CHAPTER FOURTEEN: CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER, SAID ALICE
~~~~~October 23rd, 1996. Hogwarts.~~~~~
Harry and Hermione had stayed late after the DA meeting, just sitting in the comfortable Room of Requirement talking. She'd shared his bed every night since the Death Eaters had escaped Azkaban and each night the nightmares had woken her; each night he'd held her while she cried herself back to sleep.
"I do like the idea of splitting the younger and older students up into two separate groups," Hermione said as they shared a couch.
"We'd have to cut the lesson time down, but I think it'd be easier," Harry explained. "We could teach the younger students, say first through fourth years, earlier on a Wednesday night and then we could do the rest after that."
"Sounds like a plan to me." She yawned and checked her watch, "Oh, Harry, we're past curfew."
"Don't worry," he said with a small grin as he stood up. "I brought the invisibility cloak, just in case I needed to sneak you up to the Boys' dorms."
They slipped the cloak over themselves as they left the room and began their journey towards the Gryffindor Tower. A rustling just up ahead caused them to stop and quietly investigate; the scene that greeted them was rather interesting. Snape and Brodsky were standing in an abandoned corridor glaring at one another.
"I should kill you where you stand, Severus," Brodsky hissed.
"You could try, Byron, and you'd probably succeed, but you have nothing to hold against me."
Brodsky whirled on Snape and in one quick flash had him by the front of his robes. He pushed him so his back hit against a wall, hard.
"Nothing to hold against you? That's what you say! You were there that night; don't even try to deny it. I heard Malfoy call you by name."
Snape sneered, "I don't deny it. I was there. And if you remember correctly, I refused to kill her. Make no mistake; I was punished greatly for that."
"You did nothing to save her either, Severus. You refused your orders and let the others follow through with them. I don't give a damn how many times you were put under the Cruciatus! You have <i>no</i> idea of what true pain is."
Brodsky let Snape go with a final shove against the stone wall and began to walk away until Snape's call caused him to hesitate.
"She was my friend, Byron, one of the very few I ever had. It hurt me just as much to see her die, so I understand."
Brodsky seemed to calm himself a little and, with his back to Snape, anger still in his eyes, he spoke. His voice was barely above a whisper, yet it could be heard clearly, and painfully, as it rang throughout the corridor. "She was my wife, Severus. The only woman I have ever loved. You have no idea how much it hurt me."
Slowly he turned to Snape and continued, "When you lose the woman you love; when you are forced to watch as she is brutally murdered; when you feel an emptiness in your soul so deep you feel as though you may be on fire; when you know that you will never have that piece of your heart replaced; when you know never see her, hear her voice, or touch her face again; when you spend every waking moment of your life in pain, a pain so deep it almost consumes you; when you spend every sleeping moment dreaming of her, or having nightmares about the night she died; when you are forced to feel what I feel each day, knowing you'll feel it until the day you die, then, and only then, can you come to me and say that you understand."
Snape didn't say anything as he watched Brodsky silently walk away and fade into the shadows. Then he headed in the opposite direction, his cloak billowing behind him.
Harry and Hermione neither moved, nor spoke for a long time; Harry eventually took in a deep breath and released it slowly before he turned to Hermione. She had tears running silently down her face.
"'Mione?" Harry whispered.
Hermione didn't look at him, just said, "That poor man."
After another few seconds Harry grabbed her hand and tightened the cloak around them. "Come on, let's go."
They got back to common room to find it deserted so the two sat down together on a couch in front of the fire.
"I'm guessing Snape is one of the Death Eaters that you see in your dreams," Harry assumed.
After letting out a sigh, she confirmed, "Yeah, that's sure what they seemed to be talking about. He didn't kill Brodsky's wife though, he refused; that's pretty interesting."
"Yeah. I guess he's not quite as evil as we all assume him to be."
Hermione turned to him, "That's very mature of you to say, Harry."
"Yeah. But like Brodsky said: he didn't do anything to stop it. If he was all good he would've done something."
"If he was all good he wouldn't have been a Death Eater in the first place. Maybe he was scared to save her. He was probably terrified of Voldemort. If he'd interfered to that extent he'd probably be dead."
"True, but at least he would have redeemed himself."
After thinking for a moment Hermione said, "Maybe that's what he's trying to do now. He is apparently on our side, and it did look like he was trying to make some sort of apology to Brodsky. So maybe he'll still get his chance at redemption."
Harry broke the five minute silence that ensued with, "You know what Brodsky said?" Hermione nodded. "That's how I'd feel if I lost you."
Hermione was shocked for a long moment, "Harry, you can't possibly mean that."
"I do." He looked up into her eyes, "You have no idea how much you mean to me, do you? With everything that's happening you haven't been able to see just how important you are in my life. Hell, Hermione, I would have been dead long ago if it weren't for you. And recently, I've had these feelings towards you."
"I know, Harry. I've had them too."
"I'm just so scared that I'll lose you."
She took his hand, "Then we share the same fears. Come on, we should go to bed."
~~~~~October 26th, 1996. Hogsmeade.~~~~~~
Harry had always loved Hogsmeade around Halloween. The place seemed to come alive with magic. He and Hermione shared a carriage with Ron and Lavender, since he had finally asked her to go with him, but as soon as the carriage reached its destination the two couples went their separate ways, saying they'd meet up again at the Three Broomsticks.
Harry and Hermione walked through the streets peacefully, stopping in at a couple of shops to get some things, but they were mainly just enjoying each others company.
Deciding to go to the Three Broomsticks earlier than they'd scheduled with Ron and Lavender; the two headed in that direction. Not even the drawling voice that came from behind stopped them, as they ignored it and continued walking.
"Read the Prophet, Potter?" Draco Malfoy asked smugly; the Gryffindors could practically hear the smirk hanging off of his lips.
"Ignore him." Hermione whispered and the two kept going.
"By the way, Mudblood, Antonin says hello." Malfoy laughed along with Crabbe and Goyle.
Harry and Hermione stopped dead in their tracks and slowly turned to the Slytherins. With a fire in his eyes and through clenched teeth, Harry growled, "I will kill you, Malfoy."
Malfoy quickly pulled his wand, "Incendio!"
Hermione had already drawn her wand and quickly magicked a shield around Harry and herself before the ball of fire hit, while Harry pulled out his own and fired back, "Expelliarmus!"
Malfoy's wand now lay about ten meters behind him and as he turned he saw why Crabbe and Goyle hadn't drawn theirs. Ron and Lavender were behind the three Slytherins with their wands covering them.
Harry and Hermione walked closer to Malfoy and his apes, both their wands still trained on the ringleader.
"Don't come near us again, Malfoy, or, I swear, I'll make you regret it."
Malfoy just snarled and turned, pushing his way past Ron and Lavender with Crabbe and Goyle trailing behind him.
Ron grinned at his two best friends, wrapped his arm around Lavender, and started walking towards the Three Broomsticks, "I believe a butterbeer is in order."
The Three Broomsticks was quiet; a lot of adult wizards didn't visit Hogsmeade on weekends since it was more than likely filled with students. Hermione, Ron and Lavender went to a back booth while Harry went to the bar.
"Harry!" Rosmerta smiled as she walked up to him.
"Hello, Madame Rosmerta, how are you?"
"Just fine. What can I get you?"
"Four butterbeers, please."
She returned a moment later with the butterbeers in hand and put them on the bar in front of Harry. But as he was pulling money from his pocket she shook him off.
"Don't you dare, Potter. You know I don't take your money here."
"Please, Rosmerta, it's no trouble to me at all, I have more than enough."
Rosmerta just shook her head, "Then you can use that money for something else. Now go and enjoy your drinks."
She walked away before Harry had a chance to respond. Smiling, he took the drinks back to the table at which his friends were seated. Once there Hermione gave him a relieved look and he soon saw why; Ron and Lavender were flirting like there was no tomorrow; hanging all over each other.
"So, mate, we've got our first Quidditch match next weekend, you think the team is ready?" Harry asked.
Ron looked up from Lavender with a smile, "It's only against Hufflepuff, so I think we got a damn good chance. They shouldn't be that tough and we've never lost to them."
"Yeah, and the team seems to be working well together. Might be in a chance for the cup."
"I reckon. The only problem will be the Slytherins. But that's only because they'll be trying to murder us on the pitch."
While the boys talked about Quidditch the girls became bored, since neither really cared much for the sport.Lavender grabbed Hermione's hand, "Let's go."
"Where?" Hermione asked. Both Harry and Ron had turned to look at them.
"For a walk."
"Well, we'll come." Ron said and began to stand.
Lavender put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down. "Nope. You boys stay here. This is a girl walk."
"Girl walk?! What the hell is that?"
Lavender just smiled at him as she dragged Hermione outside of the pub. She linked arms with Hermione and led her off down the street.
"So, you and Ron seem cozy." Hermione smiled.
Lavender giggled a little, "He's just so cute and he really is a sweetheart. I was just so happy that he asked me to come here with him. Anyway, as much as I love talking about Ron, that's that's not the reason for this little stroll. What I want to discuss is you and Harry."
"Harry and I?"
"Something is obviously going on there."
"Lav, there's - -"
Lavender cut her off, "Hermione, we've shared a dorm for over five years now. I know you. And I've seen the way you two look at each other." Hermione didn't say anything, so Lavender probed a little more, "Herms, have I ever told one of your secrets?"
Sighing Hermione shook her head, "No, you haven't."
"Exactly. So, give me details."
"Lav, there really isn't much to tell." Lavender went to interrupt, but Hermione stopped her. "I mean it. There's definitely something there, and we've talked about it a little, but nothing of interest has happened."
"Maybe not of interest to you, but to me....what has happened?"
"We have these moments. Moments when it seems we're the only two people in the world and Merlin how I wish we could just stay in those moments, with no school, no teachers, no.....no training, no war, no bloody Voldemort. Things would be so much easier if we were normal."
"You and Harry will never be normal, Herms."
"I meant not of this world…I wish we weren't magical."
"And I meant just you and Harry. No, none of us in the wizarding world are what you muggle-borns think are normal, but in the wizarding world you and Harry aren't normal. And neither of you ever will be."
"What do you mean?"
"Harry Potter: the boy who lived; the boy who has done the impossible time and time again. Hermione Granger: the smartest witch to ever walk through the doors of Hogwarts; the girl who knows more spells than Dumbledore himself. Can't you see it? You two are....oh, I don't know. You two are meant for greater things. Together, you're a force to be reckoned with. I wouldn't want to be You-Know-Who when Dumbledore has you pair trained and ready and you go after the evil bastard." Lavender explained.
"He doesn't want me to." Hermione said quietly.
"Who?"
"Harry. He doesn't want me to fight with him. He wants me as far away from danger as possible. It's actually what most of our fights are about. He tells me he can't lose me and I tell him I can't lose him either and that's why I'll be fighting with him and then we yell at each other. I don't understand how he thinks I could just stand on the sidelines. Since the day we met I've been willing to follow him through the gates of hell; I certainly won't be turning around when he needs me the most."
"You two really are quite a pair, you know?" Lavender laughed. "Come on, we should get back to those misfits."
"Yeah, best not to leave them alone for too long. Those two come up with some pretty insane ideas when they put their heads together."
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