Disclaimer: All characters, events and references drawn from HP belong to J.K. Rowling, etc., respectively, everything else is my own invention.
FORESIGHT
PART TWO
Hermione and Ginny were discussing something as they both looked up at Harry approaching. He suddenly felt butterflies in his stomach. Why I am nervous? She's my friend, he tried to console himself as he started to sit down next to her. She just looked down at the ground, appearing to be a little anxious as he sat with knees bent, folding his arms around them, like her. He looked at her and then saw Ginny give a quick glance at them both before standing up and going over to her brothers. The look she gave them was one of sadness but with understanding.
He had barely spoken to Ginny since their break-up a half a year ago and he could tell in the few times he had seen her since, that she treated him with a cold indifference, acting as though she had never had an interest in the boy she had a crush on for so many years. He tried to be as kind and civil to her as possible, and didn't blame her for the way she seemed to act towards him now. He felt in some way that it was justified, so he accepted it. Despite what happened between them, he still liked her and even missed some of the little things she did. But he had realized even more in the months since the break-up, that his was more than just your average wizard's life and he felt that he just wasn't what she needed. Facing life-threatening dangers can have that sobering effect on someone. Harry was maturing faster and as the list of those whom he loved continued to dwindle, he was learning the hard way what was really important in life and what was simply a passing desire. But yesterday, when she, Fred and George had shown up at Hogwarts to help them escape, he couldn't help but take her hand at one point and thank her with as much care in his expression as possible. It was the first time in a while he had seen her reciprocate.
He looked down at the ground, drawing up as much courage as he could muster.
"Hermione…" he started.
She turned her head slightly towards him but still looking down.
"There's something I have been meaning to ask you about…" he went on, then paused.
"Yes?" she finally replied after a few moments.
Her voice seemed tinged with concern, and he could see her body begin to tense up as though she thought he were about to ask her to reveal her deepest, darkest secret. He sensed this and froze. This was the way she had been lately, like she was emotionally trying to stay just out of his reach. This was what bothered him. But he cared so much for her. He wanted to know what had happened to her, but it just didn't seem right to ask now. He gave her a half smile and shook his head slightly.
"Never mind…" he said, regretfully, "it's not that important."
'Liar!' he thought to himself. But something else welled up in his mind. That reserve of strength and courage he always had inside when every other faculty seemed to fail him. He reached out and placed his arm around her shoulder, drawing her slightly towards himself. If he could do anything at all, he wanted her to know he was with her in her predicament, whatever it was. She seemed to relax a bit and slump down slightly when he placed his arm around her.
"I hope you're alright, Hermione…" he began, feeling more resolute.
"I just want you to know that…I'm still here with you…if you ever need anything." he continued.
She just looked ahead, an expression now of deepening sadness as though something were going to break inside of her and come gushing out in torrents. Harry's breath stopped momentarily, and he wondered if she would finally reveal what the source of her travail had been. He would have been grateful if she reproved him for something, or at the very least vent out on him what seemed to cause her such pain. Anything at all! Instead, she simply turned to look him straight in the eyes, and he saw the pained expression in her face which was glowing slightly from the light of a now whitened moon.
"I know Harry…" she spoke quietly, "…thank you."
He thought for a moment that she was about to say something else, but then she turned away again. He removed his arm and just sat there in silence.
He felt greatly relieved to hear her speak that way to him, as though a small sliver of light had finally broken through dark clouds. He also felt, sensing her presence beside him, that even through all the distance that seemed to separate them right now, there was a slender thread of hope that still connected her to him. She wasn't completely gone yet, he thought. But apparently, IT still bothered her and prevented her from opening up to him.
"What in blazes possessed you two to put that bloody portkey this far away from the house?" Ron suddenly blared at the twins, as he finally sat up.
His voice startled both Harry and Hermione as if they had been rudely awakened from a deep sleep.
"We thought it would be safer for Mum and Dad." Fred replied, as though it should have been perfectly obvious to Ron.
"Yeah, we don't want them Black Hats apparating right outside our front door, do we? "George chimed in.
"Yeah, safer for Mum and Dad…WHAT ABOUT US?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Don't worry," Fred stated with a calm, almost neighborly tone, "we're not too far now."
"NOT TOO FAR?!?" Ron added incredulously, "We haven't even gotten to Stoatshead yet! Bloody brilliant, you two are."
"Don't worry Ronnie boy," George sharply torted to Ron, sounding a little miffed now. "We've still got some surprises left…"
"SHHHH!" Ginny whispered to the three of them as loudly as possible. "Are you three mad? They might still be behind…"
She never finished as all six of them were jolted to attention and looking back toward a grove they had past earlier. All of them heard that distinct popping noise that accompanies an apparition. Harry's adrenaline began to kick in. He listened intently as more popping noises began to emanate from the woods. The number continued to rise to everyone's horror. There must be two dozen of them now, he thought. Harry turned to look over at Ron. He saw that all familiar expression of fear on Ron's face.
"Bloody hell…" Ron whispered, shaking his head in disbelief.
Harry hadn't even noticed when Hermione had placed one hand on his shoulder and grasped his arm with the other until he felt his hand going numb. He looked at her as both of them started to rise as quietly as possible, Hermione's face filled with alarm.
"Run…now!" Fred shouted to the others as softly as possible. But it was too late.
A huge ball of bluish green light flew over their heads. The light hit a nearby tree, snapping it's trunk in two, the bright orange flames bursting outward along with bits of bark and splintered wood. The group gasped as they saw the top of the tree crash to the ground not too far from Ginny. She had leapt into George's arms just in time. And then two more bursts of light flew toward their spot, felling two more trees. It seemed that the quiet moonlit glen had suddenly been turned into hell. Harry shot a glance toward the clearing and he caught site of half a dozen attackers moving swiftly in their direction, their pointed black hats unmistakable in the dim light.
The scene became increasingly chaotic as more blasts shot at them from two directions now. A large oak next to them exploded and the debris collapsed near Harry, causing Hermione to let out a short scream. They were cut off from the others. Harry quickly grabbed Hermione's arm and they both ran as fast as they could through the trees behind where they had been sitting, and away from where the Death Eaters had apparated. He heard some voices, one of which sounded like Ron shouting, but the explosions and noise of falling trees drowned them out.
They had run for almost ten minutes straight and the noises and confusion slowly began to fade from their field of sound. Harry didn't know how far they had run and he felt several sharp pains in his arms and legs as they crashed through branches and bushes in the dark wood. But Harry quickened his pace with Hermione still in tow. She had begun to lag a little and he felt the pull of her weight. His determination to get as far away from the area as fast as possible overrode his consideration of Hermione's lesser speed or of her fatigue. But something inside of him was more concerned about getting her safe than about what the Death Eaters were doing. He hoped that Ron and the others had gotten away safely. But right now, he had to make sure Hermione was out of danger.
Finally, when it seemed that they were far enough out, they slowed down, trying to catch their breath again. When they stopped, both of them stood completely still, listening for the slightest noise. All was quiet, however, except for the air rushing in and out of their lungs as though they could not get enough of it. Harry looked around to see the moonlight once again piercing the pines overhead and filtering down softly around them. He turned and went over to Hermione.
"Okay?" He asked her through shaky breaths, putting one hand on her shoulder.
She nodded to him, as they both leaned over, wincing from the pain in their sides.
They finally sat down at the foot of a tree. Harry leaned his head back to rest a bit. He then turned to glance at Hermione again. She was also resting her head against the trunk, eyes closed and slowly trying to catch her breath. For the first time in days, she actually looked peaceful despite the situation. The moonlight seemed to radiate softly off of her skin as Harry followed the silhouette of her outline from her eyes down her nose to her lips, opening and closing with each breath. He couldn't help but be amazed at how beautiful... He wondered if she knew just how precious, how…beautiful she was to him… He wasn't sure how long he had been looking at her, but he suddenly snapped out of his trance.
He glanced back one more time and she lowered her head and turned to look back at him, almost on cue. His contemplation of her suddenly soured as that look appeared on her face again. Deep sadness in those eyes, down that nose, her lips now closed but pursed into a frown of concern. He felt that pain slowly coming back again. No!!! For a brief moment, he had seen the Hermione he knew, the friend he cared for. She seemed for just a brief moment to be free of worry and fear, that peacefulness bringing out what Harry saw as a hidden beauty inside of her, coming through her pretty face…then gone again. Feeling desperate, as though he were engaged in a battle to save Hermione's life from some inner danger, he thought frantically of something to say.
"I hope we don't have to run anymore tonight," he blurted, sounding stupid to himself.
"If those Death Eaters surprise us again, " he went on trying to make something out of it, "we let them go ahead and put us out of our misery, agreed?"
He couldn't help but laugh a little at the words. Then something unexpected happened. Hermione looked at him as though she were going to cry, then she too started laughing. He felt tremendous relief as both of them kept laughing together. There it was again. He was so happy to see her relax and be free, to see her beautiful face come alive once more.
Harry's little quip had broken a ton of tension that seemed to hang on both their shoulders. Somehow he had gotten through to her. He felt at that moment the connection with her had been regained. Despite all the dangers they had faced and were facing that night, the two of them were connected once more, even if for a moment. But something in his heart nagged at him. This wouldn't last. Once the moment was gone, Hermione would still be facing whatever it was that hounded her, and Harry would feel their bond lost again - the pain inside returning. He had to do something, he refused to let her slip away.
It had seemed, through their laughter, as if the two of them had run out of a nightmare into a wonderful dream. And then suddenly the walls of that happy dream were shattered by that popping noise again. They looked at each other's astonished faces, then listened intently. Only three pops this time. Both of them began to move slowly and quietly around to the back of the tree. They stopped, huddled next to each other, breathlessly listening for footsteps, but heard nothing. Some alarm in Harry's head, however, was going berserk. They were coming…