Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter as much as I wish I did. Please don't sue. You'll get about $20 for your trouble!
Hermione was too fretful to be kept still too long. She convinced Ron to go to sleep. "I'll take the first watch Ron," she said. A few moments later Ron was softly snoring to Harry's left and Hermione sat on Harry's bed watching the moonlight illuminate his face. It was unusually pale, his dark hair falling in his eyes. She reached over and touched his cheek. His skin was cold and his face still like the moonbeams that shone on it. Hermione's eyes welled yet again with fresh tears. She didn't know where they came from as she had never cried this much when Harry had been hurt before. 'Maybe it's because you never let yourself feel this way about him before. Because his life has been so dangerous, you turned your heart,' Hermione thought. Then she gasped. Where had that come from? She had just agreed to date Ron earlier that day after he told her he loved her several times. Something nagged her mind though. 'I couldn't honestly tell him that I loved him back. I just agreed to date him because he seemed to want it so much,' she thought. 'With Harry it's so much more. I care for him, not like a brother like I care for Ron, but as something more,' her thoughts continued.
Hermione turned her attention back to Harry. Wiping the tears from her eyes she laid her hand against his cold forehead and traced his scar with her thumb. "Come on Harry James Potter, we need you now more than ever. Who's going to cause trouble in Gryffindor without the three of us now that Fred and George aren't in school? I need you," Hermione said. Then she did something that surprised her. She leaned down and quickly kissed Harry's cold lips, willing them to warm up again, as if her kiss would bring him back. Hermione focused on his face intensely after the kiss. She had felt his eyelashes move as if he were opening his eyes. "Harry?" Hermione asked, looking down to see the bottomless depths of Harry's emerald eyes.
Harry felt her jump up from the bed and watched her as much as he could without turning his head. His body didn't seem to want to move just yet and Harry wondered what Voldemort had done to him this time. He blinked a few times to get these thoughts out of his mind, replacing them instead with the thought that Hermione had been so close to him and how good it felt. 'You can't think like that. She's most likely your best mate's girlfriend by now and you know how Ron is. He was so determined to ask her out. You can't ruin that. But why oh why then had Hermione kissed me, and why do I want more?' Harry thought, his mind a jumble of feelings. He had heard her say that she needed him and then felt her warm lips press against his. A shiver ran along his body at the thought. 'I love her but I can't have her, just like everything else in my life,' Harry thought, wanting her to hurry back to his bedside so he could say something to her.
She had jumped up from the bed and ran toward the now closed door to Dumbledore's inner office. There were low anxious voices inside but Hermione didn't care what she was interrupting. Harry was awake. She flung open the door and her eyes flashed back and forth between two things. One, the image of Remus Lupin sobbing. His worn face was red from wiping the tears that still fell from his eyes. The other image was a large black dog that had been trying to hide under Dumbledore's desk which bore a striking resemblance to Sirius Black's animagi form Padfoot, or Snuffles as the trio had begun to call him.
"Well Miss Granger, what is the change in Harry's condition?" Professor Dumbledore asked gravely.
"He's opened his eyes," Hermione said, her face very white. She heard the dog bark once and start running toward the now open office door as Remus stood up almost quickly enough to knock over his chair.
"STOP!" Hermione said, grabbing the dog by the scruff of its neck. "If it goes charging out there Harry will see and think its Snuffles. Harry will think that either he is dead or Sirius has come back to him even though we've all told him that cannot happen," Hermione said.
"Miss Granger has a point Sirius," Professor Dumbledore said, waiting for him to transform.
"Si...Sirius?" Hermione said, her voice failing her and her face losing any color it had left in it. Remus grabbed her arm to keep her standing and smiled at his friend.
"Careful Padfoot. I'm sure that Harry would want us to keep this pretty thing in one piece," he said.
"Sorry Hermione. Please, how is Harry?" Sirius asked.
"He...oh Merlin...he looks awful. He's so pale and cold. It's almost like he's dead," Hermione said.
"I suppose you'll want an explanation now, that way you can help Harry deal with things later," Dumbledore said.
"How? We saw you die Sirius. Well I was unconscious but from what I've heard from Harry and Remus it was horrible. Harry had to be held back to stop him from following you behind the veil. How did you get out of there?" Hermione asked.
Sirius's eyes filled with tears. "I had to do it Hermione. I promise I'll explain every detail later when Harry is stronger. Just know that I'm free now to keep Harry safe. I can fulfill the promise I made to James and Lily," he said, grasping Remus's arm to keep from staggering in his grief.
"As soon as the Ministry finds out you're alive you'll be back in Azkaban or back in hiding only this time you'll have to go far away," Hermione said. "Harry can't even fully accept that you were gone let alone get you back now and then lose you again right away," she continued.
"The Ministry isn't a problem. We've caught Peter. The rat has been sentenced and sent to Azkaban to await the Dementor's kiss. Knowing Voldemort he won't stay there long, or the Dementors for that matter, but I've been cleared," Sirius said.
"Merlin, come on we have to tell Harry! He may be confused but it will give him a reason to keep his eyes open. Oh Merlin, his eyes were open and I just left him there all alone," Hermione said, rushing out of the room not caring if anyone was following her.
"Well that was an interesting conversation with your future goddaughter-in-law. Come now Sirius you had to have seen her love for Harry. I only hope Mr. Weasley understands. Harry needs both of his friends now if he is ever to defeat Voldemort," Dumbledore said.
"I need to see him Albus," Sirius said, following Hermione into the main part of the office. Right behind him were Remus and Professor Dumbledore. Sirius caught sight of Harry laying in bed, whiter than the sheets and he felt like his heart was breaking. He noticed that Harry's eyes were still open. "Can you hear me Harry?" Sirius asked, reaching out to hold his godson's hand.
Harry looked around at all the anxious faces around him. He took a deep breath and thought about just closing his eyes. He could feel tears forming and didn't have the strength to wipe them away. Hermione saw the strained look in Harry's eyes and the reason he wouldn't focus on anyone's face. Conjuring up a handkerchief, Hermione wiped his eyes. She briefly picked up his hand and squeezed it gently before bringing it to her lips and kissing it. "I love you Harry," she whispered.
Ron was a jumble of emotions. He had just woken up to see that Harry was awake, looking far more vulnerable than Ron had ever seen him. Then someone who looked like Sirius came into the room and started talking to Harry. And to top it off Hermione, his girlfriend, had just wiped away Harry's tears and kissed his hand. Ron's heart sank when he heard Hermione whisper to Harry. "Hermione, we need to talk," Ron said.
Hermione looked at Ron, guilt in her heart. He had seen her kiss Harry's hand and from the expression on his face had probably heard what she said to him. "Ron please, not here, let's go over there a little and let Harry and Sirius talk," Hermione said, gesturing to the other side of Dumbledore's office near his desk.
"Don't lie to me Hermione. You love him don't you? It's always been Harry, even when I told you that I loved you. Why Hermione? Why does Harry get everything?" Ron said, his voice getting louder as his anger took over.
"Everything Harry has came at a price Ron. Do you think he wouldn't rather have his parents than a vault full of gold and the fame that makes it impossible for anyone besides us to see who he really is? I can't help who I love Ron. I didn't even realize what I felt until Harry was hurt and I was afraid he would never wake up again. I agreed to go out with you because, well I'm not sure why. I knew you loved me and I didn't know how I felt for anyone," Hermione said, her eyes pleading with Ron to not hate her, or Harry.
"Don't give me that! It's always been Harry. I've seen how you two are when you think no one is looking. You always find an excuse to touch him or help him extra even when you won't help me with our homework at all," Ron said, his face slowly starting to match his hair.
"When have I not helped you with your work Ronald Bilius Weasley? My help is one of the reasons you've done as well on your OWL's as I'm sure you did. If you noticed something between Harry and I why did you insist that you loved me when you knew that I most likely didn't love you back? Is it because you wanted to get something that Harry couldn't have? If so Ron, that just shows how much of a prat you can be," Hermione said, her own anger rising.
At the same time on the other side of the room Harry and Sirius were staring at each other. Neither of them had said a word since Sirius asked if Harry could hear him. Remus and Professor Dumbledore watched them intensely. Well, Remus did while Dumbledore's attention was divided between the two conversations. A slight smile played on his lips and his eyes regained some of their sparkle as he watched Hermione confess to Ron that she loved Harry. 'Yes that will do nicely. They will find the power the dark lord knows not and use it to defeat him. Mr. Weasley will play a part as well,' Dumbledore thought.
"Sirius," Harry said slowly. "Did I die?" Harry asked.
"No more than I did Harry. I'm alive, I know how much it hurt you to see that this summer but it had to be done. We've caught Peter and I'm free," Sirius said.
"He didn't stay caught for long . . . he was with Voldemort when he attacked me . . . " Harry said. Then his eyes regained some of their brightness as he thought. "Can I finally live with you?" Harry asked, hope flooding his body. "You do know the Dursleys are dead. I have nowhere to go," he said, glimpses of his dream flashing through his mind.
Dumbledore sadly nodded. The Dursley house had been reduced to smoldering ruins. The only things saved were Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage. "I'm sorry to say you're right Harry. I wished you hadn't seen that particular moment. You will stay at Hogwarts of course and when things settle then you have your friends and now your godfather to live with," Dumbledore said.
Hermione was livid with Ron. "How dare you say that Ronald Weasley?" she screamed, interrupting the conversation that Harry was having with Sirius and Dumbledore.
"Why not Hermione? It's what you were doing wasn't it? You were stringing me along while you decided if you loved Harry or not," Ron said.
"Please don't fight over me. I'm not worth it," Harry said, the tears now flowing down his cheeks no matter what he did to try to stop them.
Hermione and Ron stopped yelling at once, both of them ashamed of arguing where Harry could overhear them. They turned and silently agreed to finish the conversation later. Hermione hoped that cooler heads would prevail. She walked over to Harry at once. "Never say that Harry. We are sorry for fighting around you. I know how it makes you feel. But we came to an understanding didn't we Ron?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, sorry mate. We're both here for you. I know I can be a jealous prat sometimes but looking at it now I wouldn't want to go through some of the things you've had to go through," Ron said honestly. He realized that he would have to give up Hermione. It wasn't fair to her to keep her away from what her heart was saying. Also, Harry needed both of them. If ever there was a time for the Golden Trio it was now.