Chapter 2:
Fifty Years Later; 1991…
Hermione woke up early in the cool morning of winter and blinked to clear her vision, shivering beneath her quilt. Early mornings were a lot colder, now alone. Hermione's eyes pooled up in spite of herself. Steven had died from cancer five months ago, but it still hurt her to think of him absent from her life. They had been married for 36 years, and she missed him terribly. She wiped her eyes with wrinkled hands and moved slowly to get out of bed. She groaned as her bones creaked, realizing that at age 62 she was no spring chicken. She wrapped up in a faded pink bathrobe and moved slowly to the huge plate glass window in an attempt to straighten out the cricks in her body. She conjured up a cup of coffee and looked outside, watching the sun come up slowly. After Steven had died, she never took the sunrise for granted ever again, despite the fact that the rising sun had previously reminded her of sad goodbyes.
When she finished drinking her coffee, she heard the ringing chime that meant that someone was calling her by floo powder. She went to the living room to find her 35 year old daughter Laura's head in the fireplace.
"Hello, Mum. How are you doing today?"
Hermione smiled and brushed her peppery gray hair out of her face. "I'm fine, dear. Did you need something?"
"Well, me and Jason were wondering if you'd come out to eat with us and the girls this evening. We're going to Chili's, and we were just hoping you'd come along." Laura shook her spiky red hair to avoid a flickering flame.
"I'd love to go, dear. What time will you pick me up?"
"Is half past six good?"
"Sounds great. I'll see you then."
"Goodbye, dear. I love you."
"Love you too, Mum." With that final phrase, Laura's head popped out of the fireplace and Hermione gave a little smile. Both of her kids had grown up quite nicely and were living perfect lives. Hermione was absolutely crazy about her two granddaughters, Hope and Penelope, aged 18 and 16. She watched the fire flicker slowly down before going to her kitchen to dispose of her coffee cup.
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That night, Laura and Jason picked Hermione up promptly. Hope and Penelope greeted her with hugs and chatter about the upcoming school dance. Hermione smiled sadly, remembering her life when she was 18. Laura turned around from the passenger's seat, her bright green eyes shining. Hermione had never known how Laura had gotten green eyes-she had brown eyes and Steven had had blue eyes.
"Girls, that's enough. I'm sure your Grammy doesn't want to hear about the dance."
"Oh, no, Laura," Hermione smiled. "It's okay. I don't mind." Jason laughed from behind the wheel.
"Don't let them bore you to death, Hermione."
"I won't."
They talked about dances the whole way to the restaurant, the girls telling of what was to be and Hermione telling of past dances she had attended. They got to the restaurant and went inside, getting seats by a large plate glass window that displayed the Thames River perfectly. The family sat down and selected what they wished to eat. When the waiter left, Hermione looked absently over the river, quite aware of the loneliness she felt almost constantly. Laura looked too and, sighing, patted her mom's hand. Hope began to look around the restaurant, her beautiful brunette head held erect by her long, slender neck. Hermione loved to brag about how beautiful all of her family was. Blond and petite Penelope followed her sister's gaze around the restaurant, her eyes resting on someone at the table beside them. She got a smile on her face and leaned over to her grandmother.
"Grammy, I think that man is looking at you. He probably thinks you're hot."
Hermione snorted lightly. "I'm sorry dear, but that-" Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the man who was watching her. He had thinning gray hair, slight wrinkles, piercing green eyes, and, to her surprise, a lightning shaped scar on his forehead. "H-Harry…" she breathed, daring her heart to stop pounding and terrified that this could possibly be Harry. He was sitting alone at his table; taking glances every few moments towards Hermione.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Hermione shook her head, realizing she was acting illogically. "Nothing, dear. I just…need to go talk to that man." She left her chair despite the giggles from her granddaughters. She was aware of every heartbeat as she walked over to the man's table. There was no way that it could possibly be Harry: he was dead, she reminded herself again. When she reached the table, the man looked up at her in surprise.
"H-Ha…I'm sorry, but you look like someone I knew, someone named Harry."
"Hermione?" The man's eyes began to shine. Hermione couldn't stop staring at the man she now knew was Harry. Her eyes filled with tears.
"You were dead!"
"Whatever are you talking about?"
"You never wrote back to me and-and I thought you had to be dead!"
"You never wrote to me but twice! I figured you had gone on with your life and forgotten all about me!"
"Oh, Harry… This is certainly surprising."
"Yes, it is."
"Well, where have you been all these years?"
"Please, sit down." Hermione sat across from him, ignoring the stares from her family. "After the war I traveled to all the places in Europe before finally going to Ireland. There I met Katie and we got married and had four kids, all of which have families of their own." He blinked and looked down at his plate. Hermione spoke up.
"Well, that's great!" Hermione said, although the thought of Harry married to another woman and sleeping with her to give her children made her feel strangely sad. "I mean, you're happy and have everything perfect! But why are you here in London?"
"Katie died a year ago, and I just wanted to get away."
"Oh," Hermione said. "I'm sorry. Steven died only five months ago, and I miss him terribly."
"I'm sorry. Who's Steven?" The green of his eyes were as intense as ever.
Hermione smiled feebly. "Steven was my husband. I met him in the hospital during the war and we fell in love and got married."
"I'm sorry that he died."
Hermione shrugged. "I'll survive. I'm just here tonight with my daughter Laura and her family."
Harry looked at them and smiled. "You have a beautiful family."
"Thank you. Would you please come eat with us?"
Harry smiled and shook his hand. "No, no, I couldn't intrude…"
"Oh, please! It'll be just like old times…"
Harry smiled. "Okay, I give in." He moved to Hermione's table and pulled out her seat for her.
"Thank you," she nodded to him and he nodded back. "Everyone, this is Harry Potter, my best friend and first love." Harry blushed crimson. "Harry, I'd like you to meet Laura, Jason, Hope, and Penelope." Everyone smiled and gave a "Howd'you do?" Harry slowly took his seat and looked to Hermione.
"Wow, it's been too long."
Hermione smiled and pulled her peppery hair behind her ear. "Yes, much too long."
"I'm just glad we chanced to meet up again tonight."
"Quite fortunate." As the dinner went on, Harry and Hermione talked about old times, completely ignoring the rest of her family, who were trying to hide their smiles. When it was time to go, Harry and Hermione stood by each other, not knowing how to say goodbye again.
"Laura, would you mind if I took your Mother out tonight? We still have a lot of catching up to do."
Laura smiled knowingly. "Not at all! You two have fun." She winked at Hermione, making her blush a dark maroon shade. They watched as the family walked off and Harry looked to Hermione.
"May I suggest a walk in the park or a drive around?"
"Sounds good to me."
Harry took her to his car and opened the door for her. They drove around for a while before Harry parked the car near an entrance to the local park. He helped her out of the car and they walked together in silence.
"You know," said Harry when they were halfway on the path. "I never forgot you."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't get me wrong, I loved Katie. But my whole life, you were always in my heart. I just never thought our paths would cross again."
"I know what you mean. It's just weird, because it seems as though we're picking up right where we left off." She paused for a moment. "Why did you leave so early on that last morning?"
"I couldn't bear to tell you goodbye." He placed his hand in hers and she took it willingly. They walked on.
"This is so weird to me." Hermione sighed and leaned towards Harry. "Here I am, widowed for five months, and I'm holding my best friend's hand."
"You still call me your best friend?"
"Well, yeah. You're the only real true friend I've ever had."
"Oh." Harry was surprised. "You want to know a secret?"
"What?"
"I don't think I've ever stopped loving you."
"What do you mean?"
Harry smiled and let go of her hand. He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out his wallet, opening it carefully. Pulling out a weathered piece of parchment, he read it carefully.
"Dearest Harry,
I do hope you're safe wherever you are! I miss you more than words can say…"
She nodded, remembering when she wrote that one, a month after he had left. The next one he opened was old, too, but this one had teardrops on it.
"Harry,
My heart is breaking as I write this, for I know that you will probably never see this letter. I don't know why the gods have done this to us, but we have been separated, and there is no way my life will ever be the same. I-"
"Will always remember how much I loved you, and will always remember how much you loved me, my dear best friend." She finished the last part by heart as the tears filled her eyes. "Oh, all these wasted years! We've both been living only half the life we would have had had we been together!"
Harry hugged her and smoothed her gray hair. "Oh, Hermione, I know… This definitely isn't what I had in mind when I made out with you at Hogsmeade."
Hermione laughed and let Harry wipe away her tears. They continued walking down the path, hand in hand, hearts beating the same staccato as they always had.
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Harry stayed in London, spending as much time with Hermione as possible. They acted like the teenagers they had been despite their years. They laughed and they cried as they reminisced, and after a month, Hermione stopped constantly missing Steven in the wait of time spent with Harry. Her constant loneliness was gone.
Two months after their reunion, Harry took Hermione to the park they had walked in on the first night of their meeting. They walked quite a way down the path until Harry stopped at a park bench and took Hermione's hands in his. He pulled a very old velvet box from his pocket and pulled out a diamond ring.
"This is the engagement ring I bought for you in Paris." Hermione began to cry at Harry's words. "I've kept it all these years, and now it's about time I finally give it to you. Hermione, will you marry me?"
"Yes!" She sobbed, trying to wipe her eyes. Harry took the fifty-year-old ring and slipped it on her wrinkled hand. What was meant to occur half a century earlier was finally happening. They leaned in and kissed, and all fifty years seemed to melt away.
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