A Shoulder to Lean On...and a Bit More

Hermione sighed and let her head fall into her hands. As she did so her bushy, chocolate brown hair swept around her like a veil. Bloody hell...another job, gone...

Hermione's parents had ditched her a year ago. They had gotten tired of "all this magic nonsense," kicked her out onto the street, and made her promise never to return. She had trudged down the muddy streets in search of a place to stay and finally ended up at the Leaky Cauldron. Hermione had stayed there for the rest of the summer holidays. She also had to use all of the little money she had to pay Tom for her room.

So at last she had gotten a job. She had become a cashier at Madam Malkin's Robe Shop. That had lasted for quite a while until she had to go to back to Hogwarts. Mrs. Malkin fired her saying that she needed someone who could be there every day, not just on the weekends.

And now, here she was again, in need of several new quills, the next volume of Arithmancy: Follow the Numbers, as well as new robes as hers were getting much too tight.

Hermione sighed again as she released her head from her hands and stared into the fire.

Just a few moments later a black-haired, emerald-eyed boy crept down the stairs from the boys' dormitory to find a worried looking Hermione with tears shining in her eyes.

He walked over to the couch where she was sitting. She didn't even turn around to notice him.

"Hermione?" Harry said softly.

Hermione jumped slightly and quickly wiped away the tears that had been stinging her eyes moments before.

"What-oh, Harry...what are you doing down here?" Hermione asked him, trying to sound casual.

"I, well, I came to see if you had gone up to bed yet. I didn't think you had and apparently I was right," he answered.

She looked into his emerald green eyes for a moment. She could just drown herself in them. Harry smiled at her and raised an eyebrow jokingly. Hermione, realizing that she had been staring at him for almost a full minute, quickly tore her gaze from him, her cheeks burning. Oh honestly Hermione, get a grip! It's only Harry! Yeah, only Harry, the one man I just happen to be madly in love with...oh hell...

Harry stopped smiling and moved to sit down beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight hug. Hermione shivered slightly, but then hugged him back with all her being, collapsing into his arms and letting the tears pour down her face.

"I know you're having a rough time of it, 'Mione...it'll be okay...you don't have to worry..." he whispered into her hair as he felt his shirt start to dampen with Hermione's tears.

Hermione pulled away slightly. "Harry, no, it won't be! I have no money to buy what I need for school! There is no way I'll be able to survive this damn world I've been plunged into by my parents!"

Harry pushed her away from him a bit more so that he could look her in the eye. "Hermione, don't worry, you'll be fine. Mrs. Weasley has already said that you can stay at the Burrow for the summer holidays! And you just forget about those damn so-called parents of yours, the bastards..."

He enveloped her back into a hug as tears began to once again flow freely down her beautiful face. As he held her Harry wished he could do this all the time, not just when Hermione was upset. He wanted to be able to hold her everyday, kiss her sweet lips, and whisper words of affection into her ear. But it's never going to happen, Harry, so get a hold of yourself and move on! But he had tried to let go many times before and was never successful. What's the bloody use...