Surprise I got this up so fast?? So am I! Here's my new fic. It's sort of based on the movie, I watched it a few weeks ago and an idea sparked in my head and it just grew from there. So I decided to use the same title. I was never good at titles anyway. Anyway, I have a feeling this will be a long one. The updates…well, you know me. Sometimes I go weeks without an update and others only days. But I know you always come back no matter how long I take and I really appreciate it. Thanks again and enjoy yourself as I know I will why we go on to my next adventure in H/Hr land! Gotta love it!
Chapter 1
Harry couldn't sleep. In fact he didn't know why he even bothered trying with everything going on in his head. If he closed his eyes flashes of images would appear as if he was reliving them all over again. He never wished to relive what he went through during the final battle against Voldemort.
He won. He killed Voldemort and survived, but the victory was bittersweet. How could he be happy and celebrate like the rest of them when his best friend was lying in the hospital? It could have been Hermione. The rare curse was meant for Hermione.
Harry shut his eyes as the memory of the moment flooded back to him. Voldemort and his followers attacked Hogwarts when Harry, Hermione and Ron were there for a meeting with the Order. All Horcruxes had been found and destroyed all was next was Voldemort. The attack was quick and unexpected. Students were rushed down to the dungeons for safety while members of the D.A stayed and fought against the Death Eaters. The sight made Harry was very proud.
Voldemort was outside on the grounds and he was waiting for him. Harry had told Hermione and Ron to stay put in the castle, but they didn't listen of course. Everything had happened so fast. Harry and Ron were knocked far off their feet leaving Hermione vulnerable and alone. Harry knew when he saw Voldemort raise his wand to her that it was too late, but he ran to her anyway, desperate to reach her.
Ron ran too but from the other direction it was just a matter of who got to her first. Both screamed her name as Voldemort said the curse and Harry knew he couldn't get to her in time. Then the next thing he knew, Ron was five feet away but in an instant he was right there next to her, shoving her out of the way right at Harry.
Harry caught her, falling backwards and making sure he broke her fall. They both looked back to see Ron on his back still and white as death and his heart dropped. Hermione scrambled off of him sobbing his name while she crawled over to him and Harry was right behind her placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Now that's a shame," Voldemort had hissed. "That was meant for the mudblood. Perhaps I'll try again."
Harry grabbed her and pushed her behind him. "You won't touch her, Voldemort. I can promise you that."
It was a promise he kept. The three of them together, the love that they all shared was no match for him. Harry didn't even have to use the killing curse, but as their wands connected he knew he wasn't alone. His free hand was touching Ron's shoulder, why Hermione held on tightly to him from behind, whispering encouragement and love.
Just like that he was gone and after that he couldn't remember much. He remembered slumping against Hermione and turning around as he held onto her. Shortly after, they both passed out from exhaustion and woke up the next day in the hospital wing.
It had been two weeks and Ron still hadn't woken up. The curse was rare and some people would say they'd rather have the killing curse then this one. The chance of someone waking up is very slim and almost never happens. Harry knew that if anyone could wake up it would be Ron. Hope was the only thing keeping him going.
Knowing sleep would never come, Harry threw the covers off and slid out of bed. With Hogwarts deserted for the summer, all the students had left, but McGonagall allowed him and Hermione, along with the Weasley's to stay at Hogwarts so they could be close to Ron.
Dressed in a pair of sweats and a tee shirt, Harry slid on his trainers, just in case he wanted to venture out further than the common room. When he walked into the common room he stopped when he noticed a small form lying on the couch but couldn't quite make out who it was. He hoped it was Hermione, she was the only person he could handle seeing at the moment. The past two weeks they were hardly ever apart. They never talked much, especially about Ron, but their company was comforting and reassuring.
Harry started to make his way to the couch and didn't get far when a flash of red came shooting up and a pair of blue eyes blinked at him. "Ginny. What are you doing up?"
"I…I just got back from visiting Ron and didn't want to go up yet." Ginny scooted over and patted the cushion next to her. "You can sit down if you want."
"Oh, um. All right." He really didn't want to, he never knew how to act around Ginny anymore. It was awkward, especially with the issue of Ron, because many of times she hinted that she wanted to be comforted by him. They never really talked about where their relationship stood now the war was over. At the beginning of it all, he figured he would have jumped right back into it with Ginny, but now things were different. He was different.
Harry sat down next to her and Ginny immediately scooted close to him. "THey are moving Ron to St. Mungo's tomorrow."
"I know, hopefully they can help him."
"I'm sure they'll do whatever they can." She scooted a little closer to him so that their hips were touching. "Why couldn't you sleep, Harry?" Ginny asked placing a hand on his arm.
Her touch use to excited him, but now he felt nothing. "Just have a lot on my mind with everything." He really didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't ready and he hoped she didn't ask if he wanted to talk about it.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Crap. "No," he sighed. "Not really."
"All right, but Harry, it might help to talk to someone about it. I'll always be there for you."
Harry wanted to say that if he did agree to talk about it to someone that someone would be Hermione. All though it would be honest, it would also be rude so all he did was give her a nod of understanding. "I think I'm going to…"
"Harry," she said before he could finish and turned to face him more properly. "I know what you are going through with Ron, I'm going through the same thing. It hurts to think about it, the only choice is not to think about it."
"Easier said than done, Ginny," Harry said with a hint of irritation.
"No, I know," she said reaching up to touch his face and turn him to look at her. "Why don't we do something that allows us not to think at all."
Her lips were on his before he could take his next breath. It had been over a year since their last kiss but it was still familiar, yet strangely different. He didn't kiss her back and let her do the work as he tried to talk himself into snapping out of it and let this kiss go further. Isn't this was what he wanted? Have a good snog with Ginny like always? But it wasn't that simple and if a girl is kissing you and you are having arguments with yourself in your head, instead of enjoying the fact that a girl is kissing you…it wasn't a very good sign.
Harry pulled back suddenly and shook his head. "No. I'm sorry Ginny, I can't." He stood up and walked to the window as he stared out onto the grounds. "Things have changed, Ginny."
Ginny walked up behind him placing her hand on his shoulder. "Harry, what are you saying?"
"We ended things over a year ago, Ginny." He had the urge to shrug of her hand, but that too, would be rude. "It's over."
"But Harry," she said urgently. "You ended things for my safety and…and I'm not in danger anymore."
"That's not the reason anymore, Ginny." He turned his head to look at her. "This past year I've changed. I didn't realize this for sure until just now when you kissed me, but…I'm sorry. I just don't feel that way about you anymore."
Harry looked back out the window when tears filled her eyes. "No," she whispered. "Harry, you don't mean that. We were so good together, Harry. We have so much in common and…didn't you like being with me?"
"Of course I did," he said still looking out the window. "At the time you were exactly what I needed Ginny and for that you will always mean something to me." He looked at her and saw the hope in her eyes so he shook his head firmly. "But I can't be with you. I need to be by myself right now. I can't be with anyone."
"I'll wait for you…"
"No," he said as he looked back out the window, determined not to look at her. He knew he was hurting her, but it was for her own good. The sooner she realized that they were over the sooner she could get on with her life. "You would be waiting forever. You deserve a life with someone who loves you…who will devote himself to you. I can't be that guy, Ginny."
She was sobbing now and it was breaking his heart. He still cared for her and hated to see her cry, but he stood firm and kept his gaze on the grounds of Hogwarts. She finally turned and fled up the stairs, crying as she went and Harry let out a breath as he pressed his head against the window. If he knew this was waiting for him downstairs he would have stayed in bed and took his chance with his nightmares.
"My life…officially sucks," he muttered to himself as he opened his eyes and banged his forehead again on the glass. He was about to turn away and head back upstairs but a movement in the shadows caught his attention. Alert now, he placed his hand on the glass and squinted his eyes at the figure walking towards the lake. It didn't take him long to figure out who it was, he would recognized that crazy hair a mile away. "What is she doing out at this hour?"
Harry then quickly turned and headed straight out of the common room and at a slow trot made his way down the corridors. He was rounding the corner when he nearly ran right into Snape who thankfully pulled back fast enough to prevent a collision. "Snape…I was just…"
"Potter, as thrilled that we all are that you defeated Lord Voldemort, it doesn't mean you can strut around the halls at this time of night. The Headmistress herself told you and your friends that the school rules still stand while you are here."
Harry let out a sigh. "Look, I know we've never been…on friendly terms with each other and I know that you risked a lot to help our side. It took me awhile to trust you and Draco at first, but since my life was on the line I don't think you can really blame me. I know you don't like me very much and honestly I'm not particularly fond of you either." He swallowed and rolled his eyes as he tried to get the words he hated to admit. "But…after fighting with you and Draco I've…come to…respect you both." Harry let out a breath as he shook his head. "Okay, you may think I'm just putting on an act or whatever, and that's fine, but please…Hermione is outside and…she's all I got now. I…I just need to make sure she's okay, so…so can you just please forget you hate me just this once and let me pass?"
Snape stood there and studied him with a look he couldn't quite read. When he showed know signs of Harry let out a frustrating groan. "Look, if you tell me to go back to the common room I'm just going to go get my dad's invisibility cloak so let me know soon please so I can get going."
Harry then could have sworn Snape tilted the corner of his mouth just a hair but surely he was imagining it. "Here's what I'm going to do," he finally said. "I'm going to go back down this corridor and I'm going to assume you are going to head back to bed. Whether you do or not, I will not know since my back will be to you. Understood?"
Harry tried his best not to smile and nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Very well," he said with a nod. "Good night, Potter."
Harry watched him retreat and with a grin finally turned and headed down the corridor that led to the doors of the castle. Once outside he jogged towards the lake hoping to find her soon and that she didn't venture to far. He slowed down to a walk and then paused when he noticed Hermione perched up on a boulder facing a lake.
He took a deep breath before making his way towards her and when she sensed him she gasped and spun her head and wand at him. The glow from the tip of her wand blinded him as he held up his hands. "Just me, Hermione."
"Harry," she said lowering her wand. "Nox." The glow faded and now the moonlight was their only light. "What are you doing out here?"
"I saw you from the window." Harry jumped up on the boulder next to her then nudged his shoulder playfully against hers. "Wanted to make sure you were okay."
She gave him a small smile. "I'm fine."
"Hermione," he said with a sigh. "Don't give me that, 'I'm fine' nonsense that I myself have used on you many of times through out the years. I never fooled you so you know you won't fool me."
Hermione shook her head and let out a harsh laugh. "What do you want me to say Harry? I can't eat. I can't sleep. I can't go one second without thinking that I should be the one lying in that hospital room, not Ron."
"Hermione, you can't feel guilty about that," Harry said as he placed a hand on her back. "Ron and I…we were both running to you. I was so scared and panicked that I didn't even think about apparating to you. But Ron did and he's the one who pushed you out of the way. He did it for you, Hermione, you would have done the same thing."
"I know," she sobbed as her eyes began to glisten. "That's what makes it so hard." Hermione leaned into him and he immediately opened his arms, letting her cry on his shoulder. "What if he doesn't wake up, Harry?"
Harry pressed his lips against her hair taking a deep breath. "What if he does? We can only hope and pray that he does, Hermione."
Hermione's sobs quieted down some her breath was still shaky. "He has to, Harry. Ron and I…we were going to try and…and see where our relationship took us. We wanted to wait after the war, you were more important at the moment."
"Hermione." He kissed the top of her head. "You two shouldn't have waited. I just…I've always wanted to see you happy. Both of you."
"I know, Harry. You were fighting for that. Our freedom. Our lives."
"I would do it again if I had to." He turned and rested his cheek against her hair. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry I wasn't the one that got to you first. I'm sorry it wasn't me."
Hermione lifted her head abruptly and stared at him. "No," she whispered shaking her head. "Don't say that." She lifted her hands to cup his face. "Don't ever say that. I'm not sorry. If it had been you then you never would have defeated Voldemort. We wouldn't have survived." She held his face tighter giving him a quick shake. "Don't ever be sorry."
Harry reached up and took her wrists as he nodded. "Okay. I'll never be sorry."
Hermione pressed her forehead against his for a moment then pulled him in for a hug. "I'm glad you came. I'm glad we finally talked."
"Hermione," he said as he pulled back and grabbed her by the shoulders. "You're it for me. You're all I've got, Hermione. You are my family now."
"The Weasley's…Ginny…"
"Will always be near and dear to my heart, but you matter most to me." He gave her a little shake. "I need you. I need to know you won't leave me."
"Harry," she cried softly shaking her head. "I…I could never leave you. I promise…wherever you go…I go."
Harry gave her a smile as he now started to choke up. "Yeah?"
She smiled through her tears. "Yeah." She slid her arms around his waist and tucked her head under his chin. "Yeah."
Harry let out a breath and felt peace finally for the first time in a long time. "Okay then."
No matter what happened…Harry knew everything was going to be all right.