The Friendship That Grew

A/N I've given up on making Ron horrid in H/Hr fics. He's such an important character and he is really nice, it's so cruel of me to change him completely. In this fic, he's going to be his usual, jolly, stubborn, amusing self. He'll still be Harry and Hermione's friend. I hope you enjoy this fic, I'm aiming to get it better than Accidentally In Love. Review if you like, read all you want!

Sugar quills, thought Harry, taste so nice, as he gently and gluttonously slurped the end of one of them, a slight smile on his lips. He was sitting alone in the common room. His best friends, Ron and Hermione, were doing various things. Hermione was of course in the library, doing her homework. Ron was in the boys dormitories, playing Seamus at a game of wizard chess.

Harry was supposed to be doing his homework, but it was Potions, and he found it so hard that he had given up and decided to finish his quill before going any further. He wished Hermione was here. She would definitely help him.

He gazed into the fire, remembering the days of last year, when he had spoken to Sirius' head through that fire. But now Sirius was gone and he had no one else to guide him and give him advice. Ever since he had arrived back at Hogwarts, he had felt alone. He felt as lonely as he had done before he came to Hogwarts, when Dudley made sure he had no friends at his muggle school.

With a dreaded sigh, he glanced down at his Potions homework again. He knew if he was going to be an Auror he had to succeed in his Potions lessons. But how? He could barely remember the Potions he did in his first year. He groaned and slammed his head down on the table.

“That was a pretty hard thunk. Are you OK?” a concerned female voice said from behind him.

Harry raised his head and nodded, before turning round and finding himself face to face with a grinning Hermione.

“Don't make a habit of it,” she giggled, sitting down next to him. He returned her comment with a weak smile. Trust Hermione to make him feel better right at the peak of his depression. That was the good thing about being friends with her. She was stunningly loyal to him; and last year, when she accompanied him to Umbridge's office because he was planning to use her fire to talk to Sirius, she showed real loyalty and solidarity towards him. He could never lose her as a friend. She was invaluable in times of need.

“You're not OK, are you? I've known you too long to realise that. You are depressed, Harry Potter. I know it must be tough with Sirius gone, I'd be sobbing my eyes out if it was me -”

“So you're saying that I should be crying then?” Harry interrupted her sharply. Hermione rushed to him, looking alarmed.

“No! I was just trying to make you feel better. But if you take as an insult, fine. I won't comfort you anymore and I won't take you to the most amazing place here,” said Hermione, folding her arms and turning her back on Harry.

He watched her for a few seconds. He knew that although he couldn't see, she had a teasing smile on her face. He immediately felt bad though.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, blushing.

Hermione turned around and took his hand.

“It's so amazingly pretty, Harry. I know you'll love it,” she beamed.

They walked along the stone corridors of Hogwarts, down all the flights of stairs and out into the school grounds. They took a path which led behind the school that Harry had never seen before. It was bendy and narrow and was surrounded by trees. There were birds singing even though it was the evening. The scene seemed perfect to Harry.

Then, Hermione led him up some old, stone stairs, up and up, until, finally, when Harry was really out of breath, they reached the top of a hill. The grass was lush and green and Harry could see the whole of Hogsmeade from where he was standing.

Wow, he thought. The whole surroundings seemed to relax him, and with Hermione there too, everything seemed right.

“I've come up here almost every day since I first came to Hogwarts,” whispered Hermione.

Harry stared at her.

“How? You're always in the library!” he exclaimed.

Hermione laughed hollowly.

“I don't always tell the truth, Harry,” she replied.

In that precise moment, a whole new side of Hermione was revealed to Harry. She was a solitary girl, who confined herself to her studies and got top marks. She did this not because she wanted good marks, but because she was purely hiding her feelings of worry and depression. That was what he guessed anyway. Whether he was correct or not, he did not know.

“I used to find my own private area when I was with the Dursleys,” said Harry.

“Really?” asked Hermione.

“Yeah, I found it really peaceful and soothing.”

“Same.”

There was an awkward silence between them and Harry felt that something was supposed to happen then but for some reason didn't. he and Hermione kept on glancing at each other. Then, finally, Hermione rose.

“Well, I just thought you would like to see it,” she yawned.

“You're tired. We'd better go to bed,” said Harry, slightly anxious about her tiredness.

Hermione gave him one of her sweetest smiles and meekly followed him all the way to the common room. After they had said goodnight, and were on their way to their separate rooms, Hermione called out to him.

“Harry! Have you done your Potions yet?”

Harry looked over at her and shook his heads.

Her face went slightly red.

“Um, well, I could give you some tuition if you like, um, after school in the library…” she mumbled.

Harry stared at her in amazement. Hermione, helping him? What a great friend.

“I knew you wouldn't want to,” she added hastily, “it was just an idea.”

“Hermione…”Harry began.

Hermione turned and hurried away.

“Wait!” he shouted. She turned her head round.

“Sounds great,” he winked at her.

She looked a little bit startled at his wink, but pleased all the same. They both headed off to bed, with slightly satisfied smiles on their faces.