New Day

Sitting outside in the cold, feeling the snow falling all around her, Hermione felt slightly comforted by it all. She wanted nothing more than for Ron to come back, but somehow the numb feelings rushing through the inside of her body was enough for her to feel as if she was with Ron. She wished that there was a form of spell that could transport her to Ron's side right now, so she could drag him back where he belonged, but there wasn't, and so therefore she couldn't. Her senses were on alert though. Every snap of a twig, or sound in the snow, she snapped her head in the direction the noise was coming from, looking expectantly just to find some form of wildlife instead of Ron. She tortured her brain in that way for about 4 hours, only stopping for a bathroom break.

She heard the rustling, then the sound of muttering inside the tent, so she knew that Harry was concentrating on finding their next designation for another Horcrux. It was only a matter of time before they had to leave, if Ron didn't return he wouldn't have anyway of finding them again. Her eyes were still puffy from all of the crying that she had been allowing lately. Times were mad, anyone on the street could tell you that much, that was the only reason Hermione was as worried as she was about Ron's leaving her. She heard the crunching of the frosty white snow, behind her, but she didn't bother to turn, to see, because she already knew that it was Harry. He was probably coming to apologize for upsetting her, it was just like him.

She knew that he cared, about her. He was always going to care. She felt him sitting himself beside her, and looked straight ahead. Her hands were grasping at the sides of the blanket she had since wrapped around herself, while her body trembled from the cold. Harry was worried she knew it the moment that he situated himself beside her, and spoke. "Hermione, you should come back inside, you will freeze out here." He told her, and she looked over at him her eyes searching his, before looking back down at the ground.

"I want to wait, he will come back, you will see!" She replied pointedly, and stiff.

"Hermione pleas-" "Harry I don't want a lecture, just leave if that's what you want" She told him, her mind was still racing as she tried to imagine life without Ron, if he didn't come back to be with them both again.

"I only want you to be safe Hermione, Your freezing." He observed, as he glanced over her body watching the chills rush through her. He was afraid she was going to catch pneumonia, that was the last thing that either of them needed, especially since there wasn't a hospital nearby, or that was safe to take her to, "I don't want you to catch a cold." He continued, and looked at her seriously.

She sighed, knowing that Harry had enough to worry about without her sitting outside, catching a cold. She allowed him to slip his arm into her own, so that she could stand, and he could lead her back towards the tent. Once more she felt the automatic warmth of the inside. As much as she wanted to stay outside, she didn't need to worry Harry anymore than she already appeared to have. He let go of her arm, allowing her to walk to the fire, sitting in front of it she let out a deep breath. She listened to the soothing crackling of the flames as they danced across the logs. She still had the blanket draped around her shoulders, and her mind was racing, but this time she was worried about Harry.

She glanced over at her best friend who was walking towards the kitchen table, "I made dinner, if you want some." he told her beckoning to the table. She nodded, before standing, and allowed the blanket to fall off of her shoulders, onto the floor where she had just been seated. She walked up the steps, and took her usual seat at the table. She was usually the one that did most of the cooking, because Ron certainly loved to eat, but had no clue how to cook, and Harry wasn't much better he usually either burned himself, or the food.

This time he had actually made an improvement on his cooking. The food wasn't burned, and it actually looked delicious, "Thanks Harry." a smile curled upon her lips as she started eating the mashed potatoes that were on her plate. She wondered if he had cheated in some way, but she didn't question him, because she wanted to keep the peace for as long as she possibly could. Though her anger was easily triggered, because she was the one currently wearing the horcrux necklace that had caused Ron to lash out.

"Your welcome Hermione." he told her in-between mouthfuls of food. She picked at the morsels on her plate, she didn't have much of an appetite, because of Ron's absence. He always knew how to liven up the conversation, without him the table was silent. She tried to start a conversation, but all she managed to get out of Harry was a few grunts, mixed with words. It was a hopeless cause, she could sense it right away. She leaned back against the chair, for a few moments, before she pushed away her plate that was only half eaten.

"Hermione...you need to eat!" he told her as he observed her half eaten meal.

"I'm just not hungry." She talked back.

"But Hermio-" "No, don't you dare, Harry! Your don't get to give me any lectures about my eating habits, not when your the one that chased Ron away in the first place!" She was already starting to bring tears back into her eyes as she shouted at Harry in frustration.

Harry stood from his spot at the table, he couldn't loose another friend, especially not right now. He walked to her until he was standing in front of her, before reaching behind her neck, unhinging the dreadful necklace, and discarding it onto the bed, "I'm sorry Hermione, if there was anything I could do...I would, you know that." He told her, his eyes shifting to the ground in shame.

She just bit her lip, shaking her head, and walked to the bed, throwing herself down onto it looking up at the ceiling. She had way too much running through her mind to think about losing anything, else. The necklace being lifted from her neck had taken a large burden off her chest, so she was able to calm down. Harry wasn't going to let her be alone in the grief she could see that from where she was sitting on the bed. She could tell that he felt awful for Ron's leaving, and she knew that dwelling on Ron's absence wasn't going to make anyone feel any better about anything.

"I know Harry...I'm sorry." She told him knowing that her outburst had probably been hurtful to him. He nodded, walking back to his bed, sitting down on it, he pulled out his map from under the pillow, and started checking it. He was probably searching for Ginny again. At least he knew she was safe, or at least alive, with Ron she didn't know if he was safe, or being kidnapped, or anything right now. She didn't have even the slightest clue what Ron was going through that was preventing him from coming back, or even if he wanted to come back to them. She didn't know, and it was the not knowing that was slowly killing her inside. The room remained silent for several minutes, as they were both lost in their own separate thoughts.

She heard the soft sound of tears, behind her, therefore she turned around, and saw Harry he was wiping his glasses on his shirt, while tears rolled down his cheeks. She knew that he was in just as much pain as she was, and it was rare for Harry to cry. She rolled over in bed, and stood up walking to his side, kneeling down in front of him looking up. "Harry I'm sorry" She whispered not sure why he was crying, as she lifted her fingers, and wiped away his tears. She wanted to be here for him in every way she possibly could.

"Everything is wrong, I don't know what to do anymore Hermione." Harry told her while he shook his head.

"We will figure this out together." She promised lifting her hand to squeeze his, and he looked down at her hand as it laid gently in his she moved up off the floor, and sat beside him lightly placing her head down on his shoulder silently squeezing his hand. He squeezed hers back knowing that they both needed comfort. She felt her own tears starting to fall, whenever someone else was crying she ended up crying too. She knew that Harry was just as terrified as her, but they had to not think about the worst. They had to only think about the positive that could come out of this.

"Your smart Hermione, the smartest girl I know, I know you will figure this out" He whispered.

"I promise Harry we will make it through this together" She squeezed his hand as she said together.

He nodded as they both fell silent. He looked down at her as she remained with her head on his shoulder, silently observing her his tears had stopped after a few minutes. She felt his eyes on her, and lifted her head off of his shoulder slowly looking over at him, before their eyes met. "Hermione..." He started, but she placed a finger gently to his lips.

"Shh..." She whispered, leaning in lightly she let their lips brush together, a gentle kiss was shared between them as they both closed their eyes, and she took her finger away. A moment of wishing for their lovers, her wanting Ron to be there, and him wanting Ginny. They caught themselves up in the moment. She allowed her lips to break away from his, and an exhale escaped his lips as she pulled back to look into his eyes searching them. For once she couldn't read his expression it was entirely blank. She wondered if he was angry with her. Had she done something to ruin their friendship? What were Ron, and Ginny going to say? She felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she at last came out of her trance, and felt a gasp escaping.

She allowed her fingertips to trail to her lips they were still tingling from the kiss. "Harry...I..." She allowed her voice to trail off. She had only meant to comfort him. She shook her head when he didn't say anything, and stood shakily from her spot on the bed, and walked slowly towards the dinning room table clearing all of the dishes, and put them in the sink. She lifted her wand from the table, and flicked it. The dishes started to clean themselves quickly, before putting themselves away.

She wanted to speak to Harry, but she didn't know what she was going to be able to speak to him now. She heard him moving around near his bed folding up the map, and slipping it underneath his pillow. She stared over at him, but he still wasn't giving away any of the emotions he was feeling right now. She didn't know whether he disliked the kiss, or enjoyed it. Hell she didn't even know what had possessed her to kiss him. A moment of pent up frustration? Passion? It was all too confusing to her to figure out.

She placed her wand back down on the table, walking towards her bed pulling off her clothes so that she could change. She was already starting to feel cold, because she had been outside most of the day. Pulling off her jeans she was once more in Harry's shirt only, before she slipped under the covers, "I'm going to bed" She called to Harry who was back to sitting on the edge of his bed across the room. She wanted him to come lay beside her, but she knew that tonight she couldn't ask that of him. It would be too awkward after the kiss. She didn't even know what the kiss meant, and now she knew that she was going to worry until she knew what he was thinking, but right now wasn't the time. She curled up on the bed, and fell asleep. She was exhausted from being out in the cold.

She awoke later on that night, as her nightmares once more overcame her, and she started awake. Glancing around herself she was covered in sweat, and Harry was sitting down in the couch in front of the fire a few feet away from her. She was drenched in her own sweat from silently tossing, and turning. Her heart was thumping as hard as it could, and she pressed her hand to her heart letting out small gasps of air. Everything was alright. She had been having a dream that Harry had died, and Ron along with him, while only she had been left standing. She shook her head knowing it was only a dream. She threw back the drenched covers, and planted her feet in her slippers that were next to her bed as she walked towards the couch by the fire.

She seated herself beside Harry who was still gazing silently into the crackling wicked flames. "Harry? Are you alright?" She asked him her eyes shone with worry, and fear for her best friend. He didn't answer he simply nodded, "Are you...mad at me?" She questioned further. At this he furrowed his eyebrows.

"Mad at you?" He asked her glancing towards her, meeting her eyes with his, before quickly glancing into the flames, "Course not." he told her his eyes careful not to leave the flames, and she knew that he was still probably wondering about the kiss just as much as she was.

"Erm...Good then." She muttered wanting to take his hand, but she didn't dare, because she knew where that had lead last time. He was clenching, and un-clenching his fists loosely as if stretching the muscles, "Well I guess I am going back to bed..." She told him awkwardly, "Perhaps you should too."

He nodded, "I was planning on it soon," He told her truthfully, and she bit her bottom lip silently nodding as she stood up from the couch, "We should probably clean this place up in the morning." He told her beckoning to the clothes, and other odd objects that they had left laying all over the ground.

"Alright," She told him, "I will clean it." Walking back towards her bed she laid down, and looked up at the ceiling. She heard the sound of Harry moving from the couch, and whispering a spell to put out the fire for the night. She turned onto her side listening to the other comforting sounds of him changing, but was surprised when she felt him slipping into bed beside her.

She rolled onto her side to face him, and searched his eyes for an answer, "I promised I would be here." Was the only answer he would provide, and she simply nodded, snuggling to his side, while closing her eyes. She hoped that he wouldn't awake screaming tonight, but as usual her wishes weren't granted.

Screams, and cries pierced the night, followed by the burning of Harry's scar. Hermione awoke beside him severely disturbed by his nightmares, "Shh Harry I am here," She rubbed his arm as she shook it, and he awoke with a start once more in the night. She sighed, knowing it was probably near three in the morning. He was exhausted, and so was she, "I won't let anything harm you." She promised him. He reached for his glasses, and planted them back on his face, and he glanced around the room silently taking it all in.

This time he was silent as he held her in his arms, he didn't have to explain his dreams she already knew exactly who he had been dreaming about. She always knew it had something to do with Voldemort. They stayed like that for a long time. With him leaning against the backboard, and her in his embrace. She sighed softly, and closed her eyes leaning against Harry's chest as he settled down into the bed. She needed her sleep, just as much as he did, but it seemed they both had the same problem. They would awaken screaming. It took them both nearly an hour to fall back asleep, and this time stay that way until morning.

Dear PurveyorofPulchritude,
XD wow that was the longest review I have ever read O.O But Like I always say Comments, and Constructive Critism are always welcome here :D I usually do use all the correct punctuation, and grammer, but keep in mind this idea popped into my mind about 10 o'clock at night, and I simply wrote it, and yea it sucks. I never read over it, and I will fix all the mistakes you listed :D Thanks for the help! Feel free to tell me how to fix this one :) I am always up for making my stories more interesting/better.
Love,
Anna

I love all of the rest of you guys :D R&R Appreciated!