Title: Jealously and Good Intentions
Author: Michelle
Status: Unfinished
Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K. Rowling and her publishers. No copyright infringement is intended.
Sorry guys, I was having a bit of a technical difficulty there with the uploading. I didn't even realize that I did that because I was in a hurry and wanted to upload a chapter. I'm really sorry if anyone is mad. But here you go - the chapter you've (really) been waiting for ;).
Chapter Four
Harry sat down in the living room and waited for someone to wake up…or something. He wasn't sure exactly what he was waiting for. Sitting there with nothing to do but think of the events of the past 48 hours or so made him desperate for some kind of answer. Looking up the stairs one last time just to see if someone was coming he turned towards the door again.
When he stepped out into the morning sun he looked around. Jim couldn't have gotten very far. It couldn't have been more than a couple of hours. Sure, it might take a few more of those to find him but what else did he really have to do? It's not like he was exactly welcome at Hermione's house.
After about an hour of aimless walking he came across a playground at the end of a street. He saw someone swinging on the play set and approached them. At once he recognized the boy he had met earlier that day.
"Who are you?" Harry asked simply. Jim's swing slowed as his feet skidded across the ground. He looked up at Harry with a confused look on his face.
"I'm Jim, remember?" He smiled, thinking maybe that Harry was joking. Harry felt a strong urge to show him that he wasn't kidding. He didn't fight it. He lifted him up by his shirt and pulled him off of the swing.
"I asked you who you were." Harry said, letting go of Jim's shirt. Jim looked down, obviously not wanting to answer the question. "I know you know me, and I recognize you." Harry said wanting to know the truth.
"I moved from America when I was three." He started. Harry cut him off.
"What are you talking about? Just tell me who you are." Harry said in a demanding voice.
"Let me finish, okay? I moved here when I was three. I didn't always live around here though. When we first moved to Europe I moved to Surrey. Then, when I was five, we moved to Privet Drive. I met a boy there…" Harry cut him off with an abrupt punch to the face. He had definitely heard enough. Jim was holding his nose down on the ground with blood seeping between his fingers.
"Now you know what it's like." Harry said with a scowl on his face. He left him lying there in the rocks and turned towards Hermione's house once again.
Getting that all cleared up felt good. It really did. But Harry wasn't sure what he could say to Hermione. She had been dating someone that had made his childhood the living hell it had been. What could he possibly say to her?
One of the fastest walks Harry had ever had was from that playground back to Hermione's house. If he was going to think of something to say to her he'd better do it fast. He found himself standing in front of her door again. This time he knocked. It seemed like forever before someone answered. Hermione's dad, who looked awfully tired, opened the door. Once he saw Harry he smiled.
"Sorry, Harry, I'm tired so I'm going to go back to bed. Sorry if I'm being rude." He said and turned back towards the stairs.
"It's alright." Harry said. He shut the door and walked to the couch across from the dining room. He sat down hoping that whatever he said came out right. He hoped that Hermione would understand where he was coming from. All this fighting surely wasn't good for him.
Harry took a deep breath and walked up the stairs. He turned down the hallway and opened the door to the room Hermione had been in before. He saw her sitting in the same chair he had seen her in before, seemingly deep in thought.
"Hermione." Harry said, getting her attention. She looked up at him waiting for him to speak.
"I just…Do you…" Harry tried to find the right words to say.
"Harry, spit it out." Hermione said impatiently.
"Do you know who Jim is?" Harry asked knowing what her answer would be.
"What is your problem, Harry? He's just a guy. What has he ever done to you?" She asked, folding her arms for good measure. Harry had to laugh at this. Not a that's-so-funny laugh but a laugh that Hermione had never heard from Harry before.
"You really want to know? You are aware of what my life was like when I lived at the Dursleys, are you not?" Harry asked, tapping his foot. Hermione furrowed her brow.
"I'll take that as a yes. You are also aware of the fact that I was beat by Dudley and his `gang', right?' Harry asked raising an eyebrow at her.
"What is this all about?" She asked trying to see the point of this conversation.
"Are you aware that your precious Jimmy used to live on Privet Drive?" Harry asked hoping she'd get the point. Seeing Hermione still deep in thought he rolled his eyes at her. "Do I have to spell it out for you?" Harry asked. "He was part of Dudley's gang. He used to come over to their house just to beat me up; chase me around." Harry said a glint of fury in his eyes.
"No, you're lying, he'd never do that." Hermione said shaking her head. Harry laughed again.
"He did." Harry said.
"Well, even if he did, Harry, he's changed." She said matter-of-factly.
"How do you know if he's changed if you don't know how he was before?" Harry asked. Hermione sighed loudly and rubbed her temples.
"Fine, so what if it's true? What do you expect me to do?" Hermione asked. Harry stopped to think about what she had just asked him. He had to choose his words wisely. It was obvious what he wanted her to do; break up with him, stop seeing him, never see him again…maybe slap him just for good measure. But he couldn't tell her that.
"Hermione put yourself in my position. Your best friend is dating the person who made your childhood a living hell. Beat you up when you were only five and six years old. The only reason that stopped is because I went to a school where muggles couldn't go." Harry said and realized he had been pacing. Hermione looked like she was thinking and looked up at him.
"So what do you want me to do?" She asked again, looking for a straight answer. Harry looked at her and then looked away.
"Stop seeing him." Harry said, flat-out. Hermione laughed.
"Harry, how stupid do you think I am? Do you think I don't see what you're doing? You're just trying to make everything about you. Can't I just have one thing about me?" She said. "You know what? I'm done with this. I don't want to fight with you. But I finally have something good in my life and you're taking that away." And with that she got up and walked out of the room.
Harry wasn't going to just walk away this time. He'd been doing that too much this weekend. He needed to straighten this out; not later, not soon; right now.
"Hermione!" Harry called out. He turned into the hall and saw Hermione's door shut. He walked over to it and knocked. Not getting an answer he knocked again. He shook his head and tried to open the door. He pulled at it and realizing that it was locked immediately reached down to grab his wand and remembering that it was still at the Dursleys.
"Hermione, please let me in." Harry pleaded. "I don't want to fight with you, and I can't unlock your door from here." He said and leaned against the door.
"Why don't you just use your wand, Mr. Potter?" She said snidely.
"It's at the Dursley's." Harry said with a sigh. Immediately Hermione jerked the door open; either not realizing, or not caring, that Harry was leaning against the door. Harry found himself lying on Hermione's bedroom floor. Which in all honesty didn't sound that bad. Harry grinned to himself before getting up off the floor.
"You left your wand at the Dursleys? You can't just leave your wand at the Dursleys." Hermione said in a motherly tone; all grudges forgotten.
"I didn't really have a choice." Harry said matter-of-factly. Hermione looked up, like she was thinking. Harry waited for about a minute before she looked at him with that I've-got-a-plan look.
"Harry, someone like you can't just be walking around without your wand. Who knows that a deatheater or a dementor isn't going to be right around that corner?" Hermione said in her old bossy way. Harry smiled.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"You're you again." Harry said with a chuckle.
"When was I not me?" Hermione asked.
"Just…since I got here." Harry said trying not to bring anything up. Hermione smiled slightly.
"Okay, so, we have to go back. But we're going to need some help." Hermione said. Harry knew exactly what she was thinking and he didn't like it at all.
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