Harry was lying in the bed, his covers kicked down around his feet. He had on a pair of long sleep pants in a bright red color and nothing else. Hermione was still shocked at his body when she saw him without much clothing on. The last year of being on the run and searching for the Horcruxes gave us all better figures but Harry had by far had the biggest change. Still on the slim side, his body was covered in lean muscle and shifted and flexed as he moved. Maybe it was the lack of anything going on with Ron but there were times when Hermione found her eyes lingered on his body a lot longer than it obviously should. He was like a brother to her and it felt wrong but it felt right at the same time too. Although, she supposed, Ron also used to feel like a brother.

He didn't say no so she closed the door behind her and set her book down on a nearby dresser giving herself a mental note to pick it up on the way out. She walked over to his bed trying to keep my focus on his face, not his body.

"How are you doing today?" Hermione sat on the edge of bed and curled her legs up alongside herself, looking to his face as he stared blankly to the ceiling.

He shrugged.

"Ron notice you exist again yet?"

Hermione laughed slightly; despite everything going on in his poor mind he had taken an active interest in Ron and her love life since their kiss before the final battle.

"Nice way to change the subject." She poked a finger into his side and he yelped and grabbed a hold of her accused finger and held onto it. When it was apparent he had no intention of letting go of her she continued on. "No, but that is fine. Whatever will be will be, right? And I think I might start a little persuasion soon."

Harry cast his eyes over to her, smirking slightly. "Oh yea, how so?"

Hermione rolled my eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I would."

He looked serious and Hermione blushed and tugged to pull her finger free from his grasp. He let go and sighed looking back up at the ceiling.

"Harry...geesh...scoot over." Hermione pushed at him and laid down next to him on her back, looking to the ceiling he was just staring up into. She could feel his eyes travel back to her face.

"He'll come around regardless of if you tempt him or not. Everyone ends up with someone. Well, except me of course." He gave a dramatic sigh, not really upset, just expressing his thoughts.

"Oh, hush up Harry, you know that isn't true. You have both Ron and I and you'll find someone. Maybe Ginny will come back and..."

"No." Harry cut in, "Ginny and I are over. I've accepted that. It wasn't ever going to last anyway. I'm used to everyone I love leaving me, it really isn't a problem, it is just bloody aggravating is all. Next it'll be you. Ron and you."

Hermione rolled onto her side and looked down at Harry. She draped an arm around him, hugging him, her head resting on his smooth, firm chest. His heart rate picked up slightly she noticed.

"Harry, I'll never leave you, even if something does happen with Ron, you have to know that, ok?"

"Yea, you two will get a house and let me sleep in the guest room, right? I'll babysit your kids. I'll be the nanny." He mused sarcastically.

Hermione propped her chin on his chest looking up at his face.

"Harry...why are you so sad? You have to get out of this funk. Please."

Harry looked down at her and blinked his eyes like he was trying to keep from crying. His voice was husky with emotion when he spoke again.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'll be ok."

Hermione shifted a bit and scooted up beside him and wiped at a tear that had escaped his right eye. Harry put his hand on top of hers, holding it still against his cheek. Reaching up he brushed at her cheek. She hadn't realized she had started crying too. Lifting his head slightly, hesitantly, he leans up and pressed his lips firmly against her. They felt warm and slightly chapped. It only lasted a few moments and then he pulled away, her lips tingling for more.

"Harry..." She was shocked by the longing in her voice.

"I'm so sorry Hermione. Listen, you should go. I am so so sorry."

Harry sat up, knocking Hermione off his chest and scooted over to the other side of the bed.

"Harry, you don't have to apologize. Just, talk to me. What is going on?"

"Nothing, really, please go. I'm sorry."

He refused to look into her eyes and shifted uncomfortably on the bed, his arms across his chest, looking down at the pattern on the bed spread. Sighing Hermione got up and walked to the door, opened it slowly and left, closing it behind her. Her lips still tingled and tasted like Harry. It was a quick kiss, and different from the kiss she had shared with Ron, but it sparked really similar emotions inside of her. Sighing again as she walked to her room to change she knew this was going to be a really big problem, she was in love with both of her two best friends. This couldn't end well; it couldn't end well at all.