A/N: I apologize guys. I have no idea what happened in the last copy. Hopefully, you'll forgive me and give it another read.
Chapter 7: Without You
Harry sat in the plush chair with his legs hanging over the arm, watching the fire lick the wood in the fireplace. He smiled at the memories. The years had past, and eventually, Ron and Hermione became friends. From that moment on, they became inseparable and entering into their fourth year had been no different.
Unfortunately, a quarter of the way through the year things took a turn. Harry's name had been spit out of the goblet, entering him in the Triwizard Tournament despite being too young to qualify. Since that night, Ron hadn't been talking to him.
In fact, most of the school wasn't talking to him because Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw thought he was trying to steal Cedric's glory and…well… Slytherin never liked him. Most of the Gryffindors were friendly with him, but a lot of them were jealous that he hoodwinked his way in.
The only one to stand beside him was the same person who always stood beside him…
"Harry?"
…Hermione.
"Hi." He said somberly.
"Worried about the first task tomorrow?" Hermione asked as she curled herself into the other chair facing Harry.
"A little."
"But mainly Ron?"
"Yeah."
"Use your words, Harry."
"I don't know. I just can't believe he's being such a prat about this whole thing. Every time I turn around or have to deal with something I expect to turn around and have him to talk to, and then I realize he's not there. It's like being stunned every time I finally get back up."
"He'll come around, Harry. He's just nursing his ego right now. You of all people know how he is."
"Yeah. It just sucks because I want him to be here you know. I hardly remember life without him always being there. It'd be like you just not being there all of the sudden. I just wouldn't know what to do."
Hermione blushed a bit but pushed the conversation on. "Just get through tomorrow," said Hermione, reaching over and touching Harry's knee. "After that, I promise we'll try to get Ron back on board."
Harry forced a smile at her. He appreciated her confidence, but he knew she was just trying to get him to prepare for tomorrow.
Hermione stood up and said, "I'm going to head to bed. You should too."
She walked over to Harry and kissed the top of his head before whispering goodnight and heading up the stairs.
Harry watched her disappear as she headed up to the girls' dorms. His stomach was in knots after she kissed his head. As much as the task unnerved him and Ron's disloyalty irked him, nothing could overpower the emotions he felt every time Hermione walked in or out of a room
It had been five years since they'd met, and there had not been a quiet, normal day since. Yet he just couldn't imagine life without her. She had become his best friend.
He knew she been so since the first time they met, but he hadn't really understood what it meant then. He didn't understand how close it meant they would. He didn't understand the depth in which they could talk. He didn't even understand the amount of time it would mean they'd devote to each other or the longing he'd feel to be with her.
But they were all part of being best friends. Harry thought back to that first night where they had swayed around the sidewalk, the fun it had been, and the tradition it had created. A tradition he would always be able to hold on to.
"Let me be your permanent dance partner? Don't dance with anyone else?"
Hermione smiled. That she could live with, but she wasn't about to let him know that without something in return.
"What if I grow up and want to dance with someone else?" she quizzed him.
"I'll tell you no. Maybe I'll step aside. I don't know depends on the guy," he answered.
Harry stared at the fire as the words echoed in his mind. The problem was he didn't want her to dance with anyone else anymore. He hadn't really meant it then, but he didn't want to see Hermione dancing with another guy. He just wanted to always be the guy she ran to whether she was crying or she was excited over school. He just wanted to always be the guy…her guy.
Harry groaned as he sank further into the chair and stared up at the ceiling. He didn't understand. When had he developed feelings for Hermione? He didn't want to ruin their friendship and liking her was sure to destroy that. How was he ever going to get out of this?
He knew there was no way to quell the constant prodding inside him to be with her, but did he want to risk losing her completely. He had tried to bury the feelings, but fourth year had made it hard to do that as they spent more time together than ever before. He wasn't sure what to do with them anymore because every day seemed harder to hide them.
Harry looked at the fire as it struggled to hold a flame on the dying embers. He knew it was well into the night, and as much as he had no desire to sleep, the impending dangers of the first task would be best handled with his body well rested.
He heaved himself up from the chair and slowly began his ascent to the boys' dorms. He quietly pushed his way into the room, utilizing Ron and Neville's snoring to help mask the door's squeak.
He pulled the curtains around his bed and changed into his pajamas before crawling under his sheets. He tucked his hands behind his head thinking about the last five years with Hermione. Life had been anything but normal since he'd met her, but more often than not every moment felt magical to him.
He never would have thought in his wildest dreams that he would be where he was. He knew facing a Dragon was not exactly something to be excited about, but after a lifetime with the Dursleys, it was still amazing to think about. Every day here at Hogwarts seemed better than the last, but Hermione made even the most mundane things like homework fun.
No, life wasn't anything like he could have imagined because it was even better than he could have imagined. Harry turned onto his side and set his glasses on his bedside table before drifting off into another world of Dragons, Hermione and dancing…
A/N: Thanks for sticking with me on this one. I know it was funky the first time, and I am very sorry about that. Hopefully it was worth the wait though, and you enjoyed it. It is not my favorite chapter, but hopefully it'll get me where I am going. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to all who reached out to me to make me aware of the problem!
