Chapter Two: Hermione
Kate yawned and stretched, her lack of sleep beginning to catch up with her. As she relaxed her arms to her side she was suddenly overcome with a now familiar feeling, nostalgia, yet this was stronger than anything she had ever felt before, it was almost tugging at her, twisting her body to turn to her right, and there she saw him. Wow. That was an attractive man, she thought as she exhaled slowly, and her mind seemed to register him as familiar. She paused gazing at him as she noticed that he was staring right back at her from across the street. Everything was suddenly changing and she was unsure of herself, she had remembered something, and now she felt a familiarity stronger than anything she had felt in four years, she had to act on it.
Harry watched transfixed as she looked back at him before looking up and down the quiet street and slowly walking towards him. He'd imagined this moment thousands of times, and never had he seen himself just standing and staring at her like an idiot. She stopped a few paces away from him and they gazed at one another, he drank in the sight of her, as if storing the memory of exactly how she looked in case he lost her again. Obviously she was older, they both were, her hair was now short, curling in soft waves around her chin, her eyes were even more perfect than he remembered, she was slim, and she was heartbreakingly beautiful. The only thing to complete him now would be to hear her voice, that voice he heard in his dreams, as he regretted ever silencing anything she'd ever said, even her nagging him to do some work or go to the library would be a gift right now.
Kate looked at him, taking in the scar on his forehead just peeking out from under his unruly hair, the longing in his startlingly green eyes, and the feeling of belonging started to overwhelm her. She took another step closer, and prepared herself for complete humiliation.
"I'm sorry - this is going to sound so odd, but…do you know me?" She asked softly, nervously. Their eyes were locked on one another's.
"Never mind. Sorry to bother you. I suffer from amnesia, and you just seemed so familiar." She dropped her gaze from his and feeling like an idiot she turned to leave.
"Wait…Please." Harry's voice was croaky. He reached out and gently wrapped a hand around her arm, trying not to startle her. They'd anticipated that if she was ever found she might not remember…he had to be careful not to scare her, not knowing how much had been erased from her memory. She turned and her head tilted, her brown eyes full of hope.
"I do know you…there are a lot of people who miss you very much." He said, taking in the excitement and fear in her eyes, the colour draining from her face.
"It's ok. Why don't you sit down for a minute?" He said, gesturing to the low wall in front of number 11 Grimmauld Place, reluctantly letting go of her arm. She sat shakily and Harry crouched on the ground in front of her, trying not to wrap his arms around her in a huge bear hug.
"I'm Harry." He said, smiling at her.
"I'm…well, people call me Kate. Maybe you can tell me my real name?" She asked quietly.
"Your name's Hermione. Hermione Jane Granger." Harry said sadly, and remembering the advice of Madam Pomfrey all those years ago, that if they found her she would need proof he patted his pocket and was relieved to feel his wallet inside. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew his wallet, and carefully removed a small group of photographs and held them out to her.
Kate took the photographs and took a deep breath before looking down, and gasping to see herself, younger than she could remember, with the same long bushy hair she'd had four years ago when she'd been found. She was wearing a school uniform and laughing.
"Your sixteenth birthday." Harry said, watching her eyes poring over the photograph.
"At school?"
"Yes. We went to school together…um, boarding school in Scotland." Harry said, reminding himself that she may not know about magic.
"So we knew each other for a long time?"
"Since we were eleven.
She looked at the next picture, she was sitting between two boys, one was unmistakably the man crouching in front of her, the other grinning beneath his mop of bright red hair, an arm around each of them as they sat squished onto a sofa.
"The day we moved into our house after graduating." Harry said smiling at the familiar photograph. "That's our best friend Ron. Ronald Weasley." He said with a grin.
"The three of us were best friends?" Kate asked shakily. Harry nodded and Kate smiled before looking at the next photograph.
"You with your parents, on Graduation day." Harry said, carefully studying her reaction. Her eyes were filled with tears.
"Were…were they dentists?" She asked.
Harry looked up at her.
"Yes. Do you remember them?"
"No. That's all I know, and I only remembered this morning. It's the first sign that my memory might come back."
Harry didn't know whether to jump for joy or cry. She remembered nothing, not even her parents, she would have to grieve all over again, yet there was the chance that one day she might remember, she might remember him.
"Are they…dead?" She asked determinedly, after running her fingers over their images for a moment.
"Yes. I'm sorry He - Kate" He stopped himself.
"How?"
"Car Accident. We were twenty. They were amazing people, wonderful parents. They were very proud of you."
She nodded her understanding and looked through the last few photographs in silence as he gently reintroduced her to the Weasley family, Remus, Tonks, Dumbledore, and their friends from Hogwarts. She was silent for several minutes, looking down at her hands before moving the photographs back towards Harry again. He gently placed a hand on hers.
"You keep them - Kate."
"Thank you."
They studied one another once again.
"Hermione. You can call me Hermione." She said quietly and saw his green eyes glisten before he dipped his head.
"I know this is a lot to take in. Do you want me to call someone for you? Get you a taxi home?" He asked anxiously.
"I was just leaving the clinic - I'd been to see the specialist about my amnesia. Would you…would you come with me to see her?" She asked, feeling safe around Harry and not wanting him to leave in case the feeling left with him.
"Of course. I'll just run inside and get some things. Do you want to come in or wait out here? There'll be people inside who know you." Her gaze flickered anxiously.
"It's ok. I'll be right out. Don't go away. Please?" He said, his hand resting on her arm before he ran up the steps and through the front door of 12 Grimmauld Place.
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"Remus!" Harry bellowed as he ran through the house.
"What is it?" Remus asked anxiously, rushing out of the kitchen with Tonks close behind him.
"I've found her." Harry said breathlessly. Seeing their looks of pity, assuming he had simply seen another look alike, he grabbed their hands and pulled them through the house to the living room, pointing out of the window to where Hermione sat gazing up at the sky.
"It's really her." Harry said happily.
Tonks let out a sob, and Remus wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders.
"She's really alive. Oh Harry." Remus pulled Harry into the hug.
"She doesn't remember though. Amnesia. But it's getting better. I showed her the pictures, it didn't help, but I'm going with her now to see her doctor. Can you believe she's been going to the clinic across the road - she's been so close - I've wasted so much time." Harry was babbling.
Remus placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Calm down Harry. Breathe."
"Thanks. I'm just going to grab her trunk. It has all her diaries and things. The doctor will know how to reintroduce her to things slowly. She doesn't even know she's a witch!" Harry said incredulously over his shoulder as he rushed up the stairs to the storeroom. It had been too hard to have all of Hermione's things lying around their house, so Remus and Tonks had agreed to store them. Moments later he was running back down the stairs, dragging the trunk, thudding down each step, behind him.
"See you later!" He yelled as he ran back out of the front door.
Remus and Tonks watched him through the front window as he returned to Hermione. She turned and looked relieved to see him, a shy smile spreading across her face and Tonks cried softly into her husbands shoulder.
"We'd better let the Weasley's know."
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"What's all that?" Hermione asked confused as she saw the large trunk Harry was dragging behind him.
"Some of your possessions. I've had them since you…vanished. I thought you'd like them. They might help. You were always writing in your diary - hearing about your past from yourself has got to be better than from strangers." His voice became a little strangled as he referred to himself as a stranger, it was just so odd to think that she had no memory of all the time they had spent together.
"Oh. Thank you." She said before leading the way across the road and into the small clinic labelled only by a brass plaque by the door bearing the name `Dr. Elizabeth Jeremy MD: Neurology Clinic'.
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"Back so soon Kate?" Jennifer asked worriedly as Hermione and Harry entered the clinic.
"Is Dr. Jeremy free?" Kate asked, her voice sounding more confident as she returned to familiar territory. She chided herself for coming across as so weak and confused upon meeting Harry - she wasn't like that really. She paused in her train of thought, but she didn't need to tell him that, he knew her better than she knew herself, quite literally, which explained why he'd been so quiet and understanding. She hoped she hadn't changed too much, and that deep down she was still Hermione as well as Kate - it was just so much to try and understand. She shook her head lightly to herself as Jennifer reappeared with Dr. Jeremy close at her heels.
"Is everything ok?" Dr. Jeremy asked, ushering Kate into her office, and glancing curiously at Harry, especially when she saw the trunk he was now carrying.
"Harry, maybe you'd better explain." She said, sinking into a chair, suddenly very tired.
Harry leant forward and shook the doctors hand, introducing himself.
"Harry Potter. I just bumped into Kate outside in the street - "
"My name's not Kate." Hermione interrupted. Harry glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled to see the real Hermione reappearing.
"She's right. Her name isn't Kate. It's Hermione Jane Granger. We went to school together. We were best friends. I've been searching for her for four years, I can't believe I found you on Grimmauld Place after all this time searching the country and you're back here." Harry shook his head in disbelief.
"Back here?" Dr. Jeremy asked, taking in the details.
"My Godfather used to own number 12, we spent several summer and Christmas Holidays there when we were home from school. It was home. His best friend lives there now."
"So Grimmauld Place was familiar to you - Hermione?"
"Well, I felt very comfortable here in the clinic - I never thought to find out why, it wasn't quite the same feeling of nostalgia as usual - that was why I went up to Harry - the feeling of nostalgia /déjà vu was stronger than ever - he was almost familiar."
Dr. Jeremy nodded and thought for a moment.
"Obviously this is a lot to deal with. I hate to be rude, but Harry, do you have some proof that this is indeed Hermione?"
"Of course. I showed her some photographs."
Hermione handed them over to her doctor who looked through them silently.
"And this trunk is full of her things. Her old diaries, letters, photograph albums, childhood possessions. When she disappeared I put it into storage. I thought we should speak to you before she looked at any of it."
Dr. Jeremy smiled at him.
"Thank you Harry. I can see you were a good friend. Now, Hermione, have you remembered anything else since earlier?"
She shook her head.
"No, but Harry was so familiar - it's almost like I remembered him."
Harry's heart gave a little burst, and he smiled, his green eyes lighting up.
"Dr. Jeremy, would it help if she met other friends? Saw our old house, school?" Harry asked eagerly, knowing that keeping Ron away from Hermione would be a nightmare if she were unprepared.
"Yes, but not all at once. It's a big shock, suddenly being presented with all of this. You've come so far as Kate, establishing a life for yourself, finishing the book-"
"Book?" Harry asked turning to his best friend, hardly believing that she was really standing in front of him.
"My book - it's being published at the moment. Fiction, but it's about amnesia."
"You haven't changed much then. Never could get you out of the library at school. Ron and I had to build you your own library in the house just to fit all the books in - it's still there…Congratulations on the book."
"Thanks." She grinned across at him, and Dr. Jeremy smiled at them unobserved.
"Hermione, this feeling of connection to Harry is very positive especially considering your breakthrough this morning. Your memory may well be fighting to return, and it seems likely that fragments will come back to you. This may go on for years, and it may be the closest you come to remembering everything, but you could be one of the lucky ones, in which case, the small fragments will lead up to a return of your memory in full. As we know so little of how the brain damage was sustained we can't be sure."
"Thank you Dr. Jeremy. So, I can look through the trunk?" She asked anxiously.
"Of course. I can tell you're eager to see more of your past. You don't need me for all of that, but perhaps Tom should be around in case it all becomes too much. Feel free to come in and see me anytime."
Dr. Jeremy headed next door to prepare for her next patient and Hermione and Harry stood regarding one another.
"Are you ok?" Harry asked.
"Yes. You?"
Harry blinked, surprised at her question, before smiling.
"Best I have been in four years…"
"Ha-"
"Her-"
They interrupted each other and laughed lightly.
"Go ahead." Hermione said with a grin.
"Hermione, can I hug you?" He asked, suddenly sounding like a lost little boy. She smiled up at him tearfully before closing the gap between them and feeling his strong arms wrap around her, his chin resting atop her head. She suddenly hugged him back as tight as she could, and she could feel the laugh reverberate in his chest as tears filled her eyes.
"I missed you…I missed this." He said quietly into her hair.
"Me too." Hermione replied, as they pulled apart, knowing it was true as she missed it again already.
She walked out of the office ahead of him as he picked up the trunk.
"Kate!" Tom rushed towards her and hugged her.
"Are you ok? Jennifer came to get me. Did you remember something else?"
"No, but I found someone who knows me. Knows everything about me. I've finally found my past!" She said excitedly. Tom laughed and twirled her around. As he put her down he saw the man emerging from the office and paused.
"Harry?"
"Tom?"
Author note: I know the amnesia storyline has been done a thousand times before, but I thought I'd try my hand at it for a change. It's virtually impossible to come up with an original story/scenario in the world of Fan Fiction as there are so many of us out there, but I think every author brings something a little different to the story, a unique touch, a signature style.
Hope you're enjoying `I'd Do Anything' so far. The title comes from the Simple Plan song of the same name, which will feature in a later chapter.
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