AN Hey guys long time no update, right? Unfortunately, I have been super busy with work and school so I haven't gotten to write this as much as I would like. This is the last chapter I have fully finished already so I'm going to give it to you. Chapter 16 is about halfway done or so and I plan on finishing it next week. Thanks to all who have reviewed, favorited, or followed this! I also suck at staying on task as I have started a Honks fic and another Fleur/Harry fic… one that seems to be shaping up really. Either way I want to finish this fic for y'all! Leave a review and it'll motivate me I promise! Thanks so much!

It wasn't the very first time she had been in the medical bay. She had never been a resident, although she had gotten a bump or bruise here or there checked out a handful of times over her years. Harry was already in a bed being tended to by the healer. Brandon was across from him and looked to be asleep.

Lupin had gotten in front of them and was already at his side and was talking to Madam Pomfrey. She had to guess he was privy to Harry's medical records.

Dumbledore instructed them to wait and they did. Which gave her time to ponder something, Dumbledore didn't seem all too warm to Neville. Not like how she expected at least. Harry talked about him different, like a mentor or even a grandfather. She assumed Dumbledore was on good terms with all of Harry's friends then.

"I always assumed you were close with Dumbledore too." She said to Neville, her eyes never leaving Harry.

"Not at all. I have talked to him, three, maybe four times not counting today. Nothing really said either. Him and Harry get along great, together a lot growing up. Harry is like him and nobody else really ever was besides Grindelwald or Voldemort in some ways. He was never rude to me or anything but we don't have any kind of relationship." Neville explained.

It made sense when he put it like that. It just didn't line up with her assumptions. Although he himself only filled half or so of her assumptions so maybe it was better to just not assume.

A few minutes later Lupin left and Dumbledore motioned for them to come over.

"He is okay, but he will likely not wake until the morning. His core is fixing his body along with what our fine Mediwitch has done. It is consuming, so sleeping will only help him be back with us shortly." Dumbledore explained.

They all nodded and looked over him. He looked peaceful now, Brandon was lucky that Harry saved him. Maybe Harry shouldn't have tricked him but as far as she was aware that was a part of the game and a big part of being a seeker. Couldn't blame him for being good at it. Although she could blame him for hurting himself in the process. She knew the rules though, she knew use of wand unless under dire circumstances would be a forfeit of the game.

Everyone stayed for a while and watched him before slowly dissipating. All that remain were her, Luna, and Neville.

"Such a Harry way to hurt himself." Neville said after a while.

It was good he did, the silence was borderline uncomfortable.

"You can say that again." Luna said with more seriousness than she had ever heard from the girl who preached about fake creatures in the common room.

"You know if he was awake, he'd want us all to leave him be and rest. But he would never do that to us." Neville said.

"I'm going to fetch dinner for us three, if you are staying Hermione?" Neville asked.

She nodded awkwardly. Even though she was more used to talking and to some extent people doing things for her it could still be off putting when she didn't expect it.

"I'll be back soon." He said before walking away.

She never really found herself thinking about one Luna Lovegood. Despite all of the things she disagreed with she had heard some great stories about her from Harry. They had spoke here or there but usually nothing more than a word or two and she was pretty sure she knew why. Looking back on it she had been stuck up, she could've been friends with Luna sooner but she was too proud or stuck up because the girl was… whimsical.

"Hey Luna."

"Hmm." She said her eyes not leaving Harry.

"I'm sorry for not being your friend. You were nice to me when you came here and I turned you down because I thought you were… off. Just with the things you were saying and the different creatures I never read about. Standing here, both of us. Were more alike than I ever thought." Hermione said without looking the girl in the eye. She didn't have the courage too, she felt awful about it.

"It's okay. You're not the only one. Nobody wanted to be my friend until Harry found out other people in our house were picking on me. He stood up for me and we have been friends ever since. You're not the only one who didn't want to be my friend but you're one of the few who didn't openly antagonize me. You're also the first to apologize." Luna said looking to her.

"I think we should talk more maybe, if you want." Hermione suggested.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah." Hermione replied curiously.

"What are things like between you and Harry? He's been so different this year, distant in a lot of ways. We all used to spend so much time together and now we see him at meals. We know he studies with you, maybe more than he lets on. He hasn't been in classes and were just all worried about him." Luna asked.

What was going on between them? They just did research and would hang out between. Now they practiced spells together but it was only the one spell. Were they jealous? They had Harry Potter to themselves for years and now she couldn't be a part of his life? Even if it was a small part, born out of a competition that neither of them had chosen one another.

"We're just working on the project together a lot and he's taught me the Patronus charm. We talk a lot more I guess and hang out when we're not working. We saw each other over the holiday as well I guess." She would withhold the biggest bit on New Year's. That was between her and Harry.

"I invited him to come over too, said he was busy. I just feel like him and I were getting closer for a long time. Then this year it's just been so different." Luna said.

"I'm sorry." Hermione offered all she could. She didn't feel bad about being with Harry this year but she did feel bad for the girl in front of her who was sad.

"Don't be. He talks about you sometimes you know. Always good things don't worry. We don't see him often but when we do, he looks happy, like somethings changed. We all think it has something to do with you. He's always been happy of course but there was always another part of him that wasn't. Hard to explain." She said.

"I know what you mean." She replied instantly.

"Luckily he's okay." Luna said looking to him. She put her hand in his hair and for some reason she it made her feel wrong. A pit in her stomach formed and fought against her body. She wanted to lurch forward and stop the girl from touching him like that but she knew she was being ridiculous. Her and Harry had been friends far longer than she had been with him. She didn't know what their relationship was like and she needed to control herself so she didn't look like a fool.

A few moments later, Neville returned with their dinner. They ate in silence around him, a weird feeling lingering from her conversation with Luna.

'Getting closer'

Did Luna have feelings for him too? It would make sense giving her mood. Also the fact that Harry seemed hard to not develop feelings for. She questioned often how she felt about him and she had known him for less than a year now. Things with him were complicated, which she didn't like. But it beat a typical school year she guessed.

Before they could finish eating the doors of the medical bay opened. Leading the charge was the auburn hair of Lily Potter. She spotted them easily and made her way to them, behind her, James Potter and Sirius Black. They didn't look to be too alarmed, nonetheless she could see some worry.

Lily spotted her and smiled before coming to her son's bedside. She looked over him, before placing a hand on his cheek and rubbing his face with her thumb.

"My little idiot." She said with a smile.

She chuckled, what he did was the right thing but it was idiotic.

"I'm glad he has friends like you by his side tonight. He will be fine I'm sure, you all should get some rest I think." Lily said to them.

They all nodded their head, knowing it wasn't a good idea to argue with Lily Potter. Without a word they disbanded and made their ways back to their respective common rooms. Her and Luna walked side by side but didn't say anything. It had been a long day and it seemed like she agreed, as they basked in the silence.

LINE BREAK

The charm washed over her and she shivered. She never liked the feel of it when she learned it and she didn't today when she used it for the first time outside the classroom. She was invisible, well she really wasn't. She knew the spell worked by bending the light around her and bouncing off. She was just shielded by it and was unable to be seen.

She had muffled her feet and made her way down to the infirmary. She didn't know why, but she wanted to see if Harry was awake and okay. It just didn't seem right to leave without saying anything to him since this morning. Nobody had. What if he woke up tonight and was alone? She knew he could cope with it of course but it just didn't sit right with her.

It was easy to ger around the school at night. The portraits were sleeping and she didn't think they would say anything even if they could see her. Then she noticed she wouldn't know! She had never been outside her common room after curfew. She had never snuck out of it either, she was sure Harry had and with a thought she knew she had been out after curfew before. But that was with Harry who was Headboy. So, she really wasn't breaking curfew those times. This time she was though, and she was doing it to see the Headboy.

She softly opened the door of the infirmary as softly as she could and stepped through. She made her way to his bed and luckily, she didn't see anyone there, his family must've left. She made her way to his bedside and onto the chair next to his bed. She kept herself hidden for now and watched him sleep. The room was silent and after double checking that nobody was there, she dropped the charm.

She made her way closer to him and looked him over. He looked calm now, like it was a peaceful sleep. Compared to before when he looked strained. She felt weird doing it but she wanted too, she cupped his cheek in her hand and quickly laid a kiss on his cheek. She didn't know what she would do if she lost him today. She had gone so long without friends, now that she had one, she didn't want to ever let go. It was too nice; it was so different. It was giving her the best experience she had ever had at school. She didn't want to let it go and she didn't want it to end now or when school ends or anytime soon.

"I knew I liked you."

She jumped out of her body and landed on the ground, facing behind her. Harry's dad was there, his mother trailing behind. Their hands holding muggle cups of tea. She had to catch her breath after it had left her body and a moment later she felt okay and was proud of the fact she had managed not to scream.

"Oh, leave her alone, I don't think she has much experience sneaking out." Lily said coming to her side and laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Tip for next time, quick revealing charm will let you know if anyone is around. It has a large radius." James said with a smile before taking the seat she had been at moments ago.

"It's nice to see you Hermione." Lily said.

"You too. Has he woken at all?" Hermione asked.

"No, not yet. Madam Pomfrey was here a while ago though and she said he would probably wake tomorrow, if not tonight." Lily replied.

"Did it look cool though? I know this game meant so much to him. Has he mentioned anything about quidditch? I can't believe my son is going to be a professional player!" James said excitedly.

He had mentioned it before. Not in the way his father probably hoped. They hadn't talked about it much but she wasn't sure it was something he was going to pursue if she had to guess. Harry was the type to make a decision, he was bold and he usually knew what he wanted to do. If he was going to sign with someone, she was pretty sure he would've already. It always seemed to her that playing quidditch was something he enjoyed but did it in large part to prove something to everyone else. She could be wrong of course, but that was her observation.

"Not really." She lied. She wanted to feel bad but she didn't, it was something that Harry could talk to his father about and it wasn't her place to say anything. As far as she was concerned, anything said to her by him was in confidence and vise versa.

"I don't think he's going to play James." Lily said with a smile.

"Oh, this again, why wouldn't he! It's every boy's dream! It was mine! Would've tried too if everything else wasn't going on at the time." James said.

"And you would've failed. You were good for school but…" Lily said.

"Oh, I know but it was a dream!" James laughed.

They all laughed for a moment, the banter between them was practiced and funny.

"I don't care if he doesn't play, I just think it would be cool and he is obviously good enough. He could always come work in magical law enforcement with me. Be an Auror or Hitwizard even if he wanted too." James suggested.

"Why don't we wait, I am sure he will make some kind of decision soon. He doesn't even have to work if he doesn't want to. He could write a book or something and it would set him up for life." Lily said.

"Now that's something I know he won't do." James chuckled.

"It was very sweet of you to check up on him Hermione, but you should really get to bed. He will be awake in the morning; I will make sure to reserve you a spot by his side." Lily said before squeezing her shoulder.

They were right, she was tired and she didn't know what came over her. Not that she regretted it. Seeing him again and seeing that he was alright had helped ail her worried mind. Which would be enough for now.

"Goodnight Mister and Missus Potter." She said politely.

"Goodnight." They both said.