Author's Note: I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and I really wanted to write it out and see how it will play out. I hope you all enjoy it, and please leave me feedback.

This story starts off on page 713 of The Goblet of Fire. The chapter is titled "The Parting of the Ways." It starts off with Sirius leaving Harry in the Hospital Wing. The opening sentences that are italicized are the two passages that I took from the book to start this story off.

I do not own anything.

"You'll see me very soon, Harry," said Sirius, turning to him. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"

"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah…of course I do."

Hermione's heart broke for Harry as she saw the expression on his face. She couldn't imagine how Harry must be feeling right now, and the one person he needed more than anyone was leaving him again.

She wasn't even listening to Professor Dumbledore or Snape talk, and she completely ignored the fact that both of the professors left. Her eyes remained fixed on Harry, and the expression that had not yet changed.

Slowly, she found herself going over to his bedside, unaware of why she was doing it, but knowing that she needed to. She sat down on the small space beside him and grasped his hand.

"You need to get some rest," she said, squeezing his hand to reassure him.

"I shouldn't have told him to take the cup with me," he replied, his voice cracking. Hermione could see his eyes water, and her heart broke even more.

She had never seen him cry before.

"This is not your fault, Harry."

"I told him to take the cup. He wasn't going to, but I convinced him. If I hadn't told him to do that, he'd still be alive."

"Harry, dear, this is not your fault. You shouldn't be blaming yourself for this," Mrs. Weasley said, walking up to the other side of Harry's bed.

"This is You-Know-Who's fault, Harry. He set this up, not you. He killed Cedric."

Harry dropped his head to his knees. Hermione watched him for a moment before she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug, feeling Harry's head fall into her shoulder. Her shirt where his head was resting was getting wet, but she didn't care. Harry needed her, and she was going to be there for him.

"Harry, dear, you need to get some rest," Mrs. Weasley said, picking up the potion bottle. He pulled away from Hermione.

"Get some rest," Hermione said.

He nodded, and took the vial from Mrs. Weasley. He drank the potion, put the bottle back on the table, and fell asleep the next moment. Hermione got off of the bed and sat in the chair next to it, grasping his hand in hers again.

She felt Ron come up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. She let out a breath.

"Everything's going to be different now, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Ron said, sitting in the chair next to Hermione.

"Why don't you two go up to bed," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'll stay here with Harry."

"I'm not leaving him," Hermione said, squeezing Harry's hand. "I'm staying."

"Me, too," Ron said.

"Mrs. Weasley, Dumbledore's not going to make Harry go back to his aunt and uncle's, is he?"

"I sure hope not, Hermione, but I'm unsure. He doesn't need to be alone at a time like this."

"Is there anything you can do, mum?"

"I will talk to Dumbledore, and see if Harry can stay with us this summer. As I said I can't guarantee it, but I will do whatever it takes to try and convince him."

Hermione turned and looked back at Harry, whose soft breathing filled the hospital wing. She was glad to see that Harry was getting some sleep, but she was dreading when he woke up, and what he will have to face tomorrow.

"Go get some sleep, Ron," Hermione said, watching as Ron struggled to stay awake. He shook his head.

"I'm staying here," he replied, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands.

"Ron, I'm not getting any sleep tonight. Go back to the dormitory, now, while everyone's asleep. Go get some rest."

"I'm not leaving," he said, giving her a small smile. She gave him one back.

She then turned to Harry, who was still asleep under the effects of the potions. She rubbed her thumb across his hand, which was currently in her hand.

"What do you think is going to happen to him, Ron?"

He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "You-Know-Who's going to come after him. Who knows what he'll try to do to get to him."

Hermione shook her head, anger filling her insides. "And they're going to send him to that house. He can't be alone right now, Ron!"

"I agree, Hermione, but you know what Dumbledore's going to say. Even mum knows it's a losing battle. I have no idea why he wants to send him there, but he is."

She sighed and turned away, staring back down at Harry's sleeping form. A moment later she saw Ron lay his head on the bed and fall asleep, his snores echoing throughout the hospital wing.

She then reached over and pushed a piece of his hair out of his face, revealing his lightning bolt scar. Unaware of what she was doing, she gently lifted her finger and ran it down the scar-the same scar that started all of this, and the same scar that will bother him until Voldemort was gone for good. She did it for a moment longer before she removed her finger, shaking her head at herself in the process.

'Why did I just do that?' she thought, letting out a yawn in the process. Laying her left arm on the bed, she gently laid her head on top of it and fell asleep, still holding Harry's hand in her right hand as she did so.

Harry stirred the next morning, his vision blinded by the intense white of the hospital wing. He felt his glasses slide into place and saw Hermione hovering over him, smiling sadly down at him. He sat up in his bed and she took a seat next to it.

"Good morning, Harry," she said.

"Is it?" he replied, his throat hoarse. She grabbed a glass of water and handed it to him, watching as he took a few sips before putting it back down.

"Feel better?"

He shrugged, keeping his head down. She moved onto his bed and grasped his hand again, watching as he turned his head to see.

"Thanks for staying with me, Hermione."

"I'm not leaving you, Harry. Now more than ever."

He nodded, his mouth pressed together. He then looked around the hospital wing.

"Where's Ron?"

"I told him to go get something to eat, and bring you a plate."

"I'm not hungry," he said.

"You need to eat."

He shook his head, and she let the issue drop. She felt his hand squeeze hers, and he looked back up at her, a serious expression on his face.

"Can I tell you something, Hermione?"

"Anything," she said softly.

"When I was fighting Voldemort, something really strange happened. Our wands connected, and neither of us could hit the other."

"Why did that happen?" she asked, very curious as to where this story was going.

"Voldemort and I, in a sense, have the same wand. The inside of our wands contain a phoenix feather-Fawke's feathers, actually."

"Dumbledore's phoenix?"

He nodded. "Dumbledore said it was called priori incantatem. It's like a reverse spell. When we got connected…"

He trailed away. She looked at him for a moment before she squeezed his hand, assuring him that she was still there.

"What is it, Harry? What happened?"

He swallowed, feeling his eyes tear up again. "When the wands connected, it brought the shadows of the people that he's killed."

She sucked in a breath and felt her own eyes begin to water.

He had seen his parents.

"You saw your parents, didn't you?"

He nodded, fighting his tears that were threatening to fall.

"Harry, I'm so sorry," she said, wrapping her arms around him and bringing him in for a hug. He buried his head in her shoulder.

'How do I help him through this?' she thought, holding on to Harry tightly. A moment later she felt his arms slide up behind her.

They held on tight to one another, almost as if afraid to let go. He kept his head buried in her shoulder and she gently rubbed his back, reminding him that she was there.

He pulled away from her and stared at her. There was something in his eyes that Hermione couldn't quite figure out.

She excused herself when the Diggory's came to talk to Harry. She stood outside of the hospital wing and ran her hands through her hair, ignoring her grumbling stomach as she did so.

'Harry's my priority right now.'

"Hi, Hermione," Ron said, giving Hermione a muffin he brought with him.

"Thank you."

"Is he awake?" Ron asked, looking at the closed doors. She nodded.

"He's talking with Mr. and Mrs. Diggory."

"Should he be alone for that?"

"I thought it best," she said quietly, taking a bite of her muffin as she did so. He nodded.

"How do we help him through this, Hermione?" he asked, lowering his head.

"I don't know, Ron. We just have to be there for him."

They watched as the door opened, and Mr. and Mrs. Diggory walked out, not saying a word as they strode past Ron and Hermione. They looked at each other before they walked back into the room, looking at Harry, who had upset look on his face.

"Hey, mate," Ron said, walking back into the infirmary.

"Hi."

"I just talked to mum," he said, sitting in the chair next to Harry's bed. "Dumbledore wants you back at the Dursley's."

"He didn't say why, did he?"

"Mum just said he had his reasons."

"Great," Harry said.

"Dumbledore also said that we will have free periods during the times that defense were."

"I should have known," Harry said. "He tried everything to help me win."

"Stop blaming yourself!" Hermione said.

"Mate, you had nothing to do with this. Don't blame yourself."

Harry shook his head, unable to process that thought. Hermione sighed.

"How are we today, Mr. Potter?" Madam Pomfrey asked, walking into the room.

"Fine," he replied quietly.

She ran her wand over him before nodding. "Everything looks good, Mr. Potter. You're released."

Harry nodded, grabbing his clothes that were sitting on the table next to him. Hermione and Ron stood up.

"We'll meet you outside, mate."

They walked out of the hospital wing and waited outside for Harry. He walked out a moment later, a depressed look on his face. It disappeared a moment later, however, when he glanced up at them.

"I'm not ready to see anyone," he said, shaking his head.

"Professor Dumbledore has ordered everyone not to ask you about what happened."

"I already know a few people who won't listen to that," Harry said, anger written all over his face.

"Just ignore them, Harry."

"She's right, mate."

"I want to take a walk," Harry said, letting out a deep breath. They nodded and followed Harry out of the castle, ignoring the looks of the student's they passed. They walked to the lake and sat down in front of it, remaining quiet as they started out over it.

"Everything's going to change now, isn't it?" Hermione asked, turning to look at her friends.

"I believe so," Harry replied quietly, throwing his hands behind his head.

"There's a war coming," Ron said, playing with a stick that was sitting in front of him. "Just like last time."

Harry shook his head, having a hard time comprehending all of this.

"Hermione, everything will change," he said, turning his head to face her.

"And we will be here when it does," she replied, giving him a supportive smile.

"We're not leaving your side, mate."

Harry smiled-his first true smile since the task-at his friends.

"Thank you," he replied.

"You haven't eaten very much," Hermione said, looking at the small portion of food that was currently covering Harry's plate. He shrugged.

"I'm not very hungry."

"Harry, you haven't ate much today at all. You need to eat."

Harry looked around, watching as several students stared at him. He looked away and stood up, telling Ron and Hermione that he was going to the dormitory. Hermione looked sadly at Ron, who gave her the same look back.

"I'm going to talk to him," she said, pushing her plate aside.

"I'll go with you."

"Stay, eat. Let me talk to him alone for a couple of minutes, ok?"

He nodded, watching as she stood up and walked out of the Great Hall. Her mind was in overdrive as she walked up the stairs that led to the Gryffindor common room. She said the password to the Fat Lady, who immediately let her in after she had finished her song. Hermione shook her head and walked up to the boy's dormitory, knocking on the door to the fourth years. She heard a quiet "come in" and walked inside, seeing Harry sit on the windowsill.

"Hey," she said, walking over to his bed. She sat down on it.

"Sorry I left," he said, staring out the window.

"Don't be. None of us can imagine what you may be going through, and there are people who are already judging you. I can understand why you left."

He nodded, getting off the windowsill to sit next to her.

"I close my eyes, and I can see that night replaying itself in my head. It's like it's on constant repeat. I hate the fact that I broke down in front of you. It got to me so much, and everything just fell apart at once."

"Harry," she said, putting her hand underneath his cheek to force him to look at her, "are you serious right now? You are the strongest person I know, but don't think for one second that I think of you any differently. You watched a friend get killed, Harry. You watched as You-Know-Who came back, and you fought him to the best of your abilities. You saw your parents come out of that horrible man's wand.

"I don't know what I would have been like in a situation like that, Harry. You've been through so much in just a short amount of time. You're not weak for showing emotion. It makes you human, Harry."

He gave her a small smile. "You always know what to say, don't you, Hermione?"

"I try," she smiled back.

He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a tight hug. She leaned into the embrace, surprised by Harry's boldness lately, and wrapped her arms around his back.

"Thank you, Hermione. Thank you for everything you do," he whispered into her ear.

"I'm always here for you, Harry."

He pulled back slightly and stared at her face, looking deep into her eyes. Hermione noted that he had the same look in his eyes that she had seen earlier in the hospital wing and she suppressed a shiver.

They stayed like that for another moment, both refusing to move. Harry slowly leaned in, stopping for a moment before he captured her lips with his. She hesitated for a moment before she kissed him back, gently placing her hand on his cheek.