Disclaimer: JK Rowling is the rightful owner of all Harry Potter characters, events, etc. and I am just a bored writer looking to pass the time with said characters.

Chapter 2

The first few days at Hogwarts had been an absolute whirlwind. After Harry joined his friends Hermione, Neville, and Ron at the Gryffindor table the first night he had been introduced to the other first-years in the house of bravery: Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, Lavender Brown, and Parvati Patil. They all made quick work of introducing themselves to one another and spent a lot of time getting to know each other. By the end of the feast, Harry felt like he was going to end the night with seven more friends than when he had woken up.

Following the first night, classes began. Harry's fascination with the magical world did not diminish in the slightest as he began to immerse himself in the world of Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the rest of his classes. Despite his fascination, he could not help but feel like he was at a bit of a disadvantage. Most of the students seemed to have known about magic much longer than him, like Ron, or if they had been raised by Muggles by him, they had at least had much more time to prepare, like Dean, a Muggle-Born whose birthday was in January as opposed to Harry's in July. Not to mention Hermione, who, despite being a Muggle-Born, seemed to know more answers than everyone else in the class combined.

"She's still reading," Ron muttered as he and Harry descended from the first-year boys' dormitory the second morning of the year. He pointed to an armchair off to the side in the common room, and sure enough, Hermione Granger was curled up with a book that must have been at least five-hundred pages. "She was reading when I went upstairs to bed last night, too. I don't know how she does it all the time."

"Me neither," Harry whispered, but his tone was not the resentful one of his redheaded friend. It was one of wonder. "I mean, I like reading too, but she's really quite something. She's brilliant."

"Well, why don't you join her?" Ron said hotly. "You two can be teachers' pets together."

"Teachers' pets?" Harry stopped walking and gave his friend a quizzical look. "What does that mean?"

"It means..." Ron trailed off, looking irritated. "Whatever. Hungry?"

"Not really," Harry shook his head, returning his gaze to Hermione and the empty armchair beside her. Ron's suggestion of reading with Hermione seemed rather appealing, considering Harry was not particularly famished. "I think I am going to read with Hermione, actually. Do you want to join us?"

"Join you?" The redhead snorted. "I'm starving, no thank you."

"Alright," Harry nodded. "I'll see you around."

"You're serious?" Ron tilted his head. "You want to just sit around and read?"

"Well, yes," Harry shrugged. "I've always liked reading, and Hermione's my friend," He spoke the last part with a smile. The concept of having one friend, let alone multiple, was beyond exciting.

"You don't think she's a little...bossy?" Ron spoke the last word in a whisper. Harry pursed his lips in thought. Hermione certainly had a few moments since he had met her two days prior where she was rather imposing, but compared to the bossiness of his Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, it was not something he minded. The Dursleys were downright nasty with how they ordered him around back at Privet Drive, while Hermione Granger was simply overeager from time to time. On the Hogwarts Express, one might say it had been bossy of her to rip Hogwarts: A History out of his hands and start reading her favorite pages, but Harry was just as intrigued by the material as she was, so he welcomed her passion.

"I don't think that's a good word," Harry said after a few seconds. "She really wants to learn -"

"What's she got to learn? You were in class with her yesterday, she's already a know-it-all."

Harry felt his eyebrows instinctively shoot up in surprise at that remark. "She memorized the course books, Ron. She didn't know anything about magic until she got her letter, so she read all the books we had to get in Diagon Alley, and then some." He paused, frowning. "I did the same thing as her. But I didn't have enough time to memorize them since I only learned I was a wizard a month ago. If I had had more time to learn about magic, I would probably know just as many answers as Hermione. Would you call me bossy? Or a know-it-all?"

"Well...no, I guess not," Ron sighed, his eyes darting towards the scar on Harry's forehead.

"So you shouldn't blame her," Harry said, running a hand through his hair to cover his forehead with his fringe. "I'll see you, Ron."

Harry, feeling better and better about his decision to read with his first friend by the second, turned and ran back up the stairs to grab one of his many schoolbooks. He settled on Transfiguration and returned to the common room. Ron had left, clearly, and he quickly walked over to the empty chair next to where Hermione was still reading.

"Can I join you?" He asked, suddenly feeling rather nervous. What if she preferred reading alone?

Hermione glanced up from her book, visibly surprised. "W-what?" She asked, sitting up straight. Her eyes widened as she gazed up at Harry, who fidgeted a bit.

"Do you mind if I read here?" He held up his Transfiguration book and gestured to the empty chair.

"Not at all!" She shook her head. "Is Transfiguration your favorite subject thus far?" She motioned to the book as Harry sat down.

"Er..." He glanced at the book in his hands and shrugged. "I'm not really sure if I have a favorite yet. But Professor McGonagall did mention that we're going to have an exam next week and...well...I thought I should brush up. That's all."

"That's really smart, Harry," Hermione nodded along, and Harry felt his face grow warm. He could count on one hand the number of people who had complimented him on anything related to academics. "What do you think of Transfiguration? Do you like it?"

"I like it so far," Harry answered before averting his eyes. "But it's all so new and different from anything I learned in primary school. And it seems like everyone knows more about magic than I do..."

"Well, you only found out you were magical a month ago, right?" Hermione pointed out. "At least, that's what you told me on the train. I don't think anyone can really blame you for that."

"You're right," Harry shrugged. "But still, it's all really quite different. I almost don't know where to start." He didn't mention that he was afraid of falling behind from his peers, even though that was something that had been gnawing away at him ever since the first class.

Hermione frowned at him for a moment, and he guiltily looked down at his textbook and began reading. After he had flipped through a few pages, she cleared her throat to get his attention. "Do you..." She began sheepishly before stopping. "Er, would you like to study with me in the library? For the Transfiguration exam? I've read up on the material quite a bit, and I think I could help you figure out where to start."

"Really?" Harry couldn't help but smile. Hermione nodded, returning the smile. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized he was going to learn from arguably the smartest in his year. "That would be amazing. When were you thinking?"

"Well, we have a free period after Charms," She reached into her bag and pulled out her timetable. Harry was impressed that she had memorized the schedule already, but after recalling how she had memorized a myriad of books, he realized it was not entirely surprising. "Does that work for you?"

"That'd be great!" Harry grinned.

"Hey, Harry! Fancy a game of Wizard's Chess?" Ron asked him as the bell rang and Professor Flitwick dismissed the first-years from class. "It's this great game wizards play. My brothers taught me years ago, but now I'm better than all of them!"

"Er," Harry awkwardly zipped up his bag and hoisted it over his shoulder, "sorry, Ron. I'm going to the library. Maybe we can play tonight, after dinner."

"The library?" Ron blinked. "Do you even know where that is?"

"No," Harry admitted. "But Hermione does," He turned and glanced at the girl in question, who was standing expectantly at the door. She beamed at him, and he smiled back.

"You're going to ask her where it is, then?"

"I'm going with Hermione, Ron," Harry pushed in his chair. "We're studying for the Transfiguration exam next week. You can come if you want, I won't mind."

"To the library?" Ron shook his head. "No way. And why are you studying now? The test is next week."

"I..." Harry suddenly felt a bit hesitant. With Hermione, he had virtually no problem admitting that the magical world was something entirely new. Now, with Ron, he felt reluctant to reveal those apprehensions. He supposed it was because Hermione had been through what he had been through, learning about magic later than most of their peers and such. Ron, who had grown up in the magical world, simply could not relate. "I just felt like it," He finally answered. "But, hey, do you think you could teach me to play that Wizard's Chess game later?" Ron brightened immediately and nodded.

"Will do," The redhead grinned. "It's loads of fun."

"Can't wait," Harry grinned back. "I'll see you later, then."

With that, he exited the classroom and met up with Hermione. "Hi," He greeted her.

"Hello," She smiled. "Ready?" He nodded. "Follow me," She motioned to the left, and soon enough they were walking through the various corridors of the castle. Hermione pointed out every statue or painting that she had recognized from Hogwarts: A History as they walked, rattling off factoid after factoid about one-eyed witches or inventors of magical objects he had never heard of, like Sneakoscopes. Eventually, they reached the library and Hermione guided him to a quiet table in the back corner.

"I found this table yesterday," She whispered as she set her bag down and began rifling through it. "I think it's perfect for studying, don't you?"

Harry, who had done most of his studying in a cupboard, simply nodded. Hermione quickly pulled out her Transfiguration textbook, and he did the same. "So, where should we start?" He asked quietly.

"Well, I thought we could make you a study guide," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "Professor McGonagall told us that the exam is going to be on three main topics: the Transfiguration alphabet, the Transfiguration formula, and the Match to Needle Spell." Harry winced at that last one. It had been the first spell they had attempted in class the previous day, and only Hermione had done it successfully. "Don't worry, Harry, plenty of people had trouble with it the first time around. We'll study up on it in the meantime so that when you try it again in class you'll be better off," Hermione gave him a sincere smile, and he sighed in relief.

"Thanks," He whispered. "So, what does a study guide look like?" Hermione responded by pulling a piece of parchment out of her bag and sliding it towards Harry. At first glance, it was crammed with all sorts of numbers, words, and variables, but as Harry read through it he could clearly see that it was divided into three sections, one for each part of the exam. "Did you find all of this in the textbook?" He whispered in awe as he dragged his finger along one of the many lines.

"I did," Hermione nodded. "Now, this study guide doesn't contain every single detail from the textbook, because if I were to simply copy everything -"

"You wouldn't learn as much," Harry caught on quickly. He glanced up to see Hermione smile proudly at him. "How can you tell what's important enough to write down?"

"I'll show you," Hermione said, still smiling.

By the time Harry and Hermione had wrapped up their study session, the former was feeling so confident about the upcoming exam he found himself wishing it was to take place the next day, rather than the next week. Even if they had spent quite a bit of time in the library and his brain was more than a bit frazzled, he was glad he had accepted his friend's offer to go.

"Thanks for this, Hermione," He said once they exited the library and began to walk towards Gryffindor Tower. "I feel a lot better now than I did yesterday."

"I'm glad," She said earnestly. "You were quick to understand a lot of the concepts, though. I don't know if you really needed my help that much."

"No," Harry quickly shook his head. "You're a really good teacher. I doubt I could have learned all of that without you." Much to his surprise, Hermione's cheeks tinged pink and she smiled down at her shoes.

"That's nice of you to say," She whispered shyly. "I hope I wasn't too harsh on you."

"Oh, I'm definitely knackered," Harry exaggerated a yawn, earning a quiet laugh from the girl next to him. "Is that how you study for everything?"

"Pretty much," Hermione admitted.

"Wow..." Harry raised his eyebrows. "That's amazing."

"Oh, it's really not," Hermione blushed again. "I just really like learning, that's all."

"Well, I like learning too, but until today I never studied for hours on end," Harry pointed out as they ascended a staircase.

"Well..." Hermione scrunched her eyebrows together before lifting her head and flashing Harry another smile, albeit a nervous one. "Maybe...if you enjoyed doing it today, we could do it again tomorrow."

Harry paused his strides for a moment before resuming his walking. "I'd like that," He said after a beat, a gigantic smile threatening to split his face open. "As long as you're alright with hanging around me -"

"I'd love to," Hermione cut him off, and Harry could see that she really meant it in her eyes. "After all, what are friends for?"

"Right," Harry grinned as they reached the portrait hole. "Caput Draconis," He said proudly to the Fat Lady, who swung open immediately. They entered the common room and Harry was a bit disappointed to see that two older students had taken the armchairs he and Hermione had used to read that morning. Hermione noticed his expression, and after following his gaze she quickly nudged him with her elbow.

"Look, that couch is open," She pointed to an unoccupied sofa in front of one of the room's many fireplaces. Shrugging, Harry followed her over and promptly collapsed onto the couch, letting out a fake snore that was eerily similar to the ones of Ron Weasley. His actions caused Hermione to burst into a fit of giggles, and he opened his eyes and smiled at the sight of her laughing away.

"Harry, it wasn't that bad," She huffed once she regained her composure. Harry simply raised his eyebrows and closed his eyes, resuming his feigned sleep. "Alright, it was a bit grueling. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," He smirked as he opened his eyes and sat up straight. "I really did enjoy being in the library with you, Hermione."

"Thanks," She gave him a small smile. "Tomorrow I'll try and stop a little earlier so that you don't pass out once we're done," She added in a teasing tone.

"You think I can't handle another study session with you?" He fired back in an equally playful voice. Hermione simply shrugged, her lips twitching into a sly smile. "Yeah, I think you're right," Harry grinned, letting out another fake yawn and slumping in his seat once again, his eyes drifting closed in mock sleep.

Hermione let out a sarcastic huff, but Harry kept his eyes closed as he relaxed into the couch cushions. Truthfully, he thought he was fully capable of handling another study session with Hermione, but the couch was surprisingly comfortable. He had no trouble at all making himself comfortable, and the crackling fire in front of him was a nice touch. He could easily see himself dozing off on this sofa - it was infinitely more comfortable than the armchair he had used that morning.

Just as he was about to open his eyes to see if Hermione had left, he felt a weight settle down next to him. He smiled as he heard Hermione rifle through her bag before pulling out whatever she was looking for. "Well, you may be tired of studying for the day, but I certainly am not. So, I hope you don't mind," She sighed. Before Harry could ask what she was talking about, she cleared her throat and began reciting from what must have been A History of Magic. "The story of founder Helga Hufflepuff is one that has been retold for centuries – " She began before he cut her off by audibly groaning.

"Now I'm actually going to fall asleep," He grumbled sarcastically, earning an elbow to the arm from Hermione. He let out a small laugh as he heard Hermione turn the page a few moments later, informing him that she had decided to continue her reading in silence. Harry simply shifted to make himself more comfortable, his head tilting backwards involuntarily as he slowly drifted towards sleep.

Just as he was about to lose consciousness altogether, he felt Hermione leave the couch. He almost snapped his eyes open, but he settled for rolling his head to the side and tentatively opening one eye. Hermione had not left altogether, he saw. She had moved to a chest next to the fireplace, which held a plethora of blankets and pillows for anyone to use. He watched her fish a scarlet and gold quilt out of the chest before turning back to the couch. Harry quickly closed his eyes and returned his head to its original position. A few seconds later he felt the weight of a blanket settle over him, and a few seconds after that he felt the edge of the blanket lift as Hermione returned to the couch, curling up and resuming her silent reading by his side.

Harry could not remember ever feeling so comfortable.

A/N: If you're reading this, you're reading an edited version of this chapter. The original version paled in comparison and looking back on it, I wanted to bash my brains out with a baseball bat for writing it. I suppose it wasn't terrible, but I was not proud of it. This, however, I am proud of. I hope you enjoyed it.