When prankster meets bookworm

The weight of the world

The first time he noticed it, George, Lee and him had been preparing a prank for Filch. They had been working in silence, hidden behind a statue, as Neville and Hermione had approached them.
"It's alright, Neville." She had said with a small smile. "Potions is very difficult and Professor Snape is not very nice." She had hooked her arm into his and pulled him into the direction of the library. Even as a first year that's where she thought all the answers lay.

The second time he noticed what she did,  had been a few weeks later. He had had detention with Filch and was cleaning the trophy room together with George. The both of them had noticed the crying girl outside the room, but didn't exactly know what to do. That's when Hermione had passed, her arms filled with books and her bag over her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" She had asked the girl without any hesitation. "Susan was it, right?"
Both him and George had heard how she listenend to the problems of a homesick girl whom she barely even knew. They had also seen the result as Hermione had stayed up till the crack of dawn to finish all her assignments because the wellbeing of the first year hufflepuff was more important to her.

He hadn't thought much of it. He didn't really know her so he had just asumed she was nice. He hadn't thought more of it until the third time he noticed her.
Ginny had been off for a while, and George and he had been planning on cheering her up. When they entered the common room ready to fulfill their duty as big brothers, they saw they had come for nothing as Hermione was already sitting with their little sister. Listening patiently as Ginny talked about Harry for over an hour. When the girl had thanked her with a smile before going to bed, Fred couldn't keep himself from taking in the second year. She seemed tired and as she combed her hair with her fingers in an absent mindly way, he wondered for the first time who was looking after her.

The fourth time he had noticed her doing it, he couldn't help himself from being a little bit worried. She had been comforting a first year who had a terrible case of homesickness, pulling the little boy in a hug as she comforted him without any judgement. She had black circles under her eyes and her hair seemed even fuzzier than otherwise. Her eyes even seemed a little bit puffy and he wondered if the fight she had had with his little brother over his stupid rat had been solved yet. It was the first time he decided to check up on her. When the little boy had calmed down and left the third year, he had walked over and asked her how she was doing. She said she was doing fine, and even though he knew she was partially lying, he didn't question her. After all, who was he to question her.

In her fourth year, George and him had been on the receiving end of her concern. Yeah, she might have been smug when the ageline gave them beards, she did check in on them in the hospitaal wing, wanting to be sure they were alright. It was the first time they had a real conversation, but she never answered the question how she was doing.

In her fifth year he noticed it a lot. He didn't know if it was because they spend so much time together, or if it was because of this silly crush he had gotten for her. In the end it didn't really matter, because all he wanted was to take care of the girl who took care of everyone else. He did his best to make her smile again when she was down, and checked in on her every time he knew she had comforted someone else. After every crying student that Umbridge had caused, he saw how the weight of the world started to get heavier and heavier for the pretty brunette her shoulders, and it was only a matter of time before she would crack. He didn't expect himself to be the first one to crack though.

When his dad was attacked, she had been there for him. She had been there for his whole family. He didn't know how she knew it, but she had followed him the moment he needed her most. He had cracked and burst into tears right in front of her, hidden from his family. She hadn't said a thing and just pulled him in a hug, a hug that said more than a thousand words. They had sat there for over half an hour, her holding him in his arms. When he had asked her afterwards how she was holding up, he got his first honest answer.
"Not that good. But I'm used to it by now. There are more important things on hand than my wellbeing. How are you doing? Feeling better?"
Just like that she had changed the subject and was back to caring for him. Herself pushed back as if she didn't care.
From that moment on he had gotten pretty close with her, knowing someone should look after her because she wouldn't do it herself. And then he had left school and she had gotten into trouble, almost being killed.

The first time he actively looked after her, was the day she stepped foot in WWW for the first time, her eye thick and black. He had brought her to their office so he could take care of the bruise and appologise once more for his forgetfullness. She had smiled shyly and told him it was alright before she checked in on him. His hand stayed a moment too long on her cheek as he applied the salve, but neither of them seemed to care as their eyes had locked and they showed themselves for who they truly were. That had also been the moment he decided to do something really reckless. He kissed her. He had kissed her and she had kissed him back.

From that moment he checked up on her by letter every day, worried that she might forget to take care of herself otherwise. And in her letters he was it was good he did so. Because more than once her worry for Harry or frustration with Ron caused her to forget about herself.

The moment she had cracked, he had been standing in WWW, helping some customers. She had ran in his shop, tears running down her cheek. He had taken her upside, leaving the shop in George hands as he gently hugged his girl, trying to comfort her as much as he could. When he found out what had happened, there was no hair on his head that questioned him when he told her she could stay with him. And for a while, he could take care for her, as she took care for him and his brother .

When George had gotten hurt, she had been by his side, telling him everything would be alright. After his twin had fallen asleep, she had hold him in her arms for the rest of the night. Making sure he would sleep, even singing him a lulaby. Anything to make him feel better.

Later he heard that it had been his voice on the radio that had comforted her when they were on the run and she had to look after the boys. She told him he had been the only thing keeping her sane and functioning. It almost made those long and lonely hours he had been broadcasting worth it even more. She meant everything for him.

And he meant everything for her. When she thought they had lost him, she had been broken. She had been comforting students all the way to the big hall, making sure they could talk to someone. But the moment she had seen his body on the ground she had collapsed, only George allowing to pull her in a hug.

Now she was sitting at his bed at St. Mungo's. Her head was resting in her arms. She hadn't left his side for a minute after the battle was fought. She had done her consoling for all her friends, but no one, not even George or Harry, got her to open up to them and tell them how she was feeling. When he had opened his eyes, her brown curls had been the first thing he noticed. When he gently went through them, the girl shot up.
"You're awake!" She said, tears streaming down her cheeks. George who had been sitting on the other side of his bed pulled him in a hug before he went out to get their family. It wasn't until hours later he could finally check up on his girl.
"How are you doing, Hermione?" He asked, gently playing with her hair.
"I don't know." She said honestly. "But I'm sure I can carry all the weight of the world with you by my side."