Title: Out of the Pit

Pairing: Harry x Hermione

Word Count: 743

This was written for the FB Group, Harmony & Co. (18+) for Flash Fiction Friday. My inspiration was 3AM by Matchbox Twenty. This has mentions of depression, so proceed with caution.


Hermione sat by the window watching the rain fall. Most days, she couldn't even make it out of bed, but today she had crawled out from underneath the covers and trudged over to the window seat. She sat there mindlessly, her mind blank. Usually, she would read when it was raining enjoying the sound, but she couldn't even find the energy to pick up a book.

Two months had passed since the end of the Second Wizarding War and many had expected her to take up one of the many offers she received from the Ministry. How could she? She felt numb since the final battle, watching her friends perish before her eyes. The end of the war was supposed to be a time of happiness and rebuilding, but she only felt sad, lonely and scared.

Harry stopped by every single day in the evening, urging her to find some help. At the very least, he made sure she ate something though she was rarely hungry.

He would tuck her into bed and sometimes stay to hold her when she asked. Sleep always came early due to exhaustion, but she always woke up every night at the same time — three in the morning.

Once awake, Hermione found it impossible to fall back asleep. Those nights, she wished that Harry would stay through the night, but she would never ask. She couldn't do that to him.

Darkness came quickly and Hermione reluctantly moved from the window seat and walked into the bathroom. She stared longingly at the shower, knowing she needed one, but knew she didn't have the energy to even lift her arms to wash her hair. She would need help.

Deeming it a lost cause seeing as Harry was her only visitor, she finished up in the bathroom and crawled back underneath her duvet, pulling it up to her chin. She stared mindlessly at the ceiling, the energy to think deeply about anything exhausting.

Hermione heard the floo roar to life and she knew who it was without even having to lift her head. It only allowed Harry access.

"Hermione," she heard Harry whisper. He didn't wait for a response, but instead crouched down at the side of her bed and reached for her hand.

"Hermione," he said again, using his other hand to push back her hair from her face. "I'm worried about you."

"I don't know how to fix this, Harry," she said, her voice cracking, tears tumbling down her cheeks. "It feels like I'm trapped in a deep, dark pit with no inkling of light in my sight."

"Let me help you," Harry begged, squeezing her hand.

"We've both been through so much, Harry. I don't need you to carry my burdens too."

"You'll never be a burden to me, Hermione. Never."

"I'll be okay, Harry. Please go home to Ginny and don't worry about me," Hermione told him, choking up. She desperately wanted him to stay, but what she had said was the truth. She didn't want him to carry any more heavy burdens and right now, she was one.

"Ginny? Is that where you think I've been going?"

Hermione just nodded her head and looked away.

Harry then stood up and kicked off his shoes and crawled underneath the covers, puling her close.

"It's always been you," he whispered, burrowing his face into her neck. "Let me in, Hermione. Let me help you."

Harry shook with emotion and Hermione knew he was crying when she felt his tears drop onto her neck.

"Harry, look at me," Hermione said, pleading with him to raise is head. Harry looked up, his green eyes shining with wetness. He moved to wipe it away, but she caught his hand.

"Stay with me?"

He gave her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and nodded, letting his head drop once more into the crook of her neck.

She closed her eyes and felt more content than she had in days past. Harry couldn't fix her, but just maybe he was that person that would continuously pull her out of the pit each and every time she fell in.