A week later found Harry meditating in the Weasley's front garden very aware that Ginny was nearby probably watching him. Neither of them had any urge to be apart from the other at the moment and so far both lots of their families seemed to be alright with that. Harry knew that Ginny's older brothers were finding the situation a little harder to swallow, but so far they were quiet which Harry was thankful for.
In fact everything had been quiet on all fronts. The death eaters were being unusually quiet, there hadn't been an attack for months now and everyone had slipped into an uneasy peace. It was nice to have the quietness but everyone knew that it was only a matter of time. Harry couldn't help but feel that Voldemort was gearing up for something big. Harry had shown his hand, shown his power in their last attack and it had chased them away, chased them back. But it hadn't scared them from his plans he was sure of that, Voldemort was too sure of his power to ever give up without a fight to the death.
Casting his mind away from darker thoughts Harry let the warmth of the afternoon sunlight sink into his skin and he was thinking on the conundrum of what to get a certain red head for a present when he felt a presence approach. He didn't open his eyes but simply smiled in the direction hearing her shuffle her feet slightly as she approached.
"You're not intruding if that's what you're worried about Mione," he said opening his eyes and looking up into her face.
With the sunlight behind her it took a moment for his eyes to adjust to her features and when they did he could see her worried expression. She had her bottom lip caught between her teeth and she was nibbling absent mindly obviously unaware of her nervous tick.
Patting the grass next to him he urged her to take a seat and waited silently as she folded herself onto the ground next to him. Her knee brushed against his and she made as if to move away but he simply reached out and pressed his hand to her bare leg stilling her. She was wearing a pair of cut of jeans that had obviously started life as full length but for some reason or another she had sliced into. Her skin under his fingertips was warm and held the healthy glow of summer showing how much she had been working outside with Molly recently.
"You ok Mione," he asked feeling her tension ease slightly.
He had noticed quite quickly that Hermione kept herself slightly apart from the group. He knew that Ron loved her, loved her as strongly as anyone could, but he also knew she still felt like a spare part when it came to the family. He knew exactly what that felt like and it had forged a bond between them like nothing he had experienced before. He had a feeling that if things had been different and his parents had had the chance to have more kids this is what it would have felt like to have a baby sister. He liked thinking of her that way; it filled a whole in his heart.
"I don't mean to be silly, it's just that well, I worry about you," she said her voice barely audible but clear as a bell to his hearing.
He turned slightly to hide his satisfied smile, maybe she was thinking of him in the same way. He squeezed her knee a little tighter and turned to look at her.
"What's on your mind Mione?" he asked happy when she smiled at him.
"You know you're one of the only people who call me that, I like it," she said and then dipped her head again her hand playing with a blade of grass nervously, "I know the whole Voldemort thing is in hand, that you and Ginny together there is a power there that none of us understand or can begin to understand, but there's more isn't there."
She looked up at him then and he smiled softly if a little sadly, Hermione was so perceptive it was hard to keep things from her.
With a sigh he scrubbed his hand over his face and relaxed into the grass, uncurling his legs from beneath him he moved a little closer to her until his side was pressed against her his arm behind her. For a moment she was still obviously a little nervous, but swallowing all that down she sighed and leant against him and with a smile he folded his arm around her pulling her in close.
"I can't seem to slip anything past you can I Mione," he leant his head against her hair breathing in her flowery personal scent and locking it in his memory banks, "something did come up while I was gone. I problem that I confess I didn't see coming. I promise you at the moment though that Ginny and I are safe, that at the moment all you need to worry about is the war at hand and as soon as we are all safe and through that I will tell you everything."
She lifted her head from his shoulder to look at him and he could see her eyes shining slightly.
"Oh Mione please don't," he pulled her in closer and she snuggled against his arm.
As he held her he marvelled about how much being here had changed him. Not so long ago he was cold and distant and he had thought that was the only way that he could be, that the distance gave him control. Yes he had had trouble, a few slips that would have never happened if he had stayed distant, but he had gained so much more than he could have imagined. Never would he have thought to find himself sat cuddled up with a woman he was fast becoming to see as a sister comforting her in the warm sunlight.
She snuggled in against his shoulder a little more and he gave up all together with propriety and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto his lap. She gave a little squeak as he wrapped her up in his arms but then she snuggled in against his chest resting her head against his breast bone and he leant his chin against her hair.
"Please don't worry for both of us Mione, I will keep Ginny safe and she will keep me grounded," he said as he stroked a hand over her unruly curls.
"I'm sorry Harry I can't help it, when you were gone Ginny was so broken and it broke something inside me. I didn't realise how attached I'd grown to you until you were gone," she said her voice cracking with unshed tears.
He pressed a kiss to her hair and simply held her until she calmed down a little more.
"I promise you this Hermione nothing like that will ever happen again, I won't let it and I promise never to leave you alone again. If you need me no matter what just come and get me ok, somehow you've managed to work your way into my heart Mione and I don't like seeing you in pain."
She laughed lightly at that and it made him smile that he had managed to calm her fears. He cuddled her a little tighter for a moment and then let her scramble up off his lap. He looked up at her as she dusted herself off and she smiled down at him.
"Thank you Harry," she whispered and he caught the pink tinge to her cheeks before she scuttled off towards the house.
He laughed lightly after she had gone and tucking his legs back underneath him and closing his eyes faced towards the sun letting the heat settle his mind again. There were things that needed to be settled soon but for now he let Hermione's warmth settle into his skin and knowledge that he had finally found his family whole settle into his mind.
