"Is that how you feel when you see Ginny with Dean?"
Hermione's question came out of nowhere, and before he could stutter an answer she snorted and looked away. The light hit her cheek and he could see the faint traces of her tears.
"Don't tell me you haven't thought of that, Harry, because I can see it in your eyes every time you look at her."
Harry shrugged. He should have guessed Hermione would notice. She always seemed to know what was going on with his life and everything else, Harry guessed.
"I don't know how you do it, Harry," she confessed, leaning into him. Harry put an arm around her shoulders. "I mean, Ronald is ridiculously absurd! How could he fall for Lavender when-"
"When he has you?"
She sat straighter at that and Harry debated whether or not he should keep their awkward embrace. At the end, he dropped his arm in time for her to look at him with a faint, pink blush on her cheeks.
"He doesn't know what he's missing," he added without thinking.
Harry heard Hermione's intake of breath and saw the way she licked her lips.
"The thing is, I don't think he's missing anything with Lavender right now," she said angrily. "From what I got to see they were already snogging each other senseless as if they had a relationship for years. It was not proper."
Harry's chortle surprised Hermione, and she shot him a part angry and part confused look.
"What?"
"We have had a relationship for years, haven't we?" he boldly asked, suddenly ashamed and feeling his cheeks on fire.
The tender look and soft smile Hermione gave him made Harry's stomach flip.
"A friendship," she clarified, though Harry could see the intrigued half-smile and curious eyes.
"Still longer than whatever it is Ron and Lavender have," Harry answered, moving closer to Hermione, though not as surely as he would have wanted. Doubt was beginning to set in his mind. What if this ruined everything with Hermione?
Hermione didn't give him time to change the situation because her hand pulled his face to hers and she pressed her lips against him. Harry couldn't begin to fathom why Hermione kissed him, lost in the feeling of her lips. It only lasted for a second before Hermione pulled away.
"I was not expecting that," Harry confessed feeling his blush intensify.
"I wasn't either," she said, looking away at first and then turning to Harry again. "But I liked it."
Harry grinned and grabbed her hand, holding it awkwardly in his.
"I could get used to it."
Her eyes were bright now, and her laughter cheery. Harry didn't notice when he started loving that sound, but he knew it would be very difficult to live without it, and without her.
