Hermione's shaking knees failed to keep supporting her and she dropped to the ground, kneeling and sobbing, clutching the dirt as if she were holding onto her sanity.
And in a way, she was. The dirt was the only thing that felt real right now. That is, the dirt and the long tear in her heart. Even though the expression 'tear in your heart' was metaphorical, she didn't feel that was the case for her. It was as if there was a literal tear in her heart.
One of her best friends that she was infatuated with had just left her. He had left her and her other best friend, Harry. He had left behind the hunt. He had left behind their chance of ending the greatest evil in wizarding England. He had left behind his brotherhood with Harry. He had left behind her. He had left behind them. And he had also left behind mixed emotions- betrayal, hurt, love. Yes, he had left behind her love. Due to the locket he wore around his neck, he wasn't able to think logically or emotionally. Excluding anger, because that was the only emotion able to be felt when the locket is worn. She wondered how things would've played out if he wasn't wearing that Horcrux. Would he have stayed? Oh, how she wished he would've stayed. How she wished to just see him. How she wished he would come back, apologize and show remorse and regret for what he did, and welcome her into his arms. But dreams were dreams and not matter how hard she worked for it, this dream would not come true.
She and Harry were too far in the hunt to go back. It's just the two of them now and it's just the two of them that can put together the puzzle and stop all bad and evil for good.
That was when it really hit her. It's just the two of us now. The two of us….
She and Harry haven't really been on speaking terms lately. Nothing happened between them, but it was the matter of Ron's leaving that had left a dent on their relationship.
Ron. Dent. Relationship. Me. Harry.
Hermione sat up straighter with sudden realization; she shouldn't let Ron's leaving affect Harry and her. She stood up swiftly, brushed off her jeans, and went back into the tent only to find Harry sitting on the bottom bunk bed with his elbows on his knees.
"Hey," she tentatively greeted.
"Hermione," Harry mumbled, not looking up at her.
"How've you been?"
"I dunno."
She scooted up her footsteps. "May I sit?"
"You may."
Their conversation was far too simple for her liking. It lacked detail and personality.
Once she sat down besides Harry, she leaned down to glance into his eyes. The ambitious gleam was no longer there. Instead, she saw a void of emerald. It was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.
Without saying another word, she lifted her right arm and firmly placed it across Harry's shoulders. She let out a small gasp once she felt how stiff and tense he was, then began to make soothing noises.
"I don't know, Hermione… I don't know," he finally said, shattering the silence that was discreetly piercing the both of them.
"We don't have to solve it all right now."
We.
"Yes, we do!" Harry snapped, abruptly shooting out of the bed. "He is out there! He is terrorizing people like you. People like me. People that are associated with you and me! Finding the rest of the Horcruxes will be our only way to officially destroy him once and for all! And if we don't keep going right now, when, Hermione, when?"
Harry let out a deep breath after his rant. He shut his eyes and stood rooted to the spot, breathing in and out, in and out, in and out. Hermione sat still on the bed, gazing at her best friend, a hurt expression worn across her face.
When Harry didn't say another word, Hermione decided it was her turn to speak up.
"You're right, I guess," she softly spoke and got up to face Harry. "But don't you think we've been working nonstop? We need a break."
"Must I repeat myself?" Harry said in a deep, solemn tone.
"Harry," she said, raising her voice to a normal volume, "This is stressing you out too much." She stretched out an arm and began stroking Harry's. "We can't keep working if you're too stressed. You need to moment to calm down and just breathe."
"Hermione, there are people suffe-"
Hermione quickly shut him up with her lips.
The kiss was slow and full of unlocked, raw passion. It was wrong doing so, since Harry was her best friend, but at the same time, it felt so right. His lips moved with hers smoothly like the gears inside a clock. The two were completely oblivious to the world as of now as Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and Hermione comfortably slipped her arms around his neck.
Deciding that she wanted to feel more, Hermione slowly licked Harry's lips, asking for entrance and was more delighted than she thought she'd be when he parted his lips to grant her so. Their tongues fought for dominance, but the two finally broke apart when oxygen was of need.
Nothing needed to be said at the moment. The two stared at each other with passion and understanding in their eyes. Then Harry came forward to hold Hermione against his chest. She let out a content sigh as he began swaying back and forth.
Perhaps it had been Harry all along.