He was tired, Christmas day had arrived, and instead of waking up warm and content a little after dawn, he went hunting with a headstrong know-it-all. Was he tired? Yes. Angry? Never. How could he be? He loved her too much.

He escorted her back to the hospital wing and to her bed as silently as he could. It was deathly quiet, the only sounds the light breathing of their old schoolmates as they slept. By the pale moonlight Hermione crept back into her bed. Harry watched in silence as she did so, her lithe body curling into a fetal position, her back to him.

Hermione realized, for the first time that morning, that it was the first time in a long time that they were completely alone together. Biting her lip, as per usual, she turned to him and allowed her gaze to travel to him and look upon him unafraid. He took a tentative step forward, always keeping his hands at his sides, when she didn't flinch he moved so that his thighs just touched her mattress, with him looming over her.

He still smelt fresh, like springtime, it was alarming how she picked up his scent out of all the competing smells in the infirmary. They would be leaving soon, Hermione knew it, and by the look in his eyes, Hermione believed that he knew it too. They weren't acting the way they were before, Hermione knew this, if she were truthful with herself, she would say that she was still scared, but not of him, just of Voldemort, and the snakes effect on him.

"Harry… we need to fix this." Harry nodded and she smiled warmly up at him. "I don't blame you, you know. I'm not afraid of you Harry… of Voldemort yes, but never of you." Harry still looked upon her blankly, as if he didn't believe what she was saying to be true. "I want to help you and maybe we should start now… pick out what I said that made you… come back." Hermione added and Harry nodded quickly. Hermione raised her wand and silenced the area surrounding her bed. Harry noticed as Hermione had hoped he would and his green eyes flickered in relief.

Hermione hoped Harry would speak first but he appeared content simply to stare at a space to the left of her cheek and she sighed. "I know this might be hard. So lets think together okay? It was around the time that I told you that…" she trailed off and Harry saw her cheeks darken in embarrassment.

"Told me what?" he asked quietly and Hermione bit her lower lip in that way he adored.

"That… I would give myself to you." Hermione watched him closely, deeply interested in his reaction, to see if he would look pleased, embarrassed or worst of all disgusted.

But Harry merely stared at her in what Hermione would describe as longing and something deeper, akin to love. "It was after that and it wasn't what you said so much as the way you looked at me." His voice cracked as he spoke and Hermione's breath hitched as he continued to stare deep into her eyes.

"And how was that?" she asked in a voice barely audible.

"Kind of like the way you are looking at me now, but rawer.. It was like I could see into your soul… see pureness, innocence.. And underneath the fear… empathy. You were just being you, and you brought me back. It was just you. Your voice, your eyes brought me back." He said his body shifting from side to side awkwardly in embarrassment.

They must have sat there for at least an hour in silence, chancing half-glances at each other, looking away when their gazes would connect.

It was as the first rays on sunlight broke through the windows that Hermione broke the silence. "Then I guess I'll just have to keep on loving you." Hermione hadn't noticed Harry's close proximity until she said those words. His face was mere inches from her own and she felt herself become intoxicated by him.

"I guess you just should." He drew closer to her, slowly edging his lips closer and closer to hers. He watched her eyes flutter close and just as his lips grazed hers the privacy screen was yanked back to reveal Dumbledore.

Hermione's eyes shot open when Harry pulled away and when she realized that Dumbledore was before them, her momentary hurt dissipated into embarrassment and curiosity.

"Congratulations on your discovery last night. I'm sorry but you need to leave as soon as possible… take whatever you want from the school, just do it quickly, I beg of you.. But right now I must journey to the great hall, the students must remain unaware of your presence… their have been confirmed sightings of death eaters in the village, my hope is that with your departure they-"

"Will follow us and leave your school in peace." Harry finished for him and the old man nodded shamefully. "okay." With that Dumbledore left and Harry turned back to Hermione, a rueful smile on his face.

"We best go love."

Late that night, Hermione sat up, cross-legged on her bed, inside their tent, staring at the still figure in the bed next to her. "Merry Christmas Harry." She whispered and he raised his head to look at her, his green eyes shining in the dim.

"Are you okay Hermione?" he whispered and she looked down at her hands biting her lip.

"Cant sleep." She answered and he nodded flipping his blanket back and beckoning her toward him. She looked at him in shock for a moment, and Harry was worried for a moment that she was frightened. But she stood and walked to the side of his bed, where she climbed in, her back against his broad chest. Harry brought the blanket around them both and placed his arm around her. And within the warm cocoon of his arms Hermione sighed deeply and fell asleep.

Harry tightened his grip around Hermione's waist and closed his eyes, sleep however didn't come as easily for him as it did for she, Hermione liked to move in her sleep and by the time Harry was asleep he was laying on his back, with Hermione's leg wrapped around his, her head resting on his shoulder, her hand on his chest. Harry rolled his eyes and fell asleep with a lopsided grin on his face.

She woke with a groan and arched her back feeling the kinks immediately work out of it. Wiggling her hips she settled herself into bed again, before the light of day was finally picked up by her senses. She sighed and shifted again in annoyance. It was then that she froze in shock- what on earth is that!- the warm arm around her tightened its grip on her waist and she found her behind being brought closer to something- oh my… Harry… Harry's a boy… Harry's a boy and im in his bed in the morning- and in the morning means- rise and shine… literally. She moved to try and extricate herself from his grasp, but his grip merely tightened, it wasn't painfully tight, but definitely secure. He groaned when she moved again and Hermione froze. Ok… wake him up… good idea… right?

"Harry… wake up… Harry, its time to get up." Hermione said loudly and Harry growled burying his face into her curls.

"Why?" he murmured and Hermione laughed.

"Well it appears that um.. A part of you is already awake?" at that she felt Harry freeze and his breathing become shallow as if he were panicking.

"Hermione, I am- I'm so sorry."

Hermione giggled nervously and the movement sent more pressure to his centre. "It's okay Harry." She disentangled herself from him and once standing turned to face him and her eyes widened when she saw the desire written all over his face. "Are you okay?" she whispered when he continued to stare at her.

"You're my best friend so you must know… don't you?" she looked at him confused and he ran his fingers through his hair and spoke "You do know that I'm in love with you don't you?"

Arthur Weasley died an hour after Hermione left. It was two days later that Molly sent her a letter, or more like a simple envelope, containing a key. She felt her heart beat painfully in her chest and she placed a hand over it to calm herself. She was finally going to see him, for some reason, she hoped he looked exactly like his father. Why? Maybe because she missed him so much, that it hurt her to her very core. Or maybe because she didn't want to see herself in him, for she blamed herself for Harry's death and it was her fault.

So she entered the ministry of magic, not sure of what she would find. How old would he be in the picture? Three? Seven? Nine? She didn't know, but something within her couldn't wait to find out.