Chapter 20

Hermione stirred much earlier than usual. When she went to move she understood why. At some point in the night Harry had shifted, his arms wrapped tightly around her torso his head resting just below her chest fast asleep. Panicking at first Hermione lay frozen in place, but slowly recalled the night before and how the two had fallen asleep. She observed Harry with a strange shyness and resisted the urge to run her fingers through his hair. Was that allowed? She didn't know the ins and outs of this newfound thing and it unnerved her to be out of control.

Soon the heat of his body against hers became too much and she disentangled herself from his limbs. Harry stirred slightly and grumbled pawing at the place where she had been. She was sweaty and cringed as she observed her face in the mirror. Makeup was caked heavily under her eyes and her hair was pointing in all sorts of directions. She really needed a hot shower, but settled for the next best thing, a refreshing dip in the river.

She met the morning with a newfound freedom and glanced around the campsite for a makeshift towel. She had been so prepared last time she had been here and the fact that she hadn't opted to bring simple toiletries made her chuckle. She grabbed one of Harry's flannel shirts hanging from the clothesline and headed towards the water.

She rid her clothes from her sticky body and dove gracefully into the water the shock of cool welcome against her blazing skin. Hermione lay in all her glory in the river for quite some time. She glanced lazily up at vibrant leaves and striking brown breathing in the scent of greens. She hadn't felt this peaceful in a long time and begun to understand more and more why Harry had chosen solitude. She tipped her hair back and let out a pleasant gasp as she slowly massaged her knotted hair with a simple bar of soap.

Harry couldn't remember feeling more rested than he did at this exact moment. He awoke lazily his eyes blurred with sleep. He sat up ruffling his hair blinking back the morning fog as he shuffled around for his glasses. He glanced around for Hermione and yawned pushing himself up from the bed recalling the night before. Nerves kicked in at her absence until he saw her wand perched on the shelf alongside her beaded bag. So she hadn't left.

Harry stood stretching his arms, he still had his clothes on from the night before and he desperately needed to clean up. He kicked off his shoes and socks, his bare feet callous from the forest floor. He blindly murmured a spell and his towel came soaring into his hand from across the room. He assumed Hermione had gone for breakfast as she was always the more practical one of the pair.

Much to his surprise Hermione hadn't gone for breakfast. Hermione was resting on a boulder wearing nothing, but one of Harry's flannel shirts. Her long hair was sprawled out behind her drying in the sun and her chest rose and fell slowly beads of water falling down her neck and into the moss. Harry had never seen her look more radiant and even from a distance her beauty stunned him. He didn't know how he had been able to co-exist with her for all those years at Hogwarts.

Hermione began to stir from her trancelike state as she felt eyes on her. Trepidation coursed through Harry as he saw Hermione raise her head towards his direction and he cursed himself as he turned to sprint back to the tent.

"You are a bloody idiot," he murmured to himself as he shamefully emerged back into the campsite. He gripped his hair furiously wishing he could scream, "Not only are you an emotional time bomb, but you're now a stalker. Way to go Potter, way to go…"

"You talk to yourself too," a voice behind him jolted him sideways and he spun around to see Hermione with her hands on her hips. Harry's eyes traveled over her bare legs and he gulped. "Not a good sign."

"S…s…sorry," Harry muttered stupidly avoiding her penetrating gaze, "I uh, I thought you went… I'm just going to go uh, shower… I mean swim."

Hermione had never seen Harry move quicker and she stifled the laughter brewing inside and watched him retreat his shoulders hunched.

Harry's cheeks were red beneath his scruff as he returned to a fully dressed Hermione. He pointed to the tent mumbling something incomprehensive. Hermione merely shook her head and continued her reading.

Harry emerged with two mugs. "Coffee?" he asked hopefully.

"You have coffee?" Hermione surveyed the mug suspiciously as if it were going to bite her.

"No it's actually dirt and water. I've been trying a new diet."

Hermione rolled her eyes and took the mug as Harry leaned against the base of a nearby tree.

"Listen Hermione, "Harry took a sip of his coffee and continued, "I'm sorry about earlier, I didn't realize you were, well, there and I would never… spy on you."

"Never?" Hermione asked playfully.

"Of…of course not," Harry stuttered and stared at his sneakers as he toed the ground.

Hermione couldn't help the feeling that settled unnervingly in her stomach as she watched him. Had he always been this adorable?

"Anyway," Harry stammered urgent to change the subject, "how are you? I mean after last night?"

Hermione looked down at her book biting the inside of her lip, "Thanks Harry."

Harry looked confused.

"Thanks for not leaving," Hermione continued, "I know last night can't have been easy to witness, me, well, crying over… you know." She was afraid if she said Ron's name that the guilt would consume her as it had last night.

"No problem," Harry pressed the mug to his lips again as the warm liquid flowed smoothly down his throat. He scratched his neck unsure of where to steer the conversation. Did she want to talk about Ron? Should he ask her? "Do you want to talk about it?"

Hermione shook her head slowly, "Not yet."

"Okay," Harry wasn't going to pressure her and part of him was grateful he didn't have to pry. "What are you reading?"

Hermione lowered her gaze to the book and patted the space next to her, "Come see."

Harry sank against the tree glancing over her shoulder trying to ignore the sweet smell of her hair as it tantalized his nose. He frowned slightly adjusting his glasses. "The Tales of Beetle the Bard?"

Hermione nodded smiling slightly, "It may be a little childish, but they've got some really good lessons, kind of like The Three Brothers."

Harry nodded in silence as he recalled the first time he had heard about the deathly hallows.

"Although, some of the messages are a little harder to decipher than muggle children's books..."

"I wouldn't know," Harry shrugged leaning his head against the tree playing with his fingers. "I never heard any."

"None?" Hermione stared at him stunned.

Harry shook his head.

"Not even Aesop's Fables or-"

Harry chortled cutting her off, "Hermione, I wasn't exactly raised by mum and dad of the year."

Hermione looked at him her mouth slightly open her eyes shining with disbelief.

"Don't look at me like that," Harry grumbled looking away.

"Like what?" Hermione responded incredulously.

"Like I'm some poor little orphan whose lost his parents."

Hermione closed her mouth and averted her eyes to the ground, she would have loved to snap at Harry that she hadn't been doing that at all, but couldn't bring herself to lie.

"Anyway…" Harry continued ignoring her sudden stiffness, "You'll have to read me some. So I can tell Teddy."

"I'm sure he'd love that," Hermione said softly and the pair held each other's gaze.

Harry wasn't sure what came over him as he reached his hand and played with her fingertips. "Is this okay?" Harry whispered tentatively and his gentle voice soothed her ears and she nodded softly.

"What about this?" Harry shyly continued as he took his free hand and began to draw soft circles on the inside of her palm and Hermione couldn't hide the relaxing sigh that left her lips as her head lolled against Harry's neck. Her body was alert and she could feel her skin crawling with the urge to touch him.

Absent mindedly she raised her own fingers to the nape of his neck and clasped her hands behind his head pulling his face towards her. "Harry," she whispered softly and he lifted his gaze to her own his eyes swimming with desire.

"Yes?" he asked feverishly.

"Kiss me."

Not another direction was needed as Harry captured her lips mid breath and she gasped into his mouth. Harry had never heard anybody say something so sexy to him in his life. He kissed her slowly at first savoring the taste and feel of her lips on his own as he hadn't the last time. Their kisses soon turned desperate and Hermione climbed on top of Harry kneeling over him taking control. Harry let out a primal grunt as he slid his long fingers up the hem of her shirt and onto bare back tracing circles wherever he went. Hermione whimpered softly smashing her lips even harder to hers and she stood a moment later catching him off guard.

"Hermione I'm sorry-", but he stopped when she pulled him up with her, eyes dancing with something forbidden.

"Shut up," she growled as she pulled him into the tent by the collar of his shirt.

Harry didn't need to be told twice and before she could pull him any further he latched her legs around his waist hoisting her up the step. He pressed her back against the wall forgetting for a moment that it wasn't actually a wall. It was a tent which meant that the canvas supported by mere wooden rods was not going to hold them. Hermione yelped and before Harry could blink the tent had collapsed around them and they were trapped in darkness beneath layers of heavy sheet. The laugh that followed from Hermione would have surely embarrassed Harry had it been somebody he had been trying to impress, but realizing it was Hermione only made Harry join in with hysterics.

It took a few minutes of poking and prodding, but Hermione was eventually the first to find her way out of the collapsed tent. She continued to shake with violent bursts of laughter as she watched a grumbling Harry trying desperately to escape the mess. Eventually he appeared his hair sticking straight up on end and his glasses askew, this only caused Hermione to laugh harder and Harry shook his head.

"Think you're pretty funny?" he chuckled inching towards her.

Her eyes grew wide and she shook her head trying not to smile, "Harry don't you dare."

"Why Hermione," Harry stared innocently, "Whatever are you talking about?"

Hermione broke into a sprint with Harry close on her heals and before she could look back his arms had threaded their way around her stomach and she squealed in delight as she was hoisted into the air. She squirmed to face him and gripping the back of his head automatically pulled his lips to hers in a forceful kiss. The teens fell to the ground with a hearty laughter and Harry cringed as he pulled a stick out from underneath his back. Hermione clasped her hand over her mouth in mock laughter and Harry kissed her cheeks and forehead playfully.

Hermione pulled back breathlessly and stared at him with a look of bewilderment.

"What?" Harry smiled boyishly.

"Nothing," Hermione lied and before he could protest she pulled him in for a hug and rested her head on his shoulder sighing contentedly. The truth was that Hermione was terrified. Terrified of how easy it was to fall dangerously in love with Harry Potter.