Special thanks to Anna Rose and Rolephant.
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me.
- .
Chapter 3: THEY WILL HUNT YOU DOWN
He was running down the corridors of Ministry of Magic. She killed Sirius - I'll kill her!
"Where's the way out?"
A door opened and he ran through it. He saw the Golden Fountain Statue of a witch, wizard, centaur, goblin and house-elf, and ... Bellatrix!
"Aaaaaah ...did you love him, little baby Potter?"
Hate! Anger!
"Crucio!" bellowed Harry.
Bellatrix screamed, but she wasn't in pain like she should be…
"You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain - to enjoy it - righteous anger won't hurt me for long-!"
Pain in his scar…
"YOU'VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME! Accio Prophecy! ACCIO PROPHECY!"
Suddenly - Voldemort!
Voldemort's wand was pointing at Harry, Harry's own pointing uselessly at the floor …he was going to die, and he knew it…
"I have nothing more to say to you, Potter," said Voldemort quietly. "Avada Kedavra!"
A jet of green light, but something blocked its way…the statue…
Dumbledore!
Somebody was talking to Harry from a long distance, but who was it? It sounded familiar, but Harry couldn't recognize the voice.
Dumbledore and Voldemort dueling ... Voldemort disappeared ... Dumbledore looked scared ... why?
THE PAIN! Pain cursed throughout his body… so badly he knew he was dying …he was blind …he couldn't escape! He couldn't fight it …his body screaming for release ... PAIN!
Harry screamed.
Suddenly he felt himself floating to the surface up from the darkness. The pain subsided slowly.
He woke up, panting; his breath came in sharp rasps. He could breath again, he could actually breath! He still couldn't see though… Harry suddenly realized that he wasn't wearing his glasses and put them on with shaking hands. Slowly the world came into focus, and he saw with a start a very scared-looking Hermione leaning over him.
"Harry?" She asked and straightened up. However, Harry heard something in the hall… Vernon probably… Vernon!
"Damn!" Harry swore and jumped out from his bed, only just managing to put the chair in front of the door before Vernon took his big hand on the handle a second later.
The world started to dance before Harry's eyes, and he noticed he was dizzy, very dizzy. Blackness was threatening to wash over him again as it pressed over his eyes painfully…
He felt himself falling just as Hermione leapt over to him and grabbed him around his shoulders. The blackness disappeared slowly and was replaced with a sick feeling in his stomach. He shouldn't have fallen asleep… Hermione shouldn't have to see that, now she's going to be so worried…
"Thanks `Mione, I'm okay now," whispered Harry as he tried to sit down on his bed, but Hermione wouldn't loosen her grip on him. Vernon was still banging on the door, demanding Harry to be quiet.
Hermione slowly turned Harry around so they were face to face. Her hands were still around his shoulder firmly like she was hugging him.
"No, you're not okay, you're not!" She said quietly, loosening her grip a little. Harry opened his mouth to protest, to say that he was okay, but he couldn't find his voice so he closed it again.
They were very close. He could see every inch of her face, every lash, every colour in her eyes. They weren't just brown, they were also black, green and a little blue, he realized.
She licked her lip, and he suddenly wondered how it would be like to kiss her ... but that would be wrong, he didn't like her that way - the way that Ron did. His stomach did an involuntarily loop of guilt. He backed away, and she let him go. His breath was still rasping.
The clock displayed 5:24 am.
Harry sat down on the bed. Hermione hesitated for a second, but did the same thing.
"What did you dream?" asked Hermione after a while. "Was it another vision from V-Voldemort?"
"No, just a memory from the night in Ministry of Magic," Harry shrugged.
Hermione gaped, and suddenly she looked very scared, much more scared than she had looked when Harry woke up. Harry cocked his head at her.
"But- but Harry! You were - I heard - I heard you say Crucio!"
"Oh, yeah, I guess I forgot to tell you about that…" Harry groaned and put his head in his hands. "I tried to use it on Bellatrix, after she -you know -did that thing to Sirius… It didn't work though…"
That didn't seem to cheer up Hermione at all.
"You used an UNFORGIVABLE?" she cried.
"Yes! I just told you, remember?" said Harry mockingly. He didn't want to talk about it anymore.
"Oh, Harry! You can be thrown into Azkaban!"
"You're not going to tell on me, are you?" asked Harry, a little frightened. She had told on him before.
"Of course not, how can you even think that?" Hermione said, her tone a little hurt.
Harry shrugged. "I don't. It's not exactly something I'm proud of, I just didn't know what to do."
"What did they want anyway? Some kind of Prophecy?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah," said Harry slowly. He didn't want that conversation to go any further either.
"What did it say? I heard it broke or something?" asked Hermione again.
"I can't talk about it `Mione," said Harry with a sigh.
"Why not?"
"Voldemort tried to get his hands on that Prophecy for over a year," said Harry without looking at her. "If he suspects that you know it he wouldn't stop before he got you, not now. They will hunt you down, and when they've done that they'll kill you and your family. You know I can't let that happen."
Hermione stared at him, her mouth forming an `o'.
"I'm going to take a shower," said Harry quietly and he left the room. Hermione seemed to be lost in thought and didn't say anything.
-
A shower was just what he needed. As the water hit him softly, he felt the pain from his dream ease its grip on him.
When he was done he realized that he had forgotten his shirt in his room. Fairly embarrassed, he knocked on his door and asked Hermione if it was okay for him to get it.
Hermione let him in with a smile, and Harry went to his wardrobe to get his shirt. Suddenly he heard Hermione gasp in shock, and he spun around quickly, instantly prepared to defend her for whatever danger that was threatening. Instead he saw Hermione looking at him with wide eyes.
"Where in the world did you get all those bruises?" she exclaimed. Harry felt his face redden in anger and humiliation. He didn't need her to feel sorry for him.
"I'm fine," he snapped. "I just fell down the stairs, that's all."
Hermione didn't seem to believe him.
"Just like that?" she asked, not able to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
"Er… Dudley pushed me down actually, but that doesn't matter - it was my fault! Really - I wasn't paying attention!" Harry cut her off.
"I can't believe he'd do such a thing!" cried Hermione angrily.
"You can't? Anyway, he hasn't been so bad than the past years," said Harry in an attempt to calm her down. "It was much worse before I found out that I was a wizard."
Harry's attempt to calm her down didn't help. On the other hand, she seemed much more terrified that Dudley could be worse. Her eyes glittered dangerously.
Harry sighed and found the shirt he originally was looking for and put it on. When he turned around he found Hermione standing very close to him.
"I have an idea," said Hermione, a wicked smile spreading on her face. "What do you say to go out to a muggle - restaurant tonight?" Then she added: "I think it would do us good to get out of here for a while, don't you think?"
Harry couldn't help but agree. However, the words `go out' rang in his mind for a long time.
-
-
The day went somewhat faster compared to what they were used to since Harry had come home from Hogwarts. Later that afternoon, Hedwig and two more owls came back with Harry's birthday presents. Harry couldn't help but to be surprised, he had completely forgotten that it was his birthday. One more year and he could finally use magic outside of school!
His gift from Ron was a miniature figure of…Harry himself actually. Harry stared fascinated at the figure in several minutes before he opened the other gifts Hedwig had brought with her.
From the Weasleys he'd gotten a lot of cookies. From Lupin, he gotten a book named `Advanced Spells and Curses.' He had gotten some kind of amulet and a birthday cake from Hagrid, to both Harry's and Hermione's bemusement. Harry had actually gotten a gift from Tonks too, which was also a book: `What You Need to Know to Become an Auror.''
Hermione was very interested in the books, but it was an hour before they were supposed to go out (as friends, they both agreed to) so she had to go to the bathroom to get ready. Harry used the opportunity to get a peak inside the book from Tonks.
-
Hermione was done after forty minutes. Harry still couldn't see why girls had the patience to use such a long time in a bathroom, but she looked amazing.
She wore a black skirt, which fell down to her knees, and a red top with a V-form under her neck. Her hair was in a fluffy ponytail with a few hair locks in the front, which, Harry noticed, framed her face. Her face looked different too, in a good way, but Harry couldn't put his finger on it. He wondered briefly if she had put on some make-up.
Harry, who had never seen her dress anything like that just to go out and eat, gaped at her.
"What do you think?" asked Hermione, and spun around, making her hair flow around her neck.
"You look…" Harry started hesitantly, not really knowing what to say. He paused another moment before simply saying, "Beautiful."
-
-
They took the famous Knight Bus to where they were going. The bus was quite full, and Harry noticed that many people looked over at them curiously. Harry wasn't sure if they were staring at Hermione or himself.
-
It didn't even take ten minutes before they were standing in front of their restaurant.
A `Partner At Hand' sign was glowing with brilliant yellow neon light. Hermione and Harry stared, fascinated at it as it changed colour from yellow to red, and from red to blue.
Hermione took Harry's hand and guided him into the first restaurant he had ever been in.
"SURPRISE!"
Harry stopped dumbstruck in his footsteps. Inside he saw Molly and Arthur Weasley, with Ron, Ginny, Fred and George grinning up at him. Beside them Harry also saw Tonks, Lupin, Dumbledore, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Moody. Over their heads Harry saw a large banner, with the words `HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!" written with big letters.
Hermione gave a small squeeze of Harry's hand before she let go, leaving Harry to stand in front of the door alone and gaping.
"Hi Mate!" said Ron, still grinning, as he walked over to Harry.
"Uh," said Harry, his brain not working. He had never, ever had birthday party before.
"Good to see that you haven't gotten any smarter over the summer," said George, grinning.
"Yeah," said Fred. "We were afraid you would turn out like Percy, mate!"
"Uh-uh," said Harry and, finally finding his brain and talk abilities again, added thoughtfully: "Percy? I don't think so."
Fred, George and Ron laughed.
"Hi Harry!" said Ginny, grinning up at him. Ginny had also changed over the summer, Harry realized. She had cut her hair, and she also used some make-up, making her lashes look longer and darker and her lips redder.
"You look good," said Harry politely, remembering the mistake he had done to Hermione.
"Thanks!" said Ginny and blushed slightly.
"So," said Ron, as he gave Harry a small punch in his back, making Harry flinch. "How has your summer been? We were planning a new rescue mission if we didn't hear from you soon!"
"Oh," Harry said. "The Dursleys are okay. I'm all right. It's been a bit better since Hermione has been there, though-" Harry stopped abruptly then, not because Ron had said anything, but by the way he looked. Ron's grin had faded away from his face, and he was red with fury.
"Hermione is staying with you?" asked Ron incredulously. Harry stared at his best male friend. Hadn't Hermione said anything?
"Yeah," said Harry slowly. "But only for a day or two. You're not my only best friend, you know! She has all the right to stay there if she wants to!"
Out in the corner of his eye Harry saw Fred, George and Ginny backing away slowly.
Ron opened his mouth to answer but was interrupted by Mrs. Weasley who called Harry over. Harry, thankful for the excuse, walked over to her.
"Harry dear, how are you?" asked Molly as she pulled Harry in to a tight hug.
"I'm fine, thank you, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said and pulled out from the hug.
"WOTCHER, Harry!" said Tonks and leapt behind him, her arms waving in all directions. Harry jumped in fright.
"Constant Vigilance!" Harry heard Moody growl from somewhere in the room.
"Tonks!" exclaimed Harry. "What did you do that for?"
Tonks only grinned. "How'd you like the gift?"
"Oh!" said Harry. "It was great, thank you! But you really didn't have to-"
"Oh, it's no problem! I'm happy to!" Tonks waved him off.
"Hello Harry," said a deep voice behind him, and Harry turned around.
"Headmaster," said Harry nodded politely, still feeling resentful against the old Headmaster.
"How are you doing?"
"Okay," answered Harry quietly, remembering all too clearly what had happened the last time he had seen Dumbledore. Dumbledore nodded and walked over to Lupin. Probably to ask the same thing, thought Harry and frowned.
-
After a while of talking and greetings, everyone gathered around a big table. Two waiters came over to them with a large plate of fruit, bread and drinks. Hermione sat down carefully next to Harry, and Ron sat beside her and Molly. Arthur sat down on the other side of Harry, and Ginny sat on the other side, looking a bit disappointed. Harry noticed that Hermione avoided eye contact with him as well as with Ron. So she hadn't told him then.
After they had ordered and eaten the delicious food, the lights turned down and music started to play in the background.
"Do you wanna dance, Harry?" asked Hermione, receiving ugly looks from Ron and Ginny. Harry hesitated for a moment.
"Sure," he said at last. "But I'm warning you, I'm a terrible dancer!"
Hermione smiled, and Harry couldn't help but notice how beautiful her smile was.
"That's okay, Harry, I'll guide you," she said as she reached out a hand and helped Harry out from the chair. Harry felt a weird, tickling sensation in his hand as he held onto her hand. He frowned slightly, he couldn't understand why he had that weird feeling in his hand… maybe someone had put something in his drink?
Out on the dance floor Harry felt pretty uncomfortable, but Hermione acted like she had done it a thousand of times and pulled Harry's hands on her waist and her own on his shoulders and slowly started moving her legs in time with the music. Harry struggled to follow, but after a while he actually managed to get the hang on it without stepping on her toes.
It didn't take long before Tonks, Shacklebolt, Molly, Ron and Ginny all joined the dance floor.
Hermione sighed and rested her head on Harry's shoulder. He closed his eyes and smelled in the scent of her, her hair tickling his nose slightly. Feeling Hermione's body against him made him feel strange. Not like the feeling he had whenever Cho had been near him, but something else he couldn't put his finger on. The more they danced the more he felt he could relax.
He listened to the words of the song that played in the background a bit.
If I see you next to never
How can we say forever?
Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
So this was how it was like to have a normal life, Harry thought sadly as he pulled Hermione a little closer at the thought of losing her. This was how his life could've been if he hadn't been Harry Potter, The-Doomed-Boy-Who-Lived. He could have had a life without the fear of losing the people he cared about, but he couldn't simply because he was the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry couldn't stand to lose any of his friends; he would die for them without a second thought.
I took for granted, all the times
That I thought would last somehow
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears
But I can't get near you now
And he would die, probably. He had no chance to win against Voldemort; Voldemort was too strong, too powerful, and too dangerous. The times he had met Voldemort he hadn't actually fought much against him, he had only escaped or gotten help in the right moment. He would be dead now if it hadn't been for Dumbledore.
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you
I wonder how we can survive
This romance
But in the end if I'm with you
I'll take the chance
It was ironic how well that song fitted to his life.
-
Harry wanted the moment to last forever, but after two more songs Ron came over and asked Hermione to dance. She hesitated, but Harry gave her a nod she accepted, leaving Harry alone on the dance floor.
He didn't need to stand there alone for long, however, because Ginny came over and asked if he wanted to dance with her. Harry, a little embarrassed and not really wanting to, accepted. Ginny beamed up at him and they started to dance.
Dancing with Ginny was much different compared to dancing with Hermione. For one thing, Hermione was taller and Ginny was tiny, with very small hands. Her scent reminded Harry faintly of strawberries.
After a while Ginny did the same thing as Hermione had and rested her head on Harry's chest. When Harry looked up he saw Tonks, still dancing with Lupin, grinning teasingly up at him and gave him a thumbs-up. Harry glared at her angrily and felt himself going red. Luckily it was rather dark, so nobody noticed.
After one more song Harry began to hear the unmistakable sounds of Hermione and Ron arguing. Harry broke off the dance, as all the other pairs had already done.
Hermione and Ron shouted something to each other, both equally red in their faces. Suddenly Hermione turned around and ran towards the exit, her eyes full of tears. Harry sighed.
"I better go after her Gin, I'm sorry."
"That's okay. Thank you for the dance," said Ginny. She gave him a small hug before he followed Hermione towards the exit.
-->