A/N: Just finished my re-read of OotP a couple weeks ago and working my way through HBP right now. I know it's been ages since the last chapter, but here's a little quarantine content for you!

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter.


Harry walked a short way around the lake, sat down on its bank, sheltered from the gaze of passersby behind a tangle of shrubs, and stared out over the gleaming water, thinking. . . . (Rowling 770)

Grief was dragging him down, the loss of his godfather so raw and fresh inside of him. He couldn't stand it. Two years ago he had just met Sirius and both of them were directly across from here, on the opposite bank, trying to fend off about a hundred dementors together. It didn't make any sense that he could just be gone already.

The sun was slowly falling and he was beginning to feel cold. Behind him, he heard footsteps approaching and quickly wiped his eyes on his sleeve, fearing it was another student who had come wanting to know more about his battle at the Ministry. He didn't want to be questioned about it at all at this moment.

The footsteps stopped and a figure had sat down on the grass next to him. Hermione had pulled her cloak over the two of them and put her arm around him in comfort. Harry buried his face into Hermione's shoulder and started sobbing quietly, releasing all the emotions he had bottled-up the past day. After what felt like several minutes, he finally calmed down and she let go of him.

"I'm sorry," Harry croaked.

"What? What for?" Hermione responded.

"For not listening to you when you had said it was a trap. You were right, but I chose not to believe you and nearly got you all killed for it. If I had just stopped and listened, Sirius would still be alive, I would still have a godfather…"

"Oh, Harry, please don't," she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "Please don't do this to yourself. It's not your fault."

Harry couldn't bring himself to a rebuttal and, instead, let the silence fill the space between them.

"Harry, I want you to know that if you ever need anything, we're always here for you. And you don't have to do any of this alone, Ron and I will be right there with you, until the end."

Harry was deeply touched by this but couldn't find a way to respond and allowed them to fall into yet another comfortable silence. It was a good ten minutes before he finally spoke.

"So, how're you feeling, your ribs?" he asked her.

"Me? Oh, I suppose I'm doing alright. They still ache a bit, but they're a lot better and Madam Pomfrey said I was cleared to leave the hospital wing."

"That's good to hear," he said smiling slightly at her. Harry was extremely grateful for her company. "Thanks a ton, Hermione." She smiled back and dropped her head on his shoulder.

The two friends sat at ease together watching the sunset across the lake before darkness soon encompassed them, forcing them to return back to the castle.


A/N: A little short, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Please leave a review if you can!