Belong To Nowhere
I don't own Harry Potter. Sad, but true.
Thanks to Brooke (Archie) for the first look and Idailey22 for the final beta.
Chapter 06: The boy who draws
London
Bill and Fleur's apartment
'The Veil and the Phoenix: Death and Resurrection."
Hermione had read that same book at least three times. Her mind was working very fast. She wasn't a girl who believed in silly things such as divination or whatnot, but somehow she believed in fate. Destiny. Yes, it could sound like a paradox, but Hermione Granger believed that some things were meant to be, to happen.
That book, for example. It was like it was meant to be read by her. Coincidence, perhaps. However, a very intriguing coincidence.
Hermione had learned all her life that people couldn't bring the dead back to life. It was something impossible. No magic could do that. And even if it was possible, the consequences would be severe.
However, Sírius wasn't really dead. Well, not in the very strict definition of death: his soul hadn't left his body…
He had been thrown behind the veil. Somehow, he was alive.
In another dimension, limbo, whatever…he was alive, and Hermione knew how to bring him back.
Bring him back to them.
To Harry.
Her Harry.
For Harry, she would do anything.
Anything.
Instinctively, she put her hand on her belly. She sighed. And thought.
She thought about Nagini. She thought about what had happened. Harry was so angry when he found out…
She tried to talk to him but like always, he blamed himself.
What he couldn't understand was why she had done such a thing. Why?
To tell the truth, she wasn't sure why either.
But it wasn't something so terrible or horrible…
She wasn't dying or anything like that.
No, she was…
…incomplete.
She shook her head, trying to vanish those thoughts. That was the past.
Hermione looked at the book once more. She had made a decision. And she would stand by that decision.
Bring Sírius back.
At some point, the book was very simple and easy to be read. It didn't have difficult and complicated words but at same time, the procedure itself was very intricate and complex.
Right, there were some prerequisites to fulfill the ritual. The irony in it was that the most difficult issue was the easiest…however, there was one thing that preoccupied Hermione's mind: a drawing.
A damn drawing! Hermione knew she was a smart, intelligent girl but she also knew she didn't have…well…a creative soul. She could perform any spell or brew any potion but she couldn't draw!
Of course, she could draw a little house and tree…like those drawings in the Muggle kindergarten, but she couldn't draw a blue phoenix with all the details and everything that was requested for the ritual…
What could she do?
Then she remembered Dean…
Yes, Dean Thomas. He always was good with his hand. He was an artist. And better, he was a Muggleborn and lived in London.
So, it was settled. Hermione would talk to Dean. First, she left Bill's apartment and looked for a Muggle telephone…
….
She talked with Dean (of course, he was very surprised!), and told him she would meet him in his house on the next day.
She couldn't wait.
Meanwhile, in the Burrow…
Ginny Weasley was mad. Angry, indeed. She was angry with Hermione, and with herself.
How could she be so stupid?! All those months of trying to conquer Harry and slam! It all went to hell in just seconds! She shouldn't have tried to kiss him! He wasn't prepared!
But again, if it wasn't for Hermione… damn bookworm!
To him, Hermione was almost a saint.
A saint…
Ginny smiled. She knew what she had to do…
*~*~* ~*~*~* ~
London
Dean's Bedroom
"Now, Hermione, tell me, what- why are you here? I mean, you mentioned something about a drawing but-" Dean Thomas was saying, who was a little surprised with the fact that Hermione Granger was there, in his bedroom and without Harry and Ron!
Hermione smiled shyly.
"Well, Dean, as I said, briefly, I know. on the phone, I wanted to ask you if you would do a drawing for me. A phoenix drawing. A blue phoenix. You see, I am not very good in...well...arts."
"Okay, Hermione, I understood that. But, why? It's not that I don't want to do it. It's-"
"You are curious," Hermione pointed out, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
Dean nodded, looking slightly guilty.
"It's for a ritual, Dean. I'm sorry, but I can't say anything more. But I can say that isn't a dark magic ritual. Oh, that's sure!"
Dean looked at her, thinking about something and then spoke.
"It's for Po- Harry, isn't it?"
Hermione looked at him in surprised but nodded.
Maybe this was a bad idea. She knew that the relationship between Dean and Harry wouldn't ever be the same after…after Ginny.
The boy seemed to have noticed Hermione's internal discussion.
"I don't have any problem with Harry," he said. "To tell you the truth, I don't blame him. He wasn't the one to be blame for Ginny. She is-"
"Dean-"
"No, Hermione, let me finished, please. I know you are her friend. But you don't know her, Hermione. You don't know her at all! You see, first, our relationship was great but then I became a little, er, concerned, about her, er, voracity…"
Hermione's eyes opened wide.
"I was like…I was her guinea pig, you see…She wanted to do things…"
Dean Thomas didn't believe that he was telling THAT to Hermione Granger! But, somehow, it seemed right.
"She wanted to know how to make a boy…er….crazy, if you know what I mean…"
Hermione grinned, but a sickening feeling began to settle in her stomach at the thought of her making Harry crazy.
"When she began to date Harry, I - I realized that I really was her guinea pig…She all along wanted to be prepared for…Harry." Dean laughed silently.
"It's funny that things didn't go well. At least, not entirely."
"What - what do you mean?"
"Well, one night in the boys' dorm…Harry didn't know I was there…"
Hermione's face became red. She REALLY didn't want to hear about Harry doing things, especially with Ginny.
"Oh, no!" Dean added quickly. "It wasn't anything like that. He was talking with Neville…Yeah, I know, it's a little surreal but well, Harry needed to talk to someone about, er, Ginny. The sexual aspect, I mean. And he couldn't do that with you-"
"Thank god!"
Dean chucked.
"- or Ron. So-"
"Neville was the victim."
"Yep, poor Neville!" said Dean, laughing at the memory.
*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~Flashback*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~
Hogwarts
Gryffindor Tower
Sixth year Boys' dorm
"Harry, mate, I don't know if I am the right person," Neville was saying, looking very uncomfortable.
"Neville, I need to talk to someone! I surely can't talk about this with Ron!"
"Okay, Ron is out. But, what about, er, Hermione??"
"Merlin, Nev! I would never talk with Hermione about, er, sex! Gosh! It would be like if she decided to tell me how good it is to snog Krum! Merlin, I pass!"
"Oh, they only snogged?" asked Neville with a smirk.
Harry's face became red, with anger and embarrassment.
"What! Of course they only snogged! What the hell do you think she is? She is a …a lady!" he yelled indignantly.
"And Ginny isn't?" Neville asked, slightly confused.
Harry looked at Neville in surprise. The boy had a point. To tell the truth, Ginny's attitudes had made him a little…disappointed.
"I don't know, Nev. I don't know. That's why I need to talk to someone. I really like her, Nev. I really do. I like when we kissed and- whatever. But I have to say that I became a little disappointed with her attitudes. It seems that her main goal is to lead me to bed! I am not saying that I wouldn't like to have sex with…someone. I just think that's a little early, that's all. I mean, Ginny makes me feel things but, well, I don't know! I'm only sixteen! And we hadn't been together that long, and I dunno if she's The One...I mean, sometimes things just feel...I dunno...off, I guess. Like there's something missing."
"I'm not an expert with those things, Harry. Well, look at me! I am the clumsy Neville! But I can understand about feelings. And if you aren't feeling right about, er, shagging… then don't. I think you have to talk with Ginny."
" I think you are right, Nev. Thanks a lot."
*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~End Flashback*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~
"God!" said Hermione after she heard Dean's tale. "I- I can't believe it!"
"Yeah, I know. I also know that you might be wondering if this is true and why I am telling you."
"Er, yeah…"
"First, it's the truth. And why am I telling you this? To tell the truth, I don't know. I never mentioned this to anyone. Even Seamus. I think I need to let this out. But, now, back to the drawing…"
"Oh? Oh! Yes."
Hermione was still a little shocked by the news. Harry was still a virgin! How cute! She couldn't help but giggled, and felt an odd relief wash over her, just knowing that Ginny hadn't been with him like that.
"I understand if you…"
"No, I'll do it. However, I can't do this right now. You said you want a perfect phoenix, right? I need to make several sketches first…"
"Oh, no! I understand!"
"I can bring it to you, you know. You said you were staying here in London…"
"Oh! Yes! Could you do that? I would be so glad! Let me write the address…do you have a pen and a piece of paper?"
Dean went to his desk and took a little notebook and a black pen. Hermione was absently following him with her eyes when something caught her attention. It was a Muggle photograph on the wall. It was a photograph of a young black man. He seemed was about twenty something. Hermione had the strange sensation that she knew that man.
"Who is he, Dean?" asked Hermione after taking the notebook and pen from Dean and write down Bill's address.
"Oh, him?" said Dean taking the photographic from the wall and looking at it.
"He is my dad."
Hermione was confused. That wasn't Dean's father. Well, at least not the man that brought him to King's Cross…
Dean looked at her and knew she was confused.
"That man, the man you saw with me and my mum every year is my father too. Well, my stepfather."
"Oh, sorry."
"That's alright. You didn't know. And I always called Michael dad. Well, he gave me his name…You see, I don't know my real father's last name. I only know he was called Kevin. He disappeared when my mum was pregnant with me."
"Oh."
"Oh, no, it wasn't anything like that. My mum said he worked for Interpol. That's why she didn't know his last name. He was Kevin S., secret agent." Dean said with pride.
"He was a Muggle, right, but still a hero…Mum said that some people were looking for him. Mafia, I think. They lived in Manchester. When he found out that mum was pregnant he bought this house, here in London. He gave us some money and…disappeared. Mum said his was killed."
"Oh, Dean!" Hermione cried and hugged him.
"You are a great girl, Hermione. I just hope that Harry- and Ron- know that."
Dean and Hermione continued to talk for a few more hours until she left. Hermione had made him swear that he wouldn't tell anyone about the drawing. Especially Harry.
Hermione thought it was a nice day. She didn't know Dean very well. At least not until that day. He was quite a good guy. But she was still a little intrigued about his father. She knew that man! Well, she would think about that later…she was too tired…
*~*~* ~*~*~* ~Meanwhile, in the Burrow*~*~* ~*~*~* ~
"Harry, my dear, I don't think…"
"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley, but I will visit Hermione tomorrow! It has been five days since she left. She needs us. I need her," he said almost in a whisper, an odd sense of urgency in his voice.
'And I will go with Harry, mum," said Ron.
"Ronald-"
"Mum, I think they should go," intervened Bill, who had just arrived.
"I think they need to talk to her. They need to take off their guilt. I'll go with them, don't worry."
Reluctantly, Molly Weasley nodded. She knew that Bill was right. It was breaking her heart to see the boys like that. Especially Harry. That didn't mean Ron wasn't felling bad about Hermione, but he had Luna and Harry…Harry had no one. She knew for sure that she, her family…Ginny…loved him, but they would never be…Hermione. Never. She never had seen a friendship like that. Never. It was something beautiful, but at some level, a little scary too. She just prayed that her own daughter would understand that.
So, it was settled. The following day, Ron and Harry would go- with Bill- to see Hermione. Of course, there was a little complaining from Ginny. She said that she was also Hermione's friend and she had the right to go, too. Harry and Ron were emphatic about their answer: NO!
No, they would need to do that alone. After all, Luna, had understood them…why couldn't Ginny? And to tell the truth, Harry was still a little disappointed by Ginny's words (and attitudes!) on Christmas' Eve. Okay, she had apologized for saying that and said she had drank a shot of Firewhisky and wasn't thinking straight. Harry had accepted her apology but still…he felt agitated by her presence.
Well, but why get annoyed by thinking about Ginny? In the next day he would see Hermione again.
Oh Merlin, he missed her.
Yes, he REALLY missed her…
*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~The Next Day*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~*~*~* ~
Bill's apartment
Living Room
Hermione was reading a book when someone knocked on the door. Before she could asked who it was, a voice spoke,
"It's me, Hermione, Dean. I am with the- you know."
"Oh! Dean! Wait a minute!" she said and then, seconds later she opened the door.
"Hello, Hermione," Dean said smiling.
"Hello! Please come in!"
"Well, I won't make you wait," he said, taking a piece of parchment from a small bag.
"Here, here is the drawing. I hope it's good."
Hermione took the parchment from him and gasped when she saw the drawing.
It was….unbelievable! It was perfect!
"Er, well? Is it good?" asked Dean, a little nervous.
"Good? Good! It is perfect, Dean! You are really an amazing artist!" she said hugging him tightly.
Dean was about to say something when he heard a voice. A very angry male voice.
"Oh! How silly of me to think that you were feeling alone…that you were suffering! I can see that you are just dandy, Hermione Granger!"
It was Harry.
He, a smirking Bill, and a pale Ron had just arrived.
TBC
AN: Thanks everyone for the wonderful reviews. I hope you liked this chapter!
Kisses!
Sweet Lemmon