I'm so sorry I haven't updated this since… last year… BUT here's an update. I hope you enjoy it. I hope updates will come faster now that I've finally graduated. Anyhow, a synopsis considering you've probably forgotten this plot amidst all the other fanfictions:
In 3rd year when Ron accused Hermione's cat of eating Scabbers, Ron was under the imperious curse and poisoned Hermione with a potion Pettigrew brewed that made Hermione deaf, blind, in pain, and suffering dementor-like terrors for 24 hours, with pain and nightmares lasting for a week or more. Harry stays with her and cares for her while she's ill, and promises to continue to do so as long as she needs him to.
Previously:
" You must be taking 3 more subjects than me and you're still the smartest…" he trailed off as Hermione paled suddenly.
"I… I'll have to talk with Professor McGonagall. Harry, would you…"
"I'll go find her and be back soon…."
She was very glad she'd left the time-turner in her trunk. …She would have to talk to Professor McGonagall as soon as possible.
Hermione was sitting up in bed when she heard Professor McGonagall and Harry in the hallway outside the Hospital wing.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Harry?" She asked him, "You've missed the first half of the year in those classes!"
"Professor, you yourself told me that Divination was useless. Hermione's classes seem much more useful, and I'm sure she'll help me catch up."
"If you insist. If you're just doing this to keep an eye on her, I'm sure she'll be fine on her own," the professor said as they stepped through the doorway.
"I know, but I think Hermione's right. Divination is useless and there are a lot better things to do. The way she talks, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes should be interesting and useful classes."
"Harry?" Hermione asked in excitement, "Are you really…?" At his grin she impetuously launched herself at him and grabbed him in a hug before her unwrapped knees gave out and she collapsed against him.
"I can't believe it! I never thought you'd - oomph, sorry - quit that stupid class, but to sign up for more?" She kept talking as Harry and the professor led her back to the bed.
"What can I say? You've had an influence on me. I'm tired of having my death predicted every day and I wouldn't have enough classes if I didn't add more. You can help me catch up, right?" He asked as they sat her back down.
"Of course! Oh, I'm so glad you'll be taking those classes with me!" She exclaimed happily, then her face fell. Professor McGonagall stepped in thoughtfully.
"Hermione, have you learned from this past semester?" She asked gently, sitting beside her favorite pupil.
"Yes I have. I've learned so much about so many things!"
"Have you?" The professor asked dubiously. "You mercifully quit Divination, but what about the rest of your schedule? What could you possibly learn from Muggle Studies?"
"I thought it would give me a good perception on how wizards view muggles, but come to think of it, it has been useless."
"I don't know how you've done it all for all this time," Harry said in wonder. "You've been so tired from it, though. I don't know how you've managed." Hermione looked worried.
"Can he know?" She asked her professor.
"Not unless you give it up," she replied.
"If I drop Muggle Studies, can I give it up?"
"Your Arithmancy and Ancient Runes classes will be at a different time which is more conducive to your schedule and Harry can join you."
"Then… yes. I suppose this insanity has gone on long enough."
All this time Harry had been watching the two in abject confusion, but wisely kept quiet and simply sat down on the bed beside his friend. Hermione noticed his dumbfounded expression and smiled.
"I'll give it up. It's in my trunk," she informed Professor McGonagall, who stepped to the door to go and retrieve it, before being stopped by Hermione's next question: "May I explain this to Harry now?"
"Yes, you may. We'll discuss scheduling further when I return," she replied before leaving for the Gryffindor tower.
Harry still didn't speak, only raising a questioning eyebrow at his friend.
"Time turner," she began simply. Harry's confusion only increased.
"It's a ministry-controlled magical device that allows you to travel back in time. I was using it to attend all those classes. It was very… tiring. I thought it would be worth it, but I haven't learned enough in Divination and Muggle Studies to be worth it. But like I've told you, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes are quite useful. Runes used to be used for warding and most of them don't even require magic to make. Arithmancy is like muggle mathematics but explains the magical effects that combinations of numbers can have." Harry was beginning to look worried at the prospect of complicated subject matter, so Hermione rushed to reassure him.
"Don't worry about anything. I'll help you learn everything you've missed, and we can help each other study!"
"I don't know I could possibly help you study, but I'm willing to try," Harry said with a smile.
"Oh Harry, you're smarter than you give yourself credit for. I've read your essays. You can do a good job when you really want to. I think sometimes you actually hold yourself back!" Harry's smile vanished and he avoided her gaze
"Harry? What did I say?" Hermione asked, increasingly worried as she took his hand. She felt him stiffen, but he forced himself to relax.
"Harry?" Hermione asked gently, angling her head to try to look into his downcast eyes.
"You're right as usual Hermione," Harry said softly. "I have been holding myself back. I did horribly in muggle school because if I did better than Dudley then I'd be punished. Here…" he paused, thinking. "Here I guess I never really got used to the idea." He finally looked up into Hermione's face, which turned out to be a mistake. Their eyes locked and instantly she knew he was lying. She gave a sad smile and spoke.
"I believe you for the first part. From what I've heard of your relatives I can understand holding yourself back in the name of self-preservation. But Hogwarts is different. You're smart, Harry. I saw you get used to the idea very quickly our first year, albeit from afar. What happened? You're not being punished here for succeeding," Hermione then paused. "Or are you?" Her eyes darkened in an unfocused anger as her mind began cycling through people who might punish Harry for doing well in school work.
"I suppose the only one punishing me was me," he said quietly. Hermione looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean? Why would you punish yourself for doing well?" Harry's face contorted with an emotion Hermione, for once, could not describe.
"It's… Ron," Harry said simply. Hermione's eyes widened.
"He hates it when people do better than he does. That's why he's always on your case, because you're brilliant and he's not. If I decided to do well, I might lose him as a friend." Hermione understood immediately.
"And you'd do anything to keep from losing him, even hold yourself back?" She asked softly. He nodded, relieved that she had understood, but he couldn't just leave it there.
"But now… I think I was wrong," he said, looking at Hermione.
"What do you mean?" She asked again, surprised at this change in behavior.
"I mean… I've put up with his jealousy, rudeness and hatred of you because I was afraid of losing him. That's why I sided with him about the firebolt. I knew you were only trying to keep me safe. I knew it very well could have been cursed, but I agreed with him anyway and I'm so sorry. Those weeks were the worst ones of my life because you weren't there." He took a deep breath and continued.
"I don't ever want to do that again. He's been gone for a week, and I've scarcely noticed. But you… I couldn't even sleep last night knowing you were in here alone. This place is awful in the dark. And being around you is… quite nice actually, though I hadn't noticed it before. You're not like him at all. You're not jealous or rude, and you want me to succeed and you want me to be safe. You care about me, not for my fame or anything, just me." He took her hand gently in his and looked her in the eyes.
"What more could I ask for in a best friend?"
That was when Hermione's eyes finally overflowed with tears and she grabbed Harry in a bone-crushing hug which he wholeheartedly returned.
"Oh Harry," she said through her tears of joy, "that was the sweetest thing I've ever heard anyone say to me. Thank you. I'll always be your best friend." And on an impulse fueled by gratitude and perhaps even love, she quickly kissed Harry on the cheek.
They both blushed madly, but their shy smiles were unmistakable beneath their red cheeks. Fortunately any awkwardness that could have ensued was forestalled by Professor McGonagall's return.
"This is a time turner, Harry," the professor said, holding it out to show him. "I'll assume Hermione has told you all about them."
"She certainly has," he said, smiling at his companion. "It does explain why you were so tired all year. Perhaps it's better this way." She nodded, also smiling.
"It certainly is. I'm glad you'll be in those classes with me. It'll be fun, I promise." Harry wasn't quite convinced, but if he put all of his effort into his classes like Hermione did, he supposed it might grow on him.
"I'll adjust your schedules accordingly and inform your teachers. I'm sure Trelawney will miss having someone's death to predict on a regular basis." Harry and Hermione were shocked to see the ghost of a smirk on their strict teacher's face and consequentially grinned.
"You'll attend classes on Monday together. Harry, you'll have to catch up as you go. If you work hard, it shouldn't take you too long."
"Especially with Hermione's help," Harry added, eliciting a smile from his companion.
"Speaking of which, I see your books are already here. If you feel up to it, Hermione, you may do well to give him a crash course in what you've learned so far. I'll see you two in class tomorrow." The two students thanked her and she left the hospital wing. Harry could see Hermione eyeing her books and started to get nervous. What if he wasn't as smart as she thought? He didn't want to disappoint her. She noticed his perturbed look and smiled at him.
"We don't have to work on it right now. I need another round of potions and I know they'll put me to sleep pretty quickly. You don't have to look through my books right now, but you can if you want to. We'll work on this more between and after classes tomorrow." Harry sighed in relief while Hermione looked somewhat ashamed.
"I'll try not to nag you, Harry. You know I want you to do well and I'm sorry if I come across as too pushy sometimes." Her face brightened a bit as she continued. "I'm glad that you'll be in those classes with me. Don't worry about any of it. You'll do just fine if it's the last thing I do." Harry smiled at her loyal stubbornness as she drank her foul-tasting potion and he stood so she could lay down on her bed. She grimaced as the joints in her vertebrae ached from the residual effects of the poison but soon relaxed as she lay still. She tried to adjust her pillow but found her arms increasingly unresponsive as she began to slip into unconsciousness. Her eyes fell closed for a moment and she felt Harry gently pulling the blanket up to her shoulders and tenderly tucking her in. Her eyes flickered open for a moment and she looked up at him with sleepy gratitude. She saw him bending down over her in the second before her eyes could no longer stay open and just before she fell asleep, she felt him gently kiss her forehead. She barely had time for that realization to register in her mind before she faded into unconsciousness.
Harry leaned back, a somewhat goofy smile on his face. He was proud that he'd finally worked up his Gryffindor courage and kissed Hermione, albeit on her forehead and while she was mostly asleep. He knew since she had kissed him that she wouldn't mind. He looked at his sleeping friend as her breathing pattern became steady and her entire body relaxed under the warm blankets.
"Hermione," he murmured to her sleeping form, "I don't know what I'm feeling. I… like you a lot. You'll always be my best friend. I liked it when you kissed me. I liked it when I slept next to you. I like it when you smile…" he trailed off, a smile on his face as he stared into space just thinking about Hermione. He finally got up to fly his firebolt for a while before dinner. He desperately needed to clear his head and try to figure out what was going on. Why was Hermione so special to him? Why did he desperately crave her approval and attention more than Ron's or anyone else's? What did Madame Pomfrey mean when she got all spacey-looking and started talking about how they needed each other? And most importantly, what created that wonderful feeling in his chest that made him want to kiss Hermione back there?