Prologue:
It wasn't until later on that evening that the realisation really kicked in. Ron was gone. Walked out without a second glance. Neither of them thought he was going to come back, and Hermione had taken it very hard. She had spent the rest of the evening crying. There was nothing she could do to take the tears away. He had only been gone a few hours and she already missed him. Why did he have to leave? Why did he have to leave ME? She got up from her bed, turned the radio on and sat on steps that lead up to the picnic table, hugging her knees. She stayed there for a while, listening to the radio, hoping that she could find out if he was OK.
Harry wasn't fairing much better. Although he knew that the argument between him and Ron was one of the worst they've had, and a lot of things shouldn't have been said, at the end of the day he was his best friend. He sat outside the tent, watching the world around him, wondering if Ron had just gone off to cool down somewhere and that he'd probably come back in a minute. But he didn't. His thoughts ran to Hermione. He could tell that this whole situation was really hurting her. He knew that her and Ron had a connection, he knew that there was more than just friendship there, but he hadn't actually realised the extent of it until he walked out just mere hours ago. She was heartbroken. He felt guilty for putting her through this, he didn't want to wish this on anyone, not just with Ron but the whole situation itself. He knew that it was going to be difficult, but he didn't expect it to be this hard. He needed to do something. To cheer her up. Even if it was for a short time, but how to do it?
Suddenly, he heard something on the radio that he hadn't heard in a long time. It was a song. Music. How long had it been since he heard some music? He must've been on the run now for about 4-5 months and in that time he had never heard any music. The melody flowed through his ears and he forgot how much he loved it. In an instance he felt a lot calmer, more content. He got up from his seat in front of the fire and headed inside.
He stood in the entrance for a while, looking at her. Hermione didn't even acknowledge him, even though she had definitely heard him come in. Harry could feel himself freeze. He wasn't sure what to do. He'd never been in this situation before. He slowly moved across the room and sat in a chair at the opposite side of the room for a while. He still stared at her, looking for some kind of response. She didn't look at him, just sat there with her head down. The tension in the air was growing. What should I do? Harry thought to himself. She just needs a friend.
He goes to get up for a brief second but stops himself. What am I supposed to do?
As if acting on instinct, he slowly walks up to her and stands in front of her. This time she notices him and looks up at him with deep brown eyes. Harry goes to say something but instead holds out his hand to her. Hermione looks at him curiously, and he nods his head in encouragement. She sighs and takes his hand, allowing him to help her up. He takes her other hand in his and starts to gently guide her to the middle of the room. They never drop each other's gaze. They stare at each other intently, brown eyes meeting green, wondering what the other is going to do next. Harry looks down for a moment and sees the shine of the locket that Hermione currently wears on her neck. So that's why, he thinks. Without leaving her gaze, he gently puts his hands around her neck and releases the locket's clasp, before throwing it onto a nearby bed.
They just stared at each other for a while, and this is when Harry really starts to see the pain in Hermione's eyes, and his as well. Everything that they've been through these past few months, every emotion that they felt in that time, everything that happened at Hogwarts up until now was reflected back at him. It just showed him how much they had been through… together. Without realising he was doing it, Harry began to move his arms, as well as Hermione's, back and forth on the spot, as if he was trying to dance.
Hermione shot him another curious look. What are you doing, Harry? But she couldn't help but sway along with him. It was then that she realised that he was trying to cheer her up, and not to mention he did look rather funny with his dancing. She looked into his eyes again and realised that he was smiling and she couldn't help but smile too. Before she knew it, the two of them were swaying on the spot, spinning each other around, laughing, dancing, having fun… It was the most she'd smiled in the whole 4 months. Neither of them were good dancers, but she didn't care. She was just happy that Harry was there with her, making her laugh, despite the fact that they were in a tent, in the middle of nowhere, without any idea what was going to happen or what they were going to do next. She just didn't care.
As the song came to a close, Harry pulled her close. They stood in the same spot, gently swaying to the last of the music. It was at that point, while they were swaying, something spurred inside them both. A sudden warmth coursed through their veins. Their hands tingled as they touched and almost by instinct they held them tighter. The warmth spread through their entire body, as if taking over their humanity. There was just the two of them, in a comfortable embrace, swaying on the spot, and nothing else seemed to matter anymore. Not the hunt for Horcruxes, not the fact that Ron was gone, not even the fact that they could be ambushed by snatchers. It was just them. Together.
They pulled apart and stared at each other for about thirty seconds. They could see the emotion they felt in each other's eyes. They could feel the same emotions in each other. Images formed in their minds: The Tri-wizard Tournament, the Prophecy from the Ministry of Magic, Hermione's Time-Turner, the Astronomy Tower. Sounds of laughter, crying, talking flashed in their minds. Everything that they had been through together was in front of them, and they could feel a sense of longing, almost like a need to stay together. It was like their feelings had connected, became in-sync with each other. They could feel every emotion that the other had felt in the last six years and it rushed through them as quick as it had come. By the time the tension died down, Hermione simply smiled at Harry and walked off to her bunk, leaving Harry standing there, wondering what on earth had just happened…