A/N: I was in a weird mood when I wrote this chapter. It features a couple of songs,that I thought fit the mood of the characters. This chapter is short, but the next one is ready, so I'll update it very soon.
Chapter 15 - Unchained Melodies
Hermione was curled up in her rocking chair, next to the window of her new - and expensive - house. Her gaze was fixed in the empty street outside, but her mind was really wondering far away.
Two weeks had passed since Harry had rescued Danny in Kent, and she hadn't seen him since. She didn't know if that made her feel sad or relieved. Now that she knew that he had really loved her after all, and their relationship hadn't been just an affair to him, life seemed a lot more complicated to her, even if she felt a guilty happiness because of it. She couldn't stop thinking about him, about what he had gone through while she thought he was having a great time with other women...
And what would happened if she had known.
But there was no point in thinking "what if..." They both had a life of their own now. She was married to another man. She wasn't in love with Draco, but regretting their marriage would mean regretting having Daniel, and Hermione loved that boy more than she loved herself. It was the only thing worthy in her current life.
And Harry had married Ginny, her best friend, the only link to her happy childhood. It was true that the first days after Harry told her about Azkaban, she had been angry with Ginny for lying to her. But thinking things over, she knew it wasn't her fault. Ginny had probably told her she was in contact with Harry to feel less lonely. If she, Hermione, had been honest from the beginning, and told Ginny about her relationship with Harry, none of this would have happened. Ginny obviously wasn't aware that she had married the love of her life and had somehow pushed her into another man's arms.
Hermione wasn't sure why she hadn't told Ginny what had happened between Harry and her when she had the chance. Maybe it was because, deep down inside, she knew that the "he's like my brother" speech that Gin always used when she talked about Harry, was a lie. Ginny had always been in love with him... Hermione hadn't even thought about her friend before falling for Harry, not to mention getting involved with him.
She was a lousy friend.
And a lousy wife, too. She had just had a huge fight with Draco. He had complained that she never let him touch her anymore. Sex was an inexistent activity in the Malfoy's house since Hermione had seen Harry again. But she couldn't bear Draco touching her when her body ached for another man. It was like betraying both of them.
Right now, it was 3 a.m. and she wasn't planning to go to their bedroom. She'd rather stay right where she sat. Trying to forget her troubles for a while of, she turned on the muggle radio she had bought when she was in Spain, a good memory of her time with her parents.
A song was playing... She listened to the lyrics and her heart stopped beating for a second.
"Everybody's got something they had to leave behind
On regret from yesterday that just seems to grow with time
There's no use looking back or wondering
How it could be now or might have been
Oh this I know, but still I can't find ways to let you go"
It was just the way she was feeling now... A tear rolled down her cheek.
"I never had a dream come true
Till the day that I found you
Even though I pretend that I've moved on
You'll always be my baby
I never found the words to say
You're the one I think about each day
And I know no matter where life takes me to
A part of me will always be with you"
She tried to wipe them away, but it was useless.
"Somewhere in my memory I've lost all sense of time
And so my road can never be 'cause yesterday is all that fills my mind
There's no use looking back or wondering
How it should be now or might have been
Oh this I know but still I can't find ways to let you go"
You'll always be the dream that fills my head
Yes you will, say you will, you know you will, oh baby
You'll always be the one I know I'll never forget
There's no use looking back or wondering
Because love is a strange and funny thing
No matter how I try and try I just can't say goodbye"
"But I have to," she said to the radio. "I have to be able to say goodbye."
* * *
Not very far from there, there was someone else wide awake. Ginny was lying in her king sized bed, not able to fall asleep. And the reason for this insomnia was sleeping next to her: it was Harry, who didn't seem as if he was even in the same bed with her. He was curled up in the edge, as if he was trying to avoid any contact with her.
It had been like this for a while; two weeks she'd say. Or giving it another thought, Harry's distance had started a little after they had arrived in London. He was so different from who he was when they spent that year living in Paris, after they got married. That time had been pure bliss for her... But now, she felt that the only thing that made her happy was drifting away.
Maybe her husband was having an affair. She couldn't imagine him cheating on her, but what other explanation could there be for his long absences? He went out earlier each morning and arrived at home really late. If he had traveled a lot before, due to his work, now he traveled excessively on the weekends.
Ginny was afraid. What if Harry left her? Without him, she would be back in La Sante, with all her demons and fears... She had to stop him. But how?
"He wants a child," a voice said inside her head.
'But that's impossible. I can't...' she thought back.
"He doesn't know that."
* * *
Harry tried to keep himself busy to stop thinking. He was working really hard as the Manager of the Weasley Wizard Wheezes in the UK - the twins had moved to the US to manage their stores there and had left Harry in charge - and as the Head of the Sirius Black Foundation.
Nothing worked. No matter what he did, he always ended up thinking about Hermione.
She had seemed so surprised when he told her he had been caught and sent to Azkaban. He thought she would figure out that something like that had happened to him. Why else would he stop writing to her?
But she had married someone else. She hadn't waited for him. She had assumed he had abandoned her... Had she really loved him like he loved her? He knew she had. He could see it her eyes the few times they were together.
Did she still love him? He couldn't be sure. Maybe she loved Draco and he was just part of the past, as he had pretended she was all this time.
The muggle radio of his secretary was on. He could hear a song playing.
"We met as two total strangers
As many lovers often do
But who could have ever seen the danger
I didn't know I'd fall in love with you
You are this lonely picker's daydream
Like a wish that's wishing to come true
So Liberty just know I'm waiting
To share this love song with you
But do you think about me
When you're lying in his bed?
Won't you take the time to explain?
Do you ever think you'd rather be with me instead?
Or do you only think about me when it rains?
We shared some special nights together
We said we'd watch the morning rise
But when the sun was all around us
Wasn't nothing I hadn't seen in your eyes
I try so hard to keep it hidden
But I am hurting deep inside
For every time I've seen you smile
There are two times that I have cried
Or do you only think about me when it rains
Now and forever my life will be the same
I will be waiting underneath the pouring rain"
He stood up angrily and threw the radio against the wall, startling his secretary who looked at him in shock. It wasn't normal to see Harry Potter upset.
He muttered a quick apology before a quiet "Reparo", and locked himself in his office for the rest of the day.
* * *
Hermione didn't want to go, but she had to. After all, it was the inauguration party of "Virginia Weasley Fashion", the company where she and her husband worked now.
She was wearing a black dress; simple, yet beautiful. She tied her hair up in a bun. She would never look as gorgeous as Ginny, but at least she was presentable. The place Ginny had chosen for the party was her house. Another visit to the Potter's palace. Joy.
As soon as she entered in the room, she caught Harry's gaze upon her. She tried her best not to melt right then and there, and followed Ginny and Draco to make the correspondent speech and presentation.
The evening went smoothly. Harry was with Ginny all of the time, and Hermione stayed beside Draco. That was until the band that Ginny had hired started playing.
At first, she danced with her husband. She was actually having a good time - at least better than she had had in a long time. But Ginny came out of nowhere, and asked to dance with Draco. Hermione smiled at her, and walked towards the bar.
An arm stopped her in the way. She didn't have to look to tell it was him.
"Would you like to dance?" Harry said, softly.
She wanted to refuse, but she didn't. Harry put one hand on her waist and took her hand with the other. They had never danced before, Hermione thought, and kicked herself mentally for doing it.
For a while they stayed in silence. Hermione couldn't see Draco, Ginny or anyone else for that matter. She could only smell Harry's scent and hear his breath in her ear. She thought she would be all right, until the band started playing that song.
"Oh, my love, my darling,
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time,
And time goes by so slowly and time can do so much
Are you still mine?"
Shaking, she looked up at Harry. She was staring at her. They didn't speak, but they both were thinking the same thing. It was as if they had written that song... That's exactly how they felt.
"I need your love, I need your love,
God speed your love to me.
Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea"
Hermione couldn't believe it. It was as if all the singers in the world were plotting against her, to make her feel something she was so hard trying not to.
"Lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me"
"I'll be coming home, wait for me!""
Harry whispered something, but she couldn't hear it. All she could think about was how good it felt to have their hands locked... The stupid song wasn't helping her at all. She needed something to forget about him, not to love him even more.
"Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me"
The song ended, but they remained where they were. If they were any closer, their bodies would have melted.
"Hermione..." he said, his eyes piercing her in that special way of his.
"Harry, dear, here you are," Ginny's voice came.
And suddenly, the magic was over. Hermione came to her senses and pulled away from Harry. She looked at Ginny who had just came with Draco behind and forced a smile.
"Your husband is a very good dancer," she said, in a strange cheerful voice.
"Yours is not bad," the red headed laughed. "Come here honey, I have to tell you something."
Harry followed his wife, sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose. She led him to the garden and sat by the fountain.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I have great news for you, darling," she said. "I could have told you sooner, but I wanted to wait for the right moment."
Harry nodded, inviting her to continue. He was still numb after that dance.
"Harry... I'm pregnant."
* * *
That was an evil way to end this, I know. But I think you'll like the next chapter. Ginny's "pregnancy" will be explained, of course.
The songs featured (just in case you didn't recognize them) were: "Never had a Dream come true" (S Club 7), "Liberty" (Vertical Horizon) and "Unchained Melody" (from the Righteous Brothers and one of the most romantic movies in history: Ghost).