Unofficial Portkey Archive

What is Love?

CHAPTER VIII

For better and for worse

2004 - Grimmauld Place, London

Morning finally broke through the window of the top room at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place and it appeared to Harry that he had barely closed his eyes, which he might as well have. All night thoughts had swirled through his mind, thoughts of the way he'd closed the door on her, on how she had addressed him, on why on earth was she coming back after all this time.

Reluctantly, he got off bed and came down. All the inhabitants of the ancient house were getting ready for a day of work. A beautiful smile greeted him good morning and he couldn't help but smile back at her. Despite everything that had happened, he would always love that woman.

"What are you doing up so early, hun?" she asked.

"Morning Lar, couldn't sleep," he answered simply with a shrug and his face darkened.

"What happened last night?" she asked back at his expression.

"Nothing much," Harry lied.

Lariana narrowed her eyes and before she could ask again, Remus had put a cup of coffee in front of her. "What are you up to today?" he asked, sensing Harry's uneasiness.

"Uh… the usual, not much going on in the International Department lately, we're still working in the permissions for you guys. Seems like after last time, they all seem rather reluctant in giving full access to anyone anymore."

"Well, can't blame them, can you? Death Eaters coming and going without any surveillance and us destroying their property can do damage," Tonks said matter-of-factly and pushed a curly orange strand of hair behind her ear.

"Guess not," Harry shrugged and laughed.

"Uhm- so, Harry, you're still doing that, aren't you?" Remus blunted out all of a sudden. It would be better the sooner he got it over with.

Harry nearly dropped his mug and Lariana regarded him a suspicious look. "What's this all about?" she asked as she flew her dishes and mug to the sink. She stood and went to wash it all.

"Just business," Remus replied quickly at Harry's hesitation and stood up, motioning with his head to go to the Drawing Room. With a sigh, Harry followed, waving good bye the two girls.

Lariana watched them go and turned to Tonks. "Have any idea what they're up to?" she asked.

Tonks shrugged. "Dunno, I think they were thinking of bringing someone else in."

"And why is Harry acting like that? He's usually very open with newcomers."

"Yeah, well…" she said and trailed off.

"Yeah well what?" Lariana asked.

Tonks lifted her hands to shoulder height, palms open. "Hey, I don't know anything. And I don't want to get involved with your very confusing and untold relationship," she said rather defensively.

Lariana sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. And there's nothing there, all right?" she said as Tonks flew her things to the sink so Lariana could wash them.

"I heard them speaking of someone that knew a lot," Tonks mused and jumped at the sound of something crashing against the metal sink. "Oy! What's with you girl?"

She slowly turned to face the orange haired woman. "You wouldn't think…"

"What?"

"…Hermione?"

Tonks stood open mouthed for a second and then took her finger to her chin in a pensive manner. "You know, I think you might just be right… Oh well! Guess we already know why he's acting like that, eh?"

Lariana nodded idly as Tonks walked out the kitchen to get her coat. "Lunch together?" she called from the door.

"Uhm… yeah, sure."

"I'll meet you at- Merlin's beard!"

Lariana heard her and walked out to the Lobby to see why her friend had sounded so surprised about, and when she saw the form resting on the porch, she froze.

Moments later, Harry and Remus emerged from the stairs to see what the commotion was about and stopped dead on their tracks.

"And speak of the devil!" Tonks commented, throwing a glare at Harry as she kneeled next to the unconscious girl.

"Hermione!" Harry cried as soon as he came back to his senses. He ran towards the door and took her limp form in his arms.

"What the- What's this Harry?" Remus demanded.

"What's she doing here?" Lariana asked.

"Just- I'll take care of this, all right?" Harry said moodily as he walked up the stairs, carrying her.

"Remus, explain!" Lariana demanded.

"I- I'm as confused as you are. He was supposed to be calling her today, but I have no idea how she came to be in the porch."

"Apparently all night under the rain!" Tonks yelled.

Lariana sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "Harry'll have a lot of explanation to do tonight," she said and dissapparated.

Tonks looked at her, glared at Remus and apparated away. Remus sighed and did the same.

"What the bleeding blazes do you think you were doing Hermione, what's the matter with you?" Harry was asking as he took her to the very room they'd once shared and in which they had so many fond memories.

He looked inside and then at the young woman in his arms. "Oh man!" he muttered and looked intently at the bed. Immediately, the sheets opened and the bed was ready for someone to get in. He turned to the closet, "accio," he whispered and a big blanket flew and laid itself neatly above the blue sheets.

Harry walked to the bed and carefully put her there. He saw the clothes were wet and sighed again. "What the hell were you thinking?" He watched for a few more seconds, pondering if it was appropriate to do that.

After a while, he shrugged. It's not as if I've never seen her before, he thought and waved his wand, "Wingardium Leviosa" he said and her clothes started to neatly undo themselves.

Upon seeing her slightly tanned skin starting to show itself, Harry felt he should turn around and let magic do the rest, but it had been so long. He felt the familiar itch between his thighs he'd had whenever he touched her.

The longing sensation after so many years was almost unbearable. How all of her curves were well defined. How her waist bent and then stretched to form her hip… He gathered all of the will power he had and turned around as her loose jeans finished coming out. He pointed at his top drawer and a black t-shirt with a Taz in the centre came out and put itself on her.

With a sigh, he turned around and saw her long and slender legs in the open and her body tremble a little. Quickly, he made the sheets and the blankets wrap themselves around her.

Taking a seat next to her, he stopped and watched her sleep. She was flushed red with fever and shivered every once in a while. Harry put a hand on her forehead and his eyes widened. "Holy crap! You're burning up, Hermione!" he exclaimed and shook his head once again, standing up and going to the Potions Room to get a Fever-reducer Potion.

Upon coming back to the room, he stood on the door-frame for a moment and watched her sleep, a deja-vu taking over him.

1998 - Hogwarts

Ron had just left the Heads Boy's Chamber and Harry was very grateful, because if he stayed another second, it could've ended very badly. It was official now, he was Harry's new worst enemy and he wondered how it had all come down to this.

He threw himself to bed in hopes of calming the rage he'd been holding back as him and Ron argued, when a snow white owl came flying through the window and landed harshly on the writing desk.

Harry jumped to the sound and gasped when he saw Hedwig with one wing standing out in a funny angle and all of her feathers messed up. He darted forward, "Hedwig!" he cried. Carefully, he picked her up and examined her.

"What happened to you? Who did this?" he demanded as if the bird could speak.

On cue, she stretched her right leg with a wince and Harry took the small piece of parchment from it. He opened it and with every word, his eyes widened more.

Harry looked up and crumpled the note in a fist. "Bloody hell!" he said and stood up, taking his invisibility cloak and wand.

Hedwig let out an indignant screech and Harry stopped in mid-stride. "I'll take you to Charlie," he told the bird and ran towards Hagrid's old hut, knocking on the door insistently.

A moment later, a dishevelled looking red-head opened the door. "What the- What happened to her?!" he asked, alarmed.

"She was attacked and they've got Hermione, I've got to go, please take good care of her, Charlie."

"Oy! Harry wait!" he yelled with no use. Harry had already summoned his Firebolt and taken off.

There was nothing you could've done to prevent it.

You could've been with her

She turned me down.

But still, I should've protected her.

Harry emerged from a cave with an unconscious Hermione in his arms. Her black school robes were soaked with her blood, and her Head Girl's badge -in which she had put a permanent sticking charm- hung from the torn right side of her robes. He looked around and had absolutely no idea how to get back to Hogwarts.

He had just gone to where they had directed him and taken a Portkey. When the world had materialised in front of him, he found himself behind a group of at least half a dozen Death Eaters around a screaming girl. When he recognised the screams of desperation and pain, he lost himself and massacred all of them; he had no idea how. He had just found himself, in the middle of a mass of masked figures that lay on the ground, either dead or unconscious.

Now he needed a place to spend the night so he could apparate out and look for help first thing in the morning, for he wasn't about to leave her for one second now. He stayed up all night, waiting for a movement that let him know she would be all right.

"Come on, Mione, come back to me. Please don't give up now," he was whispering in her ear as he held her hand.

He just watched her chest rise and fall evenly as she rested. He had already healed all of her outside wounds, but he didn't know what else they had done to her in that place. Finally he decided to tell her all that had been on his mind ever since she walked away with Ron.

"Why did you do it, Mione? What did I do wrong? I- I know I wasn't the best boyfriend, but still, you said you loved me…" he told her in a hurt voice.

"I know I should go after all that has happened, but I need you, I need your touch."

"I- I can't belive you and Ron would do something like that!" his voice was growing from a whisper as he spoke. "You- you shouldn't have done that, it was just wrong! I shouldn't want to spend my time with you but-but I want you next to me," Harry said energetically. "We could've worked it out! But you killed it!"

Suddenly, she stirred and opened her eyes. "Harry… you were the one that killed us," she said weakly.

Harry looked at her and his eyes lit. "Mione! I'm so glad- I what?" he asked angrily.

"You put your fame and everything else before us, before Ron too. You were never there, that killed us!" she exclaimed still weakly, but her tone was accusing.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione tried to respond but winced and Harry closed his eyes. "Right now you just need rest. I'm so happy you all right."

"You were really mean, Harry. We made up always because I loved you so much, I felt- I knew it was wrong but I thought you were the right kind of wrong," she said and looked away for a moment. She turned again, regarded him and managed a small smile. "Thank you for coming to get me. Thank you for saving me," she said softly and put a hand on his cheek.

Harry sighed and put his hand over his. "I love you too, Hermione. I would've never let anything happen to you."

"Thank you," she said with a smile. "I am glad it was you," she said with one last squeeze to his hand before drifting off to sleep.

Harry stared at her for a long moment and then sighed and smiled. He loved this woman so much and he was grateful just for this moment, this wrinkle in time.

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