Story: War
Chapter: 14
Rating of Chapter: R
My other Fics: Stress, Wake Me From This Nightmare, Psychokinesis, Forlorn
Thanks: Thanks to Cheryl and Muirnin for their continuous support and help with this fic.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The only things I own are the plot, any characters, spells etc that you do not recognize.
Author Notes: I read what a couple of you said about H/Hr. But trust me; things will improve a lot for them, very soon actually. This is an H/Hr story is it not? But you have to understand that things can't be rosy all the time can they?
Chapter 14: Realisations, Voldemort and Occlumency
Harry was seated in the hospital wing, his mind full of Voldemort's speech. Harry knew deep down that he needed to take Occlumency again, but he couldn't face anymore lessons from Snape. Ron placed an arm on his shoulder.
"Are you alright mate?" he asked with concern. Harry straightened up in his seat and took in a deep breath.
"Yeah, don't worry…I'll be fine." Harry answered absent-mindedly. At that moment Harry heard quickening footsteps coming from behind the entrance doors. The doors flung open and Hermione ran into the room and wrapped her arms around him.
"Come on." Draco said to Ron, pulling him away by the sleeve of his robe as they left Harry and Hermione with Madam Pomfrey who began to speak.
"Do excuse me, I have just been informed that a student has been careless with her Grow Your Own Warts Kit." With a smile she dashed out of the room. Harry couldn't help but stay in Hermione's arms, she had such an effect on him it was unreal. After five minutes or so of taking in the sweet scent in her hair, Harry pulled away from Hermione.
"Are you okay? What happened?" Hermione asked, her hand reaching his.
"I'm okay, it's just Voldemort," he responded, he began to move his hand away from hers but she gripped it more firmly.
"Voldemort!" she exclaimed. "What did he do?" He looked deeply into her chocolate eyes, deciding whether or not to tell her the truth. After a few seconds he had realised that he couldn't lie to her.
"He got into my head," he started, his head dropping down. "He was just taunting me, and threatening me. He said that his servants could be anywhere." There were a few moments of silence between the two, before Hermione said what Harry had been both expecting and dreading.
"Harry, you need to take Occlumency again…" she began but was cut off by Harry.
"I'm not doing more of those stupid lessons with Snape," he answered coldly.
"Maybe you don't have to do the lessons with Snape," she suggested as Harry stared at her curiously.
"What do you mean?"
Hermione slipped her bag off her shoulder and pulled out a hefty book and placed it on her knees. "Since the summer after fifth year I've been reading up on a few things. What I'm trying to say is that…I might be able to teach you myself." Harry suddenly felt slight hope inside him.
"Really?" he encouraged. Hermione smiled at him before nodding her head. "Well I'm game if you are."
"Great, when do you want to start?" she asked casually.
"How about tomorrow night? In our common room?" Hermione nodded again in agreement before getting up from her seat.
"Are you sure you're going to be okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Hermione smiled at him again before making her way to the door. "Hermione," Harry called, the urge growing stronger to tell her how much he loved her and to kiss her right there. She turned to face him; she looked so fragile and innocent, Harry's words from earlier returned to his mind. "Nothing." Hermione's face changed from hope to disappointment and she left the room.
Harry sat still in thought, he knew that being near Hermione was going to make things harder for him, but he preferred to have Hermione teach him rather than Severus Snape. Harry heard a hollow thud from somewhere in the corridor and he jumped up from his seat and ran out. He turned two rights before seeing Hermione just ahead.
"Hermione!" he gasped, as she turned around, startled to see him there again.
"Harry, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just heard that thud and I wanted to make sure you were safe." Hermione moved a little closer to him.
"I'm fine, but I didn't hear a noise." Harry looked around in confusion as Hermione took his hands again. BANG! Harry jumped again as the sound grew even louder.
"Did you hear that?" he asked breathlessly. Hermione shook her head; again she was growing concerned for Harry. As he moved his head around anxiously, Hermione placed a hand on the back of his neck and forced him to look at her.
"Calm down," she said softly while stroking his hair. As if an invisible force was moving them together, their heads moved in slowly. Harry prepared himself for the usual sensation he felt when Hermione's lips met his, as the thoughts were about to become a reality a jolt of pain shot through his head. He pulled away and fell back to the ground, his screams echoing through the halls and tearing up his vocal chords. He clenched his forehead and caught a glimpse of Hermione through his blurred vision. `Getting to you Potter?' he heard the hiss from Voldemort as he rolled onto his stomach, the pain still excruciating. As he battled through the pain he heard another bang. `Putting you on edge?' the voice came again. Hermione placed a hand on his back to stop him from twisting and turning as the pain died out.
Harry rolled onto his back to find himself staring at a concerned Hermione who was surrounded by a bunch of nervous and excited students. He sat up slowly, his breathing heavy with the sweat dripping from his forehead. "Hermione," he gasped, staring at the beauty before him. Suddenly he realised how comforting it was to be near her. He stumbled to his feet, using both Hermione and the wall as support. He looked around at the panicked students around him, the terrified looks on their innocent faces told him how much they were depending on him. "I'm fine," he groaned. The crowd of students smiled and gladly made their way into the Great Hall, as Harry watched them leave he collapsed forward onto Hermione.
"What's happening?" she asked as he managed to hold himself up on his own.
He held Hermione's face tightly with both of his hands, his voice still shaky. "It's here Hermione, the war is finally here and I can't do this alone. I'm so scared, the responsibility rests on my shoulders, I don't know how much more I can take."
Hermione let out a few tears at the site of Harry crying, something she wasn't used to seeing, he was in so much pain it broke her heart. "You're not alone Harry…I'm here for you." She steadied his head until their eyes locked. "I love you." Harry looked at her seriously. She knew that she had just said what she honestly thought, and he couldn't deny it.
"I love you too…I need you." They could feel each other's breath on their faces they were so close, Harry moved his head that fraction closer until their lips touched. Harry placed his tongue on Hermione's lower lip when she opened her mouth giving him access to her. Her taste drove Harry mad but he made sure that he didn't take it too far by pulling away briskly. "So where does this leave us?" Hermione asked, still a little breathless.
"In the middle of a war," said Harry, pulling away from her, "a war that we will win."
*
Ginny Weasley strolled out of her History of Magic lesson and walked down two corridors, she was on her way to the common room when an arm grabbed her and pulled her into a large empty classroom. "What the," a hand covered up her mouth and she stamped on the persons foot.
"Damn! I only want to talk to you."
"Draco?" Ginny walked over to Draco, who's foot she had just stamped on. "I'm sorry."
Draco straightened up and smiled at her. "It's okay. I guess you did learn something from your brothers." They stayed silent for a few minutes before Ginny hesitantly spoke.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked curiously.
"Oh err, you know…" Ginny shrugged, a little confused. "Oh fuck it," Draco said quickly before walking determinedly over to her and smashing his mouth to hers. She pulled back a little at first, the surprise and force getting the better of her. After a few moments she relaxed into his kiss, his kiss, the person who had taunted her family so many times in the past…god it felt good! They broke apart briefly to catch their breath before Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her to her tiptoes, before placing another kiss on her lips.
A light coughing sounded behind them, but they were so caught up in each other that neither noticed. They finally broke apart upon hearing giggling. They glanced at the dozen giggling girls dressed in silky black uniforms. The huge woman standing in front, apparently the source of the coughing was similarly dressed yet adorned with many shining jewels. "Now dat I 'ave your attention. I am Madam Maxime, 'eadmistress of Beauxbatons. I ask dat you kindly remove yourselves from dis room as it is for da use of my students." A smirking Draco and a red faced Ginny quickly exited the room.
*
All students of Hogwarts were seated in the Great Hall, anxiously awaiting an announcement from their Headmaster. Harry sat down next to Ron and Hermione; Ron leaned into him and took his attention off Dumbledore. "I see you and Hermione fell out for a long time?" Harry just smiled and looked back up at Dumbledore, who had now stood up to begin his speech.
"You are gathered here to listen to a brief announcement that I have to make. By order of the Minister of Magic, some students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang have been moved to Hogwarts so that the British Defence of Magical Schools can keep them free of danger. Other students have been divided to other Wizarding schools throughout the world."
The students at each table were franticly discussing what Dumbledore had just said; some pupils glanced over at the two small tables, which seated the foreign students. Harry glanced at the table of the Beauxbatons students; one student in particular caught his eye, probably because he was staring directly at Hermione. Harry watched him for a few minutes but was distracted by Ron nudging him on the shoulder.
"What is it?" Harry asked him, his concentration focused on the boy who was still watching Hermione intently.
"Phass the photatoes," Ron spoke with his mouth half full of food. Harry passed him the potatoes and Hermione tapped him on the arm.
"That guy," Harry nodded at the boy as discretely as possible. "He's staring right at you." Hermione looked over at the thin boy with slick black hair in a ponytail, he grinned at Hermione before giving her a quick wink and getting up from his seat. He strolled over casually to Hermione and knelt down at her side.
"Excuser me mademoiselle, vous êtes une belle jeune femme," he said in a tone which Harry found rather pompous. Hermione smiled weakly at the boy. "Je m'appelle Felipe Dupree.."
"Bonjour Felipe," Hermione responded as cheerfully as possible.
"Je dois aller cher ami, peut-être nous parlons bientôt?" he asked confidently. Hermione nodded and faked a smile until he was out of sight.
"What did he say to you?" Harry questioned sternly.
"It's not important," Hermione tried to brush the subject aside, knowing how Harry would react, she moved back to her dinner.
"Hermione I would like to know," he demanded seriously, his eyes not moving from her. Hermione dropped her knife and fork on her plate
"Okay, if you must know he said, excuse me Miss, you are a beautiful young woman."
"He was hitting on you, that, that…"
"Frog," suggested Ron.
"Ron!" Hermione snapped, slapping him on the arm. "That's rude."
"Oh sorry, would you prefer, stuck up dick." Ron and Harry started to laugh like hyenas, but soon died down when they noticed the `McGonagall' look Hermione was giving them.
Author Notes: I know this isn't that long, but I managed over 2,000 words; the other chapters will get longer though.