Not mine do not own the characters.
Spilt Decision
Hermione watched as Harry leaned on the cane that helped support him, as he listened to Tonks and Lupin talk around him.
He hadn't spoken since he was released from the hospital. She was starting to worry about him. To tell the truth he hadn't really spoken since he woke up from the final battle with Voldemort.
She had been there through it all. When ever a Healer would come in to check him over she was there. He would answer their question with short responses never really looking any of them in the eye.
It had been almost two weeks since he woke up and almost a month since he ran off into the Forbidden Forest to fight Voldemort.
Her thoughts immediately went back to that day…
"Hermione look out!" Harry screamed to her as another curse whipped by her.
"Hermione, you need to keep your eyes open." He yelled at her before throwing another curse towards a Death Eater.
"Oh yes, I need to pay more attention. Because right now I'm so busy knitting hats!" The sarcasm dripped from her voice as she yelled back at him.
Hermione and Harry stood near each other throwing curses left and right, watching Death Eaters and friends fall around them. Then they both saw Voldemort turn to run for the safety of the forest - having to stop to fight those he would come across on his way.
"Hermione, I have to go." Harry said as he turned to her.
"Be careful Harry."
Harry nodded before looking back at Voldemort, then back to her. She could tell there was something on his mind that had nothing to do with the battle. But before she could even ask Harry pulled her to him and kissed her fiercely.
He pulled back looking over her face. "Be safe Hermione." Was all he said before he took off running after Voldemort into the forest.
For the rest of the battle Hermione fought on auto pilot. It was a blur of colorful curses and deaths. It only ended when the Death Eaters that were left clutched their arms in pain before falling to the ground.
She remembered seeing Lupin coming out of the forest with Harry's body floating beside him. Hermione ran a fast as she could to get to them. Tripping on bodies as she went, but finally she reached them.
Fear crept into her when it looked as though Harry wasn't breathing. But he was. It was shallow and uneven but he was breathing.
She went with Lupin via Portkey to St. Mungo's. She held onto Lupin's hand as she watched through the glass window as they worked on Harry. She nearly fainted when they told them that he was in a coma and may not come out of it.
Hermione stayed in that Hospital room for a week while Harry slept. Never leaving even when her parents begged her to go home and get some rest. Lupin never left either. It wasn't as if she was alone there. She and Lupin talked of many things. Harry's parents, what the infant Harry was like, school work, books, Harry.
It was the middle of the night when Hermione woke to someone coughing. At first she thought it was Lupin but quickly realized that it was in fact Harry. His eyes were trying to focus on the world around as his breath wheezed out of his lungs.
Hermione jumped out of her sit to put his glasses on for him. She heard Lupin say he was going to get a Healer. But her mind was focused on the boy, no man in front of her.
"I was so worried Harry." She said as she lightly touched his cheek.
Harry almost flinched at her touch but before she could even ask why Lupin was back with the Healer.
She and Lupin had stood off to the side as the Healer ran test on Harry and asked him a few questions. He answered them all but Hermione could tell that he wasn't telling him everything.
That was how it had been, whenever anyone asked how he was doing he would say fine. But even that stopped about a week ago. Now if you asked him how he was doing he would just shrug his shoulders and leave the room.
It was driving her crazy and it was driving Mrs. Weasley to tears. Hermione knew that it was becoming a problem and if someone didn't break Harry out of it they may never be able to.
She continued to talk to Ginny and Luna when out of the corner of her she saw Harry leave the room.
Hermione waited for 20 minutes and when Harry still hadn't come back she excused herself saying she need to use the loo.
She walked quickly up the creaky stairs of Grimmauld Place to Harry's room. The door was shut and Hermione hesitated a moment before opening the door without knocking.
Harry was sitting in one of the chairs by the fire. He had looked up when she entered.
"Harry what are you doing up here? There's a party going on for you downstairs."
Harry only snorted in response.
"What?"
Harry said nothing.
Hermione stomped across the floor to stand in front of Harry.
"Damn it Harry talk to me!" She yelled.
If the situation had been so serous she would have the look he made almost funny.
"What is going on with you Harry? You have barely spoken in two weeks!"
"Maybe it's because I have nothing to say." His voice almost scared her. It didn't sound like the Harry she knew. It was dark and unemotional.
"Nothing to say! Nothing to SAY! What about what happened before you ran off to fight Voldemort?" Hermione screamed at him.
Harry stood and moved until he was looming over her. "I don't want to talk about that." He growled.
Hermione almost felt like a small child that had done wrong. But realize that she had done nothing wrong.
"Why not?" She growled back.
Harry's eyes flickered away from hers and he turned away from her.
"Because I never thought I'd be here to have to have this conversation with you."
Hermione sucked in a breath before her hands went to cover her mouth. She couldn't believe what she just heard. For a moment she felt bad for him. Then that moment passed and anger filled her so quickly she thought she might scream.
"You bastard!"
Harry spun around to look at her. He might have wanted to say something but Hermione cut him off.
"Who do you think you are? Did you think what I would have thought if you didn't come back?" Harry opened his mouth but Hermione cut him off. "No you didn't. You didn't think that I would wonder for the rest of MY LIFE what it meant. Did it mean that you had feelings for me? Did it mean that I was the closest female to you and I was the last kiss before you died? That it was just because I was your friend. No you didn't.
"No, instead you thought that you wouldn't have to deal with the ramifications of what you did! I thought we were closer then that Harry. I thought my feelings had some weight but I guess I was wrong."
"Don't you dare say I don't think about your feelings." Harry spat.
"Oh yes because my feelings were the first thought on your mind when you kissed me."
"Don't you tell me what I was thinking!"
"Well then, what were you thinking?" Hermione asked sarcastically.
"I was thinking that in what, I thought, were my last moments on this Earth I would kiss the woman I was in love with!" He yelled.
Hermione's mouth fell open. "What?" Her voice squeaked out.
Harry's head tilted and as he realized what he said his face went bright red. "I-I said that with my last moments on Earth I"-
Harry never got to finish because Hermione had launched herself at him. She kissed everywhere she could reach.
"Hermione" Harry panted. "My leg."
Hermione immediately let go of Harry and stepped back from him.
"Oh Harry I'm sorry are you ok?"
"Yeah it's just that my leg can barely hold my weight, add another person and it might not hold."
"Then let's not stand up." Hermione said cheekily.
Hermione watched as Harry's mouth dropped opened. She slowly walked over and took Harry's hand and led him to the bed.
"Her-moine," Harry voice cracked. "What are you doing?"
"I'm helping you to bed."
Harry opened his mouth to say something but Hermione pushed him down on the bed.
"Lay back Harry." Hermione said as she knelt down to take off his shoes and socks.
She then took off her own shoes and sock as well as her robe that she was wearing over a tank top and jeans. She climbed over Harry on the bed before reaching for his belt.
"HERMIONE!" Harry screeched throwing his hands over hers.
"Harry, you have boxers on don't you?" Harry nodded. "Well I just want to rub your leg and make it feel better."
Harry moved his hands away and let Hermione slowly undo his belt and take off his jeans.
Hermione could see the dark red scar that ended right outside the end of his boxers on the outside of his leg.
"How did it happen Harry?" She asked as she ran her finger along the part of the scar she see.
"Voldemort shot Diffindo at me somewhere towards the end of the fight. I had leaped out of the way but it grazed my leg. Didn't take off my leg luckily, wasn't strong enough. But that was probably because he was getting out of the way of the curse I sent at him."
Hermione nodded and let her hand run over the scar again before pulling her hand back.
"What other scars did you get while fight him?"
"Why do you want to see them?"
"Because I want to know everything about you Harry, good and bad."
She watched as Harry smiled slightly.
It wasn't long before Harry was sitting on the bed in nothing but his boxers pointing out the scars he had acquired during his final battle with Voldemort.
Harry yawned in the middle of telling Hermione about the scar on his arm.
"Are you tired?" She asked him.
"A little."
"Then let's get some sleep." Hermione hopped off the bed and removed her jeans.
"Hermione what are you doing?"
"Taking off my jeans so I can sleep here with you."
She watched Harry nod mutely as she climbed back in the bed beside him. Hermione pulled back the covers and helped Harry get under before she too got under the covers.
"Sleep well Harry." Hermione said as she rested her head on his chest.
"Goodnight Hermione."
******************
"Do you think we should wake Hermione and put her in her own room?" Lupin ask.
"No, let them sleep. They both look so peaceful." Tonks said.
"Molly won't be happy if she finds out about this."
"Then we won't tell her then will we?" Tonks replied.
Lupin shut Harry's door and took Tonks hand and led her back to their bedroom.
"I'm happy for him."
"I'm happy for both of them."
*The End*
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