"She's dead," Neville said putting the lifeless arm back upon the prone body.

"No, No she can't be, do it again," he protested loudly.

"She's dead, get over it," Serious Black responded.

"No," he repeated stubbornly.

"HERMIONE," she heard causing her to jerk up in the bed. She ran to the other and looked down at the stricken look on Harry's face.

"Harry, Harry wake up…" she called. With a worried look on her face she crawled next to him as he screamed her name again with tears coasting down his face. "I'm right here Harry, I'm right here," she whispered pulling his head to her; he awoke quickly and looked up at her.

"'Mione," he asked his eyes wide.

"Here, right here," she said, he buried his face in her chest and let out the tears, tears for her injury, tears for Serious and tears for a life he had lost the second the prophecy had been read to him.

"I'm sorry," he said after a few moments.

"Don't be Harry, I've had them to… nightmares I mean," she commented picking at the quilt covering his bed.

"Really?" he asked turning to face her yet again.

"Yah, about you dying, or Ron… I even dreamed I watched Voldemort kill you after I died," she said tears filling her big brown eyes no matter how she tried to hide them.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered quietly, slouching down under the covers.

"For what?" she asked moving down on her side so their faces where even.

"It's my fault you got hit with the curse, I should have done… something," he voiced a feeling he had been harboring since she had fallen in the Ministry of Magic.

"Harry come here," she moved closer to him, he could smell her as she took his hand. She pulled down the front of her shirt enough for him to see a ball shaped scar with tendrils coming out. She placed his hand on it between his breasts where he could feel her heart beating. "I'm fine, Ron is fine, Luna, Ginny, Nevile, everybody's fine," she persisted her deep brown eyes looking into his, she felt a strange fluttering in her stomach when she realized he hadn't moved his hand from her heart.

"Ok," he agreed albeit hesitantly, he reluctantly pulled his hand away from the warmth of her chest. She moved to go to her own bed, "Stay here?" he asked on a whim.

"Alright," she answered after a moment of contemplation; she slipped down under the covers with him and quickly drifted off to sleep.

"BOY, COME MAKE MY BREAKFAST," Vernon Dursley yelled, Harry came down the stairs in his boxers still shirtless and a bit groggy.

"Yes uncle Vernon," he said letting use a jaw popping yawn.

"Good," he said surprised at the lack of argument from the boy, he heard the shower come on and remembered there 'houseguest'.

"Where's the girl?" he asked, he had to admit that the conversation at dinner had been pleasant, the girl was intelligent and brought out a better side of Harry. His business partner had been impressed by the duo while Dudley just disgusted him.

"In the shower," Harry answered a small smile gracing his lips at Vernon's mention of her or perhaps his mention of her in the shower.

"Right, well I hope she hurries, if she's not in the damn car where leaving her behind," was the response.

"She will be," Harry answered simply. A loud tapping at the door brought Vernon back from his musings about his nephew's love life.

"I'll get it," the girl said, she shot Vernon a smile, if Dudley's clothes where big on Harry they where monstrous on the petite girl.

"Fine," Vernon said withholding a chuckle at the pink shirt that said don't laugh; this is your girlfriend's shirt.

"Harry where you expecting anything," the girl asked lugging two large holy boxes into the room with surprising strength.

"Huh," Harry asked sticking his head out over the bar with spatula in hand.

"Did you even bother to put on a shirt, Honestly Harry," she said upon seeing him.

"Hermione the boxes," Harry said with a small smile.

"Yes, well they where on top of each other on the stoop, this envelope has your name on it," she said digging around in the back pocket of the large jeans she wore.

Harry,

These friends of mine will be sure to protect you and Hermione. Don't be shocked by their appearance they are very playful and happy… your uncle wont have a problem or he might have to go to a pig pen to visit his son.Top is for you bottom for Hermione

Albus Dumbledore

Harry read aloud, "Well that's fine and dandy then," Harry said picking the top box off the bottom and setting it down gently.

"Well should I go first," the girl asked pulling a slender piece of wood, much lighter than Harry's from her back pocket.

"Alright," Harry agreed his own wand coming from off the counter.

"Oh my god, it's a puppy," she said reaching down into the box, the dog gave an excited yip and bounced up to lick her face. She crashed to the floor in a fit of giggles as the small dog tried to get under her arms to lick her face.

"Mine too," Harry said pulling his slightly more calm dog from the box. It still attempted to lick his face but was much more dignified about it. Both where Alaskan huskies, Harry's had black patches that matched his dark messy locks perfectly while Herminie's was a caramel color, "I don't get it, how is a dog supposed to protect me?"

"I don't know Harry, obviously I'll have to read on it and find out of Dumbledore will allow us to take them to school," Hermione said shrugging.

"Hermione, why couldn't you bring any clothes?" Harry asked he seemed not to have heard her response he was looking so closely at the parchment that had just obviously revealed something else to him.

"Not enough room in my trunk," she answered somewhat shrilly. Vernon watched the entire exchange with interest.

"Hermione?" Harry asked knowing this was a lie, he moved closer and removed the dog from her arms, the animal, seeming to sense the seriousness of the moment simply sat in her crate watching.

"My parents… the house was attacked they went into hiding. Everything we have was burned down, their running on Polijuce to chance their appearance," she said so quietly Vernon almost didn't hear her.

"I'm sorry," Harry said pulling her into a hug, he didn't even stop to think that his almost naked body would be a turn off for his friend but she wrapped her arms tightly around him, not a tear leaked from her eyes but the strength of her grip told him she was scared.

"Careful that slut doesn't break your nose," Dudley said from the stairs. Harry stiffened and walked menacingly toward his cousin.

"Harry, no," the girl said not moving. He looked at her and at his cousin longingly but conceded and returned to cooking breakfast as the girl played with the two pups.

"Ug, couldn't you just get one outfit could you," Harry joked as he slipped the bags, shrunk by Lupin into his pocket; apparently he needed a bodyguard everywhere he went.

"We had to get things for the dogs, we also need names for them," she said as she settled in the car both effectively ignoring Dudley who sat beside Harry.

"How bout Hermy?" Harry asked with a laugh.

"Hilarious," she answered dryly.

"How about… Moony," she said after a moment's contemplation.

"I like it, then mine's gonna be Prongs," he laughed for a moment, "Their like us, best friends."

"Forever," Hermione said turning to the window.

"Forever," Harry echoed putting his arm around her with a smile.

"Guess what Ron told me," Hermione said suddenly excited.

"He's having a baby," Harry asked curious as to what could make her so downright happy.

"He likes Luna, before I left he was going to ask her out," she said cheerfully.

"Loony Lovegood and Ron?" Harry asked shocked.

"Don't sound so surprised Harry, I think it'll be a blast. Luna's quite pretty," Hermione said smacking him in the stomach.

"Yah but she's bloody nuts," Harry said his eyes opening wide in shock.

"Nice Harry, real nice," Hermione responded rolling her eyes.

"Come on Herms you gotta admit, she's a top canadate for St. Mungo's crazy ward," Harry said staring at her.

"Well, she's quite smart, she wouldn't be in Ravenclaw if she wasn't," Hermione said shrugging but loosing her steam.

"Come on, do you honestly see that lasting too long," Harry said seeing victory in sight.

"Oh just shut it" Hermione said with a twinkle in her eye as they pulled up to the house.

"Come on, lets see if the dog's like their names," Harry said pushing her from the car. Hermione however took great pains to move as slowly as possible knowing Harry would refuse to leave out Dudley's side after she posed the challenge. Harry smirked slightly and reached over to her tickling her hard. She squealed with laughter and he easily pulled her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He blitzed through the house to their room where the pair had left the dogs. As he entered… not watching where he was going he swerved to avoid the first puppy and landed on the bed, turning to have Hermione on top of him. Her brown eyes claimed dominance over his green ones as he stared closely at her. He moved his head forward with every intention of kissing her but the sounds of yipping broke the spell and she quickly rolled off of him.

"Harry, where's the food," she said softly, he pulled all her bag's out of his pocket and they immediately returned to full size. Harry watched closely as she went about feeding the dogs and giving them their new names, he watched her fluid movements borne from months of intense sword training. He watched the combination of sunlight and shadows make her face mysteriously gorgeous, the way her hair softened in the glow of the sunset.

"I'm gonna go to bed," Harry said after she had emptied all the bags and straightened up their room without saying one word to him.

"Sweet dreams," she said softly. Harry moved over and pulled her into a hug kissing her forehead before crawling into bed fully clothed.