"The rain and wind, the thunder and lightning—
All passed, and nothing was left but calm.
The sun came out, and all was still,
And from the trees, a gentle rustling fell."
- "After a Storm" by Robert Frost
CHAPTER 2 : WHERE DO WE STAND
Harry woke up with a heavy weight in his chest.
He quickly put on his glasses from the bedside table and found that he was...in the hospital wing ??
And that's when the memories of the previous night flashed back to him... Department of Mysteries - Hermione cursed - Sirius almost dying - Voldemort - Him destroying Dumbledore's office ...
He sighed heavily and leaned back to think why HE was in here ... He was fine save a few cuts here and there And that's when the touch of something soft on his back startled him.
It was - Hermione's hand , she was smiling in her sleep and mumbling about being ticklish in her feet?
Very random , but cute - Harry thought. She looked so adorable , with her bushy hair in a mess like that , Harry could count the little freckles on her nose and her pink lips so dainty! Her appearance reminded Harry of Crookshanks.
But then she revolted in her sleep and started pushing out and Harry was jolted awake by now fully...
She began hurling around in the bed , while wrapped in the blanket , her body writhing in pain.
Harry was at a loss of what to do ...What if she was dying - No...No...He needed help !
She was breathing alarmingly sharply and Harry was contemplating between the course of his actions and he cried out loud , "Madam Pomfrey ? MADAM POMFREY !!! HERMIONE'S Definitely Not RIGHT !"
But nobody appeared ...
There were no fast paced heavy footsteps of the school matron to answer his calls of distress.
He tried to hold Hermione together before she hurt herself or fell off the bed , but she pushed him away very quickly and hit him with a mean elbow on his nose.
Harry couldn't help but chuckle even at the point blank of this pandemonium.
'This ain't my first rodeo ...' - the voice of Vern Gosdin played over his head...He has taken punches and kicks from Duddykins that would put this in shame , but he never had to go through the typical healing process as the next morning all his wounds would disappear... As if it's 'magic' !
How times have changed - he thought, but realized the shape of his face was about to change if he didn't do something fast.
Hermione was shaking and moving around so fast , that Harry had to basically body slam onto her and in that process his glasses fell off and probably shattered and his shirt was torn in half.
Hermione was still struggling to break free and Merlin - did she have strength, she must have been working out a little too , in all those hours that she spent at the library.
Harry kept whispering calming words that seemed to have no effect , but probably because he was actively fighting her while saying all that.
So , Harry was laying on top of her disheveled, while wearing a torn shirt that was practically falling apart - exposing his upper torso and she was trapped in the blanket's fold struggling to break free.
As one can imagine - This scene could be easily mistaken for something much more... sinister...? And... so it did...
Harry was seeing everything even a little far out as a blur without his glasses.
He mentally noted that this could be a huge disadvantage for him in combat, rendering him practically useless. He was sure he heard somewhere that there were magical treatment for fixing eyesight but never went through with it. He was quite accustomed to wearing his glasses , as they were.
He thought he saw a blur of movement and footsteps of someone rolling in nearby.
He was relieved Madam Pomfrey came in finally and that's when a swish... and "PETRIFICUS TOTALUS !" ... his body went rigid.
He could hear and see everything perfectly but none of his muscles responded as if cut off by something foreign.
Harry had been petrified.
"What on earth do you think you are doing ! Assaulting a female patient in the freaking infirmiry - ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR BLOODY MIND !? "
Harry only groaned in response as he was laying completely on top of Hermione with all his weight and that finally seemed to do the trick as she had woken up and pushed him off without realising anything - just off instinct.
He was now huddled up in a very uncomfortable position beside Hermione and she looked at him in fear - confusion and the last night's memories seemed to have come back to her.
Her sleepy trance was broken abruptly as she noticed a wand pointed at Harry's neck.
Without a thought she grabbed her wand from the bedside table and "Flipendo", came her hitched voice.
The figure Harry noticed in his limp state was knocked back onto the wall , where they slumped back upon.
Hermione was looking around and soon he was handed what he made out to be his glasses.
"Here you go Harry" she said.
Harry obviously couldn't reply as his rigid palm had the glasses put on it.
"Right ..." she hummed "Ennervate !"
And, Boy does it feel good to be moving around again.
He was already developing acute back pain from his 2 minutes spent sessile.
"Uhhh...Good morning ? " Harry finally let out after a awkward moment of silence.
Hermione cocked her eyebrows as if expressing - 'Seriously ?'
Then her eyes shifted over to Harry's bleeding nose as she cast again "Epiksey..."
His nose snapped back with a click and as he flinched Hermione remarked, "There.That's much better - Isn't it ?"
Harry smiled sheepishly, his mind travelling back to his first Train ride to Hogwarts where Hermione fixed his glasses and said the exact same thing.
She seemed to be thinking the exact same thing, so commented - "Things haven't changed all that ,have they ? You still get things broken and I have to fix them."
"Yeah - but this time you broke it ... " Harry grinned.
" Oh ,Did I now ? Sorry..." , Hermione looked away , frowning - apologetically.
"Don't worry about it. I am sure you broke a rib or two when I practically sat on y-" Harry was saying but was interrupted by A irritated voice from aside the wall of the infirmiry -
"You all seem a little preoccupied to be noticing me over here..." ,
Harry gave the voice a glance and it was a girl in Ravenclaw Robes with dark brown hair with locks of white peeking through .
She was taller than both of them , so probably a seventh year- she wore a matron apron.
Her bright face was scarlet with some ...mixed emotions to say the least...
"Why did you petrify Harry ?" Hermione glared at her furiously , with a murderous look in her eyes that made Harry take another mental note to stay off Hermione's hit list for a while.
"What was I supposed to think ? Your - Harry - was pinning you down and you were violently fighting him - his nose was bleeding - he was and still is mind you - half naked ...What would you had done?"
" "I was ... having a really bad dream - he was helping me fight it ..."
"By slamming you down and fighting with you ? Heck girl - it looked like you were going toe to toe with him too... Is this how you get off ? A very weird kink if I do say so myse-"
"SHUT UP ! Get an actual heale- Get madam Pomfrey here NOW and get out of here."
Harry who was quietly observing the two go at it up untill now - Finally Snapped.
Guffawing her way through, she left them alone and Harry quickly made her sit down.
"Are y-you alright ? You were throwing hands and sweating so much - I was so worried about you !"
Hermione's expression softened at the pure show of affection and worry pledged in his face.
"You were in my dream Harry !"She looked at the floor, Harry holding her hand in between his ," T-they captured you and kept torturing you while making me watch. Yo-you were screaming - it- it was horrible !"
Harry sighed and squeezed her hand for comfort and Hermione let out "I know it's a dream and not real. You - are very real and right here with me. You probably think me silly but - it felt so real. They were ... how can someone be so deranged as a human being ?"
She was openly tearing up and Harry enclosed their distance in a hug.
She stilled for just a moment by the touch of Harry's mostly bare chest but quickly gave in and wrapped her arms around him.
She had been so brave last night , suppressing all her own fears and worries to make room for my stupid blabbering , Harry thought.
"You are deserving of love Harry ! All the love in the world infact ! We all love you Harry- I -I love you ..."
Hermione had said this at some point - the previous night , when they were locked in that hour long embrace.
Harry knew she meant love in a friendly sort of way , but still that word - the way she said that sparked a fire inside him that he still can't extinguish.
Could there be any chance that Harry would ever have a shot with Hermi- NO ! What kind of thought that was.
Harry had set it aside but that came back as Harry thought to how much Hermione could actually care about him.
Hermione wouldn't want him to belittle himself - he thought !
I'll look after myself too better if it means Hermione is better.
She shouldn't be worried over my life ...EVER AGAIN !
Both of them relaxed and Harry covered her with the blanket from all sides , making her look like a oddly shaped potato.
"Harry - let go ! "Hermione said suddenly, as she felt the presence of the old matron close to them.
"No..." He said simply.
"You are embarrassing us ..." she whispered in a low voice.
"Forget about that , we have each other - That's all that matters."
Hermione opened her mouth to argue but found Harry's argument perfectly logical.Why did it matter what others thought of them ?
The only thing that mattered was them - she wasn't actually embarrassed and she didn't feel any emotion even remotely resembling embarassment from Harry.
They could stay cuddled up like this , her sitting in Harry's lap - all warmed up in the blankets for years and years on end.
She didn't complain further - Damn the outside world !
She was staying here or anywhere , but Harry had to be there.
She could truly be her complete vulnerable self - her fragile actuality of a personality that was her only way of living , before she embraced a new artificial rough and tough 'GRYFFINDOR' masked persona.
Her bullies would break her every now and then when she was young - every joke and mean comment and throwing food at her tear glazed face , making her dread her living more and more and more.
Harry - couldn't be there for her back then ! He was dealing with his own fair share of childhood trauma , but he was here NOW !
He would protect her ...from the bullies , from the death eaters, from Voldemort - from all of the Outside World who wanted to hurt her. She would do the same for him , in the blink of an eye.
Ron ...Ginny ..they couldn't truly be with them properly...
They would want to help but they never experienced first hand actual bullying. They have never been in the receiving end of years of torment.
IT WAS JUST THE TWO OF THEM AGAINST THE WORLD...
And Hermione resting her head on the shoulders of the boy he always looked up to - couldn't feel anymore Comfortable. She could almost hear herself purring at relief - all the stress and anxiety leaving the both of them as they stayed together - Hermione leaning into Harry's stature and Harry softly smiling , his eyes closed in comfortable silence.
Madame Pomfrey was watching the two closely and she couldn't be happier that they are watching after one another. She was equipped with two vials of calming draughts as informed of violence ensuing but figured they won't be necessary.
She held off her mind that was screaming to know how Mr. Potter had got inside the infirmiry this early or - if they had spent the night and never left ...
These were protocol questions that could be asked later...
Pomona Pomfrey could still at this age recall her fair share of sneaking around post curfew and explosive rule breaking in her Hogwarts days. She was never the one to abide by protocols...
The old matron left quietly and as the Ravenclaw Apprentice of hers complained that they had beaten her to a plum and demanded justice, she rolled back on her trusty old armchair and dozzing off , choosing to ignore her ever the chattering - younger companion.
Back at Harry's arms , Harry noticed his fluffy potato was not just purring anymore - she was snoring.
She was smiling so cutely that Harry could almost kiss her floral lips ...
WAIT WHAT ...
Nah..must have been a dud...
He began going back to his new favourite activity.
POTATO WATCHING !
Again , Harry was tempted to tuck a loose strand of hair behind Hermione's ears but then again - he realized the wrongs in what he was doing.
Why was he thinking of Hermione as cute ?
Why was he craving her physical touch so much ?
Best friends don't have these kind of urges ...
She was like a sister to him - wasn't that right ?
Their relationship was always more lenient towards platonic than anything else and both of them were perfectly content with it.
No ! Harry was going to screw up his relationship with one of the most important person in his life.
No, he should not have shared the bed with Hermione.
But he didn't feel a single bit of guilt over what he did.
He would do it again tonight, if he had to - in a heartbeat.
He very gently laid her head on the blanket , careful not to awake her.
He then softly kissed her temple, saying in a low and comforting voice "Get well soon , Hermione...We all miss you - I MISS YOU ...Come back to ...To all of us."
With that said , Harry slowly exited the infirmiry in long strides , noting down on his way out just where Madam Pomfrey rests.
Unbeknownst to him , the Top of the year Gryffindor witch smiled widely as Harry made his leave , reciting in a whisper -
"Come back I will Harry...There are a lot more adventures to take part in ...And even more battles to fight. This is but the start , DEFINITELY not the end..."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
I know there are probably a hundred thousand more stories out there , but trust me -
I have read a fair few off of the ever expanding Harmony Library and this plot is definitely not in any of them.
I originally wrote this when I was Eight , So now that I am Fourteen , with a few more years of experience to my name - I have revisited this work and rewritten all the pre existing chapters.
REST ASSURED , THE ENTIRE PLOT HAS BEEN FIGURED OUT AND I WILL FINISH THIS...
Y'all have met the Unnamed Ravenclaw Healer Apprentice girl by now ...she IS a original character and definitely going to be appearing in more chapters.
In fact she is gonna be here for the majority of the story and will be a important character.
Yes Luna and Neville will get more read time , but I have focused more on establishing the existing relationship between Harry and Hermione and how Harry is conflicted over what his true feelings are...
Thanks for everyone who voted , Shoutout to _a_lost_girl_ for adding this story to A Harmony Library.
Please share a review for anything you would like or not like to see , and I might just include it in the story if it goes along with the plot well.
Also please point out any grammatical errors or plotholes if you can find any - that is. I take my 15 minute study breaks to proof read the chapters before publishing them , but sometimes errors might just slip through.
My exams are in a week , so I have pre-written a chapter which I will upload during then. I'll start working a lot more in this after my exams are over.
The story is pretty much in the nascent stage so any feedback , ideas , beating approvals are much welcome and so are Constructive Criticisms...
And , I must mention this as it's mandatory -
I don't own much around here except the plot and the original characters , Someone named JK Rowling established these fascinating characters and I just like playing around with them.
ALSO, PLEASE DON'T STEAL THIS STORY AND PUBLISH THIS OFF AS YOUR OWN. I WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS - I SAY THIS ON EVERY CHAPTER , BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED TO ME ONCE , BACK IN 4TH GRADE AND IT BROKE MY HEART. (I don't wanna sound melodramatic)
To this day , I am skeptical of showing others my works because of that.
ANYWAYS , ENOUGH YAPPING ...Take care , Bye-Bye...
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