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The article in the Daily Prophet shouldn’t have bothered him as much as it did. He was used to his face appearing on the front page. However, no one had ever commented on his height before. He hadn't even been that small standing next to kids his age in his first year, but years had passed. The article questioned why Harry was so short, even shorter than Hermione, attributing his underdevelopment to the mistreatment of his adoptive Muggle family, framing it as a sign of how awful non-magic creatures could be. They weren't wrong about the root of the problem, but he hated how it was twisted against Muggle-borns.
He returned the newspaper to Ron, who frowned just as Hermione did. Neither commented on the content beyond mentioning how inappropriate it was; after all, he was strong, in good shape, and a hell of a Quidditch player. No one could say otherwise.
“I’ll say this: if they have a problem with you, they should send you an owl.” And that was the beauty of it. Hermione knew no one could owl a person unless they had an address, or the owl itself knew the wizard well enough to trace their magic.
There they were, Harry positioned between the only two people whose opinions actually meant something to him. He continued to eat his treacle tart. He rolled his eyes when Ron slipped a sausage onto his plate, and when he turned to protest, Hermione added a pair of eggs on top of the crumbs left from the tart.
He was about to protest when Ron kissed his left cheek. He turned immediately, surprised by the gesture, and then felt it on his right cheek; Hermione’s kiss.
“I swear to God, I’m gonna lock them in a broom closet if they don’t fuck this year. I cannot take another year of that.” Ginny had to use all her strength to avoid spilling her drink. Neville’s—yes, Neville’s—words were a shock to the small group observing the trio’s normal breakfast routine.
“I mean, they are cute when they’re so oblivious, but I agree with you,” said Luna, stealing a carrot from Neville’s plate.
“You should see them in the dorm room. They’ve started to cuddle, like… harder than before, if that’s even possible,” said Seamus, with Dean nodding in agreement behind him.
“Look who’s talking,” said Neville, raising a brow.
“We are talking, Longbottom,” said Dean sarcastically. “But, as a matter of fact, we have the decency to close the curtains,” he said, defending his case.
-x-
Harry was in his second year when he noticed Hermione didn’t hate pork, and Ron didn’t hate chicken wings or sausages; he didn’t recall this from his first year. He’d assumed they put food on his plate the same way Dudley used to pass him his own unwanted vegetables.
“You thought we were giving you the leftovers?” Harry shrugged, embarrassed.
“Why wouldn’t you say anything?” asked Hermione. Harry’s eyes held a world of hurt. The fact he had always been mistreated, that he didn’t think enough of himself to deserve respect or love, to always be looked down upon, it was too painful to confess.
“I didn’t want to risk losing you.” His eyes started to overflow with tears.
“Harry-”
-x-
“I HATE IT!” Harry was sobbing, his fists white from the strength he was using. “I WANTED TO STOP TALKING TO YOU! I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO LEAVE ME! THAT’S WHY- THAT’S WHY-”
-x-
Ron and Hermione had decided to tell Harry before anyone else that they were dating. They were very happy about it; they assumed Harry would be, too.
“What?” Harry’s face was shocked. But who wouldn’t be, right?
“You mean to tell me Harry stopped talking to the both of you after you told him you two were dating?” Fred and George spoke at the same time.
“Yeah; I don’t get it. He’s our best friend, I thought he’d be happy for us, but-” Ron's explanation was cut off as Harry's steps faltered. He had seen the four of them talking in the corridor. “Wait-Harry!” Ron could never hope to be as fast as Harry was; his long legs wouldn't cooperate to close the distance quickly enough.
“See? He doesn’t even want to talk to us,” Hermione said, picking up where Ron left off. “He puts up a barrier when he goes to sleep and sometimes doesn’t even bother coming back to the dorm.”
Fred and George looked at each other in confusion.
“But… we thought y’all were already dating…”
“What!?” she exclaimed. “Why would you think that?”
“Why would they think what?” asked Ron, panting as he returned without Harry.
“They thought the three of us were already dating!” Ron frowned.
“Why would you think that?”
It was their third year, and again, they were all in Harry’s bed, cuddling. Harry was reluctant to let them go, his grip strong. Another nightmare, another day when he didn’t want to be alone. They couldn’t blame him. Ron explained it to Hermione; Ginny would do the same when she had nightmares. Harry never had anyone to run to; not a brother, not a mother, nor a father. So, they would stay there, holding him, until he fell asleep.
Most of the time, Harry would (Always) wake up as soon as one of them tried to leave, so most of the time they would (Always) stay. Most of the time, they would (Always) fall asleep against Harry’s body. He never seemed bothered by how tightly they slept in the individual bed. But things got complicated when they reached their fourth year.
-x-
“You’re back again?” asked Neville, handing him an ointment made from some kind of medicinal plant.
“Yeah, I… just can’t sleep like that,” said Ron, holding his back.
“I still don’t get it. Why do you all keep sleeping like that?” asked Oliver, mad about how often Ron appeared hurt at practice. Injuries from Quidditch were one thing, but anything else was unacceptable.
“It’s just… Harry.” Oliver limited himself to rolling his eyes. First, Dean wasn’t getting enough sleep because of Seamus, and now his Keeper was in for the same thing.
“Just… don’t do it before a game. It weakens the body.” Ron frowned, not understanding. Neville spilled his tea, coughing.
“What does he mean by that?”
“I- no- idea-” Neville was too busy trying not to choke to explain to Ron the complexities of reading between the lines.
-x-
“Granger!” Parvati greeted her in a joyful tone.
“Rough night?” asked Patil carefully when she noticed the extra-large cup of coffee Hermione held.
Hermione tried to answer but limited herself to a nod while sipping her coffee.
“I know we sound like a broken record-” Parvati began.
“Repeating ourselves,” clarified Patil.
“-but you should sleep in your own bed once in a while.” Hermione’s eyes hardened, looking at the black, thick liquid. “We know you’ve already thought about it, that you’ve run through millions of scenarios. We know it’s because of Harry, but come on, not even one night?” Hermione breathed out, tired.
“I just…” Patil and Parvati waited for her. “I don’t think Harry can handle that.”
“I mean, just once a week would help you out.” Hermione knew they were right. They had already outgrown Harry’s bed. But how was she supposed to-?
“What if you and Ron talk to him about it? Maybe he doesn’t even need you anymore.” Hermione hadn’t thought of that. She never considered it to be a possibility. Maybe Harry didn’t even need them anymore.
-x-
Harry was covered in sweat from Quidditch practice as he entered the common room, completely exhausted. Something inside him perked up as soon as he saw the shock of red hair. Harry hugged Ron from behind.
“Ron! I’m tired, give me some of your candies! Please?” Ron was surprised but didn’t push Harry away. He simply turned within his hug to face him, his hands landing on Harry’s back.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Harry” he said, but his tone told Harry he was waiting to be convinced.
“Pleaseeee, Ron, for me.” When Harry used that tone and gave Ron that look, like a hurt puppy that knows damn well you’re going to fall for the oldest trick in the book, Ron could barely say no.
“I don’t know.” Harry got close… really close.
“I might even give you a kiss,” Harry whispered against his ear. Ron’s cheeks flushed, and he agreed, guiding him upstairs to his secret stash of candy.
“I’m not crazy, right? Y’all saw that too?” Neville looked around the common room.
“Oh yeah, we all saw that,” declared Lavender, her book forgotten in her lap.
Hermione had seen it, too. Something inside her felt funny. The entire Gryffindor common room had witnessed it, and that night, when the three of them were back in Harry’s bed, she couldn’t sleep.
-x-
“Okay, ready to play?” Everyone in the circle agreed.
Fred and George had sneaked a few bottles; okay, a whole bunch of Firewhisky bottles into the castle, and Ron had asked for one. Surprisingly, they had agreed. Of course, they wanted to participate.
There they were: Ron, Hermione, Harry, Seamus, Dean, Fred, George, Parvati, Neville, and Lavender, cramped into the boys’ dorm room.
“Okay, I’ll go first,” said Hermione, feeling unusually adventurous that night. “Never have I ever had a week’s worth of detention.” Ron rolled his eyes, but all the Weasleys and Harry drank.
“Ok, that is so NOT fair,” said Ron, grinning at her.
“Yeah, that was a low blow, Granger.” The way Harry pronounced her name made that funny feeling return.
“Well, you wouldn’t have to drink if you weren’t such big delinquents.” Harry snorted at her accusation.
“I still don’t know how you managed to get weeks. If you act repentant, the most you get is a few days,” said Seamus, grinning as Harry made a funny face when the Firewhisky hit his stomach.
“Well, dear Seamus, that’s because they don’t know the meaning of the word ‘repentant,’” said Dean, making air quotes. Seamus blushed a little when Dean said dear.
“Okay, I go next,” said Ron, looking excited. “Never have I ever…” His eyes were on Hermione. “…gone to a Muggle school.” Hermione rolled her eyes, but she and Harry drank.
“Oh, very nice, Ronald, trying to get me drunk?” She was teasing.
“Doesn’t seem like too much work, to be honest,” he teased back.
“Okay Harry, you’re up,” said Lavender, trying to get the attention back on the game.
“Ok,” Harry was thinking very hard; he was losing. Then he grinned, a mischievous look that Ron and Hermione immediately interpreted as a sign they were both going to drink. “Never have I ever been grounded by my parents.” Everyone but Harry drank.
“Oh, Harry-” Hermione was about to make a big thing out of it, but Ron understood this was Harry coping with his pain, and they could work on that later. Today was about having fun.
“Just because you’re losing doesn’t mean you get to pull the dead parents card,” Ron’s tone was playful.
“Yeah, Harry, wow,” Neville followed his lead.
“Okay, new game,” said Parvati, taking the bottle that was already half-empty after Harry’s turn.
“Truth or Dare,” said Lavender, her eyes landing on Ron before returning to the bottle. “But with the bottle.” Everyone agreed, and Neville spun the bottle.
The neck pointed at Fred, and the base pointed at Neville, who smiled.
“Fred, I dare you to smack George.” George’s eyes widened, but before anyone could process what Neville had said, Fred slapped George in the face without hesitation. Everyone else started to laugh or winced as the slap landed heavily.
“Come on, Neville, you could do something better,” Fred smiled and spun the bottle, ignoring George’s stare.
The bottle stopped. “Okay, Lavender, I dare you to kiss Ron.” All eyes widened as Parvati finished her sentence.
“What?” It was Harry who looked most uncomfortable.
“How long?” asked Lavender, but everyone could see both she and Parvati were on the same page.
“At least 20 seconds, on the lips, no tongue.” Ron shifted in his place, his eyes darting to Harry and then landing on Hermione.
“I don’t know about-”
“Come on, Ron, we’re here to have fun, aren’t we?” Although Harry was smiling, and no one else picked up on it, Hermione and Ron could tell Harry was getting jealous. They had learned one thing about him: he was not good at sharing.
-x-
“I don’t think you can do that, Harry,” said Hermione, reading the parchment he had handed her.
“That’s why I’m asking you to check for any loopholes,” Harry requested. It was a weird one: he had asked, very early on, for Hermione to check if he could take two people to the Yule Ball.
“Harry, why two? Can’t you just pick one? You know, this is the kind of greed they talk about in the Bible.” Harry snorted because he knew Hermione would look into it, even if she pretended to be scandalized.
“No, I cannot pick one. I’m a cheeky little bastard.” Hermione rolled her eyes.
“You’re kinda little, alright,” she said, standing up. Harry was already a head shorter.
Harry huffed, feeling personally attacked. “I’m not even that little!” Hermione leaned to his eye level and smiled.
“Yeah, sure, whatever makes you feel better, Harry.” Harry’s face frowned, but neither Hermione’s teasing nor Harry’s annoyance was serious, and both knew it. Harry leaned in for a kiss.
Hermione jumped back, eyes wide in shock. “I won,” said Harry, sticking out his tongue before fleeing the scene with a cocky smile.
The trio ended up going to the ball together, and everyone was jealous of Harry James Potter and his beautiful partners.
-x-
“Did you sleep well, Harry?” asked Luna.
“Like a baby.” Harry’s face held the biggest smile. His body felt great, and he was glad to be back at Hogwarts; he could never sleep well at the Dursleys’.
“Like a good baby or like a bad baby?”
“What’s the difference?”
“According to adults, or to me?”
“To you.”
“Well, in my opinion, a good baby sleeps with its mouth wide, drooling on the pillow and making cute sounds every once in a while, contrary to a bad baby, who—”
“Like a good baby.”
“Oi, Harry!” Ron and Hermione were standing a few meters below him.
“Gotta go, Luna!” Luna almost fell from the wall they were both sitting on. “Are you good!?” Luna practically spun on one foot before regaining her balance and gave him a thumbs-up.
“Okay… we’ll continue this later.” Harry jumped from the wall to land next to his best mates.
“Harry. We need to talk.” Harry’s eyes noticed the bags under their eyes, the strong smell of coffee surrounding them. His eyes looked conflicted before he followed them to a more private place.
Hermione and Ron shouldn’t have snapped at him. They were sure it was because they were exhausted, but when Harry told them the nightmares had stopped since fourth year, they grew furious.
“We’ve been sleeping with you for nothing!?” Ron jumped out of Harry’s bed.
“I mean- I never thought-!”
“Harry! My grades have been worse than ever! Ron almost didn’t make the Quidditch team! And for what!? Because of a whim!?”
“It’s not like that-!” They were already leaving him. They were going to leave. “I didn’t mean to be a bother!” The door closed behind them.
Harry collapsed against the door, his body shaking. His eyes couldn’t focus on anything; he was hyperventilating. His fingernails hurt as they dug into his skin. He tried to calm down, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t breathe. Something was pulling his lungs into his stomach. A horrible ache grew from his stomach to his fingers; it was cold. His eyes were blurry. He tried to take a breath, but tears were dampening the floor, and he couldn’t breathe.
He couldn’t cry anymore. His weeping turned into coughing, his lips turned blue, and he finally collapsed on the floor.
-x-
“Has he done anything like this before?” asked Ginny.
“Oh, most definitely,” answered Luna before Hermione could.
“Yeah, he- Yeah… last year we had a fight because of…” Hermione didn’t dare say it out loud.
“Because of the sleeping thing, yeah, the whole school knows,” Ron looked around to see Lavender take a seat in front of them.
“The whole school!?” asked Ron, a little embarrassed.
“I mean… you’re not exactly subtle, Ron,” said Ginny, grinning. “You practically chased him around the castle after you slept on it… the very next day.” Luna nodded in agreement.
“By the way… What’s this about?” All eyes landed on Lavender. “I mean- obviously, it’s about Harry.” She imitated the way Hermione and Ron said his name, and Ginny and Luna laughed. “But what is it now?”
“We do not say it like that… Do we?” asked Ron, turning to Hermione.
“Well… Don’t look at me!” Hermione’s cheeks flushed.
“Oh yeah, you said it just like that,” Ginny was having fun.
“Harry won’t talk to them because they told him they are dating,” Luna confessed to Lavender, her smile knowing.
“I mean. Yeah, I would be mad, too!” said Lavender. Hermione and Ron weren’t expecting that.
“What-? Why!?”
“I mean, if my boyfriend and girlfriend told me one day they were dating each other, how would you take it? I’d imagine they were breaking up with me!”
“But we weren’t dating!” Hermione and Ron answered simultaneously.
“…really?” asked the trio of girls in disbelief.
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” This time, Hermione really wanted to know.
“I mean… remember what happened after the ‘sleeping thing’?” Ginny made air quotes.
“I just… I wish he was the bigger person.” Lavender laughed at Ron’s comment.
“I think that’s quite impossible, Ronald. He’s 160 cm tall,” Luna smiled in agreement.
“You know what I mean.”
“I mean, I know we don’t exactly see eye to eye, but—” Parvati interrupted Hermione, who had just decided the conversation needed her interjection.
“That’s because he’s too short to do so.” Now Ginny was laughing at Parvati’s comment.
Ron and Hermione were genuinely sorry, but Harry wouldn’t come near them. He looked furious, his head always down. He would often run in the other direction if they tried to approach him, and they were sure he’d been using the Invisibility Cloak to sneak in and out of the Gryffindor tower more than once.
Ron tried to speak to him, but he would cast a Muffliato spell around his bed and physically push him away when he tried to open the curtains. It was honestly becoming a headache.
“Ron! Can I talk to you real quick?” Oliver wore a smile that made everyone feel a chill run down their spine.
“I was actually—”
“Oh, sorry! I must not have made myself clear. We are talking.” Oliver shoved him into a free classroom. Hermione’s eyes widened in shock as Ron’s body slammed against the door and fell in the middle of the room. “Now that you two are here-!”
“What’s your bloody problem-?” Oliver slapped a hand over Ron’s mouth to shut him up.
“Listen! Both of you!” Hermione moved closer to Ron; his lip was bleeding. “You need to fix whatever the fuck you did to Harry. I need my Seeker back!”
The problem wasn’t only Harry. Ron’s grades had never been worse, Hermione was distracted all the time and had actually caused an accident that made Professor Snape take it out on Gryffindor all last week. The trio was a mess when they were like this.
“We didn’t do anything!” Oliver made a face that stated he did not believe Hermione.
“Look…” Hermione explained the whole situation to Oliver, who sighed heavily and started massaging his temples.
“Now, hear me out, you two. Go to this place tonight after curfew and solve this mess, please. I am having enough problems as it is with my Seeker being distracted.” Oliver left after handing them a small piece of parchment. An audible “OH MY GOD, THEY’RE SO DENSE!” was heard from the other side of the door.
“I mean, not much really happened…” Not even Hermione believed Ron’s words; after all, she had been there.
“Maybe it’s time you told us what happened that night,” Lavender asked. Although she had spilled secrets before, her face was serious now; this wasn’t about who kissed who in a broom closet. This was important.
“Okay, then,” said Hermione, and she held Ron’s hand under the table.
The little parchment contained only four words: Astronomy Tower at ten.
Without Harry and his Invisibility Cloak, they arrived ten minutes late. Someone was kissing, of course, but now they had to find Harry-
“Hermione! Look!” Ron whispered sharply, and her eyes locked on something she wished she’d never seen.
Cho and Cedric were kissing, but someone was sitting on Cedric’s lap. It was Harry. Their Harry.
Harry was sitting sideways; he fit perfectly on Cedric’s lap. Cho and Cedric were kissing above his head. From time to time, they would break the kiss, and Cho would start kissing Harry. The next time they broke apart, Cedric held Harry’s neck, pulled him up, and kissed him while holding him close to his chest. Harry’s whimpers made Ron run out of there. Hermione followed a moment later, after hearing Harry whisper a “please… don’t leave yet” words so familiar to her, words she had heard so many times during those nights.
“What the fuck was that about!?” Ron shouted, grabbing Oliver by the face to shove him into an unoccupied classroom.
“Fuck, Ron-! My nose-!” He couldn’t finish arguing; Hermione had her wand against his throat.
“I swear to Merlin, give me a reason…”
“My God, you didn’t get there on time, did you?” Oliver was holding his nose, which was already dripping blood on the floor.
-x-
This time, they arrived thirty minutes before ten, and what happened was far worse than they had feared.
“What is Malfoy doing here?” Hermione asked Ron. They were both hiding in the shadows. Exactly at ten o’clock, Harry appeared in front of Draco. The blonde jumped back.
“What the fuck was that, Potter?” Draco’s voice was panting.
“Don’t worry about it,” said Harry, looking around the Astronomy Tower. “So, are you okay with this?” Harry’s hands were making those nervous movements they always did.
“Are you sure I’m not getting in trouble with Ron or… Hermione?” Her name was pronounced with fear.
“What? Are you that afraid of them?” Draco shrugged.
“I don’t want to imagine what the two of them would do to me.” Harry snorted.
“Not much… we aren’t exactly talking… anymore.” Something in Ron and Hermione’s hearts hurt.
“Okay, then,” Draco said. Harry slowly walked to where the blonde was standing. “Just… promise not to talk about this… they’d never let me forget-” Harry clearly didn’t want to hear anymore, because he was quick to press his lips to Draco’s.
Hermione grew furious; so much so that her magic acted on its own, levitating Draco’s whole body and pinning him to the closest wall.
“What the fuck, Hermione!?” Draco’s voice was a perfect mix of fear and indignation. Harry was in shock, seeing both of them there.
“Were you spying on me!?”
“This ends NOW! You understand me!?” Hermione’s tone was harsh, her gaze deadly. Harry was about to argue when Hermione grabbed his hand.
“Hermione! You’re hurting me!” He couldn’t free himself. “What do you even care!?” Hermione slapped him across the face, and the sound echoed in the room.
“Do you or do you not understand, Harry James Potter?” His eyes flooded with tears, but he just nodded before Hermione hugged him. Ron hugged them both under his long arms, and they left, Harry sobbing “sorry.”
…
“Oh, Draco, do you want to come down?” Draco was talking to himself, still pinned to the wall, his tone sarcastic. “Well, Draco, I don’t want to be a bother. Oh! Not at all! Care for a biscuit? Oh my! How kind of you!”
-x-
“So… you basically went and rescued your boyfriend?” asked Lavender. Ginny was laughing her ass off.
“I mean… We never really said anything about dating,” said Hermione, rubbing her hands nervously.
“How exactly did you solve the sleeping thing? I know for a fact you’re not sleeping with the girls, Hermione,” asked Parvati curiously.
“We used to have this… space between us. So we just… started to cuddle, but without worrying about our bodies touching…” Luna snorted but was quick to cover her mouth when Ron finished his answer.
“Merlin! You’re so dense!” said Ginny, actually getting angry. “You hold hands every time you walk in the halls!”
“We are very good friends!” Hermione tried to defend.
“You kiss hello and goodbye!” said Lavender in disbelief.
“On the cheek!” Ron tried to excuse.
“Are you actually mental?” said Luna. All eyes landed on her.
“Mental?” repeated Ron.
“When you started hearing people say that we all believed you were already dating, did you feel mad? Or did it just make sense to you?” Hermione looked at Ron. He was thinking really hard. He turned, and his eyes found hers.
“Hermione,” he said calmly, looking into her eyes.
“Yes, Ron?”
“We fucked up, didn’t we?”
“I’m afraid you already know the answer.”
“For Merlin’s sake! Don’t just stand there! Go!” It was Ginny who pushed them out of the Great Hall.
-x-
“Neville, where is he?” Ron looked like he was about to murder someone. Neville simply pointed at the stairs. “Thanks, Neville.” Ron quickly climbed the stairs, Hermione at his heels.
The door burst open. Harry’s eyes locked with Ron’s. Harry’s wand was on the couch. He tried to grab it, but Hermione was quick to cast Accio, and the wand flew into her hand a second later.
Harry jumped onto his bed and closed the curtains. “Harry James Potter!” said Hermione, passing Ron. “Don’t you dare close those curtains on me!” She yanked them open.
He tried to back away, only to collide back-first into Ron’s chest, who was already standing on the other side of the bed. Hermione got onto the bed, ready for him, her gaze furious. He was scared.
“Help me?” he tried, giving the look to Ron and appealing to him. He knew Ron had the soft spot, so he tried to secure himself in his arms.
Ron hugged him, and Harry felt like he was safe from Hermione. Hermione looked confused, as if expecting Ron to switch sides and start scolding her, as he sometimes did when he thought she was being too harsh on Harry.
They stared into each other’s eyes while Harry stayed there, nervously looking between them, trying to figure out what was happening. They smiled at each other, and for the first time, Harry recognized a different emotion in their gaze: lust.
Ron got onto the bed and held Harry’s back against his chest, so now Hermione could get to him. Harry started to shake uncontrollably; his breathing was agitated, and his heart threatened to beat its way out of his chest.
“Why?” he timidly asked Ron.
Ron stared at him in a different way, a way he never expected to see in his or Hermione’s eyes. Something about this new wave of emotions made Harry panic. Ron smiled very gently before providing an answer.
“I’m on her side, sweetie.” Ron took Harry’s neck in his hand and lifted it so he could kiss him. It was easy. Harry’s head rested perfectly on his chest, the space as if it were designed to fit perfectly. Unlike Cedric, who had to lift him, the height difference with Ron was just right.
Harry’s lips parted, and Ron’s tongue explored his mouth. It was the most amazing experience ever. He tasted so good, sweet, like the best candy in the world. It was very wet inside his mouth, and the world faded around them.
“Ron; what exactly are you doing?” Hermione’s gaze was still hard, but when the two of them broke the kiss, Harry was panting, shaking nervously, looking at her with those eyes, asking to be forgiven, to be loved.
“Just look at him, ‘Mione,” he said, framing Harry’s face with his hands and turning it toward her. “Wanna join me?” This time, it didn’t sound naughty; it sounded needy, corny. That question sounded like the beginning of the rest of their lives.
“Ok...” she said, taking Harry’s face into her hands.
“Wait—” Harry couldn’t even begin his sentence before Hermione started kissing him, mixing the trio’s flavors inside his mouth. Her kiss was gentle, and her hair practically covered his face, just like it did when they slept. But this time was different; it was profoundly different. It felt like discovering a secret world that had been hidden right in front of his eyes all along.
Harry wouldn’t admit it, but he had always wondered how Hermione tasted. And it was better than great; it was a strong, perfect flavor that gave him strength even as it made his knees weak.
Her tongue was a perfect match for his mouth. She took control of the kiss, exploring him, making it clear that he was her property. No one but Ron and her would be able to enjoy his kisses again; they wouldn’t let it happen.
She broke the kiss, a string of saliva hanging between their mouths.
“Why are you crying, Harry?” asked Hermione, very gently. Harry could only cry because he was truly sorry for all that had happened, for the things he had done. He cried because it felt so natural to be with them like this.
He was crying because he never wanted to be apart from them again. Because, in comparison, Hermione’s hair against his cheek felt like being tickled by God himself. That hair he used to sleep on, to play with, was now something celestial, something magical, a memento of the love of his life… of one of the loves of his life.
That was right. Harry was finally able to say that he was, officially, dating Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. However, this didn’t feel like dating. This felt like it was supposed to be, as if they already knew this would never end.
“I’m crying because I love you… both of you, so much.” They kissed again, and they held each other, exchanging kisses until Harry fell asleep in their arms.
-x-
Everyone’s eyes were staring. Not that they didn’t before; Merlin knows the trio had enough drama to occupy Hogwarts for their entire time there. But this was different. All the tables, even the professor’s table, found it hard to avoid looking in the trio’s direction.
Harry was practically vibrating in his seat, chatting animatedly with his girlfriend and his boyfriend. Everyone knew Harry was a serial hand-holder, but this was ridiculous. He was making it hard for them to eat because of how touchy he was, constantly leaning into their touch, demanding their hands be on him, their fingers gently stroking his hair, or asking for kisses. Harry would lean into Hermione and talk to Ron, or lean into Ron and talk to Hermione, all while demanding the arm of whoever he was leaning on be wrapped around his chest.
Hermione had bags under her eyes, and Ron hadn’t eaten half his plate, but this time, they didn’t look exhausted. Their eyes were filled with love, and looking at Harry; happy, smiling, being himself without a trace of sadness, made them feel fully rested and utterly content.