I've Known all Along.

By: Mickey244

Chapter One:

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter- The queen does, and I love her just as much as all the rest of us Potterheads.

Harry woke in a cold sweat, His body shaking, His mouth bone dry. He heard a loud guttural scream as he shot up in bed, it took him a few seconds of panicked silence to realize that the terrible sound had been one ripped from his own throat. This realization however brought back flashes of the dream he had been enduring, streaks of green, red and blue danced behind his eyelids as he heard the echoed shrieks of laughter in his mind. He lay back down in his bed glancing sidelong at Ron who had somehow remained asleep through his screaming. He let his eyes drift closed again not hearing the door open and close, he felt a shift in weight on the bed.

"Are you okay Harry?" Hermione asked in a hushed tone. He opened his eyes and glanced at her, her hair fell in ringlets framing her face, he suddenly realised that it had become much less frizzy as the years went on and suppressed the urge to reach up and run his fingers through it.

"I'm fine Mione, Just a nightmare." He said groggily looking up at her through squinted eyes. "Don't worry about it."

Hermione looked down at him sceptically, he knew she was and would be worried about him whether he told her he was fine or not. "Are you sure Harry? That was a pretty loud scream."

"Yeah Hermione I'm fine, can't help but wonder how loud it was though, didn't wake Ron." He said eliciting a small giggle from her. He quickly decided that she needed to giggle much more often.

Harry had admitted to himself that he had feelings for Hermione in his fourth year at Hogwarts. Seeing her floating in animated suspension under the water something inside of him had snapped. If Krum hadn't taken her he knew that he would have left Cho and took Hermione. Thus his self-inflicted pain began the longing looks when she wasn't watching, the restless nights and the chills down his spine when they touched. With all of these things also came the pain of watching her grow closer to Ron, the way his eyes would linger on hers, how she would prolong any physical connection with him. It was killing him in a way that Voldemort never could.

"Go back to sleep Mione, I promise I'm fine." He said nodding his head. "Really." Hermione looked at him through squinted eyes; he could tell she still didn't believe him. Though she was a bit overprotective and he'd grown used to it by now and took it as a sign of affection.

"Harry, what was the dream about?" she asked him speaking softly. Harry rolled his eyes, why was she so stubborn? "It was just a dream Hermione, dreams can't hurt me." He said though they both knew it wasn't true.

"Was it about Voldemort? Did he get into your head again?" She looked down at him her expression one of worry. "No Hermione, Just a bad dream. Everyone has nightmares." He huffed exhausted. "You really should go back to sleep, I really am fine and you need your rest." Harry said, his eyelids growing heavy with sleep. She didn't move though, just sat on the edge of his bed staring at him. He'd seen that face before, this was her thinking face.

"What're you thinking about?" He asked her, his words slurred together, his voice seemed to have snapped her out of her self induced trance because before he knew it she was ushering him to scoot over and sliding into bed beside him. Harry was too tired to protest. He crossed his arms over his chest and felt her arms wrap around his bicep. He sighed happily at the close contact before remembering Ron was in the same room. "What are you doing Mione?" he asked warmly, he didn't want to scare her off. "I don't want to be alone tonight and I don't want you to be alone tonight." She said wearily. "Just go to sleep Harry." She said pulling the covers up to her chin and closing her eyes.

Harry smiled gazing down at her for a few moments before leaning back into his pillows. The sound of their hearts beating in sync lulling him into a blissful sleep.

Literally the shortest thing I've ever written, I don't even know if I would call this a chapter! well I'm sorry about that. I swear next chapter'll be longer, and I plan to try and update at least twice a week. Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated! no I'm not one of those people who tell you to review or they won't continue writing, I just know that they keep me motivated to write more often and keep up a good pace. I'm going to try to upload tomorrow for you guys considering the length of this chapter. (long ass AN)