Credit goes to ginnylovesharry07 and Mandolarian Knight for helping me fuel the inspiration for this chapter. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Three - To Tell or Not to Tell?
The day continued to go by extremely slowly for Harry and Hermione. Once Ron and Ginny had finished with their chores they had both spent the day glued to Harry and Hermione's side. This was something both Harry and Hermione were annoyed at, not that they showed it.
Harry wanted more than anything to just be alone with Hermione, to talk to her, to cuddle her on the sofa and kiss her.
As the evening drew in, and Mr. Weasley and Bill and Fleur returned from work for dinner; Harry and Hermione, unfortunately, has been placed as far apart as possible at the dining table. Harry kept glancing up to look at Hermione at the other end of the table and smiled at her, but he did not continue this for long as Harry felt it would start looking suspicious.
Things changed after dinner though, as they both managed to sit together on the sofa in the living-room, which they had shared the night before. When the Weasley's were in conversation or occupying themselves, Harry discreetly took Hermione's hand, which was lying in the very small gap between them on the sofa.
Hermione immediately noticed and stroked his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before they subtly moved their hands apart, as Ginny looked over to ask Hermione a question.
A while later, Hermione excused herself to get a drink from the kitchen; Harry's eyes followed her before he too made the same excuse and headed in Hermione's direction.
"Hermione" Harry whispered, coming to stand next to her by the fridge "This is driving me insane, I really want to be alone with you."
"I do too, Harry" Hermione said quietly, looking past Harry to make sure the Weasley's couldn't see them "Tonight, I promise" she grabbed his arm gently and pulled him around the corner, out of sight from the living-room and prying eyes. Hermione gave Harry a deep, yet very short, kiss "Later" she grinned and returned back to the kitchen, getting pumpkin juice out of the fridge for them both.
"I can't wait" Harry whispered in her ear, which caused Hermione to giggle.
They heard Ginny come in the room.
"Go on, go" Hermione whispered urgently, shoving Harry's glass of pumpkin juice into his hand, as Ginny came over.
"Hey Gin" Hermione said, plastering a smile onto her face as Harry left the room, turning his head to look back, momentarily, at Hermione who was now in conversation with the youngest Weasley.
...
Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Ron were sat in Fred and George's old bedroom, still currently Harry's temporary room, chatting away at 11pm that evening.
"What do you guys fancy doing tomorrow?" Ginny inquired, curiously.
"Well the three of us" Ron indicated himself, Hermione and Harry "Will be here, I don't know about you" he looked slightly annoyed at his younger sister "Why don't you go and do something else Ginny and leave us alone! I don't see why you have to follow us around like sheep."
"Hey, don't talk to Ginny like that!" Hermione piped up in Ginny's defence "She's your sister!"
"Yeah well" Ron said, ignoring that fact.
"You can hang around with us if you want, Gin" Hermione assured her.
"No it's okay" Ginny got up off the bed she was sitting on with her brother.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked with a frown.
"Bed" Ginny replied glumly "I'm clearly not welcome here" and she strode out of the room and slammed the door.
"Ron!" Hermione shouted at him "That was so rude! You need to go and apologise."
"Why should I?" Ron responded, defiantly "How would you like it if you had a younger sibling following you around everywhere, when you're trying to have fun with your own friends?"
"Well Harry and I wouldn't know about siblings, Ron!" Hermione reminded him sternly "So just shut up and go and apologise to your sister."
Ron huffed and got up from the bed "Fine! I will be back in two minutes" and he too left the room, leaving Harry and Hermione sitting on the one bed.
Hermione shook her head in annoyance "The idiot!" before turning to Harry with a smile.
Harry gave a minute chuckle "Come here" and Hermione tackled Harry in a bone crushing hug, it caused Harry to fall backwards off the bed, bringing Hermione down with him.
"Owww!" Harry cried as he rubbed the back of his head which had banged against the wooden floor.
Hermione looked concerned "I'm so sorry" she said apologetically, quickly getting off Harry and sat back on his bed.
"You alright?" she continued to ask as Harry came to join her.
"Yeah I'll live" Harry said, smiling at her reassuringly, before reaching in to kiss Hermione deeply. Something he had wanted to do all day.
Harry and Hermione broke apart just in time as they heard Mrs. Weasley rush into the bedroom "What was that noise? There was rather a loud bang?"
"Oh it was…just one of Fred and George's boxes falling" Harry said, praying Mrs. Weasley would fall for that excuse. Thankfully she did.
"Those two, honestly, I wish they would clear their room of all these boxes. Anyway, are you two alright, I thought Ron and Ginny were supposed to be in here?"
"They were, but Ron and Ginny got into a bit of an argument, and now Ron has gone to apologise" Hermione informed her.
Mrs. Weasley sighed "That boy! Will he ever learn?" and she shut the door after her as she headed off in the direction of Ginny's bedroom.
Hermione looked back at Harry, worriedly "Oh dear, I think I've just dropped Ron in it."
"He's going to be in trouble now" Harry said, trying to keep a straight face.
Sure enough within a minute, Harry and Hermione could hear the yelling of Mrs. Weasley, Ron and Ginny from not far away, followed by the slamming of a few bedroom doors.
Mrs. Weasley came back to the bedroom "I've sent Ron to his room" she informed Harry and Hermione "Ginny is upset, she wants to see you Hermione. I think it's best you all got some sleep anyway."
"Alright" Hermione said before turning to Harry "See you in the morning, night Harry" she hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear so that Mrs. Weasley couldn't hear her "I'll be back once Ginny has fallen asleep."
They withdrew from the hug and the two women left the room, leaving Harry on his own to get into bed.
It was over an hour later, before Hermione eventually came back into Harry's room. Her hair was now in plaits and she had on a light green long sleeved pyjama top and stripy pyjama trouser bottoms.
"Hey!" Harry said enthusiastically, yet quietly, having been sitting up in his bed reading a book, before chucking it down onto the floor as Hermione came over.
"She's asleep at last" Hermione said with a smile and got into Harry's bed.
The two of them talked no further as they began kissing almost instantly.
"We should stop this y'know" Harry said before it got too far.
Hermione moved over to lie in the very small space next to Harry in the single bed "I know…" she gave a small sigh and cuddled up to Harry "I know."
...
"Yeah I think it's a brilliant idea!" piped up Ron.
"It's fine with your father and I, we just don't want you making much noise tonight, okay?" Mrs. Weasley warned.
"We won't we promise!" Ginny concurred.
It was the following evening and Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione had decided they were going to have a sleepover in the living-room that night. Ron and Ginny's argument had blown over, and as an apologetic gesture, Ron had invited Ginny to join in the fun with them.
Ginny came back into the room and said "Hermione, here's a sleeping bag you can lend" and she chucked it towards her, Hermione caught it with a smile.
"Thanks Gin, right who is sleeping where?" Hermione asked, glancing her eyes at Harry; Harry did the same back, both thinking the same thing.
"Well I'll go here" Harry said setting his sleeping bag by the arm-chair.
"Mind if I go next to you?" Hermione asked Harry.
"Doesn't bother me, you don't sleep talk do you?" he asked, cheekily.
Hermione laughed "Course not."
"I can honestly say she doesn't, I never hear a peep from her when I'm asleep" Ginny said, placing her sleeping bag on the other side of Hermione's, not noticing Harry and Hermione glancing at each other, knowing only too well why Ginny was never disturbed from her sleep.
Ginny continued "Anyway, it should be Ron's snoring we should be worried about."
"Oi, it isn't that bad y'know!" Ron said, having no choice but to put his own sleeping bag furthest from his two best friend's.
"Oh it is!" Harry retorted, trying not to laugh before turning to the girls "You two had better be prepared for a rough night with Ron sleeping in the same room."
The girls laughed and Ron just rolled his eyes, but was still smiling.
Half an hour later, all four of them were in their pyjamas and sitting on their sleeping bags, chatting away, whilst Ron had scoffed his way through the entire bowl of popcorn they had made.
"Ron, you could have saved some for the rest of us!" Hermione moaned, as she noticed the now empty bowl.
"Do you want me to make you some more?" Harry asked sweetly, smiling at her.
Hermione smiled back "No, no it's alright, I'm not even that hungry."
"What about me?" Ron asked.
"You want me to make you more?" Harry asked, flabbergasted.
"No" Ron said casually "But you could have offered to me as well, y'know."
Harry and Hermione dissolved into laughter, smiling at each-other. Ginny eyeing the pair suspiciously, before dismissing it completely.
"Yeah well, you aren't having anymore, Ron" Ginny said, now lying down inside her sleeping bag "I think we ought to get some sleep now, I dunno about you guys but I'm knackered."
"Not a bad idea Gin" Hermione concurred, also lying down.
"But I wanna stay up longer!" Ron moaned.
"I give it ten minutes and you'll be snoring your head off Ron" Harry said to him, with a knowing smile.
"Doubt it" Ron said, lying down too.
Within the next ten minutes, the entire Weasley household fell into darkness and total silence, Ron Weasley sure enough did fall asleep. The earlier total silence now disrupted by his loud snores.
Ginny sighed "Oh heck, he isn't going to be snoring like this all night is he?" Ginny whispered aloud to Harry and Hermione to her right.
"Afraid so" Harry mumbled, half asleep.
Ginny moaned and rolled over facing away from Harry and Hermione, closing her eyes, really hoping she would fall asleep.
Hermione was facing Harry, watching him intently, regardless of the fact that it was very dark and she could only just make out his facial features as he too was lying facing her. Hermione moved her left arm and took Harry's hand that was exposed outside his sleeping bag. At their touch, Harry's eyes opened immediately and he smiled back at Hermione. She smiled too.
Harry mouthed the words 'Is Ginny asleep?'
"Ginny?" Hermione called quietly "Ginny, are you still awake?" there was no response at all from the girl in the sleeping bag on the other side of her. All that could be heard now was Ron's snores.
Harry smiled and whispered very quietly "Guess it is just us two awake now?" and he rubbed Hermione's hand gently, making the hair's on Hermione's arms stand on end.
"Yeah" Hermione whispered back, keenly.
Harry then did something that Hermione had not expected. He moved his sleeping bag even closer towards hers, so much so that their sleeping bags were now touching, and once Harry had got himself settled again, he began cuddling Hermione. Hermione's heart melted and she beamed brightly. She was back in Harry's arms, the place she loved and the place where she always felt safe.
Hermione reached up ever so slightly and kissed Harry deeply, reminding him how much he meant to her. In Harry's eyes she did not need to remind him. He already knew.
"Harry?" Hermione whispered, breaking away from their kiss.
"Hmm?" Harry asked, his eyes open again, gazing at her lovingly.
"I want to tell them."
"What d'ya mean?"
"I mean, I want to tell the Weasley's, I want to tell them about us."
"Really?"
Hermione nodded her head "Yeah...I've been thinking about this all day, we can't keep going on pretending anymore. Let's tell them...tomorrow."