Chapter Summary: In the story, after the battle with the troll it just alludes to the fact that Harry, Ron and Hermione become instant friends. Then it basically skips to the quidditch match. I think it took a little more time then just the three seconds standing at the portrait entrance. So this goes into a little more detail of how the friendship developed.
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Hermione purposely avoided Harry the next day. She knew she needed to talk to him, and she really wanted to talk to him, but she just couldn't. She could feel him looking at her in classes but refused to look back. She thought about trying to talk to him after dinner, but for the first time in her life, she couldn't think of anything to say. So instead, she decided to disappear for a while. She went up to her hiding place on the ramparts to think and read. None of the Quidditch teams were practicing that night so she knew for sure that she wouldn't be seen by anyone.
As she read, random thoughts swirled through her head. "How stupid must I have looked, cowering against the bathroom wall? I'm sure glad they didn't tell anyone what happened. It would have been all over school by now if they had. Pansy would have had a field day. If it had been anyone else, they would have bragged about how they saved the 'know-it-all' witch. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover, that's for sure. Harry is a better wizard than I'll ever be because he has the courage I lack. It's one thing to have the brain of a wizard, it's another thing to have the heart of one and Harry definitely has the…"
"You sure do pick some weird places to read," said a voice behind her interrupting her thoughts. Hermione didn't need to turn around to know the owner of the voice. It was Harry Potter.
She didn't move.
"You know," Harry continued stepping onto the ramparts from his Nimbus 2000 racing broom. "I daresay the common room is just as accessible and a lot warmer."
Hermione still didn't say anything. She didn't even put her book down. It was like she was frozen again.
She heard Harry huff. "Are you going to just keep ignoring me? I mean first you don't speak to me because we almost got killed after sneaking out of Gryffindor Tower, which by the way I'd like to point out that we didn't drag you along. Then you don't speak to me because I was made the Gryffindor team seeker. Now you're not speaking to me because… I saved your life yesterday? Can't I get a break? I mean I know you hate me but if we're going to be in the same house for seven years we should at least be…"
"That's not true!" Hermione blurted out. She dropped the book she was reading and stood to face him.
"Huh?"
"I don't hate you; why would you think that?" Hermione asked looking scandalized. "I mean, sure I wasn't talking to you because of what happened, and yes, I overreacted a little, but I don't hate you."
"Oh." Harry sat down on the castle wall. A long awkward silence followed as both of them thought of something to say.
"What about you?" Hermione asked finally.
"Me what?"
"Do you hate me?" She knew it was a loaded question, but hoped he'd be honest anyway.
"No, of course not," Harry answered hastily. "I don't think I hate anyone; well except for maybe Snape, and Malfoy. I mean you can be a bit bossy sometimes, and haughty, and a know-it-all."
Hermione wondered where he was going with this.
"But I mean, you are the smartest witch in our class. I wish I knew as much as you did when I came to Hogwarts. If you only knew how afraid I was of being the worst wizard in my year."
"Me too," Hermione added absentmindedly.
Harry laughed. "Excuse me? If it weren't for the fact that you were a first year, you'd be Head Girl."
Hermione could feel herself turning red. Well since she'd already admitted it. "Well, I was so scared of not fitting in, you know, because I'm a muggle-born, I just started reading everything I could about the wizarding world. I figured that if I knew as much as every other witch and wizard at Hogwarts I'd fit in. Of course, as usual, I overdid it. But I mean, I just wanted to make a good impression and be the best I could be. I was so sick of people treating me like I didn't belong. I mean after the train ride when Pansy Parkinson was treating me like I had some sort of disease just because I have muggle parents and Ron treating me like an idiot, I guess I just wanted to prove to everyone that I am a witch and that I belong at Hogwarts and in Gryffindor."
Harry was staring at her, a mixture of confusion and shock on his face.
"Sorry," Hermione said looking down. "I know I ramble a lot. I can't help it."
"No it's not that," Harry laughed. "I mean it's that too, but I was just thinking that I felt kind of the same way when I first fount out. I didn't know anything about the wizarding world and then I find out that I'm famous. It was almost too much to handle. Everyone thinks I'm special, but I'm not."
"But that's not true," Hermione thought to herself. "He doesn't even know how different he really is."
"But you never treated me like 'the famous Harry Potter,'" he continued. "I mean, even though we rubbed each other the wrong way, at least I knew you were reacting to me and not 'Harry Potter.'"
"Well…" Hermione shook her head slowly. "That's not entirely true."
"Oh really…" He seemed genuinely surprised. "I would have thought you were the last person to be caught up in appearances. I mean I've seen how nice you are to Neville. Everyone makes fun of him for being a klutz, but you don't. I guess I understand why you were so mad about me getting on the house team. You want everyone to be held to the same set of standards, but a lot of times it seems like that doesn't happen with me."
"But it's not your fault," Hermione said quickly. "I mean, you can't help it that people treat you differently, and that everyone knows your name, and that you're in a dozen books. I mean, you're practically a muggle-born like me, growing up thinking magic was just something on television or in dreams. Then it's like your world's turned upside down."
Harry gave her a half grin.
Hermione blushed again. "I know… I know… I'm rambling. I'm sorry." She plopped down on the ground again.
"No it's not that," Harry jumped off the wall. "You just described it perfectly. I always try to tell Ron how I feel about things around here, but he grew up in a wizarding family and hearing about Harry Potter and sometimes, he just doesn't see things the way I do. But you described it perfectly. It's exactly how I felt when I came here. The only thing that's really kept me sane is…" Harry trailed off. There was silence again. Then he took a seat beside her and started again. "You know, in a way it was only chance that Ron and I became good friends. I met him and his family on the train to Hogwarts. He was the first person I really talked to. I bet if it had been you that I met first on the train we would have become friends too."
"Really?" Hermione was shocked that he had expressed the same thing she had been thinking for weeks. "I think so too, I mean, when I actually did meet you on the train it was after being in a compartment with Pansy."
Harry shuddered. "How did you survive?"
"Only just barely," Hermione laughed. "By the time I met you and Ron, I was in such a foul temper that I probably came on pretty strong. It didn't help that Ron was making fun of me with that stupid fake spell of his though."
It was Harry's turn to laugh. "Oh that! He wasn't trying to make fun of you. He actually thought it was a spell his brothers had given him to change the color of his rat. You know how Fred and George are."
"Really!" Hermione was shocked. "And all this time, I thought he was being a stupid git, you know, messing with the muggle-born witch."
They laughed about this for a while.
"It was always Ron that rubbed me the wrong way really. I mean, I know he's your best friend, but he's always got the most hair-brained schemes. First the wizard's duel and then convincing you to warm up to me so that you two could get help on your homework. I just wish you didn't go along with everything he said."
Harry went quiet again. Hermione figured she had overstepped her bounds, talking about his best friend. "Ugh, I should have just kept my mouth shut."
"I didn't try to talk to you the other day to trick you into helping us with homework." Harry said quietly, and with a trace of resentment. "I mean, I admit, Ron did bring the subject up at one point, but it was a joke. I don't even know how you heard about that. Is that what you thought?"
Hermione squirmed. "Well I…"
"Like I told Fred and George, I just wanted to clear the air. I didn't think it made any sense us going around not speaking to each other, like we're in some stupid fight… and as for Ron…"
Hermione winced, waiting for him to lash out at her.
"He's my best friend and he sticks by me and that's all that matters… but you're right, he does come up with some weird ideas every now and again." He smiled.
Hermione sighed. "Ron practically told me yesterday that I shouldn't put academics in front of friendship. I think he was right for once. I've had my priorities messed up. You and Ron had it right all along; friendship is more important. I just hope it's not too late, you know, to make some friends."
Harry nodded. "I think you'll be okay. You're not as bad as you make people think you are/"
"I'm not trying to make people think I'm unapproachable. It just comes out that way. It's really hard for me to open up to people. Then of course whenever I get really nervous I start rambling and talking about facts from books I've read and I know it seems really weird and people want me to shut up and believe me, even I want me to shut up most of the time, but I just can't help it. It's like I just start talking and I can't stop and…"
Harry put a finger to her lips. "I got it." He laughed again to let Hermione know that it was okay. "So let me ask you something."
"What?"
"Why did you open up to me just now?"
Hermione shrugged. "You're just different."
Harry sighed. "Story of my life."
"Oh no I didn't mean it like that," she said hastily. "I just knew all along that I'd be able to talk to you about this. I mean we have some things in common, both coming from muggle families. I just could never work up the courage to actually try. I was too afraid of making an idiot of myself."
"That's funny," Harry said with a smirk. "As I recall, you didn't have much of a problem telling me off the night we snuck out to meet Malfoy, which you were right about, by the way," he added casually. "Guess we should have listened, eh?"
"He said it!" Hermione could have jumped for joy right there, but decided to keep it internalized. "Like I said, every time I talked to you I felt like I was digging a deeper hole for myself. If I had been nicer or not have babbled so much or something then maybe I would have had the courage to try to really get to know you instead of always trying to be a bossy, know-it-all around you. I'm beginning to find out though that courage definitely isn't one of my strong points though, if last night was any indication. If you hadn't been there…"
"It was just dumb luck," Harry said hastily. "We didn't even know you were in there. If we had, we certainly wouldn't have locked the door."
"So that was you," Hermione said pensively. "Well anyway, it wasn't just dumb luck, it was courage. The courage I didn't have. I was so petrified. I couldn't even think."
"I'm just really glad we got to you in time." Harry said.
Hermione turned to him. The look in his eyes told her that the thought of not getting there in time scared him.
She knew she shouldn't be, but she was really flattered that Harry cared that much. "I know I should be grateful you two were breaking rules but still, it was really dangerous of you two to go looking for that troll last night."
Harry rolled his eyes, sighed, and then mimicked her disapproving look. "You really do assume too much, Hermione. We weren't looking for the troll. Do you think we're stupid? We were looking for you."
Hermione's eyes grew wide. "You… you were?" But why?"
"I knew that you had been locked in the girls' bathroom all evening. You better thank Parvati for having a big mouth. When Quirrell announced that there was a troll in the castle, I knew that there was know way you'd know and so we snuck away from Percy to go find you."
Hermione felt her eyes tearing up. "You mean after all of the mean things I said about you and Ron, well mostly Ron, you still cared enough to risk your lives to come looking for me." Before she could stop herself, she flung her arms around Harry and hugged him, completely dissolving into tears on his shoulder. "This whole thing is all my fault. If I hadn't been so stubborn and haughty and bigheaded, none of this would have happened. All I wanted to do was come to Hogwarts and make some friends and be happy but instead I just made trouble for the one person I really wanted to be friends with. I'm so sorry I put you through all of this." Harry didn't say anything, but he patted her on the head until she finally pulled away.
Hermione wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. She noticed that Harry looked stunned. She guessed that he wasn't expecting her to be that physical or emotional. "I'm such a girl," she chastised herself mentally.
"I tell you what," Harry said as he stood. "We'll start over. How about that?"
Hermione looked up at him. "What?"
"Like I said, if things had been different, then we probably wouldn't be here." Harry helped her up. "It's not too late to start over."
"But what about Ron?" Hermione asked, confused.
Harry shrugged. "He'll come around. I actually think he likes you." Hermione scoffed at that. "Well hey, if you help him with his homework then I know he'll come around." Harry laughed.
"That's not funny, Harry Potter." Hermione said, gathering her books, but she was laughing too.
Harry went back to the castle wall and started to climb on his broom. "I'll see you back in the common room. I should probably get some work done. You know how Snape is if our potions assignments aren't perfect."
Hermione gave him a quizzical look. "You know, you don't have to fly down. You can go down the trap door with me. That way you'll see how to get up here."
Harry grinned from ear to ear. "No thanks. You should keep this place a secret. How are you going to get any peace and quiet if you've got me and Ron up here with you?"
"And if you get caught, flying around so close to curfew?" Hermione scolded light-heartedly.
"I'll just tell them I was out doing some extra quidditch practice. They'll believe me. I'm the famous Harry Potter remember?" and with that, he took off down the side of the castle.
"You sure are…" Hermione said with a grin. She turned and headed for the trap door feeling like a huge weight had been taken from her.