A Little Fall of Rain
After years of secret plotting and hidden warfare, everything had finally come together and the destined rivals had faced off. Surrounded by the smaller battles of their collected allies, The Villain and The Hero had faced off in the battle that would lead to at least one of their deaths. It had been a vicious, bloody battle, but it was finally over. Now, only the victor remained surrounded by the bodies of his fallen enemies and allies. Slumped down on his knees in the middle of the deserted battlefield he sat, a lone figure against the storm torn sky.
Harry Potter had done it, he'd fulfilled that accursed prophecy and destroyed the man who'd killed his parents. He'd pushed past the insurmountable odds and done what he'd never though possible. He would be free now; free to live a normal life, free to be with her. That wonderful woman who'd always been at his side, willing to die to do what was right. Of course he'd never told her how he felt, he couldn't take the chance, just in case this final battle had turned the other way. He wouldn't risk dying and leaving her to deal with that emptiness.
Pulling himself up Harry set off to look for his best friend. Those of the Order who had survived the fight had left the scene; some of them had Death Eaters with them, who would be taken straight to prison, with no hope of a trial, not this time around. But he hadn't seen her among those who'd left, so she must still be out on the battlefield somewhere, perhaps staying beside someone who'd been injured until help arrived, that was certainly something his `Mione would do.
He began to search the outlying area, he'd completely lost track of her during the battle, but she had to be here somewhere. Walking slowly he looked to every face he came across. Some he knew, some he knew well, but he noticed that most of the dead were of the hooded Death Eaters. That was good, Harry had never particularly fond of death, but the savage part of him was glad that they had gotten what they deserved. Though the battle had been bad for the Order as well. Many of it's most prominent members had fallen, including two who had been especially close to Harry, Albus Dumbledore, who'd always been a kind of mentor, and Arthur Weasley, who was like a father to him.
Harry could still hear Molly Weasley's cries of anguish when she came across Arthur's body. He could still see the Weasley brothers removing his body from the battlefield, carrying their father between them as their sister and her lover, Draco Malfoy, supported Molly. It had been an all to somber moment, one of many Harry wished he'd been able to prevent. But there was nothing he could do about it now, so he returned his attention to his search.
He continued to look, but as time passed and he found no sign of her, he became frantic. She had to be out here somewhere, she couldn't be…no he wouldn't let himself think that.
Deciding, in desperation, that she must be somewhere out of sight he called out to her, "Hermione," he yelled out into the rain, that was just beginning to fall, "Hermione - `Mione where are you?"
If she ever answered he didn't hear her, but it didn't mater. As he turned around, heading back in the direction he'd come from, he caught sight of her. How had he missed her before? She was there, sprawled out on the ground, not moving. Forgetting that their was a pain in his right leg or a wound in his side, he ran to her, with all the speed he could muster.
Oh God, no, not `Mione, anyone but her, she can't be dead, not before I've told her. He thought earnestly, but as he came to her side he saw her chest raising and falling slightly; she was still breathing.
He dropped to his knees as he came to her side and asked, "'Mione are you all right?" Of course she wasn't all right, that was a dumb question.
Her eyes opened and her head rolled in his direction, "Harry?"
"Yes it's me," he managed to choke out. She was in a horrible state; her breathing was shallow at best and each intake sounded painful, her right cheek was scratched up, and right there, in the middle of her stomach, was a deep gash, which was bleeding freely. Staining the pink shirt that Harry had always loved on her. "Listen `Mione, I'm going to go get you help. Hang on and I'll be back with someone who can help you."
She grabbed at his leg just as he was trying to stand, "No Harry, don't leave me."
"But you need help," he insisted, "I've got to get you help."
She shook her head violently, "There's no help for me Harry."
"Don't say that. All the things I've lived through, you can make it through this."
She shook her head again and grabbed him tighter, "Don't leave me, I don't want to be alone."
"But `Mione, I have to if I'm going to get you any help."
"No, Harry," she demanded.
"But there's nothing I can do for you, I don't know the right kind of spells," he explained.
Her unfocused eyes fell on his face, "You can hold me, I don't want to die alone."
He wouldn't hear any of that, "You're not going to die, you're too young for that."
"Don't lie, you aren't good at it."
It was his turn to shake his head, "Don't worry, I'll go fetch Tonks, she brilliant at healing spells, she be able to fix you in two seconds."
She didn't even acknowledge what he said, "I was hoping you would find me," she whispered, "now that you've found me that means we've won."
Harry nodded, his head, amazed that she could be think of such trivial things in the state she was in,
"Yes we've won, it's all over now."
"And Ron?" She asked of their best friend, trying to drag herself closer to him.
"Ron's alive," he informed her, giving up on his offers of help, and pulling her into his lap, "so are his brothers and Ginny and Molly, even Malfoy survived, though Arthur wasn't so lucky."
She didn't seem to take any of that in, but she nodded just the same, moving as much as her body would let her, making herself comfortable in his arms. "I don't feel any pain," she whispered.
"What?" He questioned, not hearing what she said.
She repeated her words, a bit louder this time, "I don't feel any pain, not in your arms. I could never feel anything, but safe in you arms."
He nodded, running his fingers gently through her hair, one of the few part of her that wasn't covered in blood. "Don't worry `Mione, I will keep you close."
"You will keep me safe," she corrected him.
He nodded his head again, "I will keep you safe," he echoed.
"I always knew I belonged in your arms," she commented softly, "just here, a breath away from you, I feel like I'm home." Harry had been trying to hold back his tears, but with those words he lost it. He could feel the salty droplets slid down his cheeks and watched as they landed on her forehead. Gently he brushed them off, only to have them fall again.
"Sorry," he mumbled, not able to keep up with the flow of his tears.
She shook her head dismissing his apology, "A little fall of rain, of all things, can't hurt me now. Not with you here." He'd completely forgotten that it was raining. His tears could easily be confused with the soft rainfall that had become secondary to him when he found her hurt.
Letting his tears fall freely he grasped her hand and felt her squeeze his hand in return, "I wont desert you now," he promised, "I'll never desert you."
She smiled weakly at him, "I know Harry, that's why I love you, you're always thinking of how you can help others."
"What you mean my saving people thing?" He questioned, remembering what she had called it two years before.
"I never meant that as a bad thing," she promised, " I could never think of you badly."
He brushed her hair back and smiled down at her, "I'm not so great."
"But you are Harry, and you're humble, that's why I love you," she mumbled.
Trying to make light of what she was saying, knowing she couldn't mean what he thought, he joked, "You seem to love me for a number of reasons."
"I have since fifth year," she remarked off handedly, "but you were with Cho then, I didn't want to spoil you're happiness with my little crush."
Harry shook his head sadly, "there was no happiness to spoil," he mumbled, "you would have made me happier then Cho ever could."
This wasn't right. This wasn't how this moment in his life was supposed to go. He was supposed to tell her he loved her, she would say it back, and they would be happy together, for the rest of their lives. She wasn't supposed to die, he wasn't supposed to go through life without her. He wouldn't have made it this far without her, he couldn't go on if she wasn't there. Fate had taken everything else from him - he wouldn't let it have her.
Mustering more strength then he thought possible, Harry pulled himself up off the ground, Hermione still in his arms. He threw her arms around his neck and felt her hand grab at the back of his shirt. He turned her body into his so he could hold her tighter, and began to run, back to the castle that he thought of as his home. There would be help for her there, there had to be help for her there.
"What's going on?" She asked weakly.
"If you won't let me get help to you," he panted, never letting his pace slow, "I'll take you to help. I won't desert you `Mione, but I wont give up on you either. I can't, I won't give up on the one good thing in my life."
He came to the front door of the castle and with all the force her could manage kicked them open. The hall was full of people, some cut up and bloody, but all alert, they were much better off then Hermione so they were no concern to him. He pushed passed all of them, aggravating many of them in the process.
He passed the huddled Weasleys, nearly knocking the eldest, Bill over. "Oi! Harry, what's going on?" Bill called after him, Harry turned momentarily, letting them see Hermione in his arms, and then sprinted off again. The surviving Weasleys, and Malfoy, followed after him. He didn't know if they were doing this out of concern for him or Hermione, but he appreciated the support either way.
Ron quickly came to Harry side, and keeping pace beside him asked, "What happened to her?"
"I don't know, I found her out there, I think she's lost a lot of blood. I can't lose her Ron, I won't."
"No mate," Ron agreed, he knew exactly how much Hermione meant to Harry. "We won't let that happen. I'll run ahead - tell Pomfrey you're coming." And he sprinted off, heading up through the castle at a record speed. Ron really was the best friend Harry could ever ask for.
As he reached the second floor he felt her hold on him loosen as her body went limp in his arms, he was losing her, she was slipping away. He'd waited too long outside. Fear gripped him, she couldn't die, it couldn't end like this. Pushing himself even harder he managed to double his pace.
When he reached the Hospital Wing Ron was waiting for him, hold the door wide open so Harry wouldn't have to stop. Breezing by Ron he came into the room, got to the nearest available bed, and laid Hermione down on it. Her eyes seemed glossed over, almost vacant, but she was breathing. It was shallow, but it was there.
A small sense of relief washed over him, "Oh God," he breathed in a struggled gasp. He hadn't lost her - yet.
"Step aside now Mr. Potter," Madame Pomfrey insisted, pushing Harry out of the way so she could get to Hermione. "She's in a right state," the nurse muttered to herself, "but I should be able to help her." Madame Pomfrey continued to mutter to herself as she fussed over Hermione, casting spell, and forcing a nasty looking potion down Hermione's throat.
As he felt relief wash over him again he suddenly felt very dizzy, and the pains that he'd ignored since he saw Hermione half-dead suddenly came crashing back to him. He right leg buckled bellow him and his side felt like it was being torn open all over again. The world became blurry all around him, his eyes closed, he fell with a crash, and knew no more.
When Harry came to himself again, his head was pounding, most likely a side-effect from when he fell to the floor. He tried to open his eyes, but the room was filled with bright light that stung his eyes so badly he had to close them again. He let himself lay there for a few minutes before he dared to face the light again. This time when he eased his eyes open, the light wasn't so bad. In fact the more he opened his eyes, the less the light stung. The world was blurry, just like it had been when he passed out, but this time he realized it was because he didn't have his glasses on. He needed to find them.
As if his mind had been read Harry felt his glasses slid into his outstretched hand. He slid the glasses on and found Ron sitting next to him. "Welcome back mate," Ron said with a wide grin. He looked exhausted, but exhilarated, he'd clearly been waiting for Harry to wake up.
"What happened?" Harry asked, forcing himself up and feeling the wound in his side sting as he moved.
"You passed out, you've been unconscious for four days."
"Four days?" Harry questioned in wonder.
"Yep, the wound in your side was bleeding pretty badly and you had a fracture in your right leg, add to that the concussion you got when you're head hit the floor."
Harry shook his head, "But I wasn't in pain."
"Pomfrey reckons your body was running on adrenaline, that's why you didn't feel anything, and once you knew Hermione would be safe the adrenaline gave out, and down you went."
Ignoring the pain in his side Harry sat bolt upright in bed, "what about Hermione? Did she make it?"
A soft, feminine voice, answered that one, "I made it just fine, thanks to you."
Harry looked across the room and saw Hermione was standing at a window. She was perfectly alert, and alive, looking as if nothing had happened to her at all. Harry had to fight back tears, he was so happy to see her all right again.
"Well, I think I'm going to go check on Mum," Ron said stepping back from Harry's bedside, braking the silence that had formed. It was obvious that he was wanting to give them time alone and Harry appreciated it.
Once they were alone, Hermione abandoned her spot by the window, taking up Ron's spot by Harry's side. She reached out softly and took Harry's hand in hers. Moments passed and they merely stared at each other. Neither of them knew how to word what they were feeling. They'd both been very close to death just four days ago.
"Harry," Hermione started finally, after several minutes of silence, "what I said out there, we never have to talk about it again. If it will make things weird between us, then lets just forget it. I don't want to lose you as my friend." She was taking it back, Harry couldn't believe she was trying to take back telling him she loved him.
"I don't believe you, how can you be saying that to me?"
"I don't want to lose your friendship," she insisted, "if that means I have to hide my feelings for you I will."
She still didn't understand that he felt the same way, "I would never want you to suffer like that - especially since I love you, too. You hiding your feelings would mean I'd have to hide mine and that would make us both miserable."
"You - you love me?" She asked, choking on her surprise.
"Don't sound so surprised, you love me after all, that's a bigger surprise."
"Oh Harry," she breathed, leaning over his bedside so there foreheads were touching gently, "how can anyone not love you?"
"I don't care, just so long as you love me I'm happy," he whispered, leaning up so his lips touched hers. He felt her lips press hungrily against his, parting slightly so her tongue could meet his. He moaned happily as his lips parted and their tongues came together.
When their lips parted, minutes later, neither one of them could stop smiling. "That was the most intense moment of my life," Harry breathed, "and for me, that's saying a lot."
Hermione laughed, sitting back in the chair, her hand still holding tightly onto his. "You nearly died trying to save me," she commented out of the blue.
"I would do it again, if I ever had to," he promised.
"I know you would Harry," she whispered, nodding her head.
"That's why you love me," he said echoing her words from four days ago.
She smiled, "Yes, for that and so much more."
AN: Well there you go, just something I thought of when listening to Les Misérables, I was going to be mean and have Hermione die like the character does in the musical, but no, I couldn't do that to Harry. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought.
Here is a link to the lyrics of the song, if you were interested, just think of Hermione as Eponine and Harry and Marius: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/soundtracks/l/lesmiserableslyrics/alittlefallofrainlyrics.html
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