Chapter Nine: For Who Do the Bell Tolls?
Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives. A. Sachs
Ron looked up at Harry as he apparated into his room, though he wasn't alone this time. "HERMIONE!" He jumped from his seat, surprised to see the two of them so soon. Harry had said that it would be a day, maybe two, but it had been only a little over twelve hours. "You're okay?"
"Yeah," she said with a shy smile. There was blush upon her face as she looked up at Harry. "Harry made sure of that." Ron looked between the two of them for a moment. Something had gone on that he wasn't privy too, something that redefined the boundaries between the two of them.
"Where was she?" Ron asked, turning to look at Harry. He had wandered toward the vine walls that were still standing. They had sprouted flowers now and he was looking over them, as if to ignore them. Or maybe just give Hermione her space.
"Oh, sorry," he said. When Harry had first returned, there was a sense a maturity around him, that nearly exuded from his pores or something. Now though, he looked like a damn teenager or something. "She was right where I thought she was."
"And where was that?" Ron asked. Harry opened his mouth to respond, but Hermione beat him to it.
"It doesn't matter Ron, all that matters is I'm safe and we can get back to the castle," Hermione said.
"You'll tell me later then at least?" They were definitely hiding something, something that had happened between them. It had to be personal, otherwise Hermione would have shared it with him. Or at least he thought she would have.
"Hermione can you return this to it rightful place?" Harry had gone back to looking at the vined walls.
"I'm not sure," she said. She moved over to his side, not too close, but close enough that Harry catch her if she needed to be caught. Maybe Ron was just being paranoid. That seemed like a very reasonable explanation. He was just being paranoid.
"Unsummon it, return the vines to their place of origin," Harry said. He had turned to look at her. No Ron wasn't being paranoid. Something between the two of them had definitely happened. Now was just not the time to attend to that problem.
He couldn't see what Hermione was doing, but it he had to guess, which at this point was his only option with those two, he would say she was pooling mana to use. He nearly fell backwards as the burst of blue light sent a shockwave through the room.
He felt his jaw drop as he watched the vines retreat to the potted plant that he had summoned them from in the first place. The vines were there one moment then shifted away the next. "How....what.....how?"
"It's polite to finish a sentence Ron before starting a new one," Harry said. Then Hermione did something she hadn't for five years. She giggled. Now his jaw felt like it had hit the floor.
"Ron, you okay? You don't look so good," Hermione said. Ron just shook his head.
"I'm fine, we going back to Hogwarts?" Ron asked, changing the conversation. Something had gone on between them, and he would find out about it.
"In a few, I want to show you two something first," Harry said. He grabbed the bag that was left in the room for Ron when he had first arrived. "You two up for some dinner? I know a few places we could go." Now food, there was something that would make this day a whole lot less confusing.
"I'm up for it mate, you've still got a world of explaining to do," Ron said. Harry laughed lightly as he slung the bag over his shoulder.
"You'll be disappointed then I'm afraid," he walked out the door, leaving Hermione and Ron watching him as he left.
"So what happened?" Ron asked. He turned to look at Hermione, who was still looking at the door where Harry left.
"He found me," Hermione said. "They took something away from me, and he found me, and put it back Ron." For the first time, Ron could remember, Hermione was acting like a star-struck fan. But it wasn't just that. Whatever Harry had done had touched her in a way that left her short of breath. Left her speechless and in awe of something....
"Did you two....?" He let his voice trail off. That seemed to be the shock that Hermione needed to snap out of whatever funk she was in.
"What? NO? How could you? Why would you?" Hermione turned, slapping his arm as she tried to finish a sentence. "Harry never would do that to me." There was a pause there, like she was adding something in her mind. The blush only confirmed it, but he wisely didn't say anything. "He just made sure that I was okay, then brought me back here."
"What happened to that old lady he was with?" Ron asked. Hermione's eyes narrowed a bit as she stared at him before she spoke.
"Harry made sure she found her way home," Hermione said. There was silence then that he knew Hermione was thinking, about what, well that was too far away from his grasp of the female persona to understand. Hermione was first to break the ice, which he was grateful for. "Where did you learn to put up those vines?"
"Huh? Oh." He looked around, trying to find the book that Harry left. He had left it on the bed, halfway open through the chapter he was reading.
"Ron, how could you leave a book like that?" Hermione immediately went over to the bed, lifting the book up of the awkward position. It was then that Harry walked back into the room, now dressed in a tailored suit.
"Seems things are getting back to normal," Harry said with a smile. Ron could only chuckle as he realized that Harry had grown up more than any of them. "You ruining another book again, Ron?"
"Yes, but I think the damage isn't too bad," Hermione said. She still had her back to him, and he really wanted to see her reaction to Harry when she looked at him.
Yep, her shocked look and blush was enough for him to know that she wasn't over him. She never was, and now Harry seemed to be falling for her too. Good, they both deserved a little happiness. Now he just needed to find some of his own.
"Ready?"
"All set," Ron said. He tossed Harry the book, not surprised to see him catch it with easy before placing it into the bag. "Where we going?"
"Well, first for something to eat, our ride is already waiting outside," Harry said. Hermione nodded before walking out the door. Harry was closely following her, his eyes flickering across the room as if watching out for anyone that might attack her again. Ron let out a sigh of relief, nothing would happen to her, Harry would sooner die then let that happen.
Ron walked next to Harry, stopping to look at the man. "You going to take care of her?" Harry had been watching Hermione leave, concentrating on that. His head snapped in Ron's direction.
"What?"
" With you back, I'm never going to have a chance, I don't think I had one in the first place," Ron said. He looked out the door where Hermione just left and could not help but feel a little pain in his heart. "I love her Harry, I really do."
"Ron, I'm sorry, I....." His voice trailed off, and again Harry was looking out the door at Hermione.
"Don't say a damn thing Harry, just don't," Ron said. "I can't love her the way she deserves. But..." Ron took one look at Harry, knowing that the unspoken statement hit the man hard. He knew that Harry could love her the way she deserves, and she could in turn love him. Took him five bloody years to admit that to himself, and it still didn't feel as bad as he thought it would.
He walked out the door, and found Hermione at the end of the hallway, waiting for them. She had already pushed the button, and he had finally taken the chance to look around.
The Muggle world was fine, despite the lack of information that Hogwarts had been left with. Their contact with the outside world was almost none, and very limited at best. He had not been out of Hogwarts since the attack on the Burrow, and that was nearly five years ago. He didn't really know what to expect once he got out of the lift, maybe some of the horror stories that the army told them were true.
"Wands out I reckon," he said. Hermione nodded, knowing the same horror stories that he did.
"Really, the world goes on without the magic world to protect it," Harry said with a laugh. "You can put those away. You're not going to need them."
"You mean its fine out there?" Ron was slow to put his away, but Hermione only had to hear Harry's words to believe him. Though she did move closer to him as they stepped into the lift.
"Of course; I had to make a call earlier, but we're meeting someone for lunch today," Harry said with a rather large smile.
"Who?" Hermione asked, looking just as confused as Ron felt. Harry looked at her for a moment before he turned away.
"I'm a dumbass, but the answer was in your letters, I forgot you didn't know," Harry said. "I don't know who took them Hermione, but I'll find out."
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked, he was looking between the two of them, trying to catch up on the conversation that he had lost.
"I sent Hermione several letters while I was away, telling her how to reach me, how to contact them, when I didn't receive any replies, well, I thought that you had forgotten about me." Harry wasn't facing them; almost like he was ashamed, but of what?
"Who's them?" Ron managed to ask. Hermione was still in shock, staring at Harry as if she didn't, he'd disappear.
"Well, I guess you're going to have to wait," Harry said. He was smiling now, but Hermione only frowned at him. Pouted might have been a better term for it actually. The rest of the ride in the lift was silent, but Harry spoke again once they reached the bottom. "I probably should have transfigured your clothes as well, since the place is pretty upscale where we're going to."
"I'll do it," Hermione quickly said. Quickly Ron's clothes became a Muggle tuxedo, and her robes were turned into a emerald green dress that matched Harry's tie. The lift doors opened, and Ron felt the rush of the fall air hit him.
He hadn't seen this many people in one place for quite some time, since before the war began. Muggles, just running about their everyday business like nothing was going on. The world seemed calmer, if not cleaner than the one he remembered. Had the world really not changed that much? Then why did he feel so much older?
He hurried after Harry and Hermione as they walked through the crowd toward the entrance to the hotel. Which was huge. Ron would have stopped and stared some more had Harry not grabbed his arm and nearly throw him into limo.
"Good morning Mr Evans, where to today?" Ron just smiled as Hermione fainted into Harry's arms. Yep, she definitely wasn't expecting a personal chauffeur.
I0I
Harry made idle talk as they rode along the roads. Neither of his friends noticed them cross the pond between them and the colonies. Especially when they landed in Chicago. He hoped his surprise was going to turn out alright, he didn't want Hermione to suffer anymore than she already had. Hermione...
Looking at her as she talked with Ron, he could not help but smile lightly. She had made her choice, a choice that included him. While he shouldn't have been surprised, he was. He knew the surprise would be a good thing for her, something that would help raise her spirits.
He had taken to playing with a little reading while the two of them talked. Mainly about the magic he had taught them, new magic that they were just learning about.
"Harry? Weren't you listening to me?" Hermione said. He looked up from his book, sliding the bookmark back into it.
"Nope," Harry said with a smile. She glared at him, but he knew there was no anger behind those eyes.
"I asked how much longer," Hermione said. Her glare was gone as he check his watch.
"In less then five seconds," he said.
"How can you know that mate?" Ron asked. Edgar's voice answered the question by saying they were currently parked in front of the restaurant.
"Coco Pazzo?" Hermione asked as Harry got out of the car. He offered his hand which she took immediately as she gracefully stepped out.
"I figured if we were going to go out, might as well go all out," Harry said. He turned to Ron, tucking Hermione's hand in his elbow as he did so. She moved closer to him, blushing lightly.
"They have good food?" Ron asked, moving to Harry's other side.
"Best Italian in town," Harry said with a smile. "Don't worry about anything, its all on me tonight. Just relax and enjoy yourselves." He began to walk slowly through the entrance, letting Hermione set the pace mainly. "You ready for the surprise?" Harry asked softly. She turned away from looking around the room, and jumped at how close they were.
"Is it for me?" Hermione stared up at him for a moment. He could not help the smile that accompanied the nod as he looked down at her.
"Who would you like to see at this moment?" Harry asked, stopping for a moment. Ron had gone off to the bathroom as soon as they entered, leaving him a chance to talk to her. Thankfully.
"Besides you?" Hermione said with a tell-tale blush on her face. He nodded, blushing as well. She turned into him that moment, not touching him, just facing him.
"Two people who want nothing more than to know that their loved one is safe," Harry said with a smile. Taking her hand, he led her the private room that had obtained. Hermione stopped when his words sank in, right outside the room.
"Harry?" She looked up at him, pain pasted there every so softly. He brought his hand up to her cheek, brushing it lightly. She leaned into his hand and smiled.
"It'll get better, I promise, you'll get used to the connection," he whispered. He knew that he had some power and assertion over her now, that wasn't there before. Yet she was stronger then she was before as well.
"What if I don't want it to get better?" Hermione said, her eyes glinting mischievously. "What if I like this connection?" She turned and entered private room, the sense of something wonderful just outside his mind. She must have known he was watching her as her hips moves that way. She was going to be the death of him.
"So what's this surprise?" Ron asked, walking over to Harry as he watched the doors close behind Hermione.
"Wait for it," Harry said. Hearing the squeal, he just smiled at Ron before entering the room.
"Who are they?" Ron asked. Hermione was hugging both an older man and woman, the woman looked like Hermione except for the eyes, which somehow she got from her father. The man was about Harry's height, though his hair was balding and grayer.
"Her parents Ron, her parents," Harry said with a large smile. He had done everything that was in his power to keep them safe. If but only for this moment.
"How...?" The confusion on Ron's face was priceless.
"There are things stronger in this world than magic Ron," Harry said before walking over to the Granger's group hug.
"Harry, I can't tell you how much it means to me," Dan Granger said as the two women were still embrace. Hermione was openly crying now, but she was happy. That was all he had ever wanted.
"Sir, the looks are your face were enough payment," Harry said. He motioned toward the table that had been set up for them. "We can talk about this over dinner if that's quite alright." Ron took off for a seat, obviously ready for something to eat. Harry and Dan let out a loud laugh at his antics before Harry motioned for the Grangers to take a seat as well. Dan took his wife's arm before leading her to her seat. He never even noticed Hermione launch herself at him as him. He would have fallen if he hadn't felt the tickle over something over their connection.
"Thank you," she said as she pulled her head out of his neck. He could feel the tears turn cool against his skin, but he didn't mind. Holding her closer, he tried not to smile to himself as she put almost all of her body weight onto his. "How...why...how?" He placed his finger on her lips, stopping her from asking any more questions.
"Dinner first," Harry said. She nodded, but made no move to remove her arms from around his neck. He closed his eyes as he felt her touch over the connection. The warmth was unlike anything else he had ever felt in his life. He leaned closer to her, resting his head on top of hers. Opening them up once again, he caught the same mischievous smile on her face as he saw before. "How?"
"I'm a quick study," Hermione said before kissing his cheek and letting him go. He was really going to have to sit down and talk about this with her soon. Steps forward couldn't always be retraced. Hermione took the empty seat next to her mother, her father taking his next to her. Hermione gave her father a smile before glancing over in his direction. Harry couldn't help but smile back, sending over a little reassurance to her through the connection. Her smile grew just enough for him to notice the difference, and immediately she began to talk with her mother.
"Harry, you're the one that's brought us here together," Dan said, "you going to take a seat?" Harry let out a chuckle as he walked over, taking the seat between Ron and Stacy, Hermione's mother.
"This is a pretty big place," Ron said. Harry only smiled as he motioned for the waiter to start with the glasses of water and bread.
"Usually used for parties and such I guess, really don't know," Harry said with a shrug. "Order what you want, its all really good." The waiter passed out the menus, letting them out to the women first before
"Harry, how can you afford all this?" Ron managed to ask. He hadn't even opened his menu, and neither had Hermione for that matter. Dan and Stacy had though; they were currently going through it.
"I invested well, and I was a doctor," he said before closing his menu. "Knowing when to get out of the dotcoms was a blessing in disguise."
"He was able to set us up with a practice here as well, ended up growing much larger than the one we had back in London," Stacy said. "We made him a silent partner when he set us up with the account."
"After that, we talked about setting up several accounts, he ended up buying several companies, interests in others, on our advice." Dan had already chosen his meal for the evening. There was a moment of silence as Ron and Hermione went about looking at the menus. Harry had made sure to give them ones without prices. Price was never put upon happiness, and it never should be.
"But why didn't you contact me?" Hermione finally said. Harry knew the question was going to come, and knew of course, that Hermione would have been the one to ask it. Her parents were not going to broach the subject.
"That would be my fault," Harry said. "I had told them to wait for you to get in touch with them first. Only if you were safe and you could do so without getting anyone hurt. Told you how to do it as well. Guess that fell threw." He scratched the back of his neck, not meeting Hermione's eyes. He knew what her unasked question was. "And what happened to the letters, I have an idea, but I've got to wait a while before I make accusations."
"Why didn't you keep sending them? Or even to anyone else?" Ron asked. Looking over at him, Harry knew that he was right. He could have sent them to someone else, like Ron, but something stopped him. It didn't seem right to not tell Hermione he was okay first. He had no answer for that question.
"I don't know," he said, more to himself than anyone else at the table. He didn't really hear any more after that, at least for a while. He couldn't bear to look at Hermione at the moment. She could have had her parents for five years, if he had just sent those letters to someone else. Would that person have even told her though? How could-
"Harry?" Everyone was watching him. They must have directed a question at him, yet he couldn't tell what the question was or even who asked him. Hermione however, had the grace enough to tell him what he missed. "What are you having?" He looked to his left to waiter, patiently waiting for him.
"Sorry, lost in thought," he said with a smile. "I'll have the papardelle cinghiale please. With just a water." He handed the menu off, turning back to try and pay attention to the conversations going on. Dan and Stacy were going over any and everything that happened to them over the last five years and Hermione was trying to update them on their world. He had to say trying because there were just some things that words could not explain.
"You okay mate?" Ron asked, leaning over to him as the Grangers were talking.
"I'd be lying if I said I was," he said. He leaned back in his chair, lowering his voice to the level that only Ron could hear it. "We've got a lot of work to do when we get back to Hogwarts. And I'm without the majority of my magic." Ron nodded, understanding the predicament he was now in. "I can still hold my own in any fight, but those crazy heroics you saw before Hermione vanished on us... don't expect to see them again for a good twenty years or so."
"Don't sweat, you don't have to rely on just yourself anymore, you've got us now mate," Ron said. "With that new training you're giving us, then there is nothing that can stop us."
"Ours is not to question why, ours is to do or die," Harry said with a sad smile. "We'll do what we can, but there are certain things that will happen. Things that I won't allow."
"What you don't have in age and wisdom, we make up with youth and stupidity," Ron said. Harry could not help but smile at the statement.
"Ron, we're not stupid and you know it," Hermione said, chastising him.
"Harry does have a point though, honey," Stacy said. "We've had this discussion several times, and all we can come up with is that Hogwarts has to reopen. If only to be a bastion of light for the world."
"You talked him into doing this?" Hermione looked at her mother before turning to her father.
"Who do you think talked him into going back in the first place?" Dan said with a smile. "If it hadn't been for the attack here, I doubt Harry would have ever gone back."
"I would have gone back, just maybe not for a few more years," Harry admitted. His two friends needed to hear this, and he was glad that he wasn't telling the story. His life outside of them was still difficult for him to talk about. Wounds that never would really heal.
"What happened?" Hermione asked, still staring at Harry. He shifted under her gaze, but found that he could not speak.
"About this time last year, Harry was in New York," Stacy said. He gave her a thankful glance; they both knew the story. They had comforted him afterwards. "I'm not surprised that you two don't know about the attack. Something horrible, one of the most tragic things I've every seen."
"And Harry was in the middle of it," Dan added. Stacy was beginning to tear up at the words, and Harry took a look at Dan before taking the woman's hand in his own. When he had first met them, he found the Grangers to be warm and inviting people. It was why he had done everything he could to save them. Why he sent Hermione those letters telling her how to reach her parents.
Stacy gave him a grateful look before nodding to let Dan know she was okay. "A fundamentalist group attack the Twin Towers in New York on September 11th. Two planes collided with the towers, before they both collapsed. Another plane was flown into the Pentagon, the military center for the United States. Almost three thousand people were killed."
"But what's that got to do with Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at him.
"I was in one of the towers," Harry said. He turned away from their looks, not wanting to see their pity. He had enough of it following the war.
If he had been looking up, he would have noticed Hermione getting out of her chair. He would have noticed her walk over to him and stare directly at him. But because he hadn't, it wasn't until she had decided to sit in his lap that he broke out of his stupor.
"I'm not moving even if dinner comes," Hermione said, taking his hands before wrapping them around her stomach. He sent a gentle caress over their link, thanking her because he could not find the words.
There was nothing more that he wanted to do than to hold her after the war and after the attack, but he couldn't. Maybe now he should start making up for lost time. The line of questions was dropped and lighter notes were brought up again. Like Hermione studying to become a Healer.
While Harry could have been one as well, he believed that Hermione would have been better suited for the job. She had the mind for all of those inane facts; took him years to remember everything that he needed to know.
"You know that you don't have to sit in my lap the entire night," Harry whispered into her ear. Hermione looked at him over her shoulder before looking at her mother. The smile on her face had him worried until Stacy moved over one seat, leaving hers open.
"You can't get rid of me that easily," Hermione said as she moved over. "We still have a lot to talk about." Her smile had melted away his shell on more than one occasion. This just happened to be another one of those occasions.
"Don't we always?" Harry asked through the blush on his face. She took his hand in her own, not letting it go even as the meal was placed in front of him.
"Something going on between you two?" Dan asked, lightening the mood even more. Harry blushed and looked down at his plate. He had known the man for five years now, even told Dan of his interest in Hermione. Harry could and had faced down some on the foulest creatures known to man without a drop of fear in him. Yet he could barely face Hermione's father. Dan was a friend, but Hermione's father near scared him shitless.
"Yes, but we're still figuring it out," Hermione responded. He looked at her, letting their links spread a little further than it was before.
"Good to hear," Dan said, much to both of their surprise. Looking at Hermione for a moment, he took the statement without question.
Everyone had settled into quiet conversation, not really talking about anything. They were avoiding subjects like the plague, and as he finished his plate, he figured it was time to confront at least one of the topics.
"What do you plan on doing now?" Harry managed to ask once there was a lull in the conversation.
"Continue on with the practice," Dan said. "Maybe convince Hermione to come help us, but I doubt that will happen." Hermione shook her head, but gave her father a smile.
"I'm going to be where I'm needed the most," Hermione said. Harry squeezed her hand, letting her know he was thankful for that.
"What if I could offer you a way to stay with her? At Hogwarts?" Harry said, reaching for his glass of water. By the time he had put it back down, the Grangers were ready to respond. He just wasn't going to let them. "Hogwarts is going to reopen, now though, catering to the ages 6 to 17. We are going to teach the basics. Reading, writing, arithmetic, and the sciences. I want children to appreciate learning, before we teach them magic." He felt all of the eyes look upon him. Work would get done now.
"What do you want us to do?" Stacy asked after sharing a look with her husband.
"I want you to teach some classes for me," harry said. "The basics, really. And maybe even World studies too."
"World studies?" Hermione asked. He gave her a smile, knowing she hadn't heard of the class before.
"Yes, Muggle studies will be changing its name," Harry said. "It also will be a mandatory class that every student must take from first year to at least fifth. There will be no OWL. If I have to, I'll teach the class, but my views are tainted. I want someone with a more purified view to teach the class." He looked at Hermione, giving her a smile as he felt the gears turning in her head. She had figured it out.
"He wants one of you to teach the class," Hermione said.
"Why? What do we know about the magical world?" Dan asked. Stacy was looking just as confused, but Ron too seemed to figure out his intent.
"Nothing, and that's what makes it perfect for you two," Ron said. "Our world needs to figure out that outside influence is what is going to keep it alive."
"I thought the school was closed though," Dan said.
"Think of it as my Christmas present to the world," Harry said, leaning back in his chair. He let go of Hermione's hand, and felt a tinge of sadness cross the bond they shared. Crossing his arms, he stared at them all. He did not speak for a moment, but knew that he had their attention. "My gift is the hope for tomorrow. A hope for a better tomorrow."
I0I
It was an hour after they finished dinner, and her parents had accepted the job offers from Harry. How he managed to protect them for so long was still a mystery, or at least it was until they stepped out of the restaurant. She recognized the Sears Tower from several books she had read about America, though she had never expected to just show up there. Let alone Chicago. Maybe New York, or Washington D.C. But not Chicago.
"We need to get a move on," Harry said. She snapped out of the daze she was in. "I promise we'll come back so you can sightsee some other time." He was right next to her, how did he do that? And when did she wrap her arm around his waist? She hadn't' told them to do that. And now that it was there, she certainly wasn't going to tell it to move. He was holding her closer. Her Harry was holding her closer.
"I'd like that," Hermione said. "So when were you going to open the castle?"
"Christmas," Harry said, guiding her back to the limo he had brought. The man was just full of surprises. "I'm going to be working on the wards and stuff, mainly expanding them. The process is going to be long, but I'm sure I can handle it."
"What do you want me to do, continue the research?" Hermione asked. He had opened the door to the car for her, forcing her to let go of him. Climbing in while keeping her dignity, Hermione smiled at her parents in thanks. They had left the only two open seats next to each other. For her and Harry.
"I was thinking of you helping me," Harry said as he climbed in after her. "Edgar, Hogsmeade please."
"Yes sir," came the reply. The car took off at a moderate pace, but there was no difference to the inside. Quite the opposite to the Knight Bus actually.
"So what do you say?" Harry said. "You think you up for the challenge of learning a little more of that magic I taught you?"
"Really?" Hermione turned to look at him directly. She felt the bubbling inside of her grow at the thought of learning more about that magic. While she had hoped to control the spells better before using them, and maybe not have to fall into that trance, the sound of something new seemed even better. He could teach her just about everything her knew about magic. "Can I learn how to be a totem too?" His eyes grow dark at this, and she wanted to flinch away, but she wasn't afraid. Not of him. Never of him.
"I can't not, nor will I ever teach you," Harry said. The light in his eyes was gone, as was the smile on his face.
"Why not? You don't think I could handle it?" Hermione set her face in her best glare.
"No," Harry said. He turned his body away from her, and the feeling of him being with her left. She hadn't noticed his presence from the link until it was gone. Turning away from him, Hermione tried hard not to feel cold. She wrapped her arms around her chest and held back the shiver that ran through her.
The weight of something was added to her shoulders as she felt the link open again. Harry had put his jacket over her shoulders. The cold was gone, as was the emptiness. She however, was still angry with him. If he was looking for a response from her, he was going to wait.
The ride back was quiet, or at least she didn't hear anything. Her anger at Harry for deciding what she could and couldn't do was something she wasn't going to stand for. If they were going to have a relationship, like she thought they were going to work at, he was going to have to learn that.
Harry was different than the one she remember, but she was different too. Well, at least she thought she was. She certainly felt stronger, and more capable with her actions. And the limo pulled to the gates of Hogwarts, she could not help but think the same for everything about Hogwarts.
Everything was cleaner, purer, safer. Had she really been gone that long? The grass was greener, without that soot that seemed to seep into everything since Riddle's attack. They had tried everything to remove the soot, yet Harry must have done this. Somehow...
"You do this Harry?" Hermione asked as he began to walk toward the school. He nodded, but kept his back to her.
"What's wrong with him?" Hermione said, turning toward her mother. Her mom's eyes just held sadness, and Hermione could not help the tears that sprung forth in her own. "I didn't do something wrong."
"I'm afraid you did, love," she said, wrapping her arm around her daughter. "He is an old soul, and what he has done, he has sacrificed a lot of who he was to become that man you see there." Harry was now telling her father about Hogwarts. She and her mother were walking at a much slower pace. Ron must have run ahead to warn the Order of their arrival.
"But why won't he teach me?" Hermione asked. Her mom had heard their argument in the limo, she heard just about everything.
"Maybe because he knows the cost, and he is unwilling to let you lose that part of you," Stacy said. "He is a proud man, that won't admit his faults, Hermione. But he will die before he lets someone else make them." Hermione nodded, and caught Harry's eye as he looked over at them. He quickly turned away, but that didn't stop her from seeing the care in them.
"You think he'll talk to me?" Hermione looked back at her mother. A smile was her answer, though she really didn't know what that meant. "I guess I'll have to talk to him first." She let out a sigh before looking at Harry again. He was still an enigma to her, yet something about him...
"You may want to make your move soon," Stacy said. She pointed toward a mass of red heads coming toward Harry and Dan. With another sigh, Hermione took off at a slow run toward Harry, saddling up next to him before anyone could say anything, including him.
Looking up at him, she sent a silent apology to him before giving him a look. He just nodded and smile at her. They were going to speak later, that much was sure.
He held up a hand, stopping the Weasleys from coming any closer. With his other, he wrapped around her shoulder, holding her closer. "Have you continued working, like I instructed?"
"Yeah, we've nearly finished the repairs to the school, and we've put up what wards we could," McGonagall said. He nodded, looking at the people surrounding them now. If Hermione wanted to be honest with herself, she would have had to say that she did not know if everyone was outside to meet them, but that was because she was still concentrating on Harry. If she wanted to be honest with herself.
"I'll take care of the remainder of the wards tomorrow, if that's alright," Harry said. "To be honest, I'm surprised that everyone is still up."
"We were waiting for you to return," Arthur said. "Can you tell us what happened?" Hermione now turned to look out at the crowd, surprised slightly at the amount of people that cared about her. They just never seemed to express concern for her any other time. Another thing she wanted to talk to Harry about. After their fight.
"Riddle has one less pawn to play with at this point in time," Harry said. "There will be an Order meeting tomorrow, after lunch. Hermione, Ron, you don't have to go. If that is all, then I'm going to-"
"You are going to do nothing until you explain yourself to me," Molly said through the crowd. It parted ways, letting her be seen.
"He has nothing to say to you," Hermione said, surprising herself. And the rest of the crowd it seemed as they all were not looking at her. That would have stopped her before, but her confidence had returned, and she brought friends. Like love. "He's done more for us in the short month that he's been here then you've done in five years. So if he decides not to tell you something, then sod off."
"You heard the lady," Harry said. She felt the pulling sensation of a portkey as he popped them into her room. It took her a moment to snap out of her daze before she turned and hit him across the chest.
"Prat, why you snap us out of there?" Hermione said, stepping out of his grasp.
"You wanted to talk, I wanted to do it in private," Harry said. Grim lifted his head off the bed where he was sleeping before placing it onto Harry's lap as he sat down. "You been guarding the library for us?" The dog's rather large yawn had to suffice for an answer. "So talk."
Hermione shook her head, snapping out from the power of his gaze. It was like Riddle's, but safer, better, homelier. It made her feel loved. She wouldn't mind getting lost under the gaze some other time, but now was her chance to be angry with him.
"Why can't I learn to be a totem? Is it because I'm not strong enough?" Hermione asked. She was not going to give him a chance to respond. "I stood on my own for five years Harry, without you. I could probably hold my own against any of the Death Eaters out there I know more spells then anyone here, save you. I thought I was magically strong enough to handle anything you taught us."
"You are," Harry managed to get in. She only stopped cause she needed to take a breath. With a glare, he shut up again.
"You have no right to tell me what I can and can't do. I am my own person, I can handle failure," Hermione said. She didn't get to be the brightest witch of the age without failing once or twice. "I've failed before Harrry, and I've managed to survive. I think I could handle it if I failed to become a totem."
"Not this kind," harry muttered. She stopped at this. She hadn't realized she had been pacing until she found herself facing the bathroom for her room.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I died Hermione, not nearly, not almost-but-hey-you're-going-to-pull-through, I mean ten-minutes-of-nothing-dead." Harry wasn't looking at her, and Hermione moved closer, trying to look into his hidden eyes. She stopped though, as he finished. "I only came back because Fawkes found me during his burning day, and that was how it work. Not because I'm some great wizard, or because I knew what I was doing." He looked up at her. There was a guilt in his eyes, a guilt that he put there himself. He looked worse then he did when he left for the summer after their fifth year. "I got lucky. That's it. That's how I'm all powerful, or was. I got lucky."
"Oh Harry," Hermione managed to get out before sitting next to him, wrapping her arms around him. "There are some that say its better to be lucky then skilled. I know I'd rather be lucky then good. I wouldn't have made friends if I wasn't."
"My luck ran out though," Harry said, leaning into her. She only pulled upon his neck tighter as she tried to comfort him. He was stubborn, so was she, but at least she admitted it, sometimes. "Dumbledore died, and I couldn't do anything about it. I was thrown back in time nearly seventy years. How can you call that lucky?"
"I can call it luck because you are back here with me," Hermione said. She pushed his head with her own, trying to burrow into his chest. His arms moved where she wanted them, around her, protecting her body, as she protected his heart. "And that is all that I had ever wanted." She felt him break down against her, crying into her neck, and she could not stop the tears that had formed on their own in her eyes from falling as well.
She didn't know how long they sat there, in each others arms. Or how long they cried together, or who stopped first. She didn't know if she ever wanted to leave the safety of them. She didn't know as much about the world as she thought she had. All she knew was that today, today was the day that she had her heart pieced back together, by the man who it rightfully belonged to.
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