Disclaimer: JKR owns.
A Late Night Visit
*Just some background information: After the war and back at Hogwarts, the trio were given a private dorm so they didn't have to room up with kids they didn't really know. All the students from their year (Neville, Lavender, Seamus, etc.) have graduated.*
…
Hermione tried to dig her head deeper into her pillow, but something was telling her to open her eyes. Fluttering them open briefly in the hope to get more comfortable, she caught a figure out of the corner of her eye. She shot up and gasped.
"Harry…"
"Sorry," came the voice of her best friend, stepping closer to her bed so he wasn't just an ominous shape in the dark, "I didn't mean to startle you."
Hermione glanced down to her thin white tank and shyly drew the covers up around her, "Um, what's wrong?"
Harry took a moment to answer, "I was just making sure you were okay."
"I'm fine, Harry."
"Yeah," Harry nodded, still just looking at her, "Right… well, night then."
"Harry!" Hermione called him quietly just as he put his hand on her door knob. He quickly let go and turned around.
Hermione bit her lip, trying to think of something to say. Although, she could hardly ever think straight when he stared at her so expectantly like that.
"Um, it's cold in here," she blurted out.
Harry sent her an odd look. In truth, it was rather hot tonight. That explained the thinness of her night shirt.
Hermione rolled her eyes at herself and then looked at him with a small smile, "Keep me company?"
"Sure."
Scooting over to make room for him, he silently got in the bed with enough space in between them so it wasn't too awkward. Silence consumed them for a moment before Hermione rolled on her side to look at him.
"What was your nightmare about?"
Harry got quiet again before he asked back, "How'd you know?"
Hermione simply shrugged. She couldn't admit to him that she'd heard him earlier that night. When the three of them had moved into their private dorm, the first thing Harry did was set up silencing wards around his room. Luckily though, with some extensive research Hermione was able to create a hole through the charm on the wall that their rooms shared. At the time, she felt like a terrible untrustworthy friend. But for her own sake, she wanted to make sure he was okay at night.
Usually, if his nightmare's lasted for a while or if he was making painful sounds she's break in and wake him. But that night, his noises didn't sound painful so she didn't bother.
"I know you," Hermione answered him.
His lips quirked into a discrete smile at her words, "Err, it was about Dobby…" he finally spoke, lying through his teeth.
Hermione grabbed his hand under the covers, "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help it?"
"You're doing it," he replied with half closed eyes. A confused look took over her face and her hand stiffened. Harry glanced into her eyes and quickly corrected himself, "I mean, usually I just need someone to talk to."
"Oh," she nodded relaxing her hand in Harry's, "You're welcome then."
"So…"
"What's on your mind?" she asked softly, knowing there was something he wanted to get off his chest.
"You and Ron were fighting pretty hard earlier. Is everything okay?" he asked as nonchalant as possible.
Hermione sighed and looked away, "Hardly."
"Trouble in paradise?"
"I definitely wouldn't consider it paradise, Harry."
Harry propped himself up on an elbow so he could see her better, "What's up?"
Hermione tried to shrug it off, "I think we jumped into things. Maybe I was wrong…" Harry continued listening, paying close attention to the way her mouth moved, "…You know I thought that all of our fighting meant something more and that when we were finally together it'd all go away."
"But its gotten worse," Harry understood.
"I'm sorry you have to hear it," she apologized sincerely.
Harry shook his head, not wanting her to think it was a burden for him, "I just want you guys to be happy."
"I think we will be after today."
"Yeah?" Harry gave her a look prompting her to continue.
"I told him we should just be friends again," Hermione revealed, not meeting Harry's eyes. She hoped he wouldn't be angry with her or rebuke her for making the wrong choice.
Harry almost let his mouth fall open, "Seriously?"
Hermione nodded cautiously, still waiting for his stance on the matter.
"Bloody hell…" Harry muttered, laying back down and staring up at the ceiling, "That's crazy Hermione."
"Good crazy or bad crazy?"
"I dunno. Just crazy… I mean everyone thought you and him were a perfect match," Harry told her while trying to ignore the jumble of emotions playing around in his head.
"By everyone, you mean the Weasley's and you?"
"Well… the Weasley's for sure," Harry told her hesitantly.
Hermione looked at him intently, "Not you?"
Harry shrugged, "I mean… I dunno. I just thought that- like you guys were my best mates."
"And the only thing we had in common was you?" Hermione finished for him, wondering if he could really be thinking the exact thing she felt.
"Yeah… does that make me sound like a git?" he asked with a grin, hoping to get a smile out of her. Honestly, he didn't mean to put it exactly like that.
Hermione laughed, "If it was anyone else, I'm sure they would. But no, it's just the truth."
"You can't force things to happen," Harry told her sensibly, "If it was meant to be-"
"It's not and let's leave it at that," she cut him off immediately. "Honestly, me and Ron never even made sense. It wasn't going anywhere, so better I ended it now so we could possibly salvage our friendship, right?"
Harry nodded, "Right."
"Like, look at you and Ginny," she rambled on waving out her hand, "You're both getting back to
being friends again, right?"
"Mhmm," Harry sounded, not meeting her eyes.
Hermione quirked a smile, "What was that?"
"I don't know," he shrugged, turning back to her, "me and Ginny don't really talk at all."
"Oh…" she mumbled with her cheeks tingeing faintly. Her assumptions were based on how both Harry and Ginny had been acting totally fine and over with it in the last few weeks since their break up. Avoidance could have been the key to that.
"Were you made when she and Neville went to Hogsmeade together?"
"Not at all. I was really happy for them. Ginny deserves to be happy, I'm just not the guy that could do that for her. And I'm fine with it," he answered sincerely, the answer flowing easily out of him.
Hermione smiled at him, "You're a great bloke Harry. I wish Ron could be as considerate as you."
Harry smirked mischievously and raised an eyebrow, "Do you really?"
Hermione imitated his look and stared back at him for a few moments before she cracked into a grin, "No."
They both shared a fit of laughter as he told her he didn't think so. The room again consumed with silence for a few minutes, Harry and Hermione both lying contently in the bed staring up at the ceiling.
Harry smiled softly, "I think you'll be happier now that you don't have to put all your energy into trying not to fight with him."
Hermione furrowed her eyebrows and thought about it for a second. "Yeah, that's a good way to put it."
"And plus, I think deep down Ron really wants to get out and play the field for a bit," she continued with a smirk.
Harry laughed, "And you? Do you want to start dating soon?"
"I don't think blokes will be lining up to date me," Hermione told him in an indifferent tone with a slight shrug.
Harry frowned at this, "Why do you think that?"
"I'm just not exactly dating material for most of the men out there."
"I think you are," Harry contested without a moment's hesitation.
Hermione was surprised with his adamancy, "You do?"
"Yeah," he replied eagerly, "I mean, why wouldn't blokes want to date you? You're smart, clever, b- pretty…"
Hermione smile at his sweetness but still knew better, "Harry, do you know any decent blokes that would like their woman smarter than them? And thank you, but you feel obligated to say that because we're best friends."
"No, I-"
"What about you?" she asked quickly, not wanting the attention anymore, "You can't well expect for me to go on about myself the entire time."
Harry was suddenly nervous. He was okay discussing love matters with her as the person but not as him, "Uh, we can change the topic now."
"Oh no you don't! Come on Potter, spill your guts."
Harry sighed and looked at her face, aglow with expectancy, "What do you want me to tell you?"
"Anything," she answered, getting more comfortable with her pillows.
Harry looked into her eyes for a few seconds and instantly knew he shouldn't feel uncomfortable. He could talk about anything with Hermione and she would never not listen the way he wanted to be listened to his whole life. She would always be there for him, and that was something he would grasp onto with both hands until the day he died.
"Okay…"
…
The next morning when Hermione woke up she felt constricted. She tried squirming around to get free from the tightness but something pulled her further into the hard barricade. Her body froze and eyes shot open upon her recognition of the breathing mass behind her.
Slowly, Hermione glanced down to find an arm slung over her waist, holding onto her carefully. A deep breath and sounds of awakening behind her jolted her into a panic, knowing that Harry was soon to wake up and realize what he was doing. This was surely going to be the most awkward moment of her life!
Quickly, she shut her eyes again hoping she wouldn't have to confront him about the predicament.
"Damn it," she heard him curse faintly after a minute of silence. The arm slid from her waist back to its owner and then she could feel the weight on the bed shifting.
Harry got up as easily as he could so not to disturb Hermione and then gently placed the covers back over her. He paused for the slightest moment before turning and tip-toeing out of her room.
As soon as the door clicked close, Hermione shot up from her position and stared at it with a confused look. Had Harry really been holding her all night long? Obviously, he hadn't meant to because he sounded upset when he left.
But still, how does that happen to only best friends?
With that thought still on her mind, Hermione rose from the bed and headed into her private bathroom for her morning shower, preparing herself to deal with the slew of questions she was currently wondering. Little did she know that Harry was in the next room over taking a colder shower than usual and wondering some of the exact same things.
…
This will be my first multi-chapter fic, so please review and let me know how I did!