Chapter 35 - Life or Death and Sensual

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It felt like an angry monster was inside him, one that was snarling restlessly and wanted nothing more than to make itself heard. But Harry suppressed that feeling. He didn't want to do something rash only to regret it later. This was Hermione, after all. And Ron. It was actually Hermione and Ron while they stood out at the backyard of the Burrow, talking. They were just talking. And yet...

They had been there for quite some time. Harry had managed to sit through two long discussions with Arthur, one about the fruitless attack at Hogwarts, and one about the mechanism of a Muggle cricket bat, before he had excused himself and entered the kitchen. By then, Molly had decided to wash up and Harry found himself all alone as he sipped water from a goblet and looked out into the backyard under the personal pretence of appreciating the view.

Harry watched his best mates intensely, squinting at their profiles when the light got lesser from the setting sun. They seemed even friendlier than they were a few days before. He had never chosen to study a person's body language the way Hermione had always pressed him to do; he believed in what people were saying, rather than what they were not saying. But watching the two of them somehow made his senses pick up.

He noticed how Ron was faced fully towards Hermione, his shoulders hunched and his hands deep in his pockets. Hermione stood close to him, her attention divided between their best friend and the small leaf in her hand that she was rolling between her fingers. She always did that when she was nervous; that much Harry knew.

His grip tightened on the goblet when she looked up at Ron and let out a light laugh, her reaction to whatever he said making Ron look down while a small blush crept up his neck and ears. Harry couldn't remember the last time he had made Hermione laugh.

"Oh sorry."

Startled, Harry turned around, his eyes widening when he saw who had just entered the kitchen.

"I didn't know anyone was here," Ginny mumbled nervously. "Mum asked me to check the roast. So, I guess I'll...Um..." She gestured to the oven haphazardly before she ducked her head and made her way to stand before it. With a quick flick of her wand, she opened the oven door, checked the meat, shut the oven door and stood up to face him awkwardly.

Harry's mind was in the middle of reviewing possible conversation topics that could hopefully make this moment less awkward, when something over his shoulder caught Ginny's attention.

"How long have they been out there?"

Glad to have something other than the weather to talk about, Harry turned once more towards the window and watched his best mates. "I don't know," he said, lying easily. "Quite some time, I'm guessing."

He found himself surprised when Ginny came forward to stand alongside him. "It's about time."

Harry's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "About time for what?"

"The two of them," Ginny said softly. "I know that not all relationships are meant to work..." Harry immediately found his empty goblet extremely interesting. "But I hope theirs work."

Harry's head snapped up quickly just in time to see Hermione smile affectionately at Ron. "You think it would?"

Ginny shrugged, her gaze studying the two people out in the yard. "He's fancied her for ages; he was just too thick to realize it."

Harry stayed silent as he turned his back to the window. Suddenly, the thought of trying to figure out what was happening between Ron and Hermione was wholly unsettling. "Will Molly be coming down soon?"

Ginny shrugged lightly, her gaze dropping quickly so as to avoid his eyes. "She should be." Harry nodded, completely aware that they stood nervously opposite each other. "I should go call her."

At that moment, Hermione walked in with Ron, a laugh stopping in her throat the moment her eyes landed on the two of them. Her gaze fell on Harry in question while he looked back in defiance. On some, selfish level, he wanted her to think that there was something between him and Ginny to make her feel just as insecure as he was feeling whenever he saw Ron and Hermione together. The thought was balmy and all out mad, but he felt that he needed to make her feel what he was feeling. He wanted them to be even.

Ron didn't seem at all concerned by the awkward silence, choosing to simply mention something about calling him when dinner was ready before starting to leave the kitchen. Pausing, he looked over his shoulder. "Coming?"

Hermione shared a small smile with Harry and Ginny before following Ron somewhat nervously. Harry chose to ignore the final look she sent him just before she left the kitchen. And even though that small moment couldn't be farther from a life or death situation that he found himself in frequently, his heartbeat seemed to think otherwise.

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TBC