Y/N woke as the early morning sunlight poured into the windows granted by the Room of Requirement. Y/N stirred awake, filled with a surreal feeling, sure the events of the previous evening were a dream.

He was suddenly made aware of the fact it wasn't a dream as he looked down, feeling a weight on his chest. He smiled, seeing a mess of brown bushy hair leaning on to him. He couldn't help but smile even more.

He loved it when Hermione slept on him. It made him feel calm, and safe, in a way he couldn't explain. He didn't get to say either of those things often.

Hermione began to stir and the arm she had draped over Y/N's abdomen squeezed tighter, causing Y/N to smile further. Hermione's head slowly began to rise and as she looked up into Y/N's eyes a large blush rose on her cheeks.

"Morning beautiful" Y/N said with a smile.

"Morning...handsome" Hermione replied, smiling back as her blush slowly diminished.

The pair laid there in each other's arms for the next few minutes before a horrible realisation crossed Y/N's mind.

He forgot a silencing charm.

"Are you ok?" Hermione asked sweetly. "You've started beating pretty quickly"

"Hermione, did I make any noise last night? Any uh... yelling, or screaming?"

Hermione looked up, surprised and concerned by his answer. She shook her head.

"No, nothing like that.... why?"

Y/N smiled sadly.

"Every night I have nightmares. Of being back there, in my families ancestral manor house. Of my mother... of her hurting me."

Hermione eyes widened as Y/N's words registered and she dove into Y/N, bury her face into the crook of his neck. He heard her sob and wrapped his arms around her body, whispering in her ear:

"It's alright 'Mione. It's ok. I don't remember having one last night and I forgot to cast a silencing charm. For whatever reason, being here, with you, I didn't have a nightmare"

The two laid in the embrace for close to half an hour before Hermione lifted herself up, kissed Y/N on the cheek and smiled. It soon faded as she looked at him saddened, asking:

"We should probably talk, shouldn't we"

Y/N sighed and replied.

"Yeah, we probably should".

The two spent the next half an hour laying everything out honestly. Y/N admitted he liked Hermione, much more than a friend. Hermione blushed, and sighed, admitting she felt the same way.

Y/N explained that he had never wanted to hurt her, but that he had to save the Leviathan, something deep inside made him, even it meant he had died doing it. That it was like protecting her or Harry. It was a part of him. He couldn't change it.

Hermione gasped and teared up when Y/N had said that he didn't care if he died as long as the Leviathan was safe. She eventually nodded, saying she understood.

Y/N was sincerely grateful for the words of Professor Dumbledore the previous evening.

Hermione explained how scared she was when Y/N had been attacked and was in the coma. How she couldn't sleep or eat, and that she was afraid of getting even closer in case something happened again and the pain would be too unbearable. She had to protect herself from feeling those terrible feelings- the fear and pain and anxiety- ever again.

This all led to the impasse the pair were currently at.

"So what are we going to do?" Y/N asked.

"I...I don't know Y/N. I just don't see how it would work." Hermione replied saddened.

"I guess I like you, a lot. But I can't promise you I won't do something like that again Hermione. I just can't. I won't lie to you"

Hermione sighed and nodded.

"And I can't be... I don't know... even closer with you, knowing you could be in that situation again. I just can't Y/N"

"You're gonna be my best friend still aren't you 'Mione. The thought of not having you in my life it..."

Y/N trailed off as Hermione went to hug him, but stopped herself.

"Of course we will still be best friends, I just don't think we can do things like, like this, anymore"

Hermione motioned to the bed.

"It just makes things too hard, hugging, holding hands, kissing you on the-"

"I understand Hermione. I won't cross any boundaries again".

He stood as Hermione spluttered:

"N-No Y/N, that's not what I-"

"I'd better start my workout. Don't want to be late for breakfast"

He spoke in his emotionless flat tone. The hurt tore him in half, being apart from Hermione.. he couldn't understand what he was feeling, only that being away from her felt... wrong. So he did what he knew how to do. What he was trained to do. He closed himself off, shut down, internalised. It was the only way he knew how to handle the pain.

Hermione sighed as she watched Y/N jump up on his pull up beam. She picked up her clothes and entered the bathroom. She turned, looking at Y/N as she shut the door.

She whispered:

"I'm sorry"

-~-

The two students shared an awkward, silent walk to the Great Hall. Their three friends were already there having breakfast.

Hermione told them what she and Y/N had decided. Harry and Lavender both looked upset at their decision. Ron was completely disinterested, continuing to shovel bacon and sausage into his mouth.

After a quiet breakfast where Lavender and Hermione chatted and Y/N sat silently, the five headed out to Hagrid's Hut.

Y/N and Hermione walked next to each other, silently. Y/N had the strong urge to hold Hermione's hand, but knew he couldn't. He felt the hurt again, the emptiness. He pushed it down.

Hermione glanced at Y/N out of the corner of her eye. She wanted so badly to hold his hand, to feel his warmth, be close to him. She knew she couldn't. She couldn't feel that pain again, that terrifying fear that he was going to die. She had to protect herself.

She could see how much Y/N was hurting. When he put his shields up, everyone else saw him as cold, pensive, brooding. Not her. She could see straight through his facade. She could read him like a book.

She realised she had been staring at him for a while, at he was looking back at her puzzled. She panicked and said the first thing that came to her mind:

"Let's hope Hagrid doesn't have a dragon egg this time, hey?"

-~-

Y/N stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at Hermione wide eyed as she stopped in shock.

"'Mione, what did you just say?"

"Let's hope Hagrid doesn't have a dragon egg?" Hermione repeated, looking at Y/N puzzled. Y/N's face looked like he had just been told he'd lost a loved one.

"Fuck! Why didn't I see it?"

Before Hermione could ask what Y/N meant, or the others could figure out what was going on, Y/N sprinted passed them.

"What... what's going on?" Lavender asked Hermione puzzled.

"I don't know but we'd better follow him" Hermione replied as she took off in pursuit. Lavender and Harry were right behind her, Ron grumbling about what a big breakfast he'd had.

-~-

When Hermione and the others arrived at Hagrid's Hut, out of breath, Y/N was banging on his door loudly.

"What..what..are..you...talking...about?" Hermione asked as she tried desperately to catch her breath.

"Doesn't it seem odd that Hagrid wants a dragon egg more than anything and he happens to run into someone who has one?" Y/N replied, banging again as Hagrid finally opened up.

"What's all this- oh hello you lot. Thanks fer coming. Congratulations on the award Y/N, ye deserved it".

Y/N nodded, speaking quickly and concerned:

"Thanks Hagrid, but I have to talk to you about something important".

"Alrigh', but come in and sit first".

Y/N sighed, standing aside and letting the girls in first. Hermione sat in her and Y/N's usual seat, smiling as he entered behind her. Lavender was busy patting Fang and as Y/N passed her he looked briefly at the seat he normally shared with Hermione. She was shocked and saddened when Y/N walked over and sat on the sofa.

The boys were shocked as well as they went over and sat next to him. Lavender turned from patting the bloodhound and looked at her best friend sadly, sitting next to her and gently squeezing her hand.

"You ok?" Lavender whispered.

"It's for the best" Hermione replied, trying to convince herself as much as Lavender.

Hagrid looked quite perplexed as Y/N started questioning him:

"Hagrid. The man who gave you the dragon egg. What did he look like?"

"I don't know, never took his cloak off. Usual for someone in the trade isn't it".

"Well you spoke to him right, did you talk about Hogwarts?" Y/N pushed, the bad feeling in the pit of his stomach growing with each passing moment.

"Well yeah I told him about my job so he knew I'd be ok with a dragon egg. I said after Fluffy a dragon is no problem."

"Did he seem interested in Fluffy?" Y/N continued to push.

"Well of course he was interested, I mean how often do you come across a three headed dog, even if you're in the trade? But I said to him, it's just about knowing how to handle the beast. Take Fluffy for instance, falls asleep to a bit of music."

Oh no. Y/N felt his stomach flip. His eyes widened before he was off out the door in a flash. The other four took off after him as Hagrid yelled: "Where are ye goin'?"

The four lost sight of Y/N as they ran, for a big guy he was surprisingly quick, Harry said to the others:

"Dumbledore's office"

"How... do... you... know?" Lavender asked huffing and puffing.

"Y/N just... told me, in... my head" Harry replied. All Hermione could think was- why didn't he tell me?

-~-

Y/N raced up the stairways at Hogwarts, taking the steps two at a time. Even with his exceptional cardiovascular conditioning his lungs were burning. He finally made it to the entryway to the Headmaster's office, just as Professor McGonagall was exiting with a pile of books.

"Oh, Mr.L/N, catch your breath" the Professor said, looking at the student from her house curiously.

"Thanks Professor" Y/N nodded, hands on his hips as he inhaled deeply. "I need to see the Headmaster, Professor. Immediately".

"That won't be possible Mr.L/N"

The look on Y/N's face actually made the Transfiguration Professor step back.

"I need to see the Headmaster, Professor, now" Y/N said firmly.

"Mr.L/N, I assure you if there is a problem, then I can assist you"

"You don't understand Professor, it's about-"

Y/N looked around the hall as Professor McGonagall heard in her mind:

The Philosopher's Stone

The Professor's mouth dropped open, as the books she held also dropped to the floor. Y/N levitated them back into her hands wandlessly as the Professor continued staring at him in shock, finally asking:

"How do you know about that?"

-~-

The four Gryffindors finally reached the Headmaster's Office, high up in Gryffindor tower. As they all desperately attempted to catch their breath they witnessed the tail end of a conversation between Y/N and Professor McGonagall, the Professor storming off angrily.

Y/N walked up to his friends as they collectively attempted to get their breathing under control once more.

"Shit. Dumbledore's gone. He got an urgent owl from the Ministry. I'd bet every galleon I've got it was a set up, which means Quirrell is making his move. Tonight. I'm going after him."

"You mean Snape" Ron tried to correct Y/N through heavy breaths.

"Fuck sake fine Ron. Snape. Point is, I'm going after him tonight."

"Not alone you're not" Harry said with conviction. Y/N looked at the bespectacled boy sternly.

"Harry. No. It's too dangerous."

"But it's ok for you to go?" Harry asked. Y/N looked him in the eye as he responded simply:

"Yes"

"That's rubbish Y/N." Hermione added, Lavender nodding in agreement. Y/N looked at his four friends angered:

"Look I'm not arguing with you guys about it ok. I'm going you're not. End of discussion."

"Yeah, cos you think you're so much better than us don't you" Ron snapped.

"No Ron, it's not that at all" Y/N snarled.

"Then what?" the redhead snapped again.

"It's... it's because you guys are too important to me to let anything happen to. It doesn't matter if I get hurt."

Y/N looked down as he spoke. Hermione was furious. He always did this. It made her so angry. Why the hell did he think so little of himself? Why didn't he care about his own bloody welfare?

"Sorry Y/N, but that's ridiculous. You are important to us too. So we are all going. No arguments."

Y/N and Hermione locked eyes in a stare off before Y/N eventually sighed.

"Fine. But you stay behind me and do everything I tell you to"

As he finished speaking he saw Ron's face go pale as he looked passed Y/N's shoulder. Y/N turned to see Professor Snape looking down at him.

"Now what would five Gryffindors be doing inside on a day like this? One might think they were..."

Snape stopped speaking as he looked in Y/N's eyes and heard the boy's voice in his mind.

Quirrell's making his move tonight Sev. I'm going in after him.

Ok. I can't make a move against him for reasons I'll explain to you when we're alone. I will keep the other Professors away from that door to buy you some time. Good luck Y/N.

Thanks Sev Y/N smiled.

The grumpy Potions Master smirked slightly at their exchange before he continued his sentence:

"...up to something."

"Yeah let's go guys" Y/N said, walking away as the others quickly followed. He heard one last sentiment in his head as he walked off:

Stay safe.

-~-

It was almost 11pm and the last Gryffindor had gone up to bed. Y/N unfurled his Dad's invisibility cloak.

"All right you four, when we get out the common room put this on. I won't fit under it as well and I've got something else I can use."

The others nodded but as they were about to leave the room Neville jumped out of the shadows.

"No. You can't go"

Y/N sighed, looking at his roommate and speaking firmly:

"Neville. This is important"

Neville shook his head impatiently.

"No you're going to get Gryffindor in trouble again. I'll- I'll fight you".

The chubby buck toothed boy raised his fists and gulped as Y/N stood forward, getting close to him.

Neville closed his eyes, gulping again as Y/N's arms raised, before feeling his own fists being gently lowered. He opened his eyes to see Y/N smiling.

"Nev mate, I'm not going to fight you"

Neville smiled briefly before his face turned serious again.

"I'm not going to let you-"

Petrificus Totalus

Y/N turned with an eyebrow raised to Hermione who was placing her wand away.

"What? We don't have time for this" Hermione replied to Y/N. He opened his mouth to reply, but Ron cut him off.

"You're bloody brilliant Hermione. Scary, but brilliant"

Y/N watched Hermione's face turn red at the praise and felt an intense jealousy. Hermione picked up on it but before she could reply Y/N had turned and stormed out of the common room, snapping:

"Hurry up!" to the others.

Harry threw the invisibility cloak over his, Ron's and the two girls' heads, asking:

"What are you going to do Y/N?"

Y/N didn't answer but raised his wand above his head, nonverbally casting a disillusionment charm.

"Let's go. Try to keep up" Y/N said coldly as he walked forward.

-~-

Y/N got to Fluffy's door and dropped his disillusionment charm. A minute later Harry pulled the cloak off his and the others' heads. Y/N held a finger to his lips, unsheathing his wand and then silently counting down with his fingers.

Three

Two

One

He opened the door quickly, only to see Fluffy asleep, a harp playing magically and the trapdoor opened.

"Fuck he's already here" Y/N snapped, sheathing his wand as he looked down into the hole.

"Lav, take my Dad's cloak. Go down to the potions classroom. Snape kept the other professors there to clear a path for us. Tel-"

"Snape's down there!" Ron snapped.

Y/N snarled as Lavender snapped "shut up Ron! What do you want me to tell McGonagall Y/N?"

Y/N was still glaring at Ron before turning back to Lavender.

"Tell her we've gone after Quirrell. That he's after the Philosopher's Stone, and that she needs to owl Dumbledore and that we need back up urgently"

Lavender nodded, rushing up and hugging Y/N, whispering to him:

"Don't try and take him on alone. Keep the others safe."

Y/N separated from the hug and nodded. Lavender hugged the other three and just as she left the room, Y/N heard a booming voice, the music having stopped playing:

Prophesied One?

Y/N turned and bowed as Ron whimpered pathetically, Harry and Hermione gasping.

Fluffy, you were put to sleep with the enchanted harp there. Did you see who entered?

It was the one with the Headdress. There is great evil within him Prophesied One. I could feel it emanating from him. It is your destiny to enter this trapdoor, but please be careful.

Cerberus's heads lowered towards Y/N as the Legendary Creature whispered. Y/N nodded, bowing, as the Cerberus's middle head licked him. Y/N chuckled and quickly stroked the three heads before turning to the others:

"I'm going first. Wait for me to give you the all clear. If I don't answer you three leave and follow Lav to the dungeons. Understood?"

The three nodded. Y/N lowered himself down, falling for several seconds before landing on something soft.

It's safe to jump down.

The three heard Y/N in their heads, Hermione patted Fluffy before she jumped down. She landed right next to Y/N, their faces incredibly close as they were distracted by Ron and Harry landing further over.

"This is Devil's Snare guys"

"You need to remain calm to pass through".

Hermione finished Y/N's sentence with a slight blush, as Y/N dropped down below. She followed him a moment later. Ron screamed loudly, Harry calmly dropping leading Ron to thrash around wildly, screaming in panic as Hermione yelled:

"Trust us. Stay calm!"

Ron continued to panic as Hermione looked at Y/N, saying worriedly:

"He's not staying calm is he"

"Nope" Y/N replied coldly.

Hermione desperately tried to remember the rhyme she'd read before it clicked and she yelled:

Lumos Solem

The Devil's Snare retreated from the bright light she shot up from her wand, Ron falling hard to the floor.

"Lucky we didn't panic" he said as he stood and dusted himself off.

"Lucky Hermione pays attention in Herbology" Harry shot back.

Hermione looked at Y/N, puzzled.

"Surely you knew that spell and it would work. Why didn't you cast it right away?"

Y/N looked in Hermione's eyes with focused intensity. Hermione felt her knees go slightly weak. Y/N eventually replied:

"I told him not to come down. I warned him this was a real world situation. That we don't have time to baby him".

Y/N's words were piercing, cold. Hermione and Harry were shocked. Ron glared angrily as Harry asked:

"You would have let him die?"

Y/N turned to walk further into the subterranean chamber as he replied:

"No. I had enough faith in Hermione to handle the situation".

The next room had a large number of flying keys. Y/N and Harry worked together- Y/N using Descendo to lower the right key, Harry grabbed it and threw it to Hermione, who quickly unlocked the door, the others rushing through as Y/N slammed the door behind Harry, the enchanted keys that had been chasing him slamming into the door with force.

The three looked around, realising as a number of lamps magically self lit.

"This is a chess board" Ron said happily. He decided to run the game.

"Harry you be a bishop, Hermione you go rook, Y/N you be the pawn there and me.. I'll be a knight!"

Y/N rolled his eyes and stood in the empty pawn position.

"You don't think this is like real wizarding chess do you?" Hermione asked concerned.

Ron moved the pawn next to Y/N forward and it was smashed to oblivion by a knight.

"Yep, I'd say this is just like real chess" Harry replied.

Ron made several moves, losing some pieces, destroying others before he ordered Y/N to go forward two paces. Y/N chuckled to himself, flipping Ron off as he stepped forward. An opposing knight moved towards Y/N as he stood and waited for his fate. Hermione clicked what was happening, screaming "Y/N no!" and "Ron how could you!?!"

She screamed in terror as the Knight's blunt sword came down from the left, crashing into Y/N's side and sending him careening off the board and against the wall to his right.

Hermione started to run towards Y/N before Harry yelled at Hermione to stay still, they were still in the game. She nodded as tears fell from her eyes.

-~-

Y/N felt a painful crack as he was flung from the board, feeling another as he hit the wall and then the ground. He heard Ron continue to call out moves and Hermione yell "Y/N are you ok?"

He growled back "I'm fine!" as he pulled himself to his hands and knees in extreme pain, unsheathing his wand and pointing it at his chest.

Brackium Emendo

He grunted and groaned in pain as loud cracks were heard from his chest, his ribs resetting themselves to their non-broken positions.

Y/N gasped, leaning against the wall as he heard Hermione yell "Ron no!" and Ron tell Harry what to do next. He looked up to see Ron take the hit and fall to the floor unconscious. Hermione went to run to him before Harry again warned her about the game. He moved forward, checkmating the opposing king. They both rushed to Ron as Y/N stood with a grunt, holding his ribs as he walked over.

"He's alive, just unconscious" Hermione said happily.

Y/N scowled and walked forward, towards the now open door. He yelled back:

"Come on. You can worry about your boyfriend later"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other puzzled before getting up and following Y/N to the next room. As they entered Hermione started to question Y/N, asking "what are you talking ab-"

First the smell hit her. Then the sight. There was a Mountain Troll in front of them, dead. By the looks of it the creature had been killed with the same curse Y/N used on Halloween.

Pieces of it were everywhere.

Y/N stood with his head down, inhaling deeply.

"Y/N are you ok?" Hermione asked, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. Y/N was quiet for a moment before answering:

"When I get my hands on this fucker, I'm gonna rip his heart out and feed it to him!"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, concerned with the ice cold tone of Y/N's voice. Neither of them realised from their positions behind Y/N that his eyes were flickering, ever so quickly

Black

Black

Black

Y/N walked forward, his wand gripped tight in his hand, as his two nervous friends followed.

They arrived next at a room with seven potions lined up. As soon as they stepped over the threshold flames shot up behind them and in front of them at the doorway leading on. The flames behind them were purple. The ones ahead black.

They walked up to the table and found a note written on it. Y/N recognised Sev's handwriting immediately. Hermione read the note aloud:

Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find
One among us seven will let you move ahead
Another will transport the drinker back instead
Two among our number hold only nettle wine
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine's left side
Second, different are those who stand on either end
But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend
Third, as you see clearly all are different size
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death on their insides
Fourth the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight

Hermione let out a great sigh, and Harry was amazed to see she was doing the very last thing he would expect. She was smiling.

"Brilliant. This isn't magic. This is logic. A lot of the greatest wizards haven't got an ounce of it. They'd be stuck here forever. What do you think Y/N?"

Y/N looked up at Hermione from where he had leant on the table.

"I think this is all you Hermione. All I can think about is what I'm gonna do to the prick when I get through that fucking door. You tell me which to drink and I'll go on ahead. You and Harry split the one to go back and stay with Ron until Dumbledore or McGonagall get here"

Both Harry and Hermione heard the venom in Y/N's voice as he practically spat Ron's name. Harry wasn't having a bar of Y/N's plan though.

"No way Y/N. Quirrell or Snape are in there and Voldemort could be with them. I'm not letting you go alone"

"This isn't up for debate Harry" Y/N snapped.

"No it isn't!" Harry snapped back.

The two boys glared at each other as Hermione held up a bottle.

"Got it! This one lets us go forward and-"

Harry snatched it from her hands, drank a mouthful and held it to Y/N.

"Your turn"

Y/N looked down, muttered Fuck! to himself and drank the rest of the contents. Hermione picked up another bottle and said quietly:

"This is to go back"

She drank it down quickly and looked at the two boys, tearing up. She hugged Harry, wishing him good luck and to be careful, before cannoning into Y/N. He sighed and relented, hugging her back. As they separated she looked up at him and wiped her eyes.

"You're an amazing wizard Y/N. But you're an even better friend. I used to think cleverness and book smarts were the most important things in the world. But you showed me there was more. Friendship...and love. Be careful Y/N, and remember- You're a lion"

Y/N half smirked and nodded. She walked backwards, turning to see the two boys as she walked through the purple flames harmlessly and back the way they had came.

"This is it" Harry said with nerves present in his voice.

"Yeah" Y/N replied. "When it kicks off get behind cover. We need to stop him getting the stone, at any cost"

Harry nodded as Y/N walked forward before stopping momentarily, looking over his shoulder and chuckling:

"You're a stubborn cunt, you know that Harry"

Harry chuckled back, whispering:

"Takes one to know one"

The two boys walked through the black flames and through the doorway past them.