You've Got a Friend

When you're down and troubled
and you need a helping hand
and nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
and soon I will be there
to brighten up even your darkest nights.

Hermione smiled as she sat down on the couch. It was enough to be back at Hogwarts, but the fact that her two best friends were with her just made it better.  Their last year was half over and spending Easter Break at her parents house had made her realise how much she'd miss her school and her friends when she left for good.

"Where's Ron?" She asked her best friend, confidante, hero, everything but her boyfriend.

"Who knows…off with some piece of ass..." he grumbled.

"HEY!" she hit him with her books. "I was one of those pieces of ass at one point Mr. Potter." He raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "What's with you? You're so cynical these days."

"Yea well…" he trailed off and let his gaze rest on the dying embers in the common room fireplace.

"Well what? You know I'll never stop asking you until you answer me." He gave a little chuckle and looked back at her.

"I know." He smiled weakly. "You're a great friend Hermione."

"You're avoiding the question! Just answer me please…I'm only trying to help you."

"Fine! Take a breath, ok? I'm just worried about the fight." She looked at him, totally clueless. "The one with Voldemort! You know he attacks me at the end of every year and he's just gotten stronger lately. Sooner or later, this looming battle isn't going to be so looming."

"That's not all that's bothering you. I know you too well, so out with it."

"You're to perceptive sometimes…damn you for it." She stuck her tongue out at him as he continued. "I'm bothered about my relationship with Cho." Hermione grimaced. It was well known, that she did not like Miss Chang, and she wouldn't hide it from anyone, especially Harry.

"What's wrong with your relationship?"

"Well it's just that she's so far away from here. I never see her. I also have the feeling that she wants to end it…I know I wouldn't wait a whole year for her…no matter how strongly I feel about her. I do have a life. Not much of one mind you, but I have one. And I'm not even sure myself that I want this relationship to continue. I've started to harbour feelings for someone else."

"Who?" Harry looked at her startled.

"What?"

"Harry, you said you've started to harbour feelings for someone else…WHO?"

"Did I say that? 'Mione, honey, I think you need some more sleep, because I did not say that. But I should go now, I have Quidditch practice." He rushed out of the common room.

Hermione looked at the portrait hole, where he had just passed through.

"STUPID BOYS!" she screamed, throwing her body fully onto the couch.

You just call out my name,
and you know wherever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer, or fall,
all you have to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.

When Harry reached the Quidditch pitch, he saw a little redheaded figure, flying around above him.

He whispered "Accio Tempestas Mancipo" his new (very expensive) graduation gift from Sirius, the Tempestas Mancipo Broom (Storm Catcher), arrived that instant. He leapt on it and flew to join Ron above the stadium.

"OI! RON!" The redhead grinned and flew over to his friend.

"Hey Harry, what brings you here at this time of day…weren't you supposed to be studying with 'Mione in the common room?" Harry tried to smile…he just couldn't seem to manage that famous 'Potter Grin' these days.

"I was with her…but she saw that I was upset and I let too much slip."

"As in you told her you're madly in love with her and are thinking about breaking up with your girlfriend of three years to run off and make glorious love with her." Ron winked and Harry couldn't help himself from bursting into contagious laughter.

"Not quite Weasley. I might not be able to keep my cool around her but I don't ever sound like you." They shared a laugh and Ron tossed Harry a Quaffle. Harry flew around and tried to score on Ron, the Gryffindor Keeper, whilst they continued the conversation.

"So what happened then? What did you tell her?"

"I don't keep secrets from Hermione. But I can't tell her how I feel! So anyways, when she noticed I was upset. I said it was because of the 'looming fight against Voldemort."

"Brilliant mate, I bet she bought it, eh?"

"Wrong, it didn't even take her a second to say, "That's not all that's bothering you. I know you too well, so out with it." It was that annoying Hermione-Know-It-All-Voice, that nobody could lie to."

"Harry that's harsh…but what did you say to her?"

"I just said I was worried that Cho was going to break up with me. Worried about the relationship. THEN, being the genius I am, I said I'm harbouring feelings for someone else."

"A one, Hermione Granger."

"Shut up!" Harry threw the Quaffle and it hit Ron in the head. They both laughed and started doing flips and barrel rolls around the pitch.

Up in the castle, Hermione saw the scene and sighed. No matter what she did; she'd never be as close to Harry as Ron was…or as Cho was. She felt like an outsider, just doing good things for him.

"Kind of like a Guardian Angel." She smiled and looked down and the photo album in her arms. There were the Marauders and Lily, just smiling and waving at her. "You're his real guardian angels." She smiled at Lily and James and closed the book slowly, a tear cascading down her pink cheek.


If the sky above you
should turn dark and full of clouds
and that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
and soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, spring, summer or fall
all you got to do is call
and I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.

The breakfast table was silent, especially where the trio sat.

"So yea…how about this rain?" Ron said uncomfortably.

"Be quiet Ron." Hermione snapped, she was still trying to figure out a way to get closer to Harry, even just as a friend.

"Hermione, be nice. He was just trying to make conversation."

"With who? Maybe he wants to talk to this girl you're harbouring feelings for!"

"THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR." Harry said loudly and very forcefully.

"WELL YOU'RE SHUTTING ME OUT!" she yelled in reply.

"HERMIONE I DON'T WANT YOU GETTING INVOLVED, THIS IS MY LIFE! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"I CAN'T DO THAT! I'VE TRIED! YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND, AND THAT'S ME!" by now, the entire student population was watching the fight. Nobody had ever seen Harry and Hermione fight. Sure Harry and Ron, or Hermione and Ron…but never the two. "Harry, you've got a friend ok?" by now she was crying openly and if you looked closely, you could see tears in his eyes as well.

"I know Hermione, I know." He smiled and she hugged him. Pulling away, he softly kissed her forehead and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Ron sat at the table, totally astonished at the argument. He had stopped chewing his pancakes and looked from Harry to Hermione, and back again.

"Well I'm glad that's over and done with." He exclaimed with his mouth full.


Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.

The days got longer and the nights shorter. Work got harder and the heat more resilient. But no matter what happened in the next few days, Hermione was happy. She knew that however close to Harry she was, it was close enough. They were each other's rock and always would be.

One night while they were studying for the upcoming NEWTS, she looked at Harry and grinned.

"Never forget Harry…"


You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
winter spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.

"…You've got a friend." He smiled and they continued studying.

A/N: this is the first in a bunch of songfics to the James Taylor CD "James Taylor's Greatest Hits." It actually is a story, not just ficlits. So stay tuned…next song in the series is "Shower the People."

Preview: Ron gets fed up with Harry not telling Hermione how he feels. Ron takes it into his own hands and shows Harry all the reasons he should tell her…and then Hermione ends up divulging a secret that Harry nor Ron were ever supposed to know.

Thanks! KaCcEe