Happy Christmas Harry Potter
I'm not a perfect person
There're many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
(The Reason-Hoobastank)
~*~
Her eyes fluttered open and she was immediately grateful for the dimly lit room she was staying in. Her head hurt badly and when she swallowed her throat felt raw and tender. Her torso ached as if she had done way too many sit-ups and was now paying for it. She was aware of someone in the room with her and was surprised to see him sitting in the chair next to the bed.
"You're awake," he said softly. She opened her mouth to say something but he shook his head. "Don't say anything until Madame Pomfrey removes the charm from you. You're throat is healing."
She struggled to sit up and he got up from the chair to help her, placing pillows behind her back. As he sat down she glared at him, shook her head and looked away.
"I know that I'm sorry is completely inadequate but that's really all I can say to you," he said. She still didn't look in his direction but she winced slightly and touched her head.
"Madame Pomfrey said you could take this for your head," he lifted up the vial for her. She eyed it then eyed him before looking away again.
"I don't blame you for not taking anything from me. I just wanted to let you know." He gave a weary sigh. "Hermione," he began, "when I cast that spell, I was…a different person then. I didn't think too much of you, I disliked you and it didn't really matter if I added something extra that would hurt you…and Potty er, Potter." She looked up at him and he shifted uncomfortably.
"I knew that if you would try and tell anyone it would be him. I knew that if he ever became suspicious about you, that he would be the one to try and discover what it was you were up to." His eyes fell to her bruised throat. "I never thought it would go this far. To be honest, I had forgotten about the Sectumsempra until he broke the vow." Hermione blinked the tears that were forming in her eyes away.
"I'm really sorry," he said, his voice breaking a little. "If I could take it all back, I would. Well, most of it anyway. I would never have put the Sectumsempra attached to it but I wouldn't take back the vow itself because then I wouldn't have…" he paused a moment then cleared his throat and took her hand. "You saved my mum. You didn't have to go back but you did. Thank you." She slid her hand out of his and looked away as a tear slid down her cheek. He was at a loss of what to do or say. He wasn't ever in this position before.
"You shouldn't be in here Malfoy," came a voice from the door and the two of them turned to see Ginny and Luna standing there, Luna was carrying a tray.
"I didn't realize I was being held prisoner," he replied back.
"No, just an unwanted guest," Ginny replied.
He scoffed and slowly got up from the chair. Hermione watched as he slowly limped across the room. "Don't offer me any help," he said roughly as he winced in pain.
"We weren't going to," Luna replied.
Mrs. Weasley came bustling up the stairs. "There you are!" Hermione heard her say from outside of the room. "I only left you for a moment. You are not to be going freely about this house, young man."
"You can't tell me what I can and cannot do. I'm-"
Ginny shut the door to block out the noise as Luna came forward and set the tray down. "You're awake!" she said as she sat on the bed. Ginny came around and sat on the other side of the bed.
"Sorry about that. We're trying to keep the git in his room. He'll be leaving soon, thankfully." Hermione shrugged. "Oh! This is for you so you don't have to speak." She handed Hermione a quill and parchment who eagerly took it and began scratching on it.
Harry?
Ginny and Luna exchanged uneasy looks. "He's in his room," Luna replied but Hermione gestured urgently to his name again.
"He's not coming out of there," Ginny said softly. Hermione frowned and scribbled some more.
Need to speak w/him. IMPORTANT!
She looked pleadingly at her friends and ripped that particular piece of parchment and handed it to them.
"I'll go," Luna said.
"I'll tell Ron you're awake," Ginny said but Hermione reached out for her and pointed to the note. "Okay, first Harry, then Ron." Hermione nodded.
*
Knock. Knock. Knock.
No answer.
Knock. Knock. Knock. "Harry I know you are in there and I know you can hear me," Luna said through the door. "Please let me in. It's just me."
Silence.
"It's about Hermione. It's important."
Click.
Luna opened the door to a room cloaked in darkness. The remains of the food she had left him over the past few days remained untouched and she nudged the trays out of the way with her foot. He was still in the bathroom, sitting propped up against his tub, knees bent with hands clasped and resting over them. His wand dangled from one of his hands. He was still wearing the same clothes, his hair was even more unruly and he was looking a little scruffy in the face. There was a silver cup on the floor in front of him that he was staring at.
"She asked me to give you this," she handed him the parchment that Hermione had written.
Harry looked at it then handed it back to her, his eyes back on the cup. "I can't see her," he said.
"Harry," Luna began exasperatedly but Harry cut her off.
"Get out," he said softly.
"You have to see her-"
"If you don't mind," he said impatiently. "I'm a little busy here," he said, gesturing to the cup. Luna tutted disgustingly at him then walked away.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Luna said in a quiet voice when she returned to the room. Hermione sighed frustratingly and slammed her fists on the bed. He would blame himself for this, she knew it but she had to tell him it wasn't his fault. Yes, at first she was shocked and frightened when Harry reached out and wrapped his hands around her throat but the moment he touched her skin, she felt it, she knew it wasn't him. Those hands were cold and unfeeling and when she felt his cold grip in her mind and saw Harry's beautiful green eyes turn red, she knew who had come through with Harry. She felt the battle of wills in her mind, could feel Harry being held back from leaving her mind and taking Voldemort with him. She tried to fight back, scratching, hitting and thrashing, anything to break Voldemort's concentration but then things went black.
The door opened and Ron stepped inside, his eyes lighting up when he saw Hermione on the bed. "You're awake!" he said eagerly.
Hermione gave him a half smile. She saw that he was wearing one of his mother's knitted sweaters, burgundy with a yellow R in the middle of his chest.
"Malfoy was in here earlier," Ginny said and Hermione sighed impatiently and rolled her eyes.
"He what?" Ron asked and moved to Hermione's side. "What did that git say to you?" Hermione crossed her arms and looked to the side.
"She wants to see Harry," Luna said patiently.
"Huh? Why?" Hermione huffed and stared at him. "Hermione, he nearly strangled you to death!"
Hermione shook her head and scribbled furiously on the parchment and held it out to Ron.
Voldemort
Ron read it in silence then looked up at her.
~*~
"Voldemort?" Lupin asked, reading the note that Hermione had written.
"She believes that Voldemort had entered his mind when Harry was inside hers," Ron explained.
"What was Harry doing there in the first place?" Lupin asked.
"Is that possible?" Tonks turned to Aberforth.
The man sighed thoughtfully. "Albus always said that Harry's connection to Voldemort was always on. He wanted to teach Harry how to turn that connection off. Harry knows how to do that but…if he didn't before he performed Legilimency on Miss Granger then, yes, it's possible."
"If Vol…You-Know-Who was in Hermione's mind, does that mean he had access to her memories and thoughts as well?" Ron asked. Lupin peered at him curiously.
"Naturally, why do you ask?"
Ron shuffled nervously.
"Well, this explains it then," Tonks said, slapping her hands on the table. "Harry would never attack Hermione like that. He would never attack anyone like that." Ron snorted.
Don't discount Malfoy, he thought to himself.
"That's not what's bothering me," Lupin said thoughtfully. "Harry needs to reign in his emotions, learn to control them."
"Albus said that his feelings and emotions were what separted Harry from Voldemort," Arthur butt in.
"Yes but Voldemort uses them to manipulate Harry. He played on Harry's feelings for Sirius to lure him to the Department of Mysteries," Lupin said bitterly and with an edge to his voice. "The point is, if Harry can't control himself, he's opening the door to the Voldemort step in."
"It works like a muscle," Moody spoke up. "It gets easier to break through the mind the more times you do it."
"Look," Lupin place both his hands on the table, "we all know Harry is no ordinary wizard, he has extraordinary skills. And frankly, having a young and powerful wizard like him around with Voldemort behind the wheel is a frightening thought."
"Where did Ron go?" Tonks spoke up.
Moody frowned, his magical eye peering above him. "He slipped out a moment ago. He's upstairs with the Longbottom boy…talking." He looked down at them. "Those kids are up to something. I can tell when others are hiding something and this is big, Remus."
*
Ron closed the door behind him and cast a silencing and imperturbable charm over it. "We've got a problem," he said to Neville who just sat down. They had only been here for a week and already so much stuff had happened.
He steeled himself mentally. "Okay," he sighed.
"Hermione claims that it was You-Know-Who in Harry's head when he…attacked her," Ron explained.
Neville looked at him. "Ron, we knew that Harry wasn't capable of doing this in his right mind and…"
Ron shook his head. "What I'm about to tell you only a handful of people know about. You can't tell Ginny, Luna…anybody, do you understand me."
Ron became a bit imposing but Neville nodded. "I swear I won't tell anyone."
"Harry can do Legilimency," Ron said and Neville gaped at him. "He was in Hermione's mind when You-Know-Who came through." Neville gave him a blank look. "Which means he saw Hermione's memories and thoughts."
Neville chewed on this a moment then his eyes grew wide. "The horcrux!" he whispered and Ron nodded. "Ron, we have to tell Harry this."
"I think Harry has already figured it out."
"Well, we have to tell him anyway. And that Hermione knew it wasn't really him." Ron looked uneasily at the door. "Ron, it wasn't Harry who did that to Hermione."
Ron looked at Neville. "Actually Nev, it was Harry that did it even if it was Voldemort inside his head. I just can't get the image out of my mind of Harry doing that to Hermione."
"He didn't mean it," Neville said firmly.
"I know that Neville," Ron snapped. "He's my best friend, he's like a brother to me. It doesn't make it any less painful."
Knock, knock, knock.
What the fuck did she want now? Harry thought irritably. "Luna, I told you to leave me alone! I don't want to see her right now!"
"Harry? It's me and Nev. We really need to talk to you," Ron said.
"I'm really not in the mood to talk," Harry replied.
"Harry, unlock the door," Ron persisted.
Harry tutted and unlocked it. The two young men walked into the dark room. Neville eyed the trays of food but Ron marched purposely forward.
"Seal the room and silence it," he said to Neville. He eyed Harry. "Going for the scruffy look?" he asked him.
"I didn't think my grooming habits were such an urgent concern," Harry muttered.
"Or lack thereof," Ron frowned. "You could've at least changed your clothes," he said, eyeing the dried blood on his friend's shirt and jean. Harry had the decency to look a little ashamed. Neville walked into the bathroom and shut the door casting another silencing charm.
Harry raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"
Ron looked at the horcrux at Harry's feet then back at Harry. "Hermione says she felt You-Know-Who in her mind at the same time you were in there." Harry turned his head and stared at the tacky wallpaper.
"Harry, if You-Know-Who was in her mind…he may have seen the horcrux," Ron said. Harry picked up the cup and looked at it. "Yeah, I've thought of that."
"You need to talk to her," Neville piped up. "She knows it wasn't you who attacked her. She knows it was You-Know-Who!"
Harry let Neville's words sink in. He looked up at Ron who was staring intensely at the wallpaper. "I don't think I…"
"Oh for Merlin's sake Harry. Do you honestly think you'll be alone with her?" Ron snapped. "You could at least talk to her, it's the least you can do since you throttled her."
"RON!" Neville said harshly.
Harry shot to his feet. "Do you even know what it's like? Do you even know how it feels to think that one minute you're fighting for Hermione's life against Voldemort to only realize that you nearly strangled the woman you love to death?"
"No, Harry, I don't!" Ron shot back. "I only know how it feels to sit back and feel helpless as the darkest wizard of our time mind-fucks my best friend into nearly killing my other best friend!"
Harry opened his mouth to say something but Neville stepped in. "Okay, you know what, we'll just wait for you outside Harry," he said, pushing Ron outside of the bathroom. He took in his disheveled appearance. "You, um, might want to change your clothes though," he said politely.
~*~
Hermione couldn't help her reaction when she saw Harry walk into her room after Ron and Neville. It was instinctual. A reaction to seeing someone who had nearly taken your life from you. She didn't mean it and instantly regretted the small gasp that left her as she recoiled slightly. Harry, of course, picked up on it immediately and looked torn between leaving the room again or just sticking it out. Hermione wanted to tell him that she didn't mean it, that it was just…some sort of stupid reaction. But Harry quickly shuffled himself to the corner of the room farthest from her, cloaked in shadow.
He stared at her. His eyes drawn to the bruises on her neck. Bruises, that if he wrapped his hand around her throat would match perfectly to his hand. He was going to be sick. He felt as if the walls were closing in around him, he didn't want to be here, it was too painful to look at her. But at the same time, all he wanted to do was hold her, make it real that she was indeed still alive, that he hadn't killed. He wanted her comfort, to tell him that she forgave him, to have her wrap her arms around him, he wanted to smell her familiar smell that chased away all the dark shadows and thoughts in his mind.
But he wouldn't dare approach her. He saw her reaction to him. He didn't blame her, he might react the same. He felt his heart being squeezed by just being in the same room as her.
Hermione picked up the parchment and quill. Amortentia?
Ron took the parchment and read it aloud. There was a flicker of recognition in Harry.
"That love potion we did last year in potions?" Neville asked and Hermione nodded as she scribbled. The cup.
"You think this will break the horcrux?" Ron asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Where did you get this idea?" Harry asked in a quiet voice, stepping from the shadows, a troubled look on his face. Hermione tapped a finger to the side of her head. Harry looked at her. "Voldemort is incapable of love, the very thought of it repulses him."
Hermione scribbled something down and handed it to Harry but he didn't move to take it from her. Neville stepped forward instead.
"Obsessive love is very different from true love," he read, "real love, natural love."
Harry scratched the back of his head. "Voldemort's mother used…Amortentia to make Tom Riddle, Sr. fall in love with her, marry her but," he turned to face her, "I don't think Voldemort of all people would let a love potion crack his horcrux." Hermione scribbled.
Irony
"I dunno," Ron spoke up. "It sort of makes sense in a twisted and demented sort of way. Who would think to use a love potion for the most hated wizard."
"If that worked," Neville said hesitantly, "how do we counter it?"
"A hate potion," Harry answered, still quiet. Hermione looked at him proudly. He refused to look at her still. Hermione began to write away again.
It wasn't you. I felt HIS hands on me, saw HIS eyes, felt HIM in my mind.
She looked up at Harry, imploringly as she handed him the parchment but he let it fall to the floor. He turned away from her and walked out of the room. Ron eyes narrowed as they followed him and he shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"Give him some time, Hermione," Neville said gently. "He'll come around."
~*~
"Now when I remove this charm. I want you to whisper, not to raise your voice for at least 24 hours. You can go ahead and talk but don't overdo it, you still need to heal."
Hermione nodded at Madame Pomfrey's instructions as the witch waved her wand over her. A simple concealment charm was performed at Hermione's request to cover the bruises on her neck. She couldn't stand to see them, looking in the mirror and she hated how everyone's eyes flickered to them. She wondered how Harry could put up with people staring at his scar.
"How are you feeling dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"I've been better," she replied, her voice hoarse and scratchy from disuse.
Madame Pomfrey was done examining her torso for the wounds of the Sectumsempra (she was going to kill Draco for that) and she carefully sat up, wincing a little from the dull ache. She pulled her shirt over her head, a simple long-sleeved white T-shirt.
"Everyone is in the drawing room," Molly smiled at her before it faltered slightly, "well, almost everyone." Hermione knew she was talking about Harry. He was still up in his room, although Ron and Neville said he was brewing the Amortentia and Hate potions.
"Hopefully, he doesn't get them switched," Ron had muttered when he told her.
The two women had left Hermione to her own to get ready. She pulled on a pair of jeans, soft leather shoes and pulled her hair away from her face with a clip. There was only one place she could think of to go. But when she opened the door to leave, the entourage leaving Grimmauld Place caught her attention.
Tonks and Kingsley had Draco between them, they were going to escort him back to school for the rest of the holidays. As if sensing her gaze, he looked up at her. Hermione honestly didn't know what to say to him. Did she even need to?
He made a motion as if he were going to say something to her then at the last minute thought better of it. Her brown eyes met his grey ones before the two Aurors put a blindfold on him.
Hermione tapped her fingers lightly on the banister for a moment before turning and heading in the opposite direction. She stood in front of Harry's door and knocked on it. She had no answer so she knocked a little louder. There was a loud thump heard on the other side, some grumbling then the door opened to reveal a very disheveled Harry, shirtless, blue jeans and the faintest trace of stubble on his face. Hermione suddenly appreciated all the Auror training he had gone through.
Harry wasn't expecting Hermione at all to answer and he grabbed the nearest t-shirt, a white one from yesterday, and pulled it on. "Er, Hermione…," he stammered, "w-what are you doing out of bed?"
"I'm feeling much better," she replied. Harry grimaced slightly at the coarseness of her beautiful voice. "How are they coming along?" she asked, crossing the threshold into his room.
"Hermione, you shouldn't be in here," Harry protested, stuffing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. She made no movement as to having heard him, instead she went directly to the cauldrons that were simmering on the buffet. She peered into the contents of the hate potion, the dark liquid rolled and boiled, dark as midnight. She moved to the love potion and the smell of Harry filled her nostrils, the faint smell of his soap when he had just taken a shower mixed with his own distinct smell of sweat from when he made love to her. She closed her eyes for a moment and let herself get lost in it.
Harry knew. It was the most difficult potion he had to make. He wasn't sure he got it right until the smell of Hermione's hair from when he snuggled next to her in bed suddenly assaulted him. It filled the room. It tortured him.
"Hermione, you really should go," Harry said aloud. "You're alone here and…"
Hermione turned slowly to face him. "I want you to know something," she said as she slowly walked toward him. "I know it wasn't you." Harry took a step away from her, his hands balled into fists in his pocket. "When you…touched me, I knew it in an instant that it wasn't you. It wasn't your touch. And when I looked into your eyes," she persisted and Harry once again stepped away from her, "they weren't your eyes, they were his. I could feel him in my mind Harry, along with you, holding you back from leaving."
"Hermione-" She cut him off when she stood on tip-toe to place her lips against his in a kiss. Harry's hands dug into his thigh to keep them in place and not let them do what he really wanted them to do which was wrap his arms around her, feel her with his hands, reaffirm that she was truly alive and well in front of him.
Hermione could feel his response, or lack thereof, in the kiss. He stood still, unmoving and stoic. She pulled away and looked up at him, not seeing the happiness and light she used to illicit from him. She knew what was coming.
"We need to talk."
There. He said it. Those four little words that signaled the end for them.
Hermione shook her head. "No, don't do this."
He suddenly seemed to loom over her. "Hermione, in case you didn't notice. I nearly strangled you to death." He enunciated each word carefully.
"I did notice," she replied in a low and raspy voice. "I also noticed that it wasn't you, Harry!"
"I saw how you reacted when I walked into that room, Hermione," he shot back and she lowered her head. "It killed me to see you look at me like that. I don't care if it was just a moment, it felt like a lifetime. And I'll never forget it."
"I'm sorry!" she replied. "I didn't mean it."
Harry sighed and looked away. "Things between us got a little intense and…"
Hermione shook her head. "Don't do this, Harry," she whispered.
"I think we should just…back off." Every fiber in his being, every instinct he had was screaming the opposite but he shoved those feelings down.
Hermione stared at him, her look growing more steely as the moments passed. "I'm not Ginny, Harry," she hissed at him. "I'm not some girl you can tuck aside to protect and come back to when all of this craziness is gone. I'm Hermione! I'm your best friend! I'm in the trenches with you, wading through all the goodness and the bad. You can't brush me aside to protect me!"
"I'm not brushing you aside to protect you!" he defended himself. "I'm saying we need a break from this," he said, taking a hand out of its pocket and gesturing between the two of them. Oh please don't cry, Hermione. Please, please don't cry.
"Need a break from…," her voice trailed off and she could feel the moistness in her eyes. "Harry…I love you!"
Fuck.
He stuffed his hands back in the pockets of his jeans and looked away, hanging his head. "I'm sorry Hermione," he whispered softly.
Hermione stared at him, blinking back the tears. She would not cry. She would not cry. "Look at me," she said in a calm voice that came from somewhere inside her. "Look at me, Harry and tell me that you don't love me."
Harry steeled himself inside. He was doing this to protect her…from him. He looked directly at her. "I don't love you."
It was a lie.
The biggest lie he had ever told and he knew it the moment it left his lips. He knew that he truly did love her, that he would always love her, that he would never, ever, in his life love anyone as much as he did her.
Hermione took a deep breath, ignoring the dull ache in her chest and she wondered vaguely if it had anything to do with her injuries. Did Madame Pomfrey have anything for a broken heart? She turned and left the room, closing his door gently behind her. Harry followed her steps, leaning his forehead against the door, steadily breathing in and out to control the emotions that were fighting to be released, fighting the urge to open the door and go after Hermione and tell her that he did love her.
The love potions aroma filled his room, filling his nostrils with her scent. He was going to drive himself crazy if he didn't get rid of it soon. Isis slid over to him and he looked down at her and picked her up. She curled around his arm in a comforting gesture.
"Pride isss one of the greatessst sinsss of man," she hissed.
~*~
Neville, Harry, Ron and Hermione stood around the cup once more as Harry carefully ladled the love potion into it. "Are you sure about this Neville?" he asked and Neville nodded nervously in response. He was sitting very still in his bed, Harry had cast very strong binding charms on him.
"Once you drink the love potion, you're not going to want to drink the hate potion," Hermione said slowly and clearly.
"Just…force me to drink it or something," he replied, nervously. Hermione smiled at him and sat on the bed next to him, reaching out for his hand and placing her hand in it.
"You're very brave," she said, giving it a gentle squeeze.
Harry brought the cup over to him. The fumes wafted Hermione's scent under his nose and he couldn't help the strong pang of longing that overcame him as he glanced at her. Thankfully, no one had seen the look.
He handed the cup to Hermione, both of them taking great care not to touch one another. Hermione reached into a small envelope and pulled out a strand of long, ginger red hair. "It'll make it go down easier," she said with a wink as she dropped it into the potion with a hiss.
She lifted the cup to Neville's lips, his lips parting to let the potion into his mouth and down his throat. When he finished she set the cup aside as everyone waited. Nothing seemed to happen for the longest time then Neville jerked violently, then jerked again as he cried out in pain. Ron looked at Harry, wondering if he made the potion correctly but Harry's eyes were on Neville as he slowly drew out his wand. Neville thrashed on the bed, tossing and turning violently against the binding charms that Harry and Ron had placed on him.
They weren't going to hold.
The moment Harry knew this he reached out for Hermione and yanked her away from Neville as his eyes fluttered open. They were the familiar red ones and Hermione gasped loudly. She was very acquainted with those eyes now.
Curses flew out of Neville's mouth in a high-pitched voice that protested against being restrained. "Hermione get the other potion ready," Harry said as he cast a stronger binding charm on him.
"Get away from me!" Neville shouted, breaking the bind and sending Ron flying across the room.
"Hermione, hurry!" Harry shouted as he moved around the bed. Neville regarded him with narrowed eyes.
"You want to play too?" he asked and Harry could feel the wave of magic that threatened to send him flying but he was more determined. He concentrated hard and pushed the wave back onto Neville. His eyes widened slightly and Harry stepped forward, forcing Neville still as Neville eyed Harry's wand that was pointed in his face.
The cup slipped out of Hermione's hands and into the wash basin as she rinsed the cup of the love potion. She was trembling so badly. She took a deep breath to calm and steady herself before she ladled some of the hate potion into the cup.
Ron staggered to his feet and joined Harry at the same time as Hermione. Neville looked between Ron and Hermione before looking at Harry. "How much are you willing to sacrifice?" he asked him in a cold, high-pitched voice.
"Open his mouth," Harry instructed to Ron. Neville made a mock-biting gesture as Ron's hands neared him and Ron hesitated and looked up at Harry who nodded encouragingly. Again Ron went for Neville's jaws that were shut tightly, fighting to get them open. Hermione stared at Neville's mouth, waiting for just the right moment.
"Neville, if you can hear me," she whispered in his ear, "open your mouth. Open your mouth, Neville."
"Argh!" Neville growled as Ron slowly pried his mouth open.
"Now, Hermione!" Harry shouted and Hermione lifted the cup to his lips, pouring the potion into his mouth. Neville thrashed and spit it out, spraying the three of them. Hermione scrambled to the cauldrons again and ladled some more hate potion into the cup.
Ron slowly pried Neville's mouth open again and Hermione once more tipped the cup to his lips, pouring the potion in. This time, Ron slammed Neville's jaw shut and held it closed. Hermione reached over pinched Neville's nose closed. Neville jerked violently.
"Is he choking?" Ron asked, looking up at Harry.
"Harry!" Hermione persisted, the same question in her eyes.
"Do not let go of him until I say," Harry said in a clear and authoritative voice. Hermione and Ron looked uneasily at one another.
Suddenly the room seemed to tremble. "Let him go!" Harry said and Ron and Hermione removed their hands. Neville took a deep breath, coughing and gasping. "Do it again!" Harry ordered. Ron looked uneasily at Hermione before once again prying Neville's jaws open, shutting them when Hermione poured some more potion into his mouth and held his nose. This time, the room began to shake as a wind that came from nowhere whipped around them.
"It's working!" Hermione shouted as she and Ron let go.
"Again!" Harry shouted and the two of them once more poured the rest of the potion from the cup down his throat.
There was a loud explosion and the three of them were thrown to the floor, the sound of wind, wood cracking and the cauldron's breaking filled their ears.
Then silence.
Hermione cautiously peeked her head up from under her arms. The cup lay in front of her tarnished and dull with a crack in it. Relief filled her insides. She got to her feet and saw Harry and Ron do the same. Harry looked at her, the question in his eyes. She smiled and tossed him the cup. He looked down at it and sighed with relief.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" Neville got up from the bed. "WHAT WERE YOU GUYS TRYING TO DO TO ME? KILL ME BY CHOKING ME TO DEATH!" he shouted.
There were footfalls outside the door and it opened, letting Ginny, Luna, Lupin, Tonks and Moody into the room.
"What in the world happened in here?" Tonks asked, eyeing the distruction.
"Neville!" Ginny gasped, looking at her disheveled boyfriend.
"OH NOW YOU ACT ALL CONCERNED FOR ME!" he turned on her. "WHAT'S THE MATTER? POTTER IN TOO GOOD A SHAPE FOR YOU, ALTHOUGH THAT'S NEVER STOPPED YOU BEFORE!"
"Neville!" Ginny admonished.
"OH DON'T NEVILLE ME, GINNY! DON'T ACT LIKE YOU CARE BECAUSE I KNOW YOU DON'T. I KNOW I'M JUST A REBOUND, SOMETHING YOU CAME TO WHEN HARRY TOSSED YOU ASIDE TO FUCK YOUR FRIEND!"
"That's enough!" Hermione stepped in and Neville whirled around on her.
"DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON YOU, HERMIONE. RON TOLD ME THAT MALFOY WAS AT YOUR BEDSIDE WHEN YOU WOKE UP, KEEPING A BEDSIDE VIGIL!" Harry looked up at Ron who looked away. "SOMETHING GOING ON THERE THAT YOU'RE KEEPING FROM HARRY?"
"Stupefy!" Harry said and Neville collapsed to the floor in welcome silence.
"Someone had better explain all of this to me…NOW," Lupin said firmly.
Hermione fiddled with the hem of her shirt. "We were practicing our…potions and Neville…may have taken a…hate potion."
"A hate potion?" Lupin asked them. "A hate potion did all this?" he said gesturing to the destroyed room.
"Well, er…we were practicing potions. One may not have gone…quite as well as we would've hoped," Ron said nervously. Harry could feel Moody's magical eye gaze on him and he did his best to look very sorry.
"Clean this up, the three of you," Lupin said sternly and left the room. The others reluctantly following as Ginny and Luna tutted at the stunned Neville on the floor.
With a flick of his wand, Ron moved Neville to the bed. "I suppose we should keep him like this until the potion runs its course," Hermione said softly.
*
Later that night, Harry walked into Neville's room to check in on him and found Hermione sitting by the bed. Her trunk was shrunken and resting by the door.
"Any change?" Harry asked softly.
Hermione turned and looked at him, she already had her jacket on. "Madame Pomfrey said he should be okay by the morning."
"Just in time for Christmas."
"Yeah," she softly agreed and got off the chair.
"I see that your trunk's here," Harry said, gesturing to it with a nod of his head.
"Yeah, I'm going back to my parents," she said. "I think it would be best if I…left."
Harry looked at her for a long time. "Yeah, I suppose so."
Hermione nodded and walked over to him, reaching in to her coat pocket and pulling out a small gift-wrapped package. "Happy Christmas, Harry."
He felt like a complete ass. In all the chaos of what had happened, he forgot to wrap the gift that he bought her.
"Open it," Hermione said and Harry carefully unwrapped the gift. "I thought you could really use this gift."
Underneath the wrapping paper was a small box. Harry lifted the lid to find a pin inside. He reached inside and took it out. It was a Head Boy badge but different from the one Ernie had.
"Lupin told me it was your father's. I found it at Godric's Hollow the night I went after you. I tested it and it still works at Hogwarts."
Harry held his father's badge in his hand and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Thank you," he managed to whisper. "Um, hang on a moment, I have yours upstairs."
He left her and jotted back upstairs. He opened the top drawer in his bureau and rummaged through his clothes until he found the rectangle shaped box. He lifted the lid and examined the bracelet inside. He had gotten it in a jewelry shop in Diagon Alley when he was on his way to Auror training one day. It was silver and chained with little charms hanging from it. One of the charms was a miniature Remembrall, not that she ever forgot anything but, you know, just in case. Another charm was a miniature Sneak-o-scope, a charm he felt she definitely needed, especially since she decided to hang around the Ferret lately. The last charm was a snitch, to remind her of him. He was planning on adding more charms as time passed. He took off the price tag and repackaged the bracelet in the box before he took off downstairs.
Neville's room was empty. Her trunk, gone. She had already left.
Harry leaned against the wall and sighed as he slid down it to sit on the floor, her present still in his hands.
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