An Unbreakable Vow ~ Harry Potter

iv - in which harry needs a friend

"Friends?" Hermione asked, putting her hand out towards the brunette girl. Valerie seemed to think about it for a moment, but then grinned, saying, "Oh, why not," and grabbed Hermione's hand, shaking it eagerly.

"Yeah. Friends," Valerie reaffirmed. They both smiled at each other, and then Hermione grabbed her book: Hogwarts: a History, and sat down next to Valerie on her bed with a plop, drawing the curtains adorned with little Gryffindor lions around them.

"I think we need to research about the petrification going on in Hogwarts, and 'Slytherin's Heir'," Hermione pointed out, opening the thick book to the chapter index. "Let's see... founders of Hogwarts, Salazar Slytherin..."

Valerie put a hand on the book to steady it, holding it tightly so Hermione could scan the pages. "Haven't you read this about 30 times already?"

"Not 31 times," Hermione replied, still not looking at Valerie as she sighed. "There's got to be something in here!"

POUND! POUND! POUND!

"Who's there?!?" Hermione screeched, mad because she was distracted from her research.

"It's Ronald Bilius Weasley!" was the muffled reply from behind the door. "Open up!"

"Boys aren't allowed in the girls' dorms," Hermione yelled back. "We'll be there in a minute!"

Hermione and Valerie exchanged knowing looks, then quickly donned their robes and rushed over to the door. Valerie wretched it open only to see the ginger's freckled face right up against the doorway.

"What the heck, Ron?" Hermione sighed, opening the door fully and punching Ron on the arm.

"That hurt! Geez... Harry needs you guys. Said something about 'clearing his name'."

"He heard the rumours," Hermione gasped, turning around to face Valerie. "You know what that means!"

"Poor Harry," Valerie said, her expression turning sober. "They were downright mean!"

The three rushed to the Gryffindor common room. Harry was sitting on an old red sofa, staring at the groups of Gryffindors that were crowded around in every part of the room but the one he was sitting in. They were stubbornly refusing to look his way.

Ron hung back, unsure of how to proceed, and Hermione turned towards him, begging him to talk to Harry. Valerie walked over to Harry and sat down next to him.

"Is it hard?" she asked, gesturing to the people shunning Harry. "I get that, Harry. Don't worry, we can't figure this out."

Harry looked atValerie, his expression growing sour when he heard the whispering of the other students around them.

"What are they saying?" Valerie wondered.

"That I'm Slytherin's Heir, I suppose," Harry said back.

"But you're — oh, people will believe anything, Harry."

"But — I —" Harry stuttered.

Valerie hated the look of sadness in her best friend's eyes. She put a hand on him, gently easing his head onto her shoulder. Harry stiffened for a moment.

Boys, she thought. Never alright with any sort of affection, even friendly.

But then he relaxed, letting Valerie lean her head onto his. "We're a pathetic little lot, aren't we?" she murmured, and she felt Harry nod. "'Heir of Slytherin', the muggleborn, a Weasley, and the Gryffindor that's afraid of her own shadow."

"Don't say that," he whispered back. "We're just facing obstacles. And now listen to me, trying to cheer you up. Did you sit next to me so you could cheer me up?"

"That I did," Valerie said, getting up and outstretching her hand towards the Boy Who Lived. "So let's get cheered up and find a way to clear your name."

Harry's eyes locked with hers, only for a moment, before he smiled and took her hand.