It had been nearly a month since that Ron/Hermione fight, and I was sitting against a fallen tree on a tarp with Hermione doing night watch. "So how long have you been into Ron?" I asked nonchalantly. Hermione's head snapped up from her sudoku puzzle. "I beg your pardon?" she retorted, obviously taken aback at my question. "You heard me. How long have you had a crush on him?" I gave her a knowing smile. She looked for a minute like she might try to argue that I was wrong, that she most certainly did not have feelings for that daft idiot Ronald Weasley, and then her face softened. She sighed. "Is it that obvious?" she asked. "So obvious," I replied. She sighed again. "If I'm being honest with myself, probably as long as I've known him." "Merlin Hermione!... And how long has he liked you?" She blinked. She thought for a minute. "I don't know that he does." she said sadly. "Really? You don't know that for sure." She gave a small smile. "Have you never talked to him about it?" "It's not that easy, he's my best friend. I can't just say 'Hey Ron, guess what? I've wanted to be with you for years, fancy a snog?' and then expect everything to be unicorns and rainbows!" she said, exasperated. I laughed. A sobered expression fell over her face. "I dream about what it would be like almost every night. Obviously it goes much more romantically in my head... it's kind of pathetic," she said with a half-smile. "I know just what you two need," I said smiling. "Oh, what's that?" she inquired. "A push in the right direction," I replied. "Harry has been pushing us for years! But Ron is so daft," she said laughing. "So why don't you make a move?" I asked. "Because I'm shy! What if he rejects me? What if he thinks of me like a sister? I'll ruin everything. I've built everything up my mind for so long.." Her face crumpled at her last sentence. "Hermione," I sat next to her and put a reassuring arm across her shoulder. "I've been with you guys for a little more than a month and I can already tell that's not true. You've just both kept your feelings to yourselves for far too long." She smiled at me as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. She took a deep breath. "What about Harry?" she asked, changing the subject. "What about him?" I said in return. "What do you think about him?" she probed. I opened my mouth to answer her, but I couldn't think of anything noncommittal to say without letting on the truth; that I was beginning to fall for the Boy Who Lived. The look on my face must have given me away despite my efforts to pretend to be neutral about the topic, as if we were discussing the weather. "That's what I thought," she said knowingly, smiling to herself. I blushed slightly, and, still not saying anything, pretended to be thoroughly involved in my book.
The sun came up around 6:15 a.m., and Hermione and I stayed outside until 7 a.m. When we went back in the tent, we found the boys sleeping. "I'll wake up Ron and you wake up Harry," Hermione said to me as she hung her coat up on a peg. I nodded and walked to Harry's bed. Harry was on his side, facing me. Normally he looked so stressed, but now, his face was smooth and relaxed. I almost didn't want to wake him. I sat on the edge of his bed and watched him sleep for a few minutes. His hair had become too long, and it was splayed messily over his pillow. He looked so beautiful just lying there, so peaceful and at ease. Hermione's voice startled me out of my trance, "Ariel, you going to get him out of bed?" "Oh, right," I said, blushing. I mentally kicked myself. I placed my hand on Harry's shoulder and gently shook him. "Harry," I whispered, "it's time to wake up." He opened his eyes and squinted up at me. "Ariel?" he inquired sleepily. "Yes. Good morning," I said, after handing him his glasses and standing up. He put on his glasses and looked up at me. "Good morning," he said, smiling. His ran a hand over his hair in an attempt to smooth it down. He threw back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Since I had been out with Hermione all week doing night watch, I had never seen Harry get dressed for bed. I wasn't sure what I was expecting him to be wearing, but I certainly wasn't prepared for him to only be wearing a pair of low slung pajama pants. The heavy winter clothes I had grown accustomed to seeing him in didn't do his physique justice. He had mentioned he had played Quidditch regularly since he was 11, but I didn't think much of it until now. I couldn't help but admire him. He caught me looking before I could turn away. I abruptly looked down at my hands, rolling my wand back and forth. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw him smile. He went into the bathroom to freshen up and get dressed for the day. I looked over to Ron's bed to see if Hermione had had any luck getting him to wake up, since he had been notoriously hard to awaken every day since I had gotten there. While he had not gotten out of bed yet, he was awake and propped up on is elbow facing Hermione, who had laid down on top of the covers to face him. They were talking, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I didn't want to interrupt the exchange, but my growling stomach betrayed me. Hermione turned to me. "Let's make breakfast Ariel!" She jumped up from the bed to allow Ron to get up and get ready for the day. He threw back the covers and to my dismay, Ron was dressed identical to Harry. He, too, had an amazing body. I glanced at Hermione to see her watching him appreciatively. I gained a sort of respect for her in that moment; trudging around in the woods in the dead of winter with two painfully athletic-bodied wizards without dying of sexual frustration. I pushed the thought out of my mind and joined Hermione in the kitchen. We cooked up a big breakfast for the four of us and called the boys in. They sat the table as I brewed a quick pot of coffee. A few minutes later, the four of us were sitting down to eat and discuss our next move.
Even after two cups of coffee each, Hermione and I were still tired from being up all night. I went to gather my things and head to my tent which we had set up right next to theirs. I was about to lift the flap to go outside when Harry stopped me. "Why don't you just sleep in here for now? No sense in being by yourself," he said. "I guess I can sleep on the couch here," I said. "You can sleep in my bed if you want," Harry said shyly. He waited for my reaction. "Really?" He nodded. " "Well.. I'm going to get out of these heavy clothes. I'll be back in a second," I went into my tent and set down my book and dug around in my bag for something comfortable to sleep in. I took off my heavy winter clothes, took a quick shower, and put on my pajama clothes, which consisted of a pair of yoga pants and a white beater. I reentered the trio's tent. I could feel Harry's eyes on me as I walked over to his bed and sat on the edge. I pretended not to notice him watching me as I pulled my damp hair into a messy braid, kicked off my shoes, and got under the covers. I turned to face the wall. Harry's scent filled the bed; some type of cologne mixed with something woodsy. I breathed in deeply, trying to commit the scent to memory. I gave a content sigh and drifted off to sleep quickly.
I awoke 6 hours later feeling refreshed. Harry's bed was warm and comfortable, so I didn't want to get up right away. I flipped over onto my back. I was startled to find Harry sitting on the bottom edge of the bed. "You're awake!" Harry said smiling. I couldn't help but smile back. "Did you sleep well?" he asked. I stretched. "I slept very well. Your bed feels great," I said. "It's pretty comfortable, I put a charm on it to make it that way," said Harry. An awkward silence followed. Before either of us could think of anything to say, Ron came in. "Harry," he said gravely, "It's time." Harry nodded and stood up. "It's time for what?" I asked Harry. He handed me the sweater I had draped over a nearby chair. "We didn't tell you, but we have a horcrux. We had all been trying to think of a way to destroy it, and I guess Hermione figured it out." Now I was frantically trying to tie my shoes. "What?" I exploded. "You had a horcrux this whole time and you didn't tell me? What the fuck Harry!" His face fell. He looked hurt; I didn't care. It hurt my feelings that none of them had told me they had a horcrux. I felt untrusted. It didn't take me long to find Hermione and Ron, and they both looked alarmed when I approached. "Why did neither of you tell me you had a horcrux? WHY!" I demanded, shouting the last word. Hermione looked like she was on the verge of tears. I looked away from her. "Ariel.." Ron started. "Ronald Weasley you tell me RIGHT NOW why you kept this from me!" Ron looked taken aback for a moment. By this time, Harry had joined the group. Harry approached Ron and handed him something that resembled a crown. I glanced fiercely at each of their faces. I opened my mouth to shout again, but Hermione held up her hand. "Ariel, we just found this a few days ago. We did think much of it until now. I thought a little girl had just left it in the woods during a camping trip with her family. Then, while you were still sleeping, Ron and I were out here at the brook trying to catch a few fish, and we saw it. The sword of Gryffindor," she lifted up a shiny silver sword from behind a large rock. "I gave it to Ron, and he was going to take it to the tent, and show Harry, but when the sword got close to the diadem, the diadem started shaking and making a squealing noise, and that's when we knew." I stood with my mouth open slightly, brow furrowed, trying to think of my next move. Ron stepped closer to me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Harry said his scar hurt him really bad when the two got close together, and in your sleep you were clutching your scar. Then Harry got really mad, which is when Hermione and I took the diadem and the sword away from the tent, to here. Then you woke up. And you were mad when you found out. It affects you two because you're both connected to him," he dropped his hand. "I'm.. sorry. I felt so out of control. I felt like you guys didn't trust me, and that you only let me hang around because you felt sorry for me, and that you didn't think I was helpful," I paused for a breath. "That's the horcrux talking," said Harry gently. I nodded. "Let's destroy it," I said. Hermione handed the sword to Harry, "Ron destroyed the first one, I think it's your turn Harry," she said. Harry gripped the sword tightly and slowly raised it above his head as Ron set the diadem on a tree stump. He started to bring the sword down on it when it screeched loudly and a cloud of smoke rose up from the jewel in the center of the crown. Ron grabbed Hermione and I and pulled us back, shielding us protectively from whatever was inside of the diadem. Smoke billowed up into the sky, and a demonic voice began to speak.
"Harry Potter, I have seen inside your heart, inside your soul. I have seen your fears. You fear your friends are only your friends because of your infamy, that the girl you desire who bares the same scar as you thinks that you are nothing..." The voice trailed off for a moment and the smoke took the form of three figures. I gasped aloud when I realized it was Hermione, Ron and I. Horcrux Hermione spoke first. "Who are you Harry Potter? You are an orphan. You have no family, and no one who loves you. No friends, NO ONE." Horcrux Ron spoke next: "You think you are the best wizard alive. You think because you are the Chosen Boy, you are mightier than everyone else. No one cares." Horcrux me spoke the final words: "Harry Potter, the boy who lived. What girl would ever truly love you? Girls only want you because you are the Chosen One. No real girl could ever want to be with you. Girls want a real man like Ronald Weasley." Horcrux Ron put an arm around Horcrux Hermione and I and kissed us both on the cheek. Our figures looked up at him adoringly. Tears streamed down Harry's face. "Kill it Harry! Make it stop!" Ron called to him over the screams of the horcrux. Harry took a deep breath and smashed the sword down onto the crown. It screeched loudly at its destruction, and everything went quiet. Ron was still clutching Hermione and I protectively to his chest. Harry took one look at the three of us huddled together and, dropping the sword, ran off to the tent. Ron released his hold on us and I dropped to my knees. Hermione dropped down beside me and pulled me into a hug. "We have to tell him it's not true, none of its true!" I cried. "I have to say I'm a little hurt that NONE of it is true," said Ron, attempting humor. "Oh Ron, I didn't mean it like that. Any girl would be lucky to have you," I said, flickering my eyes to Hermione, then back to him. "I know. But those were Harry's deepest fears. That we don't value him as a person, that we aren't his real friends, that we think he's full of himself... that you would never be with him." He watched me as he said the last part. I wasn't sure what to do. "I don't know what to say to him," I admitted at last. "Go talk to him, the words will find you," Hermione said encouragingly. "Ron and I will leave you two alone for a bit," she smiled. I took a deep breath and started heading back to the tent.
When I made it to the tent, I stood outside the door for a minute. Inside, I could hear sniffling, accompanied by the occasional sigh. I closed my eyes for a moment to collect myself, then opened them back up and stepped inside. Harry was sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. He looked up when I took a tentative step forward. I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't think of anything to say. He stared at me as I stood there with my mouth hanging open. He wiped the tears from his face and stood up, turning away from me to pace the floor. "You weren't supposed to see any of that," he said in a flat voice. I took a few more steps toward him. "I didn't realize you were so insecure Harry," I said softly. He turned back toward me, his expression unreadable. His brow furrowed anxiously. He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck for a moment, and then let it drop to his side. "None of that is true you know. Nothing you fear is true," I said, taking another tentative step towards him. He had stopped pacing. "You have plenty of friends. Ron and Hermione are your best friends because you are a good person, not because you're the Chosen Boy. No one finds you arrogant; they know you don't hold yourself above others." I took another step toward him. We were now close enough to touch. His eyes were wide and expectant. His expression told me he was wondering more about what Horcrux me had said more than anything I had already mentioned. "Any girl would be more than lucky to have you, and not because you're the Chosen One. Because of who you are in here," I placed my hand on his heart briefly to emphasize my point. When I did this, his eyes shut for a moment and he swallowed hard. When he opened his eyes, he closed the gap between us and circled his arms around me to place his hands on the small of my back. "Oh!" I said, surprised at what just happened. I let my hands rest on his chest. I could feel his heart beating wildly, matching mine. He began to bring his face closer to mine very slowly, keeping his eyes locked on mine all the while. Closer and closer he got, and when our noses were almost touching, I closed my eyes and waited for our lips to meet.
Ron and Hermione burst in looking worried. Harry and I all but jumped apart. Neither seemed to notice they had interrupted something. Hermione spoke. "The snatchers! They're here in the woods! Ron and I saw them. We don't want to risk being seen. Even with the enchantments..." she trailed off, trying to catch her breath. She looked to Ron to finish her thought for her. "We want to get everything packed up and apparate somewhere else just to be safe. I already have a place in mind," he looked back and forth between us. I quickly got up. "I can be packed in 5 minutes! I'll get on it," I said. I went into my tent and gathered what I needed into my bag before going outside and hastily disassembling my tent with a collapsing charm. In the meantime, the boys and Hermione took similar action and we were all ready to apparate within 10 minutes. "Everyone ready?" Ron asked. We all nodded silently. We formed a circle. Hermione and Ron automatically joined hands. I grabbed Ron's hand as Harry reached out for Hermione's. Then he held his other hand out to me. I lifted my hand to meet his; he laced his fingers through mine. Even though we were in potential danger, I couldn't help the feeling in my stomach when I felt him tighten his grip on my hand. Before I knew it I heard Ron's whisper something and we were sucked away.
