Harry And Hermione (Just Friends?) Chapter 1

"Hermione, are you done yet?" Ron whined to Hermione from the floor of their common room.

"Honestly Ron, if you want this to be done right…or at all, then leave me to it," Hermione responded back, yet with a slight chuckle. She was helping Ron and Harry with their Transfiguration homework, as Ron and Harry played wizard's chess on the floor by the fire.

"Well it been two hours! How long does it take, honestly?"

"Why don't you try to finish it and find out yourself mate?" Harry laughed.

"Yea," Ron snorted, "That's likely."

Hermione however was actually very thankful for Harry's comment. It was nice to feel appreciated at least sometimes. "Thank you for making that point, Harry," she returned.

Ron looked up and made a face at her, but Harry smiled, nodded, and held his gaze maybe a tad longer than he meant to. He quickly looked down to his current game of chess which he noticed, he was losing miserably at.

"There, done," Hermione declared about fifteen minutes or so later.

Ron inspected his paper carefully, as though checking the work that he couldn't even do himself in the first place.

"Seems to be in order," he stated plainly, still with a look of confusion at the paper, as though wondering how Hermione actually understood the things written on it. "I really should be off to bed, Quidditch try-outs tomorrow and all, thanks again Hermione." With that, Ron collected his chess set and his homework and retreated to the boys dormitories.

"Funny, I don't recall him saying thanks a first time," exclaimed Hermione. "Well, I should be getting to bed as well, exams are right around the corner so I've been getting in as much study time as I can lately without much sleep."

"Hermione, exams are two months away, relax," Harry laughed. "Besides, I need help understanding what you did on our homework for us…so I won't get behind."

"Alright," Hermione replied, still a little irritated at the fact that he just told her to relax about exams. She got off her arm chair and joined him on the floor near the fire. The common room was now completely empty except for the two of them, and the sky would begin to get lighter in about an hour.

"So how exactly did you find number four?" Harry asked. As Hermione went into a speech about number four however, he was not listening at all. It seemed all Harry could do was stare at her and smile at her wits, and the circles under her eyes from being up so late these days.

"Harry, are you even paying attention?" Hermione broke his train of thought as soon as it had begun. "You know, during the exams I can't be next to you explaining every question. I can't just knock the sense into you right then and there."

"And how," Harry questioned, "Would you plan to 'knock sense into me' anyways?"

Hermione smiled. "Hm, I figured I'd just use my appalling strength," she joked, then slapped him on the arm.

"Ouch," Harry responded. "Did you get all those muscles from hauling all those books around?"

Hermione gasped and started hitting him on the arm until he started playfully fighting back. After awhile it had turned into an all-out wrestling match between the two of them. After about five minutes they broke away and laid on the floor in each others arms gasping for breath from laughter.

Once they caught their breaths, they remained laying just looking up at the ceiling, talking. As Hermione started breaking off into talking about the next days Quidditch try-outs, Harry realized with a smile that he had never been so entertained by just laying and staring at a ceiling.

After a moments silence, Hermione looked up at him from under his arm. "Not that Quidditch matters much these day, when there are more important things to worry about…" her voice trailed off, but Harry of course knew what she was thinking.

"Hey," he said partially sitting his head up, as to see her clearly, "Just because there are horrible things happening, doesn't mean we should forget all reasons to be happy. Besides, sooner than you think, this will all be over."

"I know…but I mean to think that he's just out there right now, doing who knows what-it's just scary. I mean…Voldemort is dead-set on getting to you Harry."

"I know," Harry replied, loving the fact that she was the only person he knew besides Dumbledore who called him by his real name. "You know, there's nothing wrong with being afraid, we all are."

"Not you," she answered quickly, "You never are."

"You know that's not true," he said, "I am constantly, there's just times when you have to overcome the thought of it to be able get through it."

"I know, it's just so hard sometimes," Hermione exclaimed. "Luckily you're here to help me with it."

"I always will be," Harry promised her. At that moment, they looked more deeply yet, into each other's eyes. Everything was silent except for the crackling of the fire beside them. Harry held her hand and stroked his thumb along Hermione's wrist lightly so that she got goose bumps. He then leaned into her slowly, passionately, his lips longing for nothing more than to meet hers when-

"What the bloody hell are you two doing?" Ron demanded from the bottom of the dormitory stairs.

"Ron, Harry and I were just ugh, talking about the war and…homework," Hermione exclaimed hurriedly. "I should be getting to bed though you're right. Goodnight boys," she said without even looking at either of them. With that, she had disappeared to the girls dormitories, and Ron gave Harry a questioning, and slightly alarmed look, silently waiting for an explanation from him.

"Homework," Harry shrugged.