A/N~ This chapter is a bit different from the rest of the chapters in this story, a bit more dramatic, not so light and fluffy but please read it anyway as it is hugely important to the overall story. I've wanted to write this chapter for a long time and I'm so glad I'm finally at the point in the story where it fits in. I hope it's as good as I want it to be. I'm sorry it's taken a while to write but I had to be in the a certain frame of mind to do this and I wanted to get it right… I hope you like it and I promise we will be back to our regularly scheduled fluff in the next chapter.
Disclaimer… sadly still not mine.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive…"
MOI Chapter 9
Harry sat in the hospital waiting room, his head in his hands as he tried desperately not to think about the events of the last few hours. He still couldn't believe they had ended up in a muggle hospital and that Hermione's life was now in the hands of a team of muggle surgeons. He wished he could think of a way of smuggling Madam Pomfrey in there but unfortunately his brain was frozen and he couldn't think much at all.
He just kept going back over things in his mind, wondering over and over again if there was something he could have changed to prevent this all from happening. It was his fault but he really didn't know what he could have done differently, she was so determined. It had been the first, and only, fight of their marriage and in their typical fashion it'd been over something really important.
`I know it will work Harry!' she yelled in frustration.
`How do you know? This spell has apparently never been used for anything like this before.' Harry growled his own frustration evident.
`Look, read this,' She snapped dragging the heavy book over in front of him, `see right there, it says "The marriage ritual is among the most potent of ancient pure magic still know in modern times, for this reason it is vitally important that no objects or spells consisting o,f or containing, any form of dark magic be anywhere in the near vicinity as they will be destroyed by the powerful forces of this ancient ritual." I don't think it can be clearer, if we do this spell with the Horcruxes even in the same room they'll be destroyed.'
`Yeah, but how?' Harry demanded trying to make his own concerns clear, `Remember Dumbledore's hand Hermione? We have no way of knowing what the effects will be, this is really dangerous!'
Hermione's anger melted under Harry's obvious anxiety but her determination was as firm as ever.
`I can't guarantee that everything will be ok but you know we have to do this. We don't have a choice.'
The last two weeks of their honeymoon had probably been the best two weeks of Harry's entire life and he didn't want to fight with her, he also knew deep down that she was right they didn't have any other choice, so he gave it up and went along with her plan. For Hermione's sake he would have done anything but he should have known better. He'd had a bad feeling about that spell and if he'd just listened to his instinct none of this would have happened and they wouldn't all be sitting here right now waiting to find out if Hermione was going to live or die.
The Horcruxes were all assembled on the table in front of Harry and Hermione while Ron stood behind them. They all had their wands out and they performed the spell to formalize the marriage and unbind their hands and if all went according to plan destroy the Horcruxes while they were at it. They each touched their wands to their joined hands and concentrated on the words of the spell. Suddenly a beam of bright white light shot out from their joined hands and swept the room. When the beam of light hit the objects on the table they exploded spectacularly in a furious shower of sparks. A wave of magic followed closely in the wake of the sparks and Harry felt the house shudder as the protective wards, and several other spells on the house, came crashing down. Belatedly he realised that some of the spells would have been dark magic and that they would be destroyed along with the Horcruxes. Harry grabbed Hermione and pulled her out of the way as a large chunk of ceiling came crashing down.
`RUN!' He screamed.
Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair again causing it stick up even more wildly than it already was. He should never have agreed, they could have found something else. If it wasn't bad enough that the spell had destroyed the house along with the Horcruxes what waited for them on the street sealed the fact that this had all been a terrible mistake. They might have just escaped the house before it collapsed around them but, Harry had been quick to discover, they had only jumped from the frying pan into the fire.
They sprinted up the stairs and down the narrow hall to the front door, the building shaking and beginning to crumble around them. The three of them made it to the street only moments before the entire building collapsed to the ground. The dust began to clear and Harry looked over at Ron and Hermione, he was about to say a very satisfying and well earned `I told you so', but he never got the chance.
`POTTER!' screeched a terrifyingly unmistakable voice from across the street.
Harry wheeled around and immediately hit the ground, dragging Hermione down with him as a flash of light streaked over their heads.
Harry quickly glanced behind him and whispered one word, `run'.
Looking back to Voldemort he got to his feet.
`Don't you want to play for a bit Riddle?' Harry asked taunting him with the use of his true surname and desperately trying to buy his friends some time to escape. The only trouble was they weren't escaping.
Voldemort cruelly raised one eyebrow and pointed his wand at Hermione.
`I was rather under the impression that you wouldn't want to play… but as you asked so nicely, CRUCIO' He screeched.
Hermione's screams filled Harry's ears and Harry saw red. Pointing his own wand at Voldemort his said the first spell that came into his head.
`Expelliarmus!' He cried.
Voldemort was thrown backwards but held onto his wand.
`Don't you like to share your toys Harry? I know how much you enjoy playing with her.'
Harry couldn't recall ever being more angry in his entire life, how dare that filthy thing with its shredded up soul talk about Hermione like that.
`She's more human than you've ever been or will ever be you freak!' For Harry being called a freak had always been the worst insult imaginable.
`Walking around with only a bit of your soul left and thinking you're so fucking great,' he spat at the thing in front of him, `You're less than human, less than any living thing on this planet, you are the lowest of the low.'
`That's enough!' Voldemort screamed, `for your insolence the little mud-blood you seem to love so much will pay.'
He raised his wand once more and pointed it at Hermione but this time Harry was ready for him. Even as he'd lost control and started hurling abuse and insults at Voldemort he had known in the back of his mind the price he would pay, and he was ready to finish this.
As Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Hermione, Harry leapt in front of her his wand thrust out and they both screamed in unison, `AVADA KEDAVRA'.
As Harry had anticipated the two spells hit and joined creating the same narrow golden beam of light that had joined their wands back in fourth year, only this time he wasn't just fighting for his own life he was fighting for everyone's, and this time he wasn't alone inside that golden dome he had Ron and Hermione in there with him.
They watched the beads of light slid up and down the narrow beam in fascination as Harry focused everything he had on getting those beads to flow in Voldemort's direction. The only problem was that not only was Harry more prepared for this by previous experience, so was Voldemort and he was fighting with everything he had. He knew that he had no more Horcruxes. If he lost this battle of wills he would die, for good this time. Harry knew that if he lost this battle of wills not only would he die but so would Ron and Hermione and most likely their families too.
The thought of Ron and Hermione brought with it a fresh surge of determination and the beads started to slowly head in Voldemort's direction. It wasn't enough Voldemort was too strong, they were moving too slowly. Ron, who had been watching in wrapt fascination mingled with horror stepped up beside Harry and put his hand on his shoulder.
`You can do it Harry' he said softly.
Harry felt another surge and the first bead inched closer to the tip of Voldemort's wand a mere whisper away from connecting.
It was then that Hermione stepped up behind Harry and laying her hand on his shoulder stood on tip toes and whispered in his ear.
`I love you Harry.'
It was like a tidal wave, a surge of emotion more powerful than anything Harry had ever felt before swept through him and in a rush every single bead of light on the beam rushed into Voldemort's wand shattering it. Harry's spell hit Voldemort full in the chest and the magical backlash sent them all flying.
When Harry regained consciousness he'd realised that he was in a muggle hospital. He'd immediately asked about Ron and Hermione and was told that the young lady was undergoing emergency surgery on a fractured skull and major internal injuries while the young man was alerting her family. The doctors had satisfied themselves that Harry had only sustained minor injuries and had released him to the waiting room where he had kept a vigil ever since waiting for more news. He knew that her condition was critical and that at any moment she could die, apparently when the magical backlash had hit she had been thrown into the path of an oncoming car. An ambulance that was passing at the time had collected them all immediately and brought them to this hospital. Due to the severity of Hermione's injuries they couldn't risk any disruption in her treatment to get her to St Mungo's. Harry had been assured by Tonks, who had dropped in briefly to explain why Hermione couldn't be moved, that muggle doctors were very good and they would get a healer in to see her as soon as her condition was considered stable enough.
So there was nothing to do but sit and wait as the minutes ticked endlessly by one after another. Medical staff rushed from here to there but no one came to tell them if Hermione was dead or alive or still hovering somewhere in between. Harry couldn't even process the fact that he had killed Voldemort; he was too absorbed in the here and now of Hermione's battle to live. The others had spoken of it, he could tell in the way they looked at him that they all knew he had done it and were just waiting until this was over so they could talk to him about it, like that was the most important thing. He was disgusted with them. Hermione's life hung in the balance and all they could do was look at him and whisper that they always knew he'd be the hero that saved them in the end. None of them seemed to realise that he would never have been able to do it without her, none of them seemed to know how it would kill him to loose her, and none of them seemed to understand that Hermione's life was far more important than Voldemort had ever been.
A doctor approached then and Harry leapt to his feet eager to hear any news of Hermione's condition.
`How is she?' he demanded.
The doctor glanced at him briefly and turned to Hermione's parents, `Mr & Mrs Granger?'
`Yes,' Hermione's dad replied sounding as though he were near to tears.
Harry looked at them for the first time, noting how Hermione's father seemed to be supporting her mother and helping her to stand. Harry knew then that at least two other people in the room were as worried and frightened as he was, and he didn't even know their names.
`Is she going to be ok?' her mother whispered, distraught.
`Her condition has stabilized but is still critical. You can come in and see her if you like, though she's not yet conscious.'
Harry, Ron and a few others moved forward, but the doctor held up his hands stopping them.
`I'm sorry folks but it's strictly family only. Her condition is far too fragile for visitors.'
Ron and the rest of the Weasley's sat down again but Harry stubbornly staid standing. He understood that she shouldn't have lots of visitors but he needed to see her more than he had ever needed anything before in his life.
`I need to see her.' He said more firmly than he'd intended.
`I'm sorry it's strictly family only.' The doctor repeated.
`I don't think you understand,' Harry said even more firmly, `I have to see her.'
`I understand you're upset but she's unconscious and her condition is very fragile we must limit visitors to family only.'
Harry felt his blood begin to boil, he couldn't explain exactly why he was so desperate to see her, only that he felt that somehow his being with her would make everything better.
`I don't care what you say I'm going in there and you can't stop me!' he yelled no longer caring about anything else.
`I can stop you. I'll have you thrown out if you keep this up. It's family only, so you can either sit out here or you can leave but you can't go into that room.'
The doctor started to walk away but Harry grabbed his arm.
`Her husband,' he blurted out to the startled doctor.
`Yes her husband would be able to go in and see her but as she's not married…'
`I'm her husband.' Harry said cutting him off excited that he had found a way to get into see her.
`What?' The doctor asked, glancing to Hermione's parents who were looking on shocked.
`I'm her husband,' Harry repeated more firmly, `aren't I Ron? Ron was our witness.'
Everyone turned on Ron their mouths all hanging open in shock. Ron cleared his throat, `Yes he's her husband, I was there I witnessed their marriage, one month ago today.'
`Can I go in and see her?' Harry asked turning back to the doctor and paying absolutely no attention to the stunned looks on the faces of all the surrounding people.
`Alright you can go in and see her, but if I find out you're not really her husband I'll have you banned from this hospital.'
`Thankyou.' Harry said dizzy with relief.
He started to follow the doctor and Hermione's parents, the latter sneaking furtive glances at him from the corner of their eyes, when Ginny spoke up.
`You're married? To Hermione!' she demanded in a voice that clearly showed an intention to fight, `What about me?'
Harry turned on her his eye's blazing, `The woman I love nearly died, and is still in a critical condition, so right now, Ginny, it's not about YOU!'
He turned on his heal and marched after the doctor ignoring Ginny's outraged spluttering behind him, but he did acknowledge Ron as he called after him.
`We'll get Madame Pomfrey now Harry.'
`Thanks Ron'
By the time they reached the room where Hermione was lying, hooked up to all kinds of machines Harry's temper had again been consumed with fear over Hermione's condition. It was even worse than second year when she'd been petrified; she was so pale and lifeless. Harry sat on the edge of her bed and gingerly took her hand in his, careful not to disturb any of the many and varied wires that were attached to her.
`Hermione, can you hear me?' he said his voice choked with emotion, `You're going to be so mad at me,' he continued, `I told everyone our secret, they all know.' He stopped for a moment trying to hold back his tears.
`I'm sorry but I just wanted to see you so bad, and they weren't going to let me because we're not family. So I told them we were married, Ron backed me up but, Hermione, all the Weasley's were there, Ginny, and your Mum and Dad.'
He couldn't do it, he couldn't look at her anymore and know that at any second she might pass away and there was nothing they could do about it. Harry barely noticed as Hermione's mother came and sat down in the chair beside the bed. He couldn't look at them; he couldn't imagine how they must be feeling right now, struggling with the fear that their only daughter might not live and the shock that she'd been secretly married for a month.
They sat like that for a few minutes, the three of them, huddled around her bed, until a soft pop announced the arrival of Madame Pomfrey the Hogwarts matron. She treated Harry to a gentle smile before becoming her usual brisk and efficient self.
`Step away from the bed everyone please give me some room.'
Harry sighed with relief and retreated to the other side of the room, feeling slightly more relaxed now that Madame Pomfrey was in charge of healing Hermione's injuries. Hermione's parent's joined him by the door watching the efficient healer run a series of spells.
`Is she a good healer this woman?' Hermione's mother finally asked breaking the strained silence that had so far existed between them.
Harry nodded, `She's the best, healed far worse than this I'm sure.'
He knew that now the silence had been broken a flood of questions would surely follow and he was proven right.
`Are you really married to our daughter or did you just say that to get them to let you in to see her?' her mother asked next.
`We're really married.' He replied softly.
`Why weren't we told about it? I would've liked to be at my daughters wedding.'
`We wanted it to be a secret,' Harry cast about wildly for a reason, `we didn't want her to be even more of a target.'
`I see, but why even get married, you're so young.'
He and Hermione had never discussed what to say if their marriage was ever discovered, so Harry just said the first thing that popped into his head.
`Because we're in love.'
Madam Pomfrey turned around sharply, `I've done as much as I can for the moment Mr Potter, I'll be back in tomorrow with some more potions but for now she will be fine.' She said and smiled before adding `she should wake up soon.'
***
A/N ~ Loved it? Hated it? Let me know. Also the next chapter is the also the last and will be up shortly.
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