Promises by Suffering138 Rating: PG Ship: Harry & Hermione Canon: Books 1 - 5 Genre: Angst, Romance Status: In progress Length: 1,343 words in 8 chapters Published: 8 Dec 2004 Last updated: 8 Dec 2004 We all make promises. It's keeping them that's hard to do. From the Unofficial Portkey Archive: https://portkey-archive.org/story/3381/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Prologue Promises Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. Warnings: R/Hr in the beginning. Later on it'll be H/Hr. -------------------------------------------- Promises, never empty. Promises that I must keep. Promises that never fade. They are the only thing, I have left. To drive me. To hold me. To keep me, In this world. Promises to friends, Promises to parents. Promises to myself. Always kept. Always painful. I promise. Promises, always empty Promises that I cannot keep. Promises that fade. They are the only thing, I have left. To drive me. To hold me. To keep me, In this world. What do I have left? Who is there? I am alone. So alone. Can I make it? Can I live? Can I do it? Promises that I have made, I must keep. Promises that I have made, I must keep. What is left, To keep me in this world? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I love him.” “I know.” “And you're okay with that.” “…yes.” “You're lying. You don't really mean that.” “…yes.” “I won't if you ask me not to.” “I won't do that. I'll be okay with it eventually.” “Okay.” That was a month ago. Now, I'm not so sure. I don't know if I'll ever be okay with Ron dating Hermione. But I keep acting normal. And it's tiring. I don't know if I can keep this up. But I made a promise. To Hermione. That I will be okay with this. But for the first time, I think I made a promise that I will not be able to keep. But I have to. Because what else do we have but promises? --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Chapter 2 Promises Chapter 2 Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. Warnings: see prologue ------------------------------------------------------------------ For the past month I've watched them. Watched them laugh together, and fight together. And I've watched them make up together. I feel like I'm on the outside looking in. Harry Potter, The Boy who was the third wheel. Never thought that would happen eh? And thus far I've kept my promise. Oh, sure, Neville and Ginny and even Malfoy think something's wrong with me. But the two, or one, who this concerns have no clue. They look at me and see someone who's brooding. Which is normal, because I've been brooding since I discovered I'd have to kill someone. Even if that someone is evil incarnate. And they assume the brooding is from that. Not from them. I love Hermione. If you haven't figured that out by now. And I don't think that's ever going to change. And I will keep my promise to be okay with this no matter what. Because if I'm right, it won't matter if I'm happy or not in the near future. Because I won't be around. I WILL kill Voldemort. Even if it costs me my life. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. Chapter 3 Promises Chapter 3 Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER Warnings: See Prologue ------------------------------------------------------------------ It's coming. My time. His time. The time. I can feel it. And I know that I'll have to say goodbye soon. Will I take my secret to the grave? Probably. Malfoy confronted me in the hall today. Told me he wanted to know what the hell was wrong with me. I told him that I was fine. And that he wouldn't have to worry about becoming a death eater. His face turned bright red and he almost slugged me. He didn't. My friends didn't stop him. No one did. He only said one thing to me. “I know. I understand.” Then he walked away. Confused? I'm not. I know he does. And it helps, knowing that someone understands. Ginny and Neville have been dating for a while. Longer than Ron and Hermione. And Draco has to watch them. Every day. I wish I could help him. But I made a promise. And I have to keep it. Don't I? --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Chapter 4 Promises Chapter 4 Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER Warnings: See Prologue ------------------------------------------------------------------ He's here. And I'm not ready. I don't have it anymore. My mother's protection is gone. No one knows why. I do. It's gone. My love. It's gone. And I know that I'll die. But I made a promise. To myself. I WILL kill Voldemort. No matter WHAT. And I will keep that promise. I tell Draco to keep watch over Gryffindor. Strange, telling a Slytherin to keep watch over the Gryffindors. But there's no one else I trust more, except Ron. And he's inside. I can't go inside. Because if I do, I won't come out. He's in the great hall. Waiting. I blow open the doors. I see the end of the battle. I see my mentor fall. I am not ready. But I have promises to keep. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Chapter 5 Promises Chapter 5 Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER Warnings: See Prologue ------------------------------------------------------------------ There are Death Eaters all around me. He gestures and they form a circle. I step into it, small and scared. I am not ready. And he knows it. The battle begins. Curses cast, hexes thrown. I hold my own. I stand firm, believing in my power. But it cannot last. And it doesn't. I begin to falter. A hex slices a line across my cheek, leaving behind a line of blood. A curse hits my left arm, thrown up as an impromptu shield, rendering it useless. A stunner flies by my head. Then I see it. The green light. And I see it hit my shield. And go through it. I close my eyes. Goodbye. I guess I won't be keeping those promises after all. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. Chapter 6 Promises Chapter 6 Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER Warnings: See Prologue ------------------------------------------------------------------ A flash of white. Isn't it supposed to be green? A squawk, then silence. I open my eyes. Hedwig. I watch her breast fall one last time. Then she's gone. And I'm alone again. My head is lowered but I stand. Slowly, my eyes raise to meet his. I hear myself speak, but I cannot understand the words. He laughs. He points his wand at me and speaks the words that spit green light. It comes at me again. So slow. I can see it. And I smile. Promises to keep. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Chapter 7 Promises Chapter 7 Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER Warnings: See Prologue ------------------------------------------------------------------ Someone is screaming. Is it me? The spell misses. I can feel the cold as it passes by me. So slow. I hear a thud as a body falls behind me. I hear words, “I do not miss.” And I see his sneer. I know who has fallen this day. The one I had trusted to protect my love. He is laughing now. I see my chance. I take it. So simple. Two words and it's over. Was it really that easy? The death eaters stare at the body in shock. Then the hall erupts. Screaming, the death eaters clutch their forearms. As a patch of skin is revealed I see the dark mark brightening. And as it does, it seems to draw the surrounding color into it. I watch as the Death Eaters, each and every one, are called into death. By killing Voldemort I have robbed children of parents, husbands of wives and wives of husbands. Fathers and mothers of sons and daughters. I have murdered hundreds. Wounded thousands more. All in the name of good. The battle is over. --> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Chapter 8 Promises Chapter 8 Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER Warnings: See Prologue ------------------------------------------------------------------ The students pour out of the dormitories I am standing in a circle of the fallen. I see the face of the man that had fallen. Draco Malfoy has died this day. Supporting a mass murderer. I hear the cries of the children as the spot their mother or father lying on the stone floor. I hear the cry of Ginny as she finds Draco. It's the cry I hear every time I see Hermione. But I had a promise to keep. And I kept it. And I did the right thing, right Draco? Right? -->