~A/N> Sorry this is a couple days late. I was really sick last Friday and didn't have a chance to work on this chapter much. I finally felt up to it today and was able to finish it. Lots of info in this one, and a little fluff to hopefully tide you over. I'm going to try my hardest to post the next chapter on Saturday or Sunday, but this week I'm working on the next harmony podcast (#12) so I don't know if I'll get it done in time. Thanks for all the great reviews on chapter 10, and a BIG thank-you to nightmarezangel for pointing out a very big mistake that no one else seemed to catch (not even me :blushes: )...it has been fixed and I'm very grateful. I hope you enjoy this one, and there will be more H/Hr fluff in the next chapter :)
Hermione awoke floating amongst the clouds, having no idea where she was. She knew she should feel afraid, not
knowing how she had gotten to this place or if it meant she was dead, but all she felt was peace. All around her was
the harmonious sound of what seemed to be a chorus of angels singing; the melody was haunting, yet soothing. As she
became fully conscious, she began to descend slowly until her bare feet landed on something hard. Looking around a bit
more, the clouds seemed to thin out and the image of trees, green grass, and blue water came into view.
As she looked around, movement between two trees caught her attention and she watched as the blurred form started to transform into what looked to be a person with unrecognizable features. The closer the person came to her, the clearer her features became until a beautiful woman stood before her, smiling at her reassuringly.
"Welcome Hermione," the woman said in a soft, lilting voice.
"Thank you," Hermione replied, with a hint of confusion in her voice. "May I ask where 'here' is?"
"You may," the woman answered with a beautiful smile, one that Hermione noticed reached all the way to her eyes. "You are in Elysian."
"Elysian?", Hermione repeated. "I've never heard of such a place."
"I'm sure you haven't," stated another figure as it walked up to them.
Hermione watched as the features became clearer and she gasped and then whispered, "Mum?"
"Hello dear," her mum greeted before walking up and taking her into her arms, hugging her tightly.
"But why...am I dead?" Hermione asked, pulling back to look into her mother's eyes.
"No," answered the other woman. "Elysian is a place that's in-between, a place where certain magical spirits and Soul Guardians end up when they're unconscious or before they move on after death. It's a safe haven for your soul, so that evil can't reach you in your state."
"What 'state'?" Hermione asked, utterly confused.
"Right now on Earth, your body is lying in a bed, a mere shell. Your soul is here now so that there's no chance of the Shadocks getting to you," her mother explained. "Soul Guardians are most vulnerable when they're unconscious, and are easily possessed. Shadocks have taken over many an innocent's body and used it to wreak havoc, more so then when in their insubstantial states, and spread their evil. If they were to possess a Guardian, they would have access to all of your abilities, and it would be all they would need to finally shift the balance to their side so that evil reigned on Earth for the rest of time."
"So I'm unconscious right now?" Hermione asked, looking from the stranger to her mum.
"Yes," the stranger answered. "Your body is healing, and Harry is watching over you. He's growing up to be such a wonderful young man, I'm glad that you're his Guardian."
"Some job I'm doing," Hermione mumbled, feeling disappointed in herself. Looking to the stranger again, she studied her face more closely and when she focused in on her eyes, she gasped. "You're his mum...you're Lily Potter."
"Yes I am," Lily replied with a beautiful smile. "Do not doubt yourself, Hermione. You've only just started your Guardian duties, and already you've given Harry something he's never had."
"What would that be?" Hermione asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Someone that will stand beside him, no matter what," Lily said, her voice sounding a bit sad. "There's only one thing I regret about the night Voldemort killed me, and that's the fact that James and I left him alone. All he's known is my cruel sister and her brute of a husband. And my nephew...he's the worst of the two of them combined. Harry never deserved to be treated the way they treated him. If my sister would have just embraced her abilities, she wouldn't have turned out to be so spiteful and horrid."
"Her abilities? You mean she's magical as well?" Hermione asked.
"No," Lily answered. "She's a Soul Guardian, just like me."
~*~
Harry sat next to the bed where Hermione lay, still unconscious. Madam Pomfrey had left about thirty minutes before with strict orders to floo her the moment Hermione woke up. He really didn't know what to do with himself, or how to feel at the minute. He was worried about her to the point of being nauseous, but yet there was anger simmering just below the surface of that worry. Why didn't she shield herself? Why didn't she tell him how weak she was? At least that way he could have cast a shielding spell that would have helped out some. He felt as if she didn't trust in his magical abilities, whereas he trusted all of her powers and abilities implicitly.
Lost in his thoughts, he jumped when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning quickly in his chair, he found himself face-to-face with a very haggard looking Remus. "Alright there, Harry?" he asked in a tired voice.
"Yeah. You?" he replied, worried about him.
"Just a little tired," Remus answered, conjuring a chair next to Harry's. "Severus hit me with some dark curse that was pretty nasty, but Madam Pomfrey said I should be fine in a day or two. She also informed me as to Hermione's condition...seems all there is to do is wait and hope it doesn't take her long to wake."
"Yeah," Harry mumbled. "Hopefully it won`t take long."
"You seemed to have an annoyed look on your face when I walked in," Remus mentioned cautiously. "Anything you'd like to talk about?"
"No," Harry replied immediately as he turned away from Remus to look at Hermione once more. Feeling his frustration overwhelm his worry he asked, "Why didn't she protect herself?"
"Only Hermione can answer that question," Remus answered. "But I believe she was doing what she was supposed to do, and that was to protect you. Maybe something went wrong, or maybe she just wasn't powerful enough yet to shield the both of you. You'll just have to wait for her to wake up to find out."
"It's just...I-" Harry dropped his head into his hands and sighed loudly, deciding not to finish his sentence.
"You're worried about her because you care for her," Remus supplied knowingly as he clapped his hand onto Harry's shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with that."
"There is something wrong with that," Harry said angrily. "It's bad enough that she's been 'assigned' to protect me by some cruel twist of fate, but what if we happen to feel more for each other than what we're supposed to? That may be why she risked herself today, unnecessarily, and I don't want that."
"Harry, I..." Remus stopped talking, deciding now was not the time to tell Harry what he was going to tell him. He'd been through enough as it was, Remus felt that he didn't need the extra burden weighing him down even more. "Never mind."
Looking at him quizzically, Harry shrugged and turned his attention back to Hermione. When she moved just a bit, mumbling incoherently, a lock of her hair had fallen onto her face. Reaching out, Harry gently moved the lock back to it's place and a small smile formed as he realized how peaceful and beautiful she looked. As Harry relived the kiss they had shared just that morning, Remus cleared his throat and said, "I'll just be going down to the kitchen then, to make some dinner. Would you like something to eat?"
"Not right now, thanks," Harry answered, his gaze never leaving her face. He heard Remus sigh just before he turned to leave the room, and once the door closed leaving them alone, Harry picked up her hand to hold in his. Turning her hand over so that it was palm up, he saw the crescent moon on her wrist and bent down, pressing his lips to it. Suddenly feeling the need to be closer to her, he stood up and climbed onto the bed. Carefully laying behind her on top of the covers, he lay his head so that his nose was near her hair and he could smell her strawberry scented shampoo. Feeling immediately more at ease, he gently wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered, "Come back to me," right before giving in to the heaviness of his eyes as he fell asleep.
~*~
"Your sister, Harry's dreadful Aunt Petunia, is a Soul Guardian as well?" Hermione asked, looking at her mum when she admonished, "Hermione! That's rude."
"She speaks the truth," Lily said, with a sad expression on her beautiful face. "My sister was horrible to him, and looked the other way when her husband and son mistreated Harry. We found out when we were just little girls that we were Guardians, as was our mother, but when I turned out to be magical as well Petunia became jealous. She wanted to know why I was the one to get both magical and guardian abilities, when she only got one and she was the oldest. I guess she felt it was her birth right to be magical as well, and when it turned out she wasn't, she abandoned her Soul Guardian side. She became hateful, spiteful, and acted jealous all the time. The first time I brought James home to meet our family...it was awful. She had invited Vernon over on the same night, and when my parents paid more attention to James, it seemed to push her over the last edge of reason that she had left. She practically disowned us that night and a week later she and Vernon were married. She didn't even invite us to the ceremony."
"Then why ever would Headmaster Dumbledore leave Harry with her? He had to know what she was like...the way Harry speaks of him, he always seemed to know everything that was going on, whether in Hogwarts or out," Hermione asked, as warmth from her growing anger suffused her face, turning her cheeks pink and her eyes a cinnamon-brown colour.
"Because it was the only safe option for Harry at the time," Lily answered. "My sister could offer him blood protection since I sacrificed myself to save him that night. And if he didn't go to her, he would have ended up in an orphanage, and I shudder to think of how his upbringing would have been then. Voldemort grew up in an orphanage, and look at how he turned out...mad with power and no conscious to speak of whatsoever."
"But..." Hermione started, only to stop abruptly. Looking down at her right wrist, where the crescent moon scar was, she saw that it was glowing with a soft, golden light and felt warm. "How strange, my scar feels tingly and warm," she mumbled, placing her fingertip on it. After a moment she felt a pleasant warmth spread throughout her as her heart rate seemed to double. "What's happening to me?" she asked, sounding a little afraid.
"I think I know what's causing it...I'll be right back," Lily said, and then faded from their sight.
"We have the same mark," her mum said after Lily left, turning her right wrist over to show her daughter their identical markings. "It's not really a scar, but a mark that shows you're a Soul Guardian. It could be considered the same as a beauty mark, which many women have, but ours has a lot more meaning behind it and sets us apart from the others. When Lily gets back, maybe she'll show you her mark...it's actually a crescent moon like ours, but it has a star in the middle of it. Each mark is different for each family of Guardians."
Taking in her mothers explanation, Hermione could almost feel before she saw Lily's return. "It is as I thought," Lily said before questions could be asked. "Harry is with you right now, laying next to you. He has his arm wrapped around you in such a protective gesture, my heart warmed to see it. It's so innocent, and he looks so peaceful sleeping next to you. He reminds me so much of his father."
Hermione's cheeks felt hot from embarrassment as she felt her mother's intense gaze on her. "Is there something going on between you and Harry?"
"I-I truthfully don't know," she replied, not meeting her mum's or Lily's eyes. "Every time I'm around him, it seems like my body goes into sensory overload and it's hard to control." Clearing her throat nervously, she added, "And I'm confused because I don't know if these are my feelings that I'm experiencing, or if it's the Guardian/Charge bond between us. And even then, isn't it forbidden for a Guardian and her Charge to become romantically involved?"
"It used to be," Lily answered. "Thankfully my Grandma fought the Higher Powers so that she and my Grandpa could be together. My Grandmother was a force to be reckoned with, and when she wanted something she fought for it. Needless to say, she and my Grandpa were married and my mum was born. If it weren't for her, James and I wouldn't have been allowed to be together either."
"You were James Soul Guardian?" Hermione asked, surprised. "Poor Harry, there's so much he doesn't know about you or his Dad, and he deserves to know everything about his family history."
"Which is exactly why you're here," her mum said. "Thankfully I was able to give you the Duvall family Guardian notebook, but unfortunately..."
"Petunia never passed on our families notebook to Harry, like I asked her to," Lily finished. "She kept one for Dudley, while I wrote one for my future son or daughter. I always thought that I'd have a girl, but I knew that if I had a boy and he had a daughter of his own someday, there was a great chance that she would have Soul Guardian abilities as well. After I had Harry, I went to Petunia and asked her to keep the notebook for me, and that if anything ever happened to me, could she please pass it on to my children? She had promised me that she would, but I've been to the place I hid it, and it's still there. What I need is for you to convince Harry to go back to Petunia's house so that you can show him where the book is."
"And when am I supposed to convince him to go? He told me he never had to go back to that house again now that he's of age. It's not going to be easy to get him back there, let alone convince him to take me along."
"You've always been very convincing when you want to be," her mum said with a smile. "And if Harry feels the way we think he does for you, it shouldn't be very hard to get him to go back there."
"He needs it as soon as possible Hermione," Lily said. "Now that Severus has attacked Hogwarts, the time for Harry to battle Voldemort can't be far away and there are things in my notebook that may help him win the battle. There are also many things in there that will help you as you battle next to him."
"Okay," Hermione relented. "I don't know how yet, but I'll convince him to visit his Aunt's house. I just hope that he won't hold it against me in any way...it's not been easy winning over his trust and I'd hate to jeopardize that."
"If you're truthful with him about why you need to go, he won't be angry with you," Lily stated assuredly. "He's been lied to and kept in the dark about so many important things in his short life, what he values the most is the truth. Just give him that and the two of you should be fine."
Hermione smiled at her then, grateful that she'd gotten to talk to his mum. She realized now just how like her he was, and through the happiness came the sad knowledge that Harry had been deprived of his childhood with the wonderful woman that stood before her. Looking toward her own mum, she felt grateful for the years she got to spend with her. Walking up to her, Hermione wrapped her arms around her and hugged her, putting all her love and gratitude into it. "I love you so much, mum."
"I love you too, Hermione," her mum replied tearfully.
As they reluctantly separated, Hermione turned to Lily and said, "I'm so glad I got to talk to you. Your son is such an amazing person...I only wish he could have known you and his Dad more. I can only imagine how wonderful he would have turned out then with the two of you there to guide him this entire time."
"We have been guiding him," Lily replied. "He just never realized it. I'm just glad that you're there to help him now, and even though this will probably embarrass you, you're helping him to open his heart. My love is what saved him sixteen years ago, and I think that's going to be the key to him defeating Voldemort once and for all."
With her face aflame once more, Hermione shyly looked at Lily and said, "I will do everything I can to help him. You have my word."
"I know you will," Lily said, walking up to her. "Will you please tell him something for me?" When Hermione nodded she continued, "Will you please tell him how proud his Dad and I are of him, and that we will always be there for him no matter what? Oh, and pass this on to him too..." And surprising Hermione, Lily hugged her tightly and then whispered where she would find her notebook in Petunia's house. When they seperated, Lily's eyes shone brightly with tears as she whispered, "Please take care of my son."
With her eyes burning as well, Hermione fought off the tears that threatened and said, "I will, I promise."
"It's time for you to go back," her mum said, rubbing her arm comfortingly, the way she used to. "As much as I love having you here, it's not your time yet. Be strong, and remember that your dad and I love you very much. We're so proud of how strong you've been, and he wanted so badly to come with me, but he wasn't allowed."
"Please tell him I love and miss him too," Hermione said, swiping at her eyes. "Is he...is he doing okay? Did he accept my forgiveness?"
"He did," her mum answered. "I've always been proud of you, but the way you so easily forgave him for the way he treated you while you were growing up...I am so lucky to have you as my daughter."
"It is time," Lily said again with a sad smile. "Thank you for all that you're doing for Harry, Hermione. I know it's expected of you, but from what I've seen you care about him, and he feels the same about you. I know he's in good hands.There's just one more thing I ask of you, and that's to have faith and trust in his magic. He is powerful...more powerful than anyone knows...and all he needs is the chance to prove himself. Please, give him that chance."
Hermione sniffled and nodded in agreement, barely keeping the tears from falling from her eyes, when she felt herself falling suddenly. Feeling her heart rate soar, she looked around fearfully and watched as she fell down, down, finally hitting bottom. Opening her eyes, she looked around and realized that she was in a bed that was in a strange room. Looking to her left she saw Harry laying beside her, sound asleep with his arm wrapped around her waist, just as Lily had said. Smiling, she nestled down into the blankets and fell asleep once more, this time only experiencing happy, peaceful dreams as her body healed itself.