"Ready?" Harry asked me, smiling down at me, a little nervously. I nod. "Good. We're depending on you."
He walks away, so tall now, head and shoulders above us all, shoulders broad with muscle from constant Quidditch practice, the faintest air of charisma hanging about him, and suddenly I have a flashback.
The train, and I was so nervous. Not only was I starting a new school, but a wizard school. I was a witch!! I never even knew they really existed, a year ago, and now I was one. I was terrified.
I'd been so bullied at primary school. I was too clever for my own good, and I'd never learnt the trick of concealing my cleverness, of not being proud to show off my mind. I didn't understand why the other children hated me for knowing all the answers. I so wanted friends, but I was an only child, and had never learnt how to make friends. And as the others teased me, and pulled my hair, and called me names, stole my homework, tripped me in the mud, I took refuge in my mind, my books, my intellect, and as the years passed, I became fixed in my loneliness, and told myself I wouldn't have it any other way.
But now it was time for a new school, a new beginning, and I was so determined it wouldn't be like last time. I would make friends. I would be popular. I was good witch, I already knew that. Why wouldn't they like me?
But in my eagerness to be liked, I tried to become another person. Confident. Sure. Miles away from the scared little 'Mione inside. Looking back now, I can see that I came across as bossy, and know-it-all. But I didn't know that then. I only knew I was trying as hard as I could, but already I could see the faint dislike in the others eyes. I was relieved Neville lost his toad. It gave me an excuse to get out of the carriage, where Millicent Bulstrode was already whispering behind my back, and find a friendlier place.
Then I opened the carriage door. And there was Ron, with that ridiculous rat of his, trying out that ridiculous spell, and I sat down, relieved to be away from the others, and showed off my knowledge. He was a real wizard, after all, even if his spell was rubbish. And surely he'd appreciate me for my knowledge. Someone had to.
And shaking a little inside, and too bossy on the outside, I sat down opposite Harry.
Harry. He didn't know who he was. And really, neither did I. He looked across at me, with those bright green eyes, and his shy sweet smile, and gently said his name, as if he had no idea the power that name he had..which he didn't.
And I liked him, there and then. I smiled, and repaired his glasses, and liked him, for his shyness, and gentleness, and nervousness which I'd tried so hard to conceal, and his aching vulnerability, and I liked him. And I knew, then and there, deep down, we'd be friends. I knew, in the end, I'd do anything for him, that the friendship would be precious.
"Hermione!"
"What?" I snapped, turning round.
It was Harry, tall now, and older, not the little boy in the train carriage after all. But still with that gentle shy smile, still that aching vulnerability. Still the boy I would do anything for.
"It's time." He said gently, and held out a hand for me. I took, and I walked off.
Now I was doing it. The anything I would do for him. What I'd been destined to do the day I sat opposite a shy sweet boy with magic eyes on a train.
THE END
He walks away, so tall now, head and shoulders above us all, shoulders broad with muscle from constant Quidditch practice, the faintest air of charisma hanging about him, and suddenly I have a flashback.
The train, and I was so nervous. Not only was I starting a new school, but a wizard school. I was a witch!! I never even knew they really existed, a year ago, and now I was one. I was terrified.
I'd been so bullied at primary school. I was too clever for my own good, and I'd never learnt the trick of concealing my cleverness, of not being proud to show off my mind. I didn't understand why the other children hated me for knowing all the answers. I so wanted friends, but I was an only child, and had never learnt how to make friends. And as the others teased me, and pulled my hair, and called me names, stole my homework, tripped me in the mud, I took refuge in my mind, my books, my intellect, and as the years passed, I became fixed in my loneliness, and told myself I wouldn't have it any other way.
But now it was time for a new school, a new beginning, and I was so determined it wouldn't be like last time. I would make friends. I would be popular. I was good witch, I already knew that. Why wouldn't they like me?
But in my eagerness to be liked, I tried to become another person. Confident. Sure. Miles away from the scared little 'Mione inside. Looking back now, I can see that I came across as bossy, and know-it-all. But I didn't know that then. I only knew I was trying as hard as I could, but already I could see the faint dislike in the others eyes. I was relieved Neville lost his toad. It gave me an excuse to get out of the carriage, where Millicent Bulstrode was already whispering behind my back, and find a friendlier place.
Then I opened the carriage door. And there was Ron, with that ridiculous rat of his, trying out that ridiculous spell, and I sat down, relieved to be away from the others, and showed off my knowledge. He was a real wizard, after all, even if his spell was rubbish. And surely he'd appreciate me for my knowledge. Someone had to.
And shaking a little inside, and too bossy on the outside, I sat down opposite Harry.
Harry. He didn't know who he was. And really, neither did I. He looked across at me, with those bright green eyes, and his shy sweet smile, and gently said his name, as if he had no idea the power that name he had..which he didn't.
And I liked him, there and then. I smiled, and repaired his glasses, and liked him, for his shyness, and gentleness, and nervousness which I'd tried so hard to conceal, and his aching vulnerability, and I liked him. And I knew, then and there, deep down, we'd be friends. I knew, in the end, I'd do anything for him, that the friendship would be precious.
"Hermione!"
"What?" I snapped, turning round.
It was Harry, tall now, and older, not the little boy in the train carriage after all. But still with that gentle shy smile, still that aching vulnerability. Still the boy I would do anything for.
"It's time." He said gently, and held out a hand for me. I took, and I walked off.
Now I was doing it. The anything I would do for him. What I'd been destined to do the day I sat opposite a shy sweet boy with magic eyes on a train.
THE END