Just One Evening
By Cherished Dreams

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

This story is especially dedicated to:
The people who have been there for me though these past years, my friends.
Thank you for putting up with this attitude of mine and for understanding why I do the things I do,
just like some things in this fic. Thank you to both the old and new friends of mine.

You guys are truly angels from above.

It was autumn and many students spilled into the fields surrounding the castle. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were two of them. The school acknowledged them as two of their golden trio. The bookworm and the hero. The hero and the bookworm. So it raised little suspicion when they walked out of the castle and headed over to their favorite place, by the rock overlooking the lake. Ron was serving detention that evening with Professor Snape, and seeing that it would be cool outside that afternoon, the two best friends decided that they spend some time catching up.

Hermione had left her book bag in the castle for a change and sat there close to the lake watching the cool breeze create little ripples in the water. She had earlier helped Harry with his transfiguration essay. Reaching their N.E.W.TS. year was certainly proving much difficulty. Teachers had started piling essays and extra homework on top of each other for them. So the evening alone with each other's companionship was to be a well deserved break for both of them.

Harry sat behind Hermione leaning on the tree just behind her. He watched the clouds float about in the air and wondered about the future that they held. The war had been officially announced in their fifth year and it had been raging ever since. The D.A. had stopped as their headmaster had a dueling / defense club running again.

He remembered his crush on Cho Chang in the same year, when the trio had founded the D.A. He grinned remembering the love triangle during the same year. "Hermione?" he asked softly, not wanting to disrupt her thinking. She replied with a soft, "hmm?" "Do you remember our forth year? Do you remember the love triangle issue?"

She turned around and grinned at him, remembering. "Course I do! You, me and Viktor Crum." She giggled. "It was awful. He couldn't even pronounce my name properly." They both laughed, their laughter ringing in the trees around them. "My first sort-of boyfriend, Viktor Crum." Hermione stated with a sigh. She turned around again and threw a rock into the lake.

"He was your first kiss wasn't he? I think I remember you telling me." Harry said thoughtfully. Hermione blushed but nodded. With her back turned to him he hadn't been able to see it. "Cho Chang was my first." Hermione laughed remembering what he had said. "Wet wasn't it?" He joined her in laughter after making an affirmative sound.

Their laughter soon died down and a few moments passed before Harry spoke up again. "Hermione, how come you've never had a boyfriend after him?" He suddenly questioned sounding pensive. She was obviously surprised, because he noticed straight away and quickly apologized himself for it. She shook her head. "No, no... It's a valid enough question."

She smiled softly to herself before asking, "Would you believe that no one's tried to well... court me?" She forced an awkward laugh out but Harry frowned unconvinced. "Hermione you've always been a terrible liar. Now what's the real reason?" He said confidently. She sighed loud enough for him to hear.

"Because I neither need one nor want one." She said softly. Hermione turned her head slightly enough to see him. She grinned, "Besides I wouldn't want Lavender and Parvati fussing over him." They both laughed and turned back to the serene lake in front of them. He sat there and wondered about how comforting her presence would be tucked up in some guy's arms. He found himself frowning slightly at the thought.

"Who needs one with you boys around? Ron's over protective and jealous enough of any guy who befriends me without him actually being my boyfriend." She paused laughing slightly at what she had just said. "And as for you Harry... I can talk to you about anything troubling my mind and you would be there." She smiled tenderly before adding, "You two worry about me a lot too, just as I do for the both of you. You both have also protected me from many evils and danger and still continue to do so. A boyfriend expires and will leave me eventually but you guys, my best friends... will always be there 'til the end."

He smiled. His friend could always do that when their friendship was questioned or such. She could always reply with such beautifully worded answers simple yet they portrayed and expressed what she wanted it to. Friends. 'You both have also protected me from many evils and danger and still continue to do so.' He frowned. "Aren't you afraid that you might... you know...?" he stammered wonderingly, carefully taking out the part, --"because of me".

She looked up and titled her head innocently. "That I might die?" she said softly. He felt guilty but nodded his head anyway. Thoughts and images ran through his mind again, creating a strange feeling that he clutched his head tight.

He saw him, his godfather, smiling. He remembered Sirius stumbling over his words, asking Harry, if he would like to live with him in the future. Then he saw a flash of green shoot out of a wand, Bellatrix Lestrange's, and saw Sirius fall into the Vale, in slow motion.

Then as suddenly as the images came, they left, leaving him worn and miserable. Hermione was still sitting there in front of him, watching the lake. The moon silently appeared in the sky, illuminating the lake. She sighed and said defiantly, "Truthfully, I am, but I'm happy because I'm living my life believing and standing up for what I believe in and in who I am." She smiled softly at him, "Then my fear is overcome with hope and determination. Our death is something we should not worry about."

She bit her lip and asked, "Did that make sense?" Harry nodded, and she turned back to the view of the lake, leaving him to stare at her back. He thought, 'She's brave to say that, to think it even. Not many of us think that way.' "Am I right to assume that you were thinking about.. Sirius?" she whispered softly, sadness laced in her voice. He bottom jaw trembled and he balled his fists. Harry shut his eyes tightly, keeping the tears that were stinging his eyes, from falling.

His anger flared as he reminded this is was his fault, and that she wouldn't understand. "Y-yes." He said barely above a whisper. Hermione nodded still facing the lake. She started a sentence but he interrupted her early, anger evident.

"Don't say that you understand how I feel and that it wasn't my fault! Because damnit you know it is, and will always be, Hermione!"

Hermione paused after his tirade. He was out of breathe and taking in air ruggedly. She turned around to face him tears falling freely onto her cheeks. "I don't understand or know how you're feeling. All I know is that you're suffering from it and that alone scares me enough to worry like this! I've never had the misfortune to lose someone I love dearly or relatively close to my heart, so I can't really say that I know what you're feeling, but I'm sorry because of it."

I yearn to feel the pain,
That causes those tears to fall;
To know how to help and support
You through the pain,
That must be tearing your heart.

Harry listened to her, allowing a few tears to slip and fall, and he realized that the summer away had changed her. Sirius' death had changed her, as it did, him. "Harry would it be better for you if I said that I blame you for Sirius' death?" He nodded with little hesitation, eyes downcast.

Hermione paused and shook her head. "I don't, and I won't begin by saying so now or ever. Because if I did, what good would it accomplish? Nothing. Even for you Harry. Even if you wished for someone to blame you, it wouldn't help and we'd all still be miserable. It won't bring him back. And…" she paused, trying to make sense of her words in her head, "…I don't want to let Voldemort have the satisfaction of knowing we're weak from it. He didn't attack you physically that night, but he attacked you emotionally. If we fight with emotion, we're not going to win this war. We need to show that we're not broken." She concluded, in a low tone.

Harry knew that what she said was true. It was just hard to let go. Hermione turned back around and whispered more to him than herself, "besides, it really isn't your fault." She rested her chin on top of her knees and sighed. A chilly breeze suddenly arose. She shivered from the cold the wind brought with it and hugged her upper torso for extra warmth. He moved closer to her, removing his robes and draped his robes over her. She looked at him in surprise and smiled. He returned her warm smile with his own.

Goosebumps soon appeared on his arm; she noticed and covered them both with his robes. Harry smiled gratefully and moved closer to her. Hermione hesitated a little before encircling her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. He was startled to say the least but soon he wrapped his arms around her and held her in his arms. Soon enough she found her eyelids dropping and fell asleep on his shoulder.

A small fond smile washed up upon his face as he silently listened to her deep even breaths. Harry whispered quietly, not wanting Hermione to wake up, "Thank you Hermione." After a moment's thought, he carefully brushed his lips upon her forehead. As his soft lips left her skin, a small smile crept to her lips.

And that was enough to diminish his fears and strengthen his determination, even just a tiny bit. Just one evening alone. One evening alone… with her.

A/N: Center aligned words in italics I made up, just for this fic. Hope you guys like it. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Everyone!