Hermione woke to a feeling of calm she hadn't experienced since before joining the school. A simple time, and simple feeling that almost made her forget everything that was happening all around. She rolled over to find Ginny watching her.

"I wondered when you'd get up" She smiled.

"I haven't slept in have I?" Hermione fumbled with the bed sheets and sat up rubbing her head.

"Slept in? It's Saturday!" Ginny laughed and stroked Hermione's hair.

"Still, I should be doing something" she reasoned weakly, succumbing to the feeling of Ginny's fingertips on her scalp.

"No! Don't, not today. I had a nice night, don't ruin it by putting pressure on us this morning." Ginny begged, maintaining eye contact for longer than needed.

"Ok, but I'm going to the library this afternoon" said Hermione, eyebrows raised.

"What are you like!" She grinned at her. Hermione smiled back, then realised the sheets had rolled off her shoulders in the night and exposed more flesh than she'd have liked. She gingerly covered herself up.

"Nothing I haven't seen before" Ginny gave a knowing glance. Hermione looked mortified. "Relax, ok I'm going down to my dorms to get changed and ready and stuff, I'll see you in a bit, yeah?" Hermione nodded and smoothed down her bed head as Ginny dissapeared. She wrapped a dressing gown round herself and padded down to the common room, It was deserted except for Harry with a book resting on his chest, glasses skewed, pained expression on his face, snoring quietly. She sighed at him, she missed the old Harry, she missed her old friends, she hadn't felt so alone in years, since before they'd met.

She got changed and went to the great hall. Ginny wasn't there yet, so she sat opposite Ron.

"I don't want to talk to you" He said, spraying her with scrambled eggs.

"Charming." she smirked "Look, I'm sorry for last night, I didn't mean to cause offense, so I'm sorry if it came out that way. Friends?" He grinned at her. "What? Do I still have egg on my face?"

"No! I just can't believe the great Hermione Granger lowering herself to the level of apologising to me! Someone's in a good mood!"

"I am actually, now don't be a prat about it" he started to dance and chant "Hermione apologised to me" in a wailing off voice. He was attracting the attention of people from surrounding tables.

"How's Lavender?" Hermione smirked, and Ron was silenced, his ears glowing the trademark Weasley red. Ginny came and landed next to her at that point.

"Hi" she gave a delicate smile. "You two made up then" she said, reaching for a plate of eggs and a mug of coffee.

"Only after she apologised." He grinned incredulously.

"Really now." Ginny cocked an eyebrow.

"Not you as well! You Weasleys, you all have a problem with pride!" Hermione jested.

"Harry not coming down?" sighed Ginny.

"He's still asleep."Hermione reasoned. "I think I'll take some coffee up to him. I'll meet you up there" Ginny gently squeezed Hermione's arm as she got up, but Hermione acted like nothing had happened.

Harry was still in the same place and everyone else was still nowhere to be seen. She sat next to him, and shook him gently until he woke.

"Shit" he looked around in fear and then calmed upon seeing Hermione's face.

"Here I brought you this" she said handing him a mug of black coffee and rubbing his shoulder.

"Oh that's great, lower" he smiled cheekily, and she obeyed, massaging his back for him. She knew he used his smile and bright green eyes to get what he wanted, but she always obeyed. They'd shared a strange relationship, she cared about him more than most people, and although she could possibly see herself with him, something felt distinctly off, but she'd never had the time to think about what that something was. A glowing sunlight lit up the room.

"Harry, I really need to talk to you" she said, sounding serious.

"Umm, Yeah, what would you like to talk about" he said sipping his coffee and maintaining eye contact with her, he held her free hand with his.

"Today. Can you do something for me"

"What's that."

"Nothing?"

"What do you mean, nothing?"

"Please, don't be my "Hero-Harry", be my "Best-Friend-Harry", Be the "Boy-I-love-to-pieces-Harry""

"Hermione, Voldemort's not going to be taking a day off to go and sit with his friend, he won't stop. He won't stop." He was rubbing the bridge of his nose and looked almost on the verge of tears. She leaned in so close to him and whispered in his ear.

"Harry, I know, I know what it's like for you, you're holding the world on your shoulders, and don't think I'm not thankful or don't respect you for that, but I need you right now, I need to be selfish, and I need you to be selfish for just one day and just relax" He sniffled, and she was sure he would cry but he didn't.

"Ok" he nodded, he gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and a huge embrace. She grinned.

"Christ, get a room" cried Ron, bounding in the room with Ginny. She gave a weak smile and left.

"I saw you anyway" Hermione said to Harry. He looked worried.

"What?"

"Not reading that book. You've been on the same paragraph for three nights"

"It's a hard paragraph alright!" She smiled.

"I'm going to check on Ginny" Hermione excused herself. She found her walking around one of the nearby corridors.

"Hey hey, are you alright?" Hermione quizzed. Ginny jumped with fright and then smiled.

"Oh it's you, God, you scared me there, oh I'm fine"

"Harry's having the day off today, I managed to persuade him"

"I bet you did" she said cocking an eyebrow. Hermione ignored the statement and continued.

"We're probably going to be out in the grounds since it's such a nice day, I'd love it if you came."

"Ok"

"That's it? Oh, well I'll see you later" She shouted "Hopefully" after her as she ran back to the common room.

"Hi" Harry and Ron said simultaneously.

"I was hoping we could go outside since it's a nice day" Harry said.

"Yeah I know, I thought the same thing. I think Ginny might come down at some point"

"I want to go in the lake, it'd be a nice change to spread my legs a bit".

Ginny hadn't showed up and Hermione was content to sit on the jetty and swing her legs in the water as Ron and Harry splashed and behaved like they always had.

"I'm going to swim to that rock and back" Ron shouted with glee, "Time me!" and swam off. Harry hoisted himself onto the jetty next to her and slapped with a satisfying wet sound.

"Thank you" he said and rested a wet head on her shoulder.

"For what?"

"I needed this, I just needed to have some fun."

"Don't thank me"

"I feel like you're not having any fun"

"No, I am. It's amazing to see you having a nice time"

"Ok" he sighed dejectedly and slipped back into the water. He quickly grabbed her feet and pulled her into the water and dunked her. She grinned and squealed and she realised at that moment that if anyone could take a photograph each moment would be one to remember. She didn't reach for the camera though, and continued to wrestle Harry until Ron's return.

"Bet you can't beat my time" Grinned Ron.

"As if!" Boomed Harry, "Race you!" and they raced off. Hermione smiled and tread water, until a pair of hands snaked around her hips and then her eyes.

"Guess who?"