Truss: to tie, bind, or fasten.
January 2, 1998
Harry sat in the tent's mouth, the bitter winter wind stinging his face, the dim heat of Hermione's little bluebell flames at his back. He fiddled with a rubber band that had been around the Muggle newspaper they had nicked that morning, pulling it so far the rubber began to grow course and ripple, then letting it go. It snapped back to a perfect circle with a ping.
Hermione was sitting beside the bowl of flames behind him, poring over a book with her lips pursed like they'd been for so long. Ron was a few yards away, scouring the brush aimlessly, every now and then a guilty look coming across his face.
Harry looped the rubber band around three of his fingers and stretched it as far as it would go. After a moment of straining, the tension threatening to break it all together, the band flew off the tips of his fingers and snapped back into its original form. He wrapped it around his three fingers again, tight enough this time to make his fingertips go numb. Each time he tried to stretch the band now, it only held them all the tighter.
It held them all the tighter.
Countless nights Harry had listened to Hermione cry herself to sleep. Hermione had been witness to his deepest grief, seen him in his weakest moment, heard his bitterest resentments. Ron had saved his life, pulled him half-naked from icy depths. Harry had been privy to his darkest fears and deepest vulnerabilities. Ron had done the worst thing he could: left. And now he was back.
What more could they do to stretch the band?
They were tied, bound, fastened by these nightmares and laughter, shames and forgiveness in a way that would always be unique, even among all the others they loved so much. They had been since a troll prowled the school on Halloween six years before. And each time they were pulled apart, they snapped back together.
Ping!
A/N: I love Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I'll leave it at that. :) please review! Let me know what you think because I love that almost as much as the trio!