By the time Hermione had given up on Ron and come back to the tent, a tense silence had already fallen about the small space that she and Harry now shared. As she stood in the entrance and let the flap fall behind her, she let it sink in that he was really gone. He had left her, and the puddles of rain that were forming on the forest floor outside mirrored the pools that were filling up in her eyes as she came to this harsh realization.

Harry was now ashamed of himself for having doubted her, but he honestly didn't count on Hermione returning to the tent when she ran out after Ron. He felt guilty for not having had more faith in his friend; Hermione never let him down, and respect and gratitude for her welled up inside him. He instantly felt as though he should offer her some sort of comfort. After all the years of witnessing the subtle gestures and stolen glances that passed between his two friends, he had picked up on the love that was growing between them, even if they hadn't noticed it.

But what could he say? He couldn't tell her what she wanted to hear, that was for certain. He had no idea if Ron was coming back, nor if he even wanted him to. He was still reeling from what Ron had said to him; words like that sting regardless of who spits them at you, but it was even worse coming from someone who was supposed to be his best mate. Harry knew that something had broken between them that night, what he didn't know was whether or not it could be mended.

With the lack of sleep he had acquired over the past few weeks, Harry was too drained to stay angry for long. As the fury began to fade, he emerged from his thoughts and returned to reality once again, taking in the sight of Hermione's fragile figure from across the room. She sat curled up in the beat up old armchair, holding herself while her body was wracked with sobs that seemed to belong to a sadness too big to be coming from inside such a small person. His heart sank to see her like that, and sadness seeped into him too, washing away the last of his rage.

Of course, Harry had seen Hermione cry before, but never like this. He attempted again to think of something helpful he could say, but his head was aching and his bones were tired and he couldn't come up with anything cheerful to tell her when things seemed so bleak. All he knew was that he had to do something because he couldn't bear to see her like this.

He let his weary feet carry him across the room to where she was. She didn't even look up to acknowledge his presence, but she didn't need to. He slid down onto the seat with her and gathered her up in his arms. The sobbing didn't stop, but she silently accepted him, wrapping her arms around his middle and letting her head fall to rest in the crook of his neck. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized that his action was helpful, even if it was only in some small way.

Neither of them knew how long they sat there, all the while never saying a word. They just held onto each other as though the world would slip away if they let go. Despite the unpleasant nature of the situation, Harry couldn't help but think of how lovely it was to be close to someone again. With all of the darkness, danger, and fear that had been surrounding him lately, he forgot what it was like to be near someone, to feel the warmth of another person, to feel a heartbeat other than his own. He forgot what it was like to feel someone's fingers fill up the spaces between his, to kiss someone's hair, to hold someone close. He needed Hermione then just as much as she needed him.

As Hermione's sobs died down and were replaced with the soft rhythmic sighs of sleep, Harry lifted her in his arms and carried her over to the bed where he set her down gently. He was just beginning to feel very pleased with himself when he thought he managed to transport her without waking her, but just as he was about to turn and walk away, her brow furrowed and she mumbled sleepily, "Don't leave me." He knew then that she still needed him, and he wasn't entirely sure he was done needing her either.

He grabbed a blanket from the top bunk and slowly lowered himself down next to her, careful not to disturb her as he thought that she had slipped back into sleep, but once he had settled she entwined herself with him once again. With her head on his chest, she gave a great sigh and in that comfortable, safe, sleepy state they both felt as though everything was alright for a little while. As he listened to the rain fall on the roof of the tent, Harry found Hermione's hand once more and let sleep claim him.

okay so this is my first fan fic ever, please don't be too harsh! I would love reviews though :) not sure yet if there will be more chapters to come, thanks for reading xx