Wonderful Journey

Wonderful Journey

"We were strangers, starting out on a journey

Never dreaming what we'd have to go through

Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing

At the beginning with you"

Hermione Granger looked up at the picture that stood on her night table. The photo images of herself and her two best friends waved at her. She brushed back a strand of hair from her eyes and reached towards it. That picture was taken at the end of first year. In the photo, the three were looking out from behind a wall of the school, Harry above her, and Ron below her. Their first meeting was fresh in her mind, almost like it was yesterday.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said to two boys in the last compartment. One was a red head and the other had messy black hair.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said a red-haired boy, looking a bit annoyed.

She wasn't really listening, but saw he was holding his wand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat on the seat next to him and watched him, smiling slightly. The boy cleared his throat and began to recite.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

As he waved his wand like a dangerous weapon, she moved back slightly, narrowly avoiding having her eye poked out. Safely out of his wand's way, she spoke.

"Are you sure that's a real spell? It's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter." She was aware that she was rambling, but she couldn't make herself stop. "But I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

The red haired boy looked at the black haired one and Hermione was confused as to why they looked so stunned.

"I'm Ron Weasley" said the redhead.

"Harry Potter," said Harry.

Hermione chuckled as she held the picture. She really was a pain in the arse sometimes. After all that they had done together that first year, she was surprised when Harry suggested they get their picture taken.

"Come on you two! It will be awesome. Besides, what else are we gonna have to remember our first year at Hogwarts during the summer?" He looked at Hermione, his green eyes pleading. "Please Hermione?" She threw her head back and laughed a little.

"Sure Harry. You in Ron?"

They all found Professor Dumbledore and were surprised that he did indeed have a magical camera and he was more than pleased to take their picture. Brushing more hair out of her eyes, Hermione continued to pack her trunk, placing the picture face down among her robes gently. One memory tugged at the back of her mind and she still shuddered when she remembered just HOW they had become friends. That troll really did her a favor. Back home, she didn't have friends. The other children always thought her strange. She threw herself more into her studies and became so smart that she intimidated them all. Over the years, her heart became more and more scabbed and scarred. Then they came along...

"No one told me I was going to find you,

unexpected what you did to my heart

When I lost hope, you were there to remind me

This is the start..."

Seven years... millions of adventures, millions of journeys. And she had been through it all with them standing by her side. She smiled faintly as she remembered Ron cursing himself accidentally, trying to defend her honor against Malfoy. Up until then, she was waiting for him or Harry to turn their back on her and decide that being her friend was just too difficult. But Ron stood up for her.

"And life is a road that I want to keep going,

Love is a river I want to keep flowing,

Life is the road now and forever,

wonderful journey..."

She remembered holding onto Harry so tightly when she had been released from her petrified state at the end of that year. He had saved her life... and what he didn't know was that she could hear everything that was said to her and around her. She could hear the pain and weariness in his voice and he talked to her when he visited.

"I'll be there when the world stops churning,

I'll be there when the storm is through

At the end I want to be standing at the beginning with you"

She packed the remaining robes and closed her trunk. She stood up and looked around the room, tracing her fingers over the carvings on the post of her bed, then picked up her wand. "Wingardium Leviosa,' she said softly. Her trunk followed her down to the common room where she spied Harry sitting by the fire. She guided her trunk down next to his and sad next to him. She smiled at him and pulled her feet up under her.

"Well, this is it. No more Hogwarts after tonight. It's hard to believe that seven years have passed..."

"Yeah, I know," he said, his deep voice soft. "It's hard to believe that we're leaving this place that has become our home."

He chuckled and leaned towards her. Grabbing her arms, he tugged at her and she fell forward. She giggled and straightened her body out a bit, so that she was half-sitting, half-laying down next to him. Harry had undergone some startling changes over the years. He was still pretty short, but he stood at a decent 5 ft 9 inches in height. The most amazing change however had been his filling out. He wasn't anywhere near as scrawny as he had been during their first year. She settled herself down, resting her head on his leg.

"We were strangers on a crazy adventure..."

"Remember how we met?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "How can I forget? I rambled on and on and on like a big idiot! You and Ron must have thought me mental!"

Harry laughed. "The thought did cross our minds a few times. It was all so new. I wasn't sure I'd fit in with everyone at first."

"But you did. In fact, you surpassed them in everything..."

"Hey, what are you two talking about? Budge up Mione, I want to have a seat too!"

Ron stood over them, well over 6 ft tall. He had filled out so that he was no longer tall and lanky, but tall and muscular, his freckles standing out against the pale skin that never tanned. Hermione stuck her tongue out at him and swung her feet off of the lounge, sitting up. Ron sat down and grabbed her feet, placing them on his lap. She stretched out again, this time a little farther up Harry's lap.

"Remember when you accidentally cursed yourself Ron?"

"Yeah, and I still turn green with the memory," he chuckled.

"Remember that detention in the Forest, Mione?" said Harry.

"Malfoy was screaming like a little girl when he got to where we stood." Said Hermione, laughing at the memory

"I can't believe I missed that detention. Stupid Norbert."

"Oh, remember those Nifflers? And the Puffskeins?"

"Those had to be the most tame Care of Magical Creatures classes we ever had!"

They sat up well into the night, laughing and remembering all the times they had shared.

"Never dreaming how our dreams would come true"

The cheerful mood was broken suddenly when Harry looked down at Hermione and over at Ron.

"You guys will never know how much you both mean to me. I never had friends growing up, my aunt and uncle wouldn't have it... and Dudley made sure no one wanted to risk his wrath."

"Harry..." began Hermione, but he raised a hand to silence her.

"You guys have stood by me, with me, and at times against me when I needed it most. You've been my rocks and my shelters... and I've never once thanked you for it. Especially you Hermione," he said looking down at her again. "Your quick thinking and logic... your eagerness to get into the books for a solution... that has saved my arse... our arses more times than we can count. And the both of you saved me from going over the edge when..." he paused and swallowed before he continued. "when Sirius died. Without the both of you, I don't know where I'd be or what I'd do."

Ron looked over at Harry and held out his hand. Harry gripped it and smiled at each other.

"It's been great knowing you mate."

"What about me?" Hermione asked, one eyebrow quirked up.

"Oh, you... well, it's been ok I suppose... OW!"

Hermione jabbed him in his ribs and grinned.

"Come here," he said, holding his arms out. She sat up and wrapped her arms around Ron's broad shoulders.

"You've been a bit annoying over the years Mione, but I can never say you weren't a true friend."

"At least I know a male when I see one Weasley."

"I'm never going to live that down will I?"

"Nope," she said as she squeezed him hard.

They released each other and Hermione turned to Harry. He looked somewhat uneasy and she frowned at him.

"Harry? What's wrong?"

He looked at them and his frown increased.

"We're talking like this is the end of our friendship... like we'll never see each other again."

"But we will... I'm getting a flat in magical London, and so are the both of you... right?" said Hermione, straightening up.

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?" Ron piped up.

"Guys, does it REALLY make sense to have three separate flats in London? Why can't Ron move in with me and I'm sure there's an empty flat in the same area as mine. You could move there Mione..."

Both Ron and Hermione thought about it for a few minutes and suddenly, Hermione's face lit up.

"I'll check on it as soon as I get back home tomorrow. But, I don't think I'll be ready to move for a little while. I want to spend some time with my parents."

Ron remained silent. This did not go unnoticed by either of his friends.

"Ron?"

He took a deep breath before looking Hermione and Harry in the face.

"I would love nothing more than to be able to share a flat with you Harry... on one condition."

Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron and gestured for him to continue.

"The one rule is that wherever we are, she goes too," he said, pointing at Hermione. "If that means we live at the Burrow until we find the right place, then so be it. Mum won't mind... I know it."

"Speaking of the Burrow Ron, remember when you fell down the stairs?" said Hermione, a mischievous grin on her face.

"I bloody well remember that. You tripped me!"

The three friends laughed and talked the rest of the night away, Hermione settled in between Harry and Ron.

"Now here we stand, unafraid of the future

At the beginning with you

And life is a road that I want to keep going

Love is a river I want to keep flowing

Life is a road, now and forever

wonderful journey

I'll be there when the world stops churning

I'll be there when the storm is through

In the end I want to be standing

at the beginning with you"

The next morning dawned bright in the common room, illuminating the three curled up on the lounge together, Ron with his arm draped across Hermione's waist, his head on her hip and Harry with his arm draped over her shoulder. Hermione's head was resting on Harry's stomach, her arm resting on his lap. A ray of sun fell across Harry's face and he opened his eyes.

"Hey, Mione... time to get up." When she didn't get up, he moved his arm and nudged her in her side. She jumped slightly and opened her eyes.

"Wha?" she said sleepily.

"Time to get up. We all need to shower and dress before we go down to the Great Hall."

She sat up a bit and bit back a cry of discomfort. Ron was still resting his head on her hip and she found that it hurt a little.

"Ron... hey, Ron..."

Ron mumbled something and pushed his head farther into Hermione's hip. Her yelp of pain brought him to complete awareness and he sat up straight.

"Wha? Who? Huh?" he rubbed his eyes sleepily and eyed Hermione, who was massaging her hip with one hand.

"What happened?"

She looked at him and grinned, despite the pain.

"Your big head Weasley."

"Knew there was somebody somewhere,

like me, alone in the dark.

Now I know my dream will live on

I've been waiting so long

Nothing's going to tear us apart"

Two hours later, they were standing on the platform in Hogsmeade. Harry turned around and took one last look at the place he had called home for seven years. If it had not been for that place, he would not have met his friends and they would have never had all of those amazing adventures. He smiled to himself and boarded the train behind Hermione.

"And life is a road that I want to keep going,

Love is a river I want to keep flowing,

Life is a road now and forever,

Wonderful journey

I'll be there when the world stops churning,

I'll be there when the storm is through

In the end I want to be standing at the beginning with you

Life is a road that I want to keep going,

Love is a river I want to keep going on,

Starting out on a journey

Life is a road that I want to keep going,

Love is a river I want to keep flowing,

In the end I want to be standing at the beginning with you."