He hadn't meant to add her nickname on, but it just slipped out. He missed her. Missed all his friends really, but she had always held a special place in his heart. She seemed to understand him more than Ron did, understood how out of place he felt in Magical society at times, and somehow the burden that had been placed on his shoulders.
When he was able to return his focus on her he noticed the tears forming in her own eyes as well, not as intense but still very present. "Is that what you called her?"
Harry nodded, and she looked ready to reach out to comfort him but pulled back at the last moment.
Seconds ticked by, until she spoke once more, "Were we, anything more than friends?"
That was a question that he hadn't expected, and it had him thinking back across his relationship with the other Granger. "Sometimes I thought we might have been, but I think you were more interested in Ron."
This time it was her turn to blink and process the statement before frowning in confusion. "Ron? As in Ronald Weasley?"
He didn't blame her considering what he knew the boy to be like at such a young age.
"He was more studious? He actually read books and took class seriously?"
It was a mixture of disbelief, curiosity, and hopefulness and he hated to ruin the moment. "I mean… kind of? He was brave and loyal, most of the time. Plus, he just had a way of making things fun and I think you admired that."
"Oh…" her response was soft, gentle, and containing a bit of sadness that Harry couldn't quite explain. "Do you think… maybe… we could be friends in this world too?"
"I'd like that."
****
One of the good things about being from the future was his knowledge of the layout of the castle. This simple fact allowed him to be waiting outside of his sisters' History class the following day. Luckily, Hermione always stayed behind to review her notes before moving on.
Seeing him standing in the hallway, an unhappy expression on his face, must have clued the two Gryffindors in, because his 'twin' seemed to shrink in on herself while Amy too diverted her gaze. "We need to talk," he stated, before leading them elsewhere.
Once they reached an empty corridor her turned on the two, glare narrowing further. "You can't tell people about me."
"But we..."
But Harry was quick to interrupt, "It's dangerous Amy, especially if you don't know how they will react or who they will tell. What happens if someone else overhears you and decides to take more interest in me than we want? That's going to lead them to your parents too."
"Told you..." Harriet muttered, earning her a scoff from the redhead.
"And you also agreed that we needed to do this. Harry, we saw how you looked at Hermione, like you wanted to talk to her, and you are always alone. We are worried about you."
A sigh escaped the boy's lips, now he felt guilty about berating someone who just wanted to help. "I get that, really, I do, but you need to talk with me first, okay? You don't know what my relationship was with Hermione, it could have brought back memories I wasn't ready to deal with."
"But... you were friends with her right? She seemed so much happier today."
Harry stared at the dark-haired Potter for a moment, trying to ensure she was telling the truth, before nodding in 'defeat'. "Yeah, we were and I'm glad we are again just... please talk to me next time, okay?" His plead seemed to reach the two sisters, who promptly agreed with his request. "Now, what's this about our 'cousin' Marie Rosier?"
Confusion was evident in their eyes, before Harriet's widened in realization. "Oh shoot we forgot to tell you about her."
"Seems that way."
The guilt was back as she bit her lip, a gesture he always found a bit too endearing. "Marie is our godfather's daughter. Since he was around so much, we just always thought of her as an older cousin, almost a sibling."
"But she's a bit uptight." Amy noted with a bit of disappointment. "Like her mom or aunts. She's nice though."
Harry nodded, it was weird to think of anyone being sorted into Slytherin as 'friends or family' but as long as she wasn't sexist or an arse he didn't have any problem, especially if his sisters vouched for her.
****
Homework felt a lot easier than his first time around, and at first this had been a bit exciting for the boy-who-lived, until he realized that his few friends either had to spend the normal amount of time on it, or he had yet to contact them and make any meaningful connection. It was because of this downtime, when he had finished his own work in less than an hour, that he found himself wandering around Hogwarts.
He was near the stairs between the second and third corridors, and it was here that a stray thought made its way into his mind, one that he hesitated to follow up on for fear of what he might find.
The third-floor corridor, right-hand side.
He remembered all too well Dumbledore's warning from his own world, but there had been none this time around. Did that mean there was no threat? If he journeyed there, would he be looking for evidence of evil, for evidence of Voldemort, when there was none?
Still, it was like a splinter in his mind, something he could not ignore without consequence and thus he began walking.
He would find out one way or another, right after he finished his Charms essay. It was due soon, after all, and if he didn't start working on it right away, he might need to stay up late and…
Harry stopped and frowned. Why was he thinking about something so unimportant? Turning around he realized he was now nearing the fourth-floor corridor, which had not been his initial destination.
It was then that he realized it, someone had set a protective Charm, or Ward, to prevent anyone from stumbling accidentally, or intentionally, onto that area of the castle. If he wasn't sure before, he was positive in his theory now.
The Philosopher Stone was in Hogwarts, why else would there be such protections in place.
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