Hermione's Harry

Author's Note: I own nothing but the plot of my own story, I hope you enjoy, I certainly enjoyed writing this… when I didn't have writer's block.

Chapter One:

Harry was panicking, hyperventilating, and going absolutely crazy. He was about to face the only dragon out of the four that Hagrid had not deemed sweet and cuddly, and that was an extreme for the half-giant. Hagrid kept three-headed dogs and Acromantulas as pets and he considered the Horntail dangerous!

Harry went back to shaking like a leaf, taking in deep breath after deep breath in an effort to calm himself enough to actually face his chosen dragon. "Harry, it's your turn," Cedric called softly. Harry nodded and made his way to the front of the tent, readying himself to step out. The cannon sounded and he took yet another deep breath as he stepped forward. The moment he caught sight of the dragon, he nearly fainted. The Horntail regarded him suspiciously, and growled when Harry moved to grab his wand. Harry gulped, and heard Hermione's voice in his head, telling him to concentrate on his intention.

When the Dragon took a step forward, he held his wand up yelling out, "Accio Firebolt!" The Dragon took a swipe at him and he dodged the beast, hiding behind a boulder. He still couldn't see his broom when the Dragon crushed the boulder he was hiding behind.

Harry jumped backward, and threw his arms up as he turned to face his reptilian enemy. "NO!" He shouted, and remarkably, the dragon stopped. Its facial features morphed into an odd expression of confusion, and then one of recognition.

It bowed its head as a booming, serpent-like voice engulfed Harry. "Human that speaks with a serpent tongue…" He nodded slowly, completely confused. "I allow you to live, if you leave now." Harry watched as his broom sped toward him.

He shook his head with a sigh. "I appreciate the offer, and I wish I could, but I can't…" he answered and hopped on his broom, almost avoiding the talons that grazed his torso. He fought through the pain as best as he could, beginning an aerial battle with the dragon, which he somehow won after several agonizing and horrifying minutes.

He crashed to the ground, the gravel an unwelcome and unpleasant feeling against his wounds. Nevertheless, he crawled to the nest, grabbing hold of the golden egg and passing out.

Hermione didn't realize that she was screaming as Harry collapsed and was loaded onto a stretcher being carried to into the Champion's tent. She didn't realize that she was running out of the stands as fast as her legs would carry her, or that Ron was shouting at her to sit back down. All that registered in her mind was that Harry was hurt and he needed her. She needed to know that he was going to be okay, and nothing would calm her down until she knew for certain. Nothing else mattered.

Just as she burst into the tent, she heard a blood-curdling scream of "SOMEONE FUCKING KILL ME! I CAN'T TAKE IT!" and ran straight for the familiar voice. The sight that met her eyes was enough to shatter her heart to bits. Harry was lying on a hospital bed shirtless, with three deep cuts stretching across his torso diagonally. It hit her suddenly that his dragon had gotten to him with its talons. His eyes were shut tightly as he shook uncontrollably and whimpered consistently as madam Pomphrey rubbed some kind of green salve into his wounds.

Hermione didn't hesitate, running to his side and taking hold of his hand with both of hers. "Harry, just hold on," she said softly and he turned to face her, opening his eyes and smiling for a moment before turning back to face the ceiling and screaming again. Hermione squeezed his hand tightly and kissed his forehead.

Pomphrey sighed and watched as the blood from Harry's wounds began to bubble, and he whimpered in pain yet again. "Damn," she muttered.

"What do you mean?!" Hermione cried. "Harry is going to be okay! He has to be okay, I can't lose him!" She yelled.

"Of course he'll be okay, but I can't do anything to heal him until the venom is completely forced out of his body, nor can I do anything to lessen the pain."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Then get rid of the venom!" She shouted at the medi-witch. "What is wrong with you people?!"

Pomphrey sighed and shook her head. "I asked the same question of Dumbledore, Miss Granger." She paused as Harry let out another pained yell, regaining Hermione's attention as she began to rub his shoulder. "As soon as the bubbling stops, I'll know that the venom is gone and I'll actually be of more use. It shouldn't take too much longer."

Hermione sighed and ran a hand through Harry's hair. "Harry, I need to see Dumbledore, I promise I'll be right back."

As she made a move to stand, Harry stiffened and gripped her hand harder, turning to face her. "Don't leave me," he begged. "Please Mione, I need you." She nodded without hesitation and kissed his forehead, rubbing his shoulder again.

"I'll get Dumbledore," Madam Pomphrey said softly and got up to leave. As she left, Harry let out another strangled cry that ripped at Hermione's heart.

"Shhh, it'll be okay, Harry. I promise, it'll be okay. I won't let anything happen, I'm right here and I'm not leaving. You're safe now Harry, you're going to be just fine, I promise I won't leave you."

Harry nodded slightly and cringed. "Sirius was right," he murmured and winced. "Fuck this hurts!" he yelled out as Hermione continued to hold his hand and rub his shoulder comfortingly.

"What was Sirius right about?" She asked in an effort to distract him from his pain.

Harry shook his head. "I'll tell you later," he nearly laughed out as he turned to face her. In that moment, he knew he'd been foolish. This young woman, she'd stood by him even as his so-called best mate turned away, she'd tutored him and cared for him, without a single request for herself. This amazing angel was a miracle, and maybe it was just the pain but Harry could have sworn that when he looked up at her she was glowing with brilliant light, weeping golden tears that splattered like delicate raindrops on his face and glasses. In that moment, she was his everything.

"Miss Granger?" Hermione turned to face the headmaster, recognizing his gentle voice, as Madam Pomphrey came in with a towel to clean Harry's wounds now that they were free of the Horntail's venom. "Poppy tells me that you wanted to speak with me?" Dumbledore asked, stepping into the room.

"Yes sir," Hermione nodded as Harry stiffened again. "I think Remus and his furry friend Padfoot ought to be brought to Hogwarts to see Harry." Harry was screaming as madam Pomphrey applied another healing salve to his wounds. Hermione's attention was instantly torn away from Dumbledore as she squeezed Harry's hand tightly. "Hold on Harry, just hold on. I'll be over soon, I promise. I'm not leaving, you're going to be just fine." She ran a hand though his hair and kissed his forehead again.

"Great minds think alike Miss Granger, they're already here. Once Poppy has set young Harry straight I'll send them both in to see him." Hermione just barely nodded her acknowledgement and continued to comfort her best friend.

It seemed as though it took years, but eventually Harry was bandaged up and given a pain potion. He would be perfectly fine, except for the future scars across his chest. Lupin walked in almost as soon as madam Pomphrey walked out, with Padfoot tailing him in his animagus form. Hermione looked up slowly, her eyes glistening and her face tear-stained. "How's our pup?" He asked of her softly as he sat down on the other side of the sleeping Hogwarts Champion. Padfoot sat down beside Hermione and rested his head on Hermione's lap. She had yet to let go of Harry's hand.

She sighed and brushed his bangs out of his eyes gently. "He isn't screaming anymore, or nearly breaking my hand, so I'm assuming that he's at least doing a little better."

Lupin nodded. "And how are you?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure," she answered and wiped at her eyes. "I almost lost him… I don't know if I could survive that." Lupin nodded and stood up from his chair, walking around Harry and kneeling in front of Hermione.

"Thank you for taking care of our pup Hermione, you're an angel." She blushed and nodded, turning suddenly to see Harry begin to stir. As he sat up yawning, he turned to face Hermione and smiled.

"You stayed," he said softly.

Those two words were enough to send Hermione tumbling into another set of tears, but somehow she kept her composure. "Of course I stayed, I promised I wouldn't leave." Harry gazed into her eyes, determined to see straight into her very being, which caused the shy bookworm's face to turn pink. "Padfoot and Moony came to see you as well," she admitted and Harry's eyes widened as he turned to face two of his father-figures.

Padfoot wagged his tail excitedly and shifted back to his human form. "Sirius!" Harry quietly exclaimed and hugged his godfather. "Please tell me you've been okay."

"Of course I've been okay, Moony and I have been living in a safe place with Buckbeak. Are you okay? You just fought a bloody dragon! How does it feel to come out on top in that fight?" He asked with a grin.

Harry shrugged with his own smile. "The basilisk was scarier, at least I wasn't terrified to look at the damn thing half the time, its eyes alone were deadly."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "You promised you wouldn't be reckless Harry. You promised!" She yelled.

Harry sighed and stepped out of his hospital bed, standing to face her, even though he was somewhat leaning against the bed. "Mione, I did everything I could considering the plan we came up with, the broom just didn't show up fast enough. I even spoke to the damn thing in Parseltongue to buy myself time, which I didn't even know I could do." He held both her hands in his own. "It scratched me as I was getting on my broom, I didn't have time to dodge."

Hermione bit her lip. "You really scared me, Harry. All I could think about was how hurt you were and how much I couldn't lose you. No matter how reckless, stubborn, and downright infuriating you can be, I can't imagine a world without you in it." She let out a sob and threw her arms around Harry, who in turn began to hold her close and run his hands through her hair in an effort to comfort her.

He found it odd that he was the one that nearly died, yet he was attempting to make her feel better. Of course, after a few moments of thought, he decided that it was fitting. She'd been strong for him while he was screaming and crying in pain, the least he could do was pay her back for it by holding her while she let out her emotions. It seemed to take hours, or even days, but in all actuality she'd only been crying for a few minutes when she sniffled and backed out of his embrace, wiping the tears from her face.

Neither teen seemed to notice that Sirius had rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Just like James and Lily," he murmured to Lupin, who nodded his head as Sirius shifted back into Padfoot and trotted out of the room.

Remus shrugged his shoulders and smiled, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'll be back in the castle with Padfoot, most likely in the headmaster's office. Madam Pomphrey is probably going to be back rather soon to escort you to the hospital wing before she releases you back to your house." Harry nodded and smiled at Remus before the werewolf left. He spent the few minutes before Pomphrey returned holding Hermione close in an effort to comfort her. She deserved to be cared for, she'd done so for him.

Unfortunately, before madam Pomphrey walked in, someone with red hair, freckles and hand-me-down robes entered Harry's part of the tent. "Hey," he said quietly, raising his hand up in an awkward greeting, with his face contorted in apprehension.

Harry rolled his eyes. "What do you want Ron?" Harry asked as Hermione turned to face the new arrival, still leaning against Harry with his arms around her. "I thought we weren't on speaking terms, what with you believing that I'd be mad enough to cheat. Disregarding the fact that several students much older than me attempted to do exactly the same, and all failed. Come to your senses now that I've nearly died, have you?" He asked with a venomous tone that he never believed he would use toward the ginger he'd met before his first year had begun.

Ron gulped. "I wanted to see if you were okay. I heard screaming and no one would let me in until now…" He admitted and wrung his hands together. "And I wanted to apologize for being a git. I should have believed you, but I was insanely jealous of-"

"Don't finish that sentence, I don't want to hear it." To both boys' surprise, it was Hermione that had spoken up and interrupted Ron.

"I wasn't talking to you, Herms. I was talking to Harry." Ron crossed his arms over his chest, ready to start another yelling match with the brunette standing between the two boys.

"I know you weren't talking to me Ron, but frankly, I don't care. You have absolutely no reason to be jealous of Harry. He doesn't want to be famous, he'd give everything he has to have even one fleeting moment with his parents. You bitch and complain about having such successful brothers, but have you ever once attempted to do something great like they did? No, you haven't. Your study habits are meager and insulting, you have no tact, and your jealous tendencies are a constant depressant. Harry has had to face Voldemort three times in his life, fought for his life against a basilisk and about a hundred dementors, yet you still feel jealous. Shouldn't it be obvious by now that someone powerful tricked the goblet in order to force him into the tournament and possibly get him killed? No, because you can't see beyond yourself. Get out, and stay out. Harry doesn't need a tactless, jealous dolt trailing after him, and I don't want you around either."

Harry was stunned near silent by Hermione's speech, but he did not vocalize an argument or disagreement with anything she had said. Her words were accurate, and he felt no need to deny it. Ron however, was standing in the doorway with his jaw hanging open, stunned by Hermione's bold accusations. He could think of nothing to defend himself. "You heard her Ron, I'd like you to leave now please." Ron blinked several times before he finally shut his mouth for half a second and sighed.

"Fine, just thought that maybe we could go back to being friends." As he turned to walk out, Harry said something that shook Ron to his core.

"I'm not your golden ticket, Ron. Nor are we going to be friends again, at least not for now."

The air was exceedingly tense as Ron nodded and walked away. Hermione turned back to face Harry, biting her bottom lip. "Please don't be mad at me, I know I shouldn't have spoken for you and that my opinion may have been different from yours but I know you can be very forgiving and he's been such-"

Harry pressed a finger to her lips. "I'm not mad, I'm impressed. I've only seen you truly lay into someone like that twice now, and once you were being violent, which I'm also impressed with. I like that side of you, you should let it out more often." He dropped his finger from her mouth and smiled. "And maybe you're right that you shouldn't have spoken for me, but this time you were right to do so. I was planning on forgiving him, but you shed a bit of light on his and my friendship that I hadn't wanted to admit. Besides, I could tell that you had been waiting ages to say that, I could never be upset with you for letting out your anger when necessary, or for being protective of me."

Hermione nodded and was about to respond when Dumbledore and Pomphrey walked back into the tent. "Mr. Potter, Poppy is insisting upon taking you up to the hospital wing for a couple extra potions and to explain her recovery plan for you. I take it Miss Granger will be coming with you?" The elderly wizard asked kindly. Harry shared a look and a nod with Hermione.

"Yes sir, I have a feeling Hermione wants to help out, and I'm sure she'll consider this another opportunity to learn something new." Hermione's cheeks turned pink and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he smiled.

"Very well then, we should probably go."