"This Cinders girl is just like you!" Dudley snickers as he watches the television. "Dressed in rags, does all the chores, always dirty, and no one wants her. Even her parents are dead!"
Later, when Harry lies in bed and stares up at the dusty cobwe...
Harry always tries to escape the shadows of his childhood, but he can never truly leave it behind. It comes up again years later, after the war has been fought and won and the young boy in oversized clothes has turned into a young man ready to face the world.
"Harry, are you sure you want to attend this Halloween party?" Hermione pokes her head into his room at Grimmauld Place. "Mum and Dad would understand if you don't."
"I'm fine, Hermione. My parents wouldn't want me to sit at home miserable every Halloween. Besides, Sirius has his costume ready and everything."
"And you?" Hermione raises her eyebrow.
He coughs and points at the robes on his bed. "I'll go as a... wizard?"
"Oh, honestly." She rolls her eyes and pulls out two sets of costumes from her beaded bag. "You're lucky I know you so well."
Harry's eyes widen as he stares at the costumes in her hands.
"Is—is that—"
"Yes," Hermione suddenly looks a little uncertain of herself and explains: "I thought you might like it, but if not we can—"
"No," he interrupts her. "It's perfect."
Once they've both changed, Harry looks down at the billowy blue sleeves of his tunic and tight, light blue pants and suddenly regrets his earlier enthusiasm.
"I look ridiculous."
Hermione puts her hands on her hips. "Don't be silly, you look beautiful."
"Easy for you to say," Harry makes a hand motion towards Hermione's gold and white royal suit ensemble. "You look utterly dashing."
She walks towards him slowly, a mischievous little grin on her face.
"What is it?" He eyes her suspiciously.
Hermione's expression smooths over into a serene mask and she lowers her head in a graceful bow before taking his hand and kissing it lightly.
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It's unfair, Harry thinks. It's been years since they've gotten together, but she still manages to catch him off guard and surprise him with moments like these.
"Will you do me the honour of being my partner for this ball?"
He laughs loudly and lifts her up into his arms, with no intention of letting her go no matter how much she protests.
"This Cinderella thinks the ball can wait..."
_____
At the Granger's house, the after credits of the movies started to roll and Harry finally felt a little sleepy, but he refused to close his eyes before telling Hermione one last thing.
"You know, all this time I think I was waiting—for someone to notice, for someone to come and save me." Harry laced his fingers with hers and spoke normally, as if he was describing someone else's story. "And today, when I had already long lost all hope, there you were."
"You saved me too," she said softly. "No one else noticed I was gone. Only you."
The troll incident—Harry had nearly forgotten about it, but it's clear that Hermione never has. Maybe he shouldn't be surprised. Maybe this was just a thing of theirs.
Maybe they were destined to always be saving each other.
