The Boy Who Wanted to Live

So worth it

Harry sat down on his bed with Hermione and coughed slightly. Hermione looked around the surprisingly dark room with curiosity. Dark rouge walls were engraved with the school crest. The tall four postered bed had black silk covering them; a bright yellow throw pillow sat on each bed, a feminine touch to the otherwise cold room. Every bed had a tall wardrobe beside it and every beside table held a single photo of the four founders. Hermione looked down at the gold carpets and Harry watched her eyes move with every detail it encountered. She gasped softly as she realized that the brown marks on the rug- which she originally mistook for stains, were actually markings that connected to reveal the whole of Hogwarts. Harry smiled at her wonderstruck expression and looked up at the blackened ceiling which was enchanted to look like the milky way above their heads. She gasped in wonder at the sight of it.
"That's so cool," she whispered.
"You're the only one I've allowed in my room to see it," Harry admitted softly.
"Really?" Hermione said with a big smile, her front Teeth jutting out jarringly.
"What about Han-" Hannah isn't allowed in here. Only you are," Harry interrupted.
Hermione smiled and leaned against the bed post.
"So why is it about the school on a whole?" Hermione asked in her ever so clever fashion "all the other houses are designed around their specific house,"
Harry smiled softly and rubbed the back if his neck. "Uh yeah that was Helga's idea. To remind us that the most important thing is unity among the houses. Theres a big speech at the beginning of the year about it. Basically says that the most important part of being a Hufflepuff is uniting the school, protecting the students and Hogwarts. To be a Hufflepuff means to be a protector; we must be the strongest, the bravest, the cleverest and the most humble."
"But those are the other house traits," Hermione laughed at the hypocrisy of the speech.
"A Hufflepuff can't be brave or else they'd be a Gryffindor," she shook her head at the ridiculousness of her friends exclamation.
"Well sometimes bravery doesn't mean fighting or being daring. It isn't jumping off the highest cliff or fighting your enemy to the ground." Harry sighed and gave a crooked smile towards the star splattered ceiling. "Why it's when your friends are fighting an-and you must be the one to break the battle, to see reason even when it means turning your back on your own team. Being brave is welcoming the new student even if you are scared or he isn't someone you would normally be friends with. It's accepting an apology from an enemy or defending your bully. Cleverness isn't just being smart or having the best grades," he rambled off with a smile "Helga Hufflepuff knew that the strongest of students would be the ones who knew their worth without overlooking the worth of others. The ones who would make sure that a school remained for the students to be in,"
Hermione watched him with a frown, unable to understand his passion about the subject. He turned his head and blushed at her raised eyebrows rubbing his neck bashfully.
"I don't expect you to understand it," he said with a sigh "Not that you can't understand but that as a Hufflepuff it comes naturally. The need of the many is more important than the needs of the few, that's why we are so willing to suffer for the right thing,"
"No one would need to suffer if they would stop fighting and just listened to us," Hermione pointed out.
Harry smiled and watched a cat curl up at his side, his hand brushing along the fur softly.
"Mione," Harry said softly, "look what do you see here?"
She rolled her eyes and looked at the cat.
"It is a cat," she said.
"No," Harry responded quickly, lifting the animal's paw and pressing it so it's claws became unsheathed, "He is a terrifying murderous beast,"
Harry smiled down at the animal releasing her paw gently "at least that is what the mouse sees,"
Hermione looked at the fluffy kitten with wonder, sighing softly and smiling up at Harry. Harry looked in her brown eyes and smiled back a small giggle leaving his mouth. She let out a small laugh as well smiling warmly at the strange boy. He smiled big and leaned back on the pillows.
"You, Harry Potter, are without a doubt the strangest person I have ever met," she giggled softly.
"The strangest person you've met so far," he amended with a smirk. "And you ms. Granger are so very worth it,"
"Worth what?" Hermione asked softly.
"Oh nothing," he said with a smile.
"You're so weird," she giggled happily.