Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and any of the characters mentioned hereafter. They belong to the incredible JK Rowling. I am not making a single cent out of this. I wish I did, and was.
[A/N: Okay, okay, at this point, you've all probably guessed just what I'm actually trying to write, lol. But anyway, it was fun writing it. Just to warn you all, one more chapter left after this one. Don't know what to call it yet, but, it'll probably be up in a couple of days :D
I've just realized I've gone two chapters without any real fluff >.< Oh well, my bad. There are some fluffly moments here, and a not-so-evil cliffy. I used to love writing cliffhangers back in the day, and I miss writing `em, but alas, this cliffy is nothing compared to them so good for you :P
Read and enjoy. I insist :) ]
In a life before this
Chapter 3: Believe
Atalanta screamed bloody murder, and then there was nothing.
`Nooooooooo!' cried Harry.'Atalantaaaaaaaaa!
He looked frantically around. Darkness everywhere.
`Lumos!'said Harry.
His wand tip lit up so powerfully, it almost seemed like it was day time. Harry closed his eyes, hoping against hope that Atalanta was still alive.
When he opened his eyes, he saw her. The same eyes, with the very same look of unconditional love she had given him.
`Atalanta,' said Harry. He felt such a powerful rush of relief and joy that he couldn't help but pull her to him, and kiss her with much urgency. Her lips were the same soft lips he had been kissing for the past week, and her cheeks the same smooth cheeks he had held so lovingly. He could feel one of his hands in her wavy brown hair… wavy brown hair?
`What the bloody hell are you doing to Hermione, Harry?' he heard Ron's voice ask, annoyed.
Harry broke the kiss and opened his eyes. Hermione sat in front of him, wearing an expression Harry couldn't read. She was holding her lips, almost breathless, and obviously speechless.
He didn't understand it. He saw Atalanta. How could he have made such a mistake? Yet...
`I… I'm sorry, Hermione. I don't know what's gotten into me,' he tried to explain. `I thought you were-'
`Atalanta,' Ron finished for him. `Yeah, we heard. What's wrong with you?' Ron added to Hermione. She was still touching her lips as though someone important had just kissed them, but now she had tears in her eyes.
`I… I don't know,' she said shakily. `I feel so sad, suddenly…'
`So Harry is that bad at kissing!' said Ron.
`No…,' she said, wiping her tears now. Harry wanted more than anything to hold her, but he wasn't sure he should, and quite frankly, he didn't know why he did. `I feel like… like something very important has been taken away from me… oh, it's such a horrible feeling… I want it to stop!' and with that, Hermione got up and ran towards the castle, where Harry and Ron could only guess where she would end up in there.
Ron rounded on Harry.
`What happened?'
`I… honestly don't know, Ron…' Harry looked around, and noticed he was still under the Hogwarts tree. He looked at the grounds and saw Hermione's quills, books, and unfinished homework.
`You want to know what I think, Harry?' said a voice behind the tree. A soft, dreamy voice.
Before Harry could ask, Ron beat him to it.
`How long have you been there?!'
`A few minutes. I was bird-watching,' Luna Lovegood added as an afterthought. At that very moment, Pigwidgeon landed on Ron's shoulder twittering happily. `He's a cute little owl, isn't he?'
`What, Luna? What do you think now?' said Harry. He really wanted to follow Hermione right about now.
`Well, I think it's pretty obvious,' she said, looking through her binoculars at Pigwidgeon. `Atalanta has reincarnated in Hermione, and David in you. And since in a previous life, you promised to find her, you are supposed to keep your word.'
`That's ridiculous,' said Harry, sounding more like Hermione. Ron nodded, surveying Luna curiously.
`You've just got to believe. And I think it's interesting to note,' she said vaguely, `that today is the hundredth anniversary of both your deaths. I read that,' she pointed at Literature and Magic, which was lying open on the grass, `yesterday. And I'm betting David and Atalanta think they have waited enough.'
`What? What do you mean their deaths? Harry and Hermione are still alive!!' shouted Ron.
Luna put down her binoculars. She looked at Ron, and tilted her head to one side.
`Did you know your ears go red when you shout?' she said.
Ron blushed.
Harry made an irritated, impatient noise, and stood up.
`Excuse me, I have to look for Ata- Hermione,' he said. He shook his head violently as he ran to the castle.
***
Hermione ran… and she ran… and she ran some more.
What had happened? Why did she feel such overwhelming sorrow after Harry had kissed her?
She found an empty classroom and entered it. She sat on one of the chairs and cried silently on the desk. Her cheeks were wet with tears, and so were her arms. She closed her eyes in pain.
`No…' she sobbed. `we have to run..'
Hermione fell to the ground and scraped her knee. But the ground was not made of cement, like the floors of Hogwarts. It was made of earth.
She was outside.
`Atalanta, are you all right?' she heard a voice say, as she was lifted up by strong arms Hermione looked up and saw Harry. A different Harry. His hair was messier and longer, and the side of his head was bleeding, but his eyes were the same.
`Yes, my love. Now, hurry! They are right behind us,' Hermione heard herself say. Harry took her hand, and they both ran for it. She could hear heavy footsteps and voices behind them, but it was too dark to see anything. Only the moon provided light, but it was blocked by the immensely dense treetops.
Harry appeared to have seen a hiding place between the trees because he pulled Hermione to it, and she saw him put his index finger to his lips, mouthing "Shhh.."
The footsteps got louder, and voices closer. Hermione felt Harry hold her as though he would lose her if he didn't. She could hear his heart beat furiously against his chest.
`Hurry, men! Master Clare will have our wands and heads if we fail!' said a deep voice.
Hermione heard the deep voice and footsteps pass their hiding place. A few silent minutes crept by. Then, Harry held her cheeks, and made her face him.
`We will be fine, Atalanta,' he said
`No, David. They will kill us,' she heard herself say. She had no idea how the words left her mouth, but they did. `I have to do something…'
`Atalanta-'
Hermione closed her eyes and muttered words she'd never heard of under her breath. When she opened her eyes, she looked at Harry.
`David, my love, if we die tonight, there is a way we can meet again.'
`No, Atalanta, we will survive this,' said Harry.
`Listen to me, David. In order for us to meet again, you have to promise to look for me, the spell only allows you to do so,' said Hermione.
`I do not understand.'
`It is an ancient spell. It will allow us to meet again, and love each other for all eternity… but you have to promise to look for me…'
`How long...' Harry asked. Hermione could see determination in his eyes.
`One hundred years' she said.
Harry turned around angrily, and punched the tree next to him.
`I cannot wait so long… I must have you with me at all times,' he said.
`But David… please promise me… the spell will not work if you don't-'
Harry took her into his arms again.
`I cannot Atalanta… not when I am uncertain the spell will work…I love you too much.'
Tears ran down Hermione's cheeks.
`It will work, David… trust me…'
Before Harry could say anything, he suddenly looked alarmed. He examined the darkness of the forest, then-
`Run, Atalanta!'
Several spells shot at them, of different colors. Two of them were green.
They both ran, not knowing where they were going. After a few silent moments, a red beam hit Hermione, and she fell to the ground on all fours.
`Atalanta!' Harry screamed. He bent down to help her up, and shot spells in random directions.
Harry put her arm around him, and tried to run for it, but Hermione stopped him.
`David… I have been hit… my back is burning… I might not make it-'
`No,' said Harry, tears in his eyes. He put her slowly down. She could not hear footsteps, nor voices around her.
`Look for me, David...' said Hermione, tears running down from her light brown eyes.
Harry looked into her them, tears trickling from his own. He kissed her passionately, and she kissed him back urgently, both not willing to let go, for they knew this kiss would be their last.
`My love, we shall meet again,' he told Hermione, his lips only a short distance from hers.
`Promise me, David... promise me, you'll find me.'
Harry held her tightly, feeling her straight, silky black hair against his cheeks.
`I promise, Atalanta. Wait for me…'he said. `They cannot keep us apart.'
The moment Harry had let go of her, she was pulled backwards by an unseen force into the darkness.
`I love you, David! Always!' Hermione screamed.
`I love you!' she heard Harry call out. She couldn't see much now. It was so dark.
Hermione felt hands grab her wrists and she screamed bloody murder.
`Hermione! Hermione, wake up!'
Hermione opened her eyes and saw Harry in front of her, a look of utter concern in his eyes. He helped her stand up, but she slipped faint-like to the floor, where she began to weep.
`Hermione, no, don't cry,' he said gently.
`Oh Harry,' she sobbed. `It was awful… we were so in love… they took our lives… and you were bleeding… and you promised… and… I was so sad…'
`It's okay now, Hermione. I'm here,' said Harry, gently stroking her back.
`But Harry… it was your dream,' she said. `And it was so real… and… why did you kiss me earlier?'
Harry was taken aback by the question, and even though he had already answered it earlier, he just stared at her, wondering the same thing.
`I… I don't know…,' said Harry truthfully. Hermione stared back. `I saw you, and I just had to kiss you like my life depended -'
But Harry never got to finish his sentence, for Hermione pulled him into a kiss, which he more than gladly returned.
As she and Harry kissed, the overwhelming sorrow Hermione had felt started to fade away. There was something about Harry that took every ounce of pain she had felt for the past half hour, and made everything okay.
But Hermione knew there were still some unanswered questions; Did Harry really understand her when she said it was his dream, just what did all this mean, and… was she really kissing Harry, or David?
***
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