She and Ron both looked over at Harry's tangled head of hair. He looked as though he'd been electrocuted and tried to hide it with pomade. Half of it appeared to have been combed at some point, but the rest stuck up and pointed in various directions.
“What did you do to it?” Hermione said, shaking her head in disbelief.
Harry flushed. “I had it combed. And then Ginny and I — erm, snogged.”
Ron made a gagging sound. “Snogged.” He scoffed. “That's my baby sister. Just thinking about you two makes me wanted to gouge my eyes out.”
“Trust me, I've wanted to,” Hermione muttered. “I swear, neither of them know basic privacy or locking charms.”
Harry looked horrified.
“Ronald,” Molly said from across the room. “I want to take a picture with all the siblings! Come over to the tree. Stand next to Ginny.”
Hermione and Harry watched Ron amble over and pose for the family photo. Hermione felt as though her chest were being crushed.
Harry glanced over at Hermione, and she noticed his expression shift slightly before he spoke. “When this is over, I hope things will go back to the way they were.”
He stared at her, and his eyes were young and old at the same time. A lifetime of memories were evoked by those eyes. Hermione's heart caught in her throat as she stared back at him.
She started to open her mouth to say she wished that too. Because she did. She would do anything to somehow emerge on the other side of the war and still have something left.
But before she could say it, Harry caught hold of her hand and gripped it. “You're my family. And I'll always be yours. I know we've fought with each other a lot lately. But I know everything you wanted to do was because you were trying to protect us. I just can't stand the thought of seeing what Dark Magic would do to you. I don't know how to fight to win this war without you, and Ron, and the Weasley Family being there with me on the other side of it. I wish I'd told you this sooner, but I want us to fix things now. You've always looked out for me, better than anyone. I want you to know that I know that.”
Hermione's eyes flooded with tears and her whole body shook.
She opened her mouth and then closed it, swallowing what she wanted to say.
“We haven't won yet, Harry,” she finally said in a hoarse voice.
“I know. I know we've still got long way to go, but I don't want to wait to say this.” Harry took a deep breath. “I haven't looked out for you, and I'm sorry for that. I've been so worried about everyone going on raids, I never stopped to think about how it was for you. Ginny and I were talking, and she mentioned how awful it is in your hospital ward; that all you see is the very worst of every battle, over and over again, and I'm really sorry, I never realised — when Ron and I fought in the past, he always had his family and I always had you, but with this fight about the Dark Arts, he and I were both so focused on the Resistance that we didn't think about you. The three of us were always strongest together. I want us to be that way again. What do you say?”
Hermione stared at Harry and wavered.
Her friend. Her best friend. Her very first friend. She would do anything for him. Anything to protect him.
Anything.
Even give him up.
She swallowed and slowly pulled her hand away. It was like crashing in slow motion. Knowing and doing it anyway.
“I don't think I know how to be friends with you anymore, Harry.” Her voice was low and firm.
Harry stared at her, his eyes wide and stunned. “What do you mean?”
Hermione stared down at her hands. A cold, creeping sensation spread through her. “We — we haven't been friends in years, Harry,” she said matter-of-factly. “When exactly did you last treat me like your friend? When have you even walked into the hospital ward when it wasn't to visit someone else?”
“I—“
“I became a healer to try to protect you and you abandoned me for it.”
“I — didn't. Hermione, I'll admit I could have done better, but it's not like Ron and I been having some sort of jolly time without you.”