Hermione's POV

I had always known that I would end up with one of them. Despite the fact that they had been my best friends since first year and that we were closer than siblings, being in a relationship with one of them was not as unappealing as one might think. As I had come to realize over the past several years, neither of them were disgusted with the idea of being with me. Quite the opposite actually.

For the last several months, particularly since we had left to search for horcruxes, Harry and Ron had been constantly on edge around each other and increasingly friendly towards me.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that my two best friends were quickly becoming my two possible suitors and I know that someday I will need to decide between the raven-haired-Harry-with-a-swollen-head and the slightly-clumsy-and-awkward-but-nevertheless-charming-red-headed-Ron.

Sighing I reflected on what I had come to realize. The only one I had ever liked as more than a friend was -

"Mione, could you come look at this?" Harry's voice roused me from my thoughts and I turned around to face him, returning to reality, "I think it might have something to do with the one of the horcruxes."

He had a large dusty book sitting on his lap and was sitting on a frilly pink loveseat (probably something Ron's dad had gotten from their Aunt Muriel) in the middle of our tent. Harry motioned for me to sit beside him, which I did and I started reading the open page with interest.

When I looked up from the worn parchment, I found myself looking directly into emerald green eyes no more than an inch away from mine. It seemed that Harry had inched his way closer and closer beside me while I was absorbed in the information.

I froze, not sure what to do. It was obvious that Harry's important discovery was no more than an attempt to get closer to me; both literally and figuratively.

Luckily for me, I was saved needing to respond by a throat being cleared.

Harry jumped back and glared at Ron, who shrugged at him then moved to sit in between us.

"So, what important information did you say you had found Harry?" asked Ron in an exaggeratedly interested tone.

I got up from the couch, rolling my eyes at their not so subtle competition. Just because I was the only girl Harry and Ron had seen in months, both of them were displaying excessive amounts of testosterone in order to 'get some' or something ridiculous like that. I shook my head, both of them know that I'm not that kind of girl, but I suppose that wouldn't stop them from trying. Not that I would mind doing some of those things with -

"So Hermione," I gritted my teeth as Harry's voice interrupted my thoughts for the second time that evening, "what did you think of that page I showed you?"

"Harry, I seriously doubt that Mrs. Weasley's recipe for her specialty stew is going to be any help whatsoever in defeating You-Know-Who," I stated, "Maybe try thinking with your head instead of your stomach or something between your legs that can easily be hexed off if you insist on wasting my time with ridiculous attempts to attract my attention because you can't survive a couple of months without putting the moves on some girl. And Ronald don't come a single step closer or the same will go for you."

Ron, who was slowly making his way towards me to restrain me from hitting Harry again or embrace me, stopped in his tracks and flushed a light pink.

"Now if you will both excuse me, I have some real work to do. I don't want to be stuck in this stupid forest for the rest of my life looking for horcruxes because you two imbeciles can't leave me alone or do some real thinking for yourselves."

Breathing heavily, I turned on my heel and returned to where I was sitting before Harry had called me over.

They both had left me alone for a good week after that, probably deciding that it was best to let me cool off before continuing to battle for my affections.

But after some time both of them forgot or disregarded my threats and things went back to how they were before; the boys each trying to get closer to me while stopping the other from doing so, and me trying my best to ignore both of their advances.

One day, while Harry was out getting some wood for the fire, Ron asked me if I wanted to go for a walk with him. Despite being more than a little suspicious, I agreed and we strolled down towards a stream not far from our campsite.

Neither of us said much, we just enjoyed the sunny weather and the nature around us.

Finally, as a joke, I nudged Ron, who was standing on the edge of the riverbank, into the water, intending to pull him back before he fell in. However as fate would have it, my attempted rescue came a split second too late and Ron tumbled into the gently flowing water.

He came up coughing and sputtering, with his hair spiked at a strange angle. I couldn't help myself and I burst into peals of laughter. Mischievousness sparkling in his eyes, Ron swam slowly closer to shore and grabbed onto my ankle. Before I knew it I was beside him in the river and just as soaked.

We splashed around for a few minutes then decided that it was time to head back to our camp. Ron climbed out first before grabbing my hand and helping me out after him.

Still soaking wet I stumbled out of the river and tripped on a root. Expecting to fall to the ground, I closed my eyes. When I realized that I was not, in fact, on the ground, I opened them again and found myself in a very familiar pair of arms.

Looking up into Ron's gentle blue eyes, I lost myself in them and my 'thanks' faded slowly from my tongue. Almost in slow motion, his head moved slowly towards mine and our lips met in a gentle kiss. Our lips moved softly together and everything else other than the two of us faded into the background.

When we parted after a few seconds, we saw Harry standing a few meters away, with his mouth hanging open. He slowly closed it and narrowed his eyes at Ron. Deciding that it would be best if I were not involved in this, I started back up towards the tent.

When they thought I was out of earshot, I could just barely hear Harry hiss to Ron "It's on Mate."

For a few days after Harry walked in on my kiss with Ron, the atmosphere around our campsite was very tense and both boys were on edge around each other. However, they both went overly out of the way to assist me with anything I needed.

Anytime I entered or left the tent, both Harry and Ron would leap to hold the flap open for me. If I needed anything researched or done, both of them would be more than happy to help.

It was nice at first to have a pair of slaves ready at my beck and call, but soon I just wanted my friends back.

One day, I had sent Ron to the river to fetch some water and Harry was nowhere to be seen, so I decided to take some time for myself without having two boys following me everywhere to see what I needed. I went into the forest to collect some firewood.

I walked a couple hundred meters away from the campsite and tried to stay relatively hidden in the trees so that Harry and Ron wouldn't find me as quickly. I hummed softly to myself while picking up some sticks and drifted off into my own world; oblivious of surroundings.

Suddenly, I heard a twig snap not far from where I was standing and I whirled around, expecting to see Harry or Ron. Instead, I saw a snatcher standing close by. Luckily, I was still inside the protective enchantments that I had set up to ward against them, but it gave me an awful fright all the same.

As I stood still, unmoving and breathing shallowly for fear of being detected, the snatcher started to slowly walk away, but with his face still full of suspicion. When he was out of sight I turned to make my way back to the tent and came face to face with the one and only Harry Potter.

"Another snatcher," he said quietly, "it's good to know that the enchantments have been holding up all this time. Even with someone like Ron casting them." he muttered bitterly as an afterthought.

I pretended not to have heard his last comment and continued on my way back to the camp.

Harry jogged to catch up with me. "You know, it's not polite to evade your friends. Ron and I could have been worried sick."

I rolled my eyes, "I was still within earshot from the tent", I stated flatly, "If you were really worried you could have called for me from there."

Harry smirked, "But what if the enchantments didn't hold up and we were calling your name all around the forest? Someone could have heard us like that snatcher we saw before. So instead of yelling for you, I sent Ron back towards the river where he was before you went missing and I came to look for you over here."

"Well you've found me now, so let's head back to camp." I said, handing him half of my pile of firewood and starting back in the general direction of the tent.

Before I could make it very far, Harry stood in front of me, holding lightly on to my shoulders. "Why can't you give me a chance? You shouldn't choose between me and Ron without carefully evaluating both options, I thought you were supposed to be the logical one Hermione."

I froze and stared at him with my jaw open. "I - I haven't decided on anyone yet," I started weakly, "You're both my friends and I don't want that to change. I don't want things to get even worse than they are now."

"You've given Ron a fair chance, playing with him in the water and," he paused, "other things, but as soon as I try to get close to you, you shy away." While he said this, he was slowly moving close and closer to me. I couldn't move, paralyzed with disbelief. "Give me a chance." He whispered, closing the distance between our lips.

My firewood slipped out of my arms from shock and I stood still while Harry kissed me. I didn't know what to do, pulling away and slapping him could ruin our friendship, but I didn't want to give him any ideas that we could be together. I settled for standing still; letting him kiss me without returning any feelings. A happy medium.

The kiss was different from my kiss with Ron. It held the same gentleness, but it was more tentative and less passionate. Instead of making me forget my surroundings, I couldn't have been more aware of them, hoping that Ron was nowhere near here.

When Harry finally pulled away and looked into my eyes, his face reflected many things that I didn't want to see coming from him; love, lust, confusion, hurt. I did the only thing I could think of at the moment and ran back towards the tent so that I could gather my thoughts. None of this was logical, it was pure emotion and I didn't like having to make decisions based on feelings.