Unofficial Portkey Archive

Author's note: Okay, okay. I know I said it wouldn't be that long between updates, but real life and my co-authoring other stories has taken up a great deal of my time. My goal was to have this chapter out before the new book came out. I actually accomplished that goal! Yay, me! I hope you enjoy the latest chapter and I do apologize for the long wait!

And you will notice in the first part of this chapter---I go back and forth referring to Harry and Luke---that's because there's changes in points of view during that part of the chapter. So don't flame me with "you called him Luke!" lol

Over the sea and far away
She's waiting like an iceberg
Waiting to change
But she's cold inside
She wants to be like the water

On comes the panic light
Holding on with fingers and feelings alike
But the time has come
To move along

(KT Tunstall, Other Side of the World)

The community center bustled with activity in the afternoons, but in the mornings it was almost always quiet. Harry used this time to get ready for that day's activities and to catch up on paperwork (his least favorite part of the job).

This particular morning, he'd spent most of his time going over his speech. He was supposed to talk to the city council and the mayor about applying for extra funding for some projects the community center was looking to undertake. Though his main concern was the center's sports programs, he was also in charge of youth activities. He coordinated with volunteer tutors and he even helped pitch in with reading and even math lessons whenever needed. He'd been an average student at Hogwarts and the fact that he was now helping tutor other students would be a surprise to those who had known him before (the D.A. not withstanding).

The meeting had gone well and he'd successfully convinced the council to provide additional funding for the center. He'd also applied for some grants that would help bolster the art and music programs that some of the staff was interested in developing. He made it back to the center just before lunch and sat down at his desk, taking off his jacket and loosening his tie. He'd always hated dressing up for things like that, but he didn't think they'd buy him as a leader with jeans and a t-shirt.

Luke Reilly could certainly turn on the charm when he wanted to. Luke Reilly was charming and confident and didn't have that chip on his shoulder that Harry Potter wore like a battle scar. It had been very strange getting used to looking into a mirror and seeing another face staring back at you. It was even more bizarre not depending on magic as much as he had in the past. Since he worked with mostly Muggle children, he had to hide that aspect of his life the majority of the time.

But all of that paled in comparison to the fact that he was about to go on a date with his best friend. A best friend who for all intents and purposes thought he was dead and buried. A date with Hermione. Hermione Granger. To say this was surreal was putting it lightly.

But, it had to be more than just coincidence that they'd both ended up here in Seattle. Of all the places in the world, they'd somehow found themselves in the exact same city at the exact same time. He'd spent so long working up the courage to see her and like Sean had warned him, one look wouldn't be enough. Sean had this annoying habit of always being right. He'd warned Harry that this would be a bad idea. Harry had reasoned that he just needed to see for himself that she was okay.

Well, he had seen her and he'd found out that she wasn't okay. It wasn't as if he could walk away when she needed him most, was it?

The more he got to know her again, though, the more difficult it would be to walk away. What a mess he found himself in and now Ron was in the picture.

Ron. He certainly hadn't expected to see him the other day on the sidewalk outside Hermione's home. Like everyone else, he'd read about Harry Potter's loyal sidekick getting married to his school sweetheart and starting a family. For some reason, Harry hadn't been surprised to find out that Luna was the one who had captured Ron's heart. Even though he'd known that his best friend harbored feelings for Hermione, he'd never really pictured them making it for the long haul. They were far too different and fought more than anything else. Harry had never told Ron or Hermione about this. The idea of them as a couple made him uncomfortable. It wasn't because he didn't want his friends to be happy. He did more than anything. He just didn't want to feel like some child of divorced parents who had to pick sides if they broke up. Things had been so much easier before hormones had come into the picture.

Now, that was a moot point. Ron and Hermione hadn't gotten married. Ron had found love with Luna Lovegood and together they'd started a family. Ron was someone's father. Ron---the very same bloke who had told anyone who would listen that he'd never get married because he didn't want to get tied down. Hermione had joked to Harry that it wasn't as if anyone would ever have Ron and that she pitied the poor girl who finally landed him.

Harry supposed that in his mind, he'd always pictured his two best friends as he'd last seen them. In his mind, they were still those brave 17-year olds who stood by his side no matter what. Logically, he'd known that they'd grow up and get older, but it was quite a shock to see it firsthand.

"How'd it go?"

Harry looked up from his paperwork to see Sean standing in the doorway.

"Hmmm?"

"How'd it go?" Sean asked again. "You okay? You looked a million miles away just then."

Harry cleared his throat. "Yeah, it went fine. We were approved for $10,000 and I applied for some additional grants."

Sean grinned. "Fantastic."

"Yeah," Harry said absently. "We---we um, should find out in the next month or so if we get those."

Sean sat down opposite him. "That sounds great. So, are you coming tonight?"

Harry shook his head.

Sean looked quizzically at his friend. "Come on. You always come. It's not like you have something else planned, right?"

Harry was silent. Sean had a poker game every week at his apartment and Harry had been to every single one. But, he was going to have to miss tonight's game. He just didn't want to tell Sean why. He didn't need a lecture right now.

"Let me guess," Sean said. "Hermione Granger has something to do with this, right?"

Harry pushed back in his chair and stood up. "I have to go down to the gym. Thanks for stopping by. I'll be at the next one…"

Sean shook his head. "You, my friend, are a glutton for punishment."

Harry ignored him and walked past his friend into the hall. But, Sean wasn't finished with him.

"You're playing with fire," Sean told him. "I told you this was a bad idea. One meeting turned into two and look at you now---"

"It's just dinner," Harry said walking down the hall.

"I seem to remember you telling me before you asked me to knock you off the broom that it would be just one meeting," Sean recalled. "And I went along with that, but come on. This is getting out of hand. She's going to figure this out."

"I'm going to be careful," Harry said sheepishly. "She's not going to know."

"This is going to blow up in your face," Sean said quietly. "You know that I'm right."

Harry stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around.

"I just hope you know what you're doing," Sean said.

Harry hoped that exact same thing.

*********

The brunette stared at her reflection in the mirror. The time off had brought the color back to her cheeks and the dark circles under her eyes had disappeared. Having Ron, Luna and Sage around had also helped, loathsome as she was to admit it.

She'd missed them and it had been nice having her friends to talk to and to get to know again. For the first time in a long time, she didn't feel quite so lonely. No matter how much distance she'd put between them, she had missed her friends. Thankfully, she'd managed to avoid any talk of Harry. It was better that way; for all of them.

It wasn't like Ron and Luna hadn't tried to talk about him. They had, but every time the conversation steered in that direction, Hermione would change the subject.

Right now, though, she was wasting time. She should be getting ready for her…date.

Hermione couldn't believe she was actually going on a date. The last date she'd ever been on had been years ago when she'd accepted Viktor Krum's invitation to the Yule Ball.

She walked over to her closet and felt a surge of disappointment. She didn't really have anything that would be suitable for a date. Of course, it would help if she knew where they were going. But, she hadn't wanted to call Luke. She was afraid that she'd get in even deeper than she already was. For the first time in a long time, she was actually attracted to someone.

"Need some help?" a voice asked from behind her.

Hermione turned and offered Luna a half smile.

"I think I'm beyond help at this point," Hermione admitted.

"Nonsense," Luna said with a wave of her hand. "You need some help getting ready for your date and that's one of the reasons why I'm here."

"Well, it's not really a date per se," Hermione said defensively.

Luna looked at her friend. "It's not? Well, what else would you call going out to dinner with a man whom you clearly fancy?"

Hermione blushed. "I don't---"

Luna patted her on the shoulder. "It's okay. It'll be our little secret."

Hermione turned away and didn't say anything.

Luna walked over to the closet and perused through the sensible shirts and trousers and skirts Hermione had for work. Luna wasn't fashion conscious to say the least. She usually favored comfort over style. Hermione was very much the same way. Luna knew there was something in this closet that would work for a date; something that would make Hermione comfortable and alluring all at the same time.

Luna found a black dress in the back of the closet. It was perfect for a night out and Luna knew it would look great on Hermione. She held it out for her friend. "This would be great."

Hermione studied the dress. "That might be a bit much, Luna. I bought that for a hospital function. I only wore it once."

"Which means Luke hasn't seen you in it," Luna said. "And it's perfect for tonight."

Hermione took the dress and held it against her. It was a black, layered chiffon dress with spaghetti straps and Hermione had found it on a lark last year. She'd needed something for a charity event the hospital was having and she'd grabbed the first thing she'd put her hands on. Luna did have a point. It was probably the closest thing Hermione had to a "date" dress.

"You and Ron aren't going to be here that long," Hermione said hanging the dress back up in her closet. "I can go out with Luke another time. We---we could order a pizza and maybe watch a movie."

"We did that last night," Luna reminded her, pushing past her friend and getting the dress back out of the closet. "And Ron and I are big kids. You can leave us alone here and we promise that your flat will be in one piece when you return."

"I'm not worried about that," Hermione said.

"You are trying to reason yourself out of a date with a nice bloke who clearly fancies you," Luna said handing her the dress. "You don't need to do that. There's nothing to overanalyze here. You can't find a way out of this in some book. And if you're being honest with yourself, you want to go."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Luna was right. She did want to go. But, she was scared to death. This was easy for Luna. She didn't have to worry about dates anymore. She was married and had a family of her own.

Hermione sighed and resigned herself to getting ready for her "date". Luke probably wasn't that apprehensive or nervous about this. He always seemed so sure of himself and confident. He reminded her of---

She wasn't going to do that. She wasn't going to compare every bloke in the world to her best friend.

"Get ready," Luna said firmly. "I'll be right out here if you need anything."

"Yes, Mum," Hermione said shaking her head as she went into her bathroom.

**********

Nearly an hour later, Harry stood outside Hermione's building pacing in front of the steps, trying to muster the courage to do this. She probably wasn't nervous at all. She was probably upstairs trying to think of excuses as to why they shouldn't go out. He hoped that wasn't the case, but given what he knew of Hermione now, he wasn't too sure.

He took a deep breath and pushed the call button for her apartment.

A few moments later, a male voice yelled back at him. "WHAT?"

"Hermione?"

"NO! IT'S NOT HERMIONE! THIS IS RON! WHO IS THIS?"

Harry stifled a laugh. Obviously Ron still didn't know his way around Muggle contraptions. He could still remember that phone call he'd shared with his best friend when he lived at the Dursleys.

"Luke," Harry said pressing the talk button. "I'm here to pick up Hermione."

"WHAT?"

"Ronald, why on earth are you shouting?" Luna's voice could be heard in the background. "Honestly, just press that red button to let him in."

"HANG ON, MATE!" Ron shouted back. A few moments later the buzzer sounded and Harry stepped inside the building.

Harry leaned back against the lift wall and kept telling himself over and over again that he would be able to do this. He'd get through it without letting on who he really was or why he'd done what he had. Now, he had to get through Ron and Luna too.

Summoning every ounce of courage he had, he knocked on the door.

Luna answered the door with Sage in her arms. "Hello, again."

Harry smiled back at her. "Hello, Mrs. Weasley."

"You can call me Luna," she told him ushering him inside. "Hermione will be out in a few moments."

Harry nodded and followed her into the sitting room where Ron was munching on some crisps. When he saw "Luke" he pulled a stern face. Harry was hit with a wave of nostalgia for the best friend who was sitting before him. How much had he and Ron gone through? He'd been more like a brother. There was so much he wanted to tell him and so many questions he wanted to ask.

"I have to change Sage," Luna said. "But please make yourself at home." She made a move for the guest room, but shot her husband a warning look.

Ron though ignored his wife and gruffly said to Luke. "Sit down."

Harry raised an eyebrow, but did as Ron asked. He hoped that Hermione would be out soon.

In her bedroom, Hermione surveyed herself in the mirror. To her surprise, she felt butterflies in her stomach. Luna was right. She did like Luke. He was so easy to talk to and he made her laugh, something she hadn't done too much of in the last few months. This was a good thing, she told herself. Even though she was scared to death, she knew she had to get back out there and start living again.

Hermione took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. She wanted to do this. She really did.

As she reached for her bag, she caught sight of a framed photograph of her with Harry and Ron. It had been taken the day of Fleur and Bill's wedding. Hermione smiled as she remembered how they'd managed to tear Ron away from the refreshment table long enough to get the picture. It had been the last photograph taken of the three of them.

"This is okay, isn't it, Harry?" Hermione asked. The Harry in the photograph didn't answer her; he just waved at her and made a goofy face at her.

"Hermione?"

She looked up and saw Luna standing in the doorway.

"Luke's here," Luna said. "And you look gorgeous."

Hermione smiled. "Really? Thanks."

"And you'd better get out here before Ron moves on to phase two of his interrogation," Luna told her. "I heard him say something about a shovel a few moments ago and how no one would miss him…"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I'd better go and rescue Luke then."

In the sitting room, Ron stared quizzically at Luke. "I don't think I stuttered. I asked you what your intentions were toward Hermione."

"My intentions?"

"Do you have a hearing problem?" Ron asked folding his arms. "Your intentions, mate. Do you fancy her? Or are you looking for a quick---"

"RON!"

Ron and Harry both turned to see Luna and Hermione.

"Ron, I have a father already," Hermione chastised. "I really don't need you scaring poor Luke to death. This is just two friends going out for dinner. Nothing more."

Harry got to his feet, but he felt absolutely speechless. He'd seen Hermione dressed up before, but she'd been fourteen then. That night of the Yule Ball when she'd taken everyone by surprise in her periwinkle blue dress robes. But, she had grown into a lovely, amazing woman somehow and Harry couldn't tear his eyes away. She was…beautiful.

Hermione seemed to feel his eyes on her and she turned to meet his gaze. She smiled shyly at him.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Ron is a little overprotective."

"It's---it's okay," Harry stammered. "You look---wow."

Hermione blushed. "Thank you. You look very nice, too."

Ron stood up and looked back and forth at them. "So, what time should I expect you home, Hermione?"

"When I get back," Hermione replied curtly.

Ron glared at her. "Young lady…"

"I'll have her home at a reasonable time," Harry promised.

Luna waved her hand dismissively. "You two have a great time. I'll take care of this one, here."

Hermione grabbed her coat from the closet. To her surprise, Luke helped her with it. She shivered when his hand touched her bare arm.

"Are my hands cold?" He asked. "I'm sorry---"

"No," Hermione reassured him. "I just-I just got a chill is all." There was something familiar about his touch, something warm and reassuring.

Luke smiled at her. "So, you ready to go?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm ready."

After saying goodbye to Ron and Luna, they walked out of the apartment and waited for the lift. Hermione stole a glance at Luke, who seemed to be doing the same. She met his eyes and laughed. "I'm sorry for back there. Ron goes a little overboard."

Luke shrugged. "It's okay. He cares about you. He doesn't want to see you hurt."

Hermione opened her mouth to tell him she could take care of herself when Luke spoke once more.

"And neither do I," Luke said quietly.

******

Their reservations were for the Metropolitan Grill, one of the nicest restaurants in Seattle. On the drive to the restaurant, Hermione regaled him with stories about Ron, Luna, and Sage.

"She can't say my name very well," Hermione told him. "Which is understandable, right? So, she calls me Hermy, which I usually detest. But the way she says it is so adorable."

Luke laughed. "Mental note to self. Never call you Hermy."

Hermione smiled at him. "Well, unless you're a toddler or a giant."

"A giant?"

"Yeah," Hermione said another smile playing at her lips as she remembered that day in the forest when Hagrid had introduced her and Harry to his half-brother, Grawp. "It's a long story."

Hermione expected him to ask her more, but he didn't. She liked that about him. He didn't push her for details about the war, her friendship with Harry and Ron or the things she'd done before she'd come to Seattle. Well, he asked sometimes, but he seemed to know when to push and when to back away. It was one of the things she liked most about him. In fact, it reminded her a lot of how her best friend was---or had been.

Oh, how she missed him! She'd have given anything to have had one more day with him to talk to him and tell him how much his friendship had meant to her. That day on the train all those years ago had changed her life in more ways than one. And even if she had known then what was going t happen, she wouldn't have changed anything. She was better for having been his friend.

"Hermione?"

Hermione turned to face Luke. "Yes?"

"I asked if you liked the music." Luke asked. "If you don't, you're more than welcome to change the disc."

Hermione shook her head. "No, it's fine. Really."

"So you've enjoyed having your friends here for a visit?"

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, even if they did ambush me."

Luke chuckled.

"But if I had known they were coming, I probably would have made up some excuse to put them off," Hermione continued.

"Why's that?"

Hermione shrugged. "I haven't been home in ages, really. I've just been busy and London---London has too many memories."

"But it's where your friends and family are," Luke argued. "You miss them, surely?"

"It's complicated," Hermione said.

"Life is short," he said quietly, his eyes on the road. "You know you can take your friends and your family for granted, thinking that you'll call or you'll visit and that they'll always be there, but that isn't always the case. You've lost all this time---time that you thought you'd always have."

Hermione studied him for a few moments. "Speaking from experience?"

He hesitated a moment before nodding.

"And who did you take for granted?"

"My family," he replied.

She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. Hermione realized that while he knew a lot about her, she didn't know that much about him or his background. She hoped to change that by the end of the evening.