The Things We Do For Love

Peace

By the time the sun had risen, Harry had already taken Hermione back to her bed, having been the one to wake first. The girl was currently nestled in her bed, warm and safe, as Harry watched her intently. His back and side of his neck were still stinging from her scratches last night but he didn't care, instead taking it as a mark of honor. There weren't any boundaries between them anymore, they had given each other everything.

Ron arrived shortly after, reacting with mild surprise and barely hidden jealousy at Harry's presence but not saying a word. Coward, Harry resentfully thought. He didn't know when he had grown to harbor such a dislike for his best mate but he figured it had everything to do with his attitude. The asshole claimed to love Hermione only to then abandon her during the darkest times of their life. Regardless, if Ron hadn't left, he would never have Hermione like this.

"Mmm, Harry," Hermione moaned out from her bed before grabbing at the sheets to search for Harry's body. When she found no sign of it, she immediately jumped to wakefulness before spotting Harry right beside her with a lopsided grin on his face. The girl never noticed that her other friend was right behind her.

"Mmm, I love you," she whispered out, just barely loud enough for both Ron and Harry to hear.

Shit, Harry mentally exclaimed. He wasn't expecting that and, judging from Ron's quickly reddening face, a confrontation was imminent.

"WHAT?"

Harry watched as Hermione jumped up in shock and came to behold Ron sitting on the opposite side of the bed. He immediately rose to his feet when Ron did and deftly slid his wand to his palm unbeknownst to the red head.

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

Hermione flinched back at the yell but rose to her feet as well, coming to stand next to Harry.

"Y—you love him?" Ron furiously whispered, red painting his entire face.

"I can explain," Hermione began before being silenced by Ron's cold laugh.

"I knew something happened between you in the tent," he angrily said.

"Nothing happened," said Harry with icy cold calmness, joining the conversation and regarding Ron with little sense of friendliness.

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because it happened last night," Harry answered, hiding his own smugness and barely keeping his smirk off his face while he thought of the mind-blowing sex he shared with his love last night.

"HARRY," Hermione yelled.

"Y—you, y—you bastard, you knew I fucking loved her."

Harry's laugh was cold and sardonic before the room chilled as his anger peaked within him. The nerve of Ron to say he loved Hermione when he abandoned her to the Death Eaters, when he left her to fend for herself with him, when he used Lavender Brown to break Hermione's heart. Some kind of love, he thought.

"Really?" Harry asked with a chuckle, noticing as Ron reeled back in fear, "you love her?"

"Did you love her when you used Lavender to make her jealous? Did you love her when you left her in the the tent with me?" He asked with gritted teeth and barely contained fury.

"DID YOU FUCKING LOVE HER WHEN YOU SPENT YOUR NIGHTS WARM IN A BED WHILE SHE AND I CONTINUED THE HUNT ON HER OWN?" The force of Harry's yell had shaken Shell Cottage and sent Ron crashing back into the bedroom wall.

Harry hadn't meant to lose his temper for fear of scaring Hermione but he was mildly surprised when the girl leaned closer to him, stroking his knuckles and calming him down.