Love, Lies, and a Secret.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter
Thanks to Anne Pendragon for the first look and Michelle Moonshine for the beta!
Chapter 03: Friendship
London
November, 1979
Remus Lupin looked at Lily Potter, shifting uncomfortable on his chair. It has been so long since the last time they had spoken. It wasn't that he didn't like her or anything like that…it was just that everything was so difficult. That damn new law, Jane's death, Mary's disappearance…Mary…oh, Merlin, how he missed Mary!
"So, Lil," he finally said. "You said you wanted to talk with me? Is something wrong? I mean, did Harley say something to you? Is there something he doesn't like about my work…?"
Lily put her hand over his and smiled. "No, it's nothing like that. You're doing great. I'm sorry that the job isn't in the Wizarding..."
Remus shook his head. "That's okay. I don't mind the Muggles. Lil, what was it you want to talk about?"
Lily bit her bottom lip nervously. It was then that Remus realised something was really wrong. Lily seemed…different. The werewolf couldn't put a finger on what exactly it was but…she seemed excited and at the same time, sad.
"What, Lil, has something happened?"
"It's James, Remus," she said looking down.
"What about James?" Remus asked concerned. "Please, don't tell me-"
"No!" she said quickly. "It's about James and I."
Remus sighed in relief. "Thank Merlin," was all he said. He really didn't want to talk about James' and Lily's love's issues.
"Remus," Lily spoke again; he noticed that her eyes were beginning to water. "James is seeing another woman."
Remus gasped, "W-What?"
"H-He is seeing another woman, Remus!" she sobbed. "I-I don't who is she but-"
"Lily, I am sure that you are wrong. Okay, James may be a little er, James sometimes but he truly loves you. Everybody can see that!"
"So, why he is lying to me? Why, Remus? Why does he say he has a business meeting when I know that's not the truth? Why does he say that he is going to meet Sirius, but then I run into Sirius on the street and he knows nothing about this meeting?! I am not stupid, Remus!"
"Lily." He didn't really know what to say. "Why don't you-"
"What if he wants to leave me, Remus?" Lily asked in hysterics. "Oh, God, Remus! He's going to leave me!"
"Whoa, whoa, Lily! James loves you! He would never leave you! I am sure there's an explanation for this!"
"Oh, Remus…you don't understand…things are so different now." The volume of her voice was near that of a whisper.
Remus looked at her, his eyebrows arched in question.
"I am pregnant, Remus. I'm carrying James' child."
**********
Present Day
September 19, 2000
"You know what, Hermione Granger? The way things are going…you will be thirty years old and still a bloody virgin!"
Without saying a word, Hermione walked towards her boyfriend, slapped him across the face, and
Disapparated.
Harry and everyone else in the room were overwhelmed the silence that followed Hermione's Disapparating. However,
the silence didn't last for much longer.
"RONALD WEASLEY!" Mrs. Weasley yelled aloud making everybody shiver, and of course, causing Ron to turn red. "I can't believe you would say something like that!"
Ginny also turned to Ron, ashamed. "That was low, Ron."
Ron looked around in despair, and his eyes met Harry's deadly gaze. He tried to say something but Harry raised his hand making him stop.
"Please, Ron, don't say a word. I am begging you…don't speak to me right now. Best friend or not, I'm going to hurt you," Harry said in a slow and dangerous voice, before looking at Ginny. "Gin-"
"Go after her, Harry," she answered his unspoken question. "She needs a friend right now."
The young wizard smiled at his girlfriend and gave her a little kiss on the lips. "Thanks, Gin."
Ginny put a hand on his cheek and whispered, "I love you, Harry."
Harry only nodded and Disapparated.
*~* ~* ~* ~*
Hermione's flat
Harry slowly opened Hermione's bedroom's door and what he saw nearly broke his heart. Hermione was lying on her bed, crying desperately with her face buried in her pillow. When she saw him, she promptly sat on the edge of the bed.
He rapidly came towards his best friend and sat down next to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders, and pulling her close to him.
"Shh," he whispered against her ear, his hand stroking her long hair softly.
They stayed silent for a few moments until Hermione finally spoke, "Is it all a lie, Harry?"
Harry looked at her in surprise. "Is what a lie, Mione?"
"Ron. Ron and I. I mean, I don't want to marry him right now, but I love him, Harry. I truly do. A-And I thought that he loved me back."
"Mione, Ron is a prat. What he said today was terrible, to say the least. But he loves you, I know he does," Harry said seriously.
"B-But w-what he said… it meant that he only wants to marry so we can s-shag…"
Harry cupped her face in his hands and looked deeply into her eyes. "Ron may be a lot of things but he isn't that kind of person. Like I said, what he said was terrible. He knew how you felt about getting married now and still, he tried anyway. But that only makes him a fool, and a little stupid, perhaps… but he's still in love with you."
Hermione didn't say a word in reply; she only hugged him tightly. Harry smiled to himself until he broke the embrace and said, "But Mione never give up on what you believe just because he's in a hurry, or has…urges."
"I know, Mister Potter," she said with a smile. Her first smile since he had arrived. "Speaking of urges…what about you?"
"W-what about me?" He shifted uncomfortable on the bed.
"Have you and Gin-"
"No!" he replied quickly. "She wants to wait… you know…"
"Uh huh… and when is this going to happen, Harry?"
"What?"
"When will you marry her?!" Hermione said in an impatient huff.
"I don't know, Mione," he said truthfully. "It's similar to how you are feeling. I want to finish my Auror training and… I don't know. I just don't want to get married now. I am still pretty young, you know!"
Hermione was about to ask him something but decided against it. Instead, she just replied, "I understand. Sorry for asking, Harry, but does Ginny know, er, you know, about-"
"Katie? No, she doesn't. And it's better this way. Katie, after all, was only-"
"Your first."
"Well, yeah." Harry ran his fingers through his messy hair. "But that was a crazy night. I was completely drunk! I even tried to…" At that moment, the colour of his face resembled that of a tomato.
"You even tried to snog me," she completed his sentence with a smirk.
"Oh, god! I don't want to think about it!"
Hermione raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? Is the idea of kissing me so terrible that you can't even think about it?"
"No, nothing like that!" he said quickly. "It's just that if I had kissed you that night…er…my first time would have been with you and-" He looked down.
"And Ron would have probably killed you," Hermione said without looking at him.
"Yeah."
"You know, Harry," Hermione suddenly spoke, breaking the tense silence that had befallen them. "I used to have a crush on you."
"Right…"
"No, it's the truth! It was in our third year."
"Are you serious?"
She nodded.
"But why didn't you ever- ever tell me?"
"Are you mental, Potter? It was only a childish crush. I was only a little impressed…you know, after the time turner, our flight on Buckbeak…" She blushed.
"But when did you-"
'When did I give up? Viktor, I think. I really don't know. I think it was then that I realised that you liked Cho and… well… I was only being silly. Then, I began to notice Ron and I thought that it was the same king of thing, you know, only a crush…until he began to date Lavender. That's when I realised I loved him."
Harry was really surprised by Hermione's words. Never, in all his life could he imagine that his best friend used to have a crush on him. But strangely enough, it wasn't a bad feeling. The truth was, that he felt rather pleased.
* ~* ~* ~*
Some time later
Harry silently left the bedroom, leaving a sleeping Hermione behind. He had just stepped into the corridor, closing the door behind him, when Susan Bones approached with a concerned look on her face.
"How is she, Harry?"
"Sleeping, Susan," he answered.
"I can't believe that prat!" Hermione's flat mate hissed.
Harry nodded in agreement, as they walked together to the living room. "She's better now. She cried a lot but she is better. Everything's going to be okay now."
"If you say so…"
"They love each other."
Susan looked at him strangely. "Yeah, they love each other."
Harry clasped his hands a little uncomfortably. He had a feeling that Susan knew, or rather, had thoughts about something that he really didn't want to think about.
"Well, Susan, I have to get going."
"Thank you, Harry," she kissed his cheek. "Hermione's lucky to have you."
"I am the lucky one," he said, his hand on the doorknob. "She is the best friend in the whole world." He opened the door. "Bye, Susan."
"Bye, Harry," Susan Bones replied watching him Disapparate in the hall.
*~*~*~*
"Harry," he heard Ron's voice when he arrived at his flat. "We need to talk."