This one-shot was written for: Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges - Birthday Fic Exchange's Fanfiction, School of Imagination and Creativity - Mathematics - Assessment 2 - Escher drawings

The one-shot takes place between Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Chapter Ten (Halloween) and Chapter Eleven (Quidditch).

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series, all rights go to J.K. Rowling.

From Duo to Trio

Hermione stepped closer to the window and looked out. The moon was shining softly and she couldn't believe that half an hour earlier she was in danger and she nearly died. The nature was perfectly calm and the Gryffindor common room was full of life as everybody was finishing their dinner.

"It was an interesting night, wasn't it?" She turned around as she heard the soft voice and her brown eyes met Harry Potter's emerald green ones. She had a gentle smile on her face as she awkwardly nodded. She wasn't sure how to behave around the boy. In the last two months their relationship couldn't be called friendly, but things have changed during the time in the girls' bathroom.

"Yeah... it was," she muttered a bit shyly and Harry frowned. The girl she has known was always confident in herself and in her knowledge, she was always in control and every time she was around she corrected them and called them fools. It was strange to see her in such a vulnerable state.

"It was really nice of you that you didn't report Ron and me to McGonagall," Harry stated slowly.

"Professor McGonagall," Hermione said automatically and she blushed a bit. She looked out of the window again just to avoid Harry's eyes.

"Yeah, that's what I've meant," Harry said in a bit absent-mindedly. There was a moment silence while Hermione was staring at the stars which were shining so brightly that day and Harry was preoccupied.

"Are you okay?" he asked eventually and the bushy-haired girl turned back to the boy. She nodded slowly and small smile was playing on her lips, but her brown eyes were still radiating uncertainty.

"Yes, I'm just... I think I should head to bed," she stated and the boy nodded.

"A good sleep wouldn't be bad for me either. You know crazy day, dangerous situation," he said half-heartedly and Hermione nodded softly. She was ready to go when a familiar figure, a redhead headed towards the two of them. A plate was in Ron's hands and it was full with food. Hermione frowned at the sight, because she wouldn't able to eat the half of it even on a normal day and her day was everything besides normal, she didn't feel like eating.

"We should have dinner in the common room more frequently. This food is just amazing," Ron stated and by the time he finished the second sentence his mouth was full again. Harry looked amused and chuckled at his friend's enthusiasm towards food while Hermione just stood there awkwardly.

"Oh," Harry grimaced and closed his eyes.

"What's the problem mate?" Ron asked curiously and for a moment he even looked at his best friend instead of his food.

"Double Potions, Snape, essay. Does it ring a bell?" Harry asked miserably and Ron frowned as well.

"You mean that essay we wanted to write today? Yeah... Oh, we haven't written it yet," he seemed to realize his friend's problem. Hermione turned back towards the window as she couldn't get to her dorm without asking the boys to go a bit away and let her go, but she wasn't sure about their reaction. So, she was just standing there miserably looking out and listening to the two boys.

"I really don't have energy to do it," Ron whined.

"Yeah, I just want to drink another glass of pumpkin juice, eat some dessert and head to bed. We will never finish it on time and Snape will kill us," Harry stated. That was the moment Hermione turned around and she met the eyes of the two desperate boys.

"I... I could help." She heard and then she realized she was the one who said it. She wasn't sure why she even suggested it, but she couldn't take it back, it would have been brutishness and it would have hurt her pride. She blushed at the open staring of the two boys and their shocked expression.

"I've already done it, I would be able to help with it," she explained now confidentially, but not as pompously as she would have done even a day earlier. The two boys were still staring at her with wide eyes and she shifted uncomfortably.

"I understand if you don't need my help," she said eventually and Harry was the first to wake up from his shock.

"It would be great if you helped," he offered weakly, but kindly and he even smiled at Hermione. Ron looked at him like he was crazy but a look from Harry was enough and Ron nodded in agreement.

"Meet me in five minutes here," Hermione said quickly and she ran up to get her Potions book and her already written essay. What really surprised her that they were really sitting at the common room waiting for her when she got back, Harry even offered her a place to sit and thanked for the help.

The next hour was a bit more carefree and quieter. Hermione was correcting them, but she wasn't bragging about her knowledge, she just tried to make the boys understand their task and the curriculum.

"This sentence doesn't make sense, Harry," she pointed out when she gave back the parchment to the boy who frowned.

"Potions doesn't make sense," he stated and Ron laughed, Hermione just rolled her eyes, but didn't start lecturing him about the importance of the class.

"It would if you learned," she stated and now it was Harry who rolled his eyes.

"I would learn if Snape wasn't a git," he stated and Hermione didn't correct him which made both of the boys stare at her. She just looked away and then started to speak about the next paragraph.

"Ronald, please read through the book carefully. Half of what you have written in this sentence is wrong," she said as she proof-read the essay. Ron's ears became just as red as his face and he fixed his blue eyes on Hermione.

"Not everyone is as perfect as you are," he said a bit venomously and when Harry shot him a look he muttered an apology.

"I'm far from perfect," Hermione mumbled, but the boys heard her and looked curiously at her. That wasn't what they have waited from Hermione Granger, the best student in their year or probably in the whole school, from the girl who was every teacher's pet (beside Snape probably, but that was an entirely different story).

"Back to the essay. You still need about five inches, both of you," she said suddenly and the boys grimaced.

"I should write with bigger letters," Ron stated and Harry chuckled, Hermione pretended that she hasn't heard his comment.

"Don't be dramatic, that's not much," she stated eventually and she started telling them what else they should write.

"For you," Ron muttered and Hermione just rolled her eyes.

"Do you want my help or not?" she asked and Ron didn't answer just started writing again.

"Ready," Harry stated about five minutes later. He gave it to Hermione who frowned a few times but she gave up eventually.

"Not bad, Snape can't say anything to it. It's not perfect, but good enough," she stated and Harry grinned.

"He would never believe that I did it if I gave in a perfect work." He shrugged and Ron looked up with a triumphal smile.

"I'm ready too!" he exclaimed happily and Hermione smiled at them.

"That's great," she stated when both of the boys looked at her and all three of them felt a bit out of place and uncomfortable.

"Thanks... Thanks for everything, Hermione," Harry stated eventually and a small smile appeared on Hermione's face.

"Yeah, thanks," Ron said after Harry looked at him.

"No problem... I-I happily help you anytime if you need it," she stated and the boys nodded.

"That would be great," Harry stated and he flashed her bit uncertain smile.

"I think we really should go to bed," Hermione said eventually and the boys nodded.

"Good night, Hermione," the black-haired boy said and the redhead muttered something along the same lines too.

"Good night for you too," the girl stated and after a light wave they parted, the boys went to their dorm, while Hermione headed to the first year girls' room. She quickly had a shower and changed her cloths. In no time she was in her bed and when she closed her eyes a small smile was on her lips. What happened a few hours ago only seemed as a nightmare, but everything else, especially the smile of the boys was vivid in her mind.

The night didn't seem long enough and although Hermione was up first as always she had troubles to get out of the bed. When she was ready she went down to the common room.

"Aren't you coming, Hermione?" Parvati Patil, one of her roommates asked the bushy-haired girl when she came down.

"I'm... I'm still reading," she stated and the other girl frowned.

"What?" she questioned Hermione, as she pointed out that the brown-haired girl didn't have a book with her.

"It's in my bag," the other girl replied and Parvati rolled her eyes.

"Right. Then see you at breakfast," she stated and left her there. Probably she rejoined her best friend, Lavender who already left the common room. Hermione was sitting at the couch patiently and she really took out a book, but she couldn't really concentrate on what she was reading.

She looked up a bit shyly and awkwardly when she noticed that the two boys came down. They were speaking about something lowly, she couldn't make out, but they seemed enthusiastic. They crossed the common room and Harry accidentally brushed against her.

"Oh, sorry Hermione. I wasn't paying attention," he stated and smiled at her. Ron nodded to her and muttered something like "Good morning."

"No problem," she stated and smiled back. "Good morning for you too," she said happily and both of the boys looked at her curiously.

"Don't you want to come and have breakfast? You know how Snape hates if someone is late," Harry suggested and Hermione's smile became even bigger. None of the boys commented, but both of them noticed the change in her behaviour towards them.

"Yeah, you are right," she said and the three of them headed down to the Great Hall.

"I was thinking... would you mind helping us with our History of Magic essay today? Yesterday you were a big help and I... it seemed much more understandable and easier," Harry said and Hermione nodded softly.

"Of course not, but you only need that for Tuesday," she stated and the boys chuckled.

"I see that you don't think much of us. Sometimes we do our homework in time," Harry said and Hermione smiled.

"It must be hard and terrible," she said sarcastically.

"Oh, it is," Ron snorted and all three of them started laughing.

"You know one time we did our homework a week before the deadline," Harry said thoughtfully with a wide grin on his face. Ron looked at him and smirked.

"I'm pretty sure we were sick, Harry," he stated and Harry nodded solemnly while Hermione just shook her head.

"Or we were still enthusiastic," Harry suggested and Ron nodded happily.

"We have been here for two months," Hermione said with a smile on her face.

"Only sixty-one remains," Harry said with a frown and the two others started laughing.

"Shame," Hermione nodded fondly. "I love this place already," she said truthfully and Ron smirked at Harry.

"Oh, yeah, I seem to remember something. We could have been killed – or worse, expelled." Ron mimicked Hermione who blushed and looked at the boy nastily.

"You are a pureblood, you can't understand. For me this place means a completely different word," she said embarrassedly and Harry nodded in agreement.

"I know what you mean. This place is incredible," he agreed and the three of them entered the Great Hall together. No one turned around; it seemed that no one heard about their little adventure with the troll. Hermione looked around a bit awkwardly while the boys just sat down at the Gryffindor table. Hermione was ready to head to the corner of the table which was completely empty, but Harry waved to her.

"Don't you want to sit here?" he asked and he pointed to the place right next to him. Hermione looked questioningly towards Ron who was already eating, but when he noticed her look he nodded with his mouth full. A small smile appeared on Hermione's face as she sat down next to the black-haired boy.

"I thought you would want some company," Harry said kindly after she took place next to him.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"I'm going to have a Quidditch practice today, but after that we could work on the homework," Harry suggested and Hermione nodded.

"You could come down to the pitch if you want before the learning. Harry is amazing," Ron said as he looked for pancake. Hermione looked down, but then she met the eyes of Harry.

"I'm not fan of flying to be honest, but I've read a lot about Quidditch and I'm sure it would be interesting to see," she stated and the two boys started talking of the legendary sport of course. Both of them were really surprised when the bookish girl told them facts about their favourite sport they have never even heard about (which in Ron's case really was surprising).

"How do you know all these things?" Harry asked dumbfounded the bushy-haired girl who blushed slightly.

"I don't only read textbooks," she stated. "Quidditch is the most well-known sport in the wizarding world and I might not enjoy playing it, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't know about it," she stated and she started told about the book she has read, Quidditch Through the Ages.

"We should head to Potions," Hermione stated when she noticed nearly everyone has already left the Great Hall. The two boys nodded and the three of them started walking towards the Dungeons. They chatted about various things, mostly about their experiences in the wizarding world. Harry and Ron had to admit that the girl they both disliked until the day before was more than a living dictionary and although she was annoying sometimes it was even interesting to talk with her.

The three of them didn't become friends in a minute after two months of pure dislike, but slowly they acknowledged that even though they were different they could find common interests. In the first few days most of their conversations were awkward, their reactions towards each other were funny, but they became comfortable around the others.

They needed days to accept each other's company.

They needed weeks to truly become friends.

They needed months to truly trust each other.

They needed years to really become close to each other.

They gained friends they could never forget.

They gained friends who were always there for them.

The three of them didn't become friends in a minute after two months of pure dislike, but their friendship became everlasting. They were there for each other whenever they needed the others. There were fighting together for the common cause they found. They grew up together. They were worried for the others.

From a Duo a Trio was made.

Their friendship was everlasting.