Hermione's Arrival
If you asked Ron how Harry was doing, he would reply, "He's gone bloody mad." Ever since the first night Harry stepped into Grimmauld Place, he had been someone else entirely. Countless people had tried to get Harry to his
normal self again, but it just didn't work.
"Harry," Remus said sitting, next to Harry on his bed. "Hermione is coming today." Harry looked at Remus, and he nodded. "She's going to want to talk to you." Harry just nodded again. "Harry, what's wrong?" Remus asked him.
"Nothing." Harry said, now staring straight ahead. Wondering why he caused so much death. Why people always suffered because of him.
"Harry, you've managed to put off not telling us since you came here, but I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong."
"Death." Harry said. Remus nodded.
"I thought so, I wasn't sure." Remus admitted to Harry.
"He's dead because of me. The whole summer, I'd been able to just push it away. But I-I can't now." Harry said stumbling on the 'I' as his eyes were brimmed with tears. "She's going to be next…" Harry told Remus.
"Hermione?" Remus asked for affirmation. Harry nodded, afraid to speak because of the tears. "Harry, just because you are close to somebody doesn't mean they are going to die." Remus explained to him.
"That's not it," Harry said. "A dream…"
"Harry, last time…" Remus trailed off.
"It wasn't like that, it-it was… They were all there, Mum killed Hermione. Sirius and Dad were there too…" a lone tear came down his cheek, which he wiped away quickly. "They all blame me for their death, and for hers." Harry told Remus. Remus put his hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Harry, they don't blame you for their death." Remus said. Harry got
up.
"How do you know that?" He yelled at Remus. "You don't! If I hadn't been born none of this would have happened!"
"No Harry, if you weren't born Voldemort might be in power right now. If you weren't born hundreds more people would be dead… if you weren't born, your parents and Sirius, along with your friends would be dead at this very moment," Remus told Harry. Harry looked away from Remus. "Harry, you can't blame yourself for these things that are out of your control, no matter how hard you try you can't save everyone, what's one person to the hundreds you
saved by just being born?" Remus asked Harry. Harry nodded.
"Okay, I get it," Harry told Remus. "But th-they're all still gone, and what if the dream was a foreshadowing?"
"Only time will tell," Remus told Harry. "Hermione will be here in an hour, I think she would really like to see you." Remus said, and left Harry to himself. Harry walked into the bathroom and splashed his face with water.
"Be brave, Harry…" He said to himself as he watched the water drip down his face. He grabbed a towel and wiped his face. "She's not going to die…you won't let her die." He said trying to reassure himself. He heard the door open, and could hear Mrs. Weasley asking Hermione how her trip was. He took a deep breath, and rubbed his temples. He walked out of the bathroom, through his room and came face to face with both Ron and Hermione. Hermione
looked at him worriedly, but Ron seemed to be enjoying Hermione's company, no matter if they were bickering or not.
"Harry…" She said tentatively. Harry smiled at her.
"Good to see you Hermione," he said and hugged her. She seemed rather taken aback at this gesture. Harry could only assume that Ron and the others must have told her about his weird behavior.
"So… Professor Lupin got through to you?" Ron asked. Harry nodded at
him.
"Yeah… It was just... this place… it brought back memories of him." Harry said. Hermione nodded knowingly, and squeezed his hand. He felt his stomach flip-flop and he gave her a small smile.
"Hello Ronald," said Luna Lovegood from behind Ron.
Ron closed his eyes. "Hello Luna," he said, grinding his teeth.
"How are you today?"
"Fine, I'm fine everyday, I'm trying to talk to people I actually like!" Ron said bursting out at her. Luna nodded her head and walked towards Ginny's room.
"Ron, why were you so mean to her?" Hermione asked.
"She's Loony Lovegood!" Ron said. Harry folded his arms, remembering his conversation with Luna last year.
"Don't call her that," Harry said, as the three of them walked into the room Harry and Ron shared.
"Why not?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Because Ron, she may be a bit… different. But she still has feelings!" Hermione said.
"You're the one always saying, 'Those aren't real'" he said in a girly voice. Hermione glared at him.
"Harry…" She said. He opened his mouth and looked at Ron, and closed it again.
"I-I'm not taking sides."
"Harry!" They both said. Harry inwardly smirked; yes, everything was exactly the same again. Hermione glared at Ron.
"Go and apologize to her," she ordered.
"You can't order me around, you're not my mother!" Ron said.
"Oh, but I can tell your mother."
"You would not..."
"You underestimate me." Hermione told him and started downstairs.
"Do you think she would?" Ron asked Harry, who bit his lip as they both raced down the stairwell. Hermione was smirking in the living room talking to Remus. Ron let out a sigh of relief.
"Lunch time," Mrs. Weasley said and smiled at Harry. "Good to see you've finally come down Harry."
The Weasleys, Remus, Luna, Tonks, Hermione and Harry sat down for lunch. Harry overheard Hermione trying to convince Remus into joining SPEW. Harry heard someone sit next to him, and saw Luna. He gave her a smile.
"Hello Luna," he said.
"Hello Harry." She said in return. "Ronald doesn't like me very much." Luna stated. Harry ate a piece of bread and shrugged. "I think he fancies Hermione…" Luna said.
"No, I don't think so Luna," Harry replied. He couldn't like Hermione…could he? No, definitely not. He would have noticed by now. Right?
"They've been owling each other a lot these days," Luna told Harry. Okay, maybe they are going out. Harry thought. Why would she keep in touch with Ron but not him? Harry suddenly became very jealous of his best friend, well, the male one anyway.
"I'm sure it's just to keep up during the summer." Harry said, chewing angrily on his food. They finished lunch and Ron, Luna, Ginny, Hermione and Harry sat in the living room.
"So Hermione, how was Jason?" Ginny asked Hermione whose eyes widened and she threw a pillow at Ginny.
"They," Hermione said nodding over to Harry and Ron, "Don't know." Ginny gave her an apologetic look. Ron and Harry looked narrowly at Hermione.
"Who is Jason?" Harry asked.
"He's just," she looked pointedly at Ginny. "A friend."
"I don't like the sound of him," Ron said.
"Me neither," agreed Harry.
"He's a childhood friend!" Hermione retorted.
"How come you've never talked about him?" Harry asked her.
"He moved to France, and now he's back in the UK, it's great. He's just the same, he still has his English accent, and he told me he has always been teased about it at his school…" she said. Luna and Ginny smirked. Harry had a surge of hate towards this Jason person. As the day went by it became night Luna and Ginny had gone up to bed, and Ron had fallen asleep. Hermione's head rested on Harry's shoulder.
"Harry, I'm tired…I think I'm going to go to bed." Harry nodded.
"I-I have to tell you something…" Harry said in a serious tone.
"What is it, Harry?" she asked him, concerned because of the tone of his voice. He took a deep breath. He needed to tell someone. He couldn't tell Ron, for some reason he had tried but he couldn't get it out. But he had to tell Hermione, he needed to tell someone, and she seemed to be the only one that would take it in, and not fuss over him.
"I- Dumbledore." He said choking on the words.
"Harry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Hermione told him. He shook his head.
"No I want to, I need to tell someone." Hermione nodded. "After the fight, after Sirius died, after Dumbledore fought off Voldemort." Harry took a moment to look at Hermione who seemed to be listening intently. "Dumbledore
and I were talking in his office… well he was talking, I was yelling. He told
me the prophecy that had been in the crystal ball." Hermione's eyes widened. "It said… 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…. And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…'," Harry repeated the
horrific words Dumbledore had spoken to him all those nights before. Hermione hugged him, and he hugged her back.
"So… you have to kill Voldemort?" Hermione asked.
"Or he will kill me."
Hermione shook her head. "No, that won't happen," Hermione said, with tears coming down her cheeks. "It can't happen."
"Hermione, don't cry," he said, wiping away her tears. "Don't cry for me," Harry told her.
"Harry, the prophecy… how did you deal with this all alone since June?"
"I tried not to think about it," Harry told her. "While I waited for you to owl me," he mumbled under his breath. But she had seemed to hear him.
"Oh Harry, I'm so sorry," she said. "I just, I couldn't think of what to say to you, Ron had been asking me so many questions, and Ginny… I couldn't wait for you to be here… I missed not talking or owling you," she told
him.
He nodded. "It's alright, I should have owled you too… I just couldn't find he words," Harry told her truthfully. Hermione wiped away the remainders of her tears, and stood up. Harry stood next to her and they walked up the stairs in comfortable silence. They were at Harry's door first.
"Well... see you tomorrow then…" he said awkwardly, putting his hands in his pockets. Hermione nodded, and kissed his cheek. He smiled as he watched her walk away. He walked into his room and happily got into his bed.
~*~*~
A/N: I hoped you liked that chapter! Please review and tell me what you think!
Thanks to gilda j, Creepy Susie, SilverFoot, shawnpickett, tracie1976, ridxwan, telmie, Pottersgirl2003, Kayce, eMeRaLd EyEz, Muirnin, Sarmi and the Three Anynonmous Users.