“I see you are-“ Scrimgeour began to say.
“Dumbledore’s man through and through,” said Harry. “That’s right.”
Scrimgeour glared at him for another moment, then turned and limped away without another word. Harry turned round, trying to find Ron and Hermione. Surely they would want to know his plans for the summer, as well as what Scrimgeour wanted with him. But neither of them were anywhere in sight. Harry looked back at Dumbledore’s tomb, expecting to find them there, crying or comforting one another. But the only thing there was the tomb itself, gleaming in the bright summer’s sunshine. Harry couldn’t help but think that the white marble resembled Dumbledore very well. Dumbledore had been a calm, peaceful man, as complex as the plain color of white, yet as rich and valuable as marble. Determinedly, Harry tore his eyes away from Dumbledore’s resting place.
He scanned the lakeside for the tall figure of Ron and the bushy hair of Hermione, but instead, he found Scrimgeour leaning into Percy Weasley, apparently in secret discussion. Harry had no desire to hear their topic of conversation. He had to find his friends. There was much he had to tell them.
He broke into a run down the shore of the lake, towards the beech tree that the three of them usually sat under. Unsure where his feet were taking him, but trusting them nonetheless, Harry continued on until two figures standing quite close together came into view under the tree. They were holding hands, but seemed to be disagreeing about something. Even from this far away, Harry could tell that one of the silhouetted figures was Ron. The other, with bushy, frizzy hair and a female figure, had to be Hermione. Harry’s run slowed into a fast-paced walk. He crept around the tree and into the bushes behind them. But now, a small nagging feeling was creeping in around his curiosity.
Although he very much wanted to know what these two were up to, he couldn’t help but recognize the fact that he was probably eavesdropping on some private conversation. Recognizing the trouble he’d be in if he were caught behind these bushes, Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak from his pocket and quietly pulled it around his body. Since he was sitting on the grassy floor, the cloak had no trouble hiding him from view completely. And to add to his luck, Ron and Hermione were so near to the bushes, that Harry could hear every word without the aid of the Extendable Ears he now always kept in his pocket. Peering through the bush, Harry heard Hermione speak.
“But Ron, you were always so open with Lav-Lav-”
“But nothing.” Ron argued. “I need to keep you safe. Harry needs us both to be safe, especially if we are going to help him find the horcruxes. If Harry knew about us, Voldemort could use that knowledge against him. You know that Voldemort is a very accomplished Occlumens. He could find a way to torture Harry about it.”
“But Ron,” Hermione said again, exasperatedly, “you can’t expect me to believe that Harry won’t figure it out eventually. I mean, you were a bit obvious back at the funeral for-” Her voice trailed away. Harry understood; it was very hard for him to even think about Dumbledore at the moment.
"And besides, you were always so open with Lavender in the common room, snogging on the same couch! And now you want me to just act as though there's nothing between us! I couldn't be able to stand it! And based on what I've seen of you being romantic, I can hardly believe that you could stand it either!" Hermione's hair was crackling from her frustration.
Ron said nothing, but simply blushed in shame.
“Anyway,” Hermione continued, “how do you expect me to hold back on protecting you as well as Harry if we are both going to go with Harry on his mission?” Hermione had taken her hands out of Ron’s, and her hands were now sitting almost Mrs. Weasley-ishly on her hips. Ron looked at her, apparently at a loss for words.
“You, um, do have a point.” Ron stuttered, fumbling with his fingers since he had nowhere else to put them.
“But wouldn’t you try to help me anyway, even if you… well… didn’t fancy me?” Ron asked hopefully. Hermione stared at Ron with a sincere look on her face.
“Well, I’ve never exactly had a moment where I didn’t fancy you, so… it’s rather hard to say…” Hermione whispered, turning a deep shade of pink and looking away.
“But you’re avoiding the main reason why I wanted to talk to you!” Hermione turned back to Ron, tapping her foot on the soft ground. “I figure Harry should know about ‘us’ because it’ll probably help him to make necessary safety arrangements.”
“Like what?” Ron asked, obviously very confused about what Hermione was talking about.
“Well, for one thing, Harry will be able to block his mind from Voldemort and therefore, concealing what could be a weakness! And also, if Harry doesn’t know, it could be putting us in danger!”
“How would not Harry knowing put us in danger?” Ron asked, incredulously.
“Think about it, Ron!” Hermione said, pacing and running her hands through her hair anxiously. “Harry wouldn’t have an extra motivation to protect us. If you were watching weakly from afar as your best friend was being tortured, you would want to save your friend! But if you have no strength, there is probably no hope!"
"But that's reason enough!" Ron argued, "Harry doesn't need to know about this, us being his friends is enough to motivate him!"
"And it’s rather like what McGonagall said about Dumbledore," Hermione cut across Ron, "he would’ve been happier to know that there is a little more love in the world. Doesn’t love motivate you more than anything else? If all else fails, there will always be love to give you the strength to get back on your feet! Leaving Harry out on this could be his, and our, downfall!” Hermione looked rather triumphant at finally being able to get all of this out. Ron looked rather flustered.
Harry thought Hermione did have a point. After all, love was supposed to be the power that the “Dark Lord knows not.” And love for his friends had saved him from many dementor attacks. His love for Sirius had saved him from his own death last June at the Ministry. Harry could not see how Ron could refuse to accept Hermione’s proposal to tell him that they were going out.
Ron seemed to be struggling with his thoughts. He stood there, staring at the floor, fumbling with his fingers and muttering under his breath. It was as though he was having a mental Tug-O-War. But at last, Ron looked up and sighed.
“All right, all right! I’ll tell Harry! But honestly, Hermione, will love always save him? Will love always save us?”
“Well, that’s part of the risk of it, isn’t it? It’s even a risk in a friendship.” Hermione said quietly. “I think that Harry would be willing to take it. I know I am.”
They stood in an awkward silence for what felt like ages and then, the next event seemed to happen in less than a second. Harry wasn’t even quite sure how it had happened, but the next thing he knew, Ron and Hermione were embracing tightly, Hermione’s hair blocking Ron from view. It could not have been clearer that they were kissing. What seemed like an hour passed and Ron and Hermione were still tightly embraced, locked together in what would probably the happiest moment for them in a long while. Harry removed his head from the bush, throwing off his Invisibility Cloak as he did so. There was no point in forcing Ron to relive this scene if he had seen the whole thing anyway.
Brushing twigs and ants off his cloak, Harry stood up to find Hermione and Ron standing apart at last. Ron was the first to notice Harry’s sudden appearance. All of the color seemed to have drained from his face and his ears turned redder than a tomato, as they did normally when he was very embarrassed. Hermione turned around to look at what Ron was staring at. Upon seeing Harry there, grinning, Hermione flushed deep pink and looked at the ground.
“I’m guessing you heard everything.” Ron said in a hoarse croak. His face was turning a slight tinge of green, now. He looked rather like a Christmas tree with two red baubles hanging from it.
“Most of it,” Harry said, grinning at the pair of them. “Look, it’s nothing you should’ve argued about. I agreed with Hermione completely - love is what should keep us going. At least, that’s what Dumbledore thought, and I believe Dumbledore almost completely. And don’t think I don’t like the idea of you two getting together, because I don’t mind it. If you two are happy, I am.” Ron and Hermione beamed at his approval.
The three of them stood there waiting for someone else to speak.
"We're coming with you, Harry." Hermione said at last, smiling and changing the subject completely.
"Yeah, wherever you go; your aunt and uncle's, Godric's Hollow - wherever it takes to have peace in the Wizarding World." Ron added, seemingly willing to be pulled out of the awkward situation.
Harry could only smile back at them. He always knew that Ron and Hermione would come with him, but now, he knew that he had even more than their friendship, he had another kind of love behind him. It felt as though all the world's love was protecting him: romantic love, plationic love and family love.
The three of them walked side-by-side toward the castle of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, for what seemed like the last time. Though Harry knew that the three of them were going to face many dangers, be in mortal peril more than once, and fight for their lives and each others, Harry couldn’t help but think that right now, at this moment, the world was going to have another bond to help them defeat Voldemort, and that was, of course, love.
----
A/N: Aww, wasn't that mushy? I'd like to know what you thought of my story! Review! Please? And check out my other one-shot, too! Thanks for all of your reads. I'm just amazed so many people have taken the time to read my work. :)