In That Moment

As he held out his hand for her, and she slowly took it, he pulled her to her feet and walked to the middle of the tent. Removing the Horcrux that seemed to drain the life out of her, he threw it to the bunk. The music played and he took her hands. He could see the question in her eyes. But he didn't speak. It would ruin everything. This wasn't a time to talk.

He started to sway, moving her arms. And he knew it was horrible dancing, but the small smile that he got from her was worth the short lived embarrassment and he continued.

Normally flashes of your life happened when you thought you were going to die, but as Harry danced with Hermione, and he got a small laugh, the flashes began. Her laughter being the trigger.

It's been a while since he's heard her laugh; nothing like their third year when Harry and Hermione came back to the hospital wing and played ignorant of Ron's surprise at seeing them disappear from in front of him to appearing through the doors. That laugh had been sweet and gentle.

Where as her laugh in the common room, after his "wet" kiss with Cho, had been more heartfelt and loose. He hadn't been able to do anything but smile as he heard it. And as he moved with Hermione, he wished to hear that laugh again.

"She looks beautiful." - Pavarti

Harry had thought his date had been talking about Cho, who had looked beautiful. But when he had turned around, and saw Hermione walking down the stairs, he had lost his breath. His friend had never looked so beautiful and he had been slightly angered that Viktor had been her date and not him.

Hermione was always beautiful, even during sixth year's Potion's class and Hermione's hair had been wild and frizzy. Well, not beautiful then but adorable.

Again her beauty had rocked him at Bill and Fleur's wedding, her red dress standing out. But he thought the most beautiful had been at Slughorn's party where she wore the pale pink dress that had hugged her body and just brought warmth to her skin.

"You need us Harry." - Hermione

And he did. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had grown up with one another, been through everything and more together. And he knew. He knew, as he twirled Hermione, that he needed her more than anything. He's known what his life was like without Ron, fourth year and right at that moment showed him, and he was sad to say he could move on, continue living. But if Hermione ever left, he would be crushed, not able to function.

He remembered second year, when Hermione had been petrified. He had practically lived in the hospital wing, always visiting her and talking to her. Harry even remembered holding her hand, rubbing her skin in a way to be connected with her because he had needed her.

"If Harry hadn't come and found me…I'd probably be dead." - Hermione

That troll. That had been one frightening moment in his life. Running into the bathroom to see a troll swinging his club at her. Her lying under pieces of wood.

Then second year, if they hadn't discovered that it was a Basilisk that had been petrifying everyone, Hermione wouldn't have been able to wake up. Running down the Great Hall between the tables with a smile on her face that would forever be tattooed in Harry's memory. And the hug as she met him had warmed him to no end.

"Hermione's got nice skin. As skin goes I mean." - Ron

He had said he hadn't really thought about it, and he had been telling the truth. But the thought had been planted in his head and he had to agree then, and now. She did. Soft and pale, with a hint of rose.

"She's only interested into you because she thinks you're the Chosen One." – Hermione

There hadn't been many girls, but none had been there for him.

Cho had been interested, maybe not because of how he was the Boy-Who-Lived, but also not for him. He had been the last link to Cedric, her deceased boyfriend from the previous year.

Ginny had been obsessed with him since her first year, and maybe before then.

Then there had been that split second of thinking of asking Romilda Vane to Slughorn's party, but Hermione's words had snapped him out of it and made him see her point.

There were only two women he could trust.

Luna.

Hermione.

"When you're a second away…from watching a friend die right before your eyes…you don't know what that's like." - Harry

It was the truth. You could try to imagine it, but it wasn't something you could do unless you've already experienced it once.

Watching Cedric die, allowed him to imagine what it would feel like to watch Hermione, the girl happily dancing with him, die in front of him.

And it tore him up.

It made him feel as if his heart had been ripped out and his soul had been squashed. He hoped he never had to see that.

"I've noticed you spend a great deal of time with Miss Granger." - Dumbledore

Sixth year had been spent a lot with Hermione.

Mostly due to Ron being lip locked with Lavender almost 24/7, and with both of them not wanting to see it, they had spent their free time together. And they had learned a lot about each other that they hadn't known before.

"Better?" - Hermione

From the moment they met, on the train, Hermione had been asking that question, and doing whatever possible to make sure the answer was a yes.

Fixing his glasses when he wasn't able to, making him remove the Horcrux so that his anger would wash away, being there in the hospital whenever he ended up there.

"I don't want to play anymore. All it does is make you care too much. The more you care the more you have to lose." - Harry

He had everything to lose with the girl in his arms.

"I've always admired your courage Harry. But sometimes you can be really thick." - Hermione

True Hermione statement. Say something that would warm your heart before giving an insult that just ended up making you want to laugh instead of be insulted.

"It's so good to see you." - Hermione

"It's great to see you too." - Harry

Her smile and happiness when they saw each other in Diagon Alley before second year had been contagious. And that began her hugs at every first time they saw each other after the summer.

Her crushing and strong hug before fifth year when he had entered the room. He had been so surprised he almost fell over.

The warm hug he received before sixth year as she stood in her pajamas with her toothbrush in her hand and he could smell the spearmint toothpaste she used.

Even the hug and kiss on the cheek she gave him when she and the Order came to his house months earlier.

He never once complained about her hugs, because truth be told, it was one of the things he had looked forward to every summer.

"It's perfectly simple, you're being..." - Hermione

"No, it's not! Hermione whatever this is, it's not simple." - Harry

He had felt bad for snapping at her when she had been only worried about him and the goings on at the detentions with Umbridge. And he had seen her face. She had been hurt and because he knew Hermione, he knew that she had probably been fighting not to feel hurt and cry.

A crying Hermione wasn't something he liked. It wasn't because crying made him uncomfortable or he thought her weak.

It was because he didn't like seeing her sad, hence the dancing. He didn't like seeing the tears roll down her cheeks, her lip tremble, and her quickly wiping them away with her left thumb so that no one could see her crying. He hated feeling as if he couldn't do anything for her.

Fourth year, he had had a serious talk with Ron about making Hermione cry and ruining the good time she had been having at the dance.

Sixth year, again Ron made her cry by kissing Lavender after their Quidditch victory.

Then recently with Ron leaving them, abandoning not only Harry and their search, but for abandoning Hermione who was in love with him. Ron had no idea how lucky he was to have Hermione's love directed at him.

"When are you going to get it into your head? We're in this together." - Hermione

No matter what, no matter telling them to stay and that he would rather go alone and leave them behind to stay safe and out of harm's way, they had come along and fought beside him.

"You're my best friend." - Hermione

And she was his.

He was there for her as much as she was there for him. He may have more baggage following him, but he always had time for Hermione. Giving her a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk to.

"Everything's going to change now isn't it?" - Hermione

Fourth year was the turning point for them. With the tournament, the trial their friendship had gone through, and the return of Voldemort, they had come to a turning point in their lives.

War had finally hit them. They were no longer just students, facing an "adventure" that came their way. They were young adults that were starting to fight for their lives and protect their loved ones.

"You're brilliant." - Harry

She was the brains of their group and he never forgot to compliment her for it. He probably wouldn't be alive without her help and her smarts.

"I'm scared for you." - Hermione

They always worried for one another. Fourth year he wasn't sure how Hermione survived watching him in the tournament with how worried she was.

She hadn't even been able to not talk to him before the first event. And hadn't been able to stop herself from hugging him. Not that he had been complaining. Only that Rita Skeeter had ruined it by interrupting them with her flashing camera and high annoying voice.

"Maybe we should just stay here Harry. Grow old." - Hermione

The emotion and defeat in her voice had made his heart ache for her.

He had wanted to give her that fantasy. The dream of it just being them, only them. No Death Eaters. No war. No death.

Just them, nature, and the love for one another.

"Me? Books and cleverness? There are more important things. Friendship. And bravery." - Hermione

He tried to be brave. For her. Only her.

As they slowed down, arms around each other, Harry thought about the question that Voldemort was so keen on asking him whenever he escaped.

"Why do you live?" - Voldemort

Then something Dumbledore said to him his first year came back to him as he tightened his hold around her waist, pulling her as close as possible and putting his chin on her shoulder.

"This kind of mark cannot be seen. It lives in your very skin." - Dumbledore

"What is it?" - Harry

"Love Harry. Love." - Dumbledore

And he knew. In that moment he knew.

He was in love with Hermione, she was his everything; and as he pulled back to look at her, look at her face and into her warm brown eyes that had lit up during their dance, he knew he had the answer to Voldemort's question.

"Because I have something worth living for." - Harry

The End.

Don't be afraid to review or favorite.

I want to say that this was inspired by the youtube video called "something worth living for..." harry and hermione that was put together by tennisgirlxoxo. The video is beautiful and breathtaking and I wouldn't have been able to write this without it because the order of the quotes is the same, though I skipped a few quotes and scenes. But definitely check this video out.

It's practically the holy grail of Harmony fanmade videos.