The cold wind buffeted the icy wet rain against his still form as deafening thunder echoed overhead. London was a much different place from this height and he watched the people and cars scuttle about like ants hurrying into their hills. The wind blasted by again, catching his woolen cloak unawares, causing it to flap noiselessly like a flag as another roar ripped through the cloud-laden heavens.
A small, sarcastic grin crept across his otherwise stony features as his eyes flicked about, peering in the darkness of the alleys below. It was just such a night that he had been unknowingly turned away by one of his best friends after he had tried to step over that forbidden line with her. She could have said yes had it not been for his other best friend's rush to beat him 'to the prize' and as a result of those actions, their friendship had deteriorated.
A new batch of thunder rolled across the sky like a boulder down an unstable hill. Harry and his partner had been perched on this selfsame rooftop for the past three months, watching for their elusive quarry. So far, their efforts were in vain. Every assignment they'd received after he'd finished training had been one married couple or another, a mockery of what he really desired but couldn't obtain through the one woman that he loved.
He shook his head ruefully before wrapping his cloak about him once again and letting out a soft laugh.
"I didn't think you'd get here in time, Tonks," he said hoarsely as if his mouth were full of cotton.
"Wotcher, Harry?" she said in her jovial tone that was saved for good friends. "Had a little accident in Moody's office and he made me clean it up."
"Aren't you one of the tops in stealth?" he asked with a chuckle.
"Sod off," she said playfully. "Any luck finding our misguided friend?"
Harry shook his head wearily. "There hasn't been anyone through that matches his description," he explained irritably. "The wards have been silent, so we haven't had anyone disguised with either Muggle or magical means. The only way he got through is if he was a Metamorphmagus like you and me."
Tonks sighed and scanned the entrance to The Leaky Cauldron as if to verify his words. "Kingsley and his men are in place, why don't we head back to the flat and get some rest?"
Harry nodded slowly; his eyes trained on everything yet nothing in particular, but didn't turn to leave.
"I wish you'd tell me what's wrong..." Tonks said quietly, watching his profile and the blank expression on his face. "Is it Ron again?"
Harry sighed. "It's nothing, let's get back," he said with a smile. He turned to leave and Tonks stepped along side him. "What should we have for tea tonight?" he asked his partner as the wind and rain intensified.
"I'm up for take away again," she yelled over the new batch of thunder that leapt from somewhere to the right and ran along the clouds until it disappeared in front of them.
"I'll be back with some Chinese then, see you in a bit," Harry said with a clap on her shoulder. Before she could say anything else, he disapparated and walked from an alley next to a Chinese restaurant.
Lost in his thoughts, he entered the establishment and ordered in an almost mechanical nature. Rice, sweet and sour this, egg-drop that, beef, pork, the lines between the dishes blurred in front of his eyes and after a few minutes, paid the cashier and was out in the storm again. Walking down the same alley, there was a pop and he was hanging his drenched cloak in the hallway of his temporary home.
Tonks relieved him of his packages and directed him to his room with an order to change into something warm and dry. Harry didn't resist and soon found himself in a pair of old sweat pants and jumper that were still two sizes too large.
"Old habits die hard, do they?" Tonks asked with a smile from the kitchen.
"You get used to the bagginess after sixteen years," Harry said with a slight grin as he lumped a bit of everything onto a plate and sat at the table.
"Hedwig dropped off a delivery for you," Tonks said quietly, pointing to a rolled parchment that hadn't caught Harry's attention yet. "I think it might be from Hermione..."
Harry fumbled with the paper cylinder and looked at the neat handwriting that was unmistakably Hermione's. He set it back on the table and returned to eating.
"Aren't you going to open it?" Tonks asked as she sat next to him.
"If it's like her last letter, she's gushing on and on about her boyfriend and how happy they are..." Harry said glumly. "No need to worsen my day, now is there?"
"When was the last time you spoke with her?" Tonks asked concernedly. "You two were always close..."
"Do we have to get into this again?" Harry asked with a frown. "She made her choice and both of them seem to be happy. She doesn't need me being moody around her."
"I'm sorry, Harry, I just... you seemed happier when you and she could talk... I miss that part of you..." Tonks laid a hand on his arm, keeping him from shoveling another forkful of food into his mouth. "Go see her, Harry."
Harry looked to his partner then the letter he'd just received. "I'll read the letter, I won't promise anything beyond that," he grumbled. With a sigh he set down his fork and opened the rolled parchment.
Dear Harry,
It's been a while since I've last written, hasn't it? Ron's still upset that I've been trying
to keep you in the loop with everything that's going on. I wish I knew what happened... I miss talking to you.
Everything is going well at the office. I've finally managed to secure funding in the research to cure lycanthropy.
I can't believe that they stopped when Fudge took office, but with Mr. Weasley as the new Minister, things have
started to turn around.
Ginny and Draco have broken up... again... I wish she'd see that he's not the right guy for her. Molly has
set a decree that he isn't to be allowed on the property. The other day he tried to sneak in to see Gin but the
garden gnomes ambushed him and threw him over the hedge, it was hilarious!
Fred and George were by the flat the other day, something about Ron shirking his responsibilities as their guinea
pig. Ron's been out of town with the Cannons...
Harry, I feel so alone... I know I have Ron and I honestly do love him, but can you feel alone even then?
I must be tired, I'm rambling here. Please come and visit, I've missed you! Ron won't be home for
another few days if that's why you've stopped talking to me...
Love from
Hermione
Harry returned the letter to the table and rubbed his eyes.
"Anything good?" Tonks asked quietly.
"I'm going to bed, when's the next shift?"
"Oh, day after tomorrow at six," she replied softly. "Finish eating, you need to keep your strength up."
"I'll get something later, I need to lie down," Harry said with a shrug. Pushing his plate away, Harry walked into his room and slid onto the mattress with a sigh. So, love doesn't always mean you can be happy... he thought with a sarcastic snort. The bed sank as Tonks slid in next to him and she wrapped an arm around his midsection.
"Want to talk?" she asked quietly in his ear.
Harry rolled to his back and pulled her down into a gentle kiss. "Not right now," he whispered softly as Tonks snuggled into him. They laid in the dark for a while, listening to the rain pelt the windows and the thunder rage against the howl of the wind. Every so often a spectacular flash of lightning would light the room they were occupying.
A good portion of that time, Harry ran his fingers through the soft, silky locks of his partner, enjoying the silence and warmth she was offering his chilled body. He looked down when she cleared her throat and smiled at her pig-snout of a nose.
"Well, at least you haven't lost your sense of humor," she said with a grin.
Harry chuckled and quickly kissed her comedic nose before settling back in his pillows. "Why now?" he whispered to the ceiling.
"Why what?" she asked inquisitively, scooting a little closer to him and propping her chin on her folded arms.
Harry sighed and slid his hand down her back then back to the nape of her neck, eliciting a shiver from the woman resting on his chest. "They've been dating for the past five years and now she tells me she's lonely... Isn't Ron enough? That was made crystal clear to me before we finished school..."
"You three were always together then, weren't you?" she stated more than asked. "I was surprised when you didn't leave the Dursleys' before your last year at Hogwarts."
"Ron made it perfectly clear he didn't want me around him and his new girlfriend," Harry said a little too harshly. "Sorry, that jealousy bit still gets to me. You'd think he'd know I wouldn't try and break them up, but he changed..."
"I don't know what happened, you two seemed to be the best of friends..."
"I don't know either," Harry said with another sigh. He looked to Tonks' hazel eyes and wrapped his other arm around her.
"Are you going to see her tomorrow?" she asked, readjusting so she was on top of him.
Harry shrugged as he slid his hands up her side and parted her robe, revealing her milky, white skin. "I don't know," he said quietly as she leaned towards him. There were no further words spoken as the rest of their clothes were discarded and the storm raged outside.
Harry's eyes fluttered open to the bright sunlight streaming through the tall, gothic windows in his room. The light struck him squarely in the face and he blinked away the intrusive rays.
"What time is it?" Tonks mumbled from his chest.
Harry fumbled with his glasses and glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner. "Half past six," he said slowly. "The sun doesn't have the right to be up so early." He waved his hand at the curtains and the heavy drapes shielded the two from the sneering sun outside. "If Moody or Shacklebolt found out about this, we'd certainly be in the frying pan..." he mumbled as he slumped back into his pillows.
"We've been together for three years, Harry," she said with a sigh. "I know you're worried about losing our jobs, but they haven't found out or they're not saying anything. I'd think Moody would be fine with it, he knows what happened during the war... besides, they haven't said anything and we're not hurting anyone," she said sullenly from his chest. "At least I don't think I hurt anything last night..." Tonks added with a sly grin.
Harry laughed softly. "No, I don't think you did..." Unable to fall asleep again, he rolled into Tonks and wrapped an arm around her.
"I'm too tired, Harry," she said with a soft laugh.
"Mmm, not to worry, just trying to figure out if I want to eat, shower, or get out of the flat for once..."
"If you go through the front door, don't forget your disguise and the ring this time... that old lady across the hall thought I was cheating on my faithful husband!"
Harry chuckled. "I won't forget. I think it'll be eat then shower," he said with a smile. With his mind made up, he slipped out of bed, dressed in his bathrobe then shuffled into the kitchen. Filling a plate with close to the same concoction he had the night before, Harry seated himself at the table and began his breakfast. He heard the shower start and glanced at the letter that Hedwig delivered the previous night.
With a sigh, he grabbed a fresh piece of parchment and scribbled a reply.
Hermione,
Sorry I didn't reply straight away. I can be by today, whenever you'd like is fine with me, just send
Hedwig back with a time.
Talk to you then,
Harry
He rolled the parchment and tied it to the waiting Hedwig's leg. "Keep an eye out for Pig, ok? I don't want to set Ron off," Harry said with a slightly saddened expression on his face.
Hedwig hooted a reply and affectionately nipped Harry's finger before taking flight into the morning air. Harry glanced over his shoulder at the woman snaking her arms around him and stole a quick kiss.
"A letter to Hermione?" she asked with a smile.
Harry nodded and watched as Hedwig disappeared from view. "I'm going to visit her today..."
"That's good, Harry," Tonks said as she rubbed his back. "It's been too long since the two of you had a proper chat."
Harry nodded absently and sat at their small kitchen table to finish his breakfast. Tonks sat across from him, nursing a cup of piping hot tea, each of them enjoying the silence.
Shortly thereafter, Harry was showered and dressed for the day. It felt like the Chinese he had eaten for breakfast was causing his stomach to flip-flop from nervous to nauseous in rapid succession. He'd changed his mind about visiting Hermione several times; should he go, should he stay, should he go somewhere else? Harry had been away from the two of them for so long, it felt as if he didn't know who they were anymore. Ron he knew the least of the two and Harry couldn't understand just what happened to his former best friend.
The flapping of Hedwig's wings and the hoot of her arrival pulled his mind from the meanderings of his past. He smiled at his feathered friend and untied the note from her leg. With an owl treat and a stroke of her head, Hedwig flew to her perch above the cooler and settled in for a mid-morning nap. Harry opened the latest correspondence and quickly scanned Hermione's tidy scrawl.
Dear Harry,
I'm so happy you've decided to visit this time! It's been ages! Whenever you want to stop by is fine
with me, if you can make it for lunch I'll see what I can whip up! Thank you for coming over, I've missed
you!
Love from
Hermione
Harry looked at the letter once again before sighing and setting it on the table next to the one he'd received the previous night.
Well, here goes nothing... he grumbled to himself.
"Hey, I'll be at Hermione's if anything comes up," he said with a quick wave.
"Have your ring on, Dear?" Tonks asked with a grin. Harry raised his hand and smiled sarcastically in reply before giving himself brown hair, blue eyes, and adding a few pounds to his midsection. His scar disappeared and he smiled briefly at the results. "There's the man I married," Tonks said with a laugh. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do..."
"Funny, Tonks," Harry said with a fading grin then stepped into the hall.
"Oh, Mister Smith, lovely day isn't it?" An elderly lady said from her door.
"So nice that I thought I'd go for a walk, Mrs. Robinson," he returned with a smile, closing the door before she could peek in to the flat. "I think your dog Scruffles would love a day in the park, you should get out and enjoy the wonderful weather as well."
She laughed and waved as he walked down the hall shaking his head. That lady is too nosy for her own good...
A few blocks from his building, Harry turned into an alley and with a pop found himself surrounded by roses and various herbs. Not many people would consider this garden out of the ordinary, if they didn't know the various uses the plants provided for the inhabitants of the small cottage he was visiting. He straightened his jumper self-consciously and walked up the path to the back door. It opened as he was climbing the stairs and Harry looked up to see a smiling Hermione Granger in the doorway.
He tried to hide his surprise at seeing how she'd changed in five years. Her hair was the same, bushy brown that it had always been, only shoulder-length instead of reaching to the middle of her back as he remembered. She had put on weight and though she was still beautiful in his eyes, Hermione barely looked like herself. What happened? he thought desperately as he smiled back at her.
"Harry! I've missed you so much!" she crooned as he crossed into the kitchen. She hugged him nervously and stepped back before he had a chance to return the greeting. "I'm glad you came before lunch! It's not much, just bangers and mash..."
"That's fine, Hermione," he said with a soft smile. "H-how have you been?"
Her smile fell a little as her eyes scanned him and her gaze stopped on his hand. "Who's the lucky woman?" she asked tentatively, flicking her brown eyes back to his face and forcing her smile to return.
"What?" He glanced at his hand and laughed. "Tonks, actually," he said as he pulled the ring off his hand.
"Tonks?" Hermione didn't hide her surprise at his news. "W-when... Why are you taking it off?"
Harry smiled as he pocketed the ring. "We're undercover as a married couple," he explained quickly. "We're not really married."
The kettle let out a piercing whistle as relief flashed on Hermione's face. "Tea's ready, why don't you have a seat, I'll be right in."
Subconsciously, Harry began scanning the walls, looking at various objects here and there. The house was impeccably clean, as he thought Hermione would keep it, and he stopped at a bookshelf full of photographs. There were some of the Weasleys, several of Ron and Hermione, and quite a few of Ron posing for team photographs. No indication of Harry being their friend could be spotted and surprisingly, there weren't any books on the shelves.
The furniture looked very comfortable and Harry could see Hermione lying on the sofa reading one of her books while the fireplace was going. But the lack of books in the room disturbed him somewhat as he scanned the other walls, examining the photographs he found. In several of them, he noticed Hermione's fake smile was firmly in place and he could see the progression to her current physical state.
"Here we are," she said cheerfully as she set a silver tray with tea accouterments on the small coffee table. There were a few Quidditch magazines lying on the polished oak top near an overstuffed chair that looked quite worn. The sofa, on the other hand, seemed to be brand new. "Do you still take it with three sugars and milk?" Hermione asked as she gracefully poured his tea.
"You still remember that?" he asked with a smile.
"Of course, Harry, how much time did we spend together in school?" she chided him playfully.
A small clock on the mantle signaled that it was now eleven forty-five and Hermione looked up with a worried look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked concernedly as he glanced at the clock.
"Ron's going to call in soon," she explained matter-of-factly. "Would you mind if we went into the kitchen?"
Harry shook his head. "Not at all..." It looks like Ron still doesn't want me around... he added glumly, but smiled and helped her with the tray. "Sorry I didn't get here sooner."
"That's ok, Harry, Ron calls in every three hours or so," she explained as they sat at the table. "I should wait for him in the sitting room, do you mind?"
Harry smiled softly and shook his head. "Go ahead, I can wait."
She smiled apologetically, slid a sausage on a plate and rushed into the sitting room. Harry sat miserably at the table, casually looking around the kitchen. There was gourmet cookware hanging above an island cooking station, a large cooler that looked like it belonged in a restaurant instead of a small cottage, and a bookshelf full of cookbooks. At least she's got some books here... he thought ruefully as he admired the surgically clean room.
There was a whoosh and a familiar, yet grating voice echoed from the other room. Harry quietly moved to the doorway to hear what was being said more clearly.
"Hey, how's your day going, Love?" Ron asked happily.
"Same as always, just made some lunch and thought you'd like a taste," she said with a forced laugh that hadn't slipped from Harry's attention. Ron said something but Harry couldn't make out the words.
Hermione must have fed him that banger.
"So," Ron said after a few minutes of huffing and puffing to cool down the sausage, "have you gone anywhere while I'm out and about?"
"I went to the office yesterday to do some extra research and stopped by the market this morning," Hermione relayed automatically. "I was thinking about going shopping this afternoon for some new robes..."
"Hermione, you know we can't afford a lot of new things right now," Ron said stiffly.
"My robes are a bit tight, Ron," Hermione protested. "Just one new set... or I could go to the secondhand store?"
Secondhand store?
"There, you can buy four times as many robes from there than at Madam Malkin's," Ron said cheerfully. "We need to watch our spending, Love."
"Thanks, Ron," Hermione said with fake cheerfulness that also failed to escape Harry's perked ears.
"It's alright, Love," Ron replied. "Well, I'll floo you at two! I love you!"
"You too, Ron," Hermione said sweetly. "See you then!"
There was another whoosh and Harry quietly moved back to his seat.
"Sorry that took so long," Hermione apologized as she walked back into the kitchen with the empty plate.
"That's fine," Harry said with a smile. "How often does he Floo in?"
"Oh, five or six times a day when he's on tour with the team," she replied nonchalantly. "He worries that I get lonely."
"Something I was going to ask," Harry said after a long pull from his cup. "Where are all your books? I noticed that your bookshelves are rather bare."
"Oh, that? Ron and I decided that they belonged in my office or in storage when I ran out of room there. Honestly, there wouldn't have been enough room for anything else if I'd brought them all here!"
"You did have quite a collection," Harry admitted with a smile. "What do you read when you're home?"
"Oh, I don't have much time to read unless I'm at the office," she said with a wistful smile. "I've got to keep the house clean and cook. Ron would burn the place down if he got too close to the stove and he's too busy with practice most of the time."
"You mentioned in your letter that you're lonely, Hermione, is everything ok?" Harry straightened himself and leaned towards her, noticing a slight smile as he did so.
"Well, I-I was rambling at that point... With work and the house, I don't have much time for a social life. Ron and I go out when he's home, but I don't have much time for friends these days."
Harry watched as she spoke, listening carefully to her words and nodded. "What about Ginny?" he asked quietly. "You two were great friends... don't you spend time with her?"
"I used to, but Ron disowned her when she started dating Malfoy," she sighed. "I don't know what she sees in him besides his looks and bad-boy reputation."
"Ron disowned Ginny?" he asked incredulously.
Hermione nodded. "He went into a tirade the day he found out and the next thing I knew, she was forbidden to come to the house," she sighed again. "We have lunch once in a while when I'm at work, but I don't get to see her all that often."
"There's nobody else for you to spend time with?" Harry sat back in confusion when Hermione shook her head.
"Not enough time," she said with an apologetic smile. "Oh, I did promise lunch, didn't I?" She stood suddenly and rushed to the cupboards and drawers, pulling out plates and silverware. Before Harry had a chance to say anything, she had plated the food and presented it to him. "I hope that it's good enough," she said with a shy smile. "I only get to cook for Ron and myself and he'll eat just about anything."
"I'm sure it's fine," Harry said with a smile. He looked at his plate and grinned despite himself.
"Is it ok?" She asked quietly.
"It's fine, Hermione," Harry said as he took a bite of mash. His taste buds danced in delight as the savory potatoes nearly dissolved on contact. "This is really good," he said with a smile. "I didn't know that you cooked this well!"
Hermione blushed at the compliment and fiddled with her food. "I've had a lot of practice and I went to a Muggle university for a few classes," she admitted shyly. A dreamy look entered her eyes as she swirled her potatoes around the plate with her fork. "It made me realize how much I missed school."
"Didn't McGonagall offer you a teaching position at one point?" He asked as he enjoyed a bite of sausage.
"She did, but Ron was able to talk to his dad and got me the research position in the Ministry," she said with a slight smile. "It was enough to help us get the house and keep the bills at bay."
Harry nodded and raised his eyebrows as an idea sprang to mind. "Hey, I need to stop by Eeylops for Hedwig, would you like to go with?"
"Oh, I can't today, Harry," she said nervously. "Ron will be home in a few days and I've got to make sure things are ready for him when he gets here."
"Oh, ok," Harry said quietly. He looked at the clock above the sink and frowned. "It's almost two," he announced as he brought his empty plate to the sink and began rinsing it off. "I should go so you can talk with Ron."
"Do you have to, Harry?" she asked in an almost pleading manner. "It won't take long, maybe you could stay for tea?"
Harry turned to her and smiled reassuringly. "I guess I can stay for tea, let me check in with Tonks," he said, reaching into his pocket from where he pulled a small crystal. As he brought it to his mouth, Hermione stopped him.
"Could you take it to the garden?" She asked apologetically. "The wards around the house are sensitive to magic communication," she explained.
"Oh, sure, Hermione," he said with a slight frown. "I'll be back in a few minutes?" He couldn't help but smile when she replied with a dazzling smile of her own. She looked at the clock and smiled again before rushing into the sitting room to wait for Ron's call.
Harry scanned the trees and shrubberies in the garden before stepping outside. The last thing he wanted to do was run into Pigwidgeon and the small bird send word to Ron that he was visiting the house. There wasn't a sign of the over-excited miniature owl and with a sigh of frustration he walked to the farthest corner of the garden.
"Tonks, are you there?" he whispered into the crystal.
A few seconds later, her voice echoed back. "Wotcher, Harry?" she asked cheerfully. "Enjoying your visit?"
"Actually, things aren't all that good," he whispered back. "Hermione's changed, a lot."
"It's been five years since you've seen her, Harry," Tonks retorted. "Of course she's changed."
"This isn't normal, Tonks," he explained. "She doesn't read anymore and seems to be subservient to Ron, really subservient to him."
"You're kidding me, right?" she asked incredulously. "This is the same girl that stood up to the both of you when you were angry?"
"The same one," Harry responded sadly. "She seems to be desperate for company too. I don't know what's happened..."
"But you're going to find out, eh?" she said with a laugh.
"I'm going to try," Harry said adamantly. "But I don't want to hurt her..."
"I know you don't, Harry," Tonks said sympathetically. "And we haven't had any leads yet. We've been assigned to Hogsmeade next week so we've only got two more nights over by the Cauldron."
"Any cover for that?" Harry asked quickly as he saw Hermione's shadow crossing the window.
"Same thing, married couple, though this time we're ourselves and not a newlywed Muggle couple," she said with relief.
"That'll be interesting," Harry said with a slight laugh. "Skeeter's going to have a field day with that."
"Argh! I forgot about that!" she cursed. "Listen I'll talk to the uppers and see about getting us a cover for that too, wouldn't do well for Harry Potter to suddenly show up with an Auror wife..."
Harry laughed. "I don't think there'd be a dark witch or wizard for kilometers. Hey, could you stop by Eeylops and pick up a new batch of owl treats for Hedwig? I'm having tea here too."
"Sure thing, Harry, you be good over there!" Tonks laughed jokingly as Harry smiled and switched off the device. He turned to see Hermione smiling from the doorstep and he grinned in return.
"Tonks is going to take care of my errand so I can stay as late as you'd like," he said as he walked up the steps, "if that's ok with you."
"Really?" she asked with a smile and pulled him into the house by his arm. "You don't know how much I appreciate your visit, Harry."
"I'm sorry I haven't been by more often," he said apologetically.
"I was wondering what happened," she said quietly. "I was surprised when you didn't want to leave the Dursleys' before seventh year..."
Harry smiled apologetically. "I thought it best I stay in the protective wards that summer..." he lied. "Better to keep me hidden at that time instead of roaming around the Burrow."
Hermione looked at him skeptically and frowned. "It was Ron, wasn't it?"
Harry shook his head and laughed quietly. "You could always see through me, couldn't you?"
"I could, and you avoided the question, Harry."
"Yes, it was Ron," Harry admitted quietly. "I didn't want to get in the way."
"There you go again," she said accusingly.
Harry sighed and slumped into a chair. "Ok, that was partly true," Harry admitted. "I-I got a letter from Ron asking me to stay away. He didn't give me a reason other than wanting to spend the summer alone with you."
"He WHAT?" She looked at him in shock and sat in the chair across from him. "He couldn't have told you that," she whispered.
"He did, Hermione," Harry said firmly but softened immediately and looked to the table. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice."
"He told me that you were ill and decided to stay at Privet Drive..." She looked at her long lost friend and put a hand on his arm. "I-I didn't know, Harry, I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize," he said with a smile. He set his hand on hers and squeezed it gently. "He was probably afraid that I'd break the two of you up."
"He should have known better than that!" Hermione said angrily. "Is that what happened between you two?"
Harry shook his head. "No, not entirely," he admitted quietly. "He changed in school too and things went downhill from there. I'm not sure what really happened, but I... I don't know."
"We were always together," Hermione said sadly. "Was it something I did to drive you away from us that year?"
Harry looked up quickly and his breath caught in his throat at the look in her eyes. Despair, sadness, and loneliness were settled firmly in those deep brown pools that he'd lost himself in time and again. "Never," he said in a reassuring and definitive way. "It was never your fault!" Hermione looked down at the table and nodded, in a half-believing way. Harry turned towards her and took her hands in his. "Listen to me, Hermione, the day we became friends was the best thing that ever happened in my life. It tore me apart to watch you... and Ron... distance yourselves from me."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
Harry released her hands and looked at the table.
"Was it Ron again?" she asked softly.
Harry nodded but didn't look up. "I didn't want to be the cause of any friction between you two," he admitted quietly. Hermione nodded and he looked up to her. "Can I ask you a question?"
She nodded slowly and returned his gaze.
"Why are you forcing your smiles in most of the pictures in your sitting room?" The question was asked so quietly that she had to stop and think a few moments before she understood what he was asking.
"I am?" she asked rhetorically.
Harry nodded. "If it was the only thing I knew about you, I know when you're forcing your smiles and forcing cheerfulness," he said. "Is everything ok with you and Ron? You're not yourself, Hermione."
A flicker of rage crossed her eyes as he announced what he'd seen and she seemed to visibly close herself off. "Everything is fine between us, Harry," she said in a business-like fashion. "I'm just as I was when we went to Hogwarts," she said again and he could feel her anger building.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry said in a calming fashion. "I didn't mean to make you angry."
"I'm NOT angry, Harry," she hissed at him and stood quickly.
"Ok," he said under his breath and stood as well. "Hey, I seem to have messed things up a little too much," he said with a slight smile. "I think it would be best if I just head on back to the flat."
Hermione glanced at him angrily for a second, stopping her pacing mid-stride when her eyes softened. "Wait, no, I'm sorry, Harry, please don't go."
"No, I think it's best that I let you calm down," he said softly. "I had a feeling that it wouldn't be easy coming back and it looks like I was right."
Hermione stepped closer to him and set a hand on his arm. "No, I'm sorry, Harry, Ron and I love each other and it's difficult sometimes when others don't see that..."
Harry shook his head. "I know you didn't mean to get angry," he said softly as he reached for her hand. "Maybe we can get together again after we've had some time to cool down a little." Hermione hung her head and nodded. "Hedwig knows when you want to write, so write when you can, ok?"
"I will, Harry," she said softly. Harry pulled her into a tight hug and felt her stiffen so he released her quickly.
"Take care, Hermione, I'm just an owl away," Harry left through the kitchen door and disapparated straight to the flat he shared with Tonks.