This is a slight AU in the modern era of the Harry Potter world. The timeline is slightly skewed in that Harry began his search for the Horcruxes midway through his sixth year with the aid of Dumbledore, Ron, and Hermione, enabling him to defeat Voldemort by the end of the summer before seventh year. So, everyone has returned to Hogwarts to complete their wizarding educations while still recovering from the aftermath of the war. Aside from the relationship that develops in this story, it is largely canon, meaning that all of the deaths and events that occurred in DH still hold true, just on this altered timeline. This particular segment of the trio's seventh year begins about two weeks prior to the winter holidays. Any and all comments and questions about the setting, timeline, or the story in general are more than welcome and will be addressed as needed. This story begins as a simple story about their lives at Hogwarts following the war (it also begins with HG/RW, but don't let that discourage you—it is a HG/DM fic, I assure you), but develops into much more after a few encounters between two characters, causing the development of an unexpected relationship. Enjoy.

Chapter 1: It Was Cute an Hour Ago

"Ron!" Hermione Granger giggled and pushed Ron Weasley off of her, who had had his arm wrapped around her waist while tickling her neck with the feathered end of his quill. "Stop! I have to get some work done."

"Oh, come of it, Hermione," Ron said, now using his wand to levitate the quill so that it tickled the other side of Hermione's neck, causing an internal struggle for her as she determined whether to swipe the quill away or Ron. "We all know that you're going to get Outstandings on all of your N.E.W.T.s. You don't need to study anymore. Let's go upstairs and have some fun," Ron added hopefully.

Hermione blushed scarlet and grabbed the quill from the air, and throwing it at Ron's face, she said. "Ronald Weasley, you may not care about these tests, but I do, and I will not let you distract me." Hermione's voice was stern, but there was the trace of a smile on her face and her eyes were twinkling.

"All right, Ron, enough," Harry Potter said. He was sitting very close to a mop of fierce red hair that belonged to Ginny Weasley. She was turned around in her seat at the table she occupied with Ron, Hermione, and Harry talking to some other Gryffindor sixth years. Harry's head was in his hands as he spoke. "Look, it was cute an hour ago, but I'm exhausted, and I've gotten no work done because all I can concentrate on his Hermione scolding you every five minutes."

The blush that crept up Ron's face now matched Hermione's when he said, "Sorry, mate, I didn't realize."

"Sorry, Harry," Hermione muttered bashfully.

Harry chuckled a little and lifted his head from his hands. "It's okay. Young love," he said glancing at Ginny. "I get it, it's just… you know… take it easy," he said with a shrug. "I didn't mean to snap. I'm just tired of all this work the teachers are assigning us, and I feel like I keep working but I don't even make a dent in everything I have to do. It's frustrating," he said with an agitated slap on the table. This caused Ginny to whip around with apologies to the people she was talking to.

"Harry?" she said, placing a soft hand on his thigh. "Is everything okay?" She was smiling and looking at him lovingly.

"Just tired," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"Come on," Ginny said. She picked up his books and started putting his things away into his schoolbag. "You've done enough work for tonight. You should get some rest." Without arguing, Harry stood up and took his bag from Ginny. He said a quick and quiet goodnight to Ron and Hermione, and, taking Ginny's hand, he walked up to his dormitory as per her request.

"He hasn't been getting much sleep," Ron said after Harry and Ginny were out of earshot. "I told Ginny. Every time I wake up in the night to get a drink of water or something, I see him standing by the window looking out at the Forbidden Forest. And when he does sleep, I'll see him tossing and turning and he'll wake up with a start or covered in sweat." Hermione sighed and shook her head knowingly. The war had been over for several months, and while they were all making a slow but steady recovery, Harry's sojourn into the Forbidden Forest over the summer stayed with him. Hermione could not blame him. If she had been forced to walk to her death while the specters of her dead family stood around her trying to help her through it, she did not think she would get over it quickly.

"He'll be fine," she said, looking up the stairs that led to the dormitories. And although she tried to sound confident, the worry etched across her face betrayed her emotions.

"Well," said Ron, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist once again. "What do you say we take a break from studying—" Hermione snorted. "Okay, you take a break from studying, and we go find an abandoned classroom?" Hermione pushed Ron's arm off of her and shook her head. But when she started gathering up her things, Ron looked hopeful again.

"Let me go put this upstairs, and I'll be back down in a minute," she said as a seductive smile crept across her face. It took all of Ron's power not to shove his fists into the air in triumph.