A single word can be powerful. Powerful enough to imbue fluttering wings with the flames of hatred. Powerful enough to cause a flicker of fear to pass through terrified blue eyes settled beneath a frazzled mess of red hair. Powerful enough to result in a door being slammed behind a retreating friend who now bore the scars of an adversary.
A feminine voice choked by suppressed tears spoke into the silence. "That was long overdue."
"Was it?" A male voice, contrasted by its impassivity, answered quietly.
"Did you see what he was doing?"
"It was in front of the entire common room, Hermione. I'm guessing everyone saw it as well as you did."
Anger crept into her voice once more. "How could he do this to me?"
The corners of his mouth turned upwards, ever so slightly. "My glasses might have fogged up during the match, because last time I checked, you weren't involved in whatever was going on over there."
"This isn't funny, Harry!" This was accompanied by a foot striking the floor.
He placed himself back on the professor's desk from which he had risen moments before. With a murmured word and the flick of a wand, the curtains flew open and the room was flooded with warm sunlight. Shadows danced on the dust covered floor, abandoned potion bottles forming obelisks and monuments on the unadorned walls.
"Sit with me?" After a few moments of terse silence, she complied, throwing herself down on the desk with unnecessary force, facing away from him. Harry watched her for a few moments. Finally, she turned, her eyes retaining their hardness.
"Why are you here?"
"If it weren't for you, I'd probably be a small pile of charred ashes by now. It's the least I can do to return the favor."
Hermione snorted and turned away from him. "It's nice of you to remember."
He was confused. Perplexed, even. "What do you mean?"
She jumped to her feet once more and began pacing the room rapidly. Her hands clenched into fists, and her cheeks flushed. "Do you remember how much time I spent making sure you were ready for this stupid tournament? Do you remember how many times I practiced the Summoning Charm with you? Apparently, you don't, because right after the task was over, I didn't matter anymore! I know I scolded you more often than I should have whenever you got distracted or spent your time staring off into space instead of listening to me, but I expected some appreciation, at the very least!" One of the potion bottles exploded, a pile of glass sitting where it once stood. Harry opened his mouth, but Hermione wasn't finished. "It seems to me that the only time you need me is when your life is in danger. Is that all I am to you, Harry? Your living encyclopedia that you turn to only when you need it for reference? If so, I'll go find myself another classroom, because I'm clearly not needed at the moment!" She started towards the door, but a hand gently closed around her wrist.
"Hermione, if you really want to leave, I won't stop you. But before you do, just hear me out, will you?" She began to tug her hand away, but his next word stopped her. "Please?"
"Fine, explain yourself then. But if it's the pitiful pile of excuses that I'm expecting…" His hand tugged her closer, and she finally relented, sitting down next to him, her arms crossed tightly across her chest.
"Listen, Hermione, I really am sorry." She snorted again. "I really, er…what I'm trying to say is, I do appreciate everything you do for me. Honestly, I do. It's just…well, I don't really know how to express it properly most of the time."
Hermione looked at him, her anger fading slightly. "A simple 'thank you' would be enough, you know."
"No, it wouldn't. 'Thank you' is what you say when someone passes you a plate in the Great Hall. 'Thank you' is what you say when someone holds open a door for you. 'Thank you' is what you say when a certain someone looks over your homework at two in the morning even when she has so many better things to do with her time." He grinned, and she couldn't quite stop the corners of her lips from twitching slightly. "Those two words wouldn't be nearly enough to describe how grateful I am. For you specifically, I mean."
Harry broke off and looked away before continuing. "You know I'm no good with words, Hermione. But I want you to know that without you, I really would be dead by now, several times over even. And the amount I appreciate you for everything you've done for me isn't something that I can put into words. Maybe I should take up your habit of reading the dictionary for fun, I don't know." He grinned again, and she returned the gesture less reluctantly than she did earlier. "The point I'm trying to make is: I wouldn't be here without you, and I'm sorry for not appreciating you more when I had the chance. I'll make sure to do better in the future."
He looked in her direction once more, and the amusement in his tone vanished, replaced by an expression of fearful uncertainty that mirrored the one he wore before facing the Hungarian Horntail. "Assuming you'll give me that opportunity, that is."
The last of her anger drained away, and Hermione uncrossed her arms and placed them around him. Eventually, one of his own arms wrapped around her shoulders. After a few moments, he chuckled. "I'm going to go ahead and assume that this means yes." She could only nod, the side of her cheek pressed into his sweater. After several deep breaths, she sat up straight.
"Thank you for coming and finding me, Harry."
"It was nothing, Hermione." A mischievous twinkle appeared in his eyes. "Can I ask you for a favor, though?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"The next time you head to an empty classroom, find one that's closer to Gryffindor Tower. Quidditch takes a lot out of a man, and my side is still aching."
"Well, Harry, I figured someone like you could use the exercise."
Harry exaggerated a gasp, placing his hand over his heart in mock horror. "How can you say that Hermione? I'll have you know that my toned muscles are the main topic of discussion out on the Quidditch pitch."
"The people on your Quidditch team spend their days flying on brooms thirty meters in the air while being chased by heavy metal spheres that can crack their skulls wide open if they're not careful. It's not surprising that they would be discussing such things with the extensive brain damage that they've inevitably suffered." They looked at each other before bursting into laugher.
When it subsided, Hermione stood and smiled slightly. "You should get back to the common room, Harry. The best Seeker at Hogwarts is supposed to be the center of attention, after all."
At this, Harry's face darkened, and he pressed his lips together as though preparing to be the bearer of bad news to Lord Voldemort himself. "Before we go, I need to tell you something." Hermione tilted her head curiously, but Harry only motioned for her to sit down. Once she was settled, he turned his body around to face her fully. "I've admitted that I made a mistake in not appreciating you more, Hermione. Now, it's your turn to admit something."
She tried to keep the defensiveness out of her voice. "Admit to what?"
Evidently, she had been less than successful, as Harry flinched. He took a deep breath. When he spoke, he did so quietly but firmly. "You were out of line back there."
"When I was yelling at you? I'm sorry about…" He raised his hand in a silent interruption.
"No, not that. You were right to yell at me then. This is about Ron."
Her self-control broke. "Are you seriously going to tell me that I need to apologize to Ron? After everything he did? You're taking his side again, just like I knew you would!"
For the first time, Harry's frustration matched her own. "Will you just listen to me for a second, Hermione?" He continued before she could stop him. "I don't care what you think he did to you, but Ron can be in any relationship that he wants to be. You and him are not together, no matter how much you might want to change that. You could say that he was wrong for making a public display out of it the way he did, but you don't have any right to control him as if he's your…possession or something! And he doesn't have any right to do the same to you. If you wanted to be the one curled up on that sofa in the common room with him, you missed your chance!"
Harry saw her eyes beginning to mist over, and he resumed his admonition more gently. "You've always been the one to tell me when I'm doing something wrong or stupid, Hermione. Like I said, I'm grateful to you for that. As wonderful as you are, however, even you make mistakes sometimes. And no matter how you frame it, sending a swarm of conjured birds to attack Ron was a mistake."
He waited as Hermione bit her lip. He expected another outburst of annoyance, but that was not what happened. Instead, she bowed her head and looked at the floor. Her shoulders slumped. Finally, tears began to splatter onto the dusty surface of the professor's desk. He reached out his arm and pulled her close once more. Her body shook violently, but she made no attempt to leave his embrace.
"I'm a horrible person, Harry. Coming in here and attacking Ron just for kissing someone. Yelling at you after you came to make me feel better. I don't know what's gotten into me. I'm sorry for being so awful, so stupid, so…"
"You aren't any of those things, Hermione. This year's been hard for all of us. If you were anyone else, I wouldn't have said anything about the way you were acting, because honestly, I've come to expect it from everyone else our age. But you haven't been yourself this year at all, not just with Ron. I don't know what's going on, but I'd like to have my friend back. The one who was always logical, practical, and compassionate all at the same time. That's the only reason I said anything, not to make you feel awful. I hope you know that." Harry had said what needed to be said, and he fell silent, gently rubbing her back as tears soaked his sweater. After a full ten minutes had passed. Hermione raised her head.
"I was wrong, Harry. Voldemort's back, trying his best to kill you, and here I am, turning into a mess because of my petty romantic problems. Can you forgive me?"
"You were already forgiven, Hermione. And your problems are never petty." He lowered his arm from her shoulders. "Shall we head back now, or do you want to stay here a while longer?"
She released him and looked at herself in a small hand mirror lying on the desk. "You go on, Harry. I'll just freshen myself up a bit and join you later." At his uncertain look, she smiled. "Don't worry about me. I think I can handle the sight in the common room if they're still going at it when I get back."
He nodded, his apprehension fading as quickly as it appeared. "I know you can, Hermione. I'll wait for you there, at the table where we usually do our homework. I have a Transfiguration essay to finish. Would you mind…"
Hermione patted his hand lightly. "Of course, Harry. Thank you for everything."
Harry stood and helped her to her feet. "Anytime."
A single word can be powerful. Powerful enough to douse the flames of jealousy. Powerful enough to mend a friendship strained by the loss of trust. Powerful enough to lay the foundations for a commitment that would endure for a lifetime.