Edge of Hope

Lady Refa

Rating: PG13
Genres: Angst, Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 04/01/2005
Last Updated: 04/01/2005
Status: in_progress

Passion, lust, love, pain and betrayal all swirl in a sea of darkness...

Chapters

1. Don't Leave Me

1. Don't Leave Me

Hey everybody!! This is like literally my first time to ever post anything on portkey! i'm actually pretty new to the world of fanfiction, I mean I've been reading it a lot but this is only the second fic I've written….so please please please review!! Shout out to my way cool friend nabz…who proofread this for me and tried to help me come up with a title!!!!

Prologue Chapter

Silver. Wind.

Moonlight. Stars.

Rain falling on the mirror-like surface of a lake…

A young man walked along the edge of a deep black lake, his steps carrying him towards an unknown destination, the stars in the blue heavens lighting the castle grounds behind him.

A lone figure stood on a precipice at the edge of the lake, her silver gown billowing behind her, mingling with long delicate light brown curls, the moon illuminating her dark brown eyes as she turned to stare at him.

“Hey, Harry.”

“Hermione.”

Silence.

“I-I'm going tomorrow.” His voice trembled, betraying the anxiety and fear within.

“You'll be fine, Harry. You always are.” Her smile was meant to reassure, to bring him stamina and confidence. But she could not fool him; the way her eyes avoided his told him everything.

“Always?” He gave a mirthless laugh.

“I know you'll come through.” This time she stared at him, no longer pretending, offering simple support and belief.

“You think I care what happens to me anymore?”

“Don't do this to me, Harry. Don't do this to us.” She was avoiding him again, and now heartache etched both their faces.

“Us? There is no us anymore, Hermione. You made sure of that,” he replied bitterly, staring straight ahead at the strange surface of the water, eyes blank as if seeing his life unfolding before him.

“And you did nothing, right? You just stood by and watched everything, huh?”

She was furious, her eyes flashed as she turned towards him once more, anger carving her whole stance, her fists clenched by her sides as she willed tears not to fall from her eyes.

They stood a few paces apart.

“What more do I have to keep going for, `mione?” No bitterness, just the straightforward question that kept them both awake countless nights in agony.

“Nothing, Harry, absolutely nothing. Just the rest of the world.”

He smiled.

Two steps separating everything.

Thunder. Rain pouring down faster, more heavily…

“You're freezing in that thing.” He took in her drenched gown, the wet hair now framing her face, the silver folds clinging to every curve of her body, and his breath caught, and involuntarily he moved forward.

“No, I'm fine.” She kept away from him, afraid of what might happen if she went half a step closer.

He angrily shrugged out of his coat and threw it at her. When he spoke, his voice was rough with feeling. “You think I'd ever hurt you? Merlin, Hermione, you could kill me now and I'd die with a smile on my face.”

Without looking at her, he started to stride away. A part of him cried out for him to stop, that this wasn't the way you said goodbye to the woman you loved, that this could be their last chance to…his last chance to be with…

“Harry!” Her voice shattered his thoughts, stopping him more effectively than a bullet. He could feel her standing right behind him, the warmth from her body mixing with his own, so close…they were so close…

Hermione saw him trembling with the strain of being so near. Her own hands shook as she lifted them to touch those raven black locks. “You'd never leave me without saying goodbye, would you, Harry?”

He turned and took the last step to her, so that their bodies were molded perfectly together. Dazzling green eyes met warm brown ones.

“What do you think I'm doing now, Hermione?”

It couldn't be only rainwater on her face, no, those were salty tears clouding her vision; it wasn't fair for them to have to go through this…

“Shouldn't you be saying all this to her?” She couldn't help it; even with everything else, she knew that they didn't belong to each other. There was no bitterness now in saying that, just simple acceptance of the way things were.

“I bet he doesn't know where you are now either, does he?”

Silence. Shouts and loud noises came from the castle.

“It doesn't matter anymore,” she said, trying unsuccessfully to step back. “I don't think it ever will.”

A heartbeat.

Then she was in his arms, their lips locked in a hungry kiss made all the more passionate because of the knowledge that it was most probably their last, his strong arms picking her up in the rain, her hands fused in his hair and clinging to his neck.

Somewhere close by voices shouted his name.

They couldn't let go. It was inevitable, bound to happen, but they stood as if transfixed…unable to move as the voices came nearer…and nearer…

He put her down the same moment she took her hands away from his neck. They were both trembling worse than leaves, their arms around each other in a final embrace.

“Harry…you have to be safe…I love-” His fingers covered her mouth gently as he softly kissed her nose.

“I love you, `Mione. Don't you ever forget that.”

The voices were there now, and his arms were no longer around her, he was leaving as they gave him final words of love and advice…she was all alone now…

Hermione fell to her knees. Darkness overcame her, and the last thing she remembered was his voice.

-->