Disclaimer: I am not, nor could I ever wish to be, the magnificent JKR. The characters and concepts of this work herein are entirely the property of JKR and her publishers. I don't own rights, claim rights, or anything of the sort. You cannot sue me O.O Thank you. Enjoy.

The evening was late, Hermione having already re-apparated three times. They left immediately after the coffee shop to somewhere in southern Great Britain. There was a picture she liked from when her parents visited during her time at Hogwarts, she always thought it was beautiful, a perfect place for her parents. She quickly grew attached to the photo. Clearly the image was engrained into her brain because she was able to clear the location up enough to get them there.

No questions, thankfully, arose about her choice.

"We need to pick somewhere to stay until we have time to plan." It was strangely intelligent of Ron to say, but they all had to have been thinking it. Murmurs slithered from behind their teeth in agreement, ideas following close behind. Harry and Hermione bantered back and forth of squatting places all over Europe. Ron said Charlie probably knew great places to hide out in Romania, but it was too risky to go to family. It didn't offend him, which Hermione thought it might, but it was much more important to him that his family not be put in danger than their own personal safety.

"We can't pick a good location without knowing where we are going first." Harry was ready to give up, it seemed. She reached out and took his hand. Ron was patting his shoulder so hopefully it didn't look unduly suspicious in his mind. She had been yearning to touch him. Any touch was enough for her for now. She knew there wouldn't be time for a relationship with them running from the darkest wizard the world had ever seen. It felt so right to comfort him, it felt so wrong to like it, but it was all she wanted regardless. Her selfishness surprised her, but not really when she thought on it. I knew it was going to be this way when he kissed me. I can't be surprised at my change in behavior.

"Blimey! Why didn't I think of this before? We could use Grimmauld Place! Sirius hid there for two years! The Order was still using it just earlier this summer. It is perfect for us right now." The joy was hard to contain, it was such an obvious answer. She kept her tone hushed, and it was a smart call because only moments later she heard voices from around the corner they were standing on. They were talking in favor of Voldemort, their Dark Lord. She wasn't going to chance that they were Death Eaters, or even recognize Harry. She grabbed a handful of cloth in the center of the boy's chests.

This time they were in Olivander's abandoned wand shop. It was unlikely that they would be found someplace they already ransacked, it had been well over a year since the shop was abandoned. If they missed something, surely they would have already returned to recover it, or discover it wasn't there.

"Hermione, there is someone hear." And a split second later an unfamiliar voice was asking who was there. Hermione saw it was just an elderly fellow as she was formulating an image of the street Grimmauld Place was located on. He even called out that he was just hiding there too. She felt bad, but nothing could be left to ambiguity. Nothing was as it appeared anymore.

Not even herself.

"Homenum Revelio." They were alone. It was nearly a scary concept to deal with, but they really had been alone all these years in essence, anyway. Harry was a unique person, in a rare situation, and nobody would ever be on the same level of loneliness he was. As for Hermione and Ron, only they could join Harry because only they would help without question or detest. She still could remember a year ago when Lupin was objecting to Harry's accusations of Draco Malfoy.

"Bloody hell!" Ron screeched after a safety curse started off, a protection Mad-Eye must have put down for the Order's protection.

"I didn't kill you." Harry's voice mumbled, reliving the night Dumbledore was murdered by Severous Snape. She could remember when they were alone and he was recollecting every second of the evening. Draco Malfoy was in fact a Death Eater, despite Hermione's constant objection to the thought. "He's just not that bile, I find difficult in believing something like that." He was, and with that induction he was assigned a large task. A task he was unable to perform. Hermione was almost proud that it was not his wand causing the end of Dumbledore's life. She smiled briefly but not enough for the boys to realize it.

Together they walked into the Black family home, which by inheritance, now belonged to Harry.

"Would it be wrong if I said I am starving?" Hermione and Harry leaned into each other, his arm naturally cradling her against him. And eyebrow shot up in Ron's expression but he smiled in the end. She could see, as he was easy to read, that if he had to be going through this with anyone it would be them. Hermione felt the same way, and Harry had always known this. Ever since he was an eleven year old boy unknowing to his role in history, and the future, he befriended them aware they would forever be his.

"I am going to see if there's anything to make, I'll come find you guys if I get something going."

Harry started up the stairs, Hermione trailing cautiously. His breathing was picking up speed the farther they got from the ground floor, and Ron. Hermione felt the same way. Something about desire was peculiar, how it would arise even in the most terrible of times. They should be miserable and sad, panicking and frantic, but rather Harry and Hermione were obsessed with getting just a moment alone.

She was daydreaming about unthinkable, and particularly immoral, things when she tripped over her own feet. How embarrassed she felt was nothing to how good she felt when Harry laid down next to her. He cradled his head in his hands and rest flat on his bad. Hermione scooted so close that any outsider would have thought the two conjoined.

"Like twins." Instantly she covered her mouth. It was not her intention to say that aloud.

"What?" Harry mustn't have been listening, thank goodness. Hermione shook her head, promising she was just babbling to herself. I am going insane! Suddenly, though, she was now laying on her back, Harry hovering over her. This would look bad if Ron came up. It looked bad without Ron seeing it. Hermione could see herself looking down at them with disgust. This was the immoral behavior she longed for. Why did it have to look so bad?

Why did he have to smell so good…

…and look at her with those eyes…

…and…taste…so…delicious…

The kisses were soft, passionate, but quick. Moments, only moments, passed before ten kisses turned into one repetitive dancing of lips that seemed to part. Tongues clashing, hearts clamoring, lungs stealing a chance at oxygen every available change! Hands were latching onto shoulders, waists, thighs. The friction between them was escalating.

She tried to shimmy away from Harry; this was not the time for that sort of behavior. They needed to eat, discuss what information we know about the mission Dumbledore left behind, and then get some rest. Romance simply could not fit into their schedule! He pushed forward anyway, kissed her cheek down to her collarbone. Her skin tingled.

Again, she knew this was inappropriate. She kissed his cheek back but still moved away from him. This couldn't happen, not for the time being. No. No! NO!

"He won't find us, you know. He's much too hungry to remember to call us without eating half of it first." She had never heard his voice sound so confident and assuring, nor had she envisioned the tone of sexual desire entrapping itself in each syllable. She was nearly lured in by it. She shook her head again, not to disagree but to warn Harry nothing more was going to happen right now. They wouldn't have very much time to dedicate to their relationship after they got the steps laid out for their Prevention-of-Voldemort-Taking-Over-The-World adventure. If you could call it something so pleasant sounding, as it wasn't going to be pleasant at all.

Harry shut himself down, stood, and offered a hand to Hermione.

"I really don't mean to offend you, you know. There are just more important things than making sure we keep our love flaming." Hermione resisted his intimate embrace by ducking right underneath his arm. He didn't stop in his tracks so much as began walking in a slow zigzag, allowing for her to follow. If she followed, that was.

"Did you just say 'our love' or did I hear incorrectly?" It was another thing forcing Hermione to cover her mouth in shock. Why was she suddenly 'losing her cool?'

"I may have said love. I can't remember." Hermione beat herself up for attempting to deny it, but it was necessary to keep their focus. She was going to have to shut Harry out if they had a chance at succeeding. She would have to shut Ron out, too, because firing up jealousy between the boys would be detrimental to their progress.

"Are you going to use a memory charm on me so I can't remember this?" She didn't dare tell him she considered it. She envisioned Ron leaving them when he found out, or even began suspecting, that Harry and Hermione were a 'couple.' Taking that memory away would make it easier to distant from one another romantically. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, though, it was glaringly obvious she continued contemplating the possibility.

Sincerely.

"You are, aren't you?" He howled in anger. He was actually angry about. She shook her head, fingers crossed behind her back, a precaution she had been taking since she just a toddler. He hobbled to the kitchen, just shy of having steam fume from his ears, nearly running over Ron.

What's wrong with him? She somehow heard his voice in her head. Hermione assumed it was because she knew him so well. Just as she knew Harry; in response to it she threw her arms in the air and followed in his footsteps. Although, she was significantly less unpleasant in comparison.

"I made some sort of pasta with noodles and vegetables around the kitchen. It's pretty good." His lack of awareness was the comic relief everyone needed. Soon they were all laughing as best friends. The way things needed be.