One Big Happy Weasley Family

Disclaimer: Yes, I am a strawberry-blonde millionaire that lives in GB and owns Harry Potter. Well, there is a little red in my hair...

Okay, so I absolutely abhor the final pairings in book seven. I unconditionally cannot accept RHr, and am only slightly less unforgiving about HG. So, a brief interlude while on the hunt for Horcrux, in which Ron has already left, and only Harry and Hermione remain.

XXX

Hermione sighed, squatting on the ground about ten feet away from the tent, leaning back against an oak tree that was rather large around. The two had just been arguing, over what exactly she wasn't sure, and it had caused her to lose her appetite for what little food they had. She had stood in a huff and stalked out of the tent, being sure not to the pass the perimeter of the camp wards, and without even her wand to cast a heating charm. But at the moment she was too aggravated with Harry bloody Potter to care.

Thinking back, she couldn't recall what had caused the argument, or even what they had been yelling just before she had walked out. Frustrated, she swept her fingers through her tangled mass of russet curls, and sighed as they caught in tangles and the breeze caused goose bumps to run across her flesh.

At least she didn't run away completely! She snorted and resisted the urge to hit something with her fist of tightly clenched curls. No, no matter how frustrated she got with Mr. Potter, she would never walk out on him like that. She was sure that at any time he would come shuffling out of the tent flap, his head facing the ground as he kicked around the dead leaves on his way over. He would apologize, she would swear it wasn't entirely his fault, and the two would fight to apologize more for a couple minutes. Then it would all finish up with her sniffling on his shoulder as he sighed in relief and tried not to cry at the thought of losing her too.

How predictable they were. Getting into all the same fights, and ending them the same way every time while swearing never to do it again. She always hated that part, seeing as she was all he had. Her rage at Ronald increased as she remembered him stalking out like the bloody bastard he was. They couldn't abandon him to do this alone. He was all the world had against Voldemort, and he was all she had period.

She felt another sigh coming on, and cursed the bloody things for annoying her so. For someone so ignorant about men, she sure did have an issue. For years she was best friends with two males, both of whom had a very strange inferiority complex. Based on all their fighting, she surmised that without Harry playing the buffer he had, her and Ron's friendship would have ended years ago, or more likely not even have started. Her friendship with Harry, on the other hand, was a completely different story. She felt as though it was Ron getting in the way back when they had met, and Ron influencing her from catching Harry's attention. Even after they had become friends, she felt as though if Ron weren't there, their friendship would have been at least twice as strong, and she imagined that Harry would have noticed her feelings long before now.

Though it wasn't like he knew about them now either. She was his best friend, his back up, his support, and at the end of the day, he went to another witch. She had known at the beginning of their sixth year that Ginny had planned and was implementing a massive catch Harry plan, and seeing as Ginny was her closest female pseudo-friend, she had known that Ginny fancied him for years. What Ginny didn't know in return was that Hermione had fancied the real Harry even longer. She had a feeling that Ginny was stuck in the same wave of hero adoration as everyone else, and viewed him as The Harry Potter, instead of just Harry, the boy who had more money than he knew what to do with, and would give it all up just to have his parents back.

No, in her opinion, no one knew the real Harry like she did, and she didn't really feel like letting them either. But when Ginny's plan burst into action last year and she saw the notice in Harry's gaze, she couldn't bring herself to sabotage what happiness he would draw from it. Instead she sat back and let Harry have-at just as she waited back in fifth year with Cho. Only she began to notice Harry's reaction to Ginny, and all thoughts of breaking them up fled her mind at his happiness. She knew she was assured a spot in his heart, but knowing that she had to give up space for someone else made her feel rancid and wrong. Instead she chased Ronald, knowing that he had fancied her for a few years already.

But somehow that had blown up in her face also, what with his jealousy and her decision to play the game back. She had felt as if they were running around in circles all year, only enraging each other more and more as Harry and Ginny were snogging in the broom closets. Somehow her obsession with catching Ron to ease her pain had ended up with her not only being extremely irate and volatile, but she had pulled away from Harry, indeed, had pushed him away from her.

By the end of the year, she felt as though she had lost all of her friends, and could tell that her boys felt the same way seeing as they had spent the first five years of school together and no one knew them better. After Dumbledore's death, she had given herself a stern talking to about leaving Harry to fend for himself, or at least deal with it without her. Once she confronted him to help him through she realized that even with him dating Ginny, she just couldn't take Hermione's place in Harry's heart. And certainly no one could comfort him quite like she could. This had the lasting effect of displacing much of the remaining bits of anger from her heart from the last year, and she found herself able to forgive both boys for their roles in the trio's split also.

Harry had been much comforted once he got is customary support from her, and she was much surprised when he decided to break up with Ginny at the end of the year. Although she was a little excited as though he no longer needed Ginny now that he had her back, she realized that he didn't want her to be hurt, and therefore didn't want her to follow them. Unfortunately for him, that excuse wouldn't work for Hermione and Ron, who knew exactly what the boy-who-lived was thinking and shot him down before he could open his mouth.

The trio had stayed through Bill and Fleur's wedding, much plagued by Mrs. Weasley, and then headed off for the hunt. They managed to travel around and find the Horcrux, and even figured out the mysterious RAB, a one Mr. Regulus A. Black.

During this time Hermione felt more and more Ron's 'in again, out again' attraction for her, but she felt wary of her response to him. She felt sure that this was a large part of the boys falling out when Ron decided to pack up and leave, and not only was she heart broken that her friend could betray her so, but to leave Harry in the state he was in? No, it was a very stupid mistake to do so, and unfortunately his leaving had a negative affect on the remaining duo. Harry was sullen and retracted, and Hermione was overly agitated and prone to fits of trying to make everything 'alright.'

She realized, sitting out in the cold against the rough bark of the oak tree, that her main agitation stemmed from the fact that he had up and left them, so not only were they feeling abandoned, but she had to make up for anything he had helped with to begin with. This simply added to her stress levels with trying to figure out and find the Horcrux, and she knew that her irritability just fueled Harry's anger. Especially since she had broken his wand. No matter how bad she felt about that, she didn't feel as though she could adequately make it up to him.

No, instead she was sitting out here freezing in the cold, while Harry was likely stifling in his anger inside the tent, both of them tired to the bone of fighting, all the fighting. No matter where she turned, she felt as if she were surrounded by it. A crackling of leaves caught her attention, and she saw a gloomy figure walking slowly towards her. She knew though, that whatever stress she felt, how ever much she hated all the fighting, he had it worse. His whole life had been based on fighting, even before he was born. At least she had eleven years of relative peace before she chose to become part of his efforts at defeating Voldemort.

The thought of his childhood thus wasted caused tears to spring forth just as he reached a position close enough to see the light reflecting off her glassy eyes. A flash of pain shot across his face before he dropped unceremoniously to his knees before her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her tight against his chest. The close comfort of his chest released what little control she had, and she broke down into tears, soaking his shirt. What she didn't realize at that time was that he was crying just as hard, silently, wondrously.

Her feet had given out under her, and her legs were numb from the knees down as she sobbed, Harry Potter crying mutely, folded over her shaking form. As her sobs quieted to gasps for air and a few choking hiccups, she could hear his voice, tight and sharp, muttering over and over his apologies to her.

"Merlin, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry!" She raised her head off his shoulder, her arms bent between their chests, her hands folded against his neck under his chin. The pain showing in those startling emerald eyes was riveting, and she stared blindly, not daring to breathe. His hands came forwards, and stroked her cheeks, brushing her tears backwards into her hair which he proceeded to tangle his fingers in. Slowly, one hand came forward to caress his jaw bone, and staring into his eyes, she touched her lips to his.

The jolt she got at contact pushed her breath out in a rush as her eyes fluttered. She was shocked that she had actually done it, had actually kissed Harry Potter, and as she sat there being held by him, her eyes closed, and his fingers began stroking her hair as he leaned forward and kissed her back.

She felt the goose bumps come back, shivering across her body, though this time not from the cold. At the tremor in her slight frame Harry pulled her in tight to his chest and captured her mouth in a hot, all consuming kiss. Considering the fact that she had never had a real boyfriend, or kiss for that matter, his was overwhelming her senses, made all the more potent for the fact that he was Harry.

The moment she felt his tongue flick against her lips her body jumped into action, her arms reaching sensuously around his neck as she kissed him back with as much force. As he pushed her backwards she ignored the bark of the tree poking her in the back. She felt as though they couldn't get any closer, as though they would meld together here against the edge of this forlorn tree in the middle of the woods. Suddenly he pulled away, his breath leaving in small pants, hers barely escaping. His hands began trailing down her smooth skin, tracing a path from her temple to her collar bone.

She stared at him, her chocolate eyes black beneath her lashes. His hands moved to her shoulders, hot through her thin shirt, and smoothed the wrinkles down her arms. As she leaned forward, staring blindly into his eyes, a cold gust of wind blew sharp from behind her, causing her hair to whip up and slap them both in the face. As the wind blew strong, causing the trees to creak and rustle, Harry grabbed her around her shoulders and lifted her up with him, pulling her behind him by one wrist back into the relatively comforting embrace of the tent.

She scurried into the tent behind him, and caught her breathe as she was propelled around and into his arms, his embrace as warm as his kiss. She wrapped her arms around his waist and softly stroked her hands up and down his spine. He pulled her hard against his body, one hand at the small of her back, and one wrapped around the back of her neck, smooth and large, making her feel so delicate, so fragile.

He pulled away from the kiss then, his forehead against hers, their noses touching. The hand he had on her neck relocated to her hair as he softly stroked the side of her face.

"Ah, 'Mione." Somehow, she didn't know how, they were standing by the edge of the old wooden bed that had come with the tent. She felt her knees buckle on the edge, and as she fell back his arms caught her, complete trust in her eyes that he wouldn't let her fall. But suddenly, he was ferocious, insatiable. His kisses became hot and demanding, and she met his every caress, her legs winding up around his back.

His hands flew across her body, pushing up her shirt, smooth skin across her belly button, meandering down her side, over her wide hips. His hips pushed against that sweet spot between her legs, and started a coiling ache up to her chest. She couldn't help but press back, her pelvic bone grinding against him, him growling in her ear. She gasped as his tongue flicked her ear lobe, then took it between his teeth. Sweet kisses were scattered down her neck, sensuous in its rhythm, searing her skin.

She moaned at the loss of contact when he propped up to rip off his shirt, then shivered in delight as his hands ran up her sides to remove her own, revealing her bra-less chest in full glory. Her tongue flickered, wetting her lips as she watched his glazed expression at her exposure. Oh so softly his cheek touched her breast in reverence, one hand rising to feel the soft skin.

His tongue ventured out to flick the rosy bud, and the pair shivered in tandem at the contact. Gently his mouth traveled around the soft skin of her chest, and slowly down to her belly. As his tongue poked her belly button, she couldn't help but giggle once, in which case he jumped back up to attach onto her blushing nipple, and she moaned, loudly.

As his hands and mouth caressed the soft skin on the top half of her body her nails lightly scraped up his back in semi-controlled strokes. As his one hand quickly rubbed against the juncture between her legs she whimpered, and pressed back against him. But suddenly the cloudy haze cleared as she realized what their actions were driving them towards and she caught his startled hands as they attempted to unbutton her jeans.

"Harry, I..."

"Merlin, I'm so sorry, I..." She cut him off with a kiss as his arms tightened around her bare waist.

"It's just, I'm not ready, and it's not you, you're doing great, you're great, I'm just... not ready, you know?" He nodded and swept a curl away from her face as he pulled himself level with her and drew her in cradled against his chest, murmuring his apologies to her, and softly kissing her head. They fell asleep like this, curled together topless, hidden in each others arms.

XXX

It was a couple hours later that Harry had awoken, startled by the heat pressed against his chest. As he looked down and remembered their activities, he wondered at his luck, at his stupidity for not noticing her earlier. Well, technically he had, but Ron had made it obvious first, so as best mates go, he had first claim. In the last year he was sure that they were going to hook up, as much as Ron had wanted her and she had chased him around. But then again, he really hadn't paid much attention with Ginny around to distract him.

Ah, sweet Ginny. The first girl to have fallen in love with him, though he still wasn't sure which 'him' she had fallen for. She had made a comment about him needing to chase Voldemort to be happy, but if she knew the real Harry, she would know that his greatest dream is to have it all over and done with and to have a great, large, and loving family. She had kept him distracted the last year though, instead of watching his two best friends chase after each other, she loved him unconditionally, showering him with affection, letting him pretend to be normal.

He never was quite comfortable with affection, but with Hermione and her hugs, then Ginny, he had learned to accept it, and possibly even crave it. But he had broken up with her at the end of the year to prevent her from following him on his mission. He had attempted to make Hermione and Ron stay also, but you couldn't find a pair more stubborn, and they had followed him anyway. Unfortunately a row with Ron had made him decide he would no longer help them, and while he was furious with Ron for upsetting Hermione and for some of the things he said, Harry was glad he was out of the action.

Now he only had poor Hermione left. His lovely, loyal best friend who had unwittingly possibly ruined her future to stick by his side. But he knew that he wouldn't be able to do it with out her, he would be lost. She really knew everything, or could find out!

Just that night after an argument about some trivial pointless matter she had stormed out, and his heart had sickened at the thought that she had left him too. Luckily for him she was merely hiding from him behind a large tree, nearly freezing herself in her stubbornness. He had been shocked when she had kissed him, did she think that she no longer had a chance with Ron? Did this mean he now had a shot?

Of course he had taken it too far though, and had really messed things up by pushing her. She was forgiving though, and had merely kissed him and fallen asleep with him. What a joy it would be to awaken every morning to this site, her bushy hair sprawled across the pillow, her lithe body pulled tight against his own. Silently, softly he brushed her hair away from her face, and with a few kisses to her cheek and forehead, he snaked his arm from around her torso and snuck out of the tent. Only nature could pull him from her side.

Quietly he finished his business behind one of the trees and as he was getting ready to re-enter, he noticed an ethereal doe standing gracefully nearby. He felt as though a compulsion spell were cast on him, he had to see her, touch her, but as he got closer she moved away. And so he chased her.

He followed her to a frozen pond in which he found the Sword of Gryffindor. He attempted to jump in and get it, but to no avail, and was suddenly rescued by none other than his lost best mate. Ron pulled him out and they stood about talking for a little bit and catching up. Harry accepted Ron apologies for 'being such a prat,' and the two slowly made their way back to the tent clearing as Ron told his tale of trying to track the other two down.

As the two boys reached the clearing he stopped shocked at Hermione's lithe figure standing in the entranceway. In a nanosecond a million thoughts rushed through his head. What if she was using him? What if she really wanted Ron? What should he do, act, say?

The overly developed coldly clinical side furied at the thought that she had just been using him and that she was standing there waiting for Ron, wanting Ron. After all she had been chasing him for over a year now, right? Instantly he knew the only possible way for him to act would be to pretend nothing had happened between the two of them, that he wasn't hurt by her choice, that he had really wanted Ginny all along. Pretty, athletic, skinny Ginny that played Quidditch and hated studying. She wanted to marry him didn't she? Well now they would all be one big happy Weasley family!

In his blind fury he muttered excuses to Ron and hurried into the tent, coldly passing Hermione by without even a glance. Once he was inside and saw that the tent flap had sealed itself shut against the weather, Harry had burst out in a foul mix of expletives, pacing around the room, running his hands roughshod through his hair and down his face. One big happy Weasley family.

He was setting up his sleeping bag to get at least a few much needed hours of sleep before they moved on when Hermione came marching into the tent, followed by a baffled and exasperated Ronald Weasley. Heaven knows what he did, maybe forget the ring? Harry snorted, then realized just how tired he really was. Murmuring a 'night to the other two he flopped himself down into the cushy bag and tried his hardest to fall asleep before they began sucking face.

XXX

Hermione's reaction to the situation though was somewhat different as she stood at the entrance to their tent and watched the two boys come through the woods. She had woken up alone, and the bed near her was barely even warm anymore. She peered around the room, then jumped up frantically, hoping that Harry had not been killed while she was on the Job.

She threw on a sweater and hurried outside thinking rationally that Harry may simply be 'answering a call of nature.' But when she found the surrounding woods silently empty she felt the anxiety wash over her in waves. She hurried back into the tent and found her trainers, slipped them on, then grabbed a flashlight and exited the tent again, completely forgetting her wand.

As she stood in the entranceway, shining her light around while trying to decide where to go, she heard voices talking slightly to the left of the front of the tent. She flickered off the light, but when she heard Harry's quiet murmur she was relieved and turned it back on. After a moment she watched two figures step from behind the trees and come into the clearing where she could see them. Harry and... Ron?

As she stood there shocked for a moment, her anger began welling up again at him for leaving them, and then again for choosing this exact moment to finally choose to come back, just when she though she was getting somewhere with Harry. Now he would probably want to keep it quiet so as not to hurt Ron's feelings, or Ginny's when they found out. Unfortunately she chose this time to look at Harry, and was bewildered by the look of utter betrayal? portrayed on his face; what was it from?

As she watched in shock, Harry stomped past her to enter the tent, brushing her shoulder in anger as he went. As the idea that Harry was leaving her with Ron, to get together with, as he went back to his thoughts of his Precious Ginny, ran through her mind, she suddenly felt enraged, betrayed. She felt used, as if she were a substitute for some little flaunty athletic girl that hadn't even been around very long.

Her rage for Harry and Ginny, and Ron as well was poured out on the unsuspecting boy as he tried to make amends to her. She snapped at him, then turned on her heel and marched inside. Ron was left stunned outside, wondering if it was something in the water, before he hurried to follow them inside for bed. He noticed Harry flopping himself down to go to sleep as Hermione grabbed her inheritance from Dumbledore and sat in the comfy chair in the corner of the tent.

"Ronald, you and Harry go to sleep, I will take watch." She ignored him as he flinched at her tone and readied his spot for bed. The air in the tent was uncomfortable as two tried to fall asleep and the other sat up for hours staring at the page unblinkingly, trying not to cry.

'Fine, I'll marry Ronald.'

XXX

A.N.

Okay, so Harry and Hermione want each other, but they think the other want someone else and not them, so they both settle for their second choice, the Big Happy Weasley Family. Everyone does end up at least satisfied with their life, if not genuinely happy.

Ahh, unrequited love...

Anti-epilogue H/Hr sequel coming soon.