Chapter 7: In Whatever Time We Have
Falling more deeply in love gave great comfort to Harry, Ron and Hermione in the weeks ahead. It was the happiest of draughts that drowned out the scandalized whispers and rumors about the Golden Trio spreading throughout the school. Besides, such childish and silly things were tea and cakes compared to the evil that now was unleashed.
Death Eaters attacked the castle itself late one night, killing Albus Dumbledore in a brazen assault. The whole school held a fine funeral for him, and the Golden Trio parted at the Burrow. Hermione couldn't bear to send her one love back to his horrid relatives, but Harry sent kisses into her hair and reassured her he would be OK, and they would be together again at the end of the summer.
"How can you be sure?" Hermione whimpered, and from the fretful look in her eyes, Harry knew she was talking about well beyond the summer.
"This is true love. You think this happens every day?" He sent her that daring smirk that still made her stomach do flip flops, kissed her gently one last time, and turned to Disapparate for Privet Drive.
Hermione and Ron held each other in his bed all night those next few nights, and wrote each other constantly after Hermione returned to her parents. In his voice and in his letters, Hermione sensed in Ron a growing fear and concern for their better third. When the day arrived for them to collect Harry from his aunt and uncle's, neither Ron nor Hermione could get there fast enough, spiriting him back to the Burrow.
Not long after, Death Eaters descended onto Bill and Fleur's wedding, forcing the Golden Trio to embark on their Hunt for the Horcruxes a little earlier than planned. The Trio traveled like nomads, taking shelter in Sirius's old abode at Grimmauld Place, then a tent in the wilderness. In the bed the three shared, Hermione would kiss and pet her men heavily, drawing comfort from them. None of them ever went all the way ("I want to save myself for marriage," Hermione had whispered to Ron one night). At night, as the three held each other, Hermione would ask more than once:
"What's going to happen to us?"
On this particular evening, Ron leaned over her and made a promise. "We'll be together in whatever time we have."
"And after that?" Hermione whispered.
"We have forever," Harry swore. And then, so quickly that Hermione at first thought she might have just imagined it, he reached up and placed a gentle kiss on Ron's lips.
Ron held the kiss for a moment, taken aback, but... pleased too. Then the two shared awkward smiles. They figured they were safe in this. After all, they had always been safe in their little trio.
Sighing in contentment, Hermione snuggled closer to her boys, and fell asleep.
