Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Harry/Draco/Hermione
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 797
Notes:
30 Day OT3 Competition/Challenge: Day 2 - In a Rush
Pokemon Trading Card Collection Challenge: Far-fetch'd - Silver - (word) Far-fetched
Ultimate Hermione Competition 2: R8 - Hermione cried in her dorm room instead of the girls' bathroom in first year
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: [Writing Club!] The Word Prompt Express - Prompt Used – 323. Flow
Harry and Ron followed everyone into the Gryffindor Common Room. The flow of students was fast; they all wanted to get to safety before the troll found them.
Ron went up to the boys' first year dormitory without too much of a care, but Harry didn't follow. His eyes trailed to the girls' side, and he wondered how Hermione was doing. He knew she was a little annoying, but she had genuinely only been trying to help Ron.
The redhead's mean words were really uncalled for. When Harry first met Malfoy, he thought the blond was a bully just like his cousin. He didn't see Ron the same way because in comparison, Ron seemed nicer.
Now, though, he wasn't so sure. Maybe Ron didn't care about blood purity, but he was a bully too. He made a girl cry for no reason other than she was smarter than him. That's what Dudley did to Harry, and it's why Harry started getting bad grades on purpose in primary school.
What was worse was that Ron didn't even seem to feel a little bad.
Lavender Brown just moved to the stairs leading up to the girls' dormitory, and he stopped her. "Hey, Lavender. Can you ask Hermione to come down here? I want to make sure she's okay after Ron's mean words."
Lavender nodded. "Sure."
He waited and waited and started to believe she wouldn't come. He was ready to give up and go to bed when Hermione emerged. "Hi," he softly murmured.
"Are you going to barrage me with insults now too?" she asked defensively.
Harry silently shook his head. "Ron was out of line, and I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you. When my cousin bullied me, I always wished someone would protect me, but no one ever did. I'm just as bad as those other kids that looked away from my torment."
Her eyes softened, and she wiped away the tears from her cheek. "You're not as bad. You just apologized, and I'm sure you never got that much."
They were silent for a moment.
Hermione looked at him with fearful eyes. "I don't try to be a know-it-all. I really was just trying to help."
"I know." And Harry did know.
After that, Harry and Ron never recovered their friendship. Ron couldn't understand why Harry sided with the bushy-haired brain, and Harry couldn't be friends with someone who said such hurtful things and didn't realize it was wrong.
Instead, Harry and Hermione grew close. And somehow, without Ron's interference, Harry and Hermione both became friends with Draco.
Draco was leery about being friends with a Muggle-born, but his eyes were opened by Hermione's intelligence and skill, despite growing up without knowing about magic.
In sixth year, when he was given the task of killing Dumbledore, Draco knew he couldn't do it. Harry and Hermione would be disappointed in him, and despite how far-fetched it might be, Draco knew he had fallen in love with both of them.
So, with their support, he went to Dumbledore. That wasn't enough to stop the Death Eaters' invasion of Hogwarts, though.
Things moved quickly. Harry and Hermione were both in a rush as they tried to herd the younger students to safety.
Draco saw his father in Death Eater garb and knew he had to tell them. He might not get another chance, especially with the way his father's eyes zeroed in on him.
"Harry! Hermione! Wait!"
Hermione stopped moving and looked at him. Harry stopped moving as well, but his eyes stayed on the activity around them.
"I need to tell the two of you something."
Harry finally looked at him and gestured for him to continue.
There was no time to dally and hesitate. "I love you both. As in more than friends."
Hermione's eyes widened. "You should have waited to we were all safe," she admonished.
"I might not get another chance to tell you," Draco murmured.
"Don't say that," Harry ordered. "You'll get out of this alive. We all will."
Draco looked at the two of them and waited. He didn't have to wait for long.
Hermione looked at Harry and nodded.
Harry took Hermione's hand, and his other hand rested on Draco's forearm. "I love you. Both of you."
"I love both of you as well," Hermione stated, seriousness in her eyes.
Draco smiled, relieved that everything was out in the open. "Come on. We have students to save."
The three of them ran off in opposite directions, hoping to rescue as many of the younger students as they could. Draco would have to avoid his father and the other Death Eaters if he wanted to get back to his loves, but he would do it. His happiness and health depended on it.
