Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling.

Oppugno

By Embrathiel

**O**

He thought it rather incredible how friendship bowed to what mattered most. Once Harry had thought that friendship was that thing that should never be lost, but now he was realizing something different. Instinct told him what to do and he wasn't about to ignore it. The map told him where she was and his legs carried him where he needed to go. The pain he had seen in her, it hurt him too. That same pain made him angry, angry at the git who had made her feel that way.

And there it was; friendship folding behind the curtains of cruelty, comforting the injured was all that mattered here. If someone had asked him ten minutes before who he cared for most, Harry might have struggled with the answer. That though, he knew now, was due to his stupidity. In a way, he had done this to her.

Coming to a panting halt beside the door, Harry heard the twittering of birds over his ragged breathing. Peering inside through a crack in the door he saw Hermione sitting on the edge of the professor's desk, a flock of birds spiraling about her. Her legs were curled beneath the edge of the desktop as if she needed to hold something. One hand held her wand, point up, directing the small creatures about her head. The other arm was clenched around her middle, as if her stomach was aching. But it was the tears, the tremors, and the sobs that mattered to him. They made him want to cry. They made him want to hold her. And they made him want to bash Ron's face in with the club he'd dropped on the bloody troll's head back in first year.

This was Hermione.

Hermione!

Imperfect yet flawless Hermione. She had never done anything to harm their friendship, at least not that should have. He'd been thirteen and stupid about the Firebolt incident, so it didn't count to him. She was strong, like a force of nature almost. Nothing broke Hermione. She always had an answer, a plan, and courage.

No one hurt Hermione.

No one made Hermione cry.

He had no plan, but what was he to do, just wait until he thought of one? Knowing himself he could be standing there for hours while the one true rock in his life was breaking apart.

Sot Ron.

Harry eased the door open and slipped inside, pulling it closed quietly. Her tear-filled eyes rose to meet his and Harry found he couldn't move or look away.

She was his rock, his infinity. When that had happened he didn't know, but it fit. She was certainly his best friend.

Suddenly all those childish feelings he had felt towards Ginny became exactly that, childish. Hermione wasn't a child and none of the friendship they had built together was childish. None of that implicit trust they held for each other was foolish. It had been built on years of hardship and closeness. Loyalty.

So what if he was bloody well confused right now? He wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing. If he could pull the fabled sword of his founder out of a hat and kill a bloody massive serpent with it, he could face Hermione, here and now.

"I should have ditched him after the tournament issue. Probably after the Firebolt for that matter. You didn't deserve that Hermione.. I'm sorry."

His words felt entirely insufficient even to himself. Harry had never been good with words after all. She didn't answer him, just continued staring at him. Not sure what else to do Harry moved forward and sat himself on the desk beside her. The birds included his head in the circling seemingly without direction from her. He twisted to face her and blinked when he found her eyes inches from his.

"Look, I. I'm bollocks at words Hermione, you know that. I just, I don't know. I don't want to be friends with him after what he did to you."

Her gaze was unwavering, the first sign that he was missing something. Not knowing what that was, Harry didn't have anything further to say. Her lips were trembling and tear tracks angled their way down her cheeks. A face he knew so well, better than the faces of his parents, better than his own. He'd know her face, her eyes, her solid support for over five years now. No one else meant that much to him. No one.

Becoming uncomfortable, and unsure what to do, Harry turned to face the door and pulled out his wand. Why not practice like she was then and let her decide if she wanted to talk. They had of course learned the spells at the same time, but Hermione's mastery of all things magical had allowed her to progress more quickly. The birds he conjured were few and slightly sickly looking, less vibrant in their plumage and wobbly in their flight. Ah well, at least he'd managed to make three of them.

The classroom door burst open and the two people that should have never found that room if the universe gave a damn about them, giggled their way inside, kissing each other's necks and groping one another.

No, someone up there really wanted things to go as badly as possible.

Lavender looked up and upon spotting them cried, "Whoops!" and giggled her way back out of the room.

Ron stood there for a moment, seeming unaware of the emotional tension he had walked in on.

"What's with the birds?"

Two wands flicked down to point at him, neither of their owners aware in the moment that the other had mirrored them.

"Oppugno!" flew from two mouths and every bird in the room zoomed forward toward the dolt they'd been friends with for years.

Regrettably, or thankfully, depending on how you looked at consequences, Ron managed to get the door between himself and the enraged avian attackers, slamming it home with t bang.

Harry saw Hermione's wand alongside his and turned to her as she dropped it on the desk and buried her face in his shoulder, her cries no longer subdued, but earnest and agonized.

With a quick spell string to ensure privacy, Harry set his wand down beside her's and took Hermione fully in to his arms. As awkward as the angle was, she scooted a little closer, clinging to him like he was the last one to care.

Perhaps he was.

"I've got you. I'm not going anywhere."

Having no clue what to do, Harry spoke quietly to her and rubbed her back as lightly as he could. She was embracing him in her pain. She was the first one to ever hug him, that he could remember at least. She was the only one he really ever wanted to hug him. And as he held her, Harry's quiet mutterings became words that he didn't really recognize he was saying.

"I've been really thick and I'm sorry about that. You've been wonderful Hermione and I never thanked you for it really, or told you how much it means to me. Part of me wonders if you tolerated him to be my friend, but I don't know. You said it all in first year you know. There are more important things than what we can do. There's friendship, and bravery, and I don't really know what I'm saying. I should've been better to you and honestly I don't know why it took so long for me to realize how much a care about you. I mean, I don't know exactly what I feel, just that in comparison, nothing else matters. Is it friendship or,"

"And love." His heart skipped a beat at the muffled words. Then Hermione lifted her head and rested it sideways against his shoulder so his jawline brushed against her forehead. Did she mean it? "Friendship, and bravery, and, and love. I never said it. Maybe if I had…"

"We both understood though. And it's there, really."

"I didn't want to hope with you. With the others you had feelings for, it just, it made more sense to try for Ron. He was the only one who really paid any attention to me aside from you. Maybe if I weren't so ugly…"

Harry cut her off quietly and firmly. "I hope you're not calling my Hermione ugly. I don't think I'd appreciate such insults."

She nuzzled him lightly, as if she didn't know she was doing it. "It's true though, I didn't think I'd ever be able to draw your affection. The whole thing with the Yule Ball hurt a lot. Yeah he was a prat but when neither of you thought to ask me out until after all other options had been taken, it just, I don't know."

Harry tilted his head and laid his cheek to her brow, feeling the smooth warmth of her skin against his.

"Well, I don't have a time turner or anything, but would you be willing to let a foolish boy try again?"

He felt her eyebrows twitch in what was likely a blink.

"What?"

Lightly Harry lifted her to face him. Her eyes were read and she looked awful, and beautiful.

"Would you let me try to do better? I don't want to see you hurt like that again Hermione. I'd rather make sure you're happy."

She reached up a hand to cup his cheek, eyes meeting his again.

"Do you have any idea how many times I've envisioned you pulling your head out of your arse far enough to ask me out?" Sometimes staying silent was safer, so he did so until she smiled and continued. "Too many to count, ever since I refrained from adding love after bravery."

And she kissed him.

Granted, Harry was pretty sure she had as little experience in the snogging department as he did, but it was the fact that it happened that mattered. Their lips met awkwardly, their noses bumped, he lifted a hand to pull her close but stopped, his arm half raised, unsure if he should, and she tasted of tears.

But Hermione was kissing him.

She pulled away and smiled timidly at him. The massive grin he was wearing wasn't timid at all and she laughed at him.

"You look silly."

"Yup."

Hermione poked him in the ribs them caught him up in a tight embrace once again, shaking with partially suppressed laughter.

"You know, Dobby really thinks you're the best witch in the world. I'm sure he'd be furious to know that Ron made you cry. If you like we could see if he'd be interested in demonstrating his special brand of protecting people with insane bludgers. Now that Ron's on the Quidditch team after all."

She only laughed harder, but shook her head.

"You're all I need to feel better, but thanks."

Ah well, he'd tried.

"But thank you for standing up for me, I didn't know you knew that spell."

"Yeah well, I pay attention to you at least, even if I ignore the professors once and a while."

"It was sweet. And because of that I won't write you up for hexing another student."

"Oy, the birds hit the door."

"Doesn't matter, still wouldn't write you up even if they had hit him."

"Aww, you'd break the rules for me Hermione?"

"Watch it Potter."

"I am, your wand is safely over there on the desk, not pointing at me."

Those chocolate eyes narrowed at him in probably the cutest glare known to mankind. Yes, he would watch it. He would watch her, and make sure that she was safe, and happy, and always stayed his Hermione.

Friendship, bravery, and love.

Hermione.

Harry was glad he knew the hex now because anyone who bothered his Hermione was getting "Oppugno!" bellowed in their face along with whatever critters he could think of at the time. Maybe it would be his battle cry of love.

His laughter joined her's and suddenly the sorrows of the evening melted away. Yes, Hermione was much more important than Ron, or anyone else for that matter, and dam nit if he wouldn't show it to her every day.

**O**

Thank you for reading and please review.

Elise