H/Hr: Good for the Soul

"Broken this fragile thing now,

And I can't, I can't pick up the pieces.

And I've thrown my words all around.

But I can't, I can't give you a reason.

I feel so broken up, and I give up.

I just want to tell you so you know...

Here I go -scream my lungs out and try to get to you.

You are my only one.

I let go.

There's just no one that gets me like you do.

You are my only, my only one.

Made my mistakes, let you down,

And I can't I can't hold on for too long.

Ran my whole life in the ground,

And I can't, I can't get up when you're gone.

Something's breaking up.

I feel like giving up.

I won't walk out until you know...

Here I go...so dishonestly leave a note, for you my only one.

And I know, you can see right through me, so let me go.

And you will find some one.

Here I go -scream my lungs out and try to get to you.

You are my only one.

I let go.

There's just no one, no one like you.

You are my only, my only one."

***

He had screwed everything up terribly. He had lost the only thing he had left to hold on to. Everything and everyone was gone. Everyone but her. And he had screwed his chance with that up terribly too. Never again would she ever look at him again, after all, why would she want to? He had clearly told her not to, never to stand in his presence, never to be by his side, never to follow him. That is how the screwing up had started anyway.

The war was drawing nearer and near, and Harry's fear of losing the ones he loved was progressively getting more noticeable in his head. How could a seventeen years old boy - no man - protect her? The only way he could think of was to push her away. Crazy, yes, but it was the only strategy he had.

"Harry, are you...are you alright?" she asked him while they were lounging in the Common Room. Hermione had noticed that he had been acting quite strange lately, and being the concerned...friend...that she was, she decided to take matters into her own hands. However, all she received in response was a grunt and a nod from his raven hair-covered head. She sighed. He was being so difficult towards her. " Are you positive? You know I am always here to talk, Harry..."

"Uh-huh." He kept staring at a copy of Quidditch: Pros and Cons, not once looking up at her even! Now Hermione was furious. Since when had her Harry become so insensitive?

"You know what, Harry Potter? I'm getting tired of your change in behavior to me! It's very frustrating, and all I want to do is help!" she finally yelled. He finally looked up as well.

"Well, do you know what, Hermione Granger? I'm getting tired of all your friggin' lectures and constant nagging! Just leave people alone Hermione! You're not a bloody Professor and can't solve everyone's problems, especially mine!"

"But... but, H...Harry, I'm your best friend and just want to make you h...happier." This aroused a laugh from Harry. He chuckled deeply, and if Hermione had not been so angry, upset, and confused, she would have gone weak in the knees with desire.

"You? My best friend? Sweet Hermione, when did you become so gullible? Don't speak to me, Granger. Don't follow me to Voldemort, in fact, don't even come near me again." She let the tears fall. Hermione grabbed her belongings, not bothering to retrieve the spilled inkbottles she dropped at the foot of the stairs, and ran, crying, out of the portrait to who knows where.

Oh, God. His heart was ripped into. No, it was ripped into a million pieces from what he had had to go through. Telling her off and acting as if their whole friendship had been a joke just destroyed him. He needed reassurance saying that what he did was for the better.

And, so, he turned to the smartest person he could find to give him just that.

"Ron! Hey mate, where've you been? I've been round this whole castle looking for you!" Ron was sitting beneath a large oak tree by the lake being fanned my tiny imps waving palm leaves. How cliché' the scene was.

"Sorry, Harry," he said with his mouth full of grapes. " What's gotten into you, man?"

"Well," he started off, " I kind of told Hermione off and told her our friendship was one big lie so that she wouldn't get hurt following me into war with Voldemort and all." Harry took a deep breath. " That was the right thing to do, right? She was pretty upset though, I mean you know how she is, and -"

"Blimey, Harry! Shut-up, would you! Now, what you did was bad. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad. She's probably one big puddle by now you big dolt! Besides, she's a target already! It doesn't matter if she goes or not! You love her and she loves you, now go make with the happy!" The day he got advice, and good advice at that, from Ronald Bilius Weasley would be the day he told Hermione Granger that they were never friends! Umm, okay, well, just forget it! He really screwed up this time.

"Hang on, she loves me?" Ron nodded. " And I love her?" Another nod. " Oh. Yeah, well, I can see that. Thanks Ron!" And with that, he headed out searching for any trace of Hermione.

He found her in the Astronomy Tower of all places; her head nestled on a book, the rest of her stretched out on the balcony. The moonlight did wonderful things to her features. Harry stood for a good five minutes just observing her, not criticizing just admiring.

He didn't know why he had never realized her beauty before. It was hard to miss, now.

"H...Hermione. Wake up. " He stoked her cheek lovingly, regretting how he had treated her earlier so much it hurt. She moaned and opened her eyes then jerked back as if Harry had slapped her. His eyes clouded over with guilt. Then confusion, for Hermione realized who it was and moved closer to brush his bangs from his eyes and cradle his cheek. " Hermione...why are acting like -"

"I know what you said, Harry, but you didn't mean it. You were just doing it to protect me. And even though your words cut me deep, I want to thank you, Harry, for watching out for me. It's almost as if -" This time Hermione was cut off by Harry.

"As if I love you? Yes, that seems about right doesn't it? I'm so sorry. For everything, for leaving you in the dark, for pushing you in the dark, and -" Hogwarts students have no manners. All they do is interrupt others...sometimes, even with a kiss, for that's exactly what Hermione had done. She had kissed Harry.