Unofficial Portkey Archive

What is Love?

A/N: Get ready for the start of resolutions and a rollercoaster of happenings... Short chapter but important. I know I've put the song before, but it was another part of it. Happy Reading! And please R&R.

CHAPTER XXII

Cleansing rain

Let's go back

Back to the beginning

Back to when the earth,

the sun, the stars all aligned

'Cause perfect didn't feel so perfect

Trying to fit a square into a circle

Was no life

I defy

Let the rain fall down

And wake my dreams

Let it wash away

My sanity

'Cause I wanna feel the thunder

I wanna scream

Let the rain fall down

I'm coming clean, I'm coming clean

                  (.- Come Clean by Hilary Duff)

2004 - Hogwarts

Where could she go? She felt homeless, like a lake with no water in, like a pilgrim with no home to go back to. She was pretty sure she had just completely lost the two people that had ever cared so much for her. But maybe she hadn't done it right; lately that was the only thing she was sure to do right… make things wrong.

So she just concentrated in the place she'd felt more at home in her entire life... Grimmauld Place, when she was 16... No, that couldn't be. School, they were on summer break for another week, so it was probably deserted.

She apparated to the edge of Hogwarts Grounds and walked to her old school, thoughts whirling in her head, and her head whirling as well. "Damn sickness..." she muttered and stopped, taking her hand to her still flat stomach. "Wow, I'm really having Harry's baby," she said, amazed as tears filled her eyes. "Not the ending... or beginning I had dreamt of as a child," she continued talking to herself, but realized she was actually talking to the growing baby inside her as she walked.

The Lake was only a few meters ahead... the place where she had shared so many wonderful times at school... with Harry, with the two of them. She couldn't help the tears from flowing freely down her pale cheek now. Hermione's skin was usually slightly coppery, but lately she hadn't been eating or sleeping well, thinking of this whole situation, of the results of the magical DNA test that said it was actually Harry's baby she was carrying.

"I've got to do something about this non-eating/non-sleeping thing, I don't want you to get sick," she said to her belly and laughed, wiping her face from tears without any success, for they stubbornly continued to roll down. She had had so much sadness, guilt and anger bottled up inside her and now that she was alone, she could let it all out.

Silence was all that surrounded her and she was glad, she really needed it. However, her peace and quiet was quickly interrupted by a vibrate and warm feeling from inside her robes. She frowned, only five people had her wand-locator ID, and she didn't think any of them would contact her anytime soon.

"Yes?" she asked, bewildered.

"Granger. As much as I have changed, I am not a patient person, you know?"

"Malfoy? Merlin! I'm going to have a warrant against you finding me!" she said annoyed, wiping her eyes completely now.

"Oh, you love it," he said smoothly.

She narrowed her eyes. "What is it?" she said, ignoring his last comment.

"What? Don't tell me you are so deep into your little pathetic drama to remember our meeting?" When getting no answer, he huffed. "I am bloody waiting outside the International Magic Cooperation Office! Get your arse here in less than five minutes or you will lose the passes," he demanded and hung up.

"Holy crap! It completely slipped my mind!" she exclaimed and quickly cast the Portkey she had once created at school for emergencies. It led straight to the old Ministry and the other way round. "Portus!" she activated it again with the tip of her wand and soon enough, she was standing outside the Old Ministry. She then apparated to the International Magical Cooperation Department of the New Ministry in the East Side of London, close to the Floo Network Central.

She made out a faint blond that reflected the sun and hurried there. "Hey! I am so so-" she stopped in mid-sentence when she realized he was talking to an olive skinned beauty she had envied so many times. "Hello, Lariana," she said diplomatically.

"Hermione? What are you doing here?" the green-eyed woman said, bewildered.

"Uh... I- see you've met?" Draco asked, finally placing the pretty woman's face. Potter's ex-fiancée.

"Yeah, we have," the two said in unison and cut off at the same time.

"And you are even n'sync! Nice!" he tried to lighten the mood, with little success.

"I just ran into Lariana, here, and we were talking about the new legislation for European travelers. She seems to know a lot about it," Draco said brightly.

"Of course she does, she was responsible for more than half the propositions, saved Europe a lot of trouble," she commented and met a wide-eyed Lariana. "I- read a lot," Hermione excused herself and the woman just smiled.

"Thanks, but I was part of a great team," she said with a slight blush. It was big enough for one of the best journalists and most influential public people to think her responsible for such a big accomplishment, but especifically Hermione, that was a hell more of a big deal.

"Yeah, well- congratulations," Hermione tried and gave the woman a twisted smile that hoped to be honest.

"All right! We are gathered here to join this woman and this woman in holy matrimony," Draco joked and flashed the both a gorgeous smile, only recieving a glare from the two women in question. "Wrong statement, sorry."

"Uhm... I should get going, it was nice meeting you, Mr.Foymal," she said with a bow and a lovely smile.

Draco grabbed her hand and bowed to kiss it, very continental. "The pleasure and enchantment was all mine, please, Miss Holmes," he said and they exchanged a long look that didn't falter one moment.

"I'll- see you around, Hermione," she said quickly and walked away, trying to hide her blush.

When she was out of sight, Hermione looked at Draco, astounded. "Foymal? And what was that all about?"

"Jealous, Miss Granger?" the man asked with a lazy smile.

"Jealo- what? You were just hitting on Harry's ex! Unbelievable!"

"What? She is quite pretty... and what an appetizing-"

"Stop! I don't want to hear it!" she cut him off, almost yelling.

"Whoa, chill out, Granger. What's gotten into you?" he asked, noticing her red, puffy eyes.

"I- just told them."

"How did Potter take it?" he asked, trying to be as understanding as a redeemed Malfoy possibly could.

"He doesn't know."

"What? But you just said- Granger! You didn't tell them it was Scarhead's? You just love messing things more and more each time, don't you?"

"And that's not all..."

"Great Merlin, what else?"

"I... might have locked the two in a room... together," she said in a small voice.

"You- what?" he covered his handsome face with his palm. "How on earth do you plan to stop the Falange if the bloody Boy-Who-Lived and his sidekick are dead?" he said, annoyed.

"They won't kill each other!" she said defensively, "I hope..." she finished. Draco just sighed and Hermione tried to keep things moving. "So, you have the passes?"

"For the super secret auror dream team?" he asked with a smirk. "I have it, and for the backup group as well. I only managed to get 10, the group will be reduced.

"Better than nothing," she said and took the WWAF passes (Worldwide Apparating and Flooing). "Thanks, we couldn't have done it without you," she said with a smile.

"I know you love me," Draco winked at Hermione, who rolled her eyes in exchange. "Does Potter know already?" when he saw Hermione's expression, he sagged. "He won't be happy."

"You bet he won't..."

"I'll be coming too," Draco informed. "Wolvie asked me to join them as Al Foymal, and then he will crack to them my identity."

"Uh, I'll be first in line..." Hermione said with a smirk.

"You most definitely will be there," he started to leave, "just- don't get killed, all right? You have a baby in you now," he said with a lovely smile and turned. "It starts tomorrow night," Draco finished and dissapparated.

After a moment of staring into the now empty space, Hermione flinched. "Uh... creepy thought," she said and looked down at her stomach. "I think I'm starting to not dislike the bloke," Hermione said with a laugh. "Let's go get some food," she told the unborn baby and walked to the nearest Bakery to grab some coffee and donuts.

2004 - Hermione's flat

"What do you think you are playing at, here, Hermione? It is not funny!"

"We have nothing to talk about and this won't have a happy ending, no matter how much you want it to!"

"Hermione! Open the damn door right now!" Harry demanded after nearly pounding the door down in a useless effort of two: the first time they had worked as a team since the Final Battle.

"I mean it! You won't like it when a £200 bill comes for the crashed door!" Ron threatened.

"Uhm... Ron..."

"And be sure I will break it down-"

"Ron? I don't think-"

"And trust me, I won't be happy when I come out-"

"Ron!" Harry raised his voice above Ron's raging screams. He stopped a moment and glanced at Harry. "I don't think she is out there anymore..." he said quietly and collapsed against the wall, folding his arms above his knees with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" he came closer to the door again and pushed his ear against it. "You've got to be-"

"No, I most definitely am not; the little rat trapped us..."

"That is not possible!"

"Believe it or not, Sherlock," Harry said sarcastically.

"Look what you've done! Now I'll be late for-"

"Oh shut up already with the blaming!"

"You shut up, Harry. I stand by what I said: you are the cause that we're here, in this situation, and don't deny it!"

Harry looked up in desbelieve and stood. "Like hell I will! Merlin! You are so bleeding stubborn that you can't even see- Argh!"

"What? See what?" Ron demanded, taking steps towards Harry determinedly.

"See that if you really made her happy, she wouldn't be doing this! She would just tell me to sod off and get off your backs!"

"What?! It's YOU that won't leave us alone! When you're not around, she and I are perfectly fine!"

"That is exactly the problem! Whether you or I like it or not, I will always be around, and doesn't the fact that when I am around she is like that, tell you something?"

Ron took his hands to his head and shook it. "What? You are not making any sense!"

"Yes I am, and you know it! She was never sure of what she did, and that would have happened even if things had turned out differently."

"You mean if she would have stayed with you while you lied to her and me back in 7^th year?"

Harry started to respond and then sunk into Hermione's bed. "Yes, that is what I mean, Ron," he said quietly, looking at the ground.

Ron stared at Harry for a moment and sagged as well. "When the hell did we mess up everything so bad?" he asked.

"When you decided to kiss my girlfriend behind my back," Harry responded flatly; he didn't have the energy to keep fighting like that.

"Or when you transformed into mini-Malfoy..." Ron responded, equally discouraged, sitting with his back to the bed.

"What is that supposed to-" he started but then sighed. "You know, I don't have the strength to keep fighting, I really don't," he said and fell back on the bed.

"Neither do I, honest," the redhead imitated Harry and leaned on the foot of the bed, his head resting on the mattress.

"And Hermione is pregnant..."

"Yes she is..."

And it might just be mine... Harry added mentally, too emotionally drained to even think about it. And they kept quiet for the longest time, not a sound came out of that room; the late afternoon wind blew softly, and it made a louder noise than their shallow breaths.

"How much longer d'you reckon she will take?" Ron finally asked, after having called the office to say he most definitely wasn't going to show up today. He had already flown some things around to kill time, and now he was lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling.

"No idea, you know how Hermione is..." Harry replied, now having taken up to pulling all the cotton balls from the bedcovers out of boredom.

"So, what do you imagine was on her little twisted head when she locked us up?" he sat up an placed an arm on the bed, facing Harry, who was lying on his stomach and kept pulling on the little balls.

"Not too many possibilities, are there?"

"Guess not."

"So what will we tell her after she lets us out?" Harry asked nonchalantly.

"You mean after we kill her?"

He laughed slightly. "Yeah, after we do that, what is our conclusion?"

Ron stopped for a moment and ogled at his former best friend. "That she is mental?"

After a long pause of them just looking at each other, Harry snorted a little, quickly followed by Ron, and soon it ended in the two rolling on their backs, laughing.

"But we knew that already, didn't we?" Ron began between laughs.

"That we did, my friend," he said naturally.

"She would have to be to put up with us two gits for so long at school."

Harry stopped laughing, and so did Ron. "And after that too..." he said softly, and Ron's gaze found his.

"Yes, you're right," he just said and they remained silent for a moment. "I am sorry, Harry, I really am sorry it all turned out like this."

"Me too, I have missed you, mate."

"Oh, you have no idea. I had no one to have a laugh with, except a few blokes at work, but it wasn't the same..." they quieted down; finally putting everything behind them, once and for all. "Friends?" Ron extended his hand.

Harry took it, but he didn't say anything, nor did he let go off Ron's hand. "We still have a lot of things to work out..."

"I know, but not now."

"All in due time..." he finally said and smiled; a smile that soon turned into a grin of a reviving part of Harry's heart.

They spent the rest of the late afternoon talking about stupid little things and having a laugh at everything; catching up on their lives and conveniently avoiding all subjects that implicated Hermione or what happened between the three.

"Great Merlin, I'm starving, I wish she didn't take so-" and they heard the door close and footsteps approach the bedroom door.

"Guys? You all right?" she said nervously, "still alive?" the voice asked even a little scared.

The two jumped to their feet but stopped at the same time and exchanged furtive glances. Harry asked with a smirk and Ron nodded his agreement. They remained in silence and moved to each side of the door.

"Oh, goodness no! Finite!" she said quickly and opened the door, looking around for any signs of body or a fight.

Out of nowhere, Harry and Ron both jumped on Hermione and grabbed her by each side, throwing her on the bed.

She screamed in surprise and tried to break free of her attackers, managing to kick some ribs and punch an eye before she noticed who it was that was abducting her. "Great Merlin! What the hell do you think you are doing? Oh, Harry, are you all right? Ron! I didn't mean to- you scared the daylight out of me, you pricks!"

"Says who?" Harry protested as he rubbed his mid-section, looking for any broken ribs.

"That is going to leave a mark, Hermione! Not nice!" Ron snapped, his hand on his injured eye.

"Let me look at that, I might be able to- wait a second..." she looked at the two guys; they weren't angry and didn't show signs of a fight, except for Hermione's attack. She put her hand on her hips and smirked. "So I see you worked out your differences..." she said proudly.

"Not thanks to your brilliant idea, I must say."

"What do you mean, if I hadn't-"

"Nu-hu, if we were Maori, we would both be dead already..." Harry cut her off, raising a finger.

"Fine! Team up against me!"

"The least we can do!" both young men replied at the same time and laughed afterwards.

The three stopped laughing and Hermione grinned when not seeing the two most important people in her life not at war anymore. "So you talked everything through?"

"No, not entirely."

"But it was a good start," Ron added to Harry's sentence and grinned back at Hermione.

"Everything has a start," Hermione responded, and this time it will have a happy ending, she added mentally and hugged the two young men, the `Hermione pregnant' subject forgotten for the time being. "Thank you..." she whipered on their ear and they stayed like that for a moment, before Hermione gasped and pulled away all of a sudden.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked quickly. "Is everything ok?"

"No it's not. It's about the Falange..." she said, only to meet blank glances from both men. She took her hands to her head. "Damn it, I haven't told you!"

"Told me what?" Harry asked in panic.

"Well, the Death Eaters you've been chasing… they're not just Death Eaters. They call themselves The Falange and they want―"

Harry sighed, understanding immediately. "―to bring Lord Voldemort back to life… fuck it."

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