Forgive-4
Harry's POV
So quiet.
Even when she was at my home she wasn't this quiet…or this still…
God but she's still beautiful.
It took a little time to track her down. I never really learned where it was that Marcus took her to live. She never gave me the chance. She just up and left. She never knew…
She was always the one and only for me. See I never knew whether I'd live to be 17 or 117 so I didn't want to get too close to girls. I saw what cedrics death did to Cho and I didn't want someone else to go through that because of some stupid prophecy. So I acted interested in girls just so the guys wouldn't think me weird but I never really thought about it. I had so many chances to go out with girls, be with girls, to fall in love that I didn't take.
Then it happened anyway. It was like something hit me on the head. I was in love with Hermione Jane Granger. I was terrified. Of all the people I could fall for it has to be the one that matters most to me. Whether it be as friends or lovers I would still do anything to protect her and I think that's why I did fall for her. I was never one for playing it safe, don't even know what made me try.
I held back when she started dating Marcus. She seemed to really care about him and I used it for my own selfish reasons. 'It's better this way, now I'll never hurt her by leaving.' And Marcus was so kind to her that I thought it was a good match. Even though he was a Slytherin, which I had a hard time looking past, but once I did I thought he was a generally nice guy.
I was dead wrong.
I always thought I was a good judge of character. Always thought no one could hide anything from me. Guess that's what Hermione thought as well and look how that turned out.
I should have known. Should have known after he'd taken her away, after birthdays came and went, replies to letters were left unsent and no communication from her what so ever. She didn't even come back for the final battle. We could have used her. I needed her to be there. But she never came.
I was furious with her after that. If I'd only known what she was going through I'd have come to get her. Voldemort used her against me. Said that the reason she never came was because he had killed her. If he only knew that was the worst thing he could have ever said. I used the anger, pain and hurt that that thought sent through me and burnt up the whole street. Oopsie.
After the fog of the battle left me I realized that it wasn't true. I'd have known if she was gone. I'd have felt it. But in the back of my mind I always thought about it.
Then I saw her walk into the store.
She looked a lot different from what I remembered. Her hair was blonde and short and she had an air of desolation around her that I just knew couldn't be good. The look in her eyes wasn't delight at the thought of seeing me…it was pure terror.
When she ran I just knew I had to go after her. It may just be the last time I do and I needed to find out what had her shaken this way.
I was tired of running after the first five minutes, and to be honest, it was getting annoying. I couldn't understand why the hell she was running from me. I was so happy to see her one minute, and the next I was chasing after a terrified woman and a screaming child. I wonder how that looked to bystanders.
Finally when I realized we were in ground zero and most definitely alone I decided to speak up. I was tired, confused and annoyed and it all came out in my voice when I screamed at her to stop. And the most amazing thing happened. She did. She stopped dead like she hit a brick wall. I've never seen anyone stop that fast.
I could see her hold on to the girl just a little tighter and look around. I stopped to take a breath and I saw her tense up like she just realized that we were alone.
"This is where it happened."
I couldn't help but let her know why there was an area like this in Diagon Alley. She tilted her head like she used to do when working out a hard problem. Then it dawned on her. I could tell by the way she began looking around with fervor. I placed my hand on her shoulder to calm her and it did the exact opposite. She screamed so loud it echoed in the emptiness, then fell to her knees clutching, what I supposed was her daughter, and began to cry.
She was mumbling something, that I couldn't quite here so I knelt next to her.
"…promise. I'll be good, don't hurt her please. She didn't know, it's my fault. I'm sorry I ran please."
I didn't believe that she thought I would hurt her. I couldn't believe it. We knew each other for so long, I loved her with all my heart and she thought that I would hurt her. I couldn't help it. I started to cry. As I looked into her bloodshot eyes, I cried for her, for me, for everything we've been through and haven't.
"Hermione,"
A realization dawned in her eyes at that moment, a realization that I didn't understand till much later. She began to cry harder and when I put my arms around her and squeezed she cried out.
When I lifted her sleeve, saw the bruise, and heard her explanation I knew. He beat her. The son of a bitch beat her. It took all I had not to start screaming. I was afraid she'd curl up again and think I was going to hit her. I would never hit her.
I took the girl and walked to my house checking every-so-often that Hermione was following me. When we got home I told her to sit in the living room and that I'd take care of the girl. When I came back into the living room I saw her lost in the pictures on the mantle. They're mostly of her. I try once again to place my hand on her shoulder and, once again, she jumps a mile. She spins and looks into my eye then down again. It hurt me that she thinks she deserves this. No one deserves this. It all comes out in a rush, she's protecting this man, the man that took her away from all her friends, that took her away from me. The man that gave her that bruise and took her away from HERSELF most of all. This is the same self assured girl I went to school with. From the looks of it she's the exact opposite.
She swoons and I know that if she doesn't sit down, she'll fall. So I help her down and that's when it all comes out. She started talking, telling me everything that happened in the past 5 years. From the reason she married Marcus in the first place to the reason she was here. She told she named her daughter after my parents. That she couldn't stop thinking about me.
She tried to write, but he didn't let her. I couldn't believe how wrong I was thinking she didn't want to speak to me. I had to get away. I couldn't look her in the eye knowing that while I was so angry with her she was being 'punished'.
That was when I made the biggest mistake of my life, I went to make tea.
When I came back, she was gone.
I chased her for a while again. But I soon realized that she didn't want to come back, that she was going home to him. So I stopped running, but I kept her in my sight. I couldn't loose her again.
That's how I ended up here. Next to her bed in the ICU section of St. Mungos. I followed her to Her home in Dublin and thank god that I did.
I was too late though. Hermione was laying there bleeding, unconscious, and Marcus was nowhere to be seen. The bastard.
I used the Floo connection to contact St. Mungo's to get Hermione out of there as soon as I could. I didn't even realize that I was crying.
Jamie, thank Merlin, was in her room, crying also. I told her that I was going to send her with some nice people to take care of her for now. She asked for Hermione and I started crying harder.
I told her what I thought she could take I think 'you father beats your mother and despite the fact that she could squash him like a bug, she lets him' sounds particularly nice after what she just went through. I told her that mommy is sick and needed to go to the hospital. She just nodded like she knew what I meant. It hurt that she knew.
I called Fred through the Floo and told him the whole situation. I asked if he could take care of Jamie until Hermione was better. He was delighted, of course and I sent her on her way.
So here I sit. I've been here for 3 hours already. They say she's stabilized but won't wake up. It was touch and go for a while, they said she was dead for over a minute. When I heard that my heart skipped a beat. I don't know what I would do if I lost her.
All I can do is sit here, tell her that it'll be ok and that her daughter's waiting for her.
Once she wakes up and I know she'll be ok, is when it's time for me to go hunting.
Marcus will pay.
Hermione POV
Beep…Beep…Beep…
Your life really does flash before your eyes before you die. You have this moment of complete clarity. Like you understand everything that's gone on in your life, like you see it from a new perspective.
Beep…Beep…Beep…
I don't like what I saw. I don't like being wrong, and I like being stupid even less. But that's exactly what I am. Wrong and stupid. Go figure.
Beep…Beep…Beep…
The doctors say I died. My heart stopped beating for over a minuet. They won't tell me about the baby. Well, I haven't really asked, couldn't really ask. Can't even open my eyes.
Beep…Beep…Beep…
I think Harry's the one that found me. I hear his voice ever now and then telling me that it'll be alright. To hold on. Am I really that bad? What happened when I came home?
Beep…Beep…Beep…