Harry Hermione H/C

It was the end of Harry Potters first week at Hogwarts. He sat alone in the common room. What professor Snape had said to him earlier that day stuck in his mind. He wasn't really any good at his lessons, he was only known because of something someone had done, or tried to do to him, before he was even old enough to remember.

Hogwarts was so different and although he felt more at home here than in all his 10 years with the Dursleys the more people stared at him the more he missed the life where no one seemed to notice him at all.

He squinted at the tiny writing in the potions textbook and tried to understand the equations and formulas he needed to make the simplest of potions. He couldn't understand it, panic threatened to overcome him. If this was only his first week and he couldn't understand how he would be able cope in his exams later in the year.

It didn't help either that he couldn't sleep. The dream he had had first day kept coming back to him, the dream with the red eyes, cold laugh and green light.

He thumped the book down in frustration, his eyes were itching and sore from lack of sleep. He stared into the dying fire imagining failing his exams and having to live with the Dursleys again, going to stonewall high, getting a normal job. The fire sputtered and for a second Harry saw the red eyes glaring at him from the fire. There was a sound behind him like a sniff. He whirled around and saw a brown haired girl jump back. He stared into the dim light, finding only a pair of brown eyes. Harry's heart slowly returned to normal. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Then he noticed the girls face. Her eyes were red and there were tear streaks on her face. "Are you okay?" He asked startled.

The girl nodded, but kept her eyes cast downwards.

"Are you sure?" He asked again.

"I didn't realise anyone was down here." She said, still not looking up. She turned to go but Harry called after her.

"What's the matter, please, I want to help."

Maybe it was being brought up without a mother or maybe it was being brought up by the Durselys that didn't show any hint of a caring or loving attitude toward him, but Harry had grown up to care a great deal for people who were upset. And this was why, when the girl heard this simple line, she stopped and turned to face him. She looked up and Harry smiled. The girl smiled back.

He recognised the girl. She was the one who had known all the answers in his potions lesson today. He hid the potions book behind his back not wanting to look as stupid as he actually was.

"I miss home." She said simply. "It's so different here; I just want to live in the normal world."

Harry was shocked. She knew so much about the wizarding world he had assumed she was part of it. He felt even more stupid than before.

"I don't belong here." She whispered. Her eyes swam with tears again.

"What are you talking about? You answered all of those questions today and I couldn't even answer one right. Of course you belong here."

It was the girls turn to look shocked.

"I might be able to answer the questions, but that's only because the only friends I have at this place are books. I don't belong here. You have friends here. I'm just a no body." Her shoulders slumped.

"What's your name?" He asked timidly.

"Hermione Granger." The girl whispered.

"Listen to me Hermione. "People just stare at me because I'm famous for something I don't even remember. You are the first person here who has treated me normally. I don't belong here. I'm just a fish in a bowl. I can't even understand the most basic stuff."

He sank back in his chair.

Hermione walked over to the chair next to Harry's and sat in it. She looked over at him. She had heard all the stories about him. But he just looked like a normal boy, a boy who needed help. Harry looked up and saw her eyes dancing in the fire, so bright and intelligent but sad and lonely. He understood. He had grown up for 10 years with no one. He had met Ron on the train and gained his first friend and he understood the importance of friends.

With instinct borne from 10 years of being alone and being Lily Potter's son he reached out and took Hermione's hand.

"You say you haven't got friends here, you have now. If that's ok?" he added shyly.

She looked up and smiled shyly.

"I can help you too. I can teach you all of the things you don't understand. You are my only friend here. I will not let you fail your end of year exams."

Some of the tension in his eyes and chest lessened. "Thank you."

They crossed the common room together and started up the spiral staircase. When they reached the girls dormitory they stopped.

"Friends?" Harry asked.

"Friends." Hermione replied.