The Protection of Friendship

Chapter One

How far would their friendship be tested in order to save the wizarding world?

This is my first fanfic ever, so any criticism or comments would be greatly appreciated :) I'm not very good at this sort of thing, but have some free time so thought I'd give it a go. It's set in the same place as is described in the Deathly Hallows, in the tent in the forest, but then it's changed after that.

Disclaimer: The ideas for this story came from the original idea from J.. Although I'd love to own the idea of Harry Potter, I don't, and all characters are hers :)

It was a cold, cloudless night, and through the thick treetops, countless stars lit up the night sky. Harry had volunteered to take the midnight watch of the tent, and so was sat outside huddled under a blanket, and levitating the crisp leaves that surrounded the tent, careful that they did not leave the protection of the shielding charms that circled the tent.
Inside Hermione was reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard once again by wand light, tucked up in one of the chairs, whilst Ron was sprawled out on the nearest bed, his hand over his eyes.

'Will you put that thing down and go to sleep, please,' Ron grumbled, rolling over on to his side to look at Hermione. 'You must know the stories by now.'

'I can't sleep,' Hermione answered, not taking her eyes off the book.

'Well you won't if you're sat up reading that thing. And I can't sleep with the light,' he moaned again. Hermione sighed and closed the book, resting it on her knee.

'Fine,' she said to Ron. 'But you need to help me with something first.'

'What?' Ron asked tentatively.

'I just need to use you as guinea-pig,' she said, getting to her feet.

'Guinea-pig,' Ron almost laughed. 'What are you talking about?'

'I need to try something with you, to see if it works,' she explained.

'Ooh, I know what you mean now,' Ron said smiling again.

'Well what do you say?' Hermione asked impatiently.

'House-elf. Not guinea-pig,' he said simply.

Hermione shot Ron a disapproving glare.

'What?' he moaned, 'Makes more sense than guinea-pig!'

'Shut up and stand up Ronald,' Hermione sighed again, rolling her eyes.

Ron did as he was told, and stood facing Hermione who automatically took out her wand and pointed it between Ron's eyes.

'Now I've changed my mind,' Ron smiled watching Hermione's reactions, 'You can read your book all night if you want to.'

Hermione glared at him and Ron's smile slipped off his lips as he mumbled 'sorry' under his breath. Hermione moved her wand in the direction of the opening to the tent, where Harry was just visible and who was still levitating leaves.

'Muffliato,' she whispered before turning back to Ron, giving him the just-don't-ask look.

Hermione seemed to think to herself again before she shook her head slightly and pointed her wand at herself, muttering something not quite loud enough for Ron to hear.

'Right,' she said, 'Now jinx me Ron.'

'What!' Ron protested immediately, 'I'm not going to jinx you!'

'Ron, you're not going to hurt me,' she shot back, before adding 'hopefully' quietly. But Ron heard her doubt.

'Hopefully! No Hermione, I'm not doing it,' Ron was beginning to get angry. He just couldn't understand why she was asking him to do this to her.

'Fine,' Hermione shouted, glad that she had remembered to muffle the noise in the tent so Harry would not hear their argument, 'Then just disarm me. That won't hurt me will it?'

Ron thought to himself for a minute before deciding that he would much rather disarm Hermione than jinx her, and hopefully this would mean that he could go to bed.

'Okay,' he whispered, barely audible.

Hermione smiled and stood up straight, trying to bring herself to her full height. Even when she did this, she was far smaller than Ron was, and it seemed to make it even harder for him to point his wand in her direction. When Hermione's wand remained pointed in her direction rather than his, Ron became doubtful once more.

'Well aren't you going to defend yourself?' he asked, now completely confused with the situation he was in.

'I know what I'm doing Ron,' she said tenderly and Ron immediately relaxed. He did not know why, but Hermione's reassurance seemed to calm him down.

Raising his and once more, Ron took a deep breath and uttered the spell 'Expelliarmus.'

Yet Hermione did not flinch. Her wand remained tightly in her grip, and she smiled at him softly.

'Can we go to sleep now?' he asked again, hopeful that her experiment for the night was over.

'Not quite yet,' she answered and she pointed her wand at herself once more. 'You need to jinx me first.'

'No!' Ron shouted immediately. 'Hermione we've been through this. I am not going to jinx you.'

'Ron this could really help us. It could really help Harry,' she pleaded with him as she stepped closer to where he was standing. 'You won't hurt me. I promise. But I need you to help me with this.'

Ron tried to ignore Hermione, tried not to look into her eyes, and yet he knew he would do anything she asked him to do eventually. Admitting defeat, Ron sighed and lowered his head.

'You sure you'll be okay?' he asked quietly.

'I wouldn't ask otherwise,' Hermione reassured him once more, and Ron reluctantly nodded his head.

Stepping back, Hermione pointed her wand in her direction and nodded towards Ron who uttered the jinx that he so desperately didn't want to leave his lips and closed his eyes tightly.

'Affligo.'

Yet when Ron opened his eyes again he was met by a grinning Hermione, who threw her arms around him.

'It's working,' she squeaked at him. 'Didn't I tell you that you wouldn't hurt me?'

Ron relaxed considerably as he realised this to be true. Hermione let go of Ron and made her way towards the opening to the tent.

'One more thing Ron, then I promise you can go to sleep,' she smiled at him.

Ron was weary now. Each time she had asked him to do something he had liked it less than her last request. She looked up at him still smiling.

'I need you to jinx Harry,' she said casually.

Once again Ron was amazed at what she had asked of him.

'What?' he exclaimed. 'You mean right now? I'm not jinxing Harry. Especially when he can't even defend himself. He wouldn't see it coming!'

Hermione was beginning to get annoyed. 'Ron he will be fine! I promise. You've just seen that I wasn't hurt. Why would I ask you to hurt Harry, when I'm trying to find something to protect him with. To protect all of us with!'

Ron opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again. He knew she was right. She would never hurt them, and would never ask him to harm Harry. Nodding his head once more, he raised his wand. Hermione pointed hers at Harry also, and whispered the complex spell under her breath. She kept her eyes locked on Harry and her wand in his direction. She was clearly concentrating much more than she had been before.

'Now,' she instructed.

Ron turned towards Harry. It somehow felt easier jinxing Harry than when it had been Hermione, yet Ron imagined this was just because he now knew he would not cause Harry any pain in the jinx he sent in his direction. He breathed in, and repeated the jinx 'Affligo.'

As soon as the words had left Ron's mouth, he wished they had stayed. The jinx left his wand in Harry's direction, and was followed by a sharp intake of breath, and the sound of a wand hitting the floor. Startled, Ron jumped back slightly before running towards the opening in the tent to apologise to Harry. But before he could reach the opening, he was distracted by Hermione who was bending down to pick up her wand, one hand clutching the side of her ribs. Ron froze.

'Did that jinx hit you?' he asked her, panic covering his features.

'No,' Hermione replied quickly. 'I just dropped my wand, that's all. And see, Harry is fine. Just like I told you he would be.'

Sure enough, Ron could see Harry spinning the leaves around through the opening of the tent.

'But-' Ron began, but Hermione shot him a look that made him silent.

'But nothing,' she frowned 'It worked. Your jinx hit Harry, and nothing happened to him.'

She turned away from Ron and made her way to her bed, flicking her wand behind her to lift the muffling charm that she had placed on the inside of the tent.

'Now go to sleep Ron,' she said stubbornly, 'And not a word to Harry.'