Disclaimer: Everything concerning Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling. I own nothing, nor is this done for any purpose except my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of anyone reading this. There is no attempt to make any profit.
The Most Ancient Magic
Chapter 17
Hugh and Janet came hurrying into the room in answer to Hermione's cries. Hermione was kneeling next to Harry. He was lying on his back, his eyes closed, his body was twitching gently.
"Something's wrong, I was talking to him, then he just stood up. He was holding his head then and he passed out." She looked frightened and confused.
Hugh went to the library to fetch his kit, then came back to examine Harry. He took about five minutes to assess his condition. When he finished he looked very puzzled. "He didn't say that he was feeling ill? No warning?"
Hermione shook her head.
Harry was unresponsive to their attempts to revive him. Hugh and Janet looked at each other. Janet then went to the corner of the mantle piece, opened a small silver box, and threw the contents into the fire. To Hermione's amazement the flames turned a bright blue and after about three minutes the fire turned green like it did when someone was traveling by floo powder. In a moment Master Healer Galen stepped into the room.
He looked concerned, "What happened?"
"Harry's unconscious. It happened with no warning, his breathing, heartbeat, and pressure are normal. I don't understand why he's unconscious."
Galen ran his wand over Harry. He looked as puzzled as Hugh, "Is there a place where we can take him," he asked.
Hugh nodded. "His room is at the end of the hall."
Professor Dumbledore appeared in the Granger's fireplace.
"I don't know anything now, Albus. I may know more after a more thorough examination," Galen said to Dumbledore.
Galen performed a hover charm, guided by Hugh he levitated Harry toward the library.
Janet smiled a welcome to Professor Dumbledore. Hermione looked anxiously after her father.
Dumbledore placed a gentle hand on Hermione's shoulder, "Please sit down and tell me exactly what happened."
Hermione recounted her encounter with Harry, Dumbledore then followed Galen to the library. He found Galen examining Harry.
"I don't understand it either, he should be conscious, but he's not," Galen informed Dumbledore. "I don't think he's in any danger, though, we will just have to wait. Perhaps he will come out of it on his own. How has he been doing?"
"He's been doing well, the jerky way he moves has been improving slightly, he hasn't needed his staff, he still spends a lot of effort to get moving, but once started, he performs adequately."
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Harry found himself adrift in the soft gray world he had been in before. He knew why he could not see anything clearly, but somehow there was even less detail than before. He relaxed into the deep sense of peace that pervaded the place. Oddly the idea came into his mind that this place was awaiting the dawn.
"Sirius," he called. He waited patiently but received no answer. Unwilling to give up he called for a while longer, but he received no answer. Evidently Sirius had lost the ability to communicate with him now too.
"I just wanted you to know, Sirius, I want to love Hermione. I can't stay now, I want to go back, no, I am going back. Until we meet again, Sirius, I'll miss you." He turned over in his mind seeking that inward path. He willed himself to move from that place. As before the world began to darken. Something touched his mind, some intuition, he looked back. There, where he had been, he had the impression of three faces looking at him, they were smiling. He waved to them, and they blew away, like smoke. As they dissolved back into the mist he felt himself began to fall.
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A couple of anxious hours passed as they waited to see what would happen with Harry. Dumbledore and Galen were sitting with Harry in the library, the Grangers were all in the sitting room.
Harry slowly opened his eyes and sat up.
"Are you all right, Mr. Potter? How are you feeling?" asked Galen. He drew his wand and began using it to do another examination of Harry. As he completed his assessment, he smiled at Dumbledore.
"I feel…fine, I think. Hello, Professor Dumbledore."
"Mr. Potter," nodded Dumbledore, "I'm glad to see you awake. You gave us a scare."
"Stand up, please, Mr. Potter, can you run through the exercises you have been working on," Galen asked.
"I think so," Harry began the exercises that Hugh Granger had taught him. To his surprise and delight his body responded as it had before the attack. "It's back to normal," he grinned.
Dumbledore breathed a deep sigh of relief. "Sit down, Harry, we need to talk."
Harry answered their questions about the gray world. He finally summed up his thoughts, "I guess I was having so much trouble because I didn't know what I wanted. Now I know what I want, it seems I am whole again. I really want to live, to be here and not there."
About thirty minutes later Harry quietly opened the door to the library and walked softly down the hall. Hermione was sitting with her back to him, knitting intently. Janet smiled slightly as Harry sneaked up behind her daughter.
Harry placed his hands on her shoulders and began massaging gently. Hermione was so startled that she dropped her knitting and jumped up.
"Harry!? You're ok?" she asked, as she threw her arms around him. "I was so worried."
"Let's do our Tai Chi and I'll show you."
They began the form, Harry performed the movements with the same grace and smoothness that she had. Hermione's face lit up with happiness.
"When we get back to school, you can play Quidditch again!" she squealed, she looked like she wanted dance with joy.
He smiled sadly at her. He took her hands and shook his head. Hermione's smile faded with his. He sat down on the sofa with her. "No, Hermione, I can't. I gave that up when I resigned from the team. Now that you are learning Occlumency, Dumbledore has given me permission to tell you. This must remain your most closely guarded secret. I have always been doing much better than I let on. We are keeping my level of recovery a secret, trying to protect the school, and to give me a chance when Voldemort comes after me, as one day he must. If he thinks I have been crippled, he will be over confident, and I will have the advantage of surprise. When we get back I will have to act as if I am no better than before."
Hermione was stunned, "Harry…wow…I'm…This is what was hurting you so badly that night in the hospital wing," she said thoughtfully, then she whispered, "You're giving up so much."
"But if Voldemort wins we all lose everything. This war is going to require sacrifice from all of us," Harry reminded her quietly. "I think it is worth it."
Dumbledore and Galen came into the room. "Mr. Potter, I'd like for you to rest for the remainder of the day. Take your potion as before, I'd like for you to come to St. Mungo's for a check up before you return to school. Can that be arranged, Albus?"
"I believe we can accommodate you, Marcus."
"Then I will bid you all a good day." He bowed and Disapperated.
"How has your holiday been, Harry?" asked Dumbledore.
"It has been really great, Professor, thank you for fixing it for me," said Harry gratefully.
"Be sure to thank your hosts, it is more their doing than mine. Dr. Granger do you mind if I use your fireplace?" When Hugh indicated that he could he took a small pouch from his robe and cast some of the powder into the fire, the flame turned blue as before. He stepped into the flame, said "Hogwarts" and vanished.
After Dumbledore left Harry picked up Hermione's knitting. "Can you help me finish those socks I've been working on?"
"Of course, Harry."
The rest of the evening passed quietly. After they practiced Tai Chi that evening Harry turned in early.
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Harry opened his eyes, he felt he had slept rather later than usual. He was able to get up without hesitation, took his potion, and went through his morning exercises. He made up the bed, pulled on his dressing gown and went to the kitchen.
Hermione was bustling about apparently making pancakes for her father. Hugh was sitting at the table. He was watching Hermione with a rather dubious expression on his face, which he was managing to hide from her behind the morning newspaper.
"Hi, Harry," she smiled happily. "Mom had to go early because of an emergency patient.
She asked me to make breakfast for you two. Do you like pancakes?"
"Yeah." He came over to watch Hermione stir a bowl full of pancake batter. On first examination the batter seemed rather too thick. She looked so happy he didn't have the heart to criticize her efforts, "Where do you keep the glasses, I'd like a drink of water." She pointed out a cabinet and he took a glass from the shelf. Harry got some water from the tap.
"Hermione, I usually put jelly on my pancakes, do you have any? I'll stir if you will look." Hermione handed him the spoon and went to the refrigerator to check. While she was looking in the refrigerator he added some water to the batter and stirred it in. Hugh raised an eyebrow in surprise, then he gave Harry a quick wink.
When it came time to eat, Harry found his pancakes a darker than he liked, but he was saved from saying anything by Hedwig's timely arrival. Hedwig was tapping her beak on the window, Hermione went to let the owl in Harry quickly stepped over and turned the heat down under the skillet.
Hedwig hopped into the kitchen carrying a small wooden box, it was about five inches square and about an inch deep. Harry's smiled at his owl, "Thanks, Hedwig, did you have a good flight?" The owl hooted softly. Hugh got up and brought some Owl Treats for Hedwig. After eating, Hedwig hopped through the window and perched on the roost Hugh had built for the delivery owls to rest. Hermione was looking at the box curiously. "Yes," said Harry, "That's your Christmas present." He took the box back to the library.
The second batch of pancakes Hermione made was much better than the first. She watched as Hugh and Harry ate. "Would you like me to cook for you?" Harry asked.
"No, thanks I'll eat later."
After breakfast Harry helped clean the kitchen then he went back to the library to wrap Hermione's present. As he was finishing Hermione came into the room. She was looking vaguely unhappy as she sat on the sofa with him.
"Harry, what did you do to the stove?" she asked. Harry looked at her quizzically. "I saw you do something to the stove when I let Hedwig in. I saw your reflection in the window."
"Uh, you had the fire too hot for the pancakes, you were burning them."
"Then why didn't you tell me, instead of sneaking behind my back?"
"You looked so happy, I didn't want to take the chance of hurting your feelings. I guess I was afraid you would be hurt like Ron was when you were trying to teach him to levitate stuff."
Hermione sighed, "Well, I guess, from your point of view, you have a point." She scooted closer to Harry. "It's just I wanted to do something nice for you," she said plaintively, "That means cooking pancakes like you like them, but unless you tell me what you like, how can I learn?"
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "You can't."
"If we're going to be together, we need to learn to talk to each other, Harry. As long as you're being constructive, I won't get too mad."
"What does that mean?"
Hermione laughed, "It means if you behave like a jackass, I can make you look like one too. But I'll turn you back…eventually."
Harry held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, "Ok, I'll try to do better. I confess, I put a little water in your pancake batter too. If you follow the recipe it always comes out too thick. I always add water or milk. The pancakes are thinner and they cook faster. I like to roll them up with a little jelly in the middle."
"I'll have to try that sometime. Are you ready for Tai Chi?"
"Ok, but let me get dressed first."
"Sure, we'll be ready when you are."
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The rest of the day passed quietly. They talked about their early lives while doing their homework, but Harry found he had to be careful, most of the stories he told her about the Dursleys left Hermione boiling mad. They had almost finished the work assigned for the holidays, and Harry began to appreciate what Hermione was trying to teach him, if you got your work done first you could look forward to several work-free days.
That evening the Hugh and Janet tried to teach Harry and Hermione to play Bridge. He had a good time, even if there was no risk of explosion, but he was quickly lost in the complexities of the bidding. Hugh and Janet were able to communicate what they held in their hands and he wasn't completely convinced they weren't using magic to read each other's minds, even when they explained what they had done.
After the Grangers had gone up to bed, Harry and Hermione were sitting together in front of the fire. "Do your parents always go to bed this early? It's only ten thirty."
Hermione turned pink as she giggled, "They aren't real night owls, Harry, but usually they stay up later than this. Sometimes they go to bed early because of their work, emergencies and all that, but I think they're trying to give us a little privacy, a chance for us to get to know each other a little better."
Harry smiled back at her, Hermione snuggled next to him and Harry placed his arm around her shoulders. After a few moments she slipped her hand into his.
"They play Bridge really well. Have they been playing long, because they sure beat us," observed Harry.
"They have played for as long as I can remember. It's that communication thing I was talking to you about earlier. They communicate really well, because they've had a lot of practice." Hermione blushed again, "I hope we can be that connected…someday."
Harry looked thoughtfully at her, he raised her hand and pressed her palm against his cheek. "I liked it when you did this last Tuesday." He reached across and began stroking her face as well. She smiled at him, Harry's heart and stomach lurched, "I love you, Hermione."
Hermione gasped. She stared in wonder at him. "I love you, too, Harry," she whispered. She slipped her arms around his neck, drew him closer and kissed him. A couple of tears leaked from her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong, Harry, that's just the first time you actually said you loved me."
Harry returned her hug and relaxed next to her, feeling her warmth, and enjoying her smile. He was unable to stop his hands from reaching for her hair. He liked the expression of pleasure on her face as he gently caressed her ear and neck.
Harry felt a strange excitement as Hermione lay her head on his shoulder. He pressed his lips against her forehead. Harry's fingers massaged Hermione's shoulder, he could feel the strap of her bra. He had known she was a girl for a long time, and beginning with Cho Chang he had realized what wonderfully different creatures girls were. Now, however, he was coming to appreciate just where being "together" with Hermione might lead them. Oh, no, he thought, not now! He squirmed slightly, trying to ease the pressure.
Hermione, feeling Harry move, nuzzled his neck, "Are you ok, Harry?" she asked.
"Yes," he said, "I'll be back," as he got up and headed upstairs to the bathroom, hoping that Hermione wouldn't notice. After a few minutes he crept back down to the sitting room. Hermione was resting her chin on her hands, gazing into the embers of the fire. Harry sat down next to her and began to absentmindedly rub her back.
"That feels really nice, Harry, thanks." They sat together in the dying light of the fire, each enjoying the peace and presence of the other. After a few minutes she volunteered, "Harry, let me rub your back now."
He let her massage his neck and shoulders for a few minutes before he turned to face her in the semi-darkness. "It's getting late, would you kiss me good night?"
In answer she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Hermione slipped her hand behind his neck holding him gently as she prolonged her kiss, stealing his breath away.
She drew back, leaving him gasping for air, as she watched him through half-closed eyes.
He reached across and touched her lips, "You are so amazing. See what you do to me."
Harry took her hand and pressed her palm against his heart. She could feel it beating hard. She stood up and caught his wrists pulling him up with her. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her body against his so he could feel her heart beating against his, "Me too, Harry, me too," she whispered.
A short time later Harry lay awake as Hermione's question haunted him again, "Harry, have you ever thought about getting married? He had been truthful, he really had not, but he had expected to someday. He realized that a few years had passed. He wondered if he should start. He didn't know if the thought made him very happy or scared him to death, and caught somewhere in between he fell asleep.