The pair sat comfortably in silence in the Room of Requirement. They didn't speak... they didn't need to. Hermione leant her head against Y/N's chest, an arm round his lower back as she listened to his heartbeat. Y/N's arms were around Hermione as he rubbed her back and played with her hair.

Hermione sat with a huge smile on her face. Y/N had suffered so much. Pain she couldn't begin to comprehend. Yet he was still smiling. When he had told her she was his best friend her heart had skipped a beat.

She felt the same way. They hadn't known each other long but they had grown so close, so quickly. She made a decision- Y/N had sworn to her that he would never leave her alone. She would do the same for him. Her best friend had suffered so much. She wanted to make sure he didn't suffer again.

Even when he was telling her about how horrible his childhood was he would stop to make sure she was ok.

Hermione tried to wrap her head around it. He had shown no emotion when he was talking about all those horrible things but got upset when Hermione was upset.

He had even said if it was too much she could talk about his story to Professor McGonagall or her parents. That he didn't want her to feel overwhelmed. Even though he didn't want other people to know he was more concerned about her. Hermione felt an indescribable sense of gratitude coupled with butterflies in her stomach she didn't understand.

-~-

After sitting for a while the two went down to the great hall for dinner. Y/N felt extremely drained after the soul bearing conversation and didn't really want to talk to anyone else.

Unfortunately, after what happened in Charms everyone wanted to talk to the 'super powerful first year'. Nothing spread as fast as gossip at Hogwarts.

Y/N avoided people as much as possible. They had had some dinner and soon returned to the Gryffindor common room. Y/N and Hermione sat on one of the two couches in front of the fireplace.

It wasn't long though before Harry and Ron came over and sat opposite them. Harry seemed to pick up on something being off with Y/N, but Ron was oblivious. He continually badgered Y/N with questions which got at most one word answers and mostly grunts.

Harry looked at Y/N with concern. He seemed really down, and Harry noticed Hermione subtly attempt to deflect the conversation away from Y/N and his abilities or training. Ron however continued to miss the memo.

As they sat there the group was surprised as a small kitten jumped up on the couch.

"Hey Smoky" Y/N smiled as the kitten sat on his lap, the feline's behind pushing Hermione's hand back and away from Y/N.

"Oh my god she is beautiful" Hermione smiled and gushed. She reached out to pat the kitten before jumping back in shock.

She had narrowly avoided being scratched as the Kneazle lashed out with her claws, hissing and trying to scratch the girl.

"SMOKY NO!!!" Y/N said firmly and angrily.

"Hermione I am so sorry. She's really territorial and doesn't like females. Smoky you apologise to Hermione and be nice now!"

The kitten meowed at Y/N, almost sounding angry at him.

"Smoky! You apologise and let Hermione pat you or you'll go back in your cage for half an hour!"

The Kneazle looked at Y/N, then to Hermione and meowed. Hermione reached out apprehensively before slowly stroking the kittens head. The kitten purred before looking at Y/N, meowing at him and bolting off his lap and up the stairs towards Y/N's dorm.

"You ok?" Y/N asked Hermione gently. She nodded as she returned to leaning into him. "Bloody cat's a menace. I swear it's nuts" Y/N said, shaking his head.

-~-

When it was close to ten pm Percy announced it was time for first years to head up to bed. Harry was surprised when he as he followed Ron up the stairs and turned to talk to Y/N, he wasn't there, instead Harry saw Y/N at the base of the stairs to the girls dorms, and he and Hermione were hugging. Harry was surprised, the two seemed very close very quickly.

-~-

Hermione whispered to Y/N how proud she was of him, for how strong he was to push through everything that had happened and still be such a great guy. That she was proud to be his best friend. They hugged. It was tight, caring, heartfelt. Y/N wished Hermione goodnight and she smiled and headed up to her dorm.

-~-

Two girls were sitting in the corner of the Gryffindor common room. They watched Y/N walk across from the girls stairs and towards the boy's ones.

"You're staring pretty hard Katie" Alicia Spinnet giggled at her best friend.

Katie Bell smirked:

"Well he's pretty good looking. He's strong- we both heard about today in charms class. Plus he's a L/N. They are loaded"

Alicia rolled her eyes and chuckled again as Katie made eye contact with the boy and smiled at him, Y/N smiling back before climbing the stairs towards his dorm.

-~-

Y/N woke up like clockwork at 5am. He put on a tank top and grabbed his robes and clothes so he could shower and dress in the Room of Requirement.

He quietly headed out and down to the common room only to be greeted by a surprise- Hermione was in the middle of the room smiling at him:

"Hermione good morning. Why are you here and in your robes already?"

"Good morning Y/N. I'm going with you to the room of requirement. I can study while you work out."

Y/N chuckled.

"Awww you didn't have to do that Hermione"

Hermione internally panicked. Had she overstepped a boundary? This friendship thing was new to her. She asked shakily with an upset expression:

"Don... don't you want me there?"

Y/N chuckled with a large smile.

"No it's not that at all. It's just you could've had more sleep. Thank you though. It's really nice of you"

His smile caused all Hermione's previous doubts to disappear as she smiled back and answered: "Let's go".

-~-

The pair arrived at the room of requirement. They entered the room to see a mini library with a large desk on one of the room and a home gym on the other with a door to what looked like a changing room.

Hermione smiled and set herself up at the desk while Y/N went over and started his workout. Hermione looked up to catch a glimpse of Y/N. He had jumped up to a horizontal pole. He was pulling himself up and lowering again. Hermione looked at him, the sweat starting to form, his muscles flexing and tensing as he lifted himself up over and over again.

She tried her hardest to concentrate on her books and ignore what was happening on the other side of the room but it was a battle she was losing.

-~-

Y/N finally finished his workout. His body was aching, his muscles tensed as sweat drenched his body. He yelled to Hermione that he was jumping in the shower. Hermione looked up and nodded just as he took his tank top off and turned to go to the changing room. She saw the faint outline of his abs and felt her face instantly flush. She felt her stomach flood with butterflies as she desperately attempted to ignore whatever it was and concentrate on the book in front of her.

"Parchment and quills, parchments and quills, parchments and quills"

Hermione repeated to herself, trying to push the image of Y/N out of her head. Why was she feeling this way about her friend?

-~-

Y/N enjoyed the steaming hot shower before drying himself off. He looked in the mirror, more bumfluff on his face as he spread shaving cream.

"Goddamn pain in the arse"

-~-

Y/N emerged from the change room with his stomach growling, ready to head down to breakfast. He chuckled to himself as he heard Hermione muttering to herself as he approached.

"Parchment and quills? Are you trying to give me a hint for your birthday present 'Mione?"

Hermione looked up at Y/N, standing there with that cocky smirk of his and she immediately felt herself burn red.

Y/N looked at Hermione, who seemed to have temporarily shut down.

"You ok?" He asked concerned as he waved a hand in front of her face. Hermione snapped out of her stupor and nodded, packing up her books quickly as she stood, catching a whiff of his intoxicating aftershave.

Oh good lord she thought to herself as she replied: "Yes perfectly fine"

Hermione smiled with the best poker face she could muster.

"Cool" Y/N answered with a raised eyebrow, unsure what was going on.

"Let's go get breakfast".