Unofficial Portkey Archive

Thank you all for your patience! Here's chapter 6!

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Without You

Chapter 6: For You I Will

Teddy Geiger

Wondering the streets, in a world underneath it all
Nothing seems to be, nothing tastes as sweet
As what I can't have
Like you and the way that you're twisting your hair
round your finger
Tonight I'm not afraid to tell you
What I feel about you.

Oh, I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have
And cannon ball into the water
I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have
For you I will
You always want what you can't have
But I've got to try
I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have
For you I will
For you I will
For you I will
For you I will

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"W-wait, Harry." Hermione had sat down on the bed that had graciously been there before her knees went too weak from the news. "What do you mean the cup is at Hogwarts?"

Harry grinned. "I told you I could do legilimancy when I really wanted to."

"Oh, Harry!" She jumped into his arms, squeezing the life out of him before they crashed to the floor. Both their cheeks grew scarlet as Harry muttered an apology before helping her up. "So where is it?"

Harry shrugged. "I dunno, I don't even think the store owner knew where it was; only that it was at Hogwarts."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, well it's a good start, definitely." She began to walk out of the drawing room "I think if we go back up to the library, we might find-"

"No," Harry grabbed her arm and swung her back around to face him. "I really think we both need a short break before running after this one."

"You mean-"

"I mean, I think we should go see Ron tomorrow, since he's getting better and all, b-but I also want to go, you know, to see my-well, my parents."

Hermione's face fell as she looked at Harry empathetically. "Harry," she said softly, placing a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "Are you sure?"

Harry sniffed. "Yeah. I need to; I need to more than anything right now."

"Then I'll go with you."

Harry nodded and offered her a weak smile. "I would like that." Her hand on his cheek was warm, and soft. He could hardly get past the thought of turning his head and kissing her palm, and was thoroughly happy when she moved her hand to his waist to draw him into a tight hug.

He loved holding her; it was the most perfect thing in the world. Having her arms around him, smoothing his hair like she did; it was almost motherly the way she would pet his hair. It was calming and made him feel worth living. Having grown up with such unloving people had made his craving for love so intense that he would kill just to hold her in his arms.

He would fight Voldemort a hundred times over if it meant he'd be able to hold her in his arms forever.

She turned her head and kissed the back of his jaw; the spot just below his ear and he shivered, but she didn't move to retract. This made a tear slip down his cheek as he choked oxygen into his lungs.

Finally she did pull back and ran her fingers through his hair, moving to trace his scar with her finger. "You know I'll always be here for you, Harry Potter."

He still had his hands around her waist as he nodded weakly. "I know you will," he said in a strangled sob. She reached up to dry his cheek with her thumb and he enfolded her back into his arms. "God I don't know what I'd do without you and Ron."

She traced circles on his back and gave him one final squeeze before pulling back and holding his hands in her own. "Speaking of which, we should go visit the dolt."

Harry snorted. "I can't believe you just referred to him as a dolt, Hermione."

She grinned. "What else would I call him?"

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"Bloody hell! Can you believe it?" Ron chuckled along with his friends. "I mean, they couldn't even keep the fucking bastard in his own room!"

"And was he pushing autographs in your face, Ronald?"

"What are you saying, Hermione! You and every other bloody girl in Hogwarts were completely infatuated with fucking Gilderoy Lockhart!" Hermione blushed and Harry and Ron laughed.

Ron was looking better; the only immediate evidence of what had happened to him was a long, ginger mane that the healers were still attempting to get rid of. "Still don't see why they can't just shave the bloody thing off," Ron had grumbled. On the bright side, he no longer wanted to tear them to shreds, so that was something.

"So what are you two doing while I'm cooped up in here for the next few days?" Ron took a massive bite out of the bloody steak that sat in front of him on a floating tray.

Hermione winced at the Lion-like teeth that he still hadn't grown out of. "I see your appetite hasn't been affected at all."

"Oh shut up, Hermione. Come on, what are you two going to do?" The two of them blushed, and Ron grinned broadly. "Oh don't tell me there's something going on. You bloody weasels!"

"NO!" Harry and Hermione shouted at the same time, only to turn redder.

"Oh wise up you two, I don't care…well I do, because that would be huge! But I'm not going to put on the waterworks or be all mopey about it." Harry couldn't move. He hadn't even told Hermione himself that he had been feeling things towards her that a best friend shouldn't.

Ron smirked. "So, Hermione, is Harry as good a kisser as my sister went on about?"

"OH HONESTLY, RONALD!" Harry and Ron were both taken back by the volume of her voice, though she never swept the grin off Ron's face. "Do you really think Harry and I are together?" At this point, it felt to Harry as though his heart had dropped to the floor and broken into a million pieces, which Hermione then proceeded to stomp on with big, heavy boots. "I mean, even if we were, well, we're not that insensitive to go snogging behind your back when you're in the hospital for Merlin's sake!"

"Hermione," Ron said reproachfully. "I was just teasing you. Let…it…go."

Hermione slapped him on the shoulder and huffed. "Oh, you."

"W-Well…" Harry hadn't fully recovered his voice yet, and his face was still drained of all its blood. "Visiting hours are almost over, so perhaps we should get going…"

"Right on." Ron said enthusiastically, and then winked in Harry's direction. "Full report on Monday."

Harry nodded hesitantly as he followed Hermione's disapparation, bringing them both into what was sure to be an excruciatingly uncomfortable night.

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"Are you sure about this, Harry?" Hermione was clutching Harry's arm tightly, and she almost seemed more nervous than he was, which could hardly be possible. He had never been more nervy in his entire life. He managed to nod his head and swallow a lump that had been forming itself in his throat as he trudged on with Hermione with one destination in mind.

"Here it is," Harry said softly. He and Hermione looked up at the sign that read "Blessings to all whom enter here" in fading silver letters. A black iron gate surrounded the graveyard and Harry got a sick feeling as he thought of the last time he had been in a graveyard: seeing Cedric's lifeless face, crying out as Wormtail sliced his arm open, and breathing fire as he duelled Voldemort.

"Harry, are you sure you're all right? Are you cold?" Harry hadn't even realized that he had been shaking. He reached to grab her hand and wove his fingers between hers, gripping them tightly as though he would lose her at any moment.

"I-I'll be fine." They continued on, walking slowly and Harry was sure he was crushing the stems of the flowers he was holding. He couldn't tell; as a matter of fact, everything was blurry to him. Blinded by the terror that he would see his parents' graves for the first time, that he would be so close to them for the first time in his life scared the living shit out of him.

They stopped. "There they are, Harry." Hermione's voice was soft, and carried gently to him by the wind. He only stood there, staring at their graves. They seemed so plain and unordinary; it seemed a cruel irony for what they had done for him. He was upset with himself for not visiting sooner, for not getting them better headstones.

"Harry," Hermione choked out. He turned to face her, only to see her face wet with tears. Taking her head into his hand, he touched his forehead to hers and longed to kiss her; craved to devour her lips.

"Hermione," he whispered huskily. He could feel her shiver at the depth of his voice, and she reached up to cup his cheek.

"Go to them, Harry," she smiled weakly. "You deserve it."

Harry closed his eyes, let out a deep breath and broke away from her gaze and turning to their graves. His parents' graves.

Slowly he walked toward them, feeling as though he were meeting them for the first time; and he was. Never had he felt closer to his dead parents in his life. He knelt down, first at his father's grave, tracing the letters of his father's name.

Hic Jacet

James Milton Potter

June 24, 1955-October 31, 1981

Loving husband and father, bravest man in the world.

Summum bonum, pax vobiscum

"Dad," Harry breathed out. "You'd be so proud of me, Dad. I-I made the quidditch team without trying out." Harry laughed sadly. "I've even held Voldemort off once…you'd be proud of me for it, I know you would."

He turned to his mother's grave, not caring to hold his tears back any more.

Hic Jacet

Lily Evans Potter

February 1, 1955-October 31, 1981

Loving wife and mother, inconceivably loving woman.

Omnia vincit amor

"Oh Mum," Harry choked out. "I don't even know where to start with you. God-you, you saved my life. Oh fuck," Harry blushed. "I'm sorry, but I-I just-you loved me so much that it kept me safe, I-I wish you were both here to tell me what to do. I've never really known you, but I miss you so much that I physically hurt. I can never thank you, ever, for what you both have given me. You've given me a life, and I promise you," he whispered, talking to both his parents now. "I am going to kill that bastard, and move on with my life. I'm going to marry that girl over there-that's Hermione, and I'm almost positive that I love her-we're going to have kids, and I'm going to raise them as if they knew their grandparents. I'm scared, God I'm so scared."

He lay between his parents' graves, clawing at the ground and feeling frightened with what his future held for him. Rather, he felt like a small child sleeping in between his parents during a thunder storm, but he needed some sort of tangible attachment to them for what he would be up against in the next few months.

"I'm going to do this for you," Harry mumbled into the grass. "I promise, I'll kill that bastard for you."

Harry stood up with renewed confidence, strode over to Hermione who had been patiently waiting on a bench nearby. She looked surprised when he yanked her to a standing position, and let out a yelp when he pulled her flush against his body and crushed his lips to hers.

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Sorry! I know this one's not nearly as long as the last, but I had to put it out there!

Review and I will update. :D

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Thank you to my AMAZING beta Rylee!

Latin Translations:

Hic Jacet=Here lies

Summum bonum, pax vobiscum=The supreme good, peace be with you

Omnia vincit amor=Love conquers all

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