A/N:

So this was supposed to be around 300 words.

Whoops.

Harry might be a little OOC, but you know what, he's a moody teenager. He's allowed to be.

Enjoy.

Summary: During a fight about the Firebolt, Hermione collapses, causing Harry to reevaluate their friendship and how much of a give and take it really was.

Words: 1206

Prompts:

(emotion) Exhausted

"You Were Right"

Harry couldn't help but bite his fingernails down to the nubs in nervousness as he hunched over in the chair next to Hermione's bed in the Hospital Wing. She laid under the covers, unnaturally still–but breathing!–and he felt another wave of guilt wash through him. They had been fighting at the top of the stairs about the Firebolt he had received for Christmas. She had told the teachers it had been sent anonymously, and they had taken it from him to strip it down and check it for hexes and curses. He and the rest of the school had ostracized her after McGonagall had taken it away, but she never complained. Hermione merely seemed to shoulder the brunt of their ire as if she was used to the burden. Just because he had a mass murderer after him, someone who had broken out of a prison no one has ever broken out of before, didn't mean every little good thing in his life going forward was out to get him!

Okay, so when he said that part aloud, Hermione's actions made sense.

But then Harry had picked a fight with her a few hours ago, claiming she wasn't a good friend by having his broom confiscated. In his anger, he hadn't noticed then how pale she looked, or how dark the circles were under her eyes. She had yelled back at him that it was for his own protection, since he refused to think seriously about his own safety, especially with a mass murderer after him.

Hermione was ready to turn away to go to her next class, and Harry wasn't about to let her go, but he watched as she paused. Her eyes suddenly rolled up into her head and her knees collapsed underneath her, her body crumbling and falling down the stairs. Her bookbag fell down the staircase as the stairs began to move, tumbling off the bottom step to fall seven flights of stairs. It was only Harry's Seeker-like reflexes that prevented Hermione from doing the same.

"Hermione? Hermione!" he had called out after dragging her limp body to the landing once the staircase had stopped, shaking her to try to wake her. "Help! Someone help!"

Thankfully, Professor Lupin had been nearby and rushed to help. He had levitated Hermione to the Hospital Wing with Harry by his side, who had recounted their fight and what had happened when she collapsed. Retelling the fight to a teacher, Harry had felt the remaining fight drain out of him when he realized he had accused Hermione of the exact opposite of what she had been doing. She had been worried about him, and when he had refused to consider his own safety, she made sure someone else did, even at the expense of their friendship.

Harry had shrunk under the discerning eye of Professor Lupin as Madam Pomfrey bustled around them.

"Physical exhaustion, the poor dear. I did warn her that she shouldn't take on too much," the Matron muttered to herself. Harry bit his tongue as he suddenly remembered about Buckbeak's trial and all of her extra classes she was taking. Professor Lupin's hand on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts, and he saw his teacher give him a sympathetic smile.

"Come along, Mister Potter. Let's let Madam Pomfrey work in peace." Harry's steps were automatic as he was led out of the hospital wing and down the corridor. "I'll write you a pass to your next class. Take good notes for Miss Granger, won't you?" Harry nodded automatically and stayed in his head the whole time Professor Lupin escorted him to Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall frowned at the disruption, but nodded as Harry took his seat.

The rest of the day sped by in a blur.

Night fell quickly, and Harry couldn't remember what he had for dinner, let alone if he actually managed to eat anything. His mind was consumed with the last image he had of Hermione, pale and shaking as she lugged her heavy bag around with her from class to class. Then later, she had looked so small and exhausted as she laid in bed in the Hospital Wing. Nothing Ron and the others did could distract him from their fight from earlier just bouncing around in his head. Eventually, Harry disappeared upstairs, just to close his curtains and disappear underneath the invisibility cloak.

No one had asked about Hermione. No one had wondered where she had been all day. As he wandered the corridors to sneak into the Hospital Wing, it made him wonder how many people actually cared about her.

Another stab of guilt lanced through him and Harry grimaced. Until earlier, he hadn't cared much for her either.

So much for being best friends…

And now, he sat in the chair next to Hermione's bed, waiting for some sort of sign that she was alright. He had a lot of time to reflect on himself and his actions, and he found himself lacking. He knew that friendships were a give and take, but his relationship with Hermione had always been a take and take. She freely gave of herself, and the most she asked of him was to study with her when Ron would let him. And even then, it was for his own benefit!

How much of Hermione was for his sake? How much of her life revolved around him and not herself? Her heart was so big, and he easily stomped on it, and she just grinned and bore it silently.

"Hermione, you were right," Harry whispered, making sure to be quiet so he wouldn't be found out by Madam Pomfrey and sent back to Gryffindor Tower. "I should have focused more on my safety instead of the reaction of the rest of the school. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've been a bad friend. I promise I'll be a better one from here on out." He reached out with his hand to grab hers, and was relieved to feel warmth in it. She looked so worn out, he was half-afraid he was talking to a corpse.

"I promise you won't have to do things all by yourself anymore. I promise to be a better friend to you, Hermione. One who deserves your friendship," he added, his words drifting off into the darkness of the infirmary. "Just…come back to me, okay? I'm sorry. I'll take you to the next Hogsmeade weekend and pay for everything as an apology for being a shite friend, and you can boss me around all you'd like, okay? We can even go to the bookstore for a few hours, if you'd like. Just…you're not bossy, you're just concerned and I'm sorry for calling you that. I'm sorry."

And as the hours ticked by through the night, Harry merely sat next to Hermione, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest from her even breathing. He ran through every encounter they ever had, making himself feel more and more miserable. Harry didn't sleep that night, and he justified it as his punishment for driving away one of his friends. Because of his attitude towards Hermione, he's missed so much. He didn't want to miss another moment with her.