Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!
A/N: Hmmmm a lot of hate on the last chapter, which I can understand. Angst isn't for everyone, but to me its helpful in the development of the characters. Here we have two teens who haven't really had much luck in the friendship department, but we expect them to just become good friends out of the blue? In canon it took Harry and Ron saving Hermione from a troll, and her lying to a Professor, to get them together. I'm sure if we could read Hermione's perspective of her first month at Hogwarts it would be an angst filled well.
These two are teenagers, and Harry especially hasn't really worked through any of his feelings. He needs to learn, teach himself what is and isn't betrayal. He has to come to accept other presences in his life, I mean you don't go from trusting no one to just saying oh hi we are best friends now! Of course these characters are going to act OOC, but thats not to say that they cant become the "true" Harry and Hermione. Aspects of their personalities exist, but its mostly covered up behind the masks they wear. Sorry if this is kind of ranty.
The only thing Harry felt when he jumped was freedom. But as his arms spread wide and he plummeted to the ground below, Harry began to feel a lot of things.
The wind whipping against his face. The stark coldness as his eyes began to water. The whistle of the air as he shot through it. And the fear, fear of the darkness, fear of death.
Faster and faster he went, his body not caring for the sting on his face. His robes were billowing behind him quite impressively, but Harry's mind was focused enough to sort out his current thoughts.
The only thing he saw was the ground rushing towards him, the internal ticker in his mind counting down the seconds towards inevitable impact. Faster and faster he plummeted, his hands now coming together towards his chest, broom clutched tightly.
As Harry neared the ground his Firebolt quickly found its way into a perfect position against his body. Harry quickly wrapped his legs around the broom and pulled up at the last second. The rush and thrill of the jump gave Harry an adrenaline high, and he set off into the night weaving and diving like a professional.
He felt himself relaxing, and sliding into the zen state of mind that accompanied him when flying. Without thinking, without feeling, Harry just existed. Gone were the thoughts and emotions, the fear, sadness, and loneliness all ebbed out of his body.
On and on he went around Hogwarts, with no particular direction in mind. Truly the castles surrounding was a beautiful sight to behold, especially on a clear night like tonight. He skimmed the surface of the lake below, grazed over the top of the forbidden forest, and even managed to skirt the edges of the castle.
Harry finally realized he had been flying for a while in a moment of calm flying. Then the sting of the night hit him, and Harry had to wave his hand to warm himself up. With one last shiver Harry felt his body begin to heat up, and the cold wind was now being buffeted away.
Harry decided that maybe he had overdone it so began to lazily fly around, occasionally leaning back and looking up at the speed and adrenaline that came with going fast was now behind him, Harry not feeling the same iciness he had before. It was a clear beautiful night, of that he was sure.
Even the castle looked beautiful, as the yellow glow of lamps shone from the old castle, giving it an ancient yet ethereal look. Down on the grounds Harry would occasionally see a couple move off into their own secret areas on the grounds, obviously looking to get intimate outside of the castle. Harry ignored them as he continued to drift around, feeling completely at ease.
It wasn't often that he was able to fly, especially at night when the feelings of freedom were so much more intense. But as his flying high came down, Harry was now only left with his thoughts from before.
He had come to the conclusion that it wasn't his place to judge Hermione, she had all the right in the world to do as she pleased. If he really wanted to, he could have asked Hermione to go to the ball with him. And maybe she would have kissed him too, or at least danced with him. At this Harry made himself blush uncharacteristically, and the heat made his pale face glow.
Maybe Luna had been right, maybe it was okay to feel something for someone else. If only for a short time, it wasn't like he was making any long term relationships. And plus even if he somehow did get attached to Hermione, it wouldn't be too hard to leave her right?
She was just one person. And maybe if she didn't want to stay, she could leave with him. Surely she wasn't too attached to Britain or the British wizarding world right? She was intelligent enough to see the evils of their society, the bigotry, and the problems.
Harry's head was swimming with all these thoughts and dreams, some lingering on in his mind as he continued to fly around. Harry eventually decided it was time to go in, so he descended back onto the Quidditch pitch.
While the visibility wasn't too great, the moon did provide enough light for Harry to navigate safely. On the way down however, Harry noticed a shivering body laying on the grass, face turned towards him as if tracking his movements.
As Harry got closer he realized that the face belonged to Hermione, and that her eyes still hadn't moved from his own form. Harry landed next to her, and the first thing he noticed was her puffy eyes and the tears that still stained her beautiful face. The second thing he noticed was how soft Hermione's body felt as she dove at him, burying her face against his chest and holding on tight as if afraid to lose him.
Harry landed on his arse awkwardly, unsure how to handle the situation. Eventually his arms slowly wrapped themselves around Hermione's body, holding her snugly against him. She was shivering from the cold, so Harry silently cast a warming charm on her, although he wasn't sure she even noticed.
As Hermione's sobs tapered off Harry realized he was quietly stroking her back with one arm, while holding her with the other. Harry made to push her away, to give her some space, but Hermione grabbed him closer.
She didn't want to let him go, afraid that he would leave her. Or maybe it was the fear that she had somehow failed him, and felt comfort in his presence. Either way Harry just held onto her again, not asking anything of her.
He had so much lazy flying time that the only thing he really could do was to think. And Harry's thoughts told him that he had been a poor friend to Hermione, who had tried almost daily since their initial meeting to befriend him. Luna, too, had suffered from his inability to reconcile the need for friendship.
Hermione wiggled against him, and Harry couldn't help but appreciate the way a human body felt right against another. His insides squirmed at the closeness, and he wasn't sure if he should feel awkward or pleased. Harry then realized that Hermione had begun speaking to him, speaking over and over into his shoulder.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry.." Harry looked at her incredulously, then shifted her up higher on his body, as Hermione was still unwilling to put distance between them. When Harry was able to lean his head over into her ear, he began to talk.
"There's nothing to be sorry about Hermione. Everything's going to be okay" those sounded like sensible words to Harry, especially for one not versed in the situation of caring for a crying female.
It seemed to be proven right, he thought, as Hermione moved against him in a pleasing manner. Harry was blushing at the movement on his chest, mainly because the dress was form fitting and Harry could distinctly feel Hermione on top of him. Her quiet whimpers finally came to silence, and she seemed content to hold him.
"You're...warm" Hermione said, and Harry blushed at this. Any more and Harry's face was going to explode from all of the blood rushing to it.
"Do you want to talk about it Hermione?" she shook her head in the negative. Harry sighed, he didn't want to press her but if it hurt her this bad, he desperately wanted to know.
Harry let her control herself, and collect her thoughts. Finally Hermione pulled back to look him in the eyes, and Harry realized how beautiful she looked. Even with her frazzled hair. Even with her runny makeup. Even with the puffy redness of her eyes. She still looked beautiful.
Hermione, seeming to understand what he was seeing, leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, before laying against him again. Harry's breath caught itself in his lungs, and only left when he forced it out.
His hands found themselves wrapped around her body again, and both of them enjoyed the silence.
"Thanks" Hermione said, "Thanks for not giving up on me." Harry mentally laughed, part of him had given up on her. But a large part had still wanted her, still wanted to be close, still wanted a friend, so Harry stayed quiet and stroked her hair.
The two remained that way for a while, content to muddle in their own thoughts as they held one another. Harry was lazily drawing circles on her back, comforted in the fact Hermione seemed pleased by his actions.
Eventually Harry heard the soft sound of Hermione's even breathing, and he realized that she had fallen asleep. Checking the watch Sirius had given him, Harry realized that it was already nearing dawn of the day after. He was concerned that Hermione had received some sickness from being out all night, but as he flew her back to Ravenclaw Tower he couldn't sense any illnesses.
Harry floated around the girls side of the tower. He finally found the room containing the other 5th year Ravenclaw girls. Magically opening her window and floating her in, Harry gently placed Hermione on the open bed, and tucked her in. Anyone watching would have seen Harry hesitate for a second, giving her a hard look.
Then Harry seemed to draw courage, lean down, and kiss her on the cheek, before flying off again. Hermione's sleeping form smiled in her sleep, snuggling into her blanket more as she continued to lose herself in the land of dreams.
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The next morning was a Saturday, so most of the castle began to wake up late. In accordance the house elves knew to shift the meal times back a couple of hours to help the students. Hermione slept until mid morning, when the sun streaming through the window finally hit her eyes and she groaned in annoyance.
Flipping over once, than twice, Hermione finally sat up from the bed, blinking away the sleep from her eyes. She walked in a zombie-like daze towards the bathroom, and proceeded to go through her whole morning routine.
It wasn't until she turned the shower knob off, and look at the ground, did she realize that her baby blue dress was on the ground. Flashes of last night ran through Hermione's mind, her eyes widening in shock at some of the things she had done.
Hopefully Ron and Neville didn't talk about what had happened in their little corner, it was isolated enough that it might have been ignored. Going past that into the early morning, Hermione had to blush at the way Harry had held her. She had been so distraught that she just needed someone, anyone. But in hindsight she was extremely happy that it had been Harry that night.
At thoughts of Harry, Hermione remembered the beautiful way he moved last night on his broom. The fine tuned turns, the twists, the maneuvers. Hermione was entranced, she had never thought riding a broomstick could be so majestic.
She finally finished up her morning routine and left for breakfast. Walking down to the Great Hall, however, had turned into a daunting task. As she walked down the stairs from the Ravenclaw Tower Hermione couldn't help but realize that people were turning to look at her, whispering as she walked down.
Hermione's steps quickened as she hurried downstairs, finally being stopped by her fellow 5th years Parvarti and Padma Patil, Susan Bones, and Hannah Abbott. Upon seeing Hermione, the gaggle of girls all rushed towards her, cornering her in a small alcove on the side of the Entrance Hall. Hermione saw the looks of intense curiosity and need for gossip in the eyes of the girls, and sighed in frustration.
"Is it true Hermione?" "Did you really hit Neville?" "Why would you attack the chosen one?" "Did you really try to steal Neville from Lavendar?" "They say you're going dark!" Hermione looked overwhelmed as the girls continued to shower questions on her, finally holding up her hand to silence them.
"First off, who said I was going dark?" Hermions said with an amused face and raised eyebrow, trying to diffuse the tension that had built up.
"It's one of the rumors going around" Susan said, and Hermione had to grimace. The Hogwart's rumor mill really knew how to stir up drama when it wanted too. The other girls had rolled their eyes at that proclamation, but Hermione guessed Susan asked just for the sake of it.
"More importantly, are you trying to shag Neville Longbottom?" Hermione snorted at that accusation, which got many surprised stares. It was common knowledge that pretty much every girl in the school wanted that distinction, that Lavendar had probably done so irked many.
"I want no part of the "chosen one"" Hermione said, using air quotes and adopting a disgusted face. The other girls looked at each other, obviously thinking Hermione had new gossip about the Boy-Who-Lived.
Seeing their looks, Hermione shook her head negatively, not liking Neville didn't mean she would talk bad about him. But as the girls grew insistent Hermione gave them another teasing answer.
"Let's just say some people are more than they appear to be" hearing the finality in her voice, the other girls pressed onto other topics.
"Did he do something to you at the ball then? Or was it Ron?" Padma asked this with an annoyed look on her face, and Hermione thought she was remembering her own experience with the red head. Hermione's face also took on a look of annoyance, remembering last night. Not answering quite yet Hermione looked for answers.
"Does the whole school think I shagged Viktor Krum last year?" at this the girls looked at each other sheepishly, and at the very least a little guilt. Hermione knew that they must have perpetuated the rumors to some extent.
"You didn't then?" Hermione said no, and the girls looked surprised but happy to get the "inside scoop". They hadn't thought so at the time, but anything could happen and they didn't want to discount the feminine abilities of their bookish friend.
"And as far as hitting Neville and Ron..." Hermione paused dramatically. "Why yes, yes I did" Hermione smiled as if victorious and the girls let out appreciative murmurs. Not for hitting Neville per say, but for standing up for herself.
While some still had doubts, they knew Hermione wasn't one to act rashly like that. The Ravenclaw girls had told the others Hermione was sleeping in her dress too, and that could only mean either a great night, or an extremely rough night.
"You know there will be repercussions right, Hermione?" Hermione had already assumed as much and said so. But Parvarti seemed to want to impress on her the importance of it.
"Hermione whenever Neville is "involved" with girls there are always problems. I would watch your back just in case." she said. Hermione nodded at this, and the girls, having nothing else to discuss, dispersed. As Hermione went into the Great Hall she noticed a lot of scathing, angry looks that made her cringe. But alongside those there were a lot of admiring glances, which confused her.
Deciding not to care or bother about others, Hermione went straight to her normal spot, sitting across from Harry who had been watching her approach. Seeing that she seemed to be alright, Harry turned his head back to eating.
Hermione noticed with pleasure he didn't eat with a book in hand anymore. While Hermione had done so before, she thought it wasn't polite to do it with company around and was happy to see him taking her advice.
"Morning Harry" she said with a smile, but frowned when Harry only grunted in response. It looked like while he had accepted her closeness last night, he was still trying to keep his distance.
Hermione frowned at this, got up and went around the end of the table. Harry had looked up again, but this time was surprised when Hermione sat next to him and gave him a side hug.
"Thanks for last night Harry" she whispered, and was pleased as she leaned into his side. Harry wrapped his arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze. As Harry released Hermione, his head swung around the room and he saw Luna giving him a discrete thumbs up. Harry rolled his eyes at that, but couldn't deny the pleasure of Hermione's warmth.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Hermione sighed, not particularly wanting to, but knowing that it would be better to get it out. Harry waited patiently, while she collected her thoughts. He began to fidget unnaturally, and Hermione observed that he too wanted to say something.
"I saw you snogging with Ron. Did he spurn your advances? Was that why you were crying?" Harry asked, trying to put it in a joking manner but failing, concern and anger coming out. Hermione's silence increased Harry's awkwardness, as he didn't know how to deal with a girl disappointed by a boy.
Harry was trying his best to become a good friend, at least for the little while that he would be with Hermione. Defending her against Ron and Neville seemed like something a friend would do. Finally Harry looked back up to Hermione, seeing her face with the most astonished "Are you kidding me?" stare. If Harry hadn't felt so emotional he thought he would have burst out laughing.
"IF Ron Weasley was the last person on Earth, and we were tasked to repopulate it, I would kill myself instead" She said, turning to the table matter-of-factly while getting her breakfast ready. Harry only looked on in shock, never having heard her speak like that. Looking at his astonished face she giggled.
"Really Harry, am I the type to fancy someone like Ron Weasley?" Harry didn't answer, thinking, and finally shook his head no.
"And Neville?" Harry asked hesitantly. Since his defeat of the Dark Lord almost everyone worshiped the ground Neville walked on. Muggleborns especially grew from loving him as an idol to almost hero worshiping him, viewing him as their savior. Hermione, Harry thought, had also loved the Boy-Who-Lived, and had an intense romantic crush as well.
"Let's just say..." Hermione looked depressed "you were right" Harry looked surprised by her expression, but he just assumed it was because her hero was crushed. Hermione's sour mood semeed to pick up noticeably as breakfast wore on. Harry, however, was getting increasingly irritated.
"Do you know why everyone's looking at us?" Hermione looked up, and smiled at a memory she had.
"Let's just say I did you proud last night" Harry looked at her questioningly, but she had no more to say so he let it go. What he didn't notice were two sets of scowls coming from the Gryffindor table, or thoughtful looks from girls scattered around the Hall. Hermione, remembering yesterday's events again, decided to broach another subject with Harry.
"You should try out for the Qudditch team you know" Harry looked at her questioningly, but Hermione's expression was serious so Harry managed a smile.
"Thanks Hermione, but I don't really care for competition. I just fly for the thrill of it" Hermione crinkled her nose, amused at the thought of flying being fun. More like a nightmare where you had no control and no semblance of safety. Harry, seeing this expression, looked thoughtful.
"If you want, I could take you up sometime" Hermione looked scared at this, and already began to protest any interaction involving a broomstick. She had many pre-planned excuses and said all of them to dissuade Harry.
"It'll be no problem, Hermione. You'll be safe with me. Come on"
Harry dragged Hermione out of the Hall, and it was her first focused look at him. She realized that his appearance wasn't a "just out of bed" look, but more like Harry hadn't slept. She wondered what could cause him to stay up all night. As they approached the exit onto the grounds Hermione grew increasingly worried that he would actually make her do it, although pleased that Harry was opening up.
Hermione really hadn't had plans for the day, having caught up on all her school work in anticipation of enjoying the Yule Ball. So this spontaneous declaration by Harry, as well as his insistence for her to join, seemed like just the thing to do.
It was odd really, how the two had gone from fighting each other over insecurities to having learned to accept their differences. Hermione didn't know if she would ever break through Harry's walls, at least not all the way, but was just content to help nurture their budding friendship.
Meanwhile Harry's internal state was a mess. He wasn't sure what was going on. Since the school year had started Harry had been a lot more introspective, learning about himself and coming to terms with what he truly wanted. And last night, Harry realized he had been thinking too much.
That his life should be more than what it currently was. Surely he deserved some amount of happiness, and doing what felt right was a sensible start. Sirius had always told him stories where the marauders used pure gut instincts as guidance to live their lives.
Harry wanted to adopt this if he could, not realizing that he had already done so. To him, Hermione just felt right, it was something he couldn't truly explain.
He had tried for so long to deny the feelings inside of him, that now he allowed himself to feel he wasn't going to waste it ignoring the obvious. As they approached the Quidditch grounds Harry shot Hermione another comforting smile, before waving his hand and having his broom come from the Castle seconds later. Hermione only arched an eyebrow of amazement, but knew better than to press him about his abilities.
Up above there were others just flying around, not caring, but she felt as if all eyes were on her. Harry looked at her, and Hermione thought his eyes were brighter than she had ever seen them. He also had on a smirk that she hadn't seen before, although with the twinkle in his eye she thought it was quite handsome.
"I can't" Harry rolled his eyes at this, but Hermione's face was still surprised at how much emotion he had been showing. If today's showing was anything, up until today he had been like a robot.
"Come on, just do it" Harry practically begged, Hermione continued to look on with unease. She had never really taken to flying, the only part of the magical world that she never understood.
She had no problems flying in muggle airplanes, nor going on rollercoasters or even looking out the Ravenclaw Tower. It was just something about being surrounded only by air that made her scared. Since that first lesson, she felt no desire to learn the intricacies of broomsticks. Inspiration suddenly struck her.
"Would you come up with me?" Harry looked startled, awkwardly looking at the broom shed on the side and then at his own broom.
"Well okay, you can use my Firebolt and I'll go grab one from the shed" as he made to move he caught Hermione shaking her head.
"No not that...I mean will you ride with me?" Harry looked down at the ground, blushing. He'd never gone on a broom ride with someone else before, but his godfather had mentioned how great the experience was.
Seeing her large brown eyes pleading for him to do so, Harry felt his throat close up and had to cough before agreeing. He actually didn't even know why he was here, it wasn't like he had planned to take her riding.
Hermione's face when he was talking about flying just made him ask her, a moment of spontaneity that had never existed before. He wanted to share the feeling with her, make her understand what he understood.
That she cutely protested made him want to show her all the more. But now that they were out on the pitch he was getting nervous, and if Hermione's body language was any indicator so was she.
Harry straddled the broom, then held out his hand motioning for her to come. Hermione was still rooted to the ground, so he began to waddle over towards her. Finally she seemed to come to her senses, and got on.
Harry wrapped his hands around her waist, blushing lightly at the feel of her, then steadied himself. He had never ridden with two people, so the experience caused him to adjust.
"Now you're going to be in control okay?" Harry asked, she didn't respond but he assumed she had heard.
"Now both of us are going to push off with our feet on three." Hermione moved her head, which Harry took for a nod, before counting out loud. On three both of them lifted off, and Harry heard Hermione squeal, making him chuckle to himself.
Harry's arms were still tight around her as they lifted, but eased up when the height level tapered off. They stayed level for a moment, drifting in the air, before Harry nudged Hermione in the side. She growled at him, amusing Harry even more.
But as the seconds ticked on and they hadn't moved, Harry grew worried that she might have been too scared to move. Harry whispered encouragement into her ear, and he felt her shiver against him.
Hermione felt Harry's breath against her ear again, telling her to lean forward, to relax. She, however, was still trying to gain her bearings. The school broom she had gone on hadn't lifted her up this high before, and after looking at the ground she was having difficulty even maintaining balance.
Every eye on the pitch, she thought, was on her. Everyone scrutinizing the failures of the 5th year Ravenclaw. She just knew that it would get out to the rest of the school how horrible she was. How she didn't belong, how she wasn't magical. Her true insecurities about magical flight was kept to herself.
Harry nudged her again, and Hermione had to stifle herself. She didn't want to whimper in front of Harry, but she couldn't help it if a small one came out. Harry lowered his hands from her waist, putting them on the broom but behind hers.
Then he leaned forward, and Hermione couldn't do anything but lean with him, and they were off. As Harry awkwardly controlled the broom around Hermione's body, he couldn't help but enjoy the whipping of the wind in his ear.
Forgetting where he was, Harry began a sharp dive. Hermione's scream only added to the excitement as all of the eyes on the pitch turned toward the two. Harry let out a roar of pleasure alongside Hermione's scream, and pulled up a little sooner than he would have liked, just to be safe.
He heard Hermione groan and lean back into him, making him chuckle. Hermione enjoyed the sound of it, but kept her eyes closed as they floated in mid air. Then, without warning, a clenched fist hit Harry softly in the stomach. Hermione obviously couldn't have put much behind it in her current position.
"Don't...EVER...do that again" Hermione commanded, righting herself from Harry's comfortable chest. Harry noticed she had calmed considerably, so began to really instruct her on how to use the broom. Whenever he thought she was going too slow, or taking too many precautions, he would lean into her and force her.
Hermione didn't notice the time go by, or the faces that kept stealing glances at them. She was living in a world where two people existed, a world of blissful ignorance. Harry taught her how to move with the broom, feel the air currents, and glide along.
She also noticed, to her pleasure, that his hands couldn't stop from lightly touching her, not always in an tutoring manner. Small touches, to be sure, but pleasing none the less.
By mid-afternoon Hermione had learned enough to feel confident going up on her own, and as she guided them down she couldn't help rethink flying. She could definitely understand why Harry flew for fun, especially with the ability to get lost in the air. Getting off Hermione couldn't help but see a goofy grin on his face, his hair having a windswept look that made him quite dashing.
She blushed at the thought, but then her eyes widened in horror as well. If his hair looked windswept, how would her hair look? Hermione put her hand on her head, and patted it in disbelief.
Her hair was everywhere, and Harry's amused face must be from the way she looked. Hermione huffed in annoyance. Harry, seeing that she had discovered her fate, couldn't stop the grin that followed. Her brown hair was sticking up all over the place, giving her a crazy mad scientist look.
"You know this isn't funny right?" Hermione asked with mock anger, one eyebrow cocked as she tilted her head. Harry shrunk his broomstick and put it back into his pocket, and followed Hermione back into the castle.
Hermione wanted to head for the Ravenclaw Tower to make herself presentable, but Harry insisted that they eat instead. She finally gave in when she realized how hungry flying had made her.
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The weeks following the Ball and its subsequent events passed in a blur to Hermione. She begun to spend a lot of time with Harry alone, both enjoying each others company. It was interesting to Hermione particularly because she was able to see Harry transform into a different person around her. He still remained closed off to other students, but whenever she was around he seemed to let his guard down.
Hermione had expected some backlash from the Ball, and did receive a few empty threats and mean glares. But for the most part things were oddly tame. Lavendar had taken to making disparaging remarks every chance she got, especially in class where Hermione became the "know-it-all" again.
Ron and Neville both seemed to revel in her misery at being outcasted even more, as they just looked on with feral grins. Hermione couldn't blame them though, it must have been a real image blow when she had taken them both down.
Harry and Luna were far and away the only bright spots to the 5th year, as even prefect duties became a chore with a handful of students disrespecting her authority. After talking with Harry however, something must have happened. The bad treatment of Hermione seemed to wilt away , and she was glad that it did.
Even though it was only the month of February, Hermione was already beginning to study for her O., cramming in as much information as possible with each study session. Harry was worried for her, but every time he expressed these concerns he was told to relax.
One thing Hermione had noticed though was that Harry seemed to be spending all of his free time with her, and as the school year continued to move on she couldn't help but acknowledge the feelings she was beginning to grow.
Hermione had begun to notice all of his quirks and began to understand Harry more intimately than she had ever understood another person. How he didn't want or like attention, and how that pushed him down the path he was on now.
He secretly told her a story about his Hogwarts sorting that confirmed this to her. While sitting on the stool the Sorting Hat wanted to put Harry into Slytherin, seeing his desires and knowing what he would do to get there.
But Harry had learned on the Hogwarts Express that Hufflepuff was some what of a joke, and that had sealed his desire to be in Hufflepuff. It would allow him to stay under the radar as no one would really expect too much from a quiet and average Hufflepuff.
Something Hermione had reasoned, but didn't want to say out loud, was the fact that Harry wanted someone to care about him. That he had chosen Hufflepuff because they, out of all others, would show the loyalty needed to prove capable of being Harry's friend. Hermione realized it was only her insistence, her ever lasting presence, that made him come to accept her.
Something that Hermione hadn't realized however, was the stalking she was receiving by two Gryffindor students. Anytime she happened to be around the two would be watching her like a hawk, whispering to themselves. If Hermione or Harry had noticed, they would be suspicious, but as it was the two were lost in their own little bubble of happiness. Until Hermione was caught alone hurrying down to the Quidditch pitch to meet with Harry.
She had just reached the top of the staircases to the entrance Hall when she was roughly shoved into the a wall near the railing. Hermione turned around startled as she saw Ron and Neville leaning menacingly towards her.
"OY, that's not the way to treat a lady" Ron looked at the portrait who had spoken, while Neville responded with a "Shut it." The surrounding portraits began to murmur to themselves, conflicted. Neville was the "chosen one", close to the current Headmaster, and savior of the wizarding world. But his current actions were pushing the boundaries of acceptable behavior.
Hermione looked at them with stern look, trying to adopt an intimidating posture to get them to back off. Ron, however, was having none of that and promptly back handed her, sending her to the ground. Neville shot Ron a warning glance, leaning over Hermione examining her.
"What has he done to you?" he asked enquiringly, looking her up and down for any marks. Neville's tone was one of puzzlement, confused like there was an answer he couldn't see.
"He bloody well hit me" Neville scowled at this but remained quiet. Ron was pacing behind him looking murderous, his footsteps echoing in the empty hall.
"I can't find any marks on her neck Ron, I'm betting it's a potion" Ron seemed to agree as he began nodding his head. He also had the appearance of trying to solve some mystery, like his life depended on working it out.
"Potion? What potion?" Neville, too, looked lost, thinking to himself. Ron on the other hand was quick to jump to conclusions.
"Amortentia, the love potion!" Neville shook his head, "No it would have a more active effective. It's pretty obvious from what Lavendar told me."
"Not if he did it a couple drops at a time" Ron said, still pacing, thinking he had finally found the answer.
"What are you two on about?" Hermione said, starting to grow angry "What love potion?" Neville still had his hands on his face, in thought so Ron jumped in.
"The one Potter's fed you of course" Hermione scowled at this, and Ron seemed to believe her reaction meant it was true. He held out his hands as if to show he was non-threatening.
"It's okay Hermione, maybe after we get you fixed up the two of us can try it again. I'm sure the potions mucked up your mind a bit." Hermione's anger was beginning to grow, and Neville had finally given her enough room to so she could scramble up to her feet.
"Now listen here. I don't care what your problem with Harry is, and frankly I'm tired of you butting into my life." Ron opened his mouth but shut it when Hermione gave him a glare. "Now you would do well to leave me alone" She made to go, but Neville grabbed her by the shoulder, holding her in place.
"You aren't going anywhere until we fix this. If it's not a potion its probably a dark ritual, you'll probably have a mark somewhere" Hermione snorted in amusement. "I think I know my body enough to tell if a strange mark had appeared on it"
Neville and Ron were both growing angry at her dismissal of their words. And as she shrugged off Neville's hand she made to go down the stairs again. This time Ron's heavy hand had grabbed her wrist.
"If you think I'm going to let you become Potter's dark slave then you have another thing coming" If Hermione wasn't so stressed by the situation she would have laughed. Harry certainly didn't need a dark slave, and Ron' voice sounded almost possessive. Her eyes narrowed at this, it was almost as if they were determined to take away anything that made Harry happy.
"Let go" Hermione commanded, twisting her arm out of his hand. Ron's grip held though and soon began a physical tugging confrontation where his size was able to push her backwards while keeping hold of her hand.
Hermione twisted her hand, Ron's skin burning her wrist as his hand held firm. She then did the next best thing, using her leg as a leverage against his thigh, Hermione pushed off him. With a final tug Hermione got her arm free, but as she looked at the two she was puzzled. They both had shocked, alarmed looks.
Then Hermione realized where she was, the slowness of time, the portraits watching on. She could see the fine hairs on Neville's hand, reaching out towards her. She could see hear the fine crystals as a House was awarded points. And she could feel the air rushing through her hair.
Hermione couldn't think but feel sorry that Harry was going to be dreadfully worried about her. A small part of her hoped that he mourned day and night, keeping a beside vigil hoping for her swift recovery. Her heart smiled at this, and in that split second she couldn't have been anything more than lost in a day dream. But then that dream crashed.
As she fell backwards down the stairs time seemed to speed up, and Hermione crumpled on the first step she hit. Her head thumping nastily against each subsequent step as she fell down into the Entrance Hall. The two boys at the top looked at each other, scared faces blinking in unison.
Hearts hammered as one as the implications of their actions raced through their minds. As one they raced off back to their common room, ignoring the shouting of the nearby portraits, and the girl sprawled on the ground motionless below.
HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP
Harry sighed as he made his way back to the castle, he had been waiting all afternoon but Hermione hadn't shown up. It stung a little thinking that she had ditched him for something else, or worse someone else, but Harry comforted himself knowing that Hermione wouldn't do so without good reason. As he entered the Entrance Hall Harry was surprised to see a large number of students milling around, and as he got closer it became more apparent why.
There was a large pool of what looked like blood with no reasonable explanation for it. Harry looked closer, realizing that there must have been a body but it had been removed. Why the blood remained was beyond him however, and he expected that the teachers hadn't gotten around to it.
Not thinking too much of it, possibly a spilled potion ingredient or animal carcass, Harry pushed past the group and moved towards the Hufflepuff common room. He was stopped, however, by a very loud cough.
Turning around Harry saw Headmaster Dumbledore sitting patiently, almost as if he had been waiting for Harry. He scowled at this, the old man had gone to great lengths to become close to Harry. This mainly had to do with the tension between Harry and Neville, and the great asset Dumbledore believed Harry to be. As Harry looked at him he realized that the Headmaster had indeed been waiting for him, so Harry followed as Dumbledore motioned him along.
"I need to know Harry, where were you this afternoon?" Harry wasn't sure if this was test or an innocent question, but decided to be candid with the Headmaster seeing no reason not to.
"Hmm so you were at the Quidditch Pitch all by yourself? That's pretty odd don't you think? I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time with Ms. Granger" Harry frowned at this, he knew that Dumbledore still had suspicions that he could become evil. While the Headmaster didn't say it outright, Harry understood the looks well, and the discussions of dark wizards hadn't really helped his confidence.
"She was supposed to meet me there" Harry commented lightly, and Dumbledore just nodded, trying to put the puzzle together. Harry began to notice they were walking towards the hospital wing. Harry's heart started to beat harder, his pace quickening. Dumbledore made no comment but matched his earnest stride, this time Harry looked at Dumbledore with a stricken face.
"Is she okay?" Dumbledore pursed his lips, still debating if Harry should be told his suspicions. Everyone knew it was pretty much impossible but not unheard of to trip on the staircase, something to do with Hogwart's natural protection for the student's. That Hermione didn't have a natural clumsy tendency to begin with spoke of something very dangerous, intent to harm.
"She was in a bad state when I left to find you, it took minutes for anyone to find her" Harry had the same thoughts as the Headmaster when it came to intent to harm, but the suspect wasn't as clear to him. Hermione had been getting threats ever since the Ball, but none had ever seemed the at serious or life threatening.
It was just girls playing their sick games, wasn't it? Hermione had said girls could be far crueler than boys, but Harry truthfully couldn't see any of the girls harming Hermione. As they entered the Hospital Wing Harry's eyes widened in greater shock and he rushed over to his friend.
Hermione's face was bruised, and it looked like Madam Pomfrey had to cut off her hair to access the skull, where most of the damage seemed to have occurred. He only believed so because the white blood stained bandage around her head was wrapped extremely tight.
Harry's breath was trapped in his chest as he saw the healer working, his eyes wide and mouth gaping. She noticed the presence of the two and stepped back to address them.
"I've stopped most of the blood loss for now gentleman, and I believe she will be just fine." Harry felt the breath leave his body and he sagged in relief. He looked at Hermione sadly, Dumbledore watching him the whole time. Then, as if he had a stunning realization, Harry's body began to shake in rage.
Curtains began to wave and beds shook as Harry's angry thoughts consumed him. He turned to Dumbledore with murderous eyes. Dumbledore, if he was frightened, was able to clearly mask it.
"Who did it?" his voice was calm, even to his own ears surprisingly. Dumbledore did not think so however, noticing Harry's cold tone he held up his hands palm forward as if to stop him.
"Calm yourself Harry, I'll get to the bottom of this" Dumbledore hadn't really believed Harry had done the deed, but was hopeful that something could come from the meeting.. Harry's look, however, now terrified the old man.
He was now scared Harry would do something far worse to the one who had hurt Hermione.
"We can't be sure that anyone did anything, perhaps Ms. Granger just fell...An accident! She usually has her head stuck in some book" Dumbledore offered, hoping Harry would accept the joke. He didn't, instead shooting Dumbledore a glare for even trying to do so.
Harry made to move, and Dumbledore stepped in front of him. The Headmaster's expression took on its own intimidating look, and Harry understood why so many respected the man. But he wasn't going to be detained, and Harry pushed past the older wizard.
Harry ran through the halls, ignoring the sounds of protests that erupted from some of the students. He distinctly heard Dumbledore's footsteps trying to keep pace, but laughed when they became quieter. Harry ran back to the Entrance Hall, noticing that it was a lot emptier than it had been before.
Someone seemed to have cleaned the blood which made Harry angry. Evidence that she had been injured was disappearing second by second. Students were no longer milling about either. He began to comb the area for any type of evidence. Not seeing any he straightened up, sudden inspiration hitting him.
"Who did it?" he asked pointedly, looking at a portrait near the top of the stairs. The inhabitants looked back at Harry, cowering in fear. If Harry had looked at himself that second he would understand why some questioned his alignment. As it was Dumbledore had hurried after him, and was at the end of the corridor when Harry shouted again.
"WHO. WAS. IT?" he said, his open palm slamming against the free space on either side of the portrait, the couple rushed off to the painting on the side. Harry followed after them, not noticing that his ambient magic had begun to burn the last frame, cracks appearing on Hogwart's pristine stones.
The couple began to run, and Harry held out his hand forcing his magic through it. The two ran into the side of the frame, and stopped as if an invisible wall was there. Both turned around, stricken at the loss of ability to escape.
"Release them Harry" Dumbledore ordered, but Harry remained quiet. The ugly couple turned there faces toward Harry, who grinned evilly back at them. Both of his arms took position on the sides of the portrait, and Harry leaned close enough to whisper them.
"Name" still silence, Harry removed one hand and conjured a small flame.
"Name" this time a little louder.
"There might not even be a name Harry. Like I said it could have been an accident" Dumbledore stated, and Harry had to frown in agreement. It was possible that they hadn't seen anything, that Hermione had been reading and fell, but the chances of that were slim.
Hogwarts ambient magic protected those inside from harm, a reason students were only sent to the Hospital wing for magic related injuries. Those were usually human inflicted, not accidental in anyway. But one of these portraits must have seen something, with nothing else to do but watch those around them.
At Dumbledore's words the painting behind them began to wheeze in laughter, Harry spun around and stalked over. His murderous look seemed to have no real effect on the man inside.
"What's so funny?" the portrait was stacked in the green of Slytherin and Harry had to guess this was a prominent pure blood back in the day. The painting ignored Harry, and looked straight at Dumbledore as if trying to guess his next move.
"It's not that they don't know Albus, rather they're afraid of your reaction to the answer." Harry seemed to come to the same conclusion as Dumbledore, as his face grew red in anger while the Headmaster's began to pale in response. Harry's cold and silent voice rang loudly in Dumbledore's ears.
"Name" the painting looked at Harry with a feral grin, reveling in giving the blow.
"I'm sure you know...Mr. Potter" he said with a sly grin.
"NAME" Harry roared, his fears becoming confirmed already.
"Why it was Neville Longbottom and his sidekick Ronald Weasley wasn't it?" he said, looking at the other portraits to see if any would debate him. His grand proclamation met with silence, and the pureblood seemed oddly putout by the reaction. Within half a heartbeat Harry was running back up the staircases to the Gryffindor common room. Dumbledore, still in shock with a pale face, ran after him to stop the war that would soon be brewing.
A/n: Hmmm, the relationship between Dumbledore and Harry is quite tricky. I think it'll be interesting, because Dumbledore wants to believe the good in him, but can't help but see the inherent danger that Harry and his power come with. It's actually tied into Harry's and Neville's past as well.
There's a very small chance that I will update this quickly again, just kinda went on a writing rampage. Questions, comments, and complaints can be filed using the review box. Thanks for reading!
