The Darkest Hours
By: FayeValentine00
Chapter 2
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Harry looked down at Hermione's sobbing form in his arms and a flood of emotions hit him. He was sad, hurt, worried and disturbed but the strongest emotion of all was the growing anger in his chest. It was a passionate anger. It was the anger that Harry had felt towards Voldemort his entire life. It was the kind of anger that he'd hoped would have died along with his nemesis. It was the kind of anger that could destroy you if you allowed it to overcome you and, to be perfectly honest, it scared the hell out of Harry.
When he awoke from his thoughts, Harry found that Hermione had cried herself to sleep yet, even in sleep, Harry could see that she found no peace. She was mumbling incoherently and moving more than usual. Trying not to wake her, Harry laid her sleeping form onto the bed and covered her with the orange sheets.
He watched her for a long time wondering whether or not she'd ever completely get over this. He knew he'd never gotten over the loss of his own parents so how was he supposed to expect her to get over hers. He knew that this was going to change Hermione. One way or another, things would be different.
He wondered where they would go from here. Both he and Hermione had spoken about joining the Order now that they'd graduated from Hogwarts but maybe now she wouldn't want to. He wondered if she'd just want to separate herself from everything… and everyone. He began to wonder what place he would still hold in her life.
A small piece of him wondered if she would blame him. He knew it was foolish to worry about it but he couldn't keep his mind from straying in that direction. He wondered how he was supposed to hope that she wouldn't blame him when he blamed himself.
A soft knock on the door caught Harry's attention and he looked up to see Ginny's red head peak in through the door. He could tell that she'd been crying and somehow she looked older then her years. There were lines etched in her face that somehow didn't fit.
"How is she doing?" Ginny asked softly in a meek voice that he hadn't heard her use in years.
"I'm not sure. She cried herself to sleep," he said reaching over to brush some of the hair from Hermione's face.
"A-alright. I guess I'll go then." She started to walk out but Harry's voice stopped her.
"Ginny, wait. I think… I think I'd rather not be left alone at the moment."
The younger girl turned to look at Harry with an odd expression for a moment before nodding and closing the door behind her. There was an expression of understanding in her eyes as she crossed the room. She reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around Harry's neck.
"Don't do this, Harry. Don't blame yourself."
"I'm not. I-"
Ginny pressed her index finger to his lips and gave him a serious glare. "I can see it in your eyes. I've seen that expression on your face far too many times. It doesn't fit you at all. You haven't caused this, Harry. You aren't to blame in any of it."
Harry opened his mouth to deny her words once more but as he looked into her eyes, he knew that he couldn't lie any longer. He needed to talk. He needed to get things off his chest now so when Hermione woke up, he'd be able to help her with a clear mind.
"I don't even know what to say anymore, Ginny. Every time things seem to be at point where Hermione and I might be able to find some peace, something new will happen to drag us back down to reality. I don't know how much longer she can take this… how much longer I can take it."
Ginny took his hand and led him away from the bed so as not to wake Hermione. She sat down on the floor near the corner of the room and pulled him down until he was sitting, facing her.
"It's not always going to be like this. We'll fight. We'll win. Things will go back to the way they should be someday. We have to believe that, Harry. We just have to!" By the time that she'd finished her words, there were tears swimming in her eyes.
Somehow seeing Ginny, the girl who was as good as his little sister, in tears made things come into perspective. It forced him to realize exactly how much the actions of the rogue Death Eaters had affected everyone whom knew and loved Hermione. It forced Harry to see that the war no longer revolved around himself and some obscure prophecy. This time it involved everyone and he found himself wondering how many more people were going to die before they were able to find the peaceful world that Ginny spoke so passionately about.
A stray tear ran down the girl's face and Harry wiped it away with a gentle touch. "You're right. We'll win. We'll all find our peace soon enough but you shouldn't even have to worry about these things. You still have another year at Hogwarts to worry about."
"It doesn't matter," she said suddenly with a defiant gleam in her eye.
"What?" Harry asked with a confused expression.
"It doesn't matter anymore. What good are some NEWTs going to be if there isn't a decent world around to use them?"
It was that moment that Harry realized exactly how much thought Ginny must have been putting in on the idea of dropping out of school and it scared him to death. The thought of seeing one more person he loved thrown into danger nearly sent his emotions over the edge.
"Don't think like that, Ginny. You have to go back to Hogwarts! Your parents would be horribly disappointed if you didn't go back," Harry said, trying to think of anything he could in order to stop her from even considering dropping out of Hogwarts to join the Order.
"I don't care, Harry! Ron is dead. They killed him! They killed the Granger's too. Who's next? I won't let them kill anyone else! I have to fight!" The crazed expression of raw unbridled anger on her face pulled at his heart but Harry forced himself not to show how afraid he felt.
"No," his voice came out calm but cold and serious.
"What?" she asked giving him a look of disbelief.
"Listen to me, Ginny. You have to go back." She opened her mouth to say exactly what was on her mind but when Harry moved up onto his knees swiftly and looked straight into her eyes, she fell silent. "Please. Just do it for me. I am begging you. I couldn't bare it if anything happened to you and neither could your family or Hermione. … Please, Ginny... for me."
She looked at him for a long time and Harry knew that she was considering what he'd said. He could tell that she understood what he was telling her but he could also see her fighting with the need that she felt to seek vengeance. It felt like an eternity before she very slowly nodded her head in agreement.
"You have to promise to contact me if anything happens."
"I promise," he said, not actually intending to keep that promise at all.
"I don't believe you," she said giving him the look that every little sister gives their older sibling when she thinks that they are trying to fool her.
A new knock on the door saved Harry from any further promises that he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep. Remus opened the room and looked first at Hermione's sleeping form on the bed and then over to where Ginny and Harry sat on the floor.
"I'm going to walk for bit would you both like to join me. I think some fresh air might do us some good," the former Professor said with a forced smile.
"Ginny, you go. I'm going to stay with Hermione," Harry said while helping her to her feet.
"I'll stay here with you, if you'd like."
"No, it's fine. You go with Remus and tell him what you just promised me."
She gave him an annoyed look but then nodded, kissed his cheek and then walked out the door. Remus gave him an "I'll-talk-to-you-later" look and then followed Ginny and closed the door behind himself.
"Harry?"
He turned around and saw that Hermione was awake and was pulling herself into a sitting position. She wasn't crying anymore but the lost look in her eyes made the tears not seem as bad.
He crossed the room in three steps and sat down at Hermione's side. He held out his arms and she leaned into his embrace. She was quiet for a long time and simply sat there lost in thought.
"I love you, Harry," she finally managed to say.
Something in those words instantly made Harry's world seem a little brighter. As long as Hermione still loved him, he'd be able to overcome everything.
"I love you, too. I'm so… so sorry."
"Oh, Harry," she said in a heavy sigh. "It's not your fault. I know that. I just c-can't believe that this is happening. I can't believe that they're really gone."
When no words came to Harry's mind, he simply nodded. After that nothing more needed to be said. He wrapped Hermione up into a loving embrace and held her until they both finally fell asleep after praying that some day all of these horrors might someday be nothing more then a memory.