Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own ideas. I own no characters of this franchise nor am I a famous author. Those rights of Harry Potter fall solely on J.K. Rowling's Merlin Blessed hands.

A.N: First story, comments welcome, flames will be ignored. Hope you like. :)

{The Burrow- Night before World Cup}

Harry sighed as he laid his head against the mirror. He was tired as his body was slowly relaxing from the painful spasms he was feeling throughout himself. He waited a couple seconds before lifting his head up and looking at the reflection of himself in the mirror. There inside the wooden frame above the bathroom sink Harry looked over himself, his glamours on his body were off for now. His body was well muscled but thin, this hair unkempt and dark as a raven. His thin glasses resting against his nose and ears. He glanced down at his neck and sighed, the sadness and hopelessness ringing in this tone. His neck was a true nightmare, black and grey veins traveling all around. They extended from just below his Adam's apple to his torso and part of his right back. All around his right arm the small spidery black veins crossed and made him look like he was covered in dark intricate tattoos. Oh how he wished they were. He knew what those veins meant, he'd known the cause and he knew what they represented. What he didn't know was how to fix it. The dark and dead colors were the byproduct of his fight with the Basilisk. This was the result of a Basilisk bite with only a few drops of phoenix tears to fight off the venom. The poison. The tears from Fawkes had not been enough to stop the venom. It had spread much too far. By all rights Harry should have been dead the moment Fawkes began his treatment. No one lives that long with Basilisk Venom in their body. Fawkes had only given him time. Time used to figure out a cure.

The black veins were caused by the venom slowly destroying his veins while his magic and the couple drops of phoenix tears attempted slow down and repair the damage. Harry however knew the damage was growing. The venom was like a virus. Learning. Adapting. The phoenix tears were slowly becoming useless; all Harry really had left was his own immune system powered by his magic. Madam Pomphrey had been the one to find out while Harry was alone and conscious with her. She had told him the truth when he asked. Harry had made a very important decision when she told him. He asked of her, nay, begged of her to keep her Healer's Oath of Patient Healer Confidentiality. Harry had argued with her for some time before she relented. That had been his second year at Hogwarts. Harry was currently in the summer of his fourth, only two more years to live according to Pomphrey. Only one more year of staying conscious because the moment the venom touched his brain he would lose brain function he would fall into a coma of pain. Then Harry would die slowly for a year as the venom consumed him entirely.

Harry sighed his forehead pressing against the mirror over the sink his knuckles white as they gripped the sink counter. A look down showed Harry one vial of potion left with five empty ones, He sighed even as he slowly grabbed the vial. He grimaced at the sickly violet green swirl of potion. His hand shook slightly in dread as he raised the potion to his lips. Harry took a deep breath then quickly drank the potion in two gulps. He stumbled as the nausea caused by the potion's taste hit him at the same time that the potion began its work fighting the venom in his body, attempting to slow down and force a retreat in the venom. Harry's only warning was a strong spasm before he crumbled to the floor with a quiet cry of pain. His body thudded onto the tiled floor of the bathroom. The vial slipping through his fingers as his body seized. He felt as if his nerve endings were on fire, each sending thousands of needles into his body. He gave off small whimpers of pain his eyes closed as wave after wave of pain hit him. Harry felt his head get lifted off the cold floor and placed onto a soft warm round pillow, through the pain he felt two warm hands one rubbing circles on his chest while the other gently combed his hair. His pain was still there but he fought his mind into focus, he tried to figure out who had him, slowly his mind recognized the scent of parchment and lemon. Hermione. He felt his body shift on its own closer to her, he trusted no one else as much as her. He let his mind drift off, his body convulsing even as he went unconscious.

Hermione felt a tear drop down as she watched her best friend pass out on her lap. His body was still feeling the effects of the potion but his mind had succumbed to pain and attempted to distance itself. She slowly stroked his hair and tensed slightly with every spasm. It was midnight, the Weasley household was still asleep, she had known today was his day for the potions, once every month. She knew that he would pass out afterwards which is why he waited for night. Besides, she had promised him to never tell anyone. Oh she remembered exactly how that came to be.

-Flashback-

She was sitting in her favorite corner in the library, no one really came here as the books on these shelves were rather boring books on goblin rebellions and thus not really necessary to most Hogwarts students. It'd been almost two weeks since she had started her third year in Hogwarts. She had been told by Harry all the things that happened since she was attacked and had been very worried over the summer on how he was dealing with the traumatic experience. Now however she was trying to stay on top of all her classes and using the time turner had been very tiring. Sadly, no matter how interesting her book was she couldn't focus. Her best friend had been acting very strange since she woke. He would avoid her whenever he could, he would disappear for hours on end and he would generally look rather down. It had gotten so strange that the only other people Hermione could consider friends had noticed.

Daphne Greengrass and Padma Patil. Those two girls were the only other people apart from Harry and Ron she could say she talked to on a regular basis. Them being outcasts as much as she was. Daphne was a pureblood, one who's family had large political clout and money. Daphne herself was considered among the most beautiful girls at the school despite her age. She looked stunning, however this brought unwanted attention from boys, especially in her house. Daphne had learned to defend herself and was very cunning and smart, thus she soon became known as the Ice Queen. She had recently told Hermione that her Occlumency had taught her how to control her emotions and it helped in keeping up the unapproachable facade. She had first met Daphne in Myrtle's bathroom in first year when she had tried to avoid other people. Daphne had just been one of the people who she had talked to shortly after the troll incident. The girl had been very formal and cordial and Hermione learned that in private she opened up more than in public. They weren't best friends and she knew very little overall about the girl but it was nice having a girl to talk to. This year she had the same Arithmancy and Ancient Runes classes as her. They sat at the same table as Padma Patil.

Padma was different, this girl was ostracized for being much too quiet, unlike her bubbly happy sister. Padma was equally as smart as Hermione only she kept it to herself. Hermione had liked the girl because of that. Padma was a pureblood. Her father was a Pure Blooded Nobility Wizard from India, while their mother was lower class pureblood from India. Her parents had gotten in lots of troubles for marrying into a different social class. They decided to move to Britain where he would keep his nobility status without the damage of marrying to a lower status Pureblood. Britain simply had very little in terms of Pureblood lines left to argue with. Padma had been quiet while not being necessarily shy. She would share her opinion if and only if she thought it was required of her. Padma however was still a very kind person.

Hermione had grown to like them, sure not nearly as much as Harry he would always be her First and Best friend but they were at least equal to Ron who she rather spent her time getting frustrated by. However, Padma and Daphne had noticed and Had come up to her one day and asked what was wrong with Harry. She had been so focused that she was surprised at their question. It took one day for her to realize that something was truly wrong.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and tried to focus on the book again, but was slightly surprised to hear someone clear their throat not five feet away. She sharply glanced up with surprise and focused on the head of raven hair and bright emerald green eyes.

"Err, hey? Sorry to bother you. I know how much you like to focus on your reading but I... uh... kind of need a friend to talk to and Ron just doesn't seem like the best choice. Can I... uh… sit down?" he looked very nervous and Hermione felt a bit cautious but she was very curious as well.

"Of course, here let me move some things. Okay now what's this thing you needed a friend for?" She watched as he sat down on the little chair right next to her at the table. He drew his wand as soon as she said she would listen. She frowned in confusion before she heard him mutter a couple of silencing wards. She recognized them as fourth year magic spells and her frown deepened. She wasn't truly jealous that he knew but rather at his lack of mentioning it to her. Then again She hadn't been the best of friends lately. She watched as he gathered his attention on her, his hands were shaking and her gut was telling her that something bad was about to happen. She tensed slightly her mind going through scenarios of her Harry telling her that they wouldn't be friends anymore and she tensed even more. Finally, he opened his mouth and Hermione tried to stay positive.

"Hermione. I haven't exactly been the most truthful about what happened in the Chamber with the Basilisk. I… err... left one important detail out and now I'm suffering because of it and I need your help. I'll understand if you don't wish to be my friend afterwards."

She watched him close his eyes for a second, her mind was confused. He wasn't ending their friendship? Then why was she still worried, why was her gut saying this was worse? Why would he worry that this was so bad that she might consider leaving their friendship?

"Hermione, I...um… I'm…. uh…(sigh)...I am dying." Harry let it out clear and focused at the end.

"W... what? No...no I don't think I heard that right. I... I... I. NO!" Her eyes grew wide at the end; her mind was catching up with her emotions. He wouldn't lie to her. It would explain what he said earlier and his distance from her, said her logic. Hermione however grew very scared. She wanted to cry, she wanted to yell, but all she could manage was a very scared and confused expression. Her heart beating very fast.

"Hermione. Hermione focus. Please Hermione listen to me." She slowly began hearing His voice from far away, slowly becoming clearer, her mind was calming down but her emotions spilled through. She cried. She let her emotions flow through her hands as they rubbed uselessly at her eyes. She felt his hands wrap around her. The first time he ever initiates a hug and it's after telling her he was going to die. After a while her tears dried and she looked at his face.

"How? Why?" her words were soft, fragile but he heard.

"The basilisk fang went into my arm when I stabbed it. The venom was inside for more than a minute. I survived longer than most. But I was dying then. Fawkes flew over and cried his tears but it had been too little too late. Madam Pomphrey believes I have four to five years at most. There is no cure for this the phoenix tears just weren't strong enough. Fawkes tried again, but it only slows the process down but doesn't stop it. I... I… avoided you hoping to save you from the pain, but I miss my best friend. Over the summer I decided that I would dedicate what is left of my life to find a cure. Or at least begin it. I... just need all the help I can get."

Hermione looked up and realized that his eyes were watery. Harry who she had never seen cry was tearing up. Her mind cleared, she made her choice. "Okay. You are not going to die. I WILL help you find your cure but you won't die on me. I know people who can help, and we can do this. What did Dumbledore say?"

Here Hermione shrank back, "You will NEVER say a word of this to Dumbledore. Only you, Madam Pomphrey and myself know and you will give me your word you will never tell anyone a word of this. If you are truly my friend you tell no one."

She looked him in the eyes. His tears were gone and instead an angry green fire burned inside. Her morals and her history told her to just tell Dumbledore anyway he was the greatest wizard and the headmaster he should know! But she wanted Harry's friendship more. So she made up her mind. Today her morals changed. Today she found something she cared about more than education and succeeding. Today she chose Harry over herself.

-Flashback end-

Hermione glanced down at Harry's form on the floor. She loved him, she hadn't said it but she loved him. Since that day when he told her. She had stayed quiet because of one thing. Padma and Daphne. The two girls had become her and Harry's greatest friends but even if Harry was clueless, all three girls loved him. She sighed. She leaned forward and planted a small loving kiss on his forehead. She then carefully used her wand to levitate him. She took him to his borrowed bed and laid him down. Ron snoring loudly in the other bed. She thanked Madam Pomphrey for clearing them for use of magic over the holidays. The Trace was gone. And both could take care of themselves.

She walked back to her room she grabbed a quill and parchment and wrote down two letter on for Padma and another for Daphne, she explained what happened and told them she would see them tomorrow at the campsite. She then took the letters to Hedwig the beautiful bird took the letters and flew off. Hermione went back to bed. Hoping Harry was better by the morning.