Just Good Friends

The month of September passed fairly uneventfully. Hogwarts was the same as ever, (and except from an unusual lack of trouble from Malfoy) not much had changed.

One day during the last week of September, Hermione walked into the prefects' common room, exhausted. She had stayed up late talking to Harry and Ron the night before, and then she had to tutor some 2^nd years in Charms after classes. She was about to head up to her room and take a nap before dinner when she noticed Harry sitting at the desk, his chair tilted back, head against a bookshelf, feet on the desk, eyes closed. Hermione knew he wasn't sleeping, even his Quidditch player's balance wouldn't keep him from toppling over if he drifted off. She could also tell by the expression on his face that something was wrong. Hermione debated over whether to announce her presence or not, and finally decided that she should. If she could help him with whatever was stressing him out, she would. And if he just wanted to be left alone, then she would go up to her room. But somehow she knew that simple alone time wasn't what Harry was craving right now.

She walked back to the door and closed it a little bit more loudly than she had the first time. Harry's head snapped up and he looked towards the noise.

"Oh, hey Hermione," he said in a tired voice.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, with concern in her voice.

"Nothing, I'm just a bit out of it today."

"Any particular reason that you're 'a bit out of it'?"

"No, not really."

Hermione, who had been walking towards Harry during this conversation, pushed herself up onto the desk and looked him square in the eyes. "You're a horrible liar, Harry. Now tell me what's wrong."

Harry considered brushing Hermione off, but then changed his mind. He really wanted to talk to someone, and Hermione was always a good listener. "I've just been a little bit stressed lately. Trying to keep decent grades and prefect duties and still finding time to hang out with you and Ron; it was easy the first few weeks, but it's all beginning to catch up with me. Plus Quidditch starts up again in a few weeks and..." he sighed. "I just don't know if I'll be able to keep up with everything. School's never been too difficult before, but now I just feel like I'm in over my head." Harry looked into Hermione's concerned face and suddenly felt a bit guilty about dumping all of his troubles on his best friend. "I shouldn't be telling you all this. You've probably got your own problems to worry about."

Hermione sat up straight. "The only problem I have right now is the fact that one of my best friends is stressed out." She grabbed his hands and slid off the desk. "C'mon."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, just come with me." And Harry did.

Hermione led him out of their common room and through various corridors until they came, surprisingly (well, maybe not so surprisingly, knowing Hermione) to the library. "What does the library have to do with all of this?" Harry asked.

"Wait a minute and you'll see." Hermione replied. They climbed up to the seldom-used third floor of the library and walked to the very end of the last row of books, where Hermione took out her wand, pointed it at a blank wall, and muttered something under her breath. The wall disappeared and revealed a long hallway that led back behind the row of books they were standing by. Hermione dragged a surprised Harry to the middle of the hall where she tapped a stone in the wall with her wand, revealing a door. Hermione then fished a key out of her robes and opened the door of her sanctuary.

Hermione and Harry walked into the spacious room and the door swung shut behind them. "How'd you find out about this place?" Harry finally managed to ask. Hermione who was magically starting a fire in the fireplace, looked over her shoulder to answer him, and smiled at the slightly shocked look on his face.

"Madam Pince showed it to me in third year. Remember that whole mess with the time-turner?" Harry nodded. "Well, Professor McGonagall told Madame Pince about it and Madame Pince showed me this place." Hermione indicated the room around her. I'd come in here and study one subject, and when was done, I'd turn the time-turner back so I could study another subject in the main library. After I went back to a normal schedule, Madame Pince said I could keep the room, and it became my special place to relax. When things get too hectic, I just come in here and unwind." She walked over to the overstuffed brown armchair facing the door and curled up in it, gesturing for Harry to sit on the large, comfortable brown couch next to it. Harry sat down, looked around the large, yet cozy, room, and for some reason instantly began to feel calmer than he had earlier. Hermione noticed this and her smile got a bit wider. "Feel better?"

Harry returned her smile. "Yes. Thanks for bringing me here."

"You're welcome. I thought you'd like it."

"You really didn't have to bring me here. I mean, it's your place..."

"Hermione cut him off. "It's your place too, now. You need the peace and quiet as much as I do." Harry just smiled and leaned back against the sofa, thankful for a friend like Hermione.

((()))

At the prefect's meeting the next night, Professor Flitwick, the supervisor for that week, announced that, due to quite a few requests by the students, there would be a Halloween ball that year. "It will be a costume party, and you are free to come as whatever you wish, as long as costumes are appropriate." He paused and looked meaningfully at the female Slytherins in the room, some of whom were known for their extremely skimpy outfits. "Dumbledore has decided that each house's prefects will be in charge of certain aspects of the dance. Gryffindors are in charge of music, Hufflepuffs in charge of refreshments, Ravenclaws in charge of decorations, and Slytherins in charge of budgeting." He stopped, waiting for the groans of the students at the knowledge that Slytherin was in charge of the money, but none came. The other houses may not have liked Slytherin, but it was well known that the budgeting powers of the richest house in the school were incredible. Slytherins usually turned out to be shrewd businessmen (and women).

After guidelines for what each committee could and could not do were handed out, the meeting continued on to the schedules for that month's rounds, tutoring schedules, a few hundred complaints from Filch, and other things. About an hour later, the meeting adjourned, and after agreeing to meet with the other Gryffindor prefects later that week to discuss the music for the ball, Harry and Hermione headed towards Gryffindor tower together. They had been walking in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Hermione spoke.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Herm?"

"Will you go to the Halloween Ball with me? I mean, just as friends?" Harry was a bit shocked at this question, but it only took him a second to regain his senses and answer her.

"Of course I will." Hermione breathed a tiny sigh of relief, which didn't go unnoticed by Harry. He chuckled. "Was asking me such an ordeal?"

Hermione laughed. "No, I was just dreadfully afraid that you'd say no, you had planned on asking someone else."

"Nonsense, I wouldn't have nearly as much fun with anyone else. The only person I want to go with is my best friend."

Hermione looked up at him and smiled. "So you were planning on asking Ron?"

Harry gave her the tiniest playful shove. "Nope, he's not nearly as good looking as the person I'm taking." Hermione blushed the faintest blush, but before she could say anything, Harry continued. "I'm a bit surprised you asked me, I could have sworn that you had your eyes on that Ravenclaw, Terry Boot."

She shook her head. "No, he's not really my type. Besides, he's a bit taken with Ginny." She looked up to gauge his reaction; although Ginny had more or less gotten over her crush on Harry and he was not interested in her in a romantic manner, he was still very protective of his former admirer. To Hermione's relief, however, Harry just laughed.

"Well good luck to him then! He'll need it to get past Ron, Fred, and George."

"You think they'll put up much of a fuss?" Hermione asked, more than a bit sarcastically.

"No, not really. They'll just call in Charlie, Bill, and Percy and tell them to bring in the torture devices..."

"Set up Percy as Chief Inquisitor..."

"Put Terry on the rack for a few days..."

"And eventually hang him from the ceiling by his ankles and leave him there until he forgets he ever met Ginny." Harry and Hermione looked at each other and burst out laughing as they reached their door. "Rumors," Hermione said, and they entered their common room, bypassing the Gryffindor common room entirely for the first time.