Author's Note: This is another in a relatively long parade of stories based on Josh Groban songs, this one entitled Awake, hence the title. What can I say, I Heart the Josh, and this song is so sweet it makes me cry. Plus a venting of frustration was in order, and writing makes me feel better. Enjoy

Disclaimer: The lovely characters belong to JK Rowling and the song is all Josh Groban's

Morning sun slanted through half opened blinds and over the couple in the bed. Wrapped in each others arms they looked so peaceful that nobody would have guessed they were living on borrowed time. Nobody in their muggle building had a clue that a war was raging right on their doorsteps, and they certainly didn't know that the man in flat 5A was the would be savior with the power to stop it all. They couldn't know that the woman in his arms was probably the brightest witch in the world; they couldn't know that the pair was doing the best to hide their love from nearly everyone they knew. No, the muggles didn't have a clue.

The sun shining in the windows crossed Harry's face. With a discontented moan he opened his eyes and looked wearily at the clock; it read 6:30. He sighed and slipped gently away from Hermione. She frowned in her sleep and cuddled deeper under the covers, but she didn't wake. He picked his glasses up off the table and slipped them on. With a sad smile Harry walked to the window to look out at the gorgeous spring morning that was dawning. Taking a seat in the chair next to the bedroom's only window he watched the beautiful day begin even as a dark mood fell over him.

A beautiful and blinding morning
The world outside begins to breathe
See clouds arriving without warning
I need you here to shelter me

Though he tried as hard as he could not to think about it, the fact that Hermione could be taken from him at any time was constantly pressing for admission. The war had raged on for years with no foreseeable end, and they were always in danger. Frowning he thought of what he would do if he didn't have her in his life anymore and his mind came up blank. Logically he knew that if it was absolutely necessary they could live without each other, but… He shook his head almost violently as if he could shake the thoughts from his mind.

And I know that only time will tell us how
To carry on without each other

He was started from his thoughts by the warm hands that came to rest on his bare shoulders.

"You okay?" Hermione asked.

He shrugged. "Just thinking, but it seems like that never ends well lately."

She sighed and her hands slipped from her shoulders as she walked around the chair. She stood in front of him with a sad look in her eyes and he took the moment to take her in starting at the tips of her toes. His gaze slid from the unpainted toenails up strong, slim legs tanned by hours outside searching for horcruxes; it cruised up to where an old jumper skimmed her thighs and he felt his heart swell with emotion when he realized that the jumper was his. His eyes traveled up her body to her smooth shoulders bared by the oversized jumper, up the graceful line of her neck to the full unpainted mouth and sad eyes. Finally he took in her wild sleep tousled hair and let out a shaky breath. Looking at her that way only solidified what he already knew, that without her life wouldn't mean anything. Everything he felt must have shown in his eyes. She closed the distance between them and settled into his lap. He wrapped her in his arms and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair as she nuzzled his neck.

"Thinking about what could happen doesn't help," she told him, her lips moving against the skin of his neck.

"I know, trust me, but how can I help it?"

She shook her head and a wayward curl caught at his mouth. "I'm not sure, but I know that wondering what life would be like if the worst happened can't cause anything but grief."

"You're right," he sighed. "You're always right."

Hermione laughed. "Not always, but about this yes." Comfortable silence fell over them for a moment until she let out a sigh. "I wish we could stay like this forever. I wish that we didn't have to go back to headquarters tomorrow night."

"So do I," he told her quietly.

"Maybe I just won't sleep, that way I can keep a memory of us just like this."

He smiled. "I think that's the best idea you've ever had."

So keep me awake to memorize you
Give me more time to feel this way
We can't stay like this forever
But I can have you next to me today

Harry shifted her in his lap so he could look into her eyes. "I wish I could stop time for you."

"I've meddled with time before and it's not all that impressive. What I really want, what I need is just for you to be here. I need to savor what we have before we have to face the war and death again."

His eyes shone with emotion as she spoke. "If there was a way I'd protect you from all of that."

She shook her head. "Don't protect me, just love me."

"I do. I love you so much it hurts." He buried his hands in her hair and pulled her in for a kiss.

They pulled apart and Hermione settled back in against him. "I love you too."

If I could make these moments endless
If I could stop the winds of change
If we just keep our eyes wide open
Then everything would stay the same

And I know that only time will tell me how
We'll carry on without each other

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

He pulled her tight against him before he spoke again. "Promise me something okay?"

"Anything."

"If anything happens to me, I don't want you to waste your life mourning over me. I want you to be happy."

Hermione pulled in a shaky breath. "I thought we weren't going to think about it."

"I can't help it. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone or anything and if I die in this I want you to find happiness."

She shook her head. "That won't happen."

"Why?"

"Because if you die I might as well be dead too," she whispered.

When Harry finally found his voice it was raw. "Don't say that, don't ever say that."

"It's true."

He hauled her up so she faced him and his heart clenched when he saw the tears falling from the big brown eyes. "Hermione."

She shook her head almost violently. "No. You kiss me and the earth moves, you hold me and all the horrible things that we've lived through fade away. I look at you and my heart feels so full that I'm afraid it's going to burst. So if you go, if you don't make it through this I don't know what I'll do. If you aren't here I don't know how I'll be able to be here without you."

"Hermione, you know I feel the same way. But what I want most of all is for you to be happy, whether I'm here or not."

"I won't be happy," she said quietly. "Not without you."

Overcome, he took her face in his shaking hands and brushed her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. Softly, sweetly he pulled her in and captured her lips. With a heartbreaking tenderness he moved over the rest of her face, peppering feather light kisses across her cheeks and at her temples, on the tip of her nose and finally on both of her eyelids. When he spoke it was in a low, resolved voice. "I love you more than life itself, and I promise you that I will do everything I possibly can to come back to you. I'll do all that I can to make sure that we don't have to live without each other."

Nodding, she turned her head and kissed his palm. "I know you will, and so will I."

"Good, because if I lost you…" he let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again he'd managed to chase the ghosts away. "We won't think about it anymore, just like you wanted. We'll stay here and memorize each other until the last possible second."

So keep me awake for every moment
Give us more time to be this way
We can't stay like this forever
But I can have you next to me today

We'll let tomorrow wait, you're here, right now, with me
All my fears just fall away, when you are all I see

Once their storm of emotion passed they sat in silence. Harry watched the progression of the morning out their window as Hermione returned to her favorite position, tucking her head against his neck and pressing her lips to his skin. It was only minutes before Harry realized she'd fallen asleep. With a smile he lifted her effortlessly in his arms.

We can't stay like this forever
But I have you here today

And I will remember
Oh I will remember

He settled her back in the bed and took a minute to look at her, wondering at how lucky he was to have her. Later they would wake and take the time to imprint their moments of peace in their minds forever. But for now they would take the rest they both needed. Harry slid into the bed next to Hermione and pulled her into his arms. With one last kiss brushed against her hair, he let his eyes close and reveled in the love and warmth surrounding him. He was still terrified of losing her, but in that moment all that mattered was having her safe in his arms.

Remember all the love we shared today