Prompt: Outside POV- Harry and Hermione's relationship from an outsider's POV.

Chester Mennely was a plain sort of wizard with brown hair and brown eyes. He was average height, had average looks, and was an average student, making 4 OWL's last year. His hope was to graduate from Hogwarts with those same 4 subjects as NEWT's and one day take over his father's apothecary.

He was like any other 16-year-old wizard which meant he liked quidditch, hanging out with his two best friends Justing Finch-Fletchley and Craig Jensen, and girls. (He wasn't really sure how to make the girls like him back just yet, but that's neither here nor there).

Chester knew that he would likely never be popular, but that didn't mean he didn't have a fun time at Hogwarts. He had loved magic since he was a child, and relished in the fact that he was a wizard, but when the sorting hat touched his head and instantly cried out "Hufflepuff!" he had been relieved.

His Mother had been a Ravenclaw, and he knew the academic pressure it came with. His father had been a lion, and he cared little for bravery, courage, or adventure. Hufflepuff however, he could manage. Kindness, loyalty, honesty, and hard work. Those were traits he could get behind, and he was happy that the hat agreed.

And so, Chester Mennely was a Hogwarts student. He kept his head down, did his work, and enjoyed the time he had in these hallowed halls. Times that were even more exciting than he could have anticipated seeing as three of his fellow classmates were always getting up to some sort of trouble.

The "Gryffindor Golden Trio," as they were called by many. Craig liked to call them pompous gits, especially after one Harry Potter had been entered into the Triwizard tournament a couple years ago, but Chester disagreed.

Sure, he felt like they got some preferential treatment, and yes it was frustrating that Dumbledore gifted them 500 points at the end of every year to secure them the house cup, but the three of them seemed nice enough.

Harry was a decent enough bloke. He was a talented quidditch player and Chester assumed that if he didn't get himself killed, he'd likely play in the big leagues one day. His best friend Ron was a little louder and more obnoxious, but not mean, and helpful enough if you asked him for help. He was also always good for a game of chess if you were keen.

Hermione was the most polarizing of the three in Chester's opinion. She was loud and constantly raising her hand, trying to make sure everyone knew that she had the right answer, at least that's what Justin said, but Chester saw her differently.

She was insecure and trying to prove that she belonged.

Chester was a pureblooded wizard, not that he bought into any of the hype around blood status, but for him, magic had been something he had grown up with. It was as much a part of him as the blood in his veins and came as naturally as the air into his lungs.

Hermione, he understood, wasn't like that. She hadn't known magic existed until just before first year. Chester knew that she was trying to prove to everyone, especially those like Draco Malfoy and the other Slytherin's in their year, that she belonged.

Chester could relate to that feeling. To the desire to want to belong. As a first year that didn't make her any less annoying though. That is until she and Harry got together.

Now he knows that they deny that they're together, but Chester had been observing them for six years and like every other student in the castle he knew the truth, even if they somehow didn't.

He reflected on the two Gryffindor's and thought back to their first year. While Chester had wet his pants when the troll had been let loose and sprinted towards his common room, one Harry Potter had chased it down and jumped on its back, shoving his wand up its nose and fighting it off to save her.

Sure, maybe that had just been his heroism. Chester rolled his eyes at the thought. If a girl he fancied were being attacked by a troll he would still wet his pants and run the other way, let alone fight one for the sake of a stranger, but sure, sure, nothing to it.

Fast forward a year. Hermione had been petrified and Harry had gone and sat next to her bed every day for hours. Did his homework next to her, spoke to her and then the absolute psychopath had figured out what had caused the petrification and if the rumors were to be believed — and the portraits and students agreed that they could — the madman had fought a basilisk with a sword and killed it for hurting the love of his life.

When the rumors started in earnest that next year they had pretended to have a row over some broom, but the longing looks they gave one another let Chester know it was all for show and soon enough they were cuddled back up again, even taking a midnight stroll on a hippogriff according to a student who had been up on the astronomy tower.

Chester didn't know much about women, but he knew a midnight stroll on a flying horse was about as romantic as it got. Hell, he had been daydreaming about doing the same with Hannah Abbot for years since he had found out.

4th year while Ron had left his side and Chester wore a 'Potter Stinks' badge, the two of them just got even closer, spending every waking hour together. Some rumors even had them sneaking into the prefect's bath together!

Now you better believe if Chester had the opportunity to take a bath with a pretty girl, or any girl really, he would've as well, but how come this damned Gryffindor got to do it and still had the audacity to say they were "Best friends, nothing more."

Last year had been a nightmare for everyone involved with Umbridge shaking the foundations of the castle, but Harry had gotten the worst of it. For the first time since he knew him, Chester had pitied him. The words on his hand were hard to miss, and the ban from quidditch. Imagine being banned from quidditch when you were as talented as Harry bleeding Potter.

Harry had also sprouted like a weed fifth year growing nearly as tall as Ron, but it looked like his skin was stretched over a skeleton, and he paled significantly except for the dark black-blue bags under his eyes.

Yet through it all Hermione was there. On more than one occasion Chester had walked into an unused classroom to practice some spellwork, only to find Hermione treating his hand gently and Harry holding back tears.

That was when Chester realized that friends or something more, they needed one another. That they would be there for each other, and for the first time he felt happy they had what they had and not jealous.

So, Chester looked up from his place at the Hufflepuff table as the opening feast got underway for their sixth year. He spotted Harry and Hermione smiling at one another and speaking in low tones and he rolled his eyes.

They could claim that they were just friends, but he knew the truth, hell anyone with at least one working eye knew the truth. They were together, even if they didn't know it yet.

A/N: This one was fun! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing and as always I would love to hear your thoughts :)