CHAPTER SIX
HELLO AGAIN
"NO! NOT THEM! LOOKOUT!"
Harry snapped from his sleep abruptly and looked over at his sleeping wife. She was running in her sleep and screaming in a desperate attempt to save them ... Again. He reached over her sleeping form and pulled her into a comforting hug as she started to cry and began to gently stroke her hair.
"Shh, shh, it's ok, love, you're dreaming." He gently shook her awake.
Hermione looked around wildly for a moment before she realized where she was. "H-Harry?"
"You were having that nightmare again, love." He cooed in her ear as she brought him into a tighter embrace and he gently rubbed her back.
"I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep this time of year." She sighed quietly into his chest. "There should have been something we could have done, Harry!"
"I know, love." He whispered comfortingly into her hair. "I wish I could have changed what happened as well, I really do."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were waiting patiently for the arrival of the Hogwarts Express. They were waiting to greet Hermione's parents who were attending the post-graduation reception in Hogsmeade. It was a wonderful day for the event, the sky was the bluest of blues, what little clouds that were there were small and puffy little things that resembled cotton balls, and there was a nice cool breeze coming in off of the lake. The entire school had emptied into the bustling wizarding village and along with scores of tables with food were live entertainers from around the country.
The defeat of Voldemort was the talk of the wizarding world for the past two weeks and it was just a few days ago that Harry was able to return to the school from St. Mungo's where he had been recovering from the effects of multiple cruciatus curse attacks. Hermione hadn't left his side the entire time and Harry was anxious to talk to her parents. During his stay, Harry found that he didn't want to be apart from Hermione for one day and had sent an owl to her parents asking for her hand in marriage. He'd gone over the letter several times and had finally sent it off the night before. He knew they wouldn't agree to a marriage right away and he'd reassured them in the letter that it would be at least two years before the actual wedding took place. He hadn't received a reply and his nerves were frayed to say the least.
"Harry, why are you so nervous?" Hermione asked with a laugh. "It's not like you haven't met my parents before ..."
"I know, love." Harry said as he put an arm around her waist. "It's ... It's just that I get nervous every time I have to see you father. If he'd caught us last summer ..."
"Oh, don't bring that up again!" She said with a laugh. "I know perfectly well what would have happened! I wouldn't be standing here waiting because you'd have been dead and I would have been pulled out of Hogwarts faster than Snape can sneer at your name!"
Harry laughed and pulled Hermione into his arms. "Well, it's definitely lucky he didn't catch us then!" He grinned as he kissed her tenderly.
"Would you guys not do that in front of me!" Ron said sarcastically behind them. "I don't want to lose my appetite before the food is ready!"
Hermione laughed as she pulled back from Harry. "And how long do we have to put up with Ickle Sour-Puss? Luna didn't leave forever it'll only be for two weeks."
Ron's blush quickly overtook the color of his hair. "Hey, I miss her, ok? And with you two snogging each other every five minutes I can't very well not think of just how much I miss her ..."
"It'll be alright, Ron." Harry said with a grin. "She'll be back faster than you know it and you can snog all you want!"
Ron blushed a shade of red that his hair couldn't even touch.
Harry and Hermione broke out in laughter followed momentarily by Ron. Life had gotten so much more normal since Harry didn't have to deal with the threat of Voldemort. Well, as normal as being world famous can get you.
"Hey, did you hear that?" Harry said after a moment and turned towards the south.
"Is it the train?" Hermione asked anxiously.
The Hogwarts Express whistle sounded and shortly thereafter the steam from the engine could be seen shooting over the surrounding trees.
"Let's hope Dad didn't talk their ears off, eh, Harry?" Ron said with a smile.
"Well, you know Dad." Harry said with a laugh. "Eight hours on the Express with two muggles to talk to the entire way? I'll be surprised if Hermione's parents will want to be around him again!"
"You know, it's still strange to hear you call Mr. Weasley 'Dad,' Harry." Hermione laughed. "I still can't believe that they've adopted you."
"I know, but I can't think of a better family to be apart of." Harry said with a smile. "Well, second best anyway." He added absently.
"What?" Hermione asked him curiously.
"Hmm?" Harry looked at her and raised his eyebrows.
"What did you mean by 'second best'?" She reiterated in his own words.
"Did I say that?" He asked innocently then looked up. "They're here!" He smiled and pointed.
The Hogwarts Express huffed and puffed into the station and with a final sigh and release of steam, it stopped. People started getting off of the passenger cars and headed down towards the village.
"Hermione!" Mrs. Granger called from the car behind the engine. She was carrying Hermione's three year old sister and her father appeared behind them and with a smile waved at his eldest daughter.
"Dad! Mum!" Hermione shouted back with a smile and a wave.
"Who's that?" An elderly man asked from beside them and he pointed to the sky.
Harry looked to where the man had indicated and heard Hermione gasp beside him. "What? They were all captured!" He went for his wand. There was a man in dark robes wearing a Death Eater's mask on a broom. His wand was already in its downswing when the trio had spotted him.
"LONG LIVE THE DARK LORD!" The man shouted.
There was a commotion on the platform as a bright orange streak of light sped towards the Hogwarts Express' engine and with a tremendous explosion the train and the first three cars were smoldering ruins. The man on the broom was too close and caught the full impact of the explosion and was thrown behind Harry and Hermione, crashing in a lifeless heap.
Ron was staring in shock at the flaming mass the first car had become and started forward a few seconds after Harry and Hermione did. They stopped at the first body and Hermione broke down in grief when Harry turned him over to reveal Mr. Granger. He was breathing shallowly and his eyes were lolling to the back of his head.
"H-Harry." He whispered.
"Sir, don't talk, we're going to get you help!" Harry said through the forming tears. Hermione was scrambling to the unmoving forms of her mother and little sister, shaking the entire way.
"Ha-Harry ..." He whispered again. "T-t-take care of H-Hermione, s-son." He added with his last breath and lay still in Harry's arms.
Harry pulled his gaze away from his girlfriend's father and looked to where she was cradling her mother in her arms.
"Mum! MUM!" She shouted as she rocked back and forth as she cradled her mother's still body.
"Hermione." Harry said quietly as he knelt beside her. "Your s-sister is still alive!"
Her head snapped around and she looked at him coldly. "Why couldn't we do anything, Harry?! WHY?!" She broke down into tears again as she rocked her mother as if she were a baby that needed comforting.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, I wasn't fast enough." Harry said quietly as he put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched and moved away from him as her grief deepened. "W-we need to get your sister to St. Mungo's, Hermione." Harry said with a hurt expression on his face.
"NOO!" Ron cried from closer to the train. Harry looked up worriedly and remembered that his adopted father was on the train as well. He ran to where Ron was sobbing on his knees and skidded to a halt.
"No ... Not again." Harry said as a new wave of grief rolled through him. He collapsed by his brother and wept freely as he took Arthur Weasley's lifeless hand.
The cries of grief and loss were echoed many times over as more and more people realized what had happened and found their loved ones in similar states along the station and in the surrounding area. The rest of the Weasleys had made it through the throngs of people within seconds and Harry stepped back to let them in. He suddenly remembered Diana, Hermione's sister, and dashed to her small, broken form. She was still breathing and her pulse was weak.
"HERMIONE!" Harry yelled over the din of the grieving families. He stumbled through the crowd and found her where he had left her, kneeling by her mother. "We need to get to St. Mungo's NOW!" He ordered and grabbed her arm. She offered no resistance and within a few seconds, they were apparating into the lobby of the wizard hospital.
"What happened?" A nurse asked anxiously when she saw the soot covered teens and the unconscious toddler.
Harry handed the little girl to the nurse. "A Death Eater attack on the Hogwarts Express." Harry said quickly. "She was caught in an explosion we got her here as soon as we could, there will be others. Her name's Diana Granger."
Hermione reached for her little sister. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" She cried out in fear when she realized what was going on.
"Hermione!" Harry snapped as he pulled her into a hug. "She's a nurse, she's going to try and save her!"
Hermione looked into Harry's eyes and broke down into his embrace. He held onto her with everything he had.
"Hermione, D-Dad died too." He said in a choked sob. "I could have saved them, Hermione! I wasn't fast enough, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He sobbed into her hair.
"I'm sorry, Harry." She cried in reply and they both collapsed on a couch in the waiting room.
They waited for what felt like days before a mediwizard walked up to them.
"Mr. Potter? Miss Granger?" He asked hesitantly.
Hermione looked up from her seat and Harry stood to greet the man before them.
"Is she ok?" Harry asked tentatively. Hermione stood next to her boyfriend and took hold of his arm. "Did she make it?"
"I-I'm sorry." The mediwizard said with a trembling voice. "Her injuries were too severe and she died just a few minutes ago."
Hermione's legs gave out and Harry caught her as grief wracked their bodies once again.
"I'm sorry." The mediwizard said quietly and left the waiting area with his face in his hand.
Mrs. Weasley arrived shortly thereafter and walked to where the couple had been mourning their losses. Harry looked up and it was all he could do to remain standing when he saw the look on his mother's face. Within seconds she joined her newest son and his girlfriend as they grieved anew.
"I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough to stop what Malfoy did." Harry said tenderly. "If I had only been paying attention!"
"Harry, please stop beating yourself up over that." Hermione said shakily. "There was nothing you could do, he sent that curse before anyone saw him and he paid for what he did."
Harry tried to sniff back the tears that were running down his cheeks. "I know, I know ..." He whispered back. "But if ..."
"There are no ifs, Harry." Hermione interrupted as she wiped the tears from his cheeks and he wiped them from hers. "What's important now is that we're here for Lily, Molly, and the rest of our family."
Harry nodded. "You are right as always, love." He whispered before bringing her face to his in a tender kiss. "We'll go see them all today. Then we'll spend tomorrow making more memories with the others."
Hermione half sobbed and half laughed and she pulled him into a tight hug. "That sounds like a wonderful plan." She said after a moment. "Do you know how much I love you?"
"If it's as much as I love you, then I have a rough estimation." He replied with a slight chuckle.
That small laugh seemed to be infectious and they found themselves laughing quietly with each other for a few minutes.
"I do love you, Hermione." He added after they caught their breath.
"I love you too, Harry." She said with a small smile.
"Now, it's still early to be awake yet and you've got to get your rest." Harry said after he kissed her forehead.
"I'm pregnant, Harry, not recovering from a life-threatening disease." She huffed in reply.
"I know, I know. Let me have my worries, no matter how unfounded they are, ok?" He said with a wink.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't think I'm going to steer you away from that line of thinking." She said dramatically. "Fine, I'll go back to sleep as long as we can get some ice cream tomorrow."
"Deal!" He said with a laugh. He pulled her into a reassuring hug and the two drifted back to sleep after a few minutes of quiet laughter.
No matter how many times it happened, Harry was always surprised by his morning pouncing. Lily seemed to have more energy than a Blast-Ended Skrewt and a niffler combined. She also seemed to hit just the right spot that would blast the air from his lungs. But he couldn't be angry with the squealing little girl as she hugged and kissed him good morning each day.
"Daddy! We're going on a trip today aren't we?" She asked excitedly between kisses on his cheek.
Harry smiled and pulled his daughter into a tickle attack. "We are going on a trip today, Lily." He said as she squirmed and giggled whenever he hit a particularly ticklish spot. She was laughing so hard she was nearly crying and that was Harry's signal to relent.
"I'm guessing you're exited to go for a ride today then?" Hermione asked with a laugh from her side of the bed.
Lily gasped for air and wiped her eyes. "Yeah, Mummy!" She managed after catching her breath. "Where are we gonna go?"
Harry and Hermione looked to each other for support.
"Honey, we're going to go and visit Gramma Elizabeth, Grampa Robert and Aunt Diana today." Harry said quietly as he rubbed her back.
"Do you think they'll talk back this time?" She asked curiously.
Hermione sighed and pulled her daughter into a comforting hug then kissed the top of her head. "I don't think so, sweetie." She said quietly. "At least not in words."
Lily nodded. "Oh, they're going to talk in our hearts again?" She looked at Harry questioningly.
"That's right, sweets." Harry said with a small smile as he kissed her forehead. "We'll try not to be long, because that's not the only place we're going to go."
"It's not, Daddy?"
Harry shook his head and smiled. "No, it's not. We're going to visit someone you haven't met before then we're going to spend the night at Gramma Molly's."
Lily's eyes lit up. "Are Percy and Uncle Ron and Aunt Luna going to be there too?"
Hermione laughed. "We'll see, sweetie. They'll be there tomorrow for sure!"
Lily stood and started jumping happily. "I'm gonna get dressed right now!" She said with as much enthusiasm as her small body could produce and without another word shot out of the room and down the hall.
"Do you want to be on clothes alert or should I?" Harry said with a grin as he kissed his wife.
"I want to take a shower, so it's your turn today." Hermione laughed as she got out of bed. "I'll start breakfast when you get in."
"I guess I can't complain." Harry said with a shrug. "LILY! HOLD ON A MINUTE!" He laughed and trotted out of the room. When he arrived in his daughter's bedroom, he laughed at the sight. "Sweets, those don't go on that way ..." He smiled and after a few minutes had her properly dressed for the day and had quickly packed a couple of outfits for their overnight stay.
"Shower's all yours, Honey." Hermione said as he and Lily made their way out into the hall.
"Mmm, I can smell that bacon as we speak." He grinned back. As he walked by, he patted Hermione's bottom and hurried into the bathroom before retaliation could occur.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!" Hermione squeaked with a blush as she swatted the air where he'd been. She was left standing in the hall with a giggling little girl and a husband who was already in the shower. "Wait right here, Lily." She said sweetly.
"Sorry, love, door's locked!" Harry chimed from the bathroom.
"My how our memory has faded." She said with a sickly sweet tone as she pulled her wand from her robe. "ALOHOMORA!"
Harry stuck his soapy head out of the shower. "Hermione, wait, I'm sorry." He said quickly but she ignored him and walked to the toilet.
"Hem hem." She said with a smile and with one move flushed the toilet, exited the room and smiled evilly at his reaction.
"HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT!" She heard him dancing around the shower trying to turn it off.
"Serves you right, dear!" She shouted through the now closed and locked door. "Come on, Lily." She took her daughter's hand and giggled all the way to the bedroom.
After everyone was fed and dressed, they all piled into the car and headed to London. Lily was quiet as she looked through her new book and her parents listened to the radio. Before they knew it, the first leg of the trip was finished and they pulled into a cemetery near Hermione's childhood home. The trio made their way to a set of graves, cleared the headstones of debris, and planted some new flowers.
"Hi, Mum." Hermione whispered as she began to dig the hole her favorite flowers would go into. "It's been a year and you should see how big Lily's gotten. Before we know it, she's going to be going to Hogwarts." She wiped a tear from her eyes. "Remember how excited I was when I got my letter? She's going to be twice as excited, you should see how much energy she's got!" She took the yellow lilies that were waiting to be planted. "We're having another baby! Can you believe it? I miss you, Dad, and Diana so much! I wish our children could have met you ... I guess they will one day, but that's a long ways away ..."
"Hey, Robert." Harry said quietly as he worked on his father-in-law's new flowers. "I've tried my best to look out for her. I think she's doing better, but she misses you all a lot." He reached for the chrysanthemums and began to plant them along the base of the marble slab. "We're having another baby and we'd like to have your name in it, or Elizabeth's ... I hope that's alright." He continued quietly and looked at his wife. "Hermione is a wonderful woman, I hope you can see that where you are ..." He added with a smile when she looked up at him.
Harry took Lily to Diana's grave as Hermione talked to her father. "This is your Aunt Diana, Lily." He said quietly as he remembered the day she was rushed into St. Mungo's. "She was only three when she went away." He added with a hug.
"Was she pretty, Daddy?" Lily asked as Hermione made her way to her little sister's grave.
"She was one of the prettiest little girls I knew." Harry said with a slight smile.
"Do you think she would have liked me?" She asked quietly.
Harry let out a soft chuckle. "I think she would have loved you, Lily. Just like everyone else in our family does."
Lily smiled at her father and caught him in a big hug. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, Sweets." He said as he wiped a tear from his face. "So does your Mummy."
"That's right." Hermione said as she joined in the family embrace.
"Two more stops to go." Harry said softly. The three of them stood silently for a moment, Harry and Hermione saying silent goodbyes and Lily watching a butterfly land gracefully on one of the flowers at Diana's grave before flitting to her hand.
"Look at the pretty butterfly, Daddy!" She said quietly.
"It sure is pretty, Lily." He smiled down at her before picking her up and turning towards the car.
"Where are we going next?" Lily asked curiously.
"Well, first we get some ice cream!" Hermione said with a smile to the laughter and clapping of her daughter.
"Then we're going to visit someone we haven't seen in a long time." Harry added with a smile.
"Who are we visiting?" Lily asked still reeling from the prospect of ice cream.
"We're going to visit my Aunt." Harry said with a slight smile.
Lily looked at Harry seriously. "Is she asleep in the ground too?"
Harry smiled softly at his daughter. "No, sweets. She lives where I did when I was a little boy."
"Was that when Dudley played Harry Hunting with you?" Lily asked with a frown and stern look that reminded him of his wife.
Harry laughed. "It is, sweets, but that was a long time ago."
Lily seemed to take that explanation at face value and once they were in the car, pulled out her drawing tablet and started to scribble a messy list on the paper.
"What are you writing, sweetie?" Hermione asked curiously.
"I'm writing a list of ice cream that I want to try." Lily said without looking up.
Harry and Hermione broke into laughter as they drove back to the city. They picked up their ice cream and headed to the local park to enjoy their treat in the warm afternoon sun. Lily had insisted they bring her drawing book and crayons and the family decided to spend an hour or so enjoying the quiet time they had before they had to leave.
Lily climbed precariously into Harry's lap with her notebook and almost slipped. Harry caught her at the last second and set her down in his lap.
"I'm going to draw something for you, ok, Daddy?" She said with a bright smile and opened her pad before a response was received.
"What do you want to draw, sweets?" He asked with a smile as he adjusted her denim sun hat for her. "Do you want me to help?"
"I can do it myself, Daddy." She said absentmindedly. "I want to draw you beating up Dudley when you saved Mummy!" She said with enthusiasm.
Hermione leaned in for a better look as Harry let out a laugh. "I wish I could have then, Lily, maybe I would have had the courage to ask Mummy's name then."
"I don't know, Harry." Hermione said with a smile. "I remember how hard it was for you to ask me out on our first date!"
"That was different." He retorted with a grin. "But the look on your face is still etched in my mind. 'What? You want to WHAT?!' It was priceless."
His wife answered his jibe with a poke in the ribs. "I wasn't that bad, Harry." She said with a smirk. "Lily, finish your juice, we have to go in a few minutes."
"Ok, Mummy, I'm almost ... done!" She held up her pad of paper with a gleam of pride in her eyes and her chest puffed out.
Harry looked at the stick figure drawing and smiled happily. "I guess the big one is Dudley?" He said with a grin.
Lily nodded excitedly. "And there's you and Mummy and the sandbox and Mummy's doll all fixed! Dudley is running away because he's afraid of wizards and he's too scared to tell his daddy on you!"
Harry let out a loud laugh. "I wish it was that way, sweets, I really do."
Lily smiled and ripped the drawing from the tablet before she handed it to her father. "Here Daddy, I want you to have it!"
"Well this goes on the refrigerator when we get home!" He said with a proud smile. "This one is so special it goes at the top next to your hand print from last year!"
Lily clapped her hands happily and ran to their car before Harry could react.
"Oh, no you don't!" He shouted after her and ran as slowly as he could so he would almost get to the car as she did, but relented at the last moment. "Oh! You win again, but you cheated!"
"I won fair and square, Daddy! You're just not fast enough yet!" She smiled then laughed as Harry picked her up and spun her around.
"Well, I'll just have to train harder, won't I?"
Lily nodded as she giggled before she was put into her booster seat. Hermione arrived a few seconds later and the family found themselves driving towards a very familiar neighborhood. They pulled into the driveway of 4 Privet Drive and walked to the front door together. Harry rang the doorbell and waited as the door opened.
"Hello?" A woman's voice came from the now opened door.
"Hi, Aunt Petunia." Harry said with a tentative smile before he was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug.
A/N: Thank you all for your reviews and encouragement. The next chapter will conclude Muddgutts' challenge: Potter Family Holiday ... I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am writing it. I'm sorry that there are some sad parts in it, but you can't have happiness without a bit of sadness ... *sigh* :)