HIS FIRST FRIEND

By: tweety-src-clt9

CHAPTER ONE

"Oomph!" Eleven-year-old Harry James Potter collided with something – or make that someone. He had really poor eyesight and his glasses weren't doing much to help alleviate the situation. Since his aunt and uncle never cared, only providing his needs at the bare minimum, cracked unclear glasses was better than nothing.

He couldn't really see what he bumped into but he knew it was a girl. The long wild curly hair might be blurry but he just knew there's no boy his age who would have hair that long. Also, the girl smelt nice – like flowers and some sort of fruit. Blokes never smelt nice, not that he ever had friends for him to be certain. The boys he knew, his cousin Dudley for example, smelt really nasty because of the excessive sweating. He didn't even want to imagine the stinky clothes his Uncle Vernon kept on forcing him to wash. So, he was certain that his clumsy self bumped into a girl.

"I am so sorry, er, miss," he said awkwardly.

"It's alright. I wasn't really looking since I had my face in a book. Also, I believe you have bad glasses," the girl replied.

She was the first to get up and to his surprise, she held out a hand for him to take. Nobody from his age group ever helped him before. Hagrid was the first one to genuinely offer his help but he didn't count because the big man was like an uncle to him. He was a bit apprehensive to take her hand, after all, he was used to bullies tricking him all the time.

Despite feeling wary of her intentions, he accepted the help anyway because he didn't want to offend her. Plus, she smelt really nice. That's always a plus. Living with the fat stinky Dursley men and his overly perfumed aunt was a nightmare – and that's just the combined onslaught of weird smells. He didn't even want to talk about all the chores, the bullying, and the occasional beating.

Definitely a girl, he mused as she helped him to his feet. Her skin was so smooth and so soft that he reckoned she must not have any chores at home. That must be nice, he thought sadly.

"Hello! I'm so sorry for having bumped into you. It's my fault. My face is behind Hogwarts: A History. Have you read that yet? Really good book if you ask me – the details about the castle, how the founders built it – " the curly-haired girl suddenly stopped talking and she gasped, "Oh my! You're Harry Potter!"

"Er, yes, hello. How did you know that – "

"I've read all about you, of course. Did you really beat a dragon as a five-year-old child? Seems rather far-fetched to me but hey, books never lie," she interrupted him. "They're my only friends too," she muttered with sadness.

This girl seemed nice. She was very talkative but she's clearly very smart. He might as well try to make friends with her. With that in mind, he cleared his throat. "Hi, I'm Harry Potter… And you are?" he held his hand out.

"Oops! Sorry! I tend to babble on and on when I'm nervous… See? Doing it again… Sorry – " she chuckled and he grinned. Yeah, I like this girl, he thought.

"Hi. I'm Hermione Granger," she accepted his hand.

"Hello, Hermione Granger. Nice to meet you," he happily shook her much smaller and smoother hand.

As soon as he released her hand, he started fidgeting. He could feel Hermione's eyes looking him up and down as if she was assessing his worth or something. He wanted to run away in fear that he wouldn't meet her standards.

"You have some resemblance to the Harry Potter described in the books I've read. The scar, the hair, the eyes – your eyes are very pretty by the way," she said and he could feel his cheeks heating up.

"Er, thanks, I think," he rubbed his arm in nervousness.

"Harry? Can I call you Harry?" she asked rather shyly.

"Of course," he eagerly nodded. What else could she call him anyway? Mr. Potter?

"Do you – do you want to meet my parents or something? If you're busy I understand but I – "

"Sure!" He readily agreed. In as much as he was grateful for Hagrid's company, he couldn't rely on the kind large man forever. So, he reckoned it's best to make friends (or at least acquaintances) as early as possible. Besides, that blonde arrogant git he met in the dress shop was really nasty and this girl – Hermi – Hermi – oh bugger! – 'Mione seemed really nice. She seemed really cute too with her long wild hair even crazier than his own. Maybe the similarity of their untamable hair was a sign they'd be great friends.

"Great! Do you need my help with anything though? With your course books and all? I'm a first-year too and I've already bought mine. I can even recommend more supplementary material if you like," she was bursting with excitement.

Wow! She really is smart, he was amazed. Before she could dash off to find more books, he gently gripped her arm.

"Er, I'm sorry about this but can you please tell me your name again? It sounds fancy and all. Kind of hard to say it after only hearing it once," he was an idiot. What if he messed it up and she no longer wanted to be his friend? It's better to be honest than to fumble about with her name, that would be more insulting, the other side of his brain argued.

"It's Hermione. Hermione Granger," she repeated for him. He could hear the amusement in her voice.

"Her – mio – ne. Hermione. That sounds really nice. How do you feel about 'Mione though?" He grinned. He liked her name but 'Mione sounded cute. Besides, didn't friends call each other nicknames?

"If and I mean – if – I allow you to call me 'Mione, what should I call you, Har?" She chuckled.

"Hmmm… What about – James? Yeah, you can call me that. The world calls me Harry, and you call me James. It's like our special friend name. If you want to be my friend that is," he shrugged.

"You want to be friends with me? Wow! I've never had friends before. Thank you, James," he was surprised when she tackled him in a big hug. He couldn't remember anyone ever hugging him before. He was teary-eyed when she pulled away. So, this is what it feels like to have someone caring for you – to have friends, he realized.

"I'm so – sorry, Harry. Did I hurt – "

"Oh, no! It's just – I never remembered someone hugging me before," he reassured her as he wiped a stray tear away.

"That – that's so sad," she muttered.

"Thank you, Hermione, for hugging me. For agreeing to be my friend," he awkwardly hugged her. He's not sure if he was doing it right.

"I'll always be your friend, I promise," she said sincerely.

"I'll be your friend too, 'Mione," he promised.

"So… I think we should use our special friend names when we want to talk in private or if we're talking about a secret… It could be like a code word or even an endearment. What do you think?" she suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," he nodded. He'd briefly seen some snippets of a James Bond movie at the Dursleys and he reckoned that having a code word could be useful.

"Er, James – do you mind if I try something?"

"Huh – what?"

"Well, I noticed that your glasses seem worn out. I've read of a spell that can make it better. I've never done it before but – "

"I trust you, 'Mione," he interrupted her. She tended to babble when she's nervous about something. Hermione Granger was his first friend so he trusted her. She also seemed to be really smart so he was confident that she could do it.

"Okay, here it goes…" Hermione reached behind her jean trousers and removed a wand from its pocket. He noticed that her wand was slightly shorter than his and the design was different. He now understood what Mr. Ollivander meant about matching each witch and wizard to a unique wand that suited them.

She pointed her wand to his face and she made a circular motion before saying, "Oculus Reparo!"

He went almost cross-eyed when he noticed the crack sort itself out. Also, the frames felt better and the lens seemed clearer. He looked at Hermione and grinned. He was right. She was a small girl with wild bushy brown hair. She had a pretty face, intelligent eyes, and her two front teeth were slightly bigger than the rest. She was really cute – his first friend. Her skin and hair seemed to be rippling with her magic. He didn't know if that's possible but it just seemed that way to him. He remembered meeting that blonde git and he was certain that Hermione was loads more powerful than that mean-looking arrogant kid. He was so lucky that Hermione agreed to be his friend.

"You're brilliant, 'Mione! My glasses are fixed now. I can see you better and stuff," this time around it was he who initiated their hug and she happily returned it.

"I'm happy to help, James. I'm just glad it worked out alright. It would be really bad if I made a mistake and the spell hurt you. I'd be known as the girl who hurt Harry Potter," she chuckled in relief.

"We should go meet your parents now. I'm done with my books. Feel free to get as much as you'd recommend to me. I want to be as prepared as you." He was determined to learn more about magic just like her.

"I'll meet you in front of the counter in ten minutes?" She said.

"Sure, 'Mione," he nodded.

"See you in a bit, Harry," she waved at him.

"Mum! Dad! I'd like you to meet Harry Potter, my friend," Hermione pulled on his hand as she introduced him to her parents who were perusing the best-selling books by the counter. "Harry, these are my parents Daniel and Emma Granger," she gestured to the good-looking couple.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger," he nervously stretched out his hand. Hermione's mother, who looked like an older version of his friend except for the straight hair and blue eyes, happily accepted his hand.

"Hello, Harry," he was shocked when Hermione's mum gently ruffled his hair. It's almost affectionate, something that he's never felt before. People always said that his hair was a mess but Emma Granger ruffled it like she found it adorable or something. He knew right then that he liked Hermione's mum.

"Hello, sir," he turned to the tall muscular man who had curly dark blonde locks and Hermione's warm chocolate brown eyes.

"Hi, Harry," Daniel Granger shook his hand before smiling at him. At least they seem to like me, he mused.

"Sweetie, are you guys hungry? Why don't we grab some food so we can talk to Harry a little better? Maybe we can meet his guardians and – "

"No! There's no need to meet my guardians. I'm here with Hagrid. I'll tell him I'll be joining you for a while. If you'll allow me to look for him for a few minutes," he interrupted. He didn't want Hermione and her family to know about the Dursleys.

He didn't notice the way Hermione frowned when he immediately deflected the focus on his guardians. Also, she found it odd that they didn't accompany him. Instead, Harry was here – clearly his first time at Diagon Alley – with just Hagrid for company. Talk about odd.

The Grangers being medical practitioners took some courses about the signs of physical and emotional abuse. So, they too noticed the way this boy who was wearing pitiful clothes, immediately started to get nervous at just the mere mention of his guardians. Since the young Harry Potter seemed to be really nice, the two dentists wanted to help him. Any decent person would offer any help to stop whatever abuse and trauma this innocent child must have been subjected to at the hands of his guardians.

"Why don't we help you in looking for him, Harry?" Emma said kindly. Hermione and her dad nodded eagerly at that.

"Oh, okay. That sounds good. Hagrid is easy to spot. He's easily the tallest and the largest man you'll see," he replied. The Granger family only smiled at him as he paid for his book purchases.

They exited Flourish and Blotts determined to find the man who Harry described as the tallest and largest one around. A few minutes of scanning the crowd, Harry spotted Hagrid. The kind man had a big smile on his face as he carried a cage with what seemed to be an owl inside of it. The owl was very beautiful with its snowy white feathers.

"There ya are, Harry," Hagrid greeted him.

"Hi, Hagrid! I'd like you to meet my friend, Hermione Granger, and her parents, Daniel and Emma," he gestured to the family.

"Nice to meet ya all. Name's Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of the Keys at Hogwarts," Hagrid held out his hand and Hermione eagerly shook it first. Her parents followed suit and they relaxed when they sensed the genuine gentleness in the large man.

"It's so cool that you work at Hogwarts, Mr. Hagrid," Hermione grinned.

"Just call me Hagrid, 'Ermione. I guess I'll be seeing you at Hogwarts then too, eh?" Harry and Hermione nodded at that.

"Oh… Here's a little something for you, 'arry. Happy birthday!" Hagrid opened the cage and the beautiful owl immediately landed on Harry's shoulder.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Harry smiled in gratefulness before turning his attention to his new pet.

"She – Hagrid, is the owl a girl or a boy?" Hermione asked.

"That's a she right there. Pretty little thing and smart too" Hagrid said proudly and the owl hooted as if agreeing to his statement.

"Thank you so much, Hagrid," Harry said sincerely. This was truly the best birthday ever. He was rescued from the Dursleys even just for a day. He learned a little bit about his parents. He met Hermione, his first friend. And now, he had a beautiful gift. Learning that he's a wizard was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"You're welcome, Harry," Hagrid grinned.

"Hagrid – my parents and I plan to grab something to eat. Harry's joining us. Do you want to come with us as well?" Hermione asked.

"We'll be delighted if you can join us, Hagrid. Since you work at Hogwarts maybe you can help us answer some questions," Emma supported her daughter's idea.

"Oh… You're a muggleborn. Just like Harry's mum. That's nice," Hagrid had a teasing glint in his eyes that the children didn't understand. The Granger parents had a feeling that the big man was hinting at a possible romance between the two. Emma found it funny while Dan felt uneasy about the idea of his princess dating this boy – or any boy for that matter. Emma noticed her husband's reaction so she discreetly elbowed him.

"If it's not much trouble, Hagrid, we hope you can join us," Dan followed through.

"Aye ya all are too kind but I really must go soon," Hagrid said regretfully.

"Oh," Harry sounded disappointed.

"What if – Hagrid, do you mind if we'll be the ones to bring Harry home?" Hermione countered. Harry turned to his new friend and his mood immediately brightened at her idea.

Harry looked at Hagrid with his eyes filled with hope. Hagrid could only chuckle at the adorable and pleading look in the boy's eyes. He sensed a connection between these two that reminded him of James and Lily Potter. So, who was he to intervene? Besides, the Grangers seemed to be very nice people. Also, since Hermione's a muggleborn, they could navigate the muggle world better. Maybe they could even talk to the Dursleys so that they'd treat Harry better. With that in mind, Hagrid knew what his answer would be.

"Aye, of course! You have fun with the Grangers, 'arry," Hagrid smiled at the boy.

"Yay!" Harry and Hermione high-fived before the boy hugged Hagrid. The large man almost started crying. Almost.

"I best be off to Hogwarts. Lots of work to do," Hagrid sniffed as he gently patted Harry's head.

"Nice to meet you, Hagrid," Dan said and Emma smiled at the kind man. The Granger parents liked Hagrid. His size may have been intimidating but he was truly a gentle soul who cared for the boy.

"Nice to meet you all. Bye 'Ermione! Take care, Harry! I'll see you at Hogwarts," with a wave goodbye, Hagrid left Harry with the Grangers.

When they could no longer see any trace of Hagrid, Emma turned to Harry and Hermione. She wanted to help the boy as much as possible so she wanted to know him better. She eyed her husband who must have sensed her intention and he nodded his agreement. The two children were still too busy smiling at each other while lavishing the beautiful owl with their full attention that they didn't notice the exchange between the two adults.

"Harry?" Emma asked with a kind voice.

"Yes, Mrs. Granger?"

"Please call us Dan and Emma, sweetie. You're our daughter's friend," she smiled at Harry. The boy was so polite and so innocent. She also liked the way that he seemed to make her daughter smile. So, she was determined to help Harry as much as possible.

"Okay, Emma," Harry muttered shyly.

"Do you want to come home with us? We can have dinner at our place. That will give you more time to spend with Hermione. After that, we'll drop you off to your house," Emma suggested.

"Oh, that's a good idea! Please say yes, James!" Hermione was bouncing with excitement.

"James?" Dan mouthed to Emma who only rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Are you sure you're okay with it, 'Mione? I don't want to bother you and your parents," Harry fidgeted. He's never used to being treated so kindly before.

"Mione?" Dan mouthed again and this time his eyes were widened in surprise. Their precious princess never allowed anyone to shorten her name in whatsoever form. Harry Potter was a nice boy, yes. He had a feeling though that he should watch out for this boy when the hormones would start to kick in. Emma clearly understood where her husband's thoughts were heading so she only shook her head in exasperation.

"Of course, James. That way, we can talk some more and stuff. I'm nervous yet excited about Hogwarts and I'm really happy that I now have you – "

"Okay. I'll go," Harry grinned. When Hermione started babbling and blushing at the same time, it's just too cute. He never had friends before so he didn't want to be parted from her either.

"That's settled then," Emma said happily.

"Before we go, can I ask a question?" Dan inquired and Emma sighed in exasperation.

"Sure, daddy," Hermione already held the empty cage while Harry started to sort out how he could carry all of his purchases as well as his friend's books. His new pet was hovering above them in a protective way.

"Let me help you with that, Harry," Emma helped him gather some of the items.

"Why does Hermione call you James?" Dan finally asked his question.

"Oh… She agreed that I'll call her 'Mione sometimes and she calls me James in return. It's like a friendship name. James is my middle name," Harry answered and Hermione nodded eagerly.

Dan paled at that before he successfully schooled his features. Since Harry and Hermione were busy sorting out their purchases, it was only Emma who noticed his reaction. She only winked at her husband who shook his head in reply. He too helped in sorting out the purchases before all four of them left Diagon Alley.

Harry and Hermione were chatting happily as they rode in the Grangers' car bound for Crawley. For Harry, this was already the best birthday ever. For Hermione, she was so happy to have finally found someone who truly wanted to be her friend.

A/N: If I had more time this would have been my second Quantum Bang entry for 2020. Sigh.

Sad to say, life happens and I have to balance my job and writing.

As for my QB entry, I've written 5 chapters and I only lack 2 or 3. It's not calling out to me right now so I'm typing something else. Maybe the inspiration to type words for QB will come to me this weekend. It's really annoying. I have the scenes in my head but I just can't bring myself to write it.

Anyway, this is my take on what would have happened if Harry met Hermione first. How will it change things if Hermione Granger is Harry Potter's first friend?

This will be a short one. Maybe 5 to 10 chapters of around 2k - 5k each. This fic is too short for a QB entry so I decided to not include it for the fest.

If you liked this one, let me know.

This is different from Friends in Harmony because that's a soulmate fic. This one is a "When Harry met Hermione" thing.

I've heard your plight for updates on My Cheating Heart, All Because of You, You're Worthy of the Potter Name, and whatever your personal favorite is.

Here's a status update on the WIPs:

ABOY = I will edit all chapters first before I post an update. So far, I've only edited three chapters.

YWOTPN = I have the next chapter in my head. I'm just focusing on QB (one-shots and Avatar research lately)

MCH = This is my personal favorite so of course I have plans for this.

If your favorite is not mentioned, let me know what you want to be updated. Maybe I'll get ideas on what I should update next. There are reviews that provide useful plot development arguments (SOMETIMES).

Now that's done, tweety will be writing her silly stories again (which story, help me decide). My mind is all over the place. So much stuff to do (and write) and so little time.

Peace!