"Harry!" Lavender came running into the Infirmary, ignoring Pomfrey's half-hearted attempts at making her walk slowly and not shout. With a shake of her head and a knowing smile, the Matron looked the other way.
"Are you okay?" Lavender asked, looking as if to launch herself at him but stopping at the last minute.
"I feel okay, really," he said soothingly. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," Lavender said, releasing a huge sigh of relief. She sat beside his bed. "You saved me. You protected me, Harry."
"Uhm, yeah, guess I did," he said lamely.
"Why did you do that?" she asked in a frantic half-whisper. "You could have gotten really hurt! You did get really hurt!"
"Why did I do that?" Harry gave her an exasperated look. "Lavender, you're my friend, like my best friend. I've told you that you're my first real friend, aside from Hedwig." They shared a laugh. "How could I let you get hurt?"
"You really mean that?" Lavender asked in a shocked quiet tone.
"Of course I do." He reached up to touch her forehead. "Did you hit your head too?" He smiled when she smacked his hand away.
She looked happy and frustrated in equal measure. "You're my best friend too, aside from Parvati," she giggled. Her giggling died and she looked forlorn. "I was so worried about you. I… I was so scared for you."
"I'm sorry," he said weakly. "Not for saving you but for making you feel bad."
She snorted and dabbed her eyes. "Thank you, for saving me," she said softly.
"Thank you for being my friend," he said just as softly.
"Can, can I hug you?" she asked plaintively. "I know you don't like them that much but I could really use one and I want to give you one."
"Oh, uh, yeah. Sure. I mean," he gulped, flushing furiously, "I would like one," he said. "It's just, you're going to laugh at me…"
"I promise I won't," she said earnestly.
"I've never hugged anyone before," he admitted so very quietly. "Hedwig is the very first one and I know she likes them but I've never hugged anyone else or been hugged as far as I know. I… I didn't want to tell you because that's dumb and I didn't want to… do it wrong, you know?"
Lavender had never felt like laughing less in all her life. "Well, I'll help you practice," she said, sniffling slightly. "And it's not dumb at all."
"Oh, thank you." He opened his arms uncertainly and when Lavender enveloped him in her arms, he relaxed slightly. "This is nice," he said awkwardly but sincerely, his arms gently encircling her. He coughed when she squeezed harder.
"Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"You'd tell me if you needed help with something, right?"
He hesitated. "Yeah, I mean, yes."
"Okay, good. Because I'm still a little worried for you," she whispered.
"I swear I'll tell you if I need your help," he promised.
"Because we're friends?" she asked.
"Because we're best friends," he answered. He coughed again when she tightened her arms again but it was only a small cough and he did not mind the pressure in the slightest.
.....
"You're okay!" Parvati said happily.
Lavender had left briefly and came back with Parvati, Padma, Neville, Hermione, Sue, Pansy, and Millicent. Pomfrey had given them a look and sighed but said they could visit as long as they remained quiet and that Harry was still delicate. She had then smiled cheerily at his look and the subsequent giggling and snickering from the others before moving to her office.
"You all really came to visit me?" Harry asked, eyes wide with surprise.
"Of course we did," Padma chided gently. "You're our friend and we care about you."
"She even found out where our common room was," Millicent admiringly, hiking a thumb at a blushing Lavender. "Pounded on the door for ages before Professor Snape noticed and he came and got me and Pansy."
"Well, you deserved to see him too," Lavender said, still red. "You're his friends too, right?"
"We are," Pansy said. Her eyes were a bit red and she sniffled a little. "Thank Merlin you are okay Harry."
"Thanks for visiting me," Harry said. He was dreadfully embarrassed by the attention and felt very warm from it.
"Did you really fight off three trolls?" Hermione asked. "That's what everyone is saying."
"No, the professors and the Headmaster and Mr. Flamel did," Harry laughed. "I sort of was there."
"He saved my life," Lavender said stoutly, making everyone gasp and look at Harry in a new light. "And he cast a spell that tripped the troll before it could hit us."
"What did you cast?" Neville asked eagerly.
"The Scouring Charm," Harry said lamely. "It was all I could think of and I aimed it at the stone beneath its foot and it slipped."
"That was really smart of you," Parvati said admiringly. "I never would have thought of that."
"Seriously, that's amazing," Neville said, awed.
"Well, uh, thanks," Harry stammered.
"And you really met Nicolas Flamel?" Sue asked.
"Briefly. He couldn't stay long after but he told the Headmaster that he would return and he would want to see me again." Harry shrugged. "I don't know why to be honest but he seemed nice."
They sat and chatted around Harry's bed before eventually he yawned. As if on cue, Pomfrey appeared. "Okay, you all have visited enough and Mister Potter's delicate condition requires more rest." She smiled once more at his look. "Let him rest and he will see you all tomorrow and for the departing feast."
"Yes Madam," they chorused.
"See you tomorrow, Harry," Parvati said cheerily.
"We'll come and fetch you in the morning," Lavender said.
"Sounds good, can't wait," Harry said sleepily. "Thank you for coming. It was really nice to see you. I'm glad you're my friends."
Pansy was the last to go. "I am glad you are mine," she whispered before she left.
.....
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